Chapter Four

Sam thought the damn bell would never ring. When at last it did, he raced from the school building, foregoing his locker, and ran out to meet Dean who was already by the flagpole waiting for him, talking with another guy.

"Whoa, slow down there, Sammy!" said Dean, bracing himself against the potential impact should his charging brother not be able to stop in time.

"Dean, I know what's going on! I know what's causing the disappearances!"

Dean smiled awkwardly, turning to the guy, Dale, and silently wished his brother would learn a little tact instead of blurting out such bold declarations in front of strangers.

"Damn kids and their enthusiasm," he chuckled, trying to sound casual. "Dale, this is my kid brother Sam."

Giving a slight nod, it was clear Dale's interest had peaked in what the teen had just said. "Got yourself a theory about the missing kids, do you?" he queried.

"Uh," Sam stammered. Damn, gotta learn not to blurt things out in front of strangers, he scolded himself. Dean's gonna kill me.

"Samantha here credits himself a regular Nancy Drew, always thinks he's got the case solved," he said to Dale, slapping Sam on the back a little harder than usual. "Wouldn't count on the Scooby gang recruiting you just yet, there, Sherlock," chuckling a little more this time. No way is Dale gonna buy that and let it go, Dean thought.

"Guess not," Sam offered. Weak, Winchester. He was so getting his ass kicked later.

To both brothers' relief, Dale just nodded again and said he'd talk to Dean later and walked off, giving Sam one more once over.

"That was weird," Dean commented almost to himself. "Lucky, but weird. Sammy…" he began with that hardened tone that was all Dean.

"I know, I'm sorry! It's just … we gotta call dad! We gotta stop her before she kills anyone else!"

"Gotta stop who?"

"Hattie Drexler! She's the one taking the kids, I know it!"

"Sammy, just slow down, alright? Back up and tell me what the hell you're talking about."

Sam relayed the story of Hattie Drexler to Dean, being sure to punctuate every detail, and watched Dean take in and process the information.

"So do you think Hattie's a vengeful spirit?" Sam asked.

"Could be, Sam …",Dean said, trying to figure out his next move.

"So let's get Dad and go check out the house!"

"We can't, Sam. Dad's in south Jersey checking out a lead on the Devil. Joshua called last night and confirmed that some maulings in that area fit the thing's pattern so Dad went to check it out early this morning. Probably won't be home tonight."

"So what do we do?"

"We don't do anything. I'm taking you home and I'm going to go check out the house."

"Dean, you can't go there alone! What if she traps you too?" Sam blurted.

"Not gonna happen, Sammy. According to you I'm not the lady's type. You, however, are, so there's no way in hell you are going anywhere near that place."

"But …"

"No buts, Sam. I'm taking you home and locking you up right now."

Dean took hold of Sam's sleeve and began pulling him in the direction of home.

Neither boy noticed Hugh Mitchell across the street, arms folded, leaning against a tree, watching them. Nor did they see Dale walk up to him.

"Hey Dad."

"Son."

Dale looked to where his father was staring and noticed Dean and Sam walking down the street.

"You know those boys?" Hugh asked.

"Talked with the older one, Dean, a little bit. Seems cool. The kid brother …" he paused.

"What?" Hugh asked, interested in what his son had to say but never taking his eyes from Sam.

"It's just, looking at him, he …"

"I know." His father stopped him. "I noticed it, too, right away."

"Wouldn't be surprised if got taken next. He did tell his brother he thinks he knows what's happened to the missing boys. Is all excited about it, seems pretty sure, well as sure as a kid can be, I guess."

"Is that so," stated Hugh.

"Wouldn't be surprised if he's all hot and bothered over the Drexler legend. Kids always buy into that ghost crap. Hell, maybe he'll be spooked enough to get his family to leave town. All the better for him."

"All the better," Hugh said with an ominous tone he hoped his son wouldn't pick up on. He didn't want Dale to know anything about his plans. He was going to save his town one way or another, and he knew down to his bones Sam Winchester was the key.

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Alice paced in her living room, wringing her hands over each other. The meeting the other night hadn't gone well at all. The things Hugh was suggesting. The plans to use that innocent boy to save the town. It was too horrible to imagine.

Deep in her heart she knew Hattie couldn't be responsible for the deaths. She never knew what happened to the young woman after her son's death and it had haunted her ever since, but the thought that she could hurt any other children. And that silly story? It was just too … impossible.

She and Hattie had become fast friends when Hattie and her family had moved to Morristown 15 years before. Contactors had been working on the old Richard Drive farmhouse for months and everyone was eager to see who was moving in. On the big day came the townsfolk came out to welcome Arthur and Alice Drexler and their three-year-old son Tommy. Alice, a wizard at baking, had made them a very special cake and told the young mother her door was always open to her for anything. Hattie had the most beautiful smile and her son was a bundle of pure, infectious energy and Alice took to the young family right away.

Alice couldn't believe it when eight years later Arthur was gone, taking so cruelly by a drunk driver out on White Oak Ridge Road. The minute she'd heard the devastating news she'd gone over to Hattie's and begged her to let her in. But Hattie had just asked to be left alone and locked herself away, not leaving the house for weeks. She barely let Tommy out either. Just for school, and even then she made sure someone was with him at all times. Wanting to help Hattie, neighbors agreed to take him to and from school – only on foot, never by car – and took every opportunity to try and get her to come back out into the world. But she would have none of it. And everyone pitied the poor boy, coping with his own grief, and the toll it was taking on the 11-year-old.

Then one day something changed. It was Alice's turn to walk Tommy to school and as she came up to the porch the door opened. Out into the sunshine stepped Tommy and just behind him, his mother. She was pale and had lost a lot of weight and carried such despair in her young eyes, but she was leaving the house at last. They came down the steps and greeted Alice.

"Hattie …" said Alice, beaming.

"Hello Alice." She put her arm around her son, who looked up to her with such pride it brought tears to Alice's eyes. "Gonna take my son to school. Care to join us?"

"Absolutely!" Alice laughed. It was a true miracle and she was going to latch onto it and never let go. It was the first step to getting her friend back.

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The months that followed saw Hattie rejoining society more and more, smiling more with each passing day. She got her color back, put on some healthy weight (thanks to Alice's many treats) and seemed happy. She was even asked out a few times by some of the town's bachelors, and though she politely declined their invitations she was noticeably flattered. She even confided to Alice that maybe one day she'd accept.

Then that horrible fall day had come. Hattie had been so good at letting Tommy go out on his own to join friends, stay after school for sports and do other things away from her. She still wouldn't let him ride in anyone else's car, but Tommy thought it a small sacrifice to pay in exchange for his long-desired freedom from his doting, seriously overprotective mother.

That fateful day, he had told his mother he was going to go meet friends down by the lake and that he would be home for supper. As always, she had hugged him, told him to be careful and started her list of things to watch out for. He smiled when she instead stopped herself, took a breath and simply told him to have fun.

Tommy didn't like lying to his mom. But he knew it was the only way to get some alone time. She could be so suffocating! If she thought he was going to join up with friends, she was okay with it. She'd finally stopped checking up on him and his whereabouts and he was thankful. He'd waited so patiently and worked so hard to establish and solidify that trust until he knew she wasn't calling his friend's mothers to make sure he was where he said he'd be. Once he knew he was in the clear, he started taking more and more solo outings around town, his favorite spot being the lake.

Looking out at the ice, it looked just as it always did when frozen over. And it had been absolutely freezing the last few nights, so it had to be solid enough by now. He tested the first few steps with his foot, pressing down hard before moving another step out. Before he knew it, he was 20-some-feet out. Convinced all was good, he started sliding around in his sneakers. He hadn't brought his skates but he knew he'd get a few hours of practice in during the weekend. He desperately wanted to make first string on the hockey team this year and was going to work his butt off to do it.

Suddenly he stopped as he felt the ice shift – wait, did it just bob? – under him. He bounced a little and sure enough, he felt the ice give a little. He looked to shore but his heart fell when he didn't see anyone around. It was close to dinnertime and he figured everyone was back in their warm homes by now. He tentatively started making his way back to the shore, crouching down to spread his weight around a bit. But it was too late. The ice completely gave way and he fell through. The water hit him like a thousand knives and his clothes were heavy on his body. He managed to find his way back to the hole and get his head out but the cold had taken his voice and he could barely call for help. He felt his strength leaving him and couldn't stay above the water. As he sank beneath he tried to keep an eye on the hole but saw it drifting further away from him. As everything went dark, his last thoughts were of his mother. She'd never survive this, he just knew it.

"Sorry Mom," he thought as he surrendered to the darkness.

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At the funeral Alice knew she had probably lost Alice for good this time. She'd collapsed onto her son's casket at the grave sight and begged him not to leave her. Afterwards, she shut herself back in her house and everyone knew it would take ten miracles to get her back out.

Alice had stopped herself from going over, hating to do so. She just wanted to be there for her friend. When she finally did go over, she knocked on the door but got no answer. She looked in the windows and saw the house as it was but no sign of Hattie. She called out to her but received no answer.

She continued going over every day for the next few weeks, repeating her pleas and growing more and more worried. She didn't know what Hattie would do, if she was capable of hurting herself, and finally convinced others to come out with her. She had Jerry the locksmith come out and try to open the doors but no matter how much he tried he couldn't get the lock opened. Glancing, in the windows, people noticed that there were fewer and fewer things in the house, little things at first, then pieces of furniture, art off the walls, etc.

By the third week Alice was desperate to get in the house. The townsfolk tried to stop her but she picked up a rock and threw it at the window. It didn't break. Others tried breaking the glass but to no avail. Spooked by this unexplainable turn of events, people backed off and would not return to the house. But Alice couldn't give up that easily. That is until she returned the next day. Looking in the house once more, she found it to be completely empty. No furniture, no rugs, nothing. It was completely cleared out. Dropping down onto the porch in tears, she figured Hattie must have left in the middle of the night, tired of being bothered with everyone's pity.

Alice never returned to the house. She never saw or heard from her friend again.

But she still refused to believe Hattie had anything to do with the deaths. Not Hattie. Heck, even if she was in the afterlife, it could only be as an angel.

Alice couldn't help but think a guardian angel is what little Sam Winchester needed right now if he was going to be safe from Hugh's intentions. If she had to, she'd protect him herself. For all their souls.