December 4th - December 8th, 2008
Sam had found a new case about a man whose cause of death was ten stab wounds. However, none of them ever pierced through the shirt he had been wearing.
We watched from the sidewalk as Jeb Dexter, a sort of famous edgy magician, did some tricks for an audience in front of a camera.
"This— This isn't a trick, okay? I— I— I don't do tricks. This is a demonstration..." Jeb said as he waved a deck of cards around. "About demons and angels, love and lust..."
"What a douche bag." Dean scoffed under his breath.
"All that stuff mixed up in my head," Jeb said.
"Dean, that's Jeb Dexter," I said.
Dean raised an eyebrow at me. "Is that supposed to mean something to me?"
Sam shrugged. "He's famous, kind of."
"For what? Douchebaggery?" Dean whispered.
"But whatever happens... no matter how messed-up it gets, don't touch me, okay? For your own safety." Jeb took a deep breath and then exhaled. He started shaking as if he was having a seizure, and the crowd started going wild. Then he threw the deck of cards at the window behind him. "Go back to Hell, demon!"
When the cards finally settled, it was revealed that there was an ace of diamonds on the glass.
He dragged his hand over it to show that it was on the inside. "Is this your card?"
A girl nodded excitedly, and the crowd clapped like crazy, and he bowed.
"You've got to be kidding me. A fake demon possession?" Dean asked as he started to continue down the sidewalk. "I can't believe people actually fall for that crap."
"It's not all crap," Sam said as we followed after Dean.
"What part of that was not a steaming pile of BS?" Dean asked.
Sam nodded. "Okay, that was crap, but that's not all magicians." He shrugged. "It takes skill."
Dean nodded. "Oh, right, right, I forgot. You were actually into this stuff, weren't you?" He laughed. "I mean, you had— you had, like a deck of cards and a wand."
Sam rolled his eyes. "Dude, I was thirteen. It was a phase."
"Just... it bugs me. Ya know, playing at demons and— and magic when the real thing will kill you bloody," Dean said.
"Like a guy who drops dead of ten stab wounds... without a single tear in his shirt?" Sam asked.
Dean nodded. "That's what I'm talking about." He looked down at me. "We'll be back. Here..." He handed me some money. "Go watch a couple shows, and we'll call when we're done." Then he and Sam continued walking into the building.
I waited a couple of minutes and then walked in to buy some tickets.
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I got through three and a half shows, including three older magicians named Jay, Vernon, and Charlie. Just as Jeb's show started, Dean gave me a call, and I met them outside of the hotel as we headed for the Impala.
"How'd it go?" I asked.
"Well, the assistant said the guy had a lot of enemies," Dean said.
"Did she narrow it down to anyone?" I asked.
Sam shook his head. "I guess he was stealing from the other magicians, stage effects, close-up techniques, pretty much anything he could get his hands on."
I nodded. "Not surprising someone killed him then."
Dean nodded. "Yeah, I guess these guys take this stuff pretty seriously."
"She also found this..." Sam handed me a card. "In his stuff."
I flipped the card around. It was a tarot card with a picture of a man with ten swords sticking out of his back. "Pretty on the nose, isn't it?"
Dean nodded. "Yeah, I'd say." He handed Sam the keys. "Look, I'm gonna see if I can find some of the other magicians. You guys head back to the motel, and I'll meet you there."
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When we got back, I hopped in the shower. Once I finished, I stepped out and heard a familiar female voice on the other side of the door. So, I got dressed, and I listened quietly.
"What are you doing here, Ruby?" Sam asked.
"I should be asking you the same thing," Ruby said.
"I'm working a job. Maddison's taking a shower, so make it quick," Sam said.
"The whole world's about to be engulfed in Hellfire, and you're in Magictown, USA?" Ruby asked.
Sam laughed. "You got something against magic?"
"That would almost be funny if thirty-four seals hadn't been broken already. Thirty-four, Sam," Ruby snapped, "That's over halfway. The angels are losing this war. Every day is one day closer, and if someone doesn't do something soon—"
"And that someone is me?" Sam asked.
"Who else would it be?" Ruby asked.
"I don't know where these seals are. I don't know, squat. So why don't you tell me where you'd like me to start?" Sam asked.
"Well, you can quit dicking around here, for one. Bigger fish, Sam. And if the seals are being broken, you might want to go after the one doing the breaking," Ruby said.
"Lilith?" Sam asked.
"Cut the head off the snake. You're the only one who can stop her, Sam. So step up and kill the little bitch," Ruby said.
"Oh, I'm game, believe me. It's not the psychic thing I got a problem with," Sam said.
"Yeah, I know what you got a problem with, but tough. It's the only way," Ruby said.
"No," Sam said.
"Ya know, this would all be so much easier if you'd just admit to yourself that you like it. That feeling that it gives you," Ruby said.
"You don't know what you're talking about," Sam said.
"Oh, I don't, huh?" Ruby asked. "Fine." I heard the door open. "It's simple. Lucifer rises, the apocalypse starts. You think that you have demons on your hands now? People are gonna die, Sam. Oceans of people. So you just let me know when you're ready." Then the door slammed.
I waited a moment and then opened the door. "Did you leave?"
"What? Oh no... I think someone down the hall slammed their door," Sam said nervously.
I nodded and sat down on one of the beds.
"How's the shower? Do we actually have hot water here?" he asked.
I shrugged. "I wouldn't say hot, more like luke-warm."
Sam sighed and went back to researching.
I wasn't sure what I was going to do with what I heard because I honestly didn't know what I did hear. All I knew was that Ruby still wanted Sam to kill Lilith with his powers, but there was more to it. I didn't know if I wanted to let Sam be honest about it himself or if I should just let Dean know that something weird was going on. I wasn't sure if I wanted to be the reason a fight broke out.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Sam answered his phone, "Hey." (...) "Yeah, I'm on my way." He hung up and then stood up. "Dean called, wants me back there. I'm sure we will be back in less than an hour."
I nodded. "Okay."
Then he threw his suit jacket back on and left.
I waited a few minutes and then walked over to the window to check if the Impala was still there, but it was just pulling away.
"All right, Sam. Let's see if I can figure out what you've been hiding," I said and then walked over to his duffel bag. "Ugh, I feel gross doing this."
I picked it up and unzipped it, sifting through his things carefully so he wouldn't suspect something was out of place. If it were Dean's bag, it wouldn't be a big deal 'cause he just throws his stuff in there. Sam, on the other hand, usually has his bag neat and everything folded.
I was relieved to just find the normal stuff in his bag... deodorant, clothes, toothbrush... the usual. Except when I when to pick up the bag off of the bed and it slipped out of my hands, there was a strange thud that I couldn't relate to anything I had found in the bag. So, I unzipped it again, dug in further, and lifted up the plastic sheet that laid at the bottom, which revealed a flask. I wouldn't have thought anything of it, even the fact that it was under the plastic just could've been from moving the bag around, but there was something dark and dried-up under the lip of the lid, which was strange.
Out of curiosity, I unscrewed the cap and was instantly hit by an iron smell. I walked over to the lamp so I could see what was in it better, but it honestly didn't help much because what was inside was a thick dark liquid.
"What the hell?" I grabbed a tissue and folded it up. I put it on top of the opening and turned it just to collect some of the liquid. When I pulled the tissue back, it revealed what I was worried about, the liquid was blood.
"What have you gotten yourself into, Sam?" I asked and then repacked his bag how I had found it.
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