SUPERNATURAL
?x?? Despair Has Its Own Calms
Original Airdate: TBA
WRITTEN BY MORGANA NIGHT
DIRECTED BY ???
(FADE IN: Mystic, Connecticut. Exterior of a school, camera closing in through tree branches. It slightly windy and tree branches are scraping against the windows of the school. One classroom has lights on.)
(CUT TO: Classroom, Night. The room clearly belongs to an English teacher, with bookcases, posters of authors like William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and Charlotte Bronte on the wall, and a literary quote over the chalkboard "We learn from failure, not success!" Bram Stoker Dracula .)
(KELLY DANVERS, mid-30s, sits at her desk, grading papers. A shadow is seen off to the side of the screen. She pauses in her grading, as if sensing something. But when she looks up, there is nothing there.)
KELLY: Relax. There is no one here.
(KELLY shakes her head and goes back to her grading. The light above her head flickers and she looks up at it, glaring at it. After a moment, the flickering stops. And she looks back at her papers. Another moment passes, and it goes out.)
KELLY: I'm really getting nothing done tonight, am I?
(KELLY gathers her papers as a piece of chalk floats into the air. Silently, it writes on the board: "Just between you and I, I'm going to kill you." As the "u" in you is being written, the chalk screeches on the board and KELLY jumps. When she turns and sees the words on the board, she freaks out and drops her papers.)
VOICE: What's wrong with this sentence, class?
(KELLY screams and runs from the classroom as the sentence that was just spoken appears on the board. She runs, heels clacking on the tile. The double fire doors in the hallway are locked with a padlock and thick, metal chain. She tries to open them anyway, shaking them and looking about frantically. The squeak of a sneaker sole can be heard and she screams, turning and running in the other direction, only to find another set of locked doors.)
VOICE: Come on, class. This is important. You need to have good grammar to get into college.
(The lights go out, one by one, from the opposite end of the hallway. There is the shadowed figure of a man at the end of the hallway. He flickers and disappears. She breaths a sigh of relief. Suddenly, he appears, only his is distinctive. She screams.)
MAN: Oh, I'm sorry. The correct answer is "Just between you and me, I'm going to kill you."
(MAN raises a knife and the screen cuts to black as he swipes it at her.)
(CUT TO: Sam sitting at an internet café, sipping coffee and on his laptop. Camera pans around the table to look over his shoulder. He's checking his email and a new one pops up with a noise.)
(CUT TO: SAM'S face. He reads the email, growing concerned.)
(CUT TO: DEAN flirting with the blonde GIRL behind the counter of the internet café. GIRL giggles.)
GIRL: I bet you say that to all the girls.
DEAN: Nah. Not all of them. Just the pretty ones.
(GIRL giggles again.)
SAM: (calling from off-screen) Dean.
(DEAN ignores him)
DEAN: You been working here long?
SAM: (more urgently) Dean.
GIRL: Is he talking to you?
DEAN: (turns around and glares at SAM.) Wait. (SAM gives him that look that says 'We've have a problem'. DEAN rolls his eyes and turns back to the GIRL) I'll be right back.
(DEAN flashes her a smile and then turns and walks over to SAM, shooting him death glares.)
SAM: I just got an email from an old friend. She's a teacher in Connecticut. And she's freaking out.
DEAN: Sammy, are you freaking kidding me? You called me over here for that?
SAM: No. I called you over here because two teachers at the school she works at have been murdered.
DEAN: So?
SAM: So they were locked in the school from the inside.
(DEAN makes that 'oh' face.)
DEAN: Where in Connecticut?
SAM: Mystic.
(CUT TO: Sam driving on I-95.)
SAM: So, according to Morgan, both teachers taught English. One was a man and the other a woman. Both were at school late, grading papers. Alone.
DEAN: I still don't see how this is our thing, Sammy.
(SAM glares at the nickname.)
DEAN: So you've got some pissed off kid killing teachers.
SAM: Look, she wouldn't have emailed me about it if it wasn't really bugging her. She said something about writing on the boards of their classrooms.
DEAN: Still not seeing it, Sam.
SAM: Look, Dean, trust me on this.
DEAN: Fine. (He watches SAM for a moment) She hot?
SAM: What?
DEAN: She hot?
SAM: Morgan?
DEAN: No, the dead chick. Yes Morgan.
SAM: What are you getting at?
DEAN: Well, if you're going on a whim here, I want to know if she's hot.
SAM: Drop it, Dean.
DEAN: Oh, she's a hottie.
SAM: (threateningly) Dean.
DEAN: You guys date?
SAM: Dean.
DEAN: Was it a rough break-up?
SAM: I swear to God, Dean, if you don't drop this…
DEAN: What? You're going to confess to me about the pain she caused you?
SAM: Don't.
DEAN: Well, she broke your heart.
SAM: No, Dean, she didn't. I dumped her. For Jess.
(Dean makes that 'oh' face again.)
(CUT TO: the car turning off at the Mystic exit.)
(CUT TO: Sam pulling up in front of a house. He looks up at the front door.)
DEAN: So why did she call you?
SAM: She didn't call. It was an email. And we started emailing each other after Jess died.
DEAN: Oh.
SAM: Look, just don't, okay? (SAM gets out of the car.) Let's just do this.
(DEAN gets out and follows him to the door. SAM rings the doorbell. A moment later, the door opens, revealing MORGAN STRAIT, a woman in her late 20s. MORGAN'S face changes from annoyance to happiness.)
MORGAN: Sam!
SAM: Hey. (MORGAN hugs him.) How are you doing?
MORGAN: Alright, I guess. Thank you for coming.
SAM: Hey, don't worry about it.
MORGAN: (sounding both sad and freaked out.) It's just so weird. Two of my colleagues. My friends, Sam. I just don't know what's going on.
SAM: Well, I'm here now.
MORGAN: I know.
(DEAN clears his throat and MORGAN pulls away from SAM.)
SAM: Morgan, this is my brother, Dean.
DEAN: Hi. Sorry about what happened.
MORGAN: Thank you. Sam's told me a lot about you.
DEAN: Oh, he has?
MORGAN: Yes. I'm sorry about your dad.
DEAN: Thanks.
MORGAN: I'm sorry, guys. Come on in. Would you like some coffee?
(CUT TO: Morgan's kitchen. SAM and DEAN are sitting at the table while MORGAN pours coffee. She hands them mugs. The one she gives DEAN has a picture of Shakespeare on it and says, "Prose before hos.")
DEAN: (laughing) Interesting mug.
MORGAN: Thanks. I found it in a store in New York. It's one of my favorites.
SAM: (gently) So what happened?
MORGAN: A few months ago, Joe Stanford, was found in the school. His wrists were slit and he was hanging from the ceiling. It didn't make any sense to anyone. I mean, he was a very happy person. His wife just had a baby. Ann was devastated.
(MORGAN gets a little emotional and SAM reached for her hand. There is a moment that passes between the two of them.)
SAM: Go on.
MORGAN: Then, two days ago, my best friend, Kel. She was staying late, grading papers. The next morning, I got to school early. I had to hang the call-back list for the musical. (pause) Anyway, I was walking through the hallway and there she was. (She starts crying.)
SAM: Hey. (He moves so he can put his arm around her and she leans on him.)
(DEAN watches the two of them and then after a moment, he leans over his mug.)
DEAN: What happened?
(SAM glares at DEAN, who mouths 'What?' MORGAN looks up at him after a moment, wiping her eyes.)
MORGAN: She was hanging in the middle of the hallway. Her wrists and throat were slashed. It was horrible. Blood everywhere.
SAM: Was there anything unusual?
MORGAN: You mean other than my best friend's dead body?
(SAM looks apologetic)
MORGAN: I'm sorry, Sam, I just… I don't know. I have such a bad feeling about this. I don't think they killed themselves. Someone started a rumor that they were having an affair and that she couldn't live without him. But she wasn't. I knew both of them. Some stupid kid trying to play it off as a scandal.
SAM: What do you think happened?
MORGAN: You'll think I'm crazy. Hell, I think I'm crazy.
SAM: I promise I won't.
MORGAN: Something killed them.
SAM: Something?
MORGAN: Sam…
SAM: (serious) What kind of something?
MORGAN: Something supernatural.
(SAM and DEAN exchange a look and the screen goes black.)
(FADE IN: SAM and DEAN pulling into the school parking lot. It is deserted. They get out of the car.)
DEAN: Guess the students got the day off, huh?
(SAM gives him a look and walks off screen)
DEAN: What? (He walks off screen.)
(CUT TO: SAM and DEAN inside the school, walking down a hallway.)
DEAN: Sam, what are we doing here? Morgan's just got an over-active imagination.
SAM: She wrote her senior thesis on demons in literature, Dean. She's believed in these things since before I met her. (pauses in front of KELLY'S classroom) Here. (He opens the door.)
(CUT TO: The inside of the classroom. SAM and DEAN walk in and look around. SAM goes over to the desk and looks through the papers. DEAN moves slowly toward the chalkboard, looking at it carefully.)
(CUT TO: the chalkboard. It now reads, "Just between you and I, the movie was horrible." Underneath it, it still reads, "What is wrong with this sentence?")
(CUT TO: DEAN'S face.)
DEAN: What is wrong with that sentence?
(CUT TO: SAM'S face.)
SAM: (looking up) What?
DEAN: (pointing to the board) The sentence on the board. What's wrong with it?
(SAM turns and looks at it for a moment.)
SAM: I think it's supposed to be "Just between you and me".
DEAN: No, man. It's "you and I".
SAM: Dean, it's "you and me". I took a grammar course in college. Trust me. Now, help me look for a clue or something.
DEAN: Why?
SAM: Why what?
DEAN: Why is it "you and me"?
SAM: Because it follows a preposition, okay?
DEAN: How do you know this crap?
SAM: I went to college, remember? Now, help me look.
(CUT TO: SAM and DEAN walking to the car.)
DEAN: Nothing. Man, are you sure about this?
SAM: Well, something isn't right. (He looks back at the school.)
(CUT TO: DEAN driving the car and SAM talking on his cell phone.)
SAM: Are you sure? (…) Huh. (…) Really? (…) Well, what's the address? (…) Okay. Thanks, Morgan. (He hangs up.)
DEAN: well?
SAM: I got Stanford's address. But according to Morgan, Kelly had finished her grammar lessons weeks ago.
DEAN: So?
SAM: So, there was a grammar lesson on the board.
DEAN: Still not getting it, Sammy.
SAM: Don't you think that's a little strange?
DEAN: So? Maybe the students suck at grammar and she wanted to refresh with them.
SAM: Maybe. (pause) Turn here.
(CUT TO: The car pulling up in front of a house.)
(CUT TO: Inside of the house, inside of the front door. There is a knock and the door is opened to reveal SAM and DEAN.)
ANN: Can I help you?
SAM: Mrs. Stanford? We're your husband's former students. We came by to pay our respects.
(CUT TO: SAM and DEAN sitting on the couch. Camera is looking up from the coffee table. A tray with three mugs and a plate of cookies is set down on it.)
ANN: Joe would be so happy to know that he had such an effect on you boys.
SAM: He was one of the best.
(ANN manages to keep herself composed, but it is obvious she's upset about it.)
(Camera pans out to reveal a bassinette with blue ribbons on it.)
SAM: Is that your son?
ANN: (nodding) Peter. (She goes over to the bassinette and lifts him out.) Joe was so happy to be a father. I mean, after everything that had happened, things were finally starting to look up.
DEAN: Everything that had happened?
ANN: With that boy. Oh, it was tragic. Joe was devastated to lose one of his students.
DEAN: One of his students died?
ANN: Yes. It was a car crash. He went right over the side of the bridge. Joe was so dedicated to those kids. That's why he was there so late that night. Petey was crying a lot and Joe was trying to grade. (She rocks PETER)
DEAN: Was there anything unusual at all about that night?
ANN: (thinking) Well, the police said that there was part of a lesson on the chalkboard in his classroom. Like he was preparing for the next day.
SAM: Oh?
ANN: Yeah. He didn't normally do that. It just seemed a little weird to me.
SAM: We really are sorry, Mrs. Stanford.
ANN: Everyone has been so supportive.
DEAN: He'd written a lesson on the board?
ANN: Yes. He was reviewing grammar. The students must have made some common mistakes on their papers.
SAM: What makes you say that?
ANN: Well, he always goes over grammar in the fall so the seniors have the information for their college essays. And his first class of the day is seniors.
(CUT TO: SAM and DEAN getting into the car.)
DEAN: Alright. I take it back. Something about this just isn't right.
SAM: Yeah. Let's split up. Go find out what you can about the kid who died.
DEAN: What are you going to do?
SAM: I need to talk to Morgan.
(CUT TO: Morgan's living room. MORGAN is sitting at her desk, grading papers. She's got the radio on and static can be heard.)
(CUT TO: Morgan's kitchen. A knife levitates from the knife block next to the stove.)
(CUT TO: Morgan's living room. The radio has returned to normal and MORGAN is humming along softly.)
(CUT TO: The knife coming into the living room from behind MORGAN. The radio cuts out and MORGAN gets up and walks over to it, hitting the side of it. Getting frustrated, she turns it off and walks back to her desk.)
(CUT TO: The view over MORGAN'S shoulder. There is a piece of paper that looked crumpled and slightly damp.)
(CUT TO: MORGAN'S face. She frowns and picks it up, turning it over. She gasps as the knife swipes down at her. BLACK OUT as she screams.)
(FADE IN: DEAN pulling away. SAM is walking up MORGAN'S front walk as her scream pierces the night.)
SAM: MORGAN! (He runs up the walk, drawing his gun filled with rock salt. He kicks open her front door.)
(CUT TO: MORGAN backing away from the knife, her arm bleeding. SAM raises the gun and fires it, causing MORGAN to scream and the knife to fall. SAM runs and wraps his arms around MORGAN as she starts sobbing.)
(CUT TO: Dean at a computer in the town library, on the phone with SAM.)
DEAN: She okay?
(CUT TO: SAM, standing in MORGAN'S living room, looking at a very freaked out MORGAN sitting on her couch.)
SAM: She's shaken up pretty bad. Find anything?
(CUT TO: DEAN)
DEAN: Not yet. But I'll let you know.
(CUT TO: SAM)
SAM: Yeah, keep me posted. (He hangs up)
MORGAN: Sam?
SAM: (sitting next to her) Yeah?
MORGAN: I'm scared.
SAM: (putting his arm around her) I know, baby. I know.
(MORGAN nestles into his side, letting him hold her close. He just holds her for a few moments as she shudders a little.)
MORGAN: Sam?
SAM: Yeah?
MORGAN: I miss you.
SAM: I miss you, too, Morgan.
(She looks up at him and he leans down and kisses her.)
SAM: I'm sorry.
MORGAN: For?
SAM: Leaving you.
MORGAN: Then don't.
(FADE OUT as they kiss.)
(FADE IN: Morgan's bedroom. SAM and MORGAN are in bed, sleeping. SAM'S phone rings, waking him.)
SAM: Hello?
(CUT TO: DEAN driving.)
DEAN: Sam. According to the paper, Patrick O'Connor died two weeks before Stanford did. He was driving drunk and he drove his car off of the bridge on Keillor Road. Apparently, he had some paper in his hand when they pulled him out. It was pretty bled through, but according to the cops, it looks like a letter from a college.
(CUT TO: SAM sitting up a little more in bed, MORGAN stirring at his side.)
SAM: You think he killed himself?
(CUT TO: DEAN)
DEAN: It's possible.
(CUT TO: SAM)
SAM: So what does that have to do with the teachers?
(CUT TO: DEAN)
DEAN: Not sure just yet.
(CUT TO: SAM)
SAM: Where are you?
(CUT TO: DEAN)
DEAN: Coming back to her house. You guys still there?
(CUT TO: SAM, who looks down at MORGAN. She's looking back up at him.)
SAM: Yeah, we're still here.
(CUT TO: Morgan's kitchen. DEAN is pacing. MORGAN is sitting at the table, holding the Shakespeare mug filled with tea. SAM is leaning against the counter.)
SAM: It just doesn't make sense. Why English teachers?
DEAN: Don't know.
SAM: Did you all have this kid Patrick as a student.
MORGAN: (thinks about it for a moment) Yes. (She gets up and leaves the room. A moment later, she comes back with the paper that had appeared on her desk from before.) Look at this. (She hands the paper to SAM.)
SAM: Where did you get this?
(Camera pans over his shoulder and looks at the paper. It is a failed grammar quiz. It is damp and crinkled, but Patrick's name is clear on the top of the sheet.)
MORGAN: It appeared on my desk right before I was attacked. It's not mine. I didn't make that quiz. Joe did.
DEAN: Really? (He takes it from SAM.) Huh. Guess Pat's pissed about something. (CUT TO: black.)
(FADE IN: MORGAN and SAM in the guidance office, early morning.)
MORGAN: They keep all acceptance letters and rejection letters on file. Here.
(MORGAN pulls out a file and they both look it over.)
SAM: Huh.
MORGAN: What?
SAM: Look. Patrick only applied to one college.
MORGAN: So if he didn't get in…
SAM: Well, if I were him, I'd be pretty pissed off.
(They look at each other.)
(CUT TO: Morgan's kitchen. They are all sitting around the table.)
SAM: I'm pretty sure it's him.
MORGAN: He only applied to one school.
DEAN: So?
SAM: So… What if he didn't get in to that one school? Who would you blame?
DEAN: This a trick question?
MORGAN: Teachers, Dean.
(SAM pulls out his cell phone.)
MORGAN: It's easier for him to blame teachers who were hard on him rather than blame himself.
SAM: Hello? (…) Yes, I'd like to speak with an admissions counselor. (…) Sure.
MORGAN: What are you doing?
SAM: (covering the phone with his hand) Confirming something. (He uncovers the phone and fishes out his wallet.) Yes, I'm still here. (…) Thank you very much. (…) Hi. (He pulls out an ID card) This is Officer Gibson. I'm doing some investigating for a case in Connecticut. (…) Well, I just need to clarify a piece of evidence. A piece of paper was found, but it was too smudged and water-damaged to read. I need to know the admissions status of one O'Connor, Patrick.
MORGAN: (leaning towards DEAN) Do you guys do this often?
DEAN: Yep.
SAM: Thank you very much. (He hangs up.) He was rejected. The time they sent out the letters coincides with when Patrick died.
DEAN: So, vengeful spirit?
SAM: Vengeful spirit.
DEAN: Salt and burn?
SAM: Salt and burn.
DEAN: So where's this kid buried?
(CUT TO: The cemetery, night. SAM is following MORGAN with DEAN close behind with a duffle bag.)
MORGAN: So this will end everything?
SAM: Should.
MORGAN: Should? (She stops) What if it doesn't?
SAM: Then we'll think of something else.
DEAN: We almost there?
MORGAN: Almost. (She walks a little further.)
(They are standing in front of a tombstone. It reads: Patrick O'Connor: 1990-2007 Tragically lost.)
DEAN: Huh. Poetic. (He hands SAM a shovel.) Let's get to work.
(CUT TO: SAM and DEAN in the hole. DEAN hits something and breaks open the coffin.)
SAM: Morgan, hand me the salt. (No answer.) Morgan?
(There is a scream.)
SAM: Morgan!
(CUT TO: SAM running with a gun of rock salt. MORGAN is being dragged towards a tree, which has rope hanging from a branch. She hits her head on a tombstone and is knocked unconscious.)
(CUT TO: DEAN salting the bones.)
(CUT TO: SAM)
SAM: Show yourself, coward.
(PATRICK appears, eyes practically glowing.)
PATRICK: I'm the coward?
SAM: Yeah. Killing teachers because you were too stupid to get into college?
PATRICK: They failed me.
SAM: You failed yourself.
(CUT TO: DEAN lighting the bones on fire.)
(CUT TO: PATRICK. He screams and releases MORGAN, who was being raised into the air. SAM moves to cradle her in his arms as PATRICK disappears. FADE OUT.)
(FADE IN: SAM walking with MORGAN through the hallway of the school.)
SAM: So, you're okay?
MORGAN: I guess. Kind of makes me wonder if he's the first student of mine who has felt this way.
(SAM stops and forces MORGAN to look at him.)
SAM: Hey. You can't think like that. You did your job. Sometimes students don't put the effort out there to succeed. You've got to think about the students you have now, about the one's you'll have in the future.
(MORGAN hugs SAM)
MORGAN: Thank you, Sam. For everything.
SAM: You don't have to ---
(MORGAN silences him with a kiss.)
MORGAN: You've saved my life twice in one night.
SAM: I'd do it again.
(They walk down the hallway, her arm around his waist and his arm around her shoulders.)
(CUT TO: DEAN lounging on the hood of his car, writing on something. He looks up as MORGAN and SAM approach.
DEAN: Took you long enough.
(MORGAN rolls her eyes.)
SAM: (turning to MORGAN) So…
MORGAN: (smiling) So.
(SAM leans down and kissed her.)
SAM: I'll call.
MORGAN: You better.
(DEAN clears his throat.)
MORGAN: You take care of him. You hear me?
DEAN: (grinning) Yes, ma'am.
SAM: (seeing the piece of paper in DEAN'S hand) What's that?
DEAN: Nothing. (He hands it to MORGAN.)
MORGAN: (looking it over) Not too bad. Do you want me to grade it?
(DEAN shrugs and MORGAN moves off screen to correct it. SAM gives him a look and he shrugs again. A moment later, MORGAN hands the paper back to DEAN.)
MORGAN: I wrote in a few explanations for you.
DEAN: Thanks.
MORGAN: Don't mention it. (She turns to SAM as DEAN gets into the passenger seat.) Let me know the next time you're in town or near by. Just passing through even.
SAM: You bet. (He kisses her one last time.) So what's on the paper?
MORGAN: Nothing you need to worry about. It's between Dean and me. You better hit the road.
DEAN: (leaning over) Let's go, Sammy. Burning daylight.
(MORGAN laughs and kisses SAM'S cheek.)
MORGAN: Take care of yourself.
SAM: You too.
(SAM gets in the car and starts it up. With a smile and a slight wave, he starts driving away. MORGAN watches until she can't see the Impala anymore.)
(CUT TO: SAM and DEAN in the car. DEAN is looking over the paper.)
SAM: Are you ever going to tell me what that is?
DEAN: It's a quiz.
SAM: A what?
DEAN: A quiz. A grammar quiz.
SAM: Are you kidding me?
DEAN: What can I say? Your girlfriend's a good teacher. Motivated me to try. I wanted to see how bad I was.
SAM: And?
DEAN: Not too bad. Looks like I'm not such a dumb ass after all.
SAM: (looking skeptical) What did you get?
DEAN: 79.
SAM: Impressive. What did you get wrong?
DEAN: Well, I didn't know "each" and "none" were singular.
SAM: Yeah. There are a whole bunch of words like that: either, neither, everyone.
DEAN: Great. (pauses, looking over the paper) What's the difference between "affect" and "effect"?
SAM: Usually "effect" refers to a noun. And it's not the only one.
DEAN: It's not?
SAM: Nope. Accept/except. Abridge/bridge. Adverse/averse. Appraise/apprise.
DEAN: What's the difference between "appraise" and "apprise"?
SAM: "Appraise" has to do with evaluating.
DEAN: And "apprise"?
SAM: Use it to inform.
DEAN: Great. (looks back at the sheet) Alright, Mr. Joe College. When do you use "shall"?
SAM: "Shall" is used with "I" or "we". Or it can be used with the third person when you're vowing something.
DEAN: Oh.
SAM: Yeah.
DEAN: One more thing. Among/between.
SAM: Simple: three or more, use among.
DEAN: (crumpling up the sheet) I hate this shit.
SAM: I noticed.
DEAN: Makes my brain hurt.
SAM: Well, we wouldn't want you to have to think too much, now would we?
(DEAN shoots him a look and SAM laughs.)
SAM: Don't worry about it, Dean. I doubt we'll ever be correcting the grammar of a demon or spirit ever again.
DEAM: Yeah, whatever. (He starts the radio and they drive off, fading to black and then the credits.)