Winchester Sister
1.08
Sam opens the door and I keep my eyes shut.
I hear Sam sigh.
"What?" asks Dean climbing in the driver's seat.
"She's asleep."
"And? Ride in the back."
Sam sighs again.
"Or wake her up, I don't care. Either way in 30 seconds I'm driving out of here."
I hear Sam shuffle his feet and close my door. He gets in the back.
I open one eye and look at Dean. He winks at me. I smile back and pretend to keep sleeping.
"Work work work. No time to spend my money."
It sure is a sinkhole. It's surrounded by police tape. It's not very big, but it seems incredibly deep.
Dean leans over. "Huh. What do you think?"
"I don't know. But if that guy, Travis, was right, it happened pretty damn fast," says Sam.
We go under the police tape and look into the sinkhole with a flashlight.
"So it was a creature that ate out his brain?" I ask.
"No, there'd be an entry wound. Sounds like this thing worked from the inside," says Sam.
"Huh," says Dean. "Looks like there's only room for one. You wanna flip a coin?" he asks Sam.
"Dean, we have no idea what's down there."
Dean picks up a coil of rope. "All right, I'll go if you're scared. You scared?"
"Flip the damn coin," says Sam.
I take the flashlight and Dean laughs as he takes a coin out.
"All right, call it in the air... chicken," he says. Dean flips the coin but Sam catches it out of the air.
"I'm going," says Sam.
"I said I'd go."
"I'm going."
"Oh my god, one of you, go!" I say.
"All right," Dean says. "Sammy'll go."
Sam starts to tie the rope around his waist. "Don't drop me."
"We'll try not to," I say.
Sam comes up with a dead beetle.
"Fascinating," I say flatly when he shows it to us.
We get in the car and as Dean drives Sam keeps looking at the dead bug.
"So you found some beetles," says Dean. "In a hole, in the ground. That's shocking, Sam."
"There were no tunnels, no tracks," says Sam. "No evidence of any other kind of creature down there. You know, some beetles do eat meat. Now, it's usually dead meat, but…"
"How many did you find down there?"
"Ten."
"That's it?" I ask. I've been relegated to the backseat again. But I got nearly a solid 20 hours. I think that's my record.
"It'd take a whole lot more than that to eat out some dude's brain," says Dean.
"Well, maybe there were more."
"I don't know, it sounds like a stretch to me."
"And where did the rest of the bugs go. Wouldn't that Travis have seen them?" I say.
"Well, we need more information on the area, the neighborhood," says Sam. "Whether something like this has ever happened before."
We keep driving but no one says anything.
"What?" asks Sam.
"I know a good place to start," says Dean.
"I'm kinda hungry for a little barbeque, how 'bout you guys?"
Sam glares at Dean.
"What, we can't talk to the locals?" asks Dean.
"And the free food's got nothin' to do with it?" asks Sam.
"Of course not. I'm a professional."
"Right."
Dean pulls over and we get out of the car and walk down the street to the house. It's a little too…perfect.
"Growin' up in a place like this would freak me out," says Dean.
"Why?" asks Sam.
"Well, manicured lawns, "How was your day, honey?" I'd blow my brains out."
"There's nothing wrong with "normal"."
"This isn't normal, this is 'Stepford'," I say. "All the houses look almost identical. How do you find yours in the dark?"
"I'd take our family over either of those any day," says Dean.
We reach the house and knock on the door. A man answers.
"Welcome."
"This the barbeque?" asks Dean.
"Yeah, not the best weather, but... I'm Larry Pike, the developer here. And you are... ?"
"Dean. This is Sam, and Jane."
He shakes hands with all of us.
"Sam, Dean, Jane, good to meet you. So, you guys are interested in Oasis Plains?"
"Yes, sir."
"Let me just say - we accept homeowners of any race, religion, color, or... sexual orientation," he says.
Sam and Dean exchange a look and I hide my laugh with a cough.
"We're brothers," says Dean. "And this is our little sister." The man looks embarrassed.
"Our father is getting on in years, and we're just lookin' for a place for him," says Sam.
"Great, great. Well, seniors are welcome, too. Come on in." He leads us through the house and out to the back. Prattling on about things. I mostly only catch his name, Larry.
The house is so clean and tidy and…white. It's weird.
"You said you were the developer?"
"Eighteen months ago, I was walking this valley with my survey team," says Larry. There was nothing here but scrub brush and squirrels. And you know what, we built such a nice place to live that I actually bought into it myself. This is our house. We're the first family in Oasis Plains."
We walk over to a woman, "This is my wife, Joanie," says Larry.
"Hi there," says Joanie.
"Hi," says Dean and they shake hands.
"Hi, nice to meet you."
"Sam, Dean, and Jane," says Larry.
Sam shakes her hand, "Sam." He says.
"Pleasure."
"Tell them how much you love the place, honey. And lie if you have to because I need to sell some houses," says Larry.
"Right."
They do a weird fake laugh thing.
"Will you excuse me?" asks Larry and he leaves.
"Don't let his salesman routine scare you. This really is a great place to live," smiles Joanie.
Another woman comes over, she looks very professional. "Hi, I'm Lynda Bloome, head of sales."
They must be desperate to sell these houses.
"And Lynda was second to move in. She's a very noisy neighbor, though." Joanie leaves.
Lynda laughs. "She's kidding, of course. I take it you are interested in becoming homeowners."
"Well..." says Dean.
"Y-yeah, well..." stammers Sam.
"Well, let me just say that we accept homeowners of any race, religion, color, or... sexual orientation," says Lynda.
Love the sales pitch. Dean and I laugh.
"Right. Um... let's go talk to Larry," Dean says taking me by the arm. "Okay honey?" he says to Sam and smacks him on the butt. I nearly burst out laughing but Dean pulls my head into his chest to stifle it.
Larry takes Dean and I on a tour of the house and way too much information about everything. He finally finishes and Larry leads us back outside to where Sam is talking with a boy.
"Matthew," says Larry as we come up to them. "I am so sorry about my son and his... pet."
"It's no bother," says Sam.
"Excuse us," Larry and Matt walk away.
"Remind you of somebody?" asks Sam.
Dean and I look at Larry, he's angry at Matt.
"Dad?" says Sam.
"Dad never treated us like that. Certainly, doesn't treat Janie like that."
"Well, Dad never treated you like that. You were perfect," says Sam. "And Janie is his delicate little…" I raise my eyebrows at him, and he moves on. "Whatever. He was all over my case. You don't remember?"
"Well, maybe he had to raise his voice, but sometimes, you were out of line."
Sam scoffs. "Right, like when I said I'd rather play soccer than learn bowhunting."
"Bowhunting is cool," I say. "It's way more fun than soccer anyway.
Sam rolls his eyes. "Whatever. How was your tour?"
"Oh, it was excellent. I'm ready to buy," says Dean.
"I'm still not sure how you can shower with steam though," I say.
"But we are eager to find out," says Dean.
Sam laughs.
"So you might be onto somethin'," says Dean. "Looks like Dustin Burwash wasn't the first strange death around here."
"What happened?"
"About a year ago, before they broke ground, one of Larry's surveyors dropped dead while on the job. Get this severe allergic reaction to bee stings."
"More bugs."
Dean nods. "More Bugs."
Sam drives through the neighborhood and Dean looks through Dad's journal. I'm supposed to be reading my English book but it's boring.
"You know, I've heard of killer bees, but killer beetles?" asks Dean. "What is it that could make different bugs attack?"
"Well, hauntings sometimes include bug manifestations," says Sam.
"Yeah, but I didn't see any evidence of ghost activity."
"Yeah, me neither."
"Could they be controlled by someone or something?" I ask, leaning forward.
"You're supposed to be doing homework," says Dean.
"This is more interesting," I say. "And more important."
"Controlled," says Sam, cutting in, "You mean, like Willard?"
"Yeah," says Dean, thinking, "Bugs instead of rats."
"There are cases of psychic connections between people and animals - elementals, telepaths."
"Yeah, that whole Timmy-Lassie thing," says Dean. He pauses. "Larry's kid - he's got bugs for pets."
"Matt?"
"Yeah."
"He did try to scare the realtor with a tarantula."
"You think he's our Willard?"
"I don't know. Anything's possible, I guess."
"You don't think it's him?" I ask.
"Ooh, hey. Pull over here," says Dean suddenly.
Sam pulls up to an empty driveway of one of the display homes. "What are we doing here?"
Dean gets out of the car. Sam and I stay put.
"It's too late to talk to anybody else," says Dean.
"We're gonna squat in an empty house?" asks Sam.
"Isn't that illegal?" I ask.
"As opposed to everything else we do?" says Dean. "I wanna try the steam shower. Come on."
Sam and I sit still.
Sam pulls the car into the empty garage and Dean closes it behind us.
A steam shower sounds counter-intuitive. It's not. It's a magical experience. I don't know how long I'm in there but when I come out, get dressed, and find Sam in the kitchen he's just staring at me.
"What?" I ask.
"You look like a tomato," says Sam.
I walk over to him and hit him in the arm. "A very clean tomato."
We hear the shower start up. "Dean's turn," I smile. "You might never get him out of there."
"Eat," says Sam and shoves over a bowl and box of Cheerios.
"Where did this come from?"
"I went out this morning."
I check my watch. "What time did you wake up?"
"Early."
"Freak," I say and get milk for my cereal from the fridge.
Sam plays with the police scanner listening in and I read the local paper that Sam has also gotten from wherever he went at whatever ungodly hour it was. I've finished my cereal and just finishing some orange juice when the police scanner is alive with announcements. A dead body. A road name I recognise. Sam starts typing on the laptop,
"That's only a few blocks from here…" he says.
"There aren't that many people living here," I say.
"I know," says Sam. "Finish up."
He goes and bangs on the door for Dean to get out of the shower.
We drive up to the address that came in on the scanner, pretending we weren't just a few streets over. Larry is out the front and there's a body in a bag on a stretcher being carried out.
"Hello," says Larry. "You're, uh, back early." He says seeing us in the car.
"Yeah, we just drove in, wanted to take another look at the neighborhood," says Dean.
"What's goin' on?" asks Sam.
"You guys met, uh... Lynda Bloome at the barbeque?" asks Larry.
"The realtor."
"Oh god," I say, looking at the body bag.
"Well, she, uh... passed away last night."
"What happened?" asks Dean.
"I'm still tryin' to find out. Identified the body for the police. Look, I-I'm sorry, this isn't a good time now."
"It's okay."
"Excuse me." Larry walks away.
"You know what we have to do, right?" asks Dean.
"Yeah. Get in that house."
"See if we got a bug problem."
"Death by bug," I shudder. "Yuck."
We sneak up the side of Lynda's house and climb through the window. There's an outline of a body on the floor. Euch.
"This looks like the place," says Dean. I stare at the outline and Dean drops something. Spiders fall everywhere.
"Ew," I say before I realize they're dead.
"Spiders," says Dean. "From spider boy?"
"Matt," says Sam. "Maybe."
"I thought it was bugs?" I ask.
"Spiders are bugs," says Dean.
"Spiders are arachnids."
"Okay, nerd. We need to see what arachnid boy is up to."
We pull up at the curb and a school bus pulls up. Matt gets off and starts walking.
"Isn't his house that way?" Dean says pointing in the opposite direction Matt is walking.
"Yup," says Sam.
"So where's he going?"
We get out of the car and start following Matt.
"Janie, maybe you need to wait in the car," says Sam.
"Screw you," I say and run a little to get ahead of him.
"It was just a suggestion," says Sam.
"You want me to be eaten to death by bugs. Alone. In the car? Because everyone so far has died alone."
"Point taken."
"What are you two arguing about?" asks Dean.
"Nothing," Sam and I say.
We come across Matt in a little while looking at…a bug.
"Hey, Matt," says Sam in his 'I really care' voice, "remember me?"
"What are you doin' out here?" asks Matt.
"Well, we wanna talk to you," says Dean.
"You're not here to buy a house, are you?"
Well at least he's not an idiot.
"W-wait. You're not serial killers?"
Scratch that.
Sam and Dean laugh.
"No, no. No, I think you're safe," says Sam.
"So, Matt... you sure know a lot about insects," says Dean.
"And arachnids," I add.
I can feel Dean's eye roll without even looking at him.
"So?" asks Matt.
"Did you hear what happened to Lynda, the realtor?" asks Dean.
"I hear she died this morning."
"Mm, that's right. Spider bites."
"Matt... you tried to scare her with a spider," says Sam.
"Wait. You think I had something to do with that?" he seems genuinely shocked.
"You tell us," says Dean.
"That tarantula was a joke. Anyway, that wouldn't explain the bee attack or the gas company guy."
"You know a lot for someone who didn't do anything," I say.
"There is somethin' going on here," says Matt. "I don't know what... but something's happening with the insects. Let me show you something."
Matt picks up his backpack and leads us away.
"So, if you knew about all this bug stuff, why not tell your dad?" asks Sam. "Maybe he could clear everybody out."
"Believe me, I've tried. But, uh, Larry doesn't listen to me."
"You call your dad Larry?" I ask.
Matt shrugs.
"Why won't he listen to you?" asks Sam.
"Mostly? He's too disappointed in his freak son," says Matt.
Sam scoffs. "I hear you."
"You do?" asks Dean.
Sam turns to Dean and gives him a look. Sam turns back to Matt and Dean and I make a face at each other.
"Matt, how old are you?" asks Sam.
"Sixteen," Matt answers.
"Well, don't sweat it, because in two years, something great's gonna happen."
"What?"
"College. You'll be able to get out of that house and away from your dad."
Wow.
"What kind of advice is that? Kid should stick with his family," says Dean. I agree.
Sam just sighs and glares at Dean. "How much further, Matt?"
"We're close," says Matt.
Finally. We reach a clearing. I can hear a lot of…bugs. It's the loudest I've ever heard an area with bugs before.
"I've been keeping track of insect populations," says Matt. "It's, um, part of an AP science class."
"You two are like peas in a pod," says Dean to Sam.
I laugh but Sam pretends he didn't hear. "What's been happening?" he asks.
"A lot," says Matt. "I mean, from bees to earthworms, beetles... you name it. It's like they're congregating here."
"Why?" asks Dean.
"I don't know."
"What's that?" asks Sam pointing. It's a dark patch of grass. We walk over and there's worms. Like a million worms. So many worms. Dean steps on a few and they fall into the ground…they make a hole.
"Dean, don't," I say.
"It's fine," says Dean and he crouches down and pokes a stick in the hole. "There's somethin' down there."
We put the bones in a box and Dean puts them on the backseat.
"There's no way in hell I'm riding with those," I tell Sam and go for the passenger door.
"Seriously?" he asks.
"What?" I ask. "Scared of some bones?"
"No."
"Great. Cause I am," I smile and get in the front.
Dean laughs and we drive to the university.
Sam pulls out the box when we get there. "So, a bunch of skeletons in an unmarked grave."
"Yeah," says Dean. "Maybe this is a haunting. Pissed off spirits? Some unfinished business?"
"Yeah, maybe. Question is, why bugs? And why now?"
"That's two questions," says Dean. Then he straightens a little. "Yeah, so with that kid back there... why'd you tell him to just ditch his family like that?"
"Just, uh... I know what the kid's goin' through."
"How 'bout tellin' him to respect his old man, how's that for advice?"
"Dean, come on."
They stop walking and I roll my eyes and turn back.
"This isn't about his old man," says Sam. "You think I didn't respect Dad. That's what this is about."
"Just forget it, all right? Sorry I brought it up."
"I respected him. But no matter what I did, it was never good enough."
"Come on Sam," I say.
"So what are you sayin'?" asks Dean. "That Dad was disappointed in you?"
"Was?" says Sam. "Is. Always has been."
"That's not true," I say.
"Why would you think that?" asks Dean.
"Because I didn't wanna bowhunt or hustle pool," says Sam. "Because I wanted to go to school and live my life, which, to our whacked-out family, made me the freak."
"Yeah, you were kind of like the blonde chick in The Munsters."
"Dean, you know what most dads are when their kids score a full ride? Proud. Most dads don't toss their kids out of the house."
"I remember that fight. In fact, I seem to recall a few choice phrases comin' out of your mouth."
"You know, truth is, when we finally do find Dad... I don't know if he's even gonna wanna see me."
"Now that's definitely not true," I say.
Sam gives me a look.
"Sam, Dad was never disappointed in you," says Dean. "Never. He was scared."
"What are you talkin' about?"
"He was afraid of what could've happened to you if he wasn't around. But even when you two weren't talkin'" Dean looks at me and I look at my shoes. "He used to swing by Stanford whenever he could. Keep an eye on you. Make sure you were safe."
"What?"
"Yeah."
"Why didn't you tell me any of that?" asks Sam. "Either of you."
And even from my shoes I can feel his eyes baring down on me.
"Well, it's a two-way street, dude," says Dean. "You could've picked up the phone."
I look up at Sam, he looks sad.
"Come on, we're gonna be late," says Dean and we head into the school.
"So, you guys are students?" asks the professor with a curious look at me.
"Yeah. Yeah, uh we're in your class – Antro 101?" says Sam.
"Oh yeah," says the professor, thankfully just accepting it.
"So, what about the bones, Professor?" asks Dean.
"This is quite an interesting find you've made," says the professor. "I'd say they're 170 years old, give or take. The timeframe and the geography heavily suggest Native American."
"Were there any tribes or reservations on that land?" asks Sam.
"Not according to the historical record. But the, uh, relocation of native peoples was quite common at that time."
"That's a nice way of putting it," I say.
The professor nods. "Unfortunately there's no legitimate way of knowing what tribes were where, and how many as the records are…well. There are either none, or they've been uh…adjusted."
"Right," says Sam. "Well, are there any local legends? Oral histories about the area?"
"Well... you know, there's a Euchee tribe in Sapulpa. It's about sixty miles from here. Someone out there might know the truth."
"All right," says Dean.
Sapulpa isn't exactly the biggest place. They ask a local man for direction while I wait in the car and apparently, he knew exactly who to talk to and where to possibly find him. So that's…convenient.
We go to a diner and head in.
There's a Native American man playing cards at a table and we go up to him.
"Joe White Tree?" Sam asks.
The man, Joe, nods.
"We'd like to ask you a few questions, if that's all right?"
"We're students from the university," says Dean.
"No, you're not. You're lying," says Joe.
Dean stiffens and I have to bite my lip to stop from smiling.
"Well, truth is…" Dean starts.
"You know who starts sentence with "truth is"? Liars." Oh I like this man.
Sam and Dean exchange a look.
"Have you heard of Oasis Plains?" asks Sam. "It's a housing development near the Atoka Valley."
Joe looks at Dean, "I like him. He's not a liar." He looks back to Sam. "I know the area."
"What can you tell us about the history there?"
"Why do you wanna know?"
"Something... something bad is happening in Oasis Plains. We think it might have something to do with some old bones we found down there - Native American bones."
"I'll tell you what my grandfather told me, what his grandfather told him. Two hundred years ago, a band of my ancestors lived in that valley. One day, the American cavalry came to relocate them. They were resistant, the cavalry impatient. As my grandfather put it, on the night the moon and the sun share the sky as equals, the cavalry first raided our village. They murder, raped. The next day, the cavalry came again, and the next, and the next. And on the sixth night, the cavalry came one last time. And by the time the sun rose, every man, woman, and child still in the village was dead. They say on the sixth night, as the chief of the village lay dying, he whispered to the heavens that no white man would ever tarnish this land again. Nature would rise up and protect the valley. And it would bring as many days of misery and death to the white man as the cavalry had brought upon his people."
"That's one hell of a death wish," I say.
"Insects," says Dean. "Sounds like nature to me. Six days."
"And on the night of the sixth day, none would survive," says Joe.
"Okay, one hell of a powerful death wish," I say.
Joe shrugs.
We walk back to the car.
"When did the gas company man die?" asks Sam.
"Uh, let's see, we got here Tuesday, so, Friday the twentieth," says Dean.
"March twentieth?"
Dean nods.
"That's the spring equinox," says Sam.
"And you just know that?" I ask. "Nerd."
"The spring equinox is a common fact," Sam defends.
"Anyway, it's the night the sun and the moon share the sky as equals," says Dean.
"So, every year about this time, anybody in Oasis Plains is in danger. Larry built this neighborhood on cursed land."
"And on the sixth night…" Dean says.
"But that's tonight," I add.
"If we don't do something, Larry's family will be dead by sunrise. So how do we break the curse?"
"You don't break a curse. You get out of its way. We've gotta get those people out now."
We get in the car and drive back.
Dean calls Larry pretending to be the gas company. It doesn't go well and he just hangs up after a long, "uhhh".
"So that worked," I say from the back seat.
"Shut up," says Dean.
"Give me the phone," says Sam and takes the phone of Dean and dials. "Matt, it's Sam…Matt, just listen. You have to get your family out of that house right now, okay? ….Because something's coming…Yeah, a lot more…You've gotta make him listen, okay?"
"Make him listen?" I say, confused.
"Give me the phone, give me the phone," Dean says and just grabs it off Sam. "Matt, under no circumstances are you to tell the truth, they'll just think you're nuts…Tell him you have a sharp pain in your right side and you've gotta go to the hospital, okay?" Dean hangs up. "Make him listen?" Dean asks Sam. "What are you thinkin'?"
"Because fake appendicitis is so much better," says Sam.
"How is a teenager supposed to make his dad believe in an impending swarm of bugs without sounding insane?" I ask.
Sam huffs.
It takes as a while to get back to Larry's house but when we pull up, it's clear they're still home. Larry comes outside.
"Damn it, they're still here," says Dean. "Come on."
Matt is now outside too.
"Get off my property before I call the cops," says Larry.
"Mr. Pike, listen," says Sam.
"Dad, they're just tryin' to help," says Matt.
"Get in the house!" yells Larry.
"I'm sorry. I told him the truth," says Matt, sounding sad.
"We had a plan, Matt, what happened to the plan?" asks Dean.
"Look, it's 12:00 AM," says Sam. "They are coming any minute now. You need to get your family and go, before it's too late."
"Yeah, you mean before the biblical swarm."
"Well, yeah," I say. "Believe it or not, Matt wasn't lying."
"I find that hard to believe."
"Larry, what do you think really happened to that realtor, huh?" asks Dean. "And the gas company guy? You don't think somethin' weird's goin' on here?"
"Look, I don't know who you are, but you're crazy. You come near my boy or my family again, and we're gonna have a problem."
"Well, I hate to be a downer, but we've got a problem right now."
"Dad, they're right, okay?" says Matt. "We're in danger."
"Matt, get inside! Now!" yells Larry again.
"No! Why won't you listen to me?!"
"Because this is crazy! It doesn't make any sense!"
"Look, this land is cursed!" yells Sam. "People have died here. Now, are you gonna really take that risk with your family?"
"Wait," says Dean.
We all stop talking.
"You hear it?" Dean asks.
There's a buzzing. It's getting louder.
"What the hell?" says Larry.
The bug light on the porch zaps quickly, killing bugs constantly.
"All right, it's time to go," says Dean. "Larry, get your wife."
"Guys…" says Matt.
We look to him, he's looking up. Millions upon millions of bugs are flying towards us. They're practically block out the sky there are so many.
"Well crap," I say. "I hate bugs."
"Oh my God…" says Larry.
"We'll never make it," says Sam.
"Everybody in the house. Everybody in the house, go!" yells Dean.
We run inside and Larry locks the door.
"Okay, is there anybody else in the neighborhood?" Sam asks.
"No, it's just us," says Larry.
"Well that's a little creepy, actually," I say. Sam nudges me. "What? It is."
Larry's wife comes in.
"Honey, what's happening? What's that noise?" she asks.
"Call 911," says Larry. His wife, Joanie, was it? Just stares. "Joanie!" he yelles.
"Okay," she says and goes to pick up the phone.
"I need towels," says Dean.
"Uh, in the closet," answers Larry.
"Okay, we've gotta lock this place up, come on - doors, windows, fireplace, everything, okay?" says Sam and he and Matt go upstairs.
Dean hands me a pile of towels and go to back door and roll them up.
"Phones are dead," says Joanie.
"They must have chewed through the phone lines," says Dean. The lights go out. "And the power lines."
"I need my cell," says Larry. "No signal?"
"You won't get one," says Dean. "They're blanketing the house."
The bugs start landing on the windows and doors. I jump back.
Sam and Matt come back downstairs.
"So what do we do now?" asks Larry.
"We try to outlast it. Hopefully, the curse will end at sunrise," says Sam.
"Hopefully?"
"We're very optimistic," I say.
Dean goes to the kitchen and I hear him rifling around. He comes back.
"Bug spray?" asks Joanie.
"Trust me."
There's a weird noise near the fireplace.
"What is that?" asks Matt.
"The flue," says Sam.
I step away from the fireplace.
"All right, I think everybody needs to get upstairs," says Dean.
And then there are bugs everywhere. Swarming. I scream and try to cover my face but there are so many of them. Dean lights the can of bug spray, scaring a few.
"All right, everybody upstairs! Now! Go, go, go!" he yells.
We climb upstairs and Larry pulls down the ladder into the attic. Sam closes the door and we sit hunched on the floor. Dust begins to fall on us. The buzzing gets louder and louder.
"Oh, God, what's that?" asks Joanie.
"Something's eating through the wood," says Sam.
"Termites," says Matt.
"Oh fantastic," I say.
"All right, everybody get back," Dean says. "Get back, get back, get back!"
I move with the family in the corner. Something chews through the ceiling and bugs swarm the room. Sam and Dean try to patch the hole with something. But more holes break through and bugs come out. Dean's still trying to ward them off with his bug spray flamethrower. They give up and come over to where we are. There are bugs everywhere and I can't keep them off me. Then suddenly, the bugs start to leave through the holes they made. We stand dumbfounded for a few moments. Sam and Dean go to look through the hole. When it's clear they aren't coming back we come over and look. The bugs are leaving. I breathe a sigh of relief.
We go back to motel to try and get some sleep, in the afternoon Sam wants to check in on the family. There's a moving van out the front.
"What, no goodbye?" asks Dean.
"Good timing. Another hour and we'd have been gone," says Larry.
He shakes Sam and Dean's hands and just gives me a weird nod. I weirdly nod back.
"For good?" asks Sam.
"Yeah. The development's been put on hold while the government investigates those bones you found. But I'm gonna make damn sure no one lives here again."
"You don't seem too upset about it," says Sam.
"Well, this has been the biggest financial disaster of my career, but..." he looks over at Matt who is carrying a box. "...somehow, I really don't care."
Dean and I go to the car and Matt and his Dad seem…friendly.
"Ain't that sweet?" I say to Dean, shaking his shoulder.
"Darling," he says, leaning on the door of the car.
I slide up onto the hood of the car and ruffle his hair.
"Hey!"
I laugh and Dean tries to tickle me but I manage to get my feet up on his chest to hold him back.
Sam comes over and Dean and I stop, "I wanna find Dad," he says.
"Yeah me too," says Dean.
"Me three," I add.
Dean hits my knee.
"Yeah, but I just... I want to apologize to him," says Sam, leaning on the hood of the car to my left.
"For what?"
"All the things I said to him. He was just doin' the best he could."
"Well ain't that sweet too?" I say.
"Don't worry," says Dean, "we'll find him. And then you'll apologize. And then within five minutes, you guys will be at each other's throats."
Sam and I laugh.
"Yeah, probably," says Sam.
"Let's hit the road," I say.
"Let's," says Dean.
I use Sam and Dean's shoulders to jump off the hood of the car. I get in the front seat and lock the door. Sam rolls his eyes, but get in the back, we wave to Larry and Matt, and drive away.