They’d reached the main town of Riverside, and Sam had to admit, he could understand people wanting to escape for holiday season, 或者 any season for that matter. Riverside was run-down, and at least every few metres Dean drove was a closed down store 或者 some sort. The weather, he supposed, hadn’t helped improve his first impression of the town; now it was mid morning, the gloomy air and the light but constant patter of rain which had not let up from last night was enough to obscure his opinion of the area. As they left the main centre of the town, Dean observed the road he was following from the main street. It was obviously not one driven a lot, and was poorly maintained; gravel sprayed and seemed to taunt Dean as it hit lightly against the sides of the Impala with every few crawling metres.
“Okay, you’ve got about half a mile before it’s a left to the institution,” Sam pointed, with a slight feeling of unease creeping up on him. He was used to isolated places and locations, but he felt somewhat uncomfortable with the lone, tall building that was looming into view. As Dean began to turn the car left, the Impala’s engine growled defiantly as a definite slope was immediately felt.
“Well,” Dean said, as they pulled up outside the exhausted, dilapidated building, “perfect, scenic place for an institution. Calm, peaceful...you know, not creepy at all.”
Sam scoffed and peered out the window for a closer look at Riverside Psychiatric Institution. There were 3 storeys, all of which looked used, and the rooms inside looked dull and unwelcoming. As for the exterior of the building, it looked if anything slightly 更多 dreary and lifeless. The bricks seemed ancient and tired, as if they were fed up with holding up the structure. The windows, even on the ground floor, had covered dust and attracted moss to invade on the window sills, and the main entrance was centred 由 a huge brass doorknob that looked like something out of an old 电视 mystery show.
Dean switched off the purr of the engine, looked up to scan the building, gave a disapproving tsk and opened the creaking door, stepping out onto the dirty gravel. Sam followed and walked towards Dean’s side of the car to 确认 what cover they were using this time.
“So I was thinking health inspectors, but then they’d ask us to look over the whole place, and it looks gross, so I think we should skip that.”
Sam laughed, a husky, deep laugh that Dean hadn’t heard in while. Dean smirked too, then raised his eyebrows in a prompting look to Sam for another suggestion. Sam thought for a moment, but Dean came up with a solution first.
“We’ll just do the cop routine. We’ll say we were following up on the car crash and we’re trying to dig down to the root of the cause of it. Plus, she’ll have to talk, 或者 we’ll say it’s illegal to withhold information from the police.”
“Dude, you’re cruel,” Sam replied as Dean tossed him a fake I.D and he slid it into his pocket. Dean patted his interior leather 夹克 pocket and found the Colt; well, he thought, better 安全 than sorry.
Having shown their illegal identification cards and been told to head to Room 237 由 the boring and irritated receptionist, Sam and Dean began to make their way up to the 秒 floor. They reached the end of the ground floor hallway and spotted a rusty lift, exchanged uncertain looks, then decided to play it 安全 由 taking the stairs.
由 the time they arrived at their destination, both brothers had grown doubtful about whether visiting Laura Harlington was in fact a good idea. After all, she had checked herself into here. Sam shuddered. Why would someone do that? The girl 迷失 her boyfriend, and probably had a very traumatic experience simultaneously. Sam could sympathise.
Sam was the first to reach the door, check the number with his memory from what the receptionist had 给 him and give the uneven wood a reluctant and gentle tap. No answer. Sam looked across at Dean for indication of what to do next. Dean shrugged, made his way past his brother and opened the door.
The room was almost empty, but then, this wasn’t the first psychiatric room they’d seen; they hadn’t expected much decoration. Each 墙 was painted a bland white, and in the centre was a matching 床, 床上 on a sturdy metal frame; beside the 床, 床上 was a wooden 台, 办公桌 with presumably nothing inside the drawers. It hardly made anyone feel at home.
On the edge of the 床, 床上 was a woman with their back to them, with long golden hair that looked beautiful even over an unflattering white top, with matching trousers. Hearing the door open, she turned round to face them, startled, and her face seemed to fall when she saw who they were.
“Miss Harlington? We’re just with the state police. I know we’ve been through this before, but we’d like to 确认 a few details about February. I’m Detective Young and this is Detective Scott.”
She nodded, almost accepting the fate that had befallen her. Dean, at first glance, did not expect this pretty, woman to be somewhere like...this.
“I thought 你 might be...someone else. When 你 knocked.” She paused, but Sam and Dean looked at her for additional information. She sighed. “My...my family haven’t visited me yet. They think I’m lying. Everyone does.”
Sam took one step closer to the 床, 床上 and Dean followed suit. Sam hoped they weren’t coming off as intimidating, because he could see that the girl was scared enough already.
“I’m sorry. We’ll try to be as quick as possible. Now please tell us exactly what happened that night, Laura. It would mean a lot to us.”
Laura looked Sam in the eyes, and then nodded, consenting. Something was different...trusting, about these two men.
“Well,” she began, “it wasn’t great weather; hardly the kind to drive in. Riverside doesn’t get much good weather, you’ve probably guessed.” Sam let a fraction a of a smile from the corner of his mouth and encouraged her silently to go on.
“So I was riding with my boyfriend; and I was driving. The rain was so loud of the windscreen we could hardly hear ourselves think. And Jamie and I were just coming back from his parent’s house; and it hadn’t gone too well.”
“What do 你 mean?” Dean asked.
“It was my first time meeting his parents, and...we didn’t get along. We’d gotten married without their consent 或者 knowing; Jamie had never gotten on with his parents and 说 it was better off to do it without them. They seemed to think I wasn’t good enough for Jamie. I guess they were right in the end.” She broke her gaze which she’d been sharing with both the brothers and looked down at her hands. “So we had a little fight, on the way back, in the car, I was angry at him for not supporting me.” She paused again. “The last words I probably 说 to him were nasty and unnecessary.”
Sam looked at Dean, silently questioning him with one look whether to ask her to continue 或者 not. She was obviously still shaken up; this had ruined her life. Nevertheless, dean gave a subtle head shake to him, and Sam knew he was right; they had to know what happened.
“Laura, can 你 tell us what happened next?” Sam asked gently.
Laura blinked a few times and drew a breath.
“Well, that’s when...I saw...well, I thought I saw someone standing in the middle of the road. I swerved out of the way and took the car up onto the side of the road. But it was too late. I saw our car directed right at the person, but it was like as soon as I hit it they just...evaporated. Like smoke. We skidded for a while, then smashed into the metal barrier. When I come to, no one else is on the road 或者 has apparently come 由 and spotted us. I look to my right side and see...”
She trailed off and a single tear rolled quietly down her cheek.
Dean looked down, feeling awkward but an enormous surge of pity towards this girl. “I’m sorry.”
Laura looked at him, almost looking surprised that he’d 说 such a thing.
“Laura, I know this is hard,” Sam continued, breaking her gaze with Dean, “but what happened after that?”
Laura shook her head. I barely made it out the car, and go over to the area in the road a few miles back where we’d come off the road. And there was nothing there; and no sign anyone had ever been there. So I called the police, they came and I told them everything, but they didn’t believe me. Who would? I was imagining it, right?”
Sam and Dean exchanged looks, unsure of whether to tell this girl the possible truth 或者 to keep her in the dark. She’s checked herself into this place because she thought she was crazy. Was it really fair to let her convince herself more? Whist Dean wondered one 更多 step closer, Sam sat on the bed, still a little distance away from Laura.
“Laura, you’re not crazy, alright? We believe you. We believe the person 你 saw was real.”
She looked at him, confused as fresh tears fell on her cheeks. “But...? How? It’s not possible.”
“We don’t know, but we’re going to try and find out, okay?” Dean said, looking at Sam. They could tell this girl that she was sane so it was up to her to discharge herself from this place, but the less she knew, the better. Sam gave an inconspicuous nod in response.
“Now Laura, we’re going to need all 你 can possibly remember about the figure 你 saw in the road.”