There was an old painting of an historical family and a young couple in formal attire in their lounge room.
The man adjusted the frame and said, "Okay, right about there."
The woman giggled. "I can't believe we actually bought this thing."
"There's a reason charity auctions have an open bar."
They stared at it for a moment.
"Don't you think... I don't know, it's kinda creepy?"
The man fondled her back and pulled down the zip of her dress. "It's okay, I'll keep you safe."
"Maybe you're the one I oughta be scared of?" They kissed. "Let's go upstairs."
"Give me two minutes to lock up." She kissed him lingeringly. "Give me one minute."
He pinched her behind, she squealed and ran upstairs. The eyes of the father in the painting followed her, then his head turned to watch the man lock up. The man looked around as if he heard a noise, then continued to key the security code in.
Someone was moving slowly up the stairs.
The woman said from upstairs, "If you don't hurry up I'm gonna start without you!"
A shadow appeared in the bedroom doorway, she smiled. A gust of wind blew out her bedside candle.
The man moved up the stairs, undoing his trousers. He entered the darkened room. "Babe, get the lights. I can't see a thing."
He threw his shirt aside and knelt on the bed. There was a squishing noise.
"You spill something?" He leaned to turn on the bedside lamp. His hand was dripping with blood. "Ann?"
Ann was lying on the bed covered in blood, eyes open and staring.
"Ann? ANN!!"
He fell backward onto the floor, freaking out. A shadow appeared over him. He turned to look and began screaming.
INT. BAR
Dean and a young woman leaned close together at the bar as the woman said, "Seven, Four, Two, Zero."
Dean keyed into his phone. "Seven, Four, Two, Zero. All right, you're in there. Perfect. So is that Brandy with a 'y' or an 'i'?"
Sam and Zach sat at a table strewn with papers. They gestured to Dean, who gave them a 'wait' gesture as he laughed at something the woman whispered. Sam and Zach gestured again and Dean's smile dropped.
"All right, listen, I gotta go," Dean said. "Hold that thought, I'll be right back, okay?" He approached Sam and Zach, holding two beers.
"All right, Zach and I think we got something," Sam told him.
Dean glanced back at the bar. "Oh yeah, me too. I think we need to take a little shore leave, just a little bit. What do you think, huh? I'm so in the door with this one."
Zach raised a brow. "So what are we today Dean? I mean, are we rock stars, are we army rangers?"
Dean grinned. "Reality TV scouts, looking for people with special skills. I mean hey, it's not that far off right? By the way, she's got a friend over there. Possibly hook you either of you up. We can find someone for you or Sam. What do you think?"
"Dean, no thanks, I can get my own dates," Sam said. "And you know Zach is still hung up on Lily."
"Yeah you can but you don't. Isn't it time to call it?"
"What is that supposed to mean?" Sam and Zach shot back.
"Nothing. What you got?"
"Mark and Ann Telesca of New Paltz, New York were both found dead in their own home, a few days ago," Sam informed. "Throats were slit. There were no prints, no murder weapons, all..."
Dean was distracted, continuing to check out women in the bar.
"Dean!..." Zach called. "No prints, no murder weapons, all doors and window locked from the inside."
Dean drank his beer. "Could just be a garden variety murder you know, not our department."
"No. Dad says different."
"What do you mean?"
Sam pointed at a map. "Dad noted three murders in the same area of upstate New York. First one here in 1912, second one right here in 1945, and the third in 1970, the same M.O. as the Telescas. Their throats were slit, doors were locked from the inside. Now so much time had passed between murders that nobody checked the pattern, except Dad. He kept his eyes peeled for another one."
"And now we got one. All right, I'm with ya. It's worth checking out. We can't pick this up til first thing though right?"
"Yeah."
Dean headed back to the bar. "Good."
"Dean..." Sam and Zach called.
Dean ignored them. "Ladies... did you miss me?"
"Well yeah," Brandy replied.
"I'm just kidding. Listen, I talked to my producers, and it is looking good."
"Great. Cool."
Sam and Zach snickered.
EXT. STREET - EARLY MORNING
Dean slept slouched in the passenger seat of the Impala, sunglasses on. Sam and Zach walked around the car, the former leaned in and honked the horn. Dean jumped a foot. Sam sat in the drivers seat, Zach in the back, laughing.
Dean adjusted his sunglasses and mumbled, "Man, that is so not cool."
"Zach and I just swept the Telescas with EMF," Sam told him. "It's clean. And last night, while you were.... well... out..."
Dean smirked. "Good times."
"We checked the history of the house. Nothing strange about the Telescas."
"All right, so if it's not the people and it's not the house, then maybe it's the contents. Cursed object or something."
"The house is clean."
"Yeah I know, you said that."
Zach shook his head. "No, he means it's empty. No furniture, nothing."
"Where's all their stuff?"
EXT. DAY - PARKING LOT
There was a line of expensive cars, including one with the number plate "The Krip" and ending on a dust covered Impala. Upper class people were mingling. Classical violin music played.
INT. AUCTION HOUSE
Sam, Zach and Dean wandered around, looking out of place in their casual, rough clothing. Dean took finger food from a tray. One man especially watched them pass then excused himself from his companion and moved toward them.
"Consignment auctions, estate sales," Dean said. "Looks like a garage sale for Wasps if you ask me." He took more food from a tray on a table as the man moved up behind them.
"Can I help you gentlemen?" the man asked.
Dean looked him up and down and then put more food in his mouth before putting on a posh voice. "I'd like some champagne please."
Sam and Zach said sharply to Dean, "He's not a waiter."
Dean cocked an eyebrow. Sam held out his hand to the man. "I'm Sam Connors."
Zach also held his hand out. "Zach Connors."
The man looked at them, not moving. Sam and Zach moved the hands they were holding out to point at Dean as the former said, "That's our brother Dean. We're art dealers, with Connors Limited."
"You. Are... art dealers."
Zach nodded. "That's right."
"I'm Daniel Blake, this is my auction house. Now gentlemen this is a private showing, and I don't remember seeing you on the guest list."
"We're there chuckles, you just need to take another look," Dean said. A waiter went past with drinks on a tray and Dean swiped a glass. "Oh. Finally."
Dean turned back to Mr. Blake, sniffed the glass, raises his eyebrows then turned and walked away. Sam and Zach hastily followed, shooting Dean dirty looks.
Sam and Zach said to Mr. Blake, "Cheers."
Sam, Zach and Dean checked out the items for auction and were drawn to the painting of the family.
"A fine example of American Primitive wouldn't you say?" a woman stated.
Sam, Zach and Dean turned to see a sleek, classy, pretty young woman in a black dress coming down a spiral staircase. They each stared at her as she turned her back while taking the final part of the stairs. Sam and Zach turned back to look at the painting again and Dean, oogling, slapped Sam and Zach on the back and continued staring.
"Well I'd say it's more Grant Wood than Grandma Moses," Sam said. "But you knew that, you just wanted to see if I did."
"Guilty. And clumsy. I apologize. I'm Sarah Blake."
"I'm Sam. That's Zach. This is our.... brother, Dean."
Dean continued to stuff his face from passing trays.
"Dean. Can we get you some more mini-quiche?"
Dean chewed and replied, "I'm good, thanks."
Sarah turned to Sam and Zach. "So, can I help you with something?"
"Yeah, actually," Zach answered. "What can you tell us about the Telesca estate?"
"The whole thing's pretty grisly if you ask me, selling your things this soon. But Dad's right about one thing, sensationalism brings out the crowds. Even the rich ones."
"Is it possible to see the provenances?"
Mr. Blake came up behind and said, "I'm afraid there isn't any chance of that."
"Why not?" Sam asked.
"You're not on the guest list. And I think it's time to leave."
Dean put on his posh voice again. "Well we don't have to be told twice."
"Apparently you do."
"Okay," Sam said. "It's all right. We don't want any trouble. We'll go."
Dean raised his eyebrows and walked off. Zach rolled his eyes at Dean's behavior and walked away. Sam and Sarah exchanged a long look before he followed.
"Dad that was just rude," Sarah told her father.
EXT. MOTEL
Sam, Zach and Dean approached a room.
"Grant Wood, Grandma Moses?" Dean said.
"Art history course," Sam replied. "It's good for meeting girls."
Dean unlocked the door. "It's like I don't even know you."
Zach shrugged. "Lily's an art major. God, she'd love this case."
They entered the room. The do not disturb door hanger was a silver outline of John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever. Disco music accompanied the top retro 70s disco fantasy room. The boys looked from one side of the room to the other and paused.
Sam, Zach and Dean said in sync, "Huh."
They moved into the room, dumping their bags.
"What was... providence?" Dean asked.
"Prov-e-nance," Sam corrected. "It's a certificate of origin, like a biography. You know we can use them to check the history of the pieces, see if any of them have a freaky past."
"Huh. Well, we're not getting anything out of chuckles, but Sarah..." He snapped his fingers at Sam, smirking.
Sam smirked back. "Yeah, maybe you can get her to write it all down on a cocktail napkin."
Dean laughed. "Not me."
"No no no, pick ups are your thing Dean."
"It wasn't my butt she was checking out. Zach's less so."
They exchanged a look.
"In other words, you want me to use her to get information."
"Sometimes you gotta take one for the team. Call her."
INT. UPMARKET RESTAURANT
Sam and Sarah sat at a table.
"Nice place," Sam commented.
"Yeah," Sarah agreed. There was a long awkward pause. "Glad you called. Surprised, but glad."
"Yeah?"
"Although you seemed to have a hard time getting out the words "Would you like to have dinner"."
"Ahh... yeah. I haven't really been on a date in a while."
"Welcome to the club."
Sam was surprised. "You're kidding me."
The waiter walked up and said, "Here we are. The wine list."
Sam took it and looked uncomfortable, flipping pages randomly.
Sarah said to the waiter, "I don't know about Romeo here but I'll have a beer."
"And you?"
Sam smiled. "Make that two."
LATER
"So you studied art in school huh?" Sam asked.
"It's true," Sarah replied. "I was an artist. A terrible terrible artist. And that's why I'm in the auction business. And you were pre-law?"
"Yeah."
"But you didn't go to law school. How come?"
"Ahh, that's a really really long story for another time."
"You're not like any art dealer I've ever met."
They exchanged another long look.
"So, what did you mean when you said you haven't been on a date in a while. Trying to make me feel like I'm not such a loser?"
"I'm sure you're many things Sam. I'm also sure loser isn't one of them."
More long looks were exchanged.
Sarah said slowly, "It was my Mom. She died about a year ago. Totally unexpected. It really threw me. I went into this shell. A nice warm safe shell. But lately I've been thinking. It's not what she would have wanted for me. So...."
More long looks.
"So what about you? You're a reasonably attractive guy."
Sam laughed, embarrassed. "Reasonably?"
"Why haven't you been out and about?"
Sam thought, looked at her, lost his smile and thought some more.
Sarah watched him. "Another long story for another time."
Sam nodded slowly.
INT. MOTEL ROOM
Dean was sharpening his blade on a whetstone and Sam and Zach were looking through some papers.
"So she just handed the providences over to you," Dean said.
"Provenances," Sam and Zach corrected.
Dean spoke haltingly. "Provenances?"
"Yes. We went back to her place, I got a copy of the papers..." Sam trailed.
"And?"
"And nothing. That's it. I left."
"You didn't have to con her or do any... special favors or anything like that?"
"Dean, would you get your mind out of the gutter, please?"
Dean laughed. "You know when this whole thing's done, we could stick around for a little bit."
"Why?"
"So you could take her out again. It's obvious you're into her, even Zach and I could see that."
"Hey, I think Sam and I've got something here," Zach said.
Dean came over and Zach handed him the papers.
Dean read, ""Portrait of Isaiah Merchant's family, painted 1910.""
"Now compare the names of the owners with Dad's journal," Sam told him.
Dean checked against the journal. "First purchased in 1912, Peter Simms. Peter Simms murdered 1912. Same thing in 1945. Oh, same thing in 1970."
Zach nodded. "Then stored, until it was donated to a charity auction last month. Where the Telescas bought it. So what do you think, it's haunted? Or cursed?"
Dean got up. "Either way, it's toast."
EXT. AUCTION HOUSE. NIGHT
Heavy rock music played as Dean leapt and easily scaled the meters high metal gates and sprinted into the mist.
"Come on!" Dean said.
Sam and Zach followed.
Sam, wearing gloves, disarmed the security alarm. "Go ahead."
Dean, also with gloves, picked the lock.
They shined their flashlights around inside, quickly searching for the painting. Dean and Zach spied it upstairs and they sprinted up the spiral staircase. Holding his flashlight in his mouth, Zach flicked his switchblade and cut the painting from its frame. They were in and out within a couple of minutes.
EXT. DIRT ROAD
The painting laid in the dirt. Sam and Zach were holding flashlights as Dean readied the matches.
"Ugly ass thing," Dean commented. "If you ask me we're doing the art world a favor."
He dropped the match and the painting ignited. As it burned, the painting reformed in the frame at the auction house.
INT. MOTEL ROOM
Dean rushed in from the bathroom. "We got a problem -- I can't find my wallet."
Sam packed his duffel. "How is that my problem? Or Zach's?"
"'Cause I think I dropped it in the warehouse last night."
Sam and Zach were horrified. "You're kidding, right?"
"No. It's got my prints, my ID, well my fake ID anyway. We gotta get it before someone else finds it. Come on."
INT. AUCTION HOUSE
Sam, Zach and Dean hurried around, looking everywhere.
Sam asked in a frustrated tone, "How do you lose your wallet, Dean?"
Dean threw his hands in the air and kept looking.
Sarah walked in and saw them. She smiled. "Hey guys!"
They each spun around, then tried to act cool.
"Sarah!" Sam said. "Hey."
"What are you doing here?"
"Ahh, we.... we are leaving town and, you know, we came to say goodbye."
Dean strolled over. "What are you talking about Sam, we're sticking around for at least another day or two."
Sam and Zach looked at Dean, confused.
Dean got his wallet out of his pocket and looking meaningfully at Sam. "Oh, Sam. By the way. I'm gonna go ahead and give you that $20 I owe you." He said to Sarah, "I always forget, you know."
Sam and Zach looked at him, disbelieving.
Dean held out the cash, smiling. "There you go."
Sam snatched the cash from Dean, glaring at him.
Dean spoke to Sarah again. "Well Zach and I'll leave you two crazy kids alone, we gotta go do something... somewhere." He left quickly, pulling Zach with him.
Sam began awkwardly, "So..."
"I had a good time last night," Sarah said.
"Yeah, yeah. I did too."
"Maybe we should do it again sometime."
"You know. I'd love to, I really would, but Dean, he was just screwing around. We really are taking off today."
"Oh. Oh. Ah that's too bad."
Sam saw the painting being carried past. "OH MY GOD!"
Sarah jumped and turned to look. "What?"
"The.... that painting.... looks so good!"
"If you can call that monstrosity good, then... yeah, I guess."
"So... what do you know about that painting?"
"Not much -- just that it creeps me out. We sold it to the Telescas at a charity auction the night they were murdered."
Sam raised his voice. "Yeah, and now you're just going to sell it again?"
"As much as my Dad wants to, no, I won't let him. I think it'd be in bad taste."
"Good. Yeah. You know what? Don't. Don't. Make sure you don't, okay?"
"Why? Don't tell me you're interested in that?"
Sam grew flustered and backed up. "No. No, God, no. Not in buying it, no. You know what, I gotta go, I gotta take care of something. But um, I will call you back... I will call you, I'll see you later."
"Wait, so you're... not leaving tonight?"
"No-o-o, I guess not. I'll see ya."
Sarah looked after him, confused. "O...kay."
INT. IMPALA
"I don't understand, Dean, Zach, we burned the damn thing," Sam said.
"Yeah, thank you Captain Obvious," Dean retorted. "All right, we just need to figure out another way to get rid of it. Any ideas?"
"Okay, all right. Well, um, in almost all the lore about haunted paintings it's always the painting's subject that haunts 'em."
"Yeah. So we just need to figure out everything there is to know about that creepy-ass family and that creepy-ass painting. What were their names again?"
INT. SECOND HAND BOOK SHOP
"You said the Isaiah Merchant family right?" the proprietor asked.
"Yeah that's right," Sam replied.
Dean approached, smiling and flicking through an old book with pictures of guns.
The proprietor laid a huge book of newspaper clippings the table. "I dug up every scrap of local history I could find. So are you boys crime buffs?"
"Kinda," Dean said. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"
"Well..." He held up a newspaper article. The lead story on the front page was 'New Titanic Sinks, 1304 People Go To Watery Graves: Only 866 saved from 2,170 Aboard Liner Which Collides With Iceberg. Disaster Proves To Be the Greatest in Marine History of the World.' He pointed at a side article. It read 'Father Slaughters Family, Kills Himself'.
"Yes. Yeah, that sounds about right."
"The whole family was killed?" Zach asked.
"It seems this Isaiah, he slits his kids' throats, then his wife, then himself," the proprietor told them. "Now he was a barber by trade. Used a straight razor."
"Why'd he do it?"
"Let's look. Ahh..." He began reading. ""People who knew him describe Isaiah as having a stern and harsh temperament. Controlled his family with an iron fist. Wife, uh, two sons, adopted daughter...."" He skimmed on. "Yeah yeah yeah..."There were whispers that the wife was gonna take the kids and leave." Which of course you know in that day and age, um... so instead, old man Isaiah... well he gave them all a shave." He drew his hand across his throat with appropriate noises, laughing. Dean joined in but stopped when Sam and Zach gave him a bitchface.
"Does it say what happened to the bodies?" Dean questioned.
"Just that they were all cremated."
"Anything else?" Sam wondered.
"Yeah. Actually I found a picture of the family. It's right here... somewhere. Right -- here it is." It was the picture of the painting.
"Hey, could we get a copy of this please?"
"Sure."
INT. AUCTION HOUSE
Mr. Blake watched as the painting was packed into a moving crate.
Sarah approached and exclaimed, "Dad! You promised you wouldn't sell that painting."
"I know sweetie, but Evelyn's offered a persuasive amount of money."
"You're shameless, you know that?"
Mr. Blake smiled at her. "For that sort of money I can afford to be."
INT. MOTEL ROOM
Sam, Zach and Dean sat at the table.
"I'm telling you man, dude, I'm sure of it," Sam said. "The painting at the auction house, Dad is looking down. Painting here, Dad's looking out. The painting has changed, Dean, Zach."
"All right, so you think that Daddy dearest is trapped in the painting and is handing out Columbian neckties like he did with his family?" Dean asked.
"Well yeah, it seems like it. But if his bones are already dusted then how are we gonna stop him?"
"All right, well, if Isaiah's position changed then maybe some other things in the painting changed as well. You know it could give us some clues."
Zach frowned. "What, like a Da Vinci Code deal?"
Dean gave Zach a blank look. "I don't... know. uhh... I'm still waiting for the movie on that one. Anyway, we gotta get back in and see that painting." He rose and moved across to the bed, throwing himself onto his back and crossed his arms. "Which is a good thing 'cause you can get some more time to crush on your girlfriend."
"Dude. Enough already," Sam told him.
"What?"
"What? Ever since we got here, you been trying to pimp me out to Sarah. Just back off, all right?"
"Well, you like her don't you?" Sam raised his arms and eyes to the ceiling. "All right, you like her, she likes you, you're both consenting adults..."
Sam's tone was frustrated and his voice rose. "What's the point, Dean? We'll just leave. We always leave."
"Well I'm not talking about marriage, Sam. Zach, you're awfully quiet."
Zach gestured mockingly to Dean. "By all means. Keep it up."
Sam grew agitated. "You know, I don't get it. What do you care if I hook up?"
Dean said calmly, "'Cause then maybe you wouldn't be so cranky all the time." Sam stared at him, then huffed out a breath and looked away as Dean sat up on the bed. "You know, seriously Sam, this isn't about just hooking up, okay? I mean, I, I think that this Sarah girl could be good for you. Like Lily is good for Zach."
Sam sighed and scratched his head. Dean and Zach watched closely before the elder of the two added softly, "And... I don't mean any disrespect but I'm sure this is about Jessica, right? Now I don't know what it's like to lose somebody like that... but... I would think that she would want you to be happy." Sam was quiet and listening, tears in his eyes. "God forbid have fun once in a while. Wouldn't she?"
Sam replied softly, "Yeah I know she would." He gave a half smile, then sighed heavily. "Yeah you're right. Part of this is about Jessica. But not the main part."
"What's it about?" Dean and Zach wondered, but Sam refused to answer.
"Yeah all right," Dean said as he laid back again and crossed his arms. "Well we still gotta see that painting, which means you still gotta call Sarah, so..."
Sam picked up the phone, clearing his throat. Dean and Zach shook their heads and the elder brother closed his eyes, settling in.
Sam said awkwardly, "Sarah, hey, it's Sam." He paused. "Hey, hi." He paused again. "Good. Good, yeah. Umm. What about you?"
Dean opened one eye slightly, watching his brother. Zach was also watching.
Sam repeated himself. "Yeah good, good, really good."
Dean whispered from across the room, "Smooth..."
Zach shot him a look and rolled his eyes.
"So, ah, so listen. Me and my brothers, were... uh... thinking that maybe we'd like to come back in and look at the painting again. I..."
Dean once more shook his head and closed his eyes.
"I think maybe we are interested in buying it." He paused. "What!?"
At Sam's tone, Dean and Zach snapped to attention.
Sam stood. "Who'd you sell it to?"
Dean and Zach rose, listening closely.
Sam said urgently, "Sarah I need an address right now."
INT. MANSION
Evelyn, from the auction house, sat reading in her lounge. The painting was on the wall above the fireplace. Isaiah turned his head, watching her. Evelyn put down her book and placed her glasses on top of it before picking up her cup of tea. In her glasses the reflection of a straight razor slid past. Evelyn heard a shuffling noise and looked up, gasping in horror.
EXT. EVELYN'S HOUSE
The Impala roared up and the boys jumped out. Sarah appeared from the car waiting in the driveway.
"Sam, what's happening," Sarah said.
Sam ran past her. "I told you, you shouldn't have come."
Dean and Zach joined Sam and they ran up the stairs to the front porch.
Dean started banging on the door. "Hello, anyone home?"
"You said Evelyn might be in danger, what sort of danger?" Sarah asked.
"I can't knock this sucker down. I gotta pick it." He started to pick the lock as Sam and Zach banged on the windows, which were covered with metal security bars.
"What are you guys, burglars?"
"I wish it was that simple," Sam told her. "Look you really should wait in the car. It's for your own good."
Dean got the door open and Sam and Zach quickly followed him inside.
"The hell I will. Evelyn's a friend." She ran in after them. "Evelyn?"
"Evelyn," Dean and Zach called.
They entered the lounge, Evelyn sat half turned away from them. The painting had changed, Isaiah now looked at his daughter rather than straight ahead.
"Evelyn? It's Sarah Blake... Are you all right?" She reached to touch Evelyn's shoulder.
Sam said urgently, "Sarah don't. Sarah!"
Evelyns's head tipped back, exposing her slashed throat.
Sarah screamed. "Oh my God. Oh My God!!"
Sam put his arm around her and shepherded her out of the room.
INT. MOTEL ROOM
Dean sat at the bar with the laptop, Zach sat next to him and Sam paced. There was a knock on the door. Sam opened it and Sarah stormed past him.
"Hey. You all right?" Sam asked.
"No, actually, I just lied to the cops and told them I went to Evelyn's, alone, and found her like that," Sarah replied.
Dean smirked and Zach nodded while Sam looked relieved.
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me, I'm about to call them right back if you don't tell me what the hell's going on. Who's killing these people?"
Sam looked at Dean and Zach who raised their eyebrows. He said to Sarah, "What."
"What?"
"It's not 'who'. It's 'what' is killing those people." Sarah looked at Sam like he was insane and he sighed. "Sarah, you saw that painting move."
Sarah grew agitated. "No... no I was... I was seeing things. It's impossible."
"Yeah well, welcome to our world," Dean said.
"Sarah, I know this sounds crazy... but we think that that painting is haunted," Sam told her.
Sarah snickered, but had tears in her eyes. "You're joking." She looked from one to the other. They each stared at her. "You're not joking. God, the guys I go out with."
Sam continued. "Sarah, think about it. Evelyn, the Telescas', they both had the painting. And there have been others before that. Wherever this thing goes people die. And we're just trying to stop it. And that's the truth."
Sarah took a deep breath. "Then I guess you'd better show me. I'm coming with you."
"What? No. Sarah no, you should just go home. This stuff can get dangerous and... and I don't want you to get hurt."
"Look, you guys are probably crazy, but if you're right about this? Well me and my Dad sold that painting that mighta got these people killed. Look I'm not saying I'm not scared because I am scared as hell but... I'm not going to run and hide either." She strided to the door and turned back. "So are we going or what?" She walked out.
"Sam?" Dean called and Sam looked across to where Dean was sitting. He pointed out the door after Sarah. "Marry that girl. Zach, you better marry Lily."
Zach shrugged. "Maybe. If she's forgiven me."
"She's talking to you. That's a start."
"Yeah, I suppose it is."
EXT. EVELYN'S HOUSE - DAY
Sam was picking the lock.
"Ahhh... isn't this a crime scene?" Sarah asked.
Zach shrugged. "You've already lied to the cops. What's another infraction?"
Once inside, Sam lifted the painting down from the wall and they examined it.
"Aren't you worried that it's... gonna kill us?"
"Nah, it seems to do its thing at night," Sam said. "I think we're all right in the daylight."
Dean and Zach compared the picture in the book with the painting and the former said, "Sam, check it out. The razor, it's closed in this one but it's open in that one."
"What are you guys looking for?" Sarah wondered.
"Well if the spirit's changing aspects of the painting then it's doing so for a reason."
"Hey hey look at this. The painting in the painting," Sam pointed out.
"Looks like a crypt, or a mausoleum or something," Zach guessed as Dean looked around, grabbed a thick glass ashtray and used it as a magnifying glass.
Dean read the name on the Mausoleum. "Merchant."
EXT. GRAVEYARD
Sam, Dean, Zach and Sarah walked through the graves.
"This is the third boneyard we've checked," Dean said. "I think this ghost is jerking us around."
"So this is what you guys do for a living?" Sarah asked.
"Not exactly," Sam replied. "We don't get paid."
"Well, Mazel tov."
Dean and Zach spied the mausoleum. "Over there."
Zach broke the lock and they entered, pushing aside the cobwebs. There were a number of name plates as well as four urns in front of little glass fronted boxes.
Sarah looked into one of the cases at a doll. "Okay, that right there -- is the creepiest things I've ever seen."
"It was a... sort of tradition at the time," Sam explained. "Whenever a child died sometimes they'd preserve the kid's favorite toy in a glass case, put it next to the headstone or crypt."
A wind blew in.
"Notice anything strange here?" Dean questioned.
"Ah... where do I start?" Sarah said.
Sam snickered, looking at her.
Zach shook his head. "No, that's not what he means. Look at the urns."
"Yeah. There are only four," Sam realized.
"Yeah Mom and the three kids," Dean said. "Daddy dearest isn't here."
"So where is he?"
EXT. DAY - OUTSIDE OFFICE BUILDINGS
Sam and Sarah sat on a small wall, waiting.
"So what exactly are your brothers doing in there?" Sarah asked.
"Searching county death certificates trying to find out what happened to Isaiah's body," Sam replied.
"How'd they even get in the door?"
"Lying and subterfuge mostly. You have a... uh.... you have an eyelash on your right... no... uh... you know wha -- t-" Sarah reached, but had no idea where it was. Sam laughed. "Do you mind if I -- get it?"
"No."
Sam reached for it and held it on his finger. "Okay, I got it. Make a wish."
Laughing, Sarah did so, and blew it away. "Sam, can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, sure."
"I don't mean to be forward, but a girl could wait here forever. Is there something, here, between us? Or am I delusional?"
"You're not delusional."
"But there's a but coming."
"But... I don't think this would be a good idea."
"Can I ask why?"
"'Cause I like you."
"Wait. You lost me."
They both laughed.
Sam continued. "Look, it's hard to explain. Ah -- It's just when people are around me -- I don't know, they get hurt."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean like physically hurt. With what me and my brothers do, it's..." He breathed. "Sarah, I had a girlfriend. And she died. And my Mom died too. I don't know, it's like, it's like I'm cursed or something. Like death just follows me around. Look, I'm not scared of much, but if I let myself have feelings for anybody..."
"You're scared they'd get hurt too." Sam looked down. "That's very sweet. And very archaic."
He looked back up. "Sorry?"
"Look I'm a big girl Sam, it's not your job to make decisions for me. There's always a chance of getting hurt."
"I'm not talking about a broken heart and a tub of Haagen Dazs. I'm talking about life and death."
"And tomorrow I could get hit by a bus. That's what life is. Look, I know losing somebody you love -- it's terrible. You shut yourself off. Believe me, I know. But when you shut out pain, you shut out everything else too."
"Sarah, you don't understand. The pain that I went through... I can't go through it again. I can't."
Dean and Zach suddenly appeared and the former said, "Are we interrupting something?" Zach hit his arm. "Hey!"
"No."
"Not at all," Sarah replied.
Dean looked between them. "Huh. Apparently."
"So, what'd you two get?" Sam asked.
"Paydirt. Apparently the surviving relatives of the Merchant family were so ashamed of Isaiah that they didn't want him interred with the rest of the family. So, they handed him over to the county, the county gave him a pauper's funeral. Economy style. Turns out he wasn't cremated; he was buried in a pine box. "
"So there are bones to burn."
Zach nodded. "There are bones to burn."
"Tell me you two know where."
GRAVEYARD - NIGHT
Dean, Zach and Sam dug; Sarah held a flashlight. Sam crawled out of the grave to stand next to Sarah.
"You guys seem to be uncomfortably comfortable with this," Sarah commented.
"Well, ah, this isn't exactly the first grave we've dug," Sam told her. "Still think I'm a catch?"
Sarah laughed.
Dean and Zach tapped their shovels on something hard and the latter said, "Think we've got something."
Zach cracked open the coffin lid to reveal a body.
Dean poured the salt, Sam the kerosene. Sarah and Zach watched.
As Zach struck a match, Dean said, "You've been a real pain in the ass Isaiah. Good riddance." Zach tossed the match in.
They all stood and watched it burn.
EXT. EVELYN'S HOUSE
The Impala pulled up. Sam opened the passenger door and said, "Keep the motor running."
"I thought the painting was harmless now?" Sarah replied in a questioning tone.
"Better safe than sorry. We're gonna bury the sucker."
Sarah got out of the car decisively. "I'm coming with you."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
Dean called Sam back. "Hey! hey hey. Zach and I'll stay here, you go make your move." Sam scoffed and walked away. "Sam. I'm serious!"
As Sarah and Sam moved up the stairs, Dean turned on the radio. A love ballad played. Zach tried to turn it off and Dean swatted his hand away. Grimacing, Sam turned around and gave Dean a "wtf" gesture. Dean made a 'what?' gesture and Sam motioned him to cut off the music. Sighing, Dean turned it off.
Sam and Sarah moved inside and stopped in front of the painting, looking surprised.
"Ahhh, Sam?" Sarah said. "You're the expert on all this ghost stuff. Is that painting supposed to look like that? Where's the little girl?"
"And the razor," Sam added.
They heard noises and laughter and looked around in time to see the front door shutting on them.
Dean and Zach ran up the stairs and started shoving at the door. Inside, Sam also ran to the door and yanked on it.
"Dean! Zach!" Sam called. "Hey! Is that you?"
"Sammy, you all right?" Dean and Zach asked.
Sam pulled out his phone and called Dean.
Dean answered. "Tell me you slammed the front door."
"Nope, it wasn't me. I think it was the little girl."
"Girl? What girl?"
"Yeah she's out of the painting. I think it might've been her all along."
Zach spoke into the phone. "Wasn't the Dad looking down at her? Maybe he was trying to warn us."
"Hey hey hey, let's recap later all right? Just get us out of here."
"Well we're trying to pick the lock, the door won't budge," Dean told him.
"Well, knock it down."
"Okay genius, let us just grab our battering rams."
"Dean, Zach, the damn thing is coming."
"Well you're just gonna have to hold it off until Zach and I figure something out. Get some salt or iron."
Sam grabbed Sarah's hand. "Come on." He rummaged through the kitchen drawers, Sarah the lounge cupboards. "What kind of house doesn't have salt? Low-sodium freaks." He asked Sarah, "Hey, d'you find any iron?"
"No. What's it for?" Sarah questioned.
"Iron repels evil spirits but it's gotta be pure. Hurry." He said into the phone, "Uh, Dean, Zach, give me a sec, don't go anywhere."
Outside, Dean and Zach left the front door and started walking the front porch looking for entrances.
Sam said to Sarah, "Look in the chair. Sometimes the seats."
The lounge doors slammed shut and wind blew papers everywhere. The girl appeared, dragging her doll along the floor by one foot, a razor in her other hand.
"Sam?" Sarah called.
Sam backed up, keeping Sarah behind him.
The ghost came closer, moving in an inhuman manner.
"That is just so wrong."
Sam backed into the fireside implements and grabbed the poker. The girl's face shivered and she roared. Sam swung at the ghost. She disappeared.
"Iron?" Sarah guessed.
"Yeah," Sam replied.
Over the phone, Dean asked, "Sammy, you okay?"
"Yeah, for now."
"How we gonna waste her?"
"I don't know, she was already cremated. There's nothing left to burn."
"Then how's she still around?"
"There must be something else."
"Sam wait," Sarah said. "We used to handle antique dolls at the auction."
"Well that's fascinating Sarah but is it important right now?"
"Well back then they use to make the dolls in the kids image, I mean everything, they would use the kid's real hair."
"Dean, Sarah said the doll might have the kid's real hair. Human remains, same as bones."
Sam, Zach and Dean said together, "The mausoleum!"
---
Dean raced the Impala toward the graveyard, driving through the locked gates.
---
Back at the house, the wind rose again. Sam raised the poker. A heavy cupboard came across the room, knocking him over and pinning him on the ground. Sarah ran to help, calling his name. She heard a noise and spun, coming face to face with the ghost.
---
Dean screeched the Impala to a halt and he and Zach leapt out of the car, running into the mausoleum. They pounded at the glass container, then smashed at it with the butts of their guns but it didn't break. Dean turned to run back to the car, gun in hand, then stopped and looked down at it, then at his brother who was already pointing his gun at the glass.
Dean grimaced in realization that he could shoot with the gun. "Come on Dean!"
"Took you long enough," Zach said.
"Shut up."
Dean and Zach shot the glass, lifting their other arms to protect their faces. They used the guns to knock out the rest of the glass until they could grab the doll.
---
Back at the house, Sarah was thrown through the air by the ghost.
---
Dean grabbed the doll and reached for his lighter, but it refused to light. "Come on, come on!"
Zach tried lighting his own, but it also wasn't lighting. "Stupid thing."
---
Sarah pulled herself along the floor and pushed herself up against the wall, watching the ghost approach while raising the razor. Sam used all his strength to push the cupboard slowly away from him.
---
Dean and Zach's lighters finally caught and they held them under the doll's hair. It began to smoke and then to burn.
---
The ghost raised the razor, preparing to strike.
"No!" Sam cried as he dove for Sarah, pulling her out of the way just as the ghost was about to bring the razor down. At the same moment, the ghost reared back, burning up. As she burned, her figure reappeared back in the painting.
Sam and Sarah laid on the floor together, looking around, then at each other.
---
Dean and Zach looked at the burnt doll on the floor of the mausoleum, then the elder of the two pulled out his phone.
---
Sam answered.
"Sam, you good?" Dean asked.
"Not bad," Sam replied as he leaned back against the wall next to Sarah, both looking exhausted.
INT. AUCTION HOUSE
Dean and Zach approached where Sam and Sarah stood watching the painting be crated up.
Dean held up some papers. "This was archived in the county records. The Merchant's adopted daughter Melanie. Know why she was up for adoption? 'Cause her real family was murdered in their beds."
"She killed them?" Sarah asked.
Zach nodded. "Yeah. Who'd suspect her? Sweet little girl. So then she kills Isaiah and his family. The old man takes the blame. His spirit's been trying to warn people ever since."
"So where's this one go?" a worker questioned.
"Take it out back and burn it," Sarah told him. Everyone stopped and looked at her. "I'm serious guys. Thanks." She said Sam, Zach and Dean, "So why'd the girl do it?"
"Killing others? Killing herself? Some people are just born tortured. So when they die, their spirits are just as dark," Sam explained.
"Maybe," Dean said. "I don't really care. It's over, we move on."
"Ahh... I guess this means you're leaving," Sarah noted.
Dean and Zach looked from Sam to Sarah. Sam stared at Dean and Zach until they got it.
"Zach and I'll go wait in the car," Dean said. "See you Sarah." He stood awkwardly for a second, looking at Sam, then nodded and walked away, followed by Zach who waved.
Dean grumbled, "Zach and I are the ones that burned the doll, destroyed the spirit, but don't thank us or anything."
"Dude, quit grumbling," Zach told him, glancing at his phone. "Apparently Lily is amused at the idea of a haunted painting. Wasn't funny, Lil."
Dean shrugged. "She had to be here to see. So you two are okay it seems."
"Over the phone, yeah. I don't know about face-to-face."
"There are a million thing I wanna say to you but for the life of me I can't think of one," Sarah told Sam.
"Yeah, I'll miss you too," Sam said.
"You know there's a lesson in all of this."
"What's that?"
"We all got through this in one piece. I didn't get hurt."
Sam laughed. "Yeah I'm glad for that."
"So, maybe you're not cursed. Maybe.... maybe you'll come back and see me."
"I will."
Ouside, Dean and Zach were leaning against the car. They watched Sarah letting Sam out and closing the door. Shaking their heads, they turned to get into the car.
Inside, Sarah leaned against the door, thinking, looking sad. There was a knock. She opened the door and Sam was there. She smiled and he stepped in and kissed her.
Dean and Zach heard the knock and turned to see Sarah.
Dean and Zach smiled as they said, "That's my boy."
They got into the car. Sam and Sarah continued kissing in the doorway.