Ghosts of Philadelphia

Three

Over the next couple weeks, the cases just kept coming into the local police department, and they seemed to keep getting weirder and weirder. What'd started out as just seeing men, women, and children in what a lotta folks referred to as period dress turned into stalking cases and phantom baby's cries. The thing about the latter type was where those phantom cries were said to be coming from–really weird places, like the kitchen faucet or a pipe coming outta the wall that led to nowhere.

        If there was one good thing about the almost constant stream of paranormal calls, it was that Richie certainly got more chancesta practice using his abilities. Not only that, but it was quickly discovered that he'd another talent that he didn't share with the older Medium–remote viewing. Every Time they took him out to a case with them, he'd start seeing flashes of what turned out to be their destination before they ever arrived.

        To keep him from Influencing Rob since he preferred going into a location blind–literally and figuratively–he started jotting down notes about what'd come to him on the drive to each place. As soon as they'd pull up, he'd almost always been validated in what he claimed to be Seeing, even if he got a few minor details wrong. For example, he might See a Rose bush in his Vision, but there actually be Azaleas planted next to the front steps or something. Other than that, the younger brunette proved to be damn near spot-on every Time, and he admitted that it was a bit freaky to him.

        But in between each case, he was being trained in far more than just tuning into his surroundings, both up close and from afar. One of the things that the older brunette insisted on training him in was various protective Charms that could be used by just about anyone, regardless of their religion. Things like the Crystals–or more aptly, tumbled Stones–that he carried in his own pockets, especially when he was out on a case. It was his way of making sure he was protected, but still respecting what he'd said about not wanting to give up wearing his cross, if he didn't have to. Carrying around a chunk of something like Jet and Amethyst or any other combination of protective Stones wouldn't necessarily make him an instant Pagan, but it'd certainly help with Warding off any Spiritual attacks.

        When he wasn't helping his impromptu apprentice with shit like that, Rob was busy trying to connect the dots and figure out the link between the cases. He'd absolutely no doubt they were all interconnected, but he hadn't figured out how they were connected just yet. The first thing that came to mind, considering the location of damn near every case they took, was that it'd something to do with the River. After all, the Town run'd been the link between all the hauntings from his childhood, and Rivers were essentially Streams and Creeks on steroids. Since Water was a Spiritual conduit and crossing running Water could sever the connection between the Living and a hounding Spirit, he thought that might have something to do with it.

        However, that theory started to get questioned in his own head when he realized that several of their cases were anywhere from five-to-ten miles away. Several bordered the Delaware River on the other side of town, rather than the Schuylkill that was all but in Richie's back yard. At first, he almost thought that Water'd absolutely nothing to do with any of the cases, but that was an idea that was quickly nixed. The neighborhoods where the hauntings were strongest were all pretty much on the banks of one of the two Rivers. When he took a look at a topography map of the area that Blues managed to get his hands on, he was quick to rethink his theory and adjust it slightly. Once he'd seen that map, he'd absolutely no doubt that Water was most definitely involved somehow, but he wasn't thinking it was being used as a paranormal highway, as it were. Rob was almost absolutely certain that it was being used as a food source, so to speak, rather than a manner of Travel.

        "Whaddaya mean by that?" Bret asked after he'd finally laid out his theory to the others, including the younger Medium.

        "Take a look at this map," he told him, spreading out what Blues'd given him to look at.