Sam waited patiently for the right moment. All he needed was a distraction, one split second to make his move. Shifting his eyes to the left, he took in his opponent's tense posture. Sam knew he'd have to move quickly once the opportunity presented itself. Suddenly, the car swerved to the right as Dean placed both hands on the wheel to avoid the pothole. The radio unguarded, Sam struck. A triumphant grin spread across his face as the car was once again filled with silence…a silence that was quickly broken by a very pissed off Dean.
"Dammit, Sam, cut it out." Dean bellowed as he turned the radio back on. "This stopped being funny two hours ago!"
Sam chuckled to himself. He couldn't help but notice the irony of the situation. Dean usually got his kicks messing with his little brother's head. It felt nice to turn the tables for once.
"So, when are you going to fill me in on this gig?" Sam asked
"I told you everything I know, Sam." Dean replied.
"Ok, then, tell me about the last time you were in, what town are we going to again?"
"Harborview, and there isn't much to tell. There was a ghost, we got rid of it." Dean said shortly.
The music cut off suddenly, followed by a small click. Dean glanced over to see a very determined Sam holding his Metallica tape hostage.
"Fine," he said, rolling his eyes. "Dad got a call from Father Jim asking him to check out something for a friend of his, Bill Morgan. Mr. Morgan runs a historical site down in Maryland. It actually used to be an old mansion, but about ten years ago it was sold to the town. Mr. Morgan thought the place was haunted."
"Poltergeist or spirit?" Sam asked.
"Spirit." Dean answered. "It was the ghost of the woman who lived there in the '70's. She was one of your kind, Sammy…a psychic." Deanenjoyed a small feeling of satisfaction as he felt Sam shift uncomfortably in his seat. They were both getting used to Sam's new gift, but it was still his right as the older brother to rag on him about it.
Sam steered the conversation away from himself. "So you did the usual salt and burn?"
"Yeah. No big deal. Even you could've handled it." Dean teased.
Sam rolled his eyes. "And that's it? Nothing else?"
Dean shook his head. "That's it."
Sam reached into the backseat and pulled the laptop out of its case. "Maybe I should do another search."
"Don't bother. We're almost there."
Sam leaned forward and could just make out a large building off in the distance. "Wow" he breathed as the mansion seemed to grow larger with every passing second.
Dean pulled the car to a stop and leaned forward on the steering wheel. "It took Dad and me a whole day just to case the place. Dad got lost twice." Dean lightly whacked Sam on the arm. "Come on."
Walking up the front steps, the door opened just as Dean reached for the bell. A gray-haired man in his early fifties stood before them, a haggard look on his face. As his gaze shifted from Sam to Dean, a look of relief spread across his face. "Dean. Thank God!"
Shaking the man's hand, Dean smiled. "Good to see you Mr. Morgan. This is my brother, Sam."
Sam stuck out his hand. "Pleasure to meet you, sir."
Mr. Morgan stared at Sam for a long moment. Blinking rapidly and shaking his head a bit, he grasped Sam's hand firmly. "Thanks for coming so quickly. Please, come in."
Dean shrugged his shoulders at the perplexed look he received from Sam. He was just as confused as Sam at the man's odd behavior.
Sam felt as if his jaw had become permanently unhinged as he took in the room before him. His eyes followed the large marble staircase as it led up to a large portrait of a beautiful young woman. From there it split, one side heading into the back of the mansion, the other leading down a long corridor. Large marble pillars flanked the staircase, and rose up to the vaulted ceiling. Sam felt his brother's amused eyes on him, and made an effort to close his mouth. "This place is incredible."
Mr. Morgan cleared his throat loudly. "Follow me, please." Without waiting for a response, he marched stiffly past the stairs.
"What's with him?" Sam whispered as they followed slowly.
"Something's really wrong; he wasn't nearly this upset the last time." Dean whispered back.
They found Mr. Morgan in a large open room with a grand piano at one end, and an old fashioned writing desk at the other. Seated at the desk, he gestured towards the two chairs facing him.
The Winchesters sat forward in the chairs, intent on the man before them. "So what is exactly is going on, Mr. Morgan?" Dean asked.
"Bill, please." He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Where to begin."
"Everything was quiet after you and your dad left. The mansion ran as normal. Then a couple months ago some of the staff began reporting strange happenings, reminiscent of the prior events. Weird noises, objects moving by themselves. I didn't think much of it. I thought it was residual energy, like your dad had mentioned."
Dean nodded, and Bill took a deep breath before continuing. "The moral of the staff began to wane; people were terrified to be alone in the building. During a tour a large vase fell, almost hitting the tour guide. A week later another woman was nearly pushed down the stairs."
"Definitely more violent than last time." Dean said thoughtfully. He turned to Sam. "Poltergeist?"
Sam nodded slowly. "It's possible. And you're sure it's not the ghost of, what was her name again?"
"Monica Brooks, and no, there's no way it's her." Bill answered quickly. "It must be something else. A poltergeist, like your brother said."
"Yeah, right." Dean said. There was something Bill wasn't telling them. It was understandable for a man in his situation to be anxious, but he was practically jumping out of his skin. "Anything else we need to know about?"
Bill lowered his head. "Two nights before I called you, I found my daughter lying unconscious at the bottom of the staircase. When she woke up at the hospital she said she'd been pushed down the stairs. She could have been killed."
Dean leaned back in his chair, taken aback. "Ashley?"
"I'm so sorry." Sam said sympathetically. "How is she?"
"Broken leg, concussion. She's at home, resting." Bill slammed his fist onto the desk. "I will not let anyone else I love get hurt."
Dean and Sam nodded. After a moment of silence Sam asked, "Where did the attacks occur?"
"The vase was in the master bedroom. Ashley and the tour guide were both pushed from the main landing." Bill answered.
Dean stood up, and put as much confidence into his voice as he could. "Don't worry, Bill. We'll take care of this thing."
"Is anyone else here?" Sam asked.
"No," Bill answered. "I closed the mansion down for maintenance; we're the only ones here."
"Ok then." Sam got up as Dean continued talking. "We'll get our gear and get started."
Bill turned to Dean. "Do you need a tour of the place? I was planning on checking in on my daughter, but if you need to be shown around…"
"No, we'll be fine. Go take care of your daughter. Tell her I said hi." Dean smiled reassuringly.
A smile flickered across Bill's face as he took a key from his pocket. "I set up the guest house for you boys to stay in."
Sam shook his head. "Thanks, but we can just get a motel room."
"No, I insist." Bill said empathically. "There's been no activity in the cottage, and this way you're closer to the disturbances."
Dean took the key. "Ok, Sam, let's get started."
