Series title: A Supernatural Odyssey
Chapter 1: Green with Envy:
Cassadaga, Florida:
All was still in the house on the only hill in Cassadaga. If you could call it a hill, it was more like a mound, but with the flatness trademark of Florida it might as well have been a hill. She was just closing up shop when she realized there was one more customer. Marie Baudelaire III was still tired from a long days work of reading tarot and telling fortunes, giving some of them false hopes because no one wants to hear bad news. No one else was with the young woman on this muggy summer night. It was late, already dark, but Marie felt she had to make an exception to her 'no customers after 7pm' rule, that was clearly posted on her home door. The door protested with a loud screech as she opened it.
"Hello dear, C'mon in Sugar" said Marie while straightening her hair in its neat bun. The girl was meek but entered anyway. The screen door slammed back and gave the girl a jolt of fright. Marie chuckled, "Baby don't let the door slap ya ass on the way out." Marie trudged off to her kitchen to get supplies. She grabbed tea leaves and some herbs that promoted visions, not the illegal kind mind you.
"Are ya allergic to lavender or Verbena sweetheart?" Marie called from her stove, reaching in the cabinet above. Since her late customer didn't give a peep, Marie snatched the glass jar of lavender and turned to see a horrifying sight. Marie screamed in disbelief, prayed to Jesus and blessed herself the way Catholics do.
"B-B-B-But you're supposed to be dead!" Marie cried in fear. Her customer was not there for a reading, she was there for the woman's life. Quite painfully the woman froze in her place. The jar of herbs falling to the kitchen tile with a shatter. Marie tried and tried but she couldn't move at all. One tear streamed from her right eye.
"I get that a lot." said the girl with a smirk.
The monster left her house and that old wooden screen door gave it's good old cry. That was the last thing Marie Baudelaire III heard before her heart froze.
· Lebanon, Kansas:
He was stirring about uncomfortably for a dream, yet they were ripe conditions for a nightmare. Nightmares greeted Dean like an old and unwanted friend that still stuck to him like a desperate puppy. Much like the stragglers in high school that followed about in his shadow after he'd knock a dweeb's teeth in for messing with his Sammy. In his nightmare he was somewhere different. This was somewhere he'd never been before, but it reminded him of Louisiana and of Benny. The sweltering and suffocating humidity and big oak trees crowned in spanish moss, ominous yet strangely beautiful in their own right. He appeared in the middle of an orange tree grove.
Their scent permeated the air. He walked for about 50 yards until a small figure appeared from beyond the grove. It was a girl in a yellow sundress. She looked like Shirley Temple but with black hair and piercing green eyes. Dean noticed that she had no shoes on and deduced that she could not have been above 11. Dean crouched down on her level, groaning a bit from his knees cracking, he was getting older. He gave the girl a generic smile.
"Hi there little girl, do you know where we are?" He asked her.
"I'm not little, and besides, we are at home dummy-head." she retorted twirling about innocently. Dean winced at her answer. They were probably ten yards from the girls house, enough for hearing distance, not enough though to make out what anyone was saying. There was an argument going on in there, a tense one. Suddenly the girl started to cry, it was a gentle suppressed cry. Dean felt sorry for the girl and felt it was necessary to give her a pat on the arm. An innocent girl like you shouldn't have to cry ever, he thought.
"Mama says I'm too old to be playin' with imaginary friends. But Mama don't get it. I know you're real." the girl said choking back tears. The front door opened with a crash, making the girl jump and turn to see who was leaving.
"You might not treat me with any respect and that's fine, you've done it for years, but what about our daughter? Huh? Doesn't she mean anything to you?" said what Dean could only assume was the girl's father. He was the first to exit the house toting a duffle bag and suitcase in hand.
"She doesn't mean a thing if she can't learn properly. Everything was perfect, a perfect bloodline, all that work for nothing. Fruitless! She's already an embarrassment in the mundane world! I can't bear to call her my own!" Screamed the woman stomping behind him.
The man chucked his luggage into the bed of his truck. The girl was sobbing uncontrollably, ran up to her father, and clung onto his shirt.
"Daddy! Don't leave me. I'm sorry I wasn't good. I'll do better. I'll do better next time! Daddy!" she cried. With that final word something snapped in the man.
"There is no next time!" he yelled turning around to face his weeping mess of a daughter. Seeing her in such a weak state enraged him. He struck her on the face for the first time. He did it with enough force to knock her back in the dirt. Oh Hell no! Thought Dean as he bounded forward toward the man, ready to clock him.
"Is that the way you treat your daughter you son of a bitch?!" Dean swung but his arm went right through the man as if Dean were a ghost again.
"Phaedra Eris Tomilson, if you remember anything from this, come back to me when you grow up, no, when you're powerful enough to take me on, then will you be worthy to be my daughter." He said slamming his truck door shut, and driving away.
"Good riddance Jaime! I never loved you anyway!" Phaedra's mother taunted from the porch. Phaedra sat up wiping the tears from her cheeks. Dean was standing a few feet from her. She raised her head and thanked Dean.
"oh Phaedra, who're you talking to? Only numbnuts talk to their imaginary friends." said her mother from the porch with her hands on her hips.
"Why don't you come in, so that you don't frighten the neighbor?"
"I don't wanna go anywhere with you!" Phaedra said grabbing Dean's pant leg.
"I said come in!" her mother grunted. With a flick of her wrist phaedra's hair stood on end as if someone were pulling it. Dean cursed under his breath, no, no , no! The woman jerked her arm back and with it Phaedra was dragged by her hair, through dirt, up the porch stairs and into the house. Her mother slammed the door shut, and all was quiet.
Dean woke, sitting up right, jolted from his dream. The fresh smell of the orange blossoms were still crisp on his nose. He was drenched in sweat. He took a deep breath and sighed. He washed his face, brushed his teeth, and took a long hot shower. During that alone time he stared at his scuffed knuckles, remembering how he beat up bad Charlie. Maybe I shouldn't've saved that girl. I'm not in my right mind with the Mark still being here.
Dean grabbed a beer and some cereal and sat with a loud thud at the table next to Sam. Sam was enthralled in his laptop.
"Rough night?" Sam said.
"You don't know the half of it. What do we got this time?" Dean said through a mouthful of wheaties.
" Glad you asked. Looks like a case down in Florida. A woman was found petrified to death in her home in Cassadaga."
" Petrified? You mean turned to stone kind of petrified." Dean pondered.
" Yeah that's what I'm thinking" said Sam.
"So, we're gonna hunt friggin Medusa?"
"Looks like it. C'mon let's go. It's a 22 hour drive just to get there." Sam closed his laptop abruptly.
"Hey! At least let a man finish his breakfast!" Dean yelled as Sam rounded the corner to go pack up the Impala.
· Cassadaga, Florida:
They drove all through the night and most of the day too. Being tired and looking tired were very distinct differences that the Winchester brothers were masters at. Most of the time they were always tired and by now coffee had near no effect on their systems, yet they chugged a good cup of colombian joe down anyway, just for kicks. They were crashing at the aptly named, Orange Motel. It was painted an ugly shade of orange that was probably faded from the sun and age. It took them ten minutes to get there from the motel. Something Sam didn't mention, not even as they drove through the town of Cassadaga, was that Cassadaga was one of the country's most prominent "Spiritualist" community. If anything meant anything from the word Spiritualist to Dean, it was witches. The brothers exchanged looks, causing Sam to chuckle.
"C'mon man, it's nothing we haven't dealt with before."
"Witches! Friggin' witches! If this case turns me into some animal, I swear to G-. Uggggggh Sammy. You couldn't've told me? At least a warning. 'Hey we're working a case but it's in a whole town full of witches' ." Ranted Dean.
"Quit whining, the address is on the rural side of town."
Dean gave a groan in protest. Passing through the town wasn't all that bad, just nearly every house with a sign or two in their yard posting "Psychic" and "Natural Healer". Dean wasn't sure if that was the thing that made his stomach church or if it was when they pulled in, that he recognized the area. He couldn't help but stare at the neighboring house. It's age and wear and tear weren't the way he'd remembered in his nightmare. How many years had it been? Are you okay? Did you move out to escape that Hell? The orange groves were to the left of that old house. The groves were still healthy and bearing fruit. No car was in the driveway or near the house. Maybe your bitch of a mother is out, huh?
"Hey, you alright? What are you looking at?" Said Sam snapping his fingers in front of Dean's face to take him out of his trance.
"What? Yeah I'm fine, let's get this over with." Dean regurgitated giving Sam a pat on the shoulder and walking into Marie Baudelaire III's house. The local sheriff was in the kitchen where her body was. A number of nameless officers were about the house and it's grounds scrounging for evidence.
"What do we have here chief?" said Dean strolling into the kitchen after snapping a glance at a particularly hot cop passing by. Dean flashed his badge to the Sheriff and smiled, later crouching down to get a better angle at the perfectly still and preserved corpse.
" I dunno, in all my 25 years here in this quirky town, I ain't never seen this." Said the Sheriff taking off his long brimmed brown hat to fan himself from the heat. Even in the dead of winter, which for Florida wasn't much with no snow, Marie's house seemed to emanate heat.
"Does the deceased have any known relatives?" Asked Sam just strolling in. Sam put on some gloves with a snap and picked up some of the herbs that were strewn about the floor next to her. He did it carefully as not to pick up some broken glass with it. He recognized the lavender but the second herb he couldn't recognize right away. Lavender and Verbena?
"No she never had any children and never married. She moved here from New Orleans about 20 years ago. She was quite popular until 9 years ago, just fell off the map, so to speak. Her neighbors the Tomilson's were the only thing relatively close to her. And that's not saying much." Said the sheriff.
Dean felt his heart drop to his stomach as her name echoed in his head from her Father's voice. Phaedra Eris Tomilson. He wanted to know so desperately if she was alright. He didn't know why, but it was like they were connected somehow. Snapping out of his daydream, Dean shook his head rose up from the floor and stretched his back out.
"Man I am really stumped about this one Sheriff." Said Dean as Sam entered the room.
"Like I said I've got nothing, so to be honest I'm glad I'm leaving it in the hands of you boys. An old man like me needs his beauty sleep too you know? Eh, you'll understand when you're my age. Just catch the sumbitch will ya'?" That was the Sheriff's final goodbye. And with him most if not all the police and csi crew were gone within the hour. Sam and Dean went to a nearby Mom-'n'-Pop joint for some burgers.
They returned to the crime scene, parked Baby in Marie's bricked driveway, and decided to interview the neighbor. Dean exhaled a nervous sigh for the first time in a while.
Noticing this Sam furrowed his brow in mix of concern and confusion.
"You alright, cowboy? Haven't we done this a million times? What's up?" Asked Sam looking at his older brother intently. It wasn't like Dean to act like this, not at all.
"Yep, dandy." Said Dean, giving his brother something, he didn't want to hear. It was so automated. Sam knew there was something bothering him. And it was killing him because he knew Dean was lying again. Even still he brushed it off and gave a loud knock at the door,
"Hello? Is anyone home? FBI open up. We want to ask about Marie." Said Sam in his big boy voice. Dean mustered up the courage and banged on the door loudly.
"Ugh. Who is it now?" came a disgruntled voice from inside. Dean recognized the voice to be Phaedra's mother. He wanted to give her a piece of his mind, maybe even with a knuckle sandwich on the side. The door opened with a horrible squeaking sound.
"What da ya want? I was already questioned by the police." Said Isadora grumpily. She took one look at the Winchester boys and knew who they were. It was like she had magical sight or something of that sort. She gasped audibly and rushed to close the door. Dean shoved his foot inside and grabbed for his gun. Sam was a bit confused and thought Dean was using excessive force. Maybe he was still having angry side effects from the Mark of Cain? Sam thought.
-AO3 ¯
Phaedra was there in the kitchen washing dishes, diligently doing her chores as she had been told. She was startled by the disruption, but her mother's actions horrified her. Isadora yelled at her, "How dare you bring hunters into this house?! You; ungrateful worm!"
Isadora gripped her daughter by the jaw and dug her sharp nails into her frail skin, drawing blood. Dean was already fuming, now this just iced the cake. Phaedra dropped a freshly washed dish on the floor, shattering it.
"That was a priceless gift! Unlike you, 'Gift from the Gods' the Oracle told me. You've never once blessed this family. That's why your father left me, because you were always too weak!"
"Stop it!" yelled Dean as he approached Isadora. When Dean touched her, she motioned her hand and Dean and Sam flew across the room hitting the wall, they were pinned there. Isadora reveled in her control over her daughter. She just kept slapping and punching her until she was satisfied. Isadora pinned her daughter on the opposite wall, so that she could see the hunters clearly. Phaedra's lip was busted, and blood was flowing from a cut above her eyebrow, her face was bloodied, and her beauty now mangled. No child should ever have to go through this, thought Sam.
Dammit! If I could only move, then I can do something! Thought Dean. Phaedra was crying, she couldn't help but cry even if she never wanted to cry. She thought it was another reason to think that she was weak and feeble.
"Stop your whining and answer my question stupid girl. Did you summon these hunters?"
"No! of course not!" Phaedra said through her sobbing and sniffling through her nose. Why can't you just let me be? She thought.
"Look, and use that dumb brain of yours, I know you've been in the Astral. Do you recognize them?" Isadora's harsh words rang through Phaedra's head like a hot knife through butter. With the blood stinging her eyes she answered,
"I don't think I saw the tall one. But maybe the short haired one?" She said trying to hide a white-lie. She was certain she'd seen Dean before. She was the one who reached out to him in the first place. She had never been a good liar. It just wasn't in her nature, or perhaps that was an attribute that had been submitted out of her long ago.
Isadora was brimming with anger. How dare this blight of a child summon a hunter here and subject me to danger? She thought. She knew she didn't have a lot of energy left, Dean could wriggle about now in the suspended space. Isadora cursed under her breath and let her hold go on Phaedra and the boys. She made a quick escape through the back door. Sam tended to Phaedra and Dean instinctively went to find where Isadora had escaped to.
Seeing that she'd found a car and was driving away, Dean shot at it to no avail. She'd escaped.
The boys took Phaedra back to the Orange Motel and started to make sense of it all. With a wince, Phaedra backed away from Dean, tending to her cuts with a bottle of whiskey he found stashed in the back of Baby.
"Ow, dammit. Don't you have a first aid kit or something?" She said, grabbing hold of his arm that had the Jack Daniels soaked cloth.
"Does this look like a hospital to you? Sorry princess." Dean said putting the cloth back on her cut.
"Don't call me princess. I hate that word." She retorted.
"So far, no leads on Marie's case. But I have a hunch." Said Sam walking in with a bag of goodies from the local Gas n' Sip across the street.
"What's that?" Dean said, washing out the bloody cloth.
Sam gave a look at Phaedra, like he didn't want to talk about it with her here.
"There might be a connection between our Medusa and Isadora." He said tossing Dean a sandwich. Gingerly he passed a second sandwich to Phaedra and gave her a quick smile.
"Thank you." She said.
"Spill it. But before you do, I have a problem." Said Dean through a mouthful of sandwich.
"Problem?" asked Sam.
"Yeah, Pie! We're in Florida there should be Key lime pie, everywhere right?"
Sam tossed a slice of pumpkin pie to his brother, he hadn't forgotten about pie in a long time.
"So, I didn't find any Hex bags, which is weird. But I did find a lot of Greek things in Phaedra's house."
Phaedra couldn't control her laughter,
"You think we use Hex bags? That's a Celtic tool. And those things you found are images of the Olympians on our altars. My mom is a bad person, that doesn't make her a murderer."
"What's the Astral? That's something she mentioned. And how do you know Dean?"
"I don't know Dean. But I've seen him. It's a bit like Déjà vu on steroids. The Astral is short for the Astral Realm. Maybe you've heard of Astral Projection? I can't do that yet, it's advanced magic. The ancient people used it to receive messages from the divine. It's a lot like dreaming. Here's an example, I make a phone call, and someone answers that call. Dean answered my call." Phaedra explained.
"Why so far away? Across state lines, how come there wasn't one closer that answered it?" Asked Sam finishing his dinner.
"Not if they aren't strong enough to pick up the phone."
"And I just magically was enough to tap into you?" Asked Dean looking confused.
"I guess so. I don't know why that memory decided to show up either." Said Phaedra.
"Has your dad showed back up yet?" Asked Dean. She shook her head, no.
"Maybe you could tap into the killer?" Sam asked, reading the room. Dean shouldn't've asked that question.
"I can try." Phaedra stated.
"Well, let's get some shut eye. We're gonna need it." Said Dean rising from his bed and shutting off the lights.
Phaedra covered herself with the stiff motel comforter and began to weep. This was her first taste of freedom, and to have it by these strangers. She thought she didn't deserve it because she didn't fight for her own freedom. She was letting someone else do the work for her, again. She was failing, again.
Sam and Dean heard her crying, and their hearts were heavy for her.
"Guys? Thank you, for saving me. You're such nice people." She managed to choke out.
"No problem, kid." Dean said.
"You're welcome." Replied Sam.
Getting sleep was no problem for Phaedra. Crying herself to sleep was a habit. But this time it was different, it was happy. She knew it wasn't over yet. Her mother would surely find her, and this time she was fighting back. This time getting into the Astral was a little more difficult than before. She was transported back home, this time in her parent's orange field. Something was coming for her. Through the shadows of the night she couldn't make out who it was.
It came out of the trees swiftly, her mother. She was desperate to tell Phaedra something. She was naturally hesitant and tentative towards her mother but this time something was off about her. It was as if she were from a different time period. The time when she had a strong, unconditionally loving, and healthy relationship with her mother. She spoke and spoke, but Phaedra could never hear her.
Just then she heard Dean calling out to her. Was he there? Or was it a trick of the Astral Realm? She looked about around her but couldn't find him. Something grabbed her arm tightly, long nails scraping at her soft skin. She looked at its face. It was beautiful at first like porcelain. Simultaneously her hair turned to snakes hissing and snapping at her. The creature screamed and open her eyes.
Shook from fear, Phaedra screamed reflexively. She jolted up from her sleeping position. Dean and Sam were already awake, perhaps not for long. Dean comforted her and let his hand rest on her shoulder,
"Are you okay?" He asked her looking slightly worried.
"Do I look okay?!" she retorted.
"What did you see?" questioned Sam.
"I saw my mom. But she was different. She looked like she was when she loved me. She was talking to me but my ears. I couldn't hear. And you called for me but never showed up. And then ugh. It grabbed me and showed me it's eyes. I thought I was a goner." Phaedra explained gripping her arm where the Gorgons claws had been.
"Do you think she killed again?" Asked Sam.
"I don't know for sure. Maybe if we leave for my house tonight, we'll find out?" Phaedra said trusting her hunch.
"Woah. Wait. Do we even know how to kill one of these?" Dean said, throwing on his jacket. Dean and Sam shot looks at Phaedra.
"What? Do I look like a Greek encyclopedia? The last person to kill a Gorgon was Perseus. One hasn't been seen in centuries."
"So, then what do we do now?" Asked Sam.
"We wait for nightfall." Stated Dean plopping back down on his bed.
*Later that night:
Dean put Baby in park and glanced at Sam, "Ok ready?"
Sam put one in the chamber, a witch killing bullet. They were sure how to kill at least one of the things they were hunting tonight. It was worth something to at least try. Phaedra made an attempt to exit the car but was abruptly stopped by Dean. He made quick of himself and handcuffed both her hands to the steering wheel. She yanked at the cuffs in a short fit of disbelief and rage. Dean peered at her through the open window as Sam rounded the Impala to meet up with his brother.
"I could help you!" Phaedra rose her voice at Dean, not understanding why they were underestimating her.
"We can handle ourselves little lady." Retorted Dean taunting her by waving the key in his hand and putting it in his pocket.
"We're sorry, we just don't want you to get hurt." Said Sam from behind his brother.
"Oh, you happen to have one of those hairpins, do you?" asked Dean.
"So now you think I'm a skilled jailbreaker? Not everyone knows how to do that." she replied sharply.
"Nice to know sweetheart." Dean waved at her with his back turned, ready to move on to his next objective. The front door opened with a soft creak. Immediately upon stepping foot in the house it hit them like a ton of bricks. Dean sniffed the air, he knew that smell. A few years ago he would wake up to that. It made him uneasy at first, but the more he sniffed, the more he was certain she was there in that house. Completely infatuated with her, he left his brother alone in the front of the house, as if he had gone into it alone. Dean started up the stairs. Sam whispered loudly at him,
"Dean?!" he said looking from room to room, Sam was getting nervous and scared. That wasn't normal. At the top of the stairs, still in Sam's' sight He heard Dean call out to Lisa. Sam heard a familiar voice calling him as well. He walked forward to the kitchen, "Amelia?" he called in disbelief.
Back in the Impala, Phaedra sighed. It had been an hour and thirty minutes since they entered. Something came over her, an intense feeling of sleep. It was effortless, she saw black at first but when she opened her eyes, she was back in the Impala still cuffed to her wheel. She wasn't sure if she was dreaming or if she'd entered the Astral Realm. A strong gust of wind blew through the open car window. She had an ominous feeling followed by a pit forming in her stomach. She needed to get out of that car. She closed her eyes and focused her energy.
"Helios!" with that utterance she was free from her cuffs, they lie on the floorboard of Baby glowing as if they'd been cut by the rays of the sun. The fog had rolled in while she was sleeping. Now she could barely see in front of her face. It was an unusually cold night. Something typical that Phaedra knew about the weather here, where she'd always lived, was to expect bipolar style fluctuations. Baby's door thudded loudly as she shut it.
"Phaedra? Please I don't have much time. I need you to listen to me." Said a voice from beyond the fog. Her mother was there standing before her, except she was beautiful, ethereal really.
"Mom?" she pondered inching closer tentatively.
"I'm not gonna hurt you anymore Baby. I know you won't forgive me for it, I did all those horrible things to you. Someone tricked me, cursed me. And now my time is up. They are coming after me. I can't let them have you. You're meant to do great things sweetie. I'm so sorry I wasn't able to be there for you. Gods, I've missed so much. He made me ruin you. You have to run. Get out of here!" At the end of her plea, Isadora was engulfed in heat, smoke, flames. Fears that were quintessential to anyone who called themselves witch.
Phaedra woke with a jolt. A solitary tear fell from her cheek as she found herself still bound to the Impala. She didn't understand her mother's words, but she knew she needed to act fast or else. Helios! Free from her bindings she stepped out of the Impala. The fog was already there, but for how long? How many hours has it been? Where are Sam and Dean? Her mother?
Chills went up her spine, a familiar feeling was clutching at her again. Claw-like nails drawing blood. She shut her eyes as hard as she could. She whimpered as she felt the snakes' coil around her neck and through her long curly hair. The hissing of them loudly in her ears. I can't look! She heard her mothers voice again.
"It's okay Baby, open your eyes. There's nothing to be afraid of. I love you, I always have. He cursed me. Can't we start over? We'll live a life that others envy. Don't you want to see me?" it said.
"You're not her. You're not real!" Phaedra reassured herself. The Gorgon's grip tightened, making wounds. A flash of bright white light struck the Gorgon's arm, loosening it's hold on Phaedra. The Gorgon writhed and screamed in protest. Her arm was severed and limp on the ground. Next to the appendage stand a silvery arrow. Artemis? Thought Phaedra. Before her eyes, the arrow changed itself into an ancient dagger. She took it with her thinking it would be strong enough to kill the Gorgon.
Angry the Gorgon slithered around the Impala before topping the trunk, Baby's metal whining against the Gorgon's weight. Phaedra closed her eyes again. She knew one peak would petrify herself. She waited until it got real close, feeling it's hot breath on her neck, fangs scratching at her skin. She gave one good thrust, she'd made contact. The snakes hissed shrilly until she turned to stone, the dagger still lodged in her chest. Phaedra felt around, making sure that she could open her eyes once again. She let out a sigh of relief. The dense fog had disappeared.
"Phae! Are you okay?" Dean low voice called to her.
5 minutes ago,
Dean couldn't believe what he was seeing. Lisa sitting on the bed in the room at the end of the hall.
"You have to trust your heart Dean. I know leaving me and Ben hurt. But that girl out there, she's written in the stars. I know you may not feel like it now but she's yours. You're drawn together. Something keeps you two together, fate maybe? She is going to feel more like yours than you thought Ben was." Lisa uttered.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Dean said trying to make sense of it.
"You'll understand in time. Dean, it's so important that you don't give up on her." Lisa whimpered, her wrist bled profusely. Dean set down his gun on the bedside table and ripped a piece of his shirt off to make a tourniquet.
"That won't be necessary. I'm not real after all. I'm just a messenger. But she's out there fighting all alone. Ben, he uh, started high school today. And I remarried. But you're not forgotten." A tear fell from her face as blood started to gush from her chest. Dean couldn't help himself from trying to comfort his former lover, real or illusion didn't matter to him. He held her hand and sat on the bed beside her.
"You're too sweet." Were her last words as she cupped her hand into Dean's cheek lovingly. Dean stared into her eyes as she turned to stone and crumbled into dust. Dean furrowed his brow and covered his face with his hands. She wasn't real. Taking a long sigh, he pulled himself together and strode down the stairs.
"Sam?!" he called. No answer wasn't a good sign. He searched every room in the house and finally found him in the kitchen. He was sitting in one of the dinning room chairs shocked and starring at a pile of dust in the adjacent chair.
"She was right there. Her chest." He numbly answered.
"I'm sorry. It happened to me too. C'mon, we gotta find Phaedra." Dean gave Sam a tender pat on the back. They stepped out onto the porch a dense fog was clearing. Dean could barely make out figures in front of his Impala.
"Phae! Are you okay?" He called out to the figures. Seeing clearer now, he rushed over to Phaedra. Noticing the deep wounds in her arm, he used the ripped flannel piece as a makeshift bandage for her.
"Good going kid. Hunting 101. A+" He said as he tied it tightly and smiled.
"Did you find my mom?" She asked looking worryingly at Sam and Dean. In the distance they all heard a shrill scream from the orange grove. Wasting no time, Phaedra bounded after it.
"Hey! Dammit, kids." Scoffed Dean as he followed her, Sam backing him up guns, drawn. Phaedra came upon the scene in shock and confusion.
"Mama? Who hurt you?" Phaedra knelt beside her mother, who was stabbed and in bad shape.
"Run, before they see you. The Vanquishers. They won't hesitate to kill you off."
"You need a hospital, Dean call 911. I'm not leaving you." Phaedra said grappling for her mother's arm in an attempt to help her up.
"Just listen to me just this once! Get out of here, far away. You can live with them. Please don't get yourself killed because of me." Isadora rose her voice. She made a motion with her hand, sending her daughter back to the Winchester brothers. Sam helped Phaedra from the dirt.
The flapping of wings was a sign to Isadora that they were too late. The vanquishers had arrived to collect their bounty.
"Isadora Tomilson. You have been sentenced to death by incineration for your transgressions of dark witchery. As seen and evidenced by the human population, the summoning of a Gorgon. Your sight has been clouded with envy. For the death of Marie Baudelaire lll. You will be shown no mercy." The three angels spoke in unison. One of them holding her hands behind her. Another with an angel blade in hand ready to strike while the other one just watched.
Just before the angel blade pierced her, she whispered a spell. Icarus. Grandiose brown wings sprung forth from Phaedra's back as the angel blade thrust into Isadora. Phaedra managed to grab Sam and Dean's hands, taking them with her. The fire was what Phaedra remembered the most, it's unrelenting heat confirming her mother's death. She didn't have time to say goodbye, or even cry. The wings had taken them back to the front of the Bunker, far away from Cassadaga. Phaedra aimlessly crossed the street and trudged into the grassy field as she wept. The sun came up to greet them. Its rays struck Phaedra's wings harshly, burning them off. When the light faded, she slumped down in the soft grass unconscious. The last thing she remembers was Dean's voice calling for her, both Sam and Dean's heavy-footed sounds, and a bit of nudging to try and wake her.