Stranger

Chapter 7

Nevaeh wakes up to Dean slapping her knee. He's the first thing she sees. She rubs at her eyes and yawns, looking out the window. "Lost Creek, Colorado," Dean answers the questioning look on her face. She looks at him with her eyes squinted, still adjusting to the sunlight. Theo's the first thought that comes to mind. A few hours away from home.

"I bet you feel like you're in heaven," Dean grins.

She rolls her eyes, "more like hell," she says and gets out of the car, nudging him out of the way. As much as she wants to play along with his joke, she also doesn't want him thinking that they're all good. Holding grudges is one of Nevaeh's many attributes.

She plops a piece of gum into her mouth and walks into the cabin.

"Watchu' find?" Nevaeh asks Sam as she steps in, looking around. The cabin smells aromatic and crisp, with a hint of coffee. "Good mornin'," Nevaeh offers a sympathetic smile. Sam glances back with a tight smile back, but it doesn't reach his eyes. She purses her lips, walking away. She had no idea how much Sam's girlfriend actually meant to him. Now she does. Since that night, Sam just sulks around. So unlike the Sam she knows. And she hates it. So much.

"So," Sam looks around, "Blackwater ridge is pretty remote. It's cut off by these canyons here," he walks over to the map displayed on the table and Nevaeh follows. "Rough terrain, dense forest , abandoned silver and gold mines all over the place-"

"Dude, check out the size of this friggin' bear."

Nevaeh and Sam both turn to Dean, who obviously wasn't listening.

A moment of silence passes before Nevaeh replies snidely as if talking to a toddler, "Duh, Dean, bears are pretty big."

"No, really?" Dean starts sarcastically, "because-"

Nevaeh rolls her eyes and folds her arms with an exasperated look as if preparing herself for his shit before Sam interrupts them both.

"And a dozen or more grizzlies in the area," he walks over to Dean. Dean shoots her a glare and Nevaeh returns it, mockingly. "It's no nature hike, that's for sure," Sam continues.

"You three aren't planning to go out near Blackwater Ridge by any chance?"

The three in question turns their attention away from the photo of the grizzly and towards the man—park ranger— Nevaeh guesses.

"Oh, no, sir. We're environmental study majors from UC Boulder. Just working on a paper," Sam replies, and Nevaeh glances at him, impressed with how easy the lie comes to him.

"Recycle, man," Dean adds with a lame fist pump, and Nevaeh rolls her eyes, suppressing the urge to mimic him. All he needs is a cheerleader outfit and he's all in.

"Bull," the man says astutely and Nevaeh frowns. "Well I assure you, sir-"

"You're friends with that Haley girl, right?" The man cuts Nevaeh off. She pauses for a moment and then nods, "Yes. Yes, we are, Ranger Wilkinson."

The man chuckles, "well, I will tell you exactly what I told her. Her brother filled out a backcountry permit saying he wouldn't be back from Blackwater until the 24th. So it's not exactly a missing persons, now, is it?"