Just a short piece written as a Contest Entry elsewhere. Set in season one or two

Hit the Ground Running

Though the moon was full and the sky was clear, Dean could hardly see more than a few feet ahead of him as he raced through the forest; his gun tucked in his tight grip and his eyes fixed on the shadowy figure darting around trees in front of him. His heart was pounding right out of his chest and every breath he took didn't seem like enough to fill his burning lungs. Matter of fact was, he hadn't run like that in years, but with the adrenaline rush of the chase pumping through his veins like a drug in his system, he was more than ready and willing to push his body well beyond its limits.

Ignoring the branches that continuously whipped him in the face as he ran, he took every shot he could without missing a stride; but between the trees, the shadows, the darkness and the distance between them, his silver bullets did little more than peel bark from trees and shatter the silence of night. This was supposed to be an easy hunt; they knew what they were dealing with, had the silver bullets they needed to kill it, and for a brief moment, right before the damn thing darted off into the woods, Dean thought for sure that they'd be calling it an early night... but he should have known better, because nothing was ever that easy for him and Sam.

He was running as fast as he could, but he could barely keep up with the thing as it raced through the darkness, leading him deeper & deeper into the woods and further from the old factory where he'd left his car. He should have known he was being set up, but he was so focused on gunning down the monster responsible for the string of deaths left in its wake, that he didn't see the warning signs and couldn't see that he was being led into the woods for a reason. All he was thinking about was the chase, and just when he thought he saw the opportunity to take that one clear shot needed to take the thing down, it passed through a shadow and simply vanished into the night.

That's when it hit him, and Dean stopped dead in his tracks. "Shit." He muttered to himself, his eyes glued to the very spot where he'd lost sight of it and his grip on the gun tightening as he backed into a shadow of his own. It was a rookie mistake and he hated himself for making it, how could he have not seen that coming? He thought to himself, sliding up against the trunk of a large tree nearby. Still trying to catch his breath and calm his racing heart, his eyes scanned the darkness for any sign of movement, anything at all that looked like it didn't belong. Unfortunately for him, the shadows cast by trees rustling in the wind were playing tricks on his eyes, and he couldn't tell the difference between the darkness of a shadow and that of someone or rather something, lurking in the underbrush.

But perhaps even worse than loosing sight of the monster he was hunting, or letting it lure him deep into the woods, was loosing Sam in the chase. He'd only glanced over his shoulder once, and when he did, Sam had been right behind him... but now his younger brother was nowhere in sight. Dean passed a hand over his face, wincing in pain as he felt the welts and cuts left by the onslaught of tree branches; some of them had even managed to draw blood. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he leaned heavily against the tree at his back, just trying to come up with his next move, trying to think of something. It might have outrun him, but it hadn't vanished into thin air, this he knew for a fact. When the sound of twigs snapping under someone's feet caught his attention, his eyes flew open and he loaded his gun, holding it up tight against his chest as he waited for something to come into view.

His heart was in his throat and he could feel the adrenaline high seep back into his system as he honed in on the sound and took aim, careful to keep his gun out of the moonlight. If he really was face to face with the thing, the last thing he needed was the gleam coming off his weapon to give him away. Listening intently as the sound of footsteps approached, he couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief as his eyes focused on the beam of a flashlight bouncing off the trees. "Sammy." He whispered to himself. Clutching his gun with one hand, he reached for his flashlight with the other, quickly turning it on and using it to signal his younger brother over. "Where the Hell have you been?"

"Looking for you." Sam hissed. "A little heads up before you dart into the woods would have been nice, Dean." He continued, taking a quick glance around before turning to the man standing among the shadows in front of him. "Where is it, did you get it?"

"No I didn't get it." Dean was quick to reply, shaking his head as his eyes once again scanned the darkness. "I lost it just up ahead, I don't even hear it moving around anymore."

"What? What do you mean you lost it?" Sam asked, his gaze drifting to the general area his older brother was staring at.

"It was fast, Sam..." Dean explained, still trying to catch his breath. "I could barely keep up with the thing."

"That's cause you're out of shape. So what's the plan now?" Sam asked as he caught his older brother's eyes.

There was a moment of silence and Dean couldn't help but feel the hair on the back of his neck stand. Every hunter had instincts, and now that he wasn't caught up in the chase, his were just screaming at him. "I say we split up and move in." He replied with hesitation, doing what he could not to let his tone of voice give him away as he once again reached for his flashlight with one hand, and loaded his gun with the other. "You go that way, and I'll head this way..." He informed, pointing his younger brother towards the left, and praying the feeling in his gut was right.

"Why? So you can get a clear shot at me?" Sam suddenly spat, throwing a punch that sent to Dean to the ground before he could even react.

Dean fell to his hands and knees on the forest floor, his heart beginning to race again as he looked back up to the man towering over him. That wasn't his brother standing there in the moonlight, it was the thing that had led him into the woods... He had been right to trust his gut, but he had also been to late.

"How stupid do you think I am?" It started, giving Dean a kick to the ribs that made him collapse. "I mean come on, did you actually think I wouldn't notice those wheels turning in that thick little skull of yours?" It continued with a sinister smile as it delivered yet another blow, this one flipping the young hunter onto his back.

Dean swore to himself as he clutched his sides, struggling to breath as he felt the pain begin to spread. "You son of a bitch." He groaned, watching as it casually knelt down beside him and picked his gun up off the forest floor.

"I've got to admit kid, I'm a little disappointed." It said with a smile, studying the young hunter's gun for only a moment before tucking it away. "Considering all the stories I've heard about you..." It continued, using a handkerchief to pull Dean's long silver knife from its case on the side of his belt.

Disarmed, injured and now at the mercy of the monster he'd been hunting, it didn't take long for the fear to set in. Ignoring the pain of the movement, Dean reached for the flashlight that lay on the ground beside him and quickly turned it on; knowing what he was up against but needing to see it just to be sure. When he shined the light onto his younger brother's face and caught a glimpse of the Shapeshifter's glowing eyes, his heart hit the bottom of his stomach. "Well aren't you a handsome devil..." He growled, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "Didn't like that security guard's skin you were crawling around in?"

"Not really no, he was short and fat." It was quick to reply. "Besides, I couldn't use him to toy with your head... that security guard is who you were looking for. This on the other hand, this you didn't even see coming."

"What did you do to Sam." Dean hissed as his eyes narrowed, the thoughts already passing through his mind making his blood boil.

"Nothing yet." It replied with an evil grin, grabbing the other man by the shirt and pulling him into a sitting position. "I was thinking of maybe making an appearance as you... thought it'd be fitting if the last face he sees, is yours. What do you think?"

"He's going to know you're not me." Dean snarled, trying to convince himself what he'd just said to be true. "Sammy's not going to fall for it."

There was a moment of silence as the Shapeshifter offered another smile. "Well, you almost did." It quietly replied, thrusting the silver knife into the young hunter's abdomen. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got another hunter to hunt. One down, one more to go."