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Dean Winchester glared at the trees around him.
At any other time, he would've eyed them cheerfully, happy about trekking through the woods with his father and two older brothers as they hunted the unlucky monster of the week. But this time, he despised it with a passion as his mind was elsewhere. Namely with a sick sixteen-year-old back at the farm.
His father must have sensed that because he turned around and barked "Dean, look alive."
That shook Dean out of his reverie and berated himself. He couldn't afford to let his guard down, not with a monster as sneaky and cunning as a Djinn.
As they passed an old oak tree, John froze and raised his fist up, silently telling the others to stop. He looked around cautiously, frowning.
"Dad?" Dean whispered after a minute.
John shook his head "I thought I heard something. Stay on the lookout."
Just as the words left his mouth, a dark shape hurtled from the oak tree towards them with a howl so horrible that it trumped even the largest, meanest werewolf.
"Damien! Lookout!" Dean shouted as he saw the monster launch itself at Caleb.
Luckily, the psychic stepped aside and shot at the monster but it only seemed to anger it more.
The monster was very tall and ugly, with dark blackish-blue skin, glowing eyes, long, sharp teeth and claw-like fingers. With another howl, it charged once again.
"This isn't a Djinn!" Joshua yelled as he sidestepped the hurtling monster and tried to shoot it.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Caleb snapped as he aimed his gun at the monster.
But the hunters were fighting a losing battle. Soon, the monster had disarmed them all and smashed them all into trees. Caleb and Dean were only dazed, but John and Joshua were knocked out.
Quicker than the eye could blink, it was dragging the hunters through the forest until it reached a tunnel like cave. With immense strength, the monster deposited the hunters in the cave and turned to leave.
With blurred vision that accompanied being thrown into a tree, Caleb fought against the dizziness and got up, launching himself at the monster with a yell. The monster howled and shook him off, throwing him on the ground and stomping on his leg. A loud snap echoed across the cave followed by a scream as Caleb's bone snapped.
"Damien!" Dean yelled and watched as his older brother passed out from the pain and rudeness of the injury. He got up to charge at the monster, but it howled once more and threw him against the wall, knocking him out.
Looking at the unconscious hunters, the monster grit its teeth. These weren't children, its usual victims, but it knew that it couldn't just let them go. So it opted for tying them up with some rope and hung them from the stone ceiling of the cave with chains, where sturdy roots were dangling. The monster usually hung children from there so it didn't know if the roots would hold the weight of these wretched adults. But the roots belonged to some really old trees in the forest so they probably would. Either way, the monster didn't care, all it did care was for them to rot away.
It glared at the hunters once more then disappeared out the tunnel to go wait in its old oak tree for its next prey.
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Mac parked his car next to the Impala. First of all he had to locate the area his family had decided to search. He went through the collection of maps he had in his car, pulling out the fitting one. It took him precious minutes to prepare. But there were already enough unprepared hunters in this forest. He got out, shouldering the pack he filled with the necessary weapons and tools he needed to find his family and take down the Black Annis. Glancing at the dark, looming forest, he took a deep breath then started to head into the thick of it.
About ten minutes after he had started walking, Mac looked up from the map piece he had folded fitting for the area he had to comb. He froze upon hearing a rustling sound. Quickly pulling out his gun, he pointed it at the direction of the quivering bush.
A figure emerged from the bush, and jumped back at the sight of a gun being pointed at him then took out his own weapon. When they both got a good look at each other, Mac could barely contain his gasp. Tucking his gun back into his waistband, he stared at the smaller figure in shock and disbelief.
"Sammy? What the hell are you doing here? I told Jim to tell you to stay put!"
Sam tucked his own weapon away as well and looked sheepishly at Mac.
"I'm sorry, Uncle Mac, but I couldn't just sit around doing nothing." he croaked then a brief flash of pain flitted across his face.
Upon seeing that, Mac approached Sam, but the doctor didn't like what he was seeing.
Sam was pale, shivering and he was swaying where he stood. His eyes were glazed with fever and the edges of his honey brown locks were drenched with sweat.
Hurrying towards his sick nephew, Mac quickly placed his palm on Sam's forehead and winced at the sheer amount of heat he found there. Sam, in turn, leaned into the coolness of his uncle's hand.
Mac wrapped an arm around the teen's shoulders and steered him to sit on a large rock. Kneeling in front of him, Mac looked at Sam.
"Sammy, I know you're worried about them, but you can't risk your own health and life for that. You think they would want that? Your fever's through the roof and you can't walk straight." Mac scolded.
Sam bit his lip and raised his puppy dog eyes to look at Mac. "I'm really sorry Uncle Mac, I'm just really scared," he confessed, hating the vulnerability brought on by the sickness as tears welled in his eyes.
Mac softened when he saw the tears in Sam's puppy dog eyes. "I know tiger, I'm just worried about you," he said as he produced his water bottle and a clean cloth used for tourniquets. Pouring water on the cloth, Mac wrung out some of the excess liquid and placed it on Sam's forehead and wiped down the teen's face and neck with it.
"Sammy, when did you last take anything for your fever?" Mac asked.
"In the car on the way here, about twenty minutes ago I think," Sam muttered as he sighed with relief at the coolness of the wet cloth.
Mac wrapped an arm around Sam's waist and heaved him up. "Alright, tiger. You're going to go and stay in my car while I go get your father and brothers."
Sam's eyes snapped open and he shook his head. "No, please Uncle Mac, don't leave me behind."
Mac sighed "Sammy…"
Sam cut him off "I read about the Black Annis at the farm, Uncle Mac. I know all about it. If dad and my brothers aren't answering their emergency phone, it means they've been captured. Please Uncle Mac, I could help find them," he pleaded.
Mac thought about it for a minute. He was not prepared for the hunt on the Black Annis. The little he recalled from an earlier research was surely not as precise as the things Sam had just read. then grimaced "I don't like this."
Sam nodded "I'll do whatever you want after this. I'll even stay in bed for a week if you want."
Mac smiled "I sincerely doubt that, but alright. You can come with me on one condition, you stay next to me and listen to whatever I tell you, okay?"
"Deal."
At that, Mac wrapped his arm around Sam's shoulder and the two continued walking towards their family.
After around fifteen minutes, Mac started to feel Sam leaning on him more, and could feel the heat radiating from the smaller body.
"Let's take a break." The doctor decided, but Sam stopped walking and pointed at an old oak tree beyond the bushes that were concealing them.
"Uncle Mac, I think this is it," he whispered.
Sam had told Mac while they were walking that the Black Annis liked to hide in an old oak tree while waiting for a child to pass by. After that, it took them to its cave to feed on them. He also told his uncle how the monster could be killed.
Mac concentrated and sure as daylight, there was something there, hiding within the oak tree.
"I can sense it," Mac whispered back.
The two remained crouched behind the bushes and watched as a rabbit ran across the trail. But as it passed the oak tree, it was snatched up by the monster. Sam and Mac watched as the Black Annis came into view, and Sam almost flinched at her appearance if not for his experience with horrible and scary monsters. It had long tangled jet black hair framing her wrinkled blue skin and her large red eyes scanned the area for a moment before dangling her prey in front of her. It touched the rabbit with her tongue then flinched away in disgust and bounded away with the rabbit in its hand.
Mac got up and pulled Sam quickly yet gently and nodded with his head towards the Black Annis, motioning for them to follow it in the hope it would lead them to its lair.
Sam nodded and both, uncle and nephew, made their way cautiously and quietly as they followed the Black Annis. Finally, they saw the witch-like monster stop in front of a tunnel that led to a cave.
When Sam saw the monster disappearing inside the tunnel, he looked at his uncle, whose arm was still around his shoulder. Sam was thankful for that because despite the Tylenol he took, his fever had stubbornly remained and he was feeling incredibly weak.
"What do we do now?" Sam asked.
Mac looked at the tunnel, determination in his eyes "We wait. It'll come back out because it needs a child victim and a rabbit isn't a child. It'll probably deposit it and go back to the oak tree to hide. So we'll rescue them then take care of it." He could sense Caleb inside the cave, and that he was in pain. It took all of his willpower not to storm inside and rip apart the monster with his bare hands for hurting his son, but he forced himself to wait. For his sake, and the sick teen who was like a son to him too.
Sam nodded in agreement and the two waited once more from their hiding spot until they saw the Black Annis exit the cave and speed away.
Entering the tunnel, Mac placed Sam behind him to protect him from any danger that could be lurking in the shadows. They were assaulted by a strong stench of decay that only got stronger as they approached the cave. When they stepped into the cave, they saw four bodies hanging from the ceiling in chains. He beckoned for Sam to hide behind a large rock and rushed towards them to start helping them down from their chains.
"Mac! Thank God you're here!" Joshua shouted as he saw the doctor approaching, the others also shouting suppressed with joy.
"Are you all alright? Is anybody injured?" Mac asked, Sam still behind the rock as he brought Dean and Joshua who were closest to him down. He knew when they saw the sick boy, they were going to hit the roof and the doctor wanted to make sure they were all alright before everything went sideways.
"We three are all alright, save for a few bruises. But the wretch broke Caleb's leg," John told him.
Mac turned to look worriedly at his son who shot him a weak smile "I'm okay dad."
"Yes, I can see that," Mac replied sarcastically. "Alright I'm helping you down and Sam will cut you loose." Sam came out behind the rock and smiled sheepishly.
"Sam?!" Four voices yelled simultaneously which were followed by a shushing sound from Mac.
"Quiet! It could come back any minute," The Scholar snapped.
"Sam what the heck are you doing here? We told you to stay put!" Joshua hissed, but his eyes betrayed the fear at Sam's sick and fragile appearance.
Sam gave him a small smile as he worked on freeing both Joshua's and Dean's bonds "And you promised you'd come back, I just wanted to make sure you kept that promise," he shot back.
"Thanks, tiger, now sit down before you collapse," Dean said as he hugged his little brother and lowered him gently to the ground. They watched as Joshua freed John and Mac freed Caleb, taking extra care not to jostle Caleb's broken leg.
John hurried towards where his sons were sitting and took his youngest's face in his hands, looking into the fever bright eyes.
"Sammy, while I'm not happy that you snuck out while sick, and have no doubt we will be having words about that, I'm also so happy that you did. You saved us, tiger. Thank you." The usually hardened hunter said and pulled his baby into a hug, cradling his head and savoring his closeness. John thought that he would never see Sam again, which is why despite his anger at his son for putting himself in danger, he needed to hold Sam close for now.
Sam melted into the hug, a little too much for John's liking. Pulling back, his heart almost stopped at the sight of Sam's head lolling on his chest and shoulders while his eyes were closed.
"Sam? Sammy!" He shouted while shaking him slightly while Dean and Joshua watched fearfully and tried to help John wake Sam up.
Mac, who had been splinting Caleb's broken leg, tied it off quickly and ran over to where the others were. Assessing Sam, he turned to the worried father.
"His fever's too high and he's very dehydrated from all the vomiting, not to mention that he over taxed his body. He needs medical attention now," the doctor stated worriedly, stroking the boy's hair.
"I can carry Sammy but Damien can't walk too," Dean said, his voice laced with fear.
"What's going on? Sammy okay?" Caleb's voice traveled from where he was sitting towards them, so Joshua went over to update him about what was going on, worry for his little brother etched on his face.
"Alright, here's what we're going to…" John started to say but was cut off by a sound that chilled them down to their bones; a horrible howl.
The Black Annis was back.
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