Episode 36: Blinding Lights and Beachfront Diners

Aubrey Lance, S.S. (Supernatural Sleuth) -- Season 1, Episode 36: Blinding Lights & Beachfront Diners

Collin called Lockley, who was just wrapping up practice, and a few minutes later she was standing with Dad, Mr. Pierce, Collin, and me just outside the AV room in the darkened library. 

“If you’re wanting to keep up appearances, it’s best if I head home as usual,” Mr. Pierce told Dad and me. “But I’ll be here if you need me.” He handed my dad a paper with his phone number on it. 

My dad took the paper and nodded. “Thank you for your help, and for being so supportive of my daughter. Of both of my daughters.”

Mr. Pierce smiled. “Of course.” He crossed the library and headed out via his usual back exit toward the faculty parking lot.

Dad turned to the rest of us. “Speaking of appearances… Aubrey, you and the others should go back out to the field and head home as you usually do. I’ll call Arch and meet you at the house. We’ll go to the gulf from there.” 

Lockley, Collin, and I used the internal door to exit back into the school hallway, where we could head back toward the football field and then the student parking lot. We heard Dad lock the library door behind us. 

“So how’s he going to get home?” Collin asked, then it seemed to dawn on him. “Oh. Right. He’s calling Travel-Man.” 

“Probably.” I shrugged. “It’s how he got here.” 

Lockley turned to me. “I’m going to need you to explain the details,” she said with a raised eyebrow. 

I nodded at her. “We’ll tell you everything on the drive home.” 

***

We arrived home a few minutes later, having filled Lockley in on everything on the drive. 

Lockley parked in our driveway, then she and Collin headed toward the house with me as they often did in the afternoons—at least lately. 

When we entered the living room, both my parents and Trenchcoat Man were already there, waiting for us on the couch. 

My parents stood. 

“You ready?” my dad asked. I assumed he’d filled Mom in on what was going on. 

I drew a breath. “Yes.” I wasn’t sure what we might find at the beach, but I knew I needed to try.

I looked at Trenchcoat Man. “Are you coming, too?” I hadn’t expected him to join us.

“Your father thought it might be more convenient to travel to the beach than to drive there,” he said. 

I glanced at my dad, who raised an eyebrow at me—as if questioning why I’d even asked. 

“Right,” I said. “Good point.” 

“Well then,” Trenchcoat Man said, glancing around at us. “Shall we?” 

My mom gripped my dad’s arm nervously. “I’ve never gotten used to the feel of this,” she explained when I glanced at her. 

“Let’s do this,” my father said. 

Trenchcoat Man clapped—and after a flash of blinding light, we were all standing in the sand just under the raised dock of the beachfront diner. 

“I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to that,” my mom muttered. 

I shared the sentiment. 

Trenchcoat Man had portaled us to a strategic position where we were hidden from the sight of any random beachgoers… not that there were any at the moment. The thick, dark clouds hovering low over the gulf heralded a monster of a thunderstorm heading our way, and the wind was already picking up, intensifying the waves. Anyone who had been on the beach must have already taken cover. 

It was also very near the spot where witnesses had reported last seeing Emery, that night… though I wasn’t sure if that was intentional on Trenchcoat Man’s part or just coincidence.

“That looks gnarly,” Collin said, peering out toward the waves crashing against the rocky shore a few yards out from us. “How long do you think til the storm hits?” 

Before anyone could speculate, three Harris’ hawks swooped in under the dock, and a moment later, Tory, Meredith, and Jillian were standing in front of us. 

“You’re coming, too?” Collin asked—a little rudely, but it had been a long day. 

“I asked them to,” Trenchcoat Man said. 

Tory smiled at me. “We brought a little something from Madame Sava’s old stash we heard you might need.” She held out her palm, showing me an ornately carved, circular metal box. It looked kind of like a small pill-case. “Here,” she said. “Open it.” 

I took the small box and pushed the lid open. Inside the circular interior was a velvet-padded indentation holding a tiny hourglass—a gold-sand-filled hourglass. I looked up at her, and then at Trenchcoat Man. “Thank you.” 

“That’s the right one, yes?” Trenchcoat Man asked. 

I cupped the box carefully with my hands and nodded. “I hope so.”  

I knew Emery’s clues had led me here, but what was I supposed to do now?

I’d come here with a half-cocked plan built from an untrained magical gift and a hunch, hoping my intuition would take the reins once I got here. 

Now it was time to see if my instincts would pay off. 

“I don’t sense magic here,” Trenchcoat Man said, glancing at my dad. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean anything.” 

“You lead, Aubrey,” my dad said. “Where do we go from here?” 

“This is near where Emery was last seen,” I said. “I think I’m supposed to flip the hourglass near where she disappeared. Right here might even be close enough.” 

My parents glanced at each other, then nodded. 

“Go ahead,” my dad said. 

An expectant silence fell over the group. 

I stared down at the hourglass in my hands… and I was honestly terrified. I didn’t know what illusion Emery meant for me to dispel, but it was possible today might be the day we finally found out what happened to her that night… or what had happened to Chloe. 

Would I be able to handle what we found? 

Dad crossed over to me, facing me, and Mom joined beside him. 

When I looked up at my dad, his gaze was steady. “Emery left this trail of clues for you, Aubrey,” he said, “and you figured them out. You should be the one to do this. Take your time, but flip it whenever you’re ready. If we don’t find what you’re hoping for here, though—” 

My mom reached for my hand.

I drew a long breath. I’d spent years trying to figure out my dreams, years knowing in my gut that the surface story about what happened to Emery didn’t make sense. Now I finally had a chance to learn what actually happened. I was terrified… but I couldn’t turn back now. 

I lifted the hourglass carefully from its indentation with one hand, then looked up to meet my parents’ gazes. “The truth is what it is,” I said, “and whatever it is, I’d rather know.” 

My mom’s eyes teared up. “So would I, sweetheart. So would I.” She pulled me into a hug. “I’m so very proud of you. Whatever we find here, we’ll face it together.” 

I nodded and hugged her back, breathing in her familiar scent as my head rested on her shoulder. It was comforting.

When she pulled away, I found everyone watching me expectantly… but it was Collin’s and Lockley’s steady gazes that made me want to tear up all over again. They’d followed me down the rabbit hole, and never once wavered. 

I turned to face them. “You both helped me figure this out. I think we should flip the hourglass together.” 

“Oh, no, I couldn’t,” Lockley said, but Collin was already on his way over to me. 

“I’m not going to pass up a chance to flip a magical hourglass,” he said with a cheeky grin… but his eyes said something deeper. “You need me, I’m here,” he muttered as he stepped close to me.

I looked up at him, and it was clear he meant that. It wasn’t about the fun of flipping the hourglass—he’d seen I was nervous, and he was having my back. 

My voice caught in my throat. “Thank you,” I whispered to him.

He placed his hand over mine that held the hourglass. His touch was warm and instantly steadied my nerves. 

Lockley headed over to us. “You two flip, but I’m right here,” she said, meeting my eyes. 

“Thank you,” I told her, too. 

I didn’t deserve friends like them. 

I glanced up at everyone else and found them watching expectantly. “Thank you all for following my crazy ideas and coming with me here,” I said, then let out a nervous laugh. “I hope I haven’t wasted everyone’s time.” 

“Following a lead is never a waste of time,” Trenchcoat Man said, which was surprisingly reassuring. 

I gave him a nod, then turned back to Collin. “You ready?” 

He tightened his hand over mine and nodded. “When you are.” 

I drew a breath. “One, two, three—flip.” 

We flipped the hourglass over. 

Golden sand bled rapidly from the top toward the bottom. 

Collin dropped my hand, looking around. 

“Is anything happening?” I asked. I glanced around at the water, then turned back the opposite way, toward the dunes.  

For a moment, it seemed nothing was happening. Everything looked the same as before. 

Then, Trenchcoat Man let out a grunt. “That, I was not expecting,” he said, pointing toward the waves.

I spun back toward the water, and my heart nearly stopped in my chest. 

There, rising up out of the gulf about a hundred yards out, was a massive, hulking, seaweed-covered monster.

***

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