1.16 Shadow (transcript)

SUPERNATURAL

1.16 Shadow

Written by: Eric Kripke

Directed by: Kim Manners

Air Date: 28 Feb 2006

TEASER

(FADE IN: Chicago, Illinois. A young woman, MEREDITH, is walking home while listening to music on her iPod. A tall, burly man bumps into her. She gives him a disgusted look and continues to walk. Shortly after turning the corner, her iPod stops playing music. MEREDITH takes off her headphones.)

MEREDITH: Great. (A strong wind begins to blow around her. Garbage and leaves scatter everywhere.) Hello? (Nobody answers. She tries to ignore the wind and keeps walking. As she nears her apartment, she looks over her shoulder and sees the shadow of a man on the wall of a building. The silhouette begins to follow her. MEREDITH breaks into a run. She dashes across the street and finally reaches her apartment. Frantically, she grabs her keys and rushes to find the right one. She finds the key and opens the door, then goes inside and slams it shut.)

(CUT TO: INT. – Apartment. MEREDITH bursts through the door and locks it behind her. She enters a code into the alarm system on the wall.)

ALARM SYSTEM: System disarmed. (MEREDITH enters another code.) System armed. (She leaves the room and goes to the kitchen to get a beer after setting down her bag and keys. MEREDITH then moves to the living room and listens to the messages on her answering machine.)

KRISTEN: Hey, Meredith. It’s Kristen. You have to tell me what happened last night. Call me. (The beep sounds and another message begins to play. While MEREDITH listens to the message, the shadow begins to form on the wall of the apartment. It begins as a swirling cloud of smoke and morphs into the silhouette of a tall, skinny creature. The creature’s shadow slowly moves towards MEREDITH’s shadow on the wall. It sticks its long, sharp-nailed fingers through MEREDITH’s chest. MEREDITH’s blood splatters on the wall, and her shadow falls to the ground. The screen goes black.)

ACT 1

(FADE IN: EXT. – Apartment. One Week Later. SAM and DEAN stop their car across the street and get out, dressed as employees of the alarm system company. DEAN gets a toolbox from the trunk of the car, and they proceed towards the apartment.)

SAM: All right, Dean. This is the place.

DEAN: You know, I’ve gotta say Dad and me did just fine without these stupid costumes. I feel like a high school drama dork. (He smiles.) What was that play that you did? What was it – Our Town. Yeah, you were good, it was cute.

SAM: Look, you wanna pull this off or not?

DEAN: I’m just sayin’, these outfits cost hard-earned money, okay?

SAM: Whose?

DEAN: Ours. You think credit card fraud is easy?

(CUT TO: INT. – Apartment. SAM, DEAN, and the landlady enter.)

SAM: Thanks for lettin’ us look around.

LANDLADY: Well, the police said they were done with the place, so….(She and SAM move further into the room. DEAN shuts the apartment door and notices the chain on the door is broken. He follows SAM. In the living room, spots of blood cover the carpet.) You guys said you were with the alarm company?

DEAN: That’s right.

LANDLADY: Well, no offense, but your alarm’s about as useful as boobs on a man. (DEAN and SAM exchange a look.)

DEAN: Well, that’s why we’re here. To see what went wrong and stop it from happening again.

SAM: Now, ma’am, you found the body?

LANDLADY: Yeah.

SAM: Right after it happened?

LANDLADY: No. Few days later. Meredith’s work called—she hadn’t shown up. I knocked on the door. That’s when I noticed the smell.

DEAN: Any windows open? Any sign of break-in?

LANDLADY: No, windows were locked, front door was bolted. Chain was on the door, we had to cut it just to get in.

DEAN: And the alarm was still on?

LANDLADY: Like I said, bang-up job your company’s doin’.

DEAN: Mmhmm. You see any overturned furniture, broken glass, signs of struggle? (The landlady shakes her head.)

LANDLADY: Everything was in perfect condition—except Meredith.

SAM: And what condition was Meredith in?

LANDLAY: Meredith was all over. In pieces. The guy who killed her must have been some kind of a whackjob. But I tell you, if I didn’t know any better, I’d have said a wild animal did it. (DEAN looks at SAM.)

SAM: Ma’am, do you mind if we take some time? Give this place a once-over?

LANDLADY: Oh, well, go right ahead. Knock yourself out.

(CUT TO: Later. DEAN opens his toolbox and removes the EMF meter.)

DEAN: So, a killer walks in and out of the apartment—no weapons, no prints, nothin’.

SAM: I’m tellin’ ya, the minute I found that article, I knew this was our kind of gig. (The EMF meter beeps frantically.)

DEAN: I think I agree with you.

SAM: So, you talked to the cops?

DEAN: Uh, yeah. (He smirks.) I spoke to Amy, a, uh, charming, perky officer of the law.

SAM: Yeah? What’d you find out?

DEAN: (dreamily) Well, she’s a Sagittarius. She loves tequila, I mean—wow. Oh, and she’s got this little tattoo—

SAM: Dean!

DEAN: What? Yeah. Uh, nothin’ we don’t already know. Except for one thing they’re keepin’ out of the papers.

SAM: Hm?

DEAN: Meredith’s heart was missing.

SAM: (stunned) Her heart?

DEAN: Yeah. Her heart.

SAM: So, what do you think did it to her?

DEAN: Well, the landlady said it looked like an animal attack. Maybe it was—werewolf?

SAM: No, no werewolf, the lunar cycle’s not right. Plus, if it was a creature, it would’ve left some kind of trace. It’s probably a spirit. (DEAN observes the blood on the carpet and seems to notice something.)

DEAN: See if you can find any masking tape around.

(CUT TO: Later. DEAN uses the masking tape to connect each pool of blood. When he is done, the pieces of tape form an unusual symbol.)

SAM: Ever see that symbol before?

DEAN: Never.

SAM: Me neither. (They exchange a look.)

(CUT TO: INT. – Bar. Night. DEAN is flirting with the attractive bartender. SAM enters and looks around. DEAN notices and takes one last drink, then smiles at the bartender and leaves.)

DEAN: See ya. (At the other side of the room, SAM finds an empty table and sits down, taking out his father’s journal. He leafs through the pages, and shortly, DEAN sits down across from him.) I talked to the bartender.

SAM: Did you get anything? Besides her number?

DEAN: Dude, I’m a professional. I’m offended that you would think that. (SAM gives him a knowing look.) All right, yeah. (He chuckles and holds up a napkin with the bartender’s phone number on it.)

SAM: You mind doin’ a little bit of thinking with your upstairs brain, Dean?

DEAN: Huh? Look, there’s nothing to find out. I mean, Meredith worked here, she waited tables, everyone here was her friend. Everybody said she was normal. She didn’t do or say anything weird before she died, so—what about that symbol, you find anything?

SAM: Nope, nothing. It wasn’t in Dad’s journal or in any of the usual books. I just have to dig a little deeper, I guess.

DEAN: Well, there was a first victim, right? Before Meredith?

SAM: Right. Yeah. (He pulls out a newspaper clipping concerning the first death.) His name was, uh—his name was Ben Swardstrom. (He hands the clipping to DEAN.) Last month he was found mutilated in his town house. Same deal—the door was locked, the alarm was on.

DEAN: Is there any connection between the two of them?

SAM: Not that I can tell—I mean, not yet, at least. Ben was a banker, Meredith was a waitress. They never met, never knew anyone in common—they were practically from different worlds.

DEAN: So, to recap, the only successful intel we’ve scored so far is the bartender’s phone number. (He smirks. SAM seems to notice something at the other side of the room. DEAN looks around.) What? (SAM gets up and begins walking away.) Sam? (SAM continues to walk away. He reaches another table, where a young woman with short blonde hair is seated with her back to him. He puts his hand on her shoulder, and she turns around. It is MEG.)

SAM: Meg.

MEG: Sam! (SAM looks at her curiously. The screen goes black.)

(FADE IN: Bar. SAM is still with MEG at her table.)

MEG: Sam! Is that you? Oh, my God! (She stands up and they hug. SAM looks slightly puzzled. They pull away a few seconds later.) What are you doing here?

SAM: I’m just in town, visiting friends. (MEG looks around.)

MEG: Where are they?

SAM: Well, they’re not here right now, but what about you, Meg? I thought you were goin’ to California. (DEAN comes up behind SAM.)

MEG: Oh, I did. I came, I saw, I conquered. Oh, and I met what’s-his-name, something Michael Murray at a bar.

SAM: Who?

MEG: Oh, it doesn’t matter. Anyway, the whole scene got old, so I’m living here for a while. (DEAN clears his throat loudly, but he is ignored.)

SAM: You’re from Chicago?

MEG: No, Massachusetts—Andover. Gosh, Sam, what are the odds we’d run into each other?

SAM: Yeah, I know, I thought I’d never see you again.

MEG: Well, I’m glad you were wrong. (SAM nods. DEAN clears his throat again, louder this time.) Dude, cover your mouth.

SAM: Yeah, um, I’m sorry, Meg. This is, uh—this is my brother, Dean. (MEG is surprised.)

MEG: This is Dean? (DEAN smiles.)

SAM: Yeah.

DEAN: So, you’ve heard of me?

MEG: Oh, yeah. I’ve heard of you. Nice—the way you treat your brother like luggage. (He looks confused.)

DEAN: Sorry?

MEG: Why don’t you let him do what he wants to do? Stop dragging him over God’s green earth.

SAM: Meg, it’s all right. (The three of them look around quietly. DEAN whistles lowly.)

DEAN: Okay, awkward. I’m gonna get a drink now. (He gives SAM a puzzled look, then walks over to the bar.)

MEG: Sam, I’m sorry. It’s just—the way you told me he treats you....if it were me, I’d kill him.

SAM: It’s all right. He means well. (MEG nods.)

MEG: Well, we should hook up while you’re in town.

SAM: Yeah.

MEG: I’ll show you a hell of a time.

SAM: You know what, that sounds great. Why don’t you, uh—why don’t you give me your number? (He takes out his cell phone and gets ready to input MEG’s number.)

MEG: 312-555-0143.

SAM: You know what, I never got your last name.

MEG: Masters.

SAM: Masters?

MEG: So, you better call.

SAM: Scout’s Honor.

MEG: I hope to see you around, Sam. (He smiles at her and walks away.)

(CUT TO: EXT. – Bar. DEAN and SAM are walking back to the car.)

DEAN: Who the hell was she?

SAM: I don’t really know. I only met her once. Meeting up with her again? I don’t know, man, it’s weird.

DEAN: And what was she saying? I treat you like luggage? What, were you bitchin’ about me to some chick?

SAM: Look, I’m sorry, Dean. It was when we had that huge fight when I was in that bus stop in Indiana. But that’s not important, just listen—

DEAN: Well, is there any truth to what she’s saying? I mean, am I keeping you against your will, Sam?

SAM: No, of course not. Now, would you listen?

DEAN: What?

SAM: I think there’s somethin’ strange going on here, Dean.

DEAN: Yeah, tell me about it. She wasn’t even that into me.

SAM: No, man, I mean like our kind of strange. Like, maybe even a lead.

DEAN: Why do you say that?

SAM: I met Meg weeks ago, literally on the side of the road. And now, I run into her in some random Chicago bar? I mean, the same bar where a waitress was slaughtered by something supernatural? You don’t think that’s a little weird?

DEAN: I don’t know, random coincidence. It happens.

SAM: Yeah, it happens, but not to us. Look, I could be wrong, I’m just sayin’ that there’s something about this girl that I can’t quite put my finger on. (DEAN smirks.)

DEAN: Well, I bet you’d like to. I mean, maybe she’s not a suspect, maybe you’ve got a thing for her, huh? (SAM rolls his eyes and laughs.) Maybe you’re thinkin’ a little too much with your upstairs brain, huh? (He points to his head and grins. SAM becomes serious again.)

SAM: Do me a favor. Check and see if there’s really a Meg Masters from Andover, Massachusetts, and see if you can’t dig anything up on that symbol on Meredith’s floor.

DEAN: What are you gonna do?

SAM: I’m gonna watch Meg.

DEAN: (laughing) Yeah, you are.

SAM: I just wanna see what’s what. Better safe than sorry.

DEAN: All right, you little pervert.

SAM: Dude.

DEAN: I’m goin’, I’m goin’. (He crosses the street and leaves SAM.)

(FADE TO: Motel Room. DEAN is on the computer, researching MEG and the symbol. He picks up his cell phone and dials a number. SAM picks up. The scene alternates between the motel room and the car, where SAM is parked outside MEG’s apartment.)

SAM: Hey.

DEAN: Let me guess. You’re lurkin’ outside that poor girl’s apartment, aren’t you?

SAM: No. (DEAN waits for another response. SAM rolls his eyes.) Yes.

DEAN: You’ve got a funny way of showin’ your affection.

SAM: Did you find anything on her or what?

DEAN: Sorry, man, she checks out. There is a Meg Masters in the Andover phonebook. I even pulled up her high school photo. Now, look, why don’t you go knock on her door and, uh, invite her to a poetry reading, or whatever it is you do, huh?

SAM: (ignoring his comment) What about the symbol? Any luck?

DEAN: Yeah, that I did have some luck with. (He looks down at his research.) It’s, uh—turns out it’s Zoroastrian. Very, very old school, like two thousand years before Christ. It’s a sigil for a Daeva.

SAM: What’s a Daeva?

DEAN: It translates to “demon of darkness”. Zoroastrian demons, and they’re savage, animalistic, you know, nasty attitudes—kind of like, uh, demonic pit bulls.

SAM: How’d you figure that out?

DEAN: Give me some credit, man. You don’t have a corner on paper chasin’ around here.

SAM: Oh, yeah? Name the last book you read.

DEAN: (defeated) No, I called Dad’s friend, Caleb. He told me, all right?

SAM: Yeah. (He glances up at MEG’s dark bedroom window.)

DEAN: Anyway, here’s the thing—these Daevas, they have to be summoned, conjured.

SAM: So, someone’s controlling it?

DEAN: Yeah, that’s what I’m sayin’. And, from what I gather, it’s pretty risky business, too. These suckers tend to bite the hand that feeds them. And, uh, the arms, and torsos.

SAM: So, what do they look like?

DEAN: Well, nobody knows, but nobody’s seen ‘em for a couple of millennia. I mean, summoning a demon that ancient? Someone really knows their stuff. I think we’ve got a major player in town. Now, why don’t you go give that girl a private strip-o-gram?

SAM: Bite me.

DEAN: No, bite her. Don’t leave teeth marks, though—(SAM hangs up.) Sam? Are you—? (He hangs up his own phone. Back at the car, SAM glances back up at MEG’s window. A few seconds later, a light turns on. MEG enters her bedroom, wearing a black lace bra. SAM looks around uncomfortably, then continues to watch MEG. She puts on a T-shirt. SAM is interrupted by someone clearing their throat. He turns and sees a woman standing outside the car, looking annoyed. She gestures to the window.)

SAM: Oh, no, no, no, I’m just—

WOMAN: Pervert. (She walks away angrily. SAM is stunned. A second later, MEG leaves her apartment, now wearing a sweatshirt and jacket as well. She walks across the street, briefly glancing at the parked car. Once she is gone, SAM, who had been hiding, sits up. He gets out of the car and follows her.)

(CUT TO: Street. MEG stops at a graffiti-covered wall. She looks around before pulling open a door, which seems to be part of the wall. When she is inside, SAM peers out from behind a building. He also walks to the wall and enters through the camouflaged door.)

(CUT TO: INT. – Warehouse. SAM enters and walks up a flight of stairs. He reaches a door at the top, which he attempts to open, but it is locked. He looks around and sees a broken down elevator gate. He enters the gate and begins to climb the side of it, using different bars as footrests. When he reaches the top, he is able to peer through the gate into a dimly lit room. There is a black altar in the middle of the room. SAM sees MEG enter and walk over to the altar. He keeps watching silently while hanging on to the bars of the gate. MEG reaches the altar and picks up a silver bowl filled with blood. She swirls her finger around in the liquid and speaks an incantation in an ancient language. She then begins to speak to someone neither the audience nor SAM can hear.)

MEG: I don’t think you should come. (…) Because the brothers, they’re in town, I didn’t know that—(…) Yes, sir. (…) Yes, I’ll be here—waiting for you. (SAM looks confused. MEG sets down the bowl and blows out the candles at the altar, then leaves the room. Once she is gone, SAM moves to the wall, where there is a space through which he can crawl. He hoists himself up and climbs into the room. SAM walks to the altar and observes it. He sees several human hearts on the table, along with other ancient items. In the middle of the altar is the Zoroastrian symbol, drawn in blood.)

SAM: What the hell—? (The screen goes black.)

(FADE IN: Motel Room. SAM enters and looks around for DEAN. They see each other.)

SAM and DEAN: Dude, I gotta talk to you.

(CUT TO: Later. SAM and DEAN are talking.)

DEAN: So, hot little Meg is summoning the Daeva?

SAM: Looks like she was using that black altar to control the thing.

DEAN: So, Sammy’s got a thing for the bad girl. (He chuckles. SAM rolls his eyes.) And what’s the deal with that bowl again?

SAM: She was talking into it. The way witches used to scry into crystal balls or animal entrails. She was communicating with someone.

DEAN: With who? With the Daeva?

SAM: No, you said those things were savages. No, this was someone different. Someone who’s giving her orders. Someone who’s comin’ to that warehouse. (DEAN thinks for a moment and glances at some files on a nearby table. He sits down at the table and looks through them.)

DEAN: Holy crap.

SAM: What?

DEAN: What I was gonna tell you earlier—I pulled a favor with my – (he clears his throat) – friend, Amy, over at the police department. The complete records of the two victims—we missed something the first time.

SAM: What? (He comes over to look at the records.)

DEAN: The first victim, the old man—he spent his whole life in Chicago, but he wasn’t born here. Look where he was born. (He points to something on the page.)

SAM: Lawrence, Kansas.

DEAN: Mmhmm. (He picks up the second file.) Meredith, second victim—turns out she was adopted. And guess where she’s from. (The paper reads “Lawrence, Kansas”. SAM sits down across from DEAN, clearly shocked.)

SAM: Holy crap.

DEAN: Yeah.

SAM: I mean, it is where the demon killed Mom. That’s where everything started. So, you think Meg’s tied up with the demon?

DEAN: I think it’s a definite possibility.

SAM: But I don’t understand. What’s the significance of Lawrence? And how do these Daeva things fit in?

DEAN: Beats me. But I say we trash that black altar, grab Meg, and have ourselves a friendly little interrogation.

SAM: No, we can’t. We shouldn’t tip her off. We’ve gotta stake out that warehouse. We’ve gotta see who, or what, is showin’ up to meet her.

DEAN: I’ll tell you one thing. I don’t think we should do this alone.

(CUT TO: Motel Room. Later. DEAN is leaving a message on John’s voicemail. While he is talking, SAM enters the room with bags full of weapons.)

DEAN: We think we’ve got a serious lead on the thing that killed Mom. So, uh, this warehouse—it’s 1435 West Erie. Dad, if you get this, get to Chicago as soon as you can. (He hangs up.)

SAM: Voicemail?

DEAN: Yeah. (He gestures to the bags) Jesus, what’d you get? (SAM chuckles.)

SAM: I ransacked that trunk. Holy water, every weapon that I could think of, exorcism rituals from about a half dozen religions. I’m not sure what to expect, so I guess we should just expect everything. (DEAN nods, and they begin loading their guns silently.)

DEAN: Big night.

SAM: Yeah. You nervous?

DEAN: No. Why, are you?

SAM: No. No way. (They are silent for a few seconds.) God, could you imagine if we actually found that damn thing? That demon?

DEAN: Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, all right?

SAM: I know. I’m just sayin’, what if we did? What if this whole thing was over tonight? Man, I’d sleep for a month. Go back to school—be a person again.

DEAN: You wanna go back to school?

SAM: Yeah, once we’re done huntin’ the thing.

DEAN: Huh.

SAM: Why, is there somethin’ wrong with that?

DEAN: No. No, it’s, uh, great. Good for you.

SAM: I mean, what are you gonna do when it’s all over?

DEAN: It’s never gonna be over. There’s gonna be others. There’s always gonna be somethin’ to hunt.

SAM: But there’s got to be somethin’ that you want for yourself—

DEAN: Yeah, I don’t want you to leave the second this thing’s over, Sam. (He walks over to the dresser.)

SAM: Dude, what’s your problem? (DEAN is silent for a while, then turns back to SAM.)

DEAN: Why do you think I drag you everywhere? Huh? I mean, why do you think I came and got you at Stanford in the first place?

SAM: ‘Cause Dad was in trouble. ‘Cause you wanted to find the thing that killed Mom.

DEAN: Yes, that, but it’s more than that, man. (He returns to the dresser and is silent again, then once more turns to Sam.) You and me and Dad—I mean, I want us….I want us to be together again. I want us to be a family again.

SAM: Dean, we are a family. I’d do anything for you. But things will never be the way they were before. (DEAN looks heartbroken.)

DEAN: (sadly) Could be.

SAM: I don’t want them to be. I'm not gonna live this life forever. Dean, when this is all over, you’re gonna have to let me go my own way. (He and DEAN share a look.)

(CUT TO: INT. – Warehouse. SAM and DEAN climb the elevator gate and reach the top room. MEG is standing at the altar, speaking in an ancient language. Quietly, SAM and DEAN squeeze through the space between the gate and the wall. They draw their guns and move to the other side of the room, hiding behind some crates.)

MEG: Guys. (SAM and DEAN look at each other, stunned.) Hiding’s a little bit childish, don’t you think?

DEAN: Well, that didn’t work out like I planned. (MEG turns around to face them.)

MEG: Why don’t you come out? (SAM and DEAN come out from behind the crates.) Sam, I have to say, this puts a real crimp in our relationship.

SAM: Yeah, tell me about it.

DEAN: So, where’s your little Daeva friend?

MEG: Around. You know, that shotgun’s not gonna do much good.

DEAN: Oh, don’t worry, sweetheart. The shotgun’s not for the demon.

SAM: So, who is it, Meg? Who’s coming? Who are you waiting for?

MEG: You. (The shadow demon begins to form on the wall. It knocks SAM to the ground and throws DEAN into the crates. A claw-like scratch appears on SAM’s face. The screen goes black.)

(FADE IN: Warehouse. Later. DEAN and SAM are tied to two separate posts. SAM comes to and sees MEG sitting before him.)

DEAN: Hey, Sam? Don’t take this the wrong way, but your girlfriend...is a bitch.

SAM: This, the whole thing, was a trap. Running into you at the bar, following you here, hearin’ what you had to say. It was all a set-up, wasn’t it? (MEG laughs.) And that the victims were from Lawrence?

MEG: It doesn’t mean anything. It was just to draw you in, that’s all.

SAM: You killed those two people for nothin’.

MEG: Baby, I’ve killed a lot more for a lot less.

DEAN: You trapped us. Good for you. It’s Miller time. (He smiles.) But why don’t you kill us already?

MEG: Not very quick on the uptake, are we? (She leans in closer.) This trap isn’t for you. (DEAN is puzzled. SAM thinks for a second, then realizes something.)

SAM: Dad. It’s a trap for Dad. (DEAN looks at MEG, who smiles at him.)

DEAN: Oh, sweetheart—you’re dumber than you look. 'Cause even if Dad was in town, which he is not, he wouldn’t walk into something like this. He’s too good.

MEG: He is pretty good. I’ll give you that. (She walks over to him and sits down, straddling his legs.) But you see, he has one weakness.

DEAN: What’s that?

MEG: You. He lets his guard down around his boys, lets his emotions cloud his judgment. I happen to know he is in town. And he’ll come and try to save you. And then the Daevas will kill everybody—nice and slow and messy.

DEAN: Well, I’ve got news for ya. It’s gonna take a lot more than some….shadow to kill him.

MEG: Oh, the Daevas are in the room here—they’re invisible. Their shadows are just the only part you can see.

SAM: Why you doin’ this, Meg? What kind of deal you got worked out here, huh? And with who?

MEG: I’m doing this for the same reasons you do what you do—loyalty. Love. Like the love you had for Mommy—and Jess.

SAM: Go to hell.

MEG: Baby, I’m already there. (She smiles and slides over to SAM.) Come on, Sam. There’s no need to be nasty. (She leans in to whisper in his ear.) I think we both know how you really feel about me. You know, I saw you watching me—changing in my apartment. Turned you on, didn’t it?

DEAN: Get a room, you two.

MEG: I didn’t mind. I liked that you were watching me. Come on, Sammy. You and I can still have a little dirty fun. (She begins kissing his neck.)

SAM: You wanna have fun? Go ahead then. I’m a little tied up right now. (She smiles and continues to kiss him. A noise on DEAN’s side of the room makes her stop. She gets up and walks behind DEAN’s post. She sees he has a knife in his hand. She takes it away and tosses it into a corner. MEG swings around to the other side of the post, and smiles at DEAN, who chuckles guiltily. She slides back over to SAM.)

MEG: Now, were you just trying to distract me while your brother cuts free?

SAM: No. No. That’s because I have a knife of my own. (MEG is confused. SAM breaks free from his ropes and grabs MEG’s shoulders, then knocks his head against hers. She falls to the floor while he groans in pain.)

DEAN: Sam! Get the altar. (SAM walks over to the altar and overturns it. Suddenly, the shadow demon appears and grabs MEG. She is dragged across the floor and crashes through the window, falling down to the street below. SAM grabs his knife and cuts DEAN free from his ropes. They walk over to the window and see MEG sprawled on the sidewalk, dead.)

SAM: So, I guess the Daevas didn’t like being bossed around.

DEAN: Yeah, I guess not. Hey, Sam?

SAM: Hm?

DEAN: Next time you wanna get laid, find a girl that’s not so buckets-o’-crazy, huh? (He smiles and walks away.)

JOHN

(CUT TO: INT. – Motel. Hallway. DEAN and SAM are walking back to their room.)

DEAN: Why didn’t you just leave that stuff in the car?

SAM: I said it before, and I’ll say it again—better safe than sorry. (DEAN unlocks the door and they enter the room. They see the outline of a man standing by the window.)

DEAN: Hey! (SAM turns on the light. The man turns around. It is JOHN. SAM and DEAN are stunned.) Dad?

JOHN: Hey, boys. (DEAN and JOHN walk towards each other and share a long, emotional hug. SAM watches sadly. DEAN and JOHN pull apart a few seconds later.) Hi, Sam.

SAM: (softly) Hey, Dad. (Sam and John do not hug, but look at each other. Sam places the bag full of weapons on the floor.)

DEAN: Dad, it was a trap. I didn’t know, I’m sorry.

JOHN: It’s all right. I thought it might’ve been.

DEAN: Were you there?

JOHN: Yeah, I got there just in time to see the girl take the swan dive. She was the bad guy, right?

DEAN and SAM: Yes, sir.

JOHN: Good. Well, it doesn’t surprise me. It’s tried to stop me before.

SAM: The demon has?

JOHN: It knows I’m close. It knows I’m gonna kill it. Not just exorcise it or send it back to hell—actually kill it.

DEAN: How? (JOHN smiles.)

JOHN: I’m workin’ on that.

SAM: Let us come with you. We’ll help. (DEAN gives SAM a warning look.)

JOHN: No, Sam. Not yet. Just try to understand. This demon is a scary son of a bitch. I don’t want you caught in a crossfire. I don’t want you hurt.

SAM: Dad, you don’t have to worry about us.

JOHN: Of course I do. I’m your father. (He pauses.) Listen, Sammy, last time we were together, we had one hell of a fight.

SAM: Yes, sir.

JOHN: It’s good to see you again. It’s been a long time.

SAM: Too long. (He and JOHN embrace, crying. A minute later, they pull apart. The three of them look around tearfully. Suddenly, the shadow demon attacks JOHN. He is thrown into a set of cabinets and falls to the ground. SAM also falls.)

DEAN: No! (He is thrown to the floor as well. Outside, MEG is watching the apartment. She looks at the building while holding a pendant around her neck, which features the Zoroastrian symbol. The screen goes black.)

Demon Attack

(FADE IN: INT. – Motel Room. SAM, DEAN, and JOHN are still being attacked by the shadow demon. They groan and scream in pain as they are flung around the room. Fresh scratches appear on their faces. SAM makes his way to the bag of weapons on the floor. He removes a flare from the bag.)

SAM: Shut your eyes! These things are shadow demons, so let’s light ‘em up! (He lights the flare, and the room is instantly filled with smoke and a brilliant white light. The shadow demon vanishes. The three of them try to feel their way around the room, coughing and sputtering.)

DEAN: Dad!

JOHN: Over here! (DEAN makes his way to JOHN and helps him up. SAM follows them out of the room, carrying the bag of weapons.)

(CUT TO: EXT. – Motel. SAM, JOHN, and DEAN exit the building and walk down an alley to the car. SAM puts the bag in the backseat of the car.)

SAM: All right, come on. We don’t have much time. As soon as the flare’s out, they’ll be back.

DEAN: Wait, wait, wait! Sam, wait. Dad, you can’t come with us.

SAM: What? What are you talkin’ about?

JOHN: You boys—you’re beat to hell.

DEAN: We’ll be all right.

SAM: Dean, we should stick together. We’ll go after those demons—

DEAN: Sam! Listen to me! We almost got Dad killed in there. Don’t you understand? They’re not gonna stop. They’re gonna try again. They’re gonna use us to get to him. I mean, Meg was right. Dad’s vulnerable when he’s with us. He—he’s stronger without us around.

SAM: Dad--no. (He puts a hand on his father’s shoulder. DEAN watches sadly.) After everything-- after all the time we spent lookin’ for you—please. I gotta be a part of this fight.

JOHN: Sammy, this fight is just starting. And we are all gonna have a part to play. For now, you’ve got to trust me, son. (SAM shakes his head no.) Okay, you’ve gotta let me go. (All three of them are silent for a moment, close to tears. Finally, SAM looks at his hand on his dad's shoulder, and then pats his father’s shoulder once, then lets go. JOHN and DEAN share a look, then JOHN walks to his truck. Once there, he looks back at them one more time.) Be careful, boys. (He gets in his truck and drives away.)

DEAN: Come on. (He and SAM get into the car and watch as their father’s truck turns the corner. DEAN and SAM look at each other knowingly. Without a word, DEAN starts the car. He backs into the street, then speeds down the road and around a corner. MEG comes onto the street from a flight of stairs. She turns and watches the boys leave as the screen fades to black.)

THE END