Crossroads - Supernatural Rewrite

Scarecrow

The dim light of the motel room cast long shadows over the walls. Kat stirred slightly, the weight of sleep still heavy on her limbs. Dean lay next to her, his breathing steady and deep.

On the nightstand, Deans phone screen lit up, buzzing loudly enough to break the stillness. The sharp sound of the ringtone pulled Kat closer to waking, though it failed to rouse Dean entirely.

"Dean," Sam called out from his bed groggily.

When his brother didn't budge, Sam sighed, grabbing the phone himself. "Hello?"

Kat cracked one eye open as the voice on the other end spoke.

"Sam is that you?"

Sam sat upright, his movements abrupt enough to make Kat lift her head slightly off the pillow.

"Dad?" Sam's voice was laced with disbelief and relief all at once. "Are you hurt?"

That caught Kat's full attention. Her eyes flew open, and she turned her head toward Sam. Dean, however, remained oblivious, snoring faintly beside her.

"We've been looking for you everywhere," Sam continued, urgency creeping into his tone. "We didn't know where you were—if you were okay."

Kat leaned over, her hand finding Dean's shoulder. She gave him a shake, cutting through his oblivious slumber like a knife.

"Dean," she hissed, her voice low but insistent.

Dean groaned, blinking groggily as he was jolted awake. "What the hell, Kat?" he muttered, squinting at her.

Sam addressed John again, "We're fine. Dad, where are you?

That got Deans attention, he sat up immediately, his movements quick and tense. "Is that Dad?" he asked, his voice thick with sleep but sharp with concern.

There was a brief pause before John answered, his tone heavy with unspoken truths. "Sorry, kiddo, I can't tell you that."

"What?" Sam's voice rose in frustration. "Why not?"

Dean was fully awake now, leaning closer as if that would help him hear the conversation better.

"Look, I know this is hard for you to understand," John said firmly. "You just—you're gonna have to trust me on this."

Kat's dark eyes flicked to Dean, who clenched his jaw, his worry quickly transforming into irritation.

"You're after it, aren't you?" Sam's voice was sharp. "The thing that killed Mom."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, the silence heavy before John finally responded. "Yeah. It's a demon, Sam."

"A demon? You know for sure?" Sam questioned.

Dean straightened, his brows knitting together in disbelief. "A demon?" he repeated, his voice laced with skepticism as his eyes darted to Kat, as if expecting her to provide some kind of explanation.

Leaning over, Dean grabbed his shirt and slipped it over his head in one smooth motion. Kat's eyes lingered on his toned arms for a moment as he adjusted the fabric before quickly looking away.

"I do," John said firmly. "Listen, Sammy, I, uh... I also know what happened to your girlfriend. I'm so sorry...I would've done anything to protect you from that."

Sam's grip on the phone tightened. His voice cracked as he asked, "You know where it is?"

"Yeah," John admitted, his tone grim. "I think I'm finally closing in on it."

"Let us help," Sam urged, his desperation cutting through the air like a blade.

"You can't," John said, his voice unyielding. "You can't be any part of it. Neither can Kat."