𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐋, d. winchester ₁

𝔁𝓿𝓲. future plans and torching suckers

"MY BROTHER BARELY MADE it out alive," Evan sniffled, his voice trembling with emotion. "And now, now that I know what that thing was, I want to kill this thing, then go back home and kill that fucking monster."

"Damn straight," Dean nodded with conviction, making Evan chuckle softly as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "You know-"

"Help me!" A voice screamed from the woods, causing Evan, Dean, and Sam to quickly rush over to the rest of the group, their hearts pounding. "Please!" Everyone's eyes scanned the area while Roy clocked his gun, his face steely with determination. "Help!"

"It's trying to draw us out. Just stay cool. Stay put," Dean spoke with authority as everyone continued to scan the trees, the tension palpable in the air.

"Inside the magic circle?" Roy questioned, making both Dean and Evan send a glare his way, their patience wearing thin.

"Help!" The voice screamed again, more desperate this time. "Help me, ple-" A painful scream filled the group's ears, along with leaves rustling around them, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

"Okay, that's no grizzly," Roy spoke, his voice tinged with realization, making Evan roll her eyes in exasperation.

"Really?" Evan turned to Roy, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You're just now getting that?"

"Evan," Sam warned as everything got quiet. Too quiet. The silence was almost deafening, heightening their sense of dread.

Evan watched as Haley grabbed Ben, both of them crouching beside a tent, fear evident in their eyes. "It's okay. You'll be alright, I promise," Haley comforted Ben, making Evan suck in a breath, her heart aching for them.

A snarl made everyone jump and turn to the noise. "It's here," Sam spoke before leaves rustled all around them. Evan's head whipped around, following the way the leaves moved, before Roy pointed his gun and shot at it.

"I hit it." Roy took off after the thing, making Evan's eyes widen in alarm.

"No!" Evan yelled after the man, her voice filled with urgency.

"Roy! No!" Dean yelled as well before turning and facing the group. "Stay here!" Dean pointed at Haley and Ben before he, Evan, and Sam took off, following after Roy.

"It's over here!" Roy yelled. "It's in the tree-" Evan sucked in a breath as Roy suddenly went silent, the abruptness chilling her to the bone.

"Roy!" Evan and Dean hollered. "Roy!"

"I don't like this." Evan shook her head, fear creeping into her voice. "I'm not dying tonight, let's go." Dean and Sam nodded in agreement before the three quickly ran back to camp, their footsteps echoing in the silent woods.

⛤

Evan sat with Sam, their backs against a sturdy tree trunk, both of them enveloped in a heavy silence. Evan's eyes were glued to the dense forest in front of them, while Sam's gaze was fixed on the worn journal he held in his hands. Finally, Evan broke the silence, her voice tinged with sadness, "I miss her, Sam."

"Me too, E," Sam muttered quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Me too."

Evan shifted slightly, scooting closer to her friend for comfort. "What's gonna happen when we find this thing?" she questioned, her voice filled with uncertainty. "I mean, are we gonna go back to college? Become lawyers like we always dreamed of? Or are we going to continue hunting with Dean, chasing after things that go bump in the night?"

Sam took a deep breath before answering, "You're gonna go back to college, become a lawyer, and find a nice girl or guy. You'll work hard for a few years, and one day, you'll go back to Wisconsin to settle down and start a family."

Evan sighed, resting her head on Sam's shoulder, seeking solace in their shared warmth. "What about you?" she asked softly, her voice tinged with concern.

"I don't know." Sam shook his head, his eyes filled with uncertainty. "I mean, I had my whole life planned ahead of me, and now...now I don't know what I'm going to do."

Evan nodded, understanding his confusion. "I get it," she said. "I mean, I had plans with Mandy. I bought a ring and everything for her, and then..." Her voice trailed off, the weight of unfinished dreams hanging in the air.

Sam let out a sad chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. "Look at us," he said. "Two peas in a fucked up pod." Evan let out a small chuckle in response, their shared laughter a brief respite from their sorrow.

"Together?" Evan held up her fist, a small smile playing on her lips.

Sam chuckled once more before holding up his own fist, bumping it gently against hers. "Forever," he replied with a warm smile.

"I love you, nerd," Evan said playfully, punching Sam's leg lightly.

"I love you too, loser," Sam replied with a grin. "We should get back to the group."

As they stood up and brushed the dirt off their clothes, the weight of their shared burdens felt a little lighter. They knew that whatever the future held, they would face it together.

⛤

"Hey," Sam spoke as he and Evan made it back to the campsite, their footsteps crunching on the fallen leaves. "So we've got half a chance in the daylight to figure this out. And I, for one..." Sam looked intently at Dean. "Want to kill this son of a bitch."

"Well, hell, you know I'm in," Dean nodded, his eyes narrowing with determination before looking over at Evan.

"Don't look at me," Evan shook her head, her brow furrowing. "I've been telling you I want to kill this fucker." Dean and Evan shared a knowing smile while Sam pulled out the worn journal, flipping carefully through its pages until he found the one he needed.

"Alright, so," Sam began as he stopped on a specific page, running his finger along the lines. "Wendigo is a Cree Indian word. It means evil that devours."

"They're hundreds of years old," Dean added, his voice grave. "Each one was once a man. Sometimes an Indian, or other times a frontiersman, a miner, or a hunter."

"How does a man turn into one of those things?" Haley questioned, her voice tinged with curiosity and dread.

"Well, it's always the same," Dean explained, leaning down to grab an empty glass bottle from the ground. "During some harsh winter, a guy finds himself starving, cut off from supplies or help. He becomes a cannibal to survive, eating other members of his tribe or camp."

"Like the Donner Party," Ben interjected, a slight expression of disgust etched into his face as he recalled the infamous tale.

"Cultures all over the world believe that eating human flesh gives a person certain abilities. Speed, strength, immortality," Evan listed off, her voice steady. "If you eat enough of it, over the years you become this less-than-human thing."

"You're always hungry," Dean picked up where Evan left off, his tone somber.

"So if that's true, how can Tommy still be alive?" Haley stared at the three hunters, her eyes wide with a mix of hope and fear.

Dean looked back at Evan and Sam before turning his gaze to Haley. "You're not gonna like it," he warned gently.

"Tell me," Haley demanded, her voice firm despite the tremor of fear.

"More than anything, a Wendigo knows how to last long winters without food. It hibernates for years at a time. When it's awake, it keeps its victims alive. It stores them so it can feed whenever it wants," Dean informed, his voice heavy with the weight of their grim reality. "If your brother's alive, it's keeping him somewhere dark, hidden, and safe. And we gotta track it back there."

"And then how do we stop it?" Haley questioned, her voice trembling slightly but resolute.

"Well, guns are useless. So are knives," Dean said as he walked behind Haley and Ben, picking up a cloth from the ground and holding it up. "Basically, we gotta torch this sucker."