Dean
I'm sitting at a table with a paper in front of me circling an obituary, the name Sophie Arlton. Shelby sits in front of me as an attractive waitress approaches “can I get you anything else” I look up and grin as I turn around the pen I was chewing on. Sam comes over and sits down “just the check, please” Sam says “okay” the waitress says and leaves.
I drop my head, then look at Sammy “you know, Sam, we are allowed to have fun once in a while” I said and point to the waitress “that's fun”. Shelby rolls her eyes at me as I hand Sam the newspaper. “Here, take a look at this, I think I got one. Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin. Last week Sophie Carlton, eighteen, walks into the lake, doesn't walk out. Authorities dragged the water; nothing. Sophie Carlton is the third Lake Manitoc drowning this year. None of the other bodies were found either. They had a funeral two days ago” I said.
“A funeral” Sam asked “yeah, it's weird, they buried an empty coffin. For, uh, closure or whatever” “closure, what closure, people don't just disappear, Dean. Other people just stop looking for them” Sam said a mad. I looked at him “something you want to say to me”? “The trail for Dad, it's getting colder every day” Sam said “exactly, so what are we supposed to do” I asked Sam.
Shelby sighed at us “I don't know, something, anything” “you know what? I'm sick of this attitude, you don't think I wanna find Dad as much as you do” I asked mad “yeah, I know you do, it's just -” Sam started “Shelby and I have been with him every single day for the past two years, while you've been off to college going to pep rallies. We will find Dad, but until then, we're gonna kill everything bad between here and there. Okay” I asked?
Sam rolled his eyes as the waitress goes by, distracting Dean “Dean why don't you go get her number” Shelby said to me and I stood up to leave, getting the pitcher.
Shelby
I waited till Dean left and looked at Sam “okay, whats wrong with you” I asked “I just want to find dad” “why? Because you think that once we find him we're going to be a family again, things are going to be back to normal” I asked? “No, but they would be different” Sam said. I looked at Sam for a second “you're right, they would be different, you know what he will do, he look at you, hug, possible say he missed you, and then that's it. No “how you been” or anything like that” I said to Sam.
Sam looked at me “is that what he did with you” I sighed “no, I didn't even get a hug, dad didn't want to believe I was there. He still doesn't” I said as Dean came back “all right, Lake Manitoc, how far” Sam asked Dean.
Sam, Dean, and I got in the car and drove off. We drive past a sign that reads "Welcome to Lake Manitoc WI.". We pull up in front of the Carlton house and Dean knocks on the door. Will Carlton opens it “Will Carlton” I asked “yeah, that's right” Will said “I'm Agent Ford, this is Agent Hamill, and this is Agent Woods” Dean said pointing to Sam and me. “We're with the US Wildlife Service” Dean says and holds up an ID.
We fallow his Will Carlton to the lack to find Bill Carlton is sitting on a bench on the dock. “She was about a hundred yards out, that's where she got dragged down” Will said. “And you're sure she didn't just drown” Dean asked “yeah, she was a varsity swimmer. She practically grew up in that lake, she was as safe out there as in her own bathtub” Will said.
“So no splashing, no signs of distress” Sam asked “no, that's what I'm telling you” “did you see any shadows in the water? Maybe some dark shape breach the surface” I asked “no, again, she was really far out there” Will said. “You ever see any strange tracks by the shoreline” Dean asked? “No never, why, what do you think is out there” “we'll let you know as soon as we do” Dean said and me and him headed back to the car. “What about your father” Sam asked making us stop and turn around. “Can we talk to him” Sam asked?
Will turns to look at Bill, then turns back “look, if you don't mind, I mean... he didn't see anything and he's kind of been through a lot” Will said “we understand” Sam said with a nod and we all go back to the car and drove to the Police Station. Sheriff Jack Devins talks to us “now, I'm sorry, but why does the Wildlife Service care about an accidental drowning” Will asked, suspicious.
“You sure it's accidental, Will Carlton saw something grab his sister” Sam said “like what” Will asked. We walk into his office and he motions to chairs in front of his desk while I stand and lean on the wall since there isn't any room. “There are no indigenous carnivores in that lake, there's nothing even big enough to pull down a person, unless it was the Loch Ness Monster” Jake said.
We all laugh “yeah, right” Dean says making Sam glance at him. “Will Carlton was traumatized, and sometimes the mind plays tricks. Still we dragged that entire lake we even ran a sonar sweep, just to be sure, and there was nothing down there” Jake said. “That's weird, though, I mean, that's, that's the third missing body this year” Dean said leaning closer. “I know, these are people from my town, these are people I care about, anyway” Jake sighed “all this, it won't be a problem much longer” “what do you mean” I finally spoke.
“Well, the dam, of course” “of course, the dam, it's, uh, it sprung a leak” Dean said. “It's falling apart, and the feds won't give us the grant to repair it, so they've opened the spillway. In another six months, there won't be much of a lake. There won't be much of a town, either, but as Federal Wildlife, you already knew that” Jake said a little suspicious “exactly” Dean said. All of a sudden a young woman walks inside and stands at the door.
“Sorry, am I interrupting” the lady asks Sam and Dean stand up “I can come back later” “gentlemen, this is my daughter” Jake said. Do I look like a boy? “It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Dean” Dean shakes the girls hand “Andrea Barr, hi” “they're from the Wildlife Service, about the lake” “oh” Andrea said. A boy walks in around Andrea “oh, hey there, what's your name” the kid doesn't say anything and walks away with Andrea following. “His name is Lucas” “is he okay” I asked Jake “my grandson's been through a lot, we all have” Jack says and stands up and goes to the office door.
“Well, if there's anything else I can do for you, please let me know” we all leave Jakes office. “Thanks, you know, now that you mentioned it, could you point us in the direction of a reasonably priced motel” Dean asked making Andrea stands up “Lakefront Motel. Go around the corner, it's about two blocks south” she says. Dean starts talking to her while I kneel down next to Lucas.
“Hey Lucas” I said as he continues to draw “hey, want some chocolate” I asked reaching in my pocket and polling out a chocolate bar, that got his attention. I looked at Andrea “can he have this” “sure” she said. “Here you go” I said and he takes it “thank you” Lucas finally speaks “you are very welcome” I say with a smile and he looks at me. He smiles slightly that soon disappears and goes back to drawing.
“You want me to walk you two blocks” Andrea asks “not if it's any trouble” Dean said and I roll my eyes at him. “I'm headed that way anyway” Andrea says and says goodbye to Lucas. Dean waves to Jake “thanks again” Sam says “thanks” I say and we head out. Andrea leads us the street. “So, cute kid” Dean says “thanks” Andrea says “he seems to like you” she said pointing to me. “I'm good with kids” I say with a shrug as we cross the street.
“Kids are the best, huh” Andrea glances at Dean and ignores him. We stop in front of a building that says LAKEFRONT MOTEL. “There it is, like I said, two blocks” Andrea says “thanks” Sam and I say. Andrea looks at Dean “must be hard, with your sense of direction, never being able to find your way to a decent pickup line, enjoy your stay” she says and leaves. Sam and I smile “kids are the best, you don't even like kids” Sam says to Dean.
“I love kids” Dean says “name three children that you even know” I say to Dean. Deans thinks and comes up empty. “Shelby” Dean says and points to me “I'm in my 20
s Dean, doesn't count” I say to him. Dean thinks some more and I roll my eyes and Sam and I walk into the motel, Dean scratches his head “I'm thinking” Dean says and joins us.