~Millie~
As the two of them reentered camp, Dean gave her a gentle smile but his gaze towards his brother was intense. Sam must have noticed as well because he threw Millie a sideways glance. Millie shrugged unable to guess what the problem was. She walked over to him, "Want to start or shall I?" Dean nodded to the both of them, "Let's try to make it wide enough for everyone to move around comfortably." Hailey watched as the three hunters began to walk towards different points and draw into the dirt, "What are those?"
Since Millie was the closest she spoke up first,"Anasazi symbols. They're for protection." Hailey nodded as she bit her lip. The look on her face showed that she thought they were crazy. Millie rolled her eyes, "A little faith in us would be nice." Hailey dropped her shoulders, "Sorry...I know your helping us out. I just...how do you know those things work against a bear? I'm guessing they are from some Indian thing." Sam spoke over his shoulder, "Who said its a bear?"
Dean ignored him and threw her a smirk as he finally got the fire going, "I'd rather try something from Indian lore than nothing at all. Sadly though...its not a bear, its something called a Windigo. They're very fast and very dangerous. It can mimic a human voice and eats human flesh." Hailey and her brother both started to smile at them all but the looks from the three of them made her gulp, "So, these... Ahnazi symbols-" Millie chuckled, "Anasazi." Hailey rolled her eyes, "Anasazi symbols...do you think they'll work for sure?" Sam sat down on a log near the edge of camp, "As long as those symbols are there the Windigo can't cross over them." Roy laughed from the other side of camp, choosing to stay away from the group. Millie looked over at him annoyed, before walking to sit next to Sam,"No one likes a skeptic, Roy." She reached over and pat his knee, "Whatcha thinking about?" Dean joined them, "Yeah, whats in your freaky head right now?"
Sam didn't look up but he began to gesture and Dean cut him off, "No, you're not fine." Sam shook his head a bit as Dean continued, "You're like a powder keg, man. It's not like you." Millie tried to lighten the conversation up a bit, "Dean is supposed to the the belligerent one, remember?" Sam took in a deep breath, "Dad's not here." He looked over at the two of them in turn, "I mean, that much we know for sure. Right? He would have left a message. A sign. Right?" Millie looked down at her shoes, biting the inside of her cheek. She had hoped they would've found Uncle John here too. Dean watched the leaves move on the tree closest to him, "Yeah, you're probably right. To tell you the truth. I don't think dad's ever been to Lost Creek." Millie's head shot up as she looked over at him. Sam did the same, "Then let's get these people back to town, and let's hit the road. Go find dad! I mean why are we still even here?" Millie creased her eyebrows at his last sentence. Dean nodded at her in agreement as he pulled out the book and made eye contact with Sam, "This is why.." he tapped down on it with his hand a few times, "This book. This is dad's single most valuable possession. Everything he knows about every evil thing is in here. He's passed it on to us. I think he wants us to pick up where he left off. You know, saving people. Hunting things; the family business."
Sam rubbed his face in frustration, "That makes no sense. Wh-why doesn't he just call us? Why doesn't he just tell us what he wants; where he is?" Dean shook his head, "I don't know. But, the way I see it. Dad's given us a job to do and I intend to do it." Sam shook his head back, "Dean...no. I gotta find dad. I gotta find Jessica's killer." Sam looked around trying to keep himself together, "It's the only thing I can think about." Millie reached over to his arm, "Sam...we'll find them. We promise." Dean nodded, "We promise." They gave each other a look before Dean continued, "You've got to prepare yourself. i mean, this search could take a while. All that anger, you can't keep it burning over the long haul. It's gonna kill you. You've got to have patience, man." Sam chuckled in disbelief, "How do you do it? How does dad do it?" Millie spoke up, "Well, for one, them." She nodded over to the brother and sister they were currently helping, "Our families are so screwed to hell, maybe we can help others. Makes everything we see, do and go through a little more bearable." Dean gave her a small smile, "I'll tell you what else helps...killing as many evil sons of bitches as I possibly can." Sam and Millie both smirked at his advice. Millie stood up, starting to stretch when the scratchy voice came through the camp, "Help! Help me!" Instantly Sam and Dean both pushed her closer towards the other following suit. As the group hustled together they made sure she was behind them.
The group looked around in all directions as the trees and foliage ruffled around. Millie gulped as her heart began to race. Instinctively she reached over and grabbed Ben's hand whispering to him, "It's okay. I'll protect you." Dean cocked his gun and walked around slightly further out from everyone else. The voice came again. Millie could feel Ben's palm sweating, so she pulled him closer, "It's trying to draw us out. Just stay cool. Stay put." He nodded as she gave him a small smile of encouragement. Hailey nodded at what she was saying obviously scared too. Roy had to crack a line, "Inside the magic circle?" All three of the hunters turned to glare at him, another call for help causing Millie to jump. Sam put a hand on her shoulder, "Breath, Mills." The next call ended in its true growl and Roy seemed to sober up a bit, "Okay, that's no grizzly." He aimed his gun into the distance. Sam could feel Millie's breathing rate increase under his palm. He turned to look at her in the eyes, "Millie Katherine, breath in deeply. Focus." She nodded up at him, "Right. Thanks, Sammy." he gave her a small nod before turning back to Dean, who was keeping a close eye on Roy. Because the group wasn't falling for its antics the Windigo began to get anger. Running around them in a more hectic fashion. Hailey pulled Ben away from Millie, "It's okay. I promise. Nothing is going to happen." Millie nodded to her to keep the both of them calm but on the inside she was struggling. Never before had she known what PTSD truly was but she was getting it now...she sent out a warm thought for everyone going through it because it was a new hell all its own.
She jumped when Roy started firing into woods at it. He turned towards them with a smile, "I hit it!" Without a second thought he bound into woods after the wounded animal. Dean lurched for him, "Roy, no! Roy!" He turned towards the group, glancing at Millie as he yelled while running backwards, "Don't move." Hailey grabbed a torch and lit it, waving it around. Millie bit her lip, glancing over at Sam. They could hear Roy and Dean yelling at each other. Roy shouted, "It's over here! It's in the tre-"Millie whipped around to look at Sam. He maintained eye contact with her as he walked over towards, "Millie, it's okay. He's fine. Dean probably shut him up." They both of you knew it was a lie but it helped. Sam took off, "Stay, Mills. You're the last line of defense." She nodded, suddenly awake to the realization that she had to protect Hailey and Ben at all costs. She went next to them drawing new Anasazi symbols in a closer tighter circle. Hailey looked at her, "Its real, isn't it?" For once Millie didn't respond with a snarky comment, "Yes...but I promise you, I will not let anything happen to you. Or to Ben. Now stay close to me and do as told." Hailey nodded, "What do you want me to do?" Millie made a circle of wood around them and lit it on fire, "This is added extra defense hopefully by morning we can make a run for it out of here. Stay calm and try to get some sleep. I promise I won't let anything happen." Ben nodded and sat down trying to do as told. Hailey looked at her, "I'm not going to sleep very well...mind if I just sit with you?"
Millie shrugged, "It's entirely up to you. Just be confidant in how it affects you for tomorrow." The two women sat in silence for several minutes; Ben already asleep. Hailey kept stealing glances at her, "How long have you been hunting Windigos?" Millie, still alert in every way looked at her quickly before glancing back into the woods, "Since I was practically born. Truth is...everything that you thought was a myth or fake...is based on something real. Fuck, when I was 14, we were just playing around in a lake for a 'family BBQ'. We hardly ever did anything normal...anyway I jumped in and was dragged into an underground cave by a group of Sirens." Hailey looked at her confused. Millie laughed, "You know, mermaids...they're known as sirens in mythology." Hailey nodded in recognition, "Ooohh, they're real?" Millie nodded, "Yeah, and they like to make sacrifices to gods they think will answer them at the time. I made it out because of great time wasting and Sam and Dean." Hailey smiled knowingly at her, "I bet you all had a close childhood...the way they look after you and look at you." Millie shrugged it off not really paying attention, "Yeah, we're pretty close." Millie turned to look when there wasn't a response and found Hailey had fallen asleep. She smiled despite the situation and sat waiting for sunlight.
As the sun rose, Dean came back into camp and woke the two siblings up, "Come on time to get out of here." The whole time Hailey was in denial of everything...Millie had thought that during their conversation the night before things had clicked but obviously they hadn't, "These things. They aren't supposed to be real." Dean kneeled down in front of her, "I wish we could tell you differently." She put her hands on her hips, "How do we know its not out there watching us?" Millie stretched, "We don't. But we are safe for now. Where's Sam?" Dean motioned towards the woods and she nodded; relief washing over her. Chance would have it, Sam came from around the corner, "So, its time to head out. It's daylight which give us half a chance. I for one...want to kill this evil bitch." Millie looked at him in surprise, "Yeah I'm in but what about Hailey and Ben?" Sam shrugged, "We'll tell them all they need to know. Come on, Mills. You are all the time talking about how the hunter world needs to expand. What a better way than to be taught by expert hunters themselves?" Millie laughed a bit, "I don't know about experts...but you're right. I am all for normal's learning how to protect themselves against the supernatural. Let's do it!"
Sam and Dean smiled at her enthusiasm before delving into the depths of Windigos. Millie started, "Windigo is a Cree Indian word. It means, 'Evil that Devours'." Dean walked up behind her, "They're hundreds of years old. Each one was once a man, sometimes an Indian. Other times a frontiersman, miner or hunter." Ben asked the obvious question, "How do they turn into that monster thing out there?" Dean started, "It's always the same...during some harsh winter, a guy finds himself starving and cut off from supplies...becomes a cannibal to survive." Sam continued, "Cultures all of the world believe eating human flesh gives a person certain abilities. Speed, strength, immortality." Millie spoke as she packed up things she had found salvageable, " Eat enough of it and you become, less-than-human. Always Hungry." Hailey looked at her, "If that's true...how can Tommy still be alive?" Millie's heart began it's small attack, "You're not going to like it.." Hailey gave her a nod, "Tell me." Millie answered bluntly, "More than anything the Windigo knows how to preserve food. It hibernates for years at a time. When it's awake, it keeps its victims alive." Millie spoke, "It stores them so it can feed whenever it wants." Millie grabs ahold of Hailey's shoulders, "If your brother is alive, it's keeping him somewhere dark, hidden and safe. We've got to track it back there."
Hailey looked over at Ben, who was staring at his shoes as he listened, "How do we stop it?" Dean rolled his head a bit, it aggravating him that it wasn't simple, "Well, guns are useless...so are knives." Ben looked over at Millie nervously as Dean walked around them, "Basically, we torch the suckers." He pulled up a Molotov cocktail he had made a few minutes ago. Sam nodded, "Alright, let's move out." Slowly the group made its way out into the woods. As she walked passed Dean, Millie leaned towards him a bit, "Still have some candy left?" He nodded and pulled the bag out from his jacket pocket, "Here Millie-Kat."She smiled a cheesy smile as she poured some into her hand and then stuffed the bag into her back pocket.
The slow search for signs of the Windigo left everyone quiet. 'Hiking is exhausting,' Millie thought to herself as she watched the people in front of her continue as if they weren't tired. Taking in a deep breath she dug down and kept up with them as best she could. Eventually they started to come across more and more signs of the creature they were hunting. They were clear and distinct, almost as if...Millie jogged past Ben and Hailey, "Sam, Dean." Dean stopped to turn and look at her as he spoke, "What Mills?" She looked up, pointing to all of the claw marks in the trees. Sam sighed exasperated, "You know, I was thinking that those claw prints...so clear and readable," He chuckles as he comes to the same realization as Millie, "Too easy to follow." As Dean slowly put two and two together, the Windigo growled from a distance. The group follows the growl through the treeline and in the distance Millie sees its form as it runs around them in a pattern.
Hailey became oddly quiet so Millie turned to check on her. Before words could leave her mouth she noticed tiny drops of blood falling down on Hailey's jacket. At the same time, they both look up into the tree, only to find the body of Roy free falling down towards them. Hailey screamed as Sam pulled her out of its way, "Are you okay?" Dean knelt down to examine Roy, "His neck's broken." Millie stood there slightly shocked at what just happened but snapped out of it as the growling became more menacing. Millie frantically started bouncing and tapping on Deans' shoulder, "O-okay, okay we need to go. Run! Run!" She shoved Ben ahead of her as she yelled, "Go!" Dean and Sam were also ushering them forward.
As the group sprinted through the woods Ben tripped and fell. Millie doubled back helping him get up quickly, "It's okay, come on. I've got you." She held onto his arm as they ran together before she shoved him ahead of her again. Looking over her shoulder to see if anyone was behind her Millie ran straight into something causing her to fall backwards onto the ground. Quickly she scrambled to get up only to come face to face the with nasty, deformed body of the Windigo it's self. Fear paralyzed her; unable to scream or move...everything went black.