Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now
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Chapter One:- Going In
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Holding hands with a reaper wasn't how Sam had envisioned breaching Purgatory, but if it got him to his brother he would have held hands with the devil himself, not that Lucifer hadn't touched every part of him anyway when he was at his mercy in the Cage.
He firmly pushed away any nausea the memory provoked. That was the past, now he had to concentrate all his resources in getting Dean back.
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It had taken him a month and a supply of demons to even discover the existence of rogue reapers but Winchester stubbornness was a weapon in itself and Sam had plenty of ammunition.
He'd lost Dean twice before, once to the Trickster and once to Hell, and he'd no intention of making it a hat-trick!
So here he was, hand in hand with a reaper whose request for payment had simply been that Sam owe him a nebulous favour in a hypothetical future.
The younger Winchester was anything but a fool and knew he'd just signed a blank cheque to the being but his first priority was finding Dean, then whenever the reaper came knocking, he and his sibling would deal with it together.
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Sam had come to fully understand what he'd tried to ignore when he was younger; together he and his big brother could defeat anything; apart they were easy meat for random evil.
The apple-pie life he'd once coveted was an illusion, it belonged to others, never intended for him nor for Dean.
So if this was all they had, then he damn well needed his brother by his side, and as he stepped through the swirling fog into Purgatory, anticipation made his heart beat faster. Dean was in here and Sam would get him out this time!
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"You have twenty-four hours," the reaper warned, "If I don't see you here at the appointed time, I go back alone. So try not to be late."
Sam nodded his understanding but the reaper had already disappeared along with the grey mist that had accompanied them.
He made sure his watch was buttoned down safely in an inner pocket. It was incautious to keep it on his wrist where it could get smashed if he had to fight his way to his brother. He suspected finding a replacement here would be difficult!
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Only then did he turn his attention to his surroundings, making a three-hundred and sixty degree turn.
The place looked like the set of a cheap horror movie, low murky lighting, eerie trees and bare branches, all garnished with creepy indistinct rustles coming from the under-brush.
Sam hadn't known what to expect, he was going in blind.
He hadn't been able to uncover any ulterior information on Purgatory, other than it was where monster souls ended up after death.
He had experience of Heaven and knew how it worked; Hell was well... hell, torture and humiliation a go-go, but exactly what went on in Purgatory he'd no clue! Maybe they threw parties! He smiled at the impossible idea. Yeah maybe the Purgatory souls partied twenty-four seven!
You should be so lucky Sam Winchester!
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Did this depressing half-lit landscape extend to the whole of Purgatory he wondered.
Whatever. He was here for his brother and twenty-four hours would pass rapidly, though the Reaper had assured him he'd be drawn automatically to the only other human present in this twilight dimension.
Not much help he mused, for he'd no idea which direction to take and he couldn't make out flashing beacons cheerfully pointing the way to Dean.
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There was a half-beaten path off to the right, leading deeper into the woods and Sam decided it was as good a place to start as any.
The reaper had warned him the only weapon which would pass though the barrier into Purgatory was a simple blade. Sam grasped the hilt firmly in his fist and made his way forward.
He was going to find his big brother and get the hell out of here!
But just as the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, the beaten paths to Purgatory are too, and Sam felt the sharp blow to the back of his head before utter blackness claimed him.
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He moaned in pain. His head was pulsing like a star about to go nova.
"He's coming round," a faint voice commented.
"Be careful," another warned. "It's Sam Winchester after all!"
Sam felt the coolness of a wet cloth being laid across his forehead, and he surmised whoever it was hadn't any intention of killing him right now or he wouldn't be lying here with a pounding headache, so he decided it might be okay to hitch open an eye and see exactly who was playing Florence Nightingale.
He manage to push up his heavy eyelids enough to get a glimpse, and when his sluggish mind registered who was looming over him, his heart twisted painfully in his chest.
TBC
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One of the few things I like of Carver's era ( perhaps the only thing) is Purgatory. It had lots of potential which was never fully explored.
Hope you enjoy. :)