World So Cold

33. Tall Tales

Sam frowned at his brother. "Dean, I told you, I have nothing to do with-"

He was cut off by a knock on the door. Sam stood and went to open the door. He looked through the peephole, then back at Dean, Laurey and Jonathan, then opened the door. Bobby was outside.

"Hey, Bobby," Sam greeted.

Bobby entered, hands in pockets as he said, "Boys. Laurey. Jonathan."

Dean and Laurey stood and approached. "Hey, Bobby."

"It's so good to see you again so soon."

"Yeah, thanks for coming," Sam replied. "Come on in."

Dean shook Bobby's hand firmly. "Thank God you're here."

Jonathan ran up to Bobby and held his hands up to him.

Bobby picked Jonathan up as he looked between the three of them. "So, uh, what didn't you want to talk to me on the phone about?"

"It's this job we're working. We weren't sure you would believe us," Sam answered.

"Well, we can believe a lot," Bobby replied.

"Yeah, no, no, it's just, we've never seen anything like it-"

"Not even close-" Dean added.

"And we though we could use some fresh eyes," Laurey finished. "Something is blocking my sight and it's really annoying."

"Well, why don't you begin at the beginning?" Bobby suggested.

"Yeah, um, all right." He gestured to the bed. Bobby picked up the empty takeout tray and peered at it, set it aside, and sat. Eva was on his lap. "So, it all started when we caught wind of an obit. See, a professor took a nosedive from a fourth story window, only there's a campus legend that the building's haunted. So we pretexted as reporters from the local paper."

FLASHBACK 1A - SAM'S POV - BAR

Sam and Laurey, with Jonathan on her lap, were sitting at a table with a cocky jock boy, Curtis, and a dippy attractive girl, Jen, and set a voice recorder down on the table.

"Yeah, we both had the professor for Ethics and Morality," Curtis said.

"Yeah? So why do you think he did it?" Sam asked.

"Who knows?" Jen replied. "I mean, he was tenured, wife and kids. His book is like a really big deal. Then again..." She leaned in conspiratorially. "Who's to say it was suicide?"

Curtis scoffed. "Jen, come on."

Laurey frowned. "Well, what else could it be?"

"Well, you two know about Crawford Hall?" Jen questioned.

"No, we don't, actually," Sam answered.

"It's a bunch of crap, it's a total urban legend," Curtis said.

"Yeah well, Heather's mom went to school here, and she knew the girl?" Jen told them.

"Wait, what girl?" Sam and Laurey asked.

"Thirty years ago, this girl was having an affair with some professor. He broke it off, she jumped out the window and killed herself."

"You know her name?" Laurey inquired.

"No. But they say she jumped from room 669. Get it? You turn the nine upside down?" Sam and Laurey nodded and Curtis laughed. Jonathan started laughing as well. "So now she haunts the building. And anyone who sees her? They don't live to tell the tale."