A BRIGHT YOUNG MAN
CHAPTER SEVEN.
A BRIGHT YOUNG MAN.
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C:\Users\WKaplan\Desktop\Tommy\Scrying\Attempt_025_july_01.mp3
00:00:21 | 00:13:53
“Hey Tommy. I know scrying for you was kind of a bust but I got used to just talking to you, you know? And I could really use someone to talk to right now. I can’t talk to Agatha about the deal I made with Rio. She’d kill me in like, a second. I can’t say I blame her. I think I got screwed.
Not surprising right? I mean historically, Death has won pretty much every challenge ever. Except us, that is. We’re just…I don’t know. Different. Rio calls us all kinds of things and usually I can brush it off. But it got me thinking about the body I found for you, the life that goes with it. Agatha said he was dying anyway. Same as William, I guess. But what if they could’ve brought him back? What if I stopped that?
I thought it was…I mean, I could feel them pushing you under the water. Was I wrong? Do they love you? Are they taking care of you? Is someone looking out for you the way you used to look out for me? If I screw this up, if I can’t find you soon, are they gonna miss you?
Maybe I should’ve just left you alone, man. God, this is all so messed up.”
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PRIVATE CHAT WITH: @dave_diggity
Updated: 07/02/2026 12:54:37 EST
See previous messages
tshep: Thanks for agreeing to keep that stuff for me, man.
dave_diggity: np shep
dave_diggity: gotta say I didn’t figure u were the type tho
tshep: I told you, it’s not for me.
tshep: I have plans for it. I just can’t have my mom snooping around and finding it.
dave_diggity: suuuuure. so how was 2 weeks in the big apple?
tshep: Interesting.
dave_diggity: i bet lisa was psyched
dave_diggity: she was even bugging me about visitng this summer
dave_diggity: and she still calls me stoner dave
dave_diggity: shep?
tshep: There are police cars outside my house.
dave_diggity: oh fuck
tshep: It’s probably about the stupid video.
dave_diggity: shit yea ok
dave_diggity: keep me posted??
tshep: Sure.
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G:\NJPD\Burlington\Springfield\Patrol1049\Case29A_48S1\InterviewFiles
Springfield Township Police Department – Burlington County
Precinct 305 – South Springfield - Patrol # 1049
Transcript of Police Interview w/ Thomas Randall Shepherd
July 2nd, 2026 Case 29A-48S1
Lead: Officer Harriet Daniels (#13598)
Participants: Thomas Randall Shepherd, Mary Dana Shepherd
H. DANIELS: Can you state your name for the record?
T. SHEPHERD: Tommy Shepherd.
H. DANIELS: Your full name?
T. SHEPHERD: Um.
H. DANIELS: Your full name is Thomas Randell Shepherd, is that correct?
T. SHEPHERD: Guess so.
H. DANIELS: Alright then. So like I told your mom, I’m not here to bust your ass, Tommy. I just want to talk about a certain video that was uploaded online that you may have been involved in.
T. SHEPHERD: Can’t say I know what you’re talking about.
H. DANIELS: Are you sure? Because this comment right here was posted under the username “tshep”. You sure that isn’t you?
T. SHEPHERD: Nope.
H. DANIELS: Okay Tommy. Let’s be honest here. I know you’re the kid in this video. I have a statement from the on duty lifeguard at the Springfield Community Pool Centre on May 25th that it was you he pulled out of the water.
M. SHEPHERD: Oh my god! Tommy, baby, why didn’t you say anything?!
H. DANIELS: Mrs Shepherd, I’m gonna have to ask you to let Tommy speak for himself, okay? Tommy?
T. SHEPHERD: I don’t remember.
M. SHEPHERD: Tommy, tell her the truth!
T. SHEPHERD: I am. Officer, I can honestly tell you I don’t have any memory of this day.
H. DANIELS: Okay, well why don’t you walk me through what happened next? We have a report of a disturbance at the Southside Mall food court on June 8th and when I pulled the CCTV footage, it looks like you and this individual here are having a pretty serious disagreement. Now, we identified him as Gregory Danes. Do you wanna weigh in at all?
T. SHEPHERD: Not really.
M. SHEPHERD: Thomas Shepherd, you answer her right now-!
H. DANIELS: Mrs Shepherd, could I trouble you for a glass of water?
M. SHEPHERD: I- of course. I’ll just…
H. DANIELS: Tommy, I’m gonna level with you. I have report after report saying what a piece of work Danes is.
T. SHEPHERD: You have no idea.
H. DANIELS: He’s on his second strike already and if he attacked you at the pool that day, this could be what puts him away for good. But unless you’re honest with me right now, I can’t help you.
T. SHEPHERD: I’m more of a help myself kind of guy.
H. DANIELS: Yeah, I can see that. I got reports on you too, you know. Minor assault, petty theft, in and out of juvie. But I also have character references in here from your teachers that all say what a bright young man you are, how you consistently champion the little guy no matter how many times you get your ass beat.
T. SHEPHERD: What can I say? I contain multitudes.
H. DANIELS: See, that right there. You seem like a good kid with a lot of anger in you right now. I’m asking you to let me help you out.
M. SHEPHERD: Here you are, officer.
H. DANIELS: Thank you, Mrs Shepherd. Look, Tommy, here’s my card. If you can think of anything else that might be helpful, just give me a call, okay?
T. SHEPHERD: Sure, officer. I’ll try to remember as much as I can.
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Boyf
+416 2242-044
I need you to stop calling me, Billy.
I will
I swear
I just
Can we talk? Just for a second?
I don’t want to talk to you right now.
That’s so fair. I know I fucked up.
Maybe you could just listen then?
What is it?
I’m sorry. I really am, I’ve been such a shit
boyfriend the past few weeks and you don’t
deserve it at allI’m gonna stop you right there
It’s not about ‘deserve’, it’s about trust
What do you mean?
Of course I trust you!
I love you!
No, a month ago, you trusted me.
One day, you’re telling me you have no
memory beyond 3 years ago, we’re talking
to legit psychos in the middle of the night,
there’s sigils and runes and magic ffsAnd the next, it’s like a complete 180. You’re
stressing out over stuff I can’t know about. You
go missing without a word, you’re suddenly
covered in bruises and every time I bring it up
you get all weird about it.I just don’t want you to worry about me
I’m handling it I swear
I promise, I won’t miss any more our dates
It’s not about missing dates, Billy.
It’s about trusting me with the reason
why you’re missing them.And if you can’t tell me that, then we’re
back at square one and I don’t want to talk
to you.So stop calling me until you’re ready.
Eddie, please, I swear it’s
not whatever you’re thinkingI’m working on it
Eddie?
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KAPFAM CHAT
You, Rebecca Kaplan, Billy Kaplan
RK: Billy, what time are you heading to
Eddie’s tomorrow for their bbq?BK: is typing…
I’m not.
Did they cancel? You know they’re
welcome to come to ours for the Fourth?BK: They didn’t cancel.
I’m just not going.RK: is typing…
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REBECCA
+412 9824-638
TALK TO HIM!!!
What? Why?
What’s going on????
I think he and eddie are fighting!!!
Oh man
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KAPFAM CHAT
You, Rebecca Kaplan, Billy Kaplan
BK: They didn’t cancel.
I’m just not going.Something on your mind, kid?
BK: No. Fourth of July is super problematic
anyway. Did you know mass shootings are four
times more likely on the fourth? Plus the
fireworks are really bad for the environment.RK: You always love the fireworks!
How does Eddie feel about the fourth?
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REBECCA
+412 9824-638
REAL SUBTLE
Okay okay
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KAPFAM CHAT
You, Rebecca Kaplan, Billy Kaplan
How does Eddie feel about the fourth?
BK: is typing…
BK: is typing…
BK: is typing…
BK: idk. We’re not talking as much these
days.I’m sorry to hear that
RK: Maybe you guys just need some time
together? The bbq might be a good opportunityYou know you can invite him
over to our house tooEddie’s always welcome
BK: I know
We’re just going through some stuff
It’s not a big deal
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REBECCA
+412 9824-638
I knew it
Bec, come on
Give the kid a minute to breathe
Don’t you remember the first time
you got your heart broken?Freddy Malone, sophomore year.
You answered that remarkably quickly
You never forget your first
First love?
First time you slashed a guy’s tires because
he spread a rumour that you gave him crabs
one night at his parents lakehouseYeesh
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KAPFAM CHAT
You, Rebecca Kaplan, Billy Kaplan
BK: It’s not a big deal
RK: We’re here if you need to talk, you know.
Of course. Always
BK: I’m handling it
I’m fine I swear* * * * *
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C:\Users\WKaplan\Desktop\Witch101\Recordings\witch101_july_6.mp3
05:18:04 | 05:55:19
“Again.”
“You know you don’t get extra points for masochism, kid.”
“I said, hit me again.”
“You asked for it.”
“Ooft.”
“Hmm. Not bad, your shield stayed up this time at least.”
“I want to try it with magical attacks.”
“You’ve barely managed to deflect a tennis ball and you think your wards are ready for magic? I don’t think so.”
“I’ve done it before! On the Road, with Rio.”
“Yeah, hyped up on adrenaline and goddess knows what other puberty hormones. This is different. This is about control.”
“I’m ready and I want to do it now-!”
“…so this is what we’re doing now? Throwing temper tantrums and setting perfectly good trees on fire?”
“I-I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Obviously.”
“Fine, we’ll stick with tennis balls. Just throw the next one.”
“Nope.”
“What? You said you wanted to practise material interactions. So throw the damn ball.”
“Not until tell me what’s eating you.”
“Why does it matter?”
“Kid, have you not been listening? Magic equals power plus will. Whatever you’re pissed off about is boosting your power but it’s trashing your focus. So confess your sins and move on or keep blowing up trees accidentally. Your choice.”
“…I think Eddie broke up with me.”
“And Eddie is…?”
“…boy toy?”
“Huh. Well, that’s a shame.”
“That’s it? My boyfriend is dumping me and all you’ve got for me is ‘that’s a shame’?”
“What would you prefer? Congratulations?”
“I’d prefer if he wouldn’t break up with me!”
“Oh Teen, relax. You’re a kid, there’ll be a new Eddie this time next week.”
“Are you serious?! Do you have any idea what he means to me?!”
“Not really, I zone you out when you gab about him and his glorious biceps- Oh for crying out loud, Teen, not another tree!”
“Eddie was the first person who knew who I was! And I thought he was going to run screaming because who tells their boyfriend that they’re not sure they’re in the right body?! He could’ve written me off as a psycho but he didn’t! He stayed, he helped me, he listened when I didn’t have a single person in the world to talk to about this!”
“Well, he sounds like quite a catch.”
“He’s more than a catch, Agatha, I’m in love with him. And just because we haven’t been beating the shit out of each other in between rounds of hate sex for the past million years doesn’t mean he’s not special to me.”
“Excuse you, I am not a day passed three hundred and fifty thank you very much.”
“…I really screwed it up.”
“Witches tend to do that, pet.”
“I don’t know how to fix it. He won’t even talk to me. He thinks I don’t trust him.”
“Well, you don’t.”
“What are you talking about? Of course, I trust him.”
“Then why haven’t you told him about the Road? Or me? Or you, for that matter?”
“I…it’s not that simple.”
“Hey dreamboat, turns out I manifested a witch legend with the power of my mind because I’m actually the spawn of a mythical being of chaos and a robot. Oh, and I’m also getting schooled in how not to collapse the universe by a super-hot silver fox of a ghost.”
“You are so unbelievably bad at this.”
“Hey, this coven two thing is new for me too, you know.”
“I can’t tell him. About any of it.”
“Why?”
“Because then I have to explain that I killed three people who didn’t deserve it.”
“Well, hell, kid. If we’re being technical about it, I’m the one who dragged Mrs Hart along for the ride-”
“Her name was Sharon Davies.”
“-and sucked Alice dry, even on accident. As for Lilia, she made her choice, Billy. She went out on her own terms. The way I see it, she’d be pissed at you trying to take credit for that.”
“And what about you?”
“What about me?”
“I know what Rio says about me. I’m an abomination in the eyes of Death. I shouldn’t exist in the first place. Everyone keeps dying for me. William, that boy I found for Tommy. You.”
“…Alright, kid. I’ll give you that one. Yeah, people died and you benefitted. But that’s a story old as time. Dog eat dog, law of the jungle. You don’t feel sorry for the cow when you’re eating the steak.”
“Actually, I’m vegetarian.”
“Semantics. What I’m saying is, survival comes at a cost. Sometimes you know what it is, sometimes you don’t. I’m not saying forget about it. It’s good to remind yourself that life ain’t free every once in a while. But spending your days wallowing about all the things that had to happen for you to be here, doesn’t undo them.”
“…Thanks, Agatha.”
“Besides, it’s a lot more fun being an abomination. Trust me, I speak from experience.”
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Eddie
+416 2242-044
Hey, I know you said to stop calling
but I really need to talk to you.You’re right. So much as happened
and I thought I could handle it myself
but the truth isYou’re the only one I want to talk to about this.
Eddie is typing…
This wouldn’t have anything to do
with the really mean ghost that just
turned up in the middle of basketball
practise would it?Typing…
Typing…
Typing…
WHAT
WHAT DO YOU
SHE DID WHAT
She says to tell you that she didn’t
trust that you were gonna have the balls
to come clean.So she decided to speed things along
and to warn me that if I keep messing
with her protégé’s focus she’ll swallow my
heart?But I think that was meant to be a joke.
I’M GONNA KILL HER
She says she beat you to the punch on
that one already.I WILL FIND A WAY.
EDDIE I
I AM SO SO SORR RY
Eddie is typing…
How about I meet you at the park near
your house in about fifteen minutes and
we can talk?Typing…
Yes. Please, yes.
🖤