The Bear chapter 18
Um, I actually finished the story and forgot to post here, but not a problem as I'll just do the last three chapters in a row and if anyone wanders by it's all done :)
Chapter 18
Sam felt a cold chill and paused, taking a look around. Dean nearly smacked into his back, stopping just in time.
“Hey, give a guy some warning, would you?” the older brother grumbled. Then he caught Sam’s expression and was instantly alert. “What is it?”
Sam shook his head. “I don’t know. I just felt…cold all of a sudden.”
Dean immediately brought up the salt-filled shotgun, eyes scanning the trees and area around them.
“Think it’s the ghost?” he asked.
“I don’t know. But look at that cleared area just ahead. We passed the bear’s den already and according to the map I think we’re in the right area for that burned down cabin.” Sam replied.
They had tread carefully around the den, but the bear hadn't been around. Sam thought it might be foraging for food, free of the ghost's influence for awhile as the ghost mother had her attention on her recovered child.
Dean nodded and took a closer look. There was definitely a clearing ahead of them, and nothing seemed to be growing there. No grass, no bushes, and there were no sounds of insects there either. The area simply seemed devoid of life. Sam took the EMFmeter out and it began to beep immediately, getting shriller as he walked slowly into the clearing. Dean shifted the shotgun and brought out the thermal scanner, which confirmed the temperature drop he felt as he followed his brother.
“Where do you think the bones are?” Dean asked, turning in a semicircle. “Isn’t this where the ghost would have brought the kid?”
“Yeah.” Sam replied, walking to the middle of the clearing.
The EMF meter nearly went crazy as Sam pointed it towards the ground. He looked back up at his brother as the cold chill returned. Goosebumps raced across his skin and Dean gave a warning “Sam!” as he saw the temperature plunge further with the scanner. They both noticed the newly turned dirt in the center of the area, courtesy of a bear's digging. Sharing a look, they got to work, dropping the packs to the ground and taking out supplies. Dean grabbed a small shovel and began to dig, figuring that the mama ghost would have wanted her child's bones to rest next to hers. Sam placed the camera on the ground in front of him, keeping an eye on the small screen for a ghostly orb while holding the shotgun, covering his brother as he worked. After a few minutes they switched, knowing that fresh hands worked faster and speed was of the essence. They had switched back again when Dean hit something with the shovel.
"Sam, get ready," Dean said as he carefully excavated first a small body and then uncovered older bones, much larger. Obviously this body hadn't been preseved by tree sap as the children were.
The EMF meter shrilled loudly and Sam wordlessly handed Dean the container of salt and then the small bottle of lighter fluid. The mother's bones seemed to glare at them as Dean covered both them and the kid's body with the salt and then squirted the fluid over both. Sam's eyes widened as the orb appeared in the screen and his hands tightened on the shotgun, every sense alert. Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out a lighter-he'd put a lighter or a matchbook into every pocket he had while at the car, not wanting to be caught unprepared this time.
"Time for you to rest permanently," Dean said as he flicked the lighter, a flame appearing.
"Dean!" Sam warned as the orb rushed forward. The shotgun boomed in the quiet forest as Sam pulled the trigger.
He looked into the small camera screen, happy to see that the orb had dispersed. Suddenly the wind picked up and put the lighter's flame out.
"Crap," Dean swore and flicked it again, but the sparks refused to catch. Deciding to switch to matches, Dean was reaching for another pocket when a strong gust of wind picked him up and threw him to the edge of the clearing.
'Man, that wind is cold' he thought, and then realized it had to be the ghost.
Sam had come to the same conclusion. "It's the ghost, she must be stronger here at her bones' resting place." he called to his brother. "Are you okay?"
"Fine," Dean said, getting up and brushing himself off. "Okay, that's it, no more Mr. Nice Guy. That bitch is going down."
Sam merely nodded and grabbed a matchbook from his own pocket, opening it one-handed as he held onto the shotgun with the other. Realizing he needed a moment free he fired a salt-filled round in front of him, hoping it would keep the ghost at bay long enough to light the match. He settled the gun in the crook of his arm and pulled a match out, but before he could light it another strong gust of cold wind hit him and sent him sprawling to the other side of the clearing, away from Dean. The gun clattered to the ground a few feet away and the match and book went flying.
"Sam!" Dean shouted, running to the center of the clearing and pulling out another lighter.
Then both brothers heard a sound in the distance that they had come to dread-the bear's angry roar.
"Hey Sam, want to have a talk with your friend while I send Mama Ghost to the great beyond?" Dean called to his brother.
This time he cupped his other hand around the lighter as he flicked it on, and the flame caught and held. Sam dove for the shotgun, rolling and scooping it up as the wind once again picked up, ruffling Dean's hair. Dean threw the lighter onto the ready bones, and cursed as the flame went out with another gust of wind before the bones caught on fire.
"Damn, she's a stubborn one," the older brother muttered and then groaned as he was once again picked up and thrown to the edge of the clearing. Blinking as he got to his knees, he said, "This is getting old."
"Dean!" Sam shouted, and swung the shotgun around.
He could hear the bear's roaring getting closer and knew they were running out of time. Sam called out to the air as he hurried towards the bones.
"You have to let us do this! You have to let the bear go and you have to move on. Your other children are waiting for you. Please let us help. Let me help you. If we do this, you can rest. You'll be with your whole family again. I promise there won't be anything left for any museum display. You'll be at peace. Please," Sam implored the ghost, reaching the center of the clearing.
"Sam, what are you doing?" Dean said, as he ran towards his brother.
Sam just shook his head and then deliberately put the shotgun down. Dean's eyes widened and he stared at Sam as if he'd taken leave of his senses. Sam just slowly reached into another pocket and pulled out his last matchbook.
"This is the only way," he said quietly to the air. "Thank you for helping to fix my shoulder, and for not killing any of the hikers. But it's time for you to rest now. It's what your family would want. Please let me do this," he finished.
Dean had reached his side, but Sam held up a hand, signaling his brother to stay where he was. Worried, Dean complied, and watched with concern as Sam struck a match. The flame lit immediately, and there was no wind. Slowly Sam reached forward, and dropped the match onto the bones. He lit another one, and dropped that on the smaller body. The brothers watched as the ghost and her child's bones burned. A last gust of wind, much gentler, ruffled their hair. Sam almost felt it was like a last caress, and then the wind died and there was silence again in the clearing, except for the crackling of the fire. Dean heaved a sigh of relief, and grinned at his brother. Sam smiled back, and then they heard the growling. Their eyes met. The bear had arrived.
Chapter 18
Sam felt a cold chill and paused, taking a look around. Dean nearly smacked into his back, stopping just in time.
“Hey, give a guy some warning, would you?” the older brother grumbled. Then he caught Sam’s expression and was instantly alert. “What is it?”
Sam shook his head. “I don’t know. I just felt…cold all of a sudden.”
Dean immediately brought up the salt-filled shotgun, eyes scanning the trees and area around them.
“Think it’s the ghost?” he asked.
“I don’t know. But look at that cleared area just ahead. We passed the bear’s den already and according to the map I think we’re in the right area for that burned down cabin.” Sam replied.
They had tread carefully around the den, but the bear hadn't been around. Sam thought it might be foraging for food, free of the ghost's influence for awhile as the ghost mother had her attention on her recovered child.
Dean nodded and took a closer look. There was definitely a clearing ahead of them, and nothing seemed to be growing there. No grass, no bushes, and there were no sounds of insects there either. The area simply seemed devoid of life. Sam took the EMFmeter out and it began to beep immediately, getting shriller as he walked slowly into the clearing. Dean shifted the shotgun and brought out the thermal scanner, which confirmed the temperature drop he felt as he followed his brother.
“Where do you think the bones are?” Dean asked, turning in a semicircle. “Isn’t this where the ghost would have brought the kid?”
“Yeah.” Sam replied, walking to the middle of the clearing.
The EMF meter nearly went crazy as Sam pointed it towards the ground. He looked back up at his brother as the cold chill returned. Goosebumps raced across his skin and Dean gave a warning “Sam!” as he saw the temperature plunge further with the scanner. They both noticed the newly turned dirt in the center of the area, courtesy of a bear's digging. Sharing a look, they got to work, dropping the packs to the ground and taking out supplies. Dean grabbed a small shovel and began to dig, figuring that the mama ghost would have wanted her child's bones to rest next to hers. Sam placed the camera on the ground in front of him, keeping an eye on the small screen for a ghostly orb while holding the shotgun, covering his brother as he worked. After a few minutes they switched, knowing that fresh hands worked faster and speed was of the essence. They had switched back again when Dean hit something with the shovel.
"Sam, get ready," Dean said as he carefully excavated first a small body and then uncovered older bones, much larger. Obviously this body hadn't been preseved by tree sap as the children were.
The EMF meter shrilled loudly and Sam wordlessly handed Dean the container of salt and then the small bottle of lighter fluid. The mother's bones seemed to glare at them as Dean covered both them and the kid's body with the salt and then squirted the fluid over both. Sam's eyes widened as the orb appeared in the screen and his hands tightened on the shotgun, every sense alert. Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out a lighter-he'd put a lighter or a matchbook into every pocket he had while at the car, not wanting to be caught unprepared this time.
"Time for you to rest permanently," Dean said as he flicked the lighter, a flame appearing.
"Dean!" Sam warned as the orb rushed forward. The shotgun boomed in the quiet forest as Sam pulled the trigger.
He looked into the small camera screen, happy to see that the orb had dispersed. Suddenly the wind picked up and put the lighter's flame out.
"Crap," Dean swore and flicked it again, but the sparks refused to catch. Deciding to switch to matches, Dean was reaching for another pocket when a strong gust of wind picked him up and threw him to the edge of the clearing.
'Man, that wind is cold' he thought, and then realized it had to be the ghost.
Sam had come to the same conclusion. "It's the ghost, she must be stronger here at her bones' resting place." he called to his brother. "Are you okay?"
"Fine," Dean said, getting up and brushing himself off. "Okay, that's it, no more Mr. Nice Guy. That bitch is going down."
Sam merely nodded and grabbed a matchbook from his own pocket, opening it one-handed as he held onto the shotgun with the other. Realizing he needed a moment free he fired a salt-filled round in front of him, hoping it would keep the ghost at bay long enough to light the match. He settled the gun in the crook of his arm and pulled a match out, but before he could light it another strong gust of cold wind hit him and sent him sprawling to the other side of the clearing, away from Dean. The gun clattered to the ground a few feet away and the match and book went flying.
"Sam!" Dean shouted, running to the center of the clearing and pulling out another lighter.
Then both brothers heard a sound in the distance that they had come to dread-the bear's angry roar.
"Hey Sam, want to have a talk with your friend while I send Mama Ghost to the great beyond?" Dean called to his brother.
This time he cupped his other hand around the lighter as he flicked it on, and the flame caught and held. Sam dove for the shotgun, rolling and scooping it up as the wind once again picked up, ruffling Dean's hair. Dean threw the lighter onto the ready bones, and cursed as the flame went out with another gust of wind before the bones caught on fire.
"Damn, she's a stubborn one," the older brother muttered and then groaned as he was once again picked up and thrown to the edge of the clearing. Blinking as he got to his knees, he said, "This is getting old."
"Dean!" Sam shouted, and swung the shotgun around.
He could hear the bear's roaring getting closer and knew they were running out of time. Sam called out to the air as he hurried towards the bones.
"You have to let us do this! You have to let the bear go and you have to move on. Your other children are waiting for you. Please let us help. Let me help you. If we do this, you can rest. You'll be with your whole family again. I promise there won't be anything left for any museum display. You'll be at peace. Please," Sam implored the ghost, reaching the center of the clearing.
"Sam, what are you doing?" Dean said, as he ran towards his brother.
Sam just shook his head and then deliberately put the shotgun down. Dean's eyes widened and he stared at Sam as if he'd taken leave of his senses. Sam just slowly reached into another pocket and pulled out his last matchbook.
"This is the only way," he said quietly to the air. "Thank you for helping to fix my shoulder, and for not killing any of the hikers. But it's time for you to rest now. It's what your family would want. Please let me do this," he finished.
Dean had reached his side, but Sam held up a hand, signaling his brother to stay where he was. Worried, Dean complied, and watched with concern as Sam struck a match. The flame lit immediately, and there was no wind. Slowly Sam reached forward, and dropped the match onto the bones. He lit another one, and dropped that on the smaller body. The brothers watched as the ghost and her child's bones burned. A last gust of wind, much gentler, ruffled their hair. Sam almost felt it was like a last caress, and then the wind died and there was silence again in the clearing, except for the crackling of the fire. Dean heaved a sigh of relief, and grinned at his brother. Sam smiled back, and then they heard the growling. Their eyes met. The bear had arrived.