#robert torres

Mystery: The Gifted Children Updated: 8/16/16 SPOILERS THROUGH 2x12 Confirmed and possible “gifted children”: This includes children who have exhibited psychic ability, and/or been connected to the Shadow Man / strange symbols / demonic possession over the course of the series.

1. Robert Torres

Gettysburg, PA. Later, San Francisco, CA. Since childhood, Torres was haunted by a tall shadow man. It appears in photos of him well into adulthood. (1x01)

2. Sebastian Torres 

Los Gatos, CA. Like his father, Robert Torres, Sebastian is closely shadowed by a tall, spooky figure he calls “Tall Paul” that shows up as a black shadow in photos of him, and also a video. There was a frightening drawing found at the back of his closet: “It looked like it was burned into the back of the wall. But if you followed the darker outlines, it looked vaguely like the outline of a face. Kind of like the face in Munch's The Scream, but painted by a child in black charcoal. It was definitely eerie in light of everything being talked about. But, to be frank, if you'd pointed that image out to me at any other location, I'd say it was probably a black mold stain.” Sebastian says that “Tall Paul” lives in his closet. Alex also says that his mother disclosed some personal medical information regarding Sebastian, but it was not included on the podcast. (1x02) 

Sebastian is kidnapped in 1x06. In 1x07, Alex and psychic Tannis Braun search for him in Portola Redwood State Park, and found later in the same episode (three days after his disappearance), just 5 miles north of where they had been searching. He is apparently unharmed. (1x07) The cabin in which he was found frightens Braun, and it is covered in “cave-like” paintings, occult glyphs, numbers, and the same creepy drawing as was found in Sebastian's closet, which Strand says is a demon, an “elemental.” He names it “Asog. Aka Manah. Grigori.” (Grigori is also the arch-demon named in the exorcism of Jessica Weldon.) Strand comments that it looks as though someone was trying to summon a demon in the cabin. They also discuss the drawings' relation to the golden ratio, and find that at a certain time of day, sunlight projects a cross on the wall. It appears that the cabin contains a devil's door on the south wall, created to let something in. (1x07) In 1x12, it is revealed that Edward Lewis, of the Brothers of the Mount, abducted Sebastian, and acknowledged his “gifts."

3. Sarah Benning 

Charlesworth, WA. Perhaps not a gifted child, exactly, but she is strongly connected to the upside-down face image that has frequently popped up over the course of the investigation. In 1957, a 17 year old girl named Sarah Benning, who was bullied by the other girls in her class, murdered the homecoming queen, Catherine Williams. She slit Williams' throat, and the story is that she sliced off Williams' face and stitched it back on, upside-down. Benning’s body was found in the Pandore River, the last suspected whereabouts of one chapter of the Brothers of the Mount. Townspeople say that the spirit of Catherine Williams is the girl with the upside-down face, and to commemorate her, they wear their Halloween masks upside-down for the festival. However, Crystal DeNevers disputes this, saying that it's actually Sarah Benning who haunts the town, and that she stitched Williams' face on her own, upside-down. Sheriff Boyd Osenga notes that both the graves of Sarah Benning and Catherine Williams were desecrated. Nothing remains of Sarah Benning. Catherine Williams' body remains, but someone had removed her face. (1x04)

4. Derek 

Derek was possessed as a child, and exorcised by a Father Johnson. Derek recounts that his possession began after a game of Ouija. Describes his possession as a “thick cloud” over his life, from which he recovered after exorcism. (1x05)

5. Jessica Wheldon 

Exorcised at age 12, she was extremely violent and incredibly strong. Present were the exorcist, Father Peter Vincent, “John,” and Richard Strand, who recorded the event. It was her fourth exorcism. During this encounter, Father Vincent says he encountered “the Grigori,” an arch-demon, who is “watching.” Also describes the Grigori as “the elemental.” (1x05) [Ed note: interestingly, in Christian theology, the Grigori are collectively, a class of angels, also called “watchers,” who fell from Heaven with Satan.] As an adult, Wheldon says she was “brainwashed,” and remembers feeling like someone else was taking over her body and her mind. She had evil thoughts, terrible dreams, and one one occasion attacked and bit her mother, filled with fury. Her parents died of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning. She also recalls having a babysitter who taught her “strange songs,” and also men in black suits at her fourth exorcism. (2x07)

5. Simon Reese 

Reese his murdered his parents when he was 11 years old and was sent to Three Rivers State Hospital in Idaho. Until recently, he was a selective mute. Currently 18 years old. Potentially may be able to bi-locate to harm other patients in the hospital-- although security cameras cut out when this occurred. Has extensive knowledge of sacred geometry; occult symbols (including the pentagram within two circles) and numbers pop up in his rooms and places he is suspected to have gone. Strand identifies some of these as Sumerian in origin, connected to the Tower of Marduk, the national God of Babylon. A Sumerian glyph to Anzû is drawn on the south wall to his room, a possible “devil's door.” (1x06)  

Simon tells Alex that he has learned to hide from “his” sight. When Alex asks if “he” is God, he says no.

 This same “he” doesn't like Trent, or Alex. Others' prayers may have a painful effect on Simon. (1x06) Simon is specifically referred to as “gifted” by Edward Lewis of the Brothers of the Mount. (1x12)

In 2x06, Simon contacts Alex. He says, “I was chosen. I don't remember exactly how, but I have memories, long memories, of when I was an infant. I was just a baby, and a woman came to me and talked. Whispered. Names, incantations. She opened a door, and it never closed for me... There are mechanisms greater than you. Greater than me. And they've been at work for thousands of years. I was to be a cog in that, I was called to play my part.” He also says that his mother was the one who “opened the door” for him, and was one of “them,” likening her to Maddie Franks-- those who “prepared the children.”

He then confirms that he did kill his parents, because they were “a part of it.” He also says, “I'm not what you think I am. I think sunsets are beautiful,” possibly signaling that he has decided not to help to end the world. “I want what you want... to watch sunsets.” He describes Alex as “one note in the symphony of the universe.” He also suggests that something is awry with Amalia. (2x06)

At some point, Simon breaks out of Three Rivers. (2x08) During the course of 2x09, Alex receives a mysterious text that says “call me, please.” It is Simon. He states that the Brothers of the Mount and Edward Lewis (all of whom are recently deceased under suspicious circumstances, including one instance of a security camera going out, as it had with Trent) “had it coming. He names the Brothers who died, and said, “they killed themselves when they started down the path. They were trying to raise a chorus of voices. Childrens' voices. My voice.” When Alex asks him if it was about getting revenge, he says, “it's not revenge I'm seeking. It's balance.” He then tells Alex to focus on finding Thomas Warren's machine: “find the machine, and you'll find the man behind it.” (2x09)

In 2x12, Alex receives another voicemail from Simon. He says: “I’m sure by now you’ve realized the interconnectedness of all things. Or, at least the interconnecteness of your things. The children, the shadows, the doors, they’re all… they’re here for Him. “Some call him the Adversary, some call him other things, but if you build it, he will come. And when he does, he brings chaos, and madness, and death. "What you’re calling the Unsound? That wasn’t what you thought it was. You weren’t going to die within a year. That was only the first gate. There are five gates, Alex. You have to hear all five in a row in order to be infected. "You see, Alex, it’s a curse… it’s a virus. The end is not coming with a bang, but within each of us. Those who hear the five movements of the Mysterium, in order, will be followed by a darkness, by evil. When they turn out the lights, their darkness will be a little darker than most. When they look into the shadows, they’ll see a little father than most. And when the time is come, they will enter his kingdom, and the world will be lost. Goodbye, Alex.”

6. Tannis Braun 

A gifted psychic, claims to be able to intuitively search for missing persons by feeling a “pull” and has shown to be very accurate in blind read tests. Knows that Sebastian has been abducted by someone with “dark intent” and gets within five miles of his abduction site. Says his powers have been unlocked “since birth” and claims to be able to bi-locate. Richard Strand has a strong dislike for Braun. (1x07) Braun later suggests that this dislike is because Richard is “unsettled” by his abilities. Braun suggests that the Black Tapes are all connected, and is the one to tell Alex to check into “Cheryl.” (2x04) Strand tells Alex that he had been out of the country when his father, Howard Strand, passed away, and that the University where Howard passed away ended up auctioning off some of his belongings. Braun had been the winning bidder on some of Howard Strand’s books. In the lot he received, was the “Cheryl” tape, which Braun returned to Strand. Strand believes that in doing so, he was “challenging” Richard, “saying he believes my mission of debunking the paranormal is a direct result of my insecurity stemming from this incident.” (2x05) 

7. Katie Yi 

Seattle, WA. A six year old whose mother believes she is one of the special children. Her father died when she was three years old. Katie has an invisible friend that she refers to as a he, and her mother, Rebecca, has experienced strange sounds around their home. Other times, furniture moves. At one point, a crow flies in their window and dies, preceded by a dark shadow. There are sigils, pentagrams, and numbers carved beneath her heavy sleigh bed, which her mother says takes many men to move. Rebecca says Katie has also drawn symbols similar to Simon Reese. Elizabeth Sawyer, the nanny, says that Katie's mother, Rebecca, is mentally ill and/or faking the strange events. (2x01)

8. Robbie Hochman 

Seattle, WA. Robbie is a toddler. His mother, Wendy, has heard strange noises coming from his baby monitor, like a cat howling. Dr. Pullman analyzes this sound and concludes that it sounds like whatever it is is “singing.” Wendy also reports feeling “something” in his room at night. A pentagram within two circles found beneath his crib. Nic uncovers audio of Maddie Franks, the Hochmans' housekeeper, chanting over Robbie's bed, and saying, “Oh, you like him, don't you? … Don't let mommy hear you. You are going to love your new life, my boy... Goodbye, little one... Serve him well.” After this, Wendy Hochman is reported missing. (2x03)

Nic and Alex break into the home in search of Wendy, and find a horrific scene: “The apartment looked like it had been torn apart, like in the movies. Ransacked. Furniture was overturned, drawers opened, broken glass covered the kitchen floor. And there was a buzzing, a deep electrical sound. In the dim light that came through the hall, we could see that one of the walls looked like it had been painted black. Which was strange, considering the other walls were an off-white color. Nic finally turned on the light, and... well. The wall wasn't black. It was covered in blood. A lot of blood.  But the buzzing wasn't from anything electrical. There were thousands, possibly tens of thousands, of flies. It was at this point that the small his us. Hard. A sick, sweet metallic scent. Wet iron crossed with... rotting meat and honey. And that's when we saw it. In the center of the living room, hanging by an orange extension cord from the ceiling fan, was the housekeeper, Maddie. ” (2x03)

Later, we find that the blood on the wall wasn't Maddie's, and that the wall beneath the blood was covered in numbers and arcane symbols. (2x05) Simon Reese says that the blood belongs to the Order of the Cenophus. (2x06)

9. Cheryl Strand Baker 

Summerville, PA. Able to see the “tall men” in the Black Tape titled “Cheryl.” She says they want to come in their house, and after her brother, Richard, opens the window, she says that they're “inside now.” The camera pans towards a wall, and then back to Cheryl, who is staring at something unseen on the ceiling. She says “hello” to it. (2x05) As an adult, Cheryl describes them as “tall, thin giants.” Of the one inside the house, she says, “Yes. That one was tall. The top of its head would have touched the ceiling, but it was hunched over like something... like... a twisted, crooked tree. It's eyes were huge. Unblinking. Its arms were kind of shaking... as if it was getting ready to... it was excited. And there was a smell. A swampy... sick, musty sweat in the air. It smiled then. A crazed smile. I froze...and its fingers. They were long, incredibly long... it pointed at me.” She says that Richard was convinced that the tall men were after their family. (2x06)

10. Richard Strand 

Summerville, PA. Later: Chicago, IL, and Seattle, WA

Early life: 

The boy in the video, “Cheryl.” (2x05) After describing the tall shadow men she saw in the video, Cheryl Strand says that Richard became convinced that the tall men were after their family, and so told their parents, but was beaten for it. (2x06) However, we do know that their father, Howard Strand, kept the video, “Cheryl,” until his death, which is odd if he did not believe Richard. (2x05) When their mother got sick, Howard refused to come back from abroad, so Richard cared for her instead. (2x07)  At a certain point, Howard began “taking an interest” in Richard, bringing him rare archaeological gifts from his travels abroad. (2x08) 

The Discovery of Bobby Mames: Strand appears to have used similar psychic tools to locate the body of Bobby Mames in 1976 as Tannis Braun previously described during his search for Sebastian Torres in 1x07. Wesley Coates, the younger brother of one of Richard’s childhood friends, says that as they searched for the body of the neighborhood boy along Red Bank Creek, Richard seemed not to know exactly where he was going, but kept saying “I think it's this way,” as though going on intuition. He eventually lead them right to the body. (2x10) In a discussion with Wayne Coates, Wesley’s older brother, more of young “Richie” Strand’s character is expounded upon. Wesley says that there was “always something different about Richie... he was real honest, like it would physically hurt him to tell a lie.” He goes on to say, “he was the most honest kid I’ve ever known, and fiercely loyal... he was never a fighter, but man, that kid had guts.” He went on to tell a story about Richie defending him from a group of bullying older boys. He furthermore says that Richard was the “most serious teenager you’ve ever met,” and that he “hated standing out more than anything,” which is why he believed Richard when he said that he knew where to find Bobby. Wesley explains that one night after Bobby’s disappearance, he found Richard staring out into the distance, and saying he knew where Bobby was. He said Richard had detailed a vivid dream about Bobby, and said that he felt like the real world was actually the dream world, and he was still asleep. He also described his dream-life as “distorted.” Detailing the dream about Bobby, Richard described the exact location where his body was found, and said he’d seen Bobby standing there, in a green sweater, pointing at the ground. Wayne also says that for a time, Richard was the prime suspect in Bobby’s murder. (2x11) In a discussion with Alex Reagan in 2x12, Strand disputes using psychic tools to find the body, saying that he’d led his friends to “many” places before finding the final spot. He said he’d been obsessing over the case, owing to his mother’s reaction to Bobby’s disappearance. He said that it “shattered” her, and affected her more than “it should have.” He believes that it was his desire to solve the disappearance for his mother that caused his vivid dream, and feels that Wayne’s shock over finding the body has affected his recollection. He downplayed any psychic connection, because he did not want to cause his mother additional stress. Still, despite his denial of psychic gifts, he later attempts to use them in 1997. (2x12) 1990′s and the Disappearance of Coralee Strand:  In the mid-90's, he was present at the exorcism of Jessica Wheldon. (2x05) His wife, Coralee, disappeared under suspicious circumstances in 1997. (1x02)  During the first five days of her disappearance, he attempts to use psychic powers to find her. (2x12) For more on this, see The Disappearance of Coralee Strand.   Richard opened the Strand Institute in 1998, and posted a million-dollar reward for any definitive proof of the supernatural. (1x01) He states that this is partly due to Coralee’s disappearance. (2x12) 2000′s through 2015: By the mid-2000′s, Strand had established himself as a noted skeptic of the paranormal, and worked within the Institute to debunk paranormal claims. (1x01)  One case he worked on was that of Robert Torres in 2013. His presence may have repelled Tall Paul while he was investigating, as all instances of strange phenomena ceased in Strand’s presence. (1x02) 2015 and Involvement with The Black Tapes Podcast:  In 2015, Strand is approached by Alex Reagan and begins collaborating with her on The Black Tapes Podcast. (1x01) Together, they investigate many mysteries that seem to be interconnected (and which constitute the basis for this resource). During an interview, Edward Lewis, the Brother of the Mount who kidnapped Sebastian Torres, asks Strand, “During those quiet times, when it’s just you and the darkness, have you ever felt an other?” He goes on to say, “You have been watched, Richard. All of your life you’ve been watched. You know that... Your refusal to connect the dots will be your undoing, Richard.” He furthermore states that Strand has “all the pieces that need to be fit together,” and that “the Advocate” is watching him. (1x12)  Strand suspects he has been stalked by people looking for artifacts and information that were once in his father's possession. (2x05) He was also recorded speaking to Amalia, inquiring after a tall, striking blond woman who won an auction in Russia. Though she confirmed that the woman spoke fluent Russian, she was unable to confirm if the woman was from Malta. (2x06) Alex Reagan found old letters (from the 70's or 80's), in Howard Strand's former house, hidden behind pictures similar to the creepy painting in Strand's honeymoon suite. The picture features a squid beast attacking a boat and being speared by men, a clear link to Leviathan/The Kraken/Tiamat. In these letters, which are typed, unsigned, and undated, though probably from the 70's or 80s, Richard Strand is discussed. It sounds very much as though he is being prepped to assume a position within the cult of Tiamat called “the mantle of the dragon.” The correspondence had a Tiamat stamp, and was postmarked from Istanbul, Turkey It also includes a 14-digit number code which Nic splits into two 7-digit codes in order to point to Mt. Ararat, the highest peak in Turkey. (2x10). Strand denies that the Axis Mundi is Mt. Ararat (2x11), an Nic later decides the numbers are an IP address that point to the PNWS station. (2x12) In 2x11, Alex and Strand have decided to take a meeting with Thomas Warren. They are greeted by armed guards, and are seemingly rescued by the intervention of Coralee Strand, two of her associates, and a van, which they use to speed away.  They take him to a safehouse, where it is revealed that during their marriage, Coralee had been working for an organization run by the Advocate through Thomas Warren. As Warren’s agent, she was tasked with reporting Strand’s whereabouts and protecting him, confirming that The Advocate has been watching Strand as Lewis had previously said. Coralee warns him against Daiva Corporation, stating that they believe Strand’s family hold a “genetic key” crucial to their ends, and says she believes that they may be working in conjunction with the Order of the Cenophus. After this short conversation, Coralee leaves, and Richard says that he does not expect to see her again. (2x12)  For more on this, see The Disappearance of Coralee Strand. 

Strand finally meets with Thomas Warren in the season 2 finale, and Warren offers him a job on their team as they work on some “altruistic” project. As payment, Warren offers to fund The Strand Institute, whose coffers have dwindled over the years. Warren also reveals that Howard Strand did not, in fact, die in an accident, but was murdered. He said that Howard had worked for Daiva Corporation for seven years, and was working there when he was murdered. (2x12) 

11. “John” 

Another possessed child. As an adult, John was also present at the fourth exorcism of Jessica Wheldon, and recalls seeing men in business suits there. He himself was possessed five years before Jessica, but was “cured” by a man in a business suit with a strange machine. In addition, Alex describes the scene of the exorcism: “but there, on the wall opposite John's feet, were symbols. Numbers. Circles. Pentagrams. And at the center, what appeared to be a face. A face with the eyes where the mouth should be, and the mouth where the eyes should be. This was not a church. This was something else entirely.” (2x07) The strange machine was likely one from Luciternica Resources, owned by Daiva Corporation. (2x10)

12. E. Hausdorff

An institutionalized patient at Riverview Mental Hospital in Coquihalla, BC. At one point, he is sedated for screaming about a  “shadow army and the end of days." Repeatedly references “Mr. Splitfoot” and also “the Adversary.” Also obsessed with sacred geometry, and his room contains drawings similar to those at Urraca Mesa and Bath. Is paranoid, highly violent and has self-harmed himself and others. May have been trying to give himself an upside-down face by peeling his face off with a butter knife. At some point, a religious therapy attempted by a Father Agostini had a brief, but non-permanent ameliorating effect. After this effect wears off, a “hysteria” spreads among the other patients, with at least six mimicking the drawings in Hausdorff's room. A nearby patient also claims “visitations by dark, ghostly women.” (2x08) Strand thinks that some of the symbols that show up in Hausdorff's room may “point to another kind of watcher. A guardian. A protector. Someone or something that watches and only steps in when necessary, or when their steward is ready.” However, pages in his book are missing, so he cannot say more. (2x08) For more on this, see The Pilori.  The information we have on Hausdorff comes from a box of papers and tapes found, dating from 1971-1975. (2x08) In 2x09, Strand says that the tapes that we heard had to have come from a later time period, as Dissociative Identity Disorder was not a term used by the medical community until the DSMIV in the mid-90's. The team posits that Hausdorff may have been admitted to Riverview in the 70's, his condition only worsening in the 90's. Strand later finds an E.H. In the registry for Colquitz (formerly the “Provincial Home for the Criminally Insane, closed in 1964). The E.H. In the registry was admitted for murdering his parents, just like Simon Reese. (2x09) [Ed note: this would potentially put E. Hausdorff’s current age in the mid-50′s, making him roughly the same age as Richard Strand.] Regarding E. Hausdorff in 2x08, Alex asks, “What if... what if something's spreading? Like... a virus. And it's been happening for decades, maybe more than that... What if Simon and Hausdorff are just the tip of the iceberg? Like, what if there's more of them?”