And I Rise [1] (Supernatural)

Hᴀʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴅ Gʀᴏᴜɴᴅ || Sᴇᴠᴇɴᴛᴇᴇɴ

I sat crossed-legged on the Impala's hood and watched Sam direct Dean in the backhoe loader pull Davey Jones' Big Black Truck from the murky swamp.

"All right, let's get her up." Sam urged Dean on further. "Little more, little more."

The truck groaned as it was pulled from the waters, rusted and decrepit.

"Little more," Sam directed. The truck was completely out by the time he said, "All right, stop."

The loader's roar died to an idle rumble as Dean jumped off to look at his handy work. He grinned. "Hell yeah."

I smirked at him patronizingly. "I can totally see what she sees in you."

"What?" he scoffed as he and Sam rounded to the trunk.

"Come on, you can admit it," his brother added. "You're still in love with her."

I sang a mocking ha! and vaulted off the hood to meet them as Dean groaned. "Can we focus, please?"

Sam splayed his arms condescendingly. "I'm just saying, Dean."

"Hold that," Dean ordered, changing the subject back.

"All right," Sam stayed on track, "what am I getting?"

"Gas, flashlight."

"Got it, got it."

"All right, let's get this done."

Sam tossed me the flashlight and I flicked it on. This was one gruesome task, that was for sure. But, really, it was no different to burning Jacob Karns' bones back in Iowa, or Doctor Feelgood in Illinois.

I followed the boys to the dripping, stinking truck, holding the flashlight aloft and lighting the way to a pretty awful body sequestered inside. I stood back. I wasn't game enough to get too close more or less open the door. Dean took care of that. The door swung open, and a gangly, badly decomposed body with its clothes still intact and faced us, water gushing out onto everyone's boots. And the stench packed an even bigger punch than the sight itself, and I recoiled in disgust.

Nope. No, I was wrong. This was going to be nothing like Karns or Ellicott. It was going to be worse. Smelly, and worse.

"All right, let's get to it," Dean grumbled.

I stepped back, taking the gas can from Sam to allow the two to carry the body to a wooden stack. I watched as they doused Cyrus in gas and salt, soaking him to the bone. Literally. The fire hissed as the body lit alight, stark against the dark, snowy wilderness entrapping us.

"So, that's it?" I pondered. "That'll do it?"

A roar screamed in the distance. Bright lights, brighter than the fire, spotlighted us. I turned to see a big black truck revving its engines, snarling at us, steam hissing from the two pipes pointed up and back on either side by the mirrors.