[FADE IN: GREENWOOD, MISSISSIPPI. AUGUST 1938. Blues musician ROBERT JOHNSON is at a bar, playing guitar for an audience. He plays for a while until he hears the sound of dogs barking in the distance. He tries to continue playing, but the sound makes him stop. He sees the shadow of a creature run past the bar window. When the barking gets louder, ROBERT takes his guitar and exits the bar, leaving the customers confused. He begins to walk into the woods but hears the barking surrounding him. He drops his guitar and runs into a nearby building, locking the door. The dogs follow and bang on the door for a long time. Then, ROBERT’S wife enters, with two men. ROBERT is now on the ground, shaking.]
MRS. JOHNSON: Oh, my God. We need a doctor. [to the men] Run! [They leave. She kneels down next to him and holds him.] What happened? Talk to me.
ROBERT: Dogs.
MRS. JOHNSON: Stay with us, baby!
ROBERT: Dogs, black dogs.
MRS. JOHNSON: Robert? Robert, don’t you die on me! [He dies in her arms, staring at the cross around her neck. The screen goes black.]
TITLE CARD
[FADE IN: INT. DINER. SAM and DEAN are at a booth. DEAN eats while SAM is on his laptop, looking at DEAN’S mugshot on the monitor.]
SAM: So much for a low profile. You’ve got a warrant in St. Louis, and now you’re officially in the Feds’ database.
DEAN: Dude, I’m like Dillinger or something.
SAM: Dean, it’s not funny. It makes the job harder. We’ve gotta be more careful now.
DEAN: Well, what do they got on you?
SAM: I’m sure they just…haven’t posted it yet.
DEAN: What, no accessory? Nothing?
SAM: Shut up. [DEAN laughs.]
DEAN: You’re jealous.
SAM: No, I’m not.
DEAN: Uh-huh. [SAM shakes his head.] All right. What do you got on the case there, you innocent, harmless young man, you? [SAM looks through a stack of papers.]
SAM: [reading] “Architect Sean Boyden plummeted to his death from the roof of his home -- a condominium he designed.”
DEAN: Hm. Build a high rise then jump off the top of it. That’s classy. When did he call Animal Control?
SAM: Two days earlier.
DEAN: Did he actually say “black dog”?
SAM: Yeah. “Vicious, wild, black dog.” The authorities couldn’t find it, no one else saw it. In fact, the authorities are a little confused as to how a wild dog could get past the doorman, take the elevator up, and start roaming the halls of the cushiest joint in town. After that, no more calls, he doesn’t show up for work. Two days later, he takes the swan dive.
DEAN: Do you think we’re dealing with an actual black dog?
SAM: Well, maybe.
DEAN: What’s the lore on it?
SAM: [handing him the papers] It’s all pretty vague. I mean, there’s spectral black dogs all over the world, but some say they’re animal spirits, others say death omens. But anyway, whatever they are, they’re big, nasty…
DEAN: Yeah, I bet they could hump the crap outta your leg. Look at that one, huh? [He holds up a photo and chuckles. SAM glares.] What? They could.
[CUT TO: INT. APARTMENT. SAM and DEAN are dressed in suits, talking to a friend of Sean Boyden.]
SAM: So, you and Sean Boyden were business partners for almost ten years, right?
FRIEND: That’s right. Now, one more time, this is for…?
DEAN: A tribute to Mr. Boyden –- Architectural Digest. [The man laughs.] Funny to you?
FRIEND: No, it’s just…a tribute. Yeah, see, Sean always got the tributes. He kills himself, leaves me and his family behind, and he gets another tribute.
SAM: Right. Any idea why he’d do such a thing?
FRIEND: I have no clue. I mean, he lived a charmed life.
SAM: How so?
FRIEND: He was a flat-out genius. I mean, I’m capable, but next to him…and he wasn’t always that way, either.
DEAN: No?
FRIEND: You wanna know the truth? There was a time where he couldn’t even design a pup tent. Hell, ten years ago, he’s working as a bartender at this place called Lloyd’s, a complete dive.
SAM: Right. So, what changed?
FRIEND: You got me. But overnight, he gets this huge commission and he starts designing…he starts designing the most ingenious buildings anyone has ever seen. It was like the level of Van Gogh and Mozart. It…
DEAN: What?
FRIEND: It’s funny. The true geniuses –- they seem to die young, don’t they? To have that kind of talent…why? Why just throw it away?
[CUT TO: EXT. ANIMAL PROTECTION AGENCY. DEAN exits the building, carrying a paper, and joins SAM in the Impala.]
SAM: So?
DEAN: The secretary’s name is Carly. She’s twenty-three, she kayaks, and they’re real. [He grins.]
SAM: You didn’t happen to ask her if she’s seen any black dogs lately, did you?
DEAN: [handing him the paper] Every complaint called in this week about anything big, black, or dog-like. There’s nineteen calls in all, and uh…[He takes a Post-It note from the paper and holds it up]…I don’t know what this thing is. [SAM reads it and laughs.]
SAM: You mean Carly’s MySpace address?
DEAN: Yeah, MySpace, what the hell is that? [SAM laughs.] Seriously, is that like some sort of porn site?
[CUT TO: EXT. PERLMAN RESIDENCE. DEAN and SAM knock on the door.]
DEAN: I swear, if this is another freakin’ Pomeranian barking in the neighbor’s yard…[The maid answers the door.] Afternoon, ma’am. [He holds up his badge.] Animal control.
MAID: Oh, someone already came yesterday.
SAM: Oh, we’re just following up. We’re looking for a Dr. Sylvia Perlman. [She lets them in.]
[CUT TO: INT. PERLMAN RESIDENCE. KITCHEN.]
MAID: The doctor, well, she…I don’t know exactly when she’ll be back. She left two days ago.
SAM: Okay. And you are?
MAID: I’m Miss Perlman’s maid.
DEAN: So, where did the doctor go?
MAID: I’m not sure. She just packed and went. She didn’t say where. That stray dog, did you find it finally?
SAM: Uh, not yet. You know, you didn’t ever happen to see the dog yourself, did you?
MAID: Well, no. I never even heard it. I was almost starting to think the doctor was imagining things, but she’s not like that, so…
DEAN: You know, I read she was the chief surgeon at the hospital. She’s gotta be, what, forty-two, forty-three? That’s pretty young for that job.
MAID: Youngest in the history of the place. She got the position ten years ago.
SAM: Huh. An overnight success, ten years ago.
DEAN: Yeah, we know a guy like that. [He takes a picture of the doctor and her friends from the refrigerator. The writing on the back says, “Lloyd’s Bar. November 1996.”] Oh, look at this. [He hands the picture to SAM.] Lloyd’s Bar.
[CUT TO: INT. MOTEL ROOM. DR. SYLVIA PERLMAN is pacing the floor, looking petrified. Her hair is a mess, and she has clearly been crying. She hears a loud knocking on the door and looks even more scared.]
MANAGER: [outside the door] Ms. Perlman? I’ve been calling for hours. You need to vacate the room or you’ve gotta pay for another night. [She goes to the door and opens it.]
SYLVIA: Okay. No problem. [She turns to the bed and takes out money from her wallet. When she returns to the door, she looks at the manager and sees his face suddenly twisting and contorting. Horrified, she throws the money at him and slams the door.]
[CUT TO: EXT. LLOYD’S BAR. SAM and DEAN pull up and get out of the car. They walk to a dirt crossroads right outside the building. DEAN notices yellow flowers planted on the ground.]
DEAN: Hey.
SAM: Yeah?
DEAN: That’s weird.
SAM: What?
DEAN: You think someone planted these?
SAM: In the middle of all these weeds?
DEAN: These are, uh…what do you call ‘em?
SAM: Yarrow flowers?
DEAN: Yeah. Used for certain rituals, aren’t they?
SAM: Yeah, actually, summoning rituals.
DEAN: So, two people become sudden successes about ten years ago, right around the time they were hanging out here at Lloyd’s.
SAM: Where there just happens to be a crossroads. You think?
DEAN: Let’s find out. [They walk to the middle of the crossroads.] This seem about dead center to you?
[A few minutes later, DEAN is digging. He makes a small hole in the ground before he hits something with his shovel.]
DEAN: Yahtzee. [He bends down to retrieve the object. He finds a small metal box in the hole and when he opens it, he sees several objects, including small bones and a jar of dirt.]
SAM: I’d be willing to bet that’s graveyard dirt. And a black cat bone.
DEAN: That’s serious spellwork. I mean, that’s deep south hoodoo stuff.
SAM: Used to summon a demon.
DEAN: Not just summon one. Crossroads are where pacts are made. These people are actually making deals with the damn thing. You know, ‘cause that always ends good.
SAM: They’re seeing dogs, all right. But not black dogs. They’re seeing hellhounds –- demonic pit bulls.
DEAN: Whoever this demon is, it’s back and it’s collecting. And that doctor lady, wherever she’s running, she ain’t running fast enough.
[CUT TO: INT. MOTEL ROOM. SYLVIA is crouched on the floor, hands on her ears. The door to the room is rattling, and the sound of dogs barking can be heard on the other side. SYLVIA screams for a long time before the dogs stop. She looks at the door and sees that it is completely still. Then, turning around, she sees the window shatter. She tries to move away from the dog, although the audience cannot see the animal. She backs into a corner and the dog grabs her, tearing into her legs. The dog drags her away as the screen goes black.]
[FADE IN: ROSEDALE, MISSISSIPPI. 1930. ROBERT JOHNSON is at the crossroads. He buries a small bag under the ground and waits. When he turns around, he sees a beautiful female demon standing before him, in a white dress.]
ROBERT: Holy…
DEMON: Holy? [Her eyes momentarily glow red.] Guess again. [She walks closer to him.]
ROBERT: I want to play guitar. I want you to make me the best bluesman ever lived.
DEMON: [stroking his face] If that’s what you want.
ROBERT: So…do we shake on it? [She shakes her head and pulls him in for a long kiss before stepping back and vanishing.]
[CUT TO: EXT. LLOYD’S BAR. PRESENT DAY.]
SAM: So, it’s just like the Robert Johnson legend, right? I mean, “selling your soul at the crossroads” kind of deal?
DEAN: Yeah, except that wasn’t a legend. I mean, you know his music. [SAM looks confused.] You don’t know Robert Johnson songs? Sam, there’s occult references all over his lyrics. I mean, “Crossroad Blues”? “Me and the Devil Blues”? “Hellhound on My Trail”? [SAM still looks confused.] Story goes that he died choking on his own blood. He was hallucinating and muttering about big, evil dogs.
SAM: And now it’s happening all over again.
DEAN: Yeah.
SAM: We’ve got to find out if anyone else struck any bargains around here.
DEAN: Great. So, we’ve got to clean up these people’s mess for them? I mean, they’re not exactly squeaky clean. Nobody put a gun to their head and forced them to play “Let’s Make a Deal.”
SAM: So, what, we should just leave them to die?
DEAN: Somebody goes over Niagara in a barrel, you gonna jump in and try to save them?
SAM: Dean…
DEAN: All right…fine. Rituals like this, you’ve gotta put your own photo into the mix, right? [He holds up a man’s photo that was in the box.] So, this guy probably summoned the thing. Let’s see if anyone inside knows him…if he’s still alive.
[CUT TO: INT. APARTMENT BUILDING. DEAN and SAM are climbing the stairs.]
SAM: What’s this guy’s name, again?
DEAN: George Darrow. Apparently quite the regular at Lloyd’s. This house probably ain’t up next on “MTV Cribs”, is it? [SAM chuckles.]
SAM: Yeah. So, whatever kind of deal he made…
DEAN: It wasn’t for cash. Ah, who knows? Maybe his place is full of babes in Princess Leia bikinis. [SAM scoffs.] I’m just saying. This guy’s got one epic bill come due. I hope, at least, he asked for something fun.
[They reach the apartment of GEORGE DARROW. SAM notices a line of black dust outside the door.]
SAM: Look at that. [DEAN examines it.]
DEAN: What is that, pepper? [GEORGE opens the door.]
GEORGE: Who the hell are you?
DEAN: George Darrow?
GEORGE: I’m not buying anything. [He begins to shut the door.]
DEAN: Whoa, whoa. Looks like you went for the wrong shaker there. [GEORGE looks confused.] Usually, when you want to keep something evil out, you go for the salt.
GEORGE: I don’t know what you’re talking about.
DEAN: I’m talking about this. [He holds up GEORGE’S photo.] Tell me…you see that hellhound yet?
SAM: Look, we wanna help. Please, just five minutes.
[CUT TO: INT. GEORGE DARROW’S APARTMENT.]
SAM: So, what is that stuff out front?
GEORGE: Goofer dust. [SAM and DEAN exchange a look.] Oh, you boys think you know somethin’ about somethin’ but not goofer dust? [He tosses a bag of the dust to DEAN.]
DEAN: Well, we know a little about a lot of things. Just enough to make us dangerous.
SAM: What is it?
GEORGE: Hoodoo. My grandma taught me –- keeps out demons.
DEAN: Demons we know.
GEORGE: Well, then, keep it. Maybe it’ll do you some good. Four minutes left.
SAM: Mr. Darrow, we know you’re in trouble.
DEAN: Yeah, that you got yourself into.
SAM: [glaring at Dean] But it’s not hopeless, all right? There’s gotta be something we can do.
GEORGE: Listen…I get that you boys wanna help. But sometimes, a person makes their bed, and they’ve just got to lie down in it. I’m the one that called that demon in the first place.
DEAN: [smirking] What’d you do it for?
GEORGE: I was weak. I mean, who don’t wanna be great? Who don’t want their life to mean something? I just…I just never thought about the price.
DEAN: Was it worth it?
GEORGE: Hell, no. ‘Course, I asked for talent. Should’ve gone for fame. I’m still broke…and lonely. Just now, I’ve got this pile of paintings nobody wants. [He gestures to the collection of strange paintings around the room.] That wasn’t the worst.
SAM: Go on.
GEORGE: The demon didn’t leave. I never counted on that. After our deal was done, the damn thing stayed at Lloyd’s for a week, just chattin’, makin’ more deals. I tried to warn folks, but who’s gonna listen to an old drunk?
SAM: How many others are there?
GEORGE: This architect, a doctor lady –- I kept up with them. They’ve been in the papers. Least they got famous.
DEAN: Who else, George? Come on, think.
GEORGE: One more. Nice guy, too. Hudson –- Evan, I think. I don’t know what he asked for. Don’t matter now. He’s done for.
SAM: No. No, there’s gotta be a way.
GEORGE: You don’t get it. I don’t want a way.
SAM: Look, you don’t—
GEORGE: I called that thing! I brought it on myself! I brought it on them! I’m going to hell one way or another. All I want is to finish my last painting –- day or two, I’m done. I’m just trying to hold ‘em off till then. Buy a little time. Okay, it’s time you went. Go help somebody that wants help.
SAM: You can’t just—
GEORGE: Get out! I’ve got work to do.
SAM: You don’t really wanna die.
GEORGE: I don’t? [He shakes his head.] I’m tired. [SAM and DEAN exchange a glance before leaving.]
[CUT TO: HUDSON RESIDENCE. EVAN is at his computer when he hears dogs barking. He moves to the window to check it out, and his wife, JULIE, enters.]
JULIE: Evan? Are you spying on the neighbors?
EVAN: No, I thought I heard something in the yard, but it’s nothing. [She nods.] You all ready to go?
JULIE: You know, if I didn’t know better, I’d say that you want me out of the house. [He laughs.]
EVAN: Of course not. It’s just, you’ve barely seen your sister since she had the baby.
JULIE: Well, what are you gonna do all weekend?
EVAN: [hesitant] Oh…not much. I’ve got some bills to pay. [She smiles at him.] Come here. [He kisses her and gives her a hug.] I’ll miss you.
JULIE: You better. [EVAN lets go of her, looking worried.]
EVAN: You know I love you, right? Forever.
JULIE: Of course. Evan, are you okay?
EVAN: Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. You better get going. [They kiss.]
JULIE: Okay, I’ll call you when I get there. [He nods and she begins to leave.] Hey, sweetie? [She turns back around, and her face begins to twist and contort. EVAN stares at her, scared. After a minute, her face returns to normal, and she is smiling.] I love you, too. [EVAN watches her, frozen, as the screen goes black.]
[FADE IN: EXT. HUDSON RESIDENCE. DEAN and SAM approach the front door and knock. EVAN answers.]
EVAN: Yes?
SAM: Evan Hudson?
EVAN: Yeah.
DEAN: You ever been to a bar called Lloyd’s? It would’ve been about ten years ago. [EVAN slams the door in their faces.] Come on, we’re not demons!
SAM: Any other bright ideas?
[DEAN kicks the front door down. EVAN rushes into his office and closes the door. The boys follow him, and DEAN moves to kick down the office door. SAM grabs his leg to stop him and shows that the door is unlocked. DEAN shrugs and they enter the room.]
SAM: Evan? [EVAN comes out.]
EVAN: Please! Don’t hurt me.
SAM: We’re not gonna hurt you, all right? We’re here to help you.
DEAN: We know all about the genius deal you made.
EVAN: What? How?
SAM: Doesn’t matter. All that matters is we’re trying to stop it.
EVAN: How do I know you’re not lying?
DEAN: Well, you don’t, but you’re kind of running low on options there, buddy boy.
EVAN: Can you stop it?
SAM: Don’t know. We’ll try.
EVAN: I don’t wanna die.
DEAN: Of course you don’t. Not now.
SAM: Dean, stop.
DEAN: What’d you ask for, anyway, huh? Never need Viagra, bowl a perfect game, what?
EVAN: My wife. [DEAN chuckles.]
DEAN: Right, gettin’ the girl. Well, that’s worth a trip to hell for.
SAM: Dean, stop.
EVAN: No. He’s right. I made the deal. Nobody twisted my arm. That woman, or whatever she was, at the bar –- she said I could have anything I wanted. I thought she was nuts at first, but…[He sighs.] I don’t know. I was…I was desperate.
SAM: Desperate?
EVAN: [after a pause] Julie was dying.
DEAN: You did it to save her?
EVAN: She had cancer, they had stopped treatment, they were moving her into hospice. They kept saying, “Matter of days.” So, yeah, I made the deal. And I’d do it again. I’d have died for her on the spot.
DEAN: Did you ever think about her in all this?
EVAN: I did this for her.
DEAN: You sure about that? I think you did it for yourself…so you wouldn’t have to live without her. But, guess what, she’s gonna have to live without you now. But what if she knew how much it cost? What if she knew it cost your soul? How do you think she’d feel?
SAM: Okay, that’s enough. Evan, sit tight, all right? We’re gonna figure this out. [DEAN leaves. SAM follows him into the hallway.] You all right?
DEAN: Yeah, why wouldn’t I be? Hey, I’ve got an idea. [He takes the bag of goofer dust from his jacket and gives it to SAM.] You throw George’s hoodoo at that hellhound. Keep it away from Evan as long as you can. I’m gonna go to the crossroads and summon the demon.
SAM: Summon –- are you nuts?
DEAN: Maybe a little. But I can trap it. I can exorcise it, and I can buy us time to figure out something more permanent.
SAM: Yeah, but how much time?
DEAN: I don’t know, a while. I mean, it’s not easy for those suckers to claw their way back from hell and into the sunshine.
SAM: No. No way.
DEAN: You’re not allowed to say no, Sammy. Not unless you’ve got a better idea.
SAM: Dean, you can forget it, all right? I’m not letting you summon that demon.
DEAN: And why not?
SAM: Because I don’t like where your head is at right now, that’s why not.
DEAN: What are you talking about?
SAM: You know, you’ve been on edge ever since we found that crossroads, Dean, and I think I know why.
DEAN: [walking away] We don’t have time for this.
SAM: Dad. [DEAN stops walking.] You think maybe Dad made one of these deals, huh? Hell, I’ve been thinking it. I’m sure you’ve been thinking it, too.
DEAN: [after a pause] It fits, doesn’t it? I’m alive, Dad’s dead. The yellow-eyed demon was involved. What if he did? What if he struck a deal? My life for his soul.
EVAN: [OS] I think I hear it! It’s outside!
DEAN: Just keep him alive, okay?
SAM: Dean?
DEAN: Go! [He leaves.]
[CUT TO: CROSSROADS. DEAN places his photo into the box of items and buries it in a hole. He stands and waits for a moment before a beautiful demon appears.]
DEMON: So, what brings a guy like you to a place like this? [He turns to look at her.] You called me?
DEAN: I’m just glad it worked.
DEMON: First time?
DEAN: You could say that.
DEMON: Oh, come on, now. Don’t sell yourself short. I know all about you, Dean Winchester. [Her eyes glow red for a moment.]
DEAN: So, you know who I am?
DEMON: I get the newsletter.
DEAN: [flirtatiously] Well, don’t keep me in suspense. What have you heard?
DEMON: [moving closer to him] Well, I heard you were handsome. But you’re just edible. What can I do for you, Dean?
DEAN: Maybe we should do this in my car –- nice and private.
DEMON: Sounds good to me. [They begin walking to the Impala.]
[CUT TO: INT. HUDSON RESIDENCE. EVAN watches while SAM puts goofer dust around the room. He begins forming a circle of the dust around EVAN.]
EVAN: What is that stuff?
SAM: Goofer dust.
EVAN: Are you serious?
SAM: Yeah, afraid so. Look, believe me, don’t believe me, whatever you want. Just –- whatever you do, stay inside the circle, all right? [EVAN nods.]
[CUT TO: CROSSROADS.]
DEAN: So, I was hoping we could strike a deal.
DEMON: That’s what I do.
DEAN: I want Evan Hudson released from his contract.
DEMON: So sorry, darling. That’s not negotiable.
DEAN: I’ll make it worth your while.
DEMON: Oh, really? What are you offering?
DEAN: Me. [They stop walking.]
DEMON: Well, well, well. You’d sacrifice your life for someone else’s. [pause] Like father, like son. [DEAN stares at her, stunned.]
[CUT TO: INT. HUDSON RESIDENCE. SAM finishes the circle and throws the bag aside.]
SAM: That’s the last of it.
[CUT TO: CROSSROADS.]
DEMON: You did know about your dad’s deal, right? His life for yours? Now, I didn’t make the deal myself, but boy, I wish I had. [DEAN, clearly upset, opens the passenger door of the car for her.]
DEAN: After you.
DEMON: Such a gentleman. [She moves to get in, but stops. On the ground under the Impala, she sees a chalk drawing.] A devil’s trap? You’ve got to be kidding me.
[CUT TO: INT. HUDSON RESIDENCE. EVAN hears dogs barking and looks around.]
SAM: What?
EVAN: You hear that?
SAM: No, where?
EVAN: [pointing] Right outside the door. [The door to the room begins to rattle. SAM takes a step inside the circle. The barking gets louder and louder. The screen goes black.]
[FADE IN: INT. HUDSON RESIDENCE.]
SAM: Just don’t move, all right? Stay where you are. [EVAN nods.]
[CUT TO: CROSSROADS.]
DEMON: You stupid, stupid –- I should rip you limb from limb.
DEAN: [backing away] Take your best shot.
DEMON: No. I don’t think so. I’m not gonna put you out of your misery.
DEAN: Yeah, why not?
DEMON: ‘Cause your misery’s the whole point. It’s too much fun to watch. Knowing how your daddy died for you, how he sold his soul –- I mean, that’s gotta hurt. He’s all you ever think about. You wake up and your first thought is, “I can’t do this anymore.” You’re all lit up with pain. I mean, you loved him so much. And it’s all your fault. [DEAN looks away, clearly upset. She laughs.] You blew it, Dean. I could have given you what you need.
DEAN: What do I need?
DEMON: Your father. I could have brought him back. Your loss. See ya, Dean. I wish you a nice, long life. [She begins to walk away.]
DEAN: Hold on. [She smiles and turns around.]
[CUT TO: INT. HUDSON RESIDENCE. The barking is still going on. The door looks ready to burst open. EVAN and SAM look around, panicked. Suddenly, the barking stops and the door stills.]
SAM: Do you still hear it?
EVAN: No. Is it over?
[SAM shrugs. EVAN suddenly hears growling coming from inside the air vent. He turns around in time to see the grate on the vent come off. Although the audience cannot see it, a dog bursts through the vent and into the room.]
EVAN: It’s here!
[CUT TO: CROSSROADS. The demon turns and sees DEAN standing nearby, looking sad. She smiles to herself and walks back to him.]
DEMON: You’re lucky I’ve got a soft spot for lost puppies and long faces. I just can’t leave you like this. Besides, you didn’t call me here to bargain for Evan. Not really.
DEAN: You’ll bring him back? My dad?
DEMON: Of course I can –- just as he was. Your dad will live a long, natural life like he was meant to. That’s a promise.
DEAN: What about me?
DEMON: I can give you ten years –- ten long, good years with him. That’s a lifetime. Your family can be together again. John, Dean, Sammy –- the Winchester boys all reunited. [She moves closer to him.] Look…your dad’s supposed to be alive. You’re supposed to be dead. So, we’ll just set things straight. Get things back in their natural order. And you get ten extra years on top. That’s a bonus. [He turns away from her and leads her under a water tower.]
DEAN: You think you could…throw in a set of steak knives?
DEMON: You know, this smart-ass self-defense mechanism of yours—[She stops. She looks up to see a devil’s trap drawn on the water tower.] Dean…
DEAN: [smirking] Now you’re really trapped. That’s gotta hurt.
DEMON: Let me out. Now.
DEAN: Sure. We’ve just gotta make a little deal here first. You call off your hellhound and let Evan go. And I’ll let you go.
DEMON: I can’t break a binding contract.
DEAN: Hmm. And by “can’t”, you mean “don’t want to”? Last chance. Evan and his wife get to live to a ripe old age. Going…going…
DEMON: Let’s talk about this.
DEAN: Okay, gone. [He takes out his father’s journal.]
[CUT TO: INT. HUDSON RESIDENCE. The invisible hellhound is still barking.]
SAM: Stay inside the circle! [Claw marks begin to appear on the floor, stopping just outside the circle of dust.] Come on, Dean.
[CUT TO: CROSSROADS. DEAN opens the journal and pulls out a set of rosary beads.]
DEMON: What are you doing?
DEAN: Oh, you’re just gonna go on a little trip –- way down south.
DEMON: Forget Evan. Think of your dad. [DEAN hesitates for a moment before he begins reading in Latin.]
DEAN: Regna terrae, cantate Deo, psallite Domino, qui fertis super caelum caeli ad Orientem. Ecce dabit voci Suae vocem virtutis, tribuite virtutem Deo. Deus caeli, Deus terrae humiliter majestati gloriae Tuae supplicamus.
[CUT TO: INT. HUDSON RESIDENCE. A strong wind begins to blow inside the room, causing the circle of dust to break.]
SAM: The circle’s broken, come on! [He and EVAN run down the hall and enter a closet, shutting the door and leaning against it to keep out the dogs.]
DEAN: [VO] Ut ab omni infernalium spirituum potestate, laqueo, deceptione et nequitia, omnis fallaciae, libera nos, Domine. Vade, Satana, inventor et magister omnis fallaciae, hostis humanae salutis.
[At the crossroads, the demon’s head begins twitching and she breathes heavily as DEAN reads.]
[At the same time, SAM and EVAN are still inside the closet, struggling to keep out the dogs.]
DEAN: Humiliare sub potenti manu Dei—
DEMON: Wait!
[At the HUDSON RESIDENCE, the door suddenly stops shaking, and the dogs stop barking. EVAN and SAM exchange a glance.]
[CUT TO: CROSSROADS. DEAN and the demon are suddenly engaging in a long, passionate kiss. DEAN breaks away after a minute.]
DEAN: What the hell was that for?
DEMON: Sealing the deal.
DEAN: I usually like to be warned before I’m violated with demon tongue.
DEMON: Evan Hudson is free. He and his wife will live long lives.
DEAN: How do I know you’re not lying?
DEMON: My word is my bond.
DEAN: Oh, really?
DEMON: It is when I make a deal. It’s the rules. You got what you wanted. Now, let me go. [DEAN still holds on to the rosary beads. She scoffs.] You’re gonna double-cross me? Funny how I’m the trustworthy one. [DEAN shrugs.] You know…you renege? Send me to hell? Sooner or later, I’m gonna climb out, and skinning Evan Hudson will be the first thing that I do.
[DEAN chuckles to himself before climbing up to release the door of the tower. She walks out from under it.]
DEMON: I’ve gotta tell you -- you would have never pulled that stunt if you knew.
DEAN: Knew what?
DEMON: Where your dad is. You should’ve made that deal. See, people talk about hell, but it’s just a word. Doesn’t even come close to describing the real thing.
DEAN: Shut your mouth, bitch.
DEMON: If you could see your poor daddy, hear the sounds he makes ‘cause he can’t even scream.
DEAN: [approaching her] How ‘bout I send you back to
[Suddenly, a huge cloud of black smoke erupts from her mouth. She bends backwards and falls to the ground until the last of the smoke leaves her body. The woman left on the ground is panicked and scared.]
WOMAN: How did I get here? [DEAN stares at her, shocked. The screen goes black.]
[FADE IN: INT. IMPALA. DEAN and SAM are driving.]
SAM: Demons lie all the time, right? Maybe she was lying.
DEAN: Come on. Is that really what you think? [pause] How could he do it?
SAM: He did it for you.
DEAN: Exactly. How am I supposed to live with that? You know, the thought of him, wherever he is right now –- he spent his whole life chasing that yellow-eyed son of a bitch. He should have gone out fighting. That was supposed to be his legacy, you know? Not bargaining with the damn thing. Not this.
SAM: How many people do you think Dad saved, total?
DEAN: That’s not the point, Sam.
SAM: Evan Hudson is safe because of what Dad taught us. That’s his legacy, Dean. Now, we’re still here, man. So we’ve gotta keep going. For him. [pause] Hey, Dean?
DEAN: Yeah?
SAM: When you were trapping that demon, you weren’t…I mean, it was all a trick, right? You never considered actually making that deal, right?
[DEAN gives a sideways glance out the window. Without saying anything, he changes the blues music to a rock song. SAM, understanding, looks shocked and on the verge of tears. The two drive off as the screen fades to black.]
END
Ecrit par Luinel.