sensationalists. They do their research, and seem dedicated to understanding the true nature of ghosts and spirits from ‘beyond’.
Of course, Kell had no idea about what we really do at Trifles and Folly, although he’s pretty sure I have some type of psychic gift. Especially after the last time Teag and I went out with his group. We were attacked in an old crypt by a deranged vampire’s ghost, and barely managed to fight it off. That kind of thing makes an impression, and so I wasn’t surprised that Kell had called me when his team ran into something they couldn’t explain.
“What happened?” I asked.
Kell looked genuinely worried. “In the last couple of weeks, there’s been a real uptick in supernatural activity all around Charleston,” Kell replied. “We’ve tried to figure out what’s causing it. Moon phases. Tides. The alignment of the planets. The season of the year. The wobble in the Earth’s rotation. You name it, I’ve looked into it. I can’t figure it out.”
“What makes you think the ghosts are riled up?” I asked. My chai latte was hot and seasoned with pumpkin and nutmeg. It was the perfect drink for a fall day, but given the topic, the tea did little to soothe my nerves.
“I know most people think we’re just thrill-chasers,” Kell said. “But most of us, especially our core group, really want to know what causes paranormal activity and what’s on the other side.”
Most of what I’d seen on the other side wasn’t friendly. Personally, I wasn’t in a hurry to cross over and see more of it. Much as Kell thought he wanted answers, I was pretty sure that he didn’t want to know the truth.
“So we don’t just observe a site one time,” Kell went on. “We do our best to visit the sites a couple of times a year and take new readings. That way, we know if sites get more or less haunted, and whether the phenomena changes if there’s a new owner, for example, or a renovation.”
“And you found changes.”
Kell nodded. “Not just in one site, but in all the ones we’ve re-surveyed in the last month,” he said. “Big changes. But what has me worried is, the ghosts are not only more active, but they’ve gotten aggressive.”
“How so?”
Kell ran a hand through his hair. “Geez, you’re going to think I’m nuts.”
I smiled, although inside I felt a growing worry. “No, I promise. I definitely won’t think you’re nuts.”
Kell looked at me a little sheepishly. “All right then. Most of the paranormal activity we’ve documented is pretty passive. Readings on the EMF monitor. Voices or footsteps where there aren’t any people. Hazy images. Objects that have been moved – usually a very short distance.”
“And now?”
“Now, it’s like every ghost in Charleston suddenly took poltergeist lessons,” Kell said. “Instead of a light touch on someone’s shoulder, it’s a shove. Instead of a chair rocking gently, the chair suddenly tips over. We didn’t just get fog on a window last night, it actually iced up.” He shook his head. “It’s the first time in all the years that I’ve been ghost hunting that I’m actually getting scared.”
“Has anyone gotten hurt?”
“No. At least, not yet,” Kell replied. “And none of us have gotten the feeling that the ghosts are trying to attack us. If anything, they seem... frightened.”
“What could scare a ghost?” I asked, although I had a pretty good idea.
“That’s what I’ve been wondering. So I’ve been doing some research. I’ve been going through everything I can get my hands on, and there are a few situations that I’ve found like this, all from long ago. But I don’t know if I can believe what the researchers at the time said was the cause.”
“How weird could it be?” I asked, crossing my fingers under the table that Kell hadn’t stumbled onto the truth.
Kell looked like he was prepared for me to laugh at him. “I only found three mentions. And all three times – different countries, different time periods, different ghost hunters – the researchers blamed witches with the power to destroy restless spirits.” He gave a weak smile. “Crazy, huh?”
It might not be, but I couldn’t tell him that. For one thing, Kell didn’t know about the Alliance, and I wasn’t going to let him in on the secret. The fewer who knew, the better. He had a medium and a clairvoyant on his team, but none of them had the level of power that could stop a curse or fight