sorry for the little wait, it's been a busy week. thank you all again for the great reviews, and i hope you all enjoy the next chapter. :)
TWILIGHT
Chapter 14
Evelyn laid on the sofa, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't understand what was taking them so long, they had just gone outside. But that monster was out there, waiting for them, and she was afraid that it had gotten them. And so, she laid there and waited for it to come and take her, too. She wasn't old enough to be there by herself, wasn't strong enough to keep herself safe. No, she needed them there, needed them to keep her safe and warm and happy, to keep her from having to be alone.
She jumped up and screamed when she heard the back door slam, the winds outside still howling. She didn't know what was in there, didn't know if it was Dean or if it was the monster coming to take her, too. She curled up into a small ball when she heard the footsteps in the kitchen, footsteps that where coming closer to her with each passing moment.
She tried to make herself as small as she could, tried to hide in the blankets, but she couldn't stop shaking, couldn't stop crying. The monster was there, in the house, and it was coming to take her, and there was no one there to protect her. She tried to stay quiet, but the footsteps just kept growing as tears fell freely down her face. And, as she watched in horror, a shadow began to creep slowly along the wall as the figure in the kitchen drew ever closer.
"Evelyn?" The little girl cried out in relief when Dean rounded the corner, supporting Sam with his arm and shoulder. Evelyn launched herself at the brothers, nearly knocking them all to the floor. She had never been so happy to see them in all of her short life.
But, her euphoria slowly faded as Dean escorted her and Sam back to the sofa. "Where's Kerri?"
Dean froze at the little girl's question, his heart flooding with fear and grief. Gone, she was gone. That was the only thing running through his mind, the only thing he could understand. She was gone, taken from right beside him.
"I have to go back and get her."
"Why? Why didn't she come back with you?"
"I'll get her back, Evelyn. I promise."
"You said that before, and you left her out there!"
"I had to get Sammy back here. I couldn't look for Kerri and try and take care of him at the same time. Look, Ev, I'd never leave your sister out there if I didn't have to. You believe me, right?" Dean had to know if she believed him, had to know that if, by losing Kerri, he had lost her entire family.
"Yeah, I believe you."
"Good, now, how are you feeling?"
"Better, thirsty?" The little girl answered as Dean felt her forehead, relieved when he found the her fever was down.
"Alright. I'll get you something to drink but I need you to stay here with, Sammy."
"What happened to him?" Evelyn asked, surveying the pale, wet and half-conscious boy before her. She was pretty sure that his skin wasn't supposed to be that color, his lips bluer than she had ever seen. And he was cold, so bone chillingly cold.
"He got hurt."
"By the monster?"
"Yeah."
"I feel better, I can take care of him while you go get Kerri back."
Dean couldn't help but smile at the determination is saw her slightly feverish eyes. Maybe he still had a chance to fix this all. "Thank you, Evelyn."
He situated the seven year olds on the sofa, getting them a bit of food and some water and sports drinks before checking the salt lines. He didn't want to leave them here while the creature was still outside but he knew that he had no choice. If he didn't go out there, then Kerri would be lost forever, and that was something that he knew he could never live with.
"Ok guys." He began, checking his shotgun and pocketing a few extra rounds. "I want you two to watch out for each other, and don't go outside, no matter what. The salt lines are still good so it shouldn't be able to get in here."
"Just hurry up. Ok, Dean?" It was the first thing Sam had said since he found him and it broke the older Winchester's heart. He wanted to stay there with Sammy, to be there for him, to chase away the nightmares. But he had lived a life of sacrifice ever since his mother died, and Dean knew that now was no exception. He had to do what had to be done, there was no other way around it.
"Don't worry, Sammy, I'll be back with Kerri before you know it."
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Dean wanted to scream, plain and simple. There was nothing, no trail, nothing to follow. He had been over the woods again and again, each time coming up empty. The storms were still raging, wind still blowing, but thankfully, the music had stopped. It seemed that iron rounds to the throat were enough to shut her up. But that wouldn't mean anything if he couldn't find Kerri.
Hell, he would have battled a whole group of Wendigos if that was what it took to bring her home safe. Because, that was what he was going to do. There was no backing down, no leaving empty handed. He had to bring her back, had to save her, there was no question. She was his responsibility, his best friend, and he wasn't going to let some out of tune monster take her away.
But he had been looking for so long, hours, and the forest only seemed to be growing larger the longer he looked. He knew there was a lot of ground to cover, the forest was extensive, but he thought there would at least be a clue as to where to go. To make matters worse, the Harrisons lived in the mountains, which meant that the forest was also full of caves in which the watcher could hide.
Dean stopped and sighed, looking down at his watch as he took a few sips of water. Seven hours, he had been looking for her for seven hours. And suddenly, at that moment the eleven year old was torn. He wanted to turn back, to check on Sam and Evelyn, but he also wanted to keep his promise, to bring Kerri home to her little sister.
He couldn't believe he had screwed up so badly, couldn't believe that he had allowed all this to happen. He was supposed to be a hunter, supposed to be able to keep those he loved safe. But he hadn't been able to do that, and he had once again let his father down. He had already lost John's trust, and now he was about to lose that of the Harrisons as well.
And the worse part of all was the faith that the others had in him. And more specifically, the faith Kerri had in him. He could tell that she thought he could take on anything, thought he could do no wrong. She never said so outright, but the trust that she placed in him was enough. And it was something he understood far to well, because it was the same trust Sammy placed in him.
He was Dean, the hunter, the child that could do no wrong. And, that was getting to be a very hard label to live up to. After all, he was human just like the rest of them, but for some reason, they all thought of him as much more. Even his father leaned on him more than was normal, searched for support and acceptance in the eyes of his young child.
He had taken on the responsibility for his family at the age of four, and he had never looked back. John hadn't been strong enough after his mom had died, hadn't been capable of taking care of Sam. No, for weeks he just laid there in the bed, staring at the ceiling, eyes haunted and empty.
It was he, Dean, that fed Sam, that changed him, that rocked him to sleep. All without saying a word. And when his father had started hunting, it was he, Dean, that had comforted him when he came home at night, he who helped clean the blood away, he who made sure that Sammy slept through it all.
And, even though he did all that without a word, without a complaint, it still dug deep into his heart. They needed him to love them, to care for them, but they couldn't see just how much he needed them. They never really understood just what he gave up for them, just what he needed in return. They didn't, but Kerri did.
She understood him, could related to him, and saw him in a way Sammy and John couldn't. After all, she was in the same position as him. She took him at face value, took him for all his faults and all his graces, took him as the friend she had known since childhood. Yes, she placed a great amount of faith in him, but she never asked him to chase away the nightmares, never asked him to comfort her when he himself was terrified. She never asked for anything, and he returned that favor by losing her to a monster. A monster that was living right in her own back yard.
He looked back in the direction of the large house, knowing that he would have to turn back soon, knowing that his brother and Evelyn were there, waiting for him. He needed supplies, and he needed to check on the kids, but, oh god, he needed to bring Kerri back there with him. He didn't know if he could show his face, didn't know what he was going to say to the black haired little girl. After all, what do you say to someone that you have utterly failed?
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Sam blinked his eyes open slowly, having fallen asleep shortly after Dean left to find Kerri. He couldn't remember much, other than the fact that Dean had been swimming in the lake moments before he showed up, dry, on the shore beside him. He knew his brother was awesome, but that was impossible. Something had to have happened between jumping in the lake and waking up to see Dean, but what, he just didn't know.
And Kerri. What had Kerri been doing out there? Dean kept saying that she was missing, and try as he might to tell him that she wasn't, Dean just wouldn't listen. Kerri was supposed to be in the house, supposed to be with Evelyn because she was sick, not following him around a dark forest looking for his brother.
But Dean had been insistent and Sam had been too tired to argue, though now, he could see that his brother was right. Kerri was nowhere to be seen, and he didn't know what to tell Ev when she kept asking for her big sister. She had asked him what happened and Sam had to tell her that he didn't know. She had asked where Kerri was and Sam had said that she should have been at the house. She had asked when the two older kids were going to be back, and Sam had told her to go to sleep.
She was still running a fever, her eyes still glazed and distant, and it hurt him to breath and talk. No, all he wanted to do was lay down and close his eyes, and to open them and find that it had all been a dream. He wanted Dean to shake him awake, to watch them roast marshmallows as they listened to the story of "The Pied Piper." He wanted Dean to smile and tell him that everyone was fine, that there was nothing to be afraid of.
But he knew that that wasn't the case. There was a lot to be afraid of and Dean wasn't here to save him from any of it.
Sam jumped when he heard the back door open, Dean appearing a few minutes later, soaked, cold, and lost. Sam had never seen his brother's eyes look so distant, had never seen his face so pale, his shoulders hung so low. His big brother, his hero, was standing there before him broken and afraid, and, Sam noticed, alone.