Chapter Five
Things were not looking good. Sam was watching in mild horror as the tow truck heaved the Impala up to the road. Dean had insisted that Sam go and watch out for his baby, telling him to make sure they didn't screw her up. Sam really didn't want to leave Dean by himself, but his brother had finally convinced him it would be okay. Sam did want to get out and visit the town, learn a bit about it, start taking in the faces and finding out if anyone else was seeing the Mothman or other strange things. But he was reluctant to leave Dean alone, just in case the Mothman wasn't done with him. He didn't know why the creature had shown itself two different times to his brother. Sam had finally given in, but only after Dean had confessed he was tired and wanted to sleep. Sam had complied, feeling stupid that he'd been keeping his brother from resting, and told him he'd be back later to bust him out.
Sam had called Earl's tow company and had asked them if they could swing by and pick him up. The guy seemed more than willing to let Sam come, especially after Sam told him the make and model of the car. Ironically, the man had referred to the Impala as "someone's baby." Sam wanted to tell the guy that he had no idea. The tow truck had come to pick him up, with Earl himself driving, and together, they'd driven to the spot where they'd spun out. While Earl had been getting ready to pull the car up, Sam had packed most of the contents of the truck into duffle bags. Only the incriminating contents, guns, knives, weapons. The last thing they needed was for some mechanic to find their stash of weapons. It was a chore getting the car up the incline, but Earl seemed to know what he was doing. The Impala looked bad, but not as bad as Sam had originally thought. The left side of the car was scratched to hell, and the headlight and bumper on the left corner were smashed in. It looked as though the back axle was broken, and one of the tires had blown. But overall, it looked salvageable. Dean would be ecstatic.
Earl gave a low whistle as he strapped the Impala down. "You boys are lucky she didn't flip herself and roll," he said, looking over at Sam.
"Oh yeah?" Sam asked, arms crossed over his chest. It was cold out. Not as bitter as it had been the previous night, but still cold. His breath came out in puffs when he spoke. He'd never liked the cold.
"Yes sir," Earl said, latching the last strap. He patted the truck bed and looked at Sam. "Hop in, we're ready to roll." Sam was more than happy to get back into the truck. He fastened his seatbelt and waited for Earl to climb back in. "Yeah, we've been having a lot of slide offs lately," Earl commented, starting up the truck and pulling out, heading back into town.
"Really?" Sam asked, suddenly interested. He glanced over at the man. Earl looked…harmless for lack of a better way to describe him. He wore a mechanic's jumpsuit and a heavy flannel jacket. He looked as though he were in his late forties, early fifties. His hair was graying, cut short, and he had a beard. His smile was what got Sam. It was a genuine one, one of a man who had learned to appreciate life. Sam didn't see many of those smiles anymore.
Earl nodded, turning up the heat and giving a shiver. "Sure have. It's usual for this time of year, but we've had more of them than ever. Animals in the road and all. I'm blaming the government. They didn't issue enough hunting licenses this year, so now we're overrun with deer. Circle of life, I tell them. We kill, they breed." Sam gave a chuckle, though he found it interesting that people were seeing animals in the road. He wondered if it could be their Mothman. "You a hunter, son?"
Sam gave a snort. "You could say that."
"Well then," Earl said. "You'll fit right in here. Fort Sudak's a hunting town."
"Fort Sudak?" Sam asked.
"Yup. Coziest place on earth." Earl gave a grin. "And good thing too because it looks like you'll be sticking around for a bit."
"Yeah," Sam agreed, looking over his shoulder at the Impala. It almost hurt to see it so banged up. "But you can fix it?"
Earl huffed his chest. "Son, I can fix anything. You give me a week and I'll have her looking like new."
Sam smiled. "That's good news. My brother's sort of attached to the car."
"Ah, so it's your brother's car," Earl nodded and looked over at him. "I didn't think you fit her very well. You look more like a Honda man to me." Earl grinned. "I've got a used one for sale if you want it."
"No thanks," Sam smiled. He turned and looked out the window, watching the scenery pass by. It looked different during the day, less evil. Though, there was still a darkness to the woods that didn't sit very well with Sam.
They drove into Fort Sudak a few minutes later. It was a small town, but very inviting. The downtown was made up of older buildings, and houses pooled out around them. The town had its Christmas decorations up and people were out and about. Earl had been right, it was cozy. Sam wondered briefly if maybe Dean was wrong. Maybe this wasn't the town they were supposed to be in. But he pushed that thought aside. He would bet anything that Point Pleasant had been the same way. Nice, cozy, quiet. The last place on earth anyone would imagine a disaster occurring. Sam let out a sigh and wondered when he had started actually assuming that's what was going to happen.
"Here we are," Earl announced. Sam looked up as they pulled into a graveled parking area. He climbed out of the truck and reached for his wallet, but Earl held up a hand. "Not yet," he said. "Wait until you see the final product before you fork over your money." Earl was grinning. Sam smiled back.
"Thanks," he said. "So, a week then?"
"I'd have it to you sooner, but seeing it's Christmas and all…"
"It's not a problem," Sam assured him. He thanked the man and started walking towards the downtown area. He didn't really feel like sticking around long without Dean, but it couldn't hurt to get a little research done. Besides, he wasn't sure how up to researching his brother would be. Probably a hell of a lot less than usual. Maybe he'd ask around, find out if anything strange was happening recently.
The first shop he came to was a used bookstore. He decided to check it out, mainly because he wanted to get in out of the cold. Opening the door, a bell chimed his arrival. The store looked scattered, shelves all over the place, filled to capacity with books of all kinds. Sam liked these kinds of stores. The ones that had a real humble look to them. Sam had used to go to these types of stores with Jess. He shook the thought out of his mind. He'd done too much reminiscing lately.
"Can I help you?" Sam jumped at the voice and spun around. His hand reached for one of the duffle bags he had slung on his shoulder. But he stopped himself from pulling out anything dangerous as he got a look at the girl who had spoken. She looked to be about Sam's age. She was blonde and wore a pink sweater. She held a stack of books in her arms and was looking at Sam quizzically.
"Um," Sam said, uncertain for a moment. "Actually, Mrs…." Sam waited for an answer.
"Kate," she said curtly.
"Ah," Sam smiled. "Sam, nice to meet you. Well, Kate, I was actually just wondering if there was a motel somewhere around here. My brother and I sort of…crashed our car and we're looking for a place to stay."
Kate eyed the assorted bags in Sam's arms and looked back up at him. "There's one a few blocks down the street." She eyed him again before saying. "You're not from around here, are you?"
"How could you tell?" Sam smirked.
She turned and set the books down on a counter. She didn't turn back around, just started shuffling through the pages. But she continued talking to him anyway. "Your jacket," she said plainly. "People around here know to wear something thicker. They prefer not to freeze to death."
"Uh huh," Sam said, not liking the attitude. He decided to go on to that motel and get them a room. From there, he'd figure out a way to get back to the hospital. "Well, thanks for your help," he said over enthusiastically before heading towards the door.
The woman's voice stopped him again. "You sure there's not a book I could help you find?" She'd said it snobbishly. Sam turned and looked at her, wondering what he'd done to make her angry. Usually it was Dean who pissed off the girls, when they weren't all googily eyed for him. "We've got a sale going on." She sounded unenthused.
Sam decided to try a new tactic. "Actually," he said. "Do you have any books on paranormal legends? My brother thought he saw the Mothman last night and I'm trying to prove to him that the Mothman wouldn't come this far north."
Kate froze and Sam watched her closely, trying to read her rigid body language. Her hand was frozen halfway over a book and her face had paled a shade or two. She looked at him, actually glared would be the better term for the way her eyes studied him. He stood there, trying to look the part of an aloof out of towner. She set down the book patiently and turned to him, her arm slung over the counter and a hand on her hip. "Mothman?" she asked. Sam knew she was trying to sound unimpressed, but he saw the tension still in her shoulders. "There's no such thing."
"Well," Sam shrugged. "You never know. Besides, my brother's a real sucker when it comes to the paranormal."
Kate continued to glare. "Then your brother must be a gullible moron," she said. Sam just stared back at her, trying not to crack a smile. Dean was being made fun of and he wasn't even here. Sam tried to gauge Kate's reaction. He knew that he'd struck a nerve in her somewhere. It confirmed Dean's theory that they were in the right town, at least. "Scientifically, the Mothman can't exist." She turned back to her books, shuffling through them again.
"Did you know that, scientifically, it should be impossible for a bumblebee to fly?" Sam said, watching as she slowly turned to look at him again. He shrugged. "Something about aerodynamics not concurring with the weight and…"
"I know," she broke in. "I watch the Discovery channel too." She took a deep breath and chewed the side of her lip. "I sold the last one this morning."
Sam nodded. "All right," he pretended to not care. "But my brother's gonna be disappointed. Thank you, Kate. It's been a pleasure talking to you." He didn't try to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.
"Back at ya," Kate said dryly. Sam turned and walked out the door, aware that Kate was still watching him as he walked down the road to the motel. That had been interesting. The topic of the Mothman had obviously gotten to her. That had not only confirmed this was the right town, but also that there had been at least one other sighting. Possibly a lot of other sightings, but he'd have to ask around a bit more to really find that out.
"Sam!" The voice made Sam turned and look over his shoulder. Kate was jogging towards him. She had a book in her hand. He stopped and let her catch up. She was breathing hard, gripping the book tightly. She stared at him for a moment, her face completely different from when she'd been smarting off to him inside the store. Now she looked almost scared. She held out the book for him and he took it cautiously. "Free of charge," she said, staring at him for a moment more before turning around and running back into the store.
Sam frowned. That was weird. He looked down at the book and read the title. "American Myths and Legends." Looking back up at the store, he smiled. Okay, so maybe she wasn't so bad after all. He'd have to go back there later and talk with her again, try to get her to talk about why she was so spooked.
Continuing to the motel, Sam got a room and set down his stuff. He hid the bags of weapons in the closet, just to be safe. He rubbed his hands together and blew into them, still chilled from the walk. He looked at the book he'd set on the table. He didn't think there'd be anything in it that they hadn't already read, but it never hurt to have another source of information. Looking at the clock, he saw he still had a bit before he could go and pick up Dean. Deciding to stay in the warmth for a little while longer, he pulled up a chair and opened the book.
Sam was surprised at how many myths and legends there were. The book covered all of the basic ones, and even the not so basic ones. Bigfoot, Jersey Devil, and an assortment of ghost stories. Sam found the Mothman and opened to the page. He laughed at the picture they had used for the creature. It looked like an old horror movie poster. Cheaply drawn. A gray man with wings and antennae. It was a book cover of some sort. He flipped to the next page and started reading.
As he expected, the book didn't tell him anything that they didn't already know. It went a bit more into detail with its descriptions and it had a pretty extensive collection of actual witness statements. But as Sam turned to the last page, he frowned seeing that some of the text had been highlighted. He read the selected passage.
After the collapse of The Silver Bridge, several credible witnesses reported encounters with a strange man. They described him as being very short and having strange eyes that were covered with thick glasses. He had long, black hair cut squarely and he spoke in a low, halting voice. Witnesses claim that the man was terrifying to talk to, for no apparent reason. The same man was spotted on several separate occasions. Some authors and researchers believe he was the Mothman himself, in human form. Theories are unproven and neither the man, nor the Mothman, have been seen since.
Sam leaned back. He remembered reading a bit about strange visitors after the bridge had collapsed in Point Pleasant, but none of them had really gone into detail. This, however, was interesting. If they were right, and the Mothman could take human form, it would make Sam and Dean's job a hell of a lot harder. The Mothman wasn't some demon they could exorcise. Sam actually had no idea how to kill it. He supposed they would just try shooting it and see what happened. That is, if they ever found it.
Looking back at the clock, Sam decided that it was time he got back to Dean. If his brother was awake, he was probably going buggy, or wooing some nurse, in which case Sam would like to be there to save the poor girl. He closed the book and stood. Taking out the phone book, he phoned the hospital. After finding out that there was a van service Sam could utilize, he arranged for the van to come pick him up . It would be there in half an hour.
The wait went by quickly and Sam decided he would stand outside until the van showed up, which would be any minute. He leaned against one of the columns that held up the overhang in front of their motel room door. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets. The temperature seemed to have dropped a bit. Yeah, he would definitely convince Dean to buy some winter clothes while they worked on this job.
The sound of laughter caught Sam's attention and he looked to his right. Across the street, two kids were playing in the front yard, their grandmother sat on the porch and a big golden retriever was bouncing around happily. Sam smiled. When they were kids, Sam and Dean had always wanted a dog. Dean had almost convinced their Dad once, saying they needed an attack dog. But the plan had never gone through. Dean always threatened that one day he'd go out and come home with a ferocious devil dog, but he never had. Sam had been a bit disappointed.
A black van with the medical insignia pulled into the parking lot. Sam nodded to the driver and pulled his hands out of his pockets. As he was about to climb in, the grandmother's voice filtered into his ears.
"That's enough now," she was saying. "Time to go inside. Manheim needs his bone."
Sam froze. Manheim needs his bone? It was just what Jess had said in the phone call. He had half of his body inside the van and half still outside. He stared at the grandmother as she disappeared into the house. Looking at the driver, Sam saw he was watching him questioningly. Sam was torn. "Could you wait for a few minutes?" he asked.
The driver looked at his watch. "Only a few. Gotta schedule to keep."
Sam nodded his thanks and closed the door, jogging across the street. He bounded up the steps to the door and hesitated. What the hell was he supposed to say? I overheard you talking to your dog, have you met the Mothman? He grit his teeth, knowing that he couldn't pass this up. He finally just knocked on the door, deciding he would wing it, not mention the Mothman at all, thinking back to Kate's reaction.
The door opened and the elderly woman peered out at him. She looked timid. "Yes?" she asked softly.
Sam smiled, trying to look harmless. "Hi," he chirped. "Um, this is going to sound strange, but my brother and I are looking for a place to buy a cottage, for summer trips. I was just going around and asking people how they liked living here and everything." It sounded lame, but he hoped the woman would buy it.
She eyed him for a while. "It's peaceful," she said, almost snapping.
"Peaceful," Sam repeated, trying to keep the woman from slamming the door in his face. "That's what we're looking for. Just a nice little town, where nothing ever happens. It seems like there's hardly any of those towns left. That is, of course, from what I've seen. Nothing ever happens here, does it?" Sam forced a laugh and a smile. He knew he sounded like an idiot. He was rambling, but he wasn't used to doing this without Dean there to bounce off of. He decided that when this was all over, he was going to convince Dean to take some acting classes with him. It would make their jobs a ton easier.
"No," the woman said. "Now excuse me, my grandchildren are getting antsy." She closed the door before Sam could say anything else. He clenched his hand into fists. That woman was important, somehow, he knew she was. He didn't want to just leave it at that. He had to be here. The Mothman was giving them a clue.
The hospital van honked and Sam turned to look at it. He sighed as he realized he would have to come back later. He didn't think they would get anything out of the woman, but perhaps if they did a little spying. He was sure Dean would be up for that. Spying won over research any day. Sam jogged to the van and hopped inside.
As the van was pulling away, Sam couldn't decide if he was happy or upset that he'd found the first clue. It meant that the phone call really hadn't been from Jess. He knew they were dealing with the Mothman, but a part of him had still wanted to believe it was Jess who had called. But now, he knew for sure.
The Mothman was trying to talk to them.