(I can't begin to tell you how long I've been working on this fanfic. Heck, I'm still working on it! I didn't think I'd ever really post it, but seeing as how I've been working on this since about 2011, I figured, why not share it? Now that the show is over, I feel like it's time.
Dani is very special to me. By writing her story, she's helped me to reconnect with a part of my ancestry that was almost lost to me. The Cherokee Nation. I apologize in advance for any incorrect aspects of the Cherokees. Like I said, this part of me was almost lost forever and I've had to reconnect with it all on my own, so I'm no expert, but I'm not winging it either.
So, without further ado, I present the first chapter of this fanfic that's grown along with me and the show of Supernatural. I hope you'll come 'Along For the Ride'.)
~ 'Smokin' by Boston (intro song)
~ 'Half Breed' by Shania Twain (or Cher, whichever. If you want to go with the 70s theme of music like Supernatural, listen to Cher's version)
~ 'Danny's Song' by Anne Murray (the song playing on the radio)
~ 'Kiamichi' by Jay Red Eagle
Chapter One
"The Scars of Our Past"
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
May 2006
Never in her nineteen years of life did Dani Callaghan ever think that she'd have to rely on a slingshot to save her life. A baseball bat, yes. A whip, yes. Her own two fists, yes. But a slingshot?
Dani ran as fast as her long legs could carry her while disembodied laughter echoed in the dark forest around her. She tightly clutched the useless slingshot in her left hand as she searched the ground for the baseball bat that had been snatched from her and flung away. Where is it!
"Dani girl! Behind you!" Bobby Singer shouted.
Dani immediately dropped to the ground and felt a rush of wind as a flying object whooshed past her. Not wasting time, Dani flipped onto her back and reached into the pouch at her belt. She placed a ground spinner firework into the slingshot's leather pad and lit the fuse before pulling back the rubber straps. The flying object was coming back for her and this time it was screaming with hunger. "Eat this!" Dani shouted and released the slingshot.
The ground spinner sailed a straight course and met her aim into the mouth of a flying dismembered head. A kanontsistontie. According to Iroquois legend, theywere the spirits of people who were practitioners of cannibalism while they lived. Their severed heads grew bat-like wings and their hunger for human flesh was insatiable due to a lack of stomach. Thanks to Dani's love of folklore, myths, legends, and fairytales, she was already familiar with the legend, and it had saved her and Bobby hours of research and the lives of some young campers who'd been spared a gruesome death. But now those flying heads were after Dani and Bobby instead.
The kanont swallowed the ammo and continued flying for Dani, but just when it was ten feet away, the head exploded. Dani covered her face as bits of flesh and bone rained down. "Dani! I'm out of ammo!" Bobby yelled.
"On it!" Scrambling to her feet, Dani's dark brown gaze happened to spot the fallen baseball bat lying at the foot of a tree a few feet away. She scooped it up and charged towards the older man who was swinging a bat of his own as two other flying heads swerved around him. A small stitch in her side made running uncomfortable but Dani pushed on, closing the distance between her and Bobby.
One head flew at Bobby's front while the other, its skeletal jaws opening and closing with vicious snaps, circled Bobby and came at him from behind. Dani leapt forward and cracked the bat upside the latter head, and it went spiraling away. "Here!" she huffed out of breath as she tossed a ground spinner to Bobby.
With an unearthly yowl, the skull Dani had hit came speeding back to them. Dani readied her slingshot, lit the fuse, took aim, and fired. The head gulped it down and exploded. She reached into her pouch and came up empty. "I'm out. Make it count, Bobby." She lifted the baseball bat and waited.
The third head's flight became a path of twists and turns, making Bobby's attempts to aim nearly impossible. Dani and Bobby never took their eyes off it. Dani's two-handed grip on the bat intensified. Finally, with a blood thirsty yowl, the creature's aimless flying took on a deadly precision and sped towards them. "Ready?" Bobby muttered.
Dani adjusted her feet into a batter's stance. "Yep."
Bobby lit the spinner, took aim, and fired. The head's scream turned into a gag as it chocked on the spinner, but its speed never slowed. "I think the spinner's fuse was a dud. Hit it, Dani!"
Just as the kanontsistontie closed in, Dani swung the bat with all her strength. She felt the reverberations of the impact through the wood. Bobby had been wrong about the fuse being a dud though. The instant Dani's bat made contact with the creature, it exploded with the additional help of her swing. Bits of bone, flesh, rotting brains, and teeth splattered onto Dani's clothes and face.
Bobby let out a victorious whoop. Adjusting his faded and well-worn baseball cap, Bobby turned to Dani with a grin. "Great swing, Dani gi…" The smile dropped from his face and became a grimace. "Oh."
She still held the bat with both hands, frozen with disgust the moment she'd been covered in gore. Smelly fluids dripped from her clothes and a bit of rotted scalp was stuck to Dani's shoulder. Her purple flannel shirt now sported a grey-green tinge to it. She tried not to move her lips too much as she said, "I think some of it got in my mouth."
Bobby scratched the back of his neck. "I think I got an old towel in the truck. You could use it to sit on."
Dani nodded. "'kay… Bobby?"
"Yeah, kid?"
"Get me something clean to wipe my face off, will ya?"
Bobby's lips twitched. "Sure, kid. Comin' right up."
Dani tried to ignore the chuckles she heard once Bobby considered himself a safe enough distance away. To keep herself preoccupied, Dani examined the wooden bat. It was slightly scorched due to the explosion and a small crack split from the top to two inches down. Otherwise, it was still in good condition. Seán Callaghan would have been proud of his daughter's swing.
Dani turned it over in her hands, feeling the grooves and smooth surface. Some writing near the handle caught her eye. In the darkness, it was difficult to make out. She brought the bat closer to her eyes.
Joey
Dani felt her throat close up as ice seeped into her blood and chilled her. Everything seemed to stop all around her. Joey. This was Joey's bat. How could I forget that? He used to practice with this every day. Bobby and Dani had been in a hurry. They'd just grabbed whatever weapons they could find in the house and jumped in Bobby's truck and took off. Dani remembered seeing the bat leaning in a corner of the living room. She'd grabbed it without thinking.
He wanted to be a baseball player.
"Dani girl, what's wrong? It's just muck, you've been covered in worse crap –," Bobby's gaze fell on the bat and the name written in sharpie. "Oh," he breathed.
"Did you find anything?" Dani asked, fighting the tremor in her voice. Bobby saw the white knuckled grip she had on the bat.
"Uh, yeah. Not exactly clean though. It's a rag I use when I'm workin' on the truck's engine. It's got some oil and grease stains on it."
"Better than nothing." Dani held out her left hand for it, still clutching the bat in her right. Bobby handed the rag to her. She wiped furiously at her face until most of the gore was gone. Bobby noticed what looked like tear tracts on her cheeks but said nothing. "Well, Dani said, forcing some enthusiasm into her voice. "Let's get going. There's a hot shower and warm bed calling my name at home."
Bobby's old 1968 Ford F-350 was due for retirement. Dani often joked with him about the run-down vehicle, but he stubbornly continued to tinker with it and somehow managed to keep it alive. When the truck gave a rather audible groan as Bobby was driving them home and Dani made no teasing remark, worry sank deep into Bobby's mind. Instead of placing the filthy baseball bat into the truck bed, Dani had brought it in the truck with her. The endcap of the bat was on the floor and the taper between her legs. One hand rested on the knob.
Bobby side glanced at her. Her face was turned towards the passenger window. Bobby reached over and turned down the radio. "You wanna talk about it?" he asked.
Dani blinked and she glanced back at him before gazing out the window again. "Sure, I guess," she said quietly.
"What's going through your mind?"
"…Guilt. Then I tell myself what you and Uncle Reshen told me. It wasn't my fault."
"You're damn right it wasn't."
"I still feel like it was though. Sometimes – not all the time like I used to, but…" Dani exhaled and shifted in her seat. "I still feel it."
"…Have you heard from Matt?" Bobby asked cautiously.
Dani didn't answer immediately. She swallowed and thumbed the bat's wooden handle. "No," she said. "Haven't heard from him since last year. You?"
"No. And to be honest, Dani girl, I'm not exactly mournful about it."
"I'm not sure whether I want to hear from him again either."
"What your brother did to you – leaving you like that –," Bobby clenched his teeth and stopped himself from completing the sentence.
Dani reached over and gently squeezed his arm. "I'm fine now, Yonu. God delivered me to your door."
Bobby grunted. "Something brought you from hundreds of miles away to my front porch without leaving a trace, that's for sure."
Dani smiled. "Still doubtful that God had a hand in it, Yonu?" Yonu, the Cherokee word for 'bear'. It fit the bearded, gruff man so well.
"Call me paranoid, but in our line of work, nothin is as it seems."
"Amen to that."
The two lapsed into silence. Bobby turned up the radio and they listened to country music for the rest of the drive home.
The headlights of Bobby's truck illuminated the small, cluttered half-porch of Bobby's front door. A faded light blue, three-story house with two brick chimney flues on its right side. The windows on the second and third floors were all boarded up.
Dani sighed. "Bobby, one of these days we are going to have to repaint that house."
"It has character like this," Bobby argued, putting the truck in park.
Dani snorted. "It has a crazy old man, 'hey you kids, get off my lawn,' look. If you start walking around with a cane, I'm sure the image will be complete."
Bobby rolled his eyes and turned off the ignition. An excited barking could be heard from outside. "Sounds like somebody missed us," Dani said, smiling.
"He missed you. You turned my guard dog into a good-for-nothin' pet."
Dani opened her door and stepped out. She leaned in through the open window and gave Bobby a mischievous grin. "What's wrong with that?" she asked and winked before turning away.
Bobby muttered to himself as he got out of the vehicle. "'Beware of dog'. Hmph. Beware of what? Getting' slobbered on?"
Dani went straight for the source of the barking. A large Rottweiler ran at Dani, a thick chain trailing behind him. Once Dani was sure she was within the dog's reach, she dropped to her knees and flung out her arms. "Come 'ere, Rumsfeld!" she called enthusiastically.
Whomp!
Dani was knocked backwards as a load of fur, tongue, and paws collided with her. "Oof!" she groaned. Slobbery doggy kisses rained down on her face as Rumsfeld whined excitedly, unable to keep still. Dani laughed as she shielded her mouth from unwanted dog drool. "All right, settle down, boy," she said, trying to sit up.
Rumsfeld pounced on her again, this time his paws came down on her stomach. Dani let out an agonized cry of pain and immediately the dog backed away, head lowered and looking contrite. Bobby, house keys poised at the door, ran swiftly towards them. Dani lay on the ground, her right arm wrapped protectively around her middle. Bobby dropped to his knees beside her. "Did he bite ya, Dani?"
Dani quickly shook her head and waved her free hand at her abdomen. "He didn't mean to, but he jumped on the bad one," Dani explained, her voice shaky. Rumsfeld whimpered and inched closer, keeping his head low to the ground. Dani, her eyes closed for the moment, twitched her lips to form a small smile. "It's okay, boy. It's okay," she reassured him.
Bobby shook his head. "I shouldn't have taken you with me on the case. It's too soon."
Dani opened her eyes and glared at him. "We're not discussing this again. It's been well over a year. I'm okay."
Bobby scoffed and gestured at her prone position. "Oh, obviously."
Dani gingerly sat up. "Rumsfeld did this – just now. Not while I was on a case."
"You're still in pain."
"Only when particular scars are touched. It's fine otherwise. I'm fine." To emphasize her point, Dani stood to her feet, arm still wrapped around herself, but otherwise looking confident. She glared down at him, daring him to contradict her. Bobby rose to his full height or five feet and eleven inches and made it his point to look down at her. Dani, being only graced with five feet and eight inches, did not appreciate this. "Let's just get inside. I want to wash off this gunk and try to salvage this shirt."
Turning on her heel, Dani marched towards the house. She didn't slow down as she grabbed the doorknob and gave it a twist, expecting the door to open. It didn't. Dani smacked into it with an 'oof'. Fully embarrassed, she waited a few seconds before looking back at Bobby who'd seen it happen. Dani nodded and compressed her lips into a thin line. "Very solid door," she remarked followed up with a haughty sniff. Immediately her face crumpled into disgust. "Oh my – gah! Bobby! Open the door, I have got to wash this stuff off!"
In the bathroom, Dani carefully pealed off her gore-soaked clothes. She grimaced as she removed her stained cami. Standing before the mirror in only her bra and panties, Dani couldn't help but survey her body for any further damage. Not that it would have mattered since her tanned skin was littered with scars. A few on her back gave dull throbs as punishment for her exertion on the case. These scars did not bother Dani too much. The one that did was the one Rumsfeld had landed on.
It was an ugly, savage-looking wound that was as wide as her index finger and nearly wrapped all the way around her middle. Dani had gotten this scar at the same time as her facial scars and the ones that covered her arms, legs, chest, and back. A few of the scars still caused Dani discomfort whenever the weather changed or if touched in the wrong spots due to nerve damage. But her abdominal scar was the worst. Every time she saw it, Dani was reminded of looking down and seeing her flesh ripped open and exposed organs – her organs. The pain – the blinding pain and blood…
Blood everywhere…My blood all over me and Joey's all over the dirt… Blood all over me then just like now…Blood all over me now, blood all over me now, blood all over me now!
Dani gasped and felt her legs give out. Her knees hit the floor painfully and she doubled over, chest heaving. Her silver cross dangled from her neck, twitching from the sudden change in movement.
Blood all over me now, blood all over me – Joey! Joey, I'm so sorry – I'm so sorry! I –
Stop. Think. This isn't your blood, Dani.
The still small voice that broke into Dani's panic induced thoughts caused her to slow her breathing in order to hear it more clearly.
Look at yourself. It's not your blood and it's not Joey's either. It's the creature's blood. You're okay. Say it."
"I'm okay," Dani whispered.
Again.
"I'm okay." She repeated it over and over several times until she calmed her heart and could breathe in slow, measure inhalations.
Get up. You're okay, Dani.
"I'm okay," she repeated a final time and stood from the floor. A knock on the bathroom door got her attention.
"Dani girl?" Bobby called. "I heard a bump from downstairs. Was that you?"
Dani winced. He'd heard her fall to her knees. The concern was detectable in his voice. "I'm fine, Yonu," she responded loud enough for Bobby to hear through the door. "Just tripped while stepping out of my jeans."
"All right," Bobby acknowledged.
Dani heard him walking away and then she turned to the mirror. She wrinkled her nose in revulsion. There was gore spattered in her dark brown tresses. Running her fingers through her hair, Dani heard something small drop to the floor. Something off-white glinted on the tile. Bending down to look, Dani felt her mouth fall open when she recognized what it was. A cry of repulsion escaped her.
Bobby noisily ran back up the stairs and banged on the door. "Dani, what is it!"
She picked up the object and shuddered. "I had a tooth in my hair!"
(It's a short chapter, I know, but hopefully it's piqued your interest. At the end of the chapters, I'll list the pronunciation of Cherokee words Dani uses for you. Feel free to ask me any questions or leave a review! I hope to post another chapter soon. Until next time, Dear Readers.)
Yonu – (yō-năh)