( STRANGE MAGIC )

FUNERAL HOME
[ ☾]

      The walls of the funeral home are covered in glowing blue diagrams, mostly six-sided figures, some in circles and some in squares, all with lines through them and squiggles inside the triangles thus formed. Dean, Elena and Sam cross the street to the building.

      Pedestrians go by, ignoring both Dean and the glowing blue diagrams. "This looks like New Jack City. Can nobody can see this?" Dean asks.

     "Maybe it's demon invisible ink. Only see it in the veil." Sam says.

     "Any idea what it's for?" Elena asks.

      "We'll find out." Sam says. A door is standing open. Sam goes in. Dean follows. Sam goes one way around the stairs, Dean the other. Sam shrugs: he saw nothing. Dean turns around.

      In the open space in the middle of the room, there is a square with triangles on each side to form an eight-pointed star, with squiggles at each point. Lying in the figure are Tessa and an old man in a suit, presumably the first Reaper. Sam and Dean come for a closer look. On the far side of the reaper trap is a Man standing guard. He has not seen Sam and Dean. Dean whispers.

      "Dude, check me out." Dean takes a few steps forward and vanishes. He reappears behind the Man and taps him on the shoulder; when the Man turns around, Dean punches him in the face. When the Man straightens up and takes a swing, Dean is gone. The Man looks around: he and the reapers are the only ones visible.

     A hand taps the Man's shoulder; this time it's Sam who punches him. Elena has reappeared on the Man's other side and punches again. Sam knees the Man in the chest. The Man scrambles away. Dean kicks him. The Man hides behind the coffin on the dais. Dean and Sam follow him up.

      "You know, this ghost thing, it's, it's kind of rad." Dean says.

      Another Man comes out from behind a curtain, carrying a chain and making pained noises. The first Man scrambles over the coffin and out of the way. The second Man pulls the chain tight and hooks it to a candle stand.

      "It's iron." Sam says.

      The Man, who must be a Demon, lets go of the chain. His hands are smoking. Sam and Dean look around; the chain surrounds them. A third Demon comes into the room. "Boys. Find the place okay?" The Demon's eyes roll white: it's Alastair.

      Alastair's eyes return to human. He walks up to the chain. One of the demons hands him a shotgun and leaves. He checks the shotgun, then aims at Dean and fires. Dean disintegrates. "Rock salt's not so much fun anymore, is it?" Alastair asks. Sam glares at him.

      Dean reappears. "Alastair. You bastard." He says.

     "Well, go on. Why don't you try some of your mojo on me now, hotshot?" Alastair says as Dean and Elena glance at Sam. Sam fumes. "It's hard to get it up when you're not wearing your meat, huh?"

      "Go to hell." Sam says.

      "Ah, if only I could." Alastair turns away, crossing the room. "But they just keep sending me back up to this arctic craphole."

      "To kill death?" Dean asks.

      "No, to kill death twice. It takes two to break a seal. I figured another one would show up, though. They're like lemmings." Alastair pumps the shotgun and fires. Sam disintegrates. "By the way, it's, uh, good to see you again, Dean."

      "You can shoot us all you want, but you can't kill us." Dean says. Sam reappears, his arms wrapped around his torso.

      "Ah, that so?"

MOTEL ROOM
[ ☾]

      Pamela is still sitting in the chair between the beds with Dean's and Sam's bodies. Something creaks in the room. Pamela looks around. She stands up and goes over to the door, bolting and chaining it. A window is open, the curtain blowing.

FUNERAL HOME
[ ☾]

      Alastair is holding a scythe, turning it over in his hands. "Anyhoo..." Dean, Elena and Sam watch him. "Moon's in the right spot. The board is set. Let's get started, shall we?"

      "You're gonna kill a reaper with that? It's little on the nose, don't you think?" Dean asks.

      "Is it? An old friend lent it to me. You know, he doesn't really ride a pale horse? But he does have three amigos." Alastair goes over to the reapers. "And they're just jonesing for the apocalypse." He kneels next to the old man Reaper. "It pays to have friends in low places." He grabs the Reaper by the collar and hauls him up. ALASTAIR Don't you think?

      Alastair puts the scythe behind the Reaper's neck. "Hic cruor messorius, illud sigillum, quod luciferem reverendum obstringit, aperiat ut resurgat!" He pulls the scythe. White-blue light. He lowers the dead Reaper to the floor. Alastair straightens up. Sam looks up: there's a chandelier hanging above the reaper trap.

      Alastair steps over the dead Reaper and grabs Tessa by the shoulder, holding the scythe to her neck. She's awake. Sam glances between Dean and the chandelier. "Stop!" Tessa yells. Dean stares at the chandelier and concentrates. 

      "Hic cruor messorius-" Alastair starts. Sam stares at the chandelier and concentrates.

MOTEL ROOM
[ ☾]

      Pamela closes the window. She goes into the middle of the room, then approaches a curtain. "I know you're here. What's the matter, you reeking son of a bitch? You afraid of a skirt?" Pamela rips back the curtain: it's the shower curtain, and the bathroom is empty except for her. Pamela leaves the bathroom. A Demon is waiting just outside. She senses him and runs to Sam, leaning over him.

      "Vis, vis, vis!" Pamela says. The Demon grabs Pamela and drags her up. She kicks at him. He grabs her ankle and hauls, kicking the chair away. "Son of a bitch!"

FUNERAL HOME
[ ☾]

      No time has passed since cutting away from Alastair. "-illud sigillum, quod luciferem reverendum obstringit-" The chandelier is shaking with the force Sam and Dean are applying. Tessa watches them. "-aperiat ut-" The chandelier falls. "resurgat!"

      The chandelier lands on a corner of the reaper trap, breaking it. Tessa vanishes. She reappears at the candle stand and unhooks the chain. "Bye-bye." Dean says. Tessa, Dean, Elena and Sam vanish.

      Tessa, Elena and Dean appear. They look around. "Where's your brother?" Tessa asks.

      "We'll go find him. You get out of here." Dean says.

MOTEL ROOM
[ ☾]

      Pamela and the Demon fight. She gets loose of the demon and leans over Sam. "Animum vult decipi, ergo-"

      The Demon grabs Pamela and throws her across the room, knocking over candles and the coffeemaker. She sits up. The Demon pulls out a knife and stabs Pamela in the gut. Sam sits up. The Demon pulls out the knife.

      "Pamela!" Sam raises a hand and flings the Demon against the wall. Sam stands and exorcises the Demon with his mind. The Demon's host slumps to the floor. Sam turns to Pamela, crouching down to her level. She is laughing. "What's so funny?"

      "I can't die-not in this town." Pamela takes her hand away from the injury. There is no blood.

      "Pamela-" Sam starts.

      "Quit your worrying, grumpy. How about you make me a drink, huh?" She asks.

      "You need a Doctor."

      "Make me a drink, Sam." Pamela says and Sam swallows.

ALLEY
[ ☾]

      Dean and Elena walk along the alley, looking around. "You can't run."Alastair is standing in the alley. "Dean." Dean stops and stares. Alastair advances. Dean retreats. "Not from me. I'm inside that angsty little noggin of yours."

     Blue-white lightning strikes Alastair. He vanishes. "What the hell?" Dean asks.

     "Guess again." Dean turns around. Castiel is behind him.

      "What just happened?" Elena asks.

      "You, Elena and Sam just saved a seal. We captured Alastair. Dean, Elena, this was a victory." Castiel says.

     "Well, no thanks to you." Dean says.

     "What makes you say that?"

      "You were here the whole time?" Asks Dean.

     "Enough of it." Castiel looks away.

      "Well, thanks for your help with the rock salt." Dean says.

      "That script on the funeral home-we couldn't penetrate it."

     "That was angel-proofing." Elena says.

      "Why do you think I recruited you guys in the first place?" Castiel looks at Dean.

      "You recruited us?" Dean says.

      "That wasn't your friend Bobby who called, Dean. It wasn't Bobby who told Sam about the seal."

     "That was you?" Dean asks and Castiel looks down. "If you want our help, why the hell didn't you just ask?"

     "Because whatever I ask, you seem to do the exact opposite."

     "So, what now, huh? The people in this town, they just gonna start dying again?" Dean asks.

     "Yes." Says Castiel.

     "These are good people. What, you think you can make a few exceptions?"

     "To everything there is a season." Says Castiel.

      "You made an exception for me." Dean says.

     Castiel pauses, then looks at Dean. "You're different." A long pause. Tessa is next to Dean.

      "Dean? I could use your help." Tessa says. Castiel is gone.

COLE'S HOUSE
[ ☾]

      Mrs. Griffith is looking at a memory book. There is a picture of Cole, age 3, and a lock of his hair. She turns the page; there is a photo of Mrs. Griffith with Cole as a small child. He is watching her. She is crying. "Hey, Cole." Tessa says. Cole startles and turns around.

      Tessa is there, wearing a white dress instead of the jeans and black jacket of a moment ago. Dean and Elena are behind him. "Tell your brother thanks for nothing. Dean looks down." Cole says.

      "Look at her, Cole." Tessa says and Cole glances back. "Do you see how unhappy she is?"

      "That's why I want to stay with her."
  
      "As long as she can feel you, she'll be in pain, because she can't let go." Tessa says and Cole glances back again. "Because you won't let go of her."

      "Why won't anybody tell me what's on the other side?" Cole asks.

      "Maybe nobody wants to ruin the surprise."

      Dean looks away. "That's not an answer." Cole says.

      "She won't answer you, Cole. Reapers never do. But trust me. Staying here is a whole lot worse than anything over there." Dean says.

      "Why?"

      "Because one day, your family will be gone, and there'll be nothing left here for you. It's okay to be scared." Says Dean.

      "I'm not scared." Cole says.

      "We're all scared. That's the big secret. We're all scared." A pause.

      "Are you coming?" Cole asks. Tessa looks down.

     "Oh, I'm sure I'll be there sooner than you think." Dean says.

      Cole looks back at Mrs. Griffith. He unfolds his arms and walks toward Tessa. She hugs him, closing her eyes. He melts into her, vanishing in white light. Mrs. Griffith looks up. She doesn't look as sad. Tessa turns to face Dean. "Look out for that boy." Dean says to her.

     "Look out for yourself, Dean."

      "What do you mean?" Dean asks.

      "I've been around death from the get-go. You know what I see most? Lies. "He's in a better place." "At least they're together now." You all lie to yourselves, Dean, 'cause like you said, deep down, you're all scared. Stop lying to yourself, Dean."

      "What?" Dean asks.

     "The angels have something good in store for you. A second chance. Really? 'Cause I'm pretty sure, deep down, you know something nasty's coming down the road. Trust your instincts, Dean. There's no such thing as miracles."

      "What are you saying?" Dean asks as Tessa says nothing. A moment later, she is gone.

MOTEL ROOM
[ ☾]

      Pamela sits on the edge of Dean's bed, one hand to the stab wound, leaning on the other. "Imum vult decipi, ergo decipiatur. Vis, vis, vis." She gets up to move to the other bed. Sam gets up to help her.

      "Hey, we just got to talk to Tessa, that's all. Get her to hold off reaping till we get you better." Sam says.

      "I'm pretty sure she's started up again." Blood is pouring over Pamela's hand. Dean and Elena take a deep breath and sits up. Pamela takes a drink. She's breathing hard.

      Dean looks at Pamela and sees the blood. "What happened?" He asks.

      "Dean, where's Tessa?"

      "She's..." Dean starts. Pamela takes off her sunglasses.

      "Pamela, I'm so sorry." Sam says.

      "Stop." Pamela says.

      "You don't deserve this." Sam says.

     "Yeah, I don't. I told you I didn't want anything to do with this. Do me a favor? Tell that bastard Bobby Singer-to go to hell for ever introducing me to you two in the first place." Pamela starts coughing.

      "Take it easy, Pamela. If it's any consolation, you're going to a better place." Dean says.

      Pamela turns her head toward Dean. "You're lying." She says. Sam looks at Dean. "But what the hell, right? Everybody's got to go sometime." She beckons Sam closer. "Come here." Sam leans close. She whispers in his ear. "I know what you did to that demon, Sam." Sam's eyes widen. "I can feel what's inside of you. If you think you have good intentions, think again." Pamela starts coughing again. She leans back against the headboard, a trickle of blood coming out of her mouth, and is still.

      "Pamela?" Sam asks. Pamela's head slides down.

      "Pamela!" Dean looks at Sam. "What did she say to you?" Sam looks away.