Episode number 142: The Nathan Hale Homestead

[onemillionsubscribers]

Gina was having a good summer. She was one year closer to finishing off her grad school degree at Duke Universoty. That said she still was planning on keeping up her growing business during the summer months. Talking about and visiting haunted houses and locations over the whole good old US of A was weirdly well loved. She was fairly sure that most of her patrons were people who just needed something exciting to watch on their phones late at night.

It still was fun for her and after the overhead netted her enough to cover expenses. It helped that this was something she liked doing. Investigating things that people didn't know the truth of.

Like if it was mold or actually bloody walls. In most cases she could confirm that it wasn't actually something paranormal. Then there were other times like now. The country home belonging to a Revolutionary War hero located in a small town in Connecticut looked incredibly well kept. She had gotten permission from the local historical society to do filming over here. She was told to be careful with the gardens and to stay off the local horse trails.

Simple enough. She had her van parked and was pulling out equipment when a shiver ran down her spine. It was weird but looking up at the house? Gina could have sworn she saw someone in one if the upper windows. That .Just be one of the locals who volunteered to help maintain the place.

With a flourish Gina pulls out her cell phone to start pre-recording.

"So by popular request? Guess what my favorite 'ghosties'," she hates the name her fan's gave themselves but whatever! They like it. "That's right, the one and only Captain Nathan Hsle Honestead located in Coventry down in Connecticut!"

Gina gives some background on the property. Captain Hale being the youngest son in the family with his father being a Deacon of the local church. There are a few other interesting points that Gina thinks are actually pretty interesting.

Such as this Hale family being connected to the same Reverend John Hale who was connected to the Salem witch trials. Gina really wanted to get into that right away but, experience told her to lead into that. Walk around inside and actually look at the whole house.

Virgina Matthews does not believe this place is as haunted as they think. She thinks it is far mire likely that the hype from being within a few hours drive of Salem and this being a slightly off the beaten path country home has the locals wanting more than there is. She has seen true hauntings and this doesn't feel like one. That is, of course, up until she steps inside and she swears this place shouldn't feel this chill right by the old kitchens. It should be warm still given how hot it had been on the drive out here.

"Okay ladies and gentlemen,this is where I'm going to be doing my set up for tonight. The staff told me earlier that they had no problem with me setting up my equipment." She sets her phone down and starts to pull out a few different pieces of monitoring equipment she had brought along. Gina has this weird feeling that keeps settling in.

She knows that something feels off. Since she ca not place it she keeps working. Later once she is filming different rooms and getting temprature readings then she will do whatever naval gazing is needed on why she feels bothered.

It should be nothing. Even if there sometimes really is something strange in the neighborhood.

Comments

[onemillionsubscribers]

"Not exactly?" Gina finds this whole situation just do weird. It's strange to run into a younger version of someone who was a bit of a childhood hero. Egon was moreso given the fact she had been reading his papers since she was an undergrad.

"My parents always thought it was a bit of a hobby. Exploring old buildings and stuff. I guess after I ended up really doing a deep dive into what happened to shut down the old hospital in my hometown I really got bitten by the curiosity bug. My younger siblings think I'm crazy. Dad thinks as long as I remember the rules he spelled out it's fine." Her relationship with her mother is terrible. Her mom cannot stand the fact Gina not only doesn't quite fit the mold of a normal daughter. Mama Matthews wanted a typical girly girl and ended up with a half feral scientist who would live out of her van if allowed.

"Well, Captain Hale's father was the local Reverend. Puritan family." Gina pulls her phone up again.

She scrolls through some saved pages and things she can get access to. "The closest cemetery is about a quarter of a mile up the road. The original plans for this place are fairly straight forward, family homestead kept in shape by his wife. The kids worked the field, they grew flax it was used for a variety of things, kept a few horses and some chickens."

Gina frowns when she hits something. The frown threatens to stay there for good. "They ran here perhaps. The good Reverend John Hale was the grandson of the same John Hale who was involved in the Salem Witch Trials. Looking at the dates, the grandfather would have been a child at the time. Whatever he actually saw looking at what became of the family they...tried to be good people after that."

[ivebeenslimed]

He took note on what she said about her family life. She did fit into the mold of things and wasn't too surprised.

"So my guess is we're dealing with what ever happened. Something wasn't resolved. I don't think we'll have time to delve into any records of history of what they've done. I think right now...I'm on borrowed time. And appearantly Slimer is too."

He shook his head while Slimer cowered behind him. " What else are you not saying?" He said noting the frown.

"I wonder if there's some kind of hidden basement or pathway? Old places like this typically would. Especially if they want to hide something."

[onemillionsubscribers]

"'A Modsest I query Into the Nature of Witchcraft' by Jonathan Hale," Gina says carefully. "I think I read it before. It's historical mostly. I didn't quite realize that Jonathan Hale was connected to Nathan Hale. People cared more about the good son who turned from a young educator to a spy. Of course I don't think that has a connection to this...it's just a weird fact."

It stands out however. She wishes she had more time because something feels wrong. Like perhaps the great grandfather stumbled across something dangerous.

"There was talk about the nephews being involved in the abolitionist movement. It's possible they added hidden rooms to help support their efforts." Now that's a problem they can solve. Gina can chew over her desire to understand the Hale family better later on. After they have resolved this.

[ivebeenslimed]

"Hey Slimer, do me a favor and check out the house really quick and tell me if something feels bad. In return I can tell you where Ray hides the cookies." Peter stated with a sly grin on his face. "You just don't tell him who told you."

Slimer gave an eager nod and a salute and disappeared immediately.

"One benefit of keeping him around... He can sense things we may not be able to." He explained.

[onemillionsubscribers]

Gina nodded after watching Slimer leave, It was so weird seeing the thing that had been so popular when she was small floating about.

"I'd like to check my equipment out. It may have started picking up on some of the happenings around this place." She has a feeling.

"There's...Something. Kind of like this old lighthouse I ended up going to check out in South Carolina. Turned out there were hidden books, down in the walls." What that has to do with right now? Not much at this very moment but she feels like there's something.

[ivebeenslimed]

Peter gave a nod. "Something like that might not seem important then, but it can be beneficial now. We don't know exactly what we're looking at here." He took out his PKE Reader to start doing some of his own investigating. While Egon or Ray usually did that... he had a basic understanding of what to look for when using it. He was one to usually do the busting or improvising. He left the science to them. Of course it really didn't want to cooperate either.

"Don't tell me you got busted in this mess." He said as he studied the device a little closer.

[onemillionsubscribers]

"My gut says it has to do with the Salem connection. There's something there that made them distance themselves." It didn't seem to be shame or this place would feel oppressive in Gina's experience. She won't claim to be sensitive to that kibd of energy but places do carry an almost weight of the past.

She frowns at Peter and the PKE Reader. "I just got my hands on a newer one. A...patron for lack of a better term sent me one a few weeks ago with a note he couldn't believe I had my fancy cameras and not a proper PKE. It was thoughtful, occasionally my viewers give me shit for basically living off fast food and I'm my converted VW bus but... how else am I going to transport my equipment?"


She's itching to try and fix his PKE. Gina is used to doing too many things for herself.

[ivebeenslimed]

"Oh, now I'm rather curious to see what the new version looks like." Peter stated as he handed her the one he had. "Maybe you can get this thing to work." If he tried he would end up making it worse.

"Why is it always the Salem witch trials.... I swear a lot of the stuff linked to them is actually a lot of hoaxes or misunderstandings." He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when he caught on to what else Gina said.

"You live in your van?"

[onemillionsubscribers]

"It's basically the same setup with slightly different lengths for the sensors since more modern circuits allow the range to extend further, so it's a little less boxy and bulky that the original," Gina explains while heading to grab her own equipment and a small repair kit she keeps on hand.

"Let's see what I can do."

She thinks if she has to solder anything it should be an easy fix for her.

"Yeah?" She glances at him feeling only mildly defensive. "I mean...I rebuilt the inside so it's like a micro apartment. Everything can be stored away within reason. It's more like a smaller sized RV. Cuts down on bills and allows me more mobility fot my work....I just do not recommend bringing dates back to it."

As a rule she doesn't just because people are weirded out by her choice of career. It's a fairly lonely life but Gina has never been good at making friends so it doesn't strike her as bad.

[ivebeenslimed]

"OH, so the boys would certainly like to look at that. Amazing to see what technology is like now... It's good to know we laid out a lot of ground work for you." Peter replied as he watched her retrieve her repair kit. He would follow her out, but something told him the house probably would not allow him to leave.

"I suppose if that allows you to do what you need to do. More power to you." Granted he's lived in a car before from time to time or he would couch surf too. It wasn't exactly a flattering life style. But they were at a low point in his life as well and something he didn't often like to talk about. "Has anyone giving you a hard time over your work? Not as in critiquing it, but threatening you in some way."

[onemillionsubscribers]

"Seriously, there's some amazing tech based on some of your work," Gina says as she moves to get her kit. The air outside is hot but not oppressive or sticky like the air down south can be.

Gina looked up and frowned thinking briefly she saw something in the windows upstairs but it could have been wishful thinking.

"It can. It allows me to have my channel properly focus on things I want to investigate," she supplies as she comes back in turning her PKE handing it over.

"I have a... Complicated relationship with another student in the program." She turns her tool kit over in her hand trying to form the right words.

"I struggle to make social connections. It's easier online because I can take the time to formulate responses that take people's feelings into consideration. One...of my sort of classroom rivals? Has attempted to 'drag my ass' in the comments. Since I am able to remain polite and distant he....kinda acts like a dick in classroom lectures. He's an ass and tried to tamper with my equipment a few times. It turns out my advisor hates his guts however...I nearly walked in on him being read the riot act. You'd like Doctor Applebee. She's terrifying when angry. Also probably your age so entirely appropriate to hit on."

Gina, no.

[ivebeenslimed]

"I can appreciate the drive you have for your career. It takes a lot of sacrifice to get it in motion." He shook his head at the mention of the rival."Sounds typical. Glad that he's not going to get his way of things. Although, his type sounds like he find other ways later on to cause trouble. They don't like to give up that easily. The important thing is you have support."

Peter merely smirked at her hint that it was okay to hit on her professor. Those days were long gone as he had found someone he was content to spend his life with. As much as it was hard to believe that someone like him would find anyone.

[onemillionsubscribers]

"I didn't expect it to. Honestly, the idea was originally to just debunk a couple of known charlatans and then it turned into...more." She counts herself lucky a few really nice girls who are more into the 'van-life' actually reached out to her when she hits the point of needing her VW. It settled into a tentative friendship where she sometimes mails them cool little trinkets or parts for their cameras because there had been a lot of late night talks about women supporting women that had stick in Gina's head.

"I'll admit to being fortunate. It's not just Applebee. Other creative people have given me advice and I listened to it. One of my sort of friends? She told me to document everything that guy says or does just in case." Peter can probably guess this friend wants Gina to be ready to mount a defense if she has to. Being told to document everything is pretty telling.

"That said? Looks like your power source got tapped. Nothing about this PKE is wrong save the power. Kinda jealous, mine had a little gremlin I had to figure out."

[ivebeenslimed]

"That's how it starts. We didn't think our gig was actually going to be into a full time operation let alone hiring another guy on and staff to support us. It was all on a whim. We always need others to help and to find out what is true and not. People want to know." Peter stated. He then accepted his PKE back. That would make sense though with the power source. That time travel surge probably had crashed it.

"Documenting is always a wise thing to do. That friend of yours was correct to advice you to do that. We've learned to do that as well as well as making sure to have a patent license of everything. People are too quick to steal and destroy."

[onemillionsubscribers]

"What I'm finding is it's always a hit with people who enjoy either the history side that I cover or....are just deeply curious anout the unknown. Which that's always the part that also drives me." She can't say she would rub the science of her face. That would sound too kinky to someone from the 80s when it is a perfectly unhinged comment right now.

At least Gina can pat herself on the back for not saying that. "She's super cool. She's into supporting other women who do independent filming the way I do...and warned me away from things that in hindsight might have held me back. That's kind of the beauty of this style if work. It makes it easier to connect."

Which Gina used to worry she would fail at. She glances down studying the floor then glances up at the way the room is laid out.

"Peter. I think there's a false wall. The kind that would have been used as either a way to help cover upgelping people hide or to hide maybe a hidden book shelf." She's close to something right now and wonders what it coukd be. As she is investigating the wall closer Peter's PKE is starting to pick something up. A ghost or something similar is near them.

[ivebeenslimed]

"Looks like we're finally getting a bite," Peter replied. He moved to study the wall himself, gently placing his hand along the wall hoping to find something to trigger it. He also did a few whistles here and there wondering if sound might trigger anything.

"The spud hasn't shown up yet, which isn't good. Normally, he should be here by now. Or we would be hearing him." He frowned not liking the fact the green glob wasn't around. It used to be he wouldn't have cared, but over the years Slimer had managed to worm his way into his heart. Not that Peter would ever mention it out loud.

[onemillionsubscribers]

"That's weird," Gina said. A documentary she had seen indicated that Slimer was very close to the original crew. Gina couldn't tell how much of that was accurate or wishful thinking.

People pack bond to things and other entities so easily. Take Lucille Ball, her favorite camera. The one who has never failed to take awesome pictures.

"I think I got it." She pushes until she feels a soft almost clicking noise. This was a made before easy to move parts for furniture that was meant to move would be properly invented


The wall covering is easy to move now. A shelf lined with dusty books is uncovered. Right then a ghost of a matronly woman in Colonial clothing appears coming through a different wall giving them a highly disapproving look.

"Holy. Holy smoke." Gina is slowly stunned and at a loss.

"Leave." The ghostly woman is unhappy they are here.

[ivebeenslimed]

Instantly, Peter stepped in front of Gina, wanting to protect her from what ever may happen next. Everything about this had him on edge. She was a full apparition as well. Extremely rare and something the guys would have loved to have witnessed. Usually one saw part of the body or it was very faint line of them. This also meant it was more then likely very powerful. It was clear the ghost was already mad at them for being here. Yet, he wasn't happy about it either.

"Not until you tell us where Slimer is." He stated in a firm tone. He thought things were a little too quiet and going too smooth for them. The ghost's timely appearance told me there was more going on. He had to make sure that Gina got out safely and that they were able to go back home. He with held from pulling out his proton gun, not wanting to escalate things more.

[onemillionsubscribers]

"The glutton is safe."

The ghost floats closer. Not in a way that comes off as an attack but more to herd the pair away from something. She regards them both and glowers at them both.

"Take the student and leave. Not all knowledge should be pursued."

Gina is only a little confused. Why treat her like a child stepping into danger? The ghost is reacting as if Gina herself is much younger.

[ivebeenslimed]

"I don't think so. You're the reason why I'm here in the 'wrong' time. I'm not leaving until Slimer and I go back home. What is with the knowledge that you are trying to protect? Shame on your family? Or something more that will harm others? What do you have about her learning what's going on here?"

Peter challenged back, this time raising his proton gun. He still made sure he was in front of Gina not letting the ghost woman near her.

[onemillionsubscribers]

"You would not have been as useful if I had summoned you from this time....Grandson." The ghost eyes his proton gun and considers fleeing while he takes in the information he just dropped.

"Many students like the one you now protect have come through here. They seek your sweet aunt who haunts her bed chambers. Never will she speak to them,they lack good manners. This one would have been the closest. This one found the books I hid. There is one in here that could hurt innocent people. I want you to take it from this place. You seem to be a sensible man. You would keep a book thag was used to hurt innocent people from doing more harm, would you not?"

Gina for her part is totally stunned. She didn't expect this to be a family affair. Peter being related to the Hale family oddly makes sense given just how many interesting families can trace their roots to this upstanding New England family.

"I would have never hurt the young lady. Perhaps tried to chase her off but never harm. My goal had been always to protect children and young women like her from what that book does."

[ivebeenslimed]

While Peter was one to keep a nonchalant expression on his face, for a chance surprise was clear as he lowered his proton gun to take in the information he was just given. He knew his family line was everywhere, but to be connected to a upstanding New England family? this was big news on him. It was usually Ray or Egon that had all the weird connections.

"Alright so where's this book? I'll make sure to be the one to handle it. Gina stays with me. She won't harm anything here and just wants to understand what happened here." Peter stated in a more calmer tone. The news still shocked him, but he was willing to work things out for both parties.

"What's going to happen to the rest of you once the book is removed?" They were family, right? Earlier he wouldn't have cared if he busted them and locked them away. But not everything about their job was that. There's been plenty of spirits they helped put to rest or allowed them to move on.

[onemillionsubscribers]

Gina wants to ask so many questions. This story is more than the book or the powerful ghost that just wants to protect children from stumbling over a book that is cursed. Instead she realizes that she needs to let Peter deal with this.

The best ghost stories always end up being deeply personal and this is a family affair.

"This one here." Thd ghost of Elizabeth Strong, Peter's ancestors, indicates one of the books on the shelf. Gina privately noted to herself it must have been the one to make her PKE meter spike. The book was heavy looking tome bound on leather.

"Your aunt will not move on. She is far too tied to this place. She's not aware of anything past the changes of the seasons.... the people who look after this place have actually made it a more pleasant afterlife for her. I can move on once I know that book will not longer hurt anyone. My father should have destroyed it."

[ivebeenslimed]

Peter sighed and put away the proton gun completely and moved to take the book. He was surprised with how heavy it was when he picked it up. He also didn't like the uneasy feeling he had once he held it. It made him feel very on edge. "Is there anything specific you need me to do with this once I take it back with me?"

He hated the idea of being held responsible for something that could bring horrible fate to people especially those of women and children. Had this been a few years ago he probably would have ran from the responsibility. "Why did he not want to? Did he think he can use it for later on? And perhaps I can talk to my aunt and see if she will be willing to talk to a relative."

He made faces as he continued to study the book as he talked. Trying to gain a better understanding. It was a good thing his father didn't get this. He wouldd have ran off and sold it or put it on display somewhere.

[onemillionsubscribers]

"I would not know how to safely destroy it or I would have...influenced one of the volunteers." The ghost had been around watching this place get taken care of for decades. Before that it had been just sitting here as a place people knew had been important to a local family.

"At the time I believe he felt guilty. People suffered. I assume that the idea was to use this to stop real witchcraft. I don't think that would be wise personally." His many times great grandmother gives him a gentle smile ag his offer.

Gina feels like she really is just a student right now. Observing the situation is an education in itself.

"If you would like to try, I welcome it. Your student could use the fine example you have shown yourself to be, young Peter."