The Unknown

Family business

Chapter 15

Sam and I sat off to the side as we watched Dean teach Haley how to set up Anasazi protection symbols. Dean walked over after saying something stupid to Roy and he sat down across from Sam, his shoulder pressing up against my own and I could feel his jacket sticking to my humid and sweaty skin. "You wanna tell me what's going on in that freaky head of yours?" I looked over and saw that he was talking to Sam, who looked up at him "Dean-" I chewed on the dead skin near my thumbnail and tried to focus on something else "No, you're not fine. You're like a powder keg, man, it's not like you. I'm supposed to be the belligerent one, remember?"

There was a long pause and I bit my lip not knowing if I should get up and leave or not, Dean put his hand on my thigh out of instinct and I felt my heart race "Dad's not here. I mean, that much we know for sure, right? He would have left us a message, a sign, right?" Dean ran his free hand down his face "Yeah, you're probably right. Tell you the truth, I don't think Dad's ever been to Lost Creek." He removed his hand and I looked away again to hide my very evident blush, it was new to be touched that way. I was never allowed a boyfriend or a friend in that way and so the feeling of his heated hand on my thigh felt, in a way. Nice. 

"Then let's get these people back to town and let's hit the road. Go find Dad. I mean, why are we still even here?" I recoiled back at Sam's sentence and felt my heart drop into my stomach "what? Sam-" Dean gently squeezed my thigh as if to say "I got this" Sam's eyes locked with mine and I quickly looked away as they began to tear up. He knew how I felt about this hunt and how badly we needed to find that girl's brother. Dean held out their dad's journal "this is why" I looked over at him "This book. This is Dad's single most valuable possession—everything he knows about every evil thing is in here. And he's passed it on to us. I think he wants us to pick up where he left off. You know, saving people, hunting things. The family business."

If I wasn't so upset with Sam at the moment, I probably would have laughed at the way Dean looked while explaining that. I stood up and walked over to where Haley was fixing up her tent. She looked up at me and gave me a small smile "thank you for helping us..I still have no idea what's actually going on" I bit my lip "just know that we're going to find your brother alive" she set down one of the poles and wrapped her arms around my waist. I was never a hugger, but this felt nice so I gently hugged her back. We talked for a minute and she introduced me to her little brother Ben, who I didn't really get to meet. 

I told her about my older brother and how he was before he died. I told her why this means so much to me and why I'm determined to find her brother. I felt eyes on us and looked over to see Dean and Sam watching the three of us. I looked away and kept the conversation, until we all heard the screaming again "help! Please!" I quickly looked over at Dean who had his gun ready and was already standing "help!" The scream was so convincing that I desperately wanted to help whoever it was. I closed my eyes and counted to ten as Sam shined his flashlight out towards the wooded area. My eyes opened as Dean told everyone "he's trying to draw us out. Just stay cool, stay put" 

"Inside the magic circle?" I looked over at Roy and glared "if you want to live, I suggest you listen to him" he looked at me and squinted, he was going to say something before he was cut off again "help! Help me!" The screaming was followed by what sounded like growling. Roy pointed his gun at the sound once he heard it "okay, that's no grizzly" "no shit" I mumbled under my breath and looked around cautiously. Haley gently held onto her brother "it's okay, you'll be alright, I promise" something rushed past her and she shrieked. I looked over quickly and muttered "dean?" 

Sam looked around "it's here" Roy stupidly started shooting at the rustling "I hit it!" He runs after what he thinks he hit and my eyebrows shoot up "Roy wait!" I held out my hand as Dean yelled "Roy, no! Roy!" Dean turned to the three of us "don't move" and both Dean and Sam rushed after Roy as I held a burning stick and kept the three of us in a circle. My heart was pounding through my chest, it was like I could hear Roy's neck snapping and I closed my eyes tightly. I stood with Dean and the two siblings as we fixed up the tents a bit, my hands were shaking slightly "I don't..i mean, these types of things, they aren't supposed to be real" I looked at her.

"Well they are" Dean gave me a warning look "I wish I could tell you different" she looked at him "how do you know it's not out there watching us" she had a fearful look in her eyes and made sure Ben was close to her "we don't. But we're safe for now" I was sure that didn't make her feel any better "how do you guys know about this stuff?" I looked at Dean as he looked down at me "kind of runs in the family" "which I'm not a part of, let's make that one clear" she seemed confused as Sam walked over, Sam who I was avoiding. "Hey" Haley stood up after helping me put the tent rod in place "so we've got half a chance in daylight. And I for one want to kill this evil son of a bitch" 

I stood up and brushed off my jeans "well, helin you know I'm in" the two look at me and I shrug "to get her brother back, that's why I'm in" I locked eyes with Sam again and he knew I was pissed off. He coughs slightly and shows the page about the wendigo to Haley and Ben and proceeds to explain to them what it is. Dean gently grabs my wrist and pulls me over to the stump that Sam was sitting at "alright spill, what's up with you and Sam" I let out a breath "this case just reminds me of Anthony and he knows that. He knows that and all of a sudden he doesn't want to do this case because it's pointless" 

I felt my heart racing slightly "you know he just wants to find our dad" "I know that, but your dad seems alive to me if he keeps sending you on a wild goose chase, what's next..another ghost?" He rubbed the back of his neck and nodded "if you want to get dropped off here, just let me know..you don't have to tag along" I bit my lip "I want to help you find your dad, but these cases..you understand that it's what we do" he nodded and we walked back over to the three just in time to hear Haley ask "and then how do we stop it?" "Oh well guns are useless, so are knives-" Dean held up a can of lighter fluid, the beer bottle and a white cloth he picked up. 

"Where did you get that?" I squinted at the cloth and he shrugged "does it matter?" "Well I mean no, it's just convenient that you found that out here" "well we gotta torch this sucker". We all end up walking through the forest, Dean gently holding my wrist and the handmade Molotov cocktail in his other hand. Haley was in the back by Sam and Ben and we passed a tree with blood and claw marks. Later in the day Sam made his way up to the front "Dean" he let go of my wrist and ran up to Sam "what is it?" I caught up to them and looked at the broken and bloody trees. "You know, I was thinking, those claw prints, so clear and distinct. They were almost too easy to follow" I nodded slowly before hearing growling, I looked up as did the others before hearing a soft gasp. 

We looked down and ran over to Haley and then seeing Roy's corpse on the ground in front of her "oh gross" I covered my face and backed up slightly "you okay? You got it?" Sam examined Haley "his neck broke" Dean looked down at Roy and I walked over to him "yeah it looks that way" soon there was more growling and it sounded closer "Okay, run, run, run, run, go, go, go!" He held onto my wrist and we were ahead of them all, Ben seemed to fall and Haley and Sam stopped to help him up. We come to a stop and there it is, in front of us. I screamed loudly and soon everything went black.