Chapter 6: "Don't Listen To The Voices In Your Head"
"We should try the door again," Sam suggested. "With Joseph dead and the spirits free, maybe the doors have been released."
"Okay, we'll do that." Dean nodded and turned to the group. "But everyone has to stay close. No rushing for it."
Everyone agreed not to, and they slowly made their way to the front of the hotel, Sam leading and Dean taking position behind the others with their shotguns at ready.
Dean repeatedly looked over his shoulder, making sure nothing was following them.
They were almost at the door when the army man's head started twitching and he started mumbling.
"You okay man?" Dean inquired.
"Do it," the soldier muttered. "Do it, do it, right now."
Tiffany, who was beside him, glanced up at his face warily. "Ryan?"
Ryan moaned. "No. No. No. I will not."
"Will not what?" Dean asked.
Everyone had stopped now and Sam was twisting the door handle.
"It's not opening," he announced.
"Then we break a window," a balding man decided.
He picked up a chair that was by the door and threw it at the front window.
It should have broken the glass, but it didn't even leave a crack. The chair fell to the floor with a thump.
"Stop it!" Ryan shouted. He sounded furious.
He caught everyone's attention and they all stared at him.
"Take it easy man," Dean said cautiously.
He reached for the gun in Ryan's arms, the one he and Sam had left him when they'd gone looking for Joseph. Ryan saw and reacted, hitting Dean in the face with the but of the gun. Dean fell to the ground, knocked out, and Ryan made an inhuman roaring sound before charging into the group, causing everyone except Sam and Tiffany to fall to the ground.
Tiffany shrieked and Sam jumped into action, trying to pull Ryan out of the group. Ryan turned and threw punches at him and pushed him away. He was several inches shorter than Sam, but just as muscular, and quicker.
He reached for his gun but Sam stopped him from picking it up off the ground with a punch to his lower jaw. Ryan stumbled and fell on his back. Sam was going to kick the gun out of reach but Ryan grabbed his right ankle and pulled. Sam grunted and fell to his knees.
Ryan stood up in a flash and kicked Sam in the head before reaching down and picking up the gun and pointing it at the other guests.
Frank stood in front of the others and spread his arms out.
"You don't want to do this son," Frank said calmly. "Put the gun down."
Ryan shook his head. "No, no, no, no, no."
"Put the gun down," Frank repeated. "Before you do something you regret."
Ryan looked up at him, aimed and fired his gun.
Tiffany and the other woman in the group screamed as Frank dropped to the floor with a bullet in his chest.
Dean, who had just become conscious again, jumped to his feet, ripped the gun out of Ryan's grasp and knocked Ryan to the ground.
Ryan struggled to get away from Dean and when he managed to, he was holding the handgun Dean had in his jacket.
"I'm sorry," he said.
And then he shot himself in the head.
As Ryan's body slumped to the ground Dean turned to Sam, who was in the middle of standing, but obviously still dazed.
Dean reached out and steadied his brother. "You alright?"
Sam nodded. "I'll make it."
He glanced over at Frank's body and Dean did as well.
The other guests were by his side, terrified and upset. Tiffany had tears streaming down her face.
"We're all going to die," she said hopelessly.
"No we're not," Dean told her.
"Yes you are," a menacing voice said.
Everyone turned quickly to look in the direction the voice had come from.
Leaning on the front desk, Joseph waved and grinned at them before disappearing in a mist.