Supernatural: Daughter Of Mine

Chapter 6: Elephant In The Room

Dad and Uncle Dean told the little they'd managed to find out. I only half listened, still fixed to what the boy had said to me.
Turns out sulfer had been detected in the orphanage, unlike the dead man's home.

"Well this is making sense." I concluded sarcastically, getting a chuckle from Dean.

"All of this evidence is pointing to a vengeful spirit but that doesn't explain how it's been seen in more than one place." Dad thought aloud, I nodded along before speaking myself.

"Was she cremated?" 

"Her ashes were scattered along her favourite river, where she used to take her kids." Uncle Dean spoke, almost as though he was reciting something.

"Okay, so she could be tied to an object." Dad concluded, following my train of thought.

"You heard the reports, she's been seen all over." Uncle Dean shook his head.

"Well, who's to say the object hasn't been all over?" I questioned, trying to think of any object that would do so.

"Okay, so... could one of the kids have it?" Uncle Dean now followed.

"Well that makes sense. There's sulfer reading's at the orphanage so it's probably kept there, but they visited their Dad a lot." Dad added.

I blanked out from the conversation for a moment, having heard enough to start up a new thought. I remembered Jack and the elephant toy he refused to let go of, even when he was playing with a different toy. 

My Dad must have noticed my mental absence as he nudged me out of my daze "Alice? You okay?"

I blinked a few times and stood up straight from realisation "It's the toy elephant, Jack had it."

"Who the hell is Jack?" Uncle Dean threw his hands up the air with confusion.

"Mr and Mrs Roe had a son as well, he was in the front room playing with some giant lego thing, but he wouldn't let go of this toy elephant he had. He said he saw a monster inside his Mum, he said he'd 'done a bad thing'." I quoted, trying to explain quickly.

"And you're just telling us this now? Uncle Dean scoffed.

"Yeah well my head's a little bit all over the place right now, sorry." I sighed.

"So how do we evacuate an entire orphanage?" Dad asked.

"Pest control." I stated bluntly.

"Eh?"

"According to recent reports there has been an infestation of cockroaches in the nearby area. They have been, in a number of accounts, said to have made a home for themselves inside stuffed animals." I make up, putting on a voice sounding mildly important.

My Dad laughed and shook his head in disbelief "It might just work."

"It better had." Uncle Dean nodded.

**** **** **** ****

"Wow," Uncle Dean murmured as the children and staff came outside, ready to abort momentarily "It actually worked."

I laughed lightly, almost happy for the children as I remembered when I said goodbye to the orphanage once and for all. 
Jack walked out last, his small strides struggling to keep up with the rest, he only looked half complete without the elephant toy in his arms. I felt sorry for him, knowing it'd be nothing but ashes when he returned. His wide puppy eyes caught my gaze and I  gave him an encouraging smile, he shot me a weak one back. "Poor bastards," Uncle Dean mumbled "Dad might not have been the best of Dad's but at least he was alive."

"Yeah..." Dad sighed. I shifted between the pair of them awkwardly, remembering my first time staying at an orphanage. I must have been no older than six, maybe seven. My Mum told me that the care workers said I did nothing but cry and sit by the window, staring up at the stars. I still did that now, stare at the stars, mentally going over all the astrology I knew.

"Are we going in or what?" I asked, shaking myself out of the memories.

"Okay, so we're looking for a toy elephant...and you're sure it's not anything else?" Dad asked, I nodded hesitantly, "It's got to be...?" I thought aloud, heading up the stairs. I reached the landing and scanned the doors, they were all wooden and dull, no personalisation of any kind. 
My Dad followed on behind my whilst Uncle Dean checked downstairs. I went left along the hallway, my Dad right. 

After having no luck in the i first three rooms I sighed and considered going back down when a flashof movement in my peripheral vision. I froze and backed up against the wall as not to be jumped on from behind. No movement.
I crept along the wall, clutching the iron rod. The temperature dropped and I held on tighter, my eyes darting about the room. 

Then, I saw her.

She had her back to me and she was striding down the corridor, the way my Dad went. I hurried after her, careful not to make too much noise as not to be noticed.

Out of nowhere, she darted straight for my Dad. "Watch out!" I shouted a little too late.

He turned round and she shot her hand out, sending him crashing into the wall behind. I sprinted straight for her and, with a scything motion of the rod, she disappeared with a screech. 
Dad heaved himself up, squinting in shock and slight pain. "Sorry, probably should've warned you sooner." Ichuckled nervously.
"Yeah," He sighed "Thanks though-"

"What the hell happened?" He was cut off by Uncle Dean who came running in.

"Ghost showed up," Dad explained "Alice got it though, it's gone for now."

Dean looked me up and down, I couldn't tell if he was impressed with me or disappointed with Dad "Okay," He nodded "Let's find that damn elephant."

I nodded back and headed down the stairs "You checked it all?" I asked, turning my head to Uncle Dean. "Just the lounge." 

I found my way to the kitchen, you never know, it could be in there. I stopped in my tracks and laughed under my breath "Huh, no locks." 

"No locks?" Uncle Dean quoted, moving past me.

"Yeah, I used to stay for rest bite care in an orphanage when I was younger, they locked everything." I explained, looking about the room. My Uncle looked at me sympathetically but I was too busy to notice.

My Dad then appeared in the doorway with a similar look, again, I didn't notice. "This is really starting to bug me." He muttered.

 "I think we're the only people who've managed to lose an elephant." I scoffed, getting a halfhearted laugh from the pair of them. My eyes then fell on two wooden doors tightly shut "Hey, uh, did anyone check the cupboard?"