Dark Dreams

Author's Note: I do not own anything. All Characters belong Kripke. This takes place pre-series. Dean is 16, Sam is 12. When you see 'This' That is a characters inner thoughts. All that is "This" is the spirit. No the lore may not be correct but, this is my interpretation of it.

Chapter 9: Salt and Burn

"Damn it" John yelled as he looked over the article of the woman Dean had recognized. "Well then we have to find out all we can on her and find what she is attached to, find out what is keeping her here". John said as he stared at her picture trying to see something on her that might be keeping her here. Bobby shook his head as he read over the lore on this type of spirit. "Well it says here that if she is in fact a Woman in Black, not all of the same rules apply". John looked at him for a moment. "What does that mean?". Bobby shrugged "Hell if I know". Both were getting angry at the other. Bobby was angry at John for allowing his son to get involved in this. John was angry at Bobby because he thought he had the whole spirit figured out. That if she wasn't buried and had an attachment it would be the same as any other spirit. The tension was getting thicker by the moment. Ellen had put herself between the two. "Well if she is born out of the death of her child, could it be her sons bones that are a possible attachment? Maybe something of his is keeping her here." Dean thought. John, Bobby and Ellen looked at him for a moment. "That's a good start" Ellen said.

John was proud Dean had thought outside the box. Proud that his son who was a target to a spirit was still keeping his head on straight and thinking like a hunter. His son could have easily jumped to playing the victim but, he decided to be part of this hunt and track the thing down. 'Dean was going to be a damn good hunter when he got older. With more experience and guidance maybe he could even be, one of the best'. John was passing glances to his son in the passenger seat. Dean was holding the map open, tracking where they were at the moment. He was looking for the best route to get to their destination and in the fastest way possible. They had looked up her child and found that he was killed by sudden infant death syndrome. He was buried in the same town he was born in. The only bad part was that it was a few towns over. They had to pack up all their gear, clear all the walls off of the pictures, take all their cameras and equipment apart. That had taken some time but, it had given enough time for Sam and Dean to track down the exact cemetery and plot he was buried in. Sam was his go to for research but, when he had to Dean was also good at it. He could count on them to check out the information several times and against several sources. They did the same when it came to the creature they were tracking down. If there were conflicting facts, too many facts or not enough information, you can bet your last dollar they will get you the best information and be right. They always offered options A and B. So you had a back up incase one was wrong. They always thought it through. 'Sammy is going to learn a lot from one of the best damn hunters out there'.

Dean was making sure they were on the right road and heading in the right direction. He wanted all of this to be done and over with already. He hadn't told his dad but, he chest was still burning. When he had been woken up out of his dream his chest had been burning and it still did. When he had gone to the bathroom earlier, he had heard what his father and Pastor Jim were talking about. He knew his dad felt guilty and he just couldn't add more onto him right now. So he would rub it a little seeing if that helped. It never did but, he couldn't ignore this burning hand print. It was like it wouldn't let him. He knew he really pissed her off. He had escaped her several times now. He was more than just a challenge now, he was more like the cold case. The one that got away.

When they were leaving the motel they had split up the gear as well as the hunters. Bobby and Ellen were in his vehicle while Sam, Jim, John and Dean were in the impala. John knew he would need an extra set of hands. He couldn't look after Sammy when he needed to have his full attention on Dean. He couldn't let Dean go through another dream, not while he had a chance to protect him. He could still see the doubt that dream had caused in his son's eyes. Dean was shaking for quite a while after it and now he kept throwing glances around. It was almost like Dean was trying to distinguish if this was a dream or reality.

Dean was trying to stay awake. He was exhausted and the long road trips in the car always made him drowsy. He usually didn't do the mapping and routing for their trips, their dad had always done all of that before they hit the road. John didn't complain when Dean asked to do the mapping and routing. Dean had expressed some of his theories on the Woman in Black. "What if she makes the kid tired and when they give in she strikes without interference. I mean obviously she wasn't expecting a family of hunters but now, I think she is seeing this as her biggest challenge. I don't see this getting easier or her just giving up". John had nodded as he listened to Dean. Some had doubted Dean being a hunter. Dean had put on this front of being stupid or lazy but he was smart. He had the best aim, a quick draw and speed. John was allowing Dean to theorize and talk just to help him keep awake.

Dean was beginning to doze off. As soon as his chin touched his chest his eyes opened and he lifted his head. He was just so tired. He looked around the car as he noticed his father's eyes on him. Dean cleared his throat and sat up straighter. "I'm ok". He said as he saw his father's eyebrows rise slightly. "Sure". Was his father's reply. Dean turned and looked at the others in the back seat. Sam was asleep, his head resting on the door of the impala while Pastor Jim was praying. His Rosary in hand and twisting the beads after several minutes of prayer. Jim brought his eyes up for a moment and smiled. Dean knew that he was praying for him and probably for the safety of all of them.

All he had to do was stay awake for a little while longer and then once all of this was over he could sleep. He just had to look at the positives. John had started to play the radio a little louder to help Dean stay awake and focus on something else. Dean was looking out the window, the sun was just starting to rise and he could just start to see past the road. They were hitting a stretch of open road where they were surrounded by fields. John had started to slow down since he was starting to hit curves in the road. Dean was looking out the passenger window trying to focus on the music. Dean saw a solitary figure, just standing in the middle of the field. He partially turned to look behind them. There was nothing there. Dean turned back around thinking he was seeing things.

Dean noticed how silent it was in the car. The music had stopped playing and there was static coming through the radio instead. Dean looked too it and turned it off. They might be out of range. Dean was looking at the field again, he was sure he saw someone out there. The radio turned on again, static coming through again. Dean turned to look at it and then his father. There was no movement from him. 'Dad would have found this odd. He would want to make sure no one was in danger'. Dean thought as he looked to the others in the car as well. They weren't moving either, 'no reaction from two skilled hunters?'. Dean turned back to the field. 'This was a dream, everything is the same as before'. Dean thought as he kept looking for the woman.

The woman in black appeared in the road and the car came to a stop. John opened the door and left the car. It was the first time in a dream that someone else in the dream reacted to her. She walked to the open door and sat in his previously occupied seat. Dean's breathing was shallow and rapid. She sat there for a moment staring at Dean. Her true face was showing, she didn't even try to make herself look different or appealing. She started to reach her hand to his chest. 'My Dean' she said as her hand got closer to his chest. "No, I'm not yours… Diana".

Dean was startled awake. "Dean, are you ok? Dean, talk to me buddy". Dean could hear his father's voice. "Dad?". Dean was confused, one minute he was in a dream with her the next, he is back in the real world in the car with the others. They had never stopped and everyone was reacting. "You with me kiddo?" John asked as he kept his hand on Dean's arm. "Yeah, I was um… I was in a dream with her. The woman in black". The others looked worried at Dean's words. John stopped the car on the side of the road and looked at Dean. "How did you stop her, how did you get out?". John's grip on his arm tightened. "Her name" Dean mumbled. "What?" Sam asked from the back seat. "Her name, I used her name. I think I scared her".