CHAPTER SIX — LIGHT IT UP
wendigo — part three
"It's better than breadcrumbs." — sam winchester
WHEN HER FATHER AND UNCLE RE-EMERGED FROM THE TREE LINE, ROY WASN'T WITH THEM. It was safe to assume the wendigo had gotten to him and it wasn't surprising after he shot the creature. Guns were no use against a wendigo unless you wanted to anger it. He may not have been well liked amongst the group, but none of them wished for him to come to harm. Grace sat on a log, thinking about how she should've seen it coming and stopped him. But sadly, her visions don't work that way.
Sam had his back up against the tree stump with John's journal clutches tightly between his fingers as he fiddled with the attached string of beads with his free hand. Over on the other side of camp, Dean was explaining the strange reality of the situation to Haley and Ben. It was safe now, or so they believed, as night was usually the time of day the wendigo chose to attack. So the Winchesters weren't on as high alert as they were before.
"I don't... I mean." Haley struggled to grasp what they were saying and shook her head in shock. "These types of things, they aren't supposed to be real."
"I wish I could tell you different." Dean sighed as he said.
Haley's eyes darted around as she frantically scanned their surroundings in distress. "How do we know it's not out there watching us?" She inquired gingerly.
"We don't." Dean replied, trying to be honest with the woman from that moment on. Seeing her sudden pick up in panic, he quickly reassured her. "But we're safe for now."
"And if it comes, we'll protect you." Grace spoke up, drawing Haley and Ben's gazes to her. Dean then nodded her way in confirmation.
"How do you know about this stuff?"
Dean glanced at Grace, then at Sam at the other end of the camp. There was a brief pause as he thought about his answer and Grace looked at him expectantly. Then he gave her a small smirk before shrugging lightly. "Kind of runs in the family."
Getting to her feet, Grace made her way to her Dad. "Yeah, it does." She agreed.
The young girl pivoted in her sturdy boots to watch as her Uncle came towards where they had gathered. "Hey." He called out and then Haley too stood up. "So we've got half a chance in the daylight. And I, for one, want to kill this evil son of a bitch."
Both Dean and Grace grinned at Sam's new enthusiasm; it appeared he had listened to what his brother had said. "Well, Hell, you know I'm in." Dean announced lively.
Grace's hand shot up into the air and she declared. "I'm in too!" A content smile made its way onto Sam's lips at her words and then Dean reached out and took her hand in his.
They all watched as Sam withdrew John Winchester's journal from his pocket and showed the page on Wendigos to Haley and Ben who stared at the paper with intrigue. "'Wendigo' is a Cree Indian word. It means 'evil that devours'." Sam started to explain.
"They're hundreds of years old." Dean cut in. "Each one was once a man. Sometimes an Indian, or other times a frontiersman or a miner or a hunted." He listed off as he bent over to retrieve a couple of items from the ground. Grace watched as he did so and it didn't take her long to realise why he was doing it.
Haley then asked warily. "How's a man turn into one of these things?"
Now, it was Grace who spoke up. She let go of her Dad's hand to fiddle with her flannel shirt nervously. "It's not good." Admitted the girl with a sigh. Then she placed her gaze on the people in front of her, trying to hide her fear. "Someone who's all alone and cut off from the world soon becomes really hungry and then..." Grace took a deep breath. "They eat people, usually other members of their camp or tribe, in order to keep going."
"Like the Donner Party." Ben pointed out.
Sam nodded at the boy who was just a few years younger than himself. "Cultures all over the world believe that eating human flesh gives a person certain abilities. Speed, strength, immortality."
"If you eat enough of it, over the years, you become this less than human thing. You're always hungry."
Their words did nothing to comfort Haley and Ben who were holding onto each other in fear. She gulped nervously before asking, concern evident in her voice. "So if that's all true, how can Tommy still be alive."
Dean grimaced before turning to Grace and Sam, looking to them for answers before he ended up saying. "You're not gonna like it." He warned her.
"Tell me." Haley insisted. It was easy enough to see how frightened she really was behind the strong and fierce facade she had placed up around herself. Grace admired her bravery, her strength, and her determination to find her missing brother. To her, the world of the supernatural was new and terrifying, but she was willing to enter it to find Tommy.
With a burdened sigh, Dean said. "More than anything, a Wendigo knows how to last long winters without food. It hibernates for years at a time, but when it's awake it keeps its victims alive. It, uh, stores them, so it can feed whenever it wants." Haley and Ben's faces contorted with horror. "If your brother's alive, it's keeping him somewhere dark, hidden, and safe. We gotta track it back there." He informed them.
The Collins siblings looked like they were about to crack. They just found out that their brother may or may not be alive and if he was, his life was being toyed with by an evil creature that wanted to eat him alive. It was enough to make anyone fall to the ground and sob until their eyes ran dry. Grace, sensing their fear, turned to the pair. "I'm sure your brother's okay, and if he's still out there, we'll find him and bring him back to you." And that was a Gracie promise.
Haley nodded in appreciation to the young girl who then grabbed Ben's hand, trying to calm down the boy to stop his body from shivering in fear. The woman then asked the main question always going through a hunter's mind. "And then how do we stop it?"
"Well, guns are useless—"
"And so are knives." Grace interrupted as she added in disappointment. Still in her pocket, she wrapped her fingers around the handle of her small bald despite there no longer being a use for it.
Pointing at his daughter in agreement, Dean then continued. "Basically..." He lifted up a can of lighter fluid, a beer bottle and a piece of white cloth: everything they needed to fight a wendigo. A smirk fought its way onto his lips. "We gotta torch this sucker."
GRACE WATCHED CURIOUSLY AS HER DAD MADE THE MOLO-TEA, THE MOLO-TOP, THE WEAPON AGAINST THE WENDIGO. She knew a few things about Wendigos — enough to know that you could kill them with fire — but she had never actually seen one and for that, she was grateful. But she was sure that was going to change as they continued to hike through the woods, tracking the Wendigo's path by following the bloody claw marks left behind in the tree bark.
With each step there was a whisper in her head telling her to turn to back, go run away and never look behind her. But Grace didn't. Because she may have been small, but she had a big heart, full of compassion and bravery.
Sam decided to go a little ahead and scout the upcoming path, making sure it was safe for the group. Something felt off to the man as she stared up at the branches looming over them. "Dean. Gracie." He called out to them.
Then Dean grabbed his daughter's hand before leading the two of them over to where Sam was standing. They found him almost scowling at the blood-soaked scratches above them. "What is it?" Dean inquired in concern.
Together they looked up at the claw marks etched onto the tree bark, onto every tree bark. They were completely surrounded by the marked wood. Grace knew that wasn't a good sign.
"You know," Sam thought aloud, his words worrying the other Winchesters greatly, "I was thinking, those claw prints, so clear and distinct. They were almost too easy to find."
Grace gulped as she realised. "It's a trap." Panic shot through her body, her heart raced and her dark eyes darted around frantically. They were all in grave danger.
Suddenly a growling could be heard through the trees and the trio whipped around to face it. The Wendigo was close. And to confirm their theory, the sound of branches rustling and snapping echoed around them, circling them. Grace rubbed her sweaty hands against her trousers as she tried to calm her breathing.
The young girl turned to glance at Haley and Ben who were huddled together beneath a tree. She wanted to reassure herself that they were okay and the sight of them right next to them calmed her. Then she saw something drip onto Haley's shoulder and it didn't take Grace too long to realise what is was. Rapidly, she reached out and grabbed the two and pulled them away just as a body toppled from the branches, landing with a large thump on the ground beside them. It was Roy.
Haley and Ben looked down at the girl with such gratitude, for she had saved their lives yet again, and without the use of her psychic powers no less. It had appeared her powers had taken a small break at the moment.
Dean made his way over to where Roy's body laid haphazardly on the ground and he crouched down to examine it. Grace had never cared much for the man, but she wouldn't wish such an awful death upon him. "You okay?" Sam asked the Collins siblings who were too shocked to speak, so they nodded. Then he redirected his attention to his brother. "You got it?"
"His neck's broke." Stated Dean after looking at the body. Even more growling came from the depths of the forest and Grace couldn't help but feel as if it was laughing at them. It appeared the laughing was getting louder and growing closer. The eldest Winchester spun around and said. "Okay, run, run, run, run, go, go, go!"
Before she knew what she was doing, Grace felt her feet carry her away. They were all running for their lives through the woods, running from the Wendigo that wanted them for dinner. Grace was small, but she was fast and she sprinted in and around the trees along with the others. They were all separated as they each swerved around the trees in their path. She looked to her left and found her Uncle running parallel to her, the two dashing amongst the undergrowth. Panic settled into Grace's stomach when she realised she couldn't see her Dad anywhere.
In the corner of her eye, Grace could see Sam running back to help a fallen Ben. But there was no one next to her. She was alone.
Suddenly she could feel something tugging at her gut, a warning, so it appeared her powers were back. The girl continued to run and her panting only increased in fear after receiving the warning. Strands of her curly brown locks flew behind her as they escaped her messy ponytail, with some sticking to her forehead by the swear gathering on her brow. Her hands shook and tears even brimmed her eyes. She was terrified.
Then, she heard a scream.
Haley's scream.
Grace turned to see her Uncle sprinting off in the direction of the scream and quickly followed. She wanted so badly to disprove the feeling she had in her gut, so she pounded her feet against the twigs and dirt as fast as she could as she chased her Uncle and Ben through the trees. Then they came to a stop.
They were both calling out to their siblings, but there was no answer. And before Sam could yell out Grace's name, the girl suddenly crashed into him as she came to an abrupt a halt. Sam sighed in relief before bringing his niece into a crushing hug. "You're okay." He breathed out, more for his benefit than her own.
Grace enjoyed the hug for a moment before pushing herself away from her Uncle. "Where's Dad? And where's Haley?" She inquired. Sam just looked down at his feet. And following his gaze, Grace then discovered what he was looking at and her heart sunk.
She was right. The wendigo had taken them.
The girl crouched down to the disturbed earth before plucking a broken bottle from the ground. She instantly recognised it as the weapon her Dad had made, but now it was broken and he was gone. Tears threatened to trickle from her eyes and then she impulsively tossed the shattered bottle as far as could. Her Dad and Haley were missing and she was like a time bomb waiting to go off. Everything that had happened since they entered Lost Creek, all the pain she had felt, all the fear, it had just bottled itself up inside of her and now the glass was shattering.
"Dad!" She yelled, hoping that whenever the Wendigo was taking him, he could hear her. "Dad!"
Sam reached out for the girl — who hadn't noticed the tears now running down her cheeks — and pulled her into a tight embrace. Her tears stained his shirt, but he didn't care, because Grace needed him. He looked down at the girl and she could see the determined look in his eyes even through her blurred vision. "We'll find them." He promised.
Grace nodded her head in agreement. They were going to find them, they had to.
"If it keeps its victims alive," Ben started to question as the girl wiped away her tears, "why would it kill Roy?"
Breaking from her Uncle's side, Grace followed what her gut was telling her and moved over a small mound of earth to find brightly coloured pieces of chocolate waiting for her. She smiled hopefully at them as Sam replied to Ben, which she could still hear. "Honestly? I think because Roy shot at it, pissed it off." To be honest, who out of the group hadn't Roy annoyed?
"Uncle Sam! Ben!" Called out Grace, not removing her gaze from the trail in front of her. It didn't take the two long to arrive at Grace's side and they too grinned at the sight of the colourful chocolate on the ground. "They went this way. Dad left us a trail to follow."
Sam knelt down next to the trial and picked up an M&M as his grin reached his ear. "It's better than breadcrumbs." A chuckle fell from his lips as he shook his head in astonishment.
"I don't get it." Grace frowned at the reference.
Her Uncle turned back to her in shock. "You don't know Hansel and Gretel?" Grace shook her head in response and Sam scoffed. "Dean's really missed out some parts of your education." Getting to his feet, Sam tossed the M&M in his hand away before brushing off the dirt from his knees. "When we this is over, we'll stop off at a library for the classics." He promised. Grace had no idea what he was talking about, but she trusted her Uncle enough to know it was going to be great.
With the path to the Wendigo's lair plotted out for them with the help of a packet of multi-coloured chocolates, the new trio started to follow the trail hopefully to where they could find her Dad, Haley and if he was still alive, Tommy Collins. And as Grace moved parallel to her Dad's trail, she noticed the drag marks left behind in the dirt as the wendigo took them back to its home. It reminded Grace of when she first learnt to identify drag marks.
It was late afternoon when John Winchester dragged young Gracie back into the woods to do more of her 'training'. Unlike the previous sessions she had had over the past few weeks, her Dad had stayed behind at the motel: it had been her Grandfather's decision she believed. Grace always liked having her Dad by her side as he would always make sure she okay and encourage her with kind words when she needed to hear them. Her Grandfather was the complete opposite. Still, Grace was prepared for whatever was going to happen.
Her laces had been tied tightly in double knots (thanks to her Dad as she couldn't yet figure out how to knot) and she had made sure to put on a pair of warm socks so her feet wouldn't get cold. Nearly all her crazy hair had been pulled up in a ponytail because even after ten minutes of Dean tackling with the curls he still couldn't manage to get all the strands to stay put. Grace didn't mind though, if anything she preferred it that way.
Upon entering the woods, John shoved a loaded shotgun into the seven-year-old's arms and ordered her to be ready. By now she could accurately shoot a target, but that didn't mean she liked using guns and her Dad didn't like her using them either. Despite that, she gripped the shotgun tightly as she followed her Grandfather through the woods.
Painful memories tried to push themselves back into her mind, but she kept them at bay. Every time she entered a woods, she would always be drawn back to the moment she awoke — alone and abandoned in the middle of nowhere. It was a time she didn't want to remember even though it was the earliest thing she could. Dean knew how much the woods still put her on edge, it was why he usually accompanied them, but not this time.
"Over here." John came to a sudden halt and Grace had to quickly stop herself before she slammed into his back. The girl then looked around him to see where he was pointing. It was the ground. "What do you see?"
Grace looked up at her Grandfather and replied honestly. "Dirt."
John groaned in annoyance. "What else?"
The girl manoeuvred around John and stepped closer to where he was pointing. She tilted her head, in thought. "It's moved." Grace noted at the patch of the earth that looked different to the others.
"And?"
A frown formed on her lips as she continued to study the disturbed ground. She glanced between it and her Grandfather and then replied. "I-I don't know." Grace looked down in shame, feeling disappointed in herself for letting her Grandfather down.
John kissed his teeth before kneeling down and placing his palm upon the dirt. "It means something, or someone, has been dragged." He informed Grace who listened attentively. "From the pattern we can tell it was heavy. And you see there." The man gestures further along the drag marks where there were indentations in the ground. "Those are the tracks of whatever was dragging it." Grace stared at the man, amazed by his knowledge.
Knowledge he's now teaching me to make sure I'm safe, Grace thought.
"You got that?" John questioned as he stood up and tightened his grip on his gun. Grace quickly nodded in response and the man smirked. "Good." With that, John Winchester cocked his gun and started to follow the trail. "Let's go!"
And then Grace followed after John into the woods, not knowing what they were going to meet once they were there.
WITH EACH PASSING M&M, THE TRIO GREW CLOSER TO WHERE THE WENDIGO HAD TAKEN DEAN AND HALEY. Of course, they had to end up at the entrance of the dark and creepy mine because where else would a wendigo decide to make their lair. And despite the sign that read 'KEEP OUT NO ADMITTANCE' in big letters, Sam, Grace and Ben stepped into the dark tunnel because warning signs wasn't the sort of thing Winchesters did.
Grace didn't like mines: they were gloomy, creepy and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. And this wasn't just because the last time she was in a mine, it wasn't just to go on a tour. So, the nine-year-old hugged her Uncle's side as they carefully snuck into the wendigo's lair.
Flashlight in hand, Sam lit the path ahead as they walked down the mineshaft whilst making sure not to trip on the tracks beneath them. Grace was on high alert as her eyes scanned around for the wendigo or her Dad. For the past two years she had been helping her Dad and Grandfather hunt the monsters under the bed, so she knew what kind of things to watch out for. This was just another scary, add to the pile of nightmares, rodeo.
All of a sudden, Sam switched off his torch and pulled Grace and Ben over to the side as a low growling resonated from another part of the tunnel.
Grace pressed her back further into the wall of the tunnel as they all held their breaths. A hand was placed over Ben's mouth, preventing any fearful noise from coming out and alerting the wendigo to their position. Wherever it was, it was close.
Once the wendigo passed by, they all let out relieved sighs. "That was close." Grace let out as she placed a hand over her chest and calmed down her breathing. Sam hummed in agreement. After flicking the flashlight back on, Sam continued to lead the two through the maze-like tunnels. A vibration echoed through her bones. "Guys?" She tried to gain their attention but they were too focused on the path ahead. "Guys?" Repeated Grace a little louder this time.
Sam finally turned back to Grace, but it was too late. The creaky floorboards beneath them snapped, plummeting Sam, Ben and Grace through the floor.
Awkwardly, the trio landed in a short of cavern that was hidden under where they were previously standing. Grace groaned from the impact and her body ached as she pushed herself up and onto her knees. "Uncle Sam? Ben?"
"I'm good." Came the familiar voice of her Uncle and then the girl sighed in relief. But Ben hadn't answered, so they both turned to find the young man staring at a pile of skulls and the sight of them caused him to leap backwards in shock. Sam grabbed him by the arm and tried to reassure him as they all stood in a pit of bones and remains. "Hey, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay."
As Sam continued to calm down Ben, who was finally letting the panic that had been building up out, Grace couldn't ignore the feeling that something was behind her. So, slowly the psychic girl listened to her sixth sense and pivoted on her mud smeared boots. And what she was met with was most certainly a sight for sore eyes. Because right in front of her were her Dad and Haley, tied up to the wooden boards above by just their wrists. They were still unconscious and hung there like meat on a hook. Well, to the wendigo, that was exactly what they were.
"Uncle Sam! Ben!" Grace shouted to gain their attention and both boys turned their heads to see their siblings alive and well.
Sam ran from Ben and to his brother as Ben made his way over to his sister. "Dean!"
"Haley, wake up." Ben begged his sister.
Grabbing Dean by the shoulders, Sam started to try and shake him away as Grace wrapped both arms around his waist and tried to shake him too. "Dad, wake up!" At the sound of a relieved chuckle from her Uncle, Grace knew her Dad had opened his eyes and she dropped her arms as she moved to stand in front of him.
Both Uncle and niece scanned Dean's body for any visible injuries before the former asked. "Hey, you okay?"
Wincing, he replied. "Yeah." From what Grace had gathered over the past two years, the Winchesters' definition of 'fine' was different from most people's.
Grace withdrew her small knife from her pocket and handed it to her Uncle who then used it to cut Dean down as Ben kept on yelling for his sister. Then the woman opened her eyes and after Sam had finished with Grace's blade, he handed it to Ben who then used it to slice the rope holding his sister to the decrepit ceiling. Grace wanted nothing more than to engulf her Dad in the biggest hug she was capable of, but she knew he was in pain even if he didn't want to admit it and she didn't want to make it worse.
Seeing his daughter made Dean smile and he ruffled her hair just as her and Sam both took an arm and led him to an empty part of the cavern. Grace didn't complain as he messed with her already wild hair, she was just glad that he was still around to mess with it. Ben helped Haley over and they all sat down together to come up with a plan. Pained noises escaped the hunter's mouth and both his brother and kid turned to him with the same concerned look. "Dad, are you really okay?" She asked as her Father grimaced.
"Yeah." Dean nodded and at that, his own daughter looked at him questioningly. "Yeah, Pumpkin, I'm fine. Now, where is he?" He inquired, taking the subject away from him and towards the main problem they were facing.
"He's gone for now." Sam answered.
Haley rid her wrists from the rope and tossed tit aside. She then stood up and took in her surroundings and that was when she saw him. "Tommy..." Haley let out a sob at the sight of her brother who was hanging from the rotten boards like she was. Apart from a few scraps he looked to be okay and the Winchesters immediately got up to help. They watched as she reached out to touch her brother's cheek with a shaking hand, fearing the worst. But as she made contact with his cheek, Tommy's head suddenly jerked up with a gasp, causing Haley to jump back and shriek. She turned to the tallest Winchester. "Cut him down!" Taking the Gracie's knife back from Ben, Sam sliced the rope holding up Tommy, allowing him to fall into the arms of his siblings. "We're gonna get you home." Haley promised him as she smiled down in relief.
All of this was to find their brother and now they had him back and the mission was complete.
Haley looked up from her brother to glance over at Grace with gratitude. "You kept your promise, thank you." She smiled and Grace returned it. The girl was just glad they had found Tommy and that he was back with his family, which meant now they could get the hell out of this chilling mine.
Meanwhile, Dean had found where the wendigo had dumped their bags and started to rummage through them in search of anything they could use against it. "Check it out." Dean called out after finding something amongst the supplies. Grace and Sam looked over at Father to find him holding up two flare guns in his hands.
"Flare guns." Smirked Sam in approval as Grace lightened up with hope. "Those'll work." They grinned and Dean laughed as he twirled the guns in hands. Grace's smile brightened and a small chuckle reverberated in her throat.
Once Tommy was lifted onto his siblings' shoulders in support, they all started to make their way out of the mine. Grace now had her knife back in her hands and even though it wouldn't kill a wendigo, she was willing to bet a hard stab to the eye or foot would hurt like hell. Her Dad and Uncle were leading the way with the flare guns raised and ready to fire. But they couldn't waste their shots, because the one shot was all both of them had.
Again, they could hear growling filling the tunnel and Grace doubted they could hide from it this time. "Looks like someone's home for supper." Dean commented.
Grace gulped fearfully. "And we're on the menu."
"We'll never outrun it." Stated Haley as she glanced over at a weak and barely conscious Tommy.
There was an idea ticking away inside her Dad's head, Grace could tell. Then he looked back at the Collins siblings, then to his brother. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Yeah, I think so." Sam quickly replied.
Eyes widening in realisation, Grace looked up at her family. "You're stupid." She said matter-of-factly.
Dean smiled sarcastically. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Pumpkin, it means a lot." Rolling her eyes at his response, she watched as Dean then addressed the Collinses. "All right, listen to me. Stay with Sam and Grace. They're gonna get you out of here."
"What are you gonna do?" Haley asked Dean in worry.
The man just winked at her and started to walk away as Grace turned to Haley and replied for him. "Something stupid." Sam laughed lightly to himself at her words.
Continuing down a completely different tunnel to the rest of them, Dean hollered. "Chow time, you freaky bastard! Yeah, that's right, bring it on, baby, I taste goood." Grace cracked a small, amused smile at his words. He kept on yelling, calling out to the wendigo, but soon he got so far away that his words became muffled and inaudible.
A moment later, Sam stepped in front of the group and began to lead the way out, "All right, come on! Hurry!" Grace held the rear as she watched out for any surprise wendigo ambush. It was hard to remain focused when she was busy worrying about her Dad in another tunnel, but all she could do was hope that their plan worked. They all followed Sam down the tunnel as he held the flare gun tightly in his hands.
Another growl made its way into their ears, this one sounding louder than the last. They made it to the end of one tunnel and Grace could tell they weren't very far away from the exit. "Grace." At her name, she spun around to face her uncle. "Get them outta here."
She stared at him in disbelief. "No! I'm not leaving you behind."
"Your Dad would want you to be safe!" The man argued before shouting to the others. "Go! Go! Go!"
Grace stood her ground defiantly as Haley and Ben helped their brother along the tunnel. There was no way she was going to leave her uncle behind, no matter what her Dad would want. So, she stayed despite him continuing to insist that she run after the Collinses. Sam had to admit, she may have been small, but she was brave and he hoped that wasn't going to come back and bite her one day.
The wendigo's growls grew louder and louder as it drew nearer and nearer. Sam was ready, gun aimed and finger resting on the trigger. He made sure to keep Grace behind him, because if she was going to refuse to leave him then he was going to make sure she was safe. But as he turned they then found themselves face-to-face with the wendigo. It was large, grey and just the sight of it made Grace wanted to faint. Everything she had felt up to that moment, all the pieces she had picked up along the way, suddenly crashed down upon her all at once.
She felt like she was drowning.
Grace gripped the back of Sam's jacket as tightly as she could as she kept eye contact with the creature having found herself unable to look away. He pulled the trigger and fired the flare, but missed. Sam quickly took Grace's hand in his own and the two ran for their lives after Haley and the others.
They heard their names being called as they approached the family. "Come on, hurry, hurry, hurry." He urged them and they all started to run faster. The wendigo was hot on their heels as they weaved through the maze of tunnels, trying to lose the man-eating monster hunting them. But unfortunately, the next corner they turned around led them straight into a dead end. Or so the wendigo believed,
"Get behind me." Sam ordered as he stood protectively in front of his niece and the others, his arms spread out like a wall between the wendigo and them. A wall he wouldn't allow it to cross. The wendigo rounded the corner and stared at the five trapped at the end of the tunnel, easy prey for it to hunt. It knew they had no way out, so it decided to take its time and toy with their lives. As it stalked towards them, Grace stared at its twisted features and wondered how it was ever a man. The closer it got, the louder the screaming in her head became, so she backed up until her head hit the wall as she tried to get away from it.
Relief flooded her as she noticed her Dad standing right behind the creature with his flare gun raised. "Hey!" Dean yelled. At his voice, the wendigo turned and then Dean seized his moment and fired the flare straight into the wendigo's chest.
They all watched in morbid fascination as the wendigo combusted. The bright orange flames engulfing its body and reducing it to cinders. And after all the people it had killed and the lives it had ruined as a result, Grace couldn't help but feel as though justice had been served.
Now that the wendigo was dying embers in the dirt, the crushing feeling in her mind finally lifted and she sighed in relief.
"Not bad, huh?" A cocky smirk lined his lips and Sam and Grace couldn't help but grin at him.
The young girl pushed herself from the wall and ran to her Father and jumped into his arms. He groaned slightly from his injuries making Grace remember that he was still hurt so she tried to get down but he held her tightly in his arms and didn't let go. They were together again and nothing else mattered. Dean could have been bleeding out for all he cared, because the only thing he cared about in that moment was having his daughter safe and sound by his side. Grace let out a loud laugh as he lifted her higher into the air. Sam just watched them both with a content smile. "It was still stupid though." She told him.
Dean gasped, mocking offence. "You take that back! I just saved your little ass."
Grace continued to giggle as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Never."
EVEN WITH AN INJURED TOMMY, THE GROUP MANAGED TO FINALLY MAKE THEIR WAY OUT OF THAT CREEPY MINE TO FIND THE HELP THEY NEEDED. The paramedics had patched up all their scrapes and cuts, even the ones they didn't remember getting. Afterwards, whilst Ben was reciting their lie to the police officers — that a bear was the one behind it all — Grace sat on the hood of the Impala, staring up at the stars. Following what they had just gone through, just looking up at the stars made it all just melt away and for a moment allowed Grace to forget the horrific events they had experienced.
Haley walked up to Dean and Grace. "So, I don't know how to thank you." She smiled at the two of them gratefully. Dean smirked at her and Grace rolled her eyes at her Dad as Haley questioned with a small grin. "Must you cheapen the moment?"
"Yeah."
One of the paramedics called out to Haley to ask whether or not she was coming with her brothers in the ambulance. Grace stared in incredulity as she watched Haley place a kiss on her Dad's cheek. "I hope you find your Father." She told Dean before strolling over to Grace. "You look after these idiots, okay?" Dean was about to say something but decided he better not. Grace nodded in agreement. Then Haley headed towards the ambulance where her brothers were waiting for her and as she passed the last Winchester, she said. "Thanks, Sam."
The man walked over to where his brother and niece had gathered and joined them on the hood of the Impala as they watched Haley and Ben leave with their brother in the ambulance. "Man," Dean sighed, "I hate camping."
"Me too."
"Me three."
They sat there for a moment as the ambulance carrying the Collinses disappeared towards the hospital. Then Dean broke their silence as he turned to Sam. "Sam, you know we're gonna find Dad, right?"
"Yeah, I know." He answered before glancing at Dean with a smirk. "But in the meantime, I'm driving." Grace was surprised when her Dad tossed her Uncle the keys to his precious Baby and let him get into the drivers seat.
A chuckle fell from her lips as she hopped down from the hood and got into the back. Her Dad letting someone else drive the Impala, this certainly was the beginning of a new era.
And with that, Wendigo is over! I enjoyed writing this one, it was pretty fun.
Grace and Dean are so cute and I already adore her relationship with her Uncle Sam. Poor Grace is still confused about her Grandfather, but don't worry, she'll figure it out. Taking a Seven-year-old on a hunt, really John? Grace may be a tiny compassionate badass, but she's still a child. Okay, yeah, Dean and Sam take her on hunts too but they do try and keep her away from the danger as much as they can whilst John is more likely to throw her to wolves to see if she'll survive.
Sam finding out Grace doesn't know Hansel & Gretel: I am prepared to teach this child everything I know. Dean's not a bad home-school teacher but we all know Sam would have a properly planned out curriculum and everything.
Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Hopefully, I'll see you in the next chapter.
Sincerely Rosie aka Winter326