She crouched behind the feed bags in the stable, taking short, shallow breaths and trying to slow her breathing. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably so she balled them into tight fists, her broken fingernails digging painfully into her palms as she held them against her stomach. Her legs were starting to cramp but she daren't move. She knew she couldn't make a sound. Her life depended on it. She tried to calm herself but the memory… she shuddered. She tried to listen for it but all she could hear above her pounding heart was the howling wind outside and the horses moving gently around their stalls. She didn't know how long she'd been there, she'd lost all track of time and now she was torn between staying where she was or chancing a run to the house. It was only 100 feet, surely she could make it. Stay……go…...stay……..go…… She took a deep, shaky breath and slowly peered over the feed bags…..and into it's eyes. She felt the warmth spread down her legs as she wet herself….she didn't get a chance to scream.
Dean shook his head at his brother: "No, dude. You're doing it all wrong."
Sam looked up at Dean "I am not! I have done it before you know! Lots of times!"
Dean rolled his eyes "Well I bet they weren't too happy with the results. Look, it's not that damn hard, Sammy. You just need to have your legs and your arms in the right position. Try again".
Sam stood up "This is just wrong. I don't need my brother to teach me how to do this! It's unnatural!"
Dean stared Sam incredulously "Sam, it's the most natural thing in the world. You're a Winchester, dude…it's in your genes. Now watch how an expert does it" and he got into position "You move your arms and legs like this, keep your head still….aaaand…" he got up "A snow angel" He looked at Sam's attempt "Pitiful, dude"
Sam shook his head and pointed "It looks like an angel, see?"
Dean shook his head "What happened to it's wings, dude? Your angel's gonna be flying round in circles."
Sam trudged towards to the Impala and yelled back at Dean "We're supposed to be on a job, you know!" Dean looked at his snow angels then at Sam's and grinned. He turned and followed Sam back to the car. Sam needed to lighten up.
Dean jumped into the driver's seat and turned to Sam "How freakin' cold is it?" he grinned "Come here Sammy, give me a cuddle and warm me up."
Sam didn't look up from the journal "Very funny, Dean".
Dean grinned again "No, seriously, dude. I read somewhere that body-warmth can save your life. Now get your ass over here"
Sam looked up from the journal "Did you also read that it works best if you're naked?"
Dean raised an eyebrow at Sam and smiled, he started the engine "We're not in Gaylord anymore, Sam. Keep your pants on" and he drove towards their next job.
They drove along the freshly plowed highway, the embankments high with snow, the branches of the trees that lined the road were hanging low from the weight of the last snowfall. It was pretty country. Large plains stretched to blue snow-topped mountains and the blanket of white made everything look pristine, new, pure…but they were well aware that things were not always what they seemed. The Impala's engine rumbled beautifully and echoed across the plains and both Dean and Sam sat lost in their own thoughts.
They'd been quiet for sometime, Dean glancing over occasionally at Sam and wondering what was going on in that head of his. Either too much…or nothing at all. Each had it's own perils where Sam was concerned. He knew he was still coming to terms with Sarah's death but he refused to talk about it and most of the time that was fine by Dean but other times…well he was Sam's big brother, that's all there was to it.
Sam kept re-reading the same sentence in the journal…trying to keep it locked in his head for more than 10 seconds but his thoughts kept drifting back to Sarah. He tried not to think about her but the more he tried the more her face kept popping into his head. He needed to focus. He read the sentence again.
Dean couldn't take the silence any longer and he looked over at Sam again "So what's the name of this town?" Sam looked up, surprised by the question and by the thought that he'd forgotten where he was "Aaah, Marinette". Dean slammed on the brakes and Sam only managed to get his hands up in time to stop himself smashing into the dashboard "Fucking hell, Dean!". The car fish-tailed and screeched to a stop; Dean threw the car door open and slammed it shut behind him. Sam watched as Dean paced up and down the side of the road, his boots sinking into the snow. Sam closed the journal, sighed and got out of the car. He leaned against the hood of the Impala hands in pockets and shoulders raised in a vain attempt to keep warm. He waited for Dean to trudge back and as he approached,
Sam heard him mumbling to himself unnatural is what they are…damn freaks…. Sam looked at him "Aaah, dude…you alright?" Dean turned and stared hard at Sam "Marinette? Are you fucking kidding me?" Sam looked at Dean confused "Aaah, no…Marinette" Dean glared at his brother "As in the puppets?" Sam laughed out loud "No, dude…Marinette, not marionette".
Dean stared hard at Sam "You better be telling me the truth, Sam. Do you not remember what happened at that last town?" and he put a protective hand to his crotch. "I'm telling you Sammy, if there are puppets of any kind there I am kicking you're ass, you hear me?"
Sam laughed "There are no puppets that I'm aware of Dean, that's not why we're going there". Dean walked back to the drivers side of the car fucking puppets he mumbled and shuddered as he opened the door and got into the car. When Sam got in Dean looked at him "Kicking you're ass…just remember that" and he started the car and they headed to Marinette.
He ran through dense scrub, the trees ripping at his shirt and tearing at his face and hands. He didn't feel it, the adrenalin made sure of that. The moonlight that fought it's way through the branches barely lit his path through the trees and only reflected off the snow in small patches. His ragged breathing was like a freight train in his ears and his heart beat was fighting to be heard above it. He jumped over a fallen log, stumbled, regained his footing and ran on. He heard something crashing through the undergrowth on his left, it was coming fast and it didn't care if it heard him…he guessed it wanted him to hear. He turned and ran to his right, his body slick with sweat, the salt of it stinging his eyes. The muscles in his legs were burning and his lungs felt like they were on fire but his flight instinct was far greater than his fight instinct. He saw a light in the distance and ran towards it. He broke through the tree-line and ran to the house. He banged on the door, his fist beating an unending tattoo. He tried the handle and the door opened. He ran in locked it behind him and looked around…nothing. It was empty. He saw stairs leading down to a cellar and ran down them, taking two at a time. He turned into the room and stopped…..looking into it's eyes…..he screamed. No-one heard.
Sam kept looking over at Dean and trying not to laugh at his brother, it was a difficult task and he finally let out a huge guffaw. Dean looked over at Sam "I'm glad you think this is funny, Sammy. I hope you laugh just as hard when I'm kicking your ass."
Sam tried to stop laughing "I'm sorry, dude but I keep seeing an image of you running down the street being chased by Pinnochio" and he cracked up again.
Dean shook his head "And when I catch that wooden freak , I'm gonna bend you over and make him tell a lie. So shut the fuck up, dude". Sam's laughter trailed off slightly at that image, Dean would SO do that to him, still…and he grinned. Dean looked over at his brother again "So are you gonna tell my why we're going to puppet town or what?" Sam sighed, opened the journal and pulled out the copies of newspaper clippings he'd taken from the internet "Well…"
Dean interrupted "Let me guess, a string of gruesome deaths that are unexplainable and the Five-O aren't looking into it properly"
Sam shook his head "Sorta. Yes to the string of gruesome, unexplainable deaths but the cops are looking into it, they just have no clue".
Dean grinned wryly "What a surprise. So tell me"
Sam looked at the papers "Crucifixion"
Dean glanced at Sam "Seriously? They were nailed to crosses?"
Sam shook his head "Not exactly. The hands and feet were removed and nailed to wood, they were scalped and disembowelled" Dean frowned "That is nasty. Are there any links between the victims?" Sam shook his head "Apart from all being from the same town, none that I've found so far. Male, female…young and old. It's just the manner of death that's the same"
Dean looked at Sam "So basically you have no idea"
Sam grinned "Pretty much".
They drove into Marinette about ten minutes later and Dean slowed the car right down. The place was picture perfect. The roads had been recently plowed, all the snow pushed perfectly to the side. All the cars were parked in perfect lines, tail end in and Sam guessed if he measured, they'd be exactly and evenly spaced. The stores were immaculate as well. Each one was colour-coded and had matching awnings…red, blue, yellow, green, red, blue, yellow, green. There was no snow on the footpaths either…nor was their any litter….anywhere. They passed the town square and saw children building snowmen, tobogganing, throwing snowballs and making snow-angels. Dean looked at Sam "I bet they make better snow-angels than you do, dude". Sam gave him the finger as he watched the people walk about the town. A few looked up when they heard the Impala rumble through and waved at the brothers. Sam waved uncertainly back at them and they smiled at him appreciatively. All the towns-people were immaculately dressed and they all stopped to say hello to anyone they passed. The sound of laughter could be heard clearly on the crisp winter air. Sam looked at Dean "I don't like this place, it's….wrong". Dean nodded "Puppet town, dude. How could anything be right here?" and he drove towards the motel at the edge of town.
Dean came back from the motel's office with room keys and Sam grabbed their bags and they walked to the door of their room. Sam looked at Dean "I'm guessing….snow theme" Dean shook his head "We couldn't be that lucky…it's gotta be puppets". Dean put the key in the door, turned it and pushed the door open. Sam raised an eyebrow "We're both wrong"
Dean stared "And this is better? Fuck me, Sammy" and he grabbed his bag from his brother and stormed into a pink palace. The whole freakin room was pink! Everything. Pink and fluffy. The walls were papered a scary bright shade of pink, it was so bright it almost made your eyes bleed. The two bed were covered in pink striped quilts with fluffy pillow covers that had frills around the outside. The lampshade that sat on a pink bedside table between the beds had pink glass beads hanging from it, with little moons and stars stamped on it. Dean threw his bag on the bed and turned to the pink table. The chairs were padded with pink spots and the table cloth matched. The shag carpet was a hideous light shade of pink with darker pink flecks through it. He walked to the bathroom and groaned, pink tiles, pink bath, pink toilet, pink basin, pink shower curtain with pink flowers on it and all the towels were pink as well. He turned and went back to the room where Sam was grinning at him. Dean sat down at the table "Well if this doesn't turn me into a girl, nothing will" Sam grinned "Whatever you say, princess" and Dean glared at him.
Sam got the laptop out of his bag and sat at the table opposite Dean. He went to the site for the local papers and started to read up on the killings. He looked up at Dean "The people that have been killed seem to have been…pillars of the community…and I don't mean the stone type that hold up buildings, dude" and he grinned.
Dean returned the grin "Pinnochio and an ass kicking".
Sam grinned again and went back to reading. "It doesn't make any sense. All the people that were killed were all heavily involved in the community and charity and volunteer work. No-one had a bad word to say about them"
Dean looked at Sam "Did you not see those freaks out there? They wouldn't know a bad word if it kicked them up the ass"
Sam nodded in agreement, he got seriously bad vibes from this place and the people in it "Why don't you go get us something to eat while I dig a little. Oh and if you're gonna pick up a chick…be careful…this place is ….bad".
Dean grinned "I'll try, Sammy but you know me"
Sam: "Uh huh….Lorena Bobbit, dude. That's all I'm saying" and Dean visibly paled, put a protective hand to his crotch again and walked out the door.
Dean walked towards the diner he'd seen a little ways down from the motel. He pulled his leather jacket around him, his hands in his pockets and his head down as he walked slowly and carefully on the icy footpath. He could see his breath on the air and wondered just how damn cold it was here. He was startled by a friendly 'Hello' and looked up into a fat, jolly man's eyes. Damn, it's Santa, he thought. Dean smiled "Hey" and walked quickly to the diner. "Freak" he muttered under his breath as he pushed the diner's door open. A bell sounded over the door as he walked in and the four customers and waitress turned to him and they all smiled. Dean stopped, caught himself and walked towards the counter. The large waitress walked over to him. She had dark brown hair, tied in a bun and was wearing the standard uniform of all waitresses. Pink dress, white apron and white rubber soled shoes that squeaked when she walked. She smiled warmly at Dean.
"Hello, handsome! What can I get you?" and she handed him a menu.
Dean smiled and looked at the menu "You do take-out?" and she nodded. Dean looked at the menu again "I'll have two….bowls of chilli, two coffee's and three serves of sticky-date pudding….no make that four serves" and he handed the menu back.
The waitress grinned at him "Take a seat. Won't be long. You want coffee while you wait? It's on the house" Dean smiled and nodded and she poured him a cup and went to the kitchen. He sat down and picked up the coffee and took a sip. He was surprised…it was good coffee. He looked up when someone sat next to him. It was a pretty blonde with startlingly blue eyes and he smiled his trademark grin automatically. She smiled back at him.
"Passing through?"
Dean nodded "Town looked pretty so my brother and I thought we'd stop here. You a local?" She nodded "Tessa Munroe" and she put out her hand and Dean shook it "Jimmy Page" Tessa smiled at him "Well Jimmy Page, I'm off to church in about a half hour, would you like to join me?" Dean strained to keep the smile on his face "Sorry Tessa. But just grabbing dinner for me and my brother before hitting the sack. Been a long day driving."
She smiled "Here's my number" and she wrote it down on a napkin and gave it to him "If you change your mind" and she smiled at him again and left the diner. He watched her ass as she left…damn, churchies just freaked him out too much. The waitress returned with his order and a huge smile. He smiled automatically, paid for the dinner and left, the patrons giving him a hearty goodbye.
Dean kicked the door to the motel room with his boot as he juggled the food and coffee "Come on, dude! Open the freakin' door!". Sam opened it a moment later "Get inside, it's freezing!" and he slammed the door after him. "Well put some clothes on, dude" Dean put the food down on the table.
"I was having a shower…you should try it some time" and he went back to the bathroom.
Dean sniffed at his armpits and shrugged. He opened his bowl of chilli and breathed in deep, picked up his spoon and started to chow down. Sam came out a moment later and sat opposite his brother "What'd you get?" Dean grinned "Chilli"
Sam rolled his eyes "No, dude. Not again…you almost killed me last time you ate the stuff"
Dean grinned at him "Aaaah, good times, good times"
Sam opened his bowl of chilli and ate "Damn, this is good!" and they both at the rest of the chilli, the only noises were the slurping of chilli and the smacking of lips. Dean finished first, sat back in his chair and let out a mighty burp "Oh yeah" and he picked up his coffee and drank some. He pulled the sticky date pudding's towards him, took out one, placed it in front of Sam and kept the other three for himself. He'd finished two before Sam started his.
Dean looked at Sam "I'm moving here just for the food" and Sam nodded as he shovelled pudding into his mouth. Dean noticed Sam eyeing his last serve of pudding and pulled it towards him "Don't even think about it, Sammy" and he wolfed it down.
He pushed his plate away and looked at Sam "So what'd you find out?" Sam sat back in his chair and patted his stomach "The only thing I can sorta see that links them is that they've each made a major contribution to a welfare or charity before being….crucified."
Dean burped "Well they say the good die young" and Sam smiled at Dean "So you'll be a cranky old bastard then"
Dean grinned "Fornicating forever"
She dragged her left leg behind her, casting terrified glances back as she struggled painfully forward. Her breathing was ragged, her hair hung limply on and around her face and she shivered uncontrollably with the cold ….and with fear. She whimpered, only she didn't hear it. She pushed on, she knew she had to make it back …back to safety. She looked around…left, right, left, behind her, in front of her and she whimpered again. Her left leg was useless and it finally buckled and she cried out in despair. She dragged herself forwards. Her fingers digging into the snow as she heaved herself on, leaving bloody prints in her wake. Another fingernail snapped off, she didn't feel it…she also didn't feel it when she bit her tongue in fright, blood dribbling down her chin. She screamed when she heard the shriek and she re-doubled her efforts, she could see the building not far off and she cried as she fought her way through the snow. She crawled, half-dragged herself and tried to get up…she got to her knees and turned to look behind her….and into it's gleaming eyes, centimetres from her own. She opened her mouth to scream…it was drowned out by a clap of thunder
Dean and Sam both jumped as the thunderclap rattled the windows. Dean shivered "Damn, someone just walked over my grave". Sam looked up sharply "You know I hate that expression" and Dean smiled "Dude, I've seen my own grave remember?" and they both stopped as they remembered their father saving Dean from the water wraith…and the love they'd seen in his eyes when he'd looked at his boys.
Dean shook his head "So…where were we?" and Sam picked up the empty food cartons and put them in the trash and sat down again, pulling the laptop open "None of the victims are related but they all knew each other really well. You know, moved in same circles" "Dude, you gotta have more than that. We need to sort this out fast cause I hate this town" said Dean earnestly.
Sam sighed "I hate it too. But I did get a hold of the coroner's reports and it looks like the …aaah, body parts were torn off" Dean stared at him "You're kidding? Do you know how hard it would be to tear someone's feet off?" Sam nodded "The bones were shredded and there were claw marks around the skulls from the scalping….and the disembowelling? Some of the organs were eaten"
Dean frowned "I'm glad you told me that after I ate" he paused "What were they nailed with?" Sam shook his head "This you're not gonna believe" "Try me" said Dean. "Teeth" Dean stared at Sam "Teeth?" Sam nodded "Long, yellow teeth…like incisors…but nothing like you've seen before" and he tapped at the laptops keyboard and spun it round to Dean. Dean stared at it the picture of the teeth for a long time and then picked up their fathers journal and started to flick through the pages "It's in here, I know it" but he couldn't find what he was looking for. When Sam finally went to bed, Dean was still looking through the journal.
Dean slept fitfully. Partially because he knew there was something in his Dad's journal about the teeth and also because the damn fluffy pillow made him think something was crawling over his face. He finally threw the pillow on the ground and turned on his stomach and went back to sleep. He woke with a start a couple of hours later and grabbed the journal from the nightstand. He switched on the pretty pink lamp and flicked through the pages until he found the right one. He knew it was here. It wasn't much, just a few lines and a drawing (and his father really wasn't much of an artist, he smiled, neither was he).
He read the lines, written in his fathers familiar script and yoda-like musings …It takes literature literally. An offering for an offering. Because the bible tells him so. and the drawing of the tooth. It was the same, right down to the two-pronged bottom and strange striations down the enamel. He turned to Sam, he was sleeping on his back, his mouth open and snoring loudly "Sam. Sam!" and Sam snorted and rolled over. Dean picked up his fluffy pink pillow and threw it at his brother "SAM!" and Sam sat up quickly 'What the fuck?" he looked at Dean "Oh dude…that's rank!"
Dean grinned "Don't light a match" and Sam shook his head "Don't worry…but that's searing the hairs in my nose, dude" Dean smiled, lifted a leg and farted "Oh and I found it" and he passed the journal to Sam as Sam gagged. "Fortheloveofgod, Dean!" Dean got up, grinned and stretched. Sam read the lines again and again. He put the journal down on the nightstand "I don't get it…but then it could have something to with all the noxious gas in the room"
Dean smiled and jumped on Sam, pushed the doona down, farted and pulled the covers over Sam's head "Dutch oven, dude" and he laughed as Sam struggled underneath him. Sam screamed "GET THE FUCK OFF ME!! LET ME LIVE, DAMMIT! LET ME LIVE!!" and Dean laughed uncontrollably. Sam finally managed to push Dean off him and he threw the doona back and breathed deep "Oh god! It's almost as bad out here!" Dean got up and laughed all the way to the bathroom.
When he came out after his shower, Sam had the door to the room open and was airing it out. Sam looked up at him and Dean smirked "I love my chilli" Sam shook his head "You're a child" and Dean nodded. The both looked out the window when they heard the sound of a police siren screaming past. They looked at each other, Dean dressed quickly and they ran to the Impala and followed the police car.
They walked away from the graveyard, Dean visibly pale. The cops had been little help and were a little surprised that the FBI had arrived without their knowledge but Sam had been convincing enough, especially when Dean had looked at the body and hadn't said another word the whole time they were there. Dean tossed the Impala's keys to Sam "You drive" and he got into the passenger seat and and slumped against the window. Sam started the car and headed back to the motel. Sam looked at Dean "So are you gonna tell me what the hell happened back there?" Dean stared out the side window "I know her…knew her"
"How the fuck could you know her, Dean?" asked Sam.
Dean continued to stare out the window "I met her at the diner last night. Her name is..was…Tessa Munroe. She invited me to church" Sam didn't know what to say "You don't like church." Dean finally looked at Sam "Which is why I didn't go with her. But maybe…"
Sam looked at his brother "Don't do it, Dean. You don't know if you'd have saved her"
Dean looked at him incredulously "She was in the freakin' graveyard, Sam! The graveyard attached to the church!"
"And if you were with her, you coulda been killed too!" said Sam. They sat in silence for a while "Did you hear what the coroner said? About the time of death?" and Dean nodded "Told you someone walked over my grave" and he refused to answer any more of Sam's questions.
Dean sat at the laptop and searched for something on the tooth. There were sites that were available for this kinda stuff but a lot of them were just bogus sites run by wannabe's who thought they knew what they were talking about. But there were a some legitimate ones that he thought might be able to help. Sam left him to it and went to the diner to get some coffee…and maybe some more sticky-date pudding. He walked carefully along the icy footpath and watched the people walking around the town. He was sure word had spread of the killing, news travelled fast in small towns but if you were to judge the people by the demeanour, then nothing out of the ordinary had happened. He shook his head and pushed the diner's door open. He looked up as the bell above the door jangled. He looked towards the counter and saw a large waitress smiling at him "Get yourself in here, handsome! It's going to be a cold one today!" and he smiled and went to the counter, the two other patrons smiling warmly at him. Sam sat at the counter and rubbed his hands together to warm them, he smiled at the waitress "Could I get two coffees to go, please" and she smiled at him "Course you can. Anything else with that?" and he shook his head…"Actually, yes. Four serves of sticky-date pudding" She smiled at him "You wouldn't be any relation to that other handsome fella that was in here last night would you? He liked the sticky-date pudding too"
Sam smiled "It was great food. Thanks" She nodded, got out a cup and poured him a coffee "On the house. Be back in a minute with your order" and she bustled to the kitchen. Sam looked at the other customers and they grinned at him and he smiled back. Nothing seemed to be bothering them. He sipped at his coffee until the waitress bought back his order "There you go" and Sam got out his wallet and paid for the food. He looked at her "I heard a police car go screaming past here earlier….is everything alright?" He noticed the woman's eyes fill with fear for a fraction of a second, if he hadn't been watching her closely, he never would have seen it. She smiled warmly at him "Nothing for you to worry about, just a hunting accident. Damn silly out-of-towners not wearing their fluro-vests. Buck shot in the arm is all" and Sam smiled at her "When will people learn?" and she smiled when Sam left her a huge tip.
Sam hurried as quickly as he could back to the motel room. He almost lost his footing a couple of times but there was NO way he was dropping the desert…or the coffee. Damn freaky town made good food. He got to the door of the motel and kicked at it with his boot "Dude, open up!" and Dean opened the door a minute later. Sam smiled "I come bearing gifts" and he put the coffee and dessert on the table "Coffee and sticky-date pudding" and Dean picked up a coffee, took off the lid and sipped distractedly as Sam tucked into the sticky-date pudding. He looked at Dean "Well the waitress lied to me about what happened at the graveyeard and she's seriously scared about what's happening" Dean put his coffee down and started to pick at his dessert "She should be scared"
Sam looked up quickly "What did you find?" Dean stared at Sam "You're not going to like it, dude" and Sam's stomach flipped. Dean looked at his brother "It's called a Semiazos Demon"
Sam shook his head "Never heard of them" "They're the spawn of fallen angels" said Dean.
Sam looked at him "Oookay, and why would I not like this? Apart from the gruesome death thing" Dean dropped his gaze "Because they take on the mortal form of those recently killed….killed by demons" and he turned the laptop to his brother. Sarah's face was looking out at him.
Sam glared at Dean "Is this some sick fucking joke, Dean?" Dean shook his head "No Sammy, no. I wouldn't do that to you, you know that. I about shit myself when I found this" Sam stared at the laptop "How could she …I mean…how…" Dean shook his head "Don't know dude, but we'll sort it out. But now we know how the bible and crucifixion fits in" Sam "And the offering. Each time, the victims have made a major contribution to the town…they're crucified …an offering. It's mocking the bible...God..." he looked at Dean "So how do we kill the fucker?"
Dean smiled "The fun way…good ol' fashioned holy water and communion wafer. We're gonna blast the fucker back to Hell"
They sat outside the man's house, waiting. They'd hacked into the bank accounts of all the towns people and found that this man had just donated ten grand to the church fund. Poor bastard didn't realise he'd just marked himself. They'd been sitting in the car for two hours, barely saying a word to each other. "I've been seeing her a lot lately….she just pops into my head all the time" said Sam.
Dean nodded "I thought that might've been happening"
Sam stared at the man's house "Do you think she was trying to tell me? Tell me what was happening?"
Dean stared at Sam "I don't know, dude. But she loved you, you know that right?" and he nodded. They looked up as the front door opened and the man went for his nightly run. Dean shook his head "It's freakin' freezing outside and he's going for a jog? He deserves to die" and Sam looked at him. Dean smiled sheepishly "Figure of speech, dude. Sorry." They got out of the car and followed the man as he turned into the woods surrounding his house.
Sam stared at Dean "When are people gonna learn that you don't go into the woods at night?!?" Dean slipped, regained his footing and grinned at Sam "Never, dude. People are idiots" They turned into the woods and picked up their pace a little, they saw flashes of the man as he ducked between the trees. "Shit, he's fast! Come on, Dean" said Sam and they started to move faster. They ran when they heard the shriek.
Sam ran ahead of Dean, his legs pumping furiously as he heard the man begging for his life. He could hear Dean close behind him but this was his kill. NO-ONE took his wife's form and made a mockery of her. No-one! He crashed through the trees and into the clearing and stopped dead. The man was on his knees, the demon standing behind him, it's long claws sunk deep into his scalp as blood ran into the man's eyes and down his face. The demon was tall, easily 6ft 6 in height and powerful. It's arms were bulging, it's muscles taut, it's blood red skin seeming to glisten and pulsate with an energy all it's own. It's back had tiny nodules all over it that broke into pustules and oozed a black substance that ran in hissing rivulets down the demon's legs and pooled in the snow around it's cloven feet. It turned it head towards Sam, it's yellow eye's gleaming, the horns on it's head rose slowly and pulsed as it stared at Sam. It opened it mouth and shrieked, it's teeth, the same teeth with which it crucified it's previous victims filled it. When it finally closed it's mouth, four of the incisors pierced it's lips, blood dripping onto the man it was holding and burning through his clothes and into his skin like acid.
The smell of sulphur hung thick in the air and he heard Dean run up next to him "Shoot him, Sammy. Kill the fucker!" and Sam raised the shotgun. The demon shrieked again and then laughed as it morphed into Sarah's form.
She looked at Sam "Baby…don't kill me. I need him to live so I can come back to you. You want me to come back to you, don't you?" and she smiled a Sarah smile "I love you, Sam and if you love me, you'll just leave me here until I'm ready to come back to you" She took her hands from the man's head and took a step towards Sam and opened her arms "Sammy…." she said.
Dean raised his shotgun but before he could aim, a blast ripped through the air and a hole appeared in "Sarah's" chest. Dean looked at his brother, Sam's face was filled with fury "YOU LET HER GO!" and he shot again as he walked towards the demon. It shrieked as it morphed back to it's demon form. It fell to it's knees and Sam put the barrel of the shotgun to it's head "GO TO HELL, MOTHER-FUCKER!" and he pulled the trigger one last time as the demon disintegrated.
Dean walked over to Sam and put his hand on his shoulder "Come on, Sam. Time to go" they turned as they heard the man get to his feet and run back the way he'd come. Dean led Sam back to the Impala and they returned to the motel. Sam fell into his bed and was asleep in minutes. Dean watched over him for a long time.
They threw their bags into the Impala early the next morning, neither of them wanting to stay in Marinette any longer than necessary. Dean took the wheel and he reversed out of the motel and turned the car towards town. He slowed the car right down as they drove through town, neither of them saying anything. The road was covered in a half-foot of snow, the few old pick-ups that lined the street were parked haphazardly in front of the few dilapidated stores that were still open. Most of them were boarded up and covered with graffiti. A homeless man was asleep on a bench, his brown-paper bag clutched to his chest. The town square was empty and the few people that were about walked quickly past each other, their heads down, pointedly ignoring all those they passed. Dean pressed his foot down on the accelerator and the Impala leapt forward, as eager as they were to flee the town.
Sam looked over at Dean "That was the real Marinette" and Dean nodded as he pushed his foot to the floor.