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Under Your Skin: Chapter 6
Day 5
Hanging up his cell, Dean ran his hand through his hair leaning back against the front seat. He closed his eyes thankfully for the piece of information he'd just received. Bolting from the Impala, he knew he had to leave now before the trail went cold once more. He turned in every direction looking for any sign of Lexi. 'God damn it. Where did she run off to now?' He thought desperately. His heart was pounding in his ears as he went in search of her.
"Lex! Let's go!" Dean yelled from outside the gas station bathroom door, "I just got a lead on Sam."
"That's great. Where is he?" she asked following him back to the Impala.
Dean turned to her attempting to play it cool, "Someone thinks they spotted him in Louisiana."
She looked up at him tilting her head to the side, "You're scared."
He shifted uncomfortably shoving his hands in his pockets. He leaned back against the car shaking his head, "I'm not scared."
She wrapped her arms around Dean, resting her head against his chest, "You're not gonna loose Sam. You're going to find him."
He cleared his throat looking down at her, "Come on, Lex. You know my rules. And the number one rule is 'No chick flick moments.'"
"I forgot." She stated quietly rubbing his arms, "its ok for you to let your guard down once in a while you know. I'm not going to think any less of you."
"Yeah, I know." He stated squinting up at the sky while rubbing the back of his neck, "We gotta go, come on."
She moaned suddenly swaying on her feet. Dean grabbed her arms steadying her as he watched her face contort in pain. She shook her head, her eyes closed tight while the images sped through her brain. She moaned once more. Lexi attempted to end the disturbing slide show in her head, the searing pain too much for her. Exhausted, she collapsed against Dean's chest.
Dean wrapped his arms around her protectively to stop her trembling. He rubbed her back in slow circles speaking softly, "Lex? What did you see, baby?"
"I saw…a sign…it said New Orleans."
"Anything else?" Dean questioned still rubbing her back.
She nodded her head taking a deep breath, "A brick rooming house….the number on the house…..187. And then a door inside with the room number 24…..I saw a girl being murdered."
Xxxx
Dean's eyes scanned the crowded coffee bar for the petite blonde girl he had walked in with. He smiled slightly when his gaze fell on her sitting by the window. He stood there for a moment longer than necessary just watching Lexi. She was sitting away from the crowd at a table in the back corner. She stared intently at the computer screen, twirling a lock of her hair around her index finger.
He sat across from her, taking the lid off her coffee before handing it over. She looked up giving him a faint smile. "This isn't decaf is it?"
"No, only jet fuel for you and three sugars. I remember." He winked taking a sip of his own coffee, "So did you find anything?"
"Actually, yes I did." She nodded staring at the screen once again.
"You plan on sharing?" he questioned arching his eyebrow, "I'm not a freaky psychic, remember."
"The boarding house is definitely in New Orleans. There have been several murders there. More exactly, several murders in room 24. They've been mostly all white males ages 25- 30 years old."
"How many?"
"From what I've found anyone that has stayed in that room has died. Only four people in over a century have made it out of that room."
Dean frowned rubbing his chin, "Anything on the first murder?"
"Yeah the victim was a maid. She was strangled with the bed sheets. That's how everyone's died, strangulation."
"Well," he said standing up, "guess I got a hunt to go on."
"What do you mean you? I'm coming."
"Lex, you're not a hunter." Dean stated shrugging, "I'll drop you off with a friend of mine."
"I can take care of myself, Dean." She snapped following him out to the car, "I'm coming with you."
"You're a real pain in my ass, you know that? Fine, Lex, you wanna come? Then you're gonna do what I tell you, got it?"
"Fine."
Dean looked at her, the tone of his voice serious, "I'm not kidding, Lex. I don't want you getting hurt."
New Orleans, Louisiana
Day 6
Dean watched the crowd on Bourbon Street trying not to remember the last time he was here. He closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead reminding himself that this time in New Orleans wasn't like the last time. He knew he was kidding himself, this city held more than just your average spooks here; it held his own demons as well. He began walking with no destination in particular; he just had to keep moving. Keep moving, don't stop and maybe this time his demons won't be able to catch him. He was wrong; there was no running from your past.
Dean looked up at the building in front of him. Lexi's old apartment, the last place he wanted to see. The place where he had his heart ripped from his chest, it was worse than any physical pain he had ever known from his hunts. He never let anyone see him that vulnerable, no one, not even Sam.
He let Lexi in; she was the only person he was ever honest with. The only person he ever told the family secret to, the only person that ever accepted him, the only person he ever said 'I love you' to. He took his dad's advice, bought the ring and drove down to see her. Dean never he got the chance to ask her, he was waiting for the right moment, it never came. Instead, he woke up to a 'Dear John' letter and the ring ended up in the Mississippi River. After that, he swore he would never let anyone get under his skin again. No one has but now she was back. And Dean knew, he knew deep down that he never stopped loving her. He rubbed his face heading back to the car. He had a job to do, he couldn't afford any distractions.
Xxxxxx
"Did you find out anything more about this room?" Dean asked Lexi opening the trunk selecting weapons to bring inside.
"No, nothing else….."her eyes widened when she saw the collection of weapons in the Impala's trunk. "Dean what is all this?"
"Tools of the trade."
"Wow, you're like a super hero." She stated awed, "A damn sexy super hero."
Dean chuckled smirking at her, "Super hero, no. Sexy, yes."
"So when do we kill this ghost?" Lexi stated turning a large knife in her hand admiringly.
"Don't touch. And we aren't killing anything, I am."
"Why can't I help?"
"Oh I don't know because that room's like a raid roach motel. And I told you, you need to lure the girl out of the room so I can check it out."
Xxxxx
"She's gone, Dean." Lexi stated as she entered their room, "How are you going to get in there anyway?"
"I have my ways." He stated putting his emf meter in his pocket, "I'm just gonna check it out. You stay put."
Lexi rolled her eyes, following Dean down the hallway. She watched him, tilting her head to the side, as he picked the lock. "Why am I not surprised you know how to do that?"
"Didn't I tell you to stay in the damn room?" Dean hissed glaring at her, "You never did listen."
"You need a look out don't you?"
"Fine and you do NOT move one freakin centimeter from that spot." He said harshly motioning with his hands.
"Okay, okay."
She watched Dean enter room 24; her curiosity peaked when he began taking EMF readings. "What are you doing?"
He turned his eyebrows inching up into his hairline, "Taking EMF. I'll be done in a minute."
Lexi inched closer to room to get a better look inside. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed something on the door frame. She stepped closer, realizing they were symbols of some kind. She ran her fingers slowly over the symbols carved there, they looked some what familiar. She just couldn't place where she saw them before.
"Dean?"
"Yeah, Lex?"
"Did you see these symbols on the door frame? They're all over……"
"Symbols? What symbols?"
"Here on the door frame, come look."
He looked at her before making his way across the room. He was mere inches from the door when he was pushed further back into the room by some invisible force. The door and windows slammed shut, all the locks locking by themselves. The room suddenly took on a deadly presence. Dean stood up groaning knowing he was in deep shit if he couldn't get the door open. He pulled on the door to no avail; it felt like it had been nailed shut.
"Lexi? Lexi, see if you can get the door open."
"DEAN! DEAN!" Lexi pulled and banged on the door to room 24, eliciting stares from the elderly maid. "Can't YOU hear him?"
"Hear who child?"
"My friend! He's stuck in this room."
The elderly maid looked at the number on the door, shaking her head in sympathy. "Oh child, you're not going to get him out of there until the room's ready to let him out."
"WHAT? What's that supposed to mean?" she practically screamed looking at the woman wildly, "These symbols do you know what they mean?"
She nodded her head stepping closer to Lexi, "That's powerful charms, that is. Hoodoo charms. Nothing's coming out of that room unless she lets it."
"Who's she? You have to tell me. I have to get him out."
"From the stories I heard, her name's Nessa. She was a maid here way back when. See this man checked in one day, nothing out of ordinary. Nessa goes to tidy up his room and this crazy man was hiding behind the door. He strangled her with the bed sheets."
"And the symbols, these charms?"
"They act like a barrier, an invisible wall."
Lexi looked at the door and back to the maid taking a deep breath, "How do I break the barrier down?"
"A ritual will do it but your friend doesn't have much time."
20 minutes later
Dean shook his head, looking at the Sam in front of him, "You're not Sammy."
"Sammy's a chubby 12 year old, Dean."
"You're not real!"
"I'm as real as you are but you aren't the sharpest tool in the shed are you?" Sam taunted him, "All braun, no brains. Does it even surprise you that dad didn't care about you?"
"SHUT UP!"
"That's not very nice, Dean." The thing purred morphing into Lexi flinging him against the wall, "No manners."
Dean looked up at her hatefully, "You're not Lexi, you bitch."
She smiled at him, her green eyes glinting with malice, "I am. I'm the part of Lexi that never gets to come out and play."
"Don't get used to it. I'm gonna send your ass back to hell where it belongs."
"I'm already there." She hissed running her tongue up his neck, "Care to join me?"
"In your fucking dreams."
Lexi kneeled down so their eyes were level, "You wanna hear a secret? I never loved you. How could I love someone like you. You're a loser, Dean."
"Fuck you!"
She smiled, reaching down and lifting his chin up, "That's the only thing you're good for, that and getting your family killed. First mommy, then daddy and poor little Sammy's next."
25 minutes later
Lexi opened the door slowly; worried about the state Dean would be in. She couldn't hear his thoughts any longer; making her wonder if he was even still alive. She saw him in the corner, his head resting on his knees. She rushed to his side, brushing his hair back gently.
"Dean? Are you ok?"
"Get AWAY from me!" He growled knocking Lexi backwards her head connecting to the floor with a sickening crunch.
She moaned, the room spinning leaving her dizzy. Her body felt like it was weighted down, the win knocked out of her. "Dean, what the hell?"
He attacked her, his hands locked around her throat. Lexi's eyes went wide, her chest tightening at the lack of oxygen. She gasped for air desperately, her hands flying to his chest attempting to push him off her. Dean's grip on her neck only tightened causing her to panic. She attempted to pry his fingers from her throat; she kicked her legs, trying anyway to escape him. Lexi felt herself loosing consciousness, her body going limp. The room started to fade away, she stopped fighting back. Tears slid down her cheeks despite that she was giving in.
Dean loosened his grip around her neck, watching the tears flow down her face. He let go completely, his breath hitching in his chest. She began coughing violently, rolling onto her side, trying to fill her lungs with air.
He reached down tentatively; Dean's voice thick with panic. "Lexi, is that….its you?"
"Yes…." She choked out still gasping for air.
"Oh my God. I almost…." he whispered gathering Lexi up in his arms, "Lexi, I thought it was…..I'm sorry….."
"Damn, I knew you were mad at how I ended things with us. Come on, though you didn't have to go all psycho on me." She choked out her voice raspy and raw.
"I'm sorry. The spirit turned into…..it….."
"It's ok, Dean. You're all banged up and bleeding. You gotta get out of here. I don't know how long the barrier's gonna stay down."
"I'm gonna kill this bitch ghost."
"You have to salt and burn the bones, right?" She asked as Dean helped her out of room 24.
"Yeah, I need to find out where she's buried."
Lexi pulled a small sheet of paper out of her front pants pocket handing it to him. "I already got it. "