Daughter of Heaven (WIP - On Hiatus)

Chapter 74 - Too close for comfort

When Dean and Allegra arrived at the expo site in the late afternoon, they found the place abandoned. Though it helped to not have any visitors if things went sideways, it also meant whatever they were dealing with had free rein to mess with them. Neither wanted to take any chances, so they made sure the few weapons Allegra had taken along with her when she left Sam were fully loaded. 
The moment they set foot in the first hall, Dean noticed the chill in the air. His breath came out in little puffs, and his lips tasted salty. He glimpsed at his girlfriend. Allegra's body language was tense, and her eyes carefully searched her surroundings as her flashlight briefly illuminated the objects in the glass cases. 

"You pickin' up on something?" he asked.

She said nothing, but nodded. Holding his flashlight over his gun, Dean stalked behind Allegra, casting quick glances at the displays. Every item glistened through the glass. Had he come to the expo under different circumstances, he might've appreciated the artefacts more. Though he'd always had a thing for the Wild West, Dean couldn't deny that pirates and buccaneers were just as awesome.
In the back of his mind lingered a memory from when he was a toddler and Sam hadn't been born yet. The Winchesters had dressed up as pirates for Halloween. Dean remembered running around the yard with his toy sword to challenge all those who dared to come near their home — or rather, their ship — and his father getting a little too much into character with his enormous hat and eye-patch on. His mother had staged a mutiny with the neighboring kids and made them both walk the plank, right into the kiddie pool.
A smile crept up the corners of his mouth as he imagined Allegra as a fierce pirate lady. She'd rock the look. Not to mention, she'd be smoking hot. Maybe he could convince her to dress like that next Halloween. He hadn't celebrated since Sam was little, and he was certain Allegra hadn't either since Gabriel left her. They'd both been through too much to pretend the monsters weren't real, but they were living a fairly mundane life now. And there was the plus of having lots of yummy candy during Halloween. So... why the hell not?

"You know, it doesn't need to be Halloween for me to dress up. I'd be down for a little roll-play if you're game." 

Dean blinked when Allegra's voice broke the eerie silence. He questioningly cocked his head at her. She threw him a playful grin. Ah, of course. 

"God, I really ruined you," snickered Dean. 

All of a sudden, the clear chiming of a bell resonated around them. Dean halted at the sound. A shiver ran down his spine. Did it... get colder? 

"You heard that too, right?" he asked Allegra. 

"Uhu," she said. "You see anything?" 

Dean looked around but found nothing that even remotely resembled a bell. He exchanged a glance with Allegra before slowly continuing. A breeze swept through the hall. Soft thudding, like the rigging of a ship gently bumping against the sails, made Dean look up. There were no ropes or sails in sight. There weren't even any windows. 
The hairs on the nape of Dean's back rose as every single hunter instinct he possessed was on high alert. He inched closer to Allegra. If it came to needing a quick getaway, he'd have to rely on her powers.  

"What's that?" 

Dean looked to where Allegra was pointing her flashlight. A skull lay in the middle of their path. It stared up at them with empty eyes. The bell he heard before chimed again, louder this time. 

"Okay, I'm officially creeped out," said Dean. 

"That makes two of us," agreed Allegra.

"Let's scram and come back when we have more intel."

Dean grabbed Allegra's outstretched hand and waited for her to zap them out to the car, but nothing happened. She met his inquiring gaze, and then pinched her eyes closed. Her nose scrunched in concentration. If they weren't trying to make a break for it, Dean would find her expression adorable. Unfortunately, it just upped his anxiety.