CHAPTER ONE – WHAT THE…

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone but mine own fictional characters

**Linked to The One oneshot**

"What do you got, Sammy?" Dean asked as he walked back into the hotel room. He passed his little brother his latte and croissant while he had straight black coffee and a platter of pancakes drowning in syrup.

"A string of brutal deaths and one survivor." He passed Dean what he'd found. "Nobody can explain it. More than a serial killer's work. There's one death every 21 years for the past 250 years. Same day, same time of death, same grisly demise." Sam took a sip of his latte. "Here's an interesting piece of information. All the victims were female and 21 years old."

"And the survivor?" Dean said with a mouth full of food, causing Sam to scowl at him.

"You're disgusting, man." Sam said setting his croissant to the side waiting until his brother was finished. "Female and I'm guessing 21 years old also. Nobody knows why she survived. She's at the hospital under guard, but she's in a coma."

"Great. Comatose girl, cops and no story." Dean said shoveling another bite into his mouth and washing it down with coffee. "We got a name? Address?"

"Cops won't release her name. Guess we're doing it on our own. Small town." Sam read from the paper. "Not the brightest reporter. He gives the name of her friends and the place where she worked. Won't be too hard to figure out who the victim was. 'Local beauty queen survives next round of gruesome unsolved murders.'" He read from the headline.

"So she's hot." Dean said wiggling his eyebrows.

"Dean, she's in a coma, I don't think she's available." Sam gave his big brother that familiar look of feigned shock, he knew his brother better than anyone. "Based on the newspapers, it seems this town doesn't mind talking about the history so this should be easy. On the way there we can figure out how to get passed the cops and into the hospital room." Sam said packing his laptop.

"FBI? Homeland security? SWAT? Park rangers? Bikini inspector?" Dean smirked at Sam.

"We'll have to be doctors or FBI, bikini inspector could be suspicious." With a roll of his eyes again, the younger Winchester walked out the door and to the Impala. Dean picked up the rest of Sam's sandwich and finished it while walking out the door pondering the meaning of a croissant.

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They'd already been to the library and county records getting the newspaper reports and death records for the past 150 years and now Sam and Dean walked into the comfortable diner across the street. They got a few looks but mostly a lot of hellos and how do you dos. Friendly town, everybody knew everybody. Dean ordered his usual burger and fries and Sam ordered a salad with a club sandwich. The older Winchester could not comprehend anyone's desire to eat a salad. Without meat. They tuned their ears to the chatter of the other patrons and caught a few conversations about the beauty queen. They still had yet to get a name or photo, place of residence or catch one of her friends. Their next stop was her place of employment, maybe that would yield more information.

"Her daddy's beside hisself. Has yet to leave her hospital room, I hear. He eats and showers there, his boys is there too, only leave to get fresh clothes, basically all 4 of them camp out in her room waitin." One older man with a thick Mississippi twang said in the booth behind Sam, who began taking notes on a napkin. "That man's been through hell and back if you ask me. Shoulda never married that woman, she and her family was trouble the minute they came to town."

Sam and Dean both perked up at the sound of this. "Marty, you can't blame that family for they bad luck. Some peoples just born with it and theys born with it." The woman at the table across from the booth shot a snarl at the older man. "And that poor girl. She's a good girl, Marty, and you know it. Precious girl. Shes done take care of her brothers and daddy since she was knee high. She don't deserve this atall if youins ask me."

"I ain't ask you, Shirley, but you're right. Sailor's a good girl." Marty said as he asked for the check. Sam quickly wrote down the victim's name, Sailor. The brothers exchanged glances and Dean shrugged. He knows a Sailor very well but no idea where she was, he lost track two years ago. "That girls sweet as pie, she is. Her daddy's a good man, served his country proud he did. Shoulda never come back and married that woman though. Trouble, whole family." Marty repeated.

"Marty, don't speak ill of the dead, ain't right." Another woman said. "You'll bring it on yourself." The diner grew quiet. A few looked to the two new young men sitting in a booth, wondering if they should hush or ignore them. From experience the Winchester boys knew to keep their heads down as if not even listening. The old man, Marty didn't care who heard.

"That woman's family brought that curse on this town and got that girl in bad shape. Plucked right outta her car in the middle of Main Street right out there. You all saw it and ya'll heard it. Jimmy over there was in his truck right behind her. Watched the whole thing up close didn ya Jimmy. Girl was pulled outta her car and given a whoopin that shoulda ended her life just like the others. And there was nuthin there. Nuthin. Bruises and broken bones and cuts all over that girl, given to her by something we can't see. Legs bent the wrong way, bones stickin out. Her mama's kin did this to her. Her kin and their voodoo bayou beliefs bringing curses and plagues down on us all. That aint right, Lottie." Marty finally had enough and threw some bills on his table. He stormed out of the diner and left everyone sitting there silent.

"I'm sorry you boys had to hear all that when you're trying to eat." Their waitress at some point had come to the table and refilled the drinks. She patted Sam on the shoulder. "Don't you nevermind old Marty." The waitress took a deep breath and gave them a faint smile.

"It's alright, Patsy. Doesn't bother us." Dean gave her his best smile in return. Maybe the waitress and this Marty could give them more information. "It's a shame though. Something happening like that. Poor girl."

"She's a good girl." Patsy shook her head and wiped a tear. "She's friends with everybody. Polite as can be, helps out around here when I need it and won't take any pay." Her voice cracked and the brothers saw the emotion.

"Sailor's an interesting name. I like it." Sam said with a gentle smile.

"Sailor Moon Blackthorne." Patsy said as if she'd named the girl herself. "Her daddy served this country in the Navy, 20 years he did. He's from the reservation just outside a town. Theys Cherokee out there. Come into town now and again, but Mr Blackthorne and his kids live here so they could go to school."

"Where's her mom?" Sam asked softly and evidently hit a nerve.

"Well, a few years back her mama and two of her brothers was drivin back to Louisiana and came up on some trouble. They all passed on and that beautiful girl has been takin care of her daddy and other three brothers since. The Blackthornes are good hardworking people. They own the fancy new hardware store over on 3rd Street. Her daddy won't let her work, says she does enough around the house to help out. Says she needs to focus on school and goin to college, that's what he said just a few weeks ago." Patsy wiped at a few more tears. Sam reached out and touched her hand in comfort. "I'm so sorry. You boys go on and eat before it gets cold. You clean your plates and I'll bring you some pie." When Patsy walked away Sam pulled out his laptop and began researching the Blackthornes.

"Very interesting." Sam said and spun the laptop towards Dean.