"I still can't believe what happened." Karli said as her and Dean drove back to the motel room. It had been two days since Ava went missing and Sam was still doing whatever he could to find her.
"Yeah, Sammy's still blaming himself for it." Dean nodded as he pulled into the parking lot. Karli grabbed her coffee and the other one they bought for Sam and got out of the car. Dean followed her and opened the door for her. She gave him a small smile and walked inside. She saw that Sam was sitting at the desk, on his phone and his computer.
"Okay, thanks Ellen." Sam said hanging up the phone.
"What did she have to say?" Karli asked, walking over to him and handing him his coffee.
"She's got nothing. Me, I've been checking every database I could find. Federal, state, and local. No one's heard anything about Ava. It's like she disappeared into thin air, you know?" Sam told them, letting out a breath. "What about you?"
"Same as before. Sorry man." Dean told him.
"Yeah. Ellen did have one thing." Sam said, looking up.
"What?" Karli asked.
"A hotel in Cornwall, Connecticut. Two freak accidents in the past three weeks." Sam told them, taking a sip of coffee.
"What's that have to do with Ava?" Dean asked, throwing his keys on a table near his bed. Karli sat on the edge of the bed, listening to Sam.
"It's a job. I mean a lady drown in the bathtub. Then a few days ago a guy falls down the stairs, head turns a complete 180. Which isn't exactly normal, you know." Dean looked skeptical about it and took off his jacket while Sam continued. "Look Dean, I don't know. It might be nothing, but I told Ellen we'd think about checking it out."
"You did?" Dean asked, sitting down on the other side of the bed.
"Yeah." Sam said. "You seem surprised."
"Well Yeah, it's just it's not the Sam Winchester way, is it." Dean answered.
"And what way is that?" Sam asked him.
"Here we go." Karli muttered under her breath.
"Just figured after Ava, there'd be, you know, more angst and droopy music, starin out the rainy windows." Karli and Sam both gave Dean identical looks, "And I'll just shut up now." Dean told them, moving on the bed so his back was to the headboard. Karli scooted herself back so she was sitting next to him.
"Look," Sam started, getting out of his chair, "I'm the one who told her to go back home. Now her fiancé's dead and some demon has taken her off to god knows where, you know." Sam sat down on his bed and looked over at them, "We've been looking for days now and we got nothing. I'm not gonna give up on her but I'm not gonna let other people die either. We gotta save as many people as we can."
"Wow, that attitude is just way too healthy for me." Dean told him. Karli and Sam both gave a small laugh, "I'm officially uncomfortable now, thank you. Alright, tell Ellen we'll take it." Dean said, kicking off his shoes, getting ready to sleep. Karli smiled and moved under the covers with Dean and laid her head on his chest. "Two more days." Dean whispered, kissing the top of her head. Karli smiled wider and fell asleep.
"Dude, this is sweet." Dean said, getting out of the Impala the next day. They had just arrived at the hotel and Dean seemed very happy. "I never get to work jobs like this."
"Like what?" Karli asked, getting out of the car.
"Old-school haunted houses. Secret passageways, sissy British accents. We might even get to run into Fred and Daphne while we're inside." Karli rolled her eyes and gave a small laugh. "Mmm, Daphne...love her." Karli threw her arm back, hitting Dean in the stomach. Sam shook his head, laughing slightly as they walked up the steps.
"Hey, wait a sec." Sam said, looking at a pot on the steps.
"What?" Karli asked.
"I'm not sure haunted's the problem." Sam told her, pointing to the pot. There was a weird symbol on it.
"What do you mean?" Dean asked, stepping down to look at it.
"You see this pattern here?" Sam asked, pointing to the symbol, "That's a five spot."
"Five spot?" Karli asked.
"Yeah." Sam nodded.
"That's used for hoodoo isn't it?" Dean asked.
"Yeah, you fill this thing with blood weed you've got a powerful charm to ward off enemies." Sam told them.
"Yeah except I don't see any blood weed." Dean pointed out and started looking around, "Don't you think this place is a little…white meat for hoodoo?"
Sam looked around for a second and shrugged "Maybe."
"Lets just go check it out." Karli told them, pushing them toward the door. "Damn, I forgot my phone." Karli said before turning around and running back to the car. She looked over and saw them walk inside. "How in the hell could I forget my phone?" Karli muttered to herself as she grabbed it out of the back and ran back up the steps and into the hotel where Dean was talking to the woman at the front. Karli walked over to him and he put his arm around her waist.
"Thank you Mr. Mahogoff." The woman turned to get a room key and Karli rolled her eyes. "You'll be staying in room 237." She said, handing him a key.
"Okay." Dean said, taking the key.
"Sherwin, could you show these three to their room." They turned and saw an old man walking over to them.
"Let me guess, Antiquers?" Sherwin asked. Karli looked up at Dean and he gave a slight nod. He took Dean's bag and started leading upstairs to their room.
"You know, I can give you a hand with that bag." Dean said as he dragged it up the stairs.
"No, I got it." He told Dean.
"Okay." Dean said. Karli smirked and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"So the hotel's closing up, huh?" Sam asked.
"Yep. Susan really didn't want to let go of it but the guests just don't seem to come like they used to." Sherwin told them. "Still it's a damn shame."
"Oh Yeah?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, it may not look it but this place used to be a palace. Two vice presidents rested their heads on our pillows." Sherwin said. "My parents both worked here. I practically grew up here. I'm gonna miss it." He let out a small sigh. "Here's your room." He said, turning to a door and unlocking it for them.
"Thanks." Sam and Karli said at the same time, walking into the room. Karli put her bag on one of the beds and Sam put his on the other.
"You're not gonna cheap out on me, are ya boy?" They heard Sherwin ask. Karli and Sam both turned to the door and saw Sherwin trying to get money out of Dean. They both smirked as he handed him a ten dollar bill and took his bag. The old man walked away and Dean closed the door and walked into the room. "What?" He asked when they saw him smirking at him.
"Nothing." They both shook their heads at the same time. Sam walked over to the desk and started going through his file while Dean looked around the room. There was a wedding dress on the wall and he looked at it and laughed.
"What the fuck?" He asked, staring at it.
"What?" Sam asked.
"That's normal." He said sarcastically pointing to the dress. "Why the hell would anyone stay here? I'm amazed they kept in business this long." Dean walked over to the bed and sat down.
"Dean, be nice some people might like it." Karli told him. In all honesty, she didn't know what the hell the owner was smoking when she decorated the place.
"Okay, victim number one, Joan Edison, 43 years old, a realtor. Handling the sale of the hotel. Victim number two was Larry Williams. Movin some stuff out to Good Will." Sam said, looking at the papers in his hand.
"Well there's a connection." Karli said.
"They were both tied up in shutting the place down." Dean finished.
"Yeah, maybe someone here doesn't wanna leave, so they're using hoodoo to fight back." Sam agreed.
"Who do you think the witch doctor is, that Susan lady?" Dean asked.
"No that doesn't seem likely. I mean, she's the one selling." Sam told him.
"So what then, Sherwin?" Karli asked.
"I dunno." Sam shrugged.
"I think the most troubling question is why do these people assume we're gay." Dean said.
"What?!" Karli half yelled.
"Well you were kind of butch, probably think you were overcompensating." Sam offered.
"Great." Dean said, giving him a fake 'thanks a lot' smile and looked over at Karli.
"They thought you two were gay?" Karli asked, still shocked.
"Yeah because someone had to leave their phone in the car and couldn't walk in with me." Dean told her.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. This is the first time I forgot my phone." Karli apologized, walking over to him and giving him a quick kiss.
"We should check the hotel." Sam told them, standing up. Karli and Dean both nodded and walked out the door with him. They walked down the hall for a minute before Sam stopped them.
"Hey." Sam said, pulling them over to a vase. "look at that. More hoodoo." Sam said, pointing inside the vase at a small five spot.
"How the hell could you spot that?" Karli asked.
"Dunno, just did." Sam shrugged. Dean looked over at a door beside the vase that read private. He walked over to it and knocked on the door. Karli walked over beside him and Sam moved to her other side. A moment later Susan came to the door.
"Hi there." Dean said.
"Hi. Is everything okay with your room?" Susan asked.
"Yeah." Sam and Dean both said at the same time.
"Well I was just in the middle of packing." Susan told them.
"Hey, are those antique dolls?" Dean asked, looking in the room at dolls that were lining the wall. "See cause this one. He's got a major doll collection back home." Dean said, gesturing to Sam, knowing that if he would've said it was Karli, she would've hit him. "Don't ya?" Sam glared at Dean but turned to Susan and tried to force a smile.
"Big time." Sam told her.
"Big time." Karli and Dean repeated at the same time. Susan just looked at Sam oddly.
"Do you thing we could come in for a moment and take a look?" Karli asked sweetly.
"I dunno." Susan said.
"Please, I mean he loves them. He's not gonna tell you this, but he's always dressing 'em up in these little tiny outfits and I mean, you'd make his day. She would, huh?" Dean said, smirking. Sam glared at Dean for a second before he turned his attention back to Susan.
"It's true." He told her.
"Okay, come on in." Susan said, moving so they could come in.
"Alright." Dean said excitedly. Sam walked in first and looked back at Karli and Dean and glared at them before turning around and looking at the dolls. "Wow, this is a lot of dolls." Dean said, looking around.
"They're nice, they're not super-creepy at all." Karli said, sticking close to Dean. Susan gave a small laugh.
"Yeah, I suppose they are creepy. They've been in the family for forever. A lot of sentimental value." Susan said.
"What is this?" Sam asked. Karli looked over and saw a small toy house that looked like the hotel. "It looks like the hotel."
"That's right. Exact replica. Custom built." Susan nodded. Sam went to the other side and pulled out a doll.
"His head got twisted around." Sam showed them the doll with the head completely twisted around. Karli and Dean looked at each other before looking at Sam with identical expressions. "What happened to it?"
"Tyler probably." Susan told him.
"Mommy." Karli turned and saw a little girl with brown hair run into the room. "Maggie's being mean."
"Tyler, tell her I said to be nice." Susan said.
"Hi Tyler. I see you broke your doll. Do you want me to fix it?" Sam asked. Karli and Dean each gave a small unnoticeable laugh. Sam usually tried to be the one who was good with the kids.
"I didn't break it." Tyler said walking into the room more, "I found it like that."
"Oh well maybe Maggie did it." Sam offered.
"No, neither of us did it." Tyler told him. "Grandma would get mad if we broke 'em."
"Tyler." Susan started, "she wouldn't get mad."
"Grandma?" Dean asked.
"Grandma Rosie. These are all her toys." Tyler told him.
"Oh, really. Where's Grandma Rose now?" Dean asked and Karli hit him subtly.
"Up in her room." Tyler told them.
"You know, I-I'd really love to talk to Rose about her incredible doll." Sam started.
"No." Susan cut him off. Dean, Sam, and Karli each gave her looks. "I mean that's impossible. My mother's been very sick and she's not taking any visitors."
"We should go. Thank you for letting us take a look at your dolls. It made Sam's day." Karli said, leading Sam and Dean out of the room. When they got out, Susan closed the door behind them.
"Well what do you think?" Dean asked, "Dolls, hoodoo, mysterious grandma."
"Well dolls are used in all kinds of voodoo and hoodoo, curses and binding spells." Sam told him.
"I think we found our witch doctor." Karli spoke up.
"Okay, I'm gonna go see what I can dig up on Granny. Karli you come with me." Dean said before turning to look at Sam. "You get online, check old obits, freak accidents, that sort of thing. See if she's whacked anybody before."
"Right." Sam said, moving to open the door to their room.
"Don't go surfing porn, that's not the kind of whacking I mean." Dean smirked and Karli hit him in the back of his head.
"Thanks." Sam told Karli.
"No problem." Karli said, grabbing Dean's arm and walking downstairs with him.
Karli was walking through the halls with Dean when she started shaking.
"Karli, what is it." Dean asked, stopping and turning her around to face him.
"I-I don't know. Something's bad happened. I just don't know what." Karli said truthfully. "I hate this. I wish I could tell what was happening, it would be a lot more helpful." Karli sighed, frustrated.
"You'll get the hang of this eventually." Dean told her, kissing her forehead. Karli nodded slightly.
"We should check around again, see if we could find out what happened." Karli told him. He put his arm around her and led her in the direction of the lobby where there was a coroner wheeling a stretcher out of the hotel. Susan was outside already, talking to a police officer. Karli and Dean walked over to the door and stood there. The cop turned around and Susan walked back up the stairs.
"What happened?" Karli asked.
"The maid went in to turn down the sheets and he was just…hanging there." Susan told them.
"That's awful." Dean said. "He was a guest?"
"He worked for the company that bought the place." Susan said, "I don't understand."
"What?" Dean asked.
"I've had a lot of bad luck around here." She told them and they both nodded, "Look, if you'd like to check out, I'll give you a full refund."
"No thanks, we don't scare that easy." Dean told her. Dean and Karli turned around and headed back into the hotel and up the stairs.
"Dean." Karli started but was cut off by Dean.
"Karli, don't even start blaming yourself." Dean said sternly. Karli just nodded and leaned back against him. They walked to the room where the door was open and the key was in the lock. The lights were off and Sam was just sitting in an armchair.
"There's been another one." Dean said, taking the key out of the door and closed it behind him. "Some guy just hung himself in his room."
"Yeah, I saw." Sam said in a low voice.
"We gotta figure this out and fast. What did you find out about Granny?" Dean asked.
"Your bossy." Sam said in a childish tone.
"What?" Dean asked, turning to him. Karli looked over too.
"Your bossy." Sam repeated. "And short." Sam started laughing.
"Are you drunk?" Dean asked.
"Yeah. So? Stupid." Sam replied. Karli and Dean both looked over and saw the mini bar had been cleaned out.
"Dude, what are you thinking? We're workin a case." Dean said seriously.
"That guy who hung himself." Sam started in a sad tone, "I couldn't save him."
"What are you talking about? You didn't know. You couldn't have done anything." Dean told him.
"That's an excuse Dean. I should've found a way to save him. I should've saved Ava too." Sam said.
"Yeah, well you can't save everyone, even you said that." Dean started.
"Don't!" Sam said angrily in a low voice, slamming his fist on the table, "Dean, you don't understand, alright. The more people I save, the more I can change."
"Change what?" Dean asked.
"My destiny Dean." Sam told him. Dean looked down for a moment before responding.
"Alright, Time for bed. Come on sasquatch." Dean said, helping Sam out of the chair.
"I need you to watch out for me." Sam told him.
"Yeah, I always do." Dean told him, helping him walk toward his bed.
"No, no, no, no." Sam stopped and looked down at Dean, "You have to watch out for me." Sam said again. "Alright. And if I ever turn into something that I'm not, you have to kill me."
"Sam." Dean said, trying to get him to be quiet.
"Dad told you to do it. You have to." Sam told him.
"Yeah well dad's an ass. He never should've said anything. I mean you don't do that. You don't lay that kind of crap on your kids." Dean said angrily.
"No, he was right to say it. Who knows what I might become. Even now everyone around me dies." Sam said, raising his voice. Karli bit her lip, trying not to cry.
"Well I'm not dying. And neither is Karli and neither are you now sit down." Dean said, helping lower Sam onto the bed.
"No." Sam said as he sat down. "Please Dean, you're the only one who could do it. Promise."
"Don't ask that of me." Dean said looking down at him.
"Dean, please. You have to promise me." Sam said stubbornly.
"I promise." Dean said finally.
"Thanks." Sam said. Dean just helped him lay down. Sam turned around and fell asleep almost instantly. Karli walked over to where Dean was sitting on their bed and sat down next to him. She put her hand on his arm comfortingly and he took it in his.
"Dean it's okay. It'll never come down to it." Karli promised him.
"I know. I wouldn't do it anyway." Dean said, still looking at Sam. He ran his free hand through his hair before standing up. "I'm gonna head downstairs."
"I'll go with." Karli told him, standing up. He nodded and wrapped his arm around her again and walked out of the room. They walked down into the small bar where Sherwin was drinking.
"Find any good antiques?" Sherwin asked as they walked up to the bar.
"No, no. Got distracted." Dean said as he and Karli took seats.
"You two look like you need a drink." Sherwin said, grabbing two glasses and pouring a liquor Karli didn't know into both of them.
"Thanks." Dean said, taking a glass while Karli took the other. She was shocked Dean didn't try to take it away from her and started drinking it. It burnt a little on the way down but started to warm her up a little. "So poor guy. Killing himself." Dean spoke up again.
"That kind of thing seems to be going around lately." Sherwin said, drinking from his glass.
"Yeah, I heard about the other ones. It's almost like this hotel is cursed or something." Dean told him.
"Every hotel has it's spilled blood. If only people knew what happened in some of those rooms they've checked into." Sherwin said, taking another drink.
"You know a lot about the place, don't ya?" Karli spoke up for the first time.
"Down to the last nail." Sherwin nodded.
"I'd love to hear some stories." Dean told him.
"Boy, you should never say that to an old man." Sherwin told them and Karli gave a small laugh. They left the bar and started walking around the hotel, Karli and Dean both still holding their drinks. They started by the stairs and Sherwin showed them pictures.
"This is little Ms. Susan and her mother Rose in happier days." Sherwin said, pointing to one.
"They're not happy now?" Dean asked.
"Well would you be, leaving the only home you ever knew?" Sherwin asked.
"We never really knew one." Karli said quietly.
"Well this is Rose's home. It's been in the family for over a century. Used to be the family estate. And now she gets to live in some senior living graveyard, and they tear this place down." Sherwin told them.
"That's too bad." Dean said as they walked down the stairs, "I hear Rose isn't feeling well either."
"No she isn't." Sherwin said.
"What's wrong with her?" Dean asked.
"It's not my business to say." Sherwin told him. Karli finished off her drink and turned to Dean.
"Hey, I'm gonna head to bed. I'm pretty tired and I wanna make sure Sammy's okay." Karli told him.
"You sure?" Dean asked.
"Yeah." Karli said, giving him a soft kiss before handing him her now empty glass and headed upstairs. She walked down the hall to her room and paused outside her room. She felt a chill and looked down the hall, feeling as though someone was watching her. She shrugged it off and walked into the room. She saw that Sam was still okay and asleep on the bed. Karli walked over to her bag and changed into a pair of pajama pants and a long sleeved shirt before sliding into the bed, facing Sam. Karli hoped that he would be okay the next morning. Hopefully he would forget about the whole night. Karli closed her eyes and fell asleep before Dean got back.