(Disclaimer: Don't own anything; following story is mine)

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Forsaken.

Chapter One.

"Okay, Drew…it's not funny anymore!"

She turned in circles, the flickering of the firelight dancing on the surrounding trees, creating shadows that shouldn't be there. She hugged her arms to her, cursing herself for letting her boyfriend talk her into coming out here…'It'll be fun!' he'd said…'Get away from the college craziness, he'd said…'Go skinny dipping in the lake' , well, she'd grinned at that one …but she wasn't grinning now…now she was pissed.

"Drew! If you jump out of those trees at me, I swear I'm going on a month long abstinence! You hear me? No sex for a month!" she paused "And I mean it, this time!"

She looked at her watch, he'd been gone for twenty-minutes now…that was too long…wasn't it? She was a city girl, born and raised in New York City, the closest she got to nature was the squirrels in Central Park…and she thought they were just a fluffier version of rats. "DREW!"

The panic was starting to set in, she didn't know her way out of here, she'd just followed Drew, trying to keep from falling on her ass as she went. She turned quickly …was that a scream? Had she just heard a scream? She shuffled back a little, moving closer to the fire, seeking safety from its heat and light. She spun again as she heard another scream…fainter this time, but filled with agony. She shook her head, no, she had to be imagining things…her imagination was taking control of her again, and after Drew telling her those stories of people disappearing in the forest…oh, she was going to kick his ass when he got back. "DREW!!" she yelled again…and she heard the desperation in her voice.

Her heart was beating loudly in her chest and she needed to pee so bad it hurt. She tried to calm herself…she was an adult, this was just a forest and nothing bad could happen. She took a shuddering breath, then another and another. She jumped as she heard the loud crack of a twig breaking off to her right. She took a tentative step in that direction "Drew? Drew? Is that you?" her voice was barely louder than a whisper.

She gave a short cry of fear as a man stepped into the clearing then sighed in relief "Oh, it's you" she gave an embarrassed smile "You…startled me"

"Sorry 'bout that…"

"What…I mean why are you…out here?" she asked, starting to get a little suspicious.

"Was just checkin' up on you folks…and lucky I did, found yer boyfriend about a hundred feet that way, looks like he took a fall. His head's banged up some…but …I'm gonna take him back to town…you right here by yerself tonight?"

She looked around "Aaah…where is he?"

He pointed "He was hollerin' for yer…surprised you didn't hear" he tipped his cap "Well…g'night, missus"

"Wait!" she went to the tent and grabbed her bag "I…I should go back with him"

"S'up to you" he turned and walked back into the trees.

She followed him as best she could; he moved quickly and almost silently through the trees but every time she thought she'd lost him, she'd catch sight of him again. She stumbled a little and regained her balance as she heard the sound of groans coming from just ahead of her "Drew?" She picked up her pace and pushed through the scrub and into the clearing.

Her first scream didn't register, not even when Drew reached a bloodied hand towards her, begging her for help. Her second scream, the one filled with pure terror, echoed through her mind before bursting free of her lungs and into an indifferent forest.

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Dean tapped his hand on the steering-wheel in tune with Metallica's 'Nothing Else Matters', the words striking a chord deep within him; he shook his head and looked over at his brother. Sam was studying a local newspaper and checking it against a map and co-ordinates; Dean had to smile, the Winchester boys were falling into their usual roles as they headed towards another job; Sam gathering the info while he played 'chauffer boy'…familiarity, that's what kept him sane.

They were travelling through mountainous terrain, heading into the Vermont hills. Trees surrounded the almost-two lane road, the dark-green foliage stretching across the road allowed little light to filter into the Impala. The light drizzle that had started to fall a few miles back just increased Dean's already dark mood.

"It shouldn't be too much further" said Sam "take the next exit on your left"

"You sure this is our kinda gig, Sammy?"

Sam looked up from the latest lot of maps "Let's see Dean…a string of unsolved missing persons that seem to date back at least 400 years…"

Dean glanced at his brother "Missing…not dead, Sam…those are the deep, dark woods you know"

"Well the cops don't want anything to do with it. Looks like they send out search parties then 'ho-hum' it away and refuse to help the families of those missing. But…" he shuffled some papers "the brother of one of the missing men, went out on his own…didn't find his brother or the girlfriend, but claims to have found the remains of …someone"

"Claims?"

Sam nodded "He says he stumbled upon a clearing, large round stone, covered in blood and what he thought to be the 'insides of someone'. Ran like hell back to the town, but when the cops finally arrived and he took them back to the spot…nothing"

"Let me guess, bereaved brother, hallucinating…post traumatic stress…blah, blah, blah…"

"Got it in one. And just in case I have to convince you further …here look" he held their father's journal out "Dad has…I mean had the co-ordinates noted in here with 'T.F.O.' circled next to them"

They were both silent at the mention of their father, his death was still too fresh in their minds, still too painful to discuss. "Any idea what 'T.F.O.' stands for? And what's that say underneath?" Dean finally asked.

"No idea about the TFO and ...it says we should stay away from here"

"So we're going in blind..."

"What other way is there?" said Sam sarcastically.

"I just love surprises" muttered Dean as he took the next exit. He looked over at Sam "Dad say why we shouldn't visit this burg?"

Sam shook his head "Just says we were to stay away...it was something he was looking into"

Dean nodded distractedly, there wasn't a lot they could do now, they were on their way and he'd seen the glint in Sam's eyes, there'd be no talking him out of this. He sighed inwardly as the Impala wound up the mountain, her engine rumbling sweetly on the crisp morning air and Dean's mood started to lift..."Oh you've gotta be shitting me…" he said, shaking his head in disbelief as they sped past the town sign.

'Desperation…population 63'

"Charming" said Sam.

"Nothing good ever came out of Desperation…" said Dean in all seriousness.

Sam laughed softly "That movie really freaked you out didn't it?"

"Pshwar…it was a movie, dude" said Dean all the while thinking 'damn you Stephen King'

"Well put on your game face Dean, got a feeling we won't be welcomed with open arms" said Sam as they entered the main street of the town.

'Desperation' was just that. The few remaining stores were lacklustre and rundown, the paint was peeling from most. The store front windows that weren't boarded up were so dirty, any merchandise within was too difficult to see.

Dean slowed the Impala as his mind automatically noted the town's layout. There was a general store, police station, diner, bank, county courthouse and gas station. Dean drove towards the 'General Store' and pulled-up out front, their arrival greeted by the unfriendly stares of two elderly men sitting on a bench out front.

"Doesn't look like there's anywhere for us to stay" said Sam looking around the town.

"Would you stay here?" asked Dean with a grin.

Sam shook his head, smiling at his brother "Maybe we should start at the courthouse".

Dean killed the engine and got out of the car, Sam following moments later. He shook his head at his brother, of course Dean wouldn't listen to him and he watched as he sauntered towards the two elderly men.

"Mornin'. My name's James Hetfield and this is Lars Ulrich we're from the local university and we're doing a study on local communities and…" Dean trailed off as the two men ignored him, got up and walked into the general store without a word.

Sam laughed "Lars Ulrich?"

"The man is a rock legend, you should be honoured" said Dean with a grin.

"C'mon, lets head over…..Dean!"

Dean turned to Sam "You go do your thing, Sammy" he grinned "I'll find us somewhere to stay" and he pushed the door of the store open and said too loudly to its occupants"Top of the mornin' to ya, fellas!"

Sam had to laugh, Dean just couldn't help himself. He turned with a smile on his face and headed towards the courthouse. It hadn't seen a coat of paint for decades, the fading and peeling piss-yellow paint attested to that. He crossed the road, tucking his hands into his pockets and lifting his shoulders as the chilled air closed in around him, his breath like smoke on the wind.

He took the stairs two at a time and pushed open the heavy wooden doors. The ante-chamber was empty except for a desk that was covered in a film of dust about an inch thick.

"Hello? Anybody here?" asked Sam. His voice echoed around the room, it was almost as cold in here as it was outside "Hellooooo?" Sam asked again as he moved towards a pair of opaque glass doors; he put his hand on one of them and began to push.

"Helpya?" came a raspy voice from behind him.

Sam spun around and had to stop himself from gasping at the sight of her. She was old, 'scary old' as Dean liked to say. Her clothes were circa 1950; white stained sweater, faded pink skirt that hung to old knees, replete with dirty apron; her white hair was pulled up into an untidy bun, wisps of which fanned her face like an unholy halo. Her black-rimmed glasses were fixed with tape and sat lopsided on her nose, but it was the intensity of her blue eyes that startled Sam the most.

"Ah, yeah, sorry. Umm, my name's Lars Ulrich" Oh, Dean was going to love this' he thought "and I'm researching the history of this area for a thesis. I was wondering if there were any old newspapers or documents I could look over that would help me" he flashed her his most disarming smile.

The old woman just looked at him, sizing him up. She didn't like what she saw. The old jeans, scuffed boots and too-long hair, typical of the college students these days. Still she was suspicious, it was in her nature…in all their natures. Strangers were not welcome here, well not until they were needed.

"Why this town?" she asked, watching him carefully.

"My friend and I…" started Sam. The old woman looked around "Oh, he's at the general store…. getting supplies" lied Sam, he knew Dean was probably messing with the old dudes minds for the sheer pleasure of it.

"So?" she asked again.

"So…what?" asked Sam a little confused.

"So, why this town?" she asked impatiently, all the while thinking damn college students.

"Oh it's not just this town. It's all towns in the area." said Sam flashing his smile again.

"Hurrumph" she grunted as she studied him some more. She grunted again and decided to take him at his word….for now. She'd have to speak with Lucian of course, she smiled "Follow me"

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Dean wasn't having anywhere near as much luck as Sam, but he sure was having some fun. He was leaning against a barrel of pork rinds; he hadn't believed it when he'd seen it and it had literally stopped him in his tracks; and he was now firing questions at the two old timers while the shop-keeper watched from behind the counter.

"So, you're saying that there's absolutely nowhere around here that we can stay?

"Nope" said the first old-timer that Dean had nick-named 'Earl'

"No motel…hotel …or boarding house?" Dean asked again.

"Nope" said 'Earl', his eyes not leaving Dean's.

"No lodge, cabin or inn?" persisted Dean.

"Nope" answered 'Earl'. He was starting to get annoyed with the young man in front of him, the cocky-attitude and smart-ass grin typical of youngsters these days.

"How about a B & B?" asked Dean, raising his eyebrows.

"B & B?" queried the other old-timer. Dean had dubbed him 'Bubba'.

"You know, quaint little place...quilts, checked tablecloths, lots of flowers, pot-pourri...and usually a fluffy cat that pisses on everything" said Dean with a grin

"Nope. So maybe you and your boyfriend should just move along" said 'Earl' flashing a yellow-toothy grin.

Dean tried not to recoil from the grin "Well as much as I'd like to, my boyfriend has a bit of temper and is bound to slap me around a bit if I don't find us somewhere to stay. And honey, you wouldn't want that on your conscience now would you?" asked Dean thinking that's probably exactly what the old bastard wanted.

"James, was it?" interrupted the shop-keeper

Dean turned to the man behind the counter; he was short, barrel-chested and balding and he had piercing blue eyes that seemed out of place in his rather bland face.

"Yep, James Hetfield" said Dean moving towards to shop-keeper, his hand outstretched.

The shop-keeper ignored the gesture "There's an old cabin about a mile further up the mountain, you can stay there. There's no electricity but it has running water and inside facilities." He pulled a key-chain from his pocket, removed one of the keys and gave it to Dean.

"How much do I owe you?" asked Dean, surprised and a little suspicious at the offer.

"We'll sort it out when you and your…friend, leave" he said.

"Well, thanks….?"

"Lucian" replied the shopkeeper

"Thanks Lucian" said Dean.

"You'll need some supplies then?" he asked

Dean smiled "You bet" and he headed straight for the pork rinds.

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One of the old-timers stood at the window and watched as Dean left the store, his arms laden with supplies and that same cocky grin on his face. He turned from the window, his eyes meeting Lucian's.

"You sure this is wise, Lucian?"

"When opportunity knocks, Bart" Lucian grinned "Who are we to slam the door in its face?"

Bart looked back out the window, a feeling of unease settling over him as he watched the man head towards the courthouse. There was something about this one, he was different from all the others. No, he didn't like this…he didn't like this at all.

To be continued…