The Impala sits waiting as a train approaches. The rear window is broken out and blood covers the other windows. There's a silver machete on the floor, and Dean lies handcuffed on the back seat.
48 Hours Earlier
Dean is at the bunker washing the Impala when Sam comes in and admits he hasn't found anything about the Darkness or Metatron. He joins in with the washing and Dean says that' he's got cabin fever. Sam says that they've found a case and after rinsing off the Impala, the brothers head out. As they drive, Sam says that in Quaker Valley, Oregon, Sheriff Dwayne Markham was found dead in the local woods. He was mauled and they wrote it off as an animal attack. Sam figures that it may be a werewolf, but Dean figures that it's worth checking out. As they drive, Sam gets out a smoothie and Dean wonders where the beer is. Castiel calls and says that he hasn't found anything else in the area of their case. They tell him to rest up and heal.
Halfway to Quaker Valley, Dean stops at a roadhouse and reminds Sam that he met a hunter named Heather there. She's working a case in Texas, and Dean figures that they should relax while they have the chance. Sam tells his brother to go ahead while he goes to a diner and does some Internet research.
The next morning, Dean comes out as the roadhouse shuts down. He gets in and finds a naked waitress, Piper, in the back seat. Sam is there with her and asks Dean to give them a minute. Piper discovers that she's lost her hairpin.
After Piper leaves, Dean puts on a Bob Seger tape and says to take it in. They drive off and Sam finally joins in. They continue driving and as night falls, Dean teases Sam about having sex. Sam admits that Piper didn't want him number, and wonders if Dean wants something more. Dean points out that that they're lousy at domestic lives, and tells Sam to get in the back and get some sleep while he pulls over.
Sam dozes off and has a vision that John is driving the Impala. John says that Dean has been taking good care of the Impala and Sam, and Sam insists that his father is dead. Ignoring Sam's questions, John says that he never wanted the life for his sons. Sam says that they turned out okay, and John admits that they did it rather than him. When Sam says that it isn't real, "John" smiles and admits that he could never fool him. Sam describes the vision he saw in the church, and demands to know what is going on. The driver says that the Darkness is coming and only the Winchesters can stop it. Sam asks how, and John says that God helps those that help themselves.
A truck passes and Sam wakes up. Dean has parked and gives his brother a beer, and Sam says that he's been having visions recently. He describes his vision of John and gives Dean the message he received. Sam wonders if the visions are coming from God, and explains that he prayed in the hospital chapel because he was infected. He assures Dean that he's cured now, and Dean figures that the vision is a side effect of the invasion. He points out that God has never answered their prayers, and figures that it was a fever dream. Dean that he dreams about their father all of the time, teaching him how to drive and congratulating him when he succeeds. Sam says that he dreams about Mary and a normal life, and insists that the vision wasn't a dream. He figures that the opposite of the Darkness is sending messages to him, whether it's God or someone else. Dean insists that the Darkness is on them and no one is going to help them, particularly God. Until then, they hunt.
The next day, the Winchesters get to Quaker Valley. They confirm that the sheriff's heart was removed, and his body was drained of blood. They figure that they're looking for a werewolf-vampire hybrid. The sheriff's replacement is Deputy Donnelly, who comes over and thanks them for stopping by. The brothers asks for the location of a motel, and Donnelly gives them an address. Donnelly recommends a restaurant and they go there. Dean is less than thrilled to see that they have a valet, and tells the woman not to scratch the Impala. The woman, Jessie, speeds off in the Impala and calls to report that she stole a car. She picks up her friend and they speed around town. The restaurant manager calls and asks where they are, and Jessie drives back. She drops her friend off, and her friend can't find her purse.
Jessie pulls up to the restaurant and Dean gets in. He tips Jessie, impressed, and they go to talk to Lily Markham, the sheriff's widow. Dean wants to check out the crime scene, insisting that there's something wrong with the photos.
Later, Dean is checking out the scene when Castiel calls. He's found a reference to a create called a Whisper, and silver will kill it. Dean tells the angel that the crime scene was staged and the body was dragged there. Donnelly pulls up and Dean shows him the crime scene, leaving the phone on the dashboard. As they talk, Donnelly attacks Dean. Dean finally shoots him and blood sprays the window. He gets in the Impala and Castiel tells him that it can't be a Whisper because they only strike during a solar eclipse. Donnelly staggers back up and Dean gets a machete from the trunk and decapitates him. That doesn't kill him, either, and Dean shoots the body repeatedly. The head continues growling and Dean puts it in the beer cooler. He takes a pictures of it and sends it to Castiel to find a match in the lore.
After Dean hangs up, he discovers that Sam sent a text asking for help. He calls his brother and Sam says that he got jumped but he's okay. Two of the creatures were attacking Lily and he managed to stop them. Sam texts Dean the address where he took Lily because she got knocked out in the attack. Dean drives off and his bloody machete from the fight falls onto the floor, unnoticed.
After Dean picks up Sam and an unconscious Lily, Sam explains that the two creatures beat Lily unconscious by the time he got there. Castiel calls to say that the creature is a Nachzehrer, a ghoul and vampire-like creature. They run in packs and keep a low profile, and since they're already dead, they just need to be reminded that they're dead. The angel says that the Winchesters need a Charon's Obal, a coin placed in the Nachzehrer's mouth and then decapitate them. If the pack's alpha is killed then everyone they've turned will revert to human form. They need a pre-1982 copper that's made of copper rather than zinc.
Once the brothers hang up, they discover that they have no pennies. Dean stops at a convenience store and Sam goes inside to get a penny. Lily wakes up and Dean explains that the same people who attacked her killed her husband. She says that she knows something and looks in the cooler with the decapitated head. It growls at her and Dean slams the lid shut, and assures Lily that it can't hurt her anymore. He outs the cooler in the trunk and gets back in, and Lily talks about doing everything for family. She says that she did it wrong and ruined everything, and says that she put her family at risk. They were right to attack her, and Lily says that she knows how to make it right. She attacks Dean and demands to know where the alpha's body is. Once she knocks Dean out, Lily drives off. Dean tries to shoot her and takes out the windshield, but Lily gets away.
Down the road at the crime scene, Lily handcuffs Dean and says that she knows what to do with him. She reattaches Donnelly's head to his body and says that he's okay. As they drive off, Dean sees the machete and the purse underneath the front seat. Donnelly, pulls him up and says that he knows that he's a hunter, Lily explains that she killed her husband when he wouldn't join the pack. As they talk, Dean finds Piper's hairpin down in the seat. He starts picking the lock on his handcuffs, while Donnelly says that he's turned sixteen people in the last month because he needs an army to fight the Darkness. The Nachzehrer says that the Darkness is coming for all of them and there's nothing any human can do to stop it. Donnelly admits that he's just trying to buy some time, and plans to turn Sam as well. He sent Sam a text message luring him into a trap, and plans to feed Dean to Sam as revenge for Dean decapitating him.
Dean gets free and grabs Donnelly, and the Impala smashes through some road barriers and grinds to a halt. Dean grabs his machete from the floor and goes through the purse, and finds a penny. Meanwhile, Donnelly staggers up and attacks, dragging Dean out. Lily wakes p and attacks Dean as well, and she manages to bite his neck before he knocks her loose. Dean then manages to shove a penny in Donnelly's mouth, drags him out, and decapitates him with the car door. The Nachzehrer dies for good and Dean apologies to the Impala. Lily reverts to normal and begs Dean to help her turned children. Dean tells her to get in and tries to start the Impala. It finally starts and they drive off.
At Lily's farm, Sam is waiting with Lily's family. He gets into the Impala and assures Dean that the family changed back. They realize that even the monsters are scared of the Darkness, and Dean says that they're going to end things... tomorrow. When Dean says that they have to head home, Sam taps the Impala and says that they are home. Dean starts the Impala and puts on Bob Seger, and the Winchesters drive off in their battered car.
Written by Gadfly on Oct 29, 2015