THE HAUNTING PAST MYSTERY OF THE DARK MAGIC COVEN

THE HAUNTING PAST: MYSTERY OF THE DARK MAGIC COVEN Having just completed the mystery, of the drive-in theaters, Ghost Ship Two was cruising, for our next, PAID, case. A case which, as bizzarre as it may seem, involved yet ANOTHER light house. Now, even I will admit that lighthouses have a history, as full, and rich, as America, herself, yet the file contained only the identities, of those who had been drenched, or tied up. The file contained NO background, at all. As a result, if Tami and I accepted this case, WE would be developing the case, from the ground, up. What really got on our nerves, as well, was the fact that the file did not even suggest WHO MIGHT be haunting the property. While G.S.2 was at cruising altitude, and we were about two hours, from our destination, the Brown Agency did something the boss, rarely, did. Using "flash traffic", Mr. Brown set us an upload file, which included a course change, for our pilots. When Tami opened the file, the first line read "The drenchings, and tying ups, will have to wait. URGENT! Detour to the following coordinates. Reason contained within main file. According to the main file, a group, of high school teens, had taken a water taxi for a ride, on some in-land waterway. The problem was not only that the water taxi was hours overdue, but that atleast two, of the students, on-board, had serious, medical, needs. The police had been searching, for the water taxi, for hours, yet with no luck. When Tami suggested "The taxi is only three hours late, and there is no ransom demand. What makes people think the taxi did not just have engine trouble, and that it is not just sheltered, in some cove?" Tami and I found the reason, for the concern, in the medical attachment. Atleast one, of the students, had some condition, which required medication, every six hours. Since the water taxi was missing, for 4.5 hours, so far, there was only 90 minutes, to find the student, and give them their medication. The main problem, with the file, was that the contents included so much medical jargon, that it would take us DAYS, just to understand the contents. When Tami vid-linked, with the secretary, asking WHAT the contents, of the file, meant, in simple English, the secretary would say "From what **I** understand, thirty minutes, beyond the medication deadline, and, I THINK, the students life signs will begin to shut down. At approximately seven hours, it will be time to call the coronner." When Tami would ask "With just 90 minutes, WHAT can they expect US to do?" The secretary would say "We have been asked to have your plane use its electronics, and sensors, for one, final, sweep, of the waterways. If you pick up the taxi, then transport the patients to the nearest hospital, immediately". (Neither of us wanted to ask what we should do, if we arrived, late.) I have to hand it to our pilots. They brought Ghost Ship Two so close, to the water, that the sensors recorded the fish population, and other "debris", even as we followed the taxi's assigned route. Our pilots were so determined to make a thorough search, of the area, that the men kept G.S.2 just beyond stall speed, while we kept the sensors at maximum power. It was while the four of us were searching, for even the smallest of clues, that one, of the students, who had medical needs, appearred, in our camera area. When we brought the student aboard G.S.2, the student would ask us "Please, tell my parents that this was NOT their fault. No one could have forseen. Tell them I will, always, love them". When Tami would ask the student "Would you show us where the taxi is?" The student would say "I am sorry, but I must go, now". Less than a moment later, the student vanished, and another student showed up, eyes, full of tears. The student seemed to be whispering "Sorry", then dissolved. When we found the water taxi, it was treading water and, according to our instruments, the water, around the boat, was icy cold. Hypothermia, on top of medical conditions. Even as our pilots were aiding the floundering boat, the captain was, still, trying to make repairs. This, even as G.S.2 removed the students, and the bodies, and flew these to the local hospital. While Tami and I waited, outside the hospital, as the bodies were identified, we could have been in the next state, or even in Europe, and we would have heard each, of the mothers anguished cries, while identification was being made. As far as anyone could understand, a part, of the boats engine, had shorted out, and stopped pumping water out of the hull. After enough water had gotten inside the hull, the engine had shut down. The pilot was working to stop the leak, so he could pump the boat dry, and re-start the engine, when G.S.2 had arrived. Once the survivors were un-loaded, at the hospital, Tami and I did not stick around, for "thank you's". Tami simply wrote the students message, on a slip of paper, and placed this inside the corpses pocket. If it were up to Tami and I, we would have departed the area, immediately. That is, it seems, until local law enforement had another matter which they wanted to discuss. Parking G.S.2 in a shopping center parking lot, Tami had me drive us to the police station. A place, where the matter, of a disabled water taxi was the LEAST of the concern. By this time, Tami and I had become accustomed to entering places, only to be hustled, quickly, and quietly, to side rooms. (It would seem that our "legend", as "ghost-busters", was becoming even better known than even we could have dreamed of). When the Chief of Police, joined us, in the conference room, Tami and I were ready for the usual "This is, completely, OFF the record, right?" When Tami and I agreed, the chief would say "One, silver, lining, to that taxi tragedy. Atleast no one is paying attentioon to the fact that a brand new, multi-million dollar, boat, has vanished." When Tami and I looked at the chief, then the man would say ""Not vanished, as in stolen. That thing was too BIG for anyone to steal.. No, I mean that ship disappearred". When Tami would ask "When, and where", the chief would produce a map, showing the "where". As for the "when", the chief would say "We THINK it was just a few hours ago. Cant be more certain, since every set of eyes, in this whole area, was looking for the water taxi". When Tami would ask "What if the crew just took the ship out". The chief would say "If anyone saw that boat, they would know it. We are not talking a row-bat, here. We are talking about a floating casino". When I suggested "Rival gamblers?" The chief would say "As soon as I got word, I set every port, within miles, on alert. No one has reported seeing the ship". When Tami would ask "Chief, what aren't you telling us?" The chief seemed hesitant, as Tami would say "Let me guess. This is not the first boat to go missing, is it". When the chief would, quietly, say "No, ma'am", I would add "This is the reason why you KNOW the WHERE. Other boats have gone missing." The chief almost whispered "Cars, and hikers, too". When Tami seemed puzzled, the chief would say "We have been over the ground, and dragged the water, over and over. I just cant explain it". When Tami would ask "So, why call us in?" The chief would say "The ships owners aint happy. $95 million, they put into that boat. They want the boat back, or the town will have to re-imburse the investors". When Tami would say "Let me guess. Re-payment would bankrupt the communnity". The chief would say "Wipe us clean off the map. Locals generate just enough money, to cover costs. This is why, when I heard you were around, I was hoping your plane could find the boat. Just as you found the water taxi". When Tami would ask "Ball park it for us. How MANY boats have gone missing? 4, maybe 5?" The chief would say "Multiply that by 100. Shipping is starting to avoid this area. Delivery companies make us pick up our supplies, in our own vehicles. If we dont find out what is going on, and soon, this town will not exist, anymore. It will be another victim of this accursed New World Order". This was a story Tami and I heard, many times over. Towns, which had, once, prospered, while HUMANS were employed, at manufacturing plants, under the old economy, were becoming barren derelicts. All because management had been shown how to save money, by dumping humans, in favor of robots. The computer programmers, even today, failed to understand that it was people who stimulated the economy, by WORKING, for salaries. Wages, which humans used, to pay bills, and buy goods. Now, thanks to plant mechanization, production was more efficient, than ever, however, with humans un-employed, there were no customers, to purcase the produced goods. This is why, in desperation, to "save" economies, but with-OUT creating manufacturing jobs, many cities had turned to legalized gambling, for replacement revenue. Government had found that people, though un-employed, were willing to gamble their lives away, all in the hopes of winning enough money, to pay bills, and eliminating debts, with gambling winnings. (In point of fact, only 1, out of every 100,000, gamblers, achieves this goal.) Thanks to the "New World Order", un-adjusted un-employment was well over 60%, with more job losses, everyday. Still, the government REFUSED to return the nation, to its manufacturing roots. Government was determined to finance operations, strictly through gambling revenues. Investors were encouraged to take enormous gambles, on newer, and larger, ships, while the government told the public "Be patient. EVENTUALLY, SOME-day, the economy will return, on its own". This is what had lead to the new boat being built. While the local community was, openly, opposed, to gambling, atleast the ship-building industry was fully employed. Two hundreed people had found work, on the boats construction, and their wages were aiding the towns "survival". Now that the boat was nearing completion, the investors had ordered a "shake down" cruise, in order to learn if their money was well-spent. While the investors had specified a launch time, three hours ahead of the actual departure time, the boat was required to wait until the tide was in, before launching. The shipyard had confirmed that the ship had departed, logging in the time, direction, and speed, of the departing boat. Later, a few people, not involved in the search actrivities, reported seeing the boat, on course, and under power. The final group, to report seeing the boat, were estimated to have seen the boat, maybe five, or ten, minutes, before it vanished. The witnesses reported "Nothing seemed strange". Now, a $95 million gambling boat had joined the "ranks", of cargo ships, yachts, automobiles, hikers, and so on. The chief would say "What puzzles me is the LO Jack signals. The department has used Lo Jack signals, to find stolen cars. The system works well, in, and around, town." Tami would suggest But, cars, which disappear, in this area", Tami would indicate the maps highlighted area "Do not leave a LO Jack signal?" The chief would say "No, ma'am. Nothing we can trace, anyway. Just like the boats. Even G.P.S. just does not work, in that area". After thanking the police chief, for his time, and returning to G.S.2, for our gear, our pilots would agree to do some circuits, over the afflicated area. When Tami would caution "Be careful", our pilot would say "Yes, ma'am. We KNOW how much this plane cost." Tami would say "I wasn't thinking about the plane. I just would not want the duty, of notifying your families." The co-pilot would smile as he said "We will be careful". While Tami and I visited some sights, G.S.2 was criss-crossing the suspected area, but with no results. To Tami, I would suggest "I wonder what phase the moon was in, last night?" When Tami called up the data, she confirmed what we, both, thought. Last night was the final night, of this months full moon cycle. I would suggest "We have three weeks to prepare". The way Tami would say "Swell" seemed like she was looking forward to her part, of this job, even less than I was. When the Brown Agency messaged us, saying "The ships investors are offering a ten million dollar reward, for return of the ship" Tami would suggest "Better hang on. We are about to be inundated, with "fortune hunters". Sure enough, within five days, the shore-line was so "thick", with "treasure seekers", that locals could neither fish, nor swim. The police department had to commandeer a former store front, for processing all of the junk, which the hunters brought in. While Tami and I understood that the ten million would be a reward, for either returning the ship, or for the confirmed whereabouts, of same, fortune hunters could only see the dollar signs. The local dive, shop had to rent equipment, from regional dive suppliers, to cope with the needs, of the fortune hunters. While the police had to break up fist-fights, on the shore, as "prospectors" fought over WHO had found WHAT, the search-and-rescue team were kept busy, retrieving the bodies, of in-experienced divers. So many people thought that all they had to do was place the scuba tanks, and a face mask, on their bodies, and they were ready to dive. Not one, of these people, understood that tank valves must be manually turned on, for air flow. While the police were kept busy, recovering divers, Tami was conversing with locals, even as I worked on finding out just how MANY ships, including the names, and points, of disappearances, where ships had gone missing. When the morgue had to rent out freezer space, to handle the number, of bodies, which were being retrieved, by search-and-rescue, the police chief decided to offer the ships investors a compromise. Either the ships investors would begin paying ALL of the bills, including storage, overtime, and so on, for the fortune-hunting fiasco, OR the investors could rescind the ten million dollar reward. When the investors told the police chief "We want our ship back", the police chief would, no-sooner say "Fine. My department begins billing you, for ALL of this, as of tonight". When the investors asked, and the chief told then the current cost, of operations, the investors thought the chief was "padding" the bill. That is, until the chief produced the receipts. When the investors would give in, saying "We will make an announcement, in the local paper. The morning edition." The chief would say "Thanks. You just saved everyone a LOT of money." Within twenty-four hours, of the announcement, the fortune hunters had fled, leaving locals to clean up the mess, left behind. As Tami and I had, long-since learned, nothing builds better relations than working, side-by-side, with people. While Tami assisted with writing up damage control reports (and engaging in conversation, whenever posible), I would join the "dirtier" end, by aiding in the clean up, of the debris, and trash. The fortune hunters were so very messy. It was as if all the fortune hunters cared about was the "pot of gold". Tami was able to gain much more access, to local information, just by asking about the crews, of the various ships, which stopped by this port. Esapecially those crew members who were "local", and which members were from other ports. By contrast, the workers, on the clean up crew were much more "guarded". Anytime a conversation started up, among the men, especially about the KINDS of ships, which had vanished, I made sure my own recorder was turned on. NEVER did Tami nor I, ask how much various items were worth. We wanted to know about crews knowledge, and ships abilities. Not surprising, when Tami and I met, back at G.S.2, Tami would report that only 2.5% of the workers, on most of the ships, were locals. 95-98%, of the work-force, were from out-of-town. Maybe even from out-of-state. What puzzled me, even more than the variations, of sizes, of vanished items, was the scale of what had been "stolen". I mean, row-boats, and sedans, can be packed into a semi, and hauled away, un-detected, but HOW does one haul away a 200-ton cargo carrier, or a gambling boat? Items, which are as long as two football fields, and as tall as buildings. Even Tami shrugged at how such feats were accomplished. Especially since her own interviews showed that widows, and grand-mothers, knew more, of what went on, locally, then even the police did. Tami was pretty certain that, if this town were like her home-town, that the seniors would have seen something. While Tami and I accepted the invitation, to the high schoolers funerals, I just could not beleive that, after just one hour, in cold water, mixed with late medications, could, really, cause death. This, even though a Brown Agency medical doctor said such events happened, regularly. When I had mentioned that most medications have a "four hour window", of effectiveness, the doctor would say "Depends upon the disease, and the patient. Add in Hypothermia, and four hours can become as little as fifteen minutes." When the doctor would add "In extreme conditions", I would ask "You mean extreme, medical, conditions", the doctor would add "Extreme cold, like the dead, of winter, in the north, or extreme heat, like the desert". (And I thought my life was tough, consuming nine, seperate, drugs, everyday) Tami had, also, learned that, with the diseases in question, medications, taken by mouth, would not have been effective enough. Each, of the students had faced daily injections, four times each day. Not a "life" I would wish on anyone. As for the funerals, of people, so young, the services would be dedicated to the persons childhood. I just dont know who was saddest, at the ceremony. The teens mothers, or the taxi driver. A man, who was grief-stricken that his boat had broken down, with innocent life on-board. When an older gentleman would appear, behind us, asking "Would you tell my son not to grieve, so deeply. It was not his fault, that the pump failed. It could have happened to any of us". The gentleman then gave Tami a "code", so his son would understand that the information was real. After this, the gentleman faded, and one of the students appearred, to Tami and I, asking "Would you tell my parents to stop balling. I have, never, felt better. No more shots. No more, rigid schedule. I am free to be me. I want them to be as happy as I am". When Tami would ask "How will they know the message is from you?" The student would say "Tell them purple Scooby Doo! says so".. After the service, I let Tami take lead. After all, Tami is the "people person", while I am just "excess baggage". The taxi driver must have believed the message since he made the "Sign, of the cross", then embraced Tami. When Tami tried to temper the message, to the one students parents, with gentler wording, both parents said "Thats not from her. We KNOW our daughter. She was, never, so polite". When Tami, then, gave the parents the actual message, word-for-word, the parents just looked at her. When Tami apologized, for the tone, the parents just looked at one another, then the father told Tami "THAT sounds like our daughter". While the funeral was letting out, and Tami asked the other parents "I thought Scooby Doo! was a brown, Greate Dane". The father would say "You have to remember that children go through stages/phases. IN our daughters case, she had a thing, for purple. She loves Scooby Doo!, but she loved purple, as well. We never found out where she got the dye, but she got some purple dye." The mother would say "The mess that girl made. Heavens. She not only died Scooby Doo, purple, but she got covered, in the dye, as well". Her father would add "The school wanted to put her out, on medical, until the color faded away" "But, my husband asked "Why? She isn't sick. She's just purple." That girl could be so impulsive". When Tami would ask "What happened to purple Scooby Doo!?" The mother would say "He remains on the top shelf, all by himself. My daughter had other toys, which came and went, but purple Scooby Doo! was her LOVE". After talking with both groups, Tami would tell me "No wonder they want the disappearances solved. This place is even less like a community, then my own home town. This place is like a family. Later, as Tami and I were taking a stroll, on a walking trail, which overlooked the waterway, we watched as the full moon crested a local hill. As we observed the waterway, for some reason, in the early twilight, a container ships lights went out, even as the ship seemed to coast to a stop, on the waterway. Moments later, the ship vanished, as though behind a curtain. It was just too bad that we were so far away. We just could not make out any details, By the time we returned, to G.S.2, grabbed our gear, then returned to the area, a search party was, already, present, searching for a lost bicyclist. According to the missing teens fellow riders, the group was just riding the trail, when the riders watched as the lead rider vanished. When Tami would ask "What time did this occur?" When the cyclist spoke, we found out that the cyclist, who had vanished, had done so, maybe ten minutes AFTER the ship had vanished. When Tami viewed the sky, and the youth asked if the riders were in danger, Tami would be the one to say "Dont worry. You see. The moon is beyond the horizon." When the police chief would ask "What was that?" Tami would say "Items only disappear, when the full moon is overhead. Currently, there is NO moon, so the area is safe". When the police chief took Tami and I aside, asking Tami "What is all this nonsense, about the moon." Tami tried to explain, but the chief was not in a listening mood. Especially when he asked "HOW do you know all of this?" Tami turned to me and, using everyday terms, I explained how Tami and I had witnessed houses, changing their appearance, as well as houses, appearing, as if from nowhere. Spirits, who were most talkative, when the full moon was overhead. To all of this, the police chief would say "I will put a stop to this, right NOW!". With that, the chief called the station, asking "Look up the dates, of the vanishings. I want to know if there was anything "funny" going on. Have it ready, when I get there". On the way, to the station, the chief just kept saying "Full moon. What nonsense. A couple of crack-pots. Thats what you are. Full moon, HA!" Personally, I was pretty certain that the police chief was about to "book" both of us, until we arrived, at the police station. When the chief asked his staff officer "Well, what did you find out?" The officer would say "Nothing strange, or spooky. No witches, werewolves, or any other, such activity. If that is what you mean". It was right after the chief looked at us, saying "HA! Blows you right out of the water, doesn't it? Nothing bizzarre going on..." This is when the staff officer would add "Chief, about the only thing I DID find, though its not "starange", is the fact that, when I checked the dates, on the calendar, it seems that every disappearance happened, on a full moon night. Dont know what that means..." When the chief would say "Repeat that stuff, about the moon", the staff officer would call up the dates, of each disappearance, then cpompare this to the lunar cycle. When the chief would turn to us, asking "How can that be? The moon is just a chunk of rock". Tami would say "To some cultures, the moon is a symbol, of great power. People worship the moon. People have sex, under the moon, for various reasons. Crops are planted by the moon. Nations have even been invaded, based upon the moon." When the chief would ask "So you REALLY believe in this stuff?" I would say "In our line of work, the moon is like our time clock.". When the chief would ask "How do I protect my people from the MOON?" Tami would suggest "Allow us to understand WHY the moon is doing this. Just keep your people clear, of the area, until we understand WHAT is going on" When the chief would ask "WHAT do I tell the town council?" Tami would suggest "Why not try saying that we are investigating rumors. You want to be sure, of fact versus fiction, before releasing details". The police chief woulkd say "That would buy us SOME time. How much time do you think you would need?" Tami would say "About five weeks. We need to understand the WHERE, before we learn the WHAT". Even with our pilots assistance, Tami and I were un-able to complete our "base-line", before the last quarter moon. During the last quarter, to the first quarter, of the moon, Tami and I heard, and recorded, the sounds, of machinery, coming as if from underground. The problem was that the sounds did not, always, come. In a few cases, just as Tami and I thought we were "closing in", on the sounds, we heard something similar to doors closing. When Tami asked around town, she was surprised at how many people KNEW what we had heard. Locals reported hearing the sounds, "regularly"". When we checked the town hall records, though, the records proved the city council correct. No one had done any digging, or moved machines in. Atleast not in the past 75 years, which the records covered. If we wanted access, to even OLDER records, Tami knew what this would mean. While my own review, of the landscape, showed evidence, of past structures, which the towns official records did NOT show, the one thing I found no evidence for, was the ventilation shafts, which machines would need, to vent exhaust gasses. By the time, of the next, full moon, the most "solid evidence" which Tami had found, was the proposition, that an ancestor, of professor Einstein, had, allegedly, been conducting experiments, with both time and space. Tami would note, in her daily report, to the Brown Agency, "No hard evidence, as yet". Then, there was the conflicting lore, about witches, or demons, or aliens. Either casting spells, or setting up tech, which humans would never understand, for several centuries to come. Tami just did not know which she found most hilarious. Demons, working black magic, and making things disappear, just for the "Fun, of it?" O-R Witches, brewing a spell, so that, under the light, of the moon, anyone, who DARED enter coven property, without permission, would be "sent away". (The lore never said "WHERE" though). As to how successful the spell had been, the fact that the coven was captured, tortured, into confession, then burned, alive, brought Tami to the conclusion that "The spell failed". IF it were a spell, though, this left the question of "Why did it linger, after the Wiccans were burned to death?" Was some, living, person controling it? OR, vice versa?" My own attachments, to the daily reports, added very little clarity, to reports contents. All that I had managed to locate were various, stone, foundations, and some long-deserted structures. These units must have been VERY OLD, since the forest was "re-claiming the stone". I, too, found many stories, inncluding one, about a ships captain, who, allegedly, cursed the lord, for sending a storm, which caused a ships departure time to be three days behind schedule. The story claims that, when the captain cursed the Lord, a "wonder", of clear skies, opened, before his ship, and he sailed from harbor. The legend goes on to say that, as the ship was passing a certain point, the captain was heard to say "Now, he knows who the boss is". The legend says that, suposedly, upon the Lord hearing these words, the Lord sent a series, of lightning bolts, which struck the ship, causing the ship to explode, and sending the ship to the bottom of the river. When I recruited our co-pilot, to dive the waterway, with me, all that we found were centuries worth, of old junk, and refuse. "Not a ships outline in sight". What we, also, did NOT find, were "man-eating monsters", or the wreckage, of large ships. By the time we exited the water, the one thing we could confirm was that this was NO "graveyard, of ships". As for the rumors, about the pre-Einstein theories, of space and time, Tami, myself, and our pilots, all agreed that such were impossible to prove. This is, in fact, the reason why these notions are referred to as THEORIES. While Mr. Black was able to tap some science fiction, about how time, and space, might work, the problem remained the amount of energy needed, for such "events" to take place. Energy which, at present, was beyond our ability to create. Tami also "tossed out" the "alien" angle, since it would be impossible to "hide" such technology. And, regardless of what mythology might propose, neither Heaven, nor Hades, would use so much power, JUST for making a joke. Like it or not, the Wiccans, and a protection spell, seemed our most "logical" solution. When, during the next seven nights, of the full moon, Tami and I "staked out" the area, of the disappearances, including the spot where we had witnessed the ship disappear. Tami and I spent those, seven, nights, watching ships, cars, and people, coming and going. Still, Tami continued her research, into likely causes, for the disappearances. Sure, there were legends, lore, and camp-fire stories, in abundance, but none of these aided our investigation, any more than the full moon did. Granted, ALL, of the disappearances, were on full moon nights. What Tami, soon, discovered, though was that there were "gaps", in the time-line. In fact, one of the reasons why locals "wrote off" the disappearances, was because there were periods, of as much as YEARS, between disappearances. Sometimes, there was only one disappearance, per full moon cycle. Then, there was one, full moon, cycle, where, on a single night, fifteen cars, and as many as fifty people, had vanished. When even the Brown Agency computers could provide no rational explanation, for the events, Tami made contact with our local, Wiccan, coven, requesting an introduction, to our "on-scene" coven. What always un-nerved us was how the Wiccans always KNEW what we wanted, before we asked. When Tami asked me if I thought that the Wiccans were "eavesdropping", on us, I had to remind my partner that "The Wiccan Way", is to be knowledgeable of th world. To be aware is to be enlightened. Just dont ask me HOW, but the local coven knew, to come to G.S.2, even before we contacted our hometown coven. It was just amazing how much the Wiccans knew, of our "progress", to date. Still, while neither acting "superior", nor "condescennding", the Wiccans made us aware of some of the parts, of world history, which had been ommitted not only from the Christian Bible, but ommitted, from history books, as well. Such included the story, of a village, which decided to "mark" all of its women, with a tattoo, type of brand. The Christian church was preaching that women, pure of heart, and soul, as well as devoted, to the church, would suffer no dis-comfort, from the branding. Never mind that over half, of the tattoo artists regular, male, customers, fell ill, after being "branded". (This, in a time before instruments were sterilized, before, and after, each use). The covens record keeper would inform us that "As many as nine, out of every ten, women, did suffer side effects, from the "branding". This was the result, NOT of Satanic Worship, but of contaminated instruments. Even so, those people, who fell ill, would be condemned, and sent away, from the village. When Tami would ask "What did the coven do?" The record Keeper would say "The coven was willing to nurse any sick person, who would accept the covens assistance." When Tami would ask "But, not all?" The records keeper would say "Some were so terrified, of the churches power, that these, poor, souls, avoided all treatment, in a vane attempt to "atone" before God". When Tami would ask "How many died?" The records keeper would say "Of those, who declined our assistance, ALL of their number." When Tami would ask "Of those, who sought out Wiccan, healing, practices?" The records keeper would say "The coven saved three, out of every four. You see, we were dealing with a situation where, once an instrumennt was used, on an infected person, then used on others, the infection only spread". Tami would say "Like V.D., or the common cold. The more exposure, the greater the risk." The records keeper would add "Even our most potent potions just could not help some recover". When I would ask "Those, who recovered. Did they return home?" The coven high priestess would laugh, as she said "Hardly, young man". When I asked "Define, please" The high priestess would say "Once a person fell ill, and the church decided that the illness was the "Mark, of the Devil", the victims were banished, for the remainder of their lifetimes." When Tami would step in, asking "Okay, so what did happen to the victims, who were cured?" The records keeper would produce a list, of where the people travelled to, back in the day. The high priestess would add "Some did remain, within the coven, in the hope of, one day, rejoining their families". The records keeper would, then add "Un-fortunately, there were those who were bitter, at the branding, and who turned "dark", once healed. These people wanted to use magic to seek revenge, on those who had branded, then exiled, them" When Tami would ask "Where did these people go?" The high priestess would start by saying "You must understand, first and foremost, that the Wiccan Way is the way of healing, and nurturing, life. No matter how Hollywood portrays us. We embrace light, and wisdom". Then, the high priestess would continue "For those, who choose the darkness, of the world, the coven is NO place for them. They are banished." When Tami would ask "To where?" The high priestess would say "The place where ships, cars, and people, vanish. Do not worry, though, since the doorway is one way. No evil may escape from the dark place." When Tami would ask "What of the victims? What becomes of those, who are trapped, through no fault of their own?" The high priestess would say "Who knows. We neither seek out, nor sanction, evil". When Tami would say "So, thats all? The innocent, condemned, with the guilty?" The high priestess would ask Tami "What would you have us do? Release that evil, upon the world?" Tami knew, even before she checked with on-line sources, what the response would be. Still, she had to cheeck. Not surprisingly, almost ALL of the lore, stated that "domains, of evil", were twenty-four hour orgy palaces, where human blood flowed, and was consumeed, like water. Wild sex was the order, of the day, and ofcourse, infants were cut up, and consumed. Tami had seen such images, so often, in the past, that she had become immune to the effects, of the visuals. Especially since the Garrgoyle case. In this case, though, the coven were willing to compromise. The high priestess offered Tami and I safe passage INTO the "realm of darkness". (The CATCH was that we would have to find our own way out). To myself, this would have been fine, IF the transport were only town-to-town, or state-to-state. But dimension-to-dimension? (Not exactly a "walk in the park") When the Wiccans produced amulets, saying "When you are near an exit, these will point the way". When I would ask "Just how LARGE is this, other, dimension?" The Wiccans would say "Who can say? We have, never, been there. Tami would ask them "HOW do you know these things will work?" The high priestess would say "Faith, is the source, of all life". Two weeks, of research, later, and all Tami and I had to show, for our efforts, was that this other dimension COULD be as small as a ball-bearing. OR, it COULD be as large as our solar system. When first Tami, then both of us, met with the local, Wiccan, coven, the very first thing the high priestess would remind us of was the fact that there were two, seperate, kinds of magic. There was "white" magic. This promoted health, and healing, and was the Wiccan way. As the high priestess would say "White magic prefers to live in balance, with the natural world. The powers are only manifest, in the most powerful form, when battle is un-avoidable." When Tami would ask "What can you tell us, about the dark group?" The council, of Wicca, then provided Tami and I with another of those "Mist of Time" re-plays. The "mist" showed us, of all things, teen girls, being swapped, between members, during soome kind of ceremony. (What shocked even ME was how, at most, only one girl out of every couple of dozen, girls, was under the age of twelve.) The vast majority, of these "sacrifices", were in the age group of 13, and 15. The Wiccans "voice-overs" informed us "The reason why discovery, and justice, took so long, was because the dark ones were clever enough to give the girls tainted food, and drink, to silence opposition. By the time the girls realized what was going on, they were so drugged, that they did not consider resisting." Whenn Tami asked "What was the point, of such orgies? Power? Control? What?" The Wiccans would say "It was to curry favor, with dark forces". When I would ask "HOW does raping minors translate into "power", for the dark ones?" The Wiccans would say "Like the Christians, and the Jews, some groups CHOOSE to translate writings, to serve their own agenda's." The Wiccans would add "In this case, that means that "Violating Purity", otherwise known as "De-flowering", of virgins, is supposed to empower the dark ones, while preventing the victims soul from finding peace. The soul is condemned to wander, in torment, un -able to make peace, with the Divine One." Tami would add "Let me guess. The more the souls suffer, the more "powerful" the dark ones feel". When Tami asked "What clued you in, to what was happening?" The Wiccans would say "Un-like the villagers, the coven began mapping, and tracking, the time span, from disappearance, to return. Once we realized that each girl was returned, approximately four months after disappearing, during various festivals, we slipped several, of our coven, into a festival. Once our members realized what was going on, our members TRIED to slip an antidote, to the victims. They were discovered, though, and had to "bail out". When Tami would ask "How many did you save?" The Wiccans seemed disapointed, to report "Only a few. Maybe a handful". When Tami asked "What happened, then?" the "mist" and the Wiccans, showed how irate villagers had gone hunting, for more of the missing girls. As th Wiccans would inform us, "Once the antidote was administered, and the children had fled, most of the coven members were able to get clear, before the enraged villagers set to destroying something, which they, simply, did not understand. It grieves us, to no end, that the coven had to seal innocent villagers away, with such evil, but we could not risk the dark ones escaping. This is why the spell was cast." When I would ask "Just HOW did you imprison the dark ones?" The Wiccans would say "With a boundary incantation. Sort of like your modern day prisons". When Tami would ask "Why did you cast something, which would cause people, and objects, to vanish?" The Wiccans would asay "We did not do this. This is the work of the dark ones". When Tami would ask "Define", The Wiccans would say "While our coven was invoking white magic, to seal off such evil, from the world, the dark ones were casting their on magic. THEY were trying to "take down" our work, even as we built up, the barrier". When I would ask "Okay, so the two spells collided. How does this..." and the Wiccans would say "Due to the power, of each incantation, the two spells blended, into a new, un-predicted, incantation." When Tami would ask "Can it be broken?" The Wiccans, sadly, would say "We have been trying, for centuries". I just never thought that the Wiccans would take my "thought" seriously, as I suggested "I guess you would need someone, to travel back, in time, to undo the damage". The Wiccans would say "We have the power, however, the forces of evil, are, equally, strong. Each time we have sent memebrs, on missions, ALL have failed. ALL were executed, by the dark ones". When Tami would ask "What about..." I would say "Dont even THINK it". The high priestess would say "Your generousity is most commendable. However, your husband is correct. Since we are aware, of your previous time travels, there is concern, over your well-being." When Tami would ask "What concern would that be?" The high priestess would say "Each time travel process takes some of the travellers life-force. In reviewing our records, we have discovered that your travels have decreased your life-spans, by as much as ten years". When I would mention "So what? No body lives forever. No one knows when their end will come" Tami would add "Who would want to know?" The Wiccans would consider this. After all, it is true, that no person knows just how long they will live. While the Wiccans were making their decision, Tami and I went to both local law enforcement, and the local church, asking each for their cooperation. Tami and I wanted to be sure that, when the barrier was lifted, lynch mobs would not try to kill anyone, in the area, out of pure vengeance. When both law enforcement, and the church, were reluctant to commit, Tami and I returned to the coven, where we found the Wiccans preparing to defend themselves. What I could, never, figure out was the reason why I never got used to the process, of time travel. The very idea, of watching time move, in reverse, as the spell took effect, was weird, to say the least. With our tactical gear disguised as back-packs, and our modern clothes, traded for the clothing, of colonial days, Tami and I stepped through the Wiccans portal, even as I would ask my partner "When we return, to our time, should we correct the Wiccans, of the mis-conception, of our being married?" Tami would ask "What good would that do? Remember, my own mother is convinced that we are married. As far as mother is concerned, we are on our way to parenthood. Now, if my own mother will not listen, then why waste our breath, on the coven?" My only concern was that, when Tami's "Mr. Perfect" came along, he might think she was, already, married. Tami could lose out, on her happiest, possible, life, just because of rumors, and innuendo. In colonial days, finding the dark ones "lair" was even easier than expected. This, especially, when one, of their patrols, found us. I had to suppress a laugh, though, when the patrol tried to determine Tami's virginity, by, of all things, the scent, of Tamis body, and her walk. In order to gain acceptance, and admittance, to the dark ones lair, I think there were a total, of eight tasks, for Tami to prove her female virginity. My partner suffered them all, before being declared a "virgin". (In my opinion, Mr. Brown would owe Tami, BIG time, for her endurance). Once admitted, to the dark ones lair, Tami and I noticed how well the teens were fed. No mal-nutrition here. (Tami just hoped that the antidote pills, which she slipped to the teens, while I chatted with the guards, was the correct potion to use. It was based upon the Wiccan assumption, of which drugs had been used, to cause compliance, in victims). We just hoped it was the correct antidote. After all, an antidote, for one poison, could be just as lethal, if used with the wrong poison. I thought, for just a moment, that Tami and I were "busted". This, because, when a dark one grabbed Tami, firmly, my partner would use self defense skills, which Americans would not learn about, for centuries to come. For just a moment, While Tami left the dark one, lying on the floor, holding himself, Tami and I watched, as other dark ones looked on, in amazement. After a moment of silence, the other dark ones just laughed, at the fallen dark one, with a couple of the others saaying "Cant stand up, to a child? Ha! Ha! Ha!" I knew my partner hated to be called a "child". Thankfully, Tami remembered that we were on duty, AND in colonial days. When Tami noticed that the teens were recovering, and whispering about the coven, Tami went to the teens, whispering, to only two, at a time, "Do NOT try a mass escape". When a girl would ask "Why not?" Tami would say "Maybe a FEW of you MIGHT get away". When the teens asked "Got a better plan?" Tami would outline another of her boldly ingenious plans. Since only one teen disappearred, about every fifteen minutes, the guard paid no attention. It is assumed that he figured that, since the girls were drugged, that dark ones had, simply, walked off, with the girls, without telling the guard. By the time the guard, finally, "wised up", only 15% of the teens remained. This is when Tami and I violated temporal law, by cracking canisters, of Mr. Black's sleeping gas, inside the dark ones lair. After popping four canisters, Tami and I donned our air purifiers, and lead the remainder, of the teens, from the dark ones lair. This, while the dark ones membership fell into a twelve hour sleep. Once the last, of the teens, was ushered away, by the Wiccans, the high priestess, herself, would lead the invocation, which would seal the dark ones inside their lair, forever. (This, just days before the riots, of history, were due to take place). Now, there would be NO riots. When Tami would ask "What will happen, to them?" The high priestess would say "That is NOT our concern. We serve light, not darkness." With history "repaired", Tami and I would watch, as we passed through time, back to the present. Before departing the past, the Wiccans would provide us with amulets, saying "These will show your generation (of Wiccans), that you have done noble work, and saved many lives. Blessed Be." When we returned, to the present, the Wiccans would caution us "The past has been changed. Only the two of you, and the coven, will remember the other time line." When Tami would ask "What about Ghost Ship Two?" The Wiccans would say "Your remarkable plane did an excellent job, of finding the water taxi. You remained, for the funerals." When Tami would ask "Was there NO way, to save the teens?" The Wiccans would say "They were on borrowed time. Historically, such children would have been abandoned, shortly after being diagnosed. These youths had many years, which ancestors would not have had". When Tami and I boarded G.S.2, Tami filed the report, on thee water taxi incident. (She did not bother to mention the disappearances, since, in this time-line, they had never happened.) Just one note, of caution: It seems that, because the dark ones were handled, in the past, there was just not much call, for local law enforcement. This is the reason why, when the previous chief of police, passed away, his WIFE was allowed to take the job (until another man wanted the badge). It would seem that there was no, local, rush, to find a replacement, since the woman had 13 years on the job. Just as Tami and I were about to relax, for the trip, to the latest light house, Mr. Brown would comm-link with us, asking "How would you like a trip, to New York City?" When Tami would ask "Who's the ghost, and where are they haunting?" Mr. Brown would say "The report claims multiple ghosts. However, we need verification, of this". When Tami would ask "Sir, just how MANY are "multiple" ghosts?" Mr. Brown would look at the master copy, of the file, then suggest "Maybe as few as one hundred, however, I can promise no more than three thousand, at maximum". When Tami would ask "WHO is the source?" Mr. Brown would say "The President of the United States". Once Tami heard this, she would say "We're on our way". Oh, yes, life, and death, go on, and on, and on... (Final update: No one is for certain just WHAT the dark ones did, to the ships, however, by the time the ships, cars, and the gambling boat, reappearred, NONE was in any shape to be used, in the near future. Everything was due to be taken to salvage yards.)