Prequel: Carry On My Wayward Son.

Ch 3: Scarecrow

We walked through the trees, listening to the EMF reader scream at us.

"Dean, what's that?" I asked, nodding over to a tall figure in the middle of the orchard.

We walked over to it, finding it was a large scarecrow, with mix-matched clothes and patches. Dean laughed, "Dude, you're fugly."

"It's got some kind of weapon," I said, running my finger along the sickle in it's hand, noticing a design on it's arm. I rolled up it's sleeve, and stumbled back in horror. "Dean!"

"What?" He asked, sounding annoyed that I had rasied my voice. Then he saw it. I watched as he pulled out the missing flyer, looking over the guy's tattoo, and the one on the scarecrow. It was the same design. Dean raised his eyebrow, "Nice tat."

"This is crazy," I said as we walked quickly back to the car. "Like, insanely crazy."

"Yeah, we'll you're gonna see a lot of insanely crazy things from now on," He said bluntly as we got into the car. "Okay?"

I nodded, then turned into him as we drove off. "We should get Sam to come back."

Dean slammed on his brakes, and I wasn't wearing my seatbelt, so I knocked into the dashboard. He paid no attention tot hat. "I don't need Sam! I don't need anyone."

I rolled my eyes, muttering as he drove away, "Thanks."

We went back to the gas station and the young lady from before filled us up. She looked to me, "Still looking for your sister?"

I nodded, "Until I find her."

"So," Dean asked her, "You grow up here?"

I came here when I was thirteen. I lost my parents in a car accident. My aunt and uncle took me in."

Dean looked to the general store they owned, "They’re nice people."

"Everybody’s nice here."

I shrugged, "So, what, it’s the, uh, perfect little town?"

"Well, you know, it’s the boonies. But I love it. I mean, in  the towns around us, people are losing their homes and their farms. But here, it’s almost like we’re blessed."

Blessed. Dean caught it, too.

He leaned against the car. "Hey, you been out to the orchard? You seen that scarecrow?"

"Yeah, it creeps me out," She replied, getting a laugh out of Dean and I. She had no idea how creepy it actually was.

"Whose is it?" I asked, and Dean cleared his throat. I think he liked doing all the talking. Too bad.

"I don’t know. It’s just always been there." She said, looking off into the distance.

I looked over by the machanic garage, to a van that wasn't there earlier. "That your aunt and uncle’s?"

She shook her head, "Customer. Had some car troubles."

"It’s not a couple, is it? A guy and a girl?" I asked, trying not to sound too urgent.

The girl nodded, "Yeah."

Dean and I looked at each other knowingly. "You up for some lunch?" He asked, an excuse to go talk.

We went to scottie's to find the couple being served like royalty. Their little table was covered with food and drinks, and Scottie was telling them that dessert was on the house. He was fattening them up like a Thanksgiving turkey.

Dean and I sat down, ordering some coffee and pie. We were ignored.

"Just passing through?" I smiled to the couple.