A/N: Vivi here! The last chapter was pretty short, so I figured I'd post this next one on the same day. Hope you enjoy White Eyes!
At first light, Cas stomped out the fire. Sam and I packed everything into our bags as Cas prepped the flare guns and blow torches. The next stop, another cave, was about two hours walk from here. My feet ached and had gotten bigger since we stopped last night. I tried not to let the pain show.
I must admit that as we hiked, I was on edge. After finally having confirmation that it was indeed a Wendigo that took Dean, Sam had reluctantly given me a flare gun to hold while we walked. The beautiful green buds on the trees and hints of green throughout the forest floor were deceivingly enchanting; it was like they were watching us, in cahoots with the monster. It felt like more than two hours before the next cave came into sight.
"It's gotta be in there." Sam said as we approached. He held is flare gun ready and waited until Cas and I had put our things down. Then we took the guard and he set his things on our pile and carved out some symbols in the hard earth around us. "Ali-"
"I know, Sam. Stay in the circle. Go find Dean." They headed in and I did a quick scan of my surroundings, checking for anything unusual or out of place. There were some scratches on the trees outside the cave, which I was sure one of the guys had seen. I listened hard for anything; a call from the cave, a rustle in the bushes, a scream from the cheap copy of Dean's voice, a call from Dean's real voice, anything. It was an hour of tense silence before they emerged.
"Dean?" I called out. "Cas? Sam?"
"No Dean." Cas replied as they came into the light. Sam looked ready to move on. We were out in the woods again in no time.
"We'll find him, Sam." I said, breathing hard from walking up a steep hill as we followed in the younger Winchester's footprints. The guy could really set a pace. I was having trouble keeping up.
"Yeah…" He said halfheartedly. I didn't want to push him any further and risk him falling off the edge of whatever hope he had left after last night.
The next stop was yet another mine. Sam had the symbols drawn almost before we set our things down. He and Cas went right inside, leaving me in the happy little circle as usual. This mine didn't have anything outside but one old, wooden sign above the wooden door, which had been nailed shut and barred with thick slabs of lumbar at one time in history. It was apparently one of the old F.R.A. Co. mines, which seemed pretty common around this area of the country.
I took a few minutes to scan my surroundings. There were no scratch marks on the nearby trees. The leaf litter didn't seem disturbed except where we had entered the area. A soft wind had started to blow, sending wafts of cold air down through the forest and making me shiver. The sky was overcast; I imagined that it might frost again tonight. A sense of loss hit me as I looked at all the little buds on the trees and the small plants just poking through the leaf litter. They might freeze tonight and not make it past the thaw.
There was a boot behind that tree. My eyes, which had been wandering the green sprouts of the forest floor, locked onto it as if it were a bomb.
I stood like a flash and went to the edge of the symbol ring to get a better look. It was the counterpart to the one that had been thrown at us last night, which Sam had tied to his pack. I could even see a sock hanging out of it. Why would the Wendigo steal Dean's sock and boot… unless Dean's foot was still inside…
I swallowed the lump in my throat and scanned my surroundings again before leaving the circle, flare gun ready. Grabbing the boot, I rushed back into the circle. I took a deep breath before looking down at it.
There was no foot in it. No blood on it either. I breathed a sigh of relief.
But that meant that Dean could actually be in this mine. I dropped the boot beside Sam's pack and gripped my flare gun tightly. Sam had mentioned that this was the largest mine on our trip; they'd need help surveying it. And I was like eighty percent sure there was a Wendigo inside.
Not letting myself talk me out of it, I donned my headlamp, grabbed an extra flashlight, and put a blow torch from Sam's duffel into my pocket. The flare gun would not leave my hand unless it was spent but I wanted a backup plan. I took another deep breath and stepped over the ring of symbols.
Time to explore a dangerous abandoned mine.
It smelled musty and stale as I entered. The rotting wood and clay along the walls seemed to give off a perfume of their own, bathing the space. The corridors were narrow and held up by many aging, semi-rotted wooden beams. My eyes stayed towards the darkness or the floor at all times; I didn't' want to think about the mine collapsing around me.
I came to a fork in the hall too soon. "Sam?" I called into the darkness softly. "Cas?" They must have been too far down the tunnels already. I went left and found another fork. I went left again. Maybe if I kept going left, I wouldn't lose my way.
Every so often, I would glance over my shoulder and check the hall behind me before returning to the hall before me. The corridors grew more and more narrow and soon it was just wide enough for my shoulders to pass comfortably through. I thought about going back, or calling for the guys again. I decided to let Cas know where I was.
"Uh, hey Cas. I'm praying to you because I'm in the mine. Surprise. I found Dean's other boot behind a tree and I'm pretty sure the Wendigo is in here. I went left at every fork from the entrance, and now I'm in a pretty narrow corridor. I'm gonna keep going until I have to turn around, so come find me if you don't find anything. Thanks. Oh, and I have the extra blow-" I had turned to look down the hall behind me and saw a figure there when my headlamp turned. It was tall and had no shoes.
But its eyes were bright white. I screamed as loud as I could and shined my flashlight behind me as I ran forward as fast as possible. I hoped that the light would slow it down. The thing behind me howled and gave chase. A little ways up the tunnel, I could see a break in the wall. A small room, perhaps? It looked like I could just fit through the crack; I hoped that the Wendigo couldn't.
Just before I slipped through the crack, the monster took a swipe at me, ripping through my three layers of clothes. I was out of its reach, but it was out of my range of sight before I was able to pull the trigger on my flare gun. I was breathing heavily, adrenaline pulsing through me and I wiggled my way further down the crack until it widened out into a small cavern. It was cool, but not nearly as cold as it was outside. I noticed a pool of water to one side and a drop off on the other that wasn't filled with water. I shined my light around the room, trying to regain my composure.
I was trapped by a Wendigo that had kidnapped and possibly killed my friend in a tiny cavern in an abandoned mine in the middle of the vast forest surrounding Centerville. No cell reception, no way to communicate with the guys except through one sided prayers to Cas. If he was even getting them. I sat against the wall near the exit crack for a few minutes, taking in the pain – physical, emotional – that I was feeling. The Wendigo was silent, so I had no idea whether or not it was still around. I only knew that it couldn't get to me in here.
Tears pooled in my eyes and I let my head rest back against the wall. Several deep breaths later, I blinked them back. Personal pep talks always helped me when exam time came around. Maybe they'd help now? "You can do this, Allison. You are strong, you are fast, you are smart. You can do this. Just get out of the mine and maybe you can kill it while it's eyes adjust. Just run hard and don't look back."
That helped a little. I stood and groaned as my feet and shoulder protested. The cavern really was small. Maybe there was another way out that I couldn't see. After a brief search, I didn't find another crack in the walls big enough for me to get through. They seemed to all end a few feet in anyway. Maybe the little pond had another cavern attached just on the other side of it…
A soft scratching sound came from behind me as I tried to see how deep the pool was. I turned around quickly, most of my energy zapped, and looked with my headlamp down into the pit, where I thought it had come from.
There was a muddy pile of clothes down there, pressed into a small dip in the wall. A green canvas jacket and maybe a black shirt in a little heap. Nothing that was big enough to hide Dean's six one frame. The drop off was about four feet so I dropped into it, wincing at the pain in my legs, and walked to where the pile was. I was thinking maybe a small animal dragged Dean's clothes in here to make a nest.
The pile wiggled slightly and I took a step back. I thought I saw something pink in there somewhere… Wild animals don't usually have pink showing, unless it was a nose… I took a deep breath and tightened my ponytail before approaching the pile again.
I pulled the jacket off of the pile.
Two big green eyes looked up at me. Something strong pulled at my heartstrings and I fell to my knees in front of the pile of clothes. "D-Dean?" I stammered. The toddler before me whimpered and I saw his little bottom lip start to tremble. He said something that sounded like 'Li'. A huge, sad smile spread across my face; we'd found Dean.
His tiny face was caked in dirt and snot and streaked with dried tears. He sat up and I could tell he was shivering. Hesitantly, I reached out and wiped some of the tears and dirt from his face. He leaned into my hand and started crying, sobbing loudly just like any other eighteen-month-old child would do. He was still loosely wrapped in a black t shirt but it was for a full grown man and provided little protection. I unzipped my coat and the jacket underneath and picked the child up. He didn't weight more than twenty-five pounds. I tucked him into the right side of my jacket and zipped it so that only his face was showing. I zipped the coat over that and shivered myself. He was freezing. His lips were even blue. I wondered how much longer he could have survived down in this pit, with the Wendigo prowling around.
I felt him move in my coat. I'd forgotten to tuck his bare feet in. With those secured, he settled down quickly, the sobs fading away into sighs of warmth and after a minute or so, sleep engulfed him. I wondered how long it had been since he'd slept. It must have been a long while for him to fall asleep with so much danger just a few feet away.
It took some effort, but I managed to get out of the pit without jostling Dean too much. He didn't even wake up. I glanced out the crack into the pitch darkness, but then heard a low growl. I ducked out of view before those white eyes could pierce my soul yet again.
"Hey, Cas, I'm praying here. I found Dean. He's… different now. Uh, we're in a little room just off of a really narrow hallway all the way to the left of the mine. The Wendigo is outside. I think it knows we're both in here. It won't leave and I don't have a clear shot. Come if you can. Please." I hoped that Cas could still hear his prayers. They hadn't arrived yet though, and I'd prayed a while ago.
Ten minutes later, I pulled my flare gun from my pocket and held it tightly in my left hand. Using my non-dominant hand was not ideal, but I supported Dean's weight with my right. I glanced back down the crack and saw the monster move past, further into the mine. I squeezed my way down the length of the crack and listened as its near silent steps moved out of earshot. I closed my eyes and hoped that it was far enough down that I could make the sprint to the outside, where I could stand even a little chance against it.
Like a bullet from a pistol, I burst from the crack, shining the flashlight over my shoulder to slow it down if it had seen or heard me. I sprinted as fast as I could while still keeping Dean with me. The corridor was so narrow that I had to run somewhat sideways to accommodate the extra width in my jacket.
An almighty roar erupted from deep within the mine.
I stifled a scream and pushed faster, keeping the flashlight on my shoulder as steady as possible while still holding the flare gun in the same hand. I made it to where the tunnel widened out a little and was able to run much faster. By then my calves burned and my lungs felt fit to burst, but I could hear its footsteps and that was a problem. It was getting so close I could hear it breathing by the time I passed the first fork in the tunnel I had come to. Day light hit my face and I ran with renewed vigor.
A voice called from a ways down the right side of the tunnel. "Ali?" Sam yelled. "Where's Dean?"
Cas must have heard my prayer and told Sam. But where was he now? I couldn't stop to acknowledge Sam or wonder about Cas. I was out of the tunnel before I heard Sam give chase. I knew he was looking for a clean shot. He needed to hit the Wendigo, not me.
I made a hard right out of the mine and kept going until I heard Sam's flare gun go off and a massive howl rip through the trees. Dropping to my knees, I slid to a stop in the loose dirt. I let the flare gun and the flashlight fall. I hugged even Dean closer to me, cradling him, and cried tears of fear, anguish, loss… pain.
So much pain. Through blurry eyes, I glanced at my left shoulder and saw that some of my jacket had become stained a darker shade of red than it had been before. The Wendigo did more damage than I'd thought, though I still had full range of motion. No muscle damage, probably.
Sam didn't come looking for me. I wondered why, but I needed a moment to compose myself anyway. I finished crying and made sure Dean was still comfortable. He wasn't sleeping, but looked about ready to; his eyelids bobbed and he pressed his ear against my chest like he was listening to my heart. I brushed more dirt from his cheeks and smiled. He was safe. He was here. Even if he was a little smaller than anticipated.
I found it difficult to stand with my aching legs and so much weight throwing off my center of balance, but I managed. The bags were still piled up, so I sat on them and waited for the guys to come back. Sam had dragged the nasty, dead thing behind a rotting log so I wouldn't see it's full form. Only a foot was showing. I'd have to thank him later.
The discharge of another flare gun hit my ears and my attention snapped back to the mine. I glanced down at Dean to see if he had heard it; he was sleeping soundly, thumb in his mouth. Rocking Dean was comforting, for some reason. I was still rocking him a few minutes of anxious worry later when the guys came out, panting.
"What happened?" I asked, staying seated. I wasn't sure if my legs would work if I stood.
"There were two." Cas grunted. He looked and walked like he'd been thrown to the ground pretty hard. Sam did too, for that matter. "We found Dean's pants and one sock. But no Dean. You said you found him?" Cas looked around the campsite, undoubtedly noticing a gross lack of adult Dean.
"Yeah, where is he?" Sam looked around too. His eyes slowly met mine. "Is he still in there? Did you leave him alone?" He almost growled the last phrase. I gave him a small smile and gestured for them to come closer. They seemed confused.
"You'll wake him." I pulled my jacket and coat aside a little so that they could see the tiny pink cheeks and blond tuft of hair that protruded from my jacket.
"What?" Sam stepped closer and knelt down in front of me, never taking his eyes off of the little bundle. "…Dean?"
Dean's eyes shot open and his thumb left his mouth immediately. He looked around for the person who had called his name, and when he saw Sam new tears erupted. He started talking. Well, babbling baby talk really, but some words made sense. "Am. Ammy." He was struggling to free his arms, so I opened my jacket a little more, not wanting to let too much cold air get to him. He pulled his arms free and wiggled around to face Sam, holding his hands out. I was surprised that he'd managed to get them through the big sleeves of the T shirt.
Sam looked unsure. He glanced up to me and I nodded. "You can take him, but keep him in your jacket. He's only got a T shirt on. Literally nothing else."
The younger Winchester unzipped his jacket and took Dean by the arms, settling him into the soft lining of the jacket. As he zipped it up, his nose crinkled. "What's that smell?" He looked down to Dean, who had fallen asleep again. His thumb was back in his mouth and the other hand was gripping the collar of Sam's shirt tightly.
"That is the scent of about two days' worth of number one and number two that have soaked into that T shirt." I pointed to the bump in Sam's jacket where Dean was sleeping. "I found him in a hole. He couldn't have gotten out. He had nowhere else to go. Not that a child that age is old enough to be potty trained anyway."
Sam looked like he was about to puke. "Warn a guy next time." He said, gagging.
"Hey, I've got it on me too, if that's any consolation." I showed Sam and Cas the still moist stains on the inside of my jacket.
"That doesn't seem sanitary." Cas said.
"No, Cas. It does not." I closed my jacket up. "We need to get moving. Tonight is going to be cold. Sam, do you think we can make it out before nightfall?" I asked.
Sam composed himself and pulled the map from his backpack, laying it out on the ground.
Riffling through my bag for some water for Dean, I found the blanket I'd packed. I gave it to Sam and soon Dean was hydrated and wrapped like a burrito, snoozing once again at Sam's side.
A few minutes of fancy compass work later, Sam spoke. "No. We're about a day and half away. We can be halfway back by nightfall, though, probably." He pointed into the trees, away from the mine. "We need to walk that way."
A/N: Leave a review and let me know what you think of our story so far!
