The brothers arrived at the inn around five PM and after checking in removed their bags from the car and took them up to their room. While Dean unpacked Sam sat on the edge of the bed and read their itinerary for the weekend.
"We have a seminar tonight at eight, and then again tomorrow at nine AM to go over the equipment and stuff. Then we go on a ghost walk through the town and up to the prison at ten. It says here the prison isn't open for tours this early in the season but the owners have given us permission as long as we sign a waiver releasing them of any responsibility incase someone gets hurt."
"Do we really have to sit through the seminars? We already know all we need to know about spirits." Dean asked, right now all he wanted to do was hit the small bar that was attached to the old inn and down a few spirits of his own.
"We're suppose to be amateur ghost hunters Dean, we really need to go. It would look odd if we didn't."
The inn was running a Ghost Hunters Weekend that started at the inn, which also had its share of ghosts, and ended at the old jail where numerous hangings had taken place, both of the guilty and of the innocent. Professional ghost hunters from Philadelphia would be on hand to share stories and to explain the equipment that they used to hunt ghosts. They then would lead the group up to the prison for a night of ghost hunting.
The small Pennsylvania coal mining town was nestled in a valley between beautiful mountains where the fall colors brought visitors and historians to the old town annually. The entire town was known for its haunted locations which every year brought amateur ghost hunters from all over the surrounding area.
But the brothers had spotted some strange happenings in the town while searching the computer for their next hunt. It appeared that more then the usual deaths were occurring in the town and nearby countryside over the last few months, some even happening in the inn where they were staying. Most of the deaths appeared to be accidental, the usual car accidents, falls, or alcohol poisoning from drinking too much booze. But there were also some suicides of supposedly happy people who had every reason to live, plus more then the usual murders for such a small town. The brothers wondered if another Shamray had taken up residence in the small town. They had dealt with one before and knew it was a type of spirit, but not a human spirit, who entered the victim's body and caused them to commit suicide, or murder. They also knew the spirit would also cause what looked like ordinary accidents to happen but in reality it was the spirit who caused its victim to run their car off the road, or to fall down the steps. They also realized that the deaths could be just what they appeared to be, actual accidents and actual suicides and have nothing to do with the Shamray at all, but they had to find out. Most of the deaths seemed to be tourists in town to view the prison, if only from the outside. Apparently sometime after seeing the prison the person died either by accident or suicide within a day or two, two people had also been murdered. The brothers figured if it was a Shamray they were hunting, it could be hiding out in the prison. It would be a perfect place for one to hide, the prison's dungeons were in a cave far below the actual prison and they knew Shamrays liked to hide out in dark, damp places. The only way to find out for sure was to get inside the prison, and the only way to do that was to sign up for the Ghost Hunters Weekend.
Later
The brothers ate their dinner then went down to the basement of the inn where the seminar was held and took a seat in the back of the small crowded room. A bald man stepped forward and introduced himself as Steve Unger then went around the room and had everyone introduce themselves. He then began his speech on his experiences and what made him become a ghost hunter. While he talked his wife Karen sat at a table obviously bored to death having heard her husband's speech over and over at the different seminars they held. Throughout the entire speech Sam had to keep jabbing Dean with his elbow to keep him awake.
"That guy doesn't know what he's talking about." Dean whispered after being jabbed for the eighth time.
"Some of the stuff he says is true."
"He didn't even mention using a salt gun to get rid of the spirits."
"Dean he's not in the business of getting rid of spirits, he's in the business of proving they are real."
"Let him follow us one day….we'll prove they are real."
The woman in front of Dean turned around.
"Shhhhh." She said as she put her finger to her lips. "I can't hear."
Dean made a face behind her back. Sam shook his head and rolled his eyes.
"Grow up." Sam said as he tried to pretend to be listening.
"Hey she started it."
Unger seeing the commotion at the back of the room took a step forward.
"Would you like to add something?" He asked Dean.
Dean's eyes widened with embarrassment as he pointed to himself not sure if Unger meant him or not.
"Yes you."
"I ….um….well…um….."
"Speak up. You seemed like you had something to say."
Dean's face reddened as the whole room turned to look at him.
"I just think…."
"You just think what?" Unger asked when Dean hesitated. Unger seemed to be enjoying the uneasiness he was causing Dean.
"I just think you should tell these people how to get rid of spirits instead of trying to find them."
The room became silent for a few seconds then you could hear people quietly laughing to themselves.
"You've experienced spirits before?"
"Well, sort of…..yeah."
"And they were nasty spirits?" Unger said as he smiled at the group silently mocking Dean.
Dean could tell Unger was trying to make a fool out of him.
"Yeah buddy I'd say they were nasty." Dean said as he stood up, if this man wanted to start something then bring it on.
"Dean…." Sam reached up and grabbed his brother's arm and pulled him back down. "He's had one too many." Sam smiled.
"I understand." Unger said as he went back to telling his story.
"What cha do that for?" Dean pulled away from Sam's grasp.
"We don't want to start an argument and get kicked out of the seminar before we even get started."
"Well that guy's a jerk. He's talking like we're going to go look for Casper the friendly ghost….he doesn't have a clue what he's really dealing with."
"Well let's hope it stays that way."
"What do you mean?"
"Let's just hope he doesn't get a chance to learn what a really nasty spirit can do."
TBC