SACRIFICES

"You sure they didn't stop for gas or something?" Dean asks.

Harley shows the pictures to his wife Stacy. She shakes her head. "Nope, don't remember 'em. You said they were friends of yours?" He asks.

"That's right." Dean says.

Emily comes downstairs carrying some boxes. "Did the guy have a tattoo?" She asks.

"Yes, he did." Dean says.

Emily puts the boxes on the counter and looks at the picture of Vince. "You remember? They were just married." She says.

"You're right. They did stop for gas. Weren't here more than ten minutes." Harley remembers.

"You remember anything else?" Elena asks.

"I told 'em how to get back to the Interstate. They left town."

"Could you point us in that same direction?" Dean asks.

"Sure."

Later in Dean's car, He's driving while Elena sits shotgun. Elena is smiling from ear to ear. "What?" Dean asks her.

"I get to ride shotgun." She says smiling.

Dean passes by the orchard when he hears a noise coming from the backseat. "What the hell?" He pulls over and Elena reaches into his bag. She pulls out the EMF meter, which is beeping frantically.

They get out of the car and begin walking around, seeing the scarecrow on its post. They walk over to it and Dean looks at it for a second. "Dude, you fugly."

The scarecrow doesn't move. Dean notices a sickle in the scarecrow's hand and a design on its arm. Dean takes a ladder from a nearby tree and climbs to the top so that he is eye level with the scarecrow.

He moves its clothing and recognizes the design from Vince's tattoo. He pulls out Vince's flyer and compares the designs, which are exactly the same. He looks at the scarecrow again. "Nice tat."

t the Burkitsville gas station, Dean and Elena up in Dean's car and gets out. Emily is standing by the gas pumps. "You're back." She says.

"Never left." Dean says.

"Still looking for your friends?" She asks.

Dean nods. "You mind fillin' her up there, Emily?" She grabs a pump and starts filling up Dean's tank. "So, you grew up here?"

"I came here when I was thirteen. I lost my parents. Car accident. My aunt and uncle took me in." Emily says.

"They're nice people." Elena says.

"Everybody's nice here." Emily admits.

"So, what, it's the, uh, perfect little town?" Dean asks.

"Well, you know, it's the boonies. But I love it. I mean, the towns around us, people are losing their homes, their farms. But here, it's almost like we're blessed."

Dean nods. "Hey, you been out to the orchard? You seen that scarecrow?" He asks.

"Yeah, it creeps me out." Emily says.

Dean laughs. "Whose is it?"

"I don't know. It's just always been there."

Dean nods towards a red van parked by the garage "That your aunt and uncle's?" He asks.

"Customer. Had some car troubles."

"It's not a couple, is it? A guy and a girl?" Elena asks.

Emily nods. "Mmhmm." Dean looks at Elena, concerned.

am is talking to the clerk. "Sorry, the Sacramento bus doesn't run again till tomorrow. Uh, 5:05 PM." She says.

"Tomorrow? There's got to be another way." Sam says.

"Well, there is. Buy a car."

Sam, annoyed, leaves the ticket window. He takes out his PalmPilot and selects Dean's phone number. Meg is sitting on the floor with her bags. "Hey." She says.

Sam looks at her, confused, and turns off his PalmPilot without calling Dean. "Hey." He says back.

"You again." Meg says.

"What happened to your ride?"

"You were right. That guy was shady. He was all hands." She says and Sam raises his eyebrows. "I cut him loose." Sam looks around, disappointed. "What's the matter?"

"Just trying to get to California."He says.

Meg is surprised. "No way." She says.

"Yeah."

"Me too." She stands up and walks toward Sam. "You know, the next bus isn't until tomorrow."

"Yeah. Yeah, that's the problem." He says.

"Why? What's in Cali that's so important?"

"Just something I've been looking for. For a long time."

"Well, then I'm sure it can wait one more day, right?" Sam laughs. Meg extends her hand and Sam shakes it. "I'm Meg."

"Sam."

ack at Scotty's Café, Scotty is serving the couple whose car broke down. He puts two plates of apple pie in front of them. "We're famous for our apples. So, you gotta try this pie." He says.

"Oh, no. It—please." The girl starts.

"It's on the house." Scotty says.

Dean and Elena walk in. "Oh, hey, Scotty. Can I get a coffee, black?" Dean asks as Scotty walks away to get it. "Oh, and some of that pie, too, while you're at it." He sits at a table next to the couple. "How ya doin'? Just passing through?"

"Road trip." The girl says.

"Hm. Yeah, me too." They nod.

Scotty walks over to refill their cider. "I'm sure these people want to eat in peace." He says.

"Just a little friendly conversation." Elena says and Scotty walks away.

"Oh, and that coffee, too, man. Thanks." Dean says and Scotty looks agitated. Dean keeps talking to the couple. "So, what brings you to town?"

"We just stopped for gas. And, uh, the guy at the gas station saved our lives." The girl says.

Dean looks at Elena knowingly. "Is that right?" He asks.

"Yeah, one of our brake lines was leaking. We had no idea. He was fixing it for us." The man says.

"Nice people." Dean says concerned.

"Yeah."

"So, how long till you're up and running?" Elena asks.

"Sundown."

Dean thinks about this. "Really. To fix a brake line?" The man nods. "I mean, you know, I know a thing or two about cars. I could probably have you up and running in about an hour. I wouldn't charge you anything."

"You know, thanks a lot, but I think we'd rather have a mechanic do it." The girl says.

"Sure. I know." Dean pauses. "You know, it's just that these roads. They're not real safe at night."

The couple exchange a look. "I'm sorry?" The girl asks.

"I know it sounds strange, but, uh—you might be in danger." Elena says.

The man gets annoyed. "Look, we're trying to eat. Okay?" He says.

"Yeah." Dean looks disappointed. The couple seems worried by him. "You know, my brother could give you this puppy dog look, and you'd just buy right into it."

The bell above the café door jingles and someone walks in. Scotty comes out from a back room. "Thanks for coming, Sheriff."

Dean looks nervous and frustrated. Scotty whispers something in the Sheriff's ear, and they both look at Dean, who looks away. The Sheriff walks over to him. "I'd like a word, please." The Sheriff says.

"Come on. I'm having a bad day already." Dean says.

"You know what would make it worse?" The Sheriff asks and Dean nods slowly.

On the Interstate, the Sheriff's car is following Dean's car to make sure they leaves. When he is gone, the Sheriff turns around and drives back to Burkitsville.

At the Bus Station, Sam and Meg are sitting at a table with beers and different foods around them. "So, what, are you on some kind of vacation or something?" He asks Meg. She laughs.

"Yeah, right. It's all sipping Cristal poolside for me." They laugh. "No. I had to get away from my family." She says.

"Why?" Sam asks.

"I love my parents. And they wanted what's best for me. They just didn't care if I wanted it. I was supposed to be smart. But not smart enough to scare away a husband." Sam smiles. "It's just...because my family said so, I was supposed to sit there and do what I was told. So I just went on my own way instead.

Sam stares at her. "I'm sorry. The things you say to people you hardly know." She says.

"No, no, it's okay. I know how you feel. Remember that brother I mentioned before, that I was road-tripping with?" Sam asks and Meg nods. "It's, uh, it's kind of the same deal."

"And that's why you're not riding with him anymore?" Sam shakes his head. Meg raises her beer bottle. "Here's to us. The food might be bad, and the beds might be hard. But at least we're living our own lives. And nobody else's." Sam taps his bottle against hers and they both drink.

On the interstate at night, Dean is driving back to Burkitsville.

he couple's car has broken down and they are walking through the orchard. "I can't believe it. We just got the car fixed." The girl says.

"This way." The guy says and they start walking towards a clearing. The scarecrow moves quickly behind them. The girl gasps and they turn around.

"Steve?" They hear more noises.

"Who's there?" Steve asks.

They look around and the scarecrow comes out from behind the trees. It begins walking towards them, and they start running away. They are almost at the clearing when Dean and Elena run in front of them. They stop.

"Get back to your car. Elena go with them." Dean says. The couple looks behind them and sees the scarecrow getting closer. "Go! Go!" They run away. Dean cocks his gun and shoots the scarecrow, which stumbles but keeps walking.

Dean begins running, cocks his gun again, and shoots. Again, the scarecrow keeps going. Dean tries one more time, but the scarecrow keeps moving. Dean keeps running. "Go! Go!"

Finally, Dean and the couple reach the clearing, along with Elena. Dean cocks his gun and looks around, but the scarecrow has disappeared.

"What—what the hell was that?" Steve pants.

"Don't ask."

Meanwhile, Meg is sleeping on the floor. Sam is sitting by his bags, on the phone with Dean. "The scarecrow climbed off its cross?" Sam asks.

"Yeah, I'm tellin' ya. Burkitsville, Indiana. Fun Town." Dean says.

"It didn't kill the couple, did it?" Sam asks.

"No. I can't cope without you, you know."

"So, something must be animating it. A spirit." Sam says.

"No, it's more than a spirit. It's a god. A Pagan god, anyway."

"What makes you say that?"

"The annual cycle of its killings? And the fact that the victims are always a man and a woman. Like some kind of fertility right. And you should see the locals. The way they treated this couple. Fattenin' 'em up like a Christmas turkey." Dean says.

Sam thinks. "The last meal. Given to sacrificial victims."

"Yeah, I'm thinking a ritual sacrifice to appease some Pagan god." Dean says.

"So, a god possesses the scarecrow..."

"And the scarecrow takes its sacrifice. And for another year, the crops won't wilt, and disease won't spread." Sam says.

"Do you know which god you're dealing with?" Sam asks.

"No, not yet. But Elena and I are gonna figure it out."

"Well, you figure out what it is, you can figure out a way to kill it." Sam says.

"I know. I'm actually on my way to a local community college. I've got an appointment with a professor. You know, since I don't have my trusty sidekick geek boy to do all the research."

Sam laughs. "You know, if you're hinting you need my help, just ask." Sam says.

"I'm not hinting anything. Actually, uh—I want you to know....I mean, don't think..." Dean starts.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, too."

Dean sighs. "Sam. You were right. You gotta do your own thing. You gotta live your own life." He says.

"Are you serious?"

"You've always known what you want. And you go after it. You stand up to Dad. And you always have. Hell, I wish I—anyway....I admire that about you. I'm proud of you, Sammy." Dean says.

"I don't even know what to say." Sam says.

"Say you'll take care of yourself." Dean says sadly.

Sam does the same. "I will."

"Call me when you find Dad."

"OK. Bye, Dean." They hang up.

Meg wakes up and moves next to Sam. "Who was that?" She asks.

"My brother."

"What'd he say?" She asks.

"Goodbye."

ean and Elena are with the college professor. "It's not every day I get a research question on Pagan ideology." The Professor says.

"Yeah, well, call it a hobby." Dean says.

"But you said you were interested in local lore?" He asks.

"Mmhmm." Elena hums.

"I'm afraid Indiana isn't really known for its Pagan worship." The Professor says.

"Well, what if it was imported? You know, like the Pilgrims brought their religion over. Wasn't a lot of this area settled by immigrants?" Dean asks.

The Professor thinks. "Well, yeah."

"Like that town near here, Burkitsville. Where are their ancestors from?"

"Uh, northern Europe, I believe, Scandinavia." The Professor says.

Elena leans in. "What could you tell me about those Pagan gods?" She asks.

"Well, there are hundreds of Norse gods and goddesses." He says.

"We're actually looking for one. Might live in an orchard."

Moments later, the professor puts a large book down on a table and opens it. "Woods god, hm? Well, let's see." He leafs through some pages. On one page, Dean notices a picture of a scarecrow on a post surrounded by farmers in a field.

"Wait, wait, wait. What's that one?" Dean asks.

"Oh, that's not a woods god, per se." The Professor says.

Elena looks at the book and reads. "The V-Vanir? The Vanir were Norse gods of protection and prosperity, keeping the local settlements safe from harm. Some villages built effigies of the Vanir in their fields. Other villages practiced human sacrifice. One male, and one female."

She points to the picture and Dean looks at it. "Kind of looks like a scarecrow, huh?" He asks.

"I suppose."

Dean continues to read. "This particular Vanir that's energy sprung from the sacred tree?"

"Well, Pagans believed all sorts of things were infused with magic."

"So what would happen if the sacred tree was torched? You think it'd kill the god?" Dean asks, completely serious.

The Professor laughs. "Son, these are just legends we're discussing."

"Oh, of course. Yeah, you're right. Listen, thank you very much." He shakes the professor's hand.

"Glad I could help."

Dean and Elena walk to the classroom door. When Dean opens it, the Sheriff hits him on the head with the end of his rifle. Dean falls to the ground.

"Oh my god." Elena says and they turn to her. Before she could run, the Sheriff punches her in the face. The Sheriff and the Professor exchange a knowing look.