Chapter 3
Strangers Like Me
(Season 1, episode 5 Bloody Mary)
Sam inhaled a lot of air when he woke up. He stared at the ceiling. "Why'd you let me fall asleep?"
"'Cause I'm an awesome brother," Dean answered.
Sarah shifted uncomfortably in her seat. They needed Sam, but Dean let him sleep. She may not have liked it, but she understood.
"So, what did you dream about?" Dean asked his brother.
"Lollipops and candy canes," Sam answered sarcastically.
"Yeah, sure."
Sarah turned back to her book and continued reading.
"Did you find anything?" Sam propped himself up.
"Oh, besides a whole new level of frustration? No. We've looked at everything." Sarah was pleased to hear Dean include her. "A few local women, a Laura and a Catherine, committed suicide in front of a mirror, and a giant mirror fell on a guy named Dave. But, uh... No Mary."
Sam fell back down on the bed. "Maybe we just haven't found it yet."
"We've also been searching for strange deaths in the area," Sarah added.
"Eyeball bleeding, that sort of thing. There's nothing. Whatever's happening here, maybe it just ain't Mary."
"Well, there has to be something," Sarah said as she lifted the books and shuffled them around, searching for anything that would prove that it was Mary. She came across an open journal near Dean's side. I wonder if this has anything. She read through and one name popped out at her. Winchester. She dropped the journal and made a loud bang.
"Hey, what are you doing with that?" Dean snatched the journal from the table. "That's not yours."
She pointed at it. "Winchester. As in, John Winchester?" She noticed the boys never said their names and that was probably why.
"Yeah. Why?" Sam picked himself up again, hearing the alarm in her voice.
"Uh, I have to go. The case is yours." She stood up and ran to her bag, grabbing her leather jacket and slipping it on quickly.
"Wait." Dean stood from his chair. "What does our father have to do with this?"
"Um, nothing. I just need to go."
Dean grabbed her arm to stop her. "You fought for this case and when you found out our last name, you want out. You better start explaining."
She tugged away. Sarah rested her hands on the counter in the motel room kitchen. "You want to hear the story? Fine. When I was five or six, my parents went out to do a job with my uncle, Chris. He was my dad's brother. They were close, loved working cases together. Uncle Chris was always around and he was one of my favorite people. Well, the case was a vampire nest. There may have been fifteen or twenty of them. I don't know. I just know it required an extra pair of hands. My sister and I were too young at the time. They three of them ran into another hunter. They could tell he had only been at the job for a few years, but they didn't have a choice. These vampires were killing a lot of people, dozens, and the problem needed to be dealt with. So, my mother, father, uncle, and this new guy went to take care of the nest. Since there were so many, they needed a plan of action. Being in such a rush, the new guy pushed my uncle out and used him as bait. Before my dad could get him out of there, those bloodsuckers were on him, draining every last ounce of blood he had. My mother, father, and the new guy finished off the vampires, but my uncle didn't get a chance to defend himself." Sarah wiped a tear that began to fall from her eye. "That guy's name was John Winchester." She fixed her eyes on Sam and Dean. "After that, my parents had one simple instruction when it came to hunting. 'Never work with a Winchester because that's how you get killed.' So boys, this is goodbye. I don't want to die. Not yet."
"Sarah, wait." Sam said, trying to stop her. "I'm sorry about what our dad did. But we're not like that."
"Sam, if she wants to go, let her. She won't listen anyway. Save your breath." Dean flipped his hand in a way that said 'forget about her.'
"No, Dean. Dad has messed up everything in our lives. I'm not going to let him ruin our friendships either. That's why she doesn't trust us. Her parents trusted Dad and he let them down." Sam turned to Sarah. "Sarah, I will not let that happen to you. We need your help on this. Please don't leave."
Sarah's face was tight. She was afraid. She was always afraid of dying. This was the closest she's been to death in a long time. "Your brother clearly doesn't want me here so why are you fighting so hard to keep me?"
"Because people are dying. We've got nothing. We need all the help we could get. Forget about Dean, Sarah. Think about all the people who could die if you walk out on us now."
Dean hated the fact that Sam was fighting so hard to get her to stay. She was nothing to them, but Sam didn't see it that way.
Before anyone could say another word, Sam's phone started to ring. "Hello?" He answered. "Hey, yeah. Is everything-" he paused listening to the person on the other end of the line. "Okay. We'll meet you at the park in ten minutes or so. Okay? Hang in there, Charlie." He hung up his cell phone looked over at Dean. "That was Charlie, the girl who caught us at the memorial service. Her friend Jill just died just like Shoemaker."
Dean's shoulders slumped. "Damn!" he cussed.
Sam looked to Sarah. "We need you on this."
Sarah swallowed hard. "Fine. But if either of you get me killed, I'm coming after you as a ghost." She led the way to the Impala and the trio made their way to the park.
They met Charlie on a park bench underneath a tree. There, she explained why she called. "They found her ok the bathroom floor. And her, her eyes... They were gone."
Sam felt sympathy for the teen. "I'm sorry."
Through her tears, she told them that she said it. "I heard her say it." Sam, Dean, and Sarah all looked at one another. "But it couldn't be because of that. I'm insane, right?"
"No, you're not insane," Dean assured her.
Charlie shook her head. "God, that makes me feel so much worse."
Sam thought that it was time to tell her the truth. "We think something's happening here, something that can't be explained."
"And we're gonna stop it, all three of us," Dean said as he glanced over at Sarah. "But we could use your help." That last sentence was meant for both Sarah and Charlie. He needed them both so they could stop this. He realized that now.
Sam, Dean, and Sarah took a trip to Jill's home where Charlie let them in through the bedroom window. They figured that it was easier to do it this way than to explain to the grieving parents that their daughter may have been killed by Bloody Mary.
When Sam asked Charlie what she told Jill's mother, Charlie replied, "I just said I needed some time alone with Jill's pictures and things. I hate lying to her."
"Trust us. It's for the greater good. Hit the lights," Dean commanded.
Charlie complied and then asked what they were looking for. To this, Dean answered. "We'll let you know as soon as we find it."
"Basically anything that could be remotely connected with Jill's death." That was the first time Sarah had spoken since her story in the motel room.
Dean looked at her apologetically. Sarah didn't see it, but he did it anyway. He believed she deserved more credit than he gave her.
Sam picked up one of the cameras in his bag. "Hey, night vision." This made Dean come back to reality. Dean turned it on for his little brother. "Thanks. Perfect."
"Do I look like Paris Hilton?" Dean joked.
Sarah chuckled. It was a serious time, but he tried his best to lighten the mood. Sarah appreciated that about him.
Dean quickly glanced at Sarah. Hearing her laugh made him feel good inside. He didn't understand why, it just did.
Sam looked at her disapprovingly. 'Sorry,' she mouthed to him.
With the camera open, Sam peeked inside Jill's closet. "So, I don't get it. I mean, the first victim didn't summon Mary, and the second victim did. How's she choosing them?"
"Beats me." Dean scanned the room with EMF. "I want to know why Jill said it in the first place."
"It was just a joke," Charlie shrugged.
"Well, it wasn't funny," Sarah mumbled to herself. She had a flashlight and was looking for any sign that it was something other than a ghost.
"Yeah, well, somebody's gonna say it again. It's just a matter of time." Dean walked by Sarah as she looked under the bed. She had a nice body. She wasn't the prettiest, but decent. She didn't know it, but Dean liked what he saw. She wasn't the typical bar chick he'd come across every week. She was modest and a bit heavier than most, but that was perfect. He wouldn't want her any other way. Wait. Want? No. This is just business. That's all it's every going to be.
Sam noticed something in the bathroom. He called to Dean and Sarah. "There's a black light in the trunk, right?"
"Yeah. Hang on. I'll go get it." Dean was glad that Sam asked for something. He was looking for any excuse to get out of there. He knew he needed to stop thinking about the mysterious girl they'd come across. He just couldn't while he was in the same room. Dean wanted to take his time, but this was a time sensitive case. If they wasted anymore time, someone else was going to die.
While Dean was grabbing the black light, Sarah and Sam were taking down the bathroom mirror. "Can I ask why we're taking down a dead girl's mirror?" Sarah whispered to Sam, not wanting Charlie to overhear.
"I saw some residue on the bottom. It could be a clue."
"Or it could be nothing."
"Or it could be nothing," Sam repeated. "But how will we know if we don't look?"
At that moment, Dean was climbing back through the window. He tossed the light to Sam, who nearly dropped, almost causing the light to hit Sarah. Sam apologized before turning back to the mirror.
He ripped the paper covering off the back of the mirror and scanned it with the black light. This revealed a handprint and a name. Charlie read it aloud. "Gary Bryman?"
"You know who that is?" Sam clicked off the light.
"No," Charlie claimed.
Jill's mother called up. "Charlie? Are you almost done? Jill's father and I need to go and make some arrangements."
Charlie jumped. "Um, yeah. I'll be down in a minute." She looked over at Sam. "We have to go.
The four of them scurried to put everything back into place. Dean told Charlie to meet them back at the park as he climbed down first out of the window. Sam went second, followed by Sarah.
While climbing down the roof near the window, Sarah's foot slipped causing her to lose balance. Before she tumbled to the ground, Dean reached out his hands and caught her in mid air. Both of them stayed still, shocked at what had just happened.
"If you would have died there, it wouldn't have been our fault," Dean joked, putting Sarah back firmly on the ground.
"Very true. Thanks." She patted him on the shoulder. Inside, she was sad that he was forced to put her down. She liked being in his arms. No. This was business, a one time thing. Pull yourself together, Sarah.
Once they were back to the car, Dean went to his brother. "Do you want to go see who Gary Bryman is? Sarah and I will meet Charlie back at the park."
Sam and Sarah were both shocked at Dean's suggestion. "You want me to go with you?"
"Well, I figured having you there would be great moral support for Charlie." No, that's a lie. I want you there with me. Dean smiled at them, trying not to think about the real reason for wanting her around.
"Uh, yeah. Okay. Sounds good to me. I'll meet you two at the park then?" Sam grabbed his notepad from the passengers side of the car. The library was within walking distance of Jill's home.
"Yeah, sounds like a plan." Sarah nodded quickly. She liked and disliked the thought of being alone with Dean, even if it were for a few minutes. She was both attracted and repulsed by him. She just couldn't pick one.
Sam nodded and started walking in hopes of getting a working computer, or at least be able to glance at the public records.
Dean sat on the drivers side and brought the car to life. It was nearly 40 years old, but still purred like it was just purchased off the showroom floor. The doors may squeak and creak when they were opened and closed, but otherwise was in near mint condition. Dean treated this car like it was his baby. He even called it Baby. It meant everything to him. He was the only one aloud to drive it.
Sarah stood outside of the passenger door, unsure if she should enter. That was Sam's spot. Even though he wasn't there, she felt as if she violating a secret code the brothers held.
He waited for only a minute. "What are you doing?"
She leaned down and spoke through the open window. "Are you sure you want me to get in?"
"I'm not gonna make you walk if that's what you're asking."
"I meant, are you sure you don't want me to sit in back." She pushed her hair behind her ear as it fell like a waterfall on her right side.
Dean leaned over and pushed the car door open. "I don't hate you that much. Now get in. We're wasting time."
Reluctantly, Sarah ducked into the passenger side. Her heart was pounding. She liked being this close to Dean. She appreciated the concentration in his eyes every time he turned the wheel.
Dean cleared his throat. "I'm, uh, I'm sorry about your uncle."
Sarah's voice was soft and low at best. "Thank you." He was genuine and she didn't expect that. Dean was full of surprises.
Dean tapped along to the drumbeat that played through the speakers. "Sarah, we're kinda going through something right now, but we do appreciate your help." His eyes were fixed on her. He had totally forgotten he was driving.
"Thank you, Dean. Really, I-" She looked forward and screamed. "DEAN! WATCH OUT!"
"Crap!" Dean swerved the car, just barely missing the car that started to pull out of a supermarket parking lot. "Watch where you're going!" He screamed at the driver of the car.
The two of them tried to catch their breath. Dean continued driving, keeping his eyes glued to the road this time. No more distractions.
Sarah started to laugh hysterically. She tried to cover her face, embarrassed about her laugh, but she couldn't hold it in.
"You sound like a machine gun," Dean commented. He couldn't help but smile too. His reason might have been different than her's but he laughed anyway. Her laugh was contagious.
"Don't make fun of me." She turned to the window, trying to control herself. The harder she tried, the harder she laughed.
"I'm not making fun of you. It's an interesting laugh."
"That's what everyone says when they're making fun of me." Her stomach hurt. It was a good pain, something she missed.
"What are you laughing at anyway?" Dean clicked the music off. It's not like he was able to hear it anyway.
"It's like you're trying to kill me at this point. Ever since I told you that story, it's like I've had a warrant on my head." Sarah felt her eyes start to water. She wiped them dry, but the water returned. She was laughing so hard, she was crying.
"And how is that funny?"
"The irony. I told you not to kill me and now I've almost died twice." She inhaled and exhaled. Her laughter slowed, but the smile didn't fade.
"Well, if you think about it, when you slipped from the roof, I caught you. When we almost crashed, I swerved. Technically, I saved your life twice today." Dean liked the sound of that. For some reason, he wanted to be the girl's hero.
"That is very true. Thank you, Dean Winchester, for putting me in situations where I think I'm going to die, but you end up saving me."
Dean pulled into the parking lot of the park and the two walked too a bench that stood along the running path. Sam was waiting for them there. He saw them smiling as Sarah and Dean approached him. "What are you two so happy about?"
Sarah's smile was still going strong. "We almost died."
Sam looked at her like she was insane. "What? Are you guys okay?"
Dean waved him off because Charlie was walking up the path. He dropped his smile. "We'll tell you later." He then pointed to the young blonde.
Sarah'a smile ceased as well. She didn't want to look at happy at such a serious situation, believing it was disrespectful.
Charlie sat down on the bench and looked up at Sam. "What did you find?"
He pulled a small piece of paper he had ripped out of his notebook and read from it. "Gary Bryman was an 8-year-old boy. Two years ago, he was killed in a hit and run. The car was described as a black Toyota Camery, but nobody got the plates or saw the driver."
Charlie went wide eyed. "Oh my, God. Jill drove that car."
"We need to get back to your friend Donna's house." Something was fishy and Dean could smell it.
Charlie called Donna and they all drove back to her place. Donna let them in, but didn't necessarily want them there.
Sam, Dean, and Sarah went to the bathroom where Shoemaker was killed and pulled down the mirror. After ripping off the paper covering on the back, they found the same thing. 'Linda Shoemaker' was written.
"So do you think that's Donna's mother?" Sarah asked the boys.
"It probably is. She probably isn't alive either." Dean clicked the light off.
"You think Shoemaker..." Sam couldn't finish. Just the thought alone made his stomach churn.
Sarah stood up from the floor. "Only one way to find out."
The trio met Charlie and Donna downstairs. They had to come up with a theory and they believed that Donna may have had the answer.
Dean whispered what they found on the back of the mirror. He mentioned what could be causing this. She tried her best to hide her fear, not wanting anyone, especially Donna, to see.
They asked Donna a bunch of questions that she didn't like. She definitely knew who Linda Shoemaker was. "Why are you asking me all this?" She questioned.
"We're sorry," Sam responded. "But it's important."
Donna swallowed hard and pushed her lips together. "Yeah, Linda's my mom. Okay? And she overdosed on sleeping pills. It was an accident and that's it." She shook her head in frustration. "I think you should leave."
"Donna, just listen-" Dean tried to explain, but Donna wasn't having it.
"Get out of my house!" She screamed and stormed off.
Charlie crossed her arms. "Oh, my God. Do you really think her dad could have killed her mom?"
Sam nodded slightly. "Maybe."
Charlie inhaled. "I think I should stick around."
"That's probably a good idea." Sarah hadn't had any friends in years. When she saw two people who were that close, she envied them, wanting it. At the same time, she was glad she was alone.
"All right, well, just whatever you do, don't..." Dean tried to warn.
Charlie cut him off, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "Believe me, I won't say it."
As they walked out, Sarah looked up to Sam and Dean. "Well, now what?"
"Well, I guess we should just go back to the motel and see what else we can find. Other than that, I don't know." Sam opened the passenger side door and climbed in.
"Sounds good. It's been a long day." Dean went around to the other side and jumped into his rightful place at the wheel.
Sarah sighed. Something felt right about sitting in the passenger seat next to Dean. The two of them had a good time together, despite their mutual hatred for each other. Being put in the back once again made her sad. Whatever fun they had was forgotten now. She was just the stranger. The back is where the strangers sit.
Dean drove them back to the motel quickly. His feelings were the same about Sarah. He thought she had forgotten their near death experience already. He silently wished she asked to sit up front.
She pulled the key from her pocket, slipped it into the knob, and turned. Sam and Dean followed her. She flicked the light on in the kitchen and threw her jacket on her bag. "I'm gonna take a shower. It's been a long day." She didn't wait for a response. Her head was starting to hurt.
Once Sarah closed the door, she slid down to the floor. Her chronic headaches were getting worse everyday. The pain would be so bad at times, pain killers wouldn't tackle it. The only way she would be able to control it was to take a long hot shower. This one was just starting so it would be easier to take care of.
She quickly undressed and hopped into the shower, trying her best to think about anything other than the case or the Winchester brothers.
Dean and Sam thought it was strange how she just went into the bathroom. She seemed to rush. They had work to do and she ditched them to relax. Sam didn't think as much of it as Dean. For some reason, that really bothered him.
Sam and Dean got to work. We don't need her anyway. It's not like she's doing anything important here. We're doing all the work. Dean complained in his mind about her constantly. He just couldn't ignore her.
She spent about a half hour in the shower before the head pain faded completely. She grabbed a towel and stepped out. She dripped water on the floor. Oh, crap. I forgot my clothes. She had left them in her bag. She had no other options than to open the door and call for assistance.
Sarah made sure she was properly covered and then popped her out just a crack. Sam was the first she saw. "Sam. Could you please grab my bag?"
"Oh, uh, yeah. Sure." He reached for it and handed it over. He kept his head turned so he didn't accidentally sneak a peek.
Dean couldn't help but look, however. Of course, he couldn't see anything except her head, hand, and white towel, but the sight of her made him go crazy. He was a bit disappointed that she asked for Sam's help and not his.
Minutes later, Sarah exited the bathroom in a black and white Blink-182 t-shirt, a pair of fluffy pajama pants with pink and white stripes, her hair tied back, and all makeup removed. She looked like a normal person, but one who didn't grow up. She didn't care what Sam and Dean thought about it. She hadn't bought any new clothes in years. These were from her teen years. She hopped on her bed of choice and listened to the conversation Sam and Dean had engaged in about the case.
Dean watched her. He did not expect those kind of night clothes from her. She seemed very tough, not too girly. Those pants said otherwise.
Sam brought Dean's attention back to him. "Wait, wait, wait. You're doing a nationwide search."
Dean blinked and looked back at the laptop on the table in front of him. "Yup. The NCIC, the FBI database, at this point, any Mary in the country who died in front of a mirror is good enough for me."
"But if she's haunting the town, she should have died in the town."
"I'm telling you, there's nothing local. I've checked, so, unless you've got a better idea."
"You're going to be there for a while," Sarah warned.
"It's worth it."
"The way Mary's choosing her victims, it seems like there's a pattern." Sam tried to offer his brother some sort of help.
"I know, I was thinking the same thing."
"With Mr. Shoemaker and Jill's hit and run..."
"Both had secrets where people died." Dean and Sarah said at the same time.
They only shared a look, thinking of how weird that was.
Sam noticed it, too, but continued on. "Right. I mean, there's a lot of folklore about mirrors that they reveal all your lies, all your secrets, that they're a true reflection of your soul, which is why it's bad luck to break them."
"Right. Right. Yeah, so maybe if you've got a secret, I mean, like a really nasty one where someone died, then Mary sees it and punishes you for it."
"Whether you're the one that summoned her or not."
Sarah shifted uncomfortably at Dean's theory. If it were true, then she was thinking she knew who was next.
"Take a look at this," Dean instructed both Sam and Sarah.
Sarah hopped down from the bed to see what Dean wanted to show her. They were crime scene photos of a woman who was murdered. She was bleeding from her head, lying face down and in front of a mirror. In another photo, a bloody handprint was marked on the lower right of the mirror.
Sam compared the handprint to the ones from the two other victims. "Looks like the same handprint."
"Her name was Mary Worthington," Dean informed them, "an unsolved murder in Fort Wayne, Indiana."
"Well, I guess we know where we're going in the morning." Sam leaned back in his seat. "We have to talk to the officer who worked the case."
"Yeah." Dean closed his laptop and rested his arms on top.
"Well, uh, we better get some sleep." Sarah turned quickly and jumped back into her bed. She buried herself in the covers and turned away from the boys.
"Um, Sarah? Are you all right?" Sam asked her, concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired. We have a long day ahead." She swallowed her fear and closed her eyes. This case was taking a toll on her.
Sam and Dean both shrugged. Something was clearly bothering her, but who were they to pry? She probably kept it a secret from them for a reason.
Dean leaned over to his brother and whispered, "where am I going to sleep?"
"You can take my bed. I'm not tired."
"Sam..."
"No, Dean. I'm fine. Really. If I get tired, I'll just sleep on the floor. It's fine."
Dean shook his head. "All right. Wake me up if you need me." Dean needed his sleep, too. He was exhausted. Between worrying about Sam, searching for their father, and thinking about this new girl, Dean was out of energy. He passed out within minutes of lying down.
A/N- Thank you all for reading. I hope you're enjoying the long chapters. I'll have another one soon. This chapter was named after Strangers Like Me by Phil Collins.
