Author's Note: Hello, this is my first "published" fanfic and I hope that I get some good feedback... thanks for reading!

Dean was talking on the phone when Sam had walked into the kitchen heading towards the coffee pot making some for Dean and himself. He had heard only the end of the conversation but knew that Dean was accepting an invitation to something that he would have to also be dragged into.

"Yeah, sounds like fun… Okay, man. Yeah, sure…. Okay. Alright, see you then." Dean ended the call.

"Hey, who was that?" Sam said as he sat down at the table, pouring himself a bowl of cereal and taking a sip of coffee.

"Cesar." He said as he sat across from Sam, grabbing a piece of Cheerio's from Sam's bowl. Sam glared at him, but went right back to eating his cereal. "He invited us to go hunting; duck hunting that is." Sam's interest perked as he turned his head to the side, with a slight smile knowing he was right, it was an invitation of some sorts. He looked up at Dean when he heard what the invitation was for.

"Duck hunting?" Sam said questioningly.

"Yeah, he and Jesse were betting that we could hunt somethin' other than just monsters," Dean said taking a sip of Sam's coffee.

"Dude, get your own," Sam said as he scooted the coffee closer to himself. Dean shrugged, "yours always turns out better," he added under his breath. Sam scolded him.

"Anyways, I told them we would go."

"I thought you wanted to lay low for a while since we escaped in Colorado," Sam said taking a sip of his coffee with a grin. He does make coffee a lot better than Dean does, that made him proud.

"Yeah, well that was before Cesar and Jesse betted on us." He said eyeing Sam's coffee.

"Well, I guess there's no choice, you already said 'yes'… so, when are we going?"

"No, I mean, if you don't want to go…" Dean regressed.

"No, I'm fine with going—" Sam recounted.

"…'cause Sam, you don't need to be forced into this."

"Dean. I want to go," Sam said, with finality.

Dean pursed his lips, eyes still drawn to Sam's coffee, every now and then he would look at Sam pleadingly.

"We can leave tonight, so we can get there in the morning," Dean said, tapping the table with his knuckles.

"Alright, sounds good," Sam said, ending the conversation. Dean's tapping would become rhythmic, and Sam would look between Dean's hands and his face. He saw that Dean was still eyeing Sam's cup of coffee.

After a while longer he reluctantly gave up, "here, have the rest." He said, sliding the coffee over towards Dean.

"Yes," Dean muttered under his breath.

~~~~Scene 2~~~~

Dean grabbed the bags from Sam's hands and tossed them in the trunk with the rest of their things. He closed the trunk, and jingled his keys from out of his pocket.

"Alright, you ready?" Dean opened the door.

Sam knocked on the top of the car, "yup." He said with a smile.

"What?" Dean said as he looked at Sam, a wide grin on his face, those dimples evident of his happiness. Dean smiled back, pleased with the rarity, but calming effect Sam's smile gave him.

"This is our first trip, in a long time. We deserve it." Sam said with a nod.

"Yeah… you're right." Dean said as he started the car up and drove off.

— — — —

A couple of hours had gone by, the brothers would sing along to a song every once in a while. Sam would grab a smoothie from the back of the cooler, offering a sip to Dean, to which Dean would obviously deny.

"So… do you know anything about duck hunting?" Sam asked Dean, sipping the green energy smoothie, looking at Dean waiting for his response.

"Uh, well… Actually no. No, I do not. Don't you? Mr. Smart-ass?" Dean said with a grin. Sam once more annoyingly glanced at his brother.

"No, I don't know anything about it either," Sam said sipping his drink.

They drove off bantering and bickering about things they could never really agree on. They were always competitive with one another, it was part of what made their relationship so strong. They disagreed on something but knew that each argument was valid, but stubbornness was always looming over their conversations disallowing them to ever agree.

This continued for the next 300 miles, the night turning into the early mornings.

Once Sam woke up, he saw the beginnings of the day starting. A low fog began to cloud the road, Dean drove slightly slower than usual as he tried to maneuver his way through the thickness of the fog. The sky was outlined with orange, pink and blue clouds as the sun began to peak its way out.

He saw a sign that read 'Alamosa next exit' to which Dean had exited out the freeway.

"We here?" Sam said sitting up a little straighter.

"No, we're about an hour and a half away, just stopping to get something to eat. Saw a sign with pancakes on them couple'a miles back. Thought we should try 'em out." Dean said smiling.

Sam nodded and stretched his arms, as a yawn surfaced waking him up a little more.

/

The impala graveled to a stop as Sam and Dean saw Jesse and Cesar standing by their truck, unpacking their guns, backpacks, and other supplies that they were to take with them on the hunting trip.

They turned around, smiled, and waved at the brothers. Sam waved back, as Dean was getting out of the car, a grin on his face. "Hey, what's up guys!"

He popped the trunk, handed Sam the gun, and took one out for himself.

"You boys ready or what?" Cesar said with a grin. "You got all that you need?" Jesse said closing the cargo bed's door. Slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

"Uh… yeah?" Sam said turning to Dean, in a confused and concerned way.

Dean looked back with a reassuring face, knowing they'll be fine with just the guns.

Cesar and Jesse laughed as they properly greeted Sam and then Dean.

"Ah, you'll be fine, just don't find yourself face to face with a bear," Cesar said.

Sam and Dean laughed, looked at each other with worry.

They followed Cesar into the woods, Jesse trailed behind him turning to the boys, "Don't worry, we figured you guys didn't know what the hell you've gotten yourselves into, so I brought extra supplies." He reassured them. Sam and Dean said their thank you's and all four men headed into the woods. Unaware of the rest of the world behind or in front of them.

~~~~Scene 4~~~~

"Okay, you see that there? Gently let go of the trigger… easy now." Cesar coached as Dean focused in on an unexpected duck that had been pecking at something on the ground that they could not make out.

Dean closed one eye, allowing more focus and breathed out at the same time he pulled the trigger and an explosion of feathers was all that Sam had seen. Something about this had an unsettling feeling inside Sam.

He saw what hunting does, it builds strength, but it also builds callous character and he was aware of its cunning effect it had on all of them.

They praised Dean as Sam offered a sympathetic smile, Dean knew he didn't mean it as he faltered his smile, but shook it off and rejoined the attention that he was being given for the raw talent that is hunting.

They went over to pick the duck up and tied its feet together, Jesse laid it around his shoulder and they continued through the woods. Sam looked all around, admiring the beauty of the forest every now and then he would hear the soft cawing of birds, the soft thumping of raindrops settled over them as they walked on.

At one point Sam picked up a leaf that was a mixture of colors, nothing he'd ever see before, he pocketed it to save and kept on walking.

It was reassuring to him, he allowed for it to consume his thoughts as it comforted him.

The other boys were a few feet ahead of him stirring up a conversation, fixated on Dean's charismatic bravado.

"Oh, shh, shh!" Jesse said waving them down to a crouch. Cesar laughed in amusement and praise as he saw what Jesse was peering at. A deer was about 60 yards away from where they crouched. "Oh look at that beauty," Cesar whispered.

Dean pulled out his gun slowly, rested it on a fallen tree branch and had one eye closed, focused in on the deer. "Oh, yes!" Cesar cheered on. "You crazy son'ava'bitch!" said Jesse as he clapped Dean on the back.

"Easy does it."

"That's it, just breath."

"You've got her, Dean." They encouraged him.

"Dean," Sam said a little above a whisper and was immediately dismissed by the boys. Dean looked at him annoyed, he refocused on the target and pulled the trigger.

Sam jumped and looked away. He heard the guys whooping and hollering, praising Dean for the amazing talent he had.

"See I told 'em Dean don't mess around. He can hunt anything!" Cesar boasted.

They ran over to the deer and stared in awe. Dean took the gun off from around his shoulder and positioned it in front of him, he handed Jesse his phone, "here take a picture of me. I'm sending this to my mom!" Dean said amusingly. He put his foot right next to the bullet wound that killed the innocent deer. As the three men laughed in amusement, drunk off of the adrenaline that surged through there veins.

Dean did various amounts of poses, Jesse and Cesar laughed and pegged him to do more.

It was then that Sam heard it. It was a shrilling, eerie scream. Distant enough that only he heard it, he looked around in a ready position, his gun cocked in his hand. "Hey, Sam! Come over here and take a picture with me!" Dean said, waving him over.

Sam didn't pay him any attention and frantically looked around to see where it could have come from. "D'you guys here that?" Sam said. He heard it again coming from his left. He walked towards it, intrigued, scared.

He looked back and saw Dean, Cesar, and Jesse taking turns capturing pictures of the fallen deer. He ignored them, figuring that he didn't need them. He was more than capable of investigating this on his own.

The scream sounded again, this time it seemed much closer, a lot more strained. Sam hunched over, cocking his gun up more. He looked back at the guys, oblivious to what was going on.

"Hey! You guys hearing that? Dean? Dean! Did you hear that?" Still no response, Sam huffed in defeat and continued on.

Meanwhile, Dean had taken the beer that Jesse offered him as they readied to chop up the deer to place some of the carcasses into the cooler to cook up later that night. Their conversation roared on as Sam slowly slipped from their vision.

Sam followed the rustling of pattering feet. The only thing he can hear now was his breathing, huffing out every now and then when he heard the flapping of a bird's wings or the screech of voice he was so desperately following. He walked slowly, cautiously, and then…

He heard a low growl from behind him. He turned around, the gun ready for aim, but nothing was seen. In the far distance, there was a dark shadow, a figure unseen by Sam, but was getting closer with every step that Sam took as he walked the opposite direction.

Soon he came to a stream, he crouched down and rested his elbow on his knee cupped water up to his lips, and just as he was about to take a sip he saw it. The figure, but just its reflection on the surface of the water standing on the other side of the water. It did not look human, but as soon as Sam shot out his gun and pointed it toward where he thought it was standing, it was suddenly not there. Sam looked back down at the water and saw nothing.

He turned around as he heard another scream, his eye caught a red backpack that was hanging on a broken tree branch about 20-30 feet away from him. He cautiously approached it.

He saw fluffs of cotton lining the pathway that lead to the backpack. He picked one up to examine and put it down when he saw more leaving a trail back to the red pack. The closer he got to it the more he can make out a terrible scene unfolding. Blood began to be spotted along the path. Soon the quite was met with the quickened beating of his heart. He feared the worst.

He finally reached a shoe, but the shoe was not empty. The shoe still had a severed foot in it. Sam jolted back in fear and tripped over a tree's root that overgrew on the ground. He landed on his back and crawled away as he saw remaining's of a body start to scatter a destroyed campsite. He got up to investigate more and saw an arm thrown ways away from the foot, as he saw a torn up tent and sleeping bag now covered in blood.

The scream sounded as if it came from above him and he ducked in fear. He looked up and saw a body that was cut from the waist up hanging above him- dead. He spooked, and ran to go find the others to warn them.

He picked himself up and started running, all he could hear was his breathing, his footsteps and a flock of birds above him starting to take flight.

"Dean!" He shouted. "Dean!"

He kept running, running towards his brother, running in fear that they could be next.