The Road
By Dolen Feredir
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters associated with 'Supernatural.' This is just for fun.
Part 1 - Searching
Sam manoeuvred the car carefully down the winding road. He wanted to go faster, but couldn't risk it. His brother was out there somewhere and Sam didn't want to pass him or run him over, as the case may be.
Sam let out a frustrated sigh. What the hell had Dean been thinking? Encountering a demon was never fun, but running into one while alone in a forested area was plain rotten luck.
Dean had told his brother he was going out for a drink at the local bar, and Sam hadn't missed the fact that he hadn't been included in the statement. Obviously Dean wanted some time alone, and Sam could understand that. It was never easy to be cooped up with someone for months on end.
Sam had been relieved when Dean left the car behind. At least if the elder Winchester was going to get drunk, he wasn't going to drive anywhere. Sam would take the car out in a few hours to collect his brother from whatever trouble he managed to get himself into in town. It was, after all, too far to walk back while drunk. Dean might have amazing coordination, even under the influence, but that was no reason to be stupid.
Sam had dozed off shortly after Dean left. It hadn't taken long for a nightmare to present itself, though this one was not the usual one Sam endured. He had seen Dean running, being chased by something Sam couldn't identify. He could feel fear coming off of his brother, though Dean wasn't letting it overwhelm him. In his sleep, Sam tensed, knowing that whatever was coming for Dean was far too close . . .
The sudden ringing of his cell phone tore Sam from the nightmare. It took him a few seconds to realize where he was before he reached for the phone.
"Hello?" he said blankly, rubbing his eyes and trying to calm himself.
"Sam!" the voice on the other end was Dean's, and the distress was evident in his tense tone. "There's something out here. I caught a glimpse of it, and whatever it is, it isn't human."
Sam immediately stood up, grabbing for the keys to the Impala and heading toward the door. "Where are you?"
"I'm a few miles down the road."
"Do you have any weapons?" Sam asked as he ran towards the car.
"Sammy, I'm not an idiot," his brother shot back. "Of course I have weapons; I just don't know how much good they'll do on-"
Sam waited for his brother to continue. When nothing more was said, Sam felt his breath quicken. "Dean?"
No reply came from the phone.
"DEAN?"
Sam threw his phone onto the passenger seat and within seconds he was tearing down the road toward his brother.
Sam cursed under his breath. This was not working. It was too dark. He had no way of knowing what had happened to his brother, or where he might have left the road. Unless Dean found a way to draw attention to himself, Sam was not going to be any help.
A burst of static from the radio pulled Sam from his thoughts. He hadn't turned the radio on. Slowing the car, Sam stared at the surrounding trees with increased intensity. There were some creatures and spirits that could influence electronic devices. It was possible that something was nearby with just such an ability.
Sam felt a bit of relief at the realisation that perhaps Dean was fine, and it was merely his phone that had stopped working. That didn't explain why his brother was missing, but Sam was taking every shred of good news he could.
The radio volume increased without warning, sending country western music blasting through the car. With a wince, Sam reached for the knob to turn it down, but the volume remained on high. Sam stopped the car. He had to be even closer now, if whatever it was had that much control.
Taking a deep breath, Sam popped the trunk and climbed out of the car. With a wary eye on his surroundings, Sam grabbed some weapons.
Feeling slightly better, he hazarded a call to his brother.
"Dean?" he shouted. There was no reply.
A rustling in the bushes drew his attention. Sam pointed his gun towards the noise, glancing briefly to either side to ensure it wasn't a trap.
"Dean?" he ventured cautiously.
The bush rustled again before a black furry shape launched itself into the open.
Sam jumped back in surprise. He took aim once more, but at the last second held his fire.
With a disgusted groan, Sam realized the furry form belonged to a raccoon. As though recognising its reprieve, the rodent blinked at Sam before tearing across the road and into the safety of the bushes once more.
Sam once again scanned the surrounding foliage. Where the hell was Dean?