Chapter one
'Against the raging winds'
The girl stood, firm and taught against the raging winds, her ebony hair tied back in a firm bun so not to distract her when it came time to do what was needed of her. 'To bad' she thought 'if it were any other night, the wind would've been a good incentive to curl up by the fire' tonight however other more pressing issues were on her agenda. She shifted irritably against the vice like grip of her bullet proof vest which dug deep into her rib cage and she ignored the crawl of her flesh as bare arms began to succumb to the growing weather outside.
"Y'know that vest is a waist of time huh kid?" a voice behind her called.
She grinned and ran a warm palm over the bulge of her tricep, a satisfying feeling washing over her, training hadn't been a waste of time after all. "The vest is there for my own comfort thank you, it ain't too bad when you got a few claws trying to rip their way into your belly, you of all people should know that, Bell."
The older girl of a few years came to stand a mere foot away from her companion the trickle of moonlight enveloping her alabaster skin and creating a sheen of unnatural flawlessness. The younger girl shivered "Jesus you almost look like one of them in this light."
Bell grimaced, twirling her coppery strands of hair into a plait which ran down the contours of her back "don't say that to me, Kirst." She said absentmindedly, as she began to check of the weapons adorning her leather belt.
"Do you have everything you need?" Bell asked, brandishing a machete inspecting it meticulously then when satisfied slipped it back into the sheath strapped to her back. She couldn't hide the worry in her voice, the apprehension that coursed through her veins and replaced the need for blood. After the death of her father, Daniel Elkins, Kirsty's uncle, what ever demon hunting mission her father left behind, she picked up with fresh ferocity and power. It had only been a few months since the death of her father, but she and Kirsty had been close as sisters and had been trained since the beginning of their teenaged years. They had always known what lurked behind the shadows, they had always known and never been afraid; until tonight.
"Yeh I've got everything, Bell, quit worrying about me dude." She sighed, slowly tracing her fingers across the roughness of her weaponry belt "Just because you're older then me, don't mean you gotta worry about me. I grew up with you remember, I was trained exactly the same way you were, I fought along side you even before Daniel died, I know these vampires I'm not naïve as to what we are up against."
Bell squeezed her cousins shoulder "I wish this wasn't you life, kid, I wish it was just me who had to carry this burden," she breathed in deep, steadying her words against the rush of emotion "but I sure as hell, am glad you are with me for this, try and keep yourself alive ok, Kirst, run if I tell you to." Bell ordered.
Kirsty spun round, a scowl morphing across her usually pretty features "don't you say that to me, quit acting like this is the end for us, I ain't going to leave you no matter what comes our way. I will fight until there is nothing left inside of my body so don't you dare ask me to run away." She cried, spinning back around and folding her arms across her breasts in a silent form of indignation.
Bell's eyes left the gaping sky and settled on the dirt ground "thanks kid." She whispered so only her and the wind could hear.
It was just after her last syllable was uttered, that the first wave of vampires careened across the flat plain, their ashen skin illuminated and the glint of their descended fangs shining in the full of the moon.
"Kirsty!" Bell roared.
And then there was impact.
Nine Years Previous:
Bell sat opposite her father on a wooden chair made by him on the day of her birth. Kirsty sat beside her humming like a bored school girl.
"Kirsty child, stop that." Daniel Elkins said, grinning and ruffling up his nieces black mane which hung down past her shoulder blades.
She scowled "quit it, I'm twelve now I'm not a child."
Daniel withdrew his hand, his face suddenly turning somber and with it the mood.
He looked older and drawn now, the small whisk of grey hair covering his chin and cheeks seemed less distinguished and now more broken. As Bell studied his features she knew something was coming that would alter all of their lives. She had been feeling something for over a month and she sucked in the last of the cold normalcy and waited for the words to be sounded with air.
"No y'all are not kids anymore are you?" he whispered "but I would give anything to keep you that way and not have to make you grow up so fast-
Bell shifted in her chair "Dad, cut the bullshit and after school special speech and just tell us. We're not dumb we know something is going on, normal teenaged girls go to dances and movies, not learn bow hunting, fire arms skills, and hand to hand combat, like us."
Maybe she imagined it, but for a moment Bell watched in horror as a glaze of tears misted his eyes, it was gone before she could blink and her father continued to speak.
"Ok you want it blunt? Well here it is, your mother, Bell she wasn't killed by a car accident, she was killed by vampires."
Bell open and closed her mouth, wondering if she would ever speak again.
The silence was more deafening then she could ever imagine. It was thick and repulsive and it hung in her lungs like black tar, poisoning all those who inhaled. She could feel the pressure building around her ears, pressing further and further inside of her until she almost believed that she was deaf.
"There are things in the movies and in the tales that do truly exists and me and your mother have hunted them since before your and Kirsty were born."
Bell heard Kirsty stifle a sob and waited patiently for her emotions to catch up with her. It was only until a good ten minutes had past in silence that she realized whatever she should have felt she didn't and instead all there was, was a fire burning and imploding inside of her. Everything made sense now, the dreams, the feelings in the dark, and the questions of how and why suddenly all fell into place.
"So this is why you've been training us?" Bell whispered.
Daniel nodded "I thought I could protect you girls, without you ever having to know. But I've been getting weaker and older now and I just can't rely on this ol' body anymore. I wanted y'all to have a normal upbringing but in order to keep you safe I know now I have to let you in, let you see what its like to live in the dark of the night."
"It is the right thing to do, uncle, me and Bell have been feeling things for some time now and this answers a lot of questions." Kirsty said,
Bell nodded, grabbing her father's hand "we are ready dad, we will fight with you till the end."
Present day:
The blade cut smoothly through the arteries and bone of a female vampire's neck. She was one of the last few and Kirsty was thankful for that, she'd never fought this many. A good twenty or so had hit them in the space of an hour and Kirsty could feel her limbs aching and blood trickling steadily from every gash and wound encasing her body.
"Bell you holding up?!" she screamed.
A grunt sounded, followed by a high pitched roar as Bell cut straight through two male vampire's neck and proceeded to through them off the side of the cliff.
There was only two more left and they looked more defeated then those of their fellow comrades who adorned the crevice of the cliff floor.
"C'mon you pieces of undead shit, I haven't got all night and y'all are boring me!" Kirsty coaxed and just as she was about to launch herself forward she was stopped dead in her tracks. A god almighty shriek emanated out of the vampires gaping mouths as their blood was ripped cleanly out of their veins and pooled at their feet. Bell ran forward shielding her younger cousin from whatever knew force was coming their way, a tingle of doubt shooting up her spin. The two vampires's within seconds crumpled to their knees and fell forward with a dull thud.
"Jesus mother Mary, what the hell was that?" Kirsty hissed, exhaling deeply.
Bell didn't answer; she was to intent on listening to the whistle and the howl of the growing wind "Oh jesus, Kirsty we have to get the hell out of here, right now!" Bell ordered, grabbing her cousin's forearm and dragging her off at a desperate speed towards the safety of the car.
"Bell, what, tell me what it is?" Kirsty demanded, wrenching the passenger's door open and jumping in. Bell snatched the keys from out of her pocket and leapt inside the front seat, key in ignition and pedal to the floor. For a heart wrenching second the car stalled and Bell felt her heart descend into her belly, she whimpered and mumbled a silent pray. Someone or something must have heard her, for within a second her loyal friend roared into life.
As Kirsty looked out the back window at the scene which was becoming smaller and smaller, her eye caught the horrific image of limp, torn and blood splattered vampire bodies rising out of the gorge she had, only an hour or so before thrown them into. Their white bodies catching in the light of the moon making them look like tiny grotesque stars.
"Oh my god, Bell do you know what that is?" Kirsty begged.
Bell's eyes never left the view of the old dirt road, but she nodded "Kirsty I need you to get my cell phone."
"Why?"
"Just get it, Kirst."
She fumbled around for a moment and then pulled out the sleek device "Now find, John Winchester in my phone book and call it."
Kirsty did it in stunned silence, she quickly handed it to her "Its ringing."
Bell grabbed it and pushed it to her ear "This is John Winchester-
"Damn it, quick Kirsty, remember this number."
Bell turned sharply and swore loudly "dial the number for me ok, don't worry this will all be sorted after this call."
"It's ringing." Kirsty whispered, trying not to let her cousin see that she was crying.
-----------------------------------Dean Winchester, hated driving at night. He was always secretly fearful of falling asleep and killing him and his brother. What a way to go, he thought, not by a spirit or any other supernatural being but by sheer stupidity. He was just about to pull up to an intersection when his phone began to vibrate in his pocket.
Awkwardly, Dean sat up in his seat, whilst trying to keep a foot on the pedal and a steady hand on the wheel, wiggling the device until it fell into his palm.
"Sam!" he nudged his sleeping younger brother "Sam, wake up and answer my phone, sleepy head!"
Alarmed Sam sat up and quickly answered the phone.
"Ah, Hello."
"Is this Dean Winchester?" a female's voice cried.
"Ahh, no this is Sam Winchester, who's this?"
"My name is Bell Elkins, my father and I used to know John Winchester, I just tried his cell phone but his voice mail told me to call this number." The woman named Bell seemed desperate, but Sam was also intrigued at the name of her father. He knew that name, only a few months ago he had been at the house of the man who owned that name.
"Yeh, no we're John Winchester's sons, you, um said that you were Daniel Elkins daughter as in-
"Yeh as in, demon hunting, vampire killing now dead, Daniel Elkins. Jesus you aren't quick on the up take are you?"
Dean looked at his brother and eyebrow cocked in interest.
"I'm sorry what were you calling about, Bell?" Sam asked a slight note of irritation in his usually calm voice.
"Look, I can't explain it over the phone, but are y'all any where near, Greensboro?"
"What in North Carolina?" Sam said, more as a confirmation then a question.
"Yes!" She sounded exasperated.
Dean clicked his fingers in front of his brother's face "gimme the phone, idiot!" he demanded.
"This is Dean."
"Jesus Christ, this is Bell Elkins, I knew your father, please I need your help from what I can remember John said he had two sons and that they also knew what was out there, if y'all are anything like your father then you can help me. My cousin and I hunt, mostly vampires like my dad and I had caught wind of a tale about an uprising of sought. I heard they were trying to awaken an ancient queen, for most of this year I though it was just vampire folk lore, but tonight I think it's all true; and if it is God help us all."
"Ok, ok, we're going to meet you, where are you headed?"
"Greensboro."
Dean sandwiched the cell phone between his ear and shoulder, using two hands to maneuver the 67 Chevrolet Impala into a 180 turn in the other direction. "We'll be there by sun up, keep in touch."