I was being sent to a new group home and I didn't have a say in it. All I could do was stare out the window and watch as the rain poured down the van's windows. The music the driver had put on was terrible and if the ride continued like this, I think I might have to tuck and roll right on out the door.
About two hours into the drive, we stopped at a Gas n' Sip to take a bathroom break and fill up the van. The driver finally stepped out of the vehicle after checking his phone for any messages, probably asking if he had lost me yet. He looks to be fairly short and mostly skin and bones. I could probably outrun him by a long stretch. I decided that's what I was going to do. I was going to run away. Quickly I came up with a plan, grabbed my jacket, and then opened the door and started towards the entrance of the store.
"Hey!" I heard from behind me, back at the van.
I turned around, looked back and yell back.
"I'm going to the bathroom, be right back!"
My driver seemed satisfied with that answer as he shrugged his shoulders and turned around to finish pumping gas.
I quickly trudged towards the store doors trying not to attract any attention, truth is I was nervous. I have never tried running away and have no knowledge on how to. I have to keep reminding myself it's better this way, that nobody's going to miss me. It's not like I have a family. Alive at least. I was brought out of my thoughts by a tall man with a loud voice.
"Come on Sam, It's just a burger, it won't kill you. Leave the healthy stuff for the rabbits."
Suddenly an even taller guy appeared from a back alley behind the original guy. This guy had long hair and wore a big tan coat, while the other had fairly short hair that was spiked and had on a old and worn out brown leather jacket.
"Let's just get out of here, this place is starting to give me the creeps."
It was only then that I realized that this place was a dump and was probably violating so many so the health violations. I wondered how they managed to pass an inspection.
Focus Mandy, you have to find the back door remember?
I once again was dragged out of my thoughts and this time I hurried to find a back way out. I walked past the two tall guys who were still arguing, and turned left down a dark hallway. I couldn't see anything but I figured if there was a door it would be at the end. I was right.
Cautious not to make any noise I turned the knob and pushed open the door and was bombarded by light. I walked out and closed the door behind me. Suddenly I felt a cold breeze and shivered at the sudden drop in temperature. I quickly returned my jacket on my body. It seemed to get colder the farther I went.
I started walking towards a path behind the store, my steps advancing as I went. I'm starting to understand what the tall guy meant about it being creepy here. All of a sudden the guy who was driving the van appeared.
"Mandy, what are you doing back here? We're late, let's go."
He reached out and grabbed onto my arm hard enough to leave a bruise. I pulled away and looked at him with anger.
"What the hell man, that h—-." I started but was cut off by a stinging pain coming from my cheek.
The dude had slapped me. That was it, I was finally at my breaking point. I started running towards the back door I had just exited from but once again was stopped by the guy.
This time he full on punched me. It was hard enough to send me toppling to the ground. I reached my hand to my face and when I pulled away I saw blood on my fingers. Looking back up I started to open my mouth to give him a piece of my mind, but then his eyes turned black.
I decided this was a good moment to scream. I screamed so loud I thought I broke a window. instantaneously the two tall guys from the diner came over and pulled the man with black eyes off of me. They splashed something in his face that sizzled and steamed off his face. Then they started chanting something in another language that I believed to be Latin.
"Ut Ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos." As soon as they finished their chant a cloud of black smoke exited from my driver's mouth and flew off into the sky.
"You okay?"
I looked up at them and nodded trying to make sense of what I had just witnessed.
The two guys took a quick glance at each other, nodded and looked back at me and asked me what my name was.
"Mandy." I choked out.
The taller one kneeled down next to me and started talking.
"Hi Mandy, my names Sam, and this is my brother Dean. What you just saw. That was a demon." All I could do was stare at this guy. Demon? Yeah right. I suddenly regained my voice and started to talk.
The one who was addressed as Dean spoke up and rolled his eyes. "Yeah Sam, don't hold nothin' back."
I looked between the two trying to comprehend what they had just told me but It just didn't make any sense. "Yeah ok. You know what, I think I'm just gonna go. You must be high or something because you're talking some crazy crap." I stood up slowly ignoring the throbbing pain in my skull. I didn't get very far up before I started to fall.
"Woah! Ok crap, hold on." Dean called out as he caught me in his arms before I could hit the ground.
Sam looked at me with a worried look on his face before turning back to his brother.
"Dean, I think we should take her to a hospital. She doesn't look so good." It was the word hospital that made me panic. If they took me there, I would get sent back to another group home.
I started to struggle out of Dean's grasp but it was no use. He is much stronger and I felt lightheaded because of what had just gone down.
"No h-hospital." I told them while giving them the best kill face I could muster.
"Alright, at least let us take you home." Sam suggested.
I looked between the two brothers and then looked back down before explaining.
"I don't have a family. My mom and dad died when I was 7." I didn't realize that there was tears forming in my eyes until one fell and reached my mouth and I could taste the saltiness.
"Oh, sorry I didn't know. Um… You can come with us if you like? We were just about to head out of her back to our motel room."
There really wasn't anywhere else I could go and these guys didn't seem like bad People, so I nodded my head yes and they helped my up and towards their car. Dang they had a nice ride. The car was old but was in almost perfect condition. My dad used to have one just like it before he died. He would never let me anywhere near it, saying it was his "most prized possession."
I carefully slid into the backseat as the guys climbed in up front. They started the car and pulled out of the parking lot and down the road. We continued down the road for about 10 minutes before the car turned in a small rundown motel lot.
The ride had been fairly quick and not long enough to take a quick nap, which had probably been for the best. I don't know these guys, there were a million possible bad outcomes of falling asleep.
I hurried out of the car as soon as it came to a stop. Sam and Dean looked to face each other for a few seconds before nodding and getting out as well.
Sam and Dean headed directly to door number 26 and opened the door using the motels key. I followed but not without keeping a safe distance from them. The door opened and I looked inside. The inside looked worse than outside.
The kitchen area had an old a fridge, a sink, and a stove, with no counter space. The table looked like it would fall apart if you were to put your cup down, not the mention the chairs didn't match and the seat cover had a rip in it. The beds looked alright, there were 2 queen sized beds next to each other and a pull out couch, which I guessed was where I was going to be sleeping.
After observing the room I felt like I was being watched. I quickly turned around to be encountered with Dean. It took me a second to collect myself. I felt embarrassed as I saw his hand was on my shoulder and he was giving me the most concerned look I have ever seen.
"Dean, come here." Thank god.
Dean slowly made his way over to where Sam was stationed by the window. Sam whispered something to Dean before opening a duffle bag that was in his hands. When it was opened and Dean got a glance inside, his face immediately started to looked worried and even a little scared. Sam noticed I was watching the whole exchange and quickly pulled the duffle away and out of my sight.
I sighed and looked back at the door and decided to go take a walk. Whatever they were talking about was obviously lightly discussed and not in front of a strange girl they had saved not 20 minutes ago at a gas station.
I got up to walk to the door and once I reached it, I called out to the brothers telling them what I was doing and walked out. Sam seemed pleased but Dean looked thoroughly disappointed and I couldn't tell if it was because of me or what was in that bag.
The cold air felt like tiny needles piercing my skin and I wish I had brought the rest of my stuff, including my hat and gloves. I walked down the parking lot to what looked like an old wagon. It looked interesting so I began to observe it, taking in every detail including the tall dying grass surrounding it. I decided I would come back later with a pencil and paper and draw it.
I became fully aware of how long I had been standing there taking in the old wagon as it began to lightly began to rain. I had been out in the cold for almost 30 minutes in nothing but my thin jacket. Hesitating first, I started towards the door. I had my had on the doorknob before I heard yelling.
"Sam, just get it away from me." Was all that was heard before the door handle flew from its secure spot in my hand. Dean's face was red and he looked like he would explode at any moment. He pushed passed me and out towards the Impala before starting its engine and taking off.
I was confused but decided against asking questions for now because it probably had to do with what was in the bag from earlier, and was coming up as a touchy subject, So I walked back through the door that Dean had just exited.
Sam came over to me and handed me a sandwich that he had made. I nodded, thanking him silently and sat down to eat. When I was done Sam pointed to the bed farthest from the door and told me that's where I could sleep.
Truth was I was exhausted and could barely walk across the room. Somehow I managed to get to the bed and underneath the covers because next thing I knew the pull to darkness was too strong and everything was dark.
