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(2.2) ─ The Forest

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫:
‧⁺˚*‧☾ 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥, 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 ☽‧*˚⁺‧
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"You guys got room for three more?" Dean asked as the three siblings walked up to the group. "Wait, you want to come with us?" The girl, Haley, asked Dean.

"Who are these people?"

"Apparently Roy, those two boys, is all the park service could muster up for the search and rescue," Haley told him.

"You're rangers?"

"That's right," Dean replied smugly, "They won't be trouble," She insteaded turning raising her eyebrows after looking at the oldest Winchester, "But...you're hiking out in biker boots and jeans?"

"I've seen him do a full 20 mile sprint in those biker boots and jeans," Carmen remarked getting the attention now on her.

"And you are?"

"Carmen, his sister and thought you could use the man power." She introduced with a smile glancing at Dean. Who glanced down at himself and then looked back at her, "Well, sweetheart, I don't do shorts," he commented going back to the original topic.

"Mason!" She yell as I looked down at the ground. "I wanted that one of my brothers was out. Mason, this is Sam, Dean and Carmen there going to help us search."

Carmen looked back at the group after glancing behind for a second to be met with the same guy from the library. "We've meet already," Mason informed with a smile. "Good seeing you, Carmen," Dean and Haley exchanged a look between the to teenagers. "You too, Mason,"

"What, you think this funny? It's dangerous backcountry out there. Her brother might be hurt," The two younger siblings heard looking over at Roy and Dean. Who gave him a look, "Believe me, I know how dangerous it can be. We just wanna help them find their brother, that's all," He said honestly before joking back up with his younger siblings.

They had started the hike and had been at it for a few houses now, Roy was leading, then Dean, Haley, Ben, Mason, Sam and Carmen were side by side in the back. "So Roy...you side you did a little hunting," Dean said breaking the silence.

"Yeah, more than a little,"

"Uh-huh. What kind of furry critters do you hunt?" He asked joking slightly. "Mostly buck, sometimes bear," He replied as both siblings could tell it was irritating Dean. "Tell me, uh, Bambi or Yogi ever hunt you back?"

He passed Roy only for him to grab the Winchester's shoulder and tugging him back roughly, casing everyone to freeze. "Whatcha doing, Roy?" Dean said cautiously. Already imagine Carmen jumping on his shoulders while Sam dragging him down the floor by his ankles. He grabbed a stick and poked it into the ground, one more step and he would have stepped onto a bear trap. "You should watch where you're stepping...Ranger."

Dean chuckled and was looking at the two, "It's a bear trap."

"Yep, let's keep moving Winnie the Pooh," Carmen remarked pushing him around to keep moving.

As Haley, Mason, and Ben were walking behind Dean. Mason looked back at her as they both quickly looked away as soon as their eyes meet. Sam noticed and drapped an arm around her shoulder, "So, what's with the googly eyes?"

"I have no idea what you talking about," She insisted walking in front of him.

Haley caught up to Dean, "You didn't pack any provisions. You guys are carrying a duffle bag, and a backpack. You're not rangers," She said grabbing his arm, "So who the hell are you?" Mason grabbed Ben and walked past them, leaving the two younger siblings with them. Looking at Dean, who nodded his head wanting them to go ahead. They did so leaving the two behind both knowing how this would end.

💽

Carmen was ahead of Sam noticing how Mason slowed down to walk next to her. "Carmen...huh," He said looking a head. "What?" She asked glancing over at him, "Did you think I was a Alice, or better yet an Angel?"

"No, not that ... It's just Carmen fits you," He said looking at her smiling lightly. "You didn't say you would be coming out with us?" He said changing the topic.

"You never said anything about your missing brother,"

"Got me there," He said with a smirk. "You said "brother's" as in more than one right?"

"You remember?"

"Well it's not that often you meet a Carmen," She smiled slightly watching as he walked a head back to his brother's side.

They had been walking further and further into the forest, until finally Roy stopped, "This is it Blackwater Ridge,"

"What coordinates are we at?" Sam asked.

Roy pulled out his GPS, "Thirty-five and minus one-eleven," He reinforced making the three Winchester's listen to the miles of forest.

"You hear that?" Dean asked glancing at the two.

"Yeah," Sam agreed amongst the defending silences.

"Not even crickets," She confirmed.

"I'm gonna go take a look around," Roy declared get their attentions. "I wouldn't go off by yourself," She protested as he smiled smugly at her, "That's sweet princess, really. Don't worry about me," He said before waving his gun and pushed passed between her and Sam.

Her jaw clenched as she crossed her arms. The only person that can called her princess was her dad. And only him. I leaned over to Sam and whispered, "I really want to shoot him," as she kept an eye on him.

"Yes Carmen I know, I want to shoot him to," He whispered back, turing her back around. Dean turned back to the three siblings, "All right, everybody stays together. Let's go."

They started to walk again, following Dean. No one couldn't see Roy who obviously went ahead but suddenly, "Haley! Over here!" Her and her brother's ran ahead of us. There was tents that were torn open, all the supplies were scattered, and blood everywhere.

"Looks like a grizzly," Roy said.

Carmen loudly scoffed, quickly covering her mouth. "You find something funny?" Rory asked quickly walking over to her. "I mean I've seen some stuff, but this wasn't a grizzly bear. I mean Clifford the Big Red Dog maybe, and that's a big maybe." She remarked.

"Please you're just a kid, what have you seen," He said getting closer and closer to her face. A little too close. Feeling her brother's tense up. "If you are as smart as you say, you would do the smart thing and move away from my face." She said calmly staring him straight in the eyes.

"Why because of your big brother?"

She gave him a small smile, "You shouldn't be afraid of my brother. No, you should be afraid of me," He scanned her face before slowly backing away.

💽

"Tommy?!"

"Tommy?!" Mason and Haley yelled, they both took off their packs, and were going through the campsite. "Tommy!"

"Shh,"

Tommy!"

"Hush,"

"Why?"

"Something might still be out there,"

"Sam! Carmen!" Dean called out in a hushed tone.

The two walked over to Dean, who was crouched down. They crouched down next to him. "The bodies were dragged from the campsite. But here the tracks just vanished. That's weird. I'll tell you what, that's no skinwalker or black dog."

Dean than walked back to the campsite as the two followed. Seeing Haley had picked up a bloody cell phone. It had to belong to her brother because she started crying. Dean went over to her, as Carmen saw Mason trying to shield Ben from the scene.

"Help! Help!" A sudden ear piercing male scream came through the thick silence. They all ran toward the direction of the noise.

"Help! Somebody!"

They all stopped looking around before realizing it was coming from all directions. "It seemed like it was coming from around here didn't it?" Haley asked keeping an eye on her brother's. "Yeah, it did," Mason agreed.

Burg that's when Carmen realized something. They were all away camp, without any of their stuff. Without any type of supplies. "Everybody back to camp!"

Running back to the camp and quickly seeing all of their stuff was gone. "Our packs!"

"So much for my GPS and my satellite phone," Roy grumbled.

"What the hell is going on?" Haley snapped. "Haley," Mason said trying to calm her down.

"It's smart. It wants to cut us off so we can't call for help," Sam said looking around. "You mean someone, some nut job out there just stole all out gear," Roy said.

Carmen was staring at the ground her eyes sometimes moving back at forth as if connecting the dot. Then she had it, grabbing both her brother's arms. "Private, now," They headed a little away from the group, "I thought this looked too familiar," She muttered pulling out her Dad's journal. Flipping through to the right page.

The Wendigos.

"I think I'm right on this one, take a look at this," She declared handing the book back to them. Dean scoffed, "Carmen come on, wendigos are in the Minnesota woods or...or northern Michigan. I've never even heard of one this far west."

"Yeah, and? I think I'm right on this." The two looked at Sam waiting for him to jump in. "I think Carmen's right. Think about it, Dean, the claws, the way it can mimic a human voice," Sam listed making her smile at that his agreement.

"Great," Dean comment and took out his pistol. "Well then this is useless."

"But fire's not," She reminded with a huge smirk.

"It stole all our supplies," Dean protested. Her smirk stayed plastered in her face as she leaned down and took off one her of boots. "I never leave without it," She held up a match box that still had the plastic on it.

"Smart thinking, Munchkin," Dean said smiling.

"We gotta get these people to safety," Sam insteaded while Carmen nodded placing her shoe back on.

💽

"Alright, listen up, it's time to go. Things have gotten...more complicated," Sam stated vaguely with his siblings on either side of him.

"What?" Haley and Mason said at the same time, confused.

"Kid, don't worry. Whatever's out there, I think I can handle it," Roy said with a cocky smile making all of them hate him even more.

"It's not me I'm worried about. If you shoot this thing, you're just gonna make it mad. We have to leave. Now," He demanded.

"One, you're talking nonsense. Two, you're in no position to give anybody orders,"

"Relax," Dean told him knowing Sam's temper was very short right now.

"We never should have let you come out here in the first place, all right? I'm trying to protect you,"

"You protect me? I was hunting these woods when your mommy was still kissing you good night," Roy said as he stepped closer to Sam.

"Yeah?" Sam challenged, Carmen gave Dean a concerned look not wanting this to go down a certain way. "It's a damn near perfect hunter. It's smarter than you, and it's gonna hunt you down and eat you alive unless we get your stupid sorry ass out of here."

Roy scoffed not believing him, "You know you're crazy, right?"

"Yeah?" He challenged, "You ever hunt a Wen--?"

"Enough!" Carmen yelled cutting him off pulling in her brothers arm. "That's enough, alright," She said as Dean's back was against Sam and was facing Roy. "Just walk away Sam," He stated, "He's not worth it," Dean looked at Roy up and down as Carmen pulled Sam away.

"Stop. Stop it. Everyone just stop," Haley snapped then took a deep breath. "Look...Tommy might still be alive. And I'm not leaving here without him." She insteaded on clearly letting everything hit at once.

Everyone stood silent, it was weirdly quiet. No birds, no crickets, sounds of water flowing, nothing. Until Dean spoke up, "It's getting late. This thing is a good hunter in the day, but an unbelievable hunter at night. We'll never beat it, not in the dark. We need to settle in and protect ourselves."

Mason gave a small nod, "How?"

💽

It was dark now, already getting a campfire going. Dean was drawing Anasazi symbols in the dirt around the campsite with long stick he found. While Haley poked at the fire, "One more time, that's a..."

"Anasazi symbols. It's for protection. The wendigo can't cross over them," Dean explained. Roy laughed with a gun over his shoulder.

"Nobody likes a skeptic, Roy," Carmen remarked loudly not looking up from her Dad's journal.

After he was done Dean walked over to his younger siblings, "You wanna tell us what's going on in that freaky head of yours?" Dean asked looking at Sam who let out a small sigh, "Guys--"

"Before you say 'you're fine', just know we know your not," She cut him off already knowing what he was saying.

"You're like a powder keg, man, it's not like you." Dean added actually wanting to get this resolved before anything bad happens.

He sighed again, looking around, "Dad's not here," He mumbled looking back at the two. "I mean, that much we know for sure, right? He would have left us a message, a sign right?"

"We all know Dad is very unpredictable, it's what makes him Dad," She sighed out looking back at the journal.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Tell you the truth, I don't think Dad's ever been to Lost Creek," Dean admitted. Carmen sighed heavily, shutting the book and placing her head on Sam's shoulder. "We'll find him, we will,"

"Yeah...let's get these people back to town and let's hit the road. Go find Dad. I mean, why are we still even here?"

"This is why," Dean said before taking Dad's journal from her lap, and crouched down in front of them. "This book...This is Dad's single most valuable possession - everything he knows about every evil thing is in here. And he's passed it on to us. I think he wants the three of us to pick up where he left off. You know, saving people, hunting things. The family business."

"That makes no sense," Sam said.

"You know something... why hasn't he called us? He tell us what's going on? Or better yet, why doesn't he just tell us where he is?" She thought out loud staring mindlessly.

Dean sighed, "I dunno Munchkin. But the way I see it, Dad's giving us a job to do, and I intend to do it,"

Sam shook his head, holding back his tears, "Dean...no. I gotta find Dad. I gotta find Jessica's killer. It's the only thing I can think about,"

Dean nodded and spoke up knowing it was clearly effecting him. "Okay, all right, we'll find them, I promise. Listen to me. You've gotta prepare yourself. I mean, this search could take a while, and all that anger, you can't keep it burning over the long haul. It's gonna kill you. You gotta have patience, man."

Sam looked down, giving her a small smile, and then looked at Dean. "How do you guys do it? How does Dad do it?"

Dean looked over at Haley, Mason, and Ben. "Well for one, them," She started, making Sam to look over at them, "I mean, our family's so screwed to hell, maybe we can help some others. Make things a little bit more bearable."

"I'll tell you what else helps," He said as Sam looked back at him wanting him to continue. "Killing as many evil sons of bitches as we possibly can."

A twig snapped in the darken woods. "Help me! Please!" We all stood up as Dean reached for his gun. "Help!"

Sam shined his flashlight. "He's trying draw us out. Just stay cool, stay put," Dean informd.

Mason pulled Ben and Haley closer.

"Inside the magic circle?" Roy mocked.

"Help! Help me!" The cries were now being replaced with growls. Roy pointed his gun at the sound, "Okay, that's no grizzly."

"It's okay. You'll be alright, I promise." Haley told her brother's holding them closer. Something rushed past as Haley shrieked.

"We got company," Carmen announced standing side by side with Sam.

Roy shoot at the rustling, then again. "I hit it!" He informed running towards where he was shooting.

"Roy, no! Roy!" Dean yelled before quickly turning back, "Carmen stay here," He ordered before him and Sam ran after Roy.

She looked back to see Haley's and Mason's warped around Ben. Hearing Sam and Dean calling out for Roy, but no luck. Rory was gone.