Chapter Four
Burkitsville, Indiana was probably the creepiest case I have encountered. Then again the people there were so creepily nice, I was afraid to get out of the car.
"It's not that bad Sam. And they got pie." Dean said trying to persuade me to get out of the car.
"Every place has pie. How do you mess up pie?" I bickered back. "It's creepy Dean. I don't like it here." Dean sighed and got back in the car.
"Creepy comes with the job." Dean said looking over at me.
"Yeah but this is weird creepy. Everyone is super nice. And I don't mean nice because they have to be, they're nice because they are. Isn't that weird to you?" I said making my point. Every job we do is creepy, being out at night catching ghosts and demons and other creepy things that don't make any sense of this world. But being here and having everyone super nice IS the creepiest thing ever. Like a spell over them or something.
"Now that you mention it, it is kind of weird. I haven't seen someone pissed off or any other emotion." Dean said looking around at the people outside. Hugging and kissing each other, shaking hands and constantly smiling.
"Let's just get this over with before Creepville turns us." I said getting out of the car.
We went separate ways asking around bout these couples that have disappearing but I got no luck. I went to get a cup of coffee and they were trying to get me to have lunch and then dinner. "Just the coffee." I said sternly. I walked back outside and saw Dean pull up right next to me.
"Any luck?" he asked out the window.
"Nope. They're trying to get me fat though." I said getting in the car.
"I came across something weird. I asked this couple if they have seen them and said no. Then their daughter says they have and then they automatically remember."
"How did the daughter recognize them?" I asked taking a sip of my coffee. Damn this was good coffee.
"The tattoo on the guys arm. So then I go past this orchard and my EMF goes off. So I do the usually snooping around and come across this scarecrow."
"I told you this place was a freak town. Well let's go check it out."
Dean drove up to the orchard and stopped.
"This place is huge." I said to Dean. "These people could be going anywhere." I said getting out of the car. Dean followed behind me. I walked around the orchard and in the distance I could see the scarecrow. It was really creepy. It was up on this fifteen foot post.
"Want a lift?" Dean asked.
"I hope you are joking." I said looking back at him. "I don't want to get in his face. It might offend him." Dean rolled his eyes.
"Fine, then would you like to give me a lift?"
"If I could I would." I said. I started climbing up to the scarecrow. I put my foot in Deans hands and he hoisted me up and the closer I got, the uglier the scarecrow got.
"See anything?" Dean asked. I didn't want to touch the thing so I kept my hands on the post.
"This thing is butt ugly." I could hear Dean chuckling. "I looked around its face and body and then on its arm saw something even creepier. "Get me down, get me down, get me down." I freaked. Dean put me down and for some reason kept his arms at my waist.
"What happened?" He asked so concerned.
"The tattoo on the boyfriend in the picture…" I trailed. "is on this dude." I said pointing behind me. Dean looked up behind me all freaked out too.
"This place is messed up." He said finally letting me go. I followed him back to the car. "Research time?"
We went back to the hotel and it seemed like hours before we got anywhere. I could hear mine and Dean's stomach growling.
"Break time?" Dean asked.
"Sure. We don't even have much to go on. People disappear around April and some scarecrow thing is wearing one of them." I said not feeing hungry anymore.
"Yeah, let's see if anything comes up tonight." He said grabbing his jacket.
We ended going to this little family diner place. As soon as we walked in the door the owners were all over us. Serving us food upon food and while Dean was enjoying all this food, I was not too happy.
"Can't you just be happy?" he mumbled with food still in his mouth.
"Yeah, I want to be happy that I'm going to gain twenty pound out of this case." I said not being able to breath let alone take another bite. "Besides we are supposed to be working, not stuffing ourselves to death." Just then this young woman with blonde hair walked over to us and sat down.
"Get out of here." She said looking around.
Dean and I stopped and just looked at her. "What?" I said.
"The both of you. Get out while you can. You're questioning too much. Just leave while you can."
"While we can?" Dean asked.
"Yes, my parents. You're the next sacrifice."
"Sacrifice? I don't want to be sacrificed." I said glaring at Dean.
"Sacrificed for what?" Dean asked.
"For the Vanir. He will take you both if you don't leave now." She said and ran out of the diner. Just then the owners walked back over to us.
"How about some pie?" The woman said leaning in some apple pie in front of Deans face.
"How about no." I said getting up. I grabbed Dean by his arm and dragged him out of the diner.
"Well that was rude." Dean said when we got to his car. "I really wanted some pie."
"Are you deaf? Did you not hear what that girl said? We are going to be sacrificed to the scarecrow. You will become the scarecrow." I said trying to get through his head.
"Alright. Let's figure out what this son of a bitch is. I sure as hell am not going to become a scarecrow." He said getting in the car. We drove to the nearest college to get the low down on this ancient Pagen God. The professor told us that it takes a man and woman every year to ensure the town's crops are rich and good. All we have to do is burn the tree down that the Vanir is connected to. That seemed pretty easy. Now all we got to do is go back to town and find this tree in the dark with some creepy ass scarecrow that will probably be chasing us around. Did I mention this will all be in the dark with a scarecrow? I was not looking forward to this and I could tell Dean wasn't looking forward to it either. We were heading back to town when he came up with this stupid idea.
"I think it would be best if you stayed at the hotel." Dean practically whispered it.
"What? I can help." I said really not wanting to argue because this thing really scared me and on the other hand I couldn't let Dean go by himself. If he needed my help I wouldn't know or get there in time.
"It's looking for a man and woman and if we both go it'll be all over us. If he gets me, you won't get hurt."
"If he gets you I can still have a chance to burn the tree. What good what it be if you go alone?" I argued.
"Because then you won't you get hurt." His words stunned me.
"Dean, we've been hunting for a few weeks together and now you're worried if I get hurt."
"I'm always worried if you get hurt. I trust you but this one I think you should sit out."
"How about I sit in the car? That way if something happens I'm close by and can help." I reasoned. He took a few minutes to think about this. I could tell he was fighting with himself about it.
"Alright, but you have to stay in the car." He said in his usual demanding voice. "If I don't come back in an hour then come for me."
"An hour? You could be dead." I protested.
"Or I could be lost. This is an apple orchard and I'm looking for one tree." He said making a point.
"Alright but a second over and I'm coming for you." We both finally agreed. We reached the apple orchard and he went in the trunk to get what he needed.
"Sam, don't open the door."
"I'm giving you an hour." I stated. He nodded his head and headed into the orchard.
This was so frustrating to have to wait. But it also gave me some time to myself. I have been stuck with Dean up my ass since we decided to hunt together. I didn't mind doing what he said mostly so that I didn't have to deal with him and also because his plans usually worked. I was starting to trust him which was something new for me. I hadn't really trusted anyone in a long time except for Bobby. He proved himself to me when we hunted together a few years ago. Sarah was the only one I could trust my life with. I had been thinking about her more and more lately and although I wanted to call her, I knew now wasn't the time to get distracted. Working with Dean was exhausting. We are constantly on the road and up all night cleaning our guns and tracking ghosts and poltergeists. The worst was when that shape shifter got Dean in all sorts of trouble. Now we really have to be on the down low in case cops or anyone else recognizes him. We've been staying at the trashiest motels and dining at places that have piss coffee and raw burgers. I'm used to eating at somewhat decent places and sleeping in cleaner beds but I really couldn't complain. Dean was paying for it. I had offered on several occasions to split motel bills or offered to pay for meals but he insists on paying for everything. Which is actually…really sweet of him. Knowing how much of a dick he can be he has been nothing but considerate to me.
I rolled my eyes looking at the clock. Only fifteen minutes went by. I looked out into the dark and couldn't see a damn thing. I sighed and put my head back. Maybe something happened…I thought. I kept thinking the worst. He should be fine, he's strong and somewhat smart. Ugh. I looked down at my cell phone and started going through my numbers. I stopped when it hit Aunt Julie. I haven't spoken to her in months. She's probably worried or worst going crazy. I sighed again and decided to call her. It rang five times before going to voicemail. Figure it would. She's the one who trained me to be a hunter. I remember going on hunts with her in high school and Sarah staying at home to study. I wish I could have had that normalcy. Then again where would I be right now? Not waiting for Dean to come out of the orchard. I didn't bother to leave a voicemail and looked back down at my phone. Maybe Bobby was up for conversation.
"Hey Sam," Bobby greeted me. "How are things?"
"Everything's well." I replied.
"How was Lawrence?" He asked.
"I met Dean's father." I answered. "That was interesting."
"Yeah, John has gone through a lot in his life. He sure ain't the easiest person to get along with."
"Ha! You can say that again. Dean is pretty difficult to read too."
"Dean will come around if you give him a chance." Bobby confided.
"Are there any other secrets I should know about these Winchesters?" I teased.
"They got so many secrets I lose track of if they're Dean's or John's. My advice to you Sam is to let your guard down a little bit. There are seven billion people in this world and you only count on yourself. Dean won't bite unless you say so."
"I guess you're right." I chuckled. "Dean has been nothing but nice and accommodating to having me around. I guess I could…shed some light out of my dark soul." I joked.
"That's the spirit. Tell Dean I say hello."
"Will do." We said our goodbyes and I closed my phone shut.
Maybe Bobby was right. The thought of me opening up to him was a bit nerve racking to say the least. Only a few people know me really well and they're either dead or I haven't seen in years. Who knows how long I was going to be stuck with Dean…and then I thought of something. I'm not really stuck with Dean. I could leave whenever I wanted to and I'm sure he wouldn't stop me. But then I would still need help with Yellow Eyes. I had almost forgotten about him. We still needed to check out where those missing people went. Dean just commands from his father, just like I'm taking commands from Dean. Well, he doesn't really leave me much of a choice. I looked down at the clock. This was starting to feel like forever. Just then I saw fire out in the orchard. Oh crap. I got out of the car and ran towards it as fast as I could. I looked around and saw Dean crouched on the ground holding his arm.
"Are you alright?" I asked running over to him to look at it.
"Yeah. Son of a bitch almost had me." He said wincing when I pulled his hand away to look at where the blood was coming from.
"It looks pretty bad. Let's get out of here before the cops show up." I said standing up. We both walked back to the car when Dean threw me the keys.
"Let's get our stuff and get out of here." Dean said. I didn't argue when I saw the pain on his face. Son of a bitch got him good. We got our stuff from the motel and hit the road. I didn't where to go but decided to just get a few hours out before stopping somewhere else. I looked down at the time and it was almost two am. Dean was still awake and going through the music in the car. This was going to be a while.
