Promises of a Sacrificial Lamb |Destiel x The Hunger Games|

-28-

"Get it off!"  I shriek.  I would be embarrassed by the squeakiness of my voice, but there are more pressing matters at hand now.  Like a giant spider web blanketing my body.  "Get it off!"

I'm not sure how, but I manage to swat off a layer of the disgusting web.  I shake my arm, make it drift to the ground and away from me, then start to pick off the rest of it.  When I finally get most of the cursed blanket off my body and the ringing in my ears begins to subside, I hear Cas laughing.  Part of me wants to be mad because that was easily one of the most traumatizing things I've ever experienced—I still feel like the spindly web is tickling my skin—but how can I?  I'm sure I looked ridiculous flailing around like that, screeching at the top of my lungs.  I would probably laugh if I saw someone doing that, too.

"Dean Winchester is afraid of spiders,"  Cas remarks when he calms down enough to speak.  His face is still alight with an amused grin.  "Never would've guessed it."

"They're creepy!"  I say.  I shudder at the thought of the web's owner crawling along my back.  That was what scared me the most about having that thing wrapped around me.  "How can you not be afraid of them?  Nothing should have more than four legs!  Eight is definitely crossing the line!"

"I didn't say I wasn't afraid of them, too,"  Cas chuckles, stepping forward to give my arm a pat.  "I just never knew that someone so strong and tough would get so freaked out by something like that."

His eyes suddenly go wide.  His face falls.  "It's on your shoulder,"  he murmurs gravely.

To say I almost jump right out of my shoes is an understatement.  Another shriek escapes my mouth before I can stop it, and I'm at least five feet to the right in a split second, frantically slapping my shoulder and thrashing around to get that vile creature off me.  I only realize that Cas was joking when I hear him laughing again, and he's doubled over like it's the funniest thing in the world.  Still, I can't bring myself to be angry with him.  He's having fun, and I adore seeing him so happy.  I don't think I've ever seen him laugh this hard.

"Satisfied with yourself?"  I say with a sigh, but I'm smiling, too.

"Very,"  Cas says in between fits of laughter.  When he eventually stands back up, he has to wipe a tear from his eye.  "Sorry.  I couldn't help it.  I saw an opportunity, and I took it.  I hope you're not mad."

"Of course not,"  I reassure him.  Only Cas could pull a prank on someone and then feel terrible about it afterwards.  He's too sweet.  "Just don't do it again, maybe.  You almost gave me a heart attack."

"And we don't want that."  His endearing smile makes a return as he rubs my arm and plants a gentle kiss on my cheek.  Everything's all right now.  No more spindly web attached to my body.  No insect from hell crawling around on me.  Cas had a good laugh, one that he desperately needed, and I'm just glad he was able to find some humor in the grim situation we're trapped in.

I'm still picking off tiny pieces of web that managed to cling to the fabric of my clothes as we keep walking.  In a matter of minutes, we come across a large ravel of tree roots that rise up past our knees.  We can go around it with ease, but before I know it, Cas is climbing up on top of it.  Probably to get a better vantage point of the surrounding area, I presume.  Maybe he'll be able to spot that pond we're searching for.

"See anything?"  I ask him as he stands on the sturdy mass of roots.

For a moment, Cas is silent.  He squints his eyes, leans forward, but then he shakes his head.  "Not much,"  he replies.  "There's too much foliage.  All I see is green."

Just our luck.  At this rate, we might as well be stumbling around in the dark, swimming through a sea of dense foliage.  I had such high hopes for this path, considering how damp the soil was, but maybe I was mistaken.  Either that, or there really is a pond somewhere down there, shrouded by the never-ending abundance of greenery.  So do we return to the hollow empty-handed, or do we keep pushing?  I'm at a loss.  I'm not sure what would be the smartest option anymore.