Werewolves Eat Salads and Vampires Drink Sprite

Dean: Sammy! (throws car keys onto coffee table and stares at the dog sleeping on one of the beds)

Sam: Yeah? (pops head out of the bathroom)

Dean: What's with the dog? And I hope it's sleeping on your bed.

Sam: (shrugs as he walks out of the bathroom) He just followed me back.

Dean: From where?

Sam: The library. He was hiding in the newspaper storage area. The librarian apparently hadn't noticed him, even when I lead him outside.

Dean: I thought cats and bookworms live in libraries?

Sam: Listen Dean, I researched the newspapers to see if I could find anything to link withwhat's been happening at the construction yard. Forty something years ago the town was named a historical site because of the numerous discoveries in ancient Native artifacts.

Dean: So what? You think they're digging up some ancient burial ground and disturbing spirits? Again?

Sam: I did at first, but it wouldn't explain for what happened fifteen years ago. A company had gotten a permit to build a small store an...

Dean: That's what they're doing now!

Sam: Yea and they've hired archeologists like they did fifteen years ago too. But, fifteen years ago, the project was stopped just after a month due to accidental deaths. The local Natives said the construction had disturbed a sacred spirit. According to a scientist they had brought in, the forest was growing back over the construction lot at a stiff-ling rate. A week after the project stopped some of the construction workers and archeologists who disappeared came back.

Dean: So it's probably an avenging spirit causing the current abductions.

Sam: I guess.

Dean: What?

Sam: It's odd. I couldn't go back through news papers from sixteen to twenty years ago.

Dean: (shrugs) So? You find anything else?

Sam: A man named Philip Redtree seems to be the focal point of the press right now. He's being blamed by the construction company for what's been happening to the equipment and for scaring off the workers. Apparently, Redtree leads a local group of conservationists against the company. He commented recently that the construction company has angered an ancient forest spirit.

Dean: Well all right then! (scoops car keys off the coffee table and heads towards the door before turning to look at Sam) We should probably go talk to this Mr…

Sam: Redtree.

Dean: Right! (scene shifts to a small wooden house with the bros standing in front of an elderly man) Mr. Redtree? (smiles)

Philip: Can I help you boys?

Sam: (smiles) Ah… We're with a conservation group from out of town and we heard about your case against the construction company trying to develop a shopping plaza in your town.

Dean: We just want to see if we can help.

Philip: Oh! Come in, please! (leads them in) I appreciate you boys being interested in helping my town. Uh, what group are you from?

Sam: We're from the ah, "Heron Helpers". A small local group like yours.

Dean: That's right! Save the trees!

Sam: (gives Dean a quick look before turning back to Mr. Redtree) Our main theme. Birds are tied with the forest too.

Philip: That's right! The number of birds who are on the verge of extinction because of the loss of their forest homes is increasing!

Sam: (nods, eyes flickering to an object on the mantle) You ah, believe in forest spirits? (points to a miniature totem on the mantel)

Philip: (smiles as he looks fondly at the totem) More than ever. (looks back at Sam and Dean) When I was a boy my grandfather told me the legend of the Living Tree. He said that our ancestors were driven from their homeland because of famine and was looking for a place to settle when they found the now surrounding forest. Unfortunately, there was a forest spirit that would not aloud our ancestors to settle. So, the wise chief and his sister, the medicine woman, set out to save our people and trapped the spirit in a tree. My people have left offerings at the tree for centuries, to honor the spirit. Eighteen years ago, the tree was cut down and the spirit was freed. That's when I began to believe my grandfathers legend. When ever a part of the forest is destroyed, the spirit becomes angry. That is why I must decline your offer to help. In fact, I insist that you return to your town before you are trapped here.

Sam: Trapped?

Dean: What do you mean?

Philip: You see, eighteen years ago a construction company was hired to build some new houses and…What's that! (squints at a window behind the bros to see the dog Sam had found earlier peering thorough the window. Sam and Dean whirl around to see the dog turn away from the window and take off)

Dean: Didn't we leave that dog at the motel?

Philip: I have a feeling the spirit is spying on you. Perhaps it is best you leave now. (ushers them out of the house) You're work in conserving the forest shall save you! (slams the door and locks it)

Dean: Right.

Sam: Now what?

Dean: (gets into his car and starts the engine as Sam climbs into the passenger side. He turns towards his brother with a smile.) Lunch!

(They drive to the local bar and order burgers and beer. They remain quiet at their table (Dean giving the occasional glance towards a pretty woman) hoping to overhear something useful towards their case.)

Man at the bar near their table: So I told 'em that if one mo' thin broke I'd send da law at 'em! Can yous believe that Redtree feller?

(Dean and Sam exchange glances before Dean takes one more slug of his beer and saunters over towards the man)

Dean: (taps guys shoulder) Excuse me! (smiles as guy turns around with a ticked off look) Hi!

Man: (snarls) What da ya want?

Dean: Well I heard you talking about that Redtree guy and I…

Man: (raising voice) Wha? You one of his freaky, hippie followers!

Dean: Reporter, actually.

Man: (lowers voice) Oh.

Dean: I couldn't help overhear your complaint against Mr. Redtree.

Man: Yeah? And I got plenty more too! (points to friends who are listing in their drinks) Ma friends an I, we works for that construction company an Mr. Redtrees dar, well he comes 'round an he starts talking all crazy like a – a-

Dean: Drunk?

Man: Yeah! (cracks a smile) An he's all, he says, he says you boys are disturbin da peace of da forest. Wells we says, "old man!" dats whats we called him, (takes swig out of glass) "old man." (chuckles)

Dean: I see.

Man: Well we says, "old man! Yous crazy! Git outa hea!" (laughs) An den, an den he says a spirits gonna gets us! (stops laughing) den a few of da boys runs off and aint been seen since… (breaks out laughing again) Dat Redbirds ta blame for all da broken tools an machines and dem boys dat runs off were cowards! (stops laughing and tries to whisper (fails miserly)) Some of the fellas says the forest is gettin' back! (laughing again, slaps his friend on the back and he starts laughing too. Dean backs off to the table where Sam is waiting and listening)

Sam: You think it's a Dryad? (Dean sits down to his beer)

Dean: Or some crazy, spiritual, old guy with a grudge and a thousand year old curse. Wouldn't be the first time someones cursed a piece of land.

(Sam and Dean leave the bar a little later. Upon reaching Dean's car near the left side of the bar, they see a dog sitting by the drives door. They recognize the dog as the one Sam had found in the library (because of its black tipped ears against its gray coat))

Dean: Uhh… Shoo?

Sam: Dean.

Dean: (looks at Sam) Sammy. (looks back at the dog)

Sam: (bends down to dogs height) If he's a spy for this, "Forest Spirit," he could help us find it.

Dean: Dude, how much did you drink?

"Excuse me!" (Dean and Sam whirl around to see a guy in jean shorts, a white t-shirt, and a hooded black sweatshirt leaning against the wall behind them) "You guys are Sam and Dean Winchester, right? I'm Charlie, 'sup?"

Dean: (points thumb at dog) This mutt yours? dog yawns

Charlie: Nope. As odd as this sounds, it was odd for me to hear the first hundred times myself, he's my "mentors" brother.