A Torn Family

Chapter 4

"Help me!" Came a voice from the woods. All of us jumped up at the sound of the call. The voice continued moaning and we all crowded into the center of camp. Sam whipped out his flashlight so we could see more clearly.

"It's trying to draw us out." Dean pointed out to us. "Just stay cool. Stay put." His voice was strong, but I'd known him all my life. I could tell how afraid he was. So I anchored myself to his elbow so it looked like he was supporting me, when really we were protecting each other.

"Inside the magic circle?" Ranger Prick decided it was smart to speak up. Dean placed a hand over my own, warning me not to kill him. I huffed in frustration, and noticed my twin looked just as bothered as I was.

"Help!" The voice came again. It was followed by rustling bushes all around us, and growling unlike anything I'd ever heard before. I clasped Dean's arm tightly, but he released his hand from mine to hold his gun more steadily. Even though it wouldn't kill the wendigo, we could at least hurt it.

"Okay, that's no grizzly." Ranger Prick pointed out. Thank you captain obvious. The growling grew closer, and Hailey screamed. Roy cocked his gun and fired, despite my warning him not to. He shot multiple times until a screech was heard. "I hit it!" Roy yelled before running out into the woods.

"Roy, no!" Dean stepped to follow him, but I held him back. "Roy!" He yelled again.

"Dean, you can't." I told him, trying to stay calm.

"I can't let him die, either." Dean didn't look at me. "No matter how much I hate the man, I can't let him die Lucy."

"Sammy, please. Back me up." I looked to my twin who looked as frantic as I felt.

"Neither of you can stop me." Dean pointed a finger at everyone left in camp. "Don't move." And then Dean ran after Roy into the woods. I hesitated before grabbing Sam's wrist, and dragging him along after Dean. I knew he told us to stay put, but he was crazy if he thought I would let him run headfirst into the fire without us.

I dropped Sam's wrist and he took off after Dean, but I followed Roy's voice. I watched him get dragged up into a tree by what looked like a claw. I hid behind a tree trunk, completely shell shocked. Dean and Sam showed up, using their flashlights to try and locate Roy.

"Wait," Sam turned around. "Where's Lucy?"

"Whaddya mean, where's Lucy?" Dean just about yelled at Sam. "She's supposed to be in camp, and so are you!"

"Here, Sam. Dean." I regained my voice, and stepped out from my hiding spot. "I'm alright. But we need to go back now. Roy's already dead."

Dean wordlessly removed his jacket, which was actually Dad's, and laid it over my shoulders. I hadn't even realized I was shaking. I shot him a scared smile, and the three of us walked back into camp together.

We somehow managed to convince Hailey and her brother, Ben, that it was safe to sleep. That the circle we created really would keep us safe. We all grabbed a piece of ground to sleep on, but I couldn't let myself drift off. I tossed and turned, gasping at every noise around us. I had been hunting monsters since I was a little kid. But the wendigo I had seen take Roy, that was different.
I had never witnessed something so real. I had seen many victims, but I'd never witnessed an actual abduction. And there was nothing I could've done to stop it. All I could do was watch the claw lean down and pick up Ranger Wilkinson.

Then my mind filled with what ifs. What if I hadn't held Dean up for a few extra seconds. Would the wendigo have taken him instead? What if I hadn't left and followed my boys into the woods. Would they have found Tommy already? Would Roy still be alive? I wasn't sure how I felt, or what I should've been feeling. All I knew was that something about what I had just seen, was unlike anything I'd ever witnessed.