"DEAN!" Sam tore off the sheets and jumped from the bed just as the door across the room forcefully swung open. He hesitated for a moment as the black mist exploded from the doorway, but quickly corrected his falter and began running to his brother as he was dragged across the floor. It was more of instinct then anything else. His mind was swarming with panic, fear, and an excruciating thought that his brother was about to disappear from his life forever. His body was still sluggish with sleep yet he ran with such speed he reached the doorway just as Dean was consumed by the black cloud.

The swirling mass moved in a swift motion just as Dean vanished within it. It flew over the railing of the fourth storey motel floor and disappeared from view. Throwing himself out the doorway, Sam collided with the metal railing. He watched in horror as the black cloud began to plummet to the parking lot below with startling speed, his brother detained within. Dean was about to fall to his death.

Dean's going to die. These were the only words within Sam's thoughts but he could not accept it. He would not allow his brother to be taken from his life so easily and in only a matter of seconds. It couldn't be possible. No, Sam would not believe it.

All time seemed to stop at that moment. A thousand thoughts ran through Sam's head as he stared down at the cloud of black smoke. It was as if a cold gnarled hand had gripped his heart, sending a cold shiver down his spine and a ripple of overwhelming dread through his mind. He could not allow it. "No!" he screamed, and at that moment the black mist halted and a hand tore through its thick embrace. It was Dean, his hand clutching the bar of the third storey railing with a death grip, his knuckles turning white with the effort.

Sam wasted no time. Flinging himself over the railing, he jumped to the third floor below and landed on his feet with his back to the railing. He spun his head around and saw the thick smoke twisting between Dean's fingers, slowly prying them loose. Just as Dean's hand was torn from the railing and disappeared once more within the swirling mass of chaos, Sam threw himself towards the railing. He landed on his stomach as he reached between the bars and jammed his hand into the black cloud. He did this blindly, his brother's hand lost within the twisting, black strands of smoke, but his fingers suddenly tightened around a wrist and Sam groaned as his shoulder pressed against the metal bar from the extra weight.

It was fighting him. The black cloud was very much alive. It was pulling Dean down and he was quickly slipping away from Sam. Reaching out with his other hand, the younger brother gained astronger grip on his sibling's wrist and swiftly switched to a better position. His feet planted firmly before him on two of the posts, Sam used all the strength within him to fight the opposing force of the dark smoke. Adrenaline pumped through his body as he gritted his teeth and heaved, but it was no use. Doubt crept into his mind as Sam's muscles began to weaken and his legs began to ache.

I will not let you take my brother! he screamed in his mind. If I can't beat you… He said the next part out loud in a final attempt to pull his brother free. "Then I'm not a Winchester!"

There was a sudden high pitched screech as the smoke appeared to hover for a moment, as still as the night air, and it then rushed upwards in a flurry of anger. Hitting Sam directly in the face, it rushed by his head and then disappeared into the darkness.

His hands still firmly clasped around his brother's wrist, he heard him speak. "What thehell was that?" Struggling to pull his brother to safety after his exhausting battle with the mysterious black smoke, the two brothers collapsed on the cement floor. They didn't speak for a long time, each trying to make sense of what had just happened. Finally Dean spoke.

"Sammy? You all right?"

Sam turned his head to look at his brother and a laugh of disbelief escaped his throat. "Am I all right? Dean, you almost died!"

Dean was silent for a moment as he stared upwards, his eyebrows knitted and his eyes unblinking. "I guess I was lucky you were there to save me, huh?"

Sam only shook his head disbelievingly as he looked towards the ceiling as well. He soon sat up and looked outover the parking lot. "What was that thing Dean?"

"I don't know… But it wanted me dead and that's enough for me to say we've gotta kill that son of a bitch."

The two brothers had returned to the police department. The chaos had seized now and the office was quiet and orderly. The same secretary sat behind the front desk, her composure much less frantic now that the problem seemed to have been solved. Dean and Sam still wondered what had thrown the police into such a panic the other day.

That was why they were here now. Something had happened but there was no news of it in the paper or on the internet. They needed answers and Sam was curious about the woman he had bumped into, the one with the black eyes. He had an eerie feeling that she was somehow connected to last night's mystifying events.

"How may I help you gentlemen?" The secretary smiled at the two brothers, her hands clasped before her.

"I was here yesterday." Sam replied politely. "I don't know if you remember me, Officer Nathan Johnson?"

The secretary wrinkled her brow. "I'm sorry, I can't say I do." She laughed. "As you may have found, yesterday was quite a chaotic time here."

"Tell me about it." Sam heard Dean mutter under his breath.

"Right, well, I'm Nathan and this is Officer Keith Lorense." Sam motioned to his brother as they showed their badges. "We're here in response to the recent missing people reports."

"Oh, well thank you but the investigation has been abandoned."

Sam was surprised. "All of the investigations?"

"I'm afraid so. They were withdrawn yesterday for lack of evidence."

"Is that what all the commotion was about?" Dean's voice suddenly cut in.

"Well, yes and no." The woman hesitated and Dean raised an eyebrow. "Yes, some of the confusion was caused by the decision but there was also an incident."

"What incident?" Sam asked, his interest having increased.

The secretary looked nervously around for a moment and then leaned towards the two brothers. "There was a murder."

"A murder?" Dean repeated.

"Yes, but the police don't want to make it public at the moment."

"Why not?" Sam inquired. "Did the family request it?"

"No, no, no. There was no family. The victim was someone passing by the town. They found her in the old theatre, of all the places, choked to death."

The two brothers exchanged looks and then Sam spoke to the secretary. "Thank you, I guess we'll be getting on our way then." She smiled and then went back to work as the two brothers exited the building.

"This is getting stranger by the day," Sam commented as they walked to their car standing in the parking lot.

Dean nodded in agreement. "Hey, did you see that chick you were freaking about yesterday? You know, the one with the black eyes?"

Sam shook his head. "No, but I think we have to check into this murder. Something's definitely not right."

"Yah, I'm wondering why the police are hiding this one." Dean got into the car. "Think we should start by visiting the theatre? Maybe we can catch a horror flick or something. I always love watching those corny movies. Monsters don't even look real."

Sam laughed as he got into the passenger seat. "I think we have enough terror in our lives as it is Dean."