𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇

FOUR

"Better watch where you're stepping... Ranger," he smiles. Campbell shivers, she just doesn't like this man.

Dean nods his head before continuing on. That's when Hailey passes Campbell and positions herself on Dean's right. "You didn't pack any provisions. You guys are carrying a duffel bag. You're not rangers. Who the hell are you?" She says as she grabs his jacket sleeve. 

Dean stops and throws his head back with a sigh. Hailey gives him a challenging look, and he finally gives in. "Sam's my brother and Campbell's my kid sister. We're looking for our father. He might be here but we don't know. I just figured, you and me, we're in the same boat."

Hailey drops her eyes to the pendant that's dangling around Dean's neck. "Why did you just tell me from the start?"

"I'm telling you now! 'Sides that's probably the most honest I've ever been with a woman... ever," Dean sighs, "so, are we okay?"

Campbell scoffs at his comment and keeps walking, tugging Sam behind her. 

"Yeah. Yeah, we're okay."

"I packed provisions," Campbell states while looking off into the distance. 

"What?" Sam gives her a funny look. She smiles as she pulls her peanut m&m's from her bag. Sam shakes his head at his sister and laughs, "they're not even the good kind."

☾

They've been hiking for hours, and Campbell's just about had it. Back at school, Parker would make Campbell go on walks with her around campus and she hated it. Not only does Parker walk slow, but she used those dumb ankle weights too. Campbell's more into running, preferably only when something is chasing her; she was even asked by the club track team to try out. Campbell Grace politely declined. 

"This is it," Roy calls from the front of the group, "Blackwater Ridge, ladies and gentlemen." 

"What're the coordinates?" Sam asks as he takes a look around. The forest is denser back here. Everything is canvased in different shades of green, the trees stretch forever into the sky, there's even still dew on the leaves surrounding them. 

"35 and minus 111." Sam nods as if to say 'thanks' and takes another step forward with Dean.

Campbell follows her big brothers, "y'all hear that? Not even crickets."

"I'm gonna go take a look around," Roy informs the group as he tightens his gun strap. 

"You shouldn't go off alone," Sam mutters. 

"Aw, yeah, that's sweet," the guide jests before wandering off into the brush. 

Dean rolls his eyes before turning to the remaining four. "Alright everybody stays together, let's go." They follow in Dean's footsteps as they try and catch up with Roy.

The silence is eery, and it's making Campbell's skin crawl. Although that silence is broken by the sound of Roy calling for Hailey. They all take off in the direction of his shouts, and find him standing in the middle of a destroyed campsite. "Oh my god," Hailey breathes out as she takes in their surroundings. 

The camp's been absolutely trashed. The tents are in shreds, supplies is strewn out all over the place, but what's most alarming is the blood that's drenched the entire campsite. There's no sign of life at all. 

"Looks like a grizzly," Roy muses as they drop their packs and continue to shift through the debris. Campbell notices bloody socks a couple of feet apart, a gaping hole in one of the tents, and the bag of chips that's been torn open and thrown about the place. It sends a chill down her spine.