Chapter 18: The Right Medium

As the mysteries in the Bridgewater Triangle continue to change shape, Jeremy and Thomas seek out answers in the past. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Bridgewater is a production of iHeartRadio three D audio and
Grim and Mild from Aaron Mankey for a full exposure
listen with headphones. Listener discretion advised. This way, it's this way. Wait,

(00:20):
it's coming from over here, so last, so last, come on,
hurry there, Wait, Dad, dad, Jeremy? Who's we have got

(00:46):
to stop meeting like this? Oh it's just you? Wow?
Am I already such old news? That is not what
I meant. I just sorry. I Um, I thought you
were a big foot? Maybe what? Well, I assume we're
here for the same reason, right the attack on the campers,
Um right, yeah, right right, I guess I should have

(01:06):
expected to see you. It seems like you and your
friends really dodged a bullet. Holy crap. Yeah, I mean
the ground was torn to shreds, and from what they
said about the dead camper on the news, that was Yeah,
I'm starting to think that it was a bad idea
coming back here. Wait did you did? I what? No,
never mind that you're gonna think I'm nuts. Oh No,
I think I think we're at the point where you
should know that I'm the right audience for stuff that

(01:29):
sounds nuts. I thought I heard a voice. I mean
just now, But it wasn't you. It was a woman.
I think you heard that. Yeah, yeah, you did too.
What do you think it was? Or? I guess the
question is who? Okay, so I recognize that voice, at
least I think I did. Um, Well, who is it?
It's it's someone impossible. What do you mean the woman

(01:50):
that I mentioned to you before, that the one who
died in free Time? Yeah, what about her? It was
her voice? What? Yeah? I know it sounds crazy. I'm crazy, remember, right? No,
right right? I don't know. I don't know. I I
don't believe in ghosts. What is happening? Well, maybe it's
some kind of mimic, something pretending to be her somehow,

(02:11):
a mimic like like what, well, you're the expert. But
that's a thing, right, changelings and shape shifters. You know.
I was just talking about shape shifters with my friend.
Whatever attack the camper feels like the thing that we
saw the other day, but some of the details aren't
lining up. So we were thinking maybe there's something that
can yeah, I don't know, transform in some way, which

(02:35):
would explain all of the different kinds of attacks that
have been happening lately. Yeah, you think it's all one creature.
I don't know. I don't know. I haven't actually gotten
my eyes on anything except the Howler, and that did
not feel like a shape shifter. This is so strange.
I mean, I've been feeling like things are off here,
you know, but I haven't seen anything yet. So I

(02:55):
think if I hadn't met you, I would think I
was going completely badge it crazy these days. Well, I
am happy that I've kept you saying I have to
say it's funny. Why no. I was also talking to
the same friend about how You're one of the first
people that I've met in a long time that doesn't
make me feel like I'm a total headcase when I

(03:17):
talk to them. Well, aren't we a pair, isn't it? Rich?
We're just two middle aged weirdos wandering through the wilderness,
one of us desperately trying to find a monster, the
other one tripping over them all the time. And amazingly,
that feels like the least of my problems. Are you
saying there's more to your interest in all of this,

(03:37):
more than just childhood obsession. Yeah, I'd like to hear
about it. I mean, if you're if you're willing to
talk about it, that is, maybe maybe we could grab
a drink sometime. Oh, I would actually really like that.
You don't have to founce those surprised. No, I'm not,

(03:58):
you know, I just don't have a lot of people
to talk to about this stuff, or at least the
people that I do have to talk to about it
are all tangled up in it themselves. So well, it
sounds like we'll be eating a few drinks. Then, yes,
what's your poison, let's get trash. Okay, So I mean

(04:52):
it sounds like it supports the shapeshifter theory. Voice mimicry
is so common. Yeah, but it's too common. I'm still
not sure about the voice throwing, the ability to pull
two people who were standing side by side in opposite directions.
Maybe it was just run of the mill magic, something
that messed with our perception. Well, whatever it was, we
need to be more careful. We can't keep getting separated
like that, or we will always find each other, I promise. Well,

(05:17):
I want to be prepared. I've texted Vippin and he's
going to pull everything that you can about voice mimicry.
But even with the added detail of it sounding like
it was coming from two different places. We're looking at
a lot of possibilities, still, so many possibilities. You know.
It's funny. I always thought it was fascinating how no
matter the location or the culture, human beings they come

(05:39):
up with the same kinds of monsters over and over again.
There are these, you know, culturally religiously specific ones, of course,
but the basic idea of shape shifters, vampires, vengeful spirits.
There are iterations of those all over the world. And

(06:00):
now I think we're all those people actually just seeing
the exact same thing something it's something real that they're
actually seeing, and then they add the filter of their
own cultural norms at the time that they saw it
to shape the narrative of that entity. Right. You really
love this stuff, don't all of the folklore and history? Yeah,

(06:24):
I mean I used to. Anyway, Now it feels like
I just it feels very different now, it feels like
it's a survival tool. WHOA what happened here? Well it
happened again? What what happened again? The creepy humming house
shaking thing and happened to you guys the other night,
this time with added spooky soundtrack. Was music? Music? What

(06:47):
kind of music? Oh, the kind that makes you feel
like a killer clown is going to pop out at
any moment. Killer. Yeah, it was classical, some kind of
you know, string instrument. I think maybe a harp. Music
was never really my strong suit, but it was Wait wait,
what the how? Why did that lead you to tear
apart your living room? Well it sounded like it was
coming from inside the house, like somebody hidden a speaker somewhere. Oh,
come on, you did this? Don't you think that you

(07:09):
would have noticed if someone stuck a speaker cabinet behind
your couch. Speakers can be really small now, like like
everything else. But you don't You don't really think that
somebody planted something here, do you? I don't know, But
that doesn't mean something didn't get in here anyway. You know,
what do you mean? You came through the veil to

(07:31):
our side, so have a bunch of monsters. So's to
say that something else couldn't have as well? I mean,
I don't know, like like someone who came in and
planted a tiny fairy speaker or a magic hor I
told her it was unlike Jeremy. Come on, well, then,
the living Why are you helping her, because what if
it was coming from something that's already here, I don't follow.
We were thinking about the voicemails, the ones who left

(07:53):
Thomas right, voicemails. What we never asked you about it.
When you were trying to speak to me, trying to
get the word out about what was happening, it was
coming through as a messages on my machine. You weren't
just hearing my voice. I just assumed, I'm yet that's
how I heard Celeste, just a disembodied voice in the limital, right.
But that's because there's nothing in the liminal. So somehow,

(08:16):
when you were speaking through the veil, it was captured
by an old message machine. Yeah, thank god too, because
if I'd just been hearing your voice, people would have
thought I was really off my rocker. You know, I
think people thought you were off your rocker. Anyway, I
am on my rocker, son. So wait a minute. So
you think that the music was coming from something that
you already owns, that it's from the liminal getting here somehow,

(08:38):
I don't think it's from the liminal. I think it's
from the other side. It would have to be from
the other side. My whole time there, I never heard
anything close to music. Well, that doesn't mean that things
haven't changed. I mean, could all then somehow be doing it?
And are you sure? Are you both sure that it
wasn't actually singing. It's not like the connection between here

(08:59):
and the liminal is exactly like Crystal Clear. No, not singing. Okay,
it was definitely instrumental in it. There's something so weird
about it? What what? What could be weirder than it
coming from nowhere? I don't know? Right, nothing sounded human,
nana like, even if it was human instruments, it was
like they were being played by something that wasn't it

(09:19):
was I'm badly played off key. No, that's not it.
I can't explain it. It's more like it came with
a feeling, you know. I think that's what you're trying
to get it right, like feelingly. Yeah, it came with
this feeling. Oh that can't be good. Well, hence trying
to find some sort of reasonable explanation, you know, reasonable
being an extremely relative term over here. Okay, dude, have

(09:42):
you found anything nothing? How do you fare in the swamp?
Was it that thing that we saw killed the camper? Yes,
maybe it's a little unclear, but it is clear that something,
something is is definitely trying to communicate with us. Has
So we heard Celeste's voice. What what isn't she like dead? Yeah?

(10:06):
And not in the limit? All right? Okay, so so
we have no idea what we're dealing with here. Well
what was she saying? I don't know. She was saying
a bunch of stuff, trusting her and it happening again.
Would be better this time? Right? What better? Okay, Well,
that's that's good. She also said we want you and

(10:27):
come here, which is what Ethan said. That's right, Yeah,
exactly the same thing. Yeah, maybe it was someone who
got possessed in the same way that Ethan did. It
wasn't a person. No, that voice was coming from two
different directions, and it was definitely Celeste or her voice
at least that I know. Okay, we don't really know
what's on the other side yet. Maybe it was some

(10:50):
kind of afterlife and Celeste's spirit is trying to talk
to you. I think that that would be the best option. Honestly,
I don't know. Should we hold as say answer, find
a medium medium couldn't hurt. I have never done a
SANDS before, but I guess I know the basics. I mean,
I think we can probably find a medium in Bridgwater. Well, yeah,

(11:11):
we have to be careful because even if talking to
the dead is possible, it doesn't mean that there aren't
a whole shitload of scammers out there. A medium, a medium.
We need to find the right medium, Yes, exactly, we
need someone reputable. I mean, I can't believe I'm saying that,
but maybe I can try to talk to some of
the other folklore folks and see if they do not

(11:32):
a psychic the right communication medium. Okay, think about it.
Thomas was able to communicate through the answering machine, Celeste
voice was coming through the swamp. There's no seeming connection
between those things. Okay, So what if there is a
connection and we're just not seeing it. Well, I think

(11:52):
that describes a lot of what we're doing right now.
Right sure, yeah, but maybe there's a way to get
more data to connect the dots. How so, Alden, Alden,
before you got here, Thomas, did he ever try to
reach out to He try to contact someone over here.
He was a scared seven year old trapped in another dimension.
He definitely tried to call out for help. Okay, so
maybe someone hurt him, and if we figure out how

(12:15):
they hurt him, then we say okay, okay, but how
would we do that the I mean, this was eighty
years ago. You know his parents are long dead, right,
he had a younger brother, Alden as a brother, and
he's still alive. What really I found him? When I
was looking into Alden's story, I didn't think it was relevant. Honestly,

(12:37):
it's not like we can tell him anything that would
give him closure after all these years. And he was
only five when Alden went missing, so he might not
even remember it happening. But that doesn't mean he wasn't
communicated with later exactly. You didn't start hearing Thomas's voicemails
until this year, but who knows when he left them. Well,
I was always calling out to you, Anne, always right,

(12:59):
So maybe Alden's brother heard something he can't explain either.
You think he would talk to us, well, I mean,
I think it's worth to try, and he's right here
in Bridgewater. Hey mister Jansen, Hi, thank thanks for agreeing
to talk to us. Oh please call me Lee. Not

(13:22):
every day a good visitors. It's really nice to meet you, Lee.
I'm Thomas and this is Jeremy. Has your family mostly
moved away? Well, I never had children myself and my
sister restaur Soul. Her kids live up in New Hampshire
and their kids are all grown now. So oh, they
come and visit when they can. But there's not a

(13:45):
lot in the way of entertainment in this place. So
when they said they were two men here to interview
me for a book, well that was just about me
my day. Well, we're happy to hear that, although I
can to being quite confused as why you'd want to
talk to me. Well, I am a professor here at

(14:07):
the local college, and I'm writing a book about the region,
and specifically I'm looking at unsolved mysteries and the like.
And I know that you have lived here your entire life.
I have, and I also know that you have a
personal um. This is about all of them, isn't it. Yes, yeah,

(14:30):
I take it. You've been asked about him before a
few times for the year. Every now and again, someone
will get their heads stuck into all the mission person
cases in Bridgewater. My brother is one of the it's
kept folks interest I think because he was so young
and there was never any evidence at all as to

(14:52):
what happened. I'm so sorry. Oh I don't remember. And
if that's what you're here for, well, he was two
years old other than me, and I barely remember him
at all. That must have been hard for all of you.
My family, we we didn't really talk about it. It
was a it was a different time back then. But
I also know that losing your child isn't something you

(15:16):
ever get over. And your parents, they did they ever
have any guesses or talk to you about what might
have happened? Well, they assumed he was kidnapped, like everyone else.
What did you think? My sister, she was there right

(15:36):
before it happened, and she always thought it was some
kind of monster in the woods. I guess that would
make sense. I mean, she was a child herself, right,
It's not a belief she grew out of. And and
what what did you believe? I always thought there was
something strange about this place. And based on the type

(16:00):
of folks who have come to talk to me through
the years, I know I'm not the only one. And
I suspect you're not here to ask me about whatever
official investigation took place back then. No we're not, so
go on tell me whatever wild theory you have. We

(16:21):
actually were wondering more if you had any theories or
if there's anything through the years that you haven't been
able to explain about it. You may have a Shaane
my brother's ghost track down the monstating we are not
trying to make a mockery of your family's tragedially, we
care about Alden his story. But I take it a

(16:43):
lot of the people who have come to you through
the years have just been looking for something sensational, right,
that's a way of putting it. We don't want anything
but the truth. And if that truth is that you
have no memory of your brother and nothing of his
life or disappearance to share at this point, then that's

(17:04):
totally okay. What truth are you expecting to find? What
do you mean? Folks usually have an idea in their heads.
You say you want my theory, but I'm betting you
have one of your own. We we've heard of missing
people being able to contact they're loved ones. I've never

(17:28):
seen his ghost. As much as some people might want
to believe that, Yeah, I guess we're not really talking
about a ghost so much as I don't know. Did
you ever hear of a voice? Of a voice that
might that might have sounded like all then a ghostly
voice is still a ghost. Not ghostly. No, it would

(17:48):
have been It would have come from somewhere like an
answering machine or a phone or some specific place, or
maybe any any kind of object that can produce a sound, right,
I mean, as far as we know, to be a
record player or a radio, a radio, yeah, right, it
could be a radio. Who are you people? Have you
heard something? Me? Olden? He had a little radio on

(18:16):
his nightstand when I went to college. I took it
with me. I've had it ever since. And you heard
something from this radio, something other than a broadcast. It
used to act funny. Yeah, I'd have a tune to
one of the usual stations, strong signal and all that,

(18:37):
but it gets static in well, strange sometimes strange. How
you said other people have heard voices before of people
who disappeared. Yes, well we can't tell you more without
violating people's privacy. But yes, I always thought I was

(19:02):
imagining it. But but you heard something. I don't know
what it was. It It sounded like a little boy,
but I always I always thought it was interference from
another broadcast. It was an old radio, and there were
so many more stations than there used to be. When
was this, let me see it was that was at

(19:25):
the Green Bank House. So the seventies, well the eighties.
Maybe do you still have that radio? Hello? Hey, Hippin,

(20:00):
come in, Hey Hippin. Hey is Jeremy here? Oh? You
just missed him? Yeah? He and Thomas went back to
talk to Alden's brother. Oh Lee, you know. Yeah, Olivia
and I talked about it a little bit. I thought
we agreed it wouldn't be good to tell him anything. No,
we do, we do agree, But I realized maybe he
could tell us something that maybe maybe Alden tried to

(20:22):
communicate with him the same way Thomas did with Anne.
Oh smart, how are you guys doing after the whole
earthquake thing? I texted him, You're not the only one,
apparently I've missed quite the afternoon. Yeah, how was your
coffee with m Peyton? Illuminating? I'll tell you all about it.

(20:42):
But you're okay? Really? Yeah, I mean we're okay, but
I mean it can't be good that this is the
second time it's happened, right, Yeah about that. I don't
think anyone should be staying here until we figure out
what's going on. It could be dangerous. That's a good point. Yeah,
we'll figure something out. You could stay with me. I

(21:03):
mean I only have a couch, but I could sleep
on that and you could take my bed. I really
don't mind. I don't actually live here, remember, Oh right, God,
stupid forget I said anything, no, no, thank you if
it that's a really sweet offer. And and the offer
extends to you too. I know Jeremy doesn't have a

(21:25):
guest room either, but between the two of us, wow,
I think it might be time for us to go
home with Live. But thank you? Really? Are you sure?
I don't know how much longer we can hide Thomas
from your mom Live. I'm sure we could couch surf,
but you know it's it's time. So about that. What

(21:49):
Thomas hasn't talked to you about? What? I look Mom
needed to know Live, so I brought Thomas to see
her and via christ Well, it was it was, I mean,
it became fine. You and I explained everything, and she
and Thomas talked. So I don't know. I think she
she might be willing to have you guys stay over.

(22:10):
Would this be why? Maybe she's not returning any of
my calls. Well, she's pissed Nana, and I think she
has every right to be. Oh, Olivia, I am not
okay with you going behind my back like this. Oh
and I'm not okay with you hiding my grandfather's identity
for forty years. So yeah, I guess we're even. Yeah,
I guess. So what should I expect then? Will she

(22:32):
even let me into the house? Fifty fifty chance? I mean,
maybe a little higher, since it's it's just her right now,
Ethan and your dad are still at his parents right, Yeah,
for the next week at least, I don't like. Gives
this plenty of time to talk it out. Well, that's optimistic,
all right, I'm gonna go call your mom, make sure
it's okay, and then pack a bag and just give

(22:54):
me your phone. Boy, she'll pick up for you. Okay.
So you're just leaning into her being kissed off at
you that, Well, it can't get any worse, can it?
I mean, only one way to find out. So how
do you actually feel about that? I don't know. I mean,
I do think my mom has settled down a little,

(23:16):
but putting her and Nana and Thomas and I mean,
let's be honest, probably Jeremy all in a room is
going to be Oh yeah, I don't envy that conversation.
Does that offer to stay apply to escaping to yours
just for an emergency drink? Yeah? Definitely. I'm sorry about that.
I didn't It was that was so presumptuous of me. Biffin.

(23:40):
You weren't propositioning me. You were making a nice offer
to a friend, you know, unless no, no, no, I
swear I was just friendly not to say that. I mean,
you know, I think we would you like to go
out on a date sometime? What would you like? Yes? Yes,

(24:02):
definitely I would yes that that would be great good good.
I mean not now obviously, or even like this week,
because but after we stop the end of the world
or whatever, then maybe we'll go out to celebrate. Okay, perfect,
all right, your mom's expecting us later. How'd that go? Well,

(24:24):
she didn't yell at me, so so really bad. H yeah,
this is going to be very unpleasant, all right. Vivin,
how is our favorite mystical leader? Um? She was surprisingly forthcoming?
Really yeah, she explained everything she knows. The gathering is
tasked with protecting our world from the other by keeping

(24:44):
the gate closed through human sacrifice. Well, she said, volunteering.
I'm sure she did. It'll be her in Virginia. When
the time comes, their leader goes into the limino willingly,
letting the person in there already move on. She signed
up for that. Apparently she's a legacy, and I bet
she's not the only one. The gathering is just the

(25:05):
group here on the East Coast. There are what sounds
like hundreds of other groups around the world doing the
same thing. So a network of supernatural gatekeepers and literally, yeah, literally,
and sometimes that leads to stuff like the children of Tichiba,
people going rogue and trying to harness the power of
the fay Realm for themselves. Why is that even possible?

(25:27):
Peyton wasn't sure. She said there's a lot of magic
over there that we still don't understand, and maybe someone
could learn it, But she was pretty insistent on the
fact that the fae are not something to be controlled.
Did it seem like she was interested in learning that
magic herself. I don't think so. I think we can
trust her. She clearly has a lot of respect for

(25:50):
the other side. She doesn't think that she's more powerful
than it, or that she could try and harness it
in the way that the children wanted to. Well, respect
isn't all that far from reverend. I mean, when she
got rid of the sasquatch, she sent it back instead
of killing it, and always bugged me she has killed
monsters before, or well her dad did, I guess, but

(26:11):
she didn't seem bothered by that idea. I just want
us to be careful. Okay. It all feels a little
convenient that she showed up here. Why isn't she filling
in for Celeste? I mean that has to happen from
gathering group to gathering group, right. She said they don't
actually talk all that much, but that she knew something
was wrong up here. Yeah, And my question is how

(26:33):
it's not like Bridgewater went from having no paranormal sidings
to having a bunch of them. I mean, how would
she even know that things have gone wrong? Now? Celeste
always said she was attuned, right, Maybe they're taught to
connect to the veil somehow feel it when it tears
or gets thin. Well, that's what I'm worried about. That
sounds like magic to me. And if Peyton has learned

(26:54):
that a learned how to banish monsters back to the
other side. Then what else has she learned? What could
she be hiding from us? I see that finding out
about literal monsters that want to kill us has not
made you less suspicious of humans, Nana. I'm just saying
I think we should be careful. Yes, yes, yeah, Oh

(27:15):
that's Jeremy. They're done at the retirement home and headed
to my house. Ooof Okay, looks like it's time to
face the music. Hey, thanks her waiting for us. I
didn't think it was a great idea to just knock
on the door. Are you okay? You sure you want

(27:36):
to do this? I think it's a good idea for
us to stay somewhere else, And she's really willing. I
do want more time with her. Should I even be
here for this? I don't. I don't want to overwhelm Shelley.
I mean, she's already been told all the really life
shattering stuff, right, and it's not like she's never met you. Yeah,
but not as her brother. Okay, did you guys have

(27:59):
any luquidly Yeah? We actually were able to borrow an
old radio that he thinks he may have heard Alden
through back in this happenies. Really, that's awesome news. Yeah,
so we can try to communicate with the missing boy
from the nineteen forties through a radio after we have
this weird family reuning with my new half sister and
my dad. Dad. All right, this is gonna be fine. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,

(28:23):
this is gonna be fun. Yeah. What are you waiting for?
I don't know. Should we knock? I have a key,
but I don't know if that's the right thing to do.
I live here. Oh my god, Hey Mom, we're home.
Oh oh great, you're all here, Jeremy. Yeah, well it's

(28:49):
you always said you wished you'd grown up with siblings.
That is very helpful. Thank you live. Someone had to
break the eyes, Shelley. I no, not ready to talk
to you yet. So I look, I understand that you
guys need a place to stay for god knows what reason,
But Nana's house is haunted. Uh wow. Just because we're

(29:10):
under one roof, it does not mean we're a family.
This episode of Bridgewater was written by Lauren Shippin and
directed by Brendan Patrick Hughes Assistant director Sarah Klein. Sound
designed by Vincent de Johnny Rima Ilkali, Josh Thane, and

(29:31):
Trevor Young, with music by Chad Lawson, starring Misha Collins
as Jeremy Bradshaw, Melissa Ponzio as Anne Becker, Alan Tudik
as Thomas Bradshaw, Karen Sony as Vipen Korana, Sabra May
as Olivia Haskins, Cheryl Umania as Officer Bautista, Will Wheaton

(29:52):
as Captain Haddock, Trisha Helper as the Legend Tripper, Stephen
Guarino as Doctor Edwards, to Me su Dembe as Peyton Blake,
Hilary Burton Morgan as Shelley Hoskins, Nicky McCauley as Celeste Than,
Victoria Grace as Katie Franks, with additional voice acting by

(30:12):
Greta Gould, Shelby Young, Adam O'Byrne Monte, Markham, Charlie Bergman,
and Teren Westbrook. Executive producers Aaron Manky, Misha Collins, Lauren Shippin,
Matt Frederick and Alexander Williams. Supervising producers Josh Thane and
Trevor Young. Bridgewater was created by me Aaron Mankey and

(30:32):
is a production of Grim and Mild and iHeart three
D Audio. Learn more about the show over at Grimm
andmild dot com Slash Bridgewater and find more podcasts from
iHeartRadio on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
listen to your favorite shows, and as always, thanks for listening.