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11.1 Playthings

I lied down on the motel bed, watching Sam on the laptop, searching for Ava. "Yeah. Okay, thanks Ellen." He said as I glanced at Salem who was laying next to me.

He sighed, hanging up the phone. "Did she have anything?" I asked as Dean walked into the room with drinks. "Me, I've been checking every database I can think of- federal, state, and local. No one's heard anything about Ava, she just...into thin air, you know?"

"Huh," Dean huffed handing me and Sam our coffee.

"What about you?"

"No, same as before. Sorry, man," He informed. "Ellen did have one thing," Sam informed. "And that is?" I asked raising a brow. "A hotel in Cornwall, Connecticut. Two freak accidents in the past three weeks," He informed.

"Yeah? What's that have to do with Ava?" Dean asked with a frown.

"It's a job," Sam started, "I mean, a lady drowned in the bathtub; then a few days ago a guy falls down the stairs, head turns a complete one-eighty. Which isn't exactly normal, you know? Look, I don't know guys, it might be nothing, but I told Ellen we'd think about checking it out."

"You did?" I asked crossing my arms, slightly in surprise.

"Yeah," Sam said as Dean sat on my bed as I noticed we shared the same confused look before going back to Sam. He frowned, "You both seem surprised."

"Well yeah, it's just -- you know -- not the patented Sam Winchester way, is it?" I said fumbling with Sal's tail.

"What way is that?" He asked.

"Well...We just figured after Ava there'd be, uh, you know, more angst and droopy music and staring out the rainy window, and-" Dean said and Sam quickly gave him a look. "Yeah, I'll shut up now."

"Look. I'm the one who told her to go back home. Now her fiancé's dead and some demon has taken her off to God knows where," Sam said as he got up from the table and headed to sit on the other bed, "You know? But we've been looking for a month now, and we've got nothing. So I'm not giving up on her, but I'm not going to let other people die either. We've got to save as many people as we can."

I exchanged a look with Dean before looking back at Sam, "Wow. Never did I think I would be uncomfortable with attitude," Sam glanced down smiling before back at me and then to Dean. Who let out a sigh, smirking, "All right, call Ellen. Tell her we'll take it."

💽

It was raining when we drove to the inn but stopped long before arriving at the inn. I had climbed out of the driver's seat as Dean out of the passenger seat and Sam from the back.

"Dude, this is sweet. I never get to work jobs like this," Dean said.

"Like what?" I asked as we took our bags from the trunk.

"Old school haunted houses, you know?" Dean replied and closed the trunk. "Fog, and secret passageways...sissy British accents. Might even run into Fred and Daphne while we're inside." He chuckled, "Mmm, Daphne. Love her,"

As we walked up the steps, Sam stopped, "Hey, wait a sec," Dean and I turned to him. "I'm not so sure haunted's the problem."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked as we saw him pointing at a pot next to us, "You see this pattern here? That's a quincunx, that's a five-spot," Sam informed.

"Five-spot? That's used for, um..." I trailed off trying to remember.

"Hoodoo spellwork, isn't it?" Dean asked.

"Right, yeah. You fill this thing with bloodweed and you've got a powerful charm to ward off enemies," Sam explained. I nodded looking around before turning back, "Yeah except I don't see any bloodweed," I pointed out.

"Don't you think this place is a little too, uh, whitemeat for hoodoo?" Dean asked. Sam shrugged, "Maybe."

We walked inside, looking around noticing the quiet interior. A woman walked to the front desk, "May I help you?" She asked. "Hi, yeah, I'd like a room for a couple of nights," Dean said.

Suddenly a little girl ran past us, smiling. "Hey!" She scolded her before looking back at us, "Sorry about that."

"No problem," I said smiling as Sam wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "Well, um, congratulations, you could be some of our final guests," The woman said. "That sounds vaguely ominous," I said, looking between my brothers.

"No, I'm sorry, I mean we're closing at the end of the month," She corrected herself. "Let me guess. You guys are here antiquing?"

I glanced at Dean and Sam before back at her with a small smile, "How'd you know?" Dean asked smiling.

"Oh, you just look the type," She said and then faced towards me, "I could give you a joined room. A room for you and your boyfriend." My smile faded and Sam arm fell from my shoulder, "I'm sorry? We're, uh, no we're, um....they are my older brothers." I stumbled and they both nodded towards her.

"Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry," She apologized and pointed between me and Sam, "I thought that you two..."

"No," Sam and I quickly said at the same time.

"Right, sorry,"

Sam and I exchanged a 'what the hell' type look before looking back at her. "You know, speaking of antiques, you have a really, really interesting urn on the front porch. Where did you get that?" Sam asked.

"Oh, I have no idea, it's been there forever," She replied before handing Dean a receipt, "Here you go, Mr. Mahagov."

"Thanks," Dean said as he took it. The front door opened as a guy walking in. "Hey, Su." The woman smiled at him. "Hey," I heard him saw as I turned to be face with Max from the Roadhouse. Before I could say something the woman dinged a bell and handed Dean a key, "You'll be staying in room 237," She told me and my brothers and looked behind us. "Sherwin, could you show them to their rooms?" The three of us turned to see an old, bald man in a black blazer shuffling up.

"Let me guess. Antiquers?" Sherwin asked, looking between us.

I glanced back at Max seeing that he was staring at me. I gave him a small smile, "Carm, you coming?" Sam called seeing he was waiting for me.

I nodded before walking over to as we followed Sherwin and Dean. "Do you know that guy?" He whispered towards me. "Maybe?" I muttered seeing him face go from confused to worried to a mad look.

"Not like that, don't confuse me with our older brother." I said noticing his experiences.

Sherwin was dragging Dean's duffel bag behind him, up the steps as we followed. "I could gibe you a hand with that bag," Dean suggested.

"I got it," Sherwin replied.

"So the hotel's closing up?" I asked. "Yep," He replied. "Ms. Susan tried to make a go of it, but the guests just don't come like they used to. Still, it's a damn shame."

"Oh yeah?" Sam asked.

"It may not look it anymore, but this place was a palace. Two different vice-president laid their heads on our pillows. My parents worked here, I practically grew up here. Gonna miss it. Here's your room." He said, stopping at the door and unlocking it before handing the key to me.

"Thank you," I said before walking inside with Sam and Dean.

Sherwin held his hand out to Dean, "You're not gonna....cheap out on me, are you, boy?" Sam and I smirked as Dean pulled out his wallet to pay the man.

Sam sat down at a table, pulling out from the bag some papers while Dean washed his face. I sighed looking around the room before frowning, tilting my head seeing a antique wedding dress displayed on the wall like a ghost. "Huh?"

"What?" Sam asked.

"Corpse Bride anyone?" I said sarcatically as I pointed to the dress. "It's a pretty building with creepy ass stuff. Why in the hell would anyone stay here?"

Sam smirked, shaking his head before looking back at the papers, "All right." Dean walked back in and sat down on one of the beds, which was sinking. "Victim number one: Joan Edison, forty three years old, a realtor handling the sale of the hotel; and victim number two was Larry Williams, moving some stuff out to Goodwill."

"Well, there's a connection: they're both tied up in shutting the place down," Dean said. "Yeah. Maybe somebody here doesn't want to leave, and they're using hoodoo to fight back," I suggested.

"Who do you think our witch doctor is, that Susan lady?" Dean asked.

"No, doesn't seem likely. I mean, she is the one selling," Sam said. "So what then, Sherwin?" I asked, frowning. Sam sighed, shrugging, "I don't know."

💽

We walked down a hall when Sam suddenly stopped us as we walked past a table. "Hey." Dean and I walked back to him as he showed us a urn with five spot, "Look at that, more hoodoo."

Dean approached a door marked 'PRIVATE' and he knocked as Sam and I stood between him before the door opened, reviling Susan.

"Hi there," Dean said.

"Hi. Everything okay with your room?" She asked smiling. "Yeah. Yeah. Yeah," We said at the same time. "Good," She said. "Well, I was, I was just in the middle of packing."

Dean looked behind her, "Hey, are those antique dolls?" He glanced at me, knowing how I don't like porcelain dolls. "Cause this one, this one here, she's got a major doll collection back home." I glared at him.

He just smirked at me, "Dontcha? Huh?" I looked back at Susan and gave her the fakest smile I could. "Big time," Sam nodded to her, "Big time. You think we could come in and take a look?"

"I don't know..."

"Please? She loves them," Sam and I shot him a glare. "You'd make her day," Dean said which made me glare between the two biting my tongue. He looked at me, "She would. Huh?"

I looked down before looking up Susan, swallowing. "Yes- I love them," I said monotoned.

My brothers smiled as she looked down I quickly slapped the sides of their heads. "Okay, come on in," She said looking back at us and steeping aside.

"All right," Dean said with a smirk as he looked at me. I gave them both a death stare as I followed them in.

"Wow. This is a lot of dolls. I mean, they're nice, you know. Not creepy at all," I said, looking at the shelf had thousands of creepy dolls. Dean smiled smugly at me, "How you feeling, Carm? Aren't you in heaven,"

I clenched my jaw, scanning the shelf's. "More like purgatory." I muttered noticing they both grinned.

"Yeah, I suppose they are a little creepy. But they've been in the family forever. A lot of sentimental value," Susan said. When Max came into the room with a box. He sat it down on the couch as he looked at me and my brothers with a nod, "How's it going?"

Dean nodded back at him, "What's up man? I'm Dean this is Sam and Carmen." He said shaking the guy's hand.

"Max. Susan's brother," He glanced at and I looked down, hiding a smile. "What is this?" I looked over to Sam seeing he was looking at a replica of the hotel but also being a doll house. "The hotel?"

"Yeah, that's right," Ryan confirmed, crossing his arms.

"Exact replica, custom built," Susan added.

Sam walked around the back, he frowned and picked up something. A broken doll, "His head got twisted around. What happened to it?"

"Tyler, probably," Susan said and Ryan let out a chuckle, shaking his head.

"Mommy! Maggie's being mean," The little girl, Tyler said as she walked in. "Tyler, tell her I said to be nice, okay?" Susan said with a smile. "Hey Tyler, I see you broke your doll. You want me to fix it?" Sam asked.

"I didn't break it. I found it like that,"

"Maybe Maggie did it?" I suggested softly smiling at her. "No, neither of us did it. Grandma would get mad if we broke 'em," She replied. "She wouldn't get mad, Ty." Max reassured.

"Grandma?" Dean asked.

"Grandma Rose. These were all her toys," Tyler informed. "Oh, really, where's Grandma Rose now?" Dean asked.

"Up in her room," She replied.

"You know, I'd, I'd uh, I'd really love to talk to Rose about her incredible doll ─"

"No," Susan cut Sam off all of a sudden. "What she means..." Max started, "That's impossible. Our Mom's been very sick and she's not taking any visitors." I gave a slow nod before looking at my brothers, "We have to, uh deal with that thing," I lied as Sam nodded before looking at the siblings, "Yeah, we're sorry to interrupt."

Susan smiled at little, "It's okay."

Me and my brothers walked out of the room.  "Well, what do you think?" Dean whispered. "I think I'm gonna kill you both in your sleep," I whispered.

"Let it go, Carm," Sam whispered as Dean huffed. "Dolls, hoodoo, mysterious shut-in grandma?" Dean listed.

"Well, dolls are used in all kinds of voodoo and hoodoo, like curses, and binding spells, and..." Sam said. "Yeah, maybe we've found our witch doctor," Dean said. "All right, I'll see what I can dig up on boomin' Granny." He looked at Sam, "You got get online, check old obits, freak accidents, that sort of thing, see if she's whacked anybody before. Don't go surfing porn ─ that's not the kind of whacking I mean."

Sam gave him a look before he turned to me, "And you ─ you should hurry up, I heard they're giving all the used toys up. You could really add some dolls to your collection," He said smirking but it slowly faded when saw I didn't do anything.

"You're gunna shoot me?"

"Yep," I said and he slowly nodded while Sam scoffed. "Then, I'm gone," Dean said before walking off. I glanced at Sam, "Don't think I won't shoot you too," I said before walking away.