Disclaimer: The characters of Sam and Dean Winchester and the TV show Supernatural are the creations Kripke and Co.
Don't own anything, just playing, yada yada.
First attempt at this SPN fanfic thing. Let me know if I should continue.
References to A Very Supernatural Christmas and Houses of the Holy. Takes place (for the most part) between 3.08 and 3.09
Prologue
December 31, 2005
"Bethany!" Nancy Miller called to her daughter. "Time for bed."
"But MOM!" Bethany pleaded, springing up from her spot on the well-worn sofa. "I want to see the New Year come in. Just let me stay. Please? Last year you said--." She turned to her mother with her most winsome expression.
"No. It's already past your bedtime. You know how cranky you get when you don't get your beauty sleep," Nancy replied, trying to keep her tone as even as possible. Last year. She really didn't want to think about that.
"I won't be cranky, I promise!"
"You're right, because you're going to bed. Now." She let Bethany see her "I'm not kidding" look and the girl's face fell.
"Aw, Mom…"
"No arguments." Bethany gave a histrionic sigh and tried to march past her mother. Nancy caught her arm and gently pulled her into a hug before leaning down and kissing her forehead. Bethany looked up at her mother with a mulish expression which quickly softened under her mother's gaze.
"Tell you what. Tomorrow, we can get up early, we'll have a big breakfast, and then we can go out to the park and take the trail out to see the Ice Falls. You can wear the new scarf set Grandma sent you for Christmas. I'll fix a big thermos of hot chocolate and even pack some of your favorite cookies. We'll have a picnic out by the Falls. How's that sound?"
Bethany smiled, her beryl-blue eyes suddenly bright with unshed tears.
"Sounds great, Momma. Thanks."
"Good night, sweetheart."
"G'night, Momma." She gave her mother one final squeeze and headed up the stairs.
"Bethany…"
"Wha--?" Bethany blearily sat up in bed and looked around, wondering what had awoken her.
"Momma?" She listened intently, certain she had heard her mother calling. She looked at the clock on her bedside table: 11:57. She grinned. Alright! Her mother was going to let her ring in the New Year after all. She had eagerly tossed back the covers, ready to run downstairs, when she heard the voice again.
"Bethany…" Louder.
She froze. The voice sounded sad, almost desperate. Was her mother sick?
"Momma, what's wrong?"
No answer. Worried, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and took a couple of steps toward the bedroom door. It took a moment for her to register that something was amiss. It's really cold in here. She paused and turned. Her window was open.
How did that happen? Maybe that's why her mother was calling.
With a disgusted sigh, she changed direction and walked to the opposite side of the room, shivering as a cold gust of wind hit her. She tried to pull the window sash closed but it wouldn't budge. She tried harder, grunting with effort. I can't fix this. I better get--. She heard the voice again.
Bethany…
She felt a twist of fear in the pit of her stomach when she realized the voice had changed. It no longer sounded like her mother, and worse, it was coming from outside. Suddenly, a dark shape flitted past the edge of her vision. She turned to run for the door when something clamped over her mouth, silencing her screams and plunging her into darkness.
Nancy Miller woke with a start. She waited for a repeat of the noise that had roused her from her restless slumber, but the house was silent. She sat up on the sofa and squinted at the clock above the fireplace: 11:59. She watched as the minute hand ticked over to midnight and sighed.
Happy Freaking New Year. Hope it's better than the last, because it sure as Hell couldn't get much worse. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, trying to rub away the sudden stinging as old memories surged forward.
Happy Anniversary, Michael.
She stood up, went to the fireplace, and picked up a framed photograph. The stinging in her eyes intensified as the tears started to roll down her cheeks.
Stop it. It's not going to bring him back.
Disgusted with herself, she wiped the sleeve of her robe across her face and carefully placed the picture back on the mantle. She picked up a second picture and stared at the smiling face of her daughter. The similarities between the two were heartbreaking. She sighed. Worry about what you have now. Hang on to that. For him. She wiped the frame with the hem of her robe before returning the picture to its place. She took several deep breaths, composing herself. It wouldn't do to let Bethany see her like this. After several minutes, she took one more deep, calming breath, switched off the living room light, and headed upstairs to check on her daughter.
When she reached the top of the stairs, she stopped, puzzled.
Why is it so cold up here?
As she walked down the hall to Bethany's room, the cold intensified.
What the Hell? She was shivering by the time she reached the end of the hall.
"Bethany?"
She pushed the bedroom door open and stopped, frozen in horror as she stared at the empty room. Slowly, her gaze turned toward the open widow, its curtains snapping in the cold night air. The scream of terror that had been building since she opened the door finally ripped from her throat.
"BETHANY!"
Part 1
January 8, 2008
"I think I found something."
Dean shut the door, set the coffee cups he had been carrying on the small, battered table and sank into the chair opposite his brother. Sam was hunched over his laptop, an expression of intense concentration on his face.
"What is it?" Dean removed the lid from his cup and took a sip, grimacing at the bitter taste. Sam quickly glanced at his brother before returning his gaze to the screen.
"Over the past 10 years, 5 girls have vanished in the town of Mossy Oak, West Virginia."
"Mossy Oak? You're kidding, right?"
Sam gave him a puzzled look. "No, why?"
"Never mind. What else?"
"It happens about every two years, late December or early January. The girls are fine when they're sent to bed, but in the morning they're gone. No trace was ever found."
"So we're looking for something that's snatching kids in the middle of the night?"
"Yeah. Could be any number of things: vengeful spirit, vampire, demon…"
"Snallygaster?" Sam's face twisted in annoyance.
"Dean, you know perfectly well there's no such thing as--," Sam caught his brother's subtle smirk. "--snallygasters."
"Says the guy who still believes in unicorns," said Dean with a grin. Sam shook his head and turned his attention back to the laptop screen. Dean's expression immediately sobered.
"What's the 'official' explanation?"
"They ran away."
"Ran away? In the middle of the freaking winter? Oh yeah, that makes a whole lot of sense."
"Tell me about it. Sounds like the cops think the girls just climbed out the window and ran off." Sam snorted in disgust. "I checked the dates to see if there was a pattern. This is what I found: Bethany Miller, December 31, 2005; Krista Wallace, December 23, 2003; Liesel Schneider, January 13, 2002; Mia Lawson, January 6, 2000; Elizabeth Martin, December 29, 1997. Notice anything unusual?"
"No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me."
"I'll give you a hint: one of things I checked was the lunar calendar."
"Let me guess: full moon?"
"Nope, but the right idea. These disappearances all occurred on the night of the new moon. Not only that, but on the first new moon after the winter solstice."
"Huh. Some sort of ritual or sacrifice?'
"Maybe." Dean groaned.
"Great. Just what we need, another bloodthirsty pagan God." Sam shrugged.
"Maybe not. The two-year gap is a bit weird. Most deities seem to prefer the annual offering."
"Whatever. Sounds like our type of gig, though." Dean paused, playing the information over in his mind. "So the last one was a little over two years ago, and I'm guessing we're getting close to another post-solstice new moon."
"Yeah. It's tonight."
"Wonderful. I love pressure. I eat it for breakfast." He glanced up expectantly, but Sam didn't seem to have caught the reference. Kid's hopeless. "How far out are we?"
Sam checked the map. "About 3 hours."
"Doesn't leave us much time. Let's get a move on, Sammy."
A/N: "Mossy Oak" is a camo pattern, which explains Dean's amusement at the name. It is also an actual town in WV, but I'm using the name only.
A snallygaster is a mythical dragon-like creature which supposedly hunts in the foothills of west-central Maryland. It preys on small children.
