WBY NGE part 3

Once again, River felt guilty. Jamie was going to help him. Was helping him and they both knew how this was going to turn out.

It was going to turn out with both of the youngest Winchesters sporting bright red asses and standing for dinner for about a week. Maybe more. Maybe less. You could never tell how enthusiastic their parents may be when it came to butt whoopins'.

But Jamie was undeterred and River was just as stubborn so they were throwing caution to the wind and were going to go on a hunt.

That being said, both River and Jamie were pretty damn psyched about the hunt. It was fun working on it together. It was exciting doing it all on their own. They were smart enough to do it right. To follow the protocols that their fathers and grandfather had written in stone. Well, except for notifying them of the hunt in the first place, but that was a given.

That was until Jamie came up with an actual hunt.

"You've got to be kidding?" River asked.

"Nope," Jamie grinned.

River moaned, "When I said I wanted your help researching a hunt, this was not what I meant!"

"Sure you did. It's perfect. It's an urban legend and supposedly true."

"Jesus, Jamie. It's a half day's drive away…how in the hell are we gonna pull that off? Plus and this is a big plus…you know how I feel about horses."

Jamie laughed then, full and loud, "Yeah but you are getting much better. You ride sometimes and you can muck stalls like a champ."

"No. No. I'm not doing this." River said resolutely. River had gotten a little better with horses – the horses on the Winchester's farm but he was still wary of something bigger than him with sharp hooves and big teeth.

Which probably made a case for him to never be a hunter but whatever.

River watched as Jamie shrugged his shoulders, "You wanted my help."

"But this is ridiculous…a donkey lady in San Antonio?" River hated how whiny he sounded.

Jamie crossed his arms, "Not a donkey lady, The Donkey Lady Bridge. Totally different thing."

River threw himself resignedly on his bed. It protested his weight with a groan.

"Donkeys?"

"Nope, just one donkey."

River wanted to bang his head on the wall. There was no need to wait for his father to kill him. He was going to kill himself. Or maybe Jamie might kill him. No matter, death was eminent. Still he had asked for help. River sighed drew his hand over his forehead, sweeping back the long blond hair that hung perpetually in his eyes."Okay, what's the lore?"

"So apparently back in the 40s or 50s there was this old lady who loved her donkey - kind of like the equivalent of today's standard old cat lady except you know - a donkey."

"Just one donkey? 'Cause you know cat ladies have tons of cats." River interrupted.

"Will you just shut up? It was one fucking donkey!"

"Well, you don't have to be so testy."

Jamie sighed, the kind of sigh that only Jamie seemed to be able to do. "Do you want my help or not?"

River closed his eyes and tried to think of pleasant thoughts," Yes, yes I want your help. I'm sorry for interrupting. Please continue with the donkey story."

"So anyhow, this lady would lead her donkey to the bridge every day and let it eat grass near by. I guess the proximity of the river made the grass there rich and green. M' just taking a guess on that though. Seems likely doesn't it?"

"Seems insane. It also seems like a variation of a troll or something to me, " River murmured.

"Last chance dickhead, either you shut up or I'm leaving."

River acquiesced, "Sorry- but you did ask if it seemed likely."

Jamie obviously replayed his last sentences, "Okay, so I did. Sue me. Just…just shut up will ya? I've got a donkey story to tell and if you don't let me tell it, we'll never get out of here."

River nodded.

Jamie settled in his chair, arms behind his head and spun the chair in small half arcs. "So the story is one day, a little kid accused the donkey of biting him."

River jumped up off the bed. "See, donkeys are vicious animals! Far worse than horses. This is exactly why we should not go on a hunt with donkeys. They are dangerous and creepy and they look so damn cute with their fuzzy faces but guess what Jamie? They aren't. They are evil! Why don't we just gank a regular ghost!"

Jamie ignored River's tirade, "Anywaaayy, the kid's father and a bunch of irate farmers came after the old lady and her donkey. They decided to kill the poor thing, considering it a dangerous animal."

Jamie stopped his own story for a moment, "Dude, what would they do with a pit bull? I mean if a donkey was considered a biting machine?" Since Jamie was almost talking to himself he apparently but he decided the train of thought was not getting him anywhere fast– "Anyhow they followed the old lady to the bridge and then they pitched the poor donkey off of the bridge and it splashed into the water below. They could hear the donkey screaming and splashing in the water as it went downstream. The old lady went bat shit. Started throwing rocks at the farmers and cussing in some old world language. Then she dove off the bridge to rescue her donkey."

River looked hard at Jamie. "Swan dive off of the bridge?"

"Yeah- that's what they say, but they never found her or the donkey. Lore has it, if you stop on the bridge at midnight sometimes you can hear the tippity tap of a donkey's hooves on the bridge and occasionally the cackle of an old woman. Some folks even say they've been pelted with rocks from out of nowhere. Once in a while you hear the bray of a donkey."

Jamie spun in his chair in a complete circle this time, "So what do you think?"

River blinked twice, "We are going to gank an old woman and a donkey?"

"Well, I don't know. I mean, there's no bones to burn but some folks seem to think she was a witch and the donkey was her familiar. If that's the case, we can kill her. Maybe with spell work or something. Or a silver knife. "

"I have to stab a donkey and an old lady?"

Jamie glared. "It's a she-witch and a familiar. Besides, stab the witch and the donkey goes with."

River stood up and started pacing, "Is this is a shout out to my amazing knife work? Is that what it is…'River, you're better with a knife than even Dad.' Blah, blah, blah – now, now you just happen to find a hunt that requires knife work. Not just a salt and burn. Noooo. Let's make River kill a demonic donkey. That's just wonderful, Jamie. Thanks so much for finding this hunt."

Jamie scowled. "Well, the Terrible Trio have wiped out any ghosts around here. That means we have to drive several hours away. Plus, there is nothing Dad hates more than witches. I mean, he hates them more than demons and you know how he feels about demons. So I figured a witch hunt would be best. That way, yeah, we are gonna get our asses pounded, but if we succeed? Well, he will be happy as shit. Plus? You're right. There's troll lore and bridge lore and water lore all rolled up into one, which means it's gonna be interesting."

"Donkey lore? Is there such a thing as donkey lore?"

Jamie grinned, "There is now!"

"You are gonna be the death of me, Jamie." River felt his stomach clench at the thought of facing down a crazed donkey. A ghost was fine, hell even something as nasty as a Wendigo but a demented donkey?

Well fuck. Damn equines.

XXX

The logistics for getting away included JR but that meant that they had to include JR – which River was quite sure was a bad idea. Still, they needed an alibi and JR was always willing to go in with the boys. JR had been wanting in on a hunt for years- but all the adults in the picture wanted JR further from hunting than they wanted River. Still, JR was hardly a lamb to be lead to the slaughter. He was a Texas boy and could out shoot most folks, he was brave, he was tough and he was Jamie's best friend. River had grown to like him too and the boys had spent more than their share of time in the past three years discussing hunting and going out on their own. That and girls, and the new principal at their high school and the chances that their football team would make nationals.

JR was in fact an all American boy.

Jamie was a little worried though, River could tell. River and Jamie hunting was one thing, bringing JR in meant a whole 'nother level of shit that was going to hit the fan. But if River and Jamie were busy with the killer donkey and the witch, who would have their backs? River closed his eyes…he never expected to think the phrase "killer donkey" better yet have a hunt that involved one. Neither boy trusted anyone other than JR so JR it was. Plus JR had a Jeep, rusty and with a hinky clutch but capable of four wheeling if needed and both Jamie and River wanted to be prepared for that if that was necessary.

Jamie and River's truck would just get stuck in anything even a little mucky.

Besides they were each other's alibi. All three had managed to convince their parents that they were just going camping for the weekend, something they'd done before on either the Winchester or the Banner property. This time though, they'd told their folks they were going to hike out in the State Park. Again, having the Jeep helped solidify that story.

Neither Jeff Banner nor the Trio had any reason to doubt the boys, and Jamie, River and JR even brought tents and fishing gear.

River tried to convince himself this wasn't a complete lie, they were spending the night outside and on the water. Maybe they would go fishing? He let his eyes drift to the fishing rods propped up against his left side.

Then as if reading his thoughts Jamie leaned back over the back seat into River's ear.

"Fishing for donkeys, Riv?"

"Shut up."

"How come before you came to live with us you were articulate and verbose, now you are a step away from Neanderthal. Just three years with the Winchesters and we managed to dumb you down to phrases like 'shut up.'" But Jamie was laughing and JR laughed too.

River wanted to laugh, because these were his best friends and he was going on a hunt that he had orchestrated. It should feel awesome, out from under the thumb of his parents, driving a jeep loaded with camping supplies, carefully covering the hunting supplies underneath. It should be perfect. He should be perfect. He was sixteen, invincible and a Winchester.

What could possibly go wrong?

TBC.