𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆

『2.3』

      Riley walks in front of Sam as they make their way through the woods. It's been unbearably silent, Riley just hasn't noticed the lack of animal noise yet. She wishes she brought her iPod.

      "Riley," She turns around to face Sam and slows so they are walking next to each other. "Thank you for the drawing. It means a lot." Riley hides her smile, She's happy she was able to help him in at least some way. "Have you ever thought about art school after you finish high school?"

      Riley nods. "Dad suggested it too, but I'm not sure that is for me. I'd get too bored, y'know? I'm in it for the action." Riley imitates punches and Sam chuckles. "Well, you're really good. I'm surprised you don't share your art more often." Riley shrugs. "Who knows. Maybe I'll start."

      Sam smiles. "Good. I'd love to see what you've done." Riley smirks a bit as she thinks of her drawings. She does alot of very detailed meme art. Her favorite thing to do is draw very serious pictures with some sort of ridiculous theme. She does do the serious piece every now and again, but she loves drawing her humor.

      "Roy, you said you did a little hunting." Dean says from the front of the line. "Yeah, more than a little." Riley smirks. "Uh-huh. What kind of furry critters do you hunt?" Sam sighs as he listens to Dean. Riley chuckles. "Mostly buck. Sometimes bear." Riley bets he's never hunted anything really dangerous like she has.

      "Tell me, uh, Bambi or Yogi ever hunt you back?" Roy suddenly grabs Dean. "Dad!" Riley shouts in worry. "What are you doing, Roy?" Roy grabs a stick and pokes the ground. A bear trap snaps shut right where Dean would have stepped. "You should watch where you're stepping.... Ranger."

      Dean turns to look at Riley. "It's a bear trap." He says before walking again. It begins misting and Riley sighs. She loves misty weather. Rain, not so much, but mist is just perfect.

      "You didn't pack any previsions. You guys are carrying a duffle bag. You're not rangers. So who the hell are you?" Hailey says as she stops Dean. Sam and Dean nod at each other. Riley stays by her dad as Sam continues walking. Dean sighs sharply. "Sam and I are brothers. Riley is my daughter," Hailey glances at Riley. She can see the resemblance.

      "And we're looking for our father." Riley looks down in guilt. They aren't going to find John out here. "He might be here. We don't know." Riley knows. "I just figured that you and me, we're in the same boat." Hailey searches Dean's eyes. "Why didn't you just tell me that from the start?"

      Dean gives Hailey a look. "I'm telling you now. besides , it's probably the most honest I've ever been with a woman... Ever." Hailey glances at Riley who nods. "He ain't kidding." Dean bumps Riley. "So we good now?" After a moment Hailey nods. "Yeah, okay."

      Dean makes a face. "And what do you mean we didn't pack previsions?" Riley pulls her hot cheetos out while Dean pulls out his peanut M&M's. They both flash Hailey a smile before walking away, monching on their food.

△

      Riley takes up the rear of the walking line. Dean occasionally glances back to make sure she is there. Each time Riley rolls her eyes without fail. She feels weird in these woods. Like it's completely empty. "This is it- Black Water Ridge." Roy says from the front."

      "What coordinates are we at?" Sam asks walking ahead. Roy pulls out a device. "35 and minus 111." Dean and Riley walk up to stand next to Sam. The older Winchesters look around while Riley holds her phone in her pocket. "You hear that?" Dean asks. Riley looks up and around her surroundings. "Yeah." Sam agrees. Not a single noise.

      "Not even crickets." Riley grabs her father's sleeve as she looks around. This place is freaking her out and she's getting big-clawed vibes. "I'm going to go look around." Sam and Dean look at Roy. Dean puts an arm around Riley. "You shouldn't go off by yourself." Roy chuckles. "That's sweet. Don't worry about me." Roy flaunts his rifle and walks away.

       Riley and Dean share a look. What a cocky asshole. "All right, everyone stays together. Let's go." They continue walking and Riley sticks to her father's side. She puts on a tough act, but hunts like these scare her. She's never admitted to it, but Dean is her father. He doesn't need verbality to know what is going on with his daughter.

       Dean gives Riley a look and she shakes her head. "Hailey! Over here!" Hailey takes off in the direction of Roy's voice. They all run after her. Hailey stops in front of a torn apart campsite. Blood coats the tents and ground around them "Oh my god." Hailey whispers as she looks around. "Looks like a grizzly."

      It most definitely is not a bear. The jury is still out on sonic grizzly though.

      "Tommy?" Hailey calls out as she takes off her jacket. "Tommy!" Sam runs over to her and shushes her. "Why?" Sam looks around with cautious eyes. Riley and Dean do the same. "Something might still be out there." Dean walks off with Riley. They share a look at what they find. "Sam." Dean calls.

      Sam runs over and bends down next to Riley and Dean. "The bodies were dragged from the campsite." Riley's eyes trail after the direction of the scuffs in the dirt. "But here, the tracks just vanish. It's weird."

      Dean and Sam stand up, but Riley lingers close to the ground, her attention elsewhere, or more specifically, a rolly-polly crawling through the dirt. "I'll tell you what. It's no skinwalker of black dog." They start walking away, but Dean notices Riley staring at the bug. He rolls his eyes and grabs her hood, dragging her away. "Hey!" She yells in protest.

      Riley harrumphs and crosses her arms at the edge of camp. "Help!" Someone suddenly shouts out. "Please! Someone help me!" Roy takes off and everyone follows. Riley takes the end of the line. As she runs something growls at her. She is swept off her feel and lands on her still healing arm. "Mother fuc-" Riley whips out her gun and looks around. She's alone. "The hell?"

      She pulls herself to her feel and brushes dirt off her clothes. She listens for Dean, but when she can't hear him she heads back to camp. She freezes when she arrives. "Dad! Dad!!" Dean comes bolting back to camp with everyone behind him. They see that their bags are gone. "Our packs!" Hailey exclaims.

       Dean turns to Riley. "Where did you go?" Riley glances at Hailey, Roy and Ben. "Whatever it is does not like me. I knocked me over and took off." Dean grabs Riley's shoulder and looks around. He does not like it when monsters touch his little girl.

      "What the hell is going on?" Sam sighs. "It's smart. It wants to cut us off so we can't call for help." Riley checks her pocket and finds her phone still there. Dean sees it, but they both know it's useless without service. "I mean- Some nut job out there just stole all our gear." Roy says angrily.

       "I need to speak to you... In private." Dean glances at Riley and she nods. She'll stay here while they talk. Sam and Dean walk away. Hailey walks over to Riley as she hides her gun a bit better. "You think you'll find your grandfather out here?" Riley clenches her jaw. "Dunno. He tends to slip right through our fingers alot. I guess it comes from his time in the Marines."

       Riley looks around, her hand still behind her back on her gun. She has the best quick trigger finger out of all the Winchesters. Not quite the best shot though, and it's only because of her bad eye sight.