Supernatural: Measure of A Man (Season 1)

With the demon still inside of Dean planted inside of him by the demon Laura, Sam and Amy worry about him and if he’ll turn evil. Not only does Dean carry the burden of the demon inside him, but he has an added burden of his brother and sister as they work a case in New Jersey in search of one of the oldest urban legends in American history. As Sam and Amy search for information on the thing that is terrorizing the locals, their brother struggles to control the demon that’s trapped deep within him. 1

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Episode 23

1995 Pine Barrens, N.J.4

The first punch of pain struck her earlier in the afternoon, a hard fist to her abdomen that stole her breath away as she was washing the dishes. Fear and excitement strangely combined, she knew this was the beginning of the end, which in itself was a relief. Nine months of waiting and worrying, of cravings and nausea, and of carrying around a belly that was certainly not conducive to good posture, sleeping or even breathing was finally culminating this day. 5

Now, several hours later, Elaine McGregor lay on the living room sofa writhing in agony. The euphoria of labor and the promise of soon meeting her firstborn were now lost in the sheer pain that coursed through her body. The contractions tore through her in one huge wave after another, so rapid in fact that she barely had time to catch her breath before the next one threatened to drown her. That they had waited too long to leave for the hospital was an obvious fact. But more than the procrastination and imminent birth, a nagging fear chewed at Elaine’s subconscious. 6

Stephan McGregor slammed the phone down for the third time in less than ten minutes. He also knew that they should have left for town long before his wife’s water broke, but the damn Lamaze instructor had insisted that first babies always took their time and that there was no need to rush. What the hell had that old biddy known anyway? He was willing to bet that she hadn’t had a baby since before the invention of electricity. 7

Elaine’s scream stole his attention again and he rushed once more to her side. Her face was bathed in perspiration and her brows were scrunched up as she fought against the incredible pain that was emanating from inside her. Looking closer, Stephan now saw the large pool of blood beneath his wife that stained the floral print of the couch. Something was definitely wrong: Lamaze class never mentioned any of this. Another scream from Elaine interrupted her rhythmic panting as she sat forward, grabbing a handful of Stephan’s shirt. 8

“Where are they,” she managed before collapsing back against the couch. 9

Her husband flew to the living room window, pulling aside the curtain fervently seeking the familiar glow of flashing red lights that signaled the approach of the ambulance. When only the darkness of the night met his eyes, he strained to hopefully pick up the telltale sound of a siren. Grabbing the phone, he frantically dialed 911 once more. 10

“This is Stephan McGregor again. How much longer will it be? There’s something wrong, the baby isn’t coming and my wife is bleeding badly!” 11

Elaine tried to listen to the one-sided conversation, but between the knife-like contractions and the pounding of her own heart in her ears, she could only focus on the sudden fear that covered her husband's face. She watched as he came to her, dropping to his knees on the floor beside her, the phone still at his ear. She could vaguely make out a voice coming from the receiver as Stephan listened intently. 12

“Okay, I’m here. What do I do?” he asked anxiously. The voice responded. 13

Stephan followed the dispatcher’s instructions, looking closely for any sign of the baby’s head. A brief smile flashed across his pale face and he excitedly voiced an affirmative into the phone.14

“Honey, he says to push. The baby’s head is right there, but you gotta push!”15

Elaine sucked in a deep breath and with more strength that she ever thought she could muster, she forced downward. Another scream, more panting and she tried again. And then again, repeating the process until her body was tingling from hyperventilation. 16

Stephan tried to look encouraging despite his feelings of helplessness and panic. He watched his wife with trepidation as first blood-matted hair and then a whole head finally appeared. Grabbing a nearby blanket, he held it there as Elaine pushed one final time and the baby was expelled. 17

Collapsing backward, exhaustion taking its toll, Elaine breathed more easily. Quickly regaining her composure, anxious to see her baby, she scooted upright, a broad smile covering her perspiration-soaked face. Short-lived, the smile rapidly faded, replaced by concern as she watched her husband. Stephan sank limply to the floor, his arms still holding the small, ominously quiet bundle. Panic gripped her, and Elaine moved to the edge of the sofa, straining to see. 18

“Is he okay? Why isn’t he crying?” she pleaded. 19

Stephan remained silent, unable to tear his eyes away from the object in his arms. Blood covered the blanket, his arms and hands and even the baby, but he was too numb to even consider cleaning it up. As he watched the little newborn wiggle within the cotton swaddling, he fought down the bile that was rising in his throat.20

Elaine pushed closer to her husband, reaching out to tug at his sleeve, forcing him to turn towards her. 21

“What wrong?” she asked, her voice trembling with dread.22

As Stephan’s body twisted towards her, she caught the first glimpse of her baby. Her hand flew to her mouth, stifling the scream that threatened to escape as her mind fought to process the visage before her.23

As the sound of the approaching siren drowned out the strange mewling sounds of the tiny baby, new mother and father could only stare in horror at the cruel joke nature had played on them. 24

* * * * 25

Present Day – motel room – Cincinnati26

Dean reached out to turn off the weak drizzle of the shower, changing his mind at the last second and turning off only the cold. He stood there letting the hot water run over him for a moment, barely registering the burn of it against his skin. No matter the temperature, he always felt cold lately, ever since—27

He made a disgusted noise and reached out again, shutting the water off with an angry jerk. Stepping out of the tub he grabbed the thin, scratchy towel off the rack and roughly dried off his body. 28

As he did so, his eyes roved over his skin, disturbed by the fact that despite the brutality he had experienced from Laura’s servants over what had been his nearly week long time in hell, he was remarkably recovered. The only sensation was the bullet wound he had taken through the shoulder at his father’s hands, now no more bothersome than a strained muscle. At least physically.29

He yanked on his boxers and ruffed his short, ragged hair to get the excess water out of it. 30

Finally, reluctantly, he stretched out the towel and rubbed the fog from the mirror over the sink. He glanced at his reflection. The sudden shift of blackness that slithered over his eyes, obscuring the familiar green, was so fast it might not have happened. Dean looked away, knowing it had.31

Feeling sick, his hand closed over the amulet hanging around his neck, darkened now to almost the same black as the cord it hung by. 32

He closed his betrayer’s eyes, not wanting to see that blackness again. Wondering how long he could keep that darkness coiled inside him under control. The battle raged constantly, the demon within him howling and clawing for release. Dean kept reinforcing the barricades but knowing that, despite his desperate efforts, if they couldn’t find a solution to this nightmare, time was against him. Slowly, but inexorably, the barriers would give way, crumbling under the relentless assault of the demon within him.33

What hurt the most was the knowledge that Sam and Amy no longer trusted him. He might say he did and act like he did, but Dean was now an unknown quantity and he knew they couldn’t afford the luxury of trust. He would deny it if asked, but Dean couldn’t blame him. Hell, he wasn’t sure he could trust himself.34

But it still hurt. 35

Dean gripped the amulet tighter, lifting his eyes once more, daring himself to meet his reflection in the glass. Feeling anger boil up as blackness danced across his eyes once again, taunting him.36

I’m still here…37

Dean’s fist smashed the mirror before he realized what he was doing. Broken mirror cut into the skin of his knuckles and blood dripped onto the dirty sink. 38

“Shit!” he swore, cradling the injured hand in its mate, not surprised at the sudden knocking on the door.39

“Dean?” Sam called out. “You okay?” He didn't wait for Dean to reply before opening the stupidly unlocked door and coming in.40

Sam took in Dean’s bloody hand and the smashed mirror in one quick glance. Sam didn’t need to say it for Dean to know what he was thinking and his face must have shown it because Sam quickly forced the panic from his face and replaced it with an expression of general concern.41

“Your hand’s bleeding,” Sam said, gesturing.42

Dean grimaced. “Slight difference of opinion with the mirror.” He forced the grimace into a smirk. “So you never heard of knocking? So desperate to see the body all the chicks fight over, you just burst in?” 43

The thin humor Sam recognized for what it was, a weak attempt to divert him from his fear of Dean losing control. Of losing Dean.44

“Lemme help you…” Sam said quietly, reaching out.45

Dean straightened, moving away. “No,” he said quickly, a flash of a smile to go with it. “It’s no big deal, I got it.”46

They looked at each other for a long moment, then Sam nodded. “Fine, well…hurry up then. I got some stuff that might interest you. Maybe a new hunt.”47

Dean lifted his eyebrows and nodded back. “Oh, good.” He dabbed at his cut knuckles with the towel he’d dropped on the floor. “l’ll get dressed and be right out.” He looked over at Sam briefly and then turned back to the smashed mirror. 48

Sam’s tongue drifted over his lips and he nodded shortly again. “Okay.” 49

Dean closed his eyes, dropping his head and sighing as the door closed behind Sam and the latch clicked into place.50

* * * *51

Week Earlier – Pine Barrens, NJ52

“Beep-beep! Watch out Davey, you’re gonna hit my truck.”53

“No, I’m not. Move over, quit hogging all the toys. I had that one first!” the blonde-haired boy shouted back, launching a fist-full of sand at his older brother. 54

“I’m tellin’ Mom!” the older boy cried out, blinking rapidly as he wiped the offending grit from his eyes. 55

A split second pause and the two boys were back to playing again, laughter filling the back yard, a sibling’s transgression forgotten in the desire to have fun.56

The creature observed the exchange from its position just at the edge of the woods. It had carefully crept closer and closer to the backyard, intent on the two children playing in the afternoon sunshine. Normally, it never chanced coming in so close to humans, especially during the daylight, but ravenous hunger had driven it today. 57

It had watched humans before, especially enjoyed the small ones, so much more accepting of his presence than the bigger ones that usually screamed or tried to hurt it. Never before though, had it ventured so close as it had today. Hovering at the edge of the tree line, obscured by the taller grass and bushes, it maintained its position as another voice sounded. 58

“Boys! Come and eat. I made some cheeseburgers for you.” 59

“Aw mom, we’re playing” the young brothers whined in unison, reluctant to move from their sandbox and toys. 60

“Okay, okay, I’ll put your lunch on the picnic table, but don’t go feeding it to Shadow,” the woman instructed, a knowing smile broadening her face as the dog looked up in response to its name. 61

The creature lifted its head, sniffing the air as the smell of the cooked meat wafted on the afternoon breeze. It licked its chops, mimicking the large dog that was also eyeing the ignored meal. Hunger was a powerful motivation, instilling boldness that overrode caution. Stealthily, the creature edged even closer to the backyard, its dark predator’s eyes flicking back and forth between the children, the dog and the house. 62

The distance between the relative shelter of the forest and the plastic Little Tikes picnic table wasn’t far, but it was all in the open, no cover, and no means of escape except to turn and scuttle back into the woods. Then there was the dog, chained to a nearby doghouse, no telling how far the leash would reach. The creature hadn’t survived for so long by ignoring potential threats to its existence, and the pet was definitely a threat. 63

Still, in the creature’s food-centered mind, the gnawing deep inside was in overdrive, survival instinct kicking in and driving the animal brain. It inched slightly closer to exposing itself, its face expressing something that could have been a smile had it not been for the pointed and yellowed incisors that peeked out or the saliva that began to trickle from the corners of its maw. 64

As the small boys played, blissfully ignorant of the thing that lurked so close by, the creature stepped out of the wooded cover. Just then, the breeze shifted ever so slightly and the black lab lifted its head, testing the air for the hint of the foreign scent that had just caught its attention.65

The dog’s ear’s pricked up and a low growl began in the back of its throat. Muscles tensed and bunched as its eyes caught the hint of movement at the forest edge. 66

The creature took another step out of its cover just as the black lab lunged from its crouched position. Snarling teeth and raised hackles rushed in a black blur towards the creature. Survival instinct kicked in and the creature twisted in mid-stride and disappeared back into the green foliage.67

The dog’s second lunge was powerful enough to snap the small chain links and its momentum carried it into the woods in pursuit of the creature. From behind it, the two boys dropped their toys and had simultaneously begun yelling for their dog and their mother. 68

The creature tore through the underbrush, seeking nothing more than escape from the snapping jaws that were nearly upon it. As it dodged behind the trunk of a large pine, the dog anticipated its quarry and moved around from the opposite side. The animal sprung from the ground, powerful hind legs launching it at its prey. The dog’s jaws clamped onto a flailing appendage of the creature, teeth piercing its hide and locking in as the creature loosed a horrifying scream that radiated throughout the forest. 69

Reacting in fear and pain, the creature slammed the dog into the trunk of the nearest tree, once and then twice, until the dog’s broken body released its hold. In anger, the creature lifted the dead carcass of the family pet and threw it viciously into the backyard where it landed with a sickening thud at the feet of the little boys. 70

As the children screamed in horror the creature watched from its place of cover for a moment more. Hunger still gnawing, but pain now dominating that need, it turned away and moved silently back into the deeper forest, the greenery swallowing it up as though it had never been there at all. 71

* * * *72

Present Day – Motel73

Dean sat on the edge of the bed, absently massaging the knuckles of his right hand which still throbbed, reminding him of the basic law of nature that states that flesh and bone is generally not an equal of glass and drywall. He ignored the pulsating burn as he always did, focusing his attention on his brother seated across from him at the motel room’s standard issue table. 74

Laptop open, Sam’s fingers glided over the keyboard, pausing occasionally to lightly touch the built-in mouse pad. He worked the computer like a pianist would tease beautiful music from a baby grand and Dean was always impressed at how well his brother could so effortlessly tap into the limitless information contained on the Internet. 75

Amy was seated at the same table as Sam, watching her brother’s every movement. She sat right next to him so she could see what he was doing on there. She read whatever Sam had up on the on the laptop. If he was skimming through an article, she’d do the same. What he was doing right now was looking for a hunt for them to go on. To her, some of these big ideas for their next hunt sounded completely cheesy and pathetic. If it was up to her, she’d pick the hunts but Sam hardly ever let her use his laptop and he wouldn’t give her the money to buy one of her own. 76

“So, you caught some story on Unsolved Mysteries about a woman and her kids that spotted a bear in their back yard?” Dean asked skeptically. “That’s your big, ‘hey, I’ve found a hunt’ announcement?” 77

Sam shot his brother a scowl that also said “be patient” and then turned the laptop screen to face Dean. 78

“It’s not just that single sighting Dean, there have been dozens around the area over the past few months. Every one of them with a similar description of a creature or something that has been rummaging through trash, killing pets, and stalking in the shadows around the homes in Pine Barrens, New Jersey.”79

“Pine Barrens?” Dean repeated, eyebrows raised, his interest suddenly captured. 80

“Yeah, Pine Barrens,” Sam replied as Dean leaned closer, his eyes now intently focused on the laptop’s screen. 81

After a moment Dean sat back shaking his head. “You’re thinking the Jersey Devil aren’t you? There haven’t been any serious sightings in over fifty years.”82

“There’s no such thing as the Jersey Devil.” Amy piped up. 83

“Shut up and how do you know that there’s no such thing as the Jersey Devil.” Dean said to her. She shot her eldest brother a dirty look. 84

“That’s not true Amy, look here!” Sam said excitedly, swinging the laptop back around, his fingers flying once more over the keys. Dean rose, coming to stand behind Sam’s shoulder and peering down to see what his brother’s search revealed. Amy, who was watching everything Sam was doing on the internet, read the article of her brother’s search on the internet. 85

“See Dean, sightings in 1951, two boys in Gibbstown said they were chased for nearly a mile by a winged creature, snarling teeth, saliva dripping from its jaws. 1991, a women in Leeds says she saw a creature ripping apart her German Shepherd in the back yard. She said the creature had yellow eyes, a white face like a horse and long teeth. 2001, a pizza delivery boy breaks down on Lakehurst Road and is attacked in his car by a large winged creature. Look at the picture of the car, Dean. Seems like something clawed it up pretty good.”86

Dean stood upright, stepping back and sighing deeply. This was thin, even by his standards. For a moment, he considered that Sam was just trying to find some way to distract his older brother, that tempting Dean with a hunt would somehow erase the constant reminder of the demon inside him. Maybe it was even Sam’s way of trying to erase how badly things had gone with Laura. Whatever his brother’s motivation, Dean wasn’t buying it. 87

Shaking his head, he strode back to the side of his bed, his hand once more caressing the tender skin of his right hand. 88

“I don’t know Sam, the sightings are all different, the descriptions don’t always match. Besides, the Jersey Devil lore goes back to the 1700’s. It can’t possibly be the same creature all that long and hell, other than some scattered tracks, there’s never been one shred of physical evidence,” Dean stated. “It’s probably just some wild animal from time to time that gets too close to some yuppies’ backyard picnic. I mean, come on, supernatural creatures do not rummage through trash looking for food. They break into houses and eat little kids,” Dean finished, tilting his head and forcing a sarcastic smile.89

Sam looked up at his older sibling, unable to hide the look of astonishment that was plastered across his face. He couldn’t believe that he was trying to ‘talk’ Dean into a hunt. When had his brother ever turned down the opportunity to search and destroy? Wasn’t it always the other way around, Sam being the resistant voice of reason while Dean chomped at the bit to take on whatever ghost of the week life had in store for them?90

But maybe that was old Dean. Dean before the possession had been dead set on destroying evil anywhere and in any form. Dean after the possession maybe didn’t have the same deep-seated desire to destroy one of his own.91

No! No way! Sam thought to himself, immediately forcing away any thought that his brother could have changed or been swayed by the demonic presence within him. Still, how could he not be different after everything he’d been through?92

Sam quickly regrouped, determined to make his case. 93

“Sam, Dean, I don’t really believe in this Jersey Devil but the lore behind the Jersey Devil is prolific but vague, there is a bunch of documented sightings in 1909, the whole ‘Week of Terror’. Night after night, the creature was seen by dozens of folks; decent, respectable people that corroborated each others stories. Besides, there’s one other piece of the Devil lore you should know,” Amy stated as she recollected knowledge of prior knowledge from years ago. When she said that, she was basically speaking for Sam, helping him out to try to get Dean into going on a hunt.94

Dean and Sam looked up at their sister, the hesitation and seriousness in Amy’s voice drawing their attention as surely as flames attracted moths. 95

“Sam, what does the rest of your research say?” Dean asked. 96

Sam took a deep breath before continuing, the next piece of the legend chilled him to the bone the first time he read it and its effect was not lessened now as he prepared to repeat it. 97

“One of the stories about the origin of the Jersey Devil says that the widow Shrouds made a wish that if she ever had another child it would be the devil. Supposedly, she did have another and it was deformed, but that wasn’t the interesting part.”98

Dean came around the edge of the bed and plopped down into the chair on the other side of Sam. His deep sigh was audible and the look on his face said "go ahead, I’m bored but listening". Sam ignored him, but inwardly he was becoming exasperated by his brother’s behavior. Sam shoved the laptop over to his sister and lets her read out loud what he found.99

“Well, this one website says that not long after the child was born, the widow’s house caught on fire and burned to the ground. No one saw the old woman ever again or the child, but what if it somehow connects to the other kids like me? Maybe even way back then?” She read and asked, eyebrows knitted together, her brown eyes clear but reflecting the pain that constantly haunted her about somewhat ties to Sam that the demon Laura has and the demon’s plans for him. 100

Dean shook his head, unable to believe that Sam and Amy would so easily make that huge leap in logic. He knew that his brother was preoccupied with finding out what the demon had planned for him "and all the children like him", but to imply that Laura had been at work over three hundred years ago in New Jersey of all places, well that just seemed like a stretch to the older hunter.101

“Are you listening to yourself? Why in the hell would the Yellowed-Eyed Demon be after kids way back then? Dude, I’m telling you there is no connection between the Jersey Devil, if the creature even exists and that bastard or you,” Dean stated. “Besides, if the damn thing does exist, its never killed anyone, at least that’s ever been documented. If it’s managed to survive this long, then I say leave it alone; we shouldn't hunt it down and kill it just 'cause people saw it and got scared.” ‘I haven’t hurt anyone! Can’t everyone leave me alone too?’ 102

“I agree with Dean on this, Sam. Who the hell knows if this bastard exists or not? I say it doesn’t. Not everything is always real.” Amy said to Sam.103

Sam slammed the laptop closed while rising to his feet, his face suddenly red with frustration and near anger. “I can’t believe you, Dean!” he shouted. “Why don’t you want to check this out? What the hell has gotten into you?”104

As the words slipped out of his mouth, Sam saw the immediate reaction in his brother as Dean visibly flinched, his head dropping down, his eyes instantly hidden. 105

“What a stupid bastard I am!” Sam thought to himself. “Gee Dean! Just in case you forgot in the last five minutes that you had a demon stuck inside you, your dumb-ass brother has to go and remind you.”106

“Dean, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it the way it came out,” Sam stammered, coming to stand beside his brother, his hand automatically reaching out to make contact with Dean’s shoulder.107

An instant before fingers touched the fabric of his shirt, Dean pushed up from the chair and deftly twisted out of Sam’s reach. He moved quickly to the side of the twin bed and began tossing yesterday’s dirty clothes into his duffle, eyes remaining downward, carefully obscured by long lashes and the turn of his head away from his brother.108

“Dean, I’m really sorry,” Sam offered again. 109

“No problem, Sam,” Dean replied dryly. 110

“It is a problem Dean. Look, I understand …”111

“Understand?” Dean interrupted shouting. “How could you possibly understand Sam? Do you have a demon stuck inside you?”112

“No, but …”113

“No! You don’t! You don’t have to listen to the damn thing scream inside your skull every waking moment. You don’t go to sleep wondering if you’ll wake up the next day and be yourself or something … else. You don’t spend every last drop of energy trying to keep the son-of-a-bitch locked in some remote corner inside of you. And you don’t have to worry every freaking' second that if you don’t control the thing that you might hurt someone!”’ I might hurt you!’114

Dean finished, his chest heaving from the emotion contained in his outburst. He glanced up at his brother only briefly before his head moved downward once more. “Don’t look at my eyes Sam. Please don’t look!” But the glance was long enough for Sam to see the desperation and weariness contained in the hazel eyes. 115

Softer now, Dean continued. “I know you don’t trust me Sam. Hell, I don’t even trust myself anymore. It’s getting harder and harder to control this thing. I don’t know how much longer I can hold out.” His shoulder’s sagging, Dean dropped to the bed, running a shaking open palm across his face. 116

Sam closed the small space between them and plopped down beside his despondent brother. He knew implicitly that anything he said at this point would be rejected by Dean as surely as the physical contact had been moments before. Still, Sam knew he had to say something. Was he worried about his brother? Hell yeah! Dean could be intimidating enough under normal circumstances, but having seen his brother in full-on demon mode take on Laura had truly scared Sam. 117

“Dean, you’re my brother, and I trust you. I’ve trusted you all my life and I trust you with my life. You didn’t hurt me in the chamber and I know you won’t hurt me now, not ever,” Sam said sincerely. He watched as Dean absorbed his words, hopeful that he could bring some manner of encouragement. 118

Dean met his gaze, studying Sam’s face, looking for the hint of uncertainty and fear that he knew his brother felt. He had tried to brush off Sam’s extra watchfulness over him since leaving Bobby’s, he’d even overlooked the questions that always bordered on asking if he was in control or not. But the one thing Dean couldn’t ignore was the apprehension in Sam’s face every time he looked at his brother. 119

“Sammy, you never could lie worth a damn dude,” he replied finally, the corners of his mouth turning upward into a smile that couldn’t remotely cover the agony he felt at knowing that his baby brother was afraid of him. 120

“Dean …” Sam began once more, ready to refute the implication. 121

“Come on Sam!” Dean interrupted again. “You want to go to New Jersey and look for some trash eating, dog mauling, pizza-delivery dude terrorizing creature, then what the hell. Let’s go! Not like there’s anything more exciting on the agenda.”122

Stunned at Dean’s sudden acceptance of a hunt that he had opposed so fervently moments before, Sam sat, mouth gaping in silence as his brother shut down the conversation in true Dean Winchester fashion.123

Watching his brother as he resumed packing his meager belongings, Sam inhaled sharply as the briefest flash of black cascaded over Dean’s eyes then reverted just as quickly back to green. 124

“I do trust you Dean, but I can’t trust the thing that’s inside you,” his mind whispered. 125

***126

Part II127

Lakehurst Road – Pine Barrens128

Richard Anderson reached for the knob on his stereo, twisting it clockwise to crank up the volume, Korn’s Freak on a Leash blaring even louder from the truck’s speakers, anything to keep him awake during the long drive home. He then reached for the handle and lowered the driver’s side window allowing the cool night air to whip into his face as he pressed the accelerator, hoping to cut any amount of time off the trip. Physically exhausted from having worked a double shift at the factory and mentally drained from fighting with his girlfriend earlier on the phone, Anderson popped the top on a can of beer and slugged back a huge gulp. He emptied the can with the next swallow and tossed the empty through the cab’s sliding rear window into the bed behind him. 129

Opening a second can, he sipped slower now, knowing first hand that fatigue, anger, and alcohol was not a good mix. 130

“Been there, done that, paid the ticket!” he mumbled aloud. 131

The night was particularly dark, the moon obscured by heavy cloud cover signaling another storm pulling in off the coast. In the distance, Anderson saw the flash of lightning and knew the impending rain would likely be on him before he reached home. 132

“Great!” he groused. “Bet Angie left the damn windows open when she left!"133

Another flash of lightning lit up the night, momentarily blinding him, but illuminating the road well ahead of the range of the truck’s headlights. In that brief instant, Anderson saw a large shape hunched over in the lane just ahead of him. 134

Darkness enveloped the truck once more and Anderson strained to make out the figure. He flicked on the high-beams and saw what he assumed to be a large animal feeding on road kill at the edge of the road. Reducing his speed slightly, he continued on, afraid of startling the thing and having it run towards him instead of away. Pulling closer, he nearly spilled the remnants of his beer as he caught sight of the creature ahead in the truck’s path. 135

The animal was large, larger than anything Anderson would have expected to see in this part of New Jersey. As the truck’s lights landed on it, the creature looked up. A chuck of dead possum hung from its jaws, blood seeping from between its teeth and matting the fur that hung from its head and upper torso. 136

Anderson tossed the partially emptied beer can to the passenger side floor, adding it to the heap of left-over fast food wrappers and other assorted trash. He eased his foot off the accelerator allowing the truck to slow as he pulled over to the shoulder. 137

Ripping another piece of meat from the carcass, the creature continued chewing, never taking its eyes off the approaching vehicle. It stood upright suddenly; rising to its full height in preparation for flight should the approaching machine pose a threat. 138

As the truck came to a complete stop, Anderson saw the creature rise. Never one to be accused of having more brains than balls, Anderson reached behind the seat, his hand closing around the wood Louisville Slugger that he kept there for "emergencies". He flung open the door and paused to gauge the creature’s reaction. When it froze in place, Anderson moved forward, the bat held in his hands ready to swing. 139

At twenty five feet, the creature began snarling, teeth bared, claws possessively holding its meal. It took a slight step back, reluctant to leave the remainder of the carcass on the road yet prepared to escape the human threat. 140

At ten feet away, Anderson gasped, the stench coming off the creature filled his nostrils and threatened to bring back up the Qwik Mart burrito and beer. To say that the thing reeked was an understatement, the combination of rotten meat and something akin to body odor assailed him making his eyes begin to tear. 141

The creature dropped its meal preparing to dart to the safety of the nearby woods. In the last moment, it raised its head, sniffing the air. As it did, its eyes met Anderson’s, creature staring into the soul of the man. Meeting the gaze, Anderson suddenly lowered the bat. He was close enough now to see the wild fear in the creature’s eyes and expected the thing to bolt off into the darkness. 142

Abruptly, the creature looked up and over Anderson’s head, the look of fear now replaced with a look of relief? Anderson sensed the mass behind him long before the unearthly howl assaulted his ears. He spun around, the baseball bat raised defensively. 143

Towering above him, glowing yellow eyes looked down on the man. Featherless wings, each tipped with a curved claw on the end, spread open like a giant pterodactyl as an elongated head dipped down revealing a mouth full of long jagged teeth. 144

The thing howled once more and Anderson drew back the bat preparing to swing. Before he could release, the large wings enveloped him, wrapping him in a leather-like cocoon. His scream broke through the darkness as the thing’s claws pierced his chest and back. Anderson screamed again and again, but his cries were muffled within the thing’s winged embrace. Blood coursing down his chest and dribbling from his mouth, Anderson could do nothing more than wait to die. Fortunately for him, the monster that held him alleviated his agony as it lowered its head and ripped out the man’s throat.145

Thunder echoed in the distance as more lightning flashed like a strobe in the darkness. As the rain began to fall, Anderson’s dead eyes stared up into the starless sky, his body left on the road like litter tossed from a car as the two creatures disappeared into the night.146

* * * *147

The Next Day148

Dean looked away from the road, twisting his head sharply to the left and then the right, working out the kinks in his neck that nearly ten straight hours of driving had put there. Ten hours of being held in the hard steel embrace of his beloved Impala was never a problem for Dean, but ten hours of trying to ignore Sam’s occasional looks of concern or the dead silence that hung oppressively within the old car was more than he could take. Thankfully, most of the drive was spent in darkness. Dean decided that driving at night served several purposes: It got them to New Jersey faster, saved paying for a night’s hotel room, and most importantly, provided him a way to hide his eyes away from Sam in the darkness. 149

Now, as the sun broke through the remnants of last night’s rainstorm, Dean’s cover was lost. He nonchalantly reached for the dark sunglasses that were tucked into the visor and casually slid them onto his face. It wasn’t that sunny out yet and he hoped that Sam wouldn’t call him on the move. 150

Internally, the all-too-familiar tingling fluttered within his abdomen, insidiously rising up into his chest. He inhaled sharply and swallowed hard, "Back down you bastard", then carefully let the breath out slowly and quietly, fearing his brother would notice.151

Stealing a glance to his right, he breathed more easily seeing that Sam’s face was turned toward the passenger side window, apparently watching the passing scenery. He considered for a moment saying something, anything, to break the overwhelming quiet inside the car, but as Dean’s mouth opened, the demon inside him stirred viciously, again sending a tremor throughout his body and forcing him to bite back the first syllables. 152

It was enough however to capture Sam’s attention and he turned away from the window to look at Dean. Having feigned sleep for most of the night, Sam was struggling to keep his eyes open and restrain the yawn that was threatening. Despite having grown accustomed to interrupted sleep, the recent weeks since Dean’s rescue had given him more insomnia than he had in his entire life. He spent nearly every waking moment scouring the web for any information on how to help Dean and when Dean slept, Sam kept a watchful guard, fearful that his brother’s prediction of waking up "something else" might come to pass. 153

“You say something?” Sam asked finally.154

Dean paused before speaking, his mind scrambling for a source of deflection; a convincing lie that would keep his brother from recognizing the slip of control. Demons lie! The thought barged into his head, reminding him, accusing him, and condemning him in two tiny but powerful words.155

Luck was finally on his side as the large road sign loomed up in the distance. 156

“Atlantic City, dude! Up for a little detour? I mean, come on, can’t get you to Vegas, so this is the next best thing, right?” Dean blurted, eyebrows waggling above the rim of the sunglasses. 157

“Can we just focus on the job at hand?” Sam replied, not amused. 158

“Sammy, Sammy, Sammy! You’re psychic, I’m possessed, we could make a killing there! Get rich, go to Tahiti, sit on the beach with naked chicks hanging off us all the time.” 159

Dean’s attempt at humor missed its mark and instead of the usual Sam smirk he found an angry brother glaring at him from across the seat. 160

“That’s not funny, Dean. Neither one of us can afford to give in or lose control, not even for a split second. Or …” Sam’s voice trailed off but his mind finished the statement silently. Or I might lose you forever.161

Dean shrugged, there was no winning with Sam lately. Despite his best effort to hide the internal struggle and maintain his usual snarky humor, his brother’s seriousness had reached an all-time high. All his life, Dean had been able to reassure his younger sibling with a confident smile and a simple “It’ll be alright, Sam,” but lately those tactics were ineffective. Not only was Sam’s trust in Dean gone, but apparently his faith in his older brother was wavering too.162

As the Impala continued speeding down the highway, the heavy silence returned once more. Sam flipped open his laptop and powered the computer on, time for his daily research routine. Dean in turn reached forward and twisted on the knob to the radio. The antenna immediately picked up a local rock station and it took only a moment for both young men to register the words to the song that was blaring from the speakers. 163

Here come the world164

With the look in its eye165

Future uncertain but certainly slight166

Look at the faces167

Listen to the bells168

Its hard to believe we need a place called hell169

The devil inside170

The devil inside171

Every single one of us the devil inside172

The devil inside173

The devil inside174

Every single one of us the devil inside175

Both Sam and Dean reached for the knob at the same time, the INXS lyrics striking closer to home than either of them cared to admit. Dean’s hand grasped the dial first, and he quickly spun it until the next clear station came in, not caring if the music was Black Sabbath or the Black Eyed Peas so long as whatever was playing didn’t stick another imaginary knife into his heart. 176

Instantly, the deep baritone of a DJ boomed from the speakers, his voice devoid of emotion as he began reporting the local news. Dean was just about to twist the dial again when Sam’s hand snaked out and caught him on the wrist. 177

“Dean, wait,” he commanded, tilting his head to concentrate. 178

“… the brutalized body of thirty-seven year old Richard Anderson was found not far from his truck on Lakehurst Road late last night. Authorities say that Mr. Anderson may have been killed as a result of a car-jacking that went wrong. The victim sustained numerous stab wounds which led to his death. In other local news, many in the Pine Barrens community are concerned that a black bear in the area may be responsible for the deaths of some local pets. New Jersey Game and Fish Commission officials are investigating, but state that there is no need for public alarm. The forecast for today …”179

Sam turned the volume down as the DJ continued to drone on about the weather. He shifted his attention back to the laptop, quickly pulling up the local newspaper online. As he scrolled down the article, more details than what the radio announcer had divulged appeared in the newspaper report. Excitedly, Sam turned to his brother. 180

“Dean, I think the Jersey Devil killed this Richard Anderson dude,” he announced enthusiastically. 181

“Yeah, and how’s that Sammy? The radio said that the police think it was a car-jacking or something,” Dean replied, not hiding his disinterest. 182

“Because,” Sam continued, “the newspaper article says that Anderson’s body was ripped to shreds by what appeared to be the claws of an animal, his throat was torn out as well. There isn’t any mention of a stabbing.”183

“So, maybe it’s the bear that they’re talking about,” Dean countered. “Or maybe somebody got a little carried away with a knife when the guy didn’t give up the car. People can do some pretty crazy things, Sammy.” 184

“No way, Dean. It wasn’t a car-jacking 'cause they never took the truck. Besides, look at the picture of the truck: who car-jacks a piece of crap like that? Plus, no way does a bear get a guy out of his vehicle, maul him and then just take off again not leaving a single sign behind. I’m telling you Dean, this was the Devil,” Sam insisted. 185

“Okay Sam, but in three hundred years, this thing has never killed a single person. Why is it stepping up its game now?”186

“I don’t know, but with all the sightings and now this? Something’s up. I can just feel it. How much further is it?” Sam asked, his brow furrowed anxiously as he continued to stare at the image on the computer. In the back of his mind, something told him that this really was more than a sadistic slaying or an animal attack. Now, he just had to convince Dean. 187

* * * *188

Outside Pemberton Library189

They arrived in Pemberton, New Jersey around 10am, having stopped for breakfast and after checking into the only motel the small town offered. They decided to split up, Sam suggesting that there might be more information at the library and Dean more than happy to talk with the locals if it meant that he had time away from Sam. 190

Just a tad after noon, Dean walked back to the library and took up a post outside, waiting on his brother. Sam trotted down the steps a short while later to find Dean leaning against the front fender of the Impala, arms crossed, his faced covered in a scowl. Coming up to his brother’s side, Sam raised his eyebrows questioningly. 191

“So, what did ya find out?” Sam asked. 192

“Well,” Dean began, “the diner has decent coffee and one of the ugliest waitresses I’ve ever seen in a short skirt, yeesh! There outta’ be a law or something.”193

“Dean!" Sam’s voiced warned, his patience with his brother’s obvious avoidance of anything to do with the hunt was beginning to frazzle.194

“Okay, okay. Well, everyone around here seems to have an opinion about the Devil, but I actually found one old-timer over at the gas station, hey, can you believe that the place is still full service? The old dude still pumps the gas, checks the oil, the whole works.” 195

“DEAN!” Sam shouted. “What did you find out about the Jersey Devil?” 196

“Calm down Samantha, before you have a stroke or something. The old guy at the station says he actually saw the Jersey Devil back when he was younger. Said that he saw it in the woods behind his house when he was a teenager, not ten feet from him.” 197

“What else did he say, Dean?” Sam asked excitedly. 198

“Well,” Dean continued, barely able to stifle the laugh in the back of his throat. “The old geezer said that the thing has a head that sorta looks like a horse, huge wings with claws on the ends, long, sharp teeth and …” The older hunter stopped, outright laughter breaking through. 199

“And what Dean? This is good, a confirmed sighting.” Sam paused as his brother’s laughter subsided. “Why the hell are you laughing?” he then asked, suddenly feeling like he not only missed the punchline but the whole joke as well. 200

“Dude.” Hazel eyes feigned seriousness. “He said the thing was like four foot tall. Our killer creature is four friggin’ feet tall. I’m telling ya Sammy, you better keep a low profile, cause if the locals are terrified by a midget monster, then your freakish height will probably have the villagers lighting torches and coming after your ass.” Laughter began again and Dean did nothing to contain it, amused as much by his teasing of his brother as he was about the old man’s description of their quarry.201

Sam rolled his eyes. As tempted as he was to retaliate and toss back some comment about his brother’s vertical shortcomings, Sam was briefly pleased to hear the easy laughter coming from Dean, considering everything the man had been through lately.202

“Okay Dean, you had your laughs. Now try and use those few working brain cells you have and listen to what I’ve found,” Sam began as Dean shot back a glaring look. 203

“There was a ton of information on the Jersey Devil in there, some of it going back a hundred years or more. Hell, they have a whole section of the library devoted to the thing, local lore and all. Most of it was stuff we already knew, but I did find one reference that talks about the Devil being a portent of war.” 204

“And that matters to us why?” Dean interrupted. 205

“The appearances, Dean. The Jersey Devil was sighted right before the Civil War in the mid 1800’s, and again before the Spanish American War. The ‘week of terror’ during 1909 was right before World War I, and how about the documented appearance on December 7th in 1941. Even you should know the significance of that date. It goes on and on Dean. Almost every cluster of sightings occurs right before any serious conflict, even right before September 11th,” Sam finished solemnly. 206

Dean absorbed his brother’s information quietly. He was still skeptical about even being here to begin with, but Sam was so determined, almost strangely eager to go on this particular hunt. He was certain that there was more to Sam’s fixation than his brother was letting on, but as he’d done nearly all his life, he decided to humor his baby brother.207

“Okay Sam, so what is it warning about now?” Dean asked.208

“Think about it,” Sam continued on. “If this thing really is evil incarnate and with Haris and his legions running rampant lately, maybe it’s all tied together. We keep hearing that there’s a war coming, more and more demons are all around. Maybe this time it isn’t about guns and bombs, maybe this time it’s about good and evil. Maybe the Jersey Devil appearing now is a foreshadowing of that war.”209

Dean sighed deeply; unsettled by the mention of Haris or his troops and suddenly, albeit reluctantly, admitting that just perhaps Sam was on to something. 210

“Alright, Sammy, the old guy at the gas station also told me about this deserted house outside of town. He said that many of the recent sightings have been out near there on Lakehurst Road, same place that the Anderson guy was found. There’s plenty of daylight left, let’s go check it out,” he suggested. The broad smile that spread across Sam’s face was answer enough as the two moved toward the waiting car. 211

* * * *212

Old McGregor House – later that afternoon213

“Shit,” Dean commented, squinting up at the rundown two story structure, squatting in rot and decay at the top of a shallow set of stairs that doubled back on themselves and led up to a sagging front porch. “Dude, I thought they tore down the set for Psycho.” He brought the car to a stop and got out, closing the door behind him with its familiar screech.214

He slid the sunglasses off his face. They didn’t obscure his vision in the slightest but he knew they bothered Sam, especially on an overcast day like today, late afternoon, when it was just too dark to wear them. Another added twist to the list of things he knew Sam was subconsciously creating in his mind. 215

Another change…216

Every time Dean acknowledged something beneficial in this bizarre parasitic existence he felt a thrill of seduction that scared him. It was like swimming at the edge of a whirlpool and trying not to get sucked in. The anticipation of the power that lay so easily within his reach was so intense sometimes that he almost shuddered at its relentless pull. 217

Sam joined him in studying the broken down building. It did look something like the house from Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller. He couldn’t stop a glance at the upper floor windows where torn curtains fluttered through the broken glass, just in case Norman Bates' mother might be watching. So much for a peaceful shower when they got back to the motel that night.218

“So where do you want to start?” Sam asked, glancing around at the overgrown, trash-filled yard. The house had obviously been empty for a long time. The ground around the house was wet and he could feel his feet squishing into the mud.219

“I dunno, “ Dean replied with a shrug. “The old man just said that this place was a pretty popular spot for sightings of your Devil.” Your Devil Sam, not mine! 220

Sam gave him a dirty look which Dean actually seemed happy to get and smirked back in return. “Let’s look around outside first, I guess.” He started off toward the rear of the house, mostly just scanning the surrounding area. 221

The grass under the windows was trampled flat and the windows themselves had been used for target practice judging from the broken shards littering the ground. Windowsills revealed air gun pellets embedded within the frames and the wood casements bore the scars of small caliber bullets. 222

Poison oak, honeysuckle and ivy intermingled indifferently across the ground, climbing the walls and tumbling through the shattered windows to continue the relentless overtaking of the property. 223

Sam could smell the damp rot of the wood, mildew and moss thickly patching the walls, it was a sickening smell. The smell of desolation and loss. 224

He made a face and backed away from the window, being careful to keep away from the vines.225

“See anything?” Dean asked, watching from the side. He stood with his arms hugging his chest in the cool air, trying not to shiver. 226

Sam glanced at him. ”You cold?” he asked, wiping his hands on the denim covering his legs.227

“No,” Dean said shortly, dropping his arms. “Let’s get going.” He moved quickly up the narrow front steps, overgrown weeds pushing through the cracks brushing his legs, and across the rickety porch to the sagging front door, also bereft of glass. Torn, dirty curtains spilled through the jagged opening and moved sluggishly with the cool breeze.228

Sam joined him, standing to one side as Dean shoved the door, which opened reluctantly, and stepped inside.229

They both coughed as the smell of mildew and rot rolled over them, much worse than it had been standing outside.230

Sam gagged. “God, what is that?” he covered his mouth and nose.231

Dean turned his head, unconsciously scenting the air like an animal. Rain, rotten wood, wet fur, neglect, death…232

He shook his head to rid it of the images that floated unbidden into his head at the rank odor. “I dunno. C’mon.” 233

There wasn’t much to see in the dark room, even with Sam’s flashlight bouncing around to illuminate the interior.234

A few pieces of broken, moldy furniture, some crates and miscellaneous bits of junk littered the space.235

Sam stumbled suddenly as his foot hit a wet cardboard box, knocking the meager contents across the floor. Several colorful objects went sliding over the dirty wood.236

Sam knelt down and held the light on them for a better look.237

“What’s that?” Dean asked, coming over at the sound of Sam tripping. 238

Sam fingered a filthy brown object he finally recognized as a teddy bear missing one arm and an eye. A battered red toy truck and a handful of stubby broken crayons were scattered among a few other toys.239

“Toys,” Sam replied, poking the truck and moving it slightly forward. He made a face. “Kinda creepy.”240

Dean had just knelt to have a look for himself, when a crash from below them spun him back to his feet, gun drawn, eyes fastened on a door at the end of the hall. 241

Sam, also at ready, moved forward at Dean’s nod. Standing at the closed door, they could hear clumsy shuffling sounds, as though something were being moved around in the basement.242

Sam carefully grasped the knob and slowly pulled the door open. The first telltale creak brought the sounds from below to an instant halt and silence fell over the black hole of the basement stairs. A fetid odor that made the first smell pleasant by comparison hit them like a physical blow.243

Dirt, sweat, hair, blood…. Dean’s mind sorted the different strands without thought, nostrils flaring, unaware he was doing so, missing the fact that he could. 244

Dean stared into the blackness below them and then entered quickly, vanishing down into the darkness.245

Sam grabbed the flashlight from his pocket and thumbed it on, frowning after Dean and following more slowly down the old steps, his light trailing Dean’s boots as he moved across the floor with seeming indifference to the lack of light.246

“Dean!” he hissed. “Be careful!”247

As Sam's feet touched the floor, the words barely out of his mouth, an earsplitting screech deafened him. A blow shot out from the darkness and ripped into his shoulder, sending him sprawling into a broken-down pile of furniture and slamming his temple against a jutting corner. Sam dropped with a limp thud to the floor.248

Even as Dean whirled to meet this unexpected foe, gun lifted, he clearly saw the blood stained ball bat sailing at him but couldn’t move fast enough to avoid the explosion of pain as it smashed into his skull sending him crashing into deeper blackness.249

The smell grew even stronger as shuffling footsteps paused between both men. The ball bat dragged along the ground, fresh blood slicking its surface. It was lifted, the blood sniffed by a wet, exaggerated snort, then allowed to fall with an echoing bang as it bounced across the floor. 250

The darkness was shattered once more by a screaming howl as Dean’s body was suddenly kicked across the floor, coming to rest silently against the cold, wet bricks of the basement wall.251