Ghost Hollow, A beautiful girl and mysterious disappea

[Raven524]

Disclaimer: I still don’t own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this.

Summary: A beautiful girl and mysterious disappearances bring the boys to Ghost Hollow, but will they be able to solve the mystery before one of them becomes its’ next victim? This story takes place during season 1 – so no spoilers for future seasons.

I posted this a long time ago on FF.net but decided to dust it off and post it over here. I've been in the mood for some more Season 1 type brotherly interaction which this story had plenty of. So the good news, since this is already written--just being slightly revised I will be posting quickly. I hope you all enjoy it!



Ghost Hollow


Chapter 1 – Lover’s Lane


Sam leaned forward and tried to work the kinks out of his shoulders. They had been on the road for over ten hours and Sam was more than ready to stop. “Dean, how much farther to Wheatville?”

Dean yawned as he too tried to stretch the kinks out from the long drive. “We’re almost there, according to the last sign we should be there in about fifteen or twenty minutes.”

“So why do you think Dad is sending us here?” Sam asked for the hundredth time since Dean had received the coordinates on his cell phone. It was becoming too routine now. Their Dad rarely spoke to them but he had no problems sending them coordinates for a new hunt. It was getting old really fast.

Dean sighed. “Sammy, you’re the psychic wonder, not me. All I know is Dad wants us here to do a job. I’m sure we’ll figure it out when we get there. Right now though, all I want is a quick meal and a soft bed.”

Sam shook his head, some things would never change. All his father had to do was send coordinates to Dean and his brother would drive there, no questions asked. Sam wished just once his father would tell them what he wanted them to do. Instead, Sam always had to spend hours trying to figure out what his father could probably tell them in less than a few moments.

But Sam knew better than to argue with Dean. He turned to watch the scenery as they approached the small town in south east Indiana. “Hey Dean, looks like there is a motel coming up soon. Can we skip the fast food joint and try to find a diner? I’m not up to eating grease this late in the evening.”

“Sammy you don’t know what’s good for you but ok, let’s get checked in and then we can find someplace that meets your high standards.” Dean pulled into the motel’s parking lot and got out to register. The small motel looked like it was pretty well maintained for a small town. The white paint with dark blue shutters on the windows actually was welcoming. He hoped that the inside was kept up as well as the outside. Their last room’s carpet had been so sticky, neither brother took their shoes off.

A short time later, after dropping off their bags both boys headed back to the car to find the local diner that the motel clerk had mentioned. “It seems like we just got out of the car. I hope this place is as close as the clerk said.” Sam sighed as he got into the passenger seat. He could feel his muscles complain as he closed the door. After spending hours in the cramped confines of the car, he really didn’t relish spending any more time there.

“You wanted to go out--so we’re going out. Unless you would rather walk, that will involve the use of the car.” Dean quipped as he reached over and turned up the volume on the radio. Sam rolled his eyes and grit his teeth as the music volume rose. AC/DC’s Back in Black filled the small confines of the car. He could almost feel another headache coming on. He just hoped the diner showed up before too long.

As the boys entered the diner, they were surprised to find that there were other people eating this late. Most small towns rolled up the sidewalks after 10:00 p.m. They quickly took a seat in the back of the restaurant. As usual, the waitress who brought their menus was flirting with Dean. Dean just smiled and flirted back without batting an eye. Sam just studied the menu, trying to ignore what was happening.

Dean pulled Sam’s menu down after the waitress left. “Hey Sammy, she says she has a twin sister. How about it?” The hopeful look on his brother’s face was almost comical to see. He didn’t know where Dean found the energy after hours of driving all he wanted was a bed and hopefully a full night of sleep.

“No thanks Dean. Right now I want something to eat that doesn’t slide down my throat in a coating of grease and then I want to go to sleep. I figure we can get the paper in the morning and see if anything is going on in this town.” Sam ignored the pleading look on his brother’s face as he looked at the other diners in the restaurant. A soft sigh left his lips as he noticed a young couple a few booths over. It reminded him of happier times when he and Jess would grab a quick bite to eat after a late night of study at the campus library. He felt the slight pang her memory always brought. Some days he thought he’d never feel whole again.

His attention was brought back to the present when the door burst open and a hysterical young girl ran inside. “Help…please…I can’t find Brett!”

The short order cook came out from the kitchen and walked towards the girl. “Calm down Shirley…I thought you and Brett were going to the movies. What happened?”

The girl fell into the man’s arms and began to sob. “I’m sorry Daddy, but he thought it would be fun…I mean, it’s only a story right?”

“Hold on…what are you talking about?” Her father asked as he motioned for her to sit at the counter. The burly man placed his hand around the sobbing girl’s shoulder while everyone else in the diner looked on.

“We…we…we went to Ghost Hollow, you know, just to be alone for a little while. We just wanted to talk…nothing else!” The girl hastened to add as her father began to stiffen.

“How many times have you been told not to go anywhere near there!” The man took a deep breath as his daughter burst into another round of tears. “Ok, sweetheart, calm down. I’ll get some of the boys together and we’ll find him. You just stay here with Desiree.” The man motioned for the waitress, who immediately took the young girl towards the bathroom to help her clean up.

The girl’s father took off his apron and reached behind the counter for a set of keys. He looked around the restaurant and spoke to a group of men sitting in one of the other booths. “Hey boys, you want to join me…I’m sure the dumb kid is just playing a practical joke on her.”

The other men looked at each other as one of them spoke up. “Sure Cal, just give us a moment to grab some gear…we’ll meet you at the bridge in ten minutes.”

“Thanks! I appreciate it.” The man called Cal turned to the other waitress. Gloria, can you watch the store for me until I get back?”

“Sure honey…no problem!”

Sam and Dean had remained quiet, trying to figure out if this might be what their father had sent them here for. “What do you think Dean?” Sam asked quietly.

“I think we should help the man out…if it turns out to just be a missing kid….we’ll just lose a few hours sleep. But if not, we’ll at least have a head start on figuring out what’s going on.” Dean quickly rose from the table and approached Cal. “Could you use a little more help?”

Cal looked at Dean and Sam. “Sure thing…the more eyes we have, the better chance on finding the fool boy. There isn’t much out there that could cause him harm, but some people have been known to get lost. You can follow me!”

A few moments later, Sam and Dean found themselves gearing up for the search. They were standing at a bridge which had a small side road that looked like it followed the river for a ways before heading into the woods. The bridge itself was obviously old, the steel girders showed years of rust. Cal had divided the men up into teams of 2. Most of the men had a hunting rifle that Cal assured the Winchesters was just a precaution. After a few more minutes of organization the men took off with each agreeing to shoot two shots into the air if they found anything. “Remember, we’ll all meet back here in an hour to compare notes.” Cal shouted as he joined one of the men and headed into the woods.

Dean had waited until the men were out of sight before he moved to the rear of the Impala. He handed Sam a sawed off and grabbed one for himself. He also added a few other supplies to the bag he always carried over his shoulder. Sam had to admit his brother was the proverbial Boy Scout when it came to preparation. A trait that had saved their rear ends more than once. Sam followed Dean as he headed off into the woods to search the area that Cal had given them. “So Dean, what do you think happened?” Sam said quietly as he surveyed the woods around them.

“Who knows, the kid could be playing a joke…but the girl seemed to think that something else had happened. Keep your eyes open Sam.” Dean took point with Sam following and guarding his brother’s back. They had only been hunting again together for a short while, but old habits died hard.

Sam smiled as he watched his brother going into hunter mode. Dean was in his element and his body language showed it. Sam wished that he could be as good as his brother, but then he knew that thanks to Dean, he was almost as good. Sam pulled his jacket collar up as the wind began to get colder. Suddenly, Sam stopped and looked around. He could feel something in the air, something that didn’t belong.

Dean turned at Sam’s sharp intake of breath as he gazed into the woods trying to figure out what was making him edgy. “Sammy?” Dean asked quietly

“I’m not sure Dean, but I feel like something is here…I just can’t put my finger on it.” Sam shook his head in frustration. His abilities were a lot like his father; they appeared to be on a need to know basis. He knew that something was wrong but he couldn’t identify what it was or where it was.

Dean started to move closer to Sam, either his older brother trusted his instincts or he was trying to reassure the young hunter. Either way, Sam was grateful because as much as he hated to admit it, his ‘Spidey Senses” as Dean called them had been right too often to ignore. Suddenly the night silence was broken by the sound of two gun shots. “Sounds like it’s coming from the river--let’s go Sam!” Dean yelled as he broke into a run.

As Sam started to follow, he stopped again as he thought he heard something. He paused for a brief moment the hair on the back of his neck now at full attention. A soft voice on the breeze seemed to be sobbing. He gazed around but couldn’t locate the source of the sound. Sam picked up the pace, not wanting to lose sight of his big brother. Besides, he wasn’t sure he had heard it for sure--it could have just been the wind in the trees.

A few moments later Sam caught up with his brother who was making his way towards the river and the group of men. As the boys approached the river, they saw the solemn looks on the men’s faces as they were looking down at something on the bank of the river. A closer look at the figure on the ground confirmed their worse fears. It was the body of a young man, not much older than Sam laying face up on the bank. But it was the look on his face that brought another shiver to Sam’s spine. His eyes were wide open and his mouth was frozen in a silent scream.

Dean looked at Sam. “Well, I think we found out why Dad sent us here.”

TBC

[Raven524]

Chapter 2 – Pre-Dawn Ride




Dean looked once again at his brother’s profile as he drove them back to the motel. Sam had been quiet and almost withdrawn ever since they had left the forest. “You know Sam, we can’t save everyone.” Dean tried, figuring that Sam was upset because the boy had died before they could help him.

Sam blinked “What did you say Dean?”

“I said, it’s too bad that the kid died, but we can’t save everyone Sam. Besides, the locals are calling this an accidental drowning and I hate to admit it, but I’m thinking they may be right. There was no sign of anything Supernatural. The kid was probably pulling a prank on his girlfriend and slipped and fell into the river.”

Sam shook his head. “I don’t think so Dean, I felt something there and…” Sam paused, as he rubbed the sudden ache in his temple as he tried to remember something, something important. But the only thing it did was make the headache that had started in the forest get worse.

“What Sam? Spit it out already!” Dean was growing impatient.

Sam just shrugged. “I can’t explain it Dean, I just don’t think that Brett died by accidental drowning…I’m going to do some more research once we get back to the room.”

Sam sighed and closing his eyes, rested his head on the seat. He couldn’t explain why, but he felt that he was missing something important. Something else happened that he had to tell Dean about, but each time he tried to bring the memory to the surface, the pain in his head increased. Realizing that he wasn’t going to be able to get past the pain in his head, Sam decided to just let it drop for now. Maybe something would show up when he started to do the research.

Dean reached over and gently shook Sam’s shoulder. “Come on sleepy head, we’re home and I refuse to carry you to your bed.” Dean had watched the pain etched on his brother’s face as they finished the drive back to the hotel. If he hadn’t known better, he would have thought that Sam was having one of his visions. He watched as Sam reached up to rub his temple again before exiting the car.

“Sammy, does your head hurt?”

“Ahmmm…it started when we left the forest. But I think it’s just a headache Dean. I’ll be fine once I get some sleep.” Sam headed for the bed farthest from the door and plopped down, closing his eyes before his head even hit the pillow.

Dean quietly removed his brother’s shoes and pulled the blanket up over his sleeping brother as he got ready to get some sleep as well. He hoped that Sam would be able to sleep through the night. His brother rarely got a full night’s sleep, but maybe just this once he’d get a break. Dean sighed as he placed his favorite knife under the pillow and drifted off to sleep.

Sam jerked awake and sat up in the bed, his body coated in sweat from his latest nightmare. He had dreamt that he was back at the river, only this time when they rolled over the body in the water, it was his brother’s face staring back up at him. Shaking his head, Sam headed for the bathroom to take a shower. He knew he wouldn’t be sleeping anymore this night.

Sam came out feeling a little better after he finished his shower. It was only 4:30 in the morning but he decided that he would go for breakfast and have it waiting for Dean when he woke up. Pulling his jacket on, he quickly wrote a note to Dean to let him know where he was going and then walked out into the early pre-dawn light. Sam got out onto the highway, but instead of heading for the restaurant, he turned to head towards the place where they had been last night. It only took him a short time to reach the bridge. The adjacent woods were covered in a thick ground fog, floating between the trees like a river of smoke.

Sam once again pulled his collar up as he shivered from a sudden chill. He wasn’t sure why, but he began to walk into the forest following a path that looked like it had been traveled by many people before him. Sam actually was enjoying the peaceful silence of the pre-dawn light filtering through the trees and mixing with the ground fog. After a few moments, he came to an area of the woods that looked like an old river bed long dried up and gone. The trees over head bent towards each other forming an almost impenetrable canopy and blocking out the light.

Sam smiled as he continued on into the hollow, he couldn’t help thinking that this location would make a great backdrop for a horror film. After he got about half way through the hollow, Sam paused as he heard a sound approaching him from the other end. He narrowed his gaze, trying to see the figure approaching him in the fog. He could have sworn it looked like--but it couldn’t be.

Sam stepped back as a large black horse reared and pawed the air in the space where Sam had just stood. On the back of the horse was the most beautiful woman that Sam had ever seen. Her long black ringlets framing the porcelain skin of her face. Sam threw an arm up in front of him to ward off the horses hoofs as it continued to paw the air. “Whoa boy, Whoa!” Sam called, hoping that the woman wouldn’t be thrown.

Suddenly, Sam heard sobbing coming from the woman on the horse. Sam watched as the horse began to calm down and turned to head back into the forest. “Wait! Who are you?” Sam called after the retreating back of the woman. But the only response he got was more sobbing being carried by the wind along with the words “No more, Please!”.

Sam continued to stare into the forest where the horse and woman had disappeared. He didn’t know how long he stood there, but he came out of his daze at the insistent ringing coming from his pocket. Sam grabbed his cell phone and answered as he noticed the caller id of his brother flashing on the display. “Hello?”

“Sammy, where the hell are you!” Dean demanded on the other end.

“Ah…Dean?” Sam was confused, he was standing in the middle of a forest and he had no recollection on how he got there. What the hell was going on?

“Sammy, if you don’t tell me where you are this minute, I’m going to kick your ass. It’s almost 6:00 a.m. and according to your note you went for breakfast at around 4:30 this morning. Please don’t tell me you had an accident in my car…” Sam stopped listening as his brother continued to rant on the other end of the phone. The truth was, he wanted to tell Dean where he was, he wanted to ask him to help him figure out what had happed over the last couple of hours. But the harder he tried to say something, the more pain he felt growing inside his head.
Gritting his teeth against the pain, he did the only thing he could do. He hung up the phone and headed back towards the car. He had to get back to the hotel--back to Dean. He would know what to do, Dean always knew what to do.

It only took Sam 20 minutes to reach the car, during the walk back he had ignored the repeated ringing of the cell phone in his pocket. He knew that Dean had to be beside himself with worry, but Sam couldn’t seem to make himself answer the call. Sam paused as he slid into the driver’s seat of the Impala. His head was pounding and he wasn’t sure he could drive. Sam felt for the cell phone in his pocket, intending to call Dean…but once again, the pain began to increase in his head, causing him to feel sick to his stomach.

Sam realized that the only solution was for him to drive himself back to the motel and hope that his head didn’t explode before he got there. Gritting his teeth, Sam put the car in gear and headed back to the motel. He never looked back at the forest and never saw the sad face of the woman watching the car disappear. She looked down at the horse and then began to sob again as she slowly dissolved, the morning sun burning her and the fog away.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Dean continued to pace around the room like a caged tiger. He threw the phone onto the bed as he reached his brother’s voicemail for the 20th time. How dare his brother hang up on him! He better have a good reason for taking off with the car and disappearing on him. Dean remembered the sense of panic when he woke and found his brother gone. But he had calmed down when he saw the note that Sam left. Smiling at his brother’s chicken scratch writing, Dean decided to take a long shower and relax.

But when over an hour passed with no sign of his brother, Dean began to worry. He knew that the restaurant was only 10 minutes away by car. He could have walked there, had breakfast and been back in the time it was taking his younger brother to get breakfast. Finally, after 90 minutes had passed, Dean decided to call his brother to find out what was going on. Now his brother wasn’t answering him. He should have never taken his eyes off Sam. He knew that he was acting weird last night--well weirder than usual. Something was going on with his brother and he intended to find out what it was before this went any farther.

Dean jumped to get the door as he heard the familiar rumble of his beloved car. Opening the door, Dean headed towards the car, intending to give Sam a piece of his mind and maybe his foot depending on the answers he got. Grabbing the door handle, he yanked the door open and gasped as his brother’s body fell from the car onto the pavement. “Sammy!” Dean yelled as he bent down to check on his brother. He grimaced at the cut that appeared on Sam’s forehead where he must have hit the pavement. The gash looked deep and would probably need a couple of stitches. “Damn it Sammy! What the hell happened to you?” Dean said as he carefully pulled his brother up and placed him over his shoulders in a fireman’s carry.

Dean gently placed Sam on the bed and ran to the bathroom to get a washcloth and their first aid kit. As he was placing the bandage on the wound on Sam’s head, he smiled as Sam groaned and slowly opened his eyes. “Hold still Sammy, let me finish getting this bandage in place. Sorry bro’ but I had to give you a few stitches. How’s the head?”

“Hurts!” Sam mumbled as he closed his eyes against the pain. Dean could see the pain lines on his brother’s face. It was clear Sam was in more pain than the small gash should be causing.

“I bet it does, but before I can give you something, I need to see your eyes Sam. You may have a concussion. Come on open them up for me!” Dean smiled as he saw his brother comply, blinking against the light in the room. At least the pupils were equal and reactive to light. Dean helped Sam sit up against the head board and gave him some aspirin with a bottle of water.

“So, Sammy--care to tell me where you have been for the past couple of hours?” Dean watched as Sam swallowed and grimaced in pain. As he watched his brother seemed to grow paler, his brother’s hands clenched the bedding as the youngest hunter breathed through the pain. It didn’t make any sense; his brother had been fine last night. Just when he thought his brother was going to ignore his question, a soft voice answered.

“I went somewhere? Dean, I—I--I just woke up, I haven’t gone anywhere!”


TBC

[Raven524]

Chapter 3 – Mystery Deepens



“I went somewhere? Dean, I…I…I just woke up, I haven’t gone anywhere!”

Dean looked at the confused look in his brother’s eyes and wondered if Sam had hit his head a little harder than he thought. “Sam, you went for a drive in my car. You were gone for over an hour and you can’t remember?”

Sam shook his head, his eyes filled with confusion as he blinked back at the older hunter. “Dean, the last thing I remember is going to bed last night. Where did I go?”

Dean ran a hand through his hair. None of this made any sense. The short fall out of the car couldn’t be the cause of his brother’s sudden and selective amnesia. “I don’t know Sammy. You wouldn’t tell me.”

The injured hunter blinked and rubbed his temple. It was clear his brother was still in pain but he had no idea why. Dean watched as Sam closed his eyes and groaned. His face went pale once more as the pain seemed to increase. He moved closer and tried to place a comforting hand on his brother’s shoulder. He could feel the slight tremors running through his brother’s body. “Sam, what is it? What’s wrong?”

Sam’s eyes snapped open. “Dean, there’s something I need to tell….argh!” Sam screamed as the pain in his head began to block out all conscious thought. He had never experienced anything like this before.

Dean reached forward and grabbed his brother around the shoulders. “Sammy…what’s wrong, come on Sam don’t do this!” Dean watched as Sam’s breathing began to hitch and his brother’s body began to shake. He knew that his brother suffered when one of his visions was coming on, but he had never seen it so bad before.

“Dean—I--Oh God, I think I’m gonna…” Sam swallowed as he tried to keep the contents of his stomach down.

“Hold on Sammy, do you think you can make it to the bathroom if I help you?” Dean reached to help his brother to his feet as Sam nodded, his eyes now closed as he tried to control the blinding pain. “That’s it, just lean on me Sam”

Dean knelt beside Sam and rubbed his brother’s back as Sam continued to heave into the toilet. As the spasms began to lessen, he helped his brother back to his feet and got him back into the bed. “Just relax Sam. Whatever it is we’ll handle it. For now just try to get some more sleep.”

The young hunter sighed as he drifted off into an uneasy sleep. Dean ran his hand through Sam’s hair, glad that the pain seemed to be easing from his brother’s face. “Don’t you worry Sam, I’m going to get to the bottom of this!” Dean said softly.

Dean rose from the bed and walked over towards the door. He decided to try to figure out where Sam had gone without his brother’s assistance. Going out to the car, he checked to see if there was any clue that would explain his brother’s odd behavior. “Well, you must have gone somewhere close by, because you didn’t use much gas. But where would you go Sam?” Dean looked towards the highway. If Sam hadn’t gone to the restaurant, then maybe he went the other way; which would mean his brother had gone back towards the bridge they were at last night. “But why would you go back there Sammy?” Dean decided that he better grab the computer and start doing some research of his own while Sam slept. His brother had been acting strange last night and now this. Whatever was going on was affecting his younger brother and that meant Dean had to figure it out soon. He had told Sammy nothing would harm him while he was around and he meant it.

Two pots of coffee later, Dean threw another hand of M&M’s into his mouth as he looked over at the sleeping body of his younger brother. Sam had moaned a few times, but as soon as Dean went over to check on him, he would calm down and fall back into a deep sleep. Whatever had caused his brother’s headache had taken a lot out of him. Dean figured that it had to have something to do with the incident last night. He remembered that Sam had complained of a headache on the way to the hotel.

Dean had been spending his time while waiting for Sam to wake up looking at the on-line copies of the local newspaper. Narrowing the search to deaths that had happened in Ghost Hollow or the White River, he found a number of articles going back to the earliest records. Dean had printed out the stories and had begun to put them together, looking for something that would tie them together. But so far, he hadn’t found a common link, other than them being found dead or disappearing in the same area. The victims were anywhere from their late teens to some as old as 90 years of age. They all had different occupations, were from different ethnic groups, were male and female and came from different economic groups.

Dean looked through his Dad’s journal and noticed that his father had been following some of the deaths, but even his father had not been able to come up with a clue to what was happening to the victims. The only reason it probably hit his father’s radar was that they always died at night and always in the same stretch of river that ran beside Ghost Hollow. Dean looked up as he saw his brother begin to move on the bed. “Hey Sammy, are you ready to wake up yet? I mean, it’s getting close to dinner time and I don’t know about you, but I’m starving!”

Sam groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. The pain was not as bad, but the headache was still there. He rubbed his aching temple as he struggled to sit up. A bout of dizziness assaulted his senses as he stood to go into the bathroom. Sam felt his brother’s arm slip around his waist and gently guide him towards his destination. “Thanks Dean!” Sam mumbled as he headed for the shower.

A short time later, Dean watched as Sam came out of the bathroom. His color was still off, but at least his brother wasn’t wincing in pain. “So, are you ready to get something to eat?” Dean asked, deciding that he wanted to get some food into Sam before they did anything else.

“Sure, actually I am kind of hungry. What time is it?” Sam quickly changed into clean clothes, surprised that his stomach actually gurgled at him. He looked up and saw the grin on his brother’s face.

“I guess you must be hungry!” Dean laughed at the blush that was creeping up his brother’s neck.

Dean decided that they may as well go back to the same restaurant at the night before. Besides, he was hoping that he might get information on where Shirley lived. If they were going to get anywhere on this, they needed to talk to her to see if she could shed any light on what happened to Brett.

Dean smiled as the waitress from the night before poured coffee for both brothers. “I just wanted to thank you boys for helping out last night. Even though things didn’t turn out--you didn’t have to help. Dinner is on the house tonight, so what can I get you?”

Sam shook his head as Dean almost smacked his lips in anticipation of the free meal. Sam smiled up at the woman as he gave her his order. “Thanks Desiree is it? My name is Sam and this is my brother Dean, we were glad to help. How is Shirley doing?”

Dean watched as his brother worked his magic on the waitress. Sam had a natural way of getting people to open up to him without even trying hard. He was glad Sam appeared to be thinking about their current case, maybe whatever was bothering him earlier was getting better.

“Well the girl is all broken up over the death of her boyfriend. It’s just too bad that her father had made things so hard for those two.”

“What do you mean?” Dean asked as he folded up the menu and joined the conversation.

“Oh, he never liked Brett. I guess he just thought his daughter could do better than with the likes of him. Don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t a bad kid but he was a dreamer and her father knew that dreamers usually end up stone cold broke.”

“It sounds like Shirley and Brett were finding ways to be together anyway…” Sam began, hoping the waitress would give them a little more information.

“They shore did; only they had to sneak around behind her father’s back. But like I said, her father made it clear that he would never condone a marriage between the two of them. I’m not sure that Shirley would have been strong enough to go against her father’s wishes. But I guess none of that matters now does it? So what can I get for you Sam and Dean?” Desiree shook her head, getting back to the business at hand. The boys quickly gave her their order.

As the waitress started to walk away, Sam called her back. “Just one more thing Desiree, do you have any idea when the funeral will be? We would kind of like to pay our respects.” Sam asked, giving her his puppy dog look. Dean smirked as he saw the waitress eating it up.

“The funeral will be tomorrow afternoon at the local cemetery. I’m sure that Shirley would appreciate the support. I’ll have your food here in a jiff!”

Dean watched as Desiree walked off, but turned back as he noticed Sam beginning to rub his temples again. “Sammy? Is your headache getting worse?”

“No, not really, it’s just that I can’t seem to shake it. I’m fine Dean, I just need to eat.” Sam sighed as he saw the look of concern on his brother’s face. He knew that look and he knew that it meant Sam was going to be under the watchful eye of big brother until this was over. “So did you find anything on the computer Dean?”

Dean smiled, his brother may not be feeling well, but there was nothing wrong with his powers of observation. He must have seen the computer on the table and assumed that Dean had started to do some research. “Well, actually, I did find a number of deaths that have happened in that area of the woods over the years. But I haven’t been able to figure out what may be causing the problem…”

Sam looked out the window as his brother continued to talk about what he had found. As the sun began to give way to darkness, Sam couldn’t help shivering as a chill ran up his spine. He felt himself looking towards the road and the woods that he knew were just beyond. He felt drawn to the quietness of the woods in a way that he couldn’t explain. Shaking himself from his musings, Sam tried to concentrate on what his brother was saying, he hoped they could wrap this mystery up soon because he had a bad feeling about this whole thing.

TBC

[Raven524]

Chapter 4 – The Bridge



Dean looked over at the silent profile of his younger brother as they drove back towards the bridge. They had decided to go back and check out the area more thoroughly for clues to what had happened to the unfortunate boy. “Earth to Sammy…hey bro’ why the long face?”

Sam shook his head and looked at his brother, confusion evident in the depths of his eyes. “Sorry Dean, I was just trying to figure something out.”

“Well, why don’t you tell me about it--maybe I can help Sam” Dean watched closely, and sure enough he saw his brother begin to wince in pain. Dean reached over and patted Sam on the shoulder. “That’s ok Sam, just forget about it for now; we should be at the bridge in a few minutes. Are you up to a little moonlight stroll?”

Sam’s breathing began to even out and the pain eased from his features as he looked at his brother. “Dude, I hate to break it to you, but I’m definitely not your type!”

“True, true, I tend to like a few more curves--but I guess you’ll just have to do!” Dean smirked as he got the famous Sammy eye roll in response. He still wasn’t sure what was going on, but one thing was for sure, his little brother wasn’t getting out of his sight tonight. Whatever was affecting his brother was in this forest and he was going to find it and kill it.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

As they pulled up to the bridge, Sam paused he remembered being here earlier. Turning to Dean he started to tell his brother, when the pain hit him again driving the thought from his mind as soon as it had entered it. Sam had already figured out that whenever he tried to tell Dean about what was happening or tried to remember anything to do with his experiences in Ghost Hollow, the pain in his head increased. He knew that there were things he needed to remember but once again, he decided to let it go.

Sam swayed slightly as he got out of the car; placing a hand on his head he tried to ease the pain that was building behind his eyes. He saw his brother move around the car and grab his arm in concern. “You know Sammy, I can do this on my own. Why don’t you just relax in the car for a few moments…”

Sam shook his head as he pushed away from Dean’s supporting hand. “NO! I mean no, I’m fine Dean. Let’s just get this over with ok?”

Dean went into the trunk of the Impala and grabbed a shot gun loaded with rock salt. He placed a hand gun in the waist of his jeans loaded with silver bullets and grabbed a flashlight. Sam looked at his brother, the question clear in his eyes. “We don’t know what’s going on yet Sammy. I just want to make sure that we aren’t caught with our pants down.”

“Good, I don’t need another traumatizing event to enter my nightmares!” Sammy said with a grin as he ducked Dean’s blow. For a moment the pain in his head seemed to recede a little.

Dean took the lead like he had done the night before, only this time he was looking more closely at the surrounding area. “Huh--looks like this path gets a lot of foot traffic.” Dean said, looking consideringly at his younger brother. When Sam started looking in a different direction, Dean dropped down to take a closer look at the footprints in the dirt. He’d know those footprints anywhere. His brother had been here.

He noticed his brother looked around, confusion on his face as he continued to follow him through the forest. It was clear his brother was worried about something as Sam rubbed his arms as if cold. He knew the signs; his little brother was sensing something. “Ah Dean?”

“Yeah Sam, what is it?” He noticed the shivers seemed to increase that were running through his brother’s body. It was cool, but not cold enough to cause Sam’s current reaction. He looked around, his senses on high alert as he moved closer to his little brother. This had been a bad idea; he should have left Sam in the hotel room.

“There’s something here—I--I think we should probably go.” Dean could see the fear in his little brother’s eyes along with the pain that was etched on his pale features. Before he could say anything, the young hunter cried out and fell to his knees. Dean rushed forward to help his younger brother to his feet.

“Come on Sam, I’ve got you” Dean knew that he shouldn’t have allowed Sam to come here. Obviously whatever happened was affecting his brother badly. Luckily they had only traveled a short distance from the Impala. He kept his hand firmly around Sam’s waist as he led them back through the wooded path. It was another sign that something was wrong with his younger sibling; Sam was allowing him to help him. A few minutes later they arrived at the car and he gently lowered Sam into the passenger seat. The hunter reached back for a bottle of water. “Here Sammy, drink this.”

Sam’s hands were shaking so badly that Dean had to help him hold the bottle to his lips. After a few moments, the pain seemed to decreased and Sam’s breathing began to return to normal. “I’m sorry Dean. I don’t know what’s wrong with me!” Dean could see the tears of frustration in Sam’s eyes.

“Hey, don’t worry--I told you we would figure this out and we will. Look I want to finish taking a quick look around. Will you be ok here for a few minutes?” Dean didn’t like the glassy look in Sam’s eyes. “You know what, I’ll just come back tomorrow…”

Sam shook his head, he already was upset that his brother had to interrupt the hunt to take care of him. He wasn’t going to let Dean come back here alone. “I’ll be fine Dean. Go take your look and come back--no need to waste the trip.”

“You sure Sam?” Dean was torn. He had to figure out what was going on and soon because it was affecting his baby brother. But he also knew that being here was making Sam uncomfortable.

“Just go--the sooner you leave, the sooner you’ll be back and Dean?”

“Yeah Sammy?”

“Be careful ok?” Sam hated the needy sound that had worked its way into his voice, but he still had a bad feeling about this place.

“You know me, I’m always careful!” Dean said as he turned to go.

“Yeah, that’s why I’m reminding you to be careful you jerk!” Sam grinned as his brother made a rude gesture before disappearing into the woods. Sam sat in the car trying to figure out why he was acting this way. It had all started last night when the boy had died. As Sam looked out into the darkness that surrounded the car, he let his mind wander.

Sam remembered the week that he and Jess had spent camping in a wooded area similar to this one. It was one of Sam’s favorite memories, just the two of them walking, talking and making love under the stars. In fact, it was that trip that had convinced Sam that Jess was the one. She was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Sam sighed as reality came back. But it wasn’t meant to be, Jess had paid the price of loving him by dying on the ceiling of their apartment. There were many times that Sam actually wished Dean hadn’t arrived in time to save him; then he would have been able to follow Jess. Every once and a while, he swore he would catch a glimpse of her. But when he looked close, she would disappear leaving him feeling more alone than before. He would never feel the same way that he had felt with Jess about anyone else. She would always have a place in his heart. He knew that Dean felt he should move on and he knew deep down that Jess would also want him to find someone else. But there would never be anyone that would complete him the same way that Jess had.

Suddenly, Sam heard the sound of a woman crying. His head jerked up as he tried to find the source of the sound. Getting out of the car, Sam walked towards the bridge shivering as he went. In the back of his mind, a voice was screaming at him to call for Dean. But Sam ignored it as he continued to move towards the center of the bridge. The sobbing was getting louder as he moved across the bridge. “Who’s there? Don’t be afraid, I can help you if you let me.”

“No, no one can help me. My fate has been set and so has yours…I’m so sorry!”

“What do you mean? Show yourself!” Sam watched as a black horse appeared on the bridge in front of him. The young woman sitting on the horses back looked sad and lost. “What is your name?”

“Marie….Marie Gonzales…please, make it stop…I’m so tired!”

Sam walked towards the horse, reaching out a calming hand to the animal as he tried to see the woman closer. As he touched the horses face, he jerked his hand back at the clammy coldness of the horse’s skin. Sam heard the horse whinny and he saw the horse’s muscles beginning to bunch up, preparing to rear. “Tell me what to do Marie--I will help you!”

“Ah…but who will help you?”

The horse screamed as he reared, knocking Sam against the railing on the bridge with enough force that he thought he felt one of his ribs crack. Sam pushed himself up, turning to run but once again he felt the horses hoof hit him in the middle of the back, propelling him towards the railing once more. Sam felt himself falling over the edge and cried out as he tried to grab something to keep him from falling. But his hands grasped at nothing but air. Sam yelled as his body plummeted to the river below. “DEAN!” Just before Sam disappeared beneath the water he heard a frantic cry from the river bank. “SAMMY!”

But Sam couldn’t answer, he was too busy trying not to drown.

TBC

[Oceane]

Terrific story and so intriguing.
What's going on with Sam.
Who's Marie, Sam is affected by her, can't wait to know more about her.
Sam!!!!Dean, that wasn't a great idea to leave Sam alone
I'm looking forward to more.

[Raven524]

Oceane: Thanks for the encouraging words You'll learn more about Marie as the story progresses.

Okay, as promised here is more of the story. Hope you all enjoy it!



Chapter 5 – Battling the River


The cold of the river hit Sam with its full force as he felt himself being drawn down into its murky depths. Sam tried to fight the strong currents, but the harder he fought, the further away from the shore he was drawn. As he hit the bottom, Sam instinctively used his legs to propel himself to the surface, breaking the surface he once again tried to aim for shore, but his arms and legs felt like lead and his broken rib was making movements more difficult. Sam heard his brother yelling something at him from the shore, but he couldn’t make it out. As he felt himself being pulled under again, he found himself letting go--it would be so easy to just let go.

From the bank Dean watched in horror as his brother’s body hit the water with a loud splash. He had been heading back to the car along the river bank after following Sam’s trail through the woods. But other than getting a faint reading on the EMF, he hadn’t seen anything that would tell him what had happened to either Sam or Brett. As he approached the hill just before the bridge, he happened to look up and saw his brother leaning over the edge and then saw him fall into the rapidly flowing river below.

“SAMMY!” Dean yelled as he saw his brother disappear below the surface. As his eyes frantically searched the river, he saw his brother’s head pop up above the surface. “Sammy, swim towards me. I’ll get you, but you have to swim!”

Dean saw Sam look in his direction and he could see his brother attempting to swim, but the currents were too strong. Dean watched as once again his brother’s head disappeared below the surface. “Sammy!”

Dean realized that he had no choice, he’d have to go in after Sam and hope for the best. He quickly took off his jacket and kicked off his boots as he ran down the river bank and dove into the raging river. He saw his brother’s head pop up again and smiled as he saw his brother trying to swim once more. “Sammy! I’m here--hold on, I’m coming in to get you!”

“NO! Dean--you’ll drown--I can--I can do this!” Sam gasped as he once again started to swim towards the bank, only this time instead of trying to fight the current, he began to swim with it and slowly angled towards the shoreline. But the cold and pain from his rib were too much, causing him to sink below the surface one more time. Sam felt a strange calm come over him as he started to sink to the bottom of the river. Just as Sam was ready to close his eyes and give in, he felt something grab his jacket and pull him back towards the surface.

“Come on Sammy, you’re almost there, we just have a few more feet--I’ve got you!” Dean was swimming towards the shore, keeping his brother’s head above the water. He never should have left Sam alone, he knew that something was affecting his brother but he never thought it would drive him to jump off a bridge.

It seemed like hours, but Dean finally managed to get them close enough to the shore so that they could get their feet under themselves and wade out. “Damn it Sammy! I told you to stay in the car!”

Sam tried to lift his head as Dean pulled him onto the shore and started to head back towards the car, but he didn’t have any energy left. “SSSSorrrry…hhhheaaard…argh!” Sam arched in Dean’s arms as a white hot pain once again hit him in his head. The tears began to flow as Sam’s body was overwhelmed by the pain, the cold and the exhaustion from fighting the river.

“Sam, just hold on! I’ll have you back to the car in no time. Do you hear me? Just hold on!” Dean could see the blue tinge around Sam’s lips and could feel the tremors in his brother’s body. He could also see the agony on Sam’s face as he closed his eyes. He knew that Sam was trying to tell him something, but he couldn’t stand the agony in his face. “Sam, don’t worry. We’ll sort this all out later. Just concentrate on walking okay? I don’t think I can carry you up the hill!”

Sam knew that Dean would carry him, but he had to try to help. Taking a deep breath and then wincing as his rib reminded him that it was probably broken, Sam nodded and concentrated on placing one foot in front of the other. He sighed with relief as he saw the familiar glint of black metal in the moonlight. Dean had stopped to grab his boots and had placed his coat over Sam’s shoulders along the way. Sam was thankful for the warmth of the coat as his body continued to shiver from the cold.

Dean quickly placed Sam on the back seat of the Impala, grabbing one of their sleeping bags from the trunk, he wrapped it around the shivering figure of his brother. “Ok Sam, hold on while I get you to the hospital to have you checked out.”

“NO! Nnnnooo…hhhosspitalll DDeaannn!” Sam ground out between chattering teeth. He knew that his brother would continue the hunt without him if he allowed himself to be admitted.

Dean looked at Sam closely and saw the stubborn set of his jaw. “Ok, we’ll go back to the motel, but if after I check you out, there are any serious injuries, we go to the hospital…agreed?”

Sam just nodded his head, too tired to argue any more. He just wanted to get warm and get some sleep. He heard Dean slam the trunk closed and get into the drivers seat. The purr of the engine soon had Sam drifting off into an uneasy sleep.

Dean made it back to the motel in record time. He quickly went to open the door before he returned to get his brother. Sam was unconscious, his body giving in to the exhaustion and pain. Dean was glad in a way because it would allow him to check his brother out without having to argue. Pulling Sam up and placing him over his shoulders, Dean grunted as he carried his brother into the room.

Dean quickly stripped Sam and wrapped him in the spare blanket the motel provided. He had noticed the black and blue marks that were already beginning to form on Sam’s back and chest. At first he thought that Sam had jumped from the bridge, but the injuries didn’t support that theory. Sam had hit the rail twice before going into the river but Dean hadn’t seen anything on the bridge when Sam fell. Yet, Dean also remembered that Sam had mentioned he heard something. Deciding he could figure out the mystery later. He went into the bathroom and ran a warm bath for his brother. The water would not only warm him up quicker, but it would help with the pain from the broken rib that Dean had felt when he examined his brother’s bruises.

“Ok Sam, time to get wet again. You are smelling a little rank!” Dean realized that he probably didn’t smell much better.

An hour later, Dean had managed to get Sam warmed up enough that his brother had stopped shivering. He had taped his brother’s ribs and gotten him back into the bed, adding his own blanket to cover his brother. Sam still hadn’t opened his eyes, but Dean figured that his brother had to be exhausted. “Ok Sam, now that you are all cleaned up, I guess it’s time I grab a quick shower. I’ll leave the door open in case you need me.” Dean paused as he saw his keys on the dresser. He grabbed them and took them with him into the bathroom, leaving the door open a crack so that he could hear his brother. He wasn’t going to take any chances with Sam wandering off again. He placed the keys for the car in the medicine cabinet; the last place that Sam would look for them and then got into the shower.

Sam opened his eyes slowly, looking around the room as he realized that Dean must have gotten him back to the motel. He could hear his brother humming his favorite Metallica song in the bathroom. He smiled as he saw the door cracked. His brother was definitely in mother hen mode, but right now Sam was glad. He didn’t know what was wrong with him or why he was drawn to Ghost Hollow. But right now, all he cared about was both he and his brother were safe.

“Hey there Sammy--how are you feeling?” Dean asked as he came into the room with a towel wrapped around his waist. He could see Sam grimace as he reached for his ribs. “Take it easy Sammy, you have a cracked rib. I taped it, but between that and the bruises you’re gonna be sore for a couple of days!”

“Thanks Dean.” Sam said simply, letting his eyes convey the depth of his feeling to his brother.

“No problem Sam. Now, I want you to take these pain pills; I got you some juice to wash them down. Then you and I are going to get some shut eye…okay?” Dean watched to see if Sam’s headache was getting any worse, but his brother seemed to be fine. He had decided that he would avoid discussing what happened until he could figure out what was causing Sam’s headaches.

“Ok Sammy--time to go to sleep. Do you want me to read you a bed time story or do you think you can handle it on your own?” Dean smiled as he brother gave him a disgusted sigh before closing his eyes. Dean sat there for a long time watching his brother sleep, before he gave into his own body’s need for sleep.

TBC

[Raven524]

Bonus Chapter!!!





Chapter 6 – Shirley and Brett



Dean woke and quickly looked over towards his brother’s bed. He smiled as he saw the lump that had to be his brother. Sam had drawn the covers over his head during the night and was now totally encased in blankets. Dean stretched as he saw the sun beginning to shine through the thin curtains of the motel. It was just past 6:00, a bit early for Dean but then he had some more research to do before the funeral today.

Dean had just finished getting dressed when he saw the lump that was his brother begin to move. “Hey there sleepy head, this has got to be a first, I’m up and dressed before you!”

Sam groaned as he slowly rose to a sitting position on the side of the bed. “Well the least you could have done was get some coffee!” Sam groused as he tried to stand, swaying slightly as his rib reminded him that it had been cracked. He felt his brother’s arm steady him as he made his way to the bathroom.

“Will you be ok from here?” Dean asked quietly, concerned by the paleness of his brother’s face.

“I’ll be fine Dean once I have a cup of coffee” Sam said as he closed the door.

“Fine, your royal highness but you better be here when I get back!” Dean was glad that he had grabbed the keys when he got dressed this morning. Somehow he didn’t think Sam would be amused by his big brother popping in while he took his shower. He quickly pulled on his jacket as he headed out the door.

Sam listened to the door closing and sighed. His brother’s protective instincts were in high gear, especially after last night. Sam knew that they were dealing with a spirit and he even remembered some of what had happened prior to his taking his moonlight swim. The girl and her horse had visited him in his dreams more than once last night. The question was, why couldn’t he tell Dean what was going on? Even now, just thinking about telling his brother was bringing back the pain. He had to find a way to tell Dean. Sam sank to the floor of the bathtub, holding his aching head in his hands.

Dean made the trip to the restaurant and back quickly; he didn’t want to leave Sam alone for any length of time. As he opened the motel room door, he paused as he thought he heard the sound of groans coming from the bathroom. Placing the food and drink on the table, Dean hurried towards the door. “Sammy? Sammy are you okay?” But the moans continued. “Ok Sammy, I’m coming in!”

Dean opened the door and was shocked to see his little brother sitting in the tub, his knees drawn up to his chest, one hand fisted in his long brown hair as if he was trying to pull it out. “Sammy!” Dean walked quietly towards his brother, not wanting to spook him. He had been fine when he left, but he was afraid to ask what happened. Those types of questions had only caused his brother more pain in the past.

“DDeannnn--can’t tell you--want to tell you…argh!” Sam’s eyes closed as another waive of pain hit him. He had decided that no matter what the pain, he was going to tell Dean what happened. But the more he thought about it, the worse the pain had gotten until he was almost out of his mind from it.

“Shhh…Sammy, I know you want to tell me what is happening, and I know that you are being affected by something in Ghost Hollow. I also know that something is trying to prevent you from telling me what is going on. So, stop trying to tell me okay? We’ll figure this out I promise!”

Dean sat on the edge of the tub and reached in to help his brother to his feet. Grabbing a towel, he gently wrapped it around his brother’s waist as he helped Sam from the tub and onto the bed. “Now just sit there for a minute Sam. I want to get the first aid supplies so that I can re-wrap those ribs of yours.”

Sam just sat on the bed, trying to think of nothing. He began to use one of the meditation techniques that Missouri had taught him to completely clear his mind. By the time Dean returned with the first aid supplies, Sam was in control once more.

Dean smiled as he saw his brother looking up at him with calm eyes. “Feeling better?”

“Yeah--you know those meditation techniques Missouri taught me help. The pain is almost gone--ow!” Sam jumped as Dean hit the sore area on his ribs.

“Sorry bro’ but I have to get this wrapping tight to support the broken rib. I know those bruises have got to be hurting you as well. As soon as you get some food into you, I want you to take a couple more pain pills.”

“Thanks Dean.” Sam once again was grateful that his brother was back in his life. He had almost lost him in Nebraska. He just wished he could tell Dean how much he meant to him.

Dean helped Sam get dressed as bending over was difficult and then he helped him over to the table. As Dean distributed the food and coffee, he smiled as he saw his younger brother dig in. At least his appetite wasn’t affected. “So, you think you’re up to the funeral this afternoon?”

“Sure Dean, but do you really think that Shirley knows anything?” Sam wondered if Brett had been affected the same way he had.

“I don’t know Sam, but we have to start finding out what’s going on around here. You scared me last night Sam--I thought--I mean.” Damn, he hadn’t meant to bring it up, especially since he could see the pain starting on Sam’s face again.

“What did you think Dean? Go ahead and tell me.” Sam had seen the fear in Dean’s eyes and wanted to do something to remove it.

“God, Sammy! When I came out of the woods and saw you leaning over the bridge. I mean it looked like you had jumped! I guess I can see why some of the deaths have been listed as suicides.”

“You know I would never--Dean, no matter what happens; you have to believe that I would never do that nor would I want you to blame yourself. I intend to hang around and be your pain in the ass little brother for as long as I can!” Sam smiled at Dean.

“I know, besides I figured it out that you hadn’t jumped when I looked at your injuries last night.” Dean watched, but other than a slight wince Sam didn’t seem to be in any pain. “Hmmm….I wonder?”

“What Dean?” Sam could see that his brother thought he was onto something. He watched as Dean got up and began to pace.

“Nothing Sam, I need to check a few things out first. Now how do you feel about a trip to the library to do some research before we head to the funeral?” Dean figured that he would see how Sam reacted to doing the research, then maybe he had figured out a way to break the curse or whatever it was that was keeping Sam silent.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

Sam rubbed his hands over his eyes as he made another copy of an article that described the unfortunate death of a young man who had apparently jumped into the river from the bridge. The story was a little too close to what had happened to Sam. He could feel something tugging at his memory, but as the pain started he immediately began to meditate, clearing his mind.

Dean watched Sam and saw his reaction. He smiled as he saw Sam begin to use the meditation technique that he had mentioned earlier. Once again, it appeared to work. “That’s my boy!” Dean said quietly as he checked his watch, it was time to leave for the funeral.

“Ok, Sammy time to go. We can always come back later.” Dean watched as Sam sighed with frustration. He knew how his brother felt. They still had no idea what they were up against. But he intended to find out and soon.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

It looked like most of the small town had shown up for the funeral services. Sam and Dean had spent some time talking to people who had known Brett. All of them were shocked that the young man had died. But no one was able to shed much light on what had happened. Finally, Sam and Dean were able to find Shirley alone as she sat on a bench, looking at the recently filled grave of her boyfriend.

Sam placed a comforting hand on Shirley’s shoulder. “I’m sorry about what happened Shirley. I know what it’s like to lose someone close to you.”

Shirley looked up at the young man’s face and recognized it as one of the men who had gone to help find Brett. She could also see the sorrow in the young man’s eyes and the pain that mirrored her own. “Thanks…I really appreciate you and your brother trying to help…not many strangers would do that.”

Sam sat beside the young girl. “My name is Sam and this is my brother Dean. So were you and Brett dating long?”

Shirley smiled. “Seems like most of my life. We started out being friends and then, well one day we realized that it was much more. I just wish my father could have accepted him.”

“But you could have married him anyway right?” Sam asked quietly, encouraging the girl to talk.

Shirley sighed as tears began to run down her cheeks. “This is all so messed up. I mean, Brett had been acting odd for the last couple of weeks, ever since I turned down his marriage proposal. I just couldn’t go against my Dad’s wishes. I told him that it wasn’t going to work. But he insisted that we could make a go of it.”

“You said he started to act odd--in what way?” Dean asked as he watched Sam begin to fidget.

“I don’t know, he kept taking walks in Ghost Hollow and whenever I asked him about it, he would complain that his head hurt. He was keeping something from me, I know it. The night he…the night he drowned, I had followed him to Ghost Hollow to confront him. I mean, I still loved him, even though I couldn’t marry him. He was talking to someone as I came up behind him and I could have sworn that I saw--but it couldn’t have been.” Shaking her head, she continued. “He turned to me and told me to go home, it wasn’t safe for me there. We were heading back towards the car, when I noticed that he was no longer walking behind me. I called for him and I searched, but I couldn’t find him. I really tried to find him!” Shirley broke down and began to cry again. Sam let her cry on his shoulder, gently patting her on the back as he looked up at his brother.

“Shirley, there was probably nothing you could have done. If he fell into the river, you wouldn’t have been able to save him. You would have drowned with him. This isn’t your fault.” Sam said softly, trying to comfort the distraught girl.

Shirley sat up and wiped her eyes, a slight blush on her cheeks as she realized she had just cried on a stranger’s shoulders. But she could feel the strength and compassion from the man sitting beside her. She had the sense that he really did understand her guilt and grief. “Thanks Sam. I’m sorry that I unloaded on you like that. I really should be getting back before my father worries.”

“Hey, no problem; sometimes it’s easier to talk to a stranger than someone close to you. Before you go though, you said you thought you saw something--what was it?” Sam coaxed gently.

“I’m not sure, and I mean--maybe it was just my imagination. After all, I’ve heard the legend since I was small about the haunting of Ghost Hollow.”

“What legend?” Dean asked, finally they might be getting some where.

“It’s just a tale told to children to keep them out the hollow. It can be dangerous during heavy rains, it fills with water. But as I recall, on foggy nights you can hear the sobbing of a woman on the wind and if you look real close, you see the figure of a young woman riding a great black horse. They say that she is cursed to ride the horse until she can find someone to love as much as the young man that her father forbid her to marry. If you get too close, she will lure you to your doom.” Shirley laughed bitterly as she stood to go. “I must have been thinking about her, I mean her story is so close to mine, a love that I could never have just like her. That’s probably why I thought I saw her and her horse riding off into the woods. But it was just my imagination!”

Sam stood and smiled. “Your probably right…I know it’s hard right now Shirley, but in time it will get better--I promise.”

Sam and Dean watched as Shirley headed back towards the crowd of people. Dean turned to Sam, watching him to see his reaction to the young girl’s story, but his brother appeared to be ok. “So Sammy, looks like we need to find us a ghost, I just wish we knew her name. It would make things a lot easier!”

Sam fell to his knees, grabbing his head as he spoke “Marie….Oh God, I can’t ….she told me her name was Marie…..argh!” Sam screamed in agony as Dean knelt beside his brother, trying to comfort him.

“Sam…stop it! You’re going to hurt yourself! We’ll figure it out!”

But Sam was determined, he knew that if he didn’t do this, it could take days to find out her name and somehow, he didn’t think he had that much time. “NO! Dean--I have to tell--not much time--her name--.her name is Marie Gonzales!”

Sam screamed as he pitched forward, unconscious.

TBC

[Oceane]

Dean saved Sam from drowning.
Sam is unconscious but at least he had time to tell Dean who's the ghost.
They must find a way to break the curse before it's too late for Sam.
Can't wait for more

[Raven524]

Oceane: Thanks! And since you asked so nicely--here are the next two chapters!



Chapter 7 – Finding Marie





Dean gently turned his brother over and sighed as he saw the blood dripping from Sam’s nose. “Aw Sammy--okay let’s get you back to the car before these nice people notice!” Dean was glad that most of the people had either left or were on the other side of the cemetery getting ready to leave. Luckily they had parked away from the other guests, so Dean was able to carry Sam to the car and get him in the passenger seat without having to explain his brother’s sudden loss of consciousness. He just hoped that Sam would wake up soon and without the pain that was still evident on his brother’s face. “Hold on Sammy, I’ll have you back to the motel in no time.”

Dean had been driving for only a few moments, when he heard his brother moan in the seat beside him. “Sammy?” Dean asked quietly, not wanting to ask anything that would cause his brother more pain.

Sam slowly opened his eyes, his headache was still pretty bad, but no worse than what he normally experienced after one of his visions. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he finally noticed that they were in the car. “What? Where are we going?” Sam finally managed as he realized that they were heading back towards town.

“Well, I was going to head back to the motel, but since you’ve rejoined the living, how do you feel about a trip to county records and the library?” Dean watched to make sure that Sam’s pain didn’t increase. But his brother just nodded his head in agreement.

“Don’t worry Dean, a few pain killers and I’ll be good to go. We need to find out more about the local legend. Why don’t you drop me off at the library while you go to the county records building.”

“I don’t think so Sammy, until this is over with, I’m sticking to you like glue.” Dean saw his brother’s shoulders stiffen. “Look Sam, I know you hate being hovered over but we don’t know exactly what kind of hold this spirit has on you. Obviously, it can draw you to Ghost Hollow and make you jump off bridges, so for my piece of mind--just go with it for now okay?”

Sam sighed, he knew that his brother was right. “Ok Dean, I get it. I just hate this--I’m useless once again.” Sam turned to stare out the window, Dean was never going to treat him as an equal partner if these kinds of things kept happening. Sam was tired of Dean always having to look out for him. He was an adult now and was supposed to be able to take care of himself. After all he had done it for the 2 years he was at Stanford.

Dean saw his brother withdrawing and he thought he understood the reason, but unfortunately he couldn’t come up with a solution. “Look Sammy. I know you can take care of yourself and I know that you hate it when I pull the big brother card out, but you have to understand it’s my job to take care of you. Even if it wasn’t, I’d still take care of you. You have enough to deal with, especially since this is so close to what you and Jess…” Dean paused and placed a comforting hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Just let me do this for you ok?”

Sam looked at his brother, understanding that it had taken Dean a lot to say what he had. “Dean, I understand okay, and I really appreciate you always being there for me. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been there when…” Sam swallowed but continued. “I just wish that I could take care of you once in a while you know? I mean, that’s what families do--they take of each other. It just seems like you’re always taking care of me and that’s not fair.”

“Sammy boy, tell me one thing about our freakin life that could be called fair! Now as much as I’m loving this warm and fuzzy moment we seem to be having, it’s not getting us much closer to the spirit that apparently has her sights set on your ass--.so are we good?”

Sam smiled, he should have known his brother could only take so much. “Sure, so library or county records first?”

It only took them a short time at the county records building to find out that Marie Gonzales was from one of the original French colonist families who had settled the area. Unfortunately, that meant it would be almost impossible to find out where she was buried because the records from back then weren’t complete and the land itself had changed. “Great! Only you could get a woman from the 1800’s yearning for you--you and those damn puppy dog eyes of yours Sam!”

Sam just rolled his eyes. “You’re just pissed because she didn’t respond to the old Dean Winchester charm. But anytime you want to step in, just let me know. I’d be happy to step aside!”

“Sorry, I like my women a little younger there Sammy. So, looks like we need to see if we can find out more about the legend to figure out how to get rid of her.” Dean was getting worried, this was turning out to be more than just a simple salt and burn and he didn’t like it.

“Maybe we’ll get lucky and the library will tell us where she’s buried, were you able to find out where her old homestead was?” Sam knew that back then, they normally buried their family members on the property, maybe if they could find where she lived, they could locate her grave.

“No, the land records were not real helpful this time. Let’s hope we have more luck here.” Dean said as he pulled up to the library.

Sam was searching through some of the older books on the town’s history while Dean continued to review the older newspaper clippings, hoping that someone would have written about what really happened to Marie Gonzales. Dean sat back and rubbed his tired eyes, he knew there was a reason he always left this up to Sam. He looked over at his younger brother and smiled as Sam continued to make notes in his journal. Just give his brother a few books and a mystery and he was happy as a clam. He probably would have made a great lawyer. Maybe some day…but Dean knew that Sam’s dreams had been crushed the day Jessica had died the same way their mother had. “So, geek boy--have you found anything yet?”

Sam looked up from what he was reading. “Actually, yes I have.” Sam pointed to the large book he’d been reading. “Here in this book there is a history of the earliest families from the region. There is even a map of the old homestead. It looks like it was located along the White River. It’s not far from Ghost Hollow I’m guessing but we’ll have to compare it to a current map to see if we can figure out exactly where it was.”

“That’s my geek boy!” Dean clapped Sam on the back. “Anything on the legend?”

Sam shook his head. “No, not really but I’m thinking that the internet may be able to give us more information on that part of the mystery. I have a few sites bookmarked that I will check when we get back to the motel.”

“That sounds like a good exit line.” Dean closed the book he’d been reading. “Let’s stop and get some dinner and then head back to the motel. It’s getting late and I want to get a good night sleep if we are going to be tramping through those woods tomorrow.”

Sam nodded, as he closed the book he had been reading. He just hoped that they could find more from the internet. He couldn’t help but feel like they were missing something--something important.

Sam and Dean had eaten a quick meal at Cal’s diner. Once again, the man had insisted on them not paying for their meal. Sam felt uncomfortable, but Dean took it in stride as he placed his order. Shortly after returning to the motel, a full stomach and lack of sleep seemed to catch up with Dean as he fell asleep. Sam smiled as he looked at the sleeping form of his brother. Dean looked so boyish in his sleep, like all the responsibility he carried during the day had melted away with sleep. He only wished Dean could be like this all the time.

Sam decided to search the internet before going to bed. He wanted to have something for Dean in the morning. The first thing Sam did was to compare the map from the book in the library to a more recent map of the area. “Well I’ll be damned” Sam said quietly as he realized that the old homestead had been located near Ghost Hollow. Shirley had been right, it looked like back then, the hollow had actually been a small river leading from the White River. But over time it had dried up and been renamed Ghost Hollow by the locals. Sam quickly marked the location of the old homestead on the map and put it aside.

Next Sam began searching the internet for local folk stories. After a couple of hours, he finally found what he was looking for. He quickly book marked the page and printed the article. It looked like Marie had fallen in love with a local Englishman. But her father forbid the marriage and instead arranged a marriage between her and one of the French noblemen in the area. Marie was devastated and refused to marry a man twice her age. But in the end, her father won and a wedding date was set. The night before her marriage, Marie disappeared. Her body was later found on the banks of the White River. They believed that she had taken her own life rather than marry a man she didn’t love. The legend went on to say that to this day, Marie searched for her missing lover hoping that he could join her. The rest of the legend seemed to track with what Shirley had told them.

Sam sighed, he knew how she felt. Sometimes he wished that he could join Jess. He still mourned her even after all this time. But for some reason, this latest hunt was making him miss her even more. Yet, as he thought about the legend, something just didn’t seem to add up. According to Dean, both men and women had gone missing or been killed. If Marie was looking to replace her lost love--wouldn’t it only be men?

Sam stood and decided to try to get some sleep. As he walked by the window, he took a look outside and shivered. He could hear distant sobbing on the wind, it was calling to him. Sam took a step back towards Dean--he had to wake Dean. But before he could reach his brother, the sobbing became louder, drowning out everything but his need to comfort whoever was crying. Sam quietly opened the door and walked out into the night, his steps heading towards the source of the crying.

TBC

[Raven524]

Chapter 8 – Lost and Found




Sam knew that he couldn’t walk the whole way and unfortunately he hadn’t grabbed the keys form Dean. As he entered the parking lot, he decided that he’d have to borrow a car. After a few moments, he found a car with its door unlocked. It only took a few moments for him to hot wire the car and head off towards the bridge.

As Sam approached the bridge, he could feel the presence of Marie. This time though, Sam wasn’t going to go onto the bridge. A part of him was fighting the influence of the ghost, but he couldn’t resist the sobbing that seemed to fill his mind. “Marie, if you’re here show yourself!” Sam called as he started to walk towards the hollow he had discovered the last time he came alone. The ground fog was thicker than usual as he entered the hollow. It wasn’t long before Sam heard the sound of the horse, followed by the loud sobbing of the girl riding it.

Sam looked up as Marie appeared in front of him on the black stallion. Sam backed up, remembering the last time he had encountered the horse. He had no intention of getting too close to the horse’s hoofs again. “Marie, my name is Sam. Why have you called me here?”

“You understand the pain Sam, the pain of not being with the one you love beyond life itself.”

“Yes, I understand your pain, but I can help you if you let me. You don’t need to kill anyone else Marie. Let me and my brother help you!”

The young woman on the horse shook her head. “I’ve killed no one Sam. They have died by their own choice--as will you.”

“What do you mean Marie? They chose to die? If so, I will never make that choice.”

“You say that now, but it will change. It always does and in the end I cannot stop it, but perhaps you may be the one--are you?” Marie’s eyes had a sudden spark of hope in them before the despair filled them again.

“How can I stop this Marie? Tell me!” Sam watched as the horse started to make signs that it was getting impatient. Marie appeared to be having trouble controlling her mount.

“Time is short Sam; I must leave before the dawn. Follow me if you wish to help!” Marie turned the horse and headed back into the hollow.

Sam looked back towards the road. He really should go and get Dean, but then he couldn’t tell him any of this, assuming he’d even remember it. Sam sighed as he turned to follow the spirit further into the woods. As he walked, he tried to figure out a way that he could remember what he had learned. The conversation was important and he needed to tell Dean. As these thoughts entered his head, he once again began to experience pain.

“You cannot tell of your experiences Sam, it’s not allowed. I am sorry, but only you can know what I show you.” Marie had stopped and turned as Sam struggled to overcome the pain in his head once more.

“But my brother can help. Why can’t I tell him?”

“You may not speak of this to anyone Sam, it is how it has always been and how it must continue to be.” Marie motioned for Sam to begin to follow her once more.

Sam shook his head as the pain began to slowly recede. As long as he didn’t think about telling Dean, the pain seemed to subside. As Sam thought about what Marie had said, a slow smile started to form on his face. “Marie, you say I can’t speak to my brother, but if he finds out on his own or by some other means than speaking--that is allowed?”

“I do not know Sam, I only know that you cannot speak to anyone about what you learn. Again it is not my rule, but the way it must be.”

Sam nodded as a plan began to form in his mind. As he continued to follow the horse and the girl deeper into the woods, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his journal. As they walked, he started to write down what he had learned as well as a brief description of where he was going. As he wrote, he noticed that the pain in his head did not increase. He was merely jotting down things to remind himself later of what he had learned. The real test would come later but he refused to think about that now.

After about 30 minutes of walking, the horse stopped and Marie looked at Sam. “This is where it began. Of course the house was more grand in it’s day. Papa would be so sad at what has happened to his home.”

Sam looked around and could see the foundations of a building in front of him. If you looked carefully, you could see the outline of the outer buildings and even part of a stone wall that must have been part of a fence at some point. “So this is where you lived with your father?” Sam asked as he jotted down the location in his journal, along with a brief drawing of what he was seeing.

“Yes, this was my home--but no longer. I was placed to rest not far from here, up there on the hill I was laid to rest but Barclay rests in another land. Even in death we are kept apart by impossible boundaries.” Marie began to sob once more.

“Marie if you pass over, you may be able to join Barclay. Why do you remain here?” Sam couldn’t figure out why she was killing people. She didn’t seem vindictive, only sad.

“I—I--Oh Sam, I can’t tell you, but when you find out it will be too late for you.” Marie grabbed onto the horses main as the animal began to rear once more.

Sam backed up as the horse advanced towards him. He couldn’t understand why Marie was doing this, she seemed to want his help and yet she appeared to be coaxing the horse to trample him. “Marie, stop!” Sam yelled before he felt his foot trip on the corner stone of the foundation. Before he could stop himself, he fell into what probably was the cellar of the house. His last thought before losing consciousness was that his brother would never find him here.

Marie reigned in the horse and slowly vanished into the morning mist. “Why must it be this way?” She asked as her cries could once more be heard on the wind.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Dean woke with a start as he heard a commotion outside the window of the motel. Crawling out of the bed, he assumed that Sam was in the bathroom. He noticed that his brother had left his laptop open and had marked a map with some information on the table. Deciding he could investigate that in a moment. He went to the door and opened it to see what was going on. He saw the police car at the motel office and an upset man talking to the motel manger and the police.

A number of people were standing around the police car talking. Luckily Dean was still dressed from the day before, he quickly pulled on his boots and grabbed his jacket as he walked towards the office. “So, what’s going on?” He asked a pretty young woman near the back of the crowd.

“There was a car stolen from the parking lot last night. Boy that man is sure mad. I’d hate to be the one who took the car!” The woman shuddered lightly.

“Do they have any idea who it was?” Dean asked as a funny feeling started to hit him in the stomach.

“No, the police think it was probably some kid going for a joy ride. I’m glad I kept my car locked last night.”

“Yeah, me too.” Dean said as he turned and headed back to the motel room. As he entered the room, he headed for the bathroom and opened the door. “Sammy, sorry but I….” Dean’s mouth dropped open as he realized that his brother wasn’t in the room.

“Damn it Sammy, not again!” Dean said as he slammed his fist onto the table. He now knew who had taken the car. It wasn’t bad enough that his brother had gone missing, but now the police would be involved.

Dean grabbed his keys and headed for the Impala. He figured he might have a few minutes head start before the cops started to search for the car. He just hoped that Sam hadn’t left it in plain sight.

A few minutes later, Dean’s worst nightmare was confirmed. Just before the bridge sat the stolen car and no Sam in sight. Dean decided that he better take care of the car issue first. The last thing he needed was for Sam to get arrested. Although, maybe he should let him spend a few nights in jail; at least then he wouldn’t be able to disappear on his big brother.

Dean quickly got behind the wheel of the car and drove it down the road, parking it on the main street in plain view. He hoped that the cops would find it and figure that whoever had taken it was long gone. Dean then carefully wiped the car down to make sure that there were no prints from him or his brother in the car. Taking a quick look around to make sure he wasn’t seen, Dean began to jog back up the road towards Ghost Hollow.

Dean walked out onto the bridge and stared fearfully into the water below. He hoped that Sam hadn’t taken another dive into the river. But not seeing his brother, he decided to try to follow the river bank for a bit and then circle back into the forest to the hollow he had found the other day. Dean was deep in thought as he walked along the bank of the river, he kept looking into the woods, hoping to spot his brother. Dean wondered how long Sam had been out here. It was mid-morning now which meant it was probably at least 5-6 hours that Sam had been missing.

If Dean didn’t find a way to get rid of this ghost soon, he’d have to resort to tying his brother to the bed or go without sleep--neither option being one that he was looking forward to. “Damn it Sammy! Where the hell are you!” Dean thought for the hundredth time since he found Sam missing this morning. As Dean rounded a bend in the river, his heart stopped as he saw a figure laying on the bank in the distance. “SAMMY!” Dean yelled as he ran towards the figure.

But there was no answer from the unmoving form on the bank.

TBC

[Oceane]

Sam can't help himself but go to Marie.
Sam found a way to tell Dean what he saw and learned from Marie.
Sam is unconscious, hope he's not badly injured, thank goodness Dean is there.
Very intriguing so far, I'm looking forward to more

[UKsnfan101]

I was thinking that Sam should have typed the information into his computer when Dean wasn't around and then leave it open for him..
good update

[Raven524]

Oceane: Thanks, yes Dean has arrived and Sam is safe, for now

UKsnfan101: Yeah, I thought about the laptop, but Sam needed something he could bring with him to record what was happening since his memory was also being affected Great idea though! Thanks for reviewing

Okay guys, here are the next two chapters for you! I hope you enjoy them



Chapter 9 – The Missing Link





Dean ran towards his brother’s prone figure, hoping that he wasn’t too late. He couldn’t be too late! He should have never fallen asleep. Dean quickly knelt next to his brother and gently turned him over. Feeling for a pulse, Dean sighed with relief as he felt the faint but solid pulse beneath his finger tips. Dean began to check Sam for other injuries. He lifted Sam’s shirt and noticed that there seemed to be more bruising than before, especially on Sam’s left shoulder. He then began to check Sam’s head. As he felt around the back of Sam’s head, his hand came back with blood on it. “Damn it Sam what the hell happened to you this time?”

Dean sat back and took in the rest of Sam’s appearance. It looked from the cuts and scrapes on his hands and the torn pants that his brother had probably fallen and even crawled to get this far. Looking back, Dean could see the staggered foot prints in the river’s bank. It looked like Sam had been coming from the forest rather than the river this time. “Ok Sam, it’s time for you to wake up for me!” Dean tapped Sam lightly on the cheek, hoping to wake his brother.

Sam moaned and slowly opened his eyes. He blinked at he saw his brother’s angry face appear above him. But wait, now there were two Deans and both look ready to kill him. He swallowed quickly as the nausea hit him next. Sam desperately tried to roll, but his ribs and his arm screamed at the movement. “Dean—please--help!” Sam gulped as he felt the contents of his stomach coming up.

Dean realized the problem and gently helped Sam sit up and turn his head to the side. Sam continued to vomit long after the contents of his stomach had been emptied. The tears were running down his face as the pain in his body and the spasms took their toll on him. As the spasms finally calmed down, Dean helped Sam stand and placing his brother’s good arm over his shoulder, began to head back towards the car.

“Come on Sam, you need to stay awake. I think you have a concussion and I need to get you to the hospital.” Dean said as he saw Sam’s eyes beginning to close again.

Sam snapped his eyes open. “NO! please Dean, I’m ffinnne!”

“Sure you are, that’s why I’m carrying most of your weight and your eyes are having trouble focusing. We don’t have a choice here Sam, we need to make sure there isn’t serious damage to the thick head of yours. “Dean paused to look Sam directly in the eye. “…and then I’m gonna break your neck!”

Sam sighed, he knew that Dean had every right to be pissed. But Sam was scared, once again he had woken up in the forest with no recollection of how he had gotten there. “Dean? Ah--how, how did I?”

“What’s the last think you remember Sam?” Dean asked cautiously

“I was working on the computer and got up to get ready for bed. Then—I—I--don’t know! God Dean, what’s happening to me?” Sam looked fearfully at his big brother.

Dean saw the look of fear in his brother’s eyes and the anger quickly disappeared. He just wished he knew how to stop this from happening. “I don’t know Sam, but I’m going to make it better. I promise!”

It took Dean over an hour to get Sam back to the car. By that time both boys were near exhaustion. Sam had stopped talking and appeared to be just barely conscious. “Here you go Sammy, now remember, you can’t go back to sleep until the nice doctor has a look at you!”

Sam nodded, but regretted the action as the pain lanced through his head from the movement. He tried to breath through the pain, but it was getting hard to keep his eyes open. “Sorry Dean” Sam whispered as Dean got into the driver’s seat.

“What for Sam?”

“No help to you--totally useless, can’t even remember where I went. You should just leave me at the hospital.” Sam’s eyes began to close as the darkness began to claim him once again.

“No way Sammy, you hear me. We are in this together--Sam?” Dean sighed as he saw his brother slump forward unconscious. “Aw Sammy--I mean it, we’ll get through this, just hang on for me okay?”

An hour later, Dean finally saw the doctor coming from the triage room. He had spent the last hour trying to put the pieces of what they knew so far together. He knew that they had to be dealing with a spirit and that if they could find her bones, he could solve the problem. He remembered the map he had seen earlier and wondered if Sam had found a place to start looking. Maybe that was why he hand wondered off. But Dean knew that was just wishful thinking. Something was drawing his brother to Ghost Hollow and that something was going to pay for hurting his little brother.

“Mr. Carson?”

“Yes, Doctor. How is Sam? Dean always hated this part, the second of silence before he would find out if his world would be saved or destroyed.

“He has a nasty cut on the back of his head that required stitches. As you know he did have a broken rib, but luckily it didn’t puncture his lung. His shoulder is pretty badly bruised and will most likely be stiff and sore for the next couple of days. He is conscious now and is demanding to be released. I would really like to keep here for at least 24 hours to make sure that there is no complication from the concussion.”

“Can he go back to the motel with me?” Dean knew that if Sam wanted out of the hospital, not much would keep him here. Besides, it would be too easy for his brother to slip away and get into more trouble. At least at the motel, he would have more control—he could make sure his little brother didn’t take any more unscheduled strolls in the woods.

“Yes, but he should remain quiet and in bed for at least the next 24 hours. I will give you some pain medication that will make him sleepy and allow him to rest. After that, he should take it easy for the next 3 to 4 days.”

“Can I see him now?” Dean asked, wanting to see Sam for himself.

“Sure, follow me. I’ll have the paperwork sent in for his signature along with the prescriptions.”
A short time later Dean had gotten Sam back to the motel room and even managed to convince his brother to lay down. Sam had been really worked up about something earlier but Dean didn’t want Sam to suffer any more pain on top of the pain from the head injury. Dean sat and watched Sam sleep for a few moments, wondering once again how he could help Sam when Sam couldn’t tell him what was going on.

Dean returned to the table and began to go over the things that Sam had done prior to his impromptu walk on the wild side last night. Dean had stopped in the office to extend their stay for a couple more days and was glad to hear that the police had found the car and that they had written it off to a kid joy riding. “If only they knew how old the ‘kid’ was!” Dean smirked as he continued to read the articles that Sam had printed off. His eyes were drawn to the map that Sam had been working on. “I’ll be darned Sammy. It looks like you may have found the area to search!”

Sam moaned in his sleep, but didn’t answer. Dean shook his head. His brother thought he was useless and yet, he had managed to put some more pieces of the puzzle together. Dean started to read through the accounts of those who had died once more. Based on what they knew now, Dean began to see a pattern. Getting excited, Dean quickly began to tape the pictures in order of death on the wall. As he sat back, he finally realized why Sam was being affected and not him. For once it wasn’t his brother’s freaky powers that were drawing the spirit to him. It was because he couldn’t be with his true love.

In each case, the person who had died or gone missing had suffered the loss of a lover. Some through death and others like Brett, due to outside conditions that made it impossible for them to be together. Dean looked at Sam as he heard the confirmation of his guess coming from his brother’s lips.

“Jess…NO! Please come back, I need you.” Sam cried in his sleep.

Dean walked over to his brother and placed a comforting hand on Sam’s shoulder. “It’s ok Sam, I’ve got you. We have a place to look now thanks to you and after you are feeling a little better, we’re going to find that ghost and send her on her way.”

Dean reached over to wipe the tears from his brother’s face and smiled as Sam seemed to lean into his touch, taking comfort even in his sleep from his big brother’s presence. “Just sleep Sammy. I’ve got your back!”

Dean pulled the chair over beside Sam’s bed and continued to read the information that Sam had found. He didn’t plan on sleeping again until this was all over.

TBC

[Raven524]

Chapter 10 – In Sync


As night fell, Dean stood up and stretched. Sam had been sleeping for 7 hours now and didn’t look like he was going to wake up anytime soon. Dean realized he was starving, but there was no way he was going to leave his brother tonight. Pulling out the phone book, he found the number of a local pizza delivery place. After placing the call, he went back to look at the pictures on the wall. His gaze rested on the recent picture of Brett. Shirley had said that he had been acting funny for the past couple of weeks. That meant that time was running out for Sam.

Dean ran his hand through his hair as he began to study the map in front of him. The location that Sam had marked wasn’t too far from where he had found Sam this morning. But it was still a big area to search. It could take them most of the week to find out where she was buried. Dean didn’t know if he could protect Sam much longer, especially if the ghost continued to lure his brother to that damn hollow.

As if on cue, his brother sat up in the bed yelling “NO! I won’t make that choice!”

Dean moved quickly over to his brother. “Sammy--Sam, what choice are you talking about?”

Sam’s eyes slowly began to focus on the face of his older brother. A look of confusion replacing the look of fear that had been in his eyes a few seconds before. “Dean? Where am I?”

Dean sighed, he had hoped that maybe if Sam wasn’t fully awake he could press him for an answer. “We are at the motel Sam. You kind of had a little accident earlier this morning.”

“I what? Dean what’s going on…argh!” Sam reached back to feel the wound on the back of his head. He also noticed that his shoulder was sore as well as the fact that his rib seemed to be worse than he remembered.

“Well, you went on one of your little midnight strolls again last night.” Dean watched closely, but Sam didn’t seem to be in any more pain. Deciding to take the plunge, Dean continued.

“Look Sam, I’m going to tell you a story. I don’t want you to tell me anything, just keep quiet and listen until I’m finished okay?” Dean saw the apprehension building in his brother’s eyes.

“Sure Dean, but is this a long story? ‘Cause if it is, I need to visit the little boys room first.” Sam wasn’t sure that he wanted to hear what Dean had to say. His brother had obviously figured out why Sam kept having these black outs. Dean helped him to the bathroom with a warning to let him know when he was finished.

Sam let his head hang down for a moment as he tried to gather his thoughts. But all he got was a worse headache. At this rate, his head would explode before the spirit had her way with him. Maybe, it would better if it did—at least then he’d be out of pain. At least then he’d be with Jess…He jumped as he heard a voice on the other side of the door.

“I mean it Sammy. No thinking about anything right now except getting your ass out here!” Dean knew that Sam had wanted time to try to figure out what Dean was going to tell him. He figured that whatever the curse or spell was that had taken hold of Sam, it wouldn’t allow him to speak to his brother about what happened and in fact may even be blocking the information from Sam’s memory. But if Dean told him what he knew so far, maybe it would help.

Dean smiled as he heard a knock on the door. “Hurry up Sam, pizza’s here and you need to eat something.”

Sam sighed as he left the bathroom and headed over to the small table. He lowered himself down into the chair and began to look around. He noticed that the map he had been working on the day before was now taped to the wall next to the information they had gathered on each of the victims and Marie Gonzales. “Looks like you’ve been busy Dean…”

“Shhh” Dean placed his finger in front of his lips, giving Sam his best don’t mess with me because I’m the older brother look.

“But Dean I..”

“Zip it!” Dean pretended to pull a zipper across his lips.

“But…”

“Zip”

“De..”

“Zp” Dean continued to pretend to pull a zipper across his lips while daring Sam to disobey him.

Sam shook his head rolling his eyes, sometimes his brother could be so dramatic. Sam grabbed a piece of pizza and settled back to hear what Dean had to say.

Dean took his own piece of pizza and downed it before he began to talk. “Sam the reason I don’t want you talk is because I think that you have been placed under some kind of spell or curse that causes you pain whenever you try to remember or tell me anything that you have experienced at Ghost Hollow.” Dean watched closely, Sam seemed to be paying attention, but remained silent and apparently wasn’t having problems with any pain.

“Now, I’ve notice you can do research and I can tell you what happened and apparently you don’t have a problem. So I’m going to tell you what I know so far. But the minute you start to feel any pain, you need to tell me--Okay? Dean watched as a slow smile spread over Sam’s face.

“Ok, I listen, you talk--got it!” Sam picked up another slice and began to chew on it as he settled back to listen.

“Smart Ass!” Dean replied as he quickly filled Sam in on everything that he knew had happened since they had come to Ghost Hollow, including Sam’s visits to Ghost Hollow and the end results. He then explained his theory that Sam was being called because he couldn’t be with his one true love, Jessica. As Dean was talking, Sam began to remember and fill in the blanks that were missing from Dean’s story, at least most of them. He still had a feeling that they were missing something important, but as a sharp pain lanced through his head, he once more concentrated on what Dean was telling him.

“So, I think the first thing we need to do Sam is search the area of the old homestead and hope that we can find her grave. If we can find her bones, this will be over. The bad news is, it was only a couple of weeks after Brett started making his visits to Ghost Hollow that he died. So, I’m thinking we don’t have a whole lot of time to solve this problem.”

Dean sat back and looked at Sam. He could see that his brother was processing what he was told and didn’t appear to be in any distress. “How’s your head Sam?” Dean asked as he continued to watch his brother for any signs of pain.

“Well actually Dean, it does kind of hurt…”

“Ah crap Sam, I’m sorry. I really thought that maybe--okay, don’t worry about it. We’ll figure out something else!” Dean stopped as he heard a slight chuckle from his brother.

Dean saw the look on Sam’s face and realization hit. “Sammy I’m so going to kill you damn it!”

“Well you only asked if my head hurt Dean and I told you the truth. I have a pretty bad headache right now, along with pain in my shoulder and ribs--but then what do you expect?” Sam laughed out loud, but quickly groaned as his rib reminded him that he had recently injured it.

“Serves you right Sam…” But Dean couldn’t help the smile that curved his lips. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed his brother’s laugh or quirky humor the last couple of days.

“You know Dean, you really did a good job of putting all these pieces together. I’m sorry I can’t be more help…” Sam sighed as he looked away, feeling himself the burden to his brother once more. He looked down and swallowed as despair took hold once again. He’d never be an equal partner.

“Stop it Sam!” Dean reached across the table and tapped his brother’s hand. “I mean it! You’re the one who figured out the area that we need to search. I just took the information that you gathered and added it to what was happening. Now, all we need to do is figure out where she is buried and then smoke her ass!”

Sam heard his brother, but something else was demanding his attention. He shook his head trying to concentrate again on his brother, but Sam continued to look out the window in the direction of Ghost Hollow. “That’s nice Dean, but I think I’ll take a walk to clear my head…” Sam rose from the table and headed for the door.

Dean had noticed the blank look that had come over his brother’s eyes. It was almost scary to see, Sam seemed to be functioning normally but Dean could tell that his brother was in some kind of trance. “Sammy?” Dean tried to get his brother’s attention, but Sam continued to walk towards the door as if he hadn’t heard Dean.

“I don’t think so little brother, your sleep walking tours are over until we can figure out a way to get rid of that ghost!” Dean quickly got up and stood in front of Sam. He grabbed him by the shoulders and gave his brother a gentle shake, mindful of the bruises and injuries on his brother’s body.

Sam blinked and looked around, confusion once again in his eyes as he looked at Dean. “Ah, let me guess--it happened again didn’t it?” Sam reached for his head as the pain began to build.

Dean grabbed Sam as his knees began to buckle. “Ok Sam, it’s intervention time. I want you to sit on the bed over here and take these pain pills that the doctor gave you. They will knock you out and help you sleep until morning.”

Sam sat on the bed, his head hanging down and his hands fisting in his hair as if he could yank the pain from his mind. He didn’t even notice that Dean had left and returned with some white pills and a bottle of water. Sam looked up at his brother, the tears falling down his cheeks as he tried to explain what he needed. “No, Dean--I have to go, you have to let me go” Sam began to struggle to his feet, but luckily Dean was able to keep him from rising.

“Sam, you have to take these pills--trust me ok?” Dean handed the pills to Sam again and watched as Sam swallowed them dry. “That’s my boy, now you need to lay down for me. It shouldn’t take long for the pain to go away--I promise!”

Sam’s body began to shudder from the pain, he wasn’t sure how much more he could take. As he let his brother help him lay down on the bed, Sam’s head began to spin. “Oh God Dean--I can’t do this--please!” Sam tried to get up, but Dean firmly held him onto the bed, his own eyes tearing at the sight of his brother’s torment.

It took about 15 minutes before the pain pills finally did their job. Sam’s eyes slowly closed, although his face still reflected pain as he continued to moan in his sleep. Dean looked at the clock, it was only 9:00 p.m. They still had the whole night to get through. “I’m sorry Sammy, but I can’t let you visit your spooky girlfriend tonight. I don’t think your body can take many more visits to Ghost Hollow.”

Dean ran his hand through his hair, trying to figure out how to help his brother, but there was really nothing more he could do but hope that the pain pills would eventually allow his brother to sleep until the morning. Sighing Dean walked over to his bag and reached inside. He slowly walked over to his brother and sat beside him he gently placed the handcuff on his brother’s good arm and attached it to the bed frame. He knew his brother would be pissed, but he couldn’t take the chance that he would fall asleep and find Sam gone again. “I’m sorry little brother, but I promise tomorrow we’ll find out where that ghost is hiding and get rid of her!”

Dean rose and looked out the window towards Ghost Hollow. “Not tonight you bitch! You’re not getting your hands on him tonight or any other night!”

TBC

[Oceane]

Once again Sam was drawn to Ghos Hollow. They need to find a way to break the spell before it's too late.
I'm looking forward to more