( RED SKY AT THE MORNING )

DOCKS
[ ☾]

      An athletic young woman is running along the docks at night. She stops at a water fountain and takes a drink. She hears thunder and looks up, out over the water; sliding past not too far away is a ghostly old sailing ship.

      She removes her headphones and stares as it crosses into the harbor, then vanishes. She puts her headphones back in, still spooked, and jogs off.

HOUSE
[ ☾]

      Later, the same woman is showering. A dark figure approaches and places his hand on the glass of the shower door. She doesn't notice until he rubs at the glass, making a squeaking noise.

       She pokes her head out and looks around the bathroom, but sees nothing. She goes back into the shower; moments later a man in an overcoat grabs her from behind and begins to strangle her.

      He slams her against the walls of the shower several times until she slides to the floor, apparently dead.

ROAD
[ ☾]

       Dean is driving, Sam in the passenger's seat. There is a tense silence in the car, which Dean breaks. "So, I've been waiting since Maple Springs. You got something to tell me?" He asks Sam.

      "It's not your birthday." Sam says, playing dumb.

      "No."

      "Happy...Purim? Dude, I don't know. I have no idea what you're talking-" Sam starts.

      "There's a bullet missing from the Colt. You want to tell me how that happened?" Dean asks. "I know it wasn't me. So unless you were shooting at some incredibly evil cans...You went after her, didn't you? The Crossroads Demon. After I told you not to."

      "Yeah, well..." Sam drones.

      Elena can't believe what she was hearing. "You could have gotten yourself killed!" She yells.

      "I didn't." Sam says.

      "And you shot her." Elena says angrily.

      "She was a smartass."

      "So, what? Does that mean I'm out of my deal?" Dean asks.

      "Don't you think I might have mentioned that little fact, Dean?" Sam asks. "No. Someone else holds the contract."

      "Who?" Dean asks.

      "She wouldn't say."

      "Well, we should find out who. Of course, our best lead would be the Crossroads Demon. Oh, wait a minute..." Dean starts.

      "That's not funny." Sam says.

      "No, it's not! It was a stupid freaking risk, and you shouldn't have done it." Dean says to Sam.

      "I shouldn't have done it? You're my brother, Dean. And no matter what you do, I'm gonna try and save you. And I'm sure as hell not gonna apologize for it, all right?"

GERT'S HOME
[ ☼ ]

      Sam, Elena and Dean are impersonating officers of the law to interview a witness. She is holding a framed photograph of the shower-drowning victim. The witness' name is Gertrude Case, and she is elegant and well-groomed and approximately 70 years old. As the scene continues, she begins to flirt shamelessly with Sam.

      "But I don't understand. I already went over all this with the other Detectives." Gert says.

      "Right, yes. But, see, we're with the Sheriff's Department, not the police department-different departments." Dean says.

      "So, Mrs. Case..." Sam starts.

      "Please. Ms. Case." Gert says and Elena raises her eyebrows at her.

      "Okay. Um, Ms. Case, um...you were the one who found your niece, correct?" Sam asks.

      "I came home, she was in the shower."

      "Drowned?" Elena asks.

      "So the coroner says. Now, you tell me, how can someone drown in the shower?" Gert asks.

      "How would you describe Sheila's behavior in the days before her death?" Sam asks. "I mean, did she seem frightened? Maybe she said something out of the ordinary?"

      "Wait a minute. You're working with Alex, aren't you?" Gert asks.

      "Yep. Absolutely. That's..." Dean laughs. "Alex and us, we're like this." He crosses his fingers.

      "Why didn't you say so? Alex has been such a comfort. But I'm sorry. I thought the case was solved." Gert says.

      "Well, no. No, not yet." Sam says.

      "I see." She says.

     "So, anyways, we were talking about your niece." Elena says.

      "Well, yes. Sheila mentioned something quite strange before she died. She said she saw a boat."

      "A boat?" Dean asks.

      "Yes. One minute it was there, then it was gone. It just disappeared right before her eyes." Gert says. "You think it could be a ghost ship? Alex thinks it could be a ghost ship."

      "Uh, could be." Sam says.

      "You let me know if there's anything else I can do for you." Gert traces a finger slowly along Sam's hand; he looks uncomfortable. Dean tries not to laugh. "Anything at all."

DOCKS
[ ☼ ]

      Dean, Elena and Sam walk along the docks. The water is crowded with pristine, moderately sized boats. "What a crazy old broad." Dean says.

      "Why? Because she believes in ghosts?" Sam asks.

      "Look at you. Sticking up for your girlfriend. You cougar hound." Dean says.

      "Bite me." Sam says.

      "Not if she bites you first." Dean says and Elena let out a giggle.

      "That's pretty funny." She says.

      "So you're okay with an old woman hitting on me?" Sam asks.

      "It's not like it's going to go anywhere." Elena says.

      Dean shoves his hands into his pockets. "So, who's this Alex? We got another player in town?" He asks.

      "Maybe, maybe not. Doesn't change our job." Sam says.

      "And what looked like a ghost ship, right?" Elena asks.

      "It's not the first one sighted around here, either." Sam says.

      "Really?" Dean asks.

      "Yeah. Every 37 years, like clockwork, reports of a vanishing three-mast clipper ship out in the bay. And every 37 years, a rash of weirdo, dry-land drownings." Sam says.

      "So, whatever's happening is just getting started." Dean says.

      "Yeah." Sam says.

      "What's the lore?" Elena asks.

      "Well, there are apparitions of old wrecks sighted all over the world. The S.S. Violet, the Griffin, the Flying Dutchman – almost all of them are death omens." Sam says.

       "So, you see the ship and then a few hours later, you pucker up and kiss your ass goodbye?" Dean asks.

      "Basically." Sam says.

      "What's the next step?" Elena asks.

      "We gotta I.D. the boat." Sam says.

      "That shouldn't be too hard. I mean, how many three-mast clipper ships have wrecked off the coast?" Dean asks.

      "I checked that too, actually. Over 150." Sam says.

      "Wow." Elena says.

      "Yeah."

      "Crap." They approach an empty parking space; Dean looks around, confused. "This is where we parked the car, right?"

      "I thought so." Sam says.

      "Where's my car?" Dean asks.

      "Did you feed the meter?" Sam asks.

      "Yes, I fed the meter. Sam, where's my car? Somebody stole my car!" Dean yells.

      "Calm down." Elena says.

      "I am calmed down! Somebody stole my ca–" Dean begins hyperventilating.

      "Whoa. Dean. Hey, hey, hey. Take it easy." Sam says.

      Bela saunters up. "The '67 Impala? Was that yours?" She asks in her quirky accent.

      "Bela." Sam says.

      "I'm sorry. I had that car towed." She says.

      "You what?!" Dean yells.

      "Well, it was in a tow-away zone." She says.

      "No, it wasn't!"

      "It was when I finished with it." Vela says.

      "What the hell are you even doing here?" Elena asks.

      "A little yachting."

      "You're Alex. You're working with that old lady." Sam says.

      "Gert's a dear old friend."

      "Yeah, right. What's your angle?" Dean asks.

      "There's no angle. There's a lot of lovely old women like Gert up and down the eastern seaboard." Bella says. "I sell them charms, perform séances so they can commune with their dead cats."

      "And let me guess, it's all a con." Dean says.

      "The comfort I provide them is very real." Says Bela.

      "How do you sleep at night?" Sam asks.

      "On silk sheets, rolling naked in money. Really, Sam. I'd expect the attitude from him, but you?" Bella says.

      "You shot me!"

      "I barely grazed you." Bella turns to Elena. "Cute. But a bit of a drama queen, yeah?"

      "You do know what's going on around here. This ghost-ship thing, it is real." Elena says.

      "I'm aware. Thanks for telling Gert the case wasn't solved, by the way." Bella says.

      "It isn't." Dean points out.

      "She didn't know that. Now the old bag's stopped payment and she's demanding some real answers. Look... just stay out of my way before you cause any more trouble." Bella says. "I'd get to that car if I were you... before they find the arsenal in the trunk. Ciao." She leaves.

      "Can I shoot her?" Dean asks.

      "Not in public." Sam mumbles.

HOUSE
[ ☾]

      A middle-aged man is washing his face at the bathroom sink. A dark figure passes behind him, and he turns. "Hello?" He turns back to finish washing his face.

      When he turns around again the bathtub is nearly filled with murky water. Confused, he kneels down beside the tub and fiddles with the drain.

      Suddenly a hand shoots out of the water, grabs him by the neck and strangles him. His eyes roll back in his head.