Okay guys. This is the start on a novel that I'm trying to work on. Obviously when it comes time to send it in to a publisher or something names and such will be changed. Now this is gonna be Dean and my OC that I have plucked from the depths of my head which can be a scary place. And Sammy gets a pretty OC girl as well. I contemplated either Sabriel or Sastiel but ultimately rejected those ideas. They just didn't fit with where I was going with this. Now, I can't promise to update regularly cuz my schedule is crazy, but I will update as often as possible. Enough of my rambling. Please enjoy, no flames, constructive criticism welcome!
Chapter One
I look out my window at the crashing waves and give a deep sigh. Usually the ocean tends to help me relax and work through everything that happens. But given that I'm not allowed out of the house at the moment for things totally not my fault, that option is not available to me. I live on the outskirts of quaint, ocean-side town, Seabrook. Yeah, the name couldn't be more obvious, but whatever. It's a quiet town, not much happens here. My father is the Mayor here. Hence the house on the beach. But the family must maintain a certain image and I definitely don't fit that image.
Oh, my apologies, let me introduce myself. My name is Azrael Elinor McLeod. I am seventeen years old, with curly red hair, and green eyes. I'm Irish pale, with a straight nose, full lips, high cheekbones, and about five feet five inches tall.
It's currently mid-October and I am sitting at the desk in my bedroom working on my homework, dreading the next day at school. What new torments will they come up with tomorrow? At least Sam will be there. That will make the idiots at least bearable. He just shows up and looms and they squeak and run away. It is so hilarious to watch. I sit back from my computer where I am writing my English report on the Greek Gods. I look around my room and sigh again. My Wiccan altar sits under the windows. My room is painted in the royal purple with black designs. My queen sized, four poster bed is in the corner near the window with purple drapes obscuring the bed itself. To the right of my bed is my walk-in closet. Across the room is where my mahogany roll top desk sits. It holds my precious laptop that is my biggest connection to my two best friends, besides my phone. As I'm sitting there thinking, the front door slams on its hinges.
'Uh-oh,' I think. 'Father had a bad day. Oh shit. How bad is it going to be tonight? Please Goddess, let it not be that bad tonight.' I plead in my head to my patron goddess, Artemis. As I hear him stomping up the stairs, I know that there will be no salvation. I highly doubt I will be walking properly tomorrow and that I will need to come up with another cover story. I hear Sam calling me via Skype, but don't have time to answer it as my bedroom door opens just then and in walks my father.
He is a handsome man. Around six foot tall. Dark hair, hazel eyes. In fantastic athletic shape. He has that type of scruffy beard. I can see the anger churning in his eyes as he stalks forward toward me. I can feel his anger rolling off him in waves. I start to tremble. I somehow manage to hit the accept button on my Skype window and Sam's face appears behind me, in the lower left-hand corner of my screen. He stays silent as he can see that my Father is coming toward me and knows what is about to happen. He also knows that if he interferes it will be worse for me. So, as much as it kills him, he stays silent.
"Do you know that I had a boy from your school come into my office today, Rae?" He asks me, deceptively calm.
"No Father." I say, struggling to keep my voice steady.
"He came in asking about you. If he could date you. Did you tell him to do that? Have you been flirting with him? Because you know what I will do to you if I find out that you did." He starts toward me again and I rush to stall for as long as possible. I know I will get a beating anyway, but there is no reason I can't stall it in any way possible.
"NO! I did not tell him to do that. The only guy I talk to is Sam Winchester! Please, Father, I didn't. I promise!" I'm almost sobbing by this point, knowing what is coming.
Suddenly he backhands me out of my chair. I land heavily on my side, and he comes over and starts kicking me in the stomach and back. I curl into a fetal position on the floor and try not to cry out. That will only make things last longer. He drags me upright by my hair and throws me across the room into one of the posts of my bed. I can feel the skin on my forehead open as I make contact. I collapse on the floor and lie there too weak to get up at the moment. He kicks me a couple more times and walks out. I hear him close the door behind him. I can hear him calling out to Conner, my brother, as he walks away. I know that they will be occupied for hours. I am safe again. For now. I manage to drag myself back to my desk and into my chair. I grab a towel that is sitting on my desk from when I did laundry and press it against my forehead. I can feel my cheek starting to swell. I enlarge the Skype window in the corner of my screen. As soon as I do another Skype window pops up and it's my other best friend, Andromeda. I hit accept and her worried face fills the window.
"Twin! Oh, my goddess your face! How bad was it this time?" She fires off at me in rapid succession. I turn it into a group call, so Sam and Andy can see each other.
Sam takes one look at my face and says, "I'll bring the kit with me tomorrow."
"Thanks. And it wasn't so bad Andy. "I say and can feel the tears of gratitude gather in my eyes. "At least this time he didn't rape me."
"Maybe so, but for the love of the Goddess it shouldn't be happening." She is furious and it's understandable. This has been going on for years. The one person who is supposed to protect me at all costs, is the one who consistently hurts me.
"Small miracles to be thankful for. He's lucky I haven't beaten him. Or that Dean hasn't found out about it. He'd never show up again. Maybe someday it will happen for you." I smile. Sam always has some way of cheering me up. And thinking of my father dead is one of those ways. It's a lot of fun to come up with different scenarios. We talk for about an hour more before I tell them that I need to go clean up, finish my report and get to bed. We say goodbye and hang up. I walk over to my bed and grab my pajamas. I walk into my en suite and turn on the shower. As I wait for it to heat up, I strip out of my outfit. I look at myself in the full-length mirror on the back of my bathroom door. Bruises of every color mar my mostly flawless skin. He is very careful not to leave scars. So that there really is no evidence to be linked back to him. I look at the scars on my wrists. Those, I have made myself. When things get so overwhelming that the ocean can't help, I take a blade to my skin. I even bought a special dagger for it. The handle has two intertwining dragons on it. One gold, one silver. The blade itself is about six inches long. I keep it hidden in my bathroom so that no one will find it. The only ones who knows about the scars on my wrists are Sam and Andy, they are the only ones I can trust.
I turn away from my reflection unable to stand looking at myself anymore. I test the water and find that it is up to temperature. I grab my dagger from my tampon drawer and hop into the shower. I sit in the bottom letting the water cascade around me, as I put the dagger to my skin. I drag it down my arm opening one of the old scars and watching with fascination as the blood runs freely down my arm. I dry the dagger off and put it back into the drawer and hop back into the shower. I go about my usual routine, relishing the sting of soap in the cut. I rinse off for the final time and shut the water off. I dry off and get into my pajamas. After brushing my teeth, I walk back out to my desk.
I sit there for hours and try to complete my report. It is midnight when I finish. I save my work and shut down my computer for the night. I collapse on my bed and drift on into the land of dreams.
In my dream, I am running. I don't know why or who from, but I know that it is essential that I keep moving. If I stop, I will be caught, and I know that would be extremely bad. I can see Sam on one side of me puffing in his effort to keep up. 'How strange.' I think. I'm usually the one puffing to keep up with him. There is someone on the other side of me. Some one that I vaguely recognize. He is somehow essential to my survival. He is around six foot one, with light brown spiky hair and bright green eyes. He is solidly built but not bulky. He has a handsome, rugged look about him. Like someone who spends a lot of time outside. He looks at me and starts to say something, when my alarm clock goes off.
I bolt upright in my bed. I rip back my curtains and slap the off button on my alarm clock. I drag myself out of bed. While choosing my outfit for the day, I ponder the dream that I had. What could it mean? Was it a glimpse of the future? If so why the hell did I have it? I've never had any powers of foresight. The most I could do involving the future was give tarot readings and even those are vague and non-specific. What is going on. That is the fifth dream this week involving that guy and Sam. I'll see if I can describe him enough to Sam for him to sketch out. Maybe he will recognize this guy. I pick out my favorite black and purple gypsy skirt and off the shoulder top and throw them on. I rifle through my jewelry box. I find my angel wing earrings and put them in. I slide on a pair of flats and finish packing my bag. I grab my hoodie off the back of my desk chair and wander down to the kitchen where my mother, Laura, is cooking breakfast for my Father and my brother, Connor. When I happen to make it downstairs before Connor and Lucas, I don't bother getting any of what my mother happens to be making. It's never anything I like anyway. I grab my Pop-Tarts out of the pantry and head outside to wait for Sam and eat them. If I can avoid the rest of my family, I will. No need to invite more problems. I hear a horn honk on the street. I look up and there is my best friend in the universe. Sam is six foot four in his socks, and linebacker broad. He has longish deep brown hair and huge, expressive hazel eyes. I run down the driveway and jump into the passenger seat of his 1963 Ford Galaxie. His father, John, is a mechanic and managed to save and restore it for him. Even though they butt heads quite a bit, his dad apparently always makes it up to him.
He looks at me and says, "One of these days he is gonna turn up missing and will never be found. Especially if Dean finds out."
"You know, I've never actually met your big brother? You always talk about him, but I've never met him. And I did what I could but there wasn't much I could do about it. That's why I brought my hoodie." He glances at my arm and the bright white bandage that is covering the fresh cut I made last night. I look at him guiltily.
"You will meet him eventually. And I thought I asked you to stop that. Hun, you keep that up and one of these days you're going to kill yourself by accident or on purpose and then where will I be? Dealing with these assholes alone. I can't face that. I need you and Andy with me to get through it. You know you can talk it out with me and not have to resort to that."
"I know, but last night was a really bad night and I know I talked to you about it, but I still felt overwhelmed. I needed to release the emotions and that was how I was able to. And it's not like I can go do a cleanse in the ocean at the moment Sam! Because of Monica's shit I'm confined to the house except for school! I really have been doing better. I promise! But I slipped last night. I'm sorry." I look at him sadly.
"It's alright, Hun. Just be more careful and try harder huh?" I nodded and opened my breakfast. I offer him one and he shakes his head. We drive in silence, no need for words. That's how Sam and I are. We never really need words. We just understand each other. Given the fact that we have known each other since preschool, we really don't need words anymore. We know each other inside and out.
We pull into the school parking lot and park the car. Sam grabs the first aid kit of the backseat and turns to me. I lift my bangs off of my forehead and he puts salve on it and bandages it.
"Do you have any more cuts besides those two?" he asks me.
"No those are the only two. My ribs and stomach are only bruised. So is my back but it's not that big a deal. Those will heal relatively fast. You know how fast I heal." he nods and puts the kit away. I grab my bag and hoodie as I get out of the car. I set my bag down on the pavement so that I can put my hoodie on. Sam meets me at the back of the car and wraps me in big a hug. I melt into his chest and soak up the comfort that he is giving me. The first bell rings and we break apart. I start toward the school, keeping my hood up so as not to draw attention to myself. Unfortunately, I hear the mocking voice of Gordon Walker from across the parking lot.
"Aww did our little princess fall again? Poor baby! She's so clumsy I'm surprised she hasn't killed herself yet!" I cringe as he and everyone else in the parking lot start laughing uproariously.
"Aww what's the matter Gordon? Did you not get laid last night? Was Monica not able to find your tic-tac dick?" Sam fires back, draping his arm around my shoulders. I start shaking with laughter, hanging onto his arm to stay upright. Gordon looks pissed and Monica turns an interesting shade of red.
"At least we know that our families give a shit about us." She sneers back. My blood freezes in my veins. Why did she have to go there? Is she trying to get me killed? I mean, I know we fell out and aren't best friends anymore, but one would think that she would at least keep her mouth shut. Has she come to hate me that much? I turn and start hurrying toward class with my cheeks burning and tears threatening to fall. Sam walks silently at my side knowing that at the moment there is nothing he can do to help me. I run to English, my favorite class and say bye to Sam at the door. I claim my desk at the back of the class and wave to Mr. Tennant, my favorite teacher. Surprisingly we look very similar. Same hair, eyes and facial features. It's very odd and neither of us know why. Lucas is my father. That has been established. He waves back at me as the class starts filing in. As they all come in, my other best friend, Andy, makes a beeline for me.
"Rae what the hell happened this morning? I got here late and missed everything" she says. I smile. Damn I love my twin. We aren't related by blood, but we might as well be. Hell, we were born 5 minutes apart. And she always knows when something is wrong with me.
As we pass our reports to the front of the room, I tell her what happened this morning. She glares daggers of death at Monica across the room. Just then, Mr. Tennant starts class.
"Alright class, as you can probably tell from the report I assigned you, we are starting Greek Mythology. Now, we are first going to start with the Underworld, or Hades as it is also called. Now, which of you can tell me anything you might possibly know about it?" My hand shoots into the air. This is my area of expertise. I'm so glad I didn't have to call out today. Mr. Tennant looks happy to see me participating and calls on me.
"The Underworld, or Hades, is both complex and simple at the same time. There are four general parts of it. There is Tartarus, this is the worst place in the Underworld. When the three brothers defeated their father, Kronos this is where they cast him. The next place is the Fields of Punishment, for those who wreak havoc and commit crimes against the gods. Sisyphus is one such person. For trying to cheat death and violating xenia, which is the generosity, courtesy, and protection shown to travelers, he was forced to roll a boulder uphill and when he reached the top it would immediately roll back down. Hades himself makes these punishments eternal. Asphodel Meadows is next, and these are for people who do nothing of significance in their life. Then there are the Fields of Elysium for those who did really good things in their lives. Those who end up here have an easy afterlife and no labors. Heroes such as Achilles are transported here after death. There is a small set of islands within the Fields of Elysium that are called the Isles of the Blessed. These are for souls that have chosen to be reborn three times and achieved Elysium all three times."
Mr. Tennant looks at me with pride. "Very good Rae! Now can you tell me about the rivers that surround it?" I grin with delight as he challenges my knowledge. This is the most fun I've ever had in class.
"There are five of them. Styx, Acheron, Lethe, Phlegethon, and Cocytus. Styx is the river of hatred and is said to circle the Underworld seven times. It is also the river the gods swear on when making pacts. Acheron is the river of pain and the river that Charon, the ferryman, brings the departed souls over to get to the Underworld. Lethe is the river of oblivion. If you choose to be reborn this is the river you bathe in. It makes you forget everything about your previous life. Phlegethon is the river of fire and it leads to Tartarus. And the last river, Cocytus, is the river of wailing." I stop and look around. The entire class is staring at me, shocked. I look down, flushing. This is the most I've ever said in class.
"Excellent! Well I know who is gonna ace this section of the course don't I? At least one of my students knows what they are talking about." He smiles at me and then shoots a look at Gordon and Monica. They flush in embarrassment and look away. He goes on to describe the things I touched on in more detail over the rest of class. When the bell rings he asks me to stay for a moment. After the last student leaves, he turns to me.
"I'm very impressed by your knowledge of our current subject, Rae. I feel like we are going to have some good debates about it." He notices the bandage on my forehead. "What happened there? Are you alright?" I know he suspects something, but no way am I gonna say anything.
"Yeah I'm fine. I just tripped on my rug last night and hit my head. I'll be okay." He doesn't look convinced but lets me go. He looks like he wants to say something else but refrains. Confusing much? I say goodbye and leave the room. Sam and Andy are waiting for me and we make our way to our lockers. We switch out our books and suddenly I'm being smashed into my locker. Andy grabs me before I can fall. Sam whips around and gets in between me and the football player that did it.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" he snarls. I watch in a small semblance of awe. Sam is usually calm, laid back. He isn't the easiest person to piss off. But when you do, holy shit look out. The jock that did it, Matt, cowers a bit in the face of six feet four inches, 220 lbs. of pissed off muscle. I lay my hand on his arm and Matt scampers away. Sam turns to me, assessing that I'm okay before calming down. We make our way down the hall to Mrs. Robinson's history class. I don't mind history. It's kind of fascinating. We take our seats and wait for class to start. It's only second period and I'm exhausted. Hopefully, nothing else will happen. But of course, I had to tempt the Fates.
It happened at lunch. Of course, it happened at lunch. I was walking with Andy to our usual table, when Monica tripped me. I went flying into the jock's table and it folded on itself covering me in their lunches. I gingerly get up hearing the laughter around me. I school my features into a blank expression. Never let them see your emotions. They will only use them against you.
"Oops! Guess she tripped over herself. Again." Monica laughs. I bite my tongue and turn away. Verbally filleting her skin off will do me no good right now. I grab my bag and stalk away with Andy to the locker room. I quickly rinse off in one of the showers and put on the spare outfit in my locker. I quickly brush out my hair.
"We will get her back. We always do." I nod to her as the bell rings and we head to Biology. Sam catches up with us on the way. Monica smirks at me from her seat in the front row. I ignore her and continue to the back row. Sam nudges me and I look at him inquiringly. He quickly makes a goofy face at me and I giggle and smile. He grins back big and bright, dimples flashing, his mission accomplished. Mr. Thompson walks in and tells us that all the prep we have been doing is all done. We actually get to dissect the fetal pigs. A truly devious smirk crosses my face. He pairs Monica with me and Sam with Andy. I giggle to myself as I see their blushing faces. Damn, they just need to hook up already! Monica has a horrified expression on her face as she moves to our table. I smile sweetly at her and she scowls at me. And she knows that she actually has to participate or fail for the year. No shuffling the work off on me. We are given our kits and our dead baby pigs. I gear up and cut into it. I hand the scalpel to Monica and tell her to remove the organs. She goes green around the gills but does it. I manage to get the skull open and take out the brain. I giggle quietly, just to freak her out, and start poking it. That does it. She beelines for one of the sinks that line the room and loses everything in her stomach. The only person in the entire class to do so. My loud, mocking laughter rings out across the classroom and everyone else quickly follows. She flushes deep red with humiliation and pukes again.
'She deserves every moment of this.' I think savagely. 'For all the years of torment she has brought upon me. Ever mind the rule of three, Monica. What you send out comes back to thee. Times three.' Mr. Thompson tells us to clean up and head out. I cheerfully go about following instructions. The bell rings and we leave, still giggling. We mostly get ourselves under control, but then Gordon walks by supporting Monica and we burst back into laughter. We head to Drama, trying to gain control of our laughter.
An hour later I'm getting into Sam's Galaxie. Time to go home and attempt to avoid HIM again. Not that it will work. And get my homework done on top of that. I start feeling lightheaded but pass it off as hunger. All I had eaten today was my Pop-Tarts this morning. What I didn't realize is that my life is about to get ridiculously complicated.