"And before you leave, one of our apple pies." "On the house." "Oh, my God, thank you so much." "You're welcome." "Hey, we should get lost more often." "I mean, everyone in this town is so nice." "Yeah, what's the catch?" "You're all set." "Okay." "Thanks." "" " That's a cool tattoo." " Thanks." "So let's get you back to the interstate." "Yeah, please." "Take Lasky straight out of town." "And then turn right on Orchard Road." "Okay, thank you." "What happened?" "I don't know." "Car just died." "Cell phone too." "How's that possible?" "Come on." "Looks like a house over there." "No, I'm not going in there." "Holly, we need help." "We can't just wait here." "Come on." "Okay." "Check it out." "lf I only had a brain." "We wouldn't be lost." "Thanks." "That has got to be the freakiest damn scarecrow I've ever seen." "It scares me." "Please, let's just hurry, okay?" "Did you hear that?" "Hello?" "Who's there?" "Vince?" "Vince?" "Dean." "Hello?" "Sam, is that you?" "Dad." "Are you hurt?" "l'm fine." "We've been looking for you everywhere." "We didn't know where you were, if you were okay." "Sammy, I'm all right." "What about you and Dean?" "We're fine." "Dad, where are you?" "Sorry, kiddo, I can't tell you that." "What?" "Why not?" "ls that Dad?" "Look, I know this is hard for you to understand." "You just" "You're gonna have to trust me on this." "You're after it, aren't you?" "The thing that killed Mom?" "Yeah. lt's a demon, Sam." "A demon?" "You know for sure?" "A demon?" "What's he saying?" "I do." "Listen, Sammy, I, uh...." "I also know what happened to your girlfriend." "I'm so sorry." "I would've done anything to protect you from that." "You know where it is?" "Yeah, I think I'm finally closing in on him." "Let us help." "You can't." "You can't be any part of it." "Why not?" "Give me the phone." "Listen, Sammy, that's why I'm calling." "You and your brother, you gotta stop looking for me." "Now, I need you to write down these names." "Names?" "What names?" "Dad, wh--?" "Talk to me." "Tell me what's going on." "Look, we don't have time for this." "This is bigger than you think." "They're everywhere." "Even us talking right now, it's not safe." "No, all right?" "No way." "Give me the phone!" "I've given you an order." "Now, you stop following me, and you do your job, you understand me?" "Now, take down these names." "Dad, it's me." "Where are you?" "Yes, sir." "Uh...." "Yeah, I got a pen." "What are the names?" "All right, so the names Dad gave us, they're all couples?" "Three different couples, all went missing." "From different towns, different states?" "That's right, yeah." "Washington, New York, Colorado." "Each couple took a road trip cross-country." "None arrived at their destination or were ever heard from again." "It's a big country." "They could've disappeared anywhere." "Could've." "But each one's route took them through the same part of Indiana." "Always on the second week of April, one year after another after another." "This is the second week of April." "Yep." "So Dad is sending us to Indiana to go hunting for something before another couple vanishes?" "Yahtzee." "Can you imagine putting together a pattern like this?" "The different obits Dad had to go through?" "The man's a master." "What are you doing?" "We're not going to Indiana." "We're not?" "No, we're going to California." "Dad called from a pay phone." "With a Sacramento area code." "Sam." "Dean, if this demon killed Mom and Jess, and Dad's closing in, we gotta be there." "We gotta help." "Dad doesn't want our help." "Well, I don't care." "He has given us an order." "I don't care." "We don't always have to do what he says." "Sam, Dad is asking us to work jobs, to save lives. lt's important." "All right, I understand." "Believe me." "But I'm talking one week here, man." "To get answers." "To get revenge." "All right, look, I know how you feel." "Do you?" "How old were you when Mom died?" "Four?" "Jess died six months ago." "How the hell would you know how I feel?" "Dad said it wasn't safe for any of us." "He obviously knows something that we don't." "If he says stay away, we stay away." "I don't understand the blind faith you have in the man." "I mean, it's like you don't even question him." "Yeah, it's called being a good son." "You're a selfish bastard, you know that?" "You just do whatever you want, don't care what anybody thinks." "That's what you really think?" "Yes, it is." "Well, then this selfish bastard is going to California." "Come on, you're not serious." "l am serious." "It's the middle of the night." "Hey, I'm taking off." "I will leave your ass, you hear me?" "That's what I want you to do." "Goodbye, Sam." "Let me guess." "Scotty." "Yep." "Hi, my name's John Bonham." "Isn't that the drummer for Led Zeppelin?" "Wow." "Good." "Classic rock fan." "What can I do for you, John?" "Was wondering if, uh, you've seen these people, by chance." "Nope." "Who are they?" "Friends of mine." "They went missing about a year ago." "They passed through somewhere here." "I asked around Scottsburg and Salem." "Sorry." "We don't get many strangers around here." "Scotty, you got a smile that lights up a room." "Anybody ever tell you that?" "Never mind." "See you around." "Hey." "You scared the hell out of me." "I'm sorry." "I just thought you might need some help." "Um, I'm good, thanks." "Uh, so where you headed?" "No offense, but no way I'm telling you." "Why not?" "You could be some kind of freak." "l mean, you are hitchhiking." "Well, so are you." "Need a ride?" "Yeah, yeah." "Yeah." "Just her." "I ain't taking you." "You trust shady van guy and not me?" "Definitely." "You sure they didn't stop for gas or something?" "Mm-mm." "Nope, don't remember them." "You say they were friends of yours?" "That's right." "Did the guy have a tattoo?" "Yes, he did." "You remember?" "They were just married." "You're right." "They did stop for gas." "Weren't here more than 10 minutes." "Do you remember anything else?" "Told them how to get to the interstate, they left town." "Could you point me in that direction?" "Sure." "What the hell?" "Dude, you fugly." "Nice tat." "You're back." "Never left." "You still looking for your friends?" "Mind filling it up there, Emily?" "So did you grow up here?" "Came here when I was 13." "I lost my parents." "A car accident." "My aunt and uncle took me in." "They're nice people." "Everybody's nice here." "So, what, it's the, uh, perfect little town?" "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." "Hey, you been out to the orchard?" "Seen that" " That scarecrow?" "Yeah, it creeps me out." "Whose is it?" "l don't know." "It's just always been there." "That your aunt and uncle's?" "Customer." "Had some car troubles." "It's not a couple, is it?" "A guy and a girl?" "Mm-hm." "Sorry, the Sacramento bus doesn't run again till tomorrow, 5:05 p.m." "Tomorrow?" "There's gotta be another way." "Well, there is." "Buy a car." "Hey." "Hey." "You again." "What happened to your ride?" "You were right." "That guy was shady." "Was all hands." "I cut him loose." "What's the matter?" "Just trying to get to California." "No way." "Yeah." "Me too." "You know, next bus isn't until tomorrow." "Yeah." "Yeah, that's the problem." "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?" "I'm Meg." "Sam." "We're famous for our apples, so you gotta try this pie." "Oh, no, please." "Nope, it's on the house." "Hiya, Scotty." "Can I get a coffee, black?" "Mm." "Hmm." "Oh, and some of that pie too, while you're at it." "How you doing?" "Just passing through?" "Road trip." "Mm." "Yeah, me too." "I'm sure these people wanna eat in peace." "Just a little friendly conversation." "Oh, and that coffee too, by the way, thanks." "So, what brings you to town?" "We just stopped for gas and, uh, the guy at the gas station saved our lives." "ls that right?" "Yeah." "One of our brake lines was leaking." "We had no idea." "He's fixing it for us." "Nice people." "Yeah." "So how long until you up and running?" "Sundown." "Really?" "To fix a brake line?" "Mm-hm." "You know, I know a thing or two about cars." "I could have you running in an hour." "Wouldn't charge you." "You know, thanks a lot, but I think we'd rather have a mechanic do it." "Sure, yeah." "You know, it's just that these roads, um, they're not real safe at night." "I'm sorry?" "I know it sounds strange, but, uh, you might be in danger." "We're trying to eat, okay?" "Yeah." "You know, my brother could give you this puppy-dog look and you'd just buy right into it." "Thanks for coming, sheriff." "Like a word, please." "Come on." "I'm having a bad day already." "You don't want to make it worse." "So, what, are you on some kind of vacation or something?" "Yeah, right." "It's all sipping Cristal poolside for me." "No." "I had to get away from my family." "Why?" "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." "No." "It's just because my family said so I'm supposed to sit there and do what I was told." "So I just went on my own way instead." "I'm sorry." "The things you say to people you hardly know." "No, no, it's okay." "I know how you feel." "Remember that brother I mentioned before, that I was road tripping with?" "It's, uh" " It's kind of the same deal." "That's why you're not riding with him anymore?" "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." "I can't believe it." "We just got the car fixed." "This way." "Steve." "Who's there?" "Get back to your car." "Go!" "Go!" "What?" "What the hell was that?" "Don't ask." "The scarecrow climbed off its cross?" "I'm telling you." "burkitsville, Indiana." "Fun town." "It didn't kill the couple, did it?" "No." "I can cope without you, you know." "So something must be animating it." "A spirit." "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 victims are always a man and a woman like some kind of fertility rite." "And you should see the locals, the way they treated this couple." "Fattening them up like a Christmas turkey." "The last meal." "Given to sacrificial victims." "Yeah, I'm thinking a ritual sacrifice to appease some pagan god." "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." "Know which god you're dealing with?" "Nope, not yet." "Figure out what it is, you can figure out a way to kill it." "I know." "I'm actually on my way to a local community college." "I got an appointment with a professor." "You know, since I don't have my trusty sidekick geek boy to do all the research." "You know, if you're hinting you need my help, just ask." "I'm not hinting anything." "Actually...." "Uh...." "I want you to know...." "I mean, don't think...." "Yeah. I'm sorry too." "Sam, you were right." "You gotta do your own thing." "You gotta live your own life." "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 l" "Anyway I admire that about you." "I'm proud of you, Sammy." "I don't even know what to say." "Say you'll take care of yourself." "I will." "Call me when you find Dad." "Okay." "Bye, Dean." "Who was that?" "My brother." "What'd he say?" "Goodbye." "It's not every day I get a research question on pagan idolatry." "Yeah, well, call it a hobby." "But you said you were interested in local lore?" "Mm-hm." "I'm afraid Indiana isn't really known for its pagan worship." "What if it was imported?" "Like the Pilgrims brought their religion over." "Wasn't this area settled by immigrants?" "Yeah." "Like that town near here, Burkitsville, where are their ancestors from?" "Northern Europe, I believe." "Scandinavia." "What could you tell me about those pagan gods?" "Well, there are hundreds of Norse gods and goddesses." "I'm actually looking for one." "Might live in an orchard." "A woods god." "Well, let's see." "Wait, wait, wait." "What's that one?" "That's not a woods god, per se." "The Vanir?" ""The Vanir were Norse gods of protection and prosperity keeping the local settlements safe from harm." "The villages built effigies of the Vanir in their fields." "Other villages practiced human sacrifice, one male and one female."" "Kind of looks like a scarecrow, huh?" "Well, I suppose." "This particular Vanir, its energy sprung from a 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?" "Son these are just legends we're discussing here." "Oh, of course." "Yeah, you're right." "Listen, thank you very much." "Glad I could help." "All right." "You do understand, Harley?" "All of us here, it's" "It's our responsibility to protect the town." "I understand." "Better than all of you." "I'm the one that gives them directions." "I'm the one that sends them down to the orchard." "Harley, please." "We all close our doors look the other way pretend we can't hear the screams." "But this is different." "This is murder." "It's angry with us." "Already the trees are beginning to die." "Tonight's the seventh night of the cycle." "Our last chance." "If the boy has to die, the boy has to die." "But why does it have to be her?" "Aunt Stacey, Uncle Harley, please." "Why are you doing this?" "For the common good." "Hey." "Our bus came in." "You better catch it." "l gotta go." "Go where?" "Burkitsville." "Sam." "Wait." "I've been calling my brother for the last three hours." "l'm getting his voicemail." "Maybe his phone's turned off." "No, that's not like him." "Meg, I think he might be in trouble." "What kind of trouble?" "l can't really explain right now." "I'm sorry." "I don't want you to miss your bus." "But I don't understand." "You're running back to your brother?" "The guy you ran away from?" "Why?" "Because he won't pick up his phone?" "Sam." "Come." "With me to California." "I can't. I'm sorry." "Why not?" "He's my family." "I don't understand." "They're gonna kill us?" "Sacrifice us." "Which is, I don't know, classier, I guess." "You really didn't know anything about this, did you?" "About what?" "The scarecrow god?" "I can't believe this." "Well, you better start believing, because I'm gonna need your help." "Okay." "Now, we can destroy the scarecrow, but we gotta find the tree." "What tree?" "Maybe you can help me with that." "It would be really old." "The locals would treat it with a lot of respect." "You know, like it was sacred." "There was this one apple tree." "The immigrants brought it over with them." "They call it the First Tree." "ls it in the orchard?" "Yeah, but I don't know where." "It's time." "How many people have you killed, sheriff?" "How much blood is on your hands?" "We don't kill them." "No, but you sure cover up after." "I mean, how many cars have you hidden, clothes have you buried?" "Uncle Harley, please." "I am so sorry, Em." "I wish it wasn't you." "Try to understand." "It's our responsibility." "And there's just no other choice." "There's nobody else but you." "I'm your family." "Sweetheart that's what sacrifice means." "Giving up something you love for the greater good." "The town needs to be saved." "The good of the many outweighs the good of the one." "I hope your apple pie is freaking worth it!" "So, what's the plan?" "I'm working on it." "You don't have a plan, do you?" "I'm working on it." "Can you see?" "What?" "ls he moving yet?" "I can't see." "Oh, my God." "Oh, my God!" "Dean?" "I take everything back I said." "I'm so happy to see you." "Come on." "How'd you get here?" "l, uh, stole a car." "Ha-ha-ha!" "That's my boy." "Keep an eye on that scarecrow." "He could come alive any minute." "What scarecrow?" "All right." "Now, this sacred tree you're talking about." "lt's the source of its power." "So let's burn it." "In the morning." "Let's just shag ass before Leatherface catches up." "This way." "Please let us go." "It'll be over quickly, I promise." "Please!" "Emily, you have to let him take you." "You have to" "Come on, come on." "Let's go." "Let me." "You know, the whole town's gonna die." "Good." "Think she's gonna be all right?" "I hope so." "And the rest of the townspeople, they'll just get away with it?" "What will happen to the town will have to be punishment enough." "So can I drop you off somewhere?" "No, I think you're stuck with me." "What made you change your mind?" "l didn't." "I still wanna find Dad." "And you're still a pain in the ass." "But Jess and Mom they're both gone." "Dad is God knows where." "You and me we're all that's left." "So, uh, if we're gonna see this through we're gonna do it together." "Hold me, Sam." "That was beautiful." "Come on." "You should be kissing my ass." "You were dead meat, dude." "Yeah, right. I had a plan." "I'd have gotten out." "Right." "So where to, pretty lady?" "How about you pull over?" "Okay." "That works." "What's that?" "I've got to make a call." "l got a cell you can use." "lt's not that kind of call." "Thanks for the ride." "It makes no sense." "I could have stopped Sam." "Hell, I could've taken them both." "Why let them go?" "Yes." "Yes, Father."