LONG TIME NO SEE

married couple, Holly and Vince Parker are leaving a café, which is next to a gas station. With them is an older couple, Harley and Stacy Jorgeston, and their teenage niece, Emily. "And before you leave, one of our apple pies." Stacy says and hands Holly a box. "On the house."

"Oh, my God, thank you so much!" Holly says.

"You're welcome."

Holly turns to Vince. "Hey, we should get lost more often. I mean, everyone in this town is so nice." She says.

"Yeah, what's the catch?"

Harley had just finished pumping their gas. "You're all set." He says.

"Thanks." Vince says and they shake hands.

Emily notices an intricate tattoo on Vince's arm. "That's a cool tattoo." She compliments.

"Thanks."

"So, let's get you back to the interstate." Harley says.

"Yeah, please."

"Take Laskey straight out of town."

Stacey cuts in. "And then you're gonna turn right on Orchard Road." She says.

"Ok. Thank you." They wave goodbye and the couple drives away.

On the road, the couple's car breaks down. "What happened?" Holly asks.

"I don't know. Car just died." Vince takes his cell phone out of his pocket. "Cell phone, too."

"How is that possible?"

They get out of the car and look around the orchard. "Come on, looks like a house over there." Vince. starts walking away.

"No, I'm not going down there." Holly says.

"Holly, we need help, we can't just wait here. " He says.

She nods. "Ok." Holly follows Vince.

Holly and Vince stop by a scarecrow raised on a wooden post. They exchange a look and walk closer to it. "Check it out. If I only had a brain..." He jokes.

"We wouldn't be lost." Holly points out.

"Thanks. That has got to be the freakiest damn scarecrow I've ever seen." Vince admits.

"It scares me." They start walking away, but Holly sees the scarecrow's head move. She gasps. "Please, let's just hurry, okay?" She says.

They start walking away. A few seconds later, they hear a rustling in the trees and turn around. No one is there. "Did you hear that?" Holly nods. "Hello? Who's there?"

Nobody responds. They start running through the orchard. A minute later, Holly turns to Vince, and he is gone. She stops. "Vince? Vince?"

She starts running in the opposite direction to try and find Vince. She trips and falls on the ground. She turns her head and sees his mutilated body on the ground. She screams and sees the scarecrow towering over her.

am, Elena, and Dean are sleeping; Dean on the floor. Dean's phone rings but he does not wake up. "Dean." Sam says. Dean still doesn't wake up. Sam answers the phone. "Hello?"

"Sam, is that you?" John asks. Sam sits up in bed. Elena moves around and sits up, hair a mess.

"Dad? Are you hurt?" Sam asks.

"I'm fine."

"We've been looking for you everywhere. We didn't know where you were, if you were okay." Sam says.

John is using a payphone. "Sammy, I'm all right. What about you and Dean?" At the motel, Dean is waking up.

"We're fine. Dad, where are you?" Sam asks as Dean sits up on the floor.

"Sorry, kiddo, I can't tell you that." John says.

"What? Why not?"

"Is that Dad?" Dean asks.

"Look, I know this is hard for you to understand. You're just gonna have to trust me on this." John says.

"You're after it, aren't you? The thing that killed Mom." Sam asks.

"Yeah. It's a demon, Sam."

Sam is now confused. "A demon? You know for sure?" He asks.

"A demon? What's he saying?" Dean asks.

"I do. Listen, Sammy, I, uh...I also know what happened to your girlfriend. I'm so sorry. I would've done anything to protect you from that." John says.

"You know where it is?" Sam asks.

"Yeah, I think I'm finally closing in on it."

"Let us help."

"You can't. You can't be any part of it." Says John.

"Why not?"

Dean holds out his hand. "Give me the phone." He says.

"Listen, Sammy, that's why I'm calling. You and your brother, you gotta stop looking for me. Alright, now, I need you to write down these names." He says.

"Names? What names, Dad—talk to me, tell me what's going on." Sam says.

"Look, we don't have time for this. This is bigger than you think, they're everywhere. Even us talking right now, it's not safe."

"No. Alright? No way."

Dean gets frustrated. "Give me the phone." He says.

"I have given you an order. Now, you stop following me, and you do your job. You understand me? Now, take down these names." John says.

Dean grabs the phone from Sam. "Dad, it's me. Where are you?" A pause. "Yes, sir." Another pause. "Uh, yeah, I got a pen. What are their names?"

ater in the Impala, Sam is driving. "Alright, so, the names Dad gave us, they're all couples?" Sam asks.

"Three different couples. All went missing." Dean replies.

"And they're all from different towns? Different states?" Elena asks.

"That's right. You got Washington, New York, Colorado. Each couple took a road trip cross-country. None of them arrived at their destination, and none of them were ever heard from again." Dean says.

"Well, it's a big country, Dean. They could've disappeared anywhere." Sam points out.

"Yeah, could've. But each one's route took 'em to the Same part of Indiana. Always on the second week of April. One year after another after another." Dean says.

Elena remembers something. "This is the second week of April." She says.

"Yep." Dean says.

"So, Dad is sending us to Indiana to go hunting for something before another couple vanishes?" Sam asks. '

"Yahtzee. Can you imagine putting together a pattern like this? All the different obits Dad had to go through? The man's a master."

Sam looks annoyed, pulls over to the side of the road and turns off the car. "What are you doing?" Elena asks.

"We're not going to Indiana." Sam says.

"We're not?"

"No. We're going to California. Dad called from a payphone. Sacramento area code." Sam says.

Dean shakes his head. "Sam." He says forcefully.

"Dean, if this demon killed Mom and Jess, and Dad's closing in, we've gotta be there. We've gotta help." Sam says.

"Dad doesn't want our help."

"I don't care."

"He's given us an order".

"I don't care. We don't always have to do what he says." Sam says firmly.

"Sam, Dad is asking us to work jobs, to save lives, it's important." Dean says.

"Alright, I understand, believe me, I understand. But I'm talking one week here, man, to get answers. To get revenge."

Dean turns to his brother. "Alright, look, I know how you feel."

"Do you?" Dean seems shocked at Sam's tone. "How old were you when Mom died? Four? Jess died six months ago. How the hell would you know how I feel?" Sam asks.

"Dad said it wasn't safe. For any of us. I mean, he obviously knows something that we don't, so if he says to stay away, we stay away." Dean says.

"I don't understand the blind faith you have in the man. I mean, it's like you don't even question him."

Dean gets angry. "Yeah, it's called being a good son!" He exclaims. Sam, angry, gets out of the car. Dean also gets out and watches Sam unloading things from the trunk. Elena stays in and eavesdrops. "You're a selfish bastard, you know that? You just do whatever you want. Don't care what anybody thinks."

"That's what you really think?" Sam asks.

"Yes, it is."

"Well, then this selfish bastard is going to California." Sam puts on his backpack and starts walking away.

"Come on, you're not serious." Dean says.

"I am serious."

"It's the middle of the night! Hey, I'm taking off, I will leave your ass, you hear me?" Dean says.

Sam stops walking and turns around. "That's what I want you to do." They stare at each other for a few seconds, waiting.

"Goodbye, Sam."

He closes the trunk, gets in the car, and drives away. Sam watches him leave, then starts walking away.

Later in Burkitsville, Indiana, Dean pulls over to the side of the road and pulls out his cell phone. He selects the name "Sam Mobile" and thinks about calling Sam. He changes his mind and closes his cell phone, then shuts off the car and gets out.

cotty is sitting in a chair on the porch. Dean and Elena walk up to him. "Let me guess. Scotty." Dean says.

"Yep."

"Hi, my name's John Bonham. This is Patty."

Scotty looks at him. "Isn't that the drummer for Led Zeppelin?"

"Wow. Good. Classic rock fan." Dean is taken aback.

"What can I do for you, John?"

Dean takes two pieces of paper out of his pocket. They are Missing Person flyers for Holly and Vince Parker. "I was wondering if, uh, you'd seen these people by chance."

"Nope. Who are they?" Scotty asks.

"Friends of mine. They went missing about a year ago. They passed through somewhere around here, and I've already asked around Scottsburg and Salem—"

Scotty hand back the flyer. "Sorry. We don't get many strangers around here."

"Scotty, you've got a smile that lights up a room, anybody ever tell you that?" Scotty stares at him strangely. Dean chuckles. "Never mind. See you around."

n the highway, Sam is standing on the side of the road. He turns around and sees a young girl with short blonde hair, Meg, sitting with her back to him. She is listening to music. "Hey."

She can't hear him. He walks over to her and puts his hand on her shoulder. She jumps and takes off her headphones. "You scared the hell outta me." Meg says.

"I'm sorry. I just thought you might need some help." Sam says.

"No, I'm good, thanks."

"Uh, so where you headed?" Sam asks.

"No offense, but no way I'm telling you."

"Why not?"

She looks up at him. "You could be some kind of freak. I mean, you are hitchhiking." She says.

"Well, so are you."

Meg laughs. A van honks its horn and pulls over. "Need a ride?"

"Yeah." Meg and Sam say at the same time.

The driver looks at Sam. "Just her. I ain't takin' you." Meg gathers her things and gets in the van.

"You trust shady van guy and not me?" Sam asks Meg.

"Definitely." They drive away.