Sam walked through the deserted cemetery wearing a suit and tie and carrying a bouquet of various flowers excluding roses.
Sam sighed and stopped next to a gravestone. It reads "JESSICA LEE MOORE", "Beloved Daughter", "January 24th 1984-November 2005.
There was a small picture of a grinning Jessica set into the stone above her name, a black and white picture of her leaning against the stone between a white teddy bear and a wooden box with a crucifix leaning on the picture, a small American flag next to the box, and three candles sat on the gravestone; on is of the Virgin de Guadalupe.
Sam looked between the gravestone and the flowers. "I, uh…" he laughed nervously "You always said roses were...were lame, so I brought you, uh…"
Sam looked at the picture set into the gravestone, then looked away, choking back tears. He stepped closer to the gravestone. "Jess…oh God…" Sam knelt to set the flowers down "I should have protected you. I should have told you the truth"
Sam leaned the flowers in front of the crucifix. An arm covered in dirt shot out of the ground and grabbed Sam by the wrist.
Sam jerked awake. He was riding shotgun next to Dean with Raya in the back seat. Sam blinked and rubbed his eyes. Dean looked over, concerned. "You okay?" Dean asked
Sam glanced over and away, "Yeah, I'm fine"
Raya placed a hand on his shoulder, "Sam" she said her tone said she knew he was far from alright
"Another nightmare?" Dean asked
Sam cleared his throat. Dean and Raya exchanged looks, "You wanna drive for a while?" Dean asked
Sam laughed, "Dean, your whole life you never once asked me that, hell usually it's you and Rae fighting for the driver's seat" Sam said turning to look at Raya "Which you haven't done in a while"
"I can keep a better eye on you two from here" Raya said with a smile "But maybe you should drive for a bit, might relax you"
"I'm fine" Sam said
"Just thought you might want to. Never mind" Dean said
"Look, you're both worried about me" Sam said turning back "I get it, and thank you, but I'm perfectly okay"
"You might be able to swallow that bullshit, Sammy but I don't" Raya said "But you say ya fine, so ya fine"
"Rae" Sam started but didn't bother continuing it would have been a losing battle. He grabbed the map "All right, where are we?"
"We are just outside of Grand Junction" Dean said
"You know what?" Sam started "Maybe we shouldn't have left Stanford so soon"
"Sam, we dug around there for a week. We came up with nothing. If you wanna find the thing that killed Jessica-"Dean said but Sam cut him off
"We gotta find Dad first"
"Dad disappearing and this thing showing up again after twenty years, it's no coincidence" Dean said looking in the review mirror, "Any luck with your parent's journal?"
Raya let out a groan, "No, I swear when they wrote this they wanted to make it next to impossible for anyone to read" She said handing it over to Sam who began flipping through the pages, "A part from two different types of codes, it's also writing in at least four different languages two of which I've barely ever seen. I've been able to translate the parts your Dad copied but the rest"
"Since Dad did get part of his information from this you should ask him" Sam said
"Dad will have answers. He'll know what to do" Dean said
Raya sighed, "Yeah" she drew out the word catching their attention
"Kit?" Dean said
"Okay, see how there are a couple of pages that have this strange black magic circle shit on them" Raya said pointing at a page
"Yeah I've seen the same thing in Dad's" Dean said glancing over
"There seals powerful ones" She said "I have no idea how to release it but whatever is on these pages my parents wanted to keep it hidden"
"Like I said before, Dad should know" Dean said
"Yay, more secrets" Raya mumbled
"But this is weird. These coordinates he left us" Sam said "This Blackwater Ridge"
"What about it?" Dean asked
"There's nothing there. It's just woods" Sam said "Why is he sending us to the middle of nowhere?"
The Impala was parked next to a sign that read "RANGER STATION Lost Creek Trail, Lost Creek National Forest"
"So Blackwater Ridge is pretty remote" Sam said
Sam looked at a 3D map of the national forest, paying particular attention to the ridge labelled "BLACKWATER RIDGE". "It's cut off by these canyons here, rough terrain, dense forest, abandoned silver and gold mines all over the place"
"So not you're normal camping spot" Raya said
"Check out the size of this freaking bear" Dean said pointing to a framed photo of a man standing behind a much larger bear.
"Cool grizzlies" Raya said
"This place is no nature hike, that's for sure" Sam said
"You three aren't planning on going out near Blackwater Ridge by any change?" A Ranger Wilkinson asked from behind them; making Dean, Sam and Raya all whip around, startled
"Oh, no, sir, we're environmental study majors from UC Boulder, just working on a paper" Sam said laughing a little
Dean grinned and raised a fist. "Recycle, man"
Raya dropped her face in to her hand and mumbled, "Idiots"
"Bull" The Ranger said catching there attention "You're friends with that Haley girl right?"
"Yes. Yes we are, Ranger" Raya looks at his nametag "Wilkinson"
"Well I will tell you exactly what we told her. Her brother filled out a backcountry permit saying he wouldn't be back from Blackwater until the twenty-fourth, so it's not exactly a missing persons now, is it?" He said "You tell that girl to quit worrying, I'm sure her brother's just fine"
"We will. Well that Haley girl's quite a pistol, huh?" Dean said
"That is putting it mildly" he said
"Actually you know what would help is if we could show her a copy of that backcountry permit. You know, so she could see her brother's return date" Dean said
The Ranger eyed Dean and then Sam and Raya. Raya raised an eye brow as if she was challenging him.
They left the ranger station. Dean was holding a piece of paper and laughing. "What, are you cruising for a hook up or something?" Sam asked
"Am I going to have to talk you up again" Raya smirked
Dean grinned at her, "Well you are my wing woman"
Sam shook his head, "I can't believe you two" he said
"What do you mean?" Dean asked
"The coordinates point to Blackwater Ridge, so what are we waiting for? Let's just go find Dad. I mean, why even talk to this girl?" Sam asked as they stopped beside the Impala
"Oh I don't know Sam, maybe we should know what we're walking into before we actually walk into it" Raya said leaning her back against the back door
Dean raised an eye brow at Sam, "What?" he asked
"Since when are you all shoot first ask question later, anyway?" Dean asked
"Since now" Sam said getting in to the car
"Really" Dean said exchanging looks with Raya
"Oh this is fun" she said as they both got in to the car
Dean, Sam and Raya knocked on the door, it opened to reveal Haley Collins.
"You must be Haley Collins. I'm Dean, this is Sam and Raya, we're, ah, we're rangers with the Park Service. Ranger Wilkinson sent us over. He wanted us to ask a few questions about your brother Tommy" Dean said
Haley hesitated before saying "Lemme see some ID"
Dean pulled out a fake ID holding it up for Haley to have a good look, she looked at it and then let them in. "Come on in"
"Thanks" Dean said
Haley caught sight of the Impala, "That yours?" she asked
"Yeah" Raya said
"Nice car" Haley said
Haley leads them to the kitchen, where her brother Ben is sitting at the table looking at a laptop. Dean turned his head to mouth something to Sam and Raya but Sam just rolled his eyes, while Raya sighed.
"So if Tommy's not due back for a while, how do you know something's wrong?" Sam asked
"He checks in every day by cell. He emails, photos, stupid little videos-we haven't heard anything in over three days now" She said
"Well, maybe he can't get cell reception" Sam said
"He's got a satellite phone, too" Haley said
"Could it be he's just having fun and forgot to check in?" Dean said
"He wouldn't do that" Ben said
"Why is that?" Raya asked
"Our parents are gone. It's just my two brothers and me. We all keep pretty close tabs on each other" Haley explained
"Can I see the picture he sent you?" Sam asked
"Yeah" Haley said bring up the photo on the laptop, "That's Tommy"
Raya noticed the minimised video player, "Mind if we watch that" She said. Haley nodded clicking play.
"Hey Haley, day six, we're still out near Blackwater Ridge. We're fine, keeping safe, so don't worry, okay? Talk to you tomorrow" Tom said
Raya spotted the shadow flickering past. "Well, we'll find your brother. We're heading out to Blackwater Ridge first thing" Dean said
"Then maybe I'll see you there. Look, I can't sit around here anymore. So I hired a guy. I'm heading out in the morning, and I'm gonna find Tommy myself" Haley said
"I can't really blame you" Raya said as Haley looked at her "I'm not very good at the whole sitting still thing either"
"I thought you'd be telling me it was too dangers" she said
"I think I can understand how you feel" Dean said
"Do you mind forwarding all this to Sam?" Raya said
"Sure" Haley said
"So, Blackwater Ridge doesn't get a lot of traffic. Local campers, mostly. But still, this past April, two hikers went missing out there. They were never found." Sam said opening John's journal
"Any before that?" Dean asked
Sam pulled out the newspaper article to show them, "Yeah in 1982, eight different people all vanished in the same year. Authorities said it was a grizzly attack"
Raya waved a hand to get their attention from behind the laptop, "It also happened in 1959 and before that in 1936" She said as she moved the laptop so they could all see the screen.
"Every twenty-three years, just like clockwork" Sam said as Raya clicked open the video of Tom
"Okay. So that video of Tommy, I had a closer look and I found something. Check this out" Raya said
Raya starts to go through three frames of the video one at a time. A shadow crosses the screen.
"Do it again" Dean said as she repeated the frames
"That's three frames. That's a fraction of a second. Whatever that thing is, it can move" Sam said as Dean hit him in the shoulder
"Told you something weird was going on" Dean said "Nice work Kit"
"Yeah" Sam said as she closed the laptop
"Oh I have more" Raya said handing over another newspaper article "In 'fifty-nine one camper survived this supposed grizzly attack. Just a kid. Barely crawled out of the woods alive"
"Is there a name?" Sam asked as Raya smiled
"I'll say it you rock, Kit" Dean said
An old man, Mr. Shaw sat in his living room, talking to Dean, Sam and Raya. "Look, ranger, I don't know why you're asking my about this. It's public record. I was a kid. My parents got mauled by a" Sam cuts him off
"Grizzly? That's what attacked them?" Sam asked as Shaw nodded
"The other people that went missing that year, those bear attacks too?" Dean asked as Shaw paused "What about all the people that went missing this year? Same thing?"
"If we knew what we were dealing with, we might be able to stop it" Raya said
"I seriously doubt that. Anyways, I don't see what difference it would make" Shaw said "You wouldn't believe me. Nobody ever did"
Raya placed a hand over the top of his making the old man look up, "Mr. Shaw, what did you see?"
"Nothing. It moved too fast to see. It hid too well. I heard it, though. A roar. Like…no man or animal I ever heard" he said
"It came at night?" Raya said removing her hand, Shaw nodded "Got inside your tent?"
"It got inside our cabin. I was sleeping in front of the fireplace when it came in. It didn't smash a window or break the door. It unlocked it. Do you know of a bear that could do something like that? I didn't even wake up till I heard my parents screaming" Shaw said
"It killed them?" Sam asked
"Dragged them off into the night" Shaw said shaking his head as if trying to shake the memory from his head "Why it left me alive…been asking myself that ever since"
He paused, "Did leave me this, though" Shaw opened his collar to reveal three long scars. Claw marks. "There's something evil in those woods. It was some sort of demon"
"Thank you Mr. Shaw" Raya said
"Spirits and demons don't have to unlock doors. If they want inside, they just go through the walls" Dean said
"So it's probably something else, something corporeal" Sam said
"Corporeal? Excuse me, professor" Dean said
"Shut up. So what do you think?" Sam asked
"The claws, the speed that it moves…could be a skin walker, maybe a black dog" Dean said as Raya hummed "What?"
"I think we're dealing with something else" She said
"How do you know that?" Sam asked
"Gut feeling" She said with a shrugged
Sam raised an eye brow, "We're going with your gut now, Rae"
"Listen up Kiddo, I can count at least ten different times my gut feeling has saved you're sorry ass"
"Look whatever we're talking about, we're talking about a creature, and it's corporeal. Which means we can kill it" Dean said
Dean opened the trunk of the Impala, then the weapons box, and propped it open with a shotgun. He put some guns in a duffel bag.
"We cannot let that Haley girl go out there" Sam said
"Oh yeah? What are we gonna tell her? That she can't go into the woods because of a big scary monster?" Dean asked
"Yeah" Sam said
Dean and Raya turn to look at him. "Her brother's missing, Sam. She's not gonna just sit this out. Now we go with her, we protect her, and we keep our eyes peeled for our fuzzy predator friend" Dean said picking up the duffel
"Finding Dad's not enough?" Sam said slamming the weapons box shut then the trunk "Now we gotta babysit too?"
Raya glared at Sam, she walked off. Dean just stared at his baby brother. "What's her problem?" Sam said
"No idea" Dean said throwing the duffel bag at Sam walking after Raya. Sam stared after them, before he started to follow.
Dean watched as Raya curled her hands in to fist she kept at her sides. "His been through a lot" Dean said
"You don't think I know that" Raya hissed back "I'm worried about him too"
"I never said you weren't Kit" Dean said as she sighed
"Sorry, I'm just on edge" Raya said as Dean placed a hand on her neck rubbing at the spot
"Yeah wanna tell me why"
"Because this isn't Sam. I know his grieving, I know his hurt but" Raya stopped biting her lower lip. Dean watched her fingers trace over the leather bracelet "I just don't want that to swallow him, I know where that road can lead you Dean and I don't want..."Raya looked up at him "I'm scared for him"
"I know, Kit" Dean said
"I'll tell you again, I don't think Ben should come" Roy said as bed checked a shotgun
"Roy-"Haley started
"Look, you're paying me good money to keep everybody safe. I think Ben's safest at home" Roy said
The Impala pulled up alongside them. Roy, Haley, and Ben stared at it as Raya, Dean and Sam got out.
"You got room for three more?" Raya asked
"Wait, you want to come with us?" Haley said a little surprised
"Who are these guys?" Roy asked as Sam walked past them
"Apparently this is all the park service could muster up for the search and rescue" Haley said
Roy raised an eye brow, "You're rangers?"
"That's right" Dean said
"And you're hiking out in biker boots and jeans?" Haley said
Dean looked down at himself, "Well, sweetheart, I don't do shorts" he said
"Believe me that's a good thing" Raya said mouthing the next line to Haley "Pasty white legs"
Dean rolled his eyes heading past them, "What you think this is funny? It's dangerous back country out there. Her brother might be hurt" Roy said
"Oh believe me, I know how dangerous it can be" Raya said walking up to Sam and Dean
"We just wanna help them find their brother, that's all" Dean said
The group hiked through the forest, Roy in the lead, then Raya, Dean, Haley, Ben and Sam bringing up the rear.
"Roy, you said you did a little hunting" Dean said catching up to him
"Yeah, more than a little" Roy said
"Uh-huh. What kind of furry critters do you hunt?" Dean asked
"Mostly buck, sometimes bear" he said
"Tell me, uh, Bambi or Yogi ever hunt you back?" Dean said about to take a step
"Dean stop!" Raya called out
"Huh?" Dean said as Roy grabbed him pulling him back "Whatcha doing, Roy?"
Roy grabbed a stick and poked the bear trap Dean had almost stepped in. Haley looked annoyed. "You should watch where you're stepping. Ranger" Roy said dropping the stick turning to Raya "At least one of you is looking around"
"It's a bear trap" Dean said looking down, he turned to Raya
"Common senses" Raya shrugged catch up to Roy
Haley caught up to Dean, "You didn't pack any provisions. You guys are carrying a duffel bag. You're not rangers." She said grabbing his arm "So who the hell are you?"
Ben walked past Haley and Dean. Sam looked at Dean, who indicated with his expression that Sam should keep going.
"Sam and I are brothers and Raya is a childhood friend more family than anything else, we're looking for our father. He might be here, we don't know. I just figured that you and me, we're in the same boat" Dean said
"Why didn't you just tell me that from the start?" Haley asked
"I'm telling you now. 'sides other than Kit this is probably the most honest I've ever been with a woman" Dean said
"Kit?" Haley asked
Before Dean could open his mouth Raya cut him off, "Do it and I burn every last one of your cassette tapes" Raya growled with her back to him
Dean laughed, "Okay" he said looking at Haley "So we okay?"
Haley paused for a moment, "Yeah, okay"
"And what do you mean I didn't pack provisions?" Dean said pulling out a big bag of peanut M&Ms sticking his hand in the bag as he hiked on.
Roy led the way, followed by Sam, Ben, Haley, Raya and Dean. "This is it. Blackwater Ridge"
Sam headed past Roy, "What coordinates are we at?" he asked
Roy pulled out a GPS, "Thirty-five and minus one-eleven"
Dean and Raya walk up to Sam, "You hear that?" Dean asked
"Yeah. Not even crickets" Sam said
"Well that can only mean good things, right" Raya said sarcastically
"I'm gonna go take a look around" Roy said
"You shouldn't go off by yourself" Sam said
"That's sweet. Don't worry about me" Roy waved his gun and pushed past them
"All right, everybody stays together. Let's go" Dean said
"Haley! Over here!" Roy yelled
Haley ran towards Roy's voice, followed by the others. They came to a halt. "Oh my God" Haley said
The tents were torn open and bloody and all the supplies were scattered. "Looks like a grizzly" Roy said
"Tommy?" Haley called out taking off her backpack and walking through the campsite "Tommy!"
Sam moved to catch up with her, "Shh"
"Tommy!" Haley yelled
"Shh-hh-hh!" Sam hissed
"Why?" she asked
"Something might still be out there" Sam said
"Sam!" Dean called out
Sam goes over to Dean and Raya, crouching down next to them. "The bodies were dragged from the campsite. But here, the tracks just vanish" Raya said standing up
"Okay that's weird" Sam said as he and Dean stood up
"I'm starting to think Kit's theory about this not being a skin walker or black dog might be right" Dean said
Dean goes back to the campsite and Sam follows, the brothers stop when Raya doesn't follow them. "Rae?" Sam said
"I'm gonna walk the boundaries of the campsite" Raya said
"You gonna be okay?" Sam asked getting a wave as her response
Dean laughed, "That's our girl"
Haley picked up Tom's cell phone; it's bloody. She cried. She turned the phone over in her hands. Dean crouched down next to her. "Hey, he could still be alive" Dean said
Haley looked at him, "Where is Raya?" she asked not wanting to think about it
"Don't worry about her" Dean said
"Help! Help!" A voice called out
Roy lead the way as everyone ran to the aid of the shouter. "Help! Somebody!"
"It seemed liked it was coming from around here, didn't it?" Haley said as they looked around finding no one.
Raya snapped her head back in the direction of the campsite, "Shit" she hissed
Sam seemed to have the same idea, "Everybody back to camp" he said
By the time they reached the campsite again, all the supplies were missing. "Our packs!"
"So much for my GPS and my satellite phone" Roy said
"What the hell is going on?" Haley asked
"It's smart. It wants to cut us off so we can't call for help" Sam said
"You mean someone, some nutjob out there just stole all our gear" Roy said
"In a word" Raya mumbled
"I need to speak to you both. In private" Sam said as they walked away from the group
"Good. Let me see Dad's journal" Sam said
Dean hands it over. Sam opened it and flipped through until he found a particular page. "All right, check that out"
Sam pointed to a First Nations-style drawing of a figure. "Nice catch" Raya said
"Oh come on, Wendigo's are in the Minnesota woods or, or northern Michigan. I've never even heard of one this far west" Dean said
"Think about it, Dean, the claws, the way it can mimic a human voice" Raya said "It's the only thing that fits"
"Great" Dean said taking out his pistol "Well then this is useless"
"We gotta get these people to safety" Sam said walking back to the campsite, addressing the group "All right, listen up, it's time to go. Things have gotten…more complicated"
"What?" Haley said
"Kid, don't worry. Whatever's out there, I think I can handle it" Roy said
"It's not me I'm worried about. If you shoot this thing, you're just gonna make it mad. We have to leave. Now" Sam said
"One, you're talking nonsense. Two, you're in no position to give anybody orders" Roy said
"Relax" Dean said but he could see that it wasn't going to work
"We never should have let you come out here in the first place, all right? I'm trying to protect you" Sam said
Roy stepped right up to Sam, "You protect me? I was hunting these woods when your mommy was still kissing you good night" he said
"Yeah? It's a damn near perfect hunter. It's smarter than you, and it's gonna hunt you down and eat you alive unless we get your stupid sorry ass out of here" Sam snapped
Roy laughed at him, "You know you're crazy, right?"
"Yeah? You ever hunt a wen-"Sam began but Raya stopped him by stepping between them. She fixed Sam with a hard glare.
"You need to chill out" She said
"Rae we…" Sam started but again she cut him off
"Now Sam!" She growled out
"Stop. Stop it. Everybody just stop. Look. Tommy might still be alive. And I'm not leaving here without him" Haley said
"It's getting late. This thing is a good hunter in the day, but an unbelievable hunter at night. We'll never beat it, not in the dark. We need to settle in and protect ourselves" Dean said
"How?" Haley asked
The group built a campfire, and Dean drew something in the dirt around the campsite while Haley poked at the fire.
"One more time, that's-"
"Anasazi symbols. It's for protection. The wendigo can't cross over them" Dean said
Roy laughed, gun over his shoulder. "No one likes a sceptic, Roy" Raya said walked back from the other side of the camp
"You finished?" Dean asked
"Yep" Raya said looking towards Sam's back
Dean and Raya both headed over to sit either side of Sam, who was at the edge of the campsite.
"You wanna tell us what's going on in that freaky head of yours?" Dean said
"Nothin-"Sam started
"You are not fine, Sammy. So try that again" Raya said on a long sigh
Sam paused for a moment, "Dad's not here. I mean, that much we know for sure, right? He would have left us a message, a sign, right?"
"Yeah, you're probably right. Tell you the truth, I don't think Dad's ever been to Lost Creek" Dean said
"Then let's get these people back to town and let's hit the road. Go find Dad. I mean, why are we still even here?" Sam asked as Raya placed John's journal in his lap
"That's why" She said
"This book. This is Dad's single most valuable possession-everything he knows about every evil thing is in here. And he's passed in on to us. I think he wants us to pick up where he left off. You know, saving people, hunting things. The family business" Dean said
Sam shook his head, "That makes no sense. Why doesn't he just-call us? Why doesn't he-tell us what he wants, tell us where he is?"
"He has a reason Sammy" Raya said
"I don't know what they are. But the way I see it, Dad's giving us a job to do, and I intend to do it" Dean said
"So do I" Raya said
"No…I gotta find Dad. I gotta find Jessica's killer. It's the only thing I can think about" Sam said
"Okay, all right, Sam, we'll find them, I promise" Dean said placing a hand on his shoulder
Raya moved and knelt down in front of Sam.
"Sammy listen to me okay. You've gotta prepare yourself, this search could take a while, and all that anger, all that hurt and sorrow you can't keep it buried. Because if you do all its going to do is eat away at you and trust me it can takes you too some very dark place, kiddo" Raya said her fingers brushed over the buttons on her leather bracelet
"Raya" Dean started, a hint of worry in his tone "You sure?"
"I never told you this because you were still a kid at the time and I told Dean if he ever told you I'd shave his eye brows off" Raya said removing the bracelet showing Sam the faded jagged scar.
Sam's eyes soften and he met her emerald orbs, "Rae when-"he started
"The night your mother died you were just a baby. But me, when it happened to me I was in the house" Raya said doing the bracelet back up "I only remember a few things from that night screaming, fire and blood. For years I tried to hide it the pain, the guilt, the asking why I survived over and over again. And then when Dean and I were 14 it became too much, it swallowed me"
Dean and Sam watched the mask fall over her face, "I didn't get far, Dean heard me break the mirror. And lucky for me you had fallen asleep listening to music" Raya glanced over saw Dean swallow the lump in his throat "I don't think you've ever been that angry with me before"
"Try terrified, Kit" Dean said "Never seen Dad that freaked out before either"
"Did you...I mean" Sam started
"Your Dad and Dean pretty much had me on watch for the next few days, I think we told you I just had a really bad cold or something; at least that's the reason we gave for me being in bed" She held up the bracelet "John made this to cover the scar and so that questions wouldn't be asked. After trying to end it, it made me think" Raya said
"About?" Sam asked
"You wanna know why I never tried again" Raya asked as he nodded his head "Because if I did try again, it meant I had given up, stopped fighting. And I wouldn't be living up to who my parents wanted me to be"
"Who was that?" Sam asked
"A fighter, a hunter. I knew what hunters did before I knew my ABC's" Raya said "My parents didn't hide that from me. I know you want to find this thing believe me I do too but is it so bad if we save a few lives on the way"
Sam looked at her "How do you do it, Rae?" he asked looking at his brother "How do you and Dad do it?"
Dean looked over at Haley and Ben, "Well for one, them" he said
Sam looked over at Haley and Ben. "I mean, I figure our family's so screwed to hell, maybe we can help some others. Makes things a little bit more bearable" Dean said
Raya smiled, "With me it's a little easier" She said "How do I do it? Because it's what I do, it's who I am; hell this is all I know"
"That simple huh" Sam said as Raya got to her feet pulling him up
"Yep" she said
"I'll tell you what else helps" Dean said "Killing as many evil sons of bitches as I possibly can"
"Yeah that helps too" Raya said
Sam smiled. A twig snapped.
"Help me! Please!" The same voice from before yelled
The three all looked around, "Help!"
"He's trying to draw us out. Just stay cool, stay put" Dean said
"Inside the magic circle?" Roy said
"Help! Help me!" The wendigo cried out again
A growling sound filled the air, Roy pointed his gun in the direction of the growling. Haley turned to Ben "its okay. You'll be all right, I promise" she said as something rushed past her making her scream
"It's here" Sam said
Roy shot at the rustling, then again. "I hit it!" Roy goes to see what it is he hit
"Roy!" Raya goes after him
"Raya!" Sam called out after her
Dean turned to Haley and Ben. "Don't move"
Haley held on to a stick which was burning at one end, as a weapon. Dean and Sam ran after Roy and Raya.
"It's over here! It's in the tree!" Roy said
"Stop!" Raya yelled out
The Wendigo reached down from the tree and snapped Roy's neck. "Roy!" Dean yelled
Sam moved his flashlight around quickly, but Roy was gone.
Sam was sitting against a hollow tree stump, holding John's journal and playing with a lanyard attached to it. He looked up as Raya waved the much larger leather bound book at him, "Your parents journal?" he said
"Yeah, have a look through that I'm going to walk the outside of the campsite" she said
Dean, Haley and Ben were among the tents. "I don't…I mean, these types of things, they aren't supposed to be real" Haley said
"I wish I could tell you different" Dean said
"How do we know it's not out there watching us?" She asked
"We don't" Raya said walking over "But for the time being at least we're safe"
"How do you know about this stuff?" Haley asked
"Kind of runs in the family" Dean explained as Sam walked over
"Hey" Sam said handing Raya back the journal "So we've got half a chance in the daylight. And I for one want to kill this evil son of a bitch"
"Well, hell, you know I'm in. Kit" Dean said looking over at the raven haired woman
"Ya even gotta ask" she said as Sam showed the wendigo page to Haley and Ben.
"Wendigo is a Cree Indian word. It means 'evil that devours'" he said
"How's a man turn into one of those things?" Haley asked
"Well, it's always the same. During some harsh winter a guy finds himself starving, cut off from supplies or help. Becomes a cannibal to survive, eating other members of his tribe or camp" Dean said
"Like the Donner Party" Ben said
"Cultures all over the world believe that eating human flesh gives a person certain abilities. Speed, strength, immortality" Raya explained
"If you eat enough of it, over years, you become this less than human more like a thing. You're always hungry" Dean said
"So if that's true, how can Tommy still be alive?" Haley asked
"You're not gonna like it" Dean said glancing at Sam and Raya, then back to Haley.
"Tell me" Haley said
"More than anything, a wendigo knows how to last long winters without food. It hibernates for years at a time, but when it's awake it keeps its victims alive. It, uh, it stores them, so it can feed whenever it wants. If your brother's alive, it's keeping him somewhere dark, hidden and safe. We gotta track it back there" Dean said
"And then how do we stop it?" Haley said
"Guns are useless, so are knives. Basically-"Raya pulled the sliver lighter out of her pocket and flicked it to life "We're gonna torch it"
"Dean" Sam said as he caught up.
"What is it?" Dean asked holding the Molotov cocktail in one hand as Sam pointed to Raya who was examining a bloody claw mark. "Kit what are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking this trail we're following is a little too well set up, these claw prints are to clear and distinct. This is too easy" Raya said
"Yeah she's right Dean" Sam said
"I'm going to check behind us" Raya said as Dean grabbed her shoulder "Please don't pull that over protection crap, ya both know I hate it"
"Rae" Sam started
Raya held out her gun, "Besides I'm a way better shot then you two" she said taking off, causing Dean to groan in frustration and Sam to laugh a little
"Shut up" Dean said
A growling sound came from behind them. Sam and Dean whipped around as the trees began to rustle.
Haley was standing under a tree. Blood dripped on to her shirt. She noticed and looked up, then leaped out of the way as Roy's corpse landed where she'd stood.
Dean examined Roy's body while Sam checked on Haley. "You okay? You got it?" Sam asked
"His neck's broke" Dean said
Sam helped Haley up as more growling filling the air, then the sound of a gunshot. "Gun fire?" Ben said
"Rae! Raya!" Sam said as Dean nodded
"Okay, run, run, run, run, go, go, go!" Dean said
"What about Raya?" Haley asked as everybody took off
"Trust me she can handle herself"
Ben fell and Sam hurried back to help him up, dividing the groups two and two. "Come on, I gotcha, I gotcha" Sam said
Dean and Haley stopped suddenly the wendigo in front of them. Haley screamed.
"Haley?" Ben yelled
Sam stopped running and picked up Dean's Molotov cocktail, the bottle broken. "Dean!" he yelled
"Sam look!" Ben picked up Raya's satchel
"Rae?" Sam said
"If it keeps its victims alive, why would it kill Roy?" Ben asked
"Honestly? I think because Roy shot at it, pissed it off" Sam said
Ben found a trail of peanut M&Ms and picked one up. "They went this way" he said
San caught up to Ben, who handed over the M&M. Sam laughed, "It's better than breadcrumbs" he said tossing it away
Sam and Ben followed the trail. They came to a mine entrance marked with a sigh that said WARNING! DANGER! DO NOT ENTER EXTREMELY TOXIC MATERIAL. Sam looked at Ben and shrugged before going inside. Ben followed. Above the entrance was a larger sign that said KEEP OUT NO ADMITTANCE.
Sam shined the flashlight ahead of them but quickly turned it off when he heard the growling. Sam and Ben were both yanked against the wall. "Raya?" Sam whispered seeing who it was
She placed a finger over her lips as the wendigo got closer. Sam covered Ben's mouth before he could scream. The wendigo kept moving taking a different tunnel at the crossing.
"You okay?" Sam asked still keeping his voice to a whisper
Raya nodded, "Yeah" She said taking her bag back, "Thanks Sammy"
They kept going walking along the floorboards as they creaked, suddenly Ben, Raya and Sam all fell through the floor; they landed in a pile of bones. Ben spotted another pile of skulls and leaped backward.
"Hey, it's okay, it's okay" Sam said
"Sam! Ben!" Raya yelled
Sam and Ben looked up; Dean and Haley were hanging by their wrists from the ceiling. Sam and Raya ran to Dean, Ben to Haley.
"Dean!" Sam said
"Haley, wake up!" Ben yelled
Raya grabbed Dean and shook him, "Dean!" She said as he opened his eyes
"Hey, you okay?" Sam asked
Dean winced, "Yeah" he said looking at Raya "I thought it got you too"
"I got lucky" She said handing Sam her knife
"Haley, Haley, wake up, wake up!" Ben said shaking her
Sam cut Dean down and Ben took care of Haley. They helped them over to an empty patch of floor and got them to sit down. Dean made a pained noises.
"You sure you're all right?" Sam asked
"Yeah. Yep" Dean said smiling at Raya, "Wouldn't say no to some TLC, Kit"
Raya rolled her eyes, "So you'll live" she said as Sam sighed
"Where is he?" Dean asked
"Gone for now" Raya said
Haley divests herself of rope. She stood up and spotted Tom still hanging and started crying. "Tommy…"
Haley touched Tom's cheek. Tom's head jerked up. Haley jumped back and shrieked. She turned to Sam.
"Cut him down!" she yelled
Sam cut Tom down, "We're gonna get you home" she said
The stolen supplies were piled in the corner. Dean picked up a flare guns. "Check it out"
"Flare guns" Sam said
"Those'll work" Raya said with a smirk
Sam grinned. Dean laughed and twirled the guns.
They headed down the tunnel. Raya, Dean and Sam in the lead with the flare guns and Haley and Ben supporting Tom, who was limping.
"Looks like someone's home for supper" Dean said as they all heard the growling
"We'll never outrun it" Haley said
Dean looked back at the others, "You two thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked turning to Sam and Raya
"Yeah, I think so" Sam said
Raya laughed, "Ah you two know how to show a girl a good time"
"All right, listen to me. Stay with Sam. He's gonna get you out of here" Dean said
"What are you two gonna do?" Haley asked
"Bait" Raya said
Dean winked and started yelling, "Chow time, you freaky bastard! Yeah, that's right, bring in on, baby, I taste good" he yelled
"Come on you over grown hairless mutt" Raya yelled
Sam waited until they were a safe distance away, "All right, come on! Hurry!" he said as the Collinses followed him down the tunnel
"Hey, you want some white meat, bitch! I'm right here!" Dean yelled
"Come on puppy!" Raya called out
Sam, Haley, Ben and Tom hurried down a tunnel. Sam pointed the gun at the growling, then lowered the gun and turned to the Collinses. "Get him outta here"
"Sam, no" Haley said
"Go! Go!" Sam yelled
"Come on, Haley!" Ben yelled as they helped Tom along the mine tunnel.
Sam held the flare gun ready to shoot, "Come on. Come on" he said looking down the tunnel.
Sam the growling, he turned to find the Wendigo right in his face. Sam shot at the beast but missed, running after the Collinses.
"Sam!" Haley yelled as he caught up
"Come on, hurry, hurry, hurry" Sam said
They ran to the end of the tunnel, the Wendigo right behind. "Get behind me" Sam as the wendigo got closer. Taking its time.
Dean came up behind the wendigo ready to shoot it with the flare gun. But the gun didn't go off, Dean looked down at it. "Shit!" he muttered "Kit"
Raya threw him her gun, "Hey!" Dean yelled
The wendigo turned. Dean shot it in the stomach. The flare went off and the wendigo went up in flames.
"Nice catch" Raya said
"Not bad, huh?" Dean said as Sam grinned at them.
Ambulance officers loaded Tom in to the truck. Two police officers interviewed Ben; Sam stood behind Ben.
"And the bear came back again after you yelled at it?" The officer asked
"That's when it circled the campsite. I mean, this grizzly must have weighed eight hundred, nine hundred pounds" Ben said as Sam nodded behind him
"All right, we'll go after it first thing" the officer said
"So I don't know how to thank you" Haley said to Dean after they had been patched up
Dean smirked lasciviously at her. Haley laughed "Must you cheapen the moment?"
"Yeah" Dean said
"You and Sam are brothers" Haley said as Dean nodded "So what's Raya? You called her family right?"
Before Dean could answer Raya sat next to him, he grinned placing an arm around her shoulder, "She's our girl" he simply said
"You wanna keep him" Raya said
Haley laughed as a paramedic walked over to them, "You riding with your brother?"
"Yeah" she said turning to Ben "Let's go"
Sam and Ben nodded at each other. Haley hugged Raya and then kissed Dean on the cheek. "I hope you find your father" she said
"You take care of those two" Raya said
"You too"
Haley and Ben headed for the ambulance, "Thanks, Sam" Haley said as she and Ben climbed in to the truck.
Sam sat on the Impala's hood with Dean and Raya. "Close her up" A paramedic yelled
"Man, I hate camping" Dean said
"Me too" Sam said as Raya laughed
"Big babies" she said as the ambulance drove away with the sirens on.
"Sam, you know we're gonna find Dad, right?" Dean said
"Yeah, I know. But in the meantime?" Sam started but stopped when Raya threw him the keys with a smirk on her lips
"Ya wanna drive" she said
"Yeah"