Chapter Five: The Camping Trip
Present day…
It was evening when we finally pulled up to this clearing the kids had told us about, it was easy to spot thanks to the trash left behind. While they'd cleaned up a bit, they'd left things behind like the claw marked cooler and there was a dark spot on the ground where they'd had a fire. Dean got the stuff out of the trunk, working right away on making the ground properly while I wandered off into the trees, not too far, as per his instructions, to gather firewood. If we were smart, we'd have picked up a bag from a nearby gas station, but Dean was against paying for what we could get for free. I hadn't planned to pay for it either, not after how much that hoodoo shop cost me, but apparently he drew the line at entering a life of crime with me. Who would miss one ten dollar bag of wood?
Dean wasn't really one for camping, or setting up camp for that matter. As far as he was concerned, we do the job, kill this thing and go home. Why sleep in the woods, or even the car, when there were comfy motel beds, prepaid waiting for us less than an hour away? So it was on my hands and knees I sat, building a campfire I lit with lighter fluid and skin mag I found in Lex's duffle bag last time I was doing laundry. As disturbing as it was, at least I knew he had good taste. God, I was beginning to sound like Dean. Tearing out another page, I scrunched it into a ball and added it to the pile under my stick teepee.
''You could have handed that to me, you know,'' Dean joked, standing beside me with his hands in the pockets of his big leather jacket. Shaking my head, I tore out the page with the centrefold on it and tossed that in too.
''I don't care what he does, I'm familiar with being a teenager, I just don't wanna know what he's into, that's a private thing between him and God. Or worse, walk in on him with the magazine out. At least under the bedsheets with his imagination he can pretend he's asleep, it's hard to argue that with a torch out,'' I explained and Dean snorted.
''For what it's worth, I think you're a cool mom,'' he told me, squatting down beside me. ''You're doing a good job all things considered.''
''Mom,'' I said softly, feeling the word out in my mouth. ''Never heard anyone call me that before. It would have been nice, I think.''
''Sometimes it's not about the word, Katie, just the job you do,'' he told me, leaning down to press a kiss to my crown. ''Gross, you smell like smoke.''
''Oh gee, I wonder why that could be,'' I said, taking a page out of Lex's book and rolling my eyes.
Standing up now the fire was at no risk of going out, I offered Dean a hand and we walked over to his car, opening the two doors on our side and resting on the leather seats. I heard the popping sound of a cap coming off a bottle and almost jumped when something cold touched my arm. Dean offered me a bottle of Del Sol, and I accepted it greatly. We'd probably be out here for a while, waiting for this thing to show up, but at least we'd be able to smell it in advance. Hopefully it showed, I didn't want to spend several nights out here. Plus, the longer we went without me having something spooky to gank gave my mind time to wander, and that was never a good thing. I was always worrying about Alex, wondering when fate would catch up with us, how to fight it off, if I could stave things off permanently.
Many years ago…
Slamming my fist down on the arcade machine just next to the joy stick, I cried out in frustration. It didn't seem to matter how hard I played, how many quarters I wasted on this damn thing, I couldn't seem to beat the stupid high score on this thing. How could this WINCHEST guy be so good at Space Invaders anyway? He must have spent the whole day in here, and I only got the evening. Sighing, I put another quarter into the slot and started again. I had all night. Pressing the buttons rapidly, I tried to fire shots faster than the game would allow, surely if I just hit the buttons hard enough, I could get it.
''Looks like you could use a break,'' some guy said behind me and I turned over my shoulder at the sound of the voice. There was an adult guy standing behind me, friendly yet slightly threatening smile directed my way. ''You keep trying so hard and you'll burn yourself out, get so mad you start making mistakes.''
''What would you know about it?'' I huffed, turning back to the game at hand. If I wasn't careful, I'd die on level one.
''Oh, I'm pretty much an expert on human emotions,'' he said, and his footsteps made it sound like he was coming closer. Watching him out of the corner of my eye, I took my attention off the game. He seemed to stand there, watching as I played, hands casually in his pockets. When it came time to put in the next quarter so I could keep progressing in the game, I felt a hand around my bicep as I reached for my wallet.
''Hey, what are you doing?'' I demanded, turning to try and shove his hand off. He smacked my hand easily out of the way and grabbed my other bicep, throwing me towards the floor. My head bounced off the corner of the arcade machine and it was filled with a splitting pain. I could feel hot liquid on the side of my head, and him dragging me across the floor, out of the way of the door.
He got up, leaving me clutching my head on the floor as he walked towards the motel's arcade room door and closed it shut. The door gave an eerie creek as it did and I watched him take a chair and slide it under the handle to the door. Something super bad was probably about to happen to me, and if I didn't do anything, it would for sure. Trying to push myself up off the floor, I watched him stalk over to me, a menacing look on his face as he chuckled at my attempts. He squatted down beside me as I struggled, chuckling all the way, and looking like he was amused. Creepy old bastard.
''Do you know who you are, little one?'' he asked and I blinked at him.
''You didn't hit me that hard,'' I replied and he laughed again.
''You're very important, you just don't know it yet,'' he told me, grabbing my biceps again and yanking me towards him. He unfastened my jeans and then flipped me onto my face, pulling my pants down with one hand, pinning me to the ground with the other.
There was a sharp pain between my legs, and I screamed the whole time. Even when he was done, walking towards the door and moving the chair, I cried as I lay on the floor. He hadn't left yet, he was just standing by the door, staring at me. With the little strength I had left, I looked back at him, smirking as he stood there. For a split second as I watched him in the dark, I swore his eyes flashed black, but in a second, it was back to normal. It must have been a trick of the light. Pushing off the ground, I pulled my pants up. Walking on shaky legs, I moved to approach him, he couldn't get away with this. I might not have been able to fight before, but my head wasn't hurting as bad now, maybe I could just hurt him enough that he wouldn't be able to move before my parents got back. Then they'd take care of him. The hunt couldn't last that long, could it?
''Ah ah ah, little one, I know what you're thinking, and you can't overpower me. I'd demonstrate, but I wouldn't want to harm the baby,'' he said, wagging a teasing finger at me.
''The baby?'' I asked and he smirked, nodding.
''I told you, you were special,'' he replied, stepping out the door and vanishing into the night.
Slowly staggering, I made my way back to our motel room, the pain between my legs wasn't as sharp, but it was still there. Plus, there was kind of a crusty feeling between my legs, and I wanted to understand why. Going into our bathroom, I dropped my pants, finding my panties filled with drying blood. Well, that explained that. God there was so much of it, I'd barely been wearing my jeans for long, but they were soaked through both sides of the denim. Okay, I'll be the first to admit, I was out of my depth here. Running for the phone by the bed, I dialled the number my parents had left me before they headed out with this strange man.
Present day…
Dean sighed again, and I was starting to get frustrated. It was like he had no idea that waiting was a large part of our job. At least we were over the research stage of things, because while we had extensive notes and help from others, it took a long time and it was boring work. Heavy is the head that wears the hunters hat and all that. I couldn't understand why Lex wanted so badly to do the job, my mother had tried her best to give me a normal life, and so desperately wanted that. What I wouldn't give to own a little garage somewhere, an attached apartment or house with a little vegetable garden, wardrobes full of clothes that weren't stolen. Money that was mine, that I earned and paid tax on rather than notes I'd hustled or committed credit card fraud to get. Why were we always the ones who had to do this job? Did we not get a break? Deserve the same things everyone else took for granted? Maybe I should have gone into hiding with Lex, but the smartest choice seemed to be keeping on the move.
''You ever wanted to do anything else? Have a different job?'' I asked and Dean considered this for a moment, tilting his head from side to side.
''When I was a kid I wanted to be a fireman, but that was before I understood the job,'' he told me and I nodded.
''I always thought I'd quite like to be a mechanic,'' I told him and he nodded approvingly.
''Of course, chicks that work on cars are hot,'' he said and I laughed. ''Next time you're at Bobby's we should go under the Impala together. Give her a tune up.''
''I don't know, not a lot of room for the work I like to do,'' I joked, winking at him and he laughed. ''Man, this is taking forever. You bring a deck of cards? We coulda played strip poker.''
''I don't think that works with two people, but I like your style,'' he said and then turned. ''We think that thing might be attracted by people having a good time, right? Didn't those kids say they invited the girls to get laid?''
''I mean, I think they would have settled for making out but yeah, do you think there's a sexual element? Goat man's a massive perv?'' I said and he snorted. ''It's worth a shot, worst comes to the worst we at least helped pass the time.''
''Exactly,'' he agreed, standing up and closing his door behind him.
He walked over and picked me up swiftly, narrowly avoiding smacking my head off the ceiling of the car. Dropping me down in his lap, he kissed me enthusiastically. It was hard to keep my attention on the fire he was kissing me so well. He seemed to memorise everything I liked very quickly, as he always had, and was intent on giving it to me in order to get his own satisfaction. Pulling away from my lips he stood, shifting our positions so I was on the seat and he was crouched in front of me.
''You think you can keep an eye out for me, be a good girl?'' He asked, dropping to his knees in the dirt.
''What are you planning?'' I laughed, scooting forwards on the leather so my ass was only just on it.
''Trust me, you'll like it,'' he said, reaching towards the waist of my jeans. He unfastened the button and fly before he tugged my jeans down to my knees, panties coming with them. ''But I need you to keep an eye out, we are at work.''
''Got it, chief,'' I said with a mock salute.
He delved forwards, shifting my hips slightly with his large hands to give himself a better angle. His tongue sliced through my folds, searching delicately for my clit. Once he found it he alternated between sucking it between his teeth, and gently tugging at it and licking it expertly. I whined, tilting my head back just slightly as I tried to give myself to this moment while also watching for the goatman. So far there weren't any lurking figures that I could see, nothing to indicate we'd attracted him. Maybe he simply didn't like this spot. After all, the last people that were here stabbed him.
Dean brought his hand under my thigh, curving it up until he found my dripping cunt. His fingers slipped inside to give me both hand and mouth action. Forgetting about Goatman completely, I let my head hang all the way back, chest pointing towards the roof of the car. My legs shook as I came and he diligently worked me through. He stood in front of me, staring down at me as I breathed heavily, body jerking and twitching occasionally. I reached out for him, desperate for a little more attention from him. He helped me to my feet, taking my spot on the edge of the backseat so I could stare out the opposing window as he looked behind me. Taking a seat on his lap, he helped me push my jeans out of the way so I could climb onto his hard cock. Reaching beneath us, I unfastened his jeans and pulled him out, ready to ride him for the sake of the hunt. And myself of course.
Rocking my hips forwards I felt Dean's hands grip the undersides of my thighs, ready to raise and drop me down on his lap. He thrust his own hips up and I tried very hard to match his tempo throughout the pleasure. Screwing my eyes shut, I rested my forehead on Dean's shoulder. He was breathing heavily in my ear, clearly putting as much energy into fucking me as he did when he was standing by a headstone and digging up someone's grave. My own breaths were few and far between, I was almost wheezing like an asthmatic. Despite the smell of sweat and various other bodily fluids, something else caught my nose's attention. A cold sweat travelled down my back, skin getting covered in goosebumps, and the hairs on my body stood on end. It took everything I had, but I pried my head off Dean's shoulder and opened my eyes a crack.
''Dean,'' I cried out, tapping my hand on his shoulder.
''That's it baby,'' he encouraged, not seeming to notice what I had.
''It's him,'' I said, throwing myself off his lap. I hit the dirt with a dull thud and struggled to pull my pants back up my legs. Dean looked behind him and saw himself staring back at us through the car. Pushing up out of the dirt I ran around the back of the Impala.
''Don't let him get away,'' he cried out, running around the front of his car.
''D o n ' ,'' it replied, voice distorted and juddery. It sounded like Dean, but not quite. Dean made it behind the thing and I saw my moment to act.
''Come here you son of a bitch,'' I said, leaping forwards to tackle him to the ground. We hit the dirt with a cloud of loose dust flying everywhere. Swinging my hand down, I punched !notDean in the jaw, crying out in pain when it felt like my fist collided with solid bone.
'' ,'' it repeated in my own voice, again, shaky and wrong sounding. Its image flickered and for a second I saw the bare chest of a man and the skull of a goat. Well, that explains the shooting pain in my fingers.
A metallic slam sounded and I glanced up to see Dean skidding through the dirt to my side brandishing a large machete. In one swift swing, he sliced its head clean off and the body beneath my thighs shifted back to its original form. There was a spurt of blood, spraying over me and I screwed my eyelids shut to avoid it coming into contact with my eyes. I was pretty sure monsters couldn't give you any blood borne diseases, but you could never be too sure. Wiping my face with my sleeve, I opened my eyes, looking down at the bloody scene beneath me. Dean offered me a hand up and I took it, using my other hand to grab the horned skull.
''Well, that was easier than expected,'' he said and I scoffed, breathing heavily as I continued to wipe the blood from my face.
''We still have to do this stupid ritual thing,'' I said, walking around the side of the car to the circle Dean had carved in the dirt. Throwing some dried white sage on the fire, I crouched, enjoying the smell compared to the ozone that had filled the area. Dean came over, leatherbound book in his hand and bag of other ritual herbs at the ready. Leaving him with the skull and to start reading, I went for the carved bones in our box of goodies. Goodbye goatman.
Alex POV
My stomach hurt. As bad as I felt about what I was doing, about what I'd said earlier, I had to know what was going on. And if Katie wouldn't tell me, like I strongly suspected she wouldn't, then I'd have to find out on my own. Dad wasn't hard to track down, not with the internet skills I'd been finely tuning since Katie had first let me see a computer. And old people were never real good at covering their trail, despite what they seemed to think. Plus, Pastor Jim filled me in a little. He seemed thrilled Katie had decided to reconcile with him, gave me everything I needed to find him, even if that wasn't the real reason I was looking.
Katie's keys jingled in my hands as I tossed them up and down. Boy, she was so going to regret teaching me to drive her Chevelle. Heading over to the powder blue muscle car with racing stripes, I unlocked the door, tossing my bag on the passenger seat. To the open road, Montana awaits. Driving on my own was long and boring, more long and boring than when Katie drove. Maybe it was because I was going the speed limit. Or because I didn't have her old people's music blaring in the background. Or because I missed her… I hadn't really had any contact with anyone except her and job people my whole life, and I wasn't allowed to talk to job people for very long. It was thirteen hours from Nebraska to Montana, and longer still to get to the beatnik town my dad was holed up in. Still, I was thrilled he wasn't halfway across the country. Katie probably would have found me by then. In fact, I didn't even want to pull into a motel to get some rest, not if it meant she had time to catch up to me before I found what I was looking for. Gas. I'd stop for gas and only gas.
It struck me as a little odd, why did this Dean guy know more about me than I did? Why did she tell him? And why was she napping in his room? Was he dating my sister? Gross. At least him calling his dad had proved beneficial. How come his dad let him go hunting but Katie wouldn't let me? And what's this about him trying to kill me? I doubted that was true, he's my dad. Maybe that's just what she was going to tell me to throw me off the scent. Maybe he wanted my mother to have an abortion or something and it just all got twisted. Yeah, that had to be it. I mean, I was a late baby. Katie was significantly older than me, almost old enough to be my own mother if she'd had a teen pregnancy. Hell, it was hard enough for Katie to raise me on the road, I'd consider getting one if I'd gotten my wife knocked up. I couldn't blame him for that, it's not like he did it.
Evening shifted to night and night shifted to the early hours of the morning before I made it even close to town. When I did I decided I was going to ignore my only stopping for gas rule and get a few hours of shuteye at the first motel I found.
The clerk looked up at me from the desk, raising a manicured eyebrow at me. I'm sure Katie said something about lamination but I thought that was something you did to paper, not your eyebrows. She must have gotten confused. The clerk's name was Rosanne, she was a less than cheerful looking middle aged woman with a brown buzz cut revealing an ever so slight stubble of curls. It always surprised me how women with curly hair wanted straight hair, women with straight hair wanted curly hair. Wasn't there some kind of happy middle ground? I liked my straight hair. Although I don't know where I got it from, because Katie, and by the photos I'd seen of my mother, both had curly hair. Perhaps my dad's short back and sides didn't actually conceal his loose curls, maybe he had straight hair just like me.
''Two queens,'' I blurted out at the overnight receptionist out of habit. She looked at me and around me. Damn it. Okay, I had to play like Katie was waiting outside in the car. I could always get one of her spare IDs from the car if I needed to pretend.
''Uh, you're a little young to be renting a room here by yourself,'' she said and I smiled, trying to appear relaxed. Shit shit shit.
''Uh, I'm not alone. My older sister's outside. Let me book the room this time so I could learn some responsibility. I wanted to,'' I said and she nodded, looking sceptical. This woman had no time for anything. Why? I didn't know. It's not like she had a rush of customers.
''Right, make you feel like a big boy,'' she said, almost smirking. It was like she didn't believe a word I was saying. Quick. I had to think of something. ''Listen sir, without an adult I'm afraid I can't…'' she said and I pulled a wad of cash out of my pocket, putting it down on the countertop in front of her.
''It's mister Way. Gerard Way,'' I said and she took the pile of cash, taking some for herself before she opened the cash drawer and put the rest in their correct spots. ''And I'm eighteen.''
''Sure you are, kid. Well mister Way, all seems to be in order, enjoy your stay,'' she said, handing me a room key. I smiled at her, heading out of the motel office before she could change her mind.
Wow, this hunting thing was easy. Thank god Katie kept so much cash in the food fund, otherwise I'd be toast. It was surprising, actually, how well I slipped into this work. Seems like Katie had nothing to be worried about. She'd had no right to doubt me, I was doing just fine. There wasn't anything I couldn't tackle. While I was here, I might even see if there was a job I could do. That'd show her.
Strolling into my room, I tossed my bag on one of the beds. Katie always took the closest by the door, so I dumped my bag on that one and flopped down on the other. It didn't seem to matter that she wasn't here, I was still operating like she was. My stomach grumbled and I thought about that gas station burrito I'd gotten hours ago. I thought about the money I'd given the receptionist and my stomach rumbled again. Perhaps it wasn't smart to give her all the money I had. Sighing, I stood up, walking towards the door. I'd seen Katie swipe food countless times, I'm sure it wouldn't be that hard. I'd just have to remember misdirection. And figure out how to get fuel money since I had nothing left and had to somehow get back to Nebraska before Katie got too mad. Maybe she'd wire me some money if I called her once I'd met my dad.
Montana was cold, I'd been here once before, but it was summer. I wasn't expecting to feel this much of a chill, but it was too late to go back to the motel for a coat. Shrugging my hoodie around me tighter, I stuffed my hands in my pockets for warmth. My breath came out as visible puffs of steam in the icy air. The ground crunched underfoot as the frozen gravel broke apart from the collective sheet that had formed. Glancing behind me, I felt my hackles go on edge. Something seemed off, I couldn't put my finger on it, but it seemed like there was always someone behind me, waiting just out of sight. It was probably nothing, I just felt like there was danger lurking in the shadows because I was away from Katie for the first time ever.
Main POV
Furrowing my brow as we pulled into the motel parking lot, dirty and sweaty as the morning sun began to rise, I wondered just where the hell my car was. Glancing around, I noticed the lot was desolate. Something wasn't right. I knew I should have checked in on him before we went to the woods. Damn it.
''Uh, Lex allowed to drive your car?'' Dean asked, also noting the absence of a Chevy Chevelle. I shook my head. ''Crap.''
''Crap indeed,'' I said with a sigh, throwing my head back in the seat. I was so tired. ''Let me call Pastor Jim, he'll probably know, those two are pretty close.''
''Alright, I'll go inside, pack all our stuff, give me your motel key,'' he said and I pulled it from my pocket as he tossed me his cell phone. It's a pity I couldn't order a cell trace, otherwise I'd just track him myself. The phone rang a few times before someone picked up, happy to hear from Dean.
''Actually pastor, it's me, Katie, Alex has my phone,'' I said, feeling frustrated already. ''Listen, has Lex checked in with you recently? He's gone missing.''
''Katie, I thought he was with you. He got your father's address, said you wanted to reconcile, said you'd asked him to call,'' he said and I swore. He made a noise of disapproval like a scolding father with their kid. ''Katie.''
''Sorry pastor,'' I said, shaking my head. ''Right, can you text it to Dean? We're going to have to go after him, he's gonna kill him.''
''Katie, it's been a long time, I'm sure…'' he stared but I shook my head.
''No offence Jim, but you don't know him like I do, you weren't there, you don't know just how serious he was. I gotta go, if you hear from him, stall,'' I said and hung up the phone. Slamming my hand on the dash, I saw Dean walking out of his room and into mine. Fucking hell. Jumping out of the car, I jogged into Lex and I's motel room. ''He's gone to Montana.''
''Call my dad, he's on a job near there, he can get there before us, tell him I said to call,'' he told me and I started holding down the speed dial on Dean's phone. Fucking hell, Lex, why now?
''Dean, how'd it go?'' John said, sounding just as scary as the last time I'd spoken to him. He'd been nothing but nice to me, but he was very much the military type.
''It's Katie, listen I don't have a lot of time. Lex has gone to Montana to find my step dad, he's going to kill him. You're closer, we're leaving Nebraska now, but I need someone to protect him,'' I said, trying my best not to sound frantic. God, if he harmed a hair on his head I'd kill him myself. ''He's driving a powder blue Chevy Chevelle with white stripes on the hood. I'll text through the plates, but he might have ditched them. I'll send the address Pastor Jim gave me, please John, don't let him kill him. Do what you have to do, you have my permission as his legal guardian to tie him up and suspend him from the ceiling if you have to. Keep him safe.''
''I'm on my way. I'll call when I find him,'' he said and hung up promptly after. Dean climbed into the Impala with a slam of the door, pulling out of his space immediately. He seemed to realise he still had the more keys and rolled down the driver's side window. Tossing them out as we passed the reception office, he peeled out of the parking lot, driving as fast as he could to the interstate. He turned to me, looking me over.
''What did my dad say?'' He asked and I bit my lip. God, I just wanted to cry. I kept a lid on it, there was no way Dean could handle tears if he couldn't cope with a single hug.
''He's on his way,'' I said and he nodded, turning his eyes back to the road. ''Dean…''
''That's good,'' he said, nodding slowly. ''Katie, don't worry. Dad's gonna find him, he'll keep him safe. It's what we do, hunting things, protecting people. Why don't you lay down, try to get some sleep so you'll be rested when we get there.''
''No, there's no way,'' I said and he nodded, glancing between me and the road. He knew, he offered but he knew. If this was Sam, I doubt he'd be able to sleep either. That was the burden of love.
''Do you wanna drive a bit?'' He asked and I nodded. He took a hand off the wheel, scooting further over on the bench seat. ''Here, go ahead.''
Sliding across the chair, I slid under his arm that was resting on the headrest of the back seat. Moving my legs towards the pedals, I felt him move his feet away, letting me take over. He kept his arm around me as I sat there, worrying in silence about my little boy. The early morning shifted to outright day, and it wasn't until noon that we heard from John. Dean's phone rang and he answered it instantly, holding it between us so I could hear.
''Alright, I got to town and your car is parked outside the Belmont Motor Inn. I checked, he's still inside. He's sleeping at the moment, I'll keep watch for now, how close are you guys?'' He told us and I relaxed. At least if he was sleeping he was safe. Hopefully he hadn't made contact, or John would have to but I'm all guns blazing to keep my stepdad from murdering Lex.
''We're a couple hours out, maybe one and a half if we step on it,'' Dean told him and I pushed my foot further down on the pedal. The car gave a hearty rev, shooting faster across the black tarmac. ''Okay, we've stepped on it.''
''Call me when you get to town, I'll keep you posted,'' He said, hanging up again. Brevity is the soul of wit and all that, but god damn. From what I remembered, he didn't talk much. Just stood there scaring the piss out of me.
''Okay, okay that's good. He's not made contact as far as we know, we can still get there in time, we have time,'' Dean assured me and I shook my head. ''Katie…''
''He's done this now, I don't think there's a way I can stop him from trying it again. I'm going to have to tell him the truth. It'll keep him safe from my stepdad, but it's going to put him in danger for everything else,'' I said and he turned to me. Swallowing, I silently begged him to say something different, for him to come up with an alternative.
''Katie, are you sure?'' He asked and I shook my head.
''No,'' I replied worriedly. ''I'm not sure about any of this. God, if I could just do it all again…''
''You'd have done the same, don't try to play it different, you did what you did to protect him, you couldn't have done it any better,'' he told me and I shook my head, feeling a tear roll down my cheek. Maybe I couldn't, but I wished I could. He deserved so much better than I could give him.