Fractured

What The Hell Is A Shtriga?

We pulled up to the house and quickly made our way inside. We quietly and carefully made our way up to the girls room, and whipped out our EMF readers and blue lights. Dean started to walk around the room with the EMF, Sam went over all the walls with the blue light, and I just walked around to see if I could feel anything.

"You find anything," Sam asked from the door as he turned the blue light off.

"Nope nothing," Dean said as the EMF stayed dead.

I groaned in frustration. I don't understand why I'm not getting anything in here. I mean he said the window was... the window that's it!. I slowly made my way to the window between the two beds and I slowly opened it. On the outside of it was the shape of a hand rotted into the wood.

"Over here," I said to the boys, "What the hell kind of creature leaves a handprint like that?" I looked over to Dean as he inspected the handprint. He seemed like he was deep in thought, almost like he knew what this creature was. I grabbed his hand and asked, "Dean?"

He looked up to me and Sam who was behind me, "I know why dad sent us here. He's faced this thing before, and... he wants us to finish the job."

"What is it," I asked as I gripped his hand tighter.

He looked me in the eye and said, "It's a Shtriga."

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Once we got back to the motel Sam started to bombard Dean with questions like always, "So, what the hell is a Shtriga?"

"It's kind of like a witch I think. I don't really know that much about them," Dean explained as he threw a duffle bag on our bed.

"I've never heard of this thing before, are you sure that's what we are dealing with here," I asked Dean as I sat down on the bed

"Our dad hunted one of these in Fort Douglas, Wisconsin about fifteen, sixteen years ago," Dean explained. He then turned his attention to Sam and asked, "You were there, you don't remember?"

Sam looked at Dean confused as he said, "No!"

"I think dad tracked this thing down, and sent us here to deal with it," Dean said as he took his boots off.

"So you think this is the same one as before," I asked Dean as I lifted my right leg up to the bed. It hurt a little after walking on it all day.

"Maybe," Dean said as he started to take his flannel off next.

"If dad went after it, why is it still breathing air," Sam asked confused. He made a good point: John never leaves a hunt until it's over. What was different about this one?

"It got away," Dean stated simply.

"It got away," I asked, not believing it for a second.

"What else do you remember," Sam asked.

Dean huffed as he grabbed a new set of clothes and started to make his way to the bathroom and he exclaimed, "Nothing! I was a kid, too!"

He quickly turned around and went into the bathroom and started the shower up. I continued to stare at the door, not convinced he was feeding us the whole story. He seems a little anxious about this whole thing, which only worries me more. Because if Dean is worried, then I'm definitely worried.

"I don't think he's telling us everything," Sam said as he climbed onto his bed.

"I agree," I mumbled as I kept my eyes on the bathroom door.

"Hey, you good," Sam questioned me as he opened up the computer.

I tore my gaze from the bathroom door and looked over to Sam in confusion, "Um... yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"I'm talking about your ankle," He sassed as he started to type something, "You seem to be in a bit of pain."

I rolled my eyes and started to rub it a bit, "Yeah, it's a little achy after being on it all day. This is the most I've been on it in almost two weeks."

"Do you need a Tylenol or something," Sam asked, already getting up.

I shook my head though and said, "No, I'm fine. I just need to rest it for tonight that's all. You know you don't need to worry so much, now."

Sam smiled softly at me and said, "I'll always worry about you. You're like the sister I never wanted."

I scoffed at him and threw one of my pillows at him while saying, "Shut up."

He started to laugh and threw it back at me and said, "Never."

I rolled my eyes and asked, "Can you hand me my bag please."

Sam stood from his bed and walked over to the chair that I placed my duffle on and tossed it on the bed next to me. He then went back to searching whatever it was he was searching on his computer.

I unzipped my bag, and grabbed my bathroom bag, and clothes to sleep in. As soon as Dean was done in the bathroom it was my turn, I could really use a bath. A nice warm bath. I smiled to myself just thinking about it, and it grew even wider as I noticed Dean exiting the bathroom.

"Hey I found this Shtriga thing online," Sam announced. I huffed as I turned to him as he continued to explain, "They are Albanian, and they date back to ancient Rome. It's said they feed off of spiritus vitae."

"What is that," I asked.

He looked over to me as if I was stupid and explained, "It roughly translates to breath of life."

I stuck my tongue out at him and Dean chuckled at my behavior then asked, "Didn't the doctor say these kids' bodies were wearing out?"

"Well maybe she takes your vitality, and your immunity goes down," I suggested.

Dean and Sam both nodded at me and Sam continued, "Shtriga's can feed on anyone, but they prefer..."

"Children," Dean cut Sam off.

"Yeah, it's probably because they have a stronger life force. And get this, Shtriga's are invulnerable to all weapons devised by God and man," Sam said.

Dean scoffed and said, "Well that's wrong. Maybe you should check your sources Sammy. She is vulnerable when she feeds. If we catch her while she is eating we can shank the bitch."

"How do you know that," I asked, looking at him suspiciously.

Dean avoided our eye contact as he said, "Uh... dad told me. I remember."

"Right... well first we have to figure out who the Shtriga is, which is gonna be difficult because they disguise themselves as humans, specifically old women."

I tensed as I remembered the creepy old lady from the hospital. I got up and grabbed the map Dean marked all the houses where kids were taken and I brought it over to them.

"Okay, look at this. Look at what building is the dead center of all of these houses. The hospital. Now when we went there earlier we walked past a patient's room with an old woman in it..."

"Is that why you stopped in the hallway earlier," Dean asked, interrupting me.

"Oh, an old person in a hospital," Sam teased.

"Listen here smartass, this old person had an inverted cross hanging in her room," I sassed back. Sam's smile fell from his face and he turned back over to me, "Yeah. Now why don't you and Dean go check that out while I take a nice warm bath."

"Why can't you come," Dean asked confused.

I faked a wince and lifted my right leg up, "Well, to be honest my ankle hurts so bad, and... and I don't think I could walk on it anymore today."

Sam scoffed and said, "Nice."

I smiled playfully and said, "Thanks, now go. I want to enjoy my bath in peace."

The boys rolled their eyes at me while they grabbed their guns and left. I smiled widely as I made my way to the bathroom to enjoy a well needed and well deserved bath.