Sorry for the update delay. I promise to be better behaved. Or I'll try, at any rate. Thanks to those who have reviewed so far...ya'll are so kind. Keep it up!
It almost looked like a mound of dirt, jammed up into a rock crevasse. One could overlook it so easily. Only the presence of a dirty sneaker had given it away.
Dean shuffled forward, shining his light on the corpse and ducking his head for a better look. Tentatively he reached out and turned the body over, wincing at the dust that came away on his fingers. The corpse was small, child-sized, curled into the fetal position with its face covered by its arms. A few wisps of dirty blond hair clung to the scalp. In its hands it clutched a moldy scrap of fabric, which at closer inspection turned out to be a small handmade doll. Dean let out a sigh, heavy with sadness. "Kids, man."
"So you were right," murmured Sam. "Some homeless guy killed the girl and stashed her body here. She's been trying to get someone's attention, to get someone to find her and take her home." He blinked a few times. His head was swimming, his vision leaving trailers every time he moved his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to find a bed and crawl under the covers, and sleep for the rest of his life.
"Well, here's hoping that one of the guys she sucked dry is the bastard that did this. At least that way there's some justice." Dean dug into his pocket and came out with his lighter.
"Wait!" Sam held out a hand. "Not a good idea to light that…don't know how much oxygen is in here, or whether there's any buildup of gasses." He winced as he bit his tongue, which suddenly felt thick and heavy in his mouth.
"The only gas buildup in here is you," retorted Dean, but he stashed the lighter back in his pocket.
"Besides, guano can be flammable." Sam pushed himself to his feet, blinking and trying to ignore the dizziness that made his vision spin. Nausea pressed at the pit of his stomach but he swallowed it down.
"Uh." Dean lifted an eyebrow. "'Scuse me?"
"Been documented that lightning strikes can ignite deposits of bat guano and cause explosions in caves." Sam blinked again, trying to shake the cobwebs out of his brain.
"Exploding bat shit." Dean shook his head sadly. "I don't even want to know why you know that, dude." Then his face changed, nose wrinkling. "So we're going to have to carry her out of here." Sam nodded, eyes closed, fingers on his temple. "Dammit." Dean knelt and, suppressing a gag, gently scooped the body of the little girl into his arms. "Dibs on the shower at the motel. And you're gonna let me borrow your loofah." But his words were softened by the careful way that he cradled the girl against his chest.
"No use going back the way we came," mumbled Sam. "Pretty sure the roof caved in…" He felt a hot surge roll in his stomach and he swallowed another gag, but then with a sudden rush he threw up, falling forward onto his hands and knees and retching.
"Sammy!" Dean dashed forward. "You okay?"
Sam could feel Dean at his side, hand warm against the small of his back. "Think…concussion. M'okay." Sam drew the back of his hand over his mouth and frowned at the bitter acid taste. Dean furrowed his brow and squeezed the nape of Sam's neck. "M'okay," Sam repeated. "Let's…just go." He spit and then glanced up at his brother, wincing at the look of concern. "Com'on."
Dean hooked a hand under Sam's elbow and lifted him to his feet. He watched closely as Sam weaved a bit, and then he stooped to retrieve the body of the little girl. Her flesh felt strange, vaguely leathery, but now he could see the shadows of her features, big eyes and a bow-shaped mouth. He could tell that in life she was a pretty little child. Was. Dean shook his head again, pursing his mouth. People suck, he thought.
Sam had moved on without him, stumbling further down the tunnel at the far end of the small cavern. Dean followed on, one hand on the cold stone wall, the other clutching the girl against his chest. "Wait up, Sammy," he called, quickening his pace into a shuffling jog. The darkness around him was almost total, broken only by his own light and the far-off glow of Sam's.
Dean had never really been afraid of the dark. At times he felt afraid of what was in the dark, but for the most part he considered darkness an ally. In the dark he didn't have to compose his face into that studied mask of indifference. In the dark he could show what he felt. He could hide in the dark.
But then Sam's light disappeared. Dean heard nothing, saw nothing, but as soon as the light blinked out he knew that something was wrong. His stomach clenched. Dammit, can't we ever just have a simple salt and burn, then go out for pizza?
In seconds, Dean's light played across Sam. He was on his hands and knees, stagnant water soaking into his jeans, hair hanging over his eyes. "Sam!"
Sam looked up at Dean, face gray. His eyes were glassy and cheeks strangely sunken. "Somethin'…'s wrong…" he slurred.
"Jesus, what is it?" Dean laid the corpse down as gently as he could and dropped to his knees at Sam's side. He reached out and brushed his hand across Sam's shoulder. Sam lurched at the touch and turned whiter still, then opened his mouth and vomited up a stomach full of hot blood. He looked back up at his brother, chin dripping with gore, eyes glossing over with tears. "Talk to me, Sam," barked Dean, voice sharp with hidden terror.
"Not concussion…" moaned Sam, a bubble of blood at the corner of his mouth. "S'her…" He lifted a shaking finger and pointed behind Dean.
Dean whirled, eyes wide. Behind him there swayed the faint apparition of the girl. Her face was angry, hair stringy and wet, clinging to her cheeks. Her mouth hung agape and her eyes were wild with rage. Dean jammed his hand into his pocket for the lighter, never letting his eyes leave the spirit. But as he drew the lighter out, his fingers fumbled it and it splashed into the water with a hollow plop. Dean hissed a curse and started splashing through the icy water, fingers searching, heart racing.
"Fuck!" he screamed, as he heard Sam vomit again behind him. When he glanced over his shoulder he saw that his brother had fallen facedown in the water, and now lay there motionless.
And then Dean's light went out.