A/N: Ok so first of all I would like to thank you all for all of the reviews and favorites! Please! Keep them coming! They inspire me to keep on writing! So this chapter is basically a remake of the episode "Wendigo" Season 1 episode 2. There are some changes to it...one being that I renamed Black Water Ridge to Shenadoah Valley (that is an actual place) only because it was closer to Virginia. Anyway, I hope you like it and please don't forget to review!/
Sam walked through the deserted cemetery, a bouquet of flowers in his hand. The air was cool, but otherwise the new day was beautiful.
Sam sighed as he stopped at a gravestone.
The name on the stone read 'Jessica Lee Moore, Daughter, friend and lover.'
Sam looked at her picture which was set into the stone.
"I, uh.." Sam began, hoarsely. "You always said that roses were lame, so I, uh.." He paused to laugh. "I brought you, uh.."
He stops and looks at the picture once more.
Sam choked back on tears and looked away. "Jess..." He managed to weep out, kneeling down next to the gravestone. "Oh god, Jess.." He placed the flowers next to her picture.
"I should have protected you. I should have told you the truth."
Suddenly, a arm shot out of the ground and grabbed his wrist...
Sam jerked awake. Sweating. Panting.
Dean looked over to him, concerned. "You alright?"
Sam nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Dean returned to watching the road and singing along with Foreigner's 'Hot-blooded.'
"Another nightmare?" Dean asked, between lyrics.
Sam looked at him briefly.
"Hey, you wanna drive for a while?" Dean asked, noticing that Sam was not in the mood to talk.
Sam laughed. "Dean, your whole life, you never asked me that once."
"Just thought you might want to, nevermind."
"Look, Dean, you're worried about me," Sam said. "I get it, and thank you. But I'm prefectly Ok."
Dean raised his eyebrows, not taking his eyes off of the road.
Sam looked to the backseat at his little sister sleeping.
He turned to face the front again. "So, where are we going?"
"Shenadoah Valley, Verona, something's going on there. Campers going missing." Dean said.
Sam sighed.
"Dean, you know, maybe we shouldn't have left Stanford so soon."
"Sam, we dug around there for a week. Nothing there," Dean said. "If you want to find the thing that killed Jessica-"
"We got to find dad first." Sam finished.
"Dad disappearing and this thing showing up after seventeen years, it's no coincidence. Dad will have answers." Dean said. "He'll know what to do."
Sam nodded. "Man, these coordinates he left us, this Shenadoah Valley, it's in the middle of nowhere, Dean, nothing but woods. Why would Dad send us there?"
Daina woke up, and mumbled, "Where are we?"
"Verona." Dean aswered.
"Why did we leave Mystic Falls?" She asked, sitting up.
"There is something here, we're going to find out what." Dean said.
"Are we going back?"
"Yeah, we will." Sam said, looking at her reassurringly.
Dean turned the Impala into a Ranger's station.
"Dai, stay here." Dean said as he and Sam got out of the car.
Inside the station, Dean looked around at all the decorations. He came across a photo of a bear that was shot in the area, it was enormous.
"You boys aren't planning on going to Shenadoah Valley, by any chance?" A voice said behind them.
Sam and Dean wheeled around to see a Ranger.
"Oh, no sir. We're environmental majors from univeristy, just working on a paper." Sam answered.
Dean raised a fist. "Recycle, man!"
"Yeah, that's Bull." The Ranger said.
Sam briefly looked to Dean.
"You're friends with that Hayley girl-right?" The ranger asked.
"Yes, yes-we are, Ranger..." Dean said, checking his name tag. "Wilkinson."
"I'll tell you two exactly what I told her. Her brother filled out a permit saying he wouldn't be back from Shenadoah until the twenty-fourth, so it isn't exactly missing person's now, is it?"
Dean shakes his head.
"So, tell the girl to quit worrying. Her brother is fine."
"We will, sir. So, that Hayley girl is quite a pistol, eh?" Dean said.
Sam looked over at him.
"That's putting it mildly." The Ranger said.
"You know, what would really help us if I could show her a copy of the backcountry permit. You know, so she can see her brother's return date."
The Ranger eyed Dean suspiously.
Dean raised his eyebrows.
Exiting the station, Dean holds up the permit, laughing.
"What, are you cruising for a hook-up or something?" Sam asked him.
"What do you mean?"
"We have the coordinates to the valley, Dean, what are we waiting for? Why even talk to this girl?"
Dean stops on the opposite side of the Impala from Sam.
"I don't know, I thought maybe we should know what we're walking into before we walk into it."
Sam paused before responding. "What?"
"Since when were you all shoot first and ask questions later, huh?"
"Since now," Sam said, shaking his head and getting in the car.
"So.." Daina pressed.
"Oh, Dean's meeting a girl." Sam said.
"What?"
Dean glared at Sam.
"This girl's brother is missing. We are going to go ask her a few questions." Dean said.
"Do I get to come, or am I still on car duty?" Daina asked.
Sam and Dean exchange looks.
"Dai, you can come this time." Dean said.
"Really?"
"Yeah, but keep your trap shut."
"Deal."
Once they located the girl's house, the Winchesters went up to the door.
Dean knocked a couple of times.
A Young woman opened the door.
" You must be Hayley Collins." Dean said. "I'm Dean, and here's Sam. We're, uh, with the Park Ranger service. Ranger Wilkinson sent us over, he wanted us to ask a few questions about your brother."
Hayley hesitated. "Let me see some ID."
Dean pulls out some fake ID.
"Come in." Hayley said, opening the door.
"Thanks." Dean said.
Hayley eyes Daina. "Who is she?"
"Oh, this is Daina, my kid sis." He said, ruffling her hair. " Had to bring her along, our Nanny is on vacation."
Daina rolled her eyes.
Hayley nodded, looking out the window at the Impala. "Is that yours?"
"Yeah." Dean answered, with a grin.
"Nice car."
Hayley led them into the kitchen, where a younger boy sat at the table on a laptop.
"So, if your brother isn't due back for a while, how do you know something is wrong?" Sam asked.
"Tommy checks in everyday, sending stupid little videos, photos or emails." She sighed. "We haven't heard anything from him for three days now."
"Maybe he can't get cell reception?" Sam suggested.
"He has a satellite phone, too."
"Could it be he is having a lot of fun, forgot to check in?" Dean asked.
"He wouldn't do that!" The boy at the table said, suddenly.
Dean eyed him and the boy looked away.
Dean continued to look over at him as Hayley set some food on the table.
"Our parents are gone," She said. "It's just my two brothers and me. We keep pretty close tabs on eachother."
Daina listened to her closely, understanding her words. Hayley's situation reminded her a lot of her own.
"Hayley, may I see the pictures he sent you?" Sam asked.
"Yeah," She said moving her laptop over to Sam and pulling up the pictures.
"That's Tommy," She said, pointing at a goofy picture he sent.
Dean looked up at her. "Hayley, we'll find your brother. We're heading to Shenadoah first thing tomorrow."
"Well, then maybe I'll see you there. I can't sit here any longer," Hayley said. " I hired a guy and I'm heading out tomorrow, and I'll look for Tommy myself."
Dean nodded, "I think I know how you feel."
Later on, the Winchester's hit a bar and grill on the way back to the motel.
"So, Shenadoah doesn't get a lot of traffic. Local campers, mostly. But this April, two hikers went missing out there, and were never found." Sam said, opening their dad's journal he carried with him.
"Were there any before that?" Dean asked.
"Yeah, in 1982, eight different people vanished in the same year. Authorities said it was a series of grizzly attacks." Sam pulled out some articles and handed them to Dean.
Dean reached forward and grabbed the papers with his left hand, as his right arm was wrapped around Daina's shoulders.
Sam looked at Daina who dozed off, leaning on Dean's side. He returned to his dad's journal.
"Same thing happened in 1959, and before that in '36. Every twenty-three years, it's like a clockwork." Sam paused looking at a video Hayley forwarded to him from Tommy on his laptop. "Dean, look at this."
He turns the laptop around so it faced Dean. Sam ran through three frames of video at a time and a shadow crosses the screen.
Dean looked up to Sam. "Play it again."
Sam repeats the frames. "That's three frames, that's a fraction of a second. Whatever this thing is, it can move."
Dean suddenly hits Sam on the arm.
Sam looks at him, not knowing what to say.
"I told you something weird was going on!" Dean said loudly.
"Yeah," Sam said, closing his laptop. "I got one more thing."
Dean waited for him to continue.
"In '59, one camper survived the attack. He was just a kid at the time, barely crawled out of the woods alive. Apparently he still lives around here."
"Is there a name?" Dean asked.
"Mister George Shaw," Sam reads.
"I think it's time we ask mister Shaw some questions," Dean said, shaking Daina awake. "Dai, come on girl, we're getting back to work."
She woke up and nodded, following them back to the car.
Sam and Dean tried to find the location of Mister Shaw's house using a map they picked up at the Ranger's station.
Daina kept quiet for the most part, feeling useless.
"Is there anything I can do?" She asked, yawning.
Sam looked back at her. "No not really. Don't worry we have this, you can get some sleep."
"That's not fair to you two." She said.
"Dai, stop worrying." Dean told her.
"Get some sleep," Sam said, patting her leg.
She nodded, and leaned her head against the seat, closing her eyes.
Soon after, Sam and Dean found Mister Shaw's house.
"What should we do about her?" Sam asked, looking back at Daina.
"I wouldn't worry, Sam, I don't think she'll go anywhere." Dean said.
Dean walked up to the door and knocked a couple of times.
A elderly man opened the door and looked at them with a confused look and no greeting.
"Hello, we're park Rangers from Shenadoah Conservation, we were wondering if we could ask you a few questions." Dean said, showing the man some fake ID.
"I..uh..sure." The man said. "Come in."
"Thank you."
"Sir, we were wondering if you would tell us about the attack that happened in 1959," Sam said.
"Uh-well, look Ranger, I don't know why you're asking me about this. I was a kid, and my parents were mauled by a-"
"Grizzly? Is that what attacked them?" Sam asked.
Mister Shaw nodded, taking a puff from his cigarette.
"The other people that went missing that year, those were bear attacks too?" Dean asked.
Mister Shaw didn't reply.
"What about all the people that went missing this year, is that same thing?"
Dean still didn't get a reply.
"Look, Mister Shaw. If we knew what we were dealing with, we might be able to stop it," Dean said.
"I seriously doubt that," Mister Shaw spat. "Anyway, I don't see what difference it'll make. You wouldn't believe me, no one did."
Sam sat down in a chair across from him. "Mister Shaw, what did you see?"
"Nothing, it moved too fast. It hid too well, but I heard it. A roar- like no other man or animal I've ever heard."
"It came at night?" Sam asked.
Mister Shaw nodded.
"It got inside you're tent?"
"It got inside our cabin. I was sleepin' in front of the fireplace when it came in. It didn't smash a window or break the door." He paused. "It unlocked it. Do you know of a bear that can do something like that? I didn't even wake up until I heard my parents screaming."
"It killed them?" Sam asked, quietly.
"Dragged them off into the night," He shook his head sadly. "Why it left me alive, I've been asking myself that for years." Mister Shaw's hand went up to his collar. "It left me these though." He revealled three long scars. Claw marks. "There is something evil those woods. It was some sort of demon."
Sam and Dean exchange looks.
Suddenly, they all heard screaming.
It took the boys a second to register who the screams belonged to.
"Daina!" Dean yelled, running to the door, Sam close behind him.
Dean ran off the porch steps and found Daina on the dirt driveway, screaming and sobbing.
Dean fell to his knees next to her and pulled her into his arms. He held her tightly to him, running a hand through her hair.
Sam knelt down next to them and rested a hand on her back. "Dai, what the hell happened?"
Dean pushed her back from him so he could see her face.
" I..there..was.." Her voice broke and she fell into a fit of sobs, unable to exhale air properly.
"Dean, she's panicking." Sam said, pulling her to him.
"Boys, bring the girl inside!" Mister Shaw called out to them.
Sam picked Daina up and carried her inside. He set her down in a chair next to the fireplace.
Dean followed and wrapped a blanket around her.
Sam knelt in front of her. "Dai, deep breaths, Ok. Take deep breaths."
Dean stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders, keeping her still while her body wanted to shake uncontrollably.
"Dai, honey, easy.." Sam held her hand in his and squeezed it. " Breathe with me, Ok?"
Sam breathed in deeply, and waited for her to follow, and then exhaled.
Soon after, she was calmed enough to speak.
"There was this thing.. it made a loud noise. Moved the car." She said, shuddering at the memory. "It broke the back window, trying to get me."
The room was silent for a moment as Sam and Dean processed the information given by thier sister.
"Another bear attack, I suppose.." Mister Shaw said, lighting up a cigarette.
"It was not a bear.." Daina said, her voice shakey.
"We know, Dai." Dean said, squeezing her shoulders.
"Let's get back to the motel, Dean." Sam said, still holding Daina's hand tightly.
"Alright."
"You kids ain't rangers, are ya?" Mister Shaw questioned.
"We're better." Dean said, pulling Daina up to her feet. "Thank you for your time, Mister Shaw."
Sam cleaned up most of the glass pieces from the broken window, and sat in the back of the Impala with Daina.
"We're a little ways away from the motel, you should try to sleep a bit." Sam said to her.
She shook her head, and rested it on his arm, that was across her shoulders.
"Dai, you're exhausted. Don't try to argue, cause I know you are."
"Sam, I dont' want to sleep until that thing is gone." She whispered.
"Honey, we'll take care of it. It's not here, you're safe."
Daina sighed, snuggling up closer to him.
A while later, Dean turned the car into the motel's parking lot.
Daina slid out of the car and gasped.
"Are you Ok?" Dean asked her, watching her from the opposite side of the car.
"Yeah," she said, walking forward.
Dean noticed a dark stain on her ripped pant leg.
Clenching his teeth, he made his way to her. "Dai, why the hell wouldn't you tell us you were hurt?"
Sam came towards them. "What?"
"The damn..whatever it is, hurt her!" Dean yelled.
Sam looked at her, "Dai, why didn't you say anything?"
"It doesn't hurt." She said quietly.
"But it's bleeding that much?" Dean asked.
Daina opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
"That's it," Dean said, grabbing her by the arm. "We're taking care of it, get inside." He said, give her a shove towards the door.
"Dean." Sam said, disapprovingly.
"Shut it, Sam."
Dean pulled Daina inside the motel and pushed her down on to a chair. He examined her leg, as much as he could.
"The jeans are in the way, I can't get a good luck at it. Go change, and then come right back." He said.
She nodded and limped her way to the bathroom.
Sam looked up from his laptop. "Dean, take it easy on her."
"She was hiding it from us, Sam."
"I know she was, Dean. But there has to be a reason for it. She was attacked for God's sake..just give her a break."
Dean looked at Sam for a long moment.
Daina came back in pajama pants.
Dean instructed her to sit on the chair and he rolled her pant leg away from the wound.
"Going to tell me why you didn't tell us about this?" He asked her, wiping away blood.
Daina looked to Sam, who was grabbing supplies from the first aid kit. He looked up at her and raised his eyebrows.
"I didn't want you to worry," She said.
Dean looked up at her, "Oh, well that's kind of funny because this would have got infected and you probably wouldn't be able to walk. But that's nothing to worry about, right?"
Daina sighed, knowing he was right. "I'm sorry," She said, biting her lower lip.
"Hun, it's Ok. Next time, just tell us. We won't worry too much, we'll just take care of it, alright?" Sam asked.
She nodded and smiled slightly.
Sam returned the smile, and then set his laptop down, and moved towards her and Dean. "So, how bad is it?"
"Not too bad. It's a nice gash though," Dean said, wiping the last of the blood away.
Sam looked up at her. "We are going to have to dose it with alcohol, Ok?"
"Naww really?" She asked.
"Yep," Sam said, sympathetically. "Here, Dean. I'll do it."
Dean leaned back giving Sam room to work.
Sam dampened a cloth in the alcohol and laid it on her gash.
Daina hissed in pain, and fidgeted a bit.
"Sorry, hun," Sam said.
"S'Ok," She said barely above a whisper.
Sam dabbed the alcohol dosed cloth over the wound once more and then began to wrapped her leg tightly. "This is gonna hurt for a while," He told her.
"Yeah, I know," She said.
"Alright, all done," Sam said, cutting the cloth. " You should get some sleep, something tell's me tomorrow is going to be a crazy day."
Daina nodded and headed to the bathroom to get ready to go to bed.
"So, what the hell is this thing?" Dean asked suddenly. "Spirits and demons don't have to unlock doors. If they want inside, they just go through the walls."
"It's probably something else, something corporeal." Sam said.
"Corporeal? Excuse me, Professor."
"Shut up," Sam said. "So, what do you think?"
"The claws, the speed that it moves...it could be a skinwalker. A black dog? Whatever it is, we're talking about creature , it's corporeal. That means we can kill it." Dean said.
"Dean, you know we cannot let that Hayley girl go out there," Sam said.
"Oh yeah? And what are we going to tell her? That she can't go into the woods because of a big scary monster?"
"Yeah," Sam said.
Dean looks a Sam for a moment.
"Sam, her brother is missing. She's not going to sit this out. Now we go to her, we protect her, and we will keep our eyes peeled for our fuzzy- predator friend." Dean told him.
"Finding Dad isn't enough? And what about Daina?"
"What?" Dean asked.
"Dean, we're still looking for Dad, and we have to take care of Daina. Now, we're babysitting strangers too?"
Dean stared at Sam for a moment.
"What?" Sam asked.
"Nothing," Dean said.
"Do you think Dai should sit this one out?" Sam asked.
"She won't."
"Dean, you saw how scared she was.."
"And I can see how much she wants fuzzy-wuzzy dead too." Dean said.
Daina by that point, had exited the bathroom.
She stood staring at them.
"I'm not sitting this one out." She said sternly.
Sam clenched his teeth, clearly not approving.
She walked passed them and crawled into one of the beds.
Dean looked to Sam and raised his eyebrows. " There's your answer, Sammy."
Dean patted Sam's shoulder twice and then turned to the other bed, and flopped down on it, hitting his head off of the head board.
"Ow, Dammit.." Dean groaned.
Daina giggled from under the covers of her bed.
"I would shut it, if I were you." Dean said warning her.
Sam laughed a little. It was times like these that reminded him that not everything is a nightmare.
Sam crawled into bed next to Daina and closed his eyes.
A few hours later, Sam woke up to someone screaming.
Disoriented and confused, he sat up, looking around, trying to figure out what was going on.
He noticed Daina gripping at the pillow under her head, and kicking her feet.
Sam leaned over and held her shoulder. "Dai, honey, wake up." He shook her shoulder gently. "Dai, wake up."
Her screaming didn't stop, it only got worse.
Dean woke soon after.
"Sam, what the hell's happening?" He asked.
"Dai's having a nightmare."
Dean sat up and came to sit next to Daina on the bed. He cupped his hands on either side of her face. "Dai, wake up, girl. Come on. "
Sam brushed her hair back with his hand, and shook her again.
Finally, her eyes shot open, and she sat up panting.
"Dai, you alright?" Dean asked, running a hand through her hair and down her arm.
Her breath began to come out in shaky huffs, and she jumped into Dean's arms, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.
A couple of tears escaped her eyes, and she rested her chin on his shoulder.
He wrapped both his arms around her tighly, one holding her to him, and the other rubbing her back.
"Shh, Dai, tell me what happened." Dean said, gently.
She sobbed once, squeezing him tighter.
"It's alright," Dean said. "Just tell me."
"It came back...and it got you." She choked out, wiping her tears with her hand.
"Do you know where it took me?" He asked, softly, holding her close.
"Some sort of dark cave, I think... I tried to save you, Dean, I really did."
"Hey, hey, I know you did." He said, rubbing her back. "It's alright. It was a dream. I'm here and that thing isn't going to get me, you, or anyone, Ok?" He pushed her back from him to see her face.
She wiped away tears and nodded. Dean pulled her back to him, and held her in his arms.
Sam reached over and rubbed between her shoulder blades. "Don't worry, Ok? Just try to go back to sleep, we won't leave you."
She nodded, slowly relaxing in Dean's arms.
A while later, she was asleep in his arms. Dean kept rubbing her back.
" So, you think she should still come?" Sam asked, looking down at her, running his fingers through her hair. He looked back up at Dean, waiting for a response.
"Shut up."
"I'm serious, Dean."
"Yeah, and so am I... Shut up."
"Dean, she can't even sleep without thinking of the damn thing-"
"We have made her sit out of too many gigs, Sam. This thing needs to know that girl or not, bastards like him can't mess with a Winchester."
"Yeah, but Dean-"
" Sam, you keep going on about ' oh, we have to train her,' ' we have to teach her to hunt,' Well, man, I think this is a good place to start."
"Really, Dean? You're going to start off her training with a human -eating monster?"
" Better start off with the toughies, right?" Dean said.
Sam sighed. "Alright, have it your way. You better be right."
"I'm always right, Sammy."
Dean laid down on the bed, laying Daina down next to him.
"Dean, I can take care of this." Sam said.
"Forget it, college boy. I got it."
Sam shook his head and laid down on the other side of Daina.
Dean rested Daina's head on his arm and Sam wrapped a arm around her waist.
Soon all three of them fell asleep for the rest of the night.
The next day the Winchesters made it to the Shenadoah Forest. They found Hayley and her brother there and another man they did not recognize.
"I'll tell you again, I don't think Ben should come," The man said.
"Roy, he's my brother." Hayley retorted.
"Look, you're paying me money to keep everybody safe,and I think Ben is safest at home."
The Winchesters approached.
"Do you guys have room for a few more?" Dean asked.
"Wait, you want to come with us?" Hayley questioned.
"Who are these guys?" Roy asked.
"Apparently this is all the Park service could muster up for search and rescue.."
"You're rangers?" Roy asked, looking down at Daina.
"That's right." Dean answered.
"And you're out hiking in biker boots and jeans?" Hayley asked.
"Well, sweetheart, I don't do shorts."
"What? You think this is funny?" Roy asked loudly. "It's a dangerous back-country out there. Her brother might be hurt!"
"Believe me," Dean said, facing Roy. "I know how dangerous this can get. We just want to help find her brother, that's all." Dean turned away from him and began to walk.
The group headed through the trails in the woods. Roy lead the group, Dean close behind him, and Sam stayed behind everyone, keeping a eye out.
"So, Roy, you said you did a little hunting?" Dean asked.
"I do more than a little."
"Uh-huh, so what kind of furry-critters do you hunt?"
"Mostly buck, sometimes bear." Roy said.
Dean sped up his walk so he was along side Roy.
"Tell me, has Bambi and Yogi ever hunt you back?"
Roy suddenly grabbed Dean.
Everyone stopped and looked on, alarmed.
"What are you doing, Roy?" Dean asked.
Roy looked from him and then to the ground. He picked up a stick and poked a bear trap that Dean almost walked into.
"You should watch where you're stepping, Ranger." Roy said.
Roy continued on.
Hayley approached Dean. "You didn't carry and provisions, you have a duffel bag, you're not a ranger."
Dean looked away and continued to walk on.
Hayley grabbed his arm. "What the hell are you?"
Daina and Sam stop and watch. Both worried, wondering what Dean was going to say.
Dean looks at Sam, and nods, indicating for him and Daina to keep moving.
Sam nodded, pushing Daina forward ahead of him.
Dean watches them leave for a moment.
"Sam and I are brothers, we just took in our younger sister not too long ago, and we're looking for our father. He might be here, I don't know. I just thought, you and me, we're kind of in the same boat." Dean said.
"Why didn't you tell me that from the start?" Hayley asked him
Dean thought for a moment, sucking on his lower lip. "I'm telling you now, besides, this is probably the most honest I've ever been with a woman. So are we Ok?"
There was a awkward, silent, pause between them.
"Yeah, we're fine." Hayley said, turning away from him and continuing to walk.
"And what do you mean I didn't pack provisions?" Dean asked, pulling out a big bag of M&M's.
"This is it. This is the Shenadoah Forest." Roy said, stopping and looking around.
"Ok, so if this is it, what were we walking in for the last hour?" Sam asked.
Roy glared at him for a moment.
"Ok, well, what coordinates are we at?" Sam asked.
"Thirty-five and minus one-eleven."
Dean approached the both of them.
"Do you hear that?" Dean asked.
Daina came up beside him. "Hear what?"
"Exactly, it's too quiet."
"Yeah, not even crickets." Sam said.
"I'm gonna look around," Roy said, walking off.
"Hey, you shouldn't go off by yourself." Sam said, facing Roy.
"Aw, that's sweet. Don't worry about me." Roy told him.
Dean watches Roy leave.
"Well, your protector is setting himself up to be killed, Hayley. Feel safe now?" Dean asked.
"Dean-" Sam said. "Don't."
"Alright, well, everyone else stay together." Dean said.
"You're going to protect us?" Ben asked.
Dean looked at him, shocked that the kid even said anything. He was always so quiet.
"Got a better idea?" Dean asked.
"Well, no, but I mean-you almost walked into a bear trap."
Dean could see the kid's point. If he was honest with everyone, including himself, he'd admit that he had no clue what he was getting himself into.
They made camp amongst the trees, everyone took a break from walking, waiting for Roy to return.
"Hayley! Over here!" They heard Roy yell.
Hayley quickly got to her feet and ran towards Roy's voice. The others followed closely behind her.
Hayley stops suddenly, dead in her tracks. "Oh my god," She muttered, covering her mouth with her hand.
The others stopped along side of her, all stood looking at the remains of a campsite. Tents torn and bloody, supplies scattered all over.
"Looks like a grizzly." Roy said, scanning the ground for any tracks.
Daina quickly turned to face Sam and Dean. She grabbed Dean's arm, "Its back," She whispered.
Dean pulled her to him, giving her a quick hug. "It's alright. We're still alright."
He let go of her, stepped around her and moved towards Roy.
Something moved in the trees next to them. Everyone's eyes darted towards the area of the movement.
"Tommy?" Hayley called out. She took off her backpack and began moving around the campsite looking for her brother. "Tommy!"
Sam moved to catch up to her. He grabbed her arm gently. "Shh." He said, quietly.
"Tommy!"
"Shhhh!" Sam said, putting his finger to his lips.
"Why?" Hayley asked.
"Something might be still out there." He answered.
"Sam!" Dean called.
Sam went over to Dean, cringing when he snapped a stick on his way.
He crouched down next to him. "What is it?"
"Look, the bodies were dragged from the campsite. But here-" Dean pointed to some tracks."The tracks just vanish. That's weird."
Sam and Dean both stood.
"I'll tell you one thing, this is not a skinwalker or black dog." Dean said, turning to go back to the campsite. Sam followed.
Hayley found Tommy's cellphone amongst the scattered debris. It was all bloody.
She fell to her knees with a sob.
Dean walked up to her and crouched down next to her.
"Hey, he could still be alive." He told her.
Hayley looked at Dean briefly, afraid he was giving her false hope.
"Help! Someone!" A voice yelled.
The group looked up. Roy loaded his shotgun, and Daina moved a bit closer to Sam.
"Help! Help!"
Roy moved forward to the direction of the voice.
Daina began to follow, and Sam grabbed her arm.
"Careful." He said, quietly.
"Why?"
"This may be a trap." Sam told her.
She nodded, staying close to him.
Roy lead them to where the voice seemed to be coming from. They found no one.
"The voice seemed to be coming from around here, didn't it?" Hayley asked looking around.
Sam looked around cautiously.
"Everyone back to camp," He said, grabbing Daina's shoulders and steering her to their campsite.
Back at the campsite, all of their supplies were missing.
"Where's our packs!" Hayley yelled, looking around frantically.
"So much for our GPS and my satellite phone." Roy said.
"What the hell is going on?" Hayley asked.
"It's smart. It wants to cut us off so we can't call for help." Sam said.
"You mean some nutjob out there stole all of our gear?" Roy exclaimed.
Sam turns and walks towards Dean.
"I need to speak to you in private." Sam said to him.
Sam and Dean head a little ways away from the group.
"Alright, good. Let me see dad's journal." Sam said.
Dean hands the journal over to him. Sam opens it and flips to a particular page.
"Alright, look, check this out." Sam said, points to a first nation's drawing in the book.
"Oh, come on. Wendigos are in the Minnesota woods or something..not here." Dean said.
"Think about it, Dean, the claws- the way it can mimic a human's voice."
"Great." Dean said, taking out a pistol from his waistband. "Well, then this is useless." He said.
Sam handed Dean the journal and turned to go back to the group.
"We got to get these people to safety."
Sam returned to the group. "Alright, it's time to go," He said. "Things have gotten more complicated."
"Kid, don't worry. Whatever is out there, I think I can handle it." Roy said, looking to his gun.
"It's not me I'm worried about," Sam said. "If you shoot this thing, you're only going to make it mad. We have to leave. Now."
Sam helped Hayley to her feet and rounded up Daina and Ben.
"One, you're talking nonsense." Roy said. "Two, you're in no position to be giving orders, boy."
"Oh yeah?" Sam asked, turning to face him. " And what exactly puts you in the position to lead? Huh? You have no idea what you're dealing with!"
Dean approached them. He nudged Sam. "Relax," He told him.
"We never should've allowed you to come out here in the first place, I'm trying to protect you." Sam said to Roy.
Roy grinned, walking cup close to Sam. "You, protect me? Boy, I was hunting these woods when you're mommy was still kissing you goodnight."
"Yeah? Well, this thing is a damn near perfect hunter. It's smarter than you, and it's going to hunt you down and eat you alive unless we get your sorry ass out of here!" Sam said, loudly.
Roy laughed. "You know you're crazy, right?"
"Yeah? Have you ever hunted a Wen-"
Dean pushed Sam.
"Sam, chill out." He said.
"Stop, everyone just stop," Hayley begged. "Look, Tommy might still be alive. And I'm not leaving without him."
There was a quiet pause between them.
"It's getting late," Dean said. "This thing is a good hunter by day, and a unbelieveable hunter at night. We'll never beat it, not in the dark. We need to settle in and protect ourselves."
"How?" Hayley asked.
"We'll make camp again, someone will be on look out at all times." Dean said. "We'll build a fire for heat and light."
Roy started building the campfire and Dean starts to draw symbols in the dirt around the camp.
"What do those symbols mean?" Hayley asked Dean.
"They're Anasazi symbols. It's for protection. Then Wendigo can't cross over them." Dean explained.
Roy laughs leaning his gun against his shoulder.
"No one likes a skeptic, Roy." Dean said.
Dean looked over at Sam, who sat next to Daina's sleeping form.
Dean stood and walked over to him, taking a seat on the other side of Daina.
"You want to tell me what's going on in that freaky head of yours?" Dean asked him.
"Dean-"
"No, you're not fine, Sam." Dean said. "You're like a power keg, man, it's not like you. I'm suppose to be the belligerent one, remember?"
There was a pause before Sam responded.
"Dad's not here, Dean. I mean, we know that much for sure, right? He would have left us a message, a sign, right?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, you're right. To tell you the truth, Sammy, I don't think dad ever was in Shenadoah."
"Then let's get these people back to town and hit the road, Dean. Why are we still here?" Sam asked.
Dean stood and came around infront of Sam. He had their dad's journal in his hand. "This is why," He said. "This book. This is dad's single, most valuable possession- everything he knows about every evil thing is in here. He passed it on to us, Sam. He wants us to pick up where he left off. You know, saving people, hunting things, the family business."
Sam shook his head.
"It makes no sense- like why wouldn't he just call us? Why doesn't he tell us what he wants, tell us where he is?"
"I don't know. But the way I see it, Dad gave us a job to do, and I intend to do it." Dean said. He looked down at Daina's sleeping form. "He gave us several jobs."
"Dean-no. I got to find Dad. I got to find Jessica's killer. It's the only thing I can think about."
"Alright, Sam, we'll find them. I promise," Dean said. "Listen to me, Ok? You've got to prepare yourself. I mean- this search may take a while, and all that anger, you can't keep it burning over the long haul. It's gonna kill you, Sammy. You got to have patience, man."
Daina suddenly whimpered in her sleep. Sam and Dean both looked at her and Sam stroked her hair softly.
Sam looked back up at Dean, "How do you do it? How does Dad do it?"
Dean looks from Sam over to Hayley and Ben.
"Well, for one- them."
Sam's eyes followed Dean's.
"I mean, I figure our family's so screwed to hell, I thought maybe we could help others. Make things a bit more bareable." He paused. "I'll tell you what else helps."
Sam looked to Dean.
"Killing as many sons-of-bitches, as I can." Dean said with a smile.
Sam smiled too.
A twig snaps behind them.
Sam and Dean's heads look up to the direction of the snapping.
"Help me! Please!" Someone screamed.
Sam looked over to the fire, Roy, Hayley and Ben were all there.
Dean gets his gun ready. "Sam, get Daina up."
Sam shook Daina awake, and pulled her to her feet.
Daina clung on to Sam. "It's back?" She whispered.
"Yeah," Sam said, wrapping a arm around her.
"Help!"
"He's trying to draw us out! Stay cool." Dean ordered. "Everyone stay put."
"Inside the magic circle?" Roy asked, jokingly.
"Help!" It screamed again and turning into a angered growl.
"Ok, that's no grizzly." Roy said, pointing his gun towards the sound.
Ben grasped Hayley's arm.
"Shh, Ben, it's Ok. You'll be alright, I promise." She told him.
Something rushes past, the wind from it blowing thier hair.
Hayley shrieked.
"It's here." Sam said, tightening his hold on Daina.
The rustling in the trees occurred once again.
Roy shot at the movement. The sound of the bullet's impact sounded.
"I hit it!" Roy said, exiting the circle to go see what he hit.
"Roy! No!" Dean yelled.
Dean turns to Hayley and Ben. "Don't move."
Dean runs out, following Roy.
Sam lets go of Daina and runs to follow him.
"Sam! Dean!" Daina yelled.
Hayley grabbed a flaming stick from the fire, to use as a weapon.
"It's over here!" Roy yelled. "In the tree!"
The Wendigo reached down from the tree and a suddenly cracking noise echos through the air.
Dean skidded to a stop to find Roy's body on the ground, neck snapped.
"Roy!" Dean yelled.
Sam sat against a hollow tree stump, looking at his dad's journal, Daina leaning her head on his shoulder.
"I don't...I mean, these things are not suppose to be real." Hayley said, covering her mouth with her hands, as frantic screams wanted to escape her lips.
Dean turned to face her. "I wish I could tell you different."
"How do we know it's not out there watching us?" She asked.
"We don't. But we're safe for now." Dean assured her.
"How do you know about this stuff?"
Dean paused, considering a reasonable answer. One that wouldn't alarm her too much. "Kind of runs in the family."
Sam got up and came over to them.
"Hey," he said.
Hayley looked to him.
"So, we have a half chance in the daylight, and I for one want to kill this evil, son-of-a-bitch." Sam said.
"Well, hell. You know I'm in." Dean said.
Sam nodded and opened his dad's journal. He showed them the entry John wrote about the Wendigo.
" 'Wendigo' is a Cree indian word. It means 'evil that devours'." Sam explained.
"They're hundreds of years old. Each one was a man, sometimes a Indian, sometimes a frontiersman, a miner, or a hunter." Dean added.
"How does someone turn into that thing?" Hayley asked.
"It's always the same," Dean began. "During some harsh winter, a guy finds himself starving. Cut off from supplies or help. He becomes a cannibal to survive, eating others from his tribe or camp."
"Like the Donner party." Ben said quietly.
"Cultures all over the world believe that eating human flesh gives a person certain abilities. Speed, strength, immortality." Sam said.
"If you eat enough of it, you become a less than human thing." Dean added. "You're always hungry."
"So, if all of that is true, how can Tommy still be alive?" Hayley asked.
Dean glances at Sam and back to Hayley.
"Tell me." Hayley said.
" More than anything, a Wendigo knows how to last long winters without food. It hibernates for years at a time, but when it's awake it keeps it's victims alive." Dean explained. " It, uh...stores them, so it can feed on them whenever it wants. If your brother is alive, it is storing him somewhere dark, hidden, and safe. We got to track it back there."
Hayley stared at him for a long moment, taking in his words. "Then how do we stop it?"
"Well, guns are useless, so are knives. Basically-" Dean held up a can of lighter fluid. " We got to torch the sucker."
Dean led the group through the woods, Sam followed up behind.
They passed several trees that had claw marks and blood on them.
"Dean," Sam said, stopping in his tracks.
Dean came to him. "What is it?"
"You know, I was thinking, those claw prints are so clear and distinct. They were almost too easy to follow." Sam said.
Growling came from the trees, and branches rustle.
Blood drips on to Hayley's shirt and she looks up and screams.
Hayley jumped out of the way as Roy's corpse falls from the tree and lands were she stood.
Sam went over to Hayley.
"You Ok?" He asked.
She nodded, breathing deeply.
Dean went over to the corpse. " Neck's definitely broken."
Movement and growling came from the trees.
"Go! Run, run, run! Go, go!" Dean yelled.
Everyone took off running.
Ben tripped and fell.
Sam turned back to help him up.
"Come on, I gotcha, I gotcha." Sam said to him, helping him to his feet again.
Daina found herself separated from the group.
Out of breath, she stops and leans on a tree.
"Sam! Dean!" She yelled.
No answer.
Becoming panicked, she treaded on. Her leg throbbing.
Hayley and Dean stop short.
Both panting they look ahead of them to see the Wendigo.
Hayley screams.
"Hayley!" Ben yelled, hearing his sister's screams.
"Dean! Daina!" Sam called.
Ben stood still, staring ahead. Stunned.
"Ben? Are you Ok?" Sam asked.
Ben snapped out of it, and nodded.
"Alright, we had better move." Sam said.
"If it keeps it's victims alive, then why would it kill Roy?" Ben asked.
"Honestly? I think because Roy shot at it, pissed it off." Sam admitted.
Ben bent down and found a M&M on the ground. "They went this way."
Sam laughed. "This is better than bread crums," he said.
"So, where did your sister go?" Ben asked.
Sam clenched his teeth. "I don't know... I really don't know."
"So, I guess we're are in the same boat, I am missing my brother and my sister, and so are you."
"Yeah, I guess we are in the same boat." Sam said.
Ben and Sam trekked on, following the trail of M&M's.
They both come to a sign on a mine entrance that read 'KEEP OUT- NO ADMITTANCE'.
They both shrug and enter.
Daina trekked on, finding herself lightheaded from exhaustion and pain.
She collapsed on to the forest floor, clasping a hand over her leg.
Growling sounded from the woods.
"Fine! Take me!" Daina yelled at it. "Take me!"
Sam shined the flashlight ahead of them.
Someone screams.
Sam shuts off the light and pushed Ben against the wall.
The Wendigo comes towards them, dragging Daina by her wrist, no longer conscious.
Ben gasps and Sam covers Ben's mouth before he can make a sound.
The Wendigo goes down a tunnel.
Sam moves forward to follow it, Ben close behind him.
The floor boards began to creak, then a loud snapping noise.
Sam and Ben fell through the floor and land on a pile of bones below.
Groaning, Ben looks up to a pile of skulls in front of him.
He leaps backward.
"Hey, it's ok, it's ok." Sam said, grabbing his arm.
They both look up and see Dean and Hayley hanging by their wrists from the ceiling.
Sam gets up and runs to Dean and Ben to Hayley.
"Hayley, wake up!" Ben said, shaking her.
"Dean!" Sam said, patting the side of Dean's face.
Dean opens his eyes.
"Hey, you Ok?" Sam asks.
"Yeah," Dean answered hoarsely. Wincing.
"Hayley! Come on, wake up!" Ben said, still shaking her.
Sam cuts the rope holding Dean, and makes his way over to Hayley.
"She hasn't woke up?" Sam asked.
"No!" Ben said, frantically.
"Hey, it's alright. She'll be Ok." Sam told him.
Sam cut Hayley's ropes and eased her to the floor, leaning her against Ben.
Sam returned to Dean, who was making pained noises.
"You sure you're alright?" Sam asked.
"Yeah."
"Well, good. The Wendigo has Daina and we still have to find Tom." Sam said.
Dean stood. "It has Daina? How do you know?"
"I saw it drag her in." Sam said.
"Where is it?" Dean asked, his anger rising.
"Gone for now. We were following it, but the floor broke."
Hayley finally woke up, rubbing her wrist where she was tied.
She spot Tommy hanging from the ceiling.
She struggles to get to her feet.
"Tommy!" She wailed.
Sam and Dean stood, and Sam goes over to cut him down.
"Tommy, it's Ok. We're going to get you home." Hayley said, holding him.
Dean finds a bunch camping supplies in the corner of the room. A flare gun amoungst them.
"Check it out." He said.
"Flare guns. Those'll work." Sam said, grinning.
Dean laughs twirling the gun.
Sam and Dean lead the others down the tunnel, Hayley and Ben helping Tom walk.
Growling echoed through, bouncing off of the walls.
"Looks like someone is home for supper." Dean said.
"We'll never out run it!" Hayley exclaimed.
Dean looks at the others, and then to Sam. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Yeah, I think so." Sam said.
"Alright, listen to me. Stay with Sam. He'll get you out of here." Dean told the others.
"What are you going to do?" Hayley asked.
Dean winks and turns to walk off.
"Dean! What about Daina?" Sam yelled.
"I'll find her!"
Sam nodded in Dean's direction and cued the others to follow him.
"Chow time, you freaky-bastard!" Dean yelled. "Yeah, that's right, bring it on, baby! I'm feeling good!"
"Alright, come on, hurry!" Sam said.
The Collins' followed Sam out of the tunnel.
Growling travels down the hall.
Sam turns pointed a flare gun in the direction it came from. He turns to Hayley.
"Get out of here."
"Sam, no."
"Go!" Sam yelled, holding the flare gun ready to shoot.
The growling came from behind him, and Sam turned to see the Wendigo right in his face.
Sam shot at it, but missed. Sam continued to run in the direction he sent the Collins'.
"Come on, you want some white meat, bitch?" Dean yelled.
The Wendigo turned and hurried down the tunnel after Dean.
Dean turned a sharp corner, tricking the Wendigo, as it kept running straight ahead.
Dean laughed to himself.
He looked around and saw a body hanging from the ceiling.
Dean hurried over to it, recognizing the body as his sister's.
Dean grabbed a knife from his pocket and began sawing at the rope tied around her wrist.
"Dai, I'm here. Come on, wake up." Dean said, easing her to the floor.
He examined her for wounds. Her clothing was covered in blood and dirt.
Dean grinned as he could tell she had put up a good fight with the beast.
He shook her a couple of times, "Dai, come on, girl. Open those eyes."
She wouldn't wake.
Dean checked her vitals and made sure she had a pulse. He picked her up, throwing her gently over his shoulder.
" I'll get you out of here, Dai. It's Ok." Dean said.
"Hurry!" Sam yelled.
The Wendigo coming towards them.
"Get behind me!" He said, pointing the flare gun at it.
Dean runs up behind it, setting Daina gently on the ground.
"Hey!" He yelled.
The Wendigo turned around to face him.
Dean pulled the trigger of the flare gun. The flare hitting it in the stomach.
The wendigo bursted into flames.
Dean ditches the flare gun, and picked his sister up again.
He walks over to Sam, passing Daina off to him. "Not bad, eh?"
Sam grinned.
Sam and Dean drove back to the Ranger's station. Sam holding a still unconscious Daina.
"Will she be Ok?" Ben asked Sam.
"Daina?" Sam asked. "Oh, yeah. She's strong. She'll pull through."
At the station, Tom got loaded up into an ambulance.
Two police officers interviewed Sam and Ben.
"And the bear came back after you yelled at it?" One officer asked.
"That's when it circled the campsite. This bear must have weighed about eight or nine hundred pounds." Ben said.
"Alright, we'll go after it first thing." The officer said.
Meanwhile, Hayley stood talking to Dean as he watched the medics trying to wake his sister.
"So, I don't know how to thank you." She said.
Dean smirked and Hayley smiled, despite herself.
"Must you cheapen the moment?" She asked.
"Yeah," Dean said.
A paramedic came up to Hayley. "Are you riding with your brother?"
"Yeah," she said. She turned to Ben. " Let's go."
She turned to Dean again and kisses him on the cheek. "I hope you find your father." She turns to Sam. "Thanks, Sam."
Hayley and Ben got in the ambulance and it drove off.
Sam sat down on the roof of the Impala next to Dean.
"Man, I hate camping." Dean said.
"Me too." Sam said.
A medic approached them. " Your sister is awake, Mister Winchester."
Sam and Dean get off of the car and make thier way over to thier sister.
She sat on a cot, rubbing her head.
Dean laid a palm on her shoulder. "Hey, Dai."
"Hi Dean." She said, softly. "Sammy."
"You ready to hit the road?" Dean asked her.
Daina looked around for a minute. "Is it gone?" She asked, no louder than a whisper.
"Yeah, smoked him!" Dean said.
Daina grinned. "Ok, let's go."
They walked back to the car and Dean glances over at Sam.
"Sam, you know that we will find dad, right?"
"Yeah, I know. But in the meantime, I'm driving." Sam said.
Dean sighed tossing the keys to Sam.
\\ And there you have it! Chapter 5! Please Review! :D/