One More Time

66.

*Lawrence, Kansas*

"You gonna be all right," I ask Dean.

"Let me get back to you on that."

"Sam and I can go instead," I offer.

"No, I have to go."

"Okay," I nod, patting his shoulder, before hopping out.

I walk toward the front door, knocking. "Yes?"

"Sorry to bother you, Ma'am, but we're with the federal--," Dean starts.

"I'm Sam Winchester and this is my brother Dean and our close friend, Callie. Um... we used to live here," Sam admits. "You know, we were just driving by, and we were wondering if we could see the old place."

"Winchester. That is so funny. I-I think I found some of your photos the other night," She says.

"You did?"

"Okay. Come on in." Sam walks in, and I follow him.

"You good," I whisper to Dean.

"Uh, not really," he admits. We walk into the kitchen.

"That's Richie. He's kind of a juice junkie. But, hey, at least he won't get scurvy," she says, handing him some juice. "Sari, this is Sam, Dean, and Callie. They used to live here."

"Hi," she smiles.

"Hey, Sari," I greet.

"Hi, you're pretty," she says.

"Aw, thank you," I smile. "You are too."

"So, you just moved in?"

"Uh, yeah, from Wichita," she nods.

"You got family here?"

"No, I just, uh... um, needed a fresh start. That's all," she admits. "So new town, new job-- I mean, as soon as I find one-- New house."

"So, how you liking it so far?"

"Well, uh, all due respect to your childhood home-- I mean, I'm sure you have lots of happy memories here-- but this place has its issues."

"What do you mean," I ask.

"Well, it's just getting old, like, the wiring, you know? We've got flickering lights almost hourly."

"Oh, that's too bad. What else," Dean asks.

"Um... sink's backed up. There's rats in the basement. I'm sorry. I don't mean to complain."

"No. Have you seen the rats or just heard the scratching?"

"Just the scratching, actually."

"Mom," Sari says. "Ask them if it was here when they lived here."

"What, Sari," I ask.

"The thing in my closet."

"Oh, no, baby, there was nothing in their closets. Right?"

"Right, no. No, of course not," Sam shakes his head.

"She had a nightmare the other night."

"I wasn't dreaming. It came into my bedroom, and it was on fire."

After we've left, Sam speaks. "Did you hear that? A figure on fire?"

"And that woman, Jenny, that was the woman in your dreams," Dean questions.

"Yeah, and you hear what she was talking about-- Scratching, flickering lights? Both signs of a malevolent spirit."

"Yeah, well, I'm just freaked out your weirdo visions are coming true."

"Well, forget about that-- the thing in the house, do you think it's the thing that killed Mom and Jessica?"

"I don't know," Dean exclaims.

"Well, has it come back or has it been there the whole time?"

"Or maybe it's something else entirely. Sam, we don't know yet."

"Those people are in danger. We have to get them out of that house."

"And we will," I butt in.

"No, I mean now."

"And how are you gonna do that? You got a story that she's gonna believe," I sigh.

"Then, what are we supposed to do?!"

"Sam," I shout. "Stop," I sigh. He huffs, breathlessly. "We will get those people out, but you have to calm down. This is just like any other job, so let's treat it as such and not get ahead of ourselves."