A/N: Chapter two is here. Again I thank sendintheclowns for her wonderful beta work. This girl is a lifesaver. I know she is probably sitting at home waving a fist at me for all this praise, but she deserves it. I need this help, hehe.
Okay, I give you a taste of the action in this chapter, and once we hit chapter three, everything goes to hell in a hand cart, hehe. So be prepared for a total angst ridden ride from here on out. With Limp!Sam and Worried!Dean, how could we not have all that?
Again, enjoy, and please review!
The ride down to the area that Aidan vanished from was interesting to say the least. The road curved like crazy, the trees hung over the road like something out of Sleepy Hollow, and mist enveloped the road making it almost impossible to see. It was nearly nine o'clock, but it looked so much darker. A full moon hung in the sky casting shadows as they drove. This area was the epitome of creepiness.
Sam scanned the map he printed out making sure they didn't miss a turn. That would have been dangerous in the best light. As they passed their first road, Dean had to chuckle.
"Sam, look at that. They named a road after me."
Sure enough there was a road sign that was labeled 'Dean Rd'. Sam simply rolled his eyes as they rolled through the small intersection and continued on.
It got darker as they ventured further in and much colder. Dean rolled his window up as the breeze slipped in. He shivered.
"Damn, this place would be the perfect setting for a Hollywood horror film. Don't even have to add anything."
As they came to the bridge the moon darted behind a cloud so fast, they were sure it had been scared of something. That was never a good sign. Dean coasted the car over the bridge, peaking through the metal support beams. Shadows bent and twisted as the Impala's headlights danced off the trees ahead. Even Sam was freaking out.
"Maybe this wasn't a good idea. Could we go back to the motel and come back when it's light out or something."
Dean's eyes slid in Sam's direction. His face was struck with confusion.
"You're kidding right?"
Sam rubbed his arms, half-smiling as his did so. The temperature had dropped a good fifteen degrees since they came upon the bridge.
As they hit the middle of the bridge, the car began to sputter. Dean pulled back in shock. His car was always in perfect condition. Plus the fact that he had just done an overhaul on her, so there was no way she was about to conk out.
A loud choking sound came next. The engine lights flashed on and a beeping followed. Dean smacked the dash, when the whole car just gave out.
"Fuck!"
He threw open the door and slammed it hard. Sam stared a minute and exited the vehicle right behind him. He had no clue what was happening, couldn't help Dean anyway, but there was no use sitting in the car.
Dean glanced around, checking to see if anything otherworldly had ventured into their domain. It was hard to see anything from where he stood, and with the way the trees swayed anything could have been out there.
"What do you think Dean?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. It could have been evil Ford nymphs for all I know. "
Sam made a face. Dean ignored him and felt for the hood lever and yanked it open.
He leaned in and began to examine her like a doctor. He poked and prodded, checking the spark plugs, the radiator fluid, and the oil. The engine wasn't overheating, the tranny was fine and the fan belt hadn't snapped.
Dean was ready to hit something, when he caught site of his air filter. It was covered with a black substance.
"What the hell?"
Sam peaked over Dean's shoulder, trying to get a better view. As Dean lifted the lid, they both got violated by a cloud of smoke. They coughed wildly and spit on the pavement.
"How did that happen?" Sam spoke as he wiped at his face. He could hear Dean slam the hood shut, cursing under his breath.
As Dean moved toward the trunk of the car to get a towel, Sam spotted something moving in the trees. It was hard to tell just what it was in the darkness. He stepped closer to get a better look, when a small child wandered out of the bushes. Sam's heart stopped.
The child looked as if he were in distress, his face paper thin, and his eyes sunken. His clothes were from the turn of the century and from what Sam could see looked incredibly burned.
The child's arm rose, beckoning Sam to follow him. He glanced back at his brother, who was back under the hood dealing with the air filter. Sam knew better than to ditch Dean like this, but there was something magnetic about the child.
The boy rushed off into the woods. Sam stood there a moment. This was ridiculous. He wasn't about to go hightailing it into the dark woods after some mysterious looking child without at least telling his brother. Shaking his head, he turned back and shouted at Dean.
"Hey, I found something. I'm going after it."
Dean spun around just in time to see Sam dashing off into the woods.
"Sam? Sammy!"
Dean grabbed his gun and a flashlight and took off after his brother.
XXXX
The mansion stood out like a sore thumb and made Sam wonder why it was still standing. He eyed it suspiciously. The 19th century beauty that mixed with the small gothic touches made his skin crawl. However there was something about it that made him move ever closer. It was like a train wreck, you just couldn't take your eyes off even though you know you should.
When Sam was ready to turn back, he spotted the small boy. The child stood on the large porch looking so forlorn. Sam again knew he should wait for Dean, but felt as if this child needed his help. He was torn. Taking a deep breath, he made his way onto the porch and followed the boy into the building.
Once inside, he realized he had come too far. The inside was in deep contrast to the outer shell. Everything was ready to collapse if you so much if breathed on it wrong. Sam had made a grave mistake, but it wasn't like it was his first, and probably wouldn't be his last.
He stepped forward and almost tripped over something solid. Looking down he spotted a flashlight. Staring at it dawned on him that this must have belonged to Aidan.
"Aidan Moriarty? Are you here?"
He clicked the light on, scanning his surroundings. Illuminating the place did not make it look any better; in fact it made it look creepier. Every shadow dipped and swayed looking alive. Sam swallowed hard.
He stepped forward, calling for Aidan as he did so. Stepping into what looked like the living room, he stopped in front of what used to be a beautiful fireplace. He knelt down in front of it and flashed the light inside it.
As he did, something shiny caught his eye. He reached inside and dug through the ash. Setting the light on the floor to get a better handle on the item, Sam yanked on it, but it was stuck. He tried again, and this time he pulled so hard he toppled backwards. Sitting up, he looked at what had given him such a hard time.
Sam gasped as he held an arm in his hands.
The skin was partially burned off and much of the bone was charred. What had caught his eye was a watch that was now melted into what skin was left.
Sam got his composure back and tugged at the watch. It popped off in his hands. On the underside he got the confirmation he needed. Aidan's name was inscribed on the back.
"Shit."
Sam threw the watch on the ground. They had been too late. Whatever happened here was a travesty, and sadly there was nothing either Sam or Dean could do about it.
As he stood to dust himself off, he could hear something shuffling off in the distance. Sam took a deep breath and followed the noise. In the next room he noticed the small boy pacing back and forth. Sam stepped up to him.
"Why did you bring me here?"
The boy stopped his movements and stared hard at Sam.
"You just don't understand, do you? No one ever does."
The small figure stepped closer to Sam. As he did laughter echoed throughout the room, and before Sam could even move, everything had gone black.
XXXX
Branches slapped him in the face, cutting into his skin. He sucked air between gritted teeth, but ignored the pain. He had to get his brother back before he hurt himself out in the woods alone.
The flashlight danced around wildly, catching a whole lot of nothing. He had no clue where Sam could have gone, and couldn't hear anything ahead of him. It was as if Sam had simply vanished. Why the hell does he do that? One day curiosity is gonna get that boy killed.
More branches slapped at him, making him grunt. Dean swatted at them as he ran through a rather dense area. Fighting and cursing, he struggled to get past them. Finally getting through, he wound up in a large clearing. He breathed hard and felt as if he was about to pass out from exhaustion.
In front of him was some sort of foundation of an old building. Ivy and honeysuckle had grown over it years ago, making it hard to see. Dean scanned his light past the small cement blocks that were left and found a couple stone pillars. They were covered in graffiti.
Dean looked around, but saw nothing. Sam had somehow managed to slip past him, but how was beyond him. He yelled for Sam over and over, but the only response was the echo of his own voice. The only thing Dean could think to do now was find his way back to the car. Maybe Sam had backtracked and was waiting for him there.
Dean worked his way back through the trees and somehow managed to find the Impala still sitting where he left her. His hopes were dashed however when he did not see Sam anywhere in the vicinity. He squinted, rubbing his forehead.
Trudging to the car, he heard footsteps behind him. Praying it was Sam, he spun around, only to see a shotgun trained on him.
XXXX
"Look, I'm sorry about that. We just get a lot of riffraff around here. How do you take your coffee?"
The two of them sat inside a small ranger's station not far from where Dean's car was. The ranger, Eric Myers, moved toward a small kitchenette.
"With lots of whiskey."
Eric chuckled.
"Now you're a man I could get to know. How did you say you lost sight of your brother? He just dashed off in the woods?"
Dean nodded.
"Yeah. I mean my car stalled, which she never does, and when I was fixing to get her going again my brother had vanished. I took off after him through the woods and wound up in this clearing. It looked like a house used to be there at some point."
Eric handed Dean his Irish coffee and sat down. He sighed heavily.
"Mr. Winchester, I have been the ranger here for a good ten years now. Seen just about everything you could imagine. I know all the stories about this place."
Dean glanced up from his coffee.
"Stories, what stories would that be?"
Myers hesitated a moment.
"Well, you see, back in 1840, Jonathan Swift built a mansion up at the location you stumbled upon. It's all ruins now obviously and brings many a tourist or local hooligan thinking they can cause trouble. The crumbling pillars that used to be the entrance still stand, but are marred with graffiti."
Dean nodded in agreement.
"Now the rumors go that some time later, when the mansion was converted into an orphanage, something awful happened. There was a young boy there by the name of Jacob who was only seven at the time. He was a violent youth, apparently got in some dangerous fights with the other children. Swift never did have the upper hand with him no matter how he tried."
Eric swallowed hard. The words stuck in his throat. This was not a story he liked telling, even if he had told it over and over so many times. He never could get numb to it. He continued.
"One night young Jacob awoke in the middle of the night and decided to pull a bit of arson. The sad twist is that all the other children were in their beds at the time. So was Swift. No one made it out, not even Jacob. Everything burned to the ground that night. It was a tragedy."
Dean almost dropped his cup. That explained the smell he and Sam experienced. It would naturally have travelled for quite a distance. He instantly felt sick to his stomach. If only he knew where Sam was. He felt alone without him.
"You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Eric instantly put a hand to his face. That was the wrong term to use.
"Well, in a manner of speaking. You mentioned the stench. Could it have carried for some distance?"
Myers thought about it and then nodded.
"Yes I suppose so. I know when houses burn they always talk about the smoke and flames being seen and smelled farther away than just at the site. So it is only logical that the smell of what went on there would have travelled on the wind all those years ago. Not that I want to imagine it mind you."
Dean agreed, but he didn't have to. This whole thing made him worry about Sam even more. Where could he be, and what could possibly be happening to him?
XXXX
Sam could smell it, almost taste the agony that surrounded him. His head was swimming and as he tried to put a hand to his head, he felt a strong tug. Adjusting his eyes to the near darkness, he saw that he was chained to the floor of…of what? Where in the hell was he, and how long had he been there?
Sam's mouth was dry and his stomach was empty, so wherever he was, it was long enough for him to have not had anything to eat or drink. Though with what he smelled in the distance, he was sure he would never eat again.
The smell filtered through his nostrils and lingered a bit too long. He gagged, hacked, and vomited. It was the same smell from before, but one hundred times worse.
He could hear scraping off to his left. It was hard to see anything even though his eyes had finally adjusted. He couldn't move that much had been established. The noise was coming closer, whatever it was, and it was beginning to drive him batty.
Sam gritted his teeth and waited. He prayed that whatever it was would go away, bypass the body sitting on the cold floor and find something else to target. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Moments passed when he let out a sharp yelp.
His eyes darted open and landed on something biting into his left leg. From where he sat he could just make out the outline of a small thing with legs. Sam's heart nearly exploded when he realized the object was a rodent, and it was snacking on his calf.
He attempted to kick at it, but he found that his legs were shackled to the floor as well, but with much shorter chains. Lifting his limbs was nearly impossible.
The biting stung, but there was nothing he could do about that. He couldn't lift his arms far enough to swat at the nuisance. All he could do was wait for the rat to let go and find something more delectable. Though from what he could perceive of the room he was trapped in, he suspected he was the only thing available.
Suddenly a door creaked open. Sam swallowed hard. His captor was coming for him, and there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't defend himself, and he couldn't call Dean. He was stuck, literally.
The room was utterly silent, when Sam heard the rat squeal and smack against a far wall. Someone had kicked it off Sam's leg. His breath hitched. To say he was scared out of his mind was putting it mildly.
That same laughter bit into his brain and made him squint. He just wanted all this to end. He made a stupid mistake by taking off, and now he was going to pay for it with his life.
Sam opened his eyes, but soon realized that maybe keeping them closed wasn't such a bad idea.
The face in front of him was marred by shadows, but looked almost demonic. There was a wicked smile on his lips as he lifted his arm. What light there was caught a glimmer of a knife sitting in the figure's left hand.
"Once you get inside, you can never get out."
His voice was low and deliberate as the blade sliced at Sam's stomach.
Sam cried his brother's name, praying to God he would get there before it was too late.
A/N: Like I said, this is the beginning of the angst and suspense. I am not sure just yet how many chapters this story will be. I would like it to be a good 8 chapters at least, if I can drag out the angst and keep Sam and Dean separate long enough. I don't want to go for 5 chapters, that would be too small. I will have to see as I write it.