Stevie and Maria left the church, the eerie feeling still with them as they headed down the road toward the hotel, Maria pulling over to the side after a few minutes. She put the car in park without saying a word, knowing what they needed to do, but honestly scared of letting her sister anywhere near that room again. This could possibly be the most scared she'd ever been though she would never let on, one thing she learned from Stevie, perfecting it even better.
A few minutes of sitting in silence, and Stevie spoke softly, though there was no room for argument in her voice, "We have to go back. She's leaving and we have to search that church. You know that."
Maria nodded, but it didn't change the fact that she wanted her sister nowhere near there, "She is one freaky woman, that's for sure." She sighed, putting the car back in drive, turning around and heading back toward the church. She drove back the way they came, stopping on a small trail barely wide enough to drive the car down. It wouldn't do well to park in front of the church while they were letting themselves in uninvited.
They walked through the woods the short distance, Stevie pulling up short before they exited out into the open, bringing a finger to her lips before pointing to the church where several cars were now parked beside the church lady's. Stevie looked to her sister, her eyes mirroring her own thoughts, they hadn't been gone that long, yet there was obviously some urgency as one more car pulled into the parking lot, a man hurrying into the building, looking around before ducking inside.
"Yeah, that wasn't weird at all," Maria whispered, then nodded toward the back of the church. "We can skirt the woods, then come out behind the church, it will give us the most cover."
Stevie nodded and the two started moving as quickly and quietly as they could through the underbrush, making their way around toward the back of the building, about to step into the clearing once more when they heard voices out in the distance, seeming to be coming from around the corner.
"There is too much at stake here, we can't let them leave. We can't guarantee they'll come back," a male voice spoke as the girls tried to quietly make their way around, the setting sun making it easier to conceal themselves in the woods.
"The pull is too great, they won't be able to refuse it. If you could have seen her in the library, she will not leave until she fulfills her destiny," a woman spoke, the voice Stevie remembered when she'd gotten assistance copying the sketch.
"And what of the other?" The male voice inquired, but before an answer could be heard, they were summoned back into the building by a voice they didn't recognize. They waited just a moment before stepping out of the woods, and moving quickly to the building, trying to stay out of eyesight from the windows.
"Well, if there was any doubt that it was you and Sam, there isn't now," Maria whispered as they flattened themselves against the side of the church, barely able to make out voices inside though they weren't loud enough to hear what they were saying. "We really need to get inside that church," Maria sighed, a little frustrated in the moment.
"They is no way we're getting in there while they're here, we'd do better to come back after dark," Stevie said, catching Maria's look toward the setting sun and rolling her eyes. "And after all the cars are gone," she added.
This time it was Maria who rolled her eyes, "If you don't want to stick around and see what we can find out, then why are you out here playing hide and seek? Stevie, I know you. And this isn't like you at all. You've taken more risks than anyone else I know, so why the sudden desire to stand back and let the chips fall where they may?"
Stevie glared at her sister, her voice having raised above a whisper, the noise inside instantly quiet, without skipping a beat, she pulled her sister forward and they were concealed in the woods before the door opened, the woman from the museum looking around, even appearing to stare right out them, before slowly stepping back inside and closing the door. "That was close," she whispered, then sighed.
They moved deeper into the woods, Maria suddenly stopping and grabbing Stevie's arm. "What is it? Why are you so determined to run away?"
"I'm not running, Maria, but we can't go into that church when they are there. Whatever they're planning, whatever it is that has been set in motion, we can't stop it without knowing all we can. And running into a burning building is only going to get us burned," Stevie spoke, a hint of despair in her voice.
Maria shook her head, "No, there's something more. I felt it when you were in that room. I felt like... I was losing you."
Stevie gave her sister a small smile, "But you didn't. Let's go find Sam and Dean and see if they've uncovered anything more."
Maria nodded, but she could feel that Stevie was holding something back, and it was a feeling she didn't like at all. It had been a long time since there had been secrets between the two, and it wasn't something that Maria intended to let start happening. She would give her sister a little time to come to her, but time was precious as her birthday was on the horizon. There was definitely something at work here, she could feel it in her bones, and as much as Stevie may be trying to deny it, it had her rattled.