Chapter 3
"Ma'am can you describe what the monster looked like?" Dean asked the mother.
"I didn't get a good look at it, but the way it was hovering over Peter, like it was trying to kiss him or something. When I screamed that's when it turned and headed straight at me. It was tall like inhumanly tall and it had green cat-like eyes. Y'know, like it had the same design of a cat's eyes except without the irises."
Dean nodded, writing everything down that she was saying, "Did this monster say anything?"
The woman frowned, "Say anything? It was a monster, how could it speak?"
Dean resisted the urge to roll his eyes, "Okay, go ahead. What happened next?"
"Well," she blushed, "I…don't know. I kinda fainted."
Was she serious? "So you didn't exactly get attacked?"
"No, sir. When I woke up the monster was gone and so was Peter."
Dean froze, "Excuse me?"
"Peter was gone. I think the monster took him with it. My husband said that he didn't see Peter leave. I think I might have been out longer than him because when I asked him what happened, he told me that the monster came at him and he fainted. He also said that when he woke up, both the monster and Peter were gone."
Dean cleared his throat when he spotted Caleb and stood, "Thank you ma'am. If you remember anything else please don't hesitate to give me a call," he gave his trademark FBI smile handing her a card with his number on it.
Once Caleb and Dean had pulled away from the house, Dean shook his head, "I don't think this thing whatever it is actually attacked the parents."
Caleb nodded, "I agree. According to the husband, this monster came at him and he was so scared that he fainted."
"That's the same thing the wife said. She also said that when she woke up both this monster and her son were gone. So I'm thinking it might actually be after the children and not the families as we originally thought."
Caleb nodded.
They got back to the motel at the same time as John and when they went inside Dean spotted Sam asleep on the bed. He moved to his brother's side to make sure he was alright and to wake him up.
"Let him sleep," John spoke. "What did you and Caleb find?"
Dean frowned but shook his head and he and Caleb explained what they found out. John nodded as he explained that he learned the same things.
"We still don't know what it is that we're looking for," Caleb sighed. "All we know is that whatever this thing is it prefers children."
John didn't answer; instead, he left the room. Dean and Caleb frowned, "Why do I have a feeling your father knows something that he's not sharing?"
Dean shrugged, "I don't know," he said, moving to wake his brother up.
It took several minutes for Dean to get Sam to wake up but when he did he immediately panicked before spotting Dean.
When did you guys get back?
"Just now. You okay?"
Sam nodded. He opened his mouth to say something but he spotted Caleb and immediately shut his mouth.
"What is it Sammy?"
I was trying to figure out what it is we're after and I found something interesting. None of the victims could give a description of the monster.
Dean nodded, Yeah. Caleb and I figured that out after talking to this couple. Also it seems that it's not after the families as a whole. It's after the children.
When John returned he stood with Caleb watching his sons, as they seemed to be having a conversation with their hands. Caleb glanced at John but didn't say anything.
Dean, this sounds like a shtriga.
Dean frowned, A shtriga? They just suck out the life out of...children. Sam, have any of them been known to kidnap kids?
Sam shrugged. He climbed out of the bed and, bypassing both John and Caleb, went straight to the computer. John and Caleb frowned and looked at Dean for explanation.
"Sammy thinks the creature we're hunting is a shtriga."
"A Shtriga? First of all how does he know what a shtriga is?" John asked.
Dean sighed and refused to comment. He looked up when Sam tapped on the desk. Caleb, John and Dean walked over and peered over his shoulder. Sam pointed to the word document where he had written the explanation. Dean read it out loud.
"So a Shtriga is a type of Albanian witch, but I had been looking at different legends and they date all the way back to ancient Rome. According to lore, they feed on Spiritus Vitae, which is Latin for Breath of Life. They can feed off anyone but they prefer children. And also according to the lore, they are vulnerable to all weapons created by God and Man."
Caleb's eyes widened, "Where'd did you find all this?"
Dean signed Caleb's question to Sam. Sam grinned and minimized the word document to show all the tabs that he had read through. Caleb blinked.
"Damn, the kid is good."
Dean nodded, "He loves his research," he chuckled, ruffling his brother's hair.
"The kids are missing. Shtriga's don't take the children. They suck out their life."
Caleb frowned, "John think about it, maybe it takes the kids because she knows that she can't feed from them when she wants."
John was about to speak but got distracted by Sam tugging on Dean's sleeve.
"Hey, what's wrong Sammy?"
Sam pointed to a tab he had open. Dean frowned as he read, "Guys, we have a problem."
"What now?" John grumped.
"According to this, shtriga's take on a human form during the day. At night is when she turns into her natural form which is when she feeds."
Caleb sighed, "Great. How are we gonna ever find the thing?"
"We'll have to draw it out," John spoke up after a while.
"How? The thing likes children," Caleb mused.
Dean had been eyeing his father. Suddenly, he shook his head, "No."
John frowned, "Dean…"
"No Dad! You're not about to use Sammy as bait."
Caleb looked at John with wide eyes, "John?"
"He's always wanted to help, right? Now's his chance."
"Yeah, but as bait? You're insane! There's no way I will allow you to use him as bait for a monster."
"We'll be right there."
Dean blinked, "You have been planning this from the beginning, haven't you? The minute you spoke to Caleb on the phone. You knew what it was we were dealing with and you had been planning this. What if something happens, huh?"
"Nothing is going to happen is it John? We'll be right on him."
John nodded, "Of course."
Somehow, Dean didn't believe him. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. There was no way he wanted Sam to be used as bait. He looked up as his father's cell rang and he stepped outside to answer it.
Caleb, Sam, and Dean looked at each other before John. A few minutes later, John returned.
"So are we doing this?"
TBC...
A/N: There are 24 chapters of this story. So while the story says complete know that it isn't complete. I marked it as complete so you know its not a work in progress. I'm finished writing. just uploading. With that being said. I hope you are ready because its going to get rough.
