The Dead Who Groan Within Chapter 1
Title: The Dead Who Groan Within
Author: Disasteriffic Kaz
Info: The boys visit a quiet lake town in NY in search of a simple hunt and find more than they bargained for in a prehistoric ruin. Stand-alone hunt set post s1e07 "Hookman" with refs from ep.
Author's note: I started writing this one while working on my reader prompt fic "Reader's Special: First Edition" so I'd have something to do between chapters waiting for enough prompts to write. Having just watched Hookman I figured, what the hell, I haven't written a fic in Season 1 in a while and I do adore the boys back then. As I also adore Edgar Allen Poe, this particular story was loosely inspired by his poem "The Sleeper". Yes, you should google it and read the whole poem. It's gorgeous and, since it's Poe, oddly fitting for Supernatural. Heh.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
The rosemary nods upon the grave;
The lily lolls upon the wave;
Wrapping the fog about its breast,
The ruin molders into rest;
Looking like Lethe, see! the lake
A conscious slumber seems to take,
And would not, for the world, awake.
~ excerpt from Edgar Allen Poe "The Sleeper"
CHAPTER 1
…Keuka Lake, NY…
"Ok, Dave. You know you're not really an Archaeologist right?" Jenny groaned as her boyfriend…and she was really starting to rethink that relationship, handed her another stupid peg with a stupid flag on it.
"I'm an armchair Archaeologist." Dave grinned happily at her.
"I fail to see an armchair." Jenny waved her arms wide, aggravated.
"Figure of speech. Put that stake there." Dave pointed to the spot at her feet.
Jenny rolled her eyes as she 'marked' yet another useless piece of rock in the rock littered ground. Dave was working under the delusion that he was surveying the Bluff Point ruins. There wasn't much of them left intact above ground; crumbling walls and rooms open to the sky, carefully measured and stepped pits where blocks had been cut out so long ago no one remembered and here and there, the dark maws of openings leading down below ground blocked off with iron gates and padlocks to protect the public. "Come on, Dave. I'm hungry! It's getting late. Please can we go to A&W for a burger?"
"Not yet! There's still daylight." Dave counted steps between his markers, noting them faithfully in his little notebook. He'd been crushed when his parents had made him go to Keuka College. They didn't even have an Archaeology program so he was teaching himself. Two years in the little hole in the wall college and a good survey under his belt and he'd transfer to Penn State whether his parents liked it or not. He just wished Jenny would get into it more.
"Dave. I'm serious. I'm done." Jenny dropped the handful of stakes to the ground and crossed her arms. "It's getting cold and this is boring. I'm waiting in the car." She turned on her heel, ignoring Dave's protests.
"Fine! I'll be back up when I'm done." Dave said to her retreating back and sighed. "Why do girls have to be so lame?" He went back and picked up the discarded stakes, straightening the little flags and tucked them in one of the pockets of his cargo pants. A scratching sound caught his attention and he looked up to the wrought iron gate a few feet away. The sun was beginning its descent toward the horizon, perched just above the top of the mountain on the other side of the lake and the gulley Dave stood in was now in shadow. He shivered suddenly, watching his breath frost out in front of him.
"Guess it is kinda cold out here." He said to himself and walked toward the gate as it rattled lightly against the stone around it. "Hello?" Dave called softly. "Jenny if you're screwing with me cause I brought you out here, I'm sorry." He reached the gate and peered inside, unable to see anything in the inky blackness beyond. He spun, nervous as pebbles scattered down the side of the gulley behind him. "Jenny?" Impossibly, the air grew even colder and Dave felt his fingers going numb.
"Ok. Ok, I think…I'm done for the day. Yeah." Dave backed away from the gate and started walking quickly back up the path, stumbling over stones and little flagged markers as he made his back up. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching him and it was making his skin crawl. "Jenny?" He called, whirling to peer behind him. He thought he heard a whisper, or maybe it had been a sigh. "Jenny if that's you this isn't funny anymore!" He backed up the incline toward where they'd left the car and he cried out when his foot turned and he stumbled, falling backwards to thump onto his back.
"Ow." Dave rubbed the back of his head and sat up in the growing gloom. "Jen…" His voice trailed off, eyes opening wide in shock and he scrambled away, frantic. "Oh god, oh god, oh god, Jenny!" She lay beside him. He had tripped on her arm. Blood colored the dirt and stones around her in a sickening splatter painting and her dead eyes stared accusingly at him even as they glazed while he watched.
Dave's panicked; terrified breaths couldn't hide the sound of something big sliding over the gravel on the path below him though he couldn't see it. He stood on coltish legs, turning to run, to escape and then he screamed…
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
…Chicago, Illinois…
Dean tilted back in the chair at the little table in their motel room in Chicago, coffee in one hand and donut hanging out of his mouth as he scrolled through nationwide news reports on the laptop, looking for a job. He heard the shower shut off and smiled, reaching a long arm to pull a powdered white donut from the box. A minute later, the bathroom door opened and Sam stepped out, still toweling off his hair.
"Think fast!" Dean called and launched the donut at his brother's face. Sam barely had time to look up and blink before the pastry thwacked him between the eyes in a little cloud of white and fell to the floor.
Sam dropped the towel, disgusted. "Dude, are you five?"
Dean snickered and shrugged, taking another bite of his own donut while he eyed Sam critically. He looked better, less haunted than he had yesterday when they'd left Ankeny, Iowa, the Hookman and Laurie behind. He'd got them out of the state altogether and stopped for the night when he got tired of watching Sam cradle his arm and try to look like he wasn't in pain. Dean had shaken his head at the butterfly bandaids the EMT's had used to close the deep gash and put in his own neat little row of stitches in Sam's arm last night.
"How's the arm?" Dean asked, watching Sam favor it still while he wiped powdered sugar off his forehead.
"Better before some dumbass decided to get sugar on it." Sam groused and pulled a clean shirt out of his duffel.
"Oh don't be such a bitch." Dean laughed and got up, striding over to take Sam's arm and look critically at his own work. The stitches were clean, the three inch wound oozing a bit beneath them.
"It's fine." Sam said and pulled his arm away.
Dean plucked the antiseptic and a fresh bandage off the nightstand and grabbed his arm again. "It will be. Sit still." He kept a firm grip when Sam tugged again. "Sammy."
"It's Sam, and it's fine." Sam glared but Dean only grinned at him and poured the antiseptic over the wound. Sam hissed between his teeth and took a deep breath, stifling the groan that wanted to escape.
"You were saying?" Dean pushed the bottle into Sam's good hand and placed the bandage over the cut, winding it carefully around his little brother's left forearm until it was snug, tucking the end in place. "Ok, now you can go back to giving me epic bitchface." Dean went back to his chair and turned the laptop to face Sam while he pulled the shirt over his head. "Found us a job."
"What about Dad?" Sam asked as he came over and sat, resting his arm on the table.
Dean sighed and pulled out his cell phone, sliding it over to Sam. "New coordinates." Dean said and pointed to the laptop. "Took me a while but I found what caught his attention." The text had come in just after Sam had gone in the bathroom. Dean inwardly growled at their father who still gave them no hint of his condition or whereabouts except for his cryptic ex-Marine crap.
Sam narrowed his eyes as he studied the article and frowned. "Well, one of them definitely sounds like a ghost but the other?"
"Yeah the woman, uh…" Dean looked at his notes. "Jennifer Galley. Never seen a ghost do that to someone." Dean shrugged. "First time for everything I suppose."
"College students and…you ever heard of Bluff Point ruins?" Sam looked up to see Dean shake his head.
"Sounds like a good place for the not so dearly departed to hang out and cause trouble though." Dean smirked. "So let's go bust some ghosts and kick some ass, Sammy."
"Sam." Sam said and rolled his eyes as his brother got up and started tossing things in their duffels.
"Sure thing, Sammy." Dean smirked. He didn't have to look to know his brothers' face would crack him up. Distracting Sam from another 'Dad rant' was as easy as getting him irritated at something else and Dean wasn't in the mood. "Pack up, princess. I wanna get back on the road."
"Jerk." Sam muttered but he closed the laptop and stood to pack.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
…Kingsville, OH…
"Dude. Diner." Dean said cheerily as they turned off I 90 into the usual scattering of gas stations and restaurants that catered to highway travelers. The sign proclaiming Kay's Diner was just too much for Dean to pass up and he was hungry.
Sam snorted and rolled his head on his shoulders. It would be nice to get out of the car for a little while. They'd been driving for almost six hours and he was desperate to stretch his legs. He eyed the unassuming yellow building that looked more like a converted house and the aging pavement in front of it as they pulled in to the Diner. "Oh goodie." Sam groaned.
"Never knock a good Diner, Sammy." Dean grinned, anticipation making him drool. They got out, both stretching and Dean heard echoing pops from his brother as they worked out the kinks. "Come on. Trust me. The food'll be great."
Sam rolled his eyes and smiled; sure only that it would be the usual greasy spoon that made Dean drool and him groan. They pushed through the doors inside and Sam upped his estimation slightly. It was clean and warmly decorated with little homey touches like needlepoints and framed photos on the cream walls. A counter curved from the entrance into the smaller of two dining rooms and Dean slid onto one of the low backed stools with a happy sigh. Sam sat beside him and then chuckled, seeing the object of the too happy grin on his big brother's face. A massive case filled with various homemade pies.
"I think I'm in love." Dean said softly, eyes roaming the contents of the pie case as though it were a woman.
"You will be." An older woman with curly, red hair stepped out from behind the case, glasses perched on her nose and welcoming smile in place. "My pies are unbeatable. I'm Kay. What can I get you boys?"
"Pie." Dean said quickly and Sam elbowed him.
"Food first, Dude." Sam smiled up at Kay, liking the way her eyes sparkled when she smirked at them. "What's good?"
Kay laughed and grabbed a pitcher from under the counter, pouring them each a glass of water. "Oh honey everything's good. Gotta say though, my Dave outdid himself with the Stuffed Pepper Soup today. You want it." She grinned at Sam in challenge and he chuckled.
"Stuffed Pepper soup? Sounds good." Sam took his water. "And a salad?"
"Rabbit food." Dean elbowed him back. "I'll have a burger, cheese, onions and fries."
"Save room for pie." A man with a startling white head of hair called from the other end of the counter. Dean looked over and smiled in harmony with the sentiment, quickly appraising the attractive brunette sitting beside him, much younger and given their faces, obviously his daughter. She gave him a crooked grin and rolled her eyes at her Dad.
"Dad. Eat your pie. You're scaring the straights." She said, making Sam chuckle.
"Am not. You gonna finish that?" The white haired man asked his daughter and grinned when she shook her head and shoved the last few bites of her own pie over to him.
Kay laughed. "Don't mind them. Annual regulars. He's my pie slave. She'll roll him back out to the car soon enough. You boys want coffee?"
"Yes, please." Sam nodded and sat back as Kay bustled off to the kitchens. "Ok, so far, I'm liking this place."
"Told ya." Dean said with a smile and couldn't stop his eyes drifting back to the pie case.
Sam had to admit a half hour later that the Stuffed Pepper Soup was quite possibly the best thing he had ever tasted. He'd even convinced Dean to have a bite and his big brother had agreed. "Kay this is fantastic!" Sam told her when she emerged from the kitchen again.
"I know." Kay replied with a knowing smirk. She looked over as the older man and his daughter stood. "See you two in three days?"
"Wouldn't miss it, Kay." The white haired man stepped around the counter to give her a hug and then his daughter did the same.
"Thanks, Kay."
"You two drive safe now." Kay watched them leave with a smile. "They come in twice a year, once on the way up and then on the way back." She chuckled. "Good folks."
"I can see why." Dean said and pushed his empty plate away. "Okay, pie."
Kay laughed and opened the case. "They're all fresh but the blackberry just came out an hour ago, picked the berries myself this morning."
Dean all but drooled. "Blackberry it is." He watched as she cut him a slice and slid it front of him. He took up his fork with something akin to reverence and took a bite. Dean dropped his hand to the counter and looked up at her with love in his eyes. "Holy crap."
Kay chuckled and pulled a parfait glass out of the cabinet, setting it in front of Sam. "My homemade Tapioca. Trust me." She said and patted his hand in a motherly fashion. There were two layers of tapioca in the glass and a layer of blueberries in the middle. Sam dug a bit from the glass and his eyes widened in appreciation.
"Oh wow." Sam breathed. "This is amazing."
Kay smiled happily. "Homecooked food, boys. What every traveler needs." She started humming and wandered back into the kitchens again.
"We're stopping here again, Sammy." Dean said fiercely as he took another bite.
Sam nodded. "Have too."
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Stuffed to bursting with good food and even better pie, the boys stepped outside of Kay's with matching, satisfied smiles. Kay had given them both friendly hugs, to their surprise as they left and told them to come back next time they needed a little piece of home. Sam took the business card he'd plucked off the counter with a picture of the Diner on the front and tucked it into his pocket with a smile.
"Come on, sasquatch. We fed us. Let's go feed my baby and get rollin." Dean strode to the Impala and waved an arm at the gas station a quarter mile down the road.
Sam was in too good a mood to rise to the nickname and slid into the passenger seat with a contented sigh as Dean fired up the engine and pulled out of the parking lot.
"That was some serious food." Dean said in good humor and pushed in the Metallica tape for the short ride down the road, rocking his head to the beat of 'Fade to Black'. He smiled wider when he saw his little brother's fingers tapping along on his knee beside him and pulled into the gas station. They climbed out together and Dean grinned over the roof at him. "You wanna gas or munchies?"
"Seriously?" Sam asked in surprise. "How are you hungry after all that?" He laughed and Dean shrugged, tossing him the keys.
"I'm a growin' boy. You fill 'er up, I'll go get trail rations." Dean strode away through the nearly empty lot and Sam shook his head, bemused and went to the pump. He rocked the nozzle free and unlocked the gas cap, sliding the nozzle in. Sam leaned back against the trunk, squeezing the handle and frowned when nothing happened. He released it and squeezed again and still the gas didn't pump. He looked over his shoulder into the station but couldn't see anything for the glare on the window. "What's taking so long, Dean?" Sam said under his breath and shrugged. Maybe he'd forgotten to get the clerk to turn on the pump before he hit the snack aisle.
Sam chuckled and headed for the station. He pulled the glass door open, stepping inside and knew instantly something had gone very wrong. Dean lay on the floor, back against the counter with one hand to his head; blood running from beneath it. The clerk was visibly shaking behind the counter and two men in hoods turned as one to Sam.
"Oh crap." The closer of the two men lunged at him and Sam didn't think; he acted. He stepped into the charge, bringing his knee up into the man's solar plexus. As he crumpled to the floor Sam swung a long arm out, clipping the second man in the chin. He startled as the masked man revealed a gun from behind his back. Sam grabbed his hand at the wrist, giving it a vicious twist and sending the gun clattering to the floor as the man grunted and dropped to his knees.
"That's…my boy." Dean said blurrily from the floor. He hadn't even seen the men come up behind him, only the clerks' eyes widen in fear a moment before he was spun and then blinding pain when something connected with his head. He watched Sam make mincemeat of the two men with a proud smile. He tried to clear his head and rise, wanting to get his brother's back and heard Sam cry out in pain. Dean's head lurched up, like a hound scenting blood at the sound and saw a third masked man had grabbed hold of Sam's left arm.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
To be continued…
A/N: Kay's Diner: Real place. Every time my Dad and I road trip up to NY to visit family we ALWAYS stop, both ways. Kay's has the best food and best damn pie ANYwhere. OMG the pie. She's awesome and she always remembers us even when she doesn't see us for a whole year…mainly because Dad and I usually make ourselves sick after lunch eating way too much pie but…but…it's that good and homemade. Also, Stuffed Bell Pepper soup…seriously. *dies*
Click here for Part 2: