𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 > 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 {𝟏}

𝐗𝐗𝐈𝐈

Dean was driving to the creaky abandoned house, finishing the case. There was a demon who kidnapped a boy and girl in the house due to the background of its story. The rest of the trio went to their trunk, getting electrical tasers amped up to 100,000 volts. Dean said that he wanted to fry up this monster for good.

Sam, Dean, and Karina are readied with their own tasers and flashlights, walking slowly down the stairs to the basement. Creaky old stairs they were walking toward. They looked around to see the demon, but no demon in the present. Then there was noise nearby, they followed the sound, it was the cupboard.

They all walked toward the cupboard, they shared a silent signal for the boys to open the doors, and Karina was targeting it in case something happened. Dean counted down to three, and they both opened each door. Karina flashed her light, and it was the missing children.

They were crouched together, covering their ears. They come around and see them hiding in the cupboard, the children looking at the people who found them. Sam began to whisper to them, "It is still here?"

They both nodded, and Karina comforted them. She whispered to them, "Grab your sister's hand. Boys and I will get you out of here." Sam and Karina grabbed both children, leaving Dean behind them, guarded with his taser.

The children ran up the stairs, and a hand grabbed Karina's legs and pulled her down. Knocking her down on the stairs. "Karina!" The hand let her go, Dean walked under the stairs, shooting at it, but he missed. Sam pulled Karina up, and they both turned to Dean. "Guys, get'em out of here!"

Dean ran toward them, and Karina suggested her taser. "Here, take this!" She tossed her taser to Dean and he grabbed it. Sam and Karina ran up the stairs to get the children in safety.

They both walked outside, heading toward Dean's car. Karina opened the backdoor for them. They hurried inside. Sam comforted them, "Stay here, ok? We'll be back."

Karina closed the door, and they both ran to the house. To get Dean. As they were running down to the basement, they both saw Dean in the corner, unconscious. Sam yelled his name, and they both rushed toward him. Sam was holding Dean's face, to wake him up.

But he didn't...

After the children were back to their safety, Sam and Karina were at the hospital, waiting for the information about Dean. Sam was handing the hospital insurance for Dean to the receptionist. His card was named Mr. Berkovitz. Sam walked over to Karina talking to the cops. Explained what happened last night.

The cops saw Sam walking to them. One cop said, "Look, uh, we can finish this up later."

Sam shook his head, "No it's okay. Like my friend said, we were just taking a shortcut through the neighborhood, and our windows were rolled down. We heard some screaming when we drove past the house, and we stopped, ran in."

The cop finished Sam's sentence since Karina's story was similar. "And found the kids in the basement."

"Yeah."

"Well, thank God you guys did."

Karina saw the doctor coming toward them, she tapped Sam's shoulder, and she pointed it out to the doctor. Sam walked toward him, and Karina turned to the cops, "Excuse us."

"Sure, thanks for your help."

Karina nodded and followed Sam talking to the doctor. He asked, "Hey, doc, is he--?"

"He's resting."

"And?"

"The electrocution triggered a heart attack--pretty massive I'm afraid. His heart--it's damaged."

Karina looked up to the doctor, crossing her arms worried, "How damaged?"

"We done all we can. We can try and keep him comfortable at this point, but I'd give him a couple of weeks at most, maybe a month."

Karina sighed in despair... and Sam's eyes were closed in tears. "No, no, there's... got to be something you can do, some kind of treatment."

"We can't work miracles. I really am sorry."

Sam was upset, and Karina can read him. She turned to the doctor, "Thank you for everything you could, doctor." He nodded back and left them alone.

She looked up to Sam, "Hey... we should check with Dean. To see how he's doing."

Sam nodded quickly back at her and looked at her with watery tears on her. She wanted to comfort him, or hug him. She can't. He took a deep breath, before going to Dean's room. All she did was follow behind.

As they entered Dean's room, they saw Dean in his bed. Watching television. He was pale and had dark circles under his eyes. The moment when Sam and Karina entered, he eyed the television. "Ever actually watch daytime tv? It's terrible."

Sam looked down and shook his head. "We talked to the doctor."

"That fabric softener teddy bear--ooh. I want to hunt that little bitch down."

Karina gave a serious look, by him ignoring Sam's topic. "Dean."

He put down the remote, and looked at them, "Yeah... Alright, well, it looks like you guys are leaving town without me."

"What are you talking about? Me and Sam are not leaving you here."

"I thought you wouldn't care anything about me, Karina."

"Well, taking care of one of you is at the top of my list, Dean. Whether you like it or not."

Dean sighed weakly, and his face turned to Sam, "Hey, you better take care of that car. I swear I'll haunt your ass. Karina, since taking care of us is the top, you better look out for my little brother. Then you two can have a one-night stand, get married in Vegas, and have psychic little freaks."

Karina scoffed and rolled her eyes at Dean's sarcastic comment. Sam ignored his comment, and shook his head, "I don't think that's funny."

Dean smiled weakly, "Oh, come on. It's a little funny."

There was a long silence. Sam looked down, fighting in tears. Karina's eyes were on Dean, giving him a pointed look. Dean read her thoughts and Sam's actions. He sighed, "Look, Sammy, what can I say, man? It's a dangerous gig, I drew a short straw. That's it, end of the story."

Karina shook her head, "It's not your ending, Dean. We won't let it happen."

"She's right. Don't talk like that... we still have options."

"What options? You two got burial or cremation. I know it's not easy, but... I'm gonna die. And you can't stop it."

Sam and Karina shared a look, and they both turned to Dean in determination. Sam replied, "Watch me."

They both left the room, heading toward the motel. For their research.

***

Three days later, Sam and Karina went into research mode to find a cure for Dean. Well, more to Sam who hadn't slept for three days. It left Karina in amusement and worried about his health. Sam was calling his father on his bed in the motel room while Karina is out. As he figured it went into voicemail.

"Hey, Dad. It's Sam. Uh... probably won't even get this, but, uh... it's Dean. He's sick, and uh... the doctors say there's nothing they can do. But, they don't know the things we know, right? So, don't worry, because me and Karina are gonna do what it takes to get him better. Alright... just wanted you to know."

He hung up and tossed his phone on the bed. He just sat there silently until Karina walked into the room. Carrying coffees and baked goods. As she opened the door, "Hey, stranger."

Sam turned to her, confused, by her introduction, and asked, "What?"

Karina shrugged, "You look like hell. No sleep for three days. Dark circles and all. But, at least caffeine will kill ya."

Sam chuckled softly, and Karina walked over to him. She handed him coffee, and she eyed the phone on the bed in front of him. "No answer?"

"No."

"I don't get it... He called you, but he won't answer Dean's help?"

"I know." Sam turned to Karina, close to tears. "I'm scared... I lost my dad, I can't lose my brother."

"Don't worry, Sammy. We'll find a way to save Dean. I know we will. I have hope."

"Yeah."

Karina shrugged to reach his hand to comfort him, but she awkwardly pulled away. Sam saw what she was aiming for. He smiled softly, and Karina looked down awkwardly as she opened her blueberry scone. He liked Karina calling him Sammy even though he is against his nickname. But after adventures with Karina, he felt something he never had before.

Comfort.

Sam's thoughts were interrupted when there was a knock on the door. Sam and Karina shared a confusing look, never expecting to have anyone come. They both walked to the door. Sam opened the door, there was Dean leaning against the frame.

He looked pale still, and in pain. Holding his ribs as he looked up to Sam and Karina whose eyes were shocked and surprised.

Sam asked, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Dean smiled weakly, "I checked myself out."

Karina's eyes went wide open and quietly yelled, "Are you insane?!?"

"Karina, come on... tone it down with insane."

She began the list of other synonyms, "Alright... are you mad? Are you deranged? Are you certifiable? Are you disturbed? Are you s-"

Dean pulled his hand up, "Alright! Alright! Insane is fine!"

Karina softly smiled at her humor, and Sam chuckled softly at their chemistry. Dean continued explaining by walking in, "After all of that... I'm not going to die in the hospital where the nurses aren't even hot."

Sam scoffed, "You know, this whole "I laugh in the face of death" thing--It's crap, I can see right through it."

Karina nodded agreeing with Sam's opinion. Dean looked at both of them, and he eyed Sam, "Yeah, whatever, dude. Have you even slept? You look worse than me."

Karina giggled softly and Sam turned to her. She stopped right away and began helping Dean to sit down to avoid it. "Well, Dean, your insane brother had been scouring the internet for three days and gotten no sleep. Even though I warned him. He ignored me."

Dean patted Karina's hand that was on his shoulder, "Well, Karina, at least you tried."

Sam sat in front of Dean, "Also been calling every contact in Dad's journal."

"For what?"

"For a way to help you. One of Dad's friends, Joshua, he called me back. He told me about a guy in Nebraska. A specialist."

Dean looked at Sam and Karina, "You two are not gonna let me die in peace, are you?"

Karina looked down, "Like I said, Dean, this is not your ending. We're not gonna let you die. Period."

Sam looked at Dean seriously, full of ambition, taking after Karina's words, "We're going."

On the way to Nebraska on the rainy, foggy day, Dean kept complaining about not going there in the back. As Sam was explaining to Dean in his own words, Karina ignored their conversation and focused on the dripping water on her window. She laid her chin on her hand, experiencing the weather.

Counting every drop of rain, as every little speck consumes her. She began to smile a little... feeling hollow as it let her smile.

When Sam parked in front of a house, filled with injured people walking toward the tent. Sam and Karina got out of the car, as Karina opened the backdoor, Sam tried to help Dean out.

"I got ya."

Dean pushed Sam away, "I got it. Man, you're a lying bastard. Thought you said we were going to see a doctor."

Karina pointed out as she closed the door after him, "I believe he said specialist."

"Look, Dean, this guy's supposed to be the real deal."

"I can't believe you brought me to see some guy who heals people out of a tent."

A woman with an umbrella passed by, "Reverend LeGrange is a great man."

"Yeah, that's nice."

They walk by a protestant claiming that the man they're visiting is a fraud who is earning just for money. The sheriff guided the man out of the property. Dean commented, "I take it he's not part of the flock."

"Well, when people see something they can't explain, there's controversy."

"Yeah, but come on, Sam-- a faith healer?"

Karina faced Dean. "Maybe it's time to have a little faith, Dean."

"You know what I got faith in? Reality--knowing what's really going on."

Sam scoffed, "How can you be a skeptic, with things we see every day?"

"Exactly, we see them. We know they're real."

Karina walked closer to Dean, "If you know evil's out there, why not believe in good out there too?"

"Because I've seen what evil does to good people."

A female voice appeared in front of them. Who was eavesdropping on their conversation. "Maybe God works in mysterious ways."

Dean eyed her down and talked to her in a smooth tone. "Maybe He does. I think you turned me around on the subject."

Sam and Karina shared a knowingly annoyed look on each other. Rolling their eyes at his flirting game in front of the Holy tent...

A woman said, "Yeah, I'm sure."

Dean held out his hand to her, and she shook it. "I'm Dean. This is Sam and Karina."

"Layla. So, if you're not a believer, then why are you here?"

"Apparently my brother here believes enough for the both of us."

Karina pursued her lips together to keep herself laughing. Until a woman guided Layla into the tent. Dean followed his eyes on her as she went into the tent. "I'll bet you she can work in some mysterious ways."

Dean walked into the tent, and Karina shook her head. "Wow..." Sam chuckled at her comment and they both walked in.

There were crowded people finding their seats as the piano music was playing. There is a small stage at the front with candles all over and a lectern. They all looked around, and Dean looked at the back. He pointed them out with the security camera.

"Yeah, peace, love, and trust all over."

They both followed his eyes on it, and they all began walking down to find their seats. While Sam and Dean were bickering to find the seats Sam wanted to sit in the front. Sam was checking on Dean, and all he repeated was pushing him away. Karina found three seats in the front for all of them.

They all sat down as the blind reverend approached on stage. Dean was sitting in front of Layla, as Sam and Karina were sitting beside each other. Karina looked beside her at the wounded, sick, disabled people. All she ever wanted was to feel pity for them. But she couldn't. Sam sees that as he followed her eyes on them.

The reverend began to speak, "Each morning, my wife, Sue Ann, reads me the news. Never seems good, does it?" The crowd agreed with them.

While the reverend was speaking, Sam saw a cross on the table. It was familiar to him. He tapped Karina's shoulder, and she followed his eyes on the cross. It made her suspicious as well why that cross was familiar to them both.

"Seems like there's always someone committing some immoral, unspeakable act. But, I say to you, God is watching. And God rewards the good, and He punishes the corrupt. It is the Lord... who does the healing here, friends, the Lord who guides me in choosing who to heal by helping me see into people's hearts."

The crowd yelled out amen, while Dean leaned over to Karina and Sam, and whispered to them, "Or into their wallets."

The reverend heard Dean's comment, "You think so, young man?"

The music stopped and the crowd went silent after the Reverend approached. "Sorry."

"No, no. Don't be. Just watch what you're saying around the blind man. We got real sharp ears."

The crowd laughed as Dean smirked. The music started to play where it ended. The reverend asked Dean, "What's your name, son?"

Dean cleared his throat, "Dean."

The Reverend repeated his name. He nodded slightly and held out his hand to follow him. "I want you to come up here with me."

The crowd was applauding, while Sam and Karina went shocked. Also thankful for letting him choose Dean to get better. Better as healing him. Dean pulled his hand up, "No, it's okay."

Sam whispered to him, "What are you doing?"

"You-you've come here to be healed, haven't you?" asked the Reverend.

"Well, yeah, but, uh..." The crowd cheered after his saying, and Dean looked around the audience. "Maybe you should just pick someone else."

Karina moved his arm, excitedly and supported, "Dean! This is your chance, come on!"

The Reverend shook his head, "Oh-ho, no. I-I didn't pick you, Dean. The Lord did."

Sam and Karina clapped their hands, and Sam said to Dean, excitedly, "Get up there!"

Dean admittedly got up from his seat and walked up to the stage. The crowd was praising Dean and cheering loudly. As Dean got up on stage, the Reverend asked Dean if he was ready. All he ever answered, "Look, no disrespect, but... I'm not exactly a believer."

The reverend smiled, "You will be, son. You will be. Pray with me, friends."

The crowd lifts their arms, and some of them hold their hands together. Sam and Karina looked at Dean, anticipating what came next. The Reverend lifted his hands to the air, and then placed them first on Dean's shoulder, and on his head.

Dean's eyes glazed over, and his knees weakened down on the floor. Letting Sam and Karina on alert, but then Dean wobbled. His eyes were falling back in his head and slipped down on the floor. The crowd cheered loudly, but not for Sam and Karina.

They both jumped out of their seats, running to Dean. Sam rushes over to Dean, holding his hoodie. He woke up and his eyes were in shock. Looking at the distance. Karina followed his eyes, where he was looking at. It was nothing.

***

"So, you really feel okay?"

"I feel fine, Sam."

Dean was sitting on the hospital bed, he didn't look pale and had dark circles anymore. He wasn't happy, but not for Sam who looked relieved. Karina squinted her eyes to read Dean's emotions, clearly, he saw something that she couldn't. It left Karina having a bad feeling.

The doctor came into the room, reading the paperwork. "Well, according to all your tests, there's nothing wrong with your heart. No sign there ever was. Not that a man your age should be having heart trouble, but... still it's strange--it does happen."

Karina couldn't help but ask the doctor, "What do you mean, "strange"?"

Sam looked down at her confused why she was worried about it now, then a day ago. She was excited to have Dean back. What made her lose hope?

The doctor continued, "Just yesterday, a young guy like you-- 27, athletic-- out of nowhere, heart attack."

Karina looked down, drowning in her thoughts. Dean thanked the doctor. She left the room, leaving them alone to talk. Dean looked at the distance for a moment, and looked up at Sam, "That's odd."

Karina agreed, "You and me both, sister."

"Guys, what are you talking about? Maybe it's a coincidence. People's hearts give out all the time."

Karina looked at Sam, "Sam, you are not that stupid. It's totally not a coincidence. Unless there was a mass murder involved. Cause of death: heart attack."

"She's right, Sammy."

Sam asked both of them, "Do we really have to look this one in the mouth? Why can't we just be thankful that the guy saved your life?"

Dean got up and walked over to his jacket, "Because I can't shake this feeling, that's why."

"What feeling?"

"When I was healed, I just--I felt...wrong. I felt cold, and for a second, I saw someone--this old man. I'm telling you, guys, it was a spirit."

"If there was something there, I think I would've seen it too. I mean, I've been seeing an awful lot of things lately."

"Well, excuse me, psychic wonder. But you're just gonna need a little faith in this one. Beside her, I've been hunting long enough to trust a feeling like this."

Karina turned to Sam, "Dean's right. I saw him seeing something, and it was nothing. I have a bad feeling about this... You should too after we just explained everything to you."

Sam sighed for a moment, "Yeah, alright. So, what do you want to do?" Dean gave them a plan for Sam and Karina to check out the guy who had a heart attack while he talks with the reverend.

After the information gathering about the heart attack man, Sam and Karina visited the swimming building where the man died at short notice. They were questioning an employee as he explained what happened that time when he guided them to the swimming pool area.

"I'm telling you, he seemed healthy-- swam every day, didn't smoke. So a heart attack just kind of seemed bizarre."

Sam turned to the man, "And you said he was running, right before he collapsed?"

"Yeah, yeah, he was freaking out. He said that something was... was after him."

Karina asked, "Did he say what was after him?"

"Well, thin air is what. I mean it wasn't anything."

Sam and Karina shared a quick glance at each other and proceeded to leave. Sam gave the man gratitude for his help. Until they both noticed the time of the clock, it landed at 4:17. The hands of the clock weren't moving the time. the second, the minute, the hour.

Sam looked down at the man who was at the bottom of the stairs. Sam pointed out the clock, "Hey, buddy? Your...your clock's busted."

"Oh yeah. We can't get it working. Just froze at 4:17."

Karina nodded quietly, and asked, "Same time when Marshall died?"

The employee was surprised at Karina's prediction. "How'd you know?"

Karina raised her eyebrows and pressed her lips together. "Lucky guess. Thank you again for helping us."

Karina began leaving, and Sam followed her behind, taking all the information they gathered. They were both going to the car, quietly, and they both left. Heading straight to the motel.

***

When Sam and Karina were back in the motel room, they researched everything they could about Reverend LeGrange. They both worked quietly together, and Karina couldn't help but look at Sam. He was drowning in thoughts, guilty. He was looking at his laptop while Karina was looking at the files.

Karina eyed him down, hollow in her eyes. Sam's hand was close to her hand, they were both resting on the table. Karina swallowed her throat. Sam wasn't looking at Karina who was glancing at him the whole time. Her pinkie came close to Sam's pinkie.

Slowly. Close to touching each other.

Sam's eyes took in the sight of Karina's pinkie being closer to his. Karina kept getting closer and closer. Sam's heart was beating rapidly, his hand wanted her warmth. He moved him to hers, they were inch separate from each other. Now it was five centimeters.

Sam's hazel eyes slowly looked up at Karina. Karina looked at Sam's eyes, not knowing that they would actually touch each for the first time. Karina will let him. They were close to touching as they kept staring at each other.

Hazel and Brown. Exactly the first time they met, and now the first time they touch.

The motel room door was shut, entering Dean. Karina's eyes turned away and her hand. Sam glanced down and then moved his hand back to where it was. His laptop.

Like nothing happened.

Dean entered the room where Sam and Karina were researching. He asked them both, "What'd you guys find out?"

Sam spoke softly, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry about what?"

"Marshall died at 4:17."

Dean's expression was stunned, "The exact time I was healed."

Karina grabbed the papers that were next to her and gave them to Dean. "Yeah. So, Sam and I put together a list of everyone the Roy LeGrange's healed. Six people over the past year, and cross-checked them with the local obits. Every time someone was healed, someone died. Each time, the victim died of the same symptom that the reverend was healing at the time."

Dean sat down, reading the papers. "Someone's healed of cancer, someone else dies of cancer?"

"Somehow, he is literally trading a life for another."

Dean paused, taking all the information from what Karina told him. "Wait, wait, so... Marshall Hall died to save me?"

Sam looked at him, "Dean... the guy probably would've died anyway, and someone else would've been healed."

Dean stood up, pacing the room. He looked at Sam, "You never should've brought me here."

"Dean, Karina, and I were trying to save your life."

"But, Sam, some guy is dead now because of me."

"I didn't know... she didn't know either."

Dean looked at Sam and then to Karina. They all looked at each other, thinking. Sam spoke up from his mind, "The thing that I don't understand is how is Roy doing it? How's he trading a life for a life?"

Dean walked to them, "Oh, he's not doing it. Something else is doing it for him."

"What do you mean?"

"The old man I saw on stage. I didn't want to believe it, but deep down I knew it."

"Knew what? What are you talking about?"

"There's only one thing that can give and take life like that."

Sam looked at Dean, confused. While Karina was connecting the dots, she realized. She looked at Dean with realization in her eyes. Dean answered everyone's thoughts on the table.

"We're dealing with a reaper."

Dean was collecting books that state the information about the reaper. He and Karina were reading different pages with different illustrations of the reapers. All sorts of different information about one thing. An entity.

Sam asked Dean, "You really think it's the Grim Reaper? Like angel of death, collect your soul, the whole deal?"

"No, no, not the reaper-- a reaper. There's reaper's lore in every culture on earth. They go by a hundred different names. It's possible that there's more than one."

"But you said you saw a dude in a suit."

"What, you think he should've been working the black robe thing?" Dean pointed out to Sam more, "You said to yourself that clock stopped right? Reapers stop time, and you can only see them when they're coming at you which is why I could see it and you two couldn't."

"Maybe."

Karina looked at Sam, "Sam, there is no other explanation. This has to be it. The main problem is what we're thinking. How does Roy himself control it?"

Sam remembered something, and he looked at Karina. Karina read Sam's expression and thought the same thing. They said to each other in unison, "The cross."

Dean looked between them, confused. "What?"

Sam was ruffling through some papers as he explained to Dean, "There was this cross, Karina and I noticed it in the church. We both knew we had seen it before."

Sam gave the tarot card to Dean. Seeing the familiar cross on the illustration of the card. "A tarot?"

Karina explained, "It makes sense. Tarot dates back to the early Christian era, and there are some priests hence the Reverend was still doing magic. It's hardcore black magic. Necromancy and how to push death away. How to cause it."

"So Roy's using black magic to bind the reaper?"

Sam commented as he took the card from Dean, "If he is, he's riding the whirlwind. It's like putting a dog leash on a great white."

Dean got up from the table and walked to the kitchen cabinet. Bringing an empty cup with him, he put the cup in the sink. He turned to Sam and Karina who were looking at him, waiting for his response.

"Okay, then we stop Roy."

"How?"

Dean looked at Sam and Karina together, "You know how."

"Wait, what the hell are you talking about, Dean? We can't kill Roy."

Dean crossed his arms and pointed out, "Sam, the guy's playing God, he's deciding who lives and who dies. That's a monster in my book."

Karina looked at Dean, "Look, I agree with you. He's doing some things that no one shouldn't do. He's also a human being. Together as a trio, killing a human being. If we kill him, we're doing black magic to ourselves. We're no better than that."

Sam looked at Karina while he was sitting behind, smiling a little to himself. Hearing her words, Dean gave in to her words. "Okay, so we can't kill Roy, we can't kill Death. Any bright ideas, Huntress?"

Karina thought for a moment, and she spoke up from her mind, "Well if Roy's using some black spell on the reaper, we have to figure out what it is. How to break the spell."