A/N...I am sorry for the delay in posting. You guessed it, work is taking it's toll. Long hours make it hard to get enough sleep, and when you are functioning on remote control, the story writing part of your brain tends to shut down...
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Sam emerged from the shower, towel around his waist, another roughly drying off his long hair. The motel
room was empty, both his brother, Bobby and the dog were gone. He quickly dressed, shook his hair into an
almost shape and opened the motel room door.
He stopped, the site greeting him was not one he expected. There was Dean, sitting on the trunk of his car,
coffee in hand, a massive grin plastered on his face. Bobby was in the vacant lot next to the motel, playing
with the dog. He was running, chasing, being chased, the dog enjoying the attention, and Bobby running
around like a five year old on a sugar overdose.
He shook his head in disbelief, and walked over to join his brother. Dean looked around as a tall shadow fell
on him, and he handed a coffee to his younger brother. "Good morning, sunshine!" he beamed and nodded
towards the scene in front of him. "Who'd a guessed?"
"What, that Bobby loves dogs, or that he's playing in front of us?" Sam smiled back, and sipped the hot liquid.
"He's gotta know he's never gonna live this down"
"Yah think? Then again" Sam let out a short laugh "He could kill us if we ever told anyone."
Vadar came leaping up to Sam, and plonked his butt down in front of him, his eyes pleading. Sam just looked
at him, a little confused. "I think he's hungry" puffed Bobby, jogging up to the boys.
Sam smiled at Bobby "Ok, dog whisperer, what do we feed him?"
Dean handed Sam a large burger, and nodded towards the dog. "Diner didn't have Alpo"
Sam fed the dog, and ate breakfast himself, as they discussed the plans for the day.
Dean had the newspaper open on the bonnet of the car, and Sam leaned in to read over his brother's
shoulder. "Another one? So soon?"
"Looks like it's escalating" Bobby confirmed.
"So, where to now? I mean, we got no clues, other than Vadar here" Dean grumbled.
"Ah, but the force is strong with this one!" Bobby laughed as Vadar jumped up to lick his face. "I'll call the
coroner, see if there's any news on the dust. You guys hit the books"
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Sam opened another web page as Vadar snored at his feet. Dean was belly down on his bed, a book open in
front of him as they searched for the creature creating the havoc in the parks of the city.
"Man, this book reads like a Japanese instruction manual" moaned Dean, and he sat up, rubbing his eyes. "I
got nothin'. How 'bout you?"
Just then Bobby opened the motel room door, ending his call on his cell phone as he entered. "Coroner says
the dust similar to that found in caves a few miles from here. Phosphorescent deposits all through the lower
regions, all over the walls and under the water. Quite a sight, he says, open to the public." He poured himself
a coffee from the pot on the bench. "You boys feel like a little day trip?"
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They drove right up to the visitor centre at the caves, Bobby in the back with the dog. Vadar waited there
while the hunters went into the visitor centre, a small gift shop and information desk, with a little diner area in
the corner. A pretty young lady bounced up to the men, her smile nearly splitting her face in two.
"You guys with the tour group? Your running late, they're already half way to the cave!"
"Well, gosh ma'am" Dean shone his brightest smile back at her "We'd better hurry up! Hate to miss out!" With
a nod at his two companions, they left through the rear entrance the girl indicated they should take. Up
ahead of them was a group of about thirty people, and Sam could have sworn twenty nine of them were
elderly women.
Dean elbowed Bobby in the ribs. "Looks like your lucky day, tiger!"
Bobby gave him a look that could freeze over hell, but walked up to the women anyway. He started chatting
to them, smiling, and Sam turned to Dean.
"Do you think we could bring Vadar? I don't know how long this'll take, and you sure don't want him messing
up your car". Dean just looked at him, then handed him the keys.
"Good thinking, 99" He turned and walked up to Bobby and the women.
Sam jogged off to the car, where Vadar was very excited to see him. He didn't know if they'd let him into the
caves with the dog, but even if he tied him up outside, it had to be better than waiting in the car on a warm
day. He returned to the tour group, where Bobby had the ladies laughing, his brother beside him, a bemused
look on his face. He turned when he heard Sam approach, and nodded toward Bobby.
"Quite the charmer. Old flirt"
Sam shook his head. "We may be driving home alone tonight" he changed Vadar's leash into his other hand
"What're we going to do with the dog? Should I tie him up out the front?"
"No need'" Dean grinned. "I told them you had emotional issues and he's your therapy dog. He's allowed to
come with us."
Sam glared at him, and marched past him to Bobby and the ladies. They hushed as soon as he walked up, all
giving him sweet, knowing smiles, and then the tour guide came over, a thirtyish red head lady with a
rather portly figure. She placed her hand on Sam's, and gave him a sympathetic nod. He turned back to his
brother, and flashed him a sour look. Dean just threw his head back and laughed.
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The caves were well lit, a concrete path leading through the middle, sturdy hand rails on each side. Dean kept
waving around the EMF meter, but nothing registered. The tour guide chatted on about the local history, the
Native Americans that had lived there many years ago, and the local mining industry, that had folded almost
as quickly as it started. She didn't know why this had happened.
Bobby was proving a great hit amongst the older ladies, and he kept his side up, chatting and flirting so that
the boys could investigate without anyone paying them any attention, but there wasn't much they could do,
as everything was very sterile and 'touristy'. Bobby asked the tour guide about local superstitions, but she
just smile and patted his check, not answering.
As they walked deeper into the well lit caves, the tour guide stopped them in a larger chamber, all lit
dramatically with coloured lights to show off the various features. There was a large underground lake in front
of them, bright lights on the edge of the balustrade reflecting off it's still surface. Vadar sat beside Sam, a
very obedient and well trained dog. "This, ladies, and gentlemen" the tour guide flashed Bobby a bright smile
"Is our Pièce de résistance. We will now turn off the lights" she nodded over to a before unseen worker, who
was in a tiny little booth tucked into a side wall "and you will see why these caves are the most visited
tourist attraction in this region!" With a flourish, she raised her hands, and all of the lights went out at once.
At first darkness surrounded them, so complete they could not make out a hand in front of their faces, the
group speaking in hushed whispers. Slowly, Dean realised that he could see, just faintly, as the
phosphorescent walls started to light up, leading to a bright, eerie glow emanating from the walls, the ceiling,
and the lake had even started to glow. He looked down, and noticed foot prints on the concrete path also
glowing. He touched his brother's arm, and indicated the floor. Sam looked at them, then back at Dean. "Not
human" he whispered, and Dean nodded.
These were definitely not human. They were long, and looked more like a large bear's than any man's. Dean
touched Bobby in the small of his back to gain his attention, and pointed to the prints. Bobby nodded, then
tipped his head to the railing on the near side of the lake, where prints also softly glowed. Dean nodded, and
turned back to Sam. The three hunters had worked out their whole plan without hardly speaking a word.
Bobby walked up to the rail at the edge of the lake, and peered over. "Isn't that just the most romantic sight
you've ever seen?" he asked in an over dramatically loud voice, but the women ate it up, all of them rushing
over the railing to stand with Bobby and look at the water and glowing walls.
Dean and Sam edged back, following the footprints to where they met with the handprints. Dean quickly
stepped over the rail, completely un noticed, his feet at the edge of the waterline, a dark, rocky beach softly
glowing around his boots. Sam shook the dog's lead. Dean shrugged and leaned in to accept the heavy dog
as Sam lifted him over the railing, stepping over himself as soon as Vadar was on the ground. They quietly
moved away from the tourists, keeping close to the wall, following the lakes edge as it gently curved around
the cavern walls.
Bobby's voice rose again, his effort keeping the tourists prying eyes away from the two younger hunters as
they made their way further into the softly glowing tunnels, moving further from the cemented path and
safety rails.
Vadar trotted happily beside them, and as they came across a smaller cave mouth, he stopped. He sniffed the
air, and let out a soft growl. Sam looked at his brother. "It's as good a lead as any" he whispered, and Dean
nodded in agreement.
As they entered the smaller cave, both boys took out torches from heir jacket pockets, though the glow was
enough to light their way, they, as always, preferred to be prepared. They walked in silence, till a three way
fork slit the tunnel ahead. "Okay" Dean quietly spoke. "Whattaya think?"
Sam led the dog forward, to the first opening. Vadar sniffed, and looked up at Sam. Sam led him to the next,
Vadar also sniffed this, then lifted his leg and marked the wall. "I'd say that's a no" Dean screwed his nose
up. At the third opening, Vadar also sniffed the air, and his hackles rose, his growl low and dangerous.
"Yatzee" Sam whispered, and they started down the cavern, Dean pulling his gun from the back of his pants.
The walked a few hundred yards, the cavern on a gentle incline, softly twisting, and they saw no more
openings. Vadar was on edge the whole time, growling, fur raised, and he pulled slightly on the leash, leading
the hunters ever further into the Earth.
Suddenly he pulled up, and his bark echoed through the cavern in short, sharp rapports, like gunshot. Sam
pulled out his weapon as well, and both men shone their torches ahead, into the darkness..
"Sammy?" yelled Dean "Got anything?"
"I can't see a thing" his brother replied, but Vadar pulled ahead, barking harder. He leapt up, his leash pulling
loose from Sam's hand, and ran ahead into the cave, lost in the gloom and faint glow within seconds. Sam
and Dean locked eyes for a split second, and ran after the dog, as a team one shone his torch on the ground
in front of them while the other shone it straight ahead, following the faint echo of barks drifting back to them.
The glow on the walls thinned out, then was gone altogether, if it were not for their small torches they would
have been in total darkness. The floor continued its decline, becoming steeper, their boots starting to
slip a little on the wet, pebble covered ground. The air also grew steadily colder, and Dean could feel his ears
and nose going numb. Sam slipped a little, and his brother's hand darted out to steady him.
"Fricken caves" he grumbled, and they continued to run, just a little more carefully, as footing became more
precarious. Darkness seemed to wrap around them, only the two small, bright beams cutting through.
Vadar's barking travelled back to them, but the pitch changed. "He's caught up to something" Sam huffed, and
started running a little faster. It seemed he was right, as the clear sounds of a dog attacking echoed back to
them, and as they got closer they could hear the scuffle in the pebbles on the cave floor, the grunts and
growls from the dog, and something else, a deeper voice, also growling as it fought off the huge Doberman.
A painful scream from Vadar cut though the darkness, and he fell silent. Both boys skidded to a halt, their
torches shining straight ahead, as they approached with more caution, their breaths short from running as
well as the cold air. As quietly as they could, they krept forward, boots scrunching the pebbles beneath them,
the damp ceiling dripping lightly on their hair.
All was quiet….a deathly silence seemed to have descended following Vadar's last stand, and Dean felt the
hairs rise on his neck. Sam shuddered, he, too, was feeling the sinister change in the atmosphere.
Suddenly a flash from ahead, a glimpse of a bulky body, and the boys halted, guns ready, torches held high.
A flash of bulk again, and their stances became crouched, hunters sighting their prey. Slowly they continued
ahead, breath quiet, senses on high alert.
A rush of air, and the torches were knocked from their hands, Sam could see in sporadic bursts as the torches
swirled and rolled over in the air, before coming to land, both beams landing hard, one winking out, the other
pointing it's beam straight at the wall.
"Dean" Sam's worried cry escaped him, and Dean grabbed his arm.
"Stay close, Sammy"
"What the hell was that?"
He felt, rather than heard, a whumpf of something striking his brother, the reassuring hand ripped from his
arm, a small cry escaping Dean's lips. The force of the pull from his arm sent him tumbling, and then something
struck him in the head, and all went dark.
The silence was only marred by a faint drip as the moisture pooled and fell from the ceiling, then a deep grunt
as something picked up a heavy load, and crunched it's way off into the cave.
The torch continued to shine into the bare wall.
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A/N...Don't hate me, I love cliff hangers! Probably a week till next chapter, but I will try hard to get it up before then... oh, a review would make my day!