Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable in this story.

Thank you JuliaAurelia for reviewing and thank you Kyla for your lovely feedback 

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It took all the restraint Dean had not to pack up that instant and return to his search for Castiel. But Sam had managed to convince him to sleep by reminding him that no libraries were open, nor was there anyone to interview at this hour. So Dean lay his head down and drifted back into dreamless slumber.

Nevertheless, the Winchesters didn't rest long. They were downstairs ready to check out within half an hour of being awake. But not even Dean could deny that he was starving, so they stayed for breakfast.

"Go over the vision again," Dean closed his eyes and tried to remember everything

"It's a mountain, with an old looking village at the base of it. The mountain is huge and at night it was surrounded by this green mist." Sam furrowed his eyebrows,

"Ok, so we need to find a library and find what mountains have villages by them. Then we'll narrow it down by searching up known haunted spots,"

"Bald Mountain,"

The boys whipped their heads around to face an old man, sitting one table over and smoking a pipe.

"Sorry?" asked Sam politely

"Yer tryin to find a haunted village at th' base of a mountain. Yer lookin fer Bald Mountain."

"What do you know about it?" Dean demanded. The man took the pipe out of his mouth and gave a wheezy chuckle,

"Only that it's the most haunted place in Russia. That village is a ghost town, over-ridden by evil. Some say that the mountain itself is a gateway to hell. Those that spend the night are never seen again. Not alive anyway."

"How far is it?" asked Sam, trying to contain himself. The man smiled,

"A good seven hour drive north from here," The boys exchanged looks

"Thank you sir," Sam and Dean got up and left, leaving some money to pay for their partially eaten meals.

Stopping only to buy a map, the boys sped off towards this supposed haunted mountain.

"Man, I really hope that guy was telling the truth," murmured Sam. Dean nodded,

"Me too Sammy, me too," Dean pressed his foot on the pedal, his thoughts on Castiel.

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"Thanks for breakfast, Olga" said the old man, getting up from his table

"Bye Mr. Stromboli!" returned the smiley waitress. Stromboli walked out the door and down the street. When he was out of sight of the motel, he ducked into an alley. Unseen by anyone, Mr. Stromboli's eyes flipped to black, just before he threw back his head and screamed, sending a huge cloud of black smoke into the air. Mr. Stromboli fell to the ground, dead.

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The seven hours passed all too slowly for both brothers. But to their relief, they didn't run into any traffic problems. Although, Sam noted, this road seemed a little bit too quiet.

"We're here Sammy." said Dean, his voice tense. Sam looked, and sure enough, coming up was a sign, looming over their heads reading "Bald Mountain Ville". Taking a deep breath, Dean drove the Impala over the town border.

The old man hadn't been kidding; the only way Sam could think of to describe this place was 'ghost town'. The tiny little cottages had pointed roofs, the shingles flaking off. Despite being late afternoon, the streets were barren, the wind whistling as though to emphasize this. But even the houses looked empty, no lights on, no smoke coming from the chimneys, nothing. The Impala crept down the cobbled road slowly, while Sam and Dean kept their eyes out for even one sign of life. Even the sky was a musky grey; everything about this town seemed dead. Sam shuddered as they passed a considerably large cemetery, with a gallows standing in the centre. Some of the graves were simple, but some were elaborate statues of soldiers.

They kept driving. When they reached the town's edge, Dean realized there was a river separating the village from the mountain. He looked up at it, so tall that he couldn't see the top. But he couldn't deny the sudden chill that enveloped him. He shook himself and reversed the car away from the river. So they continued searching the town when suddenly a little girl ran out of nowhere, directly into their path.

"Dean!" Sam shouted. Dean slammed on the brakes, the Impala screeching to a halt. Sam quickly got out of the car and knelt down beside the girl. She looked to be about seven or eight years old, but was still clutching a teddy bear, here brown eyes wide and frightened.

"Are you ok?" asked Sam. The little girl nodded, clutching her bear even more tightly.

"Are you lost?" She nodded again.

"What's your name?" She blinked her eyes,

"Valentina" she answered in a small voice.

"Ok, my brother and I are going to help you find your parents. Alright?" Valentina nodded, taking Sam's hand and following him to the car.

Dean didn't ask when Sam plopped the girl into the back seat.

"You shouldn't run into the streets like that, you know. You could get hurt." Valentina didn't answer Dean; she just blinked at him. So off they went. It took about ten minutes for them to find the little girl's house. She had scared them both to death by shrieking 'There!' after being silent for the entire trip.

A large woman with curly white hair and an apron hurried out of the house,

"Valentina! Valentina! Are you alright?" she was followed by her equally large husband. The woman rushed up to her daughter and hugged her tightly before standing up and shaking the hands of both boys enthusiastically.

"Thank you, thank you for bringing my daughter home. I am Renata, this is my husband Artur"

"Nice to meet you, I'm Sam and this is my brother Dean," said Sam, trying to hide a wince; Renata had one strong grip. He paled slightly when Artur stepped forward for a handshake as well.

"Please come inside, and let us repay you for helping our Valentina," Artur's voice was deep, and he spoke with a thick accent.

"Thank you, but," Dean started, but Renata cut him off.

"We insist!" Then, casting an eye over the street, she leaned in, lowering her voice, "Trust me, you don't want to be out on these streets for long, it gets dangerous around here." So the Winchesters followed the family inside.

The kitchen was dimly lit by three lanterns hanging on the walls.

"Please sit," said Renata, gesturing to the small wooden table. Sam, Dean and Artur made small talk while Renata cooked dinner. Valentine just sat and blinked. When she finished, Sam looked out the window and noted that it was getting dark

"So, tell me," He asked casually, "what did you mean that it gets dangerous around here?" Renata and Artur both froze.

"Valentina," said Artur, quietly but forcefully, "go get ready for bed." The girl got up and went upstairs without a word. Renata stood and started gathering up the dishes, her mouth a tight-lipped line.

"This town is cursed," she whispered. "Every night, he arises and wreaks havoc on the village. Anybody caught outside gets spirited away to God knows where."

"So you're quite lucky we invited you inside," said Artur, standing and bolting the door shut.

"Who is 'he'?" asked Dean.

"Oh you'll meet him soon enough Sam and Dean Winchester," said Artur, turning around, his eyes solid black.

"Our master has been just dying to meet you," added Renata, her eyes also glittering ebony. At her words, and eerie wind picked up outside, wailing loud enough for the boys to hear.

"It's starting!" Renata cackled, than she lunged.

TBC

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A/N: Don't worry; next chapter is when the action starts.

Shooshkipoo