The Boys are Missing

Chapter 7: Witch Hunt

"No! No! No!" Jessica cries out and pounds her fists on the back of Baby's front bench seat.

Ruby reaches over and snakes an arm around the other woman pulling her into a side hug. "Sorry, Jessica. I know you wanted it to be different this time."

Dean brings Baby to a stop in front of an abandoned amusement park. The rusting hulks of equipment mixed with low hanging fog and the late afternoon grey sky paint an earie picture straight out of a graphic horror novel.

Jessica doubles up her fists in frustration. "I JUST want a little sunshine, you know? Something happy. Just a wee bit of happy. That's all. I can't take all this awful scenery any longer!"

Bela gives her a sorry look and reaches back to help console her.

"Welcome back to life," Dean says and shakes his head a little. "Better get used to it."

Bela gives him a look. He does a double take and silently mouths, "What?"

She sighs and looks at all the burger wrappers on the bench seat between them. "Feeling better now?"

Dean's playboy smile returns. "Hundred percent!"

Jessica opens the rear side door. "Come on. I want to find Sam right now."

The gate to the park is not locked. Ruby pushes it open and strides into the gloom.

Dean motions for Bela and Jessica to stop. "Hold on you two," he says with a serious look. "There's something I have to establish before I take one more step."

"What's that?" Jessica asks as Dean produces a flask from his jacket. He unscrews the lid and splashes the women in the face.

"Agh! What did you do that for?" Jessica shouts.

"He was testing to see if we were demons," Bela replies, clearly unimpressed. "Holy water, I take it?"

Dean suddenly feels foolish and puts the flask away with a sheepish smile. "I had to make sure, right?"

Two fuming women brush past him and jog to catch up to Ruby.

Dean shrugs and follows behind.

Ruby stands with her hands on her hips – purposely keeping her back to Dean. "Girls, let's split into two teams to cover more ground."

Bela links arms with the smallest brunette. "OK, I'll go with you, Ruby," she says with a smile.

Jessica scowls a little and shoots Dean a look. "Fiiiiiiiiiine. I'll go with... him."

Dean looks confused. "When did I become the bad guy?"

"Maybe the moment you started bad mouthing our friend?" Jessica replies and motions to Ruby.

Dean starts to defend his opinion, but Ruby cuts him off. "It's fine. Whatever. He has good reason to hate me. Let's just go, OK? Sam is still out there, remember?" She disappears into the fog with Bela in tow.

Dean meets Jessica's look and shrugs again. "What?"

She rolls her eyes, takes him by the arm and starts dragging him in the opposite direction.

Ruby and Bela spend the next half hour searching in, around, on top of and under every piece of amusement park equipment they come across, but to no avail.

"This feels pointless. We don't even know what we're supposed to be looking for," Bela says in a huff.

"Something... unexpected. Something that doesn't fit," Ruby muses. "Keep looking."