Fool Hollow
Arizona
17 years ago

Another dead end. John stopped and placed his hand against the rock wall of the cave. By the torch light he could barely make out the pictures that were drawn across its surface. John closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the cave. Almost straining to hear the creature he had been tracking for the last week. John had followed its trail through the wilds of Arizona until he had reached its lair, this rabbit warren of a cave that he had been lost in for almost two days. John knew that his batteries wouldn't last much longer and he wanted to get the creature before that happened and he was lost and in the dark.
A rock clattered in the distance. John's eyes shot opened and he spun in the direction of the noise. He paused, shining his torch across the rock face.
"Come on. Show me where you are." John breathed. Another rock clattered and John lifted the torch. About a foot above him a large hole gaped in the otherwise smooth rock face. John slung his rifle over his shoulder and began to climb. He eased himself up onto the rock ledge shining the torch into the opening its beam barely cutting through the darkness.
Slowly John began to move forward through the crack in the rock face. Within a minute he was crawling along on his belly, pushing his rifle in front of him. The rocks that pressed down from the ceiling scraped at the skin of John's back. Just the effort to get this far had made perspiration run in droplets into his eyes and his breath had become laboured. Suddenly his forward momentum was brought to a stand still, up ahead he could see that the tunnel came to an abrupt stop. Unable to continue he dug in his hands and tried to push his way back. The rocks stabbed at him cutting a deep gouge along his back. He was stuck. John began to panic what if the creature had lured him into a trap? If it came upon him now in this confined space he wouldn't be able to defend himself.
"Don't panic!" he thought out loud, forcing himself to calm down and catch his breath.
John closed his eyes, taking a moment to wipe the sweat from his forehead. As he lay there a memory came to him of his two young sons, Sam and Dean who he had left, unsupervised in a hotel room more than a hundred miles from the cave.

"Dean you're in charge!"
"Yes sir."
"You know the rules. Don't open the door for anyone and look after your brother, I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Why does Dean have to be in charge? I'm old enough to look after myself!" Sam asked as John opened the door.
"Yeah well what makes you think I want to stay here and look after your little bitch ass?"
"Jerk!"
"Enough! Just try not till kill each other till I get back alright?"
"Yes sir"
"Alright?"
"Alright" Sam finally replied. At that John climbed in to the Impala and reversed out of the parking lot.

That image of his sons alone scared John more than the thought of being trapped under tonnes of rock with a man eating creature. If he died here his boys would be alone. Dean would be fine, John knew that, but Sam still needed him.

John opened his eyes. No way in hell am I dying here in this hole. He reached out and detached the torch from the rifle adjusting its angle to better illuminate the passage ahead. Sure enough to the left and behind a small outcropping the tunnel continued it also looked like it got bigger. John gritted his teeth, gave one big push and tore free from the rock that had wedged into his back.

It only took about two minutes of hard crawling before John emerged from the fissure his heart pounding in his chest. He lay there for a second shining the torch around to take stock of his surroundings. The narrow crack in the rock had opened into a gigantic chamber. Large stalactites hung from the roof and stalagmites reached up from the floor to greet them giving the impression of teeth.

Once he was sure he was alone John lowered himself to the floor of the chamber. He bent forward leaning with his hands on his knees. He ached all over. He reached back Feeling where the rock had bitten into him, his hand came way bloody. He felt as if the cave had chewed on him. A noise caused John to straighten. Raising his rifle he started moving toward the sound. Staying low John moved from the cover of one stalagmite to the next. A rock skittered across the floor in front of him and John stopped. It had to be a trap he thought to himself, the creature was making far too much noise. It was drawing him to this part of the cavern. John half turned, listening but still not hearing anything. As far as he could tell the only sound was coming from in front of him on the other side of the pillar, He was so close. Silently John detached the torch from his rifle, placing it on a ledge so that it still shone toward the noise. Then repositioning his rifle John backed away into the darkness.

John placed he noise between him and the light and moved forward. Hopefully the creature was watching the beam of light. He stepped out from behind the rock and froze in his tracks. The noise maker was not the creature at all. John found himself face to face with a young girl. She couldn't have been much older than Sam. She was filthy, her clothes were in tatters and tears streaked her face. The remnants of a Raggedy Anne doll were clutched protectively to her chest. John looked around the cave; there was no sign of the creature. If it had been here it would have killed the poor girl. She took a step back from John; he was still pointing his rifle at her.
"It's okay! Don't be afraid" John calmed as he lowered his rifle. The girl was looking directly at him but she stopped moving back.
"Hey there, what's your name?' John tried to keep his voice calm so as not to frighten her.
The hair on the back of John's neck bristled, something about the situation was wrong. John turned his head once again looking around the cave, but there was still nothing. His gaze cam to rest on the girl, if he was going to protect her he was going to have to convince her to trust him.
"My name is John." The girl was looking up at him staring directly into his eyes. John bent down onto one knee so that he was closer to her height.
"It's okay. I'm going to get you out of here. You'll be safe with me." John coaxed her, reaching a hand toward her. The girl flinched but she didn't draw back. Slowly One hand released its grip on the doll and began to stretch out towards John's hand but her eyes remained on his.

Suddenly a low guttural growl from behind John caused the girl to turn her gaze to over John's left shoulder. In that brief second John could see the terror fill her eyes, he moved in one fluid movement standing, raising the rifle and turning toward the sound but it was too late. The creature hit John with such force he was thrown against the far wall. John landed badly his already raw back screaming at this new injury. The wind had been knocked out of him and tears welled in his eyes blurring his vision. John knew he had to get up and reach his rifle. He had to protect the girl.

The creature approached the girl. She stood completely still as the creature put out a clawed hand and stroked her hair. It seemed to mew at her. John pulled himself into a sitting position. Sniffing the air the creature and turned toward John, growling it baring its teeth.
"Come get me you son of a bitch!" John Spat. The creature charged and in the same instant John lifted his rifle and fired. The creature slammed into John at full force and once again his rifle was knocked from him and he was slammed against the rocks. The bullet had reached the things heart, snuffing out its life like a candle. Its now lifeless corpse held John pinned against the wall of the cave.
"Uhn." John moaned. As he struggled to cast off the weight of the thing, but it was too much. John was having difficulty remaining conscious. The last thing he saw before the blackness of unconsciousness swallowed him was the girl still holding the doll.