1.02 Wendigo

Air Date: 20 Sep 2005

THEN

Dean (V.O): Previously on Supernatural...

NOVEMBER 2, 1983

The Winchesters' suburban home.

WHAT HAPPENED

     THAT NIGHT

Mary runs up the stairs and into Sam's nursery.

John gives baby Sam to Dean.

John: Take your brother outside as fast as you can! Now, Dean, go!

Dean runs downstairs with Sam. John looks back.

WHAT THEY

  WITNESSED

Mary burns on the ceiling.

John: Mary! No!

John watches the nursery burn, Mary with it.

SENT TWO

   BROTHERS

On Sylvania Bridge, Dean and Sam turn to face the onlookers.

In Sam's apartment, Dean speaks to Sam and Jess.

Dean: Dad's on a hunting trip.

Outside Constance's house, Dean fires through the Impala's window at Constance.

In Sam's bedroom, Sam pulls out his curved knife.

In Sam's apartment, Dean speaks to Sam and Jess.

Dean: And he hasn't been home in a few days.

Sam: Jess, excuse us.

ON A QUEST

  FOR ANSWERS

22 YEARS LATER

In the stairwell from Sam's apartment, Sam speaks to Dean.

Sam: I swore I was done hunting.

In the Impala, Constance tries to rip Sam's heart out.

Sam: For good.

Dean: I can't do this alone.

In Sam's bedroom, Jess speaks to Sam.

Jess: And now you're taking off in the middle of the night to spend the weekend with them?

Sam: Hey. Everything's going to be okay. I promise.

Outside, the Impala drives along a two-lane road.

Sam (V.O): You think Mom would have wanted this for us?

In John's motel room, Sam looks at the photo John left of the three Winchesters.

Sam (V.O): Dean, we were raised like warriors.

In Sam's apartment, Sam packs his curved knife.

On Sylvania Bridge, Dean talks to Sam.

Dean: You have a responsibility.

In 1983, John and Dean sit on the hood of the Impala, John holding Sam.

Sam (V.O): To Dad? And his crusade?

On Sylvania Bridge, Sam talks to Dean.

Sam: Even if we do find the thing that killed her, Mom's gone. And she isn't coming back.

Dean grabs Sam by the collar and shoves him up against the railing of the bridge.

Dean: Don't talk about her like that.

In the Jericho county Sheriff's office, the Sheriff throws down John's journal. The Sheriff flips some of the pages.

Dean (V.O): Dad's gone. I've got his journal. He left me a message.

In the Impala, Sam compares the coordinates in the journal to a map.

Sam (V.O): These coordinates he left us, it's weird, man.

In John's motel room, Sam talks to Dean.

Sam: Hey Dean? What I said earlier, I'm sorry.

Dean raises a hand.

Dean: No chick-flick moments.

Sam laughs.

In Sam's apartment, Sam lets himself in.

Sam: Jess?

In Sam's bedroom, he lies on the bed, eyes closed, and sighs. Blood drips on his forehead and he flinches, opens his eyes, and gasps in horror. Jess is pinned to the ceiling, bleeding.

Sam: No!

Outside Sam's apartment, Dean watches the firefighters handle the situation, then goes to Sam at the Impala. Sam finishes loading a shotgun and tosses it in the trunk.

Sam: We've got work to do.

Sam shuts the trunk.

NOW

Blackwater Ridge

Lost Creek, Colorado

EXT. FOREST - NIGHT

Two tents are set up near a fire ring. Crickets chirp. Inside one tent, two Young MEN, BRAD and Gary, are playing head-to-head handheld video games.

BRAD

Dude, you're cheating.

Gary: No, you just suck.

Something growls outside. In the other tent, a third Young Man, TOM COLLINS, records a video message on his cell phone.

TOM

Hey Haley, day six, we're still out near Blackwater Ridge.

Something dark flicks behind the tent wall behind TOM, too fast to be identifiable as more than 'something dark'; the screen on TOM's phone, displaying the video as TOM records it, caught it.

TOM

We're fine, keeping safe, so don't worry, okay? Talk to you tomorrow.

TOM stops recording and sends the message.

BRAD closes his game system and tosses it aside. Gary stares at his system for a moment, then turns to look at BRAD, who is getting up and unzipping the tent.

Gary: Hey, where ya goin'? My moment of victory.

BRAD

Nature calls.

BRAD goes outside and zips up the tent behind him. He goes to stand against the tree to relieve himself. The fire crackles. Something snaps a stick. BRAD looks towards the sound and sees the trees rustling. BRAD shakes his head and returns his attention downward, then looks up sharply. Something growls.

Inside TOM's tent, TOM, who is reading Joseph Campbell's The Hero With A Thousand Faces[i], hears BRAD scream. Inside Gary's tent, Gary hears the Same and rolls over.

Gary: Brad?

TOM sits up.

TOM

Gary, what's goin' on?

Gary opens the tent and sticks his head out to look around. He sees nothing. Growling. He looks up. Something pulls Gary out of the tent. He screams.

TOM turns out the lantern he had on. Shadows move very quickly around the outside of TOM's tent. TOM looks around, his eyes following the shadows and growling. Silence falls. Something slashes open TOM's tent. TOM screams.

ACT ONE

CEMETERY

Palo Alto, California

[i]EXT. CEMETERY - DAY

Birds chirp. Sam, wearing a suit and tie and carrying a bouquet of various flowers excluding Roses, walks through an otherwise deserted cemetery.

Starring

JARED PADALECKI

JENSEN ACKLES

Sam sighs and stops next to a gravestone. It reads "JessICA Lee MOORE", "Beloved Daughter", "January 24th 1984 - November 2nd 2005". There is a small picture of a grinning Jess set into the stone above her name, a black-and-white picture of her leaning against the stone between a white teddy bear and a wooden box with a crucifix leaning on the picture, a small American flag next to the box, and three candles standing on the gravestone; one is of the Virgin de Guadalupe.

Guest Starring

CALLUM KEITH RENNIE

Sam looks between the gravestone and the flowers.

Sam: I, uh...

GINA HOLDEN

Sam laughs.

Sam: You always said Roses were, were lame, so I brought you, uh...

ALDEN EHRENREICH

Sam looks at the picture set into the gravestone, then looks away, choking back tears. He steps closer to the gravestone.

Sam: Jess...oh God...

Sam kneels to set down the flowers.

Supervising Producer

PHIL SGRICCIA

Sam: I should have protected you. I should have told you the truth.

Sam leans the flowers in front of the crucifix. An arm covered in dirt shoots out of the ground and grabs Sam by the wrist.

Impala

INT. Impala - DAY

Sam jerks awake. It is 10 Nov 2005, he is riding shotgun next to Dean, Foreigner's "Hot-Blooded" is playing, and the cemetery visit is days behind them if it ever occurred.

Music: I'm hot-blooded, check it and see

I got a fever of a hundred and three

Come on, baby, do you do more than dance?

Sam blinks and rubs his eyes. Dean looks over, concerned.

Dean: You okay?

Music: I'm hot-blooded

Producer

PETER JohnSON

Sam glances over and away.

Music: I'm hot-blooded

Sam: Yeah, I'm fine.

Co-Executive Producer

RICHARD HATEM

Dean nods.

Dean: Another nightmare?

Sam clears his throat.

Music: You don't have to read my mind

Co-Executive Producer

John SHIBAN

Dean: You wanna drive for a while?

Music: To know what I have in mind

Executive Producer

McG

Sam laughs.

Music: Honey, you oughta know

Sam: Dean, your whole life you never once asked me that.

Dean: Just thought you might want to. Never mind.

Music: Now you move so fine

Sam: Look, man, you're worried about me.

Music: Let me lay it on the line

Sam: I get it, and thank you, but I'm perfectly okay.

Music: I wanna know

Dean: Mm-hm.

Music: What you're doing after the show

Sam grabs a map.

Produced by

CYRUS YAVNEH

Sam: All right, where are we?

Created by

ERIC KRIPKE

Music: Now it's up to you

Dean: We are just outside of Grand Junction.

Music: We can make a secret rendezvous

Sam folds down the map, which is of Colorado and has a large red X labeled 35-111.

Sam: You know what?

Music: Just me and you

Sam: Maybe we shouldn't have left Stanford so soon.

Music: I'll show you lovin' like you never knew

Dean: Sam, we dug around there for a week. We came up with nothing. If you wanna find the thing that killed Jessica-

Sam: We gotta find Dad first.

Music: That's why I'm hot-blooded

Check it and see

Dean: Dad disappearing-

Teleplay by

ERIC KRIPKE

Music: I got a fever of a hundred and three

Dean: -and this thing showing up again after twenty years, it's no coincidence.

Story by

RON MILBAUER

&

TERRI HUGHES BURTON

Music: Come on, baby, do you do more than dance?

Dean: Dad will have answers. He'll know what to do.

Sam: It's weird, man.

Music: I'm hot-blooded

Sam: These coordinates he left us.

Music: Hot-blooded

Sam: This Blackwater Ridge.

Dean: What about it?

Sam: There's nothing there. It's just woods.

Sam puts down the map.

Sam: Why is he sending us to the middle of nowhere?

They drive past the National Forest sign that says, "Welcome to LOST CREEK COLORADO National Forest".

RANGER STATION

EXT. RANGER STATION - DAY

The Impala is parked next to a sign that says "RANGER STATION Lost Creek Trail, Lost Creek National Forest".

Sam (V.O): So Blackwater Ridge is pretty remote.

INT. RANGER STATION - DAY

Sam looks at a 3D map of the national forest, paying particular attention to the ridge labeled "BLACKWATER RIDGE". Dean looks at the decorations.

Sam: It's cut off by these canyons here, rough terrain, dense forest, abandoned silver and gold mines all over the place.

Dean: Dude, check out the size of this freaking bear.

Sam looks over. Dean is looking at a framed photo of a man standing behind a much larger bear. Sam comes to stand next to Dean.

Sam: And a dozen or more grizzlies in the area. It's no nature hike, that's for sure.

A forest ranger, RANGER WILKINSON, walks up behind them; when he speaks, Dean and Sam whip around, startled.

RANGER

You boys aren't planning on going out near Blackwater Ridge by any chance?

Sam: Oh, no, sir, we're environmental study majors from UC Boulder, just working on a paper.

Sam laughs a little. Dean grins and raises a fist.

Dean: Recycle, man.

RANGER

Bull.

Sam's eyes flick to Dean, who doesn't move.

RANGER

You're friends with that Haley girl, right?

Dean considers.

Dean: Yes. Yes, we are, Ranger-

Dean checks the RANGER's nametag.

Dean: Wilkinson.

RANGER

Well I will tell you exactly what we told her. Her brother filled out a backcountry permit saying he wouldn't be back from Blackwater until the twenty-fourth, so it's not exactly a missing persons now, is it?

Dean shakes his head.

RANGER

You tell that girl to quit worrying, I'm sure her brother's just fine.

Dean: We will. Well that Haley girl's quite a pistol, huh?

RANGER

That is putting it mildly.

Dean: Actually you know what would help is if I could show her a copy of that backcountry permit. You know, so she could see her brother's return date.

The RANGER eyes Dean. Dean raises his eyebrows.

EXT. RANGER STATION - DAY

Dean and Sam leave the ranger station. Dean is holding a piece of paper and laughing.

Sam: What, are you cruising for a hookup or something?

Dean: What do you mean?

Sam: The coordinates point to Blackwater Ridge, so what are we waiting for? Let's just go find Dad. I mean, why even talk to this girl?

Dean and Sam stop on opposite sides of the Impala.

Dean: I don't know, maybe we should know what we're walking into before we actually walk into it?

A pause.

Sam: What?

Dean: Since when are you all shoot first ask questions later, anyway?

Sam: Since now.

Sam turns away; the sound of the car door opening is heard.

Dean: Really?

Dean goes around the car.

COLLINS HOUSE

EXT. COLLINS HOUSE - DAY

Dean and Sam are standing at the door to a house. The door opens to reveal HALEY COLLINS.

Dean: You must be Haley Collins. I'm Dean, this is Sam, we're, ah, we're rangers with the Park Service. Ranger Wilkinson sent us over. He wanted us to ask a few questions about your brother Tommy.

HALEY hesitates.

HALEY

Lemme see some ID.

Dean pulls out a fake ID with the name 'samuel Cole' and holds it up against the screen. HALEY looks at it, then at Dean, who smiles. HALEY opens the door.

HALEY

Come on in.

Dean: Thanks.

The door swings open; HALEY catches sight of the Impala.

HALEY

That yours?

Dean: Yeah.

Sam is looking back at the Impala.

HALEY

Nice car.

HALEY turns to lead Dean and Sam into the kitchen, where BEN COLLINS is sitting at the table on a laptop. Dean turns his head to mouth something to Sam, who rolls his eyes.

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

Sam: So if Tommy's not due back for a while, how do you know something's wrong?

HALEY comes back into the room with a bowl she places on the table.

HALEY

He checks in every day by cell. He emails, photos, stupid little videos-we haven't heard anything in over three days now.

Sam: Well, maybe he can't get cell reception.

HALEY

He's got a satellite phone, too.

Dean: Could it be he's just having fun and forgot to check in?

BEN

He wouldn't do that.

Dean eyes BEN. BEN looks away. HALEY puts more food on the table.

HALEY

Our parents are gone. It's just my two brothers and me. We all keep pretty close tabs on each other.

Sam: Can I see the pictures he sent you?

HALEY

Yeah.

On a laptop, HALEY pulls up pictures.

HALEY

That's Tommy.

HALEY clicks twice and another picture comes up, then the still frame opening the latest video.

TOM

Hey Haley, day six, we're still out near Blackwater Ridge. We're fine, keeping safe, so don't worry, okay? Talk to you tomorrow.

Sam spots the shadow flicking past.

Dean: Well, we'll find your brother. We're heading out to Blackwater Ridge first thing.

HALEY

Then maybe I'll see you there. Look, I can't sit around here anymore. So I hired a guy. I'm heading out in the morning, and I'm gonna find Tommy myself.

Dean: I think I know how you feel.

Sam: Hey, do you mind forwarding these to me?

HALEY

Sure.

BAR

INT. BAR - NIGHT

Someone breaks a game of pool. A waitress goes past carrying beer. Sam and Dean sit down at a table.

Sam: So, Blackwater Ridge doesn't get a lot of traffic. Local campers, mostly. But still, this past April, two hikers went missing out there. They were never found.

Sam opens John's journal.

Dean: Any before that?

Sam pulls out newspaper articles to show Dean.

Sam: Yeah, in 1982, eight different people all vanished in the Same year. Authorities said it was a grizzly attack.

Dean reads the headline in The Lost Creek Gazette[i].

GRIZZLY BEAR ATTACKS!

[i]UP TO EIGHT HIKERS VANISH IN LOST CREEK AREA

HIKERS DISAPPEARANCE BAFFLE AUTHORITIES'

Families continue search and rescue efforts in spite of disappointing [...]

Sam pulls out his laptop.

Sam: And again in 1959 and again before that in 1936.

Sam opens the laptop, which already has a window open to TOM's video.

Sam: Every twenty-three years, just like clockwork. Okay. Watch this. Here's a clincher. I downloaded that guy Tommy's video to the laptop. Check this out.

Sam pulls up the video and goes through three frames of the video one at a time. A shadow crosses the screen.

Dean: Do it again.

Sam repeats the frames.

Sam: That's three frames. That's a fraction of a second. Whatever that thing is, it can move.

Dean hits Sam. Sam looks up.

Dean: Told you something weird was going on.

Sam: Yeah.

Sam closes the laptop.

Sam: I got one more thing.

Sam hands over another newspaper article.

Sam: In 'fifty-nine one camper survived this supposed grizzly attack. Just a kid. Barely crawled out of the woods alive.

Dean looks at The Lost Creek Gazette[i].

Dean: Is there a name?

SHAW HOUSE

[i]INT. HOUSE - NIGHT

An Old Man, Mr. SHAW, talks to Sam and Dean while leading them inside his house. SHAW has a cigarette in his mouth.

SHAW

Look, ranger, I don't know why you're asking me about this. It's public record. I was a kid. My parents got mauled by a-

Sam interrupts.

Sam: Grizzly? That's what attacked them?

SHAW takes a puff of his cigarette, takes it out, and nods.

Dean: The other people that went missing that year, those bear attacks too?

A pause.

Dean: What about all the people that went missing this year? Same thing?

A pause.

Dean: We knew what we were dealing with, we might be able to stop it.

SHAW

I seriously doubt that. Anyways, I don't see what difference it would make.

SHAW sits down.

SHAW

You wouldn't believe me. Nobody ever did.

Sam sits down across from SHAW.

Sam: Mr. Shaw, what did you see?

SHAW pauses.

SHAW

Nothing. It moved too fast to see. It hid too well. I heard it, though. A roar. Like...no man or animal I ever heard.

Sam: It came at night?

SHAW nods.

Sam: Got inside your tent?

SHAW

It got inside our cabin. I was sleeping in front of the fireplace when it came in. It didn't smash a window or break the door. It unlocked it. Do you know of a bear that could do something like that? I didn't even wake up till I heard my parents screaming.

Sam: It killed them?

SHAW

Dragged them off into the night.

SHAW shakes his head.

SHAW

Why it left me alive...been asking myself that ever since.

A pause. SHAW's hands go to his collar.

SHAW

Did leave me this, though.

SHAW opens his collar to reveal three long scars. Claw marks. Sam and Dean look at them.

SHAW

There's something evil in those woods. It was some sort of a demon.

LATER

INT. MOTEL? - NIGHT

Dean and Sam walk the length of a corridor with rooms on either side.

Dean: Spirits and demons don't have to unlock doors. If they want inside, they just go through the walls.

Sam: So it's probably something else, something corporeal.

Dean: Corporeal? Excuse me, professor.

Sam: Shut up. So what do you think?

Dean: The claws, the speed that it moves...could be a skinwalker, maybe a black dog. Whatever we're talking about, we're talking about a creature, and it's corporeal. Which means we can kill it.

EXT. PARKING LOT - NIGHT

Dean opens the trunk of the Impala, then the weapons box, and props it open with a shotgun. He puts some guns in a duffel bag. Sam leans in.

Sam: We cannot let that Haley girl go out there.

Dean: Oh yeah? What are we gonna tell her? That she can't go into the woods because of a big scary monster?

Sam: Yeah.

Dean looks at Sam.

Dean: Her brother's missing, Sam. She's not gonna just sit this out. Now we go with her, we protect her, and we keep our eyes peeled for our fuzzy predator friend.

Dean picks up the duffel.

Sam: Finding Dad's not enough?

Sam slams the weapons box shut, then the trunk.

Sam: Now we gotta babysit too?

Dean stares at Sam.

Sam: What?

Dean: Nothing.

He throws the duffel bag at Sam and walks off. Sam stares after him.

FOREST

EXT. FOREST - DAY

A Man, ROY, talks to HALEY (who is wearing shorts) and BEN while checking a shotgun. They're all carrying full backpacks.

ROY

I'll tell you again, I don't think Ben should come.

HALEY

Roy-

ROY

Look, you're paying me good money to keep everybody safe. I think Ben's safest at home.

The Impala pulls up. ROY, HALEY, and BEN stare. HALEY shakes her head. Sam and Dean get out of the car. Sam opens the back door of the Impala and pulls out the duffel bag.

Dean: You guys got room for two more?

HALEY

Wait, you want to come with us?

ROY

Who are these guys?

HALEY

Apparently this is all the park service could muster up for the search and rescue.

Sam heads past everyone.

ROY

You're rangers?

Dean: That's right.

HALEY

And you're hiking out in biker boots and jeans?

Dean looks down at himself.

Dean: Well, sweetheart, I don't do shorts.

Dean heads past HALEY.

ROY

What, you think this is funny? It's dangerous back country out there. Her brother might be hurt.

Sam turns back.

Dean: Believe me, I know how dangerous this could get. We just wanna help her find her brother, that's all.

Dean heads past Sam.

MINE

INT. MINE - DAY

A mine shaft lets in light. TOM and Gary are hanging by their wrists from the ceiling. There are assorted corpses with them. Growling. Gary spots a tall skinny shape and starts yelling. TOMMY does his best to turn away and does close his eyes tightly as Gary yells.

ACT TWO

FOREST

EXT. FOREST - DAY

The group hikes through the forest, ROY in the lead, then Dean, HALEY, BEN, and Sam bringing up the rear.

Dean: Roy, you said you did a little hunting.

ROY

Yeah, more than a little.

Dean: Uh-huh. What kind of furry critters do you hunt?

ROY

Mostly buck, sometimes bear.

Dean passes ROY.

Dean: Tell me, uh, Bambi or Yogi ever hunt you back?

ROY grabs Dean. Sam looks on.

Dean: Whatcha doing, Roy?

ROY grabs a stick and pokes the bear trap Dean had almost stepped in. HALEY looks annoyed.

ROY

You should watch where you're stepping. Ranger.

ROY drops the stick and retakes the lead.

Dean: It's a bear trap.

They hike on. HALEY catches up to Dean.

HALEY

You didn't pack any provisions. You guys are carrying a duffel[i]bag. You're not rangers.

HALEY grabs Dean's arm.

HALEY

So who the hell are you?

BEN goes past HALEY and Dean. Sam looks at Dean, who indicates with his expression that Sam's to go on by; Sam obeys. Dean watches him go for a moment.

Dean: Sam and I are brothers, and we're looking for our father. He might be here, we don't know. I just figured that you and me, we're in the Same boat.

HALEY

Why didn't you just tell me that from the start?

Dean: I'm telling you now. 'sides, it's probably the most honest I've ever been with a woman. ...ever. So we okay?

A pause.

HALEY

Yeah, okay.

Dean: And what do you mean I didn't pack provisions?

Dean pulls out a big bag of peanut M&Ms and sticks his hand in the bag as he hikes on. HALEY waits a moment, then follows.

LATER

[i]EXT. FOREST - DAY

ROY leads the way, followed by Sam, BEN, HALEY, and Dean.

ROY

This is it. Blackwater Ridge.

Sam heads past ROY.

Sam: What coordinates are we at?

ROY pulls out a GPS, which reads N 35o 45.383, W 111o 00.55.

ROY

Thirty-five and minus one-eleven.

Dean comes up to Sam. They listen.

Dean: You hear that?

Sam: Yeah. Not even crickets.

ROY

I'm gonna go take a look around.

Sam: You shouldn't go off by yourself.

ROY

That's sweet. Don't worry about me.

ROY waves his gun and pushes between Dean and Sam to retake the lead. Dean turns back to the others as BEN and HALEY catch up.

Dean: All right, everybody stays together. Let's go.

CAMPSITE

EXT. FOREST - DAY

Sam, Dean, BEN, and HALEY are looking around near a large rock.

ROY

Haley! Over here!

HALEY runs towards ROY's voice, followed closely by the others. They come to a halt.

HALEY

Oh my God.

The tents are torn open and bloody and all the supplies are scattered.

ROY

Looks like a grizzly.

Dean and HALEY look around.

HALEY

Tommy?

HALEY takes off her backpack and goes through the campsite.

HALEY

Tommy!

Sam moves to catch up with HALEY.

Sam: Shh.

HALEY

Tommy!

Sam: Shh-hh-hh!

HALEY

Why?

Sam: Something might still be out there.

Dean: Sam!

Sam goes over to Dean, snapping a stick, and crouches next to him.

Dean: The bodies were dragged from the campsite. But here, the tracks just vanish. That's weird.

Dean and Sam stand up.

Dean: I'll tell you what, that's no skinwalker or black dog.

Dean goes back to the campsite and Sam follows. HALEY picks up TOM's cell phone; it's bloody. She cries. She turns the phone over and the back is open. Dean crouches next to her.

Dean: Hey, he could still be alive.

HALEY gives Dean a Look.

SOMEONE

Help! Help!

ROY leads the way as everyone runs to the aid of the shouter.

SOMEONE

Help! Somebody!

They find no one.

HALEY

It seemed like it was coming from around here, didn't it?

They listen.

Sam: Everybody back to camp.

Back at the campsite, all the supplies are missing.

HALEY

Our packs!

ROY

So much for my GPS and my satellite phone.

HALEY

What the hell is going on?

Sam: It's smart. It wants to cut us off so we can't call for help.

ROY

You mean someone, some nutjob out there just stole all our gear.

Sam goes to Dean.

Sam: I need to speak with you. In private.

Sam and Dean head a little ways away from the group.

Sam: Good. Let me see Dad's journal.

Dean hands it over. Sam opens it and flips through until he finds a particular page.

Sam: All right, check that out.

Sam points to a First Nations-style drawing of a figure.

Dean: Oh come on, wendigos are in the Minnesota woods or, or northern Michigan. I've never even heard of one this far west.

Sam: Think about it, Dean, the claws, the way it can mimic a human voice.

Dean: Great.

Dean takes out his pistol.

Dean: Well then this is useless.

Sam gives Dean back John's journal and heads past Dean, stopping for a moment.

Sam: We gotta get these people to safety.

Back at the campsite, Sam addresses the group.

Sam: All right, listen up, it's time to go. Things have gotten...more complicated.

HALEY

What?

ROY

Kid, don't worry. Whatever's out there, I think I can handle it.

Sam: It's not me I'm worried about. If you shoot this thing, you're just gonna make it mad. We have to leave. Now.

ROY

One, you're talking nonsense. Two, you're in no position to give anybody orders.

Dean: Relax.

Sam: We never should have let you come out here in the first place, all right? I'm trying to protect you.

ROY steps right into Sam's space.

ROY

You protect me? I was hunting these woods when your mommy was still kissing you good night.

Sam: Yeah? It's a damn near perfect hunter. It's smarter than you, and it's gonna hunt you down and eat you alive unless we get your stupid sorry ass out of here.

ROY laughs.

ROY

You know you're crazy, right?

Sam: Yeah? You ever hunt a wen-

Dean pushes Sam.

HALEY

Roy!

Dean

Dean: Chill out.

HALEY

Stop. Stop it. Everybody just stop. Look. Tommy might still be alive. And I'm not leaving here without him.

A long pause.

Dean: It's getting late. This thing is a good hunter in the day, but an unbelievable hunter at night. We'll never beat it, not in the dark. We need to settle in and protect ourselves.

HALEY

How?

ACT THREE

CAMPSITE

EXT. FOREST - NIGHT

The group has built a campfire, and Dean draws something in the dirt around the campsite while HALEY pokes at the fire.

HALEY

One more time, that's-

Dean: Anasazi symbols. It's for protection. The wendigo can't cross over them.

ROY laughs, gun over his shoulder.

Dean: Nobody likes a skeptic, Roy.

Dean heads over to sit next to Sam, who is at the edge of the campsite.

Dean: You wanna tell me what's going on in that freaky head of yours?

Sam: Dean-

Sam: No, you're not fine. You're like a powder keg, man, it's not like you. I'm supposed to be the belligerent one, remember?

A pause.

Sam: Dad's not here. I mean, that much we know for sure, right? He would have left us a message, a sign, right?

Dean: Yeah, you're probably right. Tell you the truth, I don't think Dad's ever been to Lost Creek.

Sam: Then let's get these people back to town and let's hit the road. Go find Dad. I mean, why are we still even here?

Dean: This is why.

Dean comes around to Sam's front and holds up John's journal.

Dean: This book. This is Dad's single most valuable possession-everything he knows about every evil thing is in here. And he's passed it on to us. I think he wants us to pick up where he left off. You know, saving people, hunting things. The family business.

Sam shakes his head.

Sam: That makes no sense. Why doesn't he just-call us? Why doesn't he-tell us what he wants, tell us where he is?

Dean: I dunno. But the way I see it, Dad's giving us a job to do, and I intend to do it.

Sam: Dean...no. I gotta find Dad. I gotta find Jessica's killer. It's the only thing I can think about.

Dean: Okay, all right, Sam, we'll find them, I promise. Listen to me. You've gotta prepare yourself. I mean, this search could take a while, and all that anger, you can't keep it burning over the long haul. It's gonna kill you. You gotta have patience, man.

Sam looks down, then up.

Sam: How do you do it? How does Dad do it?

Dean looks over at HALEY and BEN.

Dean: Well for one, them.

Sam looks over at HALEY and BEN.

Dean: I mean, I figure our family's so screwed to hell, maybe we can help some others. Makes things a little bit more bearable.

A pause.

Dean: I'll tell you what else helps.

Sam looks back at Dean.

Dean: Killing as many evil sons of bitches as I possibly can.

Sam smiles. A twig snaps.

SOMEONE, presumably the WENDIGO

Help me! Please!

Dean stands and readies his gun.

WENDIGO

Help!

Sam shines a flashlight about.

Dean: He's trying to draw us out. Just stay cool, stay put.

ROY

Inside the magic circle?

WENDIGO

Help! Help me!

Growling.

ROY points his gun at the sound.

ROY

Okay, that's no grizzly.

HALEY talks to BEN.

HALEY

It's okay. You'll be all right, I promise.

Something rushes past. HALEY shrieks.

Sam: It's here.

ROY shoots at the rustling, then again.

ROY

I hit it!

ROY goes to see what he hit.

Dean: Roy, no! Roy!

Dean turns to HALEY and BEN.

Dean: Don't move.

HALEY's holding a stick, burning at one end, as a weapon. Dean and Sam run after ROY.

WENDIGO

It's over here! It's in the tree!

The WENDIGO reaches down from the tree and snaps ROY's neck.

Dean: Roy!

Sam shines the flashlight around, then directly into the camera.

ACT FOUR

CAMPSITE

EXT. FOREST - DAY

Sam is sitting against a hollow tree stump, holding John's journal and playing with a lanyard attached to Same. Dean and HALEY and BEN are among the tents.

HALEY

I don't...I mean, these types of things, they aren't supposed to be real.

Dean: I wish I could tell you different.

HALEY

How do we know it's not out there watching us?

Dean: We don't. But we're safe for now.

HALEY

How do you know about this stuff?

A pause while Dean considers.

Dean: Kind of runs in the family.

Sam comes over.

Sam: Hey.

HALEY stands up.

Sam: So we've got half a chance in the daylight. And I for one want to kill this evil son of a bitch.

Dean: Well, hell, you know I'm in.

Sam shows the wendigo page of John's journal to HALEY and BEN.

Sam: 'Wendigo' is a Cree Indian word. It means 'evil that devours'.

Dean: They're hundreds of years old. Each one was once a man. Sometimes an Indian, or other times a frontiersman or a miner or hunter.

HALEY

How's a man turn into one of those things?

Dean picks a couple things up off the ground.

Dean: Well, it's always the Same. During some harsh winter a guy finds himself starving, cut off from supplies or help. Becomes a cannibal to survive, eating other members of his tribe or camp.

BEN

Like the Donner Party.

Sam: Cultures all over the world believe that eating human flesh gives a person certain abilities. Speed, strength, immortality.

Dean: If you eat enough of it, over years, you become this less than human thing. You're always hungry.

HALEY

So if that's true, how can Tommy still be alive?

Dean: You're not gonna like it.

Dean glances at Sam, then back to HALEY.

HALEY

Tell me.

Dean: More than anything, a wendigo knows how to last long winters without food. It hibernates for years at a time, but when it's awake it keeps its victims alive. It, uh, it stores them, so it can feed whenever it wants. If your brother's alive, it's keeping him somewhere dark, hidden, and safe. We gotta track it back there.

HALEY

And then how do we stop it?

Dean: Well, guns are useless, so are knives. Basically-

Dean holds up the can of lighter fluid, the beer bottle, and the white cloth he'd picked up.

Dean: We gotta torch the sucker.

FOREST

EXT. FOREST - DAY

Dean leads the way through the woods, Molotov cocktail in hand. HALEY follows, then BEN, then Sam. They pass trees with claw marks and blood.

EXT. FOREST - DAY, LATER

Sam is leading the group now.

Sam: Dean.

Dean catches up.

Dean: What is it?

Sam and Dean look around at the trees. There are bloody claw marks and broken branches everywhere.

Sam: You know, I was thinking, those claw prints, so clear and distinct. They were almost too easy to follow.

Growling. Sam and Dean whip around. Trees rustle.

HALEY is standing under a tree. Blood drips on her shirt. She notices and looks up, then leaps out of the way; ROY's corpse lands where she'd stood.

Dean examines ROY as Sam goes over to HALEY.

Sam: You okay? You got it?

Dean: His neck's broke.

Sam helps HALEY up. More growling.

Dean: Okay, run, run, run, run, go, go, go!

Everybody takes off.

BEN falls and Sam hurries back to help him up, dividing the group two and two.

Sam: Come on, I gotcha, I gotcha.

Dean and HALEY stop short: the wendigo is in front of them. HALEY screams.

BEN

Haley?

Sam stops running and picks up Dean's Molotov cocktail, the bottle broken.

Sam: Dean!

ACT FIVE

FOREST

EXT. FOREST - DAY

BEN

If it keeps its victims alive, why would it kill Roy?

Sam: Honestly? I think because Roy shot at it, pissed it off.

BEN finds a trail of peanut M&Ms and picks one up.

BEN

They went this way.

Sam catches up to BEN, who hands over the M&M. Sam laughs.

Sam: It's better than breadcrumbs.

Sam tosses the M&M away.

Sam and BEN follow the trail. They come to a mine entrance marked with a sign that says WARNING! DANGER! DO NOT ENTER EXTREMELY TOXIC MATERIAL. Sam looks at BEN, shrugs, and goes inside. BEN follows. Above the entrance is a larger sign that says KEEP OUT NO ADMITTANCE.

MINE

INT. MINE - DAY

Sam shines the flashlight ahead of them. Growling; Sam shuts off the light and pulls BEN against the wall. The WENDIGO comes towards them. Sam covers BEN's mouth before he can scream. The WENDIGO takes a different tunnel at the crossing. Sam and BEN keep going. The floorboards creak and BEN and Sam fall through the floor; they land in a pile of bones. There is another pile nearby of skulls. BEN spots them and leaps backward.

Sam: Hey, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay.

Sam and BEN look up; Dean and HALEY are hanging by their wrists from the ceiling. Sam runs to Dean, BEN to HALEY.

Sam: Dean!

BEN

Haley, wake up!

Sam grabs Dean and shakes him.

Sam: Dean!

Dean opens his eyes.

Sam: Hey, you okay?

Dean winces.

Dean: Yeah.

BEN

Haley, Haley, wake up, wake up!

Sam cuts Dean down and BEN takes care of HALEY. They help them over to an empty patch of floor and get them sat down. Dean makes pained noises.

Sam: You sure you're all right?

Dean grimaces.

Dean: Yeah. Yep. Where is he?

Sam: He's gone for now.

HALEY divests herself of rope. She stands up and spots TOM still hanging and starts crying.

HALEY

Tommy...

HALEY touches TOM's cheek. TOM's head jerks up. HALEY jumps back and shrieks. She turns to Sam.

HALEY

Cut him down!

Sam cuts TOM down.

HALEY

We're gonna get you home.

The stolen supplies are piled in the corner. Dean picks up flare guns.

Dean: Check it out.

Sam: Flare guns. Those'll work.

Sam grins. Dean laughs and twirls the guns.

They head down a tunnel, Dean and Sam in the lead with the flare guns and HALEY and BEN supporting TOM, who is limping.

Growling.

Dean: Looks like someone's home for supper.

HALEY

We'll never outrun it.

Dean looks back at the others.

Dean: You thinking what I'm thinking?

Sam: Yeah, I think so.

Dean: All right, listen to me. Stay with Sam. He's gonna get you out of here.

HALEY

What are you gonna do?

Dean winks and starts walking and yelling.

Dean: Chow time, you freaky bastard! Yeah, that's right, bring it on, baby, I'm feeling good[i].

The rest of Dean's words are indistinct.

Sam waits until Dean is a safe distance away.

Sam: All right, come on! Hurry!

The Collinses follow Sam down the tunnel.

[i]INT. MINE - DAY

Dean: Hey! Hey, you want some white meat, bitch! I'm right here!

INT. MINE - DAY

Sam, HALEY, BEN, and TOM hurry down a tunnel.

Growling. Sam points the gun at it, then lowers the gun and turns to the Collinses.

Sam: Get him outta here.

HALEY

Sam, no.

Sam: Go! Go![i]Go!

BEN

Come on, Haley!

HALEY and BEN help TOM along the mine tunnel.

Sam holds the flare gun ready to shoot, looking down the tunnel.

Sam: Come on. Come on.

Growling. Sam turns: the WENDIGO is right in his face. Sam shoots and misses, then runs after the Collinses.

HALEY

Sam!

Sam catches up.

Sam: Come on, hurry, hurry, hurry.

They run to the end of the tunnel, the WENDIGO right behind.

Sam: Get behind me.

Sam is large enough to hide all three Collinses.

The WENDIGO approaches, taking its time.

Dean comes up behind the WENDIGO.

Dean: Hey!

The WENDIGO turns. Dean shoots it in the stomach. The flare goes off and the WENDIGO goes up in flames.

Dean: Not bad, huh?

Sam grins.

EPILOGUE

[i]EXT. RANGER STATION - NIGHT

An ambulance loads up TOM. Two Police OFFICERS interviews BEN; Sam stands behind BEN.

Officer: And the bear came back again after you yelled at it?

BEN

That's when it circled the campsite. I mean, this grizzly must have weighed eight hundred, nine hundred pounds.

Sam nods.

Officer: All right, we'll go after it first thing.

HALEY talks to Dean; both have already been patched up.

HALEY

So I don't know how to thank you.

Dean smirks lasciviously. HALEY smiles despite herself.

HALEY

Must you cheapen the moment?

Dean: Yeah.

A PARAMEDIC comes up to HALEY.

PARAMEDIC

You riding with your brother?

HALEY

Yeah.

The PARAMEDIC heads back to the ambulance. HALEY turns to BEN.

HALEY

Let's go.

Sam and BEN nod at each other. HALEY kisses Dean on the cheek.

HALEY

I hope you find your father.

HALEY and BEN head for the ambulance.

HALEY

Thanks, Sam.

HALEY and BEN climb in the ambulance with TOM, who is shirtless and bandaged.

Sam sits on the Impala's hood with Dean.

PARAMEDIC 2

Close her up.

A third PARAMEDIC closes the ambulance doors.

Dean: Man, I hate camping.

Sam: Me too.

Noises of the ambulance driving away, sirens on.

Dean: Sam, you know we're gonna find Dad, right?

Sam: Yeah, I know. But in the meantime? I'm driving.

Dean tosses Sam the keys.

"Fly By Night" by Rush begins to play.

Sam and Dean get in the car, slamming the doors almost in sync.

Music: Why try? I know why

The car starts and drives off.

EXT. ROAD - DAY

The Impala drives along.

Music: My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend

My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend

DELETED SCENE

EXT. FOREST - DAY

HALEY sits down next to a rock. BEN leans against a tree. Dean climbs up near HALEY, who takes a drink and hands the bottle up to Dean. BEN spots something and goes to have a look; Sam follows. BEN moves a tree branch aside to have a look at what he saw: it's the Same First Nations stick figure that's in John's journal.

Sam: That's a hell of a find, Ben. Those are Anasazi.

Dean comes over.

BEN

What's that?

Sam: Ancient Indians. They were this whole civilization that just vanished completely. No one really knows why.

Another look at the stick figure.

Sam: I've seen that somewhere before.

ROY

Haley! Over here!

HALEY hurries to ROY, the others following behind.