The Winchesters

John.

March 23rd, 1972.

The day Dad came home from the war.

And the day he met Mom.

Now, I know this story might sound familiar.

But I'm gonna put the pieces together in a way that just might surprise you.

And in order to do that,

I have to start all the way at the beginning.

Oh!

I'm so sorry.

No, no, no. It's totally my fault.

Artist?

Girl's gotta have her hobbies.

Got you good, didn't I?

I can take a hit.

- Sorry, I should've watched where I was going. - Me too.

- How was the movie? - I didn't see it. I just came for the snacks.

But I'm pretty sure the book was better.

Licorice drops.

Nice choice.

I haven't seen these in...

two years.

They're on the house.

I'll see you around, soldier boy.

Love what you've done with the place.

My husband and son walked out on me, so this is the best I could do.

Damn it.

Welcome home, kiddo.

What?

I'm legal now.

As far as I'm concerned, you are the same age as when you illegally joined the Marines.

I had a waiver.

By forging your dad's signature.

Two years gone, and look at you.

I'm fine, Mom.

The hell you are.

You've been chasing your dad since he walked out.

I know that's why you enlisted.

But it is time to let the past go, kiddo.

So, what are you gonna do next?

Hand over the key, Slick.

And I'll kill you quick.

What the hell?

I'm so sorry.

Stop helping.

Where is my father?

Daddy's missing.

He's gonna end up in hell like the rest of your kin.

Maggie's down there now,

burning so bright.

What was that?

His eyes were black, and then smoke...

- Smoke just came out of his mouth. - Take a deep breath. Just breathe.

That was a demon.

From hell.

The water inside that tank, I had it blessed. Holy water hurts them.

And the Latin...

It was for an exorcism.

Wait, what about him?

He's gone.

Some can be saved after possessions, but demons don't tend to treat their hosts well.

Is that what happened to Maggie?

Demons try to get in your head, say things to mess with you.

Okay.

I know this has been a lot,

but tell me what the hell you were doing here.

Me? What about you?

When I got back from Nam, a man that I'd never met gave me this.

Then he just disappeared. Like, vanished.

This is a letter from my dad. It's the first I've heard from him in 15 years.

It said if I got this, then...

It said if I got this, then he's gone, and if I want answers about it,

then I had to come to this address.

And based on what you asked the, um, demon...

you're looking for your dad too, right?

Come with me.

Well, you're not exactly who I thought you were.

Neither are you. Is it too late to ask for my licorice back?

I ate it all in one sitting.

Man after my own stomach.

So the snacks were for...

A stakeout. Not a lot of great food options in this place.

So, what did bring you here?

My dad called me from the road.

Said he was being followed by demons, and he'd meet me at home.

But he never showed. He wanted a schematic from inside this place.

A schematic? What for?

Some kind of box.

I tried getting inside, but the lock is magically sealed.

Whoa, wait, magic is real too?

It's all real.

Judging by the color,

guessing that's your artwork?

It's a Devil's Trap.

Would've stopped the demon right in his tracks, if he made it this far.

Okay, listen.

I need to find my dad, and the only lead I have on him is inside this place.

I'm gonna need you to use that key you're hiding in your back pocket.

Okay, look, there's answers in there for the both of us.

Though, to be honest, I have a whole lot more questions now.

That's why the demon didn't possess you.

It's an anti-possession charm.

Right.

Of course it is.

This a normal night for you?

- Since I was a kid, yeah. - Right.

- And you were raised to be...? - A hunter.

Of demons.

And all kinds of monsters.

Was my dad a hunter? Did you ever hear of Henry Winchester?

No, sorry.

Maybe he was one of these paranormal Freemasons.

There's no such thing.

Are you sure? Look at this symbol on the envelope.

Big Freemason vibes.

I'm telling you, there's no such thing.

You're a lot of fun, you know that?

What is this place?

A clubhouse?

We've lived in Lawrence for years.

No idea it even existed.

Hey, who are the Men of Letters?

I don't know.

But judging by the amount of dust covering everything,

they're out of business.

"H-E-W."

Henry Eric Winchester. This is my dad's locker.

Do you need to borrow my picks?

We had a lock just like it on our shed.

Combination's my birthday.

When I was a kid, I, um...

thought there was a monster under my bed.

My dad used to say, uh...

"Don't worry, son.

I know how to trap it."

I went halfway across the world trying to figure him out,

why he left or what he did.

Turns out...

the truth was right here.

This is it.

What did you find?

What my dad was looking for.

But no sign of him.

What did he say when he called?

That he tracked down someone named Ada Monroe.

She gave him this address, said to grab this file.

I don't know what this box is for. I just know Dad didn't sound like himself.

How did he sound?

Afraid.

Could you just wait a minute?

I still have like a million questions.

Most importantly,

what's your name?

You don't want any part of this life.

I promise you.

Let the past stay in the past.

It's John, by the way.

John Winchester.

Go home, soldier boy.

How did you find me?

That's what I do.

Or what I did in the Marines.

You are not the only person that I found.

"Witnesses saw black smoke, but there were no signs of fire on the premises.

Ada Monroe, owner of a rare bookstore in Lubbock, Texas,

has been missing since last evening."

That's gotta be the Ada you're looking for, right?

Dad said he was in Lubbock.

Great, let's get down there.

You're like a dog with a bone.

And coffee.

Come on, Texas awaits.

- I told you. I'm trying to protect you. - Okay.

Ada knew where the clubhouse was, right?

So I don't know, maybe... Maybe she knew my father too.

She's the only lead either one of us has on our dads, right?

So looking into Ada's a win-win for both of us.

Your dad kept all this from you for a reason.

Yeah, and I hate him for that.

But I love him, you know?

I figured you like your coffee the same as your worldview.

Black as night.

I'm Mary.

It's nice to officially meet you, Mary.

Library? What are we doing here?

Knowledge is power.

I need some iron and buckshot.

Good morning to you too, Mary.

Who's your friend?

John, Latika. Latika, John.

My friends call me Lata.

I don't have a lot of friends.

Not sure why I just volunteered that.

Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Lata.

Hey.

You ever hear of the Men of Letters or Ada Monroe?

No, and nope.

What is this?

Some ancient box. It's all I have to go on to find my dad.

- You're great at puzzles. Can you figure it out? - Maybe.