Page 60 of The Witch

I’m glad at least one of us believes in him.

Dixon presses a button on the pod, then stands up and backs away. All three of us watch as the multicolored lights on top of the device flash briefly. “I can feel the electromagnetic field starting up,” he tells us.

Can you actually feel an electromagnetic field? I’m not so sure about that.

The pod lets out a high-pitched chirp. Then a second one. The lights on top start flashing wildly. And then, all of a sudden, the device lets out a near deafening screeching sound, loud enough that Ethel and I both clasp our hands over our ears.

“Can you shut that off?” Ethel shouts over the din.

Dixon rushes over to the pod and starts fiddling with it while I stuff my fingers so far into my ears, I’m afraid I might puncture my eardrums. Oh my God, that is loud.

Dixon presses just about every button he can find, but the damn thing won’t stop. Then he hits it with the ball of his hand, but that only seems to make it louder.

“Sorry, ladies!” he shouts.

“Please make it stop!” Ethel barks at him.

Finally, he picks up the pod and dashes past us with it. He yanks the door open and drops the REM pod on the ground outside. It’s still alarming at an ear-shattering volume, and he can’t seem to make it stop. He closes the door to our house, so we don’t have to hear it, but it’s loud enough that the blare is still audible all the way in the living room. Finally, I hear a sound that almost sounds like metal crunching, and then, blessedly, it stops.

A few seconds later, Dixon opens the door to the house, his brow sweaty. He sticks his finger in one ear and shakes it a bit. “Fixed it,” he declares.

“Did that show anything?” Ethel asks.

“It seems,” he says excitedly, “that the electromagnetic field in this house is already so powerful, it’s overloaded the REM pod. I’ve only seen that happen once before in my entire ghost hunting career!”

“Gosh,” Ethel says.

“But don’t worry,” he assures her. “I’ve got plenty of other tricks up my sleeve.”

Great. His first trick almost blew out my eardrums. Will the next one stab me in the gut? Maybe I should have listened to Henry…

Dixon rifles around inside his bag again, as my head starts to throb. Eventually, he comes up with another device. It has a metallic, black finish with five light indicators on it, ranging from green to red in color.

“This here is my K2 electromagnetic field meter,” he explains to us. “This is actually the most valuable tool for a paranormal investigator.”

Ethel seems genuinely fascinated. “How does it work?”

“Great question!” Dixon says, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “It’s pretty technical, but I’ll try to dumb it down for a layperson. Essentially, the K2 measures changes in electromagnetic fields. The conscious mind has an electromagnetic field, and when you die, it doesn’t always go away. Most experts believe that the K2 can pick up traces of something that was once human.”

“Won’t it also just pick up problems with wiring?” I point out.

“Absolutely,” he says. “That’s why the K2 is most valuable in the hands of an expert who knows how to interpret the results and is in tune with the spirit world.”

With that last insight, he turns on the device, and the green light blinks twice. He holds the K2 out in front of him like a wand. As we step into the room, the light indicator on the device ticks up to yellow. He glances down at it, and his brows bunch together. At that moment, the lights flicker, and he gives us a knowing look.

“Dear God,” he says. “This room…”

“What?” I ask in a hushed voice, not sure if I’m allowed to talk.

“There’s someone here.” His voice is breathy. “I can feel it.”

I look over at Ethel, who is squeezing her hands together. For once, a strand has come loose from her perfect bun.

“Caroline!” he calls out. “Caroline Eldridge! Are you in here, Caroline?”

As he speaks the words, a gust of cold air rushes through the room. The three of us shiver visibly. Ethel is wearing a shawl, which she wraps tighter around her shoulders.

“Caroline,” Dixon says again. “If you’re here, show yourself!”