July 3rd, 2009
Bent Mountain, Virginia
It was almost a week before Dean was released from the hospital, and another one before he was ready to hunt again. Bobby had been glad to know she was safe, but chastised her for not calling sooner. Alex had to calmly explain that she had been slightly busy, then hung up in frustration.
Now, they were in Bent Mountain, Virginia. Sam had found a case and was driving; Dean was sleeping in the front seat. He still wasn't healed up completely, and Alex was making sure to keep a wary eye on him for any sign of trouble. Finally, Sam pulled into the Rusty Mountain Lodge and put the car into park. Dean faded into consciousness, rubbing his eyes. "What's up?"
"We're here." Sam opened the car door and circled around to the trunk. Alex dramatically rolled out of the car, followed by Dean. They brought their bags into their room as they checked in, and Alex threw her stuff on the far bed.
"So." She glanced around the room. "What brings us here?"
"Three kids've gone missing." Sam place his stuff on the floor next to the bed. "All around Misiton Lake."
"Okay." Alex sat down on her bed.
...
As soon as they were unpacked, Dean drove them out to the lake. The blue water was ominously still, and Alex was careful not to get to close to the edge. She could easily imagine something coming out of the dark depths, jaws wide.
"Okay, Alex. Go on."
"What?" Alex glared up at Sam.
"Someone's got to check out the lake. Maybe you'll find bodies."
"Screw you." Alex stepped back behind Sam. "I'm not going in the lake."
"Nobody's going in the lake." Dean glanced at his brother. He walked down by the shore, pushing through the tall grass. Alex sidestepped away from Sam, studying their surroundings. The ground was littered with undergrowth, and the sun was blocked out by the thick trees above their heads. The only way to the lake she could see was the gravel trail she and saw were standing on. She turned her attention back to the lake. A few rocks poked out of the water along the far shore, and, as Alex looked closer, she could see the tiny waves lapping against their surface.
"Shit!" Dean's exclamation snapped Alex's attention over to him.
"What?" Sam took a step in his brother's direction.
"I found someone." Dean backed up. "I almost fucking stepped on her."
Alex wrinkled her nose, half out of disgust, half out of amusement. She walked over to Dean. The smell of death was immediate, and her eye caught on the shape of a teenage girl, laying face down in the tall grass.
"We gonna call her in?" Sam asked, joining them.
Alex knelt down, picking up a large stick. "How long do you think she's been dead?"
"Don't poke her with a stick," Dean chastised lightly.
Alex didn't listen to Dean at all. "Couple of days? Help me turn her over."
"Hell no." However, Dean did as she asked. When the girl was rolled on to her back, Dean let out a huff.
"Bet that's what killed her," Alex said, somewhat smugly. There was a large hole in the female's stomach. Alex poked around in it with the stick, then frowned. "What?"
"What's up?" Sam knelt down beside her, looking in. "Is her . . ?"
"Yeah, I think it is." Alex pulled the stick out and looked over at Sam. "That's . . . unusual."
"What?" Dean looked from his brother to his friend.
"Her liver is missing." Sam stood up.
Alex turned the body over and stood up as well.
"Her liver?" Dean raised an eyebrow. "Uh, okay."
Alex stepped away from the body. "Speaking of liver and bodily organs, when's lunch? I'm hungry."
Dean frowned, but Sam let out an amused snort. "Takes right after you, Dean."
"Whatever. Fine, let's go." Dean led them back to the car.
...
When they entered the diner, Sam asked to use the phone. The waitress acquiesced, and Sam got up and walked into the back. Alex gratefully picked up the menu. "So, liver, huh?" Dean started up conversation. "That's . . . pleasant."
"Uh-huh." Seeing Dean wanted to talk, Alex put down the menu. "How are you feeling? Not too tired?"
Dean glanced over at her. "I'm fine," he promised.
"You sure? 'Cause Alistair really did a number on you."
"Hm." Dean studied the tree outside the window. "Yeah, well, let's blame Uriel, okay?"
"Uriel's dead."
"Yeah. You've told me. Multiple times." Dean let out a long sigh. "I still can't believe it. I thought those angels were suppose to be religious freaks."
Alex shrugged. "Some angels thought Lucifer was right. They believed that they should not have to bow down to humans. And, I mean, can you really blame them?"
Dean adverted his gaze. "I guess not," he finally admitted. Sam returned, and their conversation died.
...
After lunch Sam and Dean dropped Alex off at the motel while they donned on their FBI suits and headed off to the crime scene. Alex flopped down on the bed, flipping on the tv. She found Fairly Odd parents, and gladly watched it to get her mind off of her life.
...
It was probably three or so hours later. Sam and Dean hadn't come back, and Alex was getting frustrated. "Cas," she whined. "You busy? I'm bored. And hungry. Can you grab some fries on your way here?" She added this last part with a smile, figuring she'd probably just be ignored. Then she rolled over, burying her head in the pillows.
"I don't understand why you like these."
Alex jumped, looking over at Castiel. He was standing at her bedside, holding a fast food bag. Shocked, Alex took it. Inside were fries. "Seriously?" she gaped.
Castiel seemed to shift nervously. "You asked for them," he quietly replied.
In response, Alex jumped up and pulled him into a hug. "Castiel, you are amazing."
Castiel let her hug him. "Thank you." He patiently waited for her to step back. "How are you?"
Alex sat down on the bed. "Good. I hope I didn't bother you."
"No. I was just sitting quietly in a park by myself."
"Oh. You enjoy that?"
"I like to sit alone and contemplate things." Castiel looked around. "Why did you call me? Is something wrong?"
"I uh . . . listen Cas. I've been thinking a bit about what you said. You know, when Dean was torturing Alistair."
She wasn't sure, but she swore Castiel blushed, if only a little bit. But all he said was, "About what?"
"You said you could read my mind. Can you do that right now, if you could? Would you need my permission?"
Castiel stared at her. "I will always ask for permission," he promised, not understanding what she wanted.
"No, I mean, could an angel read my mind without asking me?"
"Yes."
"How . . . how much of my mind could they read?"
"As much as they wanted. Why?"
Alex rubbed her eye with the palm of her hand. "Is there any way to keep angels from doing that?"
Silence. Castiel tipped his head slightly, eyes narrowing in confusion. "Why?"
"I . . . I don't know. I mean, I was just thinking. I, uh, I know things some angels would kill to get their hands on. And, uh, they definitely don't need to know those things. I mean, what if Uriel had read my mind and lived? Do you know what could have happened?"
Castiel shook his head. His eyes locked with Alex's, and she felt herself flush slightly under the brilliant blue gaze. "I can erase those memories," he began, "but I know that is what neither of us want."
"Neither of us?" Alex raised an eyebrow.
"I still believe you will help us stop Lucifer."
Alex shifted her gaze away from Castiel.
He stepped forward. "I can ward your mind from angels, but you will help us, won't you?"
"Of course!" Alex stood up to equalize the height between them. "It's just, things are already in motion. The ball's rolling, and not even I may be able to stop it."
"But you'll try."
"I'll give my life."
Castiel nodded in acceptance. "Hopefully that will not happen." He stepped closer to her, and his voice softened. "This may hurt. And I'm sorry."
Alex nodded. "That's okay." She closed her eyes, waiting.
Castiel didn't move. "Are you sure this is what you want?" When Alex nodded again, he added, "I'm going to have to go into your head for this. I'll try not to look, okay?"
"Okay. Just make it quick."
Castiel still didn't move. "You may want to lie down for this."
Alex's gut twisted nervously. "Yeah, yeah. Sure." She did as he asked, lying stiffly down on the bed.
Castiel sat next to her, and the bed dipped under his weight. "I'm sorry," he repeated, this time more softly. Then he placed his hand over her forehead.
Alex almost screamed. A burning bright light penetrated her mind. The room spun, and she squeezed her eyes shut, her fists balled in the sheets. She thought she felt a hand cover hers, but it barely registered. She felt dizzy and lightheaded, and she almost swore that this was a dream, and that nothing here was real. Something rang through her mind, bringing on such a sudden, terrible headache Alex arched her back. Then, the light vanished, and Alex was brought back to reality.
She lay there for several seconds, breathing heavily.
"Alex?" Castiel's voice came from beside her, and Alex opened her eyes. He was still sitting next to her, but his hand was no longer on her forehead.
"Hm?" Alex shied away from the bright florescent light. She squinted up at the angel. "How'd it go, doc?"
Castiel didn't understand. "I built a wall around your memories. Nothing, angels or demons, should be able to get in without your permission."
Alex sat up, and the headache returned. "Just my memories?"
"If I had encompassed your whole mind, the pain would have killed you instantly."
"Oh. Thanks," she mumbled, forcing a smile.
"I would recommend you rest for at least another few hours." Castiel stood up, and light in the room turned off. "Will you be okay alone?"
"Yeah." Alex lay back down. "You should be going. You're already in pretty hot water with your superiors and all."
"Actually, since Uriel . . . betrayed us, I have been reinstated as garrison leader."
"Oh. Good for you."
"You need to sleep." Before Alex could protest he leaned down, pressing two fingers against her forehead. Alex immediately blacked out.
...
She woke up when Sam shook her into consciousness. She groaned and rolled over, her head still pounding. "Leave me alone," she grumbled.
"Come on, princess, get up."
"No." Alex crawled under the sheets, pulling them tight over her head. She relished in the comforting blackness.
The bed dipped, and the sheets were tugged on. Alex refused to let go. Then, the sheets were lifted up, and Dean crawled under them next to her. "You okay?" he asked.
Alex looked over at the hunter, amusement flickering in her eyes. But the headache quickly pushed it away. She just let out grunt, turning away.
"You sick?" Dean shifted so he could reach for her forehead. "You feel a little warm." He suddenly sat up, dislodging the sheets.
"I have a headache," Alex admitted. She didn't feel like talking about why. "It should go away in a couple hours or two."
In response, she was tossed a bottle of aspirin and bottle of water from Sam. "Bottom's up."
Alex just rolled her eyes, but did as he asked. She popped the lid off of the bottle and swallowed three pills. Then she downed them with a large gulp of water. "Thanks," she mumbled. Her head still burned, and she fell back. "What'd you learn?"
"Police says that our vic is Mary Dempsey, one of the missing teens." Sam tossed her the case folder, that was now filled with police reports and statements. "She was the second to disappear. The police are searching the lake for the other two." He pointed out the other two missing person reports; a 15 year old boy named Peter Stiller, and a 12 year old female Owen Anders.
"We talked with the owner of the property. He lives in a cabin on the south end of the lake," Dean added, pulling off his tie. He started unbuttoning his shirt. "He seems like a normal grandpa kind of person. I doubt it's him. Besides, someone could easily sneak onto the lake; apparently people camp up there all the time."
"Hm." Alex looked down at the file. The words swam on the pages, and she shut it quickly. "Okay."
Dean tossed his shirt onto the bed. "Yeah. We'll probably go back into town later tonight to see if anything new turned up. You want to come to the autopsy? You always enjoy that."
Alex shook her head. "I think I'm just going to stay in tonight."
Sam and Dean exchanged looks. Dean shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat, I suppose."
...
They spent the rest of the day in the motel. Alex mostly slept. She vaguely heard Sam and Dean leave at some point, but she didn't wake up.
...
When she woke up, it was dark. Sam and Dean were sitting at the kitchen table, deep in quiet conversation. Her headache had disappeared, and Alex felt hungry, having not eaten since lunch. She got up and walked over to the Winchesters. "Hey."
Sam looked up. "Hey Pip. You feeling better?"
Alex looked down at him. "Pip?"
Dean smirked at Sam's nickname. "Yeah," he agreed, "you know. Someone who's a pain in the ass, but likable. Pip."
"Also 'cause you're short," Sam added. "Pipsqueak short."
Alex rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Pat yourselves on the back, guys." She glanced down at the table. "And yeah, I'm feeling better. Kind of hungry. What's up? Did you learn anything?"
Sam shrugged. "Autopsy confirmed Mary's liver was missing. The police found the other's bodies. Autopsy will be in the morning. We couldn't get in to see them."
"Ah."
"And we brought you food." Dean handed her a styrofoam box. "Enjoy." He also handed her a paper plate that he must have brought in from the car.
Alex looked into the box. It looked like Chinese. She dumped the contents onto the plate and stuck it in the microwave. Two minutes later, it was warm, and she sat down on the floor to eat, back leaning against the cupboards. "Dean. Fork?"
Dean dug through the plastic bag and pulled out a plastic fork. He tossed it to her, and Alex caught it ungracefully. "Thanks," she mumbled.
...
She managed to get a few more hours sleep that night, and woke up feeling fine. Sam and Dean were already gone, but left a note saying they'd gone down to the coroner's to see what they could learn about the two other missing bodies.
Alex sighed and dug through Dean's duffle bag. She pulled out ten dollars and got dressed, pulling on one of Dean's jackets. She shoved the extra motel key in her pocket along with the money and her phone, and stepped outside. The air was already quite warm, and she quickly moved the items into her jean pocket and threw her jacket inside the room, where it landed on the floor. Then she walked down the street to find breakfast.
...
When she got back, there was no Impala parked in front of their room. Alex unlocked the door and stepped inside. The room was still empty, and her jacket was still laying there on the floor. Alex stepped over it, not bothering to pick it up. Sam would do it. She sat down on the bed, pulling out her phone. She dialed Dean's number, then flipped it close. They were probably busy. She pulled out her journal and started writing.
...
It was almost lunch time when Sam and Dean came back. Both were frowning, and Alex looked up. "What's wrong?"
"Pick up your fucking jacket," Sam growled.
Alex frowned as well. "What happened?"
Dean shook his head. "Sam's just in a pissy mood."
"Sam's always in a pissy mood," Alex replied, shaking her head. "But something's wrong. What'd you guys find out?"
"They found Peter and Owen. Autopsy confirmed their livers were missing too."
"Okay. That's good, right? That means this is definitely a case."
"And it means three people are dead," Sam snapped.
Alex ignored his bad temper. "And it means that now its something we can catch and kill so no one else will die," she replied patiently. "Seriously Sam. Lighten up."
"Sorry." Sam heaved a sigh, turning back to his laptop.
"Another kids's missing," Dean finally admitted. "A Shawn Grossman. Kid's only eight years old. He disappeared early this morning walking home from a sleepover. Mom called in a missing person's report, but the police won't look into it until he's been gone for at least a day."
Alex mumbled in sympathy. "So we have to stop this pretty fast. I'll give Bobby a call." She walked over to her bed and grabbed her phone. She dialed Bobby's number and waited.
"What do you want?"
Alex snorted. "And a happy morning to you too, Bobby Singer."
"Shut up and tell me what you want."
Alex pouted, casting an amused glance at Dean. "Is everyone in a bad mood today?"
"Alex . . ."
"Fine. We're on a case in Virginia. A couple kids have disappeared and found dead near a Misiton Lake. Their livers were missing."
"Is that all you got?"
"Sorry. It might not be enough . . ."
"Are you really calling to tell me this?" Bobby huffed. "It's obvious, isn't it?"
"No, Bobby. It's not obvious. Care to enlighten me?"
"Look in your journal. Carton hunted one of these last August, remember? Now, if you don't mind, I am very, very busy." Bobby hung up.
Alex growled, then tossed her phone onto the other bed. "Journal, journal, journal," she mumbled, picking her's up off of the nightstand.
"Did Bobby know what it is?"
"Yeah. He didn't tell me. Apparently I wrote it down at some point . . . oh." Alex stopped flipping through pages. "Dammit. I'm so stupid."
Dean walked over to her. "Mind sharing?"
In response, Alex handed him her journal, open to one page.
Dean studied it. "A Kappa?"
"Yeah. That must be what Bobby meant." Alex watched as Dean handed her journal to Sam, who read her notes.
Sam nodded. "Yeah. I'll look into it more, but I think this is what we're dealing with."
"Okay. Now what about lunch?"
Dean just rolled his eyes.
...
They drove across town to a diner. Alex brought her journal, and Sam his laptop. After they had ordered, Dean began.
"Okay. So what do we know about a, uh, what the hell was that thing? Katta?"
Alex slid her journal towards him. "Kappa. Japanese in origin, are sort of this . . . reptilian-turtle form. They have a water-filled indent in their head. They must keep it filled with water else they die. They hide it with a hat, but still reek of fish. They can disguise themselves as humans, but not the . . . bowl-head."
Sam let out the faintest hint of a laugh. "She's right," he agreed. He turned his laptop towards them. On the screen was a picture of a kappa surrounded by a wall of text. "When did you learn about them?"
"A hunter - Carton - he hunted one back in August. He called me and Bobby to figure out what it was. Apparently they're pretty rare." Alex paused, thoughtful. "I think it was on the East Coast, too. I'll call him later. Maybe he can help." She put away her journal as their food came out.
Dean looked disdainfully down at her plate. "You got a salad?"
"I can't alway eat hamburgers," Alex said calmly, picking up her fork. "You're gonna get pudgy just eating that."
Dean snorted, but said nothing.
...
Back at the motel, Alex called Bobby and got Carton's number. Then she called the hunter.
"Hello?" The voice was wary and unsure.
"Hey. It's Alex. I worked with Bobby when you worked that kappa case last fall."
"Alex? You know Bobby Singer?"
"Yes. Come on, man. I worked the, uh, gougou case with you a few months back." She waited for Carton to make a noise in acknowledgment before continuing. "I'm with the Winchesters now. Have you heard of them?"
"Yeah. Why?"
Alex sighed. Carton wasn't very talkative. "We're in Bent Mountain, Virginia. We think we're hunting a kappa at Misiton Lake. You're the only one I know whose hunted one of these before."
There was a pause. "Did you say Bent Mountain?"
"Yeah."
"That's where the last one was." There was a pained grunt and the sound of a bed creaking.
Alex frowned. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. If you say so. What can you tell us to help?"
"Misiton Lake, you said?" When Alex agreed, Carton continued. "Is there a Fredrick Henson?"
Alex looked over at Dean. "Dean. Does the name Fredrick Henson mean anything?"
Dean frowned. "Nope, sorry."
"Sorry," Alex repeated into the phone.
"Okay. Never mind. The kappa will be in or near the lake. There was a small cave on the north side where the last one had kept its victims. I'd try there. They don't like sesame and -"
"- ginger." Alex finished. "Yeah. You kill them with iron, right?"
"Correct. Good luck." Carton hung up.
Alex did the same. "Sesame and ginger and iron," she told the Winchesters.
Sam nodded in concurrence. "What else?"
"Carton said he hunted a kappa in the exact same lake. So maybe there were two?"
"Or he didn't kill the first one," Dean suggested. He pulled a beer out of the fridge and leaned against the wall, eyes trained on her.
Alex shook her head, but didn't argue. "Either way, there's a small cave on the north side of the lake. He suggested we check there, because that's where he said the kappa kept its victims."
"Let's go." Sam stood up, grabbing his jacket.
"Now?" Alex frowned, starting to stand up.
"Yeah." Sam turned back. "That kid needs our help."
"We could wait for tonight?" Alex weakly suggested. "I mean, this kappa's eaten three kids in a week. He's probably quite full at the moment. And night would be easier to get in and out. The police may still be up there . . ." She trailed off, realizing she wasn't winning this one. "Okay. I, uh, it's probably better to get the kid now."
Sam and Dean exchanged amused glances. "Thank you."
They walked out to the car.
...
It was half an hour drive up to Misiton Lake. Dean parked the car off of the road and took off down the path, an iron axe in one hand, a flashlight in the other. Sam followed, equally equipped. Alex walked alongside Sam, holding only a flashlight and an iron crowbar. They wound their way down to the lake, careful not to get to close to the water. As they wound along the northern shore, Alex kept her eyes trained on the woods, looking for any sign of a cave.
"There." Sam gestured towards the thicket of trees. "Cave." He immediately stepped into the forest. Alex watched him. Try as he might, he was too large to walk quietly.
Dean noticed too. "Sam." Dean paused him. "Let Alex go first. Alex. Quietly see what you can find. We'll follow behind."
"Dean!"
Alex left them arguing. She slipped quietly into the forest. The pine-needle coated ground made walking silently easier, and she made good time. She approached the cave and flicked on her flashlight. "Clear," she called softly back, dipping her light into the blackness. She did not want to go too far in there alone. When she heard Sam and Dean approach behind them, she started in, her light flickering across the damp stone walls. A soft 'drip drip drip' echoed of the walls, and puddles dotted the uneven ground. Footsteps and lights behind her told her the Winchesters were following. She slowed to let them take the lead.
The cave split into two. Sam glanced at Dean, who nodded, a silent message passing between them. Then Sam went to the left, and Dean to the right. After a second's hesitation, an 'Alex!' sent Alex after Dean.
She had only taken ten or so paces down the tunnel before an 'over here!' sent her running back. She hurried down the other tunnel, frowning as Dean easily overtook her. She slid to a stop on the slippery ground. Sam was kneeling beside an unconscious young boy. The child's face was pale, but he looked unharmed.
Alex knelt down and placed two fingers on the boy's neck. "He's alive."
"Yeah." Sam shone his flashlight farther down the tunnel. "Something took off down that way. That's when I found him." Sam stood, scooping the child up into his arms. "Let's get him out of here." He strode past Alex, who picked up Sam's axe and followed. Dean took up the rear.
...
They hurried back to the Impala. They got in, and Alex buckled the unconscious child in. Then Dean peeled out and took off towards town.
When they arrived at the hospital, the boy had come into consciousness, but just barely. Sam carried him in, and Alex followed.
"Can I get a doctor!" Sam yelled, bursting into the emergency room. Two doctors hurried towards them, rolling a bed towards them. Sam placed the child on it, and watched as they wheeled him away. "He's Shawn Grossman," Sam told the nurse. "We found him up by Misiton Lake."
"Can I get a name, please?"
"Agents Tyler and Perry." Alex glanced back to see Dean standing behind her, FBI badge in hand. "We're working on the murdered teens case. Actually, we should be going." Dean left, and Sam and Alex followed.
...
Sam barreled into the motel room, tossing his jacket on the bed. Alex followed, head tipped. "We're still gonna hunt this bitch down, right?"
"Language," Dean warned.
Alex rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
"I'm serious. No unnecessary swearing."
"Like you can talk."
"My swearing is necessary."
Alex just shook her head. "Whatever," she repeated. "We're still going to kill this thing, right?"
"Of course." Sam pulled out his laptop, eyes narrowed. "Tonight."
"Tonight," Dean agreed. He pulled off his jacket and shirt, then pulled a new one out of his bag. He pulled on a brown henley before sitting down next to Alex. She ran an eye over his attractive form before mentally cursing herself for thinking like that. She pushed the thoughts away with a push of disgust. Then she fell back on the bed, letting out a long sigh.
...
Nothing happened for the rest of the day. Dean brought in dinner, and Sam never left his laptop. Finally, after dark, they got into the car and sped off towards Misiton Lake.
Flashlights were flicked on, and iron weapons were handed out. Alex was still stuck with the crowbar, and she let out a wordless huff at her luck. Then she followed the hunters into the darkened forest.
The lake was silent. Not a wave moved, not an insect buzzed. The only sound was their footsteps on the ground, and the occasional crack of a twig. Alex tightened her grip on her weapon; it was too quiet for her liking. Dean deftly maneuvered down through the woods until they reached the cave. "Here fishy fishy," he called.
"It's not a fish," Alex muttered, rolling her eyes. There was no fucking way these guys were professionals. They entered the cave, and quickly came upon the split in the tunnels. Sam went one way, Dean and Alex the other.
Alex followed Dean, eyes and ears alert. "Dammit." Dean turned the corner and stopped dead. "Dead end."
Alex shared in his frustration, and they retraced their steps back to the other tunnel. "Sammy?" Dean called.
No answer.
"Sammy!" Dean took off down the tunnel. "Sam!"
Alex followed as fast as she could, yet still unable to keep up with Dean. The air stunk of rotting fish, and she wrinkled her nose. Suddenly something hit her from behind. She roughly hit the rocky ground, the breath knocked out of her. She lay there, struggling to breathe. Something grabbed her legs, dragging her back. Alex took a deep breath. "Dean!" She began struggling furiously. Her foot was freed, and she lashed out, catching whatever it was. It let go, and Alex scrambled to her feet. In front of her was an man, hunched over slightly as not to hit his head on the roof. Alex backed up until her foot hit her flashlight. "Dean!" she yelled again over her shoulder.
Still now answer. Alex frowned angrily. She picked up her flashlight, shining her light over the creature. The human face disappeared under the light, replaced by an ugly beaked reptilian. It snarled, the sound echoing off of the cave walls. It approached, and Alex cast a quick glance back. The crowbar was gone. She panicked, then a thought came to mind. The creature took another menacing step forward.
Alex bowed. She folded her hands, bending over. Then she straightened back up.
The creature stopped, staring. Then it bowed back. As it did, Alex noticed the strange indent in its head. Water spilled out, and the creature let out a sudden cry. It straightened up, then its eyes rolled into the back of its head. It collapsed, revealing a black shape behind it. Alex flashed her light over it, breathing a sigh of relief. It was Dean. The iron axe was imbedded in the kappa's back.
Dean looked up at her. "What the hell was that?"
Alex squinted in confusion and offense. "What do you mean?"
"The whole bowing thing." Dean kicked at the creature at his feet. "You looked like an idiot."
"Look it up," Alex snorted. "That's how the Japanese would escape from Kappa all the time."
"Right," the older hunter grunted in disbelief. "Sam's okay, too, by the way." He wrenched the axe out of the creature's back. "You think it's the same one Carton hunted?"
Alex shrugged. "I have no idea."
"Well, we're taking no chances." Dean suddenly swung the axe downwards into the kappa's neck. It cracked, and a weak flow of blueish blood coated the ground.
Alex only blinked. "Where's Sam?"
"Up near the other tunnel." Dean watched as she walked away, letting out a long breath. Then he yanked the axe out of the creature's neck, winding up for another blow.
...
Alex saw Sam before he saw her. She stopped by him, leaning against the rocky wall. "You okay?"
Sam glanced over at her. "Yeah. I'm fine. How about you?"
Alex shrugged. "Dean's got good timing."
"Where is he?" Sam looked down the way Alex had come.
"He's making sure the kappa's actually dead. He'll be back in less than a minute." As she spoke those words, Dean approached. He wordlessly handed Alex her crowbar, and they made their way back down to the car. The lake was as silent as ever, and the air was refreshingly cool, but none of them stopped to take it in. They just kept walking.
...
The ride was silent. Alex lay in the backseat, a hand over her heart, feeling its pulse as she drifted into her thoughts. The road was empty, and the Impala's headlights illuminated the pavement ahead. "We should get out of town," Dean finally said. "I'm uh, I'm been thinking that that sheriff's starting to doubt our authenticity."
Sam quickly agreed. "Yeah. Let's get the hell out of here."
Dean pulled the Impala into the motel, and the three of them - Alex with some protest - quickly packed their things and hit the road. Dean pulled the car out of the motel parking lot, and the car squealed as it raced away.
Alex propped her bag against the armrest, curling up in the backseat. She closed her eyes, and sleep pulled her into its comforting embrace.
...
So, Kappa. It's an actual thing. I'm not making it up. This was also another of my attempts to write a case.
(Next chapter was super fun to write, just fyi)