Chapter 9:

"Okay, so guys, whey you get home, nobody can tell the grown-ups or police what happened here tonight, okay?" Sam said.

"Why not?" one of the boys asked. "It was scary. Police deal with scary stuff."

"Because Dean and I also deal with scary stuff. This one was our kind of scary stuff. And because grown-ups aren't as smart as kids," Sam told them. "They'll think that you made everything up. They'll think you're lying to them and won't believe you. Now. Everyone's safe, right?" Each of the little heads bobbed up and down. "Lissa got a little hurt, but that was so we could save her, so she's ok too right?" More bobbing. "So everyone's okay?"

"'Cept Dean," one of the boys pointed out.

"Eh, he doesn't count," Sam said jokingly. Some of the kids tittered and Dean glared. "Nobody else here is hurt right?" Each of them shook their heads. "All right. Does anyone have a problem not telling their parents what really happened tonight and going along with a story I came up with that will make everything make sense?"

They each turned to each other and murmured among themselves for a moment. Sam turned to Dean and they shrugged, waiting until the kids stopped talking.

"I think we're okay with it," one boy replied.

"Okay. So here's what we're going to say happened. You came out camping with Ms. McKinley, and…she killed herself." He paused. "You guys panicked and ran for the road. Lissa tripped, fell on a rock. Dean and I were driving by and found you. We're going to call the police right now and tell them that's what happened and that they need to have someone come get you, okay?"

"Okay," echoed a few kids.

"Sam? You make the call? I'm heading to get the med kit if you don't mind," Dean said with a grimace as he limped past Sam. "Call Ruby too."

Sam smiled as he took out his cell phone. "No problem. Come on guys, we're going to head back to the road." He motioned everyone forward, counting fifteen heads, before following to make sure nobody got left behind. He dialed Ruby's number and waited as it rang.

"Listen you bitch—," Ruby started.

"Ruby it's me," Sam interrupted.

"Well thank God," she snapped. "I was just thinking I was going to have to come all the way out there and save your ass again."

"We're fine. I mean Dean's a little worse for the wear, but we're fine. You know we have gotten out of tough situations before you came along to rescue us from them."

"I'm glad. Later." At that, she hung up and Sam blinked before dialing 911.

"911 emergency, what is your location?"

"White Memorial Camp Grounds, Litchfield, Connecticut."

"What's your emergency?"

"Yea, my brother and I were driving through town with the windows down, going up Litchfield road and heard screaming coming from one of the forests. We went to see what was going on and turns out there was a camping trip, one teacher and fifteen kids, and the teacher killed herself it looks like. She's definitely dead."

"It was suicide?" the operator confirmed.

"Yea. Slit her own wrists. We have all the kids here, safe, we're heading to where we parked our car, at the front of the camping grounds. Everyone is staying away from the crime scene. Police can meet us here."

"And your name sir?"

"My name? Sure, it's—." Sam closed his cell phone. "'kay, Dean, time to beat it," he called to him. "We've got maybe 2 minutes. We passed the station on the way here and it's close."

"I'm fine for now," he said, closing the trunk and walking with a limp, his stab wound wrapped up with bandages. "Okay everyone. There are fifteen kids here now. There will be fifteen kids her when the police get here, okay? Cause we gotta motor." The kids nodded.

"Why can't you stay to talk to the police?" Lissa asked. "Tell them how you…." She stopped, realizing what she was saying.

"That's kinda like trying to make gasoline become friends with fire. When they go together, bad things happen. So Sammy and I gotta beat it. It's been real." At that, they heard the faint sound of sirens and Sam dashed around to the front passenger's seat and got inside, as Dean took out his keys and got inside with a two finger salute to the other kids.

They exited the campgrounds, turned left and went down the road. With another left and going down a hill, the police just missed them as three cruisers came up through the entrance, sirens going and lights flashing. They drove into the parking lot, where all of the kids were standing, some crying, some relieved, others not really knowing what to feel.

Lissa fingered the card she had in her in her jean pocket. She'd already memorized the number. She felt special, knowing that there were things out there that other people didn't know about, but still horrified that they did exist and wished that she could just wake up. But when she didn't, when the dream continued, it became clear that it wasn't a dream.

Protect her sister and mother. That's what she had to do. What was that Spiderman slogan? With great power, comes great responsibility. Lissa nodded. She could do that. She could take responsibility with the power she'd been given. The power of knowledge that she really would rather not have known was out there, but now knowing it was, was glad Dean had told her.

Police officers jumped out of their cars, trying to keep order in the chaos that had begun as soon as the officers got there and the kids realized they were finally safe. Lissa was the only one not crying. She figured she'd done enough crying for one day. All she wanted to do was figure out, if something happened, how she was going to explain that lining the windowsills with salt would keep away anything. Lissa fidgeted with the amulet necklace that Dean had given to her. She wasn't sure what it was, but it looked cool. As she tucked it under her shirt, she swore then and there never to take it off.

And to find someone who could make some for her sister and mother.

As Sam and Dean rode in the Impala down the long dark stretch of road, with no current destination in mind, Dean finally spoke up a few minutes later.

"Man I hate camping."