Supernatural: Hook Man
A/N: Hi, I've decided to post this new story a few days earlier than I'd first planned, but for those of you who read the Demon Blood fanfics written by my little sister, Yami Faerie, already know…our nephew died recently and This is the only way that I can cope is by distracting myself with writing and posting stories. Anyway, time for the Winchesters to go up against another urban legend brought to life.
Read, review, and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Supernatural. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.
CHAPTER ONE: 9 MILE ROAD
Theta Sorority, Eastern Iowa University…
Taylor was on her bed reading a magazine when her roommate Lori, wearing a skirt, and a white striped long-sleeve shirt, came out from the bathroom.
"Ok," Lori said and Taylor looked up. "What do you think?"
"Um…" Taylor was hesitant to give an answer.
"Oh God. Too Martha Stewart?" Lori asked, worried.
Taylor motioned 'wait' with her finger, got up from her bed, and headed over to her dresser while Lori watched her, looking a bit nervous. Taylor took out a very revealing red top, turned around, and went back to Lori with it.
"Here," she suggested, smiling. "Wear this."
Lori took the top and stood in front of the mirror, holding it in front of herself. "Um. I don't know if this is really me," she said, uncertain and looked at Taylor, who put her hands on her hips.
"Lori, there's a hot chick buried somewhere in there and —" Taylor began.
Lori sighed and went to her bed. "Ok. Ok." With that, she began changing into the top. Smirking, Taylor went back to her bed and sat down, continuing to read her magazine while Lori quickly changed her shirt.
"So?" Lori asked hopefully after she finished.
Taylor looked up and smiled. "Damn girl, he's not gonna know what hit him!"
Lori smiled and went over to the mirror for a final look. "Ok… I think he's probably downstairs." And she went to her bed, picking up her jacket. "I'll see you later." And she started walking to the door.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Taylor called out.
Lori smiled. "There's nothing you wouldn't do," she stated and she left.
Taylor smiled to herself. "That's true."
Lori's boyfriend's car pulled up to a spot just off the main road and under a nearby bridge near the river.
"I thought we were going to the party," Lori said, slightly nervous as the car slowed to a halt.
"Well, we can't arrive on time," Rich stated, turning the engine off.
"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you brought me here on purpose," Lori teased.
Rich feigned shock. "What? I'm offended," he protested.
"Yeah, I'm sure," Lori said sarcastically.
They smiled and began to kiss when Lori's cell phone started ringing, and they reluctantly broke away; she checked her phone and saw that the caller ID said 'Dad Calling'.
"You wanna get that?" Rich asked.
"Definitely not," Lori stated, turning the ringer off and putting her phone away. They resumed kissing, and Rich put his hand under Lori's halter strap, brushing past a silver chain that she was also wearing. However, Lori pulled away and moved his hand, feeling unease. "No."
"It's ok," Rich assured her.
Lori was still uncomfortable about moving so fast.
Outside, a dark figure with a hook in the place of one hand was moving slowly out from the trees, almost as if it could sense what was going on inside the car.
Meanwhile, Rich began kissing Lori's neck and put his hand back under her strap, but she was even more uncomfortable and pulled away once again.
"Hey, I mean it," she protested, and just then, they heard a loud screeching noise. They couldn't see it, but the dark figure was dragging his hook along a Dead End sign.
Lori looked around. "What was that?" she asked, now scared.
"I don't know," Rich admitted, worried, and they heard the same sound again.
The man was now dragging his hook along a sign that said "9 Mile Road", and then he vanished and only a low growling could be heard.
"What is that?" Rich wondered, and he opened the car door.
"No! Rich, no!" Lori protested, frightened of the thought of being in the car alone.
"No, just wait here," Rich told her as he got out of the car and shut the door. Lori was terrified, but she stayed put in her seat.
Outside, Rich was looking around when he heard more screeching. He turned to see a long scratch being made on the side of his car, but he couldn't see what was making the scratch. "What the hell?" he muttered.
"Rich, let's go!" Lori pleaded loudly when the back tire got punctured, and she shrieked when the back window was smashed. "Rich?" She looked around, but Rich wasn't outside, he'd vanished. "Rich!" frightened for her life, she rolled up the windows and locked the doors. "Rich, where are you?" She suddenly heard scratching and banging on the roof, and she cried out in fear, cringing into a small ball until the noise stopped.
Lori was breathing heavily, and wanted to get away from this place. "Ok. Ok." She mentally steeled herself before she got out of the car and started to run away. However, she remembered her jacket, so she turned around and —
It was Rich. He was suspended above his car, covered in blood that slowly dripped down the one hand that hung free, dragging along the top of the car.
Lori screamed.
Sam was talking on a payphone, and holding a card in his hand. "Alright, thank you for your time," he said to the person on the other end, hung up, and walked back to the table of an outdoor café, where Dean was working at the laptop, and Liz was flipping through their dad's journal.
"Your, uh, half-caf, double vanilla latte is gettin' cold over here, Francis," Dean said, partly teasing.
"Bite me," Sam snapped and he sat down.
"Watch your temper, Sam," Liz cautioned, looking up. "It might burn you."
Sam rolled his eyes and took a sip of his drink in silence.
"So, anything?" Dean asked, and Sam shook his head.
"I had 'em check the FBI's Missing Persons Data Bank," he explained, sighing and putting the card inside his jacket. "No John Doe's fitting Dad's description. I even ran his plates for traffic violations."
Liz sighed. "Well, Dad's definitely covering his tracks real good this time," she commented.
"Guys, I'm tellin' ya, I don't think Dad wants to be found," Dean stated, and noted the disappointed expression on Sam's face. "Check this out." And he showed Sam an article on the computer about Rich's death. "It's a news item out of Planes Courier. Ankeny, Iowa. It's only about a hundred miles from here."
"The mutilated body was found near the victim's car, parked on 9 Mile Road," Sam read.
"Keep reading," Dean suggested.
"Authorities are unable to provide a realistic description of the killer," Sam read aloud. "The sole eyewitness, whose name has been withheld, is quoted as saying the attacker was invisible."
Dean gave him a bemused look. "Could be something interesting."
"Or it could be nothing at all," Sam countered, not really interested. "One freaked out witness who didn't see anything? Doesn't mean it's the Invisible Man."
"But what if it is?" Dean asked, eyebrows raised. "Dad would check it out."
"Dean does have a point," Liz added, having already read the article. "'Course there's no way you two are dragging me into a frat house."
"We'll find a motel room for you, sis."
"Thanks."
"Wait," Sam said. "What?"
After finding a motel for Liz to stay in, Sam and Dean drove to the fraternity where Rich lived. The other frat brothers were confused as they watched Sam and Dean get out of the car.
"One more time, why are we here?" Sam asked.
"Victim lived here," Dean stated and they walked up to some guys fixing a car. "Nice wheels," he commented and they looked at him strangely. "We're your fraternity brothers. From Ohio. We're new in town. Transfers. Looking for a place to stay." And he grinned.
A shirtless frat boy in yellow shorts was painting his face and body purple when Sam and Dean knocked on his door.
Murphy turned toward the doorway. "Who are you?" he asked.
"We're your new roommates," Dean answered with a smile and walked over to the boy, who held the brush and paint can out to him.
"Do me a favor? Get my back," Murphy requested. "Big game today."
Dean gulped and quickly pointed to Sam. "He's the artist. Things he can do with a brush," he added. Sam was clearly mortified, judging by the look he shot Dean, but he took the brush and can. Dean sat on a chair and picked up a magazine. "So…" He looked at the name on the magazine. "Murphy. Is it true?" he asked.
"What?" Murphy asked as Sam painted his back.
"We heard one of the guys around here got killed last week," Dean added as a hint.
"Yeah," Murphy said sadly.
"What happened?" Sam asked.
"They're saying some psycho with a knife," Murphy answered. "Maybe a drifter passing through. Rich was a good guy."
"Rich… he was with somebody?" Sam asked.
Murphy smirked. "Not just somebody. Lori Sorensen."
"Who's Lori Sorensen?" Dean asked before nodded to Sam. "You missed a spot. Just down there on the back," he added; Sam gave him an annoyed look, and Dean grinned.
"Lori's a freshman," Murphy explained. "She's a local. Super hot. And get this: she's a reverend's daughter," he added with a wink.
Dean was now very interested. "You wouldn't happen to know which church, would ya?" he inquired.
"Our hearts go out to the family of a young man who perished," Reverend Sorensen told those gathered in the pews of the local church. "And my personal prayers of thanks go out as well because I believe he died trying to protect my daughter," he added and Lori was instantly embarrassed. "And now, as time heals all our wounds, we should reflect on what this tragedy means. To us, as a church…" Just then, Sam, Liz, who they picked up from the motel, and Dean entered and the door slammed behind them. The congregation went silent and turned to look at them "…as a community, and as a family. The loss of a young person is particularly tragic. A life unlived is the saddest of passing," the Reverend continued as the embarrassed Sam, Liz, and Dean sat down in the back. Lori looked back at Sam, and he smiled weakly at her. "So, please, let us pray. For peace, for guidance, and for the power to protect our children," he requested.
Everyone bowed their head in prayer, except Dean; Sam and Liz both elbowed him, and Dean, noticing everyone else, did the same.
A short while later, the Mass ended.
"I can't," Lori protested as she and Taylor left the church. "It's Sunday night."
"It's just us girls," Taylor said, pleading with Lori. "We're gonna do tequila shots and watch Reality Bites."
"My dad makes dinner every Sunday night," Lori said reluctantly.
"Come on, Lori," Taylor begged. "I know this has been hard, but you are allowed to have fun."
Lori sighed. "I'll try." And Taylor rolled her eyes, but decided to drop the subject for now.
"Ok," Taylor said, they hugged, and she left. Sam, Liz, and Dean walked up to Lori.
"Are you Lori?" Sam asked, getting her attention.
Lori nodded, turning to face them. "Yeah."
"My name is Sam," Sam said, introducing himself. "This is my brother, Dean, and my sister, Liz." And both Dean and Liz waved.
"Hi."
"Hi."
"We just transferred here to the university," Sam added.
"I saw you inside," Lori said, recalling earlier.
"We don't wanna bother you," Sam said. "We just heard about what happened and…"
"We wanted to say how sorry we were," Dean cut in and Liz nodded.
"It isn't easy to lose someone that you care about," she injected.
"I kind of know what you're going through," Sam said, thinking of Jessica. "I-I saw someone… get hurt once. It's something you don't forget."
Lori nodded slightly, and Reverend Sorensen walked up to them.
"Dad, um, this is Sam, Liz, and Dean," Lori said quickly. "They're new students."
Dean shook Sorensen's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," he said politely. "I must say, that was an inspiring sermon."
"Thank you very much," Sorensen said, smiling. "It's so nice to find young people who are open to the Lord's message. Are you all Catholics?" he asked, nodding to the silver cross that Liz was wearing around her neck.
"Um, yeah we are," Liz answered with a nervous smile, and Dean chuckled.
"Listen, uh, we're new in town, actually," Dean told the Reverend as he and Liz led him away from Sam and Lori. "And, uh, we were looking for a, uh, a church group."
"Tell me, Lori. What are the police saying?" Sam inquired and they both started walking.
"Well, they don't have a lot to go on," Lori admitted. "I think they blame me for that."
"What do you mean?" Sam asked.
"My story," Lori explained. "I was so scared, I guess I was 'seeing things'." They stopped walking.
"That doesn't mean it wasn't real," Sam said seriously, and they looked at each other for a few seconds.
"So you believe her?" Dean asked as the three siblings walked through the stacks of books in the local library.
Sam nodded as he thought over Lori's story. "I do."
"Yeah, I think she's hot, too," Dean teased and winced when Liz elbowed him in the ribs, hard.
"Behave, Dean."
"No, man, there's something in her eyes," Sam stated, bemused by Liz's methods of keeping Dean under control. "And listen to this: she heard scratching on the roof. Found the bloody body suspended upside down over the car," he added.
"Wait, the body was suspended?" Dean asked, surprised and exchanged a startled look with Liz. "That sounds like the —"
Sam nodded. "Yeah, I know, the Hook Man legend."
Liz sighed. "Great, first Bloody Mary and now the Hook Man. What next? The Headless Horseman?" she wondered, exasperated.
"That's one of the most famous urban legends ever," Dean remarked, ignoring Liz's complaints. "You don't think that we're dealing with the Hook Man?"
"Every urban legend has a source," Sam stated. "A place where it all began."
"Yeah, but what about the phantom scratches and the tire punctures and the invisible killer?" Dean asked.
Sam sighed, thinking. "Well, maybe the Hook Man isn't a man at all," he suggested. "What if it's some kind of spirit?"
Soon, Dean, Liz, and Sam were sitting at a table in the library, and the librarian placed a few big boxes in front of them.
"Here you go," she said. "Arrest records going back to 1851."
Dean blew some dust off a box and coughed while Liz sneezed a few times, grimacing. "Thanks."
The librarian nodded and walked away.
"So, this is how you spent four good years of your life, huh?" Dean asked, exasperated while Liz just sneezed again.
"Welcome to higher education," Sam said with a smirk as they removed the lids, took the records out, and began reading.
Hours later, they were still looking, and both Dean and Liz were about ready to give up, their table covered with books and papers.
"Hey, check this out," Sam said, getting their attention, and they joined him at the bookshelf he was using. "1862. A preacher named Jacob Carnes was arrested for murder. Looks like he was so angry over the red light district in town that one night he killed 13 prostitutes. Uh, right here, 'some of the deceased were found in their bed, sheets soaked with blood. Others suspended upside down from the limbs of trees as a warning against sins of the flesh.'"
Dean noticed another page and pulled it out, revealing a sketch of the preacher with a hook attached to his arm. "Get this, the murder weapon? Looks like the preacher lost his hand in an accident. Had it replaced with a silver hook," he stated.
Liz grimaced at the design. "Ouch, I'd hate to be hit by that thing."
Sam nodded and pointed to another page. "Look where all this happened," he added.
Dean and Liz both read. "9 Mile Road."
"Same place where the frat boy was killed," Sam said, making a connection.
Dean and Liz were impressed. "Nice job, Dr. Venkmen. Let's check it out."
Sam gathered all the research and they left to make copies.
A/N: Hmm, but will the Hook Man be there when they arrive? Stay tune for more.
R&R everyone!