Sam walked in the woods all night.
It was very cold in the late autumn night. He was wearing a thin school uniform and his whole body was shivering from the cold. His body was weak and he had to take a break after walking a few steps.
He found the address of Gary's home based on the student ID card in Gary's school uniform pocket. In the middle of the night, he went to the backyard, climbed through the window and entered the bedroom. As soon as he touched the bed, he fell asleep from exhaustion without even taking off his clothes.
Early in the morning I was woken up again by a rapid knock on the door.
What he saw when he opened his eyes was the ceiling covered with supernatural movie posters, Transformers figurines on the bedside, the bookshelf was densely packed with fantasy novels and shabby occult books, unfinished math papers were spread out on the desk, and a report card with a red D was pressed next to it.
He was stunned for several seconds before he realized that he was still trapped in this boy's body and that last night was not a dream.
An anxious anger filled his chest. He had grown up and hunted demons for more than ten years. He had never seen any dangerous scenes, yet he fell into the hands of a high school student.
"Gary? Get up quickly! You'll be late for school if you keep dilly-dallying!" A woman's voice came from outside the door, with a sharp urging, "I've put the milk on the table. You got a D again in this mock test. Can you have some snacks?"
Sam gripped the sheets, lowered his voice, and tried to sound as natural as possible, "I know, I'll get up right away."
The voice that came out was still the same hoarse voice that was in the voice-changing stage, and it sounded awkward to him.
He had never dealt with this kind of situation - his mother's nagging, the trivial matters of school, these daily routines that he had completely stayed away from since he was a teenager, were now coming at him, leaving him at a loss.
For a moment, he was even in a trance. If his mother had not died and his father had not led them on the path of hunting monsters, would he have lived like this?
I am urged to get up and go to school every day, worry about test scores, and worry about applying to college. I am as ordinary as a random boy I meet on the street. I don't have to see blood, face demons and ghosts, and don't have to worry every day that the people around me will die in the next second.
As soon as this idea came up, he laughed to himself.
Where did so many ifs come from?
From the day Mary·Winchester died on the ceiling, his and Dean's lives were destined to miss the word "ordinary".
When the footsteps outside the door went away, he immediately got out of bed, stepped on the carpet with his bare feet, and began to search the entire room.
Gary's mobile phone was placed on the bedside table with a password lock. He tried it twice and it didn't work, so he had to give up. He walked to the bookshelf and flipped through each book. Finally, on the innermost layer, he found the black magic book with a worn cover - exactly the same as the one he saw in the back alley.
He squatted in front of the bookshelf, flipping through the pages quickly, his fingertips trembling slightly with eagerness, and the pages turned with a clattering sound.
When he found the "Soul Exchange" page, he breathed a sigh of relief - there were spells and reversal circles.
But then, my heart started to rise again. There are two necessary conditions for reversing the magic circle: first, the caster and the person being changed must stand at both ends of the magic circle at the same time; second, a complete reversal spell and corresponding ritual materials are required.
He can't even contact Dean now, let alone find the boy who takes over his body.
Moreover, the other party spent so much effort to replace his body, most likely for some other purpose. Dean is now surrounded by a time bomb, and is in danger at any time.
He quickly copied the steps and materials for reversing the spell on a piece of note paper and stuffed it into his school uniform pocket. There was another urging sound outside the door, so he could only open the door and walk out.
In the restaurant, Gary's mother was sitting at the dining table, with toast and milk in front of her, still chattering about school, the neighbor's children, and the goals for the next exam.
Sam sat across from him, lowering his head to drink milk. The warm liquid slid down his throat, but he couldn't taste it at all. He was dealing with it vaguely, while his mind was occupied with how to find Dean and the others.
This feeling was so strange. He was sitting in a bright restaurant, eating an ordinary breakfast, hearing that his parents were having troubles. It should have been a stable daily life, but he was restless, like an alien who had intruded into other people's lives.
He suddenly understood that he no longer belonged to this kind of ordinary life. No matter how hard and tiring it was to hunt demons, a place with Dean Haorui was his life.
When it got completely dark, Dean drove Gary to the small town cemetery.
The night was dark, and the moonlight was obscured by thick clouds, leaving only a dim light.
The grass in the cemetery was ankle deep, the air was filled with the smell of damp earth and decay, and the shadowy shadows of the old cypress trees in the distance looked a little scary.
Dean swung the shovel and dug down, his arm muscles tightened, each shovel was solid and powerful, the soil was thrown aside, and soon a small mound was piled up. Gary stood in the pit He held the shovel awkwardly, unable to shovel any soil for a long time. He also dusted himself from time to time and kept complaining. "This is too dirty. Do we have to dig in the middle of the night? Can't we do it during the day? What if someone sees me?"
Dean stopped moving, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and looked at him, as cold as the night wind. He did not answer, but suddenly smiled and mentioned an old case, "Speaking of which, California, do you still remember the case of the gardener's ghost three years ago? We found the wrong cemetery and dug up someone's buried pet dog. You laughed at me all the way and said that my eyesight was not good."
Gary's heart skipped a beat, he didn't know what the California gardener case was. He had never even been to California. But he didn't dare to say that he didn't know, so he could only make a vague hum and nod in agreement. "Ah, yes, I remember, it's quite funny."
Dean's smile instantly disappeared, and his eyes became as heavy as ice.
There is no California gardener ghost case, he just made it up casually.
The answer is revealed. The person in front of me is 100% not Sam.
The overwhelming anger and anxiety surged into his heart instantly, and his knuckles turning white as he gripped the handle of the shovel.
But he suppressed it and did not have an attack.
This is a cemetery, empty and deserted, and the opponent is occupying Sam's body. If he really makes a move, he will use a rat-proof weapon and will not dare to make a heavy move.
He continued to dig the hole calmly, and the shovel was inserted into the soil, making a dull sound. On the surface, there was nothing strange, but in his mind, he had already made a calculation - when he returned to the hotel, he would subdue him and force him to reveal the whereabouts of Sam.
At this moment, there was a muffled "dong" sound, and the shovel hit the coffin lid.
Dean jumped down and used a crowbar to pry open the coffin nails. The moment the coffin board was lifted, a strong smell of decay hit his face. There was a white skeleton lying at the bottom of the coffin, with a faint black air lingering on the bones. It was the ghost that was causing trouble.
Almost at the same time, a biting chill suddenly hit, and a translucent shadow rose from the bones. It was wearing old clothes from decades ago, with a purple face, and with a shrill scream, it rushed towards Gary at the edge of the pit.
Gary was so frightened that he screamed and stepped back. His feet were caught in the weeds and he fell solidly to the ground.
The ghost's screams hurt his eardrums. The ferocious face was so close that his mind went blank. In panic, he touched the fuel bottle at his feet and threw it towards the coffin without thinking.
The glass bottle shattered with a "crash", and fuel poured on the bones. He then threw the lighter, and the flames jumped up and instantly turned into a raging fire, covering the entire body.
The ghost figure twisted and screamed in the fire, became transparent little by little, and finally completely disappeared into the air.
Gary collapsed on the ground, gasping for air, his back was covered in cold sweat, and his heart was beating out of his chest. He used to only read demon hunting stories in books and movies, and he only thought they were cool and exciting. Only when he actually met them face to face did he realize how scary they were, and how they could really kill people.
He didn't see Dean standing in the firelight. The firelight reflected his face, half bright and half dark. Looking at his back, his eyes were as cold as ice.
Sam was sent to high school by Gary's mother.
Wearing his school uniform, he lowered his head, took the keys and tried them one by one, and finally found the locker Gary.
The cabinet door was opened, and there were piles of textbooks and notebooks inside, with a black magic book hidden inside.
He reached out and took out the book, leaned against the corridor wall, and quickly rummaged through the complete steps and required materials for reversing the spell.
The pages of the book passed through his fingertips, and he felt a little reassured. The information was not difficult to find. As long as he found Dean and that boy, everything could be restored to its original state.
Just when he was concentrating on reading, there were rapid footsteps behind him.
Sam turned around suddenly, just in time to see Trevor and Nora standing at the end of the corridor. Trevor was playing with the syringe in his hand, with a determined smile on his face; Nora followed behind, with evasive eyes and hesitation on his face.
Sam thought something bad in his heart, so he immediately closed the book and ran away.
But this young man's body was too thin, his physical strength was ridiculously poor, and his speed was ridiculously slow.
Trevor caught up with him in a few steps, held down his shoulders with astonishing strength, and clamped his arms to prevent him from moving.
"Where do you want to go, Sam·Winchester?" Trevor smiled proudly.
Sam struggled twice, but couldn't get away at all. His heart was anxious and heavy. He raised his head and looked at Trevor coldly. "You made a deal with the devil, right? Do you know that you are playing with fire? The devil's promises never count, and in the end you will only be swallowed up until not even Bones is left."
"Do you need to be alarmist here?" Trevor sneered and winked at Nora, "When we complete the transaction, we will have endless money and super powers, so we can do whatever we want."
Nora stepped forward hesitantly, holding the anesthetic needle in his hand for a long time, not daring to start. Trevor clicked his tongue impatiently, grabbed the syringe, and plunged it into Sam's arm.
A sharp stinging sensation was felt, and the power of the medicine spread quickly.
Sam's vision began to blur and his body softened.
Before his consciousness completely sank into darkness, there was only one thought left in his mind: Dean, you must be fine.
When he woke up again, he found that he was tied to a chair in the abandoned basement, and his wrists and ankles were tied tightly with thick hemp ropes, which made his skin hurt.
The basement was cold and dark, with only a single tungsten light bulb dangling above the head. The dim yellow light made people dizzy. There were old wooden boxes and scattered scrap newspapers piled in the corners.
Trevor was squatting in front of him, playing with a switchblade in his hand, the tip of the knife dangling in front of his eyes, and proudly talking about the deal they had with the devil: the devil promised them that as long as they could help trap Sam, he would give them unlimited money and give them superpowers, making them the most powerful people in the town.
Sam listened quietly, feeling only absurdity and regret.
These children have no idea what the devil is, and the shortcuts they think are all the dead ends to Hell.
He didn't speak, but secretly moved his wrists, trying to break free of the rope, while replaying every syllable and step of the reversal spell over and over in his mind.
He must get out alive, must return to his own body, and must return to Dean.
It was already late at night when we returned to the motel from the cemetery.
There was a faint smell of air freshener in the room, and the desk lamp was placed on the bedside table, making the shadows very long.
Gary sat down on the edge of the bed, pretending to look through Sam's demon hunting notes, feeling very anxious.
While digging the grave, he could feel that Dean had already doubted him. He tried his best to recall everything he had read about Sam in the forum, trying to act more like him, but the more deliberate he was, the stiffer his movements became.
Dean leaned against the door frame, folded his arms, and looked at him quietly for a while.
There was only the subtle hum of the desk lamp in the room, and the atmosphere was so depressing that it made people breathless.
Suddenly, Dean spoke, his voice was very soft, but it was like thunder in Gary's ears. "You are not Sam."
Gary said "Ah" subconsciously, raised his head, and looked over blankly.
When he realized what he was doing, his face instantly turned pale and all the blood had faded away. His eyes were full of panic and panic, and he didn't know where to put his hands and feet.
Dean straightened up and walked towards him step by step.
There was no expression on his face, but there was raging anger in his eyes, as well as uncontrollable anxiety.
He was not walking fast, and every step he took was like stepping on Gary's heart, and a strong sense of oppression was overwhelming.
"Let me ask you again," Dean stopped in front of him, his voice was very low, with a chilling coldness, "Where is my brother Sam?"
Gary still wanted to be tough and said, "I am Sam, are you crazy?"
Before he finished speaking, Dean suddenly took action, grabbed his wrist with his backhand, twisted it hard, and pushed him against the wall.
Dean's arm was pressed against his throat, and the force was controlled just right so that he could not move without really hurting Sam's body.
"Don't play tricks on me." Dean's voice was clenched tightly, and his knuckles were white from the exertion. "You occupy his body. I don't want to hurt you, but don't force me. Tell me, where is Sam? Who are you colluding with? What do you want to do?"
Gary was so overwhelmed that he couldn't breathe, and his face was full of fear.
He could feel the anger on Dean.
He opened his mouth and was about to say everything when the door to the room suddenly opened with a bang.
The cold wind blew in, carrying a cold sulfur smell.
Nora, who was possessed by the devil, stood at the door with a cruel and teasing smile on his lips.
The devil didn't take Dean seriously at all. She just raised her hand, and an invisible force hit Dean's chest hard.
Dean flew backwards, his back hit the corner of the solid wood table hard, he groaned, the dagger in his hand hit the floor with a clang, and he felt a heartbreaking pain in his ribs.
He held the edge of the table and tried to get up, but the devil raised his hand again, and he was pushed back to the wall through the air. His neck seemed to be clenched by a cold hand, and his breathing was momentarily stagnant.
But he still stiffened his neck and glared at the devil fiercely, his mind racing with ways to escape. What worried him most was not his own situation, but the fact that Sam's whereabouts were still unknown.
The devil walked up to Gary and looked at Sam's body up and down. There was undisguised satisfaction in her eyes. She chuckled lightly, her voice was weird and not like a girl. "Don't be nervous, kid, you did much better than I expected."
Gary shrank back, his back pressed against the wall, his voice trembling. "We agreed, I will help you control Sam's body, and you will give me money and superpowers."
The devil sneered and patted his face lightly with her fingertips, "Silly boy." She paused and traced her fingertips across Gary's chest - right at the heart. There was enthusiasm in her voice, "This body is what we really want. Master Lucifer's perfect container. As long as you say 'agree' for him, you will be a hero of the new world, with endless glory and power."
Gary The color on his face instantly faded completely, the blood all over his body seemed to be frozen, and even his fingertips were numb.
Before, he only thought that the Winchester brothers were cool, that hunting monsters was an exciting shortcut to get rid of a boring life, and that making a deal with the devil was just a way to change his life.
He never thought that he was opening the gate to destroy the world, and he almost became the sinner who opened Apocalypse and killed everyone.
He subconsciously glanced at the embarrassed Dean on the ground, and then stared down at the unfamiliar and broad hands. Regret filled his chest like a tide, making him breathless. He was wrong, so wrong.
The outside world is not as glamorous and legendary as he thought. Behind demon hunting is blood, death, and the doomsday that can come at any time. And his ordinary and stable life is the most precious thing.
The devil was still whispering in his ear, bewitching him over and over again with endless power and eternal glory.
Gary's fingertips secretly reached into his trouser pocket, where he stuffed the exorcism note he copied from the black magic book.
The sweat on his palms softened the paper. He stared at the devil's profile. Taking advantage of the moment when the devil's attention was attracted by Dean, he took a deep breath, took out the note, and read the Latin exorcism spell loudly with all his strength.
As soon as she recited the curse, the demon's body froze instantly. She turned around suddenly, stared at Gary in disbelief, screamed in pain, and thick black smoke came out of her seven orifices.
The power of the spell forced her to retreat step by step, and finally with a sharp and piercing scream, a thick black smoke broke through the window glass and disappeared into the twilight of the night.
Nora fell to the ground softly and fainted.
Dean slid along the wall and sat on the ground, panting heavily. There were still light red marks on his neck, and there was a dull pain in his ribs.
He raised his eyes and looked at Gary, who was standing there in a daze. His eyes were complicated and guarded, but there was also a hint of unnoticeable relief.
Gary didn't dare to hide anymore, and explained everything in detail - how he found the black magic book, how he saw the news about brother Winchester on the forum, how he made the deal with the devil, and where Sam is being imprisoned now.
Dean After hearing this, I was so angry that my teeth itched, but I also knew that now was not the time to settle accounts.
He first moved Nora to the bed and left some water for her.
Then he grabbed his coat and gun, and Gary led the way, driving to the abandoned basement.
Sam was still tied to the wooden chair and was trying to break the rope to break free. When he heard the sound of rapid footsteps coming from the stairs, he tensed his shoulders and back first, thinking it was a demon that had left and returned.
It wasn't until he saw Dean's figure crashing into the dim light that his heart, which had been hanging for a whole day, suddenly returned to reality, and even his shoulders and back relaxed unconsciously.
Dean rushed over in three steps, took out his dagger and cut the hemp rope with a few strokes. His eyes quickly swept over Sam's body, and after confirming that there were no injuries, he spoke, with a hoarseness in his voice that he didn't even notice: "Are you okay?"
"It's okay." Sam moved his numb wrist and shook his head.
His eyes passed over Dean and fell on Gary who walked in from behind and pressed his face against his face. His eyes were dark, but he didn't say anything harsh.
He could see that the child was frightened.
The materials are all ready-made - Dean carries salt and cinnabar with him, and the black magic book Sam also carries with him. The reversal magic circle was quickly drawn on the floor of the basement. The twisted runes glowed coldly in the dim light. The black magic book was spread out in the center of the magic circle, and the page number stopped at the page of the reversal spell.
Gary and Sam stood at both ends of the magic circle, both looking down at the runes under their feet, each with their own concerns.
Dean stood outside the magic circle, holding a salt gun in his hand, staring at the darkness around him with vigilance, his brows furrowed all the time. He was afraid that the devil would come back, and he was even more afraid that the spell would go wrong in the slightest.
He glanced at both ends of the magic circle and said in a deep voice, "Let's get started when you're ready."
The two nodded at the same time, closed their eyes, and recited the reversal spell word by word according to the syllables in the book. The obscure Latin echoed in the empty basement, and the magic circle gradually glowed with a warm yellow light. The light became stronger and stronger, wrapping the two people's figures like water. Sam felt that the world was spinning, the blood all over his body was flowing backwards, and there was the buzzing wind in his ears, followed by the familiar feeling of weightlessness.
The moment the light dissipated, darkness returned to the basement.
Sam opened his eyes again, and his vision became much clearer. He lowered his eyes and saw his familiar hand with clear joints.
He breathed a long sigh of relief. The nerves that had been tense all day finally relaxed completely, and a thin layer of sweat formed on his back.
Gary on the opposite side also shook his head and looked down at his slender hands.
Dean walked quickly to Sam, raised his hand and patted his arm, not lightly but not too hard, as if to confirm that this was really his brother. When Sam looked at him, he curled his lips and pretended to be relaxed. "Now that I'm back, if I look at your childish behavior again, I'm afraid I can't help but beat him up first."
Sam tugged at the corner of his mouth without retorting, with a faint smile in his eyes. Next to him, Gary lowered his head, twisting the corners of his school uniform with his fingers, and said in a voice as thin as a gnat, "I'm sorry... I really didn't know it would be like this. I just... I just feel that life is too boring, and I want to live a different life."
After struggling all night, at dawn, they first sent Nora home, and then handled the remaining finishing work in the cemetery.
Early the next morning, the streets of the small town were covered with a thin layer of morning fog, and the air was soaked with the coolness of dew. The black Chevrolet was parked at the intersection, and the engine had started, making a low and steady hum.
Gary stood by the car, carrying a backpack and neatly dressed in school uniform. There was still a faint greenish black under his eyes, but the impetuousness and excitement before were gone. His whole body sank, as if he had grown up a lot overnight. He looked at the Winchester brothers who came over, pursed his lips, and spoke again. Apologize: "I'm really sorry about what happened yesterday. I used to find school, exams, and my parents' nagging so annoying. I thought your life was interesting. I didn't know until I actually experienced it..." He paused, looked at the brightly lit residential building in the distance, and said in a very soft voice, "It's actually good to live a peaceful life."
Dean leaned against the car door, with his hands in his jacket pockets. He lost the coldness of yesterday, and his tone was casual but serious. "It's good that you know. Don't touch that black magic book in the future. Study hard, get into college, and live a normal life." He paused and added, "Not everyone has the chance to turn back."
Sam stood aside with his hands in his jeans pockets, listening quietly.
He looked at Gary's youthful side face and felt a little astringent in his heart. He had been at this age before, and had thought about escaping from the life of a hunter, going to Stanford to go to college, and live an ordinary life.
But fate has pushed him to where he is today, with Apocalypse hanging above his head, and he has no room to look back.
The awakening of the young man in front of him was, to a certain extent, something he could never ask for.
Gary nodded vigorously and handed over the old black magic book in his arms, with a firm look in his eyes. "This is for you, I won't touch these things again."
Dean reached out to take it and handed it to Sam behind him.
After everything was said, the brothers turned around and got into the car.
Dean started the car, lowered the window and raised his chin at Gary as a farewell.
Sam also turned his head and nodded slightly towards him.
Chevrolet slowly drove away from the intersection. In the rearview mirror, the boy's figure became smaller and smaller, and finally melted into the morning mist.
The car was quiet for a while. Dean held the steering wheel and looked forward, joking casually. "Speaking of which, how do you feel about spending a day as a high school student in that kid's body? Do you still miss campus life?"
Sam rolled his eyes, lowered his head and flipped through the black magic book in his hand, with a helpless tone. "If you want to experience it, I will help you find a spell to try next time. I guarantee that you will have enough experience."
Dean sneered and shook his head. Joking aside, the atmosphere in the car slowly calmed down. Neither of them spoke anymore, but they both knew in their hearts that this seemingly absurd body change once again sounded the alarm - Lucifer's minions are everywhere, and Sam, this container, will always be the target of the devil.
It was already afternoon when Impala drove back to Bobby's yard.
The sun was shining just right, and the fallen leaves in the yard were swept into piles.
The door of the quiet room opened with a creak, and Bai Haorui walked out. His face was still a little pale, but his aura was much calmer than before, and all the sharp edges around him were restrained, like a sharp sword hidden in a sheath. It looked ordinary, but there was more power hidden inside.
When he saw the two brothers getting out of the car, he paused for a moment on Sam, made sure that his breathing was stable, and then nodded slightly and said in a clear voice, "I'm back, I'll be fine."
Dean slammed the car door and walked over, looked him up and down, and whistled. "Okay Haorui, take some retreat, I feel like your temperament is different. What's the matter, have you become an immortal?"
Bai Haorui smiled faintly, raised his hand and made a faint gesture, and a very faint purple-gold color True Fire flashed across his fingertips, fleetingly. "When I became an immortal, I was the first to turn you into a woman and make you cry. I completely refined the dark energy remaining in the meridians. True Gang became a lot more stable, and my understanding of the rules of yin and yang became a little deeper."
Dean made a funny expression, and the three of them laughed.
The four of them entered the study room. Bobby had already spread out the newly compiled information on demon activities on the table, with several red circles marked on the map.
Bai Haorui stood next to the map and clicked with his fingertips on a few locations marked with demonic activity. He said in a calm voice, "It will only get harder and harder in the future. The angels are pressing, and Hell is grabbing. They all want to push us towards the road they have paved. But neither Lucifer nor Heaven can choose the path for us. He wants to grab the container, so we just have to guard it."
The sun shines through the window and falls on the old map in the study. The shadows of the four people are superimposed on the marked route, staggered in depth and shallowness. The wind blows the fallen leaves outside the window, and the shadow of Apocalypse is still heavy on the top of the head, but no one shows any timidity.
The Tao and Dharma of retreat, the bonds that were lost and found, the ordinary awakening... everything tells them: no matter how well-written destiny is, it cannot compare to the path chosen by a person.
A firm will is always the sharpest weapon.