Searching Purgatory [COMPLETED]

Chapter Fourteen

The water wasn't cold like Zoe expected but was luke warm. She waded into the river until it was up to her chest and then she laid on her back and floated, looking up at the cloudy sky.

A thought came to her then and she shot upright. This was Purgatory, home to millions of monsters. What was stopping a sea monster from being in the very body of water that she was in?

She shivered at the thought of the Loch Ness Monster sneaking up on her and decided to start heading back to the beach. She'd just started back when Benny broke through the line of trees, his arms full with sticks and branches. He looked around and, upon realizing that Zoe was no where to be found, dropped the wood, panic spread over his face.

"Zoe," he called as loudly as he dared.

Zoe grinned, considering just watching him panic for a minute, before deciding that that was mean and waving her arms over her head to get his attention. "Over here," she called to him.

His eyes fell on her and she could see the worry leave his face.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it," Zoe said as she stepped onto the bank. "I haven't been swimming in a while and I just couldn't help myself."

Benny grinned. "You sure are something. I doubt any other monster has thought to swim in that water--to afraid of sea monsters."

Zoe shrugged. "That's why I decided to get out, but it was nice while it lasted. When was the last time you went swimming?"

"It's been a while..."

Although Zoe was still cautious about a sea beast hidden beneath the murky water, she held a hand out to him. "Come join me, then."

He raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Come on," she insisted.

"What about those monsters?"

"I'm not going to let a little fear keep me from living my life. However dead I may be." Without waiting for a response, she turned and jumped back into the water.

Benny sighed. If she was gonna go out there, he might as well follow her inside in case something happened. So he shrugged off his clothes and left them on the bank next to Zoe's. He waded into the water and, when he reached Zoe, she flicked water at him.

"I knew you couldn't resist," she teased.

Benny splashed her in response. "I happen to like your life motto."

Zoe swept both hands over the surface of the water, giving Benny an unwanted shower. He spit water from his mouth and wiped his eyes.

"If you can't play with the big dogs," Zoe smirked at him.

Benny grinned and his hands shot out to grab her. Zoe dodged his grasp, a giddy laugh escaping from her. She hurried away from him, splashing water behind her in an attempt to keep him occupied. But Benny had some pretty killer instincts and his arm shot out, wrapping around her waist and pulling her back to him so he could dunk her under the water.

When he pulled her back up, he held her shoulders while she regained her balance. She rubbed her eyes and glared at him. But when she saw the look on his face, she froze. He had on a small smile and he was staring at her with such intensity it made Zoe's heart race.

She meant to ask him what he was staring at, but she didn't get to chance before Benny kissed her.

* * * * * * * * * *

Cassandra's conditions were simple. She required that Sage and Gabriel stay behind and protect her from any harm that may come her way. She also wanted Dean to sign a contract acknowledging that he understood all the risks involved in what was about to happen. It also stated that Cassandra couldn't be held responsible should Dean die and/or loose a couple limbs.

Cassandra--now satisfied knowing that she was fully protected--opened a portal in the back wall and gave Dean strict instructions to be back at this exact location in twelve hours or she'd leave him there for good.

"Why twelve hours?" Dean asked. "The other reaper gave Sam twenty-four."

"I'm not 'the other reaper', sweetheart," Cassandra pouted, putting her fists on her hips. "And I'm not sticking around for that long. In case you didn't notice, I have a business to run. So you have twelve hours and after that, you can kiss sunlight goodbye."

"Yeah, yeah," Dean grumbled, "I got it." He set the alarm on his watch. Even if he missed the twelve hours, he could still get out the way he did last time.

"Well then why are you still here?" Cassandra cried. "You only have fifty-nine minutes and fifty-seven, fifty-six, fifty-five..."

Dean stepped inside and was sucked into Purgatory.

He hated this place and ranked it his second least favorite vacation spot with Hell taking first place. It was dank and boring and smelled of...well, monster. A lot of the monsters down here were here because of him and Sam and they'd all jumped at the chance for revenge the last time Dean had been stuck down here. He kept a tight grip on his angel blade and started forward.

"Think like Zoe," he muttered to himself. His first thought was that she had probably climbed a tree to keep a safe distance between herself and the bloodthirsty monsters prowling down here. But he quickly shoved that idea aside; if she was in a random tree somewhere, he'd never find her.

It occurred to Dean then that Zoe did know some survival skills so she probably knew that, to survive in a hellish wilderness like Purgatory, she would need to find a water source.

Dean looked around. He had never forgotten Purgatory; every memory of the place had been seared into his brain. It took a couple seconds but he began to get an idea of where he was despite the fact that ninety percent of Purgatory looked the exact same. He figured that the body of water nearest him was probably the river. He would go there first since it was probably the most popular source of water in Purgatory.

So, he started in that direction, praying a monster didn't get to Zoe before he did.