Disclaimer: Stephen King and Warner brothers are the only geniuses here. I only hope that my misadventures using their characters and themes do not offend them. I am merely a poor student, who will remain poor.
Sam and Dean sat in their room at the Bed and Breakfast with almost the whole trunk sprawled out on the beds.
"So we've got guns and axes if there are any zombies hanging around out there. Some fire works for any local Wendigos. How are you doing on the exorcism spells?" Dean asked as he sharpened an axe.
"If the place is possessed by some kind of demon we have a Sumerian ritual that should banish it. If it's enchanted there's a Latin one. But what if it's not under the influence of something?"
"Sam, a piece of ground can't be 'alive' on its own. Jud said 'it' was getting hungry again, so something has to be behind it, pulling the strings. Tricking people into bury their dead there, using some ritual so the creature can have little zombie people to burn down things."
"Little zombie people to burn down things? And since when did you start trusting ghosts?"
"Shut up."
"And Timmy was talking to people, saying things. Zombies aren't social. Zombies can't even pass off being alive when you get with a few meters of them. If their not rotting flesh then there eyes give them away, blank and hollow."
"Well maybe the creature is making super zombies?"
"Dean!"
"What Sam? You think the place is actually bringing people back to life, fully alive, walking, talking, independent people? Nothing can do that."
"Not fully. Abbey said Timmy turned mean. And we don't know what Gage was like. But they both ended up dead again soon after."
"So let's look at what you're saying: the burial ground is sentient, no strings attached. And that the burial ground used its own power somehow lured Gage and Timmy's dads there. Where they reburied their dead sons. And then their boys came back. At least one of them, Timmy, came back all rude. Both boys ended up in house fires. Where someone else died with them. Rachel somehow died at the same time as the house fire Gage was in. And Louis brought her into the woods, we assume for the purpose of bringing her back also. Then they both disappear from record. At which time Steve Masterton followed him, felt the presence of something 'huge' touch him. But he was able to get away." Dean finished, sucking in a big breath. "How do you explain the huge thing?"
"The burial ground would have a powerful aura, maybe Steve felt that? Or even the Wendigo. gah But then he wouldn't have gotten away." Sam realized that they could spend all day poking holes in this situation. "Alright, back to what we know; Timmy's Dad's and Jud's house fires. Both house fires were started trying to kill Timmy and Gage?"
"Or set by Timmy and Gage?" Dean countered.
"But killing themselves in the process?"
"Zombies aren't self persevering. But both are a sign of evil being afoot. Either Timmy's Dad and Jud killed the zombie kids, and why would you kill something if it was normal and non-evil? Or the zombie kids killed them taking their zombie-selves out at the same."
"What if their not zombies?" 'I can't shake this feeling. I can't even pin it down.'
"Sam, come on. That's what we call the walking dead." 'Damn, why is he giving me such a hard time?'
"But what if their not dead anymore? What if their actually resurrected? Alive!"
"That's not possibly. When you die, you're dead. Or you're a ghost, a ghoul, a zombie…but not alive again, you don't get a soul back. Timmy certainly doesn't sound like he did." Dean said, 'Dude, this is getting old.'
"But what if he did? But came back mean, spoiled? Like how Eileen told you about the Wendigo spoiling the ground there. I know we've never heard of a Wendigo being able to do that, but what if the Wendigo somehow caused the ground there to come alive!"
Dean groaned; "Sam, your sounding crazier by the minute. Can we at least agree that this is a crazy, fucked up mess?" Dean asked, holding out his hand. Sam grabbed it firmly.
"That we certainly can."
Dean pulled the car off the road and parked it about a mile from Eileen's house. Sam looked over, giving Dean a confused expression.
"Dean, you stopped a little short of the driveway there. What gives?"
"We're not meeting Eileen till 9." Dean said as he exited the car. He made his way around to the trunk and opened it. Shuffling through and pulling out a couple guns and other items.
"Then why are we here now? I'm not just going to sit here for an hour."
"You're not going too. We're going to the house. See what Eileen's up too first." Dean said as he tossed Sam a gun.
"We're going to spy on her? Perv."
"Please, I'm a professional, unlike some people I know. Besides' Eileen was awfully keen on taking me to the burial ground. She's got something planned. So we are going to spy on her. And see what it is first. And if she happens to walk around her house naked then that's just lucky for us."
"Keen?" Sam repeated raising his eyebrow.
"Got a problem with my vocabulary, college boy?"
"No, just reminds me of the ladies from this afternoon, that's all. You know, they where really keen on lawn bowling."
"So where you by the looks of it."
Sam humped, and started walking.
They walked in silence, staying a little off the road to avoid the occasional truck that zoomed by. It was pretty quite until Dean started singing, off tune.
"The cat came back, the very next day. The cat came back, they thought he was a goner. But the cat came back, he just couldn't stay-"
"-Shut up Dean, that's not funny. If your nervous hum Metallica or something!"
"I'm not nervous, jerk."
"Ass-it."
The name calling continued till they got onto the Creed property, then their well ground in hunter instincts took over. The house was dark, except for the kitchen where the windows had the blinds drawn. Sam and Dean crouched along the ground till they were below the kitchen windows. Each one took a window, and looked for a crack in the blinds to see through. Sam was the first to meet with success and waved Dean over. But there was only enough room for one to peek at a time. And Sam's height gave him the advantage.
"Is she in there?" Dean whispered.
"Yeah, her and someone else. Another woman I think. I can't see the other very well."
Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out an odd looking suction cup with wires coming out one end. On the other end of the wires was what looked like a mutilated ear phone, from an unfortunate head set (perhaps the partner of the walkman that was now the spook meter).
"More homemade gadgets? Sam smirked. 'Dean should think about a job in electronics one day.'
Dean stuck out his tongue at Sam, and gentle pressed the suction cup onto the window, and then held the ear piece to his ear to hear.
"Hearing anything?" Sam whispered as he continued squinting through the cracked blinds.
Dean shushed him. 'Damn this thing is crap. I can't make out much.''
He was only getting choppy sentences. He could make out two voices, but couldn't tell who was saying what, the voices were too similar. But he repeated the words in a whisper to Sam as they came.
"Ham…….Going out………St. Elmo's fire…..Make sure you keep…..And don't ruin your new jacket….Batteries charged yet?...Handsome young man you have there Eileen……" Dean smiled at them. 'Damn straight I am.' "I'm too old for that now….
Sam's gasp stopped Dean's repetition. Sam gawked at him.
"Dude, I'm just repeating what they say, not making up how handsome I …" Sam wiped his head back to look through the window, cutting off Deans words. When Sam looked back at Dean, his skin tone had paled. Sam gestured to the crack.
"What?" Dean asked.
"The other women! She's old, like late 50's or something."
"So?"
"So!" Sam slapped a hand over his mouth, and squeezed his eyes shut. 'That was too loud.'
Dean gestured that the women had continued talking, seeming to not notice the noise Sam had just made. "So? Old women aren't uncommon."
"I saw her eyes, Dean, their…their cloudy or something, crap I can't think of the right word."
If this was a different situation Dean would have loved to have cracked a return jab about Sam's vocabulary…but as it wasn't Dean settled for clenching his jaw and going back to repeated the women's conversation.
"Can't tell now a-days…yeah, things are different… Tell your father…He won't……Wear your old one." Dean paused when he realized what he had just repeated. He looked up at Sam, who was now staring at Dean instead of inside.
Sam mouthed the word father to Dean, who nodded in return.
Dean and Sam made it back to the car. Shortly after dropping the 'f' word, the two women had gone upstairs, ending the brother's James Bond impersonations.
They sat in the car. The engine not yet turned on.
"So." Sam said twirling a gun in his lap.
"So" Dean repeated tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.
"Is it safe to say that the other woman was Rachel?"
"Possible."
"And that she wasn't dead or zombie like? And was being social?"
"Appears to be."
"And that when they said 'father' they were referring to Louis?" Sam said, as he leaned closer to Dean, trying to get some more involved responses. It worked.
"Well, isn't this just a special kind of shit! If that was Rachel and she died 23 years ago, then what the hell is she! And where have she and Louis been hiding all these years?" Dean flared, pushing himself back hard against the seat.
"Maybe we should call this off? Till we know more?"
"Yeah may-" Dean phone rang. "It's Eileen." Dean said as he read the display screen, he eyed Sam as he answered. "Hello?...Hi Eileen…yeah about that…My partner Peter is being a baby and doesn't want to be alone tonight, and you know stuck playing cards with some old chicks. Soooo maybe I can take a rain check on….no…NO! I'm not chicken!"
Sam rolled his eyes as he listen to the one sided conversation. If Eileen was taunting Dean then this was not going to go well. And then Sam's eyes bugged out when he heard what Dean said next.
"Oh you are so going to regret that….. I'll bring Peter. We'll see who's afraid of the dark missy. Be there in 20!" Dean hung up. "Thinks I'm chicken does she!" Dean grumbled under his breath, glaring evilly at the phone.
Sam was about to smack his forehead in disbelieve, 'I can't believe how bull headed Dean is.' But instead he decided to smack Dean. smack
"Oww. What? …oh…cough" Dean looked sheepishly ahead of them. "So, ummm we've got 20 minutes to come up with a plan."
25 minutes later they pulled into the Creed's driveway. The head lights illuminated Eileen, who was sitting on the front porch. She waved to them and bounded down the steps to the car. Sam had to elbow Dean twice to get him to stop humming 'the cat came back'
"Jack, still feeling brave? Cause I'll understand if you're getting cold feet. I've got an old blankie inside if you need it?" Eileen teased cutely. At least it would have been cute if not for what the brothers knew. "I'm glad you're coming too Peter."
"Well, someone has to hold Jack's hand." Sam said, trying to make a genuine laugh.
Dean and Sam pulled out the packs holding their weapons and swung them onto their backs.
"That's a lot of stuff for a hike guys."
"My Dad taught me to always be prepared." Dean said, he was determined not to be wooed by her cute act this time. 'It's all business now, Cute Psycho chick.'
"It's mostly our survey equipment. Night radar and the like. The burial grounds could help the Micmac's land claim." Sam added. Eileen seemed to accept that at face value.
All Eileen had with her was a flash light, and a can of bug spray. Which she shared with them. Sam had accepting despite Dean's negative glare. 'I don't think she's planning on taking us down with bug spray.' Sam rationalized in his mind Once bug-proofed, they started across the lawn to the path and towards the Pet Sematary.
'Eileen's excitement must be contagious.' Sam thought. As they entered the Pet Sematary Sam was starting to lose the feeling of apprehension he had started with. He tired reminding himself of Victor Pascow, to try to sober himself. But those thoughts weren't holding.' It must be the place. It doesn't want us on guard.' That thought DID help. He looked over at Dean, who looked thoughtful too. Dean was keeping himself between Eileen and Sam. But Dean's hand wasn't hovering over the hidden salt rock gun tucked under his belt like it usually did. 'Not a good sign.' Sam thought.
"Hey Jack, is your pack getting heavy yet?" Sam asked., hoping that mentioning the pack stuffed with weapons would get Dean back on focus. Dean blinked, and then nodded. His hand returned to hovering over the concealed weapon.
"Now, we go over the deadfall." Eileen instructed.
"Over it? No way. It can't support our weight." Dean objected. He pulled a branch from it to prove his point.
"It can. No worries. Just step surely and don't look down." Eileen didn't wait for any more complaints, she started climbing up and was over the top in mere moments. "You boys coming?" She called from the over side. Sam looked skeptically over at Dean. Then Eileen's voice came again ever so discreetly calling them chicken. "Bawk bawk".
Dean's eyes flared. "Ohh you are soo going to get it Ellie." It sounded more serious then playful to Sam. But Eileen giggled from the other side.
"Can't get me from over there Jackie."
Dean tighten the straps on his pack, and mumble "Hey-ho, let's go." under his breath as he stepped on to the deadfall. Sam rolled his eyes. 'Damn she knows how to push Dean's buttons. It's not like Dean to get this distracted on a hunt…and this is a hunt…a hunt with an unknown target and any number of unknown variables. And what the hell had Dean just mumbled?'
Dean climbed down the other side where Eileen was leaning against a tree. She had a wide grin on her face. "See, I told you it wasn't a hard climb."
"Guess not." Dean said looking back at the deadfall. When Eileen had been climbing Dean had remember the brief moment when he was here yesterday, and the deadfall had looked like bleached bones. The memory didn't exactly spur him on. But her mockery did, and something more. A little voice in his head, it sounded like his on. It said Hey-ho, let's go. And Dean found he couldn't argue it. 'Damn I should be more in control. This is a hunt for fuck sakes. I feel light headed or something. I can't risk this, not with Sammy around. Get with it Dean, "ZOMBIES ZOMBIES ZOMBIES" ' Dean chanted over and over in his mind trying to maintain the air of danger and caution, but it made it feel more like a bad B-movie. Dean was distracted again as Sam's head popped up at the top of the deadfall, he stopped while straddling the top and then he seemed to focus on something below on the other side. 'The safe side.'
Sam pulled one leg over the deadfall. crack The sound came from below him in the Pet Sematary. Sam risked a look down. Staring up at him, almost pressed up against the deadfall was Victor. His head was still cracked open, and the blood was still caked on. He was just staring up at Sam. Sam tightened his grip on the top. Victor shook his head. His eyes looked pleading. He kept shaking his head. 'Oh crap. Oh crap.' Sam hissed in his mind. 'Victors warning me again. Warning me not to go over. But Dean's already down there.'
"Peter? You stuck." Dean called up, there was worry in his tone. Sam looked down at Dean, and saw his brother's concerned expression, and Eileen whos head tilted to an angle staring up at him.
Sam looked back down at Victor. But Victor had moved. He was now standing at the exit, on the path out of the Pet Sematary. His back was facing in. He turned his head to look back at Sam, who was still preached on the top of the deadfall. His eyes weren't pleading anymore. They looked sorrowful, defeated. Victor turned his head away and started walking out. Sam sighed and climbed down the deadfall, 'To Dean and Eileen and god only knows what else'. In the contest between Sam's warning signals blearing and Dean's concerned expression…well, Dean had won.
"Yeah, a branch snagged me." Sam explained as he climb down and stood beside Dean.
"Yeah, those branches can be a real bitch sometimes." Eileen said, smiling. "We've got a heck of a hike ahead. So let's get this show on the road." She started walking a little ahead of them, and Sam noticed that there was a skip in her step.
Dean pulled back to walk at pace with Sam. He leaned over and whispered. "What was that back there?"
"Victor."
"A warning?"
"Yeah."
"The dude was crappie timing. I was already over."
"Yeah, about that, are you thinking okay? You went over pretty fast. I was feeling a little fuzzy back there."
"Yeah. Must be the creature's method of luring people in."
"And how are we going to resist it."
"I find that chanting 'zombies' in my head is effective."
Sam humped. "The advice from a master."
Dean nodded with a grin, then they increased their pace to stay closer to Eileen. It didn't take long before they where coming up to a swamp.
"Dudes, this place reeks." Dean said, breaking the silence.
"It's a swamp Jack." Sam countered.
Eileen stopped and turned around to face them. "Got some tips when going through this swamp. You may see some lights, fireflies you know, maybe even something like St. Elmo's fire."
"St. Elmo's fire? In a swamp?" Sam said skeptically.
"Yeah, luminous electrical discharges or something like that…swamp gas, blah blah. Just so you're not startled." Eileen answered with a shrug.
Dean gave Sam a backward look. 'I can think of some other things that give off light…spirits.'
Sam nodded as he picked up on Dean's thoughts.
"Also, you may hear some pretty weird noises. Like screaming. But it's only the sound of the loons, down south, in Prospect. The sound carries. It's funny."
'Oh that's it, we're fucked. That's what Steve Masterton had said. Word for word.' Sam groaned in his mind. He watched Dean place his hand on the concealed gun as Eileen spoke. So Sam did the same.
And as they moved forward into the swamp they could here it.
'Ducks my ass.' Dean grumbled.