Quick note to preface this. I am probably one of the biggest fans of Supernatural and while thinking of new Caryl stories to write this idea came to me. If you watch the show you'll probably recognize which episodes I borrowed from but I assure you this isn't a crossover. There will be no Winchesters or hunters of any kind just Daryl and Carol dealing with the supernatural uglies.

Would love to know what you think!

Madness Takes Control

Chapter 1

They didn't really fall into one of the labels the town was so keen on giving. Daryl wasn't athletic enough in the eyes of the jocks and was too sweet to fit in with the rebels. Carol, although loving to read, wasn't a bookworm and she'd rather stab her eyes out than be as fake as some of those cheerleaders. The only thing the town did label them as was together.

Graduation had just passed and with Carol starting college in the fall and Daryl switching to full time at the garage in just a few short weeks they planned a vacation just the two of them. Daryl could barely keep up with her words as she rambled about all the plans she made. She had her bags packed, and their route mapped out, and extra cash stuck in her sock for emergencies though she doubted there would be any. Her family went out to dinner to celebrate her completing high school with honors while Daryl was under the strict instructions to pick her up promptly at eight so they could start their trip.

The most celebration he had was sharing a beer with his dad and brother. That was fine with him though. He didn't need some big show about finishing high school he was just happy to be done with it and be able to spend his days at the garage instead of failing to pay attention to whatever the teacher was babbling about. Carol was over the moon when she got her acceptance letter from the Dean of Admissions but a part of him wondered if she was staying in state because of him.

Merle had shoved a box of condoms in his bag before he left and though he glared it would be the first time him and Carol would be alone for an extended period of time. This wasn't going to be a couple of hours after school before her parents got home or even just a weekend. This was supposed to be a three week adventure across the country. No parents, no curfews, no rules just total freedom. When Carol had first mentioned it he hadn't really put too much thought into it. He figured the first hint of this actually happening and her parents would refuse but when they handed Carol a new camera instead Daryl was stunned into silence.

Stopping by the local gas station, he made sure to fill the tank, grab a pack of cigarettes, and some drinks before he went and picked Carol up. It was only seven thirty but there was no way in hell he was going to be late. He had quickly glanced at the map she had showed him the other day of where she wanted to go but wasn't sure where their first stop of the night would be. As long as they got out of Georgia that would be fine with him.

Daryl waited in the parking lot of the restaurant not wanting to impose on their family dinner. He couldn't be too selfish, he was going to have her all to himself for three weeks, though he was anxious to leave. There was still that little nugget of doubt stuck in the back of his mind that until they were actually in the truck and heading out of town that something was going to come up and they wouldn't go. The bell above the restaurant door chimed and he turned to see Carol exiting with her parents. Her hair was pinned back with a simple silver clip, her dress flowing with every step she took as she held onto her dad's arm as they walked to the car.

She grabbed her pillow out of the backseat while her father got her suitcase out of the trunk, mumbling about that it was three weeks and not three years. Daryl met him halfway, taking the suitcase from him and setting it in the bed of his truck with his own. Carol hugged her mother goodbye as her father shook Daryl's hand, pulling him in close so their words wouldn't be overheard. "She's in your hands now, Daryl. I expect her to come back in one piece without even a single hair out of place. You hear?"

"Yes, sir," Daryl nodded, offering his arm out to Carol to help her walk across the uneven parking lot in her high heels.

It wasn't until they pulled out of the town that excitement started to pump through his veins. Carol rested her bare feet on the dashboard, the wind from the open window blowing her hair around the cab now that she had taken the clip out of it. There was an easy smile on her face as she hummed along with the music but Daryl couldn't keep his eyes off her legs. He knew he should be watching the road but her dress had ridden up and with the light from the moon he almost wanted to reach out and run his hand over them. Reluctantly dragging his gaze back to the road, he lit a cigarette and chuckled to himself. She was going to kill him before their trip even started.

X-X-X

Two days later Daryl was sure that was exactly her plan. They had stopped at a motel to spend the night and catch a few hours of shuteye. Carol had gone into the bathroom to take a shower as he lounged on the bed, resting his eyes yet still awake. He had heard the bathroom door open and he lazily glanced in her direction only to stare as she came out wearing what couldn't even be considered shorts and a matching tank top. She sat next to him on the bed as she started putting lotion on her legs and casually telling him about where she wanted to go the next day. Truth be told, he wouldn't have been able to recall one word that came out of her mouth. He nodded at what he hoped was the appropriate times and before he knew it, it was morning though he didn't sleep all that well with his mind racing. They grabbed breakfast to go and hit the interstate.

The drive alone was worth it for Daryl. He didn't care if they stopped anywhere special. He had Carol sitting next to him, the open road, and the music blaring. He wasn't sure there was anything better. Carol was laid out in the cab, her back resting against the door and her feet in Daryl's lap as she studied the map to make sure they didn't miss their next exit. He didn't think she was doing it on purpose but as she moved her feet along with the music she was teasing him through his jeans. If they weren't going seventy miles an hour down the interstate he might have enjoyed it more but as traffic built up he needed to pay attention and tickled the bottom of her foot to get her to stop.

The screech she let out was deafening and he caught her legs just in time before she had kicked him in the family jewels. Carol's reflexes weren't as quick however and the map flew out the open window. He thought for a second she was going to be upset but laughter erupted from her small frame as she sat up and hit him in the chest.

"Remember what exit it was?" Daryl asked, trying to keep the smirk off his face but it was no use.

Carol's eyes were still dancing with amusement as she curled up next to him, her head resting on his shoulder. "Not a clue. Drive until the road ends and then turn right."

X-X-X

That sounded like a great plan until they ended up in some crap town in Indiana. Daryl had only intended to fill up and move on but the townspeople almost made it seem like they didn't want them to leave. All were too friendly, too willing to lend a helping hand, and no one was that generous. While no one had actually been anything but kind, Daryl was anxious to get back in the truck and leave as soon as possible. It was a little too Pleasantville for his liking and he didn't care if he had to drive through the night, the more miles between them and this place the better. The man at the gas station had insisted on checking the truck, claiming he saw some fluid dripping, but Daryl refused. Any normal person would have accepted it and moved on but this man was relentless to the point it started worried Carol.

"I'd hate to be driving and have something happen especially since we don't really have a clue as to where we are."

A scowl spread across Daryl's face as the man eyed his truck. "I'll take a look at it before we go." The statement was as clear as he could make it. He and he alone, would be the only one to touch his truck.

The man gave a curt nod, clearly annoyed with Daryl's resistance. "You kids might want to grab a bite to eat at Scotty's before you head out. Nothing around for miles and he has the best pie in the county. Tell him I sent you over and he'll make sure you get a nice big piece."

"Thank you, mister…" Carol trailed off hoping to pick up his name.

"You can call me Harley."

The smile on Harley's face was anything but friendly and Carol instinctively took a step closer to Daryl. He led her down the sidewalk with his hand on her lower back as they headed in the direction of Scotty's Café. Besides Harley being a little pushy Carol thought it was a quaint town. It was something plucked right from a book and put in the middle of nowhere. Every town they had gone through before they reached this one had been run down as if no one had lived there in decades. This place though? This was flourishing. Beautiful woven baskets hung from each street lamp over flowing with flowers, the grass pristinely cut as if it were a luscious green carpet, and not a single crack in the sidewalk.

Stepping into Scotty's Café they took a table close to the door, Daryl wanting an easy out just in case. Scotty was just as friendly as everyone else seemed to be but didn't make the hairs on the back of Carol's neck stand up. The food wasn't anything to complain about but Harley was right about one thing; it really was the best apple pie she'd ever tasted. In fact, Scotty tried to give them seconds on the house but Carol wasn't sure she could fit even one more crumb in her she was so full. Daryl pulled out his wallet to pay but Scotty refused saying it was on the house.

Daryl still left a few bills on the table and though Carol wanted to look around in the little shops for a bit it was the first time Daryl hadn't gone along with what she wanted to do. Burkitsville, Indiana was one place Daryl would be happy to never pass through again. Carol had gotten directions from Harley on how to get back to the highway and they were off. The houses quickly thinned out and Daryl squinted in the dark to try and read the paper. As long as they found the highway and he had Carol curled up next to him, nothing could go wrong now. That was until the truck sputtered a few times before coming to a halt dead in the middle of the road. The abrupt movement woke Carol and she blinked trying to figure out why they had stopped. It was pitch black and except for a few stars in the sky she could only see what the headlights illuminated.

"What's going on? Did we hit something?" She rubbed at her eyes, making her appear years younger than she was as she tried to wake herself up.

The growl rumbled through Daryl's chest as his hand came down on the steering wheel, obscenities spilling from his mouth that Carol had never heard before. He slammed the door behind him as he got out and popped the hood to see if he could fix it. With the flashlight between his teeth he checked for anything that stuck out as being tampered with and he had half a mind to walk back into town and beat the man at the gas station.

"Not something you can fix, is it?" Carol stepped around the front of the truck. Daryl didn't have to answer as the look on his face screamed it all. She checked her cell phone but of course there wasn't any service in the middle of nowhere. "Guess we're stuck here until someone drives pass."

Daryl snorted, "Haven't seen another car on the road since we left that fucking town."

He slammed the hood of the truck and Carol took the flashlight from him as they tried to figure out what their best option would be. Lord only knew how far they were to the next town and it was way too far to walk back to Burkitsville, no matter how much Daryl wanted to just so he could confront that asshole. The light reflected off a ladder in an orchard they had stalled out by. If she squinted she was just about sure there was a cottage on the other side. It wasn't the best of options but it was the only one they had at the moment.

Leaves crunched under their feet and Daryl had a tight grip on her hand as they weaved through the apple orchard. His senses were on high alert, he could feel it in his bones that something wasn't right, but he wasn't sure what it was exactly. His fingers ghosted over his knife, ready to attack at a moment's notice if need be. He was ready to have Carol hop on his back so they could move through more quietly than they had been but then he felt her stop next to him.

"Think that's what he actually looked like?" Carol whispered, her head tilted to the side as she stared at the scarecrow secured up on a wooden cross. He was wearing what looked like to be a fisherman's jacket and leather hat, with harsh stitches across his face, a tattoo on his arm, and a scythe dangling from one of his hands.

It made sense that it was so creepy, she assumed that something cheerful wouldn't have kept the birds away from the apples but with only the light of the stars she felt like she was in a horror movie that had just started. Daryl hadn't a clue what she was talking about and she rolled her eyes, "Apparently, in 1862 a preacher named Jacob Karnes was arrested for murder. He was so angry over the red light district in town that one night he killed thirteen prostitutes. Some of the deceased were found in their beds, sheets soaked with blood, others suspended upside down from the limbs of trees as a warning against sins of the flesh. The preacher lost his hand in an accident and had it replaced with a silver hook that was used as the murder weapon."

Daryl decided at that moment that Carol definitely read too much and offered her only a tight smile. "C'mon it's already late. We should get to the cottage."

Carol pulled her phone out of her pocket and even though she had no service she snapped a picture, excited to do more research about Jacob Karnes when they got back home. They started walking again and the excitement was almost too much for her. "I doubt it's the Hook Man but how awesome would that be? I mean he's a legend."

"Keep your voice down," Daryl hushed her and curiosity as to why she would have to be spread across her face. His gaze never left their surroundings, letting out a breath. "Don't want to draw attention to ourselves before we know what we are walking in to."

He went to take another step but felt the tug of her hand in his own. It was as if she was frozen in her spot. Her hand tightened around his, her fingernails biting into his skin. "Daryl, where's the scarecrow?"

"What the hell you talking about?"

With a trembling hand she pointed to the now bare cross, the ropes blowing in the wind that once secured the scarecrow to the wood. "It's gone."