Chapter 11: A Missing Friend
"So how do you get infected or whatever?" Dean asked after they had let Earl's words sink in. He paused for a moment to take a deep breath then sighed, as if talking about the banshees had exhausted him.
"The people are taken for an hour then they suddenly appear and no one remembers them being there." he said as he got up off his chair. Sam and Dean took the cue and got up as well.
As they were leaving the tent Sam asked one more question, "Earl… how is it that you can talk about the banshees here? Aren't you afraid of being taken?" Dean looked at his brother then at Earl.
Earl sighed then said, "Because we are protected here in the cemetery. They can't find us here." Before the brothers could ask any more questions Earl walked over to Bud and said something to him before walking away towards the other tents.
Bud came over to them and motioned for them to follow him. He led the brothers to a tent in the corner of the clearing and left them there to muddle things over.
The brothers entered the tent to find it sparsely furnished. It contained a table, three chairs, and two beds. The brothers scanned the room again and sat on the beds.
"What do you think about all this?" Sam asked once he was settled on the bed.
Dean shrugged, "We get free lodgeing." he said with a smile. Sam shook his head.
"No, I mean… about all this about a 'higher power'?" Dean sighed.
"I don't know Sammy. I'll have to think it over, but first we need to check out of our motel and get all of our stuff." Sam nodded his head in agreement.
"I'll go… I need some time to think." Sam said as he got up off the bed. Dean tossed him the keys and lay down to catch a nap.
"Hey Sammy!" Dean said as Sam started to leave the tent. "Don't wreck my car or I'll have to wreck you." Sam shook his head and left the tent following the path back to the car.
Sam got back to the car and opened the trunk. Everything was as it should be, except that the other car was now gone. Sam wondered who it might have belonged to but he didn't dwell on it for long. He closed the trunk and climbed into the driver's seat and started up the car.
Sam pulled out of the parking lot and drove down the road, taking in the scenery as he went but also keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.
He made it to the motel without incident and parked in front of their room. He climbed out of the car and got the key to the door. He was about to unlock the door when he noticed that the door was already partially opened. He grabbed one of his guns from his belt and quietly eased the door open. He looked around the room for any signs of movement.
Sam proceeded to walk into the room, his gun drawn and cocked. He looked into each room but saw nothing. If he hadn't seen the door open he wouldn't have thought anyone had been in there. He un cocked his gun and started packing his and Dean's belongings.
Dean got up off his bed and paced the tent, he had a feeling that something was not right but he just couldn't put his finger on it. Something about Earl's story didn't make sense to him, why would the "higher power" want to do away with a priest when a priest was the one who cursed the town? And what is the cursed object? Dean had a hunch but he just wasn't sure, he knew Sam would be able to help him whenever he returned. Sam had already been gone 2 hours and Dean was starting to worry. He walked out of the tent and looked around the clearing. He was surprised at how many tents there were, but he didn't see a lot of people. He ducked back into his tent and lay down on the bed to take another nap, hoping that Sam would be back soon.
Sam finished packing up his and Dean's stuff and gathered up the bags. He headed for the open door when it slammed shut. Sam dropped the bags and pulled on the door handle, but it wouldn't budge. He grabbed his gun and cocked it again looking around the room suspiciously. He heard the creak of the bathroom door and slowly walked towards it with his gun out in front of him. He heard running water and peaked around the door. The faucet was running, water spilling onto the floor.
Sam scanned the room but didn't see anything. He knew someone or something was in the room, but he just didn't know where. He turned off the faucet and grabbed his cell phone. He dialed Dean's number and continued to check the room. He heard Dean pick up the phone just as a glass smashed in the small kitchen.
"Hello?" Dean said. Sam moved towards the kitchen, his gun held in front of him and his cell phone against his ear.
"Dean." Sam whispered as he neared the kitchen, he heard the tinkle of glass hitting the floor and another glass smash. "It's me, Sam."
"Where the hell are you?" Dean yelled into the phone sitting up in bed. "You've been gone almost 2 and half hours!" Sam flinched as Dean kept yelling.
"Shhh!" Sam said as another glass was smashed. He paused in front of the door. "I'm at the motel room. Something's here and it's locked me in." Sam peered around the kitchen door, nothing was there but the floor was littered with glass shards.
"Hold on Sam. I'll be right there." Dean said trying hard not to yell.
"Hurry Dean, I think I know who's behind this. It's…" Dean heard a muffled scream and a loud thud before the line went dead.
"Sam!" Dean yelled gripping his phone and wishing with all his might that Sam would pick up. There was no sound. Dean dialed Sam's cell phone but there was no answer, whoever was behind this now had Sam.