"Where is Dean."
"...Occupied."
Squinting at Bobby's car I remain patiently beside Sam watching him stride purposefully over. Hand up to block out the sunlight, Sam warmly greets "Hey Bobby."
Quipping a nod underneath his dirty trucker's cap, Bobby shifts the thick book under his arm "Howdy kids."
"Thanks for coming", I appreciatively step over to give Bobby a tight thankful hug.
"Speaking of" leaning back I notice Bobby's stare lingering curiously around the abandoned lumber mill "Where is Dean."
Silently I look to Sam who seems to have had the same thought as I. After hunting Dean down and saving him from a fluffy shiatzu we took him back to the motel. Whilst Sam and I poured over books all night Dean's fear kept him thoroughly invested in Pinky and the Brain. I'm not even entirely sure he witnessed or noticed us slip out to meet with Bobby when morning finally struck. He still had been sitting at the end of our bed completely invested. Carefully tilting my gaze back to Bobby, I cryptically answer "...Occupied."
As if he understands what stages Dean's progressed to, Bobby suggestively asks "He had any hallucinations yet?"
"Yeah", Sam tells Bobby, leaned back against the trunk of the Impala "A few hours ago."
"How we doin on time?"
"We saw the coroner about 8am Monday morning so..." lifting his watch, Sam silently counts "Just under two hours."
"How did you go?" I ask Bobby, folding my arms when I pry curiously "Did you find anything on our mystery ghost?"
Nodding Bobby waves a thick book in front of us "This encyclopedia of spirits dates back to the Edo Period."
Swooshing us aside Sam and I part to allow Bobby to drop the book against the trunk in a way I know would've made Dean furious. Yet remaining quiet another question perks when I notice the text "Bobby you read Japanese?" Furrowing his bushy brows offended, Bobby answers me right back in the language and I can't help but roll my eyes, "Show off."
"Anyways" Bobby brings us back on track "This book lists a kind of ghost that could be our guy, Luther. It infects people with fear. It's called a Beru Beru."
"It says how to kill it?" Sam asks, glancing over the sketched images of a fearful human.
"Same as usual. Burn the remains."
Scrunching my nose at what I know to be the impossible, I cryptically wonder "You got a Plan B by any chance?"
Titling his head, Bobby explains to me "The Beru Beru is born of fear- hell it is fear. And the lore says we can kill it with fear."
"So..." Sam hums trying to wrap his head around what Bobby is telling us "... we have to make Luther scared?" Bobby merely answers with silence and a knowing stare. Dragging my hand through my hair I feel the worry for Dean's life set back in as our deadline begins to crunch. He's already been to Hell once to make him go back so soon...
Tilting my head, I suggest "Why don't we kill Luther a second time?" Gaining both their attention, I elaborate "I mean he's scaring people to death so why don't we deal it right back?"
"That's smart" Sam nods, hand extended towards the mill looming behind us "We chain him up and drag him off back down the gravel road he died on."
"That would do it for me", Bobby slams the book shut, asking Sam and I "You two bozo's got a chain?"
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Chain attached to the Impala I feel the engine rumbling under me as I keep it stationary on the gravel stretch of road. Staring ahead my gaze flickers anxiously to the chain stretched behind me. From the Impala it snakes loosely down the stretch of road to disappear inside the lumber mill with Sam.
"Any luck?" I hear Bobby over the walkie talkie and I can only presume the pair of them made a split inside the lumber mill for Luther.
"I don't know Bobby" Sam responds eerily, explaining "Last time he came right at us. It's almost like he's... he's scared of us."
Grabbing the walkie from the seat, I let my hand dangle from the steering wheel when I suggest "Maybe you should piss him off a little. He's still a spirit and all are born of vengeance."
"You saying I should find those sketches and go to town on them?"
Tilting my head back and forth over the idea of destroying them, I decided to respond with a curt "Yeah. Rip em to confetti." I think it's kind of cute if you're a couple but Jessie was married to another man. Mr. Gardland may claim it's a harmless crush but it's a little weird to draw a single girl over and over again. If it had been me I wouldn't have appreciated it. In my opinion, I don't see the difference in a strange drawing sketched to a stranger taking photos. Suddenly I'm hearing the sound of saw's roaring to life over the Impala's engine. Craning my neck I look through the rearview mirror to observe smoke beginning to billow from the burning chimney. "Suppose that did the trick" I mutter watching Luther bringing the lumber mill to life. Foot hovering over the gas pedal, my hand lingers on the gear stick as time ticks slowly by. It can't be much longer now.
"EL!" I suddenly hear Sam roar over the walkie "PUNCH IT!"
Without a second to lose I shift gears and slam my boot down on the gas. The tires spin out for only a second until I'm sent launching forwards in a burst of fury. Roaring against the accelerator I feel a surprising weight get tugged on the Impala to increase its drag. A body. Pushing harder on the accelerator the Impala tugs back harder. With a loud bang I spare a glance behind me to see Luther burst from the lumber mill factory doors, spelled chain wrapped tightly around his neck. Large body flailing about I push the Impala faster down the long stretch of road. Nervously my attention flickers back and forth from Luther and the stretch as the speed continuously ticks up. Then in the corner of my eye, I see it happen. Luther flails about for no longer then a second more before disintegrating in a cloud of grey smoke. Nothing is left but the chain scratching and clinking against the worn gravel road, Luther no longer thrashing on the end.
Reverting my gaze out the windshield they widen at the sight of the fast-approaching white factory attached to the mill. Panic gripping my chest I slam my boot on the brake, gripping the steering wheel and yanking hard on the hand brake. Tires locking the Impala skids over the gravel like if I'd hit an ice patch. With a tight grip on the steering wheel I tug it sideways and the Impala drifts with the directive change. The tires protesting with a loud scream I don't feel my heart calming even when it finally soars to a stop. Glancing towards the white factory building my eyes widen a fraction at how close I came to driving the Impala straight through the building. It's so close I can reach through the windshield and touch the pristine wall. Turning my gaze out the passenger side I notice both Sam and Bobby staring after me, both undecidedly amused and panicked by my actions. Releasing a shaky breath, I raise the walkie with a trembling hand "No one tells Dean. Understood?"
Whilst Bobby stares after me stunned at how close I came to smashing up the side of Dean's baby, Sam suddenly bursts out in boisterous laughter "Oh I call dibs!"
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Taking the extended beers from the casing Bobby offers me, I offer one each to Dean and Sam. Hoisting myself up on the hood of the Impala, I lean into Dean's side when he rests an arm over my shoulders. We found Dean a little shaken in the hotel room. Shaken but overall alright with the corpse of the towns Sherriff dead beside he dinner table. Heart attack. The ghost sickness got to him but it didn't get to Dean.
"So", Dean leans to wrap his head around the explanation we'd given him in the car, catching my attention "El road hauled a ghost with a chain Sammy wrapped around his neck?"
"With spell work Bobby etched into the links" Sam adds on the end, motioning to Bobby with his beer "Was pretty brutal but it was the thing Luther was most afraid of."
"On the upside", Dean chirps, raising his own bottle in salute "I'm still alive so... go team!"
Raising my own I repeat the "Go team."
Squinting in the sun, I listen to Sam ask "How're you feeling?"
Shrugging it off, Dean brazenly answers "Fine."
"You sure?" Bobby pries, teasing Dean with a sly smirk "Cause this line of work can get awfully scary."
With a sly smirk of my own as Dean narrows his eyes at Bobby's taunting, I take my hand from the cold beer and lightly slide it under Dean's henley. It's so light the motion is undetectable in the wind swooshing around us in the southern deserts. A playful smirk curling on my lips I suddenly press my ice cold on against Dean's warm back "BOO!"
Shoving himself away from me, Dean arches his back to escape "AHH!" Without being able to stop my laughter falls from my lips, Bobby's and Sam's rising louder around me. Spinning around Dean narrows his gaze on me as I giggle away from where I'm perched. "Why? Why? Why?" He rambles waving his hands out, beer dangling from one precariously.
"It was just too tempting", I continue laughing, unable to contain myself. Gesturing behind him to Bobby and Sam, I enthuse "Oh come on- they thought it was funny!"
"Funny? Hmm" Dean nods and a thoughtful look crosses out the annoyance which had been there only seconds ago. Observing Dean place down his beer bottle on the Impala, his hand lingering on the cold bottle a second longer, I know exactly what's coming.
Payback.
Uncrossing my legs, I slink smoothly off the Impala and my laughter tapers off "Dean. No."
Hand still on the cold dripping condensation, Dean perks his ears up and taunts "What do you mean El? I thought it was funny?"
Suddenly letting go of the cold bottle Dean launches with his warm hand to grab me. He moves so fast he actually manages to grasp my wrist no matter how fast I tried to escape his circle of reach. Tugged closer to Dean I grab his hand and twirl under his arm, quick to escape the cold hand when I shove him closer towards Sam who's doubled over the car laughing with Bobby at how the tables got turned. Understanding his hand will warm up soon I run around the Impala in an attempt to escape it for just that long. Yet Dean is curiously quicker in a way that catches me off guard. Or perhaps he was just determined for a little payback. Speedily running to cross the bonnet of the Impala with a slide Dean cuts me off when I suddenly slam right against his firm chest. Right into the trap.
Arm around me to hold me tight against him, Dean's cold hand slides right up the back of my black Ramones shirt and I screech with a squeal from the cold hand brought against the middle of my back. The cold chill burning against my warm skin it becomes very apparent why Dean leaped away from me. Jolting against Dean I try to smack his hand away but I can't as it remains just out of my restricted reach. "You're right", Dean laughs against my squirming frame, teasing me rightfully back "It's hilarious."
Finally released from the cold tight grip against him, I can't wipe the smile on my face even when I still sense Dean's cold marked hand in the middle of my back. Similarly, Dean grins down at me with a wicked smile. Playfully smacking his hand away when it's extended towards me, I take a step back before Dean snatches my hand. Tugged back towards him I let myself be pulled back into his arms as he captures my lips in his. A loving kiss that melts away the teasing and the laughter. Yet when it's broken Dean slides his arm back around my shoulders, both of us wandering back around as Dean boasts convincedly to Bobby and Sam "I'm fine. You wanna go hunting right now? Let's go. I'll hunt. I'll kill anything."
The crossing arms, Bobby easily continues to patronize "Aww... he's adorable." Sparing Dean a look Sam and I return to laughing when Dean picks his beer up to take a long swing. "Well I gotta get out of here", Bobby pushes himself off his mustang that I remember him having since forever "You kids drive safe. Especially you El."
"You too Bobby" Sam motions after him with his beer as I refuse to look down the barrel of Dean's stare. I simply continue to watch Bobby as he revs the Mustangs engine and kicks the dust-up speeding back to South Dakota.
Squinting as the dust clears, Sam wonders "So Dean... what did you see? Near the end I mean."
"You mean besides a cop beating my ass?"
"No seriously."
Looking at Sam I only see Dean smiling and I know we're not going to get a legitimate answer out of Dean. If there even was one to begin with. However, that theoretical thought is flushed right out of my mind when I notice something flinch in Dean's features. Looking at Sam his flippant smirk dims and his brows furrow. It's the smallest of margins but it was my own gaze narrow down on Dean. I can't help but have suspicions Dean did see something and it had something to do with Sam. Yet with a thoughtful roll of his lip the intensive stare is covered by thought. "Howler monkeys", is what Dean decides to play it with "A whole room full of them- I mean they creep my out."
"Sure", I hum, watching Dean carefully.
With a glance towards me I know Dean's picked up I've caught onto something. He's a good liar but not to me. Not to Sam. Shaking his head, Dean adds with more care "Just the usual stuff Sammy. Nothing I couldn't handle."