Fifteen
Reggie wandered through the dark, her hand wrapped tightly around the handle of her knife, ignoring the nagging ache in her side as she breathed. She couldn't tell if her ribs were cracked or broken and couldn't remember when she had taken the blow to warrant them either.
Too much of the last several hours was a complete haze to her. Reggie stopped, waiting to hear Dean's steady breathing and light footsteps behind her. Instead, she heard only silence. She turned around, squinting into the blackness, trying to see.
"Dean?" Reggie hissed, her voice barely above a whisper. There was no response. "Shit!" she cursed, her stomach clenching as she realized they had lost each other in the blinding darkness.
Reggie grasped the knife tighter and started back the way she had come, hoping to find Dean along the way. It felt like she had been walking for hours, her legs burning from exhaustion, her feet cold and numb against the icy stone floor. She stopped when she heard movement ahead of her, holding her breath despite the pain and dizziness it caused.
After a few seconds of silence, Reggie began moving again. She came to a split, two dark hallways stretching to the right and the left. She could hear noises coming from the right hallway so she decided on the left, hoping she was making the right choice.
Reggie came upon a large door and pushed through it, instantly regretting her decision. The room she entered was unmistakably the room in which the ghouls had hung her and Dean, dangling them from the ceiling as they tortured and tormented them.
In the corner, pacing, was Adrianne. She looked up, hearing Reggie's entrance, and a smile stretched across her face, twisting the once pretty features into a grotesque mask of hunger and insanity.
"Reggie," Adrianne hissed.
She took a step forward and Reggie raised the hand holding the knife. Adrianne's red eyes flickered to it and then back to Reggie's face.
"That isn't going to hurt me, Reggie. You know that, don't you?"
"Normally, no, it wouldn't hurt you. But I came prepared, Adrianne. I did my homework on you ghouls. I know enough about you to know that a normal blade won't kill you, that it wouldn't even hurt. One dipped in Kyphi oil, though, will sting like a bitch and stop the wound from healing!"
Adrianne snarled at Reggie, eyeing the blade with apprehension now. Her eyes flickered between the knife in Reggie's hand and Reggie's still bleeding wounds.
"You can't beat me, Reggie. I'm too strong, too fast. If you give up now, I promise to make it quick for you. Don't fight me and I'll make sure you're death is as painless as it can be."
"And why would you do that?"
"I thought we were friends," Adrianne drawled slowly, licking her lips as she continued to eye Reggie's wounds. "Think of it as a favor. You know, for old time's sake."
Adrianne took another step towards Reggie and Reggie gripped the knife tighter as she stepped back. Adrianne's eyes flickered to something behind her and, moving so fast that she didn't even see her do it, Adrianne slammed Reggie into the wall.
Reggie screamed as she landed on her left side, her injured ribs blazing painfully. Her vision swam and she gasped for air. Adrianne yanked Reggie up and tossed her across the room, planting herself between Reggie and the door. Reggie shook her head, trying to clear the stars from her eyes, as her head swam. She could hear Adrianne's slow approach and looked up at the woman.
"Oh Reggie, I'm afraid I won't be able to keep my promise after all," Adrianne hissed as she grabbed Reggie by the arms and lifted her up, slamming her into the wall. Her red eyes flickered over the dozen cuts still bleeding across Reggie's body.
Reggie's right hand still clutched the knife and she tried to raise it, but Adrianne grabbed her wrist. In one quick twist, she broke it, the knife dropping to the stone floor in a clatter as Reggie screamed again. She thought she heard the sound of approaching footsteps as Adrianne slammed her against the wall over and over again. It was becoming increasingly difficult for Reggie to focus, her breathing painful.
Eventually, Reggie could no longer fight it. She felt her body slide to the floor, the cold stone feeling wonderful against her tired, aching body. Reggie finally succumb to the encroaching blackness, her pulsing blood a roar in her ears, her heartbeat slowing as she slipped out of consciousness.
Sam and Bobby were just making their way through the thick grass that had grown almost as tall as the older hunter when they heard movement coming towards them. Sam grabbed Bobby's arm and dropped down, trying to hide amongst the tall grass. From the sound of their approach, Sam knew what was moving quickly through the night: more ghouls.
It was hard to determine the direction they were headed, though, and Bobby motioned to Sam, trying to get him to move again. If the ghouls happened upon them out there, they would be at a great disadvantage, possibly a deadly one. The element of surprise would be the ghouls, not the two hunters. Sam nodded at Bobby and signaled for him to head into the trees to their right. They began moving, trying to make as little noise as possible.
Within minutes, they were safely hidden behind the base of a large oak tree. "That was too close," Bobby whispered to Sam. Sam held up his hand, wanting to be sure the ghouls were gone before answering the man. There was nothing but silence, not even the sounds of wildlife one would expect in such a densely wooded area.
Sam took a deep breath and relaxed against the tree trunk. "I think they were headed for the main house."
"Which means we only have a few minutes before they find what's left of their friends inside and realize we're here."
Bobby could barely make out Sam's still form beside him in the dark, but knew that turning on a flashlight was out of the question. It would alert the ghouls to their position immediately. He heard Sam hiss and curse under his breath.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. Just a cut, I think," Sam replied. "My elbow crashed through one of the windows earlier and I just banged it again, that's all."
"It ain't still bleedin', is it?"
He heard Sam hesitate before answering. "A little, yeah."
Just as Bobby was about to respond, they heard a loud crash from the deserted main house and then the sound of quickly approaching footsteps in the field behind them.
"Dammit," Sam hissed as he glimpsed two ghouls running back towards the second building. He stood up, keeping himself hidden behind the tree to watch them, when one stopped and turned its head to the trees.
"Move," Bobby yelled as he jumped up and started running.
Sam had just enough time to see the ghouls turn towards them before he started running too, close on the older man's heels. Bobby tripped on a twisted root and Sam grabbed him by the back of his vest and lifted Bobby to his feet before pushing his way back out into the field. Sam could see the building a few feet ahead of them and could hear Bobby running behind him.
Suddenly, a figure loomed out in front of Sam and he skidded to a stop, pulling out his knife with his right hand. "Hello, Sam," the voice hissed. Bobby came to a stop beside him, his flashlight pointed at the ghoul standing before them.
Sam recognized the creature as the woman in the green top he and Dean had watched walk out of the bar the night before. She took a deliberate step forward, a smile stretching across her hideous face. Sam planted his feet firmly and waited for her to attack. Glancing over at Bobby from the corner of his eye, he saw Bobby do the same thing.
"You're too late, you know. Too late to save your brother or his friend."
Sam knew the ghoul was baiting him, trying to get him to make the first move, but it still took all his control not to launch himself at the creature. "I might believe you if you didn't look so worried to see us," he snapped back at her. The smile faltered and she growled at him, the sound feral and deep. Sam smirked at her.
"Smile all you want, Sam, but they'll be dead long before you reach them," she snarled.
The ghoul took another step towards him just as Sam heard the sound of snapping branches to his right. He had just enough time to yell a warning to Bobby as the second ghoul launched itself out of the trees, tackling Bobby onto the cold, hard ground. The creature in the green top took advantage of Sam's momentary distraction and slammed into him, planting her shoulder into his sternum. The air rushed from his lungs as he flew backward, the ghoul landing on top of him, pinning his arms to the ground with one hand.
Sam used the momentum of his fall to hitch his hips upward, surprising the ghoul and flipping her over his head. He rolled to the left and jumped to his feet as the ghoul scrambled up, snarling at him. Sam quickly scanned the ground for his knife, which had been knocked from his grasp.
He spotted it a few feet away and made a dive for it, the ghoul racing after him. Sam managed to bring the knife up just as the ghoul dove on top of him again, slicing into the flesh across her belly where the shirt had risen up. The ghoul screamed and wrapped her hands around Sam's throat, choking off his air.
For a second, Sam began to panic, his vision blurring from lack of oxygen, the sky above him going dark despite the shining full moon. There was a screech to his left as Bobby fought with the second ghoul. The sound of Bobby's fight brought Sam's focus back. He stopped struggling with the ghoul, stopped trying to pry her clawed hands from his neck, and instead reached out, finally finding the knife in the grass to his left.
Sam gripped the blade again, feeling the handle mold to his fingers and plunged it into the ghoul's chest. She screamed and let go, jerking backwards as Sam held onto the knife. It pulled free from her chest and gave Sam enough room to swing his arm up with enough force to cut off her head. It hit the ground with a soft thud and rolled away.
Sam coughed and rubbed his throat as he searched for Bobby. He spotted him a few feet away, just outside the trees, illuminated in the blue flames burning at his feet. The ghoul that had attacked him was still writhing on the ground as it was consumed in fire.
"You good?" Sam called, still massaging the skin on his neck.
Bobby looked up, meeting Sam's gaze, and shrugged. "Yeah. I lost my knife so I just doused the damn thing." Sam nodded and pulled out the flask with the oil in it. "Here, let me help ya," Bobby said as he made his way over to Sam. He kicked the head over to the body as Sam tossed oil over it. As they stood watching the second ghoul burn, Bobby turned to Sam. "You okay?"
Sam nodded. "I'm good." He rubbed his throat, still feeling the phantom grasp of the ghoul. Bobby took a step forward and shined his flashlight at him. He touched the skin, which had already begun to develop a nasty bruise, and shook his head.
"That was close, kid. Too close if ya ask me." Sam ignored the fatherly gesture and went to get the duffle bag he'd dropped when the ghoul had appeared in front of him.
"Come on. We gotta get inside that building," Sam said as he started across the field toward the large stone and cement building.
Bobby followed him silently, knowing there was very little time now to find Dean and Reggie. The ghouls knew the cavalry had come and wouldn't waste any more time torturing them. Despite what he wanted to believe, Bobby knew there was a chance that Reggie and Dean could already be dead.
As they neared a wide panel door, Bobby realized the building was much larger than it had appeared from the main house. Part of the building were stalls, most of them still containing hay from the many years they'd housed horses or cattle. The rest was all stone and cement, leading off into darkness.
As they entered the building, Sam motioned to Bobby using the military hand signals John Winchester had taught him, and Bobby shined his flashlight onto a headless corpse. Sam let out a relieved sigh as they saw the familiar bluish-gray skin of a ghoul. He pulled out his oil flask and dumped the rest of its contents onto the corpse as Bobby searched for the head. The blue flames lit up the entire area, giving it an eerie glow.
"Sammy?"
Bobby and Sam spun around, looking for the source. Dean stepped out of the shadows, shirtless and covered in bruises and cuts, some of which were still bleeding. Sam rushed to his brother, dropping the duffle bag on the floor as he grabbed Dean into a hug.
"Easy. I'm not in the same pristine condition you last saw me," Dean winced.
Sam took a step back and stared Dean in the face. "Remember that time with the Benders in Minnesota?"
"Yeah, of course I remember those crazy freaks."
"Do you remember what you told me, about disappearing on you?" Dean nodded at Sam and grinned. "Well, don't you ever disappear on me like that again either!" Sam snapped, a grin tugging at his lips too.
"Good to see you're alive, Dean," Bobby said over Sam's shoulder.
"Thanks Bobby. Kind of figured Sam would call you for back up," Dean said. "So, Sammy, you got another one of those knives for me?" Dean asked, eyeing the long blade in his brother's hand.
Sam noticed the broken-handled shovel Dean was gripping and nodded. He bent down and pulled a large bowie knife from the bag as well as a black t-shirt. Sam handed them both to his brother.
"Thanks," Dean said gratefully, tossing the shovel away and gently tugging on the t-shirt.
Sam glanced around. "Where's Reggie?" Sam saw his brother wince as he slid the cotton fabric over a large cut along his side.
"I lost her about ten minutes ago. One minute, I was right behind her and the next, she was gone."
Dean took the flashlight and canteen Bobby offered him, opening the canteen and putting it to his lips. He took a few deep gulps of the water inside, relishing the coolness as it rolled down his dry throat.
"I've been wandering around in the dark, trying to find her again when I saw the light from that fire and found you guys."
"Well, she couldn't have gotten far," Bobby said, looking off into the dark hallway behind them, the blue flames from the burning ghoul diminishing too quickly to give off much more light.
They started down the hallway, the lights from their flashlights bouncing in front of them, Dean in the lead. They could feel the ground declining as they walked, the air growing cooler. Dean shivered and stopped. They were at a crossroads, three different hallways jutting off into the darkness in front of them.
"I don't know which way," he whispered. He pointed to the first dark hallway on the left. "I think we came from that direction after Reggie found me, but I don't know which way she came from first."
"Splitting up is a bad idea," Bobby hissed, turning to face the two young men, both of whom had taken steps in opposite directions. Sam and Dean both opened their mouths to argue. "No, I don't wanna hear it," Bobby said, shaking his head. "We're just gonna have to take one hall at a time. We don't know how many ghouls could still be down here." He glared at both of them, waiting.
Finally, Sam and Dean nodded and Bobby started down the first hall Dean had pointed to. They moved silently, checking each room they came to, finding most of them empty. When they reached the halfway point, Dean stopped in the doorway of a small room with chains in the floor and walls.
"This is where Reggie found me," he stated. Sam brushed past him into the room, his flashlight pointed at something in the corner.
After a second, Dean realized it was his jacket and boots. He pulled them on, grateful to have found his favorite jacket, and even more so, once he started to warm up. Bobby had already moved on to the next room which was empty except for a few old bones.
Sam and Dean hurried to catch up with the man as he reached the end of the long hallway and found two new hallways to choose from. All three of them stood for a moment, listening to the sounds around them. They could hear a steady dripping sound echoing down the hallway to the left. Sam started forward down the hallway on the right, his flashlight casting very little light in front of him.
At the end of this hallway, they came to a large round room with torches stuck into the walls and strange bottles nestled into alcoves in the stone. Bobby walked forward and took a red, pear-shaped bottle from its shelf. He opened it and sniffed the contents, wincing as the smell burned his nose.
"I think this is their ritual room," he stated, looking around at all the other bottles.
Sam grabbed the first bottle within reach and dropped it onto the floor. The sound of the clay bottle crashing to the floor reverberated around them. He paused for another moment, before yanking at all the bottles around him, smashing them one after the other. Bobby followed quickly after him, grabbing the bottles from their shelves on his side of the room.
Dean stood watching them, a confused expression on his face. "What the hell are you two doing?" he hissed as Bobby tossed a large basin onto the floor.
"This is the room they make more ghouls in, Dean," Sam replied as he smashed the last bottle onto the floor.
"Oh," Dean nodded, still bewildered. "Okay..."
When most of the bottles had been smashed, Dean turned around, heading out of the room. Sam and Bobby followed him back down the first hallway, heading to the next one. The dripping sound they'd heard earlier intensified as they walked, their footsteps louder on the stone floor.
Suddenly, there was a loud crash followed by a scream. Dean took off running, pushing past Sam who had been leading them through the maze of rooms and halls. He burst through a door at the end of the hallway and into the very room the ghouls had been torturing him and Reggie in earlier. Adrianne stood in the center, leaning over Reggie's still form.