Willis is lost in thought as he starts to tell Dean his story.
"Back in, I don't know, 1946. It was a year after the war. The guys started coming home and starting families. The original school was already too small so the good townspeople decided to build a new one on the Sam property. Sometimes I would come over and play with the kids at recess if there weren't any teachers around. Other times I used to come around here and hang out watching the construction crew building the place. They used let me pick up debris on the site for pennies and nickels, well until the boss caught me one day. "
"Why didn't they shoo you off? I mean you were supposed to be in school not watching them." Dean stops to ask him.
"You have to remember what year it was Dean. Schools were still segregated back then. The good folks here didn't seem it was necessary to have a school for the "colored folks" so most of us were home school." Willis flat tells him. "It was ok for us to work in them, but it wasn't ok for us to learn in them." Dean stays silent not knowing what to say. Willis continues his story.
"There used to be a teacher, Miss Springton, she was one of the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, 'cept for my mama of course. Some of us kids would sneak into her classroom after school just to look at the pictures and books and stuff in her room. One day she caught a couple of us lookin through her books. Instead of being mad she made us promise to come back every Friday after school and she would have a new book for us to read.
The first week none of us showed up 'cause we didn't believe her. Instead we watched her from outside the building. She saw us but she never let on. After awhile she just went home but she left her window open with a book on the windowsill for us. Even though she taught 1st grade she would get us books from the library for us older kids. We'd go through those books like they were gold, and then leave back on the windowsill when we were done. That went on for a few weeks before I got the nerve to bring her back her book in person." He stopped and smiled at the memory.
"She was a real nice lady. She didn't deserve what happened to her." Willis's face saddened.
"What happened?" Dean asked not wanting to interrupt him.
"It was early April; the weather was a kinda nice that day. We'd had a real cold winter. A lot of kids got sick that year. Anyways, most of the kids were out in the yard playing. She was in her classroom with some kids that were still too sick to be outside. I didn't see who set the fire; I just know someone threw a firebomb through the window of her classroom. It set the whole room up right quick. Some of the kids got out the door but the fire musta spread quickly cuz it trapped Mrs. Springton and a few of the little ones in the corner. Some of the construction workers ran over and broke out the windows to try and get them out, but that just made the fire spread faster. We heard horrible, horrible screams from inside her room. The kids calling for their mama's………." Willis stopped and shuddered, thinking about that moment. He closed his eyes trying to block the memory of the flames.
"Six kids died that day. Susie Walls, Billy Tabor, Patty Lonnes, Tommy Hill, and Andrew Sutton." Willis recited each name like they were family to him.
"You said six kids died. You only named 5." Dean asked quietly.
Willis let out a sigh, the memory visibly draining him. "Robbie Tabor, Billy's older brother. We were around the same age. We used to hang out by the creek sometimes and skip rocks and catch fish. His classroom was down the hall from Billy's. They think he tried to run in and save his little brother but got caught up in the fire instead." Dean knew what that feeling was like. If your little brother was in trouble you'd do what ever it took to save him even if it meant risking your own life. He missed Sam immediately.
"I couldn't even go to Robbie's funeral." Willis continued. Dean knew why without having to ask.
"Did they ever catch the person who set the fire?" he respectfully asked.
"Yeah they did. He was a delivery driver for the construction site. His name was Donald Rollins; I'll never forget that name. He saw us in her class one day after school. Said it really got him mad seeing her wasting her time teachin' "niggers". He wanted to teach her a lesson so he figured if he burnt up her classroom she couldn't teach us any more. Said at the trial he didn't know any kids were still in the classroom, thought they would all be outside playing. Guess he figured they would get the fire out before anyone got hurt." Willis looked up at Dean, eyes narrowed. "They gave him the electric chair."
"That would explain the evil spirit in the gym then." Dean thinks out loud for a moment. Willis looks at him surprised.
"What do you mean 'evil spirit'?" Willis looks at Dean like he's a little touched. Dean tries to find a way to explain what he felt without giving away too much information about how he knows about these things.
"You know in the northeast corner of the gym. Have you ever noticed how cold it is over there?" He asks the old man. Willis thinks about this for a moment.
"Ya know I think you're right. We've had guys out here off and on for years trying to fix that thinking the heating unit was malfunctioning. Never could find anything wrong either." Willis nods as he answers Dean's question.
"Bet nobody ever sits in that section of the bleachers either." Willis shoots up as soon as he hears Dean's question.
"You're right. No matter how crowded are, that section of the gym is always empty. You say it's an evil spirit, well I'll be damned." Willis thinks about it some more. "Ya think he might be responsible for some of the things that have gone wrong around here."
"Could be. What kind of things?" Dean asks him.
"Oh ya know equipment that keeps breaking down even when it's brand new. Guys getting sick after working only a few days here. Children refusing to enter the gym." Willis described what would happen.
"Well children can pick up on that sorta energy Willis. That's probably why they wouldn't come inside. The guys, well they could too, but they probably didn't realize what was causing it. Bet they had a lot of headaches, maybe some stomach problems, mood swings, things like that." Dean explains.
"Yeah, how'd you know about that and how come you know so much about evil spirits?" Willis isn't quite sure what to make of Dean now.
"I used to have a grandmother that was into all that stuff. You know evil spirits, ghosts, haunting's, things like that. I guess some of it rubbed off on me." Dean covers his tracks with his story.
"I see. And did this grandmother tell you what we have to do to get rid of them." Willis asks a little skeptical Dean would actually know.
"Actually she did Willis." Dean doesn't want to tell him too much.
"What is it some sorta spell or something or do you have to do an exorcism like I'd seen in the movies?" Willis is still really skeptical. Dean laughs at Willis's suggestions.
"No Willis nothing like that. We just have to dig up Donald Rollins's grave, and then salt and burn his bones." Dean answered without thinking. He hesitates immediately when he sees Willis's expression.
'You're kidding right?" the old man's face filled with instant fear. Dean back pedals a bit.
"Umm of course I am Willis. Just playin with ya." Dean kicks himself for saying too much. He quickly changes the subject.
"What about the teachers ghost, Miss Springton, does she haunt the school too?" Dean figures if the kids are still hanging around the teacher will be too.
"Miss Springton? A few of us have seen her too I guess. Mostly in the gym but sometimes she shows up in the classrooms. A couple of teachers have actually seen her in their classrooms during school hours. I guess she still misses the kids." Willis is still thinking about what Dean just said but continues the story. "I see her in the library sometimes. That's one of the reasons why I sit in there at night."
"That's not too unusual. I mean since they all died together she would be still protecting the kids, especially if there was an evil spirit nearby." Dean elaborates a little further.
"I'll be damned. So you're sayin this Donald Rollins ghost might be trying to get at the kids even after the son of a bitch is dead?" Willis starts thinking about it some more.
"Not really 'after them' so much as still connected to them. Think about it Willis. They all died horrible deaths, even Rollins. Its bound to make any spirit uneasy." Dean tries to explain with out scaring him further.
"I get it. Because the kids died here they just don't know where else to go, right?" Willis looks to Dean for the answer. "And even though Rollins didn't die here he still comes back to haunt the place. But I don't get why he would come back Dean. He died in the state penitentiary two years later."
"Guilt probably Willis, it's a pretty strong emotion." Dean thinks remembering his own guilty feelings. "Maybe anger, hatred, who knows why. All we know is that evil spirit is probably him and we have to figure out a way of getting rid of him."
"I don't know Dean. How do we get rid of an evil spirit?" Willis looks Dean over slowly realizing that Dean has already told him how.
"Son if that is what you have to do then I'm sorry but you're gonna have to leave me out of it." Willis shakes his head. "I don't want any part of burning anybody's bones.
"It'll be safer if you're not involved anyway." Dean agrees starting to think about what he needs to get rid of Rollins spirit.
"I'll take your word for it Dean." Willis says still unsure about what Dean is going to do. They each sit there lost in thought. Suddenly Willis speaks up.
"What's the date today?" he asks Dean.
"Umm I don't know, April 8th, why?" puzzled, Dean answers. Willis takes a deep breath.
"The day after tomorrow is the anniversary of the fire." He says in a low voice. Dean looks at him eyes wide.
"You're kidding right, the day after tomorrow? How long has it been?" Dean needs more information. Willis speaks still lost in thought.
"60 years" He shakes his head at the passing of time.
"Is there normally more activity from the ghosts on this date Willis? I mean have you ever noticed stranger things happening then the usual ghost stuff, maybe they get a little more violent." Dean keeps asking more questions.
"The kids no, they've never been any trouble. But over the years there have been weird things that happen on that date. 25 yrs ago the Principle's car blew up in the parking lot. They said it was a faulty gas line that blew up as he was leaving but he was driving a brand new car. He survived but he had some serious burns. Then we had a coach here a few years back that had a heart attack while watching the kids during gym class. He didn't make it. Last year we had the whole gym repainted and one of the workers fell from the scaffolding and broke his back. Poor guy is paralyzed from the waist down. I seem to recall it was around that date too. Do you think this is all connected Dean?" The memories swirl around in Willis's head.
"I think so Willis. Rollins probably returns to create havoc on that date. That might explain why I felt him in the gym the other day. His spirit's energy is growing the closer to the date of the fire it gets. I think we'd better prepare for some more trouble to happen." Dean doesn't want to scare him about what kind of trouble an evil spirit can create.
"There's one more thing too Dean." Willis has a worried look on his face. "That's the day of the Spring Festival. Jack already told me to haul out the tables and decorations so the kids could work on it tomorrow."
"Great! And I suppose the gym will be filled with all the kids and their parents." Dean absorbs this new information and it worries him. He knows it's just the sort of set up that can cause a catastrophe. He starts to swear under his breath.
"The kids have been working on their skits for weeks now Dean. You don't think we'll have any trouble do you?" Willis is worried now. Dean tries to calm the old mans fears right away.
"Willis if I tell you nothing is gonna happen will you believe me?" Dean looks him in the eyes. Willis nods at him. Dean continues. "I know what to do, so I don't want you to say anything to anyone else about this. It might cause them to panic and I don't want to ruin the kid's fun."
"I believe you Dean." Willis's face a little worried.
Dean is really missing Sam now. He doesn't have any of his weapons here and he knows it isn't a good idea to ask Willis where the local ghost hunting shop might be. He was gonna have to make do with what ever he could find locally.
"We're running out of time. Damn it Sammy I wish you were here now." Dean desperately thinks to himself. Little did he know his brother is closer than he thinks.