Sam slipped another inch into the wall. "Just remember that this wasn't your fault, okay Dean?"

"Damn it, Sam, don't you dare leave me like this!" Dean shouted angrily. He didn't know what to do. The thing that was pulling on Sam's other arm was obviously stronger than he was.

"I'm sorry." Sam whispered. Dean looked up at him and their eyes locked.

A second later Sam was wrenched out of Dean's grasp and disappeared into the wall.

"NO!! SAM!!" Dean screamed, refusing to accept what had just happened.

His brother was gone...

Suddenly, the blood on the floor started seeping back up the wall and into the cracks. Dean watched, unable to look away, as the entire room transformed before his eyes in under a minute. The cracks disappeared and the burned color of the walls was replaced with a cheery pattern of little pink roses. The ashes that covered the carpet rose up and rearranged themselves into a large bed, rocking chair, and other pieces of furniture throughout the room. Then everything was silent.

The room looked ordinary, completely unremarkable. Dean knew that if he told people that the room was evil and something had pulled his brother through the wall they would think he was losing his mind and send him to a mental institution.

He heard something move behind him, and when he turned he saw Mrs. Winters standing just inside the doorframe, her eyes wide, terrified. "Oh God…that was like a nightmare! A horrible nightmare! What just happened?" she whispered. "Where did he go?"

Still in shock, Dean just shook his head at her and turned to stare at the place where Sam had disappeared.

Numbly, he reached out and touched the wall. It was solid, firm.

Perfectly ordinary.

Sam was gone—and he had no idea where he was or how to get him back. He was going to need some help.

Meanwhile…

Sam's eyes snapped open and he sat up with a strangled yell. Breathing hard, he looked around to try to get his bearings. When he realized where he was his breath caught in his throat.

He was still in Room 37.

Everything, from the rose wallpaper to the bed he was sitting on, was exactly the same. "This is impossible…" he said. "I just left here…"

"Hey Sam, glad to see you're finally awake." a voice said cheerfully.

Sam whirled around and saw his brother sitting comfortably in the old wooden rocking chair. "Dean??"

"You were expecting someone else?" Dean said, sounding bewildered. "Who else would be in here?" he looked around. "Is there some hot chick hiding in the closet?"

Sam stared at Dean. "What's going on?"

"I was hoping you could tell me. I assume you had another vision."

"Vision?"

"When I came up here I found you lying on the floor, Sam." Dean said. "Why else would you have been unconscious on the floor?"

"I—I just got pulled through the wall." Sam stated, staring around in confusion.

"O-kay then…" Dean said, looking concerned. "Sam, are you feeling alright?"

Sam shook his head. "You're not Dean."

Dean blinked. "What?"

"I just got pulled through the wall—and Dean was trying to save me. You're not him."

"Sam, you're starting to scare me..."

"You're not Dean." Sam repeated confidently. "You're not."

There was a pause and then Dean smiled coldly, the smile never reaching his eyes. "You always were the smart one, huh college boy?"

Sam stared at him. "Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter." the thing said. "Believe it or not, I'm here to help you."

"Help me?!" Sam yelled angrily. "You just pulled me through a wall! It felt like I was being burned alive! How is that helping me?!"

"That was necessary to bring you here."

"What are you talking about?! I was already in room 37 when you pulled me through the wall, and now we're back in room 37! We never moved!" he paused to think and ran a hand through his hair. "Where's Dean?"

"He's not here."

"Yeah, I can see that." Sam growled. "Can you be slightly more specific?"

"He's at the Mountain Top Inn, room 37." it said. "Trying to figure out where you went."

Sam looked at him in disbelief. "You really expect me to believe that? We are in room 37 right now, I think we would see him if he was here."

"We're not really in room 37." it said. "Not anymore…it's complicated."

Frustrated, Sam slammed his hand down on the bed stand. "Stop playing games with me and tell me what the hell is going on!"

"Okay." the thing said simply. "You're no longer in the world of the living."

Sam's mouth fell open. "I'm—I'm dead?"

"Not exactly, but you're not alive either…you're in between."

"In between? Are you serious?"

"Room 37 isn't evil, and it doesn't kill people—it's a portal."

"A portal to where?"

It shrugged. "The destination is different for everyone. Only you can figure that out." it said.

"I don't—"

"Do you believe in second chances, Sam?" it interrupted.

Sam blinked. "What do you mean?"

"You aren't happy, Sam…face it, your life is downright miserable. That's why the room chose you. It's giving you a second chance."

"A second chance at what?"

"Is there anything you regret? Really regret?" It gave him an encouraging smile. "For example, is there a moment in time that you regret so much that you would give anything to go back and change it?"

Sam laughed bitterly. "Are you kidding me? My whole life is regret…"

It nodded, and then pointed at the door. "Go ahead then—open it."

Sam looked at the door. "Why? What's on the other side of the door?"

It shrugged. "I don't know. There's no way to tell until you open it…that's how it works…that's how it's always worked."

"This has happened to other people?" Sam asked skeptically. "Other people have been dragged through the wall and brought here?"

"Oh yeah." he said. "Lots of people were given this opportunity."

"And what happened to them?"

The thing looked at him and shook his head. "That's not your place to know."

"But—"

"No. Forget it."

"Fine...one more question." Sam said. "What happens if I choose not to open the door?"

"I wouldn't advise doing that." it said honestly, and then paused. "Good luck Sam. I'm rooting for you." it disappeared.

Sam stood there, alone, staring at the door. "Okay," he said out loud, "This is crazy." He sat back down on the bed and shut his eyes, trying to clear his head.

Rrrrrrring

He opened his eyes and looked over at the phone sitting on the bed stand.

Rrrrrrring

Rrrrrrring

Sam shrugged, figuring that answering the call couldn't possibly make his situation any worse. He reached out, picked up the phone, and put it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hi Bobby…it's Dean."

Sam instantly sat up straight and held the receiver closer to his ear. "…What??"

"Yeah, I know, it's late at night and I shouldn't be calling, but something's happened and Sam's in trouble and I have…absolutely no idea what to do. I need your help."

"Dean?" Sam said, confused, "How—how did you get this number?"

There was a pause. "You gave it to me, Bobby." Dean said, slowly. "Come on man, wake up! I don't have time for this."

"Dean…this isn't Bobby," he said, "It's Sam."

"What?" Dean said in disbelief. "But—"

"Dean, it's me, okay? We don't have time to argue. And believe me, I'm just as confused as you are…" he looked around, "Scratch that, I'm way more confused than you are."

"Are you okay?" Dean asked softly, sounding slightly relieved.

"Yeah." he answered, "Yeah, I'm okay…you?"

"Sam, I'm fine, I wasn't the one trapped in a room and then pulled through a wall!" Dean said tensely. "Where are you?"

"I…this is going to sound weird, Dean, but I'm still in Room 37." Sam said, "And I honestly don't know how, what with me being sucked through the wall and everything."

There was another pause.

"Let me guess," Sam said, "You're in Room 37 right now too."

"Yeah, I am." Dean said. "Sam, how can we both be in the same room at the same time and not see each other? How does that make sense?"

"Are you on your cell phone?" Sam asked.

"No, it wouldn't work in the Inn so I'm using the room phone…why does that matter?"

"The room phone in Room 37?"

"Yeah." Dean said. "Why?"

Sam shut his eyes. "Because I'm on the same phone."

"That doesn't make sense—" Dean began, but the rest of what he said was drowned out by static.

"Dean??" Sam said loudly. "Dean?!" there was a click and then nothing but the dial tone could be heard.

Sam slowly put the phone back in the receiver and looked back at the door. Heart pounding in his chest, he stood up and walked over to it. He was terrified of what might be behind it, but he knew that he wasn't going to accomplish anything hiding in the room…at least this way he might be able to find a way to get back to Dean.

Sam opened the door…

I know, I know, another cliffhanger. I'll try to update soon…Please review!