Short language lesson, minnekahta (min-nih-caw-taw) is the Lakota word for 'hot water' which is also the original name for the hot springs in Hot Springs, SD.
And again, my cat tried to help me write but he insists on typing in Manx and that just doesn't quite work for me.
Supernatural Dirty Jobs
"My name's Mike Rowe and today on Dirty Jobs we are in Galena, South Dakota with Dean and Sam Winchester. These brothers are 'Hunters of the Supernatural' going after the things that go bump in the night. And somewhere near this small western town is what Dean and Sam call a 'Rawhead'. What is a Rawhead guys?" Mike said into the camera as Jeff filmed him and the Winchester brothers standing next to the open trunk of the Impala.
"The Irish version of the boogeyman," replied Dean.
"Yeah," said Sam, "it lives near water - creeks, ponds or in basements near water pipes. Rawheads punish naughty kids by dragging them into drain pipes or the water and drowning them."
Mike glanced back and forth between Dean and Sam. "You're kidding right?"
"Unfortunately we're not Mike," said Dean as he dug through the trunk of the Impala. He pulled out several flashlights, tazers and a 9mm.
"Why do you think there is a Rawhead around here?"
Dean handed Sam and Mike each a flashlight and tazer. Sam glanced over at Mike and his crew, "well while surfing on-line I read an article in the Northern Hills Pioneer about a missing kid. Which led me to a few more articles in the Black Hills Pioneer and the Sturgis Journal and found out that a total of 5 kids had gone missing and 3 have been found dead from drowning in Minnekahta Creek in the last 4 months." Sam grabbed a 9mm out of the trunk too.
Mike turned the tazer over in his hand, "a tazer? Wont a gun," he pointed at the 9mm Sam was checking, "be better?"
"We're bringing the guns along in case we come across a mountain lion," replied Dean.
"Hazard pay definitely," Mike mumbled to himself. "Okay, so what does a Rawhead look like guys?"
Dean thought for a moment, "I'd say somewhere between your worst nightmare and Divine."
Sam rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Actually Mike they look kind of like a cross between a burn victim and a rock-like hairy creature with fangs and razor sharp claws."
Mike held up his tazer, "and this will kill that?"
"Well if you amp them up to 10,000 volts, then yeah," grinned Dean. Mike looked at his tazer with more respect and a touch of fear. "We're going to crispy fry the sucker." Dean slammed the trunk closed, grabbed a duffel bag and turned to the camera crew. "Okay guys, Mike you follow Sammy. If we yell for y'all to get down, hit the deck. Stay behind us and be quiet." They headed out in the falling dusk into the forest; they followed a disused maintenance road for about an hour before they came to a concrete dam on Minnekahta Creek with a brick pumphouse on the far side.
"Do you expect to find the missing kids here?" whispered Mike breaking the silence.
Sam and Dean glanced at each other. Dean replied, "we hope so." The men walked single file across the dam, Dean in the front and Sam bringing up the rear with the camera crew in the middle. They gathered in the clearing on the forest side of the pumphouse while Sam shined his flashlight through the gated doorway. A plaque attached to the bricks next to the doorway designated that it was Homestake Mining Company Hydro Electric Plant #3 - Built 1911. "What do you see Sam?"
"Nothing, the glass has been painted over. I'm going to try one of the windows on the dam side." Sam walked along the fenced walkway attached to the side of the building and looked through one of the four large windows set along the wall. The full moon shined through the windows making it possible for him to see halfway across the pumphouse without using his flashlight. Sam chuckled while reading the sign set between the windows - Watch for ice falling from roof. Not responsible for accidents. - he looked up at the roof and said to himself, 'Glad it isn't winter.' He then followed the walkway around to the creekside of the building. He looked over the railing at the water rushing by six feet below him and shivered in the cool air. Sam continued down the walkway to a small door at the far end of the back wall, he shined his flashlight through the gated doorway, he saw another door on the far wall and a wooden stairway leading down to the lower level of the pumphouse. He followed the walkway around the corner and walked a little ways down it before shining his flashlight through one of the four windows set along the third wall of the building. Sam then continued following the walkway around to the front and went over to Dean. "There are two huge pumps - one on each end of the building, shelving along the front wall with some cabinets below them and four large cabinets on the far wall. There's also a door on the inside northwest corner that corresponds with a door on the back of the building, it looks like it leads down to the lower level. And there's no sign of the Rawhead," Sam replied in a low voice.
"What now guys?" asked Mike. Even though the crew stood close to the brothers and the camera lights lit up the clearing, Denny nervously kept glancing behind them. The low sound of rushing water over the spillway made it difficult to hear any strange noises.
Dean and Sam took out their tazers and placed their 9mm in their waist bands. Sam picked the lock on gates, pulled them open and then started on the door lock while waiting for Dean to join him. Dean checked Mike's tazer and handed it back to him. "Mike, you stay out here with your crew." Mike started to protest. Dean held up his hand, "I know you want to come with us but if you shoot one of us it would be crispy critter time. And dude that would definitely ruin the rest of our day and yours because one of us would have to come back and haunt your ass."
"Well I really wouldn't want either one of you to do that," conceded Mike. "But just so you know, I know where to find a hoodoo priestess in New Orleans who loves a challenge."
"She wouldn't have a little place down in the French Quarter off 6th near LaFayette would she?"
Mike cocked his head, "uhm yeah, she does. Don't tell me you know her?"
Dean just grinned. "Okay if the kids are in there we will send them out and you guys keep them near you. And if that Rawhead gets passed us and comes out then aim for center mass and zap it." Mike nodded. Dean dropped his duffel bag behind the open gate and stood on the opposite side of the doorway from Sam.
"Ready?" Sam asked. Dean nodded, Sam turned the doorknob and pushed the doors open, they slowly entered the pumphouse, Sam went to the right and Dean to the left. They were scanning their respective sides of the building when a bright light lit up the room as one of the cameramen placed his camera up to one of the western facing windows. Sam looked over at the window and shook his head. Dean came across a low cabinet; he unlatched the door and quickly opened it, pointing his tazer inside. "Find anything Dean?" Sam said loudly over the sound of the pumps.
"No. Just dust and rusty tools. You?"
"A scarred up workbench and a bunch of boxes." They continued working their way around the pumphouse until they reached the large cabinets. The brothers started with the first cabinet on Sam's side of the building and had worked their way across two of the four cabinets without finding the kids or the Rawhead, just more spare parts for the pumps. "Third times the charm?" Dean shrugged his shoulders and held his tazer at the ready on the doors of the third cabinet. Sam pulled the doors open quickly and they both pointed their tazers inside. "Whoa!" they both yelled as they jumped out of the way when the Rawhead came at them. With its arm it slammed Sam into the door of the cabinet, knocking the breath out of him, Sam fell to his knees clutching his head in pain.
"Sam!" Dean fired at the Rawhead and missed when it moved faster than he expected, "damnit." He hurried over to Sam and helped him up. "Are you alright?" Sam nodded. They looked around but didn't see the Rawhead.
"Think it went outside?" queried Sam as he rubbed the back of his head.
"I'd imagine that those guys would be screaming by now if it had," replied Dean.
"Gotta point there."
Dean grabbed a length of pipe that was leaning against the wall. "Sam you go that way and I'll go this way. Maybe I can herd it towards you."
"Your plan sucks Dean," Sam said while going in the direction Dean had pointed.
"If you have a better idea I'd like to hear it," countered Dean as he slowly went around the pump.
They heard Mike shout, "are you guys alright?"
"Quiet!" Dean shouted back.
The Rawhead suddenly popped up from its hiding spot under one of the pumps and took a swipe with its claws at Dean forcing him back. Sam took aim but the Rawhead kicked back with its foot causing him to jump back into the pump to avoid the hind claws. Sam's hand collided hard against the pump housing and he dropped his tazer. The Rawhead then turned and went towards Sam. Dean swung his pipe at the Rawhead hitting it in the back, making it stagger. It stopped its advance on Sam, turned and ran out of the door. Sam grabbed his tazer off the floor and ran towards the door.
"Oh…my…God!" Jeff exclaimed pointing at the Rawhead as he backed out of its way.
Mike's eyes widened in surprise and disbelief. "SHOOT MIKE!" screamed Denny. Mike aimed and shot his tazer at the same time as Sam. The Rawhead was hit by both tazers, electricity crackled off of it in all directions. It shuddered and shook as it was electrocuted. The Rawhead made a final shudder and BOOM!!!! it rained yellow and red chunks everywhere. Sam and Dean managed to dodge the rain of cooked Rawhead by ducking back into the pumphouse but Mike and the camera crew weren't so lucky.
The Winchesters emerged from the pumphouse after the Rawhead rain had ended. "Wow!" exclaimed Dean as Sam and he stared at the camera crew covered in red and yellow steaming goo. James peeked around the corner and came out when he saw the brothers standing outside.
"Holy crap, is everyone alright?" Sam asked as he looked around. Dean started giggling, Sam stared at him for a minute but soon he and James followed suit. After a moment even Mike and the other guys started laughing too.
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James went over to the western facing windows Sam had looked through earlier and started filming Dean and Sam searching the pumphouse. "While Sam and Dean are inside the pumphouse hunting the Rawhead we get to wait outside," Mike spoke into Jeff's camera, "in the middle of the dark forest," he checked his cell phone, "without cell coverage." Jeff next filmed some filler shots around the dam and outside the pumphouse while Mike walked over to the dam, "well this is fun." Denny leaned his boom mic back inside the pumphouse door and they listened as the brothers worked their way around to the back of the building. Jeff stood off to the side of the doors trying to get some shots of the events happening inside the pumphouse. They heard a yell and then Dean loudly calling Sam's name.
"Holy shit!" exclaimed James.
"What?" asked Mike, "what's happening?"
"They found the Rawhead and it's huge."
"Are they alright?" Mike went over to a small window set high on the wall to look inside but there was a shelf in front of the window and it blocked most of his view inside.
"I think so. Sam got knocked around a bit but he's still moving. Crap, I lost sight of the Rawhead."
Mike gave up trying to see through the window and stood behind Denny and peered into the pumphouse. "Are you guys alright?" Mike shouted.
They heard Dean shout back, "quiet!"
"Damn it was hiding under the pump," James updated the other guys. "Denny move!" he yelled as the huge wrinkled, hairy creature ran towards the door.
"Oh…my…God!" Jeff exclaimed pointing at the Rawhead as he backed out of its way.
Denny fell onto his butt, knocking Mike back, and crab crawled backwards away from the hideous creature coming at him. Mike managed to stay on his feet and pulled his tazer from his jacket pocket. Mike heard Denny scream "SHOOT MIKE!" just as he pulled the trigger. He pulled Denny up as the Rawhead convulsed from the electric current. Before the guys could move further away the Rawhead blew apart and its remains rained down on them in a steaming, smelly mass.
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The guys were bent over trying to catch their breaths but were also trying not to breathe in to deeply because of the smell. "You guys didn't mention anything about them exploding," said Mike as he wiped goo from his face, arms and hair.
"They usually don't do that, but damn that was spectacular!" Dean wiped his eyes, "okay guys we gotta get all this crap gathered together in one spot so it can be burned. Sammy, you and Mike start moving the bigger chunks and I'll get started digging the hole." Sam coughed while walking over to the duffel bag and dug out the shovels. He tossed one to Dean and another one to Mike before sliding his shovel under a large piece of Rawhead and moving it near to where Dean was starting to dig a hole.
"Gotta question for you guys," said Mike as he followed Sam's lead and started shoveling up the Rawhead remains.
"Shoot," replied Dean.
"If the Rawheads are evil, why do they only drown naughty kids? Shouldn't they prey on good kids instead?"
Dean and Sam glanced at each other. "Uh, well we've never really thought about it," replied Sam.
"But by drowning naughty children don't they encourage good behavior?"
Dean stood up and leaned on his shovel, "you've put some thought into this haven't you?"
"You would think that the Rawheads would rather promote bad behavior," Mike continued while shifting his shovel from hand to hand, "it's confusing when you think about it."
Sam shook his head while he dumped more Rawhead pieces in the growing pile next to Dean's hole. He looked over at Mike, "are you sure you clean up crap for a living?"
"We don't know why Rawheads only kill naughty kids, that's beyond our pay grade. It's our job to stop them; other than that I don't care."
Jeff finished wiping down his camera and started filming Dean digging the burn hole while James continued filming Sam and Mike gathering up the chunks of Rawhead. Denny stood with his boom mic near Dean, nervously looking around, searching the forest for more Rawheads.
"Why do you want to burn these…chunks? Wouldn't it be better just to leave them for scavengers?" Mike asked.
"Well most scavengers are smart enough to not eat this stuff and those that don't know any better learn not to do it again, that is if they live, so it is best just to burn it," answered Sam.
Mike looked down at himself, "it's poisonous?"
"Only if you ingest it," replied Dean. "The faster we get this cleaned up and burning the faster we can get you guys rinsed off." They had quite a large pile of chunks and smaller bits ready for Dean by the time he got done digging his 4' x 4' x 3' hole. "Sammy toss me the lighter fluid would ya," he asked after he got the first layer into the hole. He continued layering the Rawhead and the lighter fluid until the hole was ¾ full and then he lit the pile and stepped back.
"Shit, I didn't think that it could smell any worse," Mike declared pinching his nose shut.
Sam laughed, "you wouldn't say that if you had ever smelled roasting troll."
"Or gotten up close and personal with a zombie," added Dean.
"Rotting chupacabras in a shack, during a New Mexican heat wave."
"A human body sealed inside a cabinet for 40 years."
"I can't believe I'm actually starting to miss the lovely smell of ordinary, everyday crap," Mike said as he scraped the goo off his clothes. Dean poked the fire with his shovel and added more chunks while Mike and Sam found a spot on the edge of the creek for the crew to rinse off.
"Just get your skin rinsed off. You can do a better clean up in your hotel room," Sam told the camera crew as they came over to the creek. "Dude you're going to film your buddies cleaning themselves up?" he asked James.
"Sure, the producers wont necessarily use it but you never know," James replied.
"Okaaay." Sam walked back to the burn hole, "I'm going to check that last cabinet Dean."
"Take a shotgun."
"Yes Dad." Sam shook his head and grabbed a shotgun out of the duffel bag. "Hey Mike!" Mike looked up from rinsing himself off. "Do you want to help me check out the last cabinet?"
"Sure, do I get a gun?"
"No!" replied both Sam and Dean. Mike followed him into the pumphouse while James and Denny trailed behind them. Sam stood to one side of the cabinet and nodded to Mike to open up the door. James and Denny took a couple of steps back expecting another Rawhead to come rushing out. Sam pointed his shotgun inside and everyone breathed out a sigh of relief when they only found more spare parts for the pumps.
Dean snuck up behind James and Denny while they were focused on Sam and Mike. "Hey!" Dean laughed when they jumped and yelled. "Find anything Sam?"
"No," he closed the cabinet doors, "why aren't you watching the burn pile?"
"I talked Jeff into watching it for me." Dean walked over to the door leading downstairs. "Since we're here let's checkout the lower level." He turned the knob and it opened easily. Dean went through first followed by Mike, James, Denny and Sam brought up the rear. Dean aimed his shotgun down the stairwell as he checked the backdoor, which was locked.
"What if we meet up with another Rawhead?" inquired Mike.
"Run," replied Sam. The men reached the bottom of the stairs and flashed their lights around the cold, damp lower level. They could hear the muffled thumping of the pumps mixed with the rushing water of the creek. "Damn." Sam's breath came out in white puffs. The lower level was brick under foot and basically empty except for four huge pipes leading to two enclosed turbines, a long workbench and a few low cabinets on the far wall. "Dean do you think…?"
"Don't know," he answered walking over to a cabinet. "Ready?" he asked. Sam stood back while Dean popped open the door. Four frightened eyes looked back at the brothers. "Holy shit!"
Sam went down on one knee, "are you kids alright?" he asked gently. The girls just nodded, their eyes wide and tear filled. Sam held his hand out to the little girls; the older one took it and pulled herself out while holding the younger girl's hand. "Mike would you carry the littlest one?"
"Sure. Come here sweetie." Mike held his hands out to her and she practically jumped into his arms and hid her face in his shoulder. Mike was startled but he rubbed her back to help calm her down. Sam picked up the older girl and Dean quickly checked the other cabinets before they went back up the stairs and out of the pumphouse.
Sam put the girl down next to Jeff. "Stay here with Jeff and get warm, okay?" The girl nodded, she pinched her nose shut and leaned against Jeff's leg. Sam and Dean went back to the pumphouse doors and put their shotguns back into the duffel bag. Sam pulled the doors shut, locked them and then did the same thing to the gates.
"You ready to get out of here Sam?" Dean asked while making sure that the all three tazers were in the bag.
"Yeah."
Dean picked up the duffel bag then he and Sam walked over to the burn hole where they shoveled the excess dirt back into it, snuffing out what was left of the fire. Dean folded up the shovels and stuffed them into the duffel. "Jeff could you carry her," he asked pointing at the older girl, "I need Sam to cover our six."
"Sure Dean." Jeff packed his camera back into its bag, slung it over his shoulder and picked up the girl. Sam and Dean took one last look around the clearing before having everyone head out. The kids fell asleep on the long walk back to Galena.
When they arrived back at the Impala and the camera crew's van, Dean pulled Mike aside. "Mike why don't you guys take the kids to the police station in Deadwood and we'll follow as soon as we get everything stored away."
"Sure. See you guys at the station." Mike walked over to the van, passed the sleeping girl to one of the guys inside, climbed in and they drove off.
Dean climbed into the Impala while his brother closed the trunk. Sam got into the car and they both watched the van's taillights disappear into the distance before Dean started the engine. Sam leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes, "since they're heading to Deadwood that means we're heading to…Spearfish? Sundance?"
"Bobby's. I'm worn out."
"Mike's gonna be pissed."
"Yeah, but it isn't like the Discovery Channel will actually air an episode of us killing a Rawhead."
"I know but it would be interesting if they did, until the FBI showed up and demanded all their footage." They both laughed as the Impala turned onto North Highway 385.
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"What do you mean you have a search warrant requiring us to turn over all our footage of the Winchester brothers?!" the producer yelled indignantly at Special Agent Hendrickson. "There isn't anything on those tapes to interest the FBI!"
"Sir, just hand over the tapes."
"The Travel Channel put you up to this, didn't they? They don't want any competition for Most Haunted!" The producer leaned over and pushed the intercom button on his phone, "Lydia get our lawyers on the phone!"
"Yes Sir."
"Sir, this search warrant states that I get the tapes. Now hand them over."
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"How did you manage to piss off the FBI Dean? Wait, don't tell me," Mike said into his cell phone while watching the events unfold in the producer's office through a hidden camera.
"Who's redder in the face - your producer or Hendrickson?" laughed Dean.
"Hendrickson. He looks like he's about to blow a gasket." Mike smiled and leaned back in his chair.
"Awesome! I hope you're taping it. So, do you want to follow us around again? There are stories of possible zombie attacks coming out of New Llano, Louisiana."
"I thought you said they smelled worse than a burning Rawhead."
"Yeah, their personal hygiene does leave a lot to be desired." Dean leaned back against the Impala while Sam was in the C-store paying for their gas and snacks. "But I can guarantee you that zombies don't explode."
"Dean, you guys owe us big time for leaving us high and dry with the Deadwood cops. Do you know how long it took us to convince them that we didn't kidnap those little girls?"
"Ten hours and three phone calls."
"How did…?"
"I have my sources. Anyway, to make up for that minor…misunderstanding, how's an all-you-can-eat crawfish boil and a case or two of Dos Equis sound?"
"Give me four days and we'll be there."
FIN
If anybody is interested in seeing what the hydro plant that I used in this story looks like, go to www(dot)photobucket(dot)com and type in user name 'notmykl' in the Search Image spot and click on the 'click here to view their album' and select the Sub Album 'Spearfish Canyon'.
I did switch some things around on the building, like removing the bridge access from the road to the plant, moving the main doors to the back of the building and actually making a clearing behind it. I might actually trek through Spearfish Creek to check out the back of the building sometime but I'm not about to do that in March with snow on the ground. I happen to like my toes firmly attached to my feet.
The sign between the four windows actually says what Sam reads in the story. My sister and I thought it was funny.