One More Time

53.

*the next morning*

"Saved your asses," I state, as we leave the police station. "Talked the sheriff down to believing you two were pledges and I was hazing you."

"What about the shotgun?"

"I said that you were hunting ghosts and spirits are repelled by rock salt. You know, typical hell week prank," I answer.

"And he believed you?"

"Yep. I can be quite persuasive when I wanna be," I nod.

Suddenly, I see several officers running out of the station and hopping in their cars, before speeding off. "What the hell," I comment.

~ ~ ~

We quietly hop out of the car, and I check around us, before following them over the wall. We sneak through the trees and through the bushes. "Why would the Hookman have come here," Sam whispers. "This is a long way from 9 Mile Road."

"Maybe he's not haunting the scene of his crime. Maybe it's about something else," Dean suggests. We see two girls walk out in front of us making us back up. "Dude, sorority girls. Think we'll see a naked pillow fight?" I hit him in the back of the head, speaking.

"Just help me up," I roll my eyes. Sam lifts me up, and I grab on to the ledge, pulling myself up. I walk around the ledge and toward a window. I quietly open it up, before slipping inside. "Be quiet," I whisper to them. I peak through the door, watching the officer leave the room. I slowly push the door open, stepping out. I check to make sure he's gone, before I look up at the wall. Written in blood is:

Aren't you glad you didn't turn on the light

"Aren't you glad you didn't turn on the light? That's right out of the legend," I say.

"Yeah, that's classic Hookman, all right. It's definitely a spirit," Dean says, tapping his nose.

"Yeah, I've never smelled so much ozone this strong before," Sam nods.

"Guys, look at that symbol," I say, pointing it out. "Does that look familiar to you?"

"Hmm. We better get out of here before someone comes back and catches us."

Once we're back at the car, we look at the printed page of the picture of the hook. "It's the same symbol. Seems like it is the spirit of Jacob Karns."

"All right. Let's find the dude's grave, salt and burn the bones, and put him down," Dean says.

""After execution, Jacob Karns was laid to rest in old north cemetery in an unmarked grave"," I read.

"Super."

"Okay. So, we know it's Jacob Karns, but we still don't know where he'll manifest next," Sam sighs. "Or why."

"I'll take a wild guess about why. I think your friend Lori has something to do with this," Dean says.

*that night*

"Man, you've been holding out on me. This college thing is awesome," Dean says.

"Not really. I've been hit on by, like, five different sleazy dudes," I admit, rolling my eyes.

"This wasn't really my experience," Sam shrugs.

"Let me guess-- Library, studying, straight As," Dean says. Sam silently nods. "What a geek. All right, did you do your homework?"

"Yeah, it was bugging me. How is the Hookman tied with Lori? So I think I came up with something," He nods, as we walk through the crowd.

"1932-- "Clergyman arrested for murder." 1967-- "Seminarian held in hippie rampage."," Dean reads.

"There's a pattern here. In both cases, the suspect was a man of religion who opened preached against immorality. And then found himself wanted for killings he claimed were the work of an invisible force, killings carried out-- get this-- with a sharp instrument," Sam explains.

"What's the connection with Lori?"

"A man of religion who openly preaches against immorality. Except this time instead of saving the whole town, he's trying to save his only daughter," I say.

"Reverend Sorenson," Dean nods. "Do you think he's summoning the spirit?"

"Maybe. Or you know how a poltergeist can haunt a person instead of a place?"

"Yeah. The spirit latches onto the Reverend's repressed emotions, feeds off them."

"Without the Reverend ever even knowing it," I sigh.

"Either way, you should keep an eye on Lori tonight," Dean says to me.

"What about you guys," I ask.

"We're gonna go see if we can find that unmarked grave," Sam sighs.

"Okay. You guys be careful," I nod.

Dean walks off, but before Sam can, I grab his collar and pull him down to my lips. After a couple seconds, I pull away. "Try not to die."