Hey! So yet another chapter. I'm going to start the next one tomorrow, think I've got some ideas on where to go next with this. Probably won't update till next week though seeing as I'm off to a music festival for the weekend, brilliant! Feel free to hate this or like this, I don't mind.
Oh, and no ownage of the supernaturalness
Chapter 6
That good night's sleep I needed, it never happened. If it was possible I felt worse than I did the night before. Coffee, coffee was what I needed and lots of it. Reluctantly I dragged myself from the safety of the blankets on the bed and into the bathroom to splash my face with cold water in a vain attempt to wake myself up. With coffee checked off of the list ten minutes later, I was ready for a shower. Yes I know I was about to spend a good chunk of my day in a sewer so having a shower was pointless but I just didn't feel human. I needed to clear my head.
The warm water was a welcome relief, slowly I felt myself waking up ready to face the day. I needed to be able to face Sam with a clear head and stop the Shapeshifter, that's the priority, not my inner emotional dramas. For crying out loud, there were lives at stake. Last night can just be put down to an alcohol fuelled mistake. With any luck Sam would feel the same but I somehow doubted that. Shutting off the shower, I stepped out into the steamy bathroom and grabbed my fluffy towel, thankful that I had sense enough to own my own towel. The ones the various motels provided left a lot to be desired. Maybe someday I would stay somewhere nice, like a house.
Without my glasses the bathroom was a blurry mess but I managed to locate my toothbrush. The bathroom mirror was fogged up; in a moment of immaturity I drew a smiley face. It would show up every time the bathroom was used, leaving my own little mark on the place, unless it was cleaned which by the looks of thinks was highly unlikely. I wasn't quite daring enough to scratch my initials into the door frame. I just wanted somewhere to feel like the home. The closest thing I had was my beat up rusty red truck and bag with my belongings, as few that they are.
Clothes were next on my list, thank fully I didn't own anything nice, just jeans and shirts so it didn't matter if they got dirty or covered in some kind of sewer like substance. I opened the door and nearly screamed; two men were in my room. Within seconds I realised it was the Winchester. Realising I was still wrapped in my towel I felt self conscious. "Good morning Alice," Dean grinned. I held on tighter to my towel, glaring at Dean, I allowed myself a quick glance at Sam who thankfully was looking at the hideous painting over the bed.
"What the hell are you guys doing here?" I asked with hints of grouchiness and anger. I managed to keep the embarrassment under wraps.
"You wouldn't answer your phone," Dean replied, spinning his car keys around his finger.
"I was in the shower," Dean threw my phone at me; my hands were to busy clinging to my towel to catch it so it clattered to the floor.
"I can see that," Dean said clearly enjoying himself unlike Sam who was looking the other way.
"Are you going to pick that up?" asked Dean, honestly, I wanted to hit him
"Yes if you turn around, both of you," I narrowed my eyes at the pair.
"Make it quick, women take forever to get ready," Sam was the first to turn around followed by and unimpressed Dean.
"I'll be as quick as I damn well like thank you very much," with that I picked up my clothes from the bed and all but slammed the bathroom door. Really, the nerve of them two, although I have a feeling it was more Dean's idea than Sam's. I didn't exactly rush at getting ready; just to piss Dean off a bit. Finally finished I stalked out of the bathroom, picked up my phone from the floor and slipped my shoes on. "So what was so important it couldn't wait?" I asked with my attention on my phone. There were seven missed calls in the space of fifteen or so minutes, four from Sam and three from Dean. So they had tried calling.
Sam handed me a folded up newspaper, "front page." I opened it up and scanned through the article. Another person reported missing.
"The Shapeshifter," I stated rather than questioned.
"One and only," Sam replied. Excellent.
"So what now? We just continue as we were but instead we've got twenty four hours to put an end to the Shapeshifter before some one else goes to meet their maker," I quizzed.
"Yep," Sam replied, sighing. We all knew it was going to be no easy task but nonetheless we were going to embark on it anyway. What's the worse that could happen?
We finalised the small details over coffee and in my case breakfast but I wasn't really paying much attention, I should have been for safety reasons and all that jazz but my mind kept wandering to Sam who was sat opposite. I kept trying to make eye contact with him, to make sure everything was okay, no awkwardness. I'll have to get back to you on that though, so far it wasn't working. Maybe if I plucked up enough courage I'd corner him later to clear the air.
I looked up and caught Sam looking at me, I blushed slightly and looked down, "So then," I said looking up again, by which time Sam had looked away. "The fire chief who's missing, are we to assume that he's already dead?" I had to ask despite already thinking otherwise.
"Yeah, he's been swimming with the fishes for a while now," Dean answered. Not what I wanted to hear but if everything went to our very hap-hazard plan then hopefully no one else would kick the bucket.
I followed Sam and Dean's Impala in my beat up red truck, maybe I should consider getting a slightly less practical car and one that's snazzier. Maybe something that is capable of some form of speed and doesn't rattle so much. I shoved that thought aside as the river where the storm drain we were using to enter the sewers appeared to be getting ever closer. Brilliant, just what I needed.
The storm drain we were planning to enter through didn't look very enticing, if I'm honest but what sewer would. I wrinkled my nose in disgust; I was still sat in my truck and already I was loathing it. Shame that there wasn't another way, stupid life being difficult. I leaned down to wind up my window and glanced to the side where a dark shadow appeared. Dean was leaning down at the window, "ready?" he grinned.
"Go away," I know not the wittiest comeback but I was too busy thinking hatred at the sewer in my head to care. His stupid grin only made me wind up the window quicker. He opened the door and I stepped out, I looked across at the Impala. Sam was rummaging around in the boot. We had barely spoken ten words to each other all day, I needed to clear the air, although probably not the best time or place to do so.
"Cheerful aren't we," Dean sauntered over to Sam. I muttered a curse under my breath and went to the back of my truck to pull on my Wellington boots at least my feet would stay dry.
"Ready?" I asked the boys as I joined them. They both looked at me and looked at my feet. Dean laughed and Sam just sighed, "Laugh all you want, who'll be laughing when you have wet feet with bits of sewer gunk in their shoes?"
"I'll take point," Dean declared ignoring my last statement. He instead chose to look at Sam with an expectant look.
"Fine," Sam agreed.
Sam gave me hand to climb down into the storm drain, immediately the smell made me want to throw up. I covered my mouth with my hand, but that was pointless. Silence was our companion for the first five minutes, unless you count the constant trickle of water and occasional squeak of a rat. "Sam?" I all but mumbled, desperate for Dean not to hear, all I wanted was to clear the end. Sam didn't say anything but he made a sound encouraging me to continue, I couldn't blame him for not saying anything at least not with the smell. "Smells doesn't it," way to state the obvious but it made Sam chuckle. It helped to clear the air. I didn't wait for him to say anything; instead I continued "I'm really sorry about last night."
"You don't have to apologise, it's okay," Sam confirmed, I wasn't entirely satisfied that it was okay. His voice said one thing but his face said another. I perhaps should have questioned if it really was okay but I didn't. Instead I took the chickens way out and opted to carry on carefully picking my way through the sewer in all its grossness, although you probably already have that figured out.
I almost slammed into Sam's back as we came to a stand still, I should have been paying more attention but instead I was still moping about in my own mind, despite declaring that I wasn't going to do that. How pathetic.
"Left or right?" Dean said as we met a fork in the sewer. I had to get the street map out and try to guess where we were. I wanted to say right but I think left was a more accurate choice.
"Left," Sam said, casting a quick glace at the map.
"Well I say we go right," Dean turned to that tunnel.
"Dean you were going to say that just to be difficult," Dean just grinned in response.
Not wanting to get involved in the argument I walked past the pair and headed for the left tunnel, "that answer your question?"
The boys followed me, I know Dean said he would take point but if they were going to dilly dally like girls over a decision then I was taking the lead. I distinctly heard Dean mumble "still think we should have gone right." To be honest he was probably right, none of us knew where we were going.
We spent nearly an hour scrambling about below the surface and we stank, oh and to add to that we had so far found jack shit. The only excitement we'd has so far was Dean wanting to shoot a rat that fell in front of him, Sam's foot slipping into a particularly nasty puddle of suspicious looking brown liquid and well so far I had stayed moderately clean, I just kept jumping every time I saw a rat, which was pretty often. Sam and Dean found it amusing at first but that soon changed, now we just wanted out but the problem was once we left we wouldn't want to come back.
"This is frickin' useless!" Dean exclaimed.
"Quit complaining," I said, equally as fed up.
Ten minutes later and we were still bickering amongst ourselves, mix in with that some choice words and well we ended up being very unproductive.
"We need to be quiet, the noise we're making will give us away to the Shapeshifter," Sam had a point there, with that we continued mostly in silence, except for the occasional curse words. I wasn't one for swearing but I think exceptions could be made.
A while back we'd met a particularly narrow part of the sewer, thankfully I didn't slip into the vile water, this time I was once again faced with this obstacle. Balance had never been my strong point. My brother played ice hockey so his balance was perfect but mine well that was another story, balance is one of those essential things in life and boy did I wish that I could stay on two feet most of the time. Unfortunately this time balance wasn't my friend. I felt my foot slip from the ledge, I could have grabbed onto Dean, who was a few steps ahead of me, but I didn't want his wrath if I pulled him into the water with me. It wasn't deep water, it was just disgusting. Instead, well I didn't have time to do much else; I was going head first into the water. "Gaaah," I didn't have the sense to close my mouth, smart move right? I did have to time to shut my eyes and wait for my very ungraceful landing complete with splash. But that never arrived, infact, I was still dry. I opened one eye and then the other; I was kind of hanging over the water. Well that was unexpected. "Oh," was all I could say, my foot was wet but right now I didn't care. I was still dry. I could see Dean out of the corner of my eye wide eyed. Sam must have grabbed me, oh how I was grateful to him.
Sam sort of pulled me upright, I let the embarrassment flood me as I brushed myself down, trying to seem to cool, like that didn't just happen, no use denying it though, there were witnesses. "You okay?" Sam asked, with small grin on his face.
"Peachy," I muttered, then realised I probably owed Sam for that, "thank you, really."
"No problem, I couldn't let you land in the drink," he answered. I looked down at the water and couldn't help but agree.
"Sssh," Dean hissed as he turned away from us and walked ahead, leaving us staring at each other in silence.
I turned to follow Dean but feel slightly back, to speak to Sam, "how on earth did you manage that? Seriously you mu-" I wanted to scream as a hand clamped over my mouth. I hoped to god it was Sam's if not we were well and truly up a creek without a paddle.
"The Shapeshifter," Sam whispered in my ear and let go of me.
"Oh," I replied with a ghost of a whisper. I felt incredibly stupid. No wonder Dean was telling us to shush; I just didn't get the hint. Well I think I win the award for most blunders in the shortest amount of time.
I bit my lip in anticipation and tentatively followed Dean, trying my hardest to stay upright and quiet. Up ahead were two forks again, I guess we were going to have the same argument as before. Dean didn't even stop he just gestured to the right one and I could tell why. It was the Shapeshifter; we could hear its voice. Or rather a voice and it was more than likely it belonged to him. I couldn't work out what it was saying, it sounded like gibberish to me, like it was muttering to itself. Maybe it was crazy, no maybes about it. If it could murder people it was crazy, end of discussion.
We drew closer, each of us taking hold of our silver knives, although mine looked more like a letter opener. It better be able to pierce skin. "God Dammit!" Dean shouted making me jump. Whatever happened to being quiet? "Freakin' cassette."
I frowned and went over to an upturned cardboard box, he was right. A battery powered cassette tape was sat on top of it. That explained the voices. Curious, I picked it up and ejected the tape. It was a self help tape; this Shapeshifter was seriously messed up.
"Dean," Sam said, I looked up from the cassette player in all its retro glory. Sam was crouched down on the floor looking at one of the single most revolting things I've ever seen and I've seen a few of them. "It's a skin shed of someone, it's been here a while though," he explained.
"Just great, I am going to kill it," Dean kicked the cardboard box.
"We found the lair though," I said, it was a start at least. However, now we had another problem. "It knew we were coming."
"Alice is right," Sam backed me up, "it would have to been hear recently, that battery powered cassette won't last forever."
I racked my jumbled up brain for some kind of answer to our problem. It must know that we were after it, but how. It was annoying to say the least, someone or something had been spying on us. "We should get out of hear," I said with some haste, suddenly not feeling safe, "this thin has been following us." I gave a shudder. I really didn't like the idea of someone knowing what I was doing. Five more minutes of looking around the grubby little chamber in the sewer and we were heading back, twice as vigilant as before. I was filled with a sense of uneasiness that wouldn't; disappear.
Daylight was a something I was more than grateful to see, we had taken torches with us but honestly, daylight got to love it and the fresh air. God was that the greatest thing since sliced bread. Unfortunately I still smelt like rat ass from the sewer. A really good shower would fix that. "Errrgh! What a waste!" Dean was more than fed up.
"I need a shower," I stated, getting the keys from my pocket.
"Hold on," Sam said, "that Shapeshifter knows we're after it so be careful and don't trust anyone." I let a small smile grace my face, genuinely thankful for Sam's concern.
"You too," I replied, "I'll call you later, I just really need to get cleaned up. I think we all do." I looked to Dean who was wiping the bottom of his shoe on the river bank; lord knows what he'd trod in.
I left the boys pretty quick and headed for the motel and the useless shower that I was going to be thankful for at least for the time being. We we're staying in the same hotel so I would call later to meet up and try to think of where to go next. If this Shapeshifter knew we were after it was it treating this like a game? Or was it just trying to get rid of us so it could carry on?