Episode Twenty-Three: Dead End

By Dean5339

Act Two

EXT. DESERTED ROAD

The sun beams down onto the scorching desert sand below, as the sand whirls in every direction. A road sign swings back and forth in the wind reading ‘Route 66.’ Sam stands in the middle of the road, shielding his eyes from the sun. He looks around, but he’s alone. He begins to run along the road.

SAM
(frantic)
Dean! Dean! Where are you?!

DEAN (O.S.)
Sammy… that you?

SAM
Dean?

Sam runs faster and faster, picking up speed as he rushes along the desert highway.

SAM
Dean?!

Finally he sees him. Stretched out in the middle of the road. Dying. Sweat pours down his face.

Dean struggles for air, but he knows it’s useless. Sam kneels by his side.

SAM
Dean, what happened?

DEAN
S… don’t let him kill me.

SAM
Who?

Dean reaches out and grabs onto Sam’s arm.

DEAN
Sammy… Sammy…

SAM
I’m here now, Dean. Who did this to you?

Dean turns to face his brother, staring him straight in the eyes. Shocked that he doesn’t know the answer.

DEAN
You did.

Sam stands up and slowly begins to back away.

SAM
No.

Sam stumbles backwards, hit off guard.

SAM
No.

Dean appears behind him.

DEAN
You don’t know who you are. Do you?

Sam spins around to face his brother.

DEAN
You don’t know your destiny.

SAM
What are you talking about?

Dean confronts Sam, walking closer and closer towards his brother.

DEAN
There’s a reason why we kept what happened that night a secret.

Sam turns around and begins to walk away. Dean doesn’t let him escape. He reappears in front of him, blocking his path.

DEAN
You’re dangerous Sam. And sooner or later, you’re going to kill someone. You just need a little [i]push[/i] in the right direction.

Dean PUSHES Sam. Sam falls backwards and we quickly

JUMP CUT:

INT. MOTEL- ROOM

Sam jumps up in bed, sweat pours down his face. He takes in deep breaths as he looks around the room. Dean is fast asleep. It was only a dream. Sam rubs his head, images flashing through his mind… the train car. Sam shakes his head no. He doesn’t know what it means. But the question continues to haunt him.

FADE TO:
EXT. MOTEL

CLOSE UP on the moon going down and the rising sun.

INT. MOTEL- ROOM

Dean wakes up, glances at the clock. 7 AM. Sam is already up, pacing the room.

DEAN
You get any sleep last night?

Sam shrugs.

SAM
A little. I’ve got a lot on my mind.

DEAN
Oh yeah? Like what?

SAM
Like another murder, that happened right about…

Sam takes out a pin and sticks it into a map of Route 66.

SAM
Here.

Dean looks at Sam suspiciously. He knows when Sam is hiding something from him.

DEAN
Yeah?

SAM
Figured we mind as well check it out. And maybe, for once, the cameras actually picked something up.

EXT. GAS STATION- AFTERNOON

The Impala pulls into the gas station that the victim the night before had filled her car up with gas. Sam and Dean step out of the Impala.

SAM
So, I’ll fill her up.

Dean looks at Sam with a raised eyebrow.

SAM
Hey, I paid last time.

Dean shrugs and nods, he approaches the cashier.

SAM
Oh and ah… one more thing.

Dean stops and glances towards his brother.

DEAN
What?

SAM
See if those cameras picked anything up. Reports said that the car was found just a couple of miles more up the road.

Dean nods his head ok and enters…

INT. GAS STATION

He approaches the main desk and glances back and forth. Dean notices an attractive woman, in her late twenties. A brunette. She turns around. It’s Kate!!!

DEAN
Kate?!

KATE
Dean?!

DEAN
Hey, what are you doing here?

KATE
What are you doing here?

DEAN
Well, you know me- Knight in shining armor, here to save the damsel in distress.

KATE
Damsel?

DEAN
Not that you’re the damsel.

KATE
Of course not…

Dean weakly grins

KATE
So, what are you doing down here?

Dean motions towards the television set above, detailing the news of the killer.

KATE
Still chasing down ghosts?

DEAN
Or killers, we haven’t quite figured it out yet.

Kate checks behind Dean’s back.

DEAN
Looking for Sam?

Kate nods.

DEAN
He’s here. Outside. Why? Uncomfortable, just the two of us?

KATE
Why would I be uncomfortable?

DEAN
I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?

Dean and Kate look into each other’s eyes, longing to be together. CLING! The door opens and Sam enters the gas station.

DEAN
Well, look who decided to join our little happy brigade.

Sam notices Kate.

SAM
(surprised)
Kate?

KATE
Hey Sam.

SAM
(to DEAN)
What is she doing here?
(to KATE)
What are you doing here?

Dean looks at Kate, also awaiting an answer.

KATE
Just here to catch that killer on the news.

DEAN
I thought you gave up ‘ghost hunting’?

KATE
Who’s to say it’s a ghost?

Dean cracks a grin.

SAM
(to DEAN)
So, check out the security feed yet?

Dean shakes his head no.

DEAN
(to KATE)
You?

Kate holds up a milk carton.

KATE
I’m just here to buy milk.

Dean gives Kate a devilishly charming grin. Sam notices.

SAM
So… I’ll just go see what I can find out.

DEAN
You go do whatever you want Sammy boy.

Sam walks towards the main counter. He shows the CLERK his fake badge, while casually glancing over towards Kate and Dean.

CLERK
Like her?

Sam shakes his head no.

SAM
My brother does.

CLERK
I don’t blame him. She sure is one hot specimen.

Sam looks at the Clerk, caught off guard, but decides to ignore the last comment.

SAM
I need to check the security monitors.

The clerk nods and leads Sam into the back room. Dean and Kate stand in an awkward silence for a moment.

DEAN
This is a long ways away from New York.

KATE
Got a call from an old friend, said the district needed help.

DEAN
That all?

Kate nods.

KATE
Yeah, why?

Dean shrugs.

DEAN
Nothing.

SAM (O.S.)
Dean, you gotta get your ass in here man! You’re not going to believe what we’ve got on tape!

Dean and Kate share a curious look, before running towards the…

INT. GAS STATION- BACK ROOM

They enter. Sam glances at Dean, behind his shoulder.

SAM
Jenny went in to pay for the gas. Now look at what happens next…

The tape begins and we see a figure cloaked in black enter the backseat of her car. We notice the static forming around the figure, distorting the electronic feed.

DEAN
He exists.

Sam nods.

SAM
All legends have to start somewhere.

The clerk looks back and forth between the three hunters, curious and suspicious.

CLERK
What is it?

DEAN
The “Killer in the Backseat.”

Kate nods, taking it all in.

KATE
Get your kicks on Route 66.

CLOSE UP on the security monitor as the car drives off.

EXT. DINER

Sam, Dean, and Kate sit around a table at a diner eating lunch. Kate looks at a photograph of Jenny’s car and the picture in the newspaper.

KATE
This can’t be right.

DEAN
What is it?

KATE
Blood usually goes in a certain direction, depending on how the victim was killed.

DEAN
And?

KATE
The first victim, cut in a vertical slant…

Kate shows Sam and Dean the blood on the driver’s side window and some splattered onto the windshield.

KATE
And then last night…

Kate shows Sam and Dean the photograph. Showing blood on the windshield, and very little on the driver’s side window.

KATE
Doesn’t match.

DEAN
What are you saying?

KATE
Both girls were killed from different positions. That first victim, there’s no way that sort of cut could have been made from the back seat of a moving vehicle. It’s too… messy. While, this one
(motions to the photograph)
Is neat and precise.

Sam nods, taking it all in.

DEAN
So, we’re back to square one?

SAM
Maybe not.

DEAN
Hmm?

SAM
What if it’s not just the killer in the backseat?

DEAN
What do you mean?

SAM
Over time legends evolve, change with the times- right?

DEAN
Yeah, so?

SAM
What if that’s what happened here, I mean, look at how many legends there are about killers attacking in or around cars? I mean, there’s almost a thousand different variations.

Kate nods, picking up on where Sam is heading.

KATE
Hitchhikers. Outside of malls. Gas Stations.

Sam nods.

SAM
Strikes anywhere and at anytime. Back seat, passenger seat, even sometimes under the car.

DEAN
Right, right… so what you saying? That this guy might be some kind of amalgamation?

SAM
It’s possible.

KATE
How do we know for sure?

Sam sighs and takes a deep breath.

SAM
I don’t know. But, right now, I think this is our best bet.

Kate nods.

EXT. DESERTED ROAD- NIGHT (REMEDY BY JASON MRAZ)

A car drives down the highway.

INT. CAR

A young college guy, BRAD, drives with his girlfriend, LISA, towards their hometown. Remedy by Jason Mraz plays over the radio. Brad looks at Lisa and smiles.

LISA
Slow down.

Brad looks at the speedometer to see that he was going the speed limit. But, he decides that it's perhaps best to slow down a little. Brad notices that Lisa is looking out her window, concerned and afraid.

BRAD
What is it?

Brad puts on his headlights and notices what Lisa was staring at: a deserted car hanging off to the side of the road, seriously beaten up.

BRAD
I’m going to check it out.

Brad pulls his car over to the side, turns off the ignition and steps out, and looks towards Lisa.

BRAD
Stay here. Lock the doors!

Lisa nods her head okay. Brad closes the doors and Lisa locks them. Brad approaches the car, on ease and timid. He looks through the passenger window. He can’t see anything. The car looks like it’s completely empty. BANG!!! A hand SMASHES up against the window. Brad jumps, startled. He looks in to find a woman, bleeding and… alive.

Continue...