The wind whispered through the broken remains of the church.
Charred wood creaked softly as Dean and Ben climbed the hill toward the ruined building. The air smelled of smoke even though the fire had happened years ago.
Dean walked first, shotgun resting casually on his shoulder.
Ben followed a few steps behind, gripping a flashlight and Bobby's journal.
The church looked worse up close.
The roof had partially collapsed.
Blackened beams stuck out like broken bones, and the stained-glass windows had long since shattered.
Ben scanned the ground.
"You ever notice how every place we go to looks like it belongs in a horror movie?"
Dean pushed the old wooden door.
It groaned loudly as it opened.
"That's because it usually does."
They stepped inside.
Dust floated through thin rays of light coming from holes in the ceiling.
Rows of burned pews filled the room, many of them broken or overturned.
Ben opened the journal again.
"According to Bobby's notes, the fire happened twenty years ago."
Dean walked slowly between the pews.
"Electrical?"
Ben shook his head.
"Nope."
He read another line.
"Witnesses said the fire started during a midnight service."
Dean stopped walking.
"That's not creepy at all."
Ben continued reading.
"It also says the priest disappeared that same night."
Dean looked around the dark church.
"Let me guess. Never found the body."
Ben closed the journal.
"You're getting good at this."
Dean smirked.
"Runs in the family."
A sudden sound echoed from the back of the church.
A faint scraping noise.
Both men froze.
Ben whispered.
"Tell me that was a rat."
Dean slowly raised the shotgun.
"Big rat."
The noise came again.
Scrape.
Scrape.
From behind the altar.
Ben switched on his flashlight and pointed it forward.
The beam of light crossed the old altar…
And stopped.
Something moved behind it.
Dean took a step forward.
The shotgun clicked as he cocked it.
"Alright."
His voice echoed slightly in the empty church.
"We know you're in there."
Silence.
Then suddenly—
Something crawled out from behind the altar.
Ben's flashlight trembled slightly.
The creature looked almost human.
Almost.
Its skin was gray and cracked like burned stone.
Its eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
And its mouth stretched into a twisted smile.
Ben whispered.
"That… is definitely not a rat."
Dean kept the shotgun aimed.
"Nope."
The creature tilted its head slowly.
Then spoke with a dry, broken voice.
"Hunters…"
Ben stiffened.
"It talks."
Dean sighed.
"They always do."
The creature's smile widened.
"You came for the ashes."
Dean didn't lower the shotgun.
"Something like that."
The creature stepped forward.
The floor creaked beneath its weight.
"Too late."
Ben frowned.
"What does that mean?"
The creature raised a clawed hand.
The burned symbols on the walls suddenly began to glow faintly.
Dean muttered.
"Oh that's not good."
The creature whispered.
"This place belongs to me now."
The temperature inside the church dropped instantly.
Ben slowly reached for the knife at his belt.
Dean tightened his grip on the shotgun.
Then Dean smiled slightly.
"Yeah…"
He fired.
BOOM
The shotgun blast echoed through the church.
The creature slammed into a broken pew.
But it didn't stay down.
It slowly stood back up.
Ben blinked.
"Please tell me that wasn't our best weapon."
Dean pumped the shotgun again.
"Not even close."
The creature laughed softly.
A horrible cracking sound echoed as its bones shifted.
Then it lunged forward.
Dean and Ben moved at the same time.
The hunt had officially begun.