Thanks to all those who are readying and enjoying this story so far. I'm not sure if I'm going to continue it here or not. No one seems too interested in it, and it takes up a lot of my time to work on it. So if you'd like me to continue please let me know. Thanks again for reading.
Around noon Sam heard a soft rapping on their cabin door. He looked up distracted from the multiple symbol decoder websites he'd been looking at as he tried to decode what the symbols on the DVD case could mean. So far he hadn't gotten very far and he was starting to get discouraged. He knew Dean was sleeping in the bedroom.
After talking to Bobby, who'd never heard of anything like this, Dean had suggested looking into code decoders to see if they could make out what they symbols even said. The brothers had studied the symbols for a couple hours before Sam had noticed a change in Dean's posture, his breathing, the lines on his face. Dean had been stoic about it for another hour then he'd caved and had left for the bedroom to get more painkillers. When he hadn't come back Sam had gone in to check on him, Dean was on his side facing away from him, his breathing deep and labored. Sam had let him sleep.
The soft rapping came again. Sam slid the DVD into the loveseats cushions and walked quietly to the door. He cracked it open to see Jean standing there with a couple of brown paper sacks. Sam opened the door wider. "Hey, Jean."
"Hey, Sam, I wasn't sure if Dean would be up to coming over for lunch so I brought some lunch to you guys instead." She handed him the two brown paper sacks.
"Thanks, Jean, that was really nice of you." Sam smiled at her.
"No problem, if there's anything we can do for you boys let us know." Jean smiled back. She turned to walk back to the house but then hesitated and turned back. "We're going to the fire-pit tonight for dinner and do a cookout. I don't know if you and Dean would like to join us but if you would it's just through those trees on the other side of the stable." Jean pointed in the general direction. "We do ghost stories and old legends after dinner along with smores so if Dean feels up to it feel free to join us at six."
Sam nodded at her. "I'll tell him."
"Maybe we'll see you later then." Jean said with a small smile then she turned back and hurried back to the main house and her waiting guests.
Sam watched her go for a minute then closed the door. He peered into the lunch sacks, although he wasn't very hungry thanks to his large breakfast. There was a container of stew, an apple, biscuit and what looked like chocolate cake. Sam rolled up the bag again and set both on the coffee table. He'd eat later if he got hungry. He frowned at the small notepad and the notes he'd taken.
He'd copied the symbols off the DVD case and for each symbol he decoded he put that letter next to it. So far he only had a few.
H - x
O - )
R - &
S - #
E - ^
M - +
A - ?
N -
He knew that the curse had something to do with the horseman but he wasn't sure what it was yet. Slowly he began to replace the symbols with the letters he had decoded. Then he studied the other symbols thoughtfully.
He had a good guess of what they meant now just by the missing letters in some of the words. So he carefully wrote in letters, second guessing himself on some of them until he came up with something he thought might be probable.
I curse ye the poor soul who watch this
for I myself was cursed in life.
I will call him back, he who seeks his revenge.
And he will ride as he searches for a head.
The horseman rides at the witching hour
and will only rest when what is his is returned to him.
He will not rest until he has it for he will take those of others
the headless horseman wants his head and will not rest until it is returned again.
"Hey," Dean's soft voice from behind him made him jump. Sam turned, his notepad flying into the air. Dean easily caught it, a bemused smiling curling the edges of his mouth. "little jumpy, Sammy?"
Sam's breath came out in a huff. Dean's smile widened.
"Any luck with the symbols?"
"Take a look," Sam said pointing to the pad in Dean's hand.
Dean frowned and looked at the symbols, and decoded letters. He mouthed them silently to himself, the frown lines on his forehead deepening the further he read. After a minute he looked back up at Sam, his eyes troubled.
"What do you think?" Sam asked as Dean handed him the pad back.
"I think you're too smart for your own good." Dean said lightly and tapped Sam on the shoulder.
Sam rolled his eyes. "That's not what I meant, Dean. Do you think that's what they symbols really mean?"
"Probably as close as we're gonna get." Dean said he eyed the brown paper bags curiously, then picked one up and peered inside. His eyes widened in delight and he took out the container of stew and the fork. He popped off the lid, tossed it next to some of the papers they'd scribbled notes on on the coffee table and sat down gingerly next to his brother and began to eat.
"How could someone put a curse on a DVD though?" Sam wondered, mostly to himself.
"You said it yourself, Sammy, that with the right symbols and with enough people believing." Dean said through a mouth full of stew.
Sam shook his head. "This isn't the same, Dean. None of these symbols are like the ones we saw in Texas."
Dean swallowed the last of his stew loudly and used his biscuit to wipe the last of the gravy from the sides of the container. "What kind of symbols are they then?"
Sam shook his head and frowned at his notepad. "That's what I don't get, Dean. They aren't any ancient Indian symbols, Latin, or anything else we've ever come across."
Dean's eyebrows narrowed slightly. "So how'd you crack it?"
"Ran it through a few code-breakers off the internet. It took a lot of code-breakers for me to come up with the right letter for each symbol, but I think I've got it right this time."
"It'd seem so. It makes sense anyway." Dean brushed the biscuit crumbs off his fingers and took out the cake. "I mean," he said as he took a large bite, "if the horseman is coming out then the code would have to do something with the horseman right?"
"The thing is, Dean, I can't be sure that I do have it right. This code was so complex that most of the code-breakers didn't even process more than a couple of symbols. This would be my best guess if I was going to just have a crack at it myself though." Sam frowned at the DVD case in frustration.
"So there's a real horseman out there somewhere that had his head sliced off and he's gonna cut off other people's heads until he gets his back?"
Sam shrugged.
"Did you find anything that happened like that on the property?"
Sam shook his head and tossed the DVD onto the coffee table with a sigh. "Dean, all the internet brings up when I do a search engine on the headless horseman or anything close to it is "Sleepy Hollow" or websites that I can purchase the movie. I looked into the land too and there isn't anything about a war, or mysterious deaths that would explain why the horseman has chosen this ranch to behead people."
"Maybe we'll have to talk to Jean." Dean suggested.
"Or Randy." Sam agreed. "Wait a second..."
"What is it?" Dean asked curiously. He tossed the apple back and forth between his hands.
"Jean said something about a cook out tonight for dinner at the fire-pit I almost forgot all about it."
"That figures," Dean smiled but rolled his eyes.
"No, Dean, wait a minute," Sam snapped impatiently, "she said something about ghost stories and old legends. Maybe we won't have to ask them about the horseman."
"What time?"
"She said around six." Sam cocked an eyebrow at him. "You gonna feel up to it?"
Dean shook his head. "Don't have much choice do I? We gotta stop this thing before someone else gets hurt, Sammy."
"I could just go, Dean. I'd bring something back for you."
Dean waved him off. "Sam, I'm gonna go. I feel fine."
Sam barely repressed an eye roll. "We're gonna have to re-wrap your ribs before we go. And make sure you get more painkillers in you before we go. We're probably gonna be sitting on logs or something so you are gonna be stiff if you don't."
"Think I'll go grab a shower then." Dean said he tossed the apple at Sam, who caught it easily, then walked down the hall to the bathroom.
Sam sighed and looked again at the message he had decoded and wished silently that just for once he was wrong.
"Sam," Jean said with a warm smile and then her eyes widened marginally as she spotted Dean a few steps behind his brother. "Dean, I wasn't sure if you boys were going to make it."
Dean offered her a weak smile as the brothers stepped into the firelight. The fire-pit was surrounded by large spruce trees and the fire sparked and flickered, a few stray sparks flew into the sky but faded quickly. The fire was in a deep pit to stop it from spreading and catching the trees on fire. And several logs sat around it, just as Sam had suspected. But on the far side of the fire were two lawn chairs, both of them empty.
The older couple was absent, but Angela and Kari were both sitting on one of the logs whispering quietly to each other and giggling. Randy was there as well and so were two boys that Sam assumed where Jean and Randy's kids. They were helping Randy put hotdogs on iron spits. An English Springer lay next to one of the logs, his head resting on his paws his eyes on the fire, and on his back was little Yorkie puppy curled up in a tight ball, fast asleep. Dean nudged Sam in the ribs and Sam looked too then laughed quietly.
The English Springer seemed to have heard them for he lifted his head, looked at them for a long moment then wagged his stubby tail furiously. He started to stand up which woke up the little Yorkie puppy. He slid off the side of the Springer's back and landed with a plop on his bottom. He looked a little put out to find his nice soft bed gone but he trotted over to Jean and started to paw at her pant legs, begging to be picked up.
The liver and white English Springer sat down in front of Sam and Dean and panted happily, his stubby tail wagging furiously in the dirt, his extremely long tongue hanging from one side of his mouth and his soft brown eyes gazing up at them hopefully. Sam rubbed the dog's soft ears and the dog closed his eyes lazily and groaned in pleasure.
"Jack," Jean scolded gently with a fond smile as she looked at the English Springer, "are you begging for attention?"
Jack's tail wagged even more furiously, so fast it was almost a blur. He trotted quickly to her side and sat down by her feet and gazed up at her with big loving eyes, his tongue hanging over his teeth, a silver line of saliva fell into the dirt and disappeared. The Yorkie puppy, not used to being ignored, barked piteously and continued to paw at Jean's legs, his stubby tail wagging hopefully as Jean looked down at him.
"Priestly, you are the most spoiled puppy in this county." Jean laughed as she lifted the puppy into her arms. The puppy wiggled in delight and tried his best to lick every inch of her he could. Jean held him away from her face but that didn't stop his little pink tongue from shooting out and trying to get her nose. Jean laughed and planted a kiss on the wiggling puppy's head. She shifted him to one hand, cupping him under the chest to support his weight and he settled there content.
"Dinner's ready." Randy announced at that moment. He turned from the small table he'd brought out with him and started handing around the spits with the skewered hotdogs on them. "Everyone roasts their own hotdogs. We have buns, mustard, ketchup, cheese, dill and just about anything else you want to put on them over here when you've cooked them to your liking. We also have plates, chips and vegetables as well as soft drinks and water so please help yourselves."
Sam got a spit for each of them and handed one to Dean. They looked around for a place to sit.
"I brought the lawn chairs out for you boys, I wasn't sure if Dean would be up to sitting on one of the logs." Jean said kindly.
Sam felt relieved, he wasn't sure if Dean had been up to it either, although he knew Dean hated to be singled out. He wasn't wrong Dean's face darkened just the tiniest bit but he flashed a false smile at her and thanked her in a tight but polite voice. The brothers sat in the lawn chairs and lowered their hotdogs towards the flames. The orange sparks danced around the edge of the pink hotdogs turning them darker until the skin began to blister and turn black.
Dean turned his hotdog over and let the other side cook, Sam pulled his hotdog out of the flames and tested it with his fingers. Then he too stuck it back in the flames. Jean and Randy sat on the log closest to them, Dean could see Priestly asleep in Jean's lap and Jack was once again lying down next to the log his head on his paws but his eyes were now fixed on the hotdogs that were being roasted over the fire. Every once in a while he'd lick his lips and his tail would wag a few times when someone would pull his hotdog out to test it. Then he'd go still again when he realized that no one was offering him a treat.
Dean pulled his blistered and slightly blackened hotdog out of the flames and squeezed it with his fingers. It was soft and incredibly juicy. It was done. He slowly pushed himself off his chair and walked to the table to make his hotdog, Sam followed along behind.
It seemed that every hotdog finished at the same time because everyone was soon waiting to get their buns, condiments, chips and drinks. Dean grabbed a soda without looking at what kind it was and went back to his seat. Sam sat down a few minutes later, his hand balancing his plate and his other wrapped around the neck of a bottled water. Jack lifted his head off his paws and walked over to them eagerly. He sat down, his back to the fire and gave them a doggy smile his eyes going from one to the other eagerly.
Dean bit into his hotdog and Jack's mouth closed. He kept his eyes locked on Dean's plate. Every time Dean lifted something to eat Jack's eyes would follow him, he'd lick his lips, then swallowed when Dean swallowed. He inched forward a couple inches as if the temptation was too great to bare. Dean tossed his last bite of hotdog at Jack, and Jack caught it in the air. He chewed it quickly and swallowed, then licked a bit of ketchup from the corner of his mouth and turned to Sam. Sam looked at Dean and grinned then tossed the last of his hotdog to Jack who once again caught it midair and almost inhaled it. The dog's tail wagged happily as he stared at the two brothers and he lifted a paw into the air, offering to shake with them in return for more treats. Sam laughed and took his paw, he shook it firmly and Jack whined as he looked at the small pile of Doritos on Sam's plate. Sam gave him one and Jack crunched it loudly.
"Priestly, I can't eat with you doing that now down you go." Jean said firmly.
The brothers turned to look at the little Yorkie being lowered to the ground. He promptly jumped right back up onto Jean's lap and stuck the edge of his little black nose onto her plate sniffing hopefully. His small triangle shaped ears were perked forward and his small pink tongue worked its way around his mouth and then disappeared again.
A small crunch brought Sam back to his own plate. Jack had taken advantage of them not paying attention to him and had helped himself to a chip from Sam's plate. Sam grimaced but Dean laughed. Sam tossed the chips one by one to Jack after that, no longer eager to eat them. Everyone around the circle chatted quietly with each other, all of them enjoying the warm fire on the slightly chilly night and the pleasure of being outside under the beautiful sky and trees.
Dean got up to roast himself another hotdog but Sam sat on his chair watching Kari and Angela talking quietly to each other. They weren't laughing now and they looked quite serious and frightened. Jack nudged him with his large wet brown nose begging to be petted. Sam rubbed a silky ear distractedly and tried to tune in to what the girls were saying over the crackling of the fire and the two other conversations going on around him.
"I swear I saw something, Ang." Kari said in a tiny squeak.
"Kari," Angela said sounding exasperated, she rolled her eyes. "It is nothing but shadows. There are no such things as ghosts."
Sam felt his mouth twitch. If only they knew. There were all kinds of things that were not supposed to exist that he and his brother had seen, not only that but they'd also gotten rid of them. Anything was possible in the supernatural world.
"The horse too? That was just shadows?" Kari asked her voice shrill now.
"It was probably Jesse trying to scare you." Angela reassured her patting Kari's knee gently.
"Ang, it was the horseman. He came to life." Kari whispered her eyes brimming with tears.
"Kari, it is just a movie. The horseman doesn't exist." Angela said gently but firmly. Then she took Kari's plate from her lap and rose from her log to dump them both in the garbage bag. Kari watched her go and wiped at her eyes furiously.
Dean returned with another hotdog and sat down next to him and put the hotdog over the flames. Sam watched the hotdog skin begin to blister and blacken. But was interrupted by laughter. He looked around surprised, then looked down at the ground.
Priestly had planted his bottom on the ground and was dragging himself forward so fast with his front legs he seemed to be sliding on ice rather than dirt. Then he stood up, shook and picked up a stick by the edge of the fire, he promptly rolled onto his back and began to chew at it with his sharp white teeth. His eyes darting around at all the people watching him. His front legs wiggled as he fought the stick in his mouth but his back legs were perfectly motionless and sticking straight up in the air. At his post Jack let out an audible sigh, which made everyone laugh louder.
"Ok," Randy said standing up and clapping his hands. "Time for ghost stories. Stephen, would you like to start?"
One of the brothers stood up, he was slightly taller than the other with a mop of dark brown hair, it was so dark it almost appeared black. His face was round and his nose seemed a little too long to fit his face. His eyes sparkled in anticipation and he smiled a leering smile at the small group.
"There's an old story that goes with these parts," Stephen began in a soft spooky tone that made Angela and Kari shift closer together. "A story that involves a man, betrayal, and an on going search that will never end. Some say he's cursed, others say he's angry, some say he's summoned when someone wants revenge. Who knows what's true, all I know is that I've seen him and I know he exists out there still."
Kari clutched Angela's arm, her nails digging into Angela's soft skin, but Angela didn't seem to notice. Sam leaned forward eagerly and Dean pulled his hotdog from its spit.
"Many many years ago," Stephen continued as he leered at Angela and Kari who seemed to be hanging on his every word, "there was a man named Casey, but no one remembers his last name. He was a solider and fought in many wars helping to win all but one of them. He was fighting with his Sargent as they tried to settle the land, but the battles were fierce and many men were lost. Somehow Casey and his Sargent always survived even though most of their men were usually lost."
"It was in the early 1800's that it happened. Casey and his Sargent were fighting their fiercest battle ever and Casey saw his Sargent pulled off of his steed. The black stallion galloped away from the enemy forces and straight at Casey. Casey caught the animal's reins and stopped it from fleeing. The animal was fiery and fierce. It snorted and reared pawing angrily at the air. It's eyes were wide with fear as the gunshots went off and swords clanged around it. Casey pulled himself onto the animal's back and turned it around making it go back towards the battle, back to where he'd seen his Sargent fall. He drew his sword and sliced off the heads of the enemy as he galloped past them, his swings too fast to see coming until the heads were rolling away on the ground."
Kari gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Angela looked very sick. Dean tossed the last bit of hotdog towards Jack, but Priestly spotted it first. Quick as lightning he dashed forward and siezed the bit of hotdog from under Jack's nose and galloped off towards Jean with it. He leapt onto her lap, and looked down at Jack with the bit of hotdog hanging from the corner of his mouth. If Dean didn't know better he'd have thought the puppy was smoking a cigar. He laughed quietly to himself.
"Soon the battle was won, Casey and his soldiers once again victorious. But something had changed in Casey. He no longer wanted to fight to settle the land he wanted to fight for the blood and for the blood of his Sargent that had spilled into the ground. He killed without mercy, slaughtering anyone who dared to cross his path, men, women, children, he didn't care as long as he spilled their blood. And he always killed them in the same way, all the bodies were found without their heads. It was almost fifteen years later that a large group of men caught up with him. Casey was riding in the woods several miles away from here when the men cornered and ambushed him. The Sargent's horse, Daredevil, was fatally wounded and went down from underneath Casey. The men surrounded him and Casey fought them, but there were too many. One of them got his sword up under the Casey's ribs and another grabbed Casey's own sword and took off Casey's head with it."
There was silence around the fire now, both Sam and Dean were leaning forward slightly their faces identical with their frowns of concentration. Angela and Kari were also still except for the tiny shuddering of their clasped hands.
"They buried his body where they killed him, but they carried his head away and buried it somewhere else. Some say even on this land so that the horseman could never again rise to terrorize them. But it seems as though their plan backfired on them. Because one by one each of them men saw a ghostly demon on horseback at night, always at the witching hour. It would haunt them for several days and then their bodies would be found their heads gone. No one ever knew what happened until one night a little boy survived the slaughter and told the people what he had seen. The horseman was indeed a demon for he rode with no head on his shoulders, and his black steed had fiery red eyes and a deep wound in its chest, yet it had no blood to bleed. The horseman had sliced off the heads of his victims and had carried them away with him. The boy had only seen two things that the horseman had carried with him his sword and his black bag." Stephen grinned at the two quivering girls. "A few days later the little boy was gone and no one ever saw him again, some say the horseman caught up with him and added him to his collection, others say he ran off in hopes to escape the horseman's wrath. But no one escapes him when he wants you for he is no longer Casey he is the Headless Horseman!" Stephen started to laugh a chilling laugh.
"If you don't believe this story, believe this," Stephen said quietly as he looked around at all their faces. "I was out riding one night one of our horses had gotten loose and there was a cougar around I wanted to bring the mare in. The night was cold and no crickets sang. The night creatures seemed frozen and I found it strange. But still I searched for the mare. I had come to the crossroad in the trail and had turned for the creek to get my horse a drink of water for we'd gone far and he was thirsty. But as he stepped into the creek I knew something was terribly wrong. My horse started to fight me and he began to snort and kick up the water. Then I heard it the sound of approaching hooves. I thought the mare was coming to meet us, but something didn't feel right and that's when I realized that the approaching horse was no friend, but of that of the demon said to haunt these parts. My horse reared and spun and I urged him on. We galloped as fast as we could back to the stable but even as fast as we were going I could hear the horseman gaining on me. I dared to look behind me to see if the legends were true and I was so shocked I fell off my horse. He galloped off without me his tail flying high and his reins dangling around his neck. The other horse stopped and the horseman got off. He came at me slowly, swinging his sharp sword around in a circle as he approached. I felt my heart pounding against my ribcage and knew that I was about to breathe my last breath when..."
Suddenly one of the horses in the stable whinnied to one of its neighbors. Kari screamed and jumped up from her log yanking her hands out of Angela's. She looked around the circle with terrified tears in her eyes then ran away from the fire-pit and back towards her cabin, Angela raced after her.
"Well," Jean said after a long silence, "who wants a smore?" She lifted a large bag of puffy white marshmallows.
"So what do you think?" Sam asked a quarter of an hour later as he and Dean walked slowly back to their cabin.
Dean shrugged one shoulder and frowned at the ground. "Could be some truth in it - might just be a story to scare the guests though, Sam."
"It would explain why the horseman kills around here though, Dean. If the DVD is cursed and the head is buried somewhere on the property the horseman would have a link here. If someone knew about this Casey guy and knew about the horseman legends I'm sure he could've cursed the DVD and brought the horseman under his power."
"But how would he do that? If no one knows where the head is? Even in the movie Katrina's Stepmother had the horseman's head which is how she controlled him."
"Maybe someone found the head?" Sam said doubtfully.
Dean shook his head. "It seems like a long shot to me, Sammy. We're just gonna have to keep lookin'."
As the brothers approached their cabin, the door to number five opened and Kari rushed out her bags in her hand, Angela was following her her face flushed.
"Kari it was just a ghost story."
"I'm not staying here, Ang. Not with that...that horseman out there. I'm not gonna have my head cut off." Kari yelled as she hurried to where they'd parked their car.
"Why don't we just sleep on it and we can decide for sure in the morning. You're just spooked now because of Stephen's story, but it was just a story!" Angela grabbed Kari's arm and dug her heels into the ground, forcing Kari to stop. One of Kari's heavy bags fell out of her hand and burst open.
"Shoot," Kari shouted, then she tugged her arm out of Angela's grasp and began to hastily stuff the clothes back into the suitcase. "I'm not staying here. I want to go home."
"So you're just gonna leave me here?" Angela demanded as Kari gathered the last of her items and had snapped the clasps closed on the suitcase again.
"I told you I was gonna leave - you said you want to stay. I'm not gonna stop you just don't expect me to stay here. You can come if you want, if not I'll come back at the end of the week and pick you up."
"Kari, you aren't being fair about this." Angela said harshly as she once again grabbed her friend's arm in an attempt to keep her from leaving.
"I'm not being fair?" Kari said in a high pitched voice as she turned to her friend. "I'm the one not being fair? Whose idea was it to come here in the first place? Who is the one who loves horses? I wanted to go to the beach, catch a few rays, do some shopping. But no you had to come to the ranch. You had to have a place to ride. I went along with it, but I'm not gonna stay here if there's a killer on the loose. You can't make me!"
Angela glared at her friend, her fingers were still wrapped around Kari's arm. "You agreed. You said it sounded fun."
"I lied." Kari shrieked then she jerked her arm away and ran as fast as she could under her heavy load towards the car.
"Do you hear that?" Sam asked Dean quietly.
Dean frowned and listened hard. The night was filled with the usual night time sounds. A few crickets chirped, a few of the horses moved restlessly in their stalls and nickered quietly. Dean could still hear Jean's family at the fire as well but on top of that he could hear the distant sound of hooves upon the ground, of galloping hooves.
"What time is it?"
Sam looked at his watch. "Half past nine."
"I thought the horseman only came at the witching hour? That's midnight."
Sam nodded but he bit his lip. "Unless something else is summoning him, or gives him the power to come out before midnight."
"Like what?"
"Like the time the horseman died. If he was killed at a certain time he might be able to come out and kill at that time."
"Crap," Dean muttered he wrapped an arm around his ribs and glared at their cabin.
"I'll get the guns," Sam said quickly then he took off at a jog towards their cabin.
From the fire-pit both Jack and Priestly began to bark furiously, the sounds echoed and drowned each other out, making it almost impossible to hear anything else.
Kari had made it to the car and was fumbling with the keys, trying to get the door opened while trying to balance her suitcases at the same time. She dropped the keys and cursed loudly before bending down and trying to find them in the dark.
Angela watched Kari from where she stood, her arms crossed over her chest her long brown hair had begun to fall out of its ponytail and was now blowing about her face. Her shoulders heaved a little with each intake of breath, as though she were crying silent sobs.
Then the whole world seemed to go off at once. The camp fire exploded shooting sky high, making the whole world seem orange. Dean stepped back a few steps in surprise. Then it was gone with only a black trail of smoke heading towards the sky. Dean couldn't even see the faintest flicker of orange anymore, and the clouds hid the moon sending the grounds into darkness.
The dogs yelped and then ran towards the house, Dean could see Jack charge up the stair, slipping in his haste to get through the doggy door and little Priestly hurrying after him. The power went out and the cabins and main house went dark. Dean looked over his shoulder to look for Sam but couldn't see him anywhere.
Then a high pitched scream unlike any he'd ever heard before made his blood run cold. He turned back to where he'd last seen Kari and Angela but he couldn't see them anymore. Ignoring the sharp pains in his chest Dean hurried forward as the sound of approaching galloping hooves got louder.
"Ang!" Kari screamed into the darkness her voice filled with terror. "Ang!"
"Kari?" Angela yelled back and Dean could hear her feet beat against the gravel. He ran in that direction depending on his ears rather than his eyes, and his uncanny other senses that had become extremely sharp thanks to his years of hunting. He knew Angela was closer and he could remember where the cars were even though he couldn't see them. If he could just get Angela to the safety of the main house he'd be able to get to Kari within a couple of minutes.
The high pitched scream rang out again and this time Dean realized that it wasn't a human scream but rather an animal. He heard Angela cry out and then something heavy hit the ground. He turned his head towards the unnerving sound and froze.
A large black stallion stood just at the ranch gate, he was tossing his large black head and snorting. He chomped at the bit as if impatient to go he shifted his weight from one foot to the other his fiery red eyes seemed to glow like neon. On his back was a figure in a dark cloak that flowed gracefully over the horse's rump. His broad shoulders where relaxed and he held the reins of his steed in one hand, the other held a sword. As the clouds parted over the moon slightly Dean could see over the man's shoulders and there was no head there.
Suddenly the black stallion reared, his hind legs holding him steady while his front legs pawed at the air furiously. He whinnied and snorted, blowing puffs of white steam into the air. Then he fell and charged his goal clearly aiming at the cars.
"Kari!" Angela screamed, she hadn't seemed to notice the horseman but she could feel something wasn't right.
Dean ran forward and almost tripped over a pair of legs. He caught his balance then reached down and grabbed a shoulder. He heard Angela's gasp of surprise. He quickly pulled her to her feet. "Get to the house!" Dean demanded.
"Kari!" Angela sobbed.
"Go!" Dean snapped he gave the girl a push towards the house and ran blindly towards the cars wondering where the hell Sam was. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears, but oddly enough the horseman's horse's hooves pounding against the ground drowned it out. He knew even as fast as he was going that he wouldn't reach Kari in time.
Kari seemed to have realized that the hooves were heading in her direction and had panicked. She ran from the cars straight down the drive, not sure where she should go. Dean could see her blond hair flying behind her, its golden tones picking up the faintest of lights like a beacon for the horseman to follow.
Dean ran after her but the black stallion easily overtook him, the horseman blew past him his sword held high. Kari was gasping and screaming as she tried to find safety. She tripped and went sprawling as the horseman gained on her. She lay gasping on the ground, clearly in shock.
"Kari!" Dean yelled but he knew he was too late.
Just then a shotgun boomed and a spray of rock salt hit the horseman and his horse. They didn't even seem phased by it. The horseman lifted his sword high and swung. Kari's gasps cut off abruptly. The shotgun boomed again, this time closer.
Dean could see his brother running at the horseman and he ran after him. The horseman jerked this time as the rock salt hit his body. His torso turned in Sam's direction and he lifted an ax from his belt and lowered into a slightly crouched position as if ready to fight him.
"Sam, no!" Dean bellowed desperately. But to his relief he'd seen that Sam had stopped a good distance away from the horseman and kept the gun trained on him.
The horseman stayed completely still for a minute. It was a bit absurd to see a headless torso facing off with his brother, almost eerie as if the invisible head could see Sam and was calculating him thoughtfully. Then he straightened up, turned and jabbed his sword into something on the ground then mounted his horse again.
The black stallion reared again.
"Kari!" Angela screamed from behind Dean.
The horse fell back onto all fours and snorted. The horseman swung his sword around and held it aloft, Whatever he'd picked up with it was now gone. Dean saw the horseman shift in the saddle, then horse and rider charged right at them.
"Dean!" Sam screamed.
"Angela!" Dean turned around an saw her a few feet away from him. He ran at her determined to save at least one of them.
He could hear the horseman's horse approaching, could feel the ground tremble with the beating of its hooves. He pushed himself harder, his breath coming in gasps as the pain in his ribs doubled. He was almost to Angela when he felt the hot breath of the horseman's horse on his neck. The short hairs on his neck prickled and stood on end. His heart beat more furiously. He made a flying leap at her just as the horseman swung his sword.
A sharp slicing pain registered in Dean's right arm as he tackled Angela to the ground covering her body with his. He also felt something give in his chest and knew that at least of his cracked ribs was now a broken rib. Something warm trickled down his arm, running down his fingers and dripped to the ground. He waited, holding his breath for the final blow.
It didn't come. His lungs ached and he breathed. Then he opened his eyes and looked around him. The night was still except for his heavy breathing and Angela's breathless gasps beneath him. Then he heard Sam.
"Dean! Dean! Dean, are you ok? Talk to me!"
He felt his brother's hands on his shoulders turning him over, rolling him onto the gravel and freeing Angela's body from his weight. He groaned as his ribs protested and his right arm burned.
"Dean!" Sam's voice was desperate as he shook Dean slightly. Dean wanted to answer him but he was finding it hard to draw in air let alone talk.
"Sam?"
Dean wasn't sure if he remembered who that voice belonged to. But he could hear her approaching footsteps as she ran towards them.
"Sam? What happened? Holy crap, is he ok?"
Sam's face was replaced by Jean's and Dean could feel someone touching his burning arm. He wanted to recoil from the touch but his body didn't want to respond.
"He's bleeding!" Jean cried out in shock.
Angela caught her breath at that moment and began to cry. Jean disappeared from Dean's line of sight as she went to comfort her.
"Dean? Can you hear me?" Sam asked, his face once again hovering over Dean's.
Dean swallowed and licked his dry lips. "Sammy." His voice was barely more than a whisper.
"I'm here, Dean."
"Burning, arm is burning." Dean muttered.
"I'm gonna take care of it, Dean. The horseman got you pretty good. I'll have to stitch it."
Dean had figured as much. He tried to slowly push himself up into a sitting position but his ribs screamed at him and he gasped.
"Dean?" Sam asked worriedly. "What is it?"
"Ribs, think one of 'em is broken." Dean whispered.
Sam carefully felt along his brother's ribcage and frowned when he felt the now definitely broken rib. "Yep, it's this one right here. I'm gonna have to set it."
Dean tried to nod. He wasn't sure if he succeeded but Sam seemed to know what he was trying to say anyway. Dean closed his eyes and held his breath as Sam shifted into a better position next to him.
"On three," Sam said as he eyed his brother carefully. "One..." He snapped the rib back into place.
Dean inhaled and groaned but didn't cry out. He lay still for several minutes breathing in deeply his left hand curling and uncurling into a fist. Then at last he opened his eyes and looked up at his brother.
"We need to get you back to the cabin," Sam said quietly. "You're loosing a lot of blood."
Dean wrapped his left arm protectively around his ribs and struggled to sit up. Sam put his arm around Dean's shoulders and helped him sit up. Dean didn't fight him, he didn't think he would've made it without Sam's help.
"Angela where's Kari?" Jean asked the hysterical girl.
"He killed her! He killed her!" Angela cried her face buried in her hands.
"Who killed her?" Jean asked her face troubled as she rubbed small circles on the girl's back. "Angela, where is Kari?"
"He took her head. She's gone. She's gone."
Dean's eyes roamed over to where the place where Kari had fallen and he sighed. He allowed Sam to turn him away and help him to their cabin.
"The horseman took his last victim tonight, Sam. We're gonna get this guy and he's gonna burn." Dean growled quietly.
Sam helped Dean up the stairs without saying a word. The power had come back on again so he could see easily as he pulled his key from his pocket. His shirt was splattered with red and his hands were gory with it. Dean hadn't realized that Sam had been keeping a hand clamped over his right arm, which added to the burning pain of it until Sam let go. Immediately warmth began to run down Dean's arm again and Sam's bloody hand grabbed the knob and twisted it leaving a gory mark in its wake. Sam turned back to him his face grave.
"We'll get him, Dean. I promise you we'll get him." Sam wrapped an arm around Dean's waist to help him in the cabin. Dean allowed the touch and started forward, but even though he remembered lifting his foot he didn't remember setting it down. The world spun around him sickeningly and then went white. Dean didn't hear Sam's desperate cry of his name or the arms that caught him as he fell, he only felt the sweet oblivion of unconsciousness.
Sam sighed as he replaced the cool cloth on Dean's forehead. Dean barely protested the cool fabric against his hot sweaty brow. His lips open and closed a few times and then he went still again. Sam's brow wrinkled and he bit his lip.
Dean had been unconscious for almost twenty-four hours now, with no signs of waking any time soon. Jean had offered to call a doctor and at this point Sam was desperate enough to take her up on that offer.
Sam had been terrified when the horseman had headed straight for his brother; he'd seen the large black stallion gaining on his brother, even though Dean had desperately made a move to protect Angela from the horseman's wrath. Sam's own movements had been sluggish and desperately slow. He'd seen the horseman's sword swing and then Dean go down.
At that moment, his whole world had stopped. He hadn't even been aware of the horseman's disappearance, or of his legs moving him to his brother's side. All he knew was one minute Dean was down and the next Sam was at his side, praying to any God who might be listening that Dean was still alive, still breathing.
Sam's legs had collapsed beneath him and he'd held his breath as he looked at his brother's limp body, a shield for Angela's body as she struggled beneath him. And then it hit him. The horseman hadn't collected him. Dean's head was still firmly on his shoulders. Not worrying about anything else at the moment other than the fact that his brother was indeed alive, Sam had turned him over, rolling him off of Angela so he could check him over and at the same time release her from Dean's weight.
Dean had peered up at him with unfocused eyes, and he blinked sluggishly at Sam a small frown forming between his eyebrows as if he was trying to focus on where he was. Sam had begun to look him over to see if he could see anything wrong with him. And then he'd seen the blood. It was everywhere.
The front of Dean's shirt and his right sleeve were gory with it and Sam's heart had stopped. Too terrified to even breathe Sam had looked desperately at his brother's face, wondering if these were the last moments they were going to have together. If the horseman, while not adding Dean to his collection, had taken him from Sam after all.
Dean was unresponsive to his desperate cries of his name and seemed to be having an out of body experience even though he was conscious. Either that or he was trapped in his own body and was floundering around inside trying to remember how to control it. That was when Jean showed up.
Sam was relieved to have someone else there to help him. And it was at that point that Angela seemed to come to herself and fell apart. The reality of what had just happened sank in and she began to sob piteously. Jean tried to comfort her while Sam focused on Dean. And then at long last Dean seemed to see him and he called his name.
With Dean responsive Sam was easily able to assess what he needed to look at. A broken rib and a wounded arm. He'd set the rib easily enough and he'd clamped one of his hands around the deepest part of the wound on Dean's arm that he could, but he knew he was in trouble when he saw it. The wound was deep and was bleeding profusely. Even in what little light there was Sam could see how white his brother's face was. He knew that Dean needed better care than what he could provide but he also knew how Dean would feel if Sam took him to the hospital. So against his better judgment he'd helped his brother up and to their cabin.
Dean had stayed with him until they got to the cabin door. Sam had released his clamp like hold on Dean's wound to open the door and he'd been alarmed at the amount of blood that began to flow at once. Dean lifted one leg to step into the room and then his face had gone deathly pale, his eyes had rolled back into his head and he'd fallen forward. If Sam hadn't been standing right there he wouldn't have caught him.
Dean hadn't responded when Sam had desperately called out his name and Sam had carried him to the bedroom and had gently laid him on the bed before hurrying for the first aid kit.
Sam brushed his brother's cheek to check his temperature, still too warm. If Dean's temperature didn't come down within the hour he'd haul him to the hospital himself. Dean's opinion be damned. He'd deal with the wrath later. He peeled back the bandages on Dean's arm.
The wound itself was strange. It was almost as if the sword had been burning hot because part of Dean's wound had almost been cauterized. The skin was blistered and angry red, only the deepest part of the wound still bled. From the looks of it the horseman had gotten the tip of his sword in at the crook of Dean's elbow and had slashed in a strange slightly curved direction, which made it go almost all the way around Dean's arm. Sam assumed that he had only gotten Dean at a glancing blow when Dean had leapt for Angela, which was probably a good thing or Dean might have been without an arm.
Sam frowned as the stitches Sam had used to tie the wound shut dissolved again. He was starting to get desperate. The stitches never seemed to last more than a few hours, as if the temperature was too hot for the stitching thread to tolerate. But that seemed impossible. Sam pulled the first aid kit from the dresser and reached in to pull out the sterilized needle and thread again when he paused. He looked at the wound again.
The puffy red and blistered skin around the wound was still the same, but there was a slight difference at the crook of Dean's elbow. The bleeding had slowed to a slight trickle and the blood had begun to coagulate and the skin had begun to blister like the rest of the skin surrounding the wound already had. Almost as if Sam had pressed the tip of a hot blade against it. Sam reached for the burn cream instead and gently covered the entire wounded area with it. Then he rebandaged it and slid Dean's arm under the covers.
"How's he doing?" Jean asked from the doorway.
Sam turned in surprise he hadn't even heard the front door open. Jean looked disheveled her brown hair was in a ponytail but several long brown locks hung loose from the tie and drifted around her face. Her shirt was wrinkled at the waist as if she'd been scrunching the material in her fists. Her face was pale and her eyes worried.
"He hasn't woken up yet. Wound seems to be burned really bad." Sam frowned as he looked at her.
Jean sighed and brushed a few strands of hair away from her face. "Ambulance just took Kari's body away, Angela went with them. She's going to be staying in the hospital for a few days. The paramedics think she's in shock." She took a step into the room, but hesitated, studying Sam thoughtfully. "Should we call them back for Dean?"
Sam shook his head. His brother would not be happy if he woke up to find himself in the hospital. Besides what would they tell them that would explain Dean's wound? Or the fact that it seemed to be cauterizing itself?
"Sam, I'm really sorry about all of this if you want a refund I'll understand."
Sam bit his lip. He had almost depleted his card of its funds in paying for their short stay at this place and as Dean had always said credit card fraud wasn't easy, it got harder every time they applied for one. But he knew for a fact that they had two new cards on the way, and they could always hustle a few games when they got out of town so they wouldn't be short on cash...
"No thanks," he said finally as he looked over his shoulder at her. He could see the stress practically bleeding from her pores. Her face was almost as pale as Dean's and Sam hated to think what she and her family were going through. With two people killed on the ranch in such a short time the police were bound to suspect something.
"Ben and May checked out this morning first thing. Guess no one wants to stay after last night." Jean ran a weary hand over her face. "It's strange but we really do seem to be cursed here."
"Do you mean the other girl that died out here?" Sam asked.
"So you heard about Tish? Yeah she used to do therapy riding here. It was her doctor's idea. Riding helps works the muscles in your legs and back so he thought it'd be good for her. She was in a really bad car accident a few years ago that left her basically paralyzed from the waist down. When she first came here she was so quiet and shy she didn't say anything to anyone. She was afraid of the horses too," Jean laughed a little as she remembered although tears of sadness filled her eyes. "After a few weeks we put her up on Buck and that was when she really started to come out of her shell. She started to talk to us and really get involved in Buck's care and seemed to really enjoying being with him. She asked if she could come down and ride more often and we told her she was welcome whenever she wanted. But I didn't even know that she came that night. She didn't stop up at the house at all, and we didn't hear her leave the barn. We found Buck the next morning standing next to the stable reins in a tangle around his legs, his knees were badly skinned up, I guess he tripped, and his saddle was still on. He was covered in sweat and when we tried to get close to him he would toss his head and snort. Then he'd run away his eyes wide and his ears pressed back against his head. It was if he was afraid of us. He eventually calmed down enough for us to catch him, but he's been different. He used to be our best beginner's horse, now we can barely get close enough to feed him. He charges at us it's so strange."
"What about Stephen? Didn't he say something about seeing something when he went looking for that mare?"
"Oh, that," Jean said with a sad smile. "It's just a story really. He never saw a headless horseman."
"Is there any truth to the legend? The headless horseman I mean?"
"My Grandfather would tell me the legend of the headless horseman when I was a little girl. He's the one who gave me the ranch. He always said that I'd better believe what he was telling me because if I wasn't careful the horseman would come and add my head to his collection. He swore that the head was still buried somewhere on the property but he didn't know where." Jean frowned and cocked an eyebrow at him. "It's just a myth, Sam. A ghost story that's been passed along my family line for as long as I can remember. No one actually believes in these things. Ghosts don't exist."
Sam bit back his retort knowing that it wouldn't get him anywhere. He wondered what the police where making out of Tish and Kari's deaths.
Jean looked at him quietly for a minute and then glanced at Dean, still sleeping and covered in sweat on the bed. She had the feeling that Sam wanted to be alone with his brother. "If you need anything don't hesitate to let us know."
Sam forced a smile and nodded once then turned back to Dean. Dean was lying just as still as before. His face and neck covered in a fine layer of sweat and his lips parted slightly. Sam could hear the soft exhales of Dean's breathing. He placed his hand on his brother's chest just over his heart and felt the organ beating beneath his fingers.
"Dean, can you hear me?" Sam whispered but silence was his only answer.
He was first aware of the birds singing outside the window. Their cheerful chirping grated on his ears and made him scrunch up his eyes as he longed to fall back into his dreamless sleep. Then he bolted upright and blinked around him, bringing the rest of the world back into focus.
He'd fallen asleep! He'd been on watch and he'd taken a nap. Sam's eyes immediately fell to his brother and he felt his insides clench.
Dean's mouth was slightly open, his lips dry and chapped. His face and neck were coated in sweat and his face was flushed with fever. His eyes rolled rapidly underneath his closed lids and his fingers curled and uncurled around the comforter, his legs shifting, almost struggling underneath the covers. Sam placed a hand on his brother's brow and frowned at the warmth he felt there.
Dean's eyelids fluttered and Sam drew in a sharp breath waiting. Dean's mouth closed and he seemed to be fighting himself internally before finally his eyelids peeled back for a half a second before closing again.
"Dean?" Sam asked quietly as he slid his hand down to his brother's pale cheek, cupping it in the palm of his hand. Dean didn't respond.
Sam pulled back the covers and gently pulled away the bandage from Dean's wounded arm, fearing the worst. He barely suppressed his gasp of surprise. The blisters were smaller, the red swollen skin didn't seem so swollen and the wound had finished cauterizing itself completely so that only a puckered ugly red line ran from Dean's elbow all the way around his arm. The dry blood on the bandage made it stick to Dean's skin at some places but the wound had closed.
Sam reached for the burn cream on the dresser and applied it gently to the red skin around Dean's wound, his eyes occasionally flicking up his brother's face. But Dean remained quiet and still. His jaw would tighten and relax, the muscles tensed and released, it was as if even unconscious Dean could feel Sam's ministrations. Sam redressed the wound quickly and went to replace the room temperature water with cool water and a fresh cloth.
Sam filled the bowl in the bathroom sink, then splashed the cool water on his own face, running his wet hands through his hair and slicking it away from his eyes. The chestnut locks clung together and tangled in small clumps.
Sam took the last clean washcloth from the rack and went back to his brother. He sat down on the edge of the bed, his waist resting against Dean's hip, hoping that the physical contact between them would help bring Dean back to him. Would let Dean know that he was there. That he wasn't going to leave him.
Dean's brow furrowed when the cool cloth came into contact with his hot skin and he instinctively turned away from the cold, his teeth snapping shut and his jaw clenched tight. Sam shifted against his brother and ran the cool cloth down Dean's face and neck, feeling some hope when Dean tried to pull away from him.
"Take it easy, Dean," Sam soothed as he remoistened the cloth and ran it over the other side of Dean's face. "Just gotta get your temperature down, bro."
"'S...cold," Dean muttered his teeth chattering a little.
"It might feel cold, Dean. But that's just because you're so hot." Sam said quietly, he lifted his free hand to rest it on the top of Dean's head, something he knew Dean would never allow were he fully conscious. Dean seemed to lean into his touch and settled there, his brow still furrowed and his jaw still clenched but he was quiet.
A soft rapping on the front cabin door made Sam pause. A glance at the bedside alarm clock told him it was quarter to ten, well past breakfast time up at the ranch. His brow furrowed and he bit his lip, unsure if he really wanted to leave Dean to go answer the door. The rapping came again, louder this time. Sam sighed quietly to himself, placed the cloth back into the water and pulled the blankets up around Dean's shoulders. Then he quietly stepped from the room closing the door behind him.
He wasn't quite sure who to expect at this time. He knew that Jean and her family would be out taking care of the horses, either mucking out or exercising them. So he opened the cabin door a crack and peered outside.
Two police officers were waiting, one of them with a pad and pen in his hand. Sam knew what they must be here for. To get their statements on what had happened. He was sure that Jean had told them that they'd witnessed the whole thing and with Angela too out of it to come up with anything that the officers could make sense of they'd have to ask Sam or Dean for what they had witnessed. With another quick backwards glance at the bedroom door, and quick silent prayer that his brother would stay unconscious until the officers left Sam pulled open the front door doing his best to fix a puzzled expression on his face.
"Good morning, Sir," said one of the officers pleasantly, even though his face remained grim and his eyes empty. "We hate to bother you but we were hoping that you'd have a minute that we could talk to you and your brother about what happened out here a couple nights ago?"
Sam shot another glance at the bedroom door then turned back to the officers. "My brother isn't feeling very well..." Sam tried to keep his voice as polite as he could, which he was finding difficult to do considering how stressed he was feeling. Ever since St. Louis talking to the cops had been risky, they couldn't afford for the officers to recognize Dean's face or pictures from the data base.
"It'll only take a few minutes," said the officer with the pad of paper. He looked down his slightly crooked nose at Sam and cocked his head to the side, as if he remembered him from somewhere and couldn't place him to the memory.
Sam shifted uncomfortably. "He isn't conscious," he finally admitted, seeing no point in lying about the fact that Dean couldn't talk to the officers even if he'd wanted to.
Both cops raised their eyebrows in surprise. The first officer glanced over his shoulder at his partner, who nodded slightly, before turning back to Sam. "Can we just talk to you then. We can get your brother's statement later."
Sam nodded and opened the door wide enough for the officers to step in. He felt the muscles in his stomach tighten convulsively and fought the urge to be sick. Instead he forced a smile and offered the couch to the officers while he hurried to the bedroom to grab the chair that Jean had brought in for him so he could sit next to Dean.
Dean was still out of it when Sam entered the room, a fresh sweaty sheen lightly covered his face. Sam felt his head automatically and frowned at the heat he felt there. Then he grabbed the chair and hurried out of the room. The sooner he got this over with the sooner he could get back to Dean.
He set the chair down in front of the officers and sat in it, trying to look as casual and comfortable as possible. "So what did you want to know?"
"You are here vacationing with your brother, correct?" One of the officer's, whose name badge said Ryans on it.
"Yes," Sam nodded. "We just got here a few days ago."
"And you were there when the attack happened?" Ryans' partner asked, Sam had a harder time reading his badge but he thought he made out Miles.
"Yeah, it was our second night. My brother wasn't feeling very good so we were heading back to the cabin. It was pretty dark outside so it was hard to see much." That part was true, with all the heavy thick clouds the night had been dark, if his hunter senses weren't so used to such conditions he doubted he would have seen much of anything that had happened.
"So you didn't see the girls leaving their cabin?" Officer Miles pressed his face contorted into a frown as if he didn't buy what Sam was telling him.
"My brother and I had just left the campfire when both Angela and Kari left their cabin. Kari had a bag with her and seemed really upset. Jean's son Stephen had been telling us ghost stories and it had really scared her. She wanted to go home. Angela was upset because Kari was leaving and was trying to get her to stay."
"And after that?" Officer Ryans asked.
"I'm not quite sure it happened really fast," Sam said biting his lip as he tried to come up with a good cover story.
Officer Miles frowned at him. "Angela Parks said that the power went out and then a phantom horse and rider appeared. That it chased down Miss Kari Davies and cut off her head."
"I heard the horse," Sam said after a minute, "and I heard Kari scream a minute later."
"Did you see the horse or rider? Was it perhaps someone from the ranch here?" Officer Ryans leaned forward on the couch, his elbows resting on his knees as he looked at Sam intently.
Sam shook his head. "No, like I said it was too dark to see anything clearly. I don't know what happened after Kari screamed until I saw what looked like a man on his horse and he was galloping towards Angela. My brother was right there next to her and tackled her before whoever it was could hurt her too. The guy took off pretty fast after that."
Officer Miles flipped his notepad closed and slipped it into a pocket. Officer Ryans leaned back again. "Kari's head was missing, and we haven't been able to find it. The strange thing is that when the body was examined the neck wound looked like it had been cauterized. There wasn't even any blood on the ground."
"So whatever was used to remove her head had to be hot?" Sam guessed, his own suspicions confirmed.
"That's our working theory." Officer Ryans said and he pushed down on his knees, using the leverage to stand. Officer Miles copied him and Sam followed suit. "Thank you for your time. Please let your brother know that we'll need a statement from him when he wakes up as well."
Sam nodded and showed the officers the door. Trying not to appear too relieved. But he breathed a sigh of relief when the officers got into their cruiser and started slowly down the drive.
Sam hurried back down the hall to his brother. He felt relief wash over him when he pushed open the bedroom door and found Dean struggling to sit up. His brother was still pale and covered in sweat but his eyes weren't as glassy anymore and the fact that he was awake was more of a relief than what Sam had been expecting.
"Hey," Sam said hurrying over and grabbing his brother's arm to help him sit up.
"I got it." Dean snapped shaking off Sam's hand and struggling to push himself upright. Sam stepped back, worrying his lower lip in his teeth while he watch Dean struggle, every instinct roaring at him to go help him.
Dean grunted a little with the effort then finally leaned back against the headboard, panting slightly and closing his eyes wearily. Sam stepped forward and propped up the pillows behind Dean's back. Dean allowed this, too tired to do it himself and it felt better to have something soft rather than something hard brushing against his aching ribcage. He kept his eyes closed as Sam shifted him to adjust the pillows behind his back and breathed in quick pants. When Sam finally pushed him back against the pillows Dean didn't open his eyes, rather he waited until he could get his breathing under control then finally looked up at his brother.
Sam was watching him carefully, his hazel eyes scanning his brother's face for any sign on how he was feeling.
"I'm fine, Sammy." Dean said automatically as he wrapped an arm around his ribs.
"Yeah, I can see that." Sam retorted as he lifted a hand to rest it on Dean's forehead.
Dean batted it away impatiently. "Dude, personal space."
Sam suppressed a sigh. He sat down on the bed next to Dean's hip and looked at his brother carefully, trying to examine him while trying to pretend he wasn't.
"Take a picture, it'll last longer," Dean snapped. Sam flinched and looked away. Dean immediately felt guilty, but he was hot and his arm burned and his chest protested each inhale. He tried to readjust himself to get in a better position, hoping that it would ease the tension on his ribs. But no relief came. He closed his eyes wearily and focused on taking shallow breaths.
He felt Sam shift on the bed beside him and opened one eye to look at him. Sam wasn't looking at him anymore, he was looking at his clasped hands, at his long fingers twined together, rubbing a callous on his palm with the pad of his thumb.
"Did you get him?" Dean finally asked, breaking the silence between them and redirecting Sam's attention to something besides himself.
"No, he took off after he got you." Sam looked up at him and Dean inhaled sharply without thinking, then winced as the pain registered in his ribs. He curled his uninjured arm tighter around himself and tried to breathe.
"Dean?" Sam asked worriedly, he leaned forward, resting one hand on Dean's thigh while the other reached for his shoulder but Dean shrugged him off again.
"Dude, get off me." Dean said in between pants he scowled at his little brother and forced himself to take steadier breaths, to force his body back under his control. "How's Angela?"
Sam lifted one shoulder and dropped it quickly in a lopsided shrug. "She's still in the hospital I think. The paramedics thought that she was going into shock so they took her with them." Dean closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the headboard then opened his eyes again slowly and blinked up at the ceiling.
"They still haven't been able to find Kari's head." Sam said quietly.
"They're not going to." Dean muttered just as quietly. His eyes drifted slowly to his brother and locked there for a minute before returning to the ceiling. "This bastard is stock piling them somewhere. The cops aren't going to find them because they don't know where to start looking."
Sam felt an uneasy churning in his stomach at the thought of this ghost having a pile of heads somewhere, just like he had in the movie. The movie!
"Dean!" Sam shouted so loud that Dean jumped, then hissed in pain. "Sorry," Sam apologized but he couldn't help the excitement in his eyes. "Dean, the movie! The tree in the movie!"
"What about it?"
"In the movie the dead tree was a portal for the headless horseman to travel through, kind of like a gateway to the underworld wasn't it? And that's where he kept all his victims heads right?"
"I guess so. What's your point?"
"What if it's the same thing here? What if the curse makes the horseman copy everything that the one in the movie does? I mean even in the movie wasn't his blade supposed to be super hot?"
Dean frowned and dropped his eyes to his knees, his eyes darting back and forth in concentration for a minute before he looked at his brother. "Yeah it was. In fact in the movie whenever Icaabod Crane went to examine the bodies there was never any blood, as if the blade that had cut off the heads had been so hot it had cauterized the neck as it sliced off the head."
"Exactly!" Sam couldn't suppress his excitement now. "Dean, when the cops stopped by earlier they told me that there wasn't any blood anywhere near the body, and I'm guessing that it was the same with this Tish girl." Sam stood up and ran both of his hands through his hair, pushing the chestnut locks away from his face as he paced up and down between the beds.
"That'd also explain your arm," Sam said almost to himself. "It seemed impossible but in the movie..." He trailed off and stopped his pacing, turning to look at his brother then sat down quickly beside Dean's hip again. "Dean, when the horseman cut you did the blade feel hot?"
"I don't know, Sam," Dean admitted he looked down at his bandaged arm and grimaced as he remembered the burning sensation of the pain he'd felt after the horseman had cut him.
"That'd explain the fever too," Sam said, again almost to himself. "In the movie the horseman cuts Icaabod when he tries to stop the horseman from killing Brom. But the horseman isn't after Icaabod or Brom, he just attacks them because they go after him. So at first he doesn't aim to kill them, just to get them to back off, but Brom keeps fighting so the horseman kills him."
"I didn't watch the DVD, Sam, the horseman isn't after me."
"The weird thing is, Dean, when I shot him with the rock salt it barely seemed to faze him."
"Crap, so it's kind of like that Tulsa thing in Texas?"
"That'd be my best guess. But how are we supposed to stop the damn thing? Even if it is tied to the movie if we break the curse by destroying the DVD it could release it and it could go on a killing spree killing everyone."
Dean nodded in agreement. "We can't let that bastard hurt anyone else, Sam. Have you looked up this Casey guy, seen if the story is legit?"
Sam shook his head. "I've been a little busy the past two days, dude."
"Right," Dean said quietly, then suddenly pushed away the covers and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Before Sam could stop him he had tried to stand up and his knees had immediately buckled beneath him.
"Dean!" Sam shouted as he hurried around the bed to catch his brother. He wrapped his arms underneath Dean's armpits, trying hard not to put more strain on his brother's ribs than he had to.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Need to hit the head, Sam. That ok with you?" Dean snapped a little embarrassed as his legs shook beneath him.
"Oh," Sam said feeling a little awkward and feeling the color fill his cheeks. "Right, come on." He gently wrapped one arm around Dean's waist and helped his brother hobble from the room, taking on as much weight as Dean would let him, feeling more and more of it as they progressed the short distance to the bathroom.
"I got it," Dean said shaking Sam off once they reached the bathroom door. Sam felt a little relieved, being spared an awkward situation with his brother in the bathroom. He waited just outside, leaning against the wall, his eyes closed his ears open.
A few minutes later he heard the sink running and he opened his eyes again. Thankful that Dean hadn't passed out in there.
"Sam," Dean's voice was strained and even from here Sam couldn't mistake the pain barely masked by Dean's tone. He twisted the knob and was grateful that Dean hadn't locked it.
Dean was leaning against the sink, his arms trembling with the effort he was using to keep himself upright, his injured arm already starting to buckle under his weight.
"I gotcha," Sam said as he gently wrapped his arm around his brother's waist again and helped him step away from the sink. He heard Dean inhale sharply and grimaced in sympathy, sure that Dean was putting on the heroic act for his sake. He was sure that it was taking a Herculean effort for Dean to keep up this front.
It only took them a couple minutes to get back to the bedroom and Sam helped Dean lie back down, concern wrinkling his brow when Dean didn't even protest. Instead Dean lay quietly for a few minutes, focused only on bringing air in and out of his lungs. Then he opened his eyes and they were glassy with pain.
Sam pulled out the bottle of Aspirin from the first aid kit and palmed four of them, handing them to Dean, but before he could hand him the bottle of water Dean had tossed them into his mouth and dry swallowed them. Then Dean closed his eyes again, waiting for the painkillers to take effect.
After a few minutes he opened his eyes again. "You need to look up this Casey guy, Sam. See if he really existed. If he did then we are gonna have to find the head. In the movie Miranda Richardson's character was controlling the damn thing because she was using witch craft and had his head. If this really is like the movie, then the curse will have to be combined with the head, which means someone is sending the horseman after these people, and it won't be long before they send him out again."
"Well then," Sam said quietly as he reached for his leather satchel with his laptop in it. "Well have to figure out a way to stop him before they do."