Love Never Fails

91. Raising Hell

EXTERIOR - NIGHT - BARRICADE SET AROUND THE GHOST CONTAINMENT SPELL PERIMETER

A woman with a scarf wrapped around her face snuck into the quarantine area. She dropped her keys, bent to pick them up, and was met by a man she recognized.

"Ugh," Nan groaned.

The man, Rob, startled her, but she was relieved to see a familiar face. "Oh. Rob. You didn't evacuate. And you seem to be breathing fine. You ask me, this whole "benzine leak" sounds phony. Everyone's been camped out at the high school for two days. I just snuck back to get Debbie's allergy meds. All this going on, and you know what she's worried out? That they'll cancel the school spelling bee. She studied her butt off for it. Do you, uh... Do you... Do you think they'll cancel the spelling bee? Rob? Rob?"

Rob said nothing but instead, just walked up to her, and stabbed her multiple times. He'd been possessed by a ghost who then left his body and materialized as Rob's body collapsed to the ground beside the woman.

"Disembowel. D-i-s-e-m-b-o-w-e-l. Disembowel," the ghost said.

SCHOOL CAFETERIA

The school cafeteria had been set up as an evacuation center for the townspeople.

"I just don't know how much longer we can control them. I don't think they're buying the benzine story. I think... One man told me his wife, she's gone missing and..." Castiel began.

"Wait, wait. What? Who?" Sam asked.

"He said her name was Nan."

"All right, we'll find her." Sam turned to another hunter. "Will you tell the hunters in the zone to keep an eye out?"

"Got it," the hunter replied.

"Thank you." Sam looked at Castiel. "Give me a minute."

Sam walked up to front of the room and addressed everyone in the evacuation center. "C-Can I have your attention? 'Scuse me! Um, can I have... Excuse me! Can I have your attention, please? Great. First off, we expect to have you back in your homes shortly. Uh, EPA techs will be here tomorrow to determine the source of the elevated benzine levels and how to properly respond. In the meantime, it is essential you stay out of the quarantine zone until it's safe. Thanks. Okay. Any questions?"

Nearly everyone present raised their hands. Sam and Castiel looked equally at a loss. Brianna and Spencer ran up to their uncle's side and he picked them up.

QUARANTINE PERIMETER

Dean and Alana patrolled with Belphegor, and their EMF meters were going off like mad.

"Too much EMF. You can still see 'em, right?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, there were some over there, but they spotted us and left. Not their favorite," Belphegor replied.

"So you were a dick to 'em in Hell, huh?"

"No. I did my job. It's Hell. It's not a day spa."

"Can't believe we've teamed up with a demon again," Alana mumbled. "Think we'd know better by now."

"Teaming up with hunters. I could say the same."

"Why are you helping?" Dean and Alana asked.

"I told you two, I like Hell the way it was. I'm a good soldier. Escape attempt, 11:00."

Dean fired a salt round at the ghost, the same one from the cold open who enjoyed spelling and murder.

"Yeah. Eh, nice shot," Belphegor complimented.

"Well, he hit the warding. At least that's still holding," Dean said.

Another ghost bounced of the warding with red sparks.