Chapter Two~ The Case

"Dean." Sam's call was met with a sleepy groan, but no movement came from the other man. "Dean?" Again, nothing. Sam, who had been sitting at the table at the end of Dean's bed with his feet up in the other chair while he did some research, picked up one of his feet and kicked out at his brother's leg.

That did the trick.

"Dude, can't a guy get some sleep in peace around here."

"Not when there's a case."

Dean groaned, flopping down into the pillow. From there came a muffled, "But it's Saturday."

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother. "Aren't you the one that always says hunters don't get days off."

Rolling back over to look at him, Dean huffed. "Shut up." Then he got up and stumbled to the bathroom, shutting the door. The younger brother made a face, slightly irritated, but waited for him to come back out. The sound of the toilet flushing, then water turning on for a moment came, then Dean opened the door and asked, "So, case? What's going on?" He pushed Sam's feet out of the chair and sat down.

Sam put the paper he'd been reading down in front of his brother. Pointing to the front page. "Small town in Mississippi, there's been some unexplained deaths in the area. Four men found dead at the edge of the forest with claw marks across their chests, throats, and faces. One survivor. Local police think it was some kind of hunting accident."

"Why do they think that?"

"Because supposedly, the men went out hunting something, and when they were found, their guns were all smashed to pieces, left by the bodies."

"So...how'd they get back to the edge of the forest? Did they bleed out walking all the way back?"

"Paper doesn't say, only that there wasn't much blood at the scene, so probably not."

"Ok, then what are we thinking? Werewolf?"

"Nah, werewolves go for the heart. There was no mutilation besides the claw marks. Anyway, from what they could get out of the survivor, it wasn't an animal. Other than the fact that he said it had glowing green eyes and a tail. But, it seems like we're dealing with something at least a little human-like."

"Okie dokie, let's get our asses in gear, then. Before anymore poor bastards get sliced up, sashimi style."

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Iuka, Mississippi was a very small town in the northeastern most edge of the state, right by the state line of Alabama. As in so small that literally everyone knew everyone. And everyone was related to someone in town, whether by distant blood or marriage. The boys talked to many people, but it was the mayor that started them in the right direction.

"Now, I'm not too sure how I can help you agents. We've haven't had something like this happen since 2008. And that was only a single murder."

"Well, Mayor Castleberry, if you had any idea why these specific men would have been attacked-" Sam started.

"Let me tell you something," he interrupted. "The only reason I think this may have been a person is due to the locations of the bodies at the time of discovery. No animal is going to kill somethin' and then drag it to the nearest Ranger station in the state park and dump it to be found by humans. No, sirs. If this were an animal, we wouldn't have even known these men were missin' for a good long while, and more than likely wouldn't have found their bodies. Now, our coroner seems to think that the only thing that could have made these kinds of marks," he pointed to the file with the crime scene photos, "would be some kind of big cat. The only problem there is that there are no big cats in Mississippi. At least not one that's been sighted in the last 100 years. Now, it's very possible that we have a hermit living illegally in the Tishomingo State Park, someone that feels threatened. The only person that even remotely comes to mind would be Sarah Pickens's granddaughter."

The boys looked at each other. Then Sam turned back to the mayor and asked, "Sir...why would you think that it would be a woman? This woman specifically?"

"Why? Well, I'll tell you why. That young lady went missin' about three months ago after her trial of assault charges on seven young men. As it happens, five of those young men have been found on the borders of the State Park." He waited a moment, allowing the information to sink in, then sat back and crossed his hands over his stomach. "We've got teams out there right now, scouring the Park for Miss Pickens. My only hope is that we can find her and subdue her before she hurts anyone else."

"Well, Mayor Castleberry, you've been very helpful." Dean said with a smile, covering up the fact that he was a little freaked out at the idea that a woman could do this. "Now, if you don't mind, could you tell us where we might find Mrs. Pickens? We'd very much like to speak to her in regards to her granddaughter."

"Don't see why you'd wanna bother that old bat. She ain't no count for nothin'. All she does is hole up in her little house and cast spells on us good, hard workin', God-fearin' folk."

Sam looked at him, a little taken aback. "You think Sarah Pickens is a witch?"

The mayor put his hands up. "Now, I don't normally take to all that mystic talk. But, yes, I do. Her and her whole family. What's left of them anyway. The last of her family, besides her granddaughter, died off in a car crash about ten years ago. That was her daughter and son-in-law. And I'll be damned if I let some devil-worshiper take down my town."

The boys gave their thanks to the mayor and left the courthouse. Once they were back to the Impala, Dean rolled his eyes. "Can you believe that guy. Blaming the towns misfortune on some little old lady that probably never hurt a fly."

"I don't know, Dean. Witches come in all shapes and sizes."

"Yeah, but come on. A real witch in the biggest Bible Belt town in freaking America? Do you realize how rare that would be? If anything, it's just a family of people that gave too many people advice about what herbs to use to help a sore throat."

"Maybe you're right. I still think we should go talk to her. Find out what we can about her granddaughter."

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It didn't take them long to find the old woman's house. While it was in one of the most historic parts of town, her house was extremely small by comparison. But it was also the only one with an herb garden growing right in the front yard. Most of the houses had shrubs and flowers growing, but not this house. As Sam and Dean made their way up the small path from the gate, Sam spotted a few different plants. Basil, rosemary, chamomile, dandelions, elder flower, and lavender, just to name the few he could tell. He had stopped to examine the plants, some of which he could not name just by looking at. A crease had formed on his brow as he looked on. Until Dean cleared his throat and brought him out of his stupor, and he took the last few steps to the door. Once he was next to his brother, Dean rang the doorbell.

The woman who answered the door was not at all what they expected. They had expected some old crone with a bent back and cataract filled eyes. What they found instead was a very well put together typical southern woman. Her greying blonde hair was cut to her chin, bright blue eyes and fake pearl earrings and large rings on her fingers.

"Can I help you, gentlemen?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Sam started. "Are you Sarah Pickens?"

"That would be me. What can I do for you?"

"Well, Mrs. Pickens, my name is Agent Duke, this is Agent Ziggy."

"Ziggy?" one of Sarah's thin eyebrows made its way to her hairline.

Sam gave his brother an incredulous look, then turned back to the woman. "Yes, it's a very long story. Short version is, my father changed his name before I was born. Anyway, the reason we're here is because of some deaths in the area."

Standing back for them to enter the house, the woman nodded. "I've heard all about those boys. Horrible thing, but it's no less than they deserved." She gestured for them to sit on the sofa across from an armchair in the living room. "Would you gentlemen like some tea?"

Dean shook his head, but Sam, knowing that it would look bad, said, "Yes, please, that would be wonderful."

"Lovely, I just put a pot on. It should be-" a high pitch whistling stopped her mid-sentence. "Ah, right on time." She quickly made her way into the kitchen, and there was clinking and clanking sounds coming from the room. It didn't take her long to get back with a tray full of cups and containers of sugar and milk. She placed it gently down on the coffee table, and sat across from the boys.

"Mrs. Pickens, you said, 'it was no less than they deserve.' What did you mean by that?"

"Well, I only meant that they deserve what was coming to them after what they did to my granddaughter."

"What they did?" Dean's eyebrows furrowed. "We were told-"

"Oh, I'm sure I can imagine what you were told. That my poor girl attacked those boys? No, it was quite the opposite. They attacked her. Eliza would never do anything to anyone. Mind you, unless she was threatened."

Dean leaned forward to pick up one of the cups of tea, loading it down with sugar and a splash of milk. "And if she was threatened? What then?"

"Well, honestly, Agent, I'm not quite sure. My Eliza has always been a quiet girl, never getting into trouble, never even really noticed much by her peers at school. If she were threatened...I don't even know if she would fight back. But if she did," the older woman laughed, "Those boys wouldn't have stood a chance. Never mind that there were seven of them."

Sam narrowed his eyes a little. "What makes you say that?"

"Oh, that's only to say, well...isn't always the quiet ones you have to watch out for? That they are the most dangerous? And anyway, she's got the Fae on her side. Those boys didn't stand a chance."

"What do you mean she's got the Fae?" the boys asked in unison.

A little taken aback at the synchrony of the pseudo agents, she answered, "She was blessed. And the Fae like to make sure those that are blessed by them at least stay alive."

The brothers looked at each other in slight disbelief, then Sam leaned forward to whisper as if there were someone else in the room. "Mrs. Pickens, we think that Eliza is in danger. These men, the ones that have come up dead or injured, they aren't the only ones in that forest looking for her. Sooner or later, someone else is going to find her and they will take her to prison. And if what you say is true. We know she's in the Tishomingo State Park. What we don't know is where. We need your help. Is there anywhere that you think she would go, somewhere specific?"

Sarah thought for a moment, finger on her chin and eyes pointed to the left. "The only thing I can think of is the Heart Tree."

"The Heart Tree?" Dean scoffed. "What's that? Some fairy house?" Sam elbowed his brother in the ribs.

"Actually, yes, it is. You see, there aren't so many places for the Fae to hide anymore. Not since mankind has forgotten about them and cast them aside. Now, the ones in this area stay mostly at the Heart Tree. It's the biggest tree in the forest, plenty of space for who knows how many Fae to reside. If she's anywhere, she'll be there."

There was nothing on the map that even resembled one big tree, but she had said that it was on top of Woodall mountain. Not that it was really that much of a mountain, she had told them, but it was the closest thing they had to one in Mississippi. So, they had her mark on a map of the park where the tree should be. She said that she didn't remember exactly, because she hadn't been there in a very long time. Everything the woman said made sense, and yet...Sam couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Their next stop was the library, where the boys set to work looking for articles about the court case, as well as any possible pictures or information they could find on Eliza Pickens.

"I'm telling you, Dean, this whole thing stinks. I mean, look at what we have so far. A whole town that's afraid of one little old lady and her recluse of a granddaughter who no one can really tell us anything about, supposed witches, and freaking fairies, Dean!" His voice had risen ever so slightly, to which his brother shushed him.

"Dude, chill. Look, I know, it's a little off. The old lady, she's apple pie as can be, southern as all hell, and is talking about fairies? Nobody in the south messes with fairies." The older brother continued to page through an old yearbook until he found what he was looking for. "Here she is." He turned the book around for his brother to see. The face that stared back at them was shy, barely even looking at the camera. Her brown hair was tied back in a braid at the base of her neck, drooping over her shoulder in the picture. Her hazel eyes partially hidden by glasses. She wasn't bad looking. She wasn't average, like the boys had expected. In fact, she was fairly pretty, someone that should have gotten a lot of attention from boys in school.

Sam took hold of the book and started flipping through it. "This was her senior year, she should have been in a lot of pictures of the class, activities and stuff." He found the page and showed Dean. When Dean looked at him and shrugged, Sam sighed and pointed to the lone figure in the background of the picture. There she was. And they could see why some people saw her as a quiet, mousy girl.

"Dude, how old is this chick?"

"Like 24, 25 I think. This was taken when she was 17."

"She's tiny. No wonder no one really believes she could have hurt those guys."

The girl in the picture was no more than 5'4" at the most, wearing a large, baggy sweater that came past her hips, and jeans that had seen better days. Her hair was framed around her face as she stared into the camera, startled by its presence. Her clothes and hair seemed to swallow her figure, making her seem even smaller than she probably was. They sat pouring over any and all information they could find on her and the case, until they were interrupted.

"Hey, what are y'all doin' back here? Y'all ain't supposed to be in here." It was a young man in khaki pants, dress shoes, and a plaid button-up shirt. He had a lump in under his lip that confused the boys for a moment. That is until he pulled a coke bottle from his back pocket and spit some black substance into it. That was when they realized he had tobacco dip in his mouth. Gross. "We've been closed for the last twenty minutes. Didn't realize anyone was back here. Y'all best get on home."

Sam stood up, "Uh, actually, sir, we've just been looking into the town records of the trial that happened a few months ago. Eliza Pickens. Does that name ring a bell?"

"Lizzy? Yeah, I knew her. She worked here up until they tried to arrest her on assault charges against those assholes."

"Assholes?" Dean moved in next to his brother.

"Yeah. Them boys ain't no count. Nothin' but hoolagins and whatnot. Lord knows Lizzy got propositioned once or twice by those guys. She always curved 'em, y'know? Knew they weren't good, everyone did." The man sighed, "But, their daddies all got money, so they were able to pay the judge off and turn it around on her. See, when them boys attacked her, she fought back. I don't know how she managed it, but, despite the few licks they managed to get in, Lizzy knocked them on their asses. A couple had cracked ribs, broken orbital bone, minor stuff, ya get me?"

Dean pointed to the girl in the yearbook, "She managed to fight off seven fully grown men, all hell bent on hurting her?"

"Like I said, sir, it don't really make any sense, but she did. Maybe all that hoodoo her granny been teachin' her finally paid off."

"So, you agree with the rest of the town that Sarah Pickens is a witch?" Sam asked suddenly.

"Well, yeah. Why wouldn't we? Crazy bat's been going around town for years now healin' and hexin' folk. She'd been paid to. That's why everyone knows it, because they used her to get what they wanted. And most of them did. A few thought they did at first, but things went sour, which is why they turned against her."

Dean raised his eyebrows. "We went to the lady's house. There were no signs of any kind of witchcraft or anything like it. Most people who are supposed to be witches at least have something on the bookshelf or walls or something."

"Dunno. All I know is my mamaw asked her to get her a man back in the day, less than a year later, her and my papaw got married. So, if you gentlemen need anything else, you can take what you need, but you do need to get out of here. We're closed."

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A/N: Yay another chapter out so quickly. I'm following the basic storyline I had planned out at first, just writing it better.

Read and Review, my lovelies.

AcaciaDawn