TRANSCRIPT:
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(FADE IN: Fitchburg, Wisconsin. Bedroom. A young girl, BETHANY TARNOWER, is praying at her bedside. Her father, MILES, is watching her from the doorway.)

BETHANY: Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. My angels watch me through the night, and keep me safe ‘til morning light. Amen.

MILES: Amen. (BETHANY climbs into bed. Her father comes over to tuck her in.) ‘Night, monkeypuss. (He kisses her forehead.)

BETHANY: Daddy, is Mommy coming home? (MILES sadly glances at a framed photo of himself, his wife, and his two daughters.)

MILES: No, honey. She’s spending the night at the hospital with your sister. Hey, you sleep tight now. (She slides under the covers. MILES shuts off the light in the bedroom and closes the door behind him.)

(CUT TO: Bedroom. Later. The trees are tapping against the window. BETHANY is sitting up in her bed, unable to fall asleep. She gets up and shuts the curtains, then goes back to bed and buries herself under the covers. A moment later, the shadow of a long, bony hand can be seen through the window. The hand unlocks the window. BETHANY is scared. The shadow of a tall figure is seen walking to her bed. The hand pulls down the comforter. BETHANY turns and sees a hooded creature hovering over her. The creature takes a deep breath and its mouth fills with a white light. BETHANY screams. The screen goes black.)

(FADE IN: INT. – Car. DEAN and SAM are driving.)

DEAN: Yeah, you probably missed somethin’, that’s why.

SAM: Dude, I ran LexisNexis, local police reports, newspapers—I couldn’t find a single red flag. Are you sure you got the coordinates right?

DEAN: Yeah, I double-checked. It’s Fitchburg, Wisconsin. Look, Dad wouldn’t have sent us coordinates if it wasn’t important, Sammy.

SAM: Well, I’m tellin’ you, I looked, and all I could find was a big, steaming pile of nothin’. If Dad’s sending us hunting for something, I don’t know what.

DEAN: Well, maybe he’s gonna meet us there.

SAM: Yeah, ‘cause he’s been so easy to find up to this point.

DEAN: You’re a real smartass, you know that? Don’t worry, I’m sure there’s somethin’ in Fitchburg worth killin’.

SAM: Yeah? What makes you so sure?

DEAN: Well, because I’m the oldest, which means I’m always right.

SAM: No, it doesn’t.

DEAN: Yeah, it totally does. (He grins. They drive past a sign that reads, “Fitchburg. Population 20,501.”)

(CUT TO: Street. SAM is leaning against the car. DEAN comes up to him, carrying two cups of coffee. He hands one to SAM.)

DEAN: Well, the waitress thinks that the local freemasons are up to somethin’ sneaky, but, uh, other than that, nobody’s heard about anything weird goin’ on.

SAM: Dean, you got the time? (DEAN checks his watch.)

DEAN: Ten after four. Why?

SAM: What’s wrong with this picture? (DEAN looks where SAM is looking. Across the street, there is a playground. It is almost deserted, with the exception of a young girl playing. Her mother is watching her from a nearby bench.)

DEAN: School’s out, isn’t it?

SAM: Yeah. So, where is everybody? This place should be crawlin’ with kids right now.

(CUT TO: Playground. DEAN walks up to the girl’s mother.)

DEAN: It sure is quiet out here.

WOMAN: Yeah, it’s a shame.

DEAN: Why is that?

WOMAN: You know, kids getting sick. It’s a terrible thing.

DEAN: How many?

WOMAN: Just five or six, but serious—hospital serious. A lot of parents are getting pretty anxious. They think it’s catching.

DEAN: Hm. (He watches the woman’s daughter on the monkey bars.)

(CUT TO: INT. – Hospital. DEAN and SAM enter, dressed in suits.)

SAM: Dude, dude, I am not using this ID.

DEAN: Why not?

SAM: Because it says “bikini inspector” on it. (DEAN laughs.)

DEAN: Don’t worry, she won’t look that close. Hell, she won’t even ask to see it. It’s all about confidence, Sam. (He turns SAM to the front desk.)

SAM: Hi, I’m Dr. Jerry Kaplan, Center for Disease Control.

RECEPTIONIST: Can I see some ID? (DEAN, who is watching a few feet away, tries not to laugh. SAM glares at him.)

SAM: Yeah, of course. (He takes the ID out of his jacket and quickly shows it to her, then puts it away.) Now, could you direct me to the pediatrics ward, please?

RECEPTIONIST: Okay, just go down that hall, turn left, and up the stairs. (SAM smiles at her. He turns to DEAN and glares at him again.)

DEAN: See? I told you it’d work. (SAM shakes his head.)

SAM: (quietly) Follow me. It’s upstairs. (They walk away.)

(CUT TO: Hallway. DEAN and SAM are walking. They pass a room whose door is open. DEAN stops and looks inside. An old woman is sitting in a wheelchair. She turns to look at DEAN with cold, steely eyes. DEAN notices an inverted cross on her wall. The woman turns away from him.)

SAM: Dean. (DEAN looks at SAM. SAM nods his head towards the end of the hallway. DEAN follows him.)

(CUT TO: Second Hallway. DEAN and SAM are talking with DR. HYDECKER.)

DEAN: Well, thanks for seein’ us, Dr. Hydecker.

DR. HYDECKER: Oh, I’m glad you guys are here. I was just about to call the CDC myself. How’d you find out, anyway?

DEAN: Oh, some GP, I forget his name, he called Atlanta, and, uh, must have beat you to the punch.

SAM: So, you say you got six cases so far?

DR. HYDECKER: Yeah, in five weeks. (They watch a young boy who is in a coma.) At first, we thought it was garden-variety bacterial pneumonia—not that newsworthy. But now….

SAM: Now what?

DR. HYDECKER: The kids aren’t responding to antibiotics. Their white cell counts keep goin’ down. Their immune systems just aren’t doin’ their job. It’s like their bodies are wearing out. (A nurse, BETTY, walks up to them.)

BETTY: Excuse me, Dr. Hydecker.

SAM: You ever see anything like this before?

DR. HYDECKER: Never this severe. (The nurse hands him a clipboard, which he signs.)

BETTY: The way it spreads—that’s a new one for me.

SAM: What do you mean?

BETTY: It works its way through families, but only the children—one sibling after another.

DEAN: Do you mind if we interview a few of the kids?

BETTY: They’re not conscious.

SAM: None of them?

BETTY: No.

DEAN: Can we, uh—can we talk to the parents?

DR. HYDECKER: If you think it’ll help.

DEAN: Yeah. Who was your most recent admission?

(CUT TO: Hallway. DEAN and SAM are speaking with MILES TARNOWER.)

MILES: I should get back to my girls.

SAM: We understand that, and we really appreciate you talkin’ to us. Now, you say Mary’s the oldest?

MILES: Thirteen.

SAM: Okay. And she came down with it first, right? And then….

MILES: Bethany the next night.

SAM: Within twenty-four hours?

MILES: I guess. Look, I already went through all this with the doctor.

DEAN: All right, now, just a few more questions, if you don’t mind. How do you think they caught pneumonia? Were they out in the cold, anything like that?

MILES: No, we think it was an open window.

DEAN: Both times?

MILES: The first time, I don’t really remember. But the second time, for sure. I know I closed it before I put Bethany to bed.

SAM: So, you think she opened it?

MILES: It’s a second-story window with a ledge. No one else could have.

(CUT TO: Separate Hallway. DEAN and SAM are walking.)

SAM: You know, this might not be anything supernatural. It might just be pneumonia.

DEAN: Maybe. Or maybe somethin’ opened that window. I don’t know, man, look, Dad sent us down here for a reason. I think we might be barkin’ up the right tree.

SAM: I’ll tell you one thing.

DEAN: What?

SAM: That guy we just talked to? I’m bettin’ it’ll be a while before he goes home. (He and DEAN exchange a knowing look and leave the hospital.)

(CUT TO: INT. – BETHANY’s Bedroom. DEAN and SAM are searching the room with different equipment.)

SAM: You got anything over there?

DEAN: No, nothin’.

SAM: Yeah, me neither. (He goes to search by the window and seems to notice something.) Hey, Dean?

DEAN: Yeah? (SAM opens the window.)

SAM: You were right. It’s not pneumonia. (DEAN comes over to look at the window. On the window ledge is a long, black handprint.) It’s rotted. What the hell leaves a handprint like that? (DEAN stares intently at the handprint.)

(FADE TO: Flashback. Motel Room. YOUNG DEAN is looking at photos of the same handprint. JOHN enters the room with a rifle and a bag full of weapons.)

JOHN: All right. You know the drill, Dean. If anybody calls, you don’t pick up. If it’s me, I’ll ring once and then call back. You got that?

YOUNG DEAN: Mmhmm. Don’t answer the phone unless it rings once first.

JOHN: Come on, dude, look alive. This stuff’s important.

YOUNG DEAN: I know, it’s just—we’ve gone over it, like, a million times, and you know I’m not stupid.

JOHN: I know you’re not. But it only takes one mistake, you got that? (DEAN nods.) All right, if I’m not back Sunday night?

YOUNG DEAN: Call Pastor Jim.

JOHN: Lock the doors and windows, close the shades, and most important—

YOUNG DEAN: Watch out for Sammy. (He looks at YOUNG SAM, who is watching television.) I know.

JOHN: All right, if somethin’ tries to bust in?

YOUNG DEAN: Shoot first, ask questions later. (JOHN puts a hand on his son’s shoulder.)

JOHN: That’s my man. (He leaves the motel room. DEAN shuts the door behind him and locks it. He continues to watch SAM.)

(FADE TO: Present Day. Bedroom.)

DEAN: I know why Dad sent us here. He’s faced this thing before. (SAM looks confused.) He wants us to finish the job. (The screen goes black.)

(FADE IN: EXT. – Motel. DEAN and SAM park the car and get out.)

SAM: So, what the hell is a shtriga?

DEAN: It’s kind of like a witch, I think. I don’t know much about ‘em. (He gets a few things out of the trunk.)

SAM: Well, I’ve never heard of it. And it’s not in Dad’s journal.

DEAN: Dad hunted one in Fort Douglas, Wisconsin about sixteen, seventeen years ago. You were there, you don’t remember?

SAM: No.

DEAN: Yeah, I guess he caught wind that the thing’s in Fitchburg now and kicked us the coordinates.

SAM: So, wait, this….

DEAN: Shtriga.

SAM: Right. You think it’s the same one Dad hunted before? (DEAN shuts the trunk and they walk to the motel.)

DEAN: Yeah, maybe.

SAM: But if Dad went after it, why is it still breathing air?

DEAN: ‘Cause it got away.

SAM: Got away?

DEAN: Yeah, Sammy, it happens.

SAM: Not very often.

DEAN: Well, I don’t know what to tell you, I mean, maybe Dad didn’t have his Wheaties that morning.

SAM: What else do you remember?

DEAN: Nothin’, I was a kid, all right? (He goes inside by himself.)

(CUT TO: INT. – Motel. DEAN walks up to the front desk and rings the bell. An adolescent boy, MICHAEL, comes out from the back.)

MICHAEL: King or two queens?

DEAN: Two queens. (MICHAEL sees SAM standing outside.)

MICHAEL: (under his breath) Yeah, I bet.

DEAN: What’d you say?

MICHAEL: Nice car. (He smiles. A second later, his mother, JOANNA, enters.)

JOANNA: Hi.

DEAN: Hi.

JOANNA: Checking in?

DEAN: Yeah.

JOANNA: (to MICHAEL) Do me a favor, go get your brother some dinner.

MICHAEL: I’m helpin’ a guest. (She glares at him and comes behind the desk. MICHAEL nods towards DEAN.) Two queens. (He goes in the back.)

DEAN: Funny kid.

JOANNA: Oh, yeah, he thinks so. Will that be cash or credit?

DEAN: You take MasterCard?

JOANNA: Mmhmm.

DEAN: Perfect. (He takes a MasterCard out of his wallet and places it on the desk.) Here ya go. (JOANNA takes the card and hands DEAN a notepad to sign in on. DEAN looks up and sees MICHAEL pouring milk for his younger brother, ASHER, in the kitchen in the back. DEAN watches them intently.)

(CUT TO: Flashback. Motel Room. YOUNG DEAN is pouring milk for YOUNG SAM.)

YOUNG SAM: When’s Dad gonna get back?

YOUNG DEAN: Tomorrow. (He puts the milk carton down and picks up a pot from the stove.)

YOUNG SAM: When? (DEAN begins to pour Spaghetti O’s into SAM’s bowl.)

YOUNG DEAN: I don’t know. He usually comes in late, though. Now, eat your dinner.

YOUNG SAM: I’m sick of Scabetti O’s.

YOUNG DEAN: Well, you’re the one who wanted ‘em.

YOUNG SAM: I want Lucky Charms.

YOUNG DEAN: There’s no more Lucky Charms.

YOUNG SAM: I saw the box.

YOUNG DEAN: Okay, maybe there is, but there’s only enough left for one bowl, and I haven’t had any yet. (SAM looks at him sadly. DEAN gives in and takes the bowl of Spaghetti O’s from SAM. He dumps them in the garbage and takes a new bowl. He grabs the box of Lucky Charms and slams them on the table. SAM looks in the box, takes out the prize inside, and holds it out to DEAN.)

YOUNG SAM: Do you want the prize?

(CUT TO: Present. Motel.)

JOANNA: Sir? (DEAN comes out of his thoughts and sees JOANNA holding out his credit card.)

DEAN: Thanks. (She hands him another form, and he begins writing.)

(CUT TO: INT. – Motel Room. SAM is sitting on the bed, researching.)

SAM: Well, you were right. It wasn’t very easy to find, but you were right. A shtriga is a kind of witch. They’re Albanian, but legends about ‘em date back to ancient Rome. They feed off of spiritus vitae.

DEAN: Spiri-what?

SAM: Vitae. It’s Latin—it translates to “breath of life”. Kind of like your life force or essence.

DEAN: Didn’t the doctor say the kids’ bodies were wearin’ out?

SAM: It’s a thought. You know, she takes your vitality, maybe your immunity goes to hell, pneumonia takes hold. Anyway, shtrigas can feed off anyone, but they prefer—

DEAN: Children.

SAM: Yeah. Probably because they have stronger life force. And get this—shtrigas are invulnerable to all weapons devised by God and man.

DEAN: No. That’s not right. She’s vulnerable when she feeds.

SAM: What?

DEAN: If you catch her when she’s eating, you can blast her with consecrated wrought irons, buckshots, or rounds, I think.

SAM: How do you know that?

DEAN: Dad told me. I remember.

SAM: Oh. So, uh, anything else Dad might have mentioned?

DEAN: No. That’s it. (SAM stares at him.) What?

SAM: Nothin’. Okay, so, assuming we can kill it when it eats, we still gotta find the thing first, which ain’t gonna be a cakewalk. Shtrigas take on a human disguise when they’re not hunting.

DEAN: What kind of human disguise?

SAM: Historically, something innocuous—it could be anything. But it’s usually a feeble old woman, which may be how the whole witches-as-old-crones legend got started. (DEAN, looking interested, takes a map from his bag.)

DEAN: Hang on.

SAM: What?

DEAN: Check this out. (SAM comes over to look at the map.) I marked down all the addresses of the victims. Now, these are the houses that have been hit so far, and dead center?

SAM: The hospital.

DEAN: The hospital. When we were there, I saw a patient—an old woman.

SAM: An old person, huh?

DEAN: Yeah.

SAM: In the hospital? Whew. Better call the coast guard. (He laughs.)

DEAN: Well, listen, smartass, she had an inverted cross hangin’ on her wall. (SAM’s smile fades.)

(CUT TO: INT. – Hospital. Hallway. Night. DEAN and SAM are walking.)

BETTY: Good night, Dr. Hydecker. (SAM and DEAN stay close to the wall.)

DR. HYDECKER: See you tomorrow, Betty.

BETTY: Try to get some sleep. (DR. HYDECKER walks down another hallway. When he and BETTY have left, DEAN and SAM continue walking. They reach the elderly woman’s room. Her door is closed. DEAN takes out a gun. SAM looks at him, confused, and DEAN shrugs. SAM opens the door and they enter the room. SAM also takes out his gun. The woman does not move. SAM stays behind her, while DEAN leans in closer. They watch her intently. Suddenly, the woman jumps.)

WOMAN: Who the hell are you?! (DEAN jumps, scared, into a cabinet. SAM jumps also, and lowers his gun.) Who’s there? (SAM turns on the light.) You tryin’ to steal my stuff?! They’re always stealin’ around here.

SAM: No, ma’am, we’re maintenance. We’re sorry, we thought you were sleepin’. (DEAN, still shaken, tries to calm himself down.)

WOMAN: Oh, nonsense. I was sleepin’ with my peepers open! (She laughs.) And fix that crucifix, would ya? I’ve asked four damn times already. (DEAN turns and sees the cross on the wall behind him. He moves it back to its upright position. He and SAM exchange an amused but scared look.)

(CUT TO: INT. – Bedroom. MICHAEL and ASHER are sleeping. A long, bony hand is seen unlocking and opening the window. The screen goes black.)

(FADE IN: EXT. – Motel. Morning. DEAN and SAM park the car and get out. SAM is laughing hysterically.)

SAM: “I was sleepin’ with my peepers open”? (He continues to laugh.)

DEAN: I almost smoked that old gal, I swear. It’s not funny.

SAM: Oh, man, you should’ve seen your face, Dean. (He starts to unlock the door to their room.)

DEAN: Yeah, well, laugh it up, man. We’re back to square one. (He sees MICHAEL sitting alone on a bench nearby.) Hang on. (He and SAM walk over to MICHAEL, who is crying. DEAN crouches down next to him.) Hey, what’s wrong?

MICHAEL: My brother’s sick.

DEAN: The little guy? (MICHAEL nods.)

MICHAEL: Pneumonia. He’s in the hospital. It’s my fault.

DEAN: Oh, come on, how?

MICHAEL: I should’ve made sure the window was latched. He wouldn’t have gotten pneumonia if the window was latched. (DEAN listens to him sadly.)

DEAN: Listen to me. I can promise you that this is not your fault, okay?

MICHAEL: It’s my job to look after him. (DEAN nods, understanding completely. A moment later, JOANNA comes outside, her arms full with blankets and a pillow.)

JOANNA: Michael. (They walk up to her as she puts the items in the passenger seat of her car.) I want you to turn on the “No Vacancy” sign while I’m gone. I’ve got Denise covering room service, so don’t bother with any of the rooms.

MICHAEL: I’m going with you.

JOANNA: Not now, Michael.

MICHAEL: But I gotta see Asher!

DEAN: Hey, Michael. Hey, I know how you feel, okay? I’m a big brother, too. But you gotta go easy on your mom right now, okay? (MICHAEL nods. JOANNA shuts the car door and drops her purse.)

JOANNA: Dammit!

SAM: I got it. (He picks it up and hands it to her.) Here.

JOANNA: Thanks.

DEAN: Hey, listen, you’re in no condition to drive. Why don’t you let me give you a lift to the hospital, huh?

JOANNA: No, I couldn’t possibly—

DEAN: No, it’s no trouble. I insist. (She thinks for a moment, then hands him the keys.)

JOANNA: Thanks. (She kisses MICHAEL’s forehead.) Be good. (She gets in the car and DEAN shuts her door. He leans closer to SAM.)

DEAN: We’re gonna kill this thing. I want it dead, you hear me? (He walks away.)

(CUT TO: INT. – A.W. Stowe Public Library. SAM is doing research on the computer. He picks up his phone and calls DEAN. The scene alternates between the library and the hospital room.)

DEAN: Hey.

SAM: Hey. How’s the kid?

DEAN: He’s not good. Where you at?

SAM: At the library, tryin’ to find out as much as I can about this shtriga.

DEAN: Yeah? What do you got?

SAM: Well, bad news. I started with Fort Douglas, around the time you said Dad was there.

DEAN: And?

SAM: Same deal. Before that, there was Ogdenville. Before that, North Haverbrook and Brockway. Every fifteen to twenty years, it hits a new town. Dean, this thing is just gettin’ started in Fitchburg. In all these other places, it goes on for months—dozens of kids, before the shtriga finally moves on. Kids just languish in comas, and then they die.

DEAN: How far back does this thing go?

SAM: I don’t know. The earliest mention I could find was this place called Black River Falls back in the 1890s. Talk about a horror show. (He brings up a page from an old issue of The Fitchburg Chronicle. The picture features a group of doctors crowded around a patient’s bed.) Whoa.

DEAN: Sam?

SAM: Hold on. I’m lookin’ at a photograph right now of a bunch of doctors standing around a kid’s bed. One of the doctors is Hydecker.

DEAN: And?

SAM: And this picture was taken in 1893. (DEAN is stunned.)

DEAN: You sure?

SAM: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. (DEAN hangs up. He turns around, infuriated, and looks at DR. HYDECKER, who has his hand on Asher’s forehead.)

DR. HYDECKER: (to JOANNA) Don’t worry. Your son’s in good hands. I’m gonna take care of him. (He walks over to DEAN.) So, what’s the CDC come up with so far?

DEAN: (trying to remain calm) Well, we’re still workin’ on a few theories. You’ll know something as soon as we do.

DR. HYDECKER: Well, nothing’s more important to me than these kids.

DEAN: Mm.

DR. HYDECKER: Just let me know if I can help. (He walks away.)

DEAN: I’ll do that. (He is furious.)

(CUT TO: INT. – Motel Room. DEAN and SAM are talking.)

SAM: We should have thought of this before. A doctor’s a perfect disguise. You’re trusted, you can control the whole thing.

DEAN: Huh. That son of a bitch.

SAM: I’m surprised you didn’t draw on him right there.

DEAN: Yeah, well, first of all, I’m not gonna open fire in a freakin’ pediatrics ward.

SAM: Good call.

DEAN: Second, it wouldn’t have done any good because the bastard’s bulletproof unless he’s chowin’ down on somethin’. And third, I wasn’t packin’, which is probably a really good thing ‘cause I probably would’ve just burned a clip in him off of principle alone.

SAM: Gettin’ wise in your old age, Dean.

DEAN: Damn right. So now I know how we’re gonna get it.

SAM: What do you mean?

DEAN: This shtriga—it works through siblings, right?

SAM: Right.

DEAN: Well, last night….

SAM: It went after Asher.

DEAN: So I’m thinkin’ tonight, it’s probably gonna come after Michael.

SAM: Then, we gotta get him outta here.

DEAN: No. No, that’d blow the whole deal.

SAM: What?

DEAN: Yeah.

SAM: Then you wanna use the kid as bait? (DEAN raises his eyebrows in agreement.) Are you nuts? No! Forget it, that’s out of the question.

DEAN: It’s not out of the question, Sam, it’s the only way. If this thing disappears, it could be years before we get another chance.

SAM: Michael’s a kid. And I’m not gonna dangle him in front of that thing like a worm on a hook.

DEAN: Dad did not send me here to walk away.

SAM: Send you here? He didn’t send you here, he sent us here.

DEAN: This isn’t about you, Sam! (He turns away.) All right, I’m the one that screwed up. It’s my fault. There’s no tellin’ how many kids have gotten hurt because of me.

SAM: What are you saying, Dean? How is it your fault? (DEAN is silent. SAM sighs.) Dean, you’ve been hiding something from the get-go. Since when does Dad bail on a hunt? Since when does he let something get away? (DEAN sits down.) Now, talk to me, man. Tell me what’s goin’ on. (DEAN does not speak for a moment.)

DEAN: Fort Douglas, Wisconsin.

(CUT TO: Flashback. Motel Room. YOUNG DEAN is watching TV.)

DEAN: (VO) It was the third night in this crap room, and I was climbin’ the walls, man. I needed to get some air. (YOUNG DEAN shuts off the television and heads for the door. He takes one last glance at YOUNG SAM, who is asleep in the bedroom. DEAN leaves the room and heads across the street.)

(CUT TO: Arcade. YOUNG DEAN is playing a game when the shopkeeper enters.)

SHOPKEEPER: Kid. (DEAN turns to look at him.) We’re closin’ up. (He leaves.)

(CUT TO: Street. YOUNG DEAN is walking back to the motel.)

(CUT TO: INT. – Motel Room. YOUNG DEAN enters and turns around. He freezes when he sees a white light coming from the bedroom. He cautiously enters the room. The shtriga is hovering over SAM, sucking out his life force. DEAN quietly grabs the rifle by the doorway and aims it at the shtriga. He cocks the gun, and the shtriga turns to him. A second later, JOHN enters the motel room.)

JOHN: Get out of the way! (He shoots at the shtriga with his own gun, but the shtriga gets away and escapes out the bedroom window. JOHN rushes over to SAM, who wakes up.) Sammy. Sammy. Sammy! Are you okay?

YOUNG SAM: Dad, what’s goin’ on?

JOHN: You all right? (He hugs SAM tightly. DEAN enters the room.) What happened?

YOUNG DEAN: I-I just went out. (JOHN looks horrified.)

JOHN: What?

YOUNG DEAN: J-just for a second. I’m sorry.

JOHN: I told you not to leave this room. I told you not to let him out of your sight! (He holds SAM close, tearfully, as DEAN watches sadly.)

(FADE TO: Present. Motel Room. DEAN reminisces, with tears in his eyes. SAM is now sitting next to him.)

DEAN: Dad just grabbed us and booked—dropped us off at Pastor Jim’s about three hours away. By the time we got back to Fort Douglas, the shtriga disappeared. It was just gone. It never resurfaced until now. Dad never spoke about it again. I didn't ask. But he, uh—he looked at me different, you know—which was worse. Not that I blame him. He gave me an order, and I didn’t listen. I almost got you killed.

SAM: You were just a kid.

DEAN: Don’t—don’t. Dad knew this was unfinished business for me. And he sent me here to finish it. (They are silent for a few seconds.)

SAM: But using Michael? I don’t know, Dean. I mean, how about one of us hides under the cover, you know, we’ll be the bait?

DEAN: No, that won’t work. It’s gotta get close enough to feed. It’ll see us. Believe me, I don’t like it. But it’s gotta be the kid. (He stands up and walks away, with tears in his eyes.)

(CUT TO: INT. – Motel. Front Desk. DEAN and SAM are talking to MICHAEL, who is holding the phone in his hand.)

MICHAEL: You’re crazy! Just go away, or I’m calling the cops.

DEAN: Hang on a second. Just listen to me. You have to believe me, okay? This thing came through your window, and it attacked your brother. Now, I’ve seen it. I know what it looks like. ‘Cause it attacked my brother once, too. (MICHAEL puts the phone down.)

MICHAEL: This thing—is it, like….it has this long, black robe?

DEAN: You saw it last night, didn’t you?

MICHAEL: I thought I was havin’ a nightmare.

DEAN: I’d give anything not to tell you this, but sometimes, nightmares are real.

MICHAEL: So, why are you telling me?

DEAN: Because we need your help.

MICHAEL: My help?

DEAN: We can kill it. (He nods towards SAM.) Me and him, it’s what we do. But we can’t do it without you.

MICHAEL: What? No!

DEAN: Michael, listen to me. This thing hurt Asher, and it’s gonna keep hurting kids unless we stop it, you understand me? (MICHAEL says nothing.)

(CUT TO: INT. – Motel Room. DEAN and SAM are talking.)

DEAN: Well, that went crappy. Now what?

SAM: What'd you expect? You can’t ask an adult to do something like that, much less a kid. (There is a knock at the door. DEAN answers it. It is MICHAEL.)

MICHAEL: If you kill it, will Asher get better? (DEAN turns and glances at SAM.)

DEAN: Honestly, we don’t know.

MICHAEL: You said you’re a big brother?

DEAN: Yeah.

MICHAEL: You’d take care of your little brother? You’d do anything for him?

DEAN: (in a very heartfelt way) Yeah, I would. (SAM looks touched.)

MICHAEL: Me, too. I’ll help. (DEAN and SAM look at him proudly. The screen goes black.)

(CUT TO: INT. – Motel Room. SAM is watching a live feed from MICHAEL’s bedroom, where DEAN is setting up the camera.)

DEAN: Now, this camera has night vision on it, so we’ll be able to see as clear as day. (to SAM) Are we good?

SAM: Hair to the right. (DEAN adjusts the camera so it is focused on MICHAEL’s bed.) There, there. (DEAN sits down on MICHAEL’s bed.)

MICHAEL: What do I do?

DEAN: You just stay under the covers.

MICHAEL: And if it shows up?

DEAN: Well, we’ll be right in the next room. We’re gonna come in with guns. So, as soon as we do, you roll off this bed and you crawl under it.

MICHAEL: What if you shoot me?

DEAN: We won’t shoot you. We’re good shots. We’re not gonna fire until you’re clear, okay? (MICHAEL nods.) Have you heard a gunshot before?

MICHAEL: Like, in the movies?

DEAN: It’s gonna be a lot louder than in the movies. So, I want you to stay under the bed, cover your ears, and do not come out until we say so, you understand? (MICHAEL nods.) Michael, you sure you wanna do this? You don’t have to, it’s okay. I won’t be mad.

MICHAEL: No, I’m okay. Just don’t shoot me.

DEAN: I’m not gonna let anything happen to you. I promise.

(CUT TO: Motel Room. Later. SAM and DEAN are watching the live feed of MICHAEL’s bedroom.)

DEAN: What time is it? (SAM checks his watch.)

SAM: Three. You sure these iron rounds are gonna work?

DEAN: Consecrated iron rounds. And, yeah, it’s what Dad used last time. (SAM says nothing for a minute.)

SAM: Hey, Dean, I’m sorry. (DEAN is confused.)

DEAN: For what? (SAM sighs.)

SAM: Well, you know….I’ve really given you a lot of crap for always followin’ Dad’s orders. But I know why you do it.

DEAN: Oh, God, kill me now. (SAM smiles. DEAN notices something on the feed.) Wait, look. (They can see the shtriga unlocking the window and entering the bedroom. They quietly pick up their guns. In the bedroom, the shtriga stands by the bed for a moment.)

SAM: Now?

DEAN: Not yet. (The shtriga moves closer to the bed and bends down over MICHAEL, beginning to suck out his life force. A second later, DEAN and SAM burst into the bedroom.) Hey! (The shtriga turns to them.) Michael, down! (MICHAEL rolls off the bed and crawls under it. SAM and DEAN shoot the shtriga many times before it falls to the ground.) Mike, you all right?

MICHAEL: Yeah.

DEAN: Sit tight. (He and SAM walk over to the shtriga and look at the bullet holes in its robe. DEAN looks at SAM, who lowers his gun. Suddenly, the shtriga bolts upright and throws DEAN into the closet across the room.)

SAM: Dean! (In an instant, the shtriga comes over to SAM and pushes him to the ground, choking him. SAM tries to pick up his gun, but he cannot reach it. The shtriga lowers its head and begins to suck out SAM’s life force. His face begins to lose its color.)

DEAN: Hey! (The shtriga turns and DEAN shoots it between its eyes. It falls to the ground again.) You okay, little brother? (Breathing heavily, SAM gives DEAN a thumbs-up sign. DEAN stands up with SAM and they look at the shtriga. DEAN shoots it three more times, and it disappears into nothing. All that remains is a pile of robes on the floor.) It’s okay, Michael, you can come on out. (MICHAEL comes out from under the bed and walks over to them. SAM places a hand on MICHAEL’s shoulder. MICHAEL smiles gratefully at DEAN, and he smiles back. DEAN continues to look at the robes on the carpet. The screen goes black.)

(FADE IN: EXT. – Motel. Morning. DEAN and SAM are loading the trunk. JOANNA comes outside.)

DEAN: Hey, Joanna. How’s Asher doin’?

JOANNA: Have you seen Michael? (MICHAEL comes outside.)

MICHAEL: Mom, Mom!

JOANNA: Hey! (She hugs him.)

MICHAEL: How’s Ash?

JOANNA: I’ve got some good news. Your brother’s gonna be fine.

MICHAEL: Really?

JOANNA: Yeah, really. No one can explain it. It’s a miracle. (DEAN and SAM exchange a look.) They’re gonna keep him in overnight for observation, but after that, he’s comin’ home.

DEAN: That’s great.

SAM: How are all the other kids doin’?

JOANNA: Good. Real good. A bunch of them should be checkin’ out in a few days. Dr. Travis says the ward’s gonna be like a ghost town.

SAM: Dr. Travis? What about Dr. Hydecker?

JOANNA: Oh, he wasn’t in today—must’ve been sick or something.

DEAN: Yeah. Yeah, must have.

JOANNA: Mm. (to MICHAEL) So, did anything happen while I was gone?

MICHAEL: No. Same old stuff.

JOANNA: Okay. You can go see Ash.

MICHAEL: Now?

JOANNA: Only if you want to. (MICHAEL smiles and looks at DEAN, who nods knowingly at him. MICHAEL runs to the car.) I better get going before he hotwires the car and drives himself. (They smile, and she walks away. DEAN closes the trunk.)

SAM: It’s too bad.

DEAN: Oh, they’ll be fine.

SAM: No, that’s not what I meant. I meant Michael. He will always know there are things out there in the dark. He’ll never be the same, you know? (DEAN nods.) Sometimes I wish that….

DEAN: What?

SAM: I wish I could have that kind of innocence. (DEAN turns and watches JOANNA and MICHAEL drive away, then turns back to SAM.)

DEAN: If it means anything, sometimes I wish you could, too. (He gets in the car. SAM follows a moment later. They drive away as the screen fades to black.)

THE END