……………………………………………CHAPTER 10…………………………………...
Street lamps light up a private road which leads to an abandoned building 5 stories high. A security car sits in the car park while Dean, Sam and Nina sit in the Impala which is parked behind some over grown brushes. Looking up at the abandoned building Dean sees a flash light moving along the windows on the fifth floor. 'Come on' Dean mumbles as he watches the light disappear and then reappear in the first window of the fourth floor. Tapping the steering wheel Dean is suddenly poked in the back of his ear by something sharp. Leaning back Dean grabs the straw out of Nina's hand while she and Sam start to laugh out loud.
"Yer very funny guys like maybe the first ten times you did it."
"Hey what's up Dean, you not having fun?" Dean throws Sam back a sarcastic smile before rolling down his window and throwing out the straw.
"You do now littering is an offence?" Nina says leaning forward while trying to hold back her laughter.
"Is like babysitting a bunch of school kids." Dean mumbles under his breath as he tries to ignore the sound of Nina and Sam giggling. "Jesus Sammy, why did you pick this place anyway? Looks like it's on the verge of collapsing."
"Hey Dean, if you can find anywhere better in such short notice then go ahead. Anyway look around you. There's no one about for miles."
"Except for the security guard who is patrolling the building as we speak." Says Dean.
"That's just a call out guard. He's paid to make sure the building hasn't got anyone squatting in there. Don't worry Dean I managed to get hold of their roster and he only comes and checks this place out once a night. He'll be gone soon."
"Yer well I hope so. We still need to finish off the potion and prepare the room before our lady friend makes her appearance." Dean looks back up at the window and then gives out a sigh as he is prodded once again in the ear while Nina and Sam burst into laughter.
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Leaning back in his seat Dean begins to close his eyes while Nina lies on the back seat twirling her hair as she looks up at the roof of the car in deep thought. Sam continues to twirl a knife around his fingers as he looks at the building and sees the security guard locking up the front door and getting into his car.
"Guys."
Sam pats Dean on the shoulder and the trio watch as the security guard starts up his car and drives off.
"That guy sure did take his time." Says Dean as he gets out of the car and heads towards the trunk with Sam.
Taking off her precious grey jacket and putting it on the back seat Nina looks up at the building and scans the windows.
"Is she ok?" Dean says as he double checks his gun and places it in the back of his jeans.
"She's fine, bit freaked out that's all."
"You want to call this off? We can try and go to that woman's house, try and fight off this witch some other way. She doesn't have to be a part of any of this if you really don't want her to?"
"Yes I do." Sam jumps slightly as Nina appears next to him. "You guys I'm fine, now come on and let's get sorted." Nina says before walking towards the building quickly followed by Sam and Dean who grab a duffle bag each from the trunk.
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Pushing his knife through a partial gap in the window, Sam manages to flick the latch open and raise the window up. After letting Dean enter first and then himself, Sam turns back and helps Nina through. With their flashlights ready the trio begin to scan the room.
"What was this place?" Says Dean as he shines his light on the floor. Pieces of paper litter the tiny room while a couple of desks and chairs sit in the corner.
"It was used by a company that dealt with office supplies. The guy who founded the company died about twenty years ago but nobody carried on the business. Apparently he took out a 100 year lease on the building, paying up front, and so until that's ended it's just sitting here unused." Says Sam as he continues to shine his light around the room while Nina opens some of the draws of the desks but finds them empty.
"Come on, we've got to find a bigger room." Dean says leading the way upstairs.
Entering the third floor the trio pass a number of rooms all not much bigger than the last one. Pieces of paper and rubbish scatter the floor boards while others seem to have rotting furniture stacked in the corners. As Dean and Sam walk ahead Nina stops in front of a glass door and wipes away the dirt covering the window.
"Hey guys, what about in here?" Dean and Sam shine their torch on the door to reveal the word MANAGER in gold writing. Turning the handle Dean steps into the room and finds it about twice the size of all the others. A big oak desk sits against the wall to Dean's right and a once red leather chair which is now black with dirt sits beside it.
"Now this is what I'm talking about." Dean says placing his bag on the table and unloading the objects from within it.
The room is once again covered in rubbish and the walls are grey as if covered with a sheet of dust. Shining her light on the wall behind the desk Nina notices an outline of a huge painting which once would have hung with pride of place.
As Sam helps Dean, Nina walks over towards an old notice board and see's newspaper clippings of what the building used to look like. Men in business suits stand outside holding up awards, and a very faint memo is still pinned up reminding everyone about a company picnic.
Pulling out the potion bags Sam placing one in each corner of the room while Dean, who has now set up a camp stove and is heating up some water, reads his father's journal and checks again that he has every ingredient.
"You ok?" Says Sam as he places down the last bag and goes to Nina's side.
"I'm fine. Well a bit scared, never done anything like this before."
"Well we have….well at least Dean has. But the whole fighting evil thing I've pretty much got that sorted as well. It's gonna be ok." Nina looks up at Sam and gives him a nervous smile before giving him a hug. "Sam I…"
"Ok Nina I need you." Says Dean unaware that he has just cut Nina off mid sentence. Breaking herself away from Sam, Nina heads over to Dean and quickly rubs the tears away from her eyes which go unnoticed by Dean and Sam. Staring at the potion Nina turns up her nose as it looks like grass in bubbling water.
"I need some of your blood."
"Ok……artery or main vein from my neck?" Nina asks as Dean holds out a knife before him.
"Don't panic it's only a few drops I need. Hold out your finger." Slicing the knife across her index finger Dean holds it over the water until 3 drops spill out. Sucking her finger Nina watches as Dean then adds in the hair from Mrs Porter that she collected earlier that day.
"What is that?" Asked Nina as Dean pulls out a small bottle containing some red liquid.
"Err...probably better if you don't know." Dean smiles and then adds the red liquid into his mixture. The trio watch as smoke begins to form almost covering the entire desk. Dean checks his father's journal one more time and then pulls out the last ingredient from his bag.
"Do I not want to know what that is either?" Nina asks as Dean pulls out a plastic bag containing what looks like a mixture of dried worms, finger nails and sand. Taking a pinch of the ingredients Dean sprinkles them in the water and then stands back ushering Nina and Sam with him. With a pop sound, a green cloud of smoke comes out of the pot and then disappears into the air.
"All done." Dean says as he snaps his father's journal shut.
Wrapping a towel around the piping hot bowl, Dean takes the potion off the camp stove and pours it in to a plastic cup before handing it to Nina. Stopping herself from gagging Nina examines the potion which is dark red in complexion with hairs floating on top.
"You have to drink ALL of it." Nina flashes Dean an evil eye and then begins to mumble to herself.
"Chocolate milk, big glass of chocolate milk with marshmallows in, yer marshmallows." Nina throws the potion back and begins to take big gulps in order to get it all down in one while Sam and Dean watch as the liquid begins to disappear from inside the cup. Shoving the cup back into Dean's hands Nina places one hand over her mouth and the other on her stomach as she doubles over as if about to be sick. Rubbing Nina's back Sam watches as Dean starts to pack away the left over ingredients.
"Here, these will help." Dean says handing Nina a packet of mints.
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Sitting on the floor leaning against a wall, Nina takes the last mint out of the packet and begins to suck on it as she looks around the room. Leaning against the oak desk is Dean who is sharpening his knife while Sam sits against the opposite wall facing Nina reading his father's journal. Feeling something in her teeth Nina begins to pick at it and then pulls out a long hair.
"Ewwwww." Nina says dropping the hair and then wiping her hands across her jeans. "I thought you said the taste would go away?"
"It will do……in about a day or so." Dean says grinning as he places the knife back in its holder hidden inside his cowboy boots. Walking towards the window Dean looks out and begins to scan the grounds while Sam stands up and places his father's journal back in his bag.
"How do we now that the potion has worked Dean? I mean Elizabeth could be attacking that Porter woman right now."
"It is working."
"How do you know?"
"Because our guest is arriving." Dean points out of the window and Sam looks out to see a street light start to flicker. Just as Nina joins them the street light goes out and the next one begins.