"Hey Dean, check this out. Could it be something for us?"
Dean Winchester looks up from the paper he is reading to read something his little brother Sam is pointing at. It is an article of three people who had been murdered. The strange thing about the murder was that the people who had been murdered, a man, a woman and a teenage boy, had been found hanging in a tree in ropes made of their own skin. Almost every little bit of flesh had been removed from their bodies, except for their faces. Someone had let them be so people would recognize them. And on top of that, there was no sign of a struggle anywhere in the small village where they lived, not even in the woods. And they hadn't been gone for more than one hour. Dean pushes the newspaper back to Sam.
"I don't know. It could have been just a psychopath who likes torture. I don't know any creature that would live the faces intact and some of the skin to tie the victims in it. Maybe an angel or a demon, but the angels are happy now that we shoved their asses back in heaven, and the demons have been pretty quiet lately. This would be like a call for us to come and kill them. This really doesn't seem like one of our things, man"
Sam wrinkle his forehead and sighs.
"Could we at least talk to the one that found them, their daughter? It could be something."
Dean sighs heavily, but agrees. He grabs his leather jacket and checks where they are going.
"Cas! Come out of the shower now! We're going to Montana!" he shouts from the hallway. Just about two minutes later Castiel, the angel that lives with them and is their friend, showes up right in front of Dean, wearing an old pair of jeans and one of Dean's old T-shirts, his hair still very wet. Dean find it very hard to stop looking at him for some reason. They walk outside and sits in the Impala Dean got from his father. As soon as they're on the road Dean turns on the music. Metallica this time.
"I hope it really is something for us, or at least that the girl is hot, hopefully both. We're driving trough the half fucking country!" he grunts. He doesn't give Sam a chance to reply, he starts singing along instead. He drives all day, and when they stopped to eat he let Sam take over for the night. Cas doesn't say much at all, while the brothers discusses a lot of things, like Dean's taste in music. Sam thinks Dean should give some of the new bands a shot, Dean thinks someone should listen to the classic rock, and since he was brought up with them that someone is him. Cas sits in the backseat and rests his head against the window, just listening to the sound of their voices.
They arrive in the morning, just when Dean wakes up. He looks around confused when he doesn't recognize the place where the Impala is standing, then he remembers, stretch and asks "Have we arrived?" Sam is sitting and looking at a map and nods.
"Yep. And I know where the girl lives too. We should change and then maybe go there" Dean nods and then steps out of the car. They change to more formal clothes, all three of them. After a quick lunch they drive to the house where the girl now lives alone. Sam knocks and they hear steps from inside.
A young woman, about 20 years, opens the door. She is short compared to them, and ginger. She looks up at them.
"Who are you?" she asks suspiciously. They show her their fake FBI-badges and she lets them in. she shows them to the sofa in the living room and they sit down. She sits down on the other side of the table in an armchair.
"I suppose you're here about my family?" she asks calmly. They nod.
"If you could tell us exactly what happened from that they left home until you found them?" Sam asks in a kind voice. She nods slowly.
"Well… It was my brother's birthday, and they went for a walk somewhere while I fixed the cake. When they hadn't gotten home in an hour I started to get worried and went outside to look. I went out in the woods and… felt something wet dripping onto my head and looked up… and they were just… hanging there…" she stops talking and looks down at the floor. Dean starts talking.
"Could you maybe… show us where this happened? If it's not too much for you." She looks up and wipes a small tear away and starts walking towards the door. They follow her silently all the way.
They arrive to the tree where the bodies had hung. They start looking around, careful not to miss any details at all. Soon Cas have found something.
"Dean, Sam. You should take a look at this." They hurry to the tree where Cas is standing quietly. He points at a few enormous marks of claws. Higher up there is more of them.
"Wendigo?" Dean asks as quiet as he can.
"Maybe. In that case on that evolved into something a bit more human since it spared the faces. I'll go ask if there is an old mine here or something like that." Sam replies and walks away. Dean watches the woman, Melody, and Sam talk. Sam walks back to them and nods.
"An abandoned mine lies not far from here. Looks like we need some fire then." They walk to her and she looks at them and asks "Did you find anything?" Cas replies.
"Yes. We think we know what did this to you family." She laughs a little bit.
"What? There's no way any animal could do that. That was the work of a human." Dean starts talking before Castiel opens his mouth and says something that makes her think their mad.
"Do you really believe that? It's a small village, do you think anyone here would do something like that?" She thinks for a little while.
"No… everyone liked my family…" Dean starts talking again.
"Well, then we can forget that is was a human. Then there's only two things left. An animal or something supernatural, and you said it yourself that no animal could do something like that." She stares at him.
"Wait… you're not telling me that it's a monster that did this to my family, right? Because that's just wrong. Monsters does not exist."
"I am actually telling you that. We've already said that it isn't a human or animal. Then what's left? A tree? Probably not. We know what we're talking about." She laughs. Sam takes over the talking.
"If you don't believe it's a monster, then you can help us find it. It won't harm you, and we will be proven wrong." She nods slowly and agrees. Dean's mood rises like a rocket.
"Okay! Let's set this bitch on fire!"
They go back to Melody's house and gather some food and then Dean goes to the Impala and get some guns from their arsenal in the trunk.
Melody shows them to the old mine and they walks into it, watching every small corner carefully. Whenever Melody tried to talk Sam would put a finger to her lips. Dean was trying to not start laughing. It was too obvious that Sam had already started liking her. They walk for a long time, and then Melody sits down.
"What are you doing? We can't stop. It will find us, and it's easier to run for our lives if we are already standing up." Dean whisper, starting to get angry. She looks at him.
"Well, then you three can stand up. I can't walk anymore. I haven't gotten some real sleep in almost a week, and my feet are starting to hurt." Dean hits his head against the wall of the mine.
"Sam, you carry the princess. Me and Cas can shoot if we see the thing." Then Dean starts walking again, without waiting for the others. Sam places Melody over one of his shoulders and follows Dean, and Cas walks after Sam, watching his back. They walk for two or three more hours before Dean checks his clock and sits down. Sam puts Melody back down and she looks at Dean.
"Shouldn't we keep walking?" he sighs.
"Yes, but it's midnight and I think it's time to eat something, and take a little break, let it come to us. I think we've soon walked over his borders and then we won't have chance of getting to set fire him." She sighs and walks further away from them. Sam sits next to Dean.
"Man, she likes you. The only time she wasn't complaining was when you carried her. And it's obvious you like her a bit too. Go over there and talk a bit, and if she bites you in the arm or something you can come back here." Dean whispers and pushes Sam in the back. Sam frowns but goes to Melody. Cas sits next to Dean instead. Dean doesn't say anything, he knows how bad Cas is at chatting about nothing. Dean is on his feet in less than a second when he hears something moving that's not Sam, Cas or Melody. Cas and Sam reacts when they see him standing, watching down the tunnel, trying to see something trough the darkness. Right then they hear a roar from in front of Dean.
"Sam! Give me the lighter and the oil, now! And then take the princess away from here." While Sam gives him the stuff Melody starts protesting.
"If it's a monster, I want to see it. I'm not going anywhere." Dean frowns.
"Fine!" then he lights a torch he made while she was talking out of a branch he picked from a tree they passed on their way to the mine, a bit of his shirt and some oil. When the fire gives them some light, they see the big creature running towards them. Melody screams, and Sam takes the gun out of his pocket and starts shooting at the wendigo to slow it down while Dean prepares himself to set fire to it. He lights another torch and runs towards the wendigo, and when he's close enough he throws the torches at the monster and it's on fire immediately. The screams from it are terrible and the run past it as fast as they can, and doesn't slow down until they're halfway out of the tunnel, when Melody collapses. Sam lifts her up while he runs past her and continues running until they're out of the mine. Sam puts her down on the ground carefully while he checks her pulse. She looks up at him and smiles, for the first time since they met her.
"I'm okay you know. My legs just… didn't want to do as I told them. They're a bit tired I guess." Sam sits back and they wait for Dean and Cas. Melody randomly starts laughing.
"I guess you're not FBI then." Sam laughs and says no. they're quiet until the others come. Then they go back to Melody's house. She looks at them and notices how tired they look.
"You can stay here overnight. You're all tired and this is better than some motel. Well… I hope it is." They laugh and steps inside. She tells them to go to the sofa. They do as they're told and sits down. After a little while she comes with some sandwiches and coffee.
"Do you believe in monsters now then?" Dean asks with a small smile. Melody laughs.
"I think I have to. So this is what you do? Drive around, finding weird murders and kill monsters?" Cas is the one who answers.
"Well, we try to, but there is a few stuff that stops us, like demons and angels. We accidently started the Apocalypse too a few years back." At this Melody almost chokes on her coffee.
"How the hell do you accidently start the fucking Apocalypse!?" Dean laughs.
"Well… you get brought back to life again, then you can't stop the demon that tries to break the 66 seals to free the Devil, and when she's broken 65 seals you get manipulated to kill her, wich is the last seal, and BAM! Satan walks the Earth." Melody nods.
"And for the record… Cas is one of those angels, but one of the cool ones. But most of them are dicks." Dean adds. Sam continues.
"Well, he is actually the only cool one that hasn't been kille yet, or at least not permanently. The only cool ones besides him I can think of are Gabriel and Balthazar." Dean nods thoughtfully. Melody stares a bit on them.
"THE Gabriel? The one from the whole Jesus-story?" Dean nods.
"Yep, exactly that one." Melody nods again, impressed.
"Mind if I join you in your job? I've got nothing left here." This makes them go quiet. Sam starts slowly talking after a while.
"Well… you really need to think that trough. It's not as fun as it sounds. We've watched every single one of the ones close to us die, often pretty painfully. And you risk your life every single day, especially if you join us. We're kind of the most wanted in both Heaven and Hell. But if you think it trough you're welcome. But that'll have to be after we've gone back to our place, to give you some extra time." Melody nods again. They start talking about more normal stuff and soon they go to bed.
They leave before lunch. When they say goodbye to Melody Sam gives her his number.
"Give me a call when you've decided if you stay here or join us. Take your time." She nods quietly. He adds whispering, so only she can hear: "I won't let you go if you come back, just a fair warning" she nods and smiles. She gives Cas and Dean one hug each, then she gives Sam an fast kiss before they drives away.
Dean looks at Sam and says "Well, I was the hero, but you got the girl. And damn she looks nice." He laughs and raises his arm before Sam can hit him. They drive way over the speed limit until they reaches their bunker, and Dean tosses himself on his bed, while Cas and Sam sits in the kitchen, eating and drinking some coffee after the long ride back.
As soon she didn't see their car anymore, Melody called for her best friend to come to her place. He arrived and asked why the hurry.
"I need your help. I'm going to leave here. I need to start over, I can't stand this. So need a ride, and some help with what I should take with me." He nodded and they just packed her clothes, phone, charger, her speaker to the phone, a few movies and some money. Then she sat in her friend's car, calling Sam. I answered almost immediately.
"Hi Sam, so where do you guys live then?"