How to Save a Soul - ABANDONED

"So, someone saw people following these lights and didn't do anything about it?" Dean arched a brow at them, hands on his hips. He still didn't like the idea of these girls going with them, but Kerica could just follow anyway whether they said yes or no.

"That's something we can ask when we get there. The girl who reported it is still around," Kerica grinned, handing the file to Sam.

"What are your theories about this whole, will-o-whisp thing? As you've been a hunter since you were sixteen, as you said before," Dean asked.

Kerica didn't like how snide and unbelieving he sounded, but she put her own hand on her hip and said confidently, "I'm pretty sure it's a vengeful spirit, turning into this light because they died in the swamp."

"Okay, then how do we kill it?" Dean moved his hands to fold over his chest.

Kerica copied him again just to irritate him, "We can use iron to fend it off, but if the body wasn't cremated, we salt and burn the bones."

Dean grunted, "Fine, then what are we waiting for? It won't take too long to get there."

Amalia could immediately sense that Dean wasn't in the most pleasant of moods. She knew the reason why, but there was no way in hell she was changing her mind. As he and Kerica conversed, Sam looked over the files, nodding to himself before feeling a small nudge on his leg. Blinking in surprise, he looked down to find Amalia's dog, Rogue, staring up at him with his ears tucked back sadly and a small whine leaving him. The red head bit her lip and knelt down to face her companion, stroking his head before he licked her cheek affectionately.

"I'm sorry, boy... I wish I could take you with me, but I can't. You need to stay and keep Mama safe for me." She said tenderly. Sam's gaze turned soft at the scene, letting out a small sigh.

"How long have you had him?" He asked, earning a smile from Amalia.

"Five years. Rogue's a rescue dog, I guess you could say. We found him abandoned, and he's been with us ever since." She explained, kissing his nose before he did the same in return. "You be good, okay?" She whispered, causing her companion to lift up his right paw and rest it on her shoulder.

"He's a cutie," Kerica smiled at the dog, reaching down to scratch his ears, "We could take him, if you want. He can take turns riding in our cars."

"Right, and how are we gunna keep him fed?" He looked at Sam, "We can barely feed ourselves most days."

"I can take care of that," Kerica grinned, "My dad's a doctor, of all the 'fake' IDs and stuff I use in cases, my credit card is usually valid," she shrugged, "Animals are sensitive to the spirit realm and sensing evil, anyway. He'd be useful."

Amalia's eyes lit up at the mention of bringing Rogue with them, turning to Kerica. "You really think it'd be okay to bring him along?" She asked.

"I don't see why not." Sam chimed in, grinning as he scratched the dog's chin, causing Rogue to lick his hand. "We had a friend named Bobby, who had a black lab for that same reason. I think it'd be a nice change of pace to bring him along."

The red head beamed a bright smile and was about to grab Rogue's leash and chain, but Serena walked over and handed the items to her daughter. "Here." she smiled.

Accepting the leash and chain, Amalia stood on her feet and smiled up at her mother. "Thanks, Mama." She said, earning a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Be safe.." Serena whispered, causing Amalia to nod once and attached the chain to Rogue's collar. With a sad smile, she gave her mother a quick hug before walking out with the others, looking back at the shop before whispering a goodbye to her home.

()

Hanson, Massachusetts

Dean was still too grumpy to switch out driving partners, so he and Sam stayed in is Impala and Kerica drove with Amalia in her Mustang. Following his lead, they ended up in Massachusetts in no time, but it was extremely dark and extremely late by now. There was no sign they were going to reach Hanson in time to find a motel, and on top of it a mist started to role in, making it even /more/ difficult to see where they were going.

Dean grumbled to himself as Sam was going over the map for the hundredth time, "Alright, alright, call the girls, we'll park off the side of the road and continue in the morning when this damn fog goes away. Tell them /not/ to leave their car!" he added.

The fog was making Amalia nervous, for visibility was terrible, especially when it's pitch black. She heard her phone ring and immediately answered, putting the call on speaker so Kerica could hear. "Sam?"

"Hey! We may not be able to get to the motel; it's too risky to keep going with the fog being this bad. We're going to park on the side of the road and wait until morning to get back on track." Sam said on the other end, causing the redhead to gaze at the fellow female beside her.

"Understood." She complied.

"Also, whatever you do, do /not/ leave the car." He added.

"Got it." She replied before ending the call. Once they parked behind Dean's impala, Rogue started to whine from the back seat. Turning around after unbuckling her seat belt, Amalia stroked her companion's head in hopes of comforting him. "It's ok, Rogue." She soothed.

Kerica immediately disobeyed, but it was mainly so she could get to the back of the car where all her sleeping gear was, "Sorry Amalia, my car, I sleep in the back. You can flop the chair back though to stretch out. We can fold up some clothes for you to use as a pillow if you want, and here's a blanket. Here pup," she made sure Amalia had Rogue's leash before she moved the dog to the driver's seat. She closed both doors and started snuggling down, but she grabbed her own phone, sending Sam a text, 'See you in the morning, Sam. Try and sleep good. No nightmares!' she smiled and hit send.

Dean heard Sam's phone go off just as they were settling down for the night and he smirked, "Aww, getting a goodnight from your sweetheart? Nine years younger and you'd be dating jailbait. Hell, she /looks/ like jailbait."

Sam smiled to himself as he read Kerica's text, replying to it with one of his own. 'Thanks, Kerica. Sweet dreams, and I'll see you tomorrow.' With that, he sent the message before hearing his brother's comment. "Dude, shut up." He retorted before curling up in his seat, blanket covering his body. "Though, I could say the same about you and Amalia." He smirked, turning his head to look at Dean. "She likes you already, I can tell."

The redhead nodded in understanding at Kerica's words, helping Rogue hop onto the driver's seat before curling herself up with a blanket once she adjusted the seat to makerself comfortable. "Thank you, Kerica... Sweet dreams." She smiled before scratching Rogue behind the ears. "Good night, Rogue." She whispered, pulling her hand away before closing her eyes.

"Pffft, I realized that for~ever ago. I indulged her because I thought she'd be like any other chick, someone to leave behind along with the rest," Dean shrugged, shifting in his seat to get more comfortable as Sam would sleep first for a few hours and then they'd switch. Of course he had to watch out for three people now, not just his baby brother. "I bet I'll probably end up asking her to be my girlfriend long before you ever broach the subject with Kerica."

Dean scanned the fog and sighed, "Anyway, age is just a number. I don't have a problem with it. If she likes me and doesn't care either, then hey, points for us."

Sam chuckled to himself as he listened to his brother talk, his eyes closing slowly. Maybe tonight, he would actually get some sleep. The younger sibling felt at ease whenever he was around Kerica, and after reading her text, it helped him relax a bit. Rolling his eyes playfully at Dean's statement, he curled himself up in his seat once again, staring out the window. "Age is just a number, huh..." He whispered to himself, before letting himself slip off into slumber.

()

A few hours into the night, and Amalia was awoken by the sound of low growling coming from Rogue, who stared out her window with ears perked up and eyes ever focused on the outside world. "What is it, boy?" She whispered, still groggy from sleep and rubbed her tired eyes before looking out the window as well. Her hazel gaze slowly widened at the sight of pale blue orbs floating near her window, fading out of sight before slowly reappearing. "What the hell...?" She muttered under her breath, swallowing hard.

She turned to face a sleeping Kerica, biting her lip before looking back at the small orb of light. She had a sneaking suspicion that it would lead her to the spirit, but she couldn't just leave without saying anything. So, she pulled out her cellphone and sent a text to Dean.

'I'm so sorry for waking you, but a Will-o-Wisp just appeared. I know you said to not leave the car, but I'm going to follow it. It may lead me to the spirit. If I don't come back within 15 minutes, bring Rogue with you. He knows my scent, so he should be able to find me if anything happens. Wish me luck.' And with that, she hit send, and carefully opened the car door without waking up Kerica. She turned around to face Rogue, and whispered the command to stay, and quietly yet firmly closed the door of the Mustang, proceeding to follow the orb of light.

Kerica was awake the moment the light from Amalia's phone filled the car, but she didn't do or say anything. When she heard the door open and close, she groaned to herself and got up and out of the car, shivering violently since she had been warm. Making sure Rogue wouldn't follow, she hurried over to the Impala just as she saw the shadow of Dean's form disappear after the redhead. Glancing through the windows, Sam was still out cold. Feeling bad, she knocked on thee passenger side window, watching him startle awake.

Sam looked through the window and once he saw Kerica's face, he knew something was up. Opening the door, he looked up at her with worried eyes. "What's going on?" He asked, still groggy with sleep.

"No, don't get out. I just came over to tell you, Amalia left to go after a Will-o-Whisp, and Dean is following her," Kerica yawned, then looked around, "The fog's still thick, so I was wondering if you'd turn on the car so they can follow the headlights? Unless Dean has the keys."

"What?" Sam let out in shock. Why would Amalia do something so stupid?! He immediately checked to see if the keys were in the ignition, and lucky for him, they were. Turning the keys, the car started and turned on the headlights. He hoped Dean and Amalia were safe...

~

Dean's mind was whirling as he seethed. He had so many things he was going to say to her, he was certain he was going to make her cry, but the girl needed a swift kick in the ass or her hard head knocked against a tree. 'Fifteen minutes my ass...' he grumbled mentally, hating how the ground squished under his feet. He could see the blue light and Amalia's lithe body, and one of the few times he admitted he was glad he had his demon powers, because even if he lost sight of her he could smell her.

Amalia slowly followed the will-o-wisp as it moved forward, soon stopping in her tracks once she felt something off. Her stomach churned and her heart raced against her chest, breathing in and out softly. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all... "Damn it... How stupid could I possibly be?" She said to herself aloud, running a hand through her hair. "I keep messing up, even now... I should head back. I'll never hear the end of it from Dean." She laughed to herself, turning around only to find herself slipping on the slippery ground. A small yelp left her and she quickly noticed the will-o-wisp was gone. She felt herself falling, and shut her eyes tightly as she braced herself for impact.

Dean saw her start to slip and was beside her immediately, grabbing her around the waist and easily lifting her tiny body. Her one leg only got covered in swampy water and he was glad she didn't completely go under. That would've been gross. Carrying Amalia in his arms like a rag-doll, he took her to the tree he had been standing next to.

With a gasp, the red head found herself being carried in Dean's arms, panting softly and sighed in relief. Once by the tree, Amalia bit her lip and looked up at him nervously. "Thank you..." She said timidly, before she stood straight and looked into his eyes. She knew he was mad; the air was filled with tension. With a sigh, she gave the man a weak smile. "Go ahead... Yell, scream, anything. I deserve it."

"Now when you say it like /that/ and give me that /look/, it's no fun," Dean rolled his eyes, "But seriously, Amalia, what was going through your head? Were you thinking you could play hero and finish the case before it started? Find out what the ghost wants or something? It obviously wants people dead, and we can't kill it unless we salt and burn the bones. The order not to leave your car wasn't from Sam, it was from me. Not even five minutes! What would've happened if I'd waited fifteen like you said in your text? Huh?!"

He didn't wait for an answer, just kept going, answering for her, "You'd be /dead/! Drown at the bottom of the stupid swamp and I'd never see you again. You'd leave your dog with Kerica, your mom would be mourning, your whole 'I want to save people' gig would be over!" he turned around and ran his hand through his hair, pretty damn sure his eyes were black at the moment and he tried to calm himself down.

Amalia didn't even flinch as he raised his voice; she was surprisingly calm. He had every right to chew her ass out, and she couldn't blame him for being so angry. Her heart raced as he yelled at her, and her eyes stung. Yet, like back at the graveyard, there were no tears. Once he finished talking, with his back facing her, she looked down at her feet, clutching at the hem of her shirt.

"I wish I had some explanation as to what I was thinking... Maybe I was secretly asking for this spirit to kill me. I'm not so sure anymore." She laughed bitterly at herself, looking up to stare at his back. "I'm truly sorry for what I did... Really, I am. I was stupid, I know. I thought that if I followed it, it would lead me to the body. I was wrong..." She sighed, rubbing her arm with her hand.

"I'm not going to buy into the whole 'maybe I secretly wanted to die' bullshit," Dean turned around to face her again, "You were so determined to come with us to save people. It's this damn forest and we're going to leave in the morning. I will even kick Sam out of the car and he can bunk with Kerica so you can stay with me and you aren't going to leave the damn car this time until it's daylight."

Amalia kept silent, biting her lip as he began to speak again. Once he finished, she gave him a slow firm nod, her gaze never leaving his own. "Yes, sir." She replied.

After Dean more or less dragged her back to the two cars in the clearing, his arm around her shoulders, he was glad Sam had turned on the lights. It had made finding it so much easier in the fog. He let her go and he opened the passenger door, "Sammy, I see you're awake. Thanks for turning on the light, man. I have Amalia. Mind movin' your butt to your lady-friend's car instead? I'm not letting Amalia out of my sight the rest of the night."

Sam sighed in relief once he saw Dean with Amalia, swallowing hard as he suddenly felt the tension in the air. He scratched the back of his neck nervously, before looking up at his brother as he spoke. "No problem." He said, feeling rather confused. Despite wanting to ask what happened, he kept his mouth shut and walked over to Kerica's car, allowing the red head to climb in and sat in the passenger seat.

Amalia hadn't said a word since the fall out between her and Dean. She wanted to speak, but she swallowed back her words and stared out the window briefly before Dean got into the impala.

Kerica jumped when Sam tapped on her window, since she was in the back, but she called out, "It's unlocked, come in."

Sam crawled in and sat in the passenger seat, letting out a soft breath. "Sorry about that," he said. "Dean doesn't want Amalia out of his sight, and I can't say I blame him." With a sigh, he turned around to face Kerica.

"Ooh, I that makes sense. I'm glad she's okay." Kerica rubbed Rogue's back since the big dog was laying on her legs, "So you got kicked out of Dean's car. You can use whatever blanket's up front there that Amalia was using, if you want to go back to sleep. I know I am."

He nodded in agreement at Kerica's words, watching Rogue sleep on her lap. Pulling the blanket over his body, he made himself comfortable on the seat, staring out the window.

~*~

The morning sun was bright, and it made Sam wince and hover his hand over his eyes. With a soft groan, he turned around to find Kerica sleeping peacefully. His sighed mutely to himself, admiring how the sun lit up her face and hair. He couldn't keep his eyes off her, she was so beautiful. However, once she began to stir, he immediately faced forward and scratched his neck with his ears and face red. Hopefully, she didn't notice.

"Mm..." the sounds Kerica made as she woke up were almost lewd. She stretched her body so her body was bowed back so far it popped a few times, which made her groan all over again and flop back down, and she promptly rolled onto her stomach. The shirt she wore was twisted around her torso, showing off most of her belly and now her back. She proceeded to stretch like a cat would, her arms out in front of her and her ass in the air.

Hearing her groans made Sam's eyes grow wide, turning to watch her stretch with a beet red face. Why the fuck was he staring? 'Look away, Sam. Look away!' He thought to himself, yet he couldn't tear her eyes off her. He covered his mouth ever so slightly as she stretched like a cat would, biting his lip and then turned away again once she opened her eyes.

Kerica blinked groggy eyes at him and then realization dawned on her at his red face, "How long have you been watching me?" she purred, sitting up straight and /slowly/ fixing her shirt, "Did you enjoy my little morning ritual stretching?"

Sam swallowed hard at the sound of her voice, hesitantly turning to face her directly only to find her stomach exposed. He looked away with a brighter shade of red painting his cheeks. "I am so sorry... I uh, didn't mean to stare." He said, scratching his neck awkwardly.

Giggling, Kerica pet the dog still on the back seat, "I think it's time to leave and take care of business. Heck knows you must certainly have to go pee," she grinned as Rogue licked her before he pawed at the door. Taking his leash, she opened it for him and grinned at Sam, "I'll see you in a few minutes before we head off. I wonder who's going to ride with who until the town." She got out of the car, and was glad the fog, while not completely clear, was very much improved since the night before.

Sam gave her a firm nod and attempted to smile, but it ended up being an awkward sort of expression. Once she left to take Rogue out, he looked down at his pants, causing him to slam his head on the seat, sighing heavily before letting out an annoyed groan. "Now is not the time to get a boner..." He whispered to himself, remaining still until he calmed himself down.

Dean was also awake, berating himself briefly for passing out when he saw Amalia was still in the seat, asleep as well. A relieved sigh escaped him, and he reached out, "Hey, Amalia, rise and shine." He would've blasted the stereo, but wasn't sure how she'd react. Sam he could deal with, Sam he knew what to do and how to do things...Amalia was brand new with new boundaries and such.

"Mmm..." A soft moan left her lips before she slowly sat up straight, stretching her arms up into the air which caused her shirt to ride up. In doing so, it exposed her stomach and bellybutton ring. With a yawn, she looked up at him with a small smile, not realizing that her face was stained with tears. "Good morning." She greeted, rubbing her eyes to find that they were wet, and she blinked in confusion before it clicked. She had been crying in her sleep. Wiping her face quickly, she looked down in embarrassment. "Must have been a nightmare..."

Damn it, now Dean felt like even more of an asshole. Sighing deeply, he reached out and brushed his finger across her cheek, "I'm sorry about last night. I turn into a real ass when..." he swallowed a bit, "...when I'm worried about someone. Just don't do something stupid like that on your own again, okay?"

Amalia felt the heat rise to her cheeks when she felt his touch, looking up at him as he spoke. Her gaze turned soft and an understanding smile creased her lips, nodding once. "Okay." She said sweetly, soon noticing Rogue jump onto the impala with his tongue hanging out and his tail wagging happily. She snickered as he started licking the window, motioning for Dean to look behind him.

"Hey, hey, hey! Get off my car!" Dean whined and he moved to get out, closing the door behind him and waving at the dog to shoo, "I don't want your claws scratchin' the paint!"

Rogue wagged his tail even more, almost spinning in a complete circle as he panted happily, looking up at Dean once he was off the impala. Amalia got out of the car as well and laughed at the scene, noticing Rogue nudge his snout against Dean's hand, licking his fingers.

"You're a good pup, just no getting on the car," Dean ruffled the dog's fur around his ears.

"I just had him use the bathroom int he woods while I did," Kerica explained as she came to Dean and Amalia, "How are things?"

"Better than they were, we all survived the night though Amalia's gunna have to wash her clothes of the swamp stench," Dean rolled his eyes, "And you?" he smirked slyly.

Kerica's lips twitched up, thinking of Sam, "Mm, well, I slept fairly well, not used to a heavy ass dog sleeping on me but it was comforting," she shook her head, "Sam enjoyed my stretching as I woke up, though."

"/Did he/?" Dean grinned like a cat that ate the canary just as he saw Sam was coming towards them, "So you got an eye-full of your lady did ya?" he called.

Rogue groaned happily as he received the attention he had been seeking, causing Amalia to giggle and looked to Kerica. As she listened in on the conversation, her eyes lit up and grinned once she saw Sam walk over. The man glared at Dean's comment, before he was caught completely off guard by Amalia's sing song tone.

"Sam and Kerica sitting in a tree." She laughed soon after, making Sam blush harder than back when he was in the car.

Kerica tossed a stick at Amalia, "You shut up!" she blushed darkly, "I expect it from Dean, not from you! No fair!"

"Oh, it's plenty fair," Dean countered, evil grin on his face, "K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" he sang along with Amalia, backing up to be closer to her, "First comes love!"

Amalia laughed as she dodged the stick, singing along with Dean. "Then comes marriage!" She added, causing Sam's face to grow as red as a tomato. "Then come's the baby in the baby carriage!" She added with Dean joining in.

"I'm leaving! I'll see you guys at the town!" Kerica said hautily, turning around, hair flying around her face and she stormed to her car, "Sam! Want to come with...shit, ride with...damn it! SHOTGUN! Do you want to /shotgun/ with me?"

Dean cracked up at her fumbling and how they all sounded sexual and dirty without meaning to, "I love how she's ignoring us, when she started it by telling me Sam got an eyeful of her sleeping."

Poor Sam couldn't even think straight, he was so embarrassed. That is, until he heard Kerica call out to him and he blushed even harder, unable to speak out loud. Instead, he nodded furiously and followed her to the Mustang, causing Amalia to burst out laughing with Dean. She knew that Kerica would get her back for all the teasing, but seeing their reactions was /so/ worth it. Giggling softly after her laughter died down, she wiped her eyes and grinned at Dean.

"That was too funny! I haven't laughed like this in ages." She admitted.

Dean watched as Kerica started her car and pulled out of the clearing, leaving them alone, "Yeah, that was totally worth it. I haven't seen Sammy act like a schoolboy for God knows how long," he smirked and went back to his car, opening his door, "Rogue! C'mon, boy, in you go," he motioned inside, then looked at Amalia, "Get in, let's go."

~*~

Both cars eventually pulled into a motel and after cleaning up and changing clothes, they all met up in the boys' apartment to discuss the plan.

"Is it fake ID and bad names time?" Kerica grinned, "Cops? FBI? College students working on a paper?"

Amalia was sitting on the edge of the bed with a panicked expression on her face, her fingertips dancing across the sheets. She had never lied about anything in her life, especially her identity. It made her anxious and nervous as hell. Sam had already mentioned the plan to her and Dean, so he proceeded to explain it to Kerica.

"We'll be passing through as state troopers. Dean and Amalia are going to talk to the victim, hopefully getting some answers. Once they get the information, you and I will head to the local library to find out what caused these Will-o-Wisps." He explained.

"Hopefully the victim got a good look at it besides just a glowing ball," Kerica hummed, "I will take a look through my badges and see what I got to give you, Amalia. In the meantime, yeah, looking for when all this started sounds like a good idea."

Dean leaned back in his chair and smirked at Amalia, "I look forward to seeing what kind of name you end up with. Just follow my lead, okay? I will look out for you."

Amalia felt unsure of herself, and clenched her fists against her lap. As she was about to let the panic consume her, the red head turned to Dean as he reassured her. She felt her entire body relax, her uncertainty quickly fading away as she smiled at him. "Okay... Thank you." She said. Sam smirked at the scene then turned to Kerica, who was looking through the badges she had in possesion.

"Oooh, cute. Here you go, Amalia. This one is perfect. Juniper Lee," Kerica handed it to her and smiled, "I hope you like it because that is the only state trooper one for this state."

"Juniper? Nice. I found one while Sam was taking a shower. It's Derek Walter." He hoisted himself out of the chair and grinned, "Shall we?"

The redhead looked at the badge in the palm of her hand, reading off the name Kerica found for her. A smile creased her lips and she gave Kerica a nod. "It works." She giggled, then turned to Dean with a small hint of confidence. She couldn't mess this up, she knew. If she fucked up in any way shape or form, Amalia would never hear the end of it from either Dean or Kerica. Hearing the older male ask if she was ready, she gave him a firm nod, breathing in and out slowly. "Yeah... Let's do this." She said once she stood on her feet.

Kerica and Sam managed to get to the library, but as she stared at the doors she made a face of realization, "I don't even know where to begin. I feel silly."

~

Dean made sure Amalia knew the name she was given before they walked to the door of the survivor's home. Knocking and ringing the doorbell, they waited, "Juniper, what am I?"

Sam chuckled as he looked at Kerica with reassurance. "Don't be, it's ok. We just have to find any death records, and hopefully, it'll give us any form of connection to the Will-o-Wisps." He explained, patting her shoulder gently. "We also have to wait for Dean and Amalia to get information from the survivor." He added.

~

Amalia took a deep breath and released it slowly, turning to Dean with a smile. "You are my senior officer, Derek Walter." She said, turning to the door once she heard the click of the door knob.

Kerica smiled and nodded, "Any deaths in the marshes, before the recent ones of course. I guess my rhythm got thrown off with you guys, and I am not used to cases being so easy. I am so used to being alone," she shrugged, "At least you got your brother."

~

The young woman opened it just a bit and saw the two officers, "Hello, may I help you?"

"Yes, we are here to talk with you about your experience at the marsh," Dean pulled out his badge confidently and flipped it open, "I am Officer Derek Walter and this is my colleague Juniper Lee."

Sam blinked a few times at the thought of Kerica being completely alone, and it made his chest ache for some reason. She was right about one thing; he had his brother. However, it wasn't always that way. He had been without Dean several times, and he could relate to how Kerica felt. Scratching his neck, he walked beside the female and parted his lips to speak. "You say that you're used to being alone... But are you? Really?" He asked, looking at her with soft eyes. "I know what it's like, having to be all by yourself. Dean wasn't always there, so I can understand how you feel." He sighed softly, then stopped to stand in front of Kerica with a small smile. "I just want you to know that you don't have to be alone anymore. You have me, Dean, and Amalia. We're not going anywhere."

~

As Dean introduced them to the woman, Amalia showed her the badge and gave her a friendly smile. It vanished slightly to see her hesitant expression, then proceeded to speak. "We understand if it's a sensitive subject. But we want only five minutes of your time. If we say or do anything to offend you, don't hesitate to say so. Please... Just five minutes."

Kerica blushed a little and nodded, "Thank you, Sam. I appreciate it. Let's go find out what we can about this spirit." His words did warm her, and she hopped up the stairs into the library. "Maybe we could do our own investigating and ask some people in the library when the disappearances started to get an idea of where to start?"

~

Dean placed a hand on Amalia's shoulder to calm her down, "She's new, and I am showing her the ropes as her senior officer. So she's nervous."

The woman smiled in understanding, "Okay, I don't mind. I was just confused since I already talked to the police and they didn't really believe me."

"Well, we have been all over and have seen some things. If you don't mind explaining everything again, that would be awesome. We are state troopers, after all. We might have to shut down the road or make a detor around the marshes. If you can help us figure out what is going on, so we don't have to, we would be grateful."