Eighteen

The cave was dark and damp. There was what Dean hoped were plant-like things hanging from the ceiling. Or they were giant Basket Woman boogers, but Dean hoped his first guess was the right one. Argo seemed restless the further they got into the cave and Dean could tell that Puck and Sindri were trying hard not to let off any negative or worried vibes, but they were. This was a newer threat to their lands and Dean was the only one who had the means of destroying said threat. Puck had heard of the caves in the mountains as a young fairy and he'd always wondered what mysteries they'd held. Now he wanted to throw up. They were so close to his sister, but the lingering information that Dean, the human, was the one who could kill the giant who was ravaging his lands hadn't put him at ease.

There were marks in the dust that proved to be peculiar. Puck dismounted his horse and inspected them by dragging his fingers through the dirt and after a few moments he stood up and turned to the group.

"They're footprints," Puck explained. "But they're not huge. They're human sized."

"Are you saying you may have found children's footprints?" Sindri asked.

"It's a mixture," Puck said. "The weird thing is one of the pairs of prints is the size on an adult's foot."

"Maybe it's another person like him," Sindri pointed to Dean. "Someone who got stuck here?"

"I highly doubt that," Dean interjected. "From what I've heard I'm the first human adult to come here."

"Well," Sindri looked to Puck. "Not exactly."

"What?" Dean asked.

Suddenly though as Sindri was about to explain the trio heard a giant roar echo through the rather tall and dark cave. Argo reared up and then Dean straightened him out. Puck leapt back onto Moonbeam and motioned for everyone to follow him. Sindri and Dean took off into the shadows behind Puck and just as they did a giant foot came down right where they had been standing. There the Basket Woman stood in all of her ugly glory. Dean's mouth went wide open as he stared up at her. She was clearly going blind in both of her eyes and she was wearing a torn up shirt and pants. She was barefoot and her hair was a tangled mess. She was round and plump and she shook the ground every time she moved. She radiated evil and Dean couldn't wait to dive a knife through her chest, but they just had to get near her first.

Dean tried to formulate a plan in his head, but he couldn't' think of anything and it not ending in disaster. All of his supposed master plans had Sindri and Puck taking some of the hit too and he wouldn't have that. It was different with him and Sam or even with Bobby too because even though Sindri and Puck were warriors they were not prepared for something like this. Dean knew that. There was no amount of training the two could use to kill her without getting hurt or killed themselves. So Dean made a different choice.

"I'm gonna get her attention while you two scram and get some backup." Dean explained. "No excuses."

"Dean that is basically suicide," Sindri hissed, trying to stay hidden. "Are you mad?"

"Maybe just the right amount," Dean said and started to come out of the shadows. Sindri grabbed his arm and Dean yanked it away before turning around. "Look I'm the one with the knife. I can kill her so I call the shots. I don't need both of you getting killed in the process. I've got the soul of the child so she'll take me. I can rescue those kids and Puck's sister and by the time I take this bitch down you two will have come back with backup."

Dean, against his better judgment, ran out from the shadows and yelled at the Basket Woman. Everything felt like it was in slow motion at first. Her eyes stared at Dean and the hunter could feel her reading his soul. Dean motioned for Sindri and Puck to run and they did. Sindri took off, but Puck hesitated. He'd never backed down from a fight before and the feeling of someone else calling the shots was foreign to him. Dean's eyes met his and Dean yelled at him to go. Puck nodded once and took off with Sindri by his side.

He immediately regretted everything he'd ever said to Dean.

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So? Dean was captured? Will he find what he's looking for?

More to come soon!