"Hey, don't forget the extra onions the time, huh?" Dean said.

Sam glanced at him. "Dude, Alana and I are the ones who are gonna have to ride in the car with your extra onions." Dean grinned and Sam got of the car with a sigh.

"Hey, see if they've got any pie." Sam glared and shut the door. "Bring me some pie! Love me some pie."

Dean watched Sam go into the café. Suddenly, Dean's car radio became staticky. He fiddled with the device before turning it off completely. When he looked back up, the inside of the café was empty. No waiter, no Sam.

Dean and Alana ran into the café. One customer at a booth was dead, face down in a puddle of blood.

"Sam?" Dean called. "Babe, stay close."

They took out their guns and he looked around while she listened. They found that the employees were dead, with their throats slit.

Dean opened the back door and looked outside. "Sam?!"

Alana joined Dean by the door and smelled a white substance on the door.

"Sulfur," Dean and Alana noted.

They raced back out the front door, heading back to the car.

"Sam!" Dean and Alana called. "Sammy! Sam? Sammy! Sam!"

UNKNOWN LOCATION

Sam woke up in the middle of nowhere. He was lying on the ground, and a few abandoned buildings lined the street. He stood and took out his phone, but had no cell reception.

Sam continued searching the deserted town, but didn't find much. Most of the buildings were broken down or locked from the inside. Suddenly, Sam heard a creaking noise from nearby. He grabbed a plank of wood, ready to fight, when Andy Gallagher turned the corner. He jumped back, startled.

"Andy?" Sam called.

"Sam!" Andy cried. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't know."

"What am I doing here?!"

"I don't know."

"Where are we?!"

"Andy, look, calm down."

"I can't calm down! I just woke up in freaking Frontierland!"

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"Honestly? My fourth bong load. It was weird. All of a sudden, there was this really intense smell. Like, uh..."

"Like sulfur?"

"How did you know that?"

Sam suddenly remembered something. "Dean. Alana."

"Your brother and friend -- are they here?"

"I don't know where they are. I don't know if they're..."

Suddenly, they heard a woman screaming in the distance. They approached another deserted building. She was locked inside, banging on the door for help.

"Hello?" Sam called.

"Help me! Help me, please!" The woman begged.

"Okay, I'm here. We're gonna get you out, all right? Just hold on a second."

"Please!"

Sam grabbed a large rock and smashed the padlock on the door. "All right, one second."

"Please!"

Sam unlocked the door and Ava Wilson stepped out. "Ava?"

"Oh my God! Sam!" She sobbed and gave him a gigantic hug.

"So, I guess you guys know each other," Andy said.

"Yeah," Sam confirmed.

"How did you -- I mean, how did you-" Ava stammered.

"Ava, have you been here this whole time?"

"What whole time? I just woke up in there, like, half an hour ago."

"Well, you've been gone for five months. My brother, friend and I have been looking for you everywhere."

"Okay, that's impossible, because I saw you two days ago."

"You didn't. I'm sorry."

"But... that makes no sense. That's not -- oh my God! My fiancé, Brady! If I've been missing for that long, he must be freaking out!"

"Well..."

Ava noticed Andy and looked at him, confused.

"Hey. Andy. Also freaking out," Andy told her.

"Okay." Ava turned back to Sam. "What's happening?"

"I don't really know yet," Sam replied. "But I know one thing: I know what the three of us have in common."

They heard a man's voice, calling from the distance.

"Hello?" a man called. "Is anybody there?"

"Maybe more than three."

They ran to the side of another building to see two more people; Jake and Lily.

"Hello? Hey! Hey, are you guys all right?" Sam asked.

"I think so,' Jake replied.

"I'm Sam."

"I'm Jake."

"Lily," Lily said.

"Are there anymore of you?" Sam questioned.

"No," Jake answered.

"How did we even get here?" Lily wondered. "A minute ago, I was in San Diego."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I went to sleep last night in Afghanistan."

"Let me take a wild guess; you two are both 23? We all are. And we have abilities," Sam told them.

"What?"

"It started a little over a year ago? You found you could do things? Things you didn't think were possible?" The two nodded. "I have visions. I see things before they happen."

"Yeah. Me too," Ava said.

"Yeah, and I can put thoughts into people's heads," Andy added. "Like, make them do stuff. But don't worry. I don't think it works on you guys. Oh, but get this -- I've been practicing. Training my brain, like meditation. So now, it's not just thoughts I can beam out, but images, too. Like, anything I want. Bam! People see it. This one guy I know -- a total dick, right? I used it on him: gay porn. All hours of the day." He laughed. "It was just like... you should have seen the look on his face." The other four looked completely horrified. "Uh... okay."

"So, you go, "Simon says give me your wallet", and they do?" Lily asked, turning to Sam. "You have visions? That's great! I'd kill for something like that."

"Lily, listen, it's okay," Sam reassured.

"No. It's not. I touch people? Their hearts stop. I can barely leave my house. My life's not exactly improved. So, screw you. I just wanna go home."

"And what, we don't?" Jake shot back.

"You know what, don't talk to me like that-"

"Hey, guys, please," Sam said. "Look, whether we like it or not, we're all here, and so we all have to deal with this."

"Who brought us here?" Andy asked.

"It's less of a "who". It's more of a "what"."

"What does that mean?" Ava questioned.

Sam paused then replied, "It's a demon."

HIGHWAY

Bobby, Dean and Alana were parked on the side of the road, poring over a map.

"This is it," Bobby said. "All demonic signs and omens over the past month."

"Are you joking? There's nothing here," Dean replied.

"Exactly."

Alana frowned. "Well, come on, there's gotta be something. What about the normal, low-level stuff? You know, exorcisms, that kind of thing."

Bobby glanced at her. "That what I'm telling you two; there's nothing. It's completely quiet."

"Well how are we supposed to look for Sam?" Dean asked. "What, do we just close our eyes and point?" His phone rang; it was Ash calling from the Roadhouse. "Ash, what have you got?"

"Okay, listen, it's a big negatory on Sam."

"Oh, come on, man! You've gotta give us something. We're looking at a 3,000 mile haystack here."

"Listen, Dean, I did find something."

"Well what?" Dean and Alana pressed.

"I can't talk over this line, Dean, Alana."

"Come on, we don't have time for this!" Dean exclaimed.

"Make time, okay? Because this-" He stopped as a customer walked by. "What's up? What's going on?" The customer passed by and Ash went back to Dean. "Not only does this almost definitely help you two find your brother/friend, this is... it's huge. So get here. Now." He hung up.

"I guess we're going to the Roadhouse. Come on."

UNKNOWN LOCATION

"So, we're soldiers in a demon war to bring on the Apocalypse?" Jake asked.

"When you put it like that-" Sam began.

"And we've been picked?"

"Yes."

"Why us?"

"I'm not sure, okay? But look, I just know-"

Ava cut him off. "Sam, I'm sorry. Psychics and spoon-bending is one thing, but demons?"

"Look, I know it sounds crazy, but-"

"It doesn't just sound it," Jake interrupted.

"I don't really care what you think, okay? If we're all gathered here together, then that means it's starting and that we've gotta-"

"The only thing I've gotta do is stay away from whackjobs, okay? I've heard enough. I'm better off on my own. FYI, so are you."

"Jake, hold on. Jake!"

Jake ignored him and continued walking until he was alone in town. Suddenly, he saw a little girl standing inside one of the buildings. She stared at him through the door, then vanished. Jake followed her, entering the abandoned schoolroom.

"Hello?" Jake called as the girl giggled somewhere in the room. "It's all right. Don't be scared. Are you lost?" There was no response. "Hello?"

He heard screeching coming from the chalkboard. He turned to look at it, and the words "I will not kill" were written over and over again on the board. The girl appeared in the room, laughing. Her nails grew to form claws and her face contorted.

"Get back!" Jake yelled.

Sam suddenly entered the building, grabbed an iron poke and hit the girl with it. She dissolved into a cloud of black smoke, which exited the schoolroom. The other three joined Jake and Sam.

"Just so you know? That was a demon," Sam told them. "Now, that thing -- I'm not sure, but I think hit was an Acheri. A demon that disguises itself as a little girl. That still doesn't tell us where we are. Andy, are you with me or what?"

Andy, in a stunned tone said, "Give me a minute. I'm still working through, "Demons are real"."

The group kept walking. In front of one of the buildings was a large, rusty bell hanging from a wooden structure.

"I've seen that bell before," Sam realized. "I think I know where we are now: Cold Oak, South Dakota. A town so haunted, every single resident fled."

"Swell," Ava commented. "Good to know we're somewhere so historical."

"Why in the world would that demon or whatever put us here?" Lily asked.

"I'm wondering the same thing," Sam replied.

"You know what? It doesn't matter. Clearly, the only sane thing to do here is get the hell out of Dodge."

"Wait, hold on. Lily, the only way out is through miles of woods."

"Beats hanging out with demons."

"Lily, look, we don't know what's going on yet. I mean, we don't even know how many of them are out there right now."

"Yeah, he's right," Jake agreed. "We should-"

"Don't say "we"!" Lily argued. "I'm not part of "we". I have nothing in common with any of you."

"Okay, look, I know-" Sam was cut off.

"You don't know anything!" She paused. "I accidentally touched my girlfriend."

The rest of them looked around, stunned before Sam apologized, "I'm sorry."

"Whatever. I feel like I'm in a nightmare, and it just keeps getting worse and worse."

"I've lost people, too. I have a brother and best friend right now that could be dead, for all I know. We're all in bad shape. But I'm telling you, the best way out of this is to stick together."

"Fine."

Sam nodded and the group continued looking around the town.

"We're looking for iron, silver, salt -- any kind of weapon," Sam told them.

"Salt is a weapon?" Jake questioned.

"It's a brave new world."

"Well, hopefully there's food in your world, because I'm frickin' starving," Andy said.

They entered another building. Lily looked like she was about to follow, but stayed behind. She wandered off on her own, away from the group.

IMPALA

Dean, Bobby and Alana turned the corner to the Roadhouse. When they got there, they saw that the entire building had been burned to the ground.

"What the hell?" Dean asked.

They got out of the car and began walking among the debris. Every single part of the Roadhouse had been destroyed.

"Oh, my God," Bobby said.

"God," Alana whispered as her nose scruncher at the smell. "Dean?"

Dean took her hand and squeezed it. "I'm here, baby." He glanced at Bobby. "You see Ellen?"

"No," Bobby replied. "No Ash, either."

Alana bent down, felt around and grabbed Ash's watch in the pile of rubble, and frowned. Dean knelt next to her and pulled on it, seeing that it was still attached to Ash's very burnt corpse.

"Oh, Ash, damn it!" Dean cried.

COLD OAK, SOUTH DAKOTA

Lily was walking through the woods, trying to find a way out, when she suddenly heard the little girl giggling. She continued walking, trying to ignore it.

Sam was searching one of the abandoned houses. He found a knife and picked it up. He turned to Ava, who was massaging her head.

"Hey are you all right?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I'm just... I don't know, a little dizzy," Ava replied.

"Are you sure it's not some kind of-"

"What? Some kind of freaky vision thing? No, more like I'd kill for a sandwich. I haven't eaten since... well, who knows? No, don't worry. I'm fine. Except for every single thing that's happening."

"You guys! I found something!" Andy called.

Sam and Ava joined the two men.

Andy held up two bags. "Salt!"

"That's great, Andy," Sam said. "Now, we all can... where's Lily?"

"Lily?" Ava repeated.

"Lily!"

They suddenly heard the little girl giggling nearby. The four of them walked outside. At the top of the water tower, Lily was hanging from a noose, dead."

"Oh, my God!" Ava cried. "Okay, that's officially -- Sam, she's dead! She's dead! You said we were chosen for a reason. That is not chosen! That's killed! Okay, we have to get out of here."

"Stop," Sam said.

"Yeah, I second that notion," Andy agreed.

"Not sure that's an option," Jake told them.

"What?" Ava questioned.

"Lily was trying to leave," Sam explained. "The demon's not gonna let us get away that easy. We've gotta gear up for the next attack."

"Oh, gear up?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

"Okay, well, I'm not a soldier. I can't do that!"

"Well, if you wanna stay alive, you're gonna have to. Let's go."

"I'll get her down," Jake offered.

"You know, I was just thinking about how much Dean and Alana would help right now. I'd give my arm for a working phone."

Andy realized something. "You know, you may not need one. I've never tried it long-distance before, but do you have anything of Dean's or Alana's on you? Like, something they touched?"

Sam searched his pockets. "Uh... I've got a receipt. Would that work?"

"Yeah." He looked at the signature on the receipt. "D. Hasselhoff?"

"Yeah, that's Dean's signature." He paused a beat. "It's hard to explain."

"All right."

ROADHOUSE

"This is..." Bobby trailed.

"What the hell did Ash know?" Dean wondered. "We've got no way of knowing where Ellen is. Or if she's even alive. We've got no cue what Ash was gonna tell us. Now, how the hell are we gonna find Sam?"

"We'll find him," Alana reassured.

Suddenly, Dean clutched his head in pain.

"Dean?" Bobby called.

Dean groaned and doubled over. He saw an image of the Cold Oak bell briefly.

"What was that?" Bobby asked.

"I don't know. A headache?"

"You get headaches like that a lot?"

"No. Must be the stress." He chuckled. "I could have sworn I saw something."

Alana tilted her head. "What do you mean? Like a vision? Like what Sam gets?"

"What? No!"

"I'm just saying, love."

"Come on, I'm not some psychic."

Suddenly, the vision came back. Dean fell against the car in pain. He saw another image, this time of Sam.

"Dean? Dean!" Bobby called. "Are you with us?"

"Yeah, I think so. I saw Sam. I saw him, Bobby. I saw him, babe."

"It was a vision."

"Yeah. I don't know how, but yeah. Whew. That was about as fun as getting kicked in the jewels."

"What else did you see?" Alana asked.

"Uh... there was a bell."

"What kind of bell?"

"Like a big bell with some kind of engraving on it, I don't know."

"Engraving?" Bobby repeated.

"Yeah."

"Was it a tree? Like, an oak tree?"

"Yeah, exactly."

"I know where Sam is."

COLD OAK, SOUTH DAKOTA

Jake and Sam were in a barn, trying to break some of the iron bars off one of the machines. Jake grabbed one of the bars and ripped it off with his bare hands. Sam stared at him, stunned.

"I'm not Superman or anything," Jake stated. "It's not big deal."

"You were in Afghanistan when this started?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I stared getting headaches. And then there was this accident. This guy flipped his vehicle on a bad road. He got pinned underneath. I lifted it off him like it was nothing. Everybody said it was a fluke adrenaline thing."

"But then you did it again, right?"

"Bench-pressed 800 pounds, stone-cold calm. I never told anybody, of course. It was just too crazy."

"Yeah. Crazy's relative."

"I'm starting to get that."

"Yeah."

"By the way, I appreciate what you're doing here."

"What am I doing?"

"Keeping calm. Keeping them calm. Especially considered how freaked to hell you really are. I've been in some deep crap before myself. I know the look."

After a long pause, Sam continued. "You wanna know the truth? I've got this brother and friend, right? And he's always telling me how he's gonna watch out for us, she'll always watch out for me, everything's gonna be okay. You know, kind of like I've been telling them."

"Yeah?"

"I don't know if I believe it this time. I mean, the size of what's coming -- it's bigger than anyone has ever seen. I mean, it's gonna get bad. And I don't know if-"

"If we're gonna make it? It doesn't matter if we believe it. Only matters that they do."

Later, Sam and Ava were in one of the houses lining the doors and windows with salt.

"My horoscope said I shouldn't have gotten out of bed." Ava scoffed. "How you doing? Holding up?"

"I'm okay," Sam replied. "What about you?"

"Not so okay. Why us, Sam? What did we do to deserve this?"

"Just lucky, I guess."

"If it wasn't for bad luck, we'd have no luck at all. I just can't wait for this all to be over so I can just pretend it never happened. I just wanna curl up with Brady and watch bad TV." She noticed Sam shift uncomfortably. "What is it? Sam... do you know something that I don't?"

"Look, Ava... I'm sorry. I wish I didn't have to tell you this."

"Tell me what?"

"When the demon broke into your house to take you... your fiancé didn't make it. I'm sorry."

"No, that's... no!" Sam held her as she sobbed.

That night, the entire group was sitting in one room, silent. Sam was struggling to stay awake, periodically closing his eyes. Suddenly, in the corner of the room, he saw the Yellow-Eyed Demon.

"Jake!" Sam called. "Behind you!" Jake didn't hear him.

"Howdy, Sam," the Yellow-Eyed Demon greeted.

"I'm dreaming."

"What do you say you and I take a little walk?" He led Sam outside. "You're awfully quiet, Sam. You're not mad at me, are you?"

"I'm gonna tear you to shreds, I swear to-"

The Yellow-Eyed Demon chuckled. "When you wake up, tiger, you give it your best shot."

"Where's my brother and friend?"

"Quit worrying about Dean and Saoirse. I'd worry more about yourself."

"Why? You gonna kill me?"

"I'm trying to help you. That's why we're talking. You're the one I'm rooting for."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Welcome to the Miss America pageant. Why do you think you're here? This is a competition. Only one of you crazy kids is gonna make it out of here alive."

"I thought we were supposed to be-"

"Soldiers in a coming war? That's true. You are. But here's the thing: I don't need soldiers. I need soldier. I just need the one."

"Why?"

"Well, I couldn't just come out and say that, could I, Sam? I had to let everyone thing they