A/N so this is my first story, so work with me. This will be a supernatural AU involving another brother. Basically it is going to be supernatural the novel series with my character's thoughts and point of view in the mix. I don't plan on putting brotherly fluff moments in this story. I have brothers myself, and while we do love each other, they can be uncaring assholes. I want my story to seem natural. I'm sure this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but who knows. Someone might like it. I plan on it following along the main series coupling with my character's story arc. Like I said, first story… Be nice and work with me. I'm well aware this is a vague shitty A/N, but I'm trying! Regardless, I own nothing from supernatural, all rights go to them and their creators. If anyone notices any grammatical errors make sure to let me know. Like I said, this will be basically be an embellished novelization of Supernatural. That being said, if things don't follow along in the series dialog-wise, don't get mad. It is a fanfiction after all. Hope someone enjoys!
Three weeks and two days. It had been three weeks and two days since my brother and I had last seen our father. Granted, in our family, disappearing for any stretch of time wasn't exactly atypical. Hell, our other brother Sam, has been out of reach for the past two years… Well, at least to some degree. Sam wanted out of the family business, so he fought to get out once he hit age eighteen. Sam had a mind of his own, and he wanted to use it, rather than simply follow our father's orders. The amount of courage he had to find within himself to take the steps to leave is honorable. I was absolutely furious when Sam left us. However, I believe he deserves to be able to step forward and work towards whatever goal he has set forth, even if that means I don't get to see him anymore. Regardless, our father, unlike Sam, always comes back… And this time he didn't. Dean and I had run out of options. Every trail we seemed to follow came to a dead end. John Winchester… Dad… Was a lot of things, a father… A retired marine… A widower… An alcoholic… An ass. Still, he wasn't a deserter. He would never just abandon us after all that we have been through together. Dean and I eventually came to the conclusion that our John mystery would require one more pair of hands to solve… Sam Winchester.
The journey to Stanford University was probably one of the longest drives I have ever had to make. Not that is was particularly different from the hundreds of other drives in the Impala. This drive was filled to the brim with angst. Not even Dean's light hearted jokes and prods could make me feel like my heart wasn't about to burst from my chest. In several hours, I would be face to face with my brother again, after these long two years. Sam and I had always gotten along better, compared to Dean and I… or even our Dad. He was the only sensible one around, and then he left. It would be exquisite to have a deeper conversation with someone again, one that didn't involve hunting, weapons, or Deans feeble attempt of talking to me about racy women. I couldn't help but grin at the thought of seeing Sammy again. A smack to the back of the head brought me out of my thoughts.
"Damn it Riley, I've been trying to talking to your ass for the past it five minutes! Quit daydreaming and get with it!", Dean gnarled with a mouth full of food. It was pretty hard to take him seriously with the strip of lettuce hanging from the corner of his mouth and the half eaten cheeseburger in his hand… Neanderthal. In truth, I probably should have been listening to the plan on approaching Sam when we arrive at Stanford, but I get distracted easily… Sue me. With a sigh, I replied to the bits and pieces I had made out of his plan.
"Your plan is bullshit.", I stated. "The last thing we need to do is to show up at his house and demand that he hops in the car and hightails it with us to find Dad. He has his own life that he has built, without our supernatural dilemma. If there is going to be any possibility of him coming with us, you'd have best let me talk to him. You will probably just piss him off." I felt I was possibly too blunt, but if Dean doesn't hear it… he doesn't realize it. AC/DC lightly resonated throughout the Impala while I watched the gears turn in Dean's head. I continued to strike while the iron was hot.
"Let's get to Stanford, I'll give him a call and we can go from there.", I finished. I may not be as strong as Dean, but I certainly have more tact when speaking to people. Although I am uncomparable when it comes to Sam. Sam can just smile at people and they instantly want to conquer the world for him. I gave Dean a minute to mull over my proposal… He took a fourth of it and responded.
"How about we stick with the plan of 'I'm your big brother and you'll do as I say.'", he sneered. "I'm driving, and the driver calls the shots.", he finished, drumming his hands on the steering wheel. I rolled my eyes, turning to peer out at the green blur of passing landscape. This was going to be a shit show, I could already tell. Dean could sound condescending at times, but I know it's only because he gives a damn for his family. Plus, being snarky shithead was a huge portion of his personality… Lovable oaf.
Resting my head back on the leather seats of the Impala, my mind drifted back to reuniting with Sam. Would he be happy to see us? What are we going to do if he rejects our proposal? Rubbing my temples, I quickly shook the stray thought out of my head. I have to trust my brother… He will pull through for Dean and I. Rechecking the G.P.S. for the hundredth time, I internally groaned. Only six more hours until we see our brother again, and Dean won't be leaving him behind without confrontation.
October 31st, 2005 - Palo Alto, CA
We had been standing outside of Sam's apartment for the past twenty minutes squabbling about our next move.
"Damn it, Dean.", I hissed. Pushing a finger into Dean's chest, I proceeded in tearing his ass a new one. "I agreed to let you do the talking. I agreed to show up at his house, rather than calling in advance. I sure as hell did not agree to break into his house!" I could feel the heat coming to my face, this is a typical Dean stunt. Dean remained unperturbed, snarling at me he continued to walk towards the edge of Sam's apartment complex. exasperated, I trailed behind Dean. I am so damn tired of having to be the appointed guardian of this twenty-six year old man. Arriving at the edge of the building, Dean leaped up and grabbed the bottom bars of the fire escape. Swinging his legs, he used his momentum to pull himself up onto the iron platform. Oh hell, I guess it's my turn. Dean is a good size bigger than me, so following him should be no problem… That being said, Dean also has more muscle than I do. It's pretty hard for me to really gain any weight… I guess my metabolism is skyhigh or something along those lines. Prepping myself, I bent my knees and made a not-so-graceful jump towards the iron bars secured to the brick wall. I momentary found my grip on the bottom of the fire escape, only to find the momentum of my legs swinging forward too great. In a nutshell, I fell back towards the dew soaked grass and landed flat on my ass.
"Son of a bitch…", I said through gritted teeth. I could only hope that dean had moved on towards the window, to start picking the lock. Luck was not in my favor tonight.
"Do you need a boost, kid?", Dean said, sarcasm dripping from his question. Returning his question with a single finger, I rose to my feet, and poised myself to try again. Fortunately, this go was met with success. Climbing into the fire escape, I pushed past Dean and continued to Sam's window. Quickly picking the lock, I motioned for Dean to enter the home first. If we are going to be trespassing, I will be damned if Sam tries to take a swing at me.
Climbing in behind Dean, I focused on my surroundings. We must be in a guest bedroom, it was a plain room, containing only a made bed, a dresser, and vanity. Moving forward I managed to knock my hip into the damn vanity, causing a loud noise to resonate through the house… Fuck me. Dean abruptly turned towards me and looked at me like I was crazy. We held that eye contact for a good thirty seconds, listening for any kind of stir in the house… Nothing. Continuing forward, we ventured further into the house. The silence was deafening. The house was very neat and taken care of. Inching forward, I noticed lines of beads hanging from one of the doors entering into the hallway. What is this, the seventies? Despite my own stealth, Dean was waltzing about the house as if he owned it. Shocker. Pushing open a glass door, Dean casually stepped into the next room. In a flash, a man lunged toward Dean and grabbed his shoulder. It happened so fast, I couldn't believe my eyes. Dean quickly knocked his assailants arm away and aimed a swing at him. It was dark and hard to make out, but the scuffle eventually led into the next room. After several seconds of movement, a smack, and a groan, the fight finally ended in a large crash. Creeping into the room, Dean was poised over our brother, with one hand on his neck and the other pinning his arm. Damn it, Dean, I thought glumly.
"Whoa, easy, tiger.", Dean laughed. He was trying to play it off, but I could hear the exhaust in his voice.
"Dean?", Sam questioned, squinting his eyes to get a better look at him. "You scared the crap out of me!" Sam sounded worse off than Dean. I could hear him gasping for air from where I was standing.
"That's 'cause you're out of practice.", Dean answered with a laugh. However, he spoke too soon, because Sam quickly maneuvered Dean onto the ground and had him pinned down. Looks like old habits die hard. "Or not… Get off me." Sam rolled off Dean on to his feet and pulled Dean up to a standing position. At this point the excitement bubbling up inside me came to a head. Stepping through the door, I quickly grabbed Sam in a hug. I could feel him stiffen in my arms, but I didn't care.
"Sam!", I grinned. "I've missed you!" I really needed to stop talking, I was smiling like an idiot. It had been a long time since I had seen him. His hair had grown out, and he was definitely a couple inches taller. Looking down at me he pat me on the back and spoke.
"Riley… What the hell are you two doing here?", Sam asked. Feeling dejected, I let go of him and stepped back beside Dean. Maybe he isn't happy to see us? Tapping Sam's shoulders Dean spoke.
"Well, I was looking for a beer.", he teased. Sam didn't look amused.
"What the hell are you two doing here?", Sam repeated sternly. I knew breaking in wasn't the way to go… The look of discomfort on Sam's face proved that he felt less than gleeful about seeing his own brothers again. I spoke again, trying to steer the conversation towards the point.
"We need to talk.", I said. "Preferably, sooner than later." I stared hard into Sam's eyes. He needed to understand why we were here, and why it was our last ditch effort.
"Uh, the phone?", Sam responded. Again, I knew this was a mistake. He doesn't want us in his life anymore.
"If we'd have called, would you have picked up?", Dean challenged. Before Sam could answer, the lights suddenly flickered on. This caused us to turn in unison to the new person entering the room. It was a very beautiful girl. She had long blonde hair with curls. She was wearing a cropped shirt featuring a smurf and smurfette. Is she Sam's girlfriend? Hell, they live together so I assume so. She seemed pretty confused about the two strange man standing in her apartment… Can't exactly say that I blame her. After a few awkward seconds of silence, Sam spoke.
"Jess. Hey. Dean, Riley, this is my girlfriend, Jessica.", he stated. Bingo. I was right. Glancing over, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Dean was staring at her like a druggie stares at dilaudid. I had to resist the urge to slap the back of his head.
Wait, your brothers, Dean and Riley?", Jessica asked with a smile. I have to hand it to my brother, he managed to catch him a very pretty girlfriend. Before Sam could respond, Dean stepped closer to Jessica and began to talk… Much more than he needed to.
"Oh, I love the smurfs. You know, I gotta tell you. You are completely out of my brother's league.", Dean said. I couldn't help but roll my eyes again. I can only see the back of his head, but I'm sure he was eyeballing her like a piece of meat. She must have noticed it too.
"Just let me put something on…", she began, however, Dean quickly interrupted her. Walking back over to Sam, he didn't take an eye off of her.
No, no, no, I wouldn't dream of it. Seriously.", he said. "Anyway, I gotta borrow your boyfriend here, talk about some private family business. But, uh, nice meeting you." He finished with a wink.
"No.", Sam stated, walking over to Jessica and throwing an arm around her. "No, whatever you want to say, you can say it in front of her." Now he is just being difficult. I can't help but start to get slightly annoyed.
"Okay. Um. Dad hasn't been home in a few days.", Dean began. Sam seemed less interested when the subject was brought to Dad.
"So he's working overtime on a Miller Time shift. He'll stumble back in sooner or later.", Sam said, sounding annoyed. Sam was completely missing the point we were trying to make.
"Sam, Dad's on a hunting trip. And he hasn't been home in a few days.", I said. I did my best to hint what we were getting at, while not completely blowing our secret in the midst of company. Sam gave me a blank expression. He took a few moments to respond.
"Jess, excuse us. We have to go outside." Finally he got the fucking point.
Heading downstairs Sam naturally started bitching. The two years of not seeing him and missing him were starting to lose its luster.
"I mean, come on. You can't just break in, middle of the night, and expect me to hit the road with you.", Sam begins. Sam's complaints fall on deaf ears, because Dean continued to try to convince him.
"You're not hearing me, Sammy. Dad's missing. we need you to help us find him.", Dean responded. It was clear in his voice that he was getting frustrated.
"You remember the poltergeist in Amherst? Or the Devil's Gates in Clifton? He was missing then, too. He's always missing, and he's always fine.", Sam finished. At this point, I was beginning to get lose my patience as well. I had been leading the group down the stairs. I abruptly stopped and spun around to look Sam in the eyes. They both halted in the stairs along with me. Sam was stubborn as hell, Dean wasn't going to be able to convince him without help.
"I know you aren't happy to see us again Sam.", I tried not to sound as butt hurt as I felt. "But do you seriously think we would come all this way to find you if we didn't need you? Sam. We need your help. Are you going to come or not?"
"I'm not.", he replied, bluntly.
"Why?", I questioned. He sure as hell wasn't going to be let off the hook. At least not without a fight.
"I swore I was done hunting. For good.", Sam said, putting emphasis on 'good'. I turned and continued walking down stairs. It's Deans turn to argue with him again.
"Come on. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't that bad.", Dean defended, following behind me. The two kept bantering back and forth, so I just ignored their shit. Giving Sam the benefit of the doubt, it was indeed that bad at times. The only thing that got our family through everything, was the fact that we had each other. Although I do admit some degree of jealousy towards Sam and Dean. They used to argue a lot before Sam left. But they always seemed to be closer and have a better relationship together, compared to mine with them. I have always felt like a sort of an outcast to the family, like I was on the outside looking in. And not the same kind of outcast Sam considered himself. Dad, Sam, and Dean were all muscular and gruff. Me? Not so much. I was a little shorter than Dean, I had some tone, but nothing impressive. Our facial structures were different, and my hair was jet black, compared to their brown hair, matching our fathers. But maybe that is just me being self-conscious. By the time I had snapped out of my thoughts, I was face to face with the door to the parking lot, and Dean was lecturing Sam about being scared of the dark.
"Don't be afraid of the dark? Are you kidding me? Of course you should be afraid of the dark. You know what's out there.", Dean argued. He had a point… I have seen so many monsters and ghosts over the years. It's unbelievable.
"Yeah, I know. But still. The way we grew up, after Mom was killed, and Dad's obsession to find the thing that killed her.", Sam's voice trailed off. It was obvious in both of their facial features, that the subject of our Mother was a sensitive one. I felt nothing. No attachment. No desperation. No guilt. Maybe because of how young I was? Sam continued. "But we still haven't found the damn thing. So we kill everything we can find."
"We save a lot of people doing it, too." Dean replied. Which was a very true statement. We have managed to save many lives, as well as open doors into fears beyond their comprehension.
"You think Mom would have wanted this for us?", Sam said. Having enough, I opened the door to proceed with our trek to the Impala. Crossing the parking lot, Sam maintained his focus on the danger of our job and what it had done to our family. "The weapon training, and melting the silver into bullets? Man, Dean, we were raised like warriors."
"So what are you gonna do? You're just gonna live some normal, apple pie life? Is that it?", Dean questioned. Clearly that was Sam's intent.
"No. Not normal. Safe.", Sam clarified.
"So that's why you ran away.", I stated, rather than asked. "Here I thought you were just going off to college to create a new life for yourself." Once again, I sounded pretty pissy.
"I was just going to college. It was Dad who said if I was gonna go I should stay gone. And that's what I'm doing.", Sam responded. Excuses, excuses. Now I had a better understanding. He didn't want a new life. He wanted to escape the danger of his old life… And Dad. Dean spoke up again.
"Yeah, well, Dad's in real trouble right now. If he's not dead already, I can feel it.", he said. At this point we had arrived at the Impala. I made my way to the back and popped the trunk. It was full of random clothes, and other things we need for our journey. Little known fact that under all of the normal road trip items was hid an arsenal fit to take out the supernatural. "I can't do this alone.", Dean stated. This statement made me swirl my head to his direction. I ignored the twinge of pain in my chest. Since when has he been 'alone'? I have been there for him my entire life. Once again, this was turning into the Sam and Dean show, and I was just standing on the outside looking in. I don't understand…
"Yes you can.", Sam said slowly.
"Yeah, well, I don't want to.", Dean said softly. He has never been alone… Sam sighed, then finally spoke.
"What was he hunting?", he said. Having enough of the conversation, I opened the spare-tire compartment and dug through the clutter. I could hear Sam and Dean continue their conversation while I rummaged through the arsenal. Honestly I wasn't interested anymore. I looked through the mess for the file folder containing the information of the last big hunt Dad had been on. Finding the folder, I organized its contents and walked back towards my brothers. Shoving the folder into Sam's chest, I gave him the back story.
"So Dad was checking out this two-lane blacktop just outside of Jericho, California.", I explained. Pointing to a picture of a young man in the folder. He was the subject of a missing person report in an article titled Jericho Herald. I further explained. "About a month ago, this guy, Andrew Carey, went missing. They found his car, but he vanished."
"So maybe he was kidnapped.", Sam said. I could tell he definitely looked intrigued in the case.
"Oh? Well look at this article in April.", I said, thumbing through the folder. "Or this one from December 'oh-four, 'oh-three, 'ninety-eight, 'ninety-two. There have been ten people that have gone missing on that road over the past twenty years. A little fishy, don't you think?"
Fishing a bag from the arsenal, Dean removed a tape recorder. "It started happening more and more, so Dad went to go dig around. That was about three weeks ago. I hadn't heard from him since, which is bad enough.", Dean said. "Then I get this voicemail yesterday.", he finished holding up the tape recorder. Pressing play, Dad's voice rang out. It had a lot of static and interference.
"Boys… Something big is starting to happen… I need to try and figure out what's going on. It may… Be very careful, you two. We're all in danger.", Dad's voice sounded gruff.
"You know if there's EVP on that?", Sam asked. Dean laughed to himself.
"Not bad, Sammy. Kinda like riding a bike, isn't it?", He asked. Sam apparently did not feel the same way, because he quickly shook his head no. "Alright. I slowed the message down, I ran it through a gold wave, took out the hiss, and this is what I got." Pressing play again, a woman's voice was heard.
"I can never go home…", she said, over and over. Sam parroted the recording.
"You know, in almost two years we have never bothered you, never asked you for a thing.", Dean said seriously. Hmm, perhaps Dean was going to convince him.
"Alright. I'll go. I'll help you find him.", Sam said in defeat. The recording did it's job, that's for sure. "I'll just have to get back first thing Monday. Just wait here." Sam turned on his heel and began working his way back to his apartment.
"What's first thing monday?", I questioned. "Is it more important than finding Dad? Whatever it is just skip it."
"It's a law school interview, and it's my whole future on a plate.", Sam answered. My eyes rolled to the back of my head. So it wasn't more important than finding Dad.
"Alright, I'll make sure Dean has you back by Monday.", I confirmed. Sam smiled towards me, however, he did not realized my fingers were crossed behind my back. We would have him back once we found Dad again.
Sprawled out in the backseat of the Impala, I was lost in my thoughts. Of course, Sam being back on the team forced me to take the back seat. The huge fight leading up to this position was not particularly clean. It was full of 'fuck you', 'damn you' and 'go to hell'. Sam and Dean believed since they were the older brothers, the right to the front seat was a given. I had declared the bullshitery of that statement, but it fell on deaf ears. In the end, I found myself sitting in the back, with my arms crossed, pouting like a child. During the trip to Jericho, the two had tried to make amends. None of them worked. They joked with me, they gave me candy, they offered to let me choose the next song… with restrictions of course. I was a stubborn son of a bitch. Sitting up from the back seat, I tuned into the conversation in front of me. Sam had been speaking to the Jericho morgue and was getting off the phone.
"Thank you.", Sam said, closing the phone. Shoving a hand full of sour patch kids into my mouth, I leaned forward to listen to what they said. "Alright. So, there's no one matching Dad at the hospital or morgue. So that's something, I guess…"
"Check it out.", Dean announced. We had arrived at one of the bridges leading into Jericho 7. Two police cars were parked along the bridge, with multiple cops searching around it. The police were picking through a parked car in the middle of the bridge. All four doors of the car were open, along with the hood of the car and the trunk. The police had several items labeled as evidence inside the car. Dean pulled over and set the Impala in park.
"You two idiots talk to the cops, see if they have found anything unusual, I'll look around the bridge.", I ordered. Clearly I was still angry. I really didn't need to explain everyone's roles, I just wanted an opportunity to make a crack at them… I hate always having to sit in the back… Without so much of a glance in my direction, Dean passed around ID cards with our pictures on them. Snatching mine from him, I glanced at the picture. It looked similar to me. A tad younger, overall pretty awkward. The ID was labeled, 'forensic analysis'. This ID gave me the excuse to mosey around the crime scene and take pictures. Over the course of the last few years, Dad, Dean, and I learned that when I attempted to pull off playing an FBI agent or something along those lines, it never panned out well. I was much too young, and people saw right through the bullshit. So, after the first few people started pulling out handcuffs when I introduced myself as 'agent Jones', I was quickly demoted to more supporting roles… But I digress. Looping the ID around my neck, I grabbed the cheap-o camera Dad had bought for me to fit my part. Personally, I liked my camera, I had multiple pictures of ghosts and monsters on it from my adventures. Climbing over the leather seats, I stepped out onto the pavement.
Walking over to the edge of the bridge, I peered over. Men in wetsuits were sifting through the dirty water below the bridge. Glancing over my shoulder, my brothers had strutted over to the police and were talking to them like it was now their crime scene. Sam looked pretty comfortable, I guess it really was like riding a bike. Turning back towards the edge of the bridge, I brought the camera to my eye and snapped a picture of the nasty waters below. Sometimes, but not unheard of, I manage to capture some sort of spirit when I take pictures around supernatural hot spots. I don't have a good feeling about this one, but never hurts to try.
"Hey!", A voice sounded off next to me, "You can't take pictures around here." An older policeman stomped towards me. Here we go… Giving the man a smile, I spoke.
"Hello!", I said. "I'm wi-"
"What authorization do you have to be here?", he interrupted… Officer Higgins, or so read his name badge. He was clearly trying to intimidate me, he posted up to me, and spoke very firmly to me. But he sure as hell wasn't going to scare me after what I've seen in my life, it was almost amusing.
"Actually, I am authorized to be here.", I started again with a smile. "My name is…", stealing a glance at my badge, my eyes bulged from my head. Quickly regaining my composure I held my badge up to Higgins and continued speaking. "Agent Teddy Harris… I'm a forensic technician, so it's my job to take pictures and collect samples that can be further analyzed. Is there a problem with that?" I am going to kick Dean's ass. I don't look like a Teddy! Showing the same aggression as the man, he seemed to calm down a bit.
"I see..", Higgins responded. "You just seem pretty young to be an agent…", he trailed off. I could tell he was heavily thinking about my position. God, I hope this doesn't end with my brothers having to break me from jail again… Finally, he shook his head and stated, "Shit, maybe I'm just getting old. Just finish taking your pictures and leave. Our small town can solve its own problems, we don't need outsiders poking their noses into our business." Turning, Higgins walked back towards one of the flashing cop cars. How cliché, small town cop, fighting for his home. Even if it's over events he can never comprehend. Aiming my camera towards the end of the bridge I snapped another picture
Edging towards the car, I scanned through the interior. Didn't exactly look like much of a struggle. Assuming this case on this particular bridge is the same as the ten other disappearance cases over the years, it's hard to rule out anything non-paranormal. Who's to say this guy just didn't get robbed? Or dragged off? Regardless, I snapped a picture of the interior of the car and began making my way back to my brothers. I picked up speed when I noticed Sam stomp on Deans foot. What the Hell was Dean running his mouth off about now? By the time I was able to join with them, Sam had already bid farewell and they were turning to walk to the Impala.
"Thank you for your time.", Sam said to the officer. Rushing in behind them, I eagerly stuck my ear up to listen to the dirt they got from the cops. Unfortunately, I didn't get any dirt immediately. I had to deal with an argument. Dean suddenly brought his hand across the back of Sam's head. "Ow! What was that for?", Sam complained.
"Why'd you have to stomp on my foot?", Dean angrily retorted.
"Why do you have to talk to the police like that?", Sam countered. Why, why, why. This was getting us nowhere.
"Guys, what the hell did they say?", I interrupted the quarrel. "Have they found anything abnormal? Anything on Dad?" I knew this was just false hope. These guys don't know anything. Dean twisted to stand in front of Sam and I, obviously having enough. Dean has a very low opinion of most law enforcement.
"Nah, they didn't know anything. Much less have they pieced together the disappearances that string back decades. Come on. They don't really know what's going on. We're all alone on this. I mean, if we're going to find Dad, we've got to get to the bottom of this thing ourselves.", Dean said. Sam cleared his throat, notioning behind Dean. Two FBI agents and a sheriff approached behind Dean. What the hell do they want now?
"Can I help you boys?", the sheriff said.
"No, sir, we were just leaving.", Dean replied. Stepping around the sheriff, Dean nodded in acknowledgement to the two FBI agents. "Agent Mulder, Agent Scully." We continued past the trio and head back to the Impala. At this point our next step is to look around the town of Jericho. Maybe we can find more information on the most recent victim.
Walking along the street we managed to find posters spread through the town captioned "Missing Troy Squire", containing his picture and a call back number. Sam and Dean had overheard from the police that the missing person's girlfriend was named Amy. Using that information it was safe to assume that Amy was going around town and putting up the posters. We followed the trail of posters and eventually came to a young lady posting them.
"I'll bet you thats her.", Dean noted. Sam vocalized his agreement. Walking up to her, Dean spoke. "You must be Amy.", he stated, rather than asked. She looked perplexed that three strangers were approaching her in the street. As well as… Hopeful.
"Yeah.", she answered. She glanced between the three of us. Dean continued speaking… Well, he continued bullshitting.
"Yeah, Troy told us about you. We're his uncles, I'm Dean, this is Sammy, and Riley.", Dean lied. She stared at us in disbelief.
"He never mentioned you to me.", she said. Turning on her heel, Amy turned to walk in the other direction. We stayed hot on her heels. Speaking up I, attempted to salvage what Dean created. As usual.
"Oh! Yeah that definitely sounds like Troy. We're not around much, we're up in Modesto. We have been looking around town for him. So we're kinda asking around.", I said. I gave her a smile, but she didn't look too pleased. Maybe I should have let Sammy do more of the talking. Another young lady came up to Amy and placed her hand on her arm.
"Hey, are you okay, Amy?", she said. Amy nodded in her direction. The new woman gave us a confused look. Hell, for two people going around putting up wanted posters, they sure do get uncomfortable when approached on them.
"You mind if we ask you a couple questions?", Sam asked. Glancing into Sam's eyes, Amy eventually nodded her head in acceptance. I had to resist the urge to throw my hands up into the air. Sam managed to convince them with one question, faster than what Dean and I had attempted within a short conversation. We followed the ladies to a nearby diner. The Diner had bright colors and was full of people of all ages. All were socializing and laughing with one another. I couldn't help but appreciate the small town feel this are radiated. Apparently everyone knew each other in one way or the other. This appreciated is only assumed due to the several people we asked about Troy all showed genuine concern on what possibly happened to their, friend, employee, acquaintance, etcetera and etcetera. Growing up on the road didn't exactly give me the close knit feel with anyone else apart from my brothers. I didn't have a town for support, I had three people. I might just be jealous… The five of us crammed into a booth and the questions began.
"So when was the last time you spoke with Troy?", Sam asked Amy. Amy relaxed back into the cushioned seats to recall the last conversation they had. Opening her mouth to respond, she was cut off by Dean waving down the waitress to ask her about the diner's pies. Elbowing Dean's ribs, he glanced back at Amy and nodded for her to continue. Idiot.
"Oh. Uhm. Well, I was on the phone with Troy. He was driving home. He said he would call me right back… He never did.", Amy answered. She seemed pretty confused and worried. Granted, it was far within reason. Her boyfriend had disappeared.
"He didn't say anything strange, or out of the ordinary?", Sam questioned further. Talking in depth about Troy's disappearance seemed to make her uncomfortable, she shifted in her seat before responding.
"No. Nothing that I can remember…", Amy said shaking her head, causing her necklace to jingle and rock against her collar bone. It was a small silver pentagram in a circle. Sam seemed to notice it as well.
"I like your necklace.", he complimented. Amy caught the pentagram in her grasp and held it up to the middle of the table for everyone to get a better look at. Well everyone apart from Dean, the waitress had bought his pie… So the only thing he was looking at was a slice of creamy, apple-stuffed pie.
"Troy gave it to me. Mostly to scare my parents.", Amy chuckled. "With all that devil stuff." Sam paused, looking around the table.
"Actually, it means just the opposite. A pentagram is protection against evil. Really powerful. I mean, if you believe in that kind of thing.", Sam explained, getting off subject. Dean noticed that too, and blatantly interrupted.
"Okay. Thank you, Unsolved Mysteries.", Dean said with a mouth full of pie. "Here's the deal, ladies. The way Troy disappeared, something's not right. So if you've heard anything…" Dean always had a not-so-graceful way of cutting to the chase. However, this time it paid off. Amy and her friend traded glances.
"Is something wrong?", I asked. "Do you two have any possible theories?"
"Well, it's just… I mean, with all these guys going missing, people talk.", Amy's friend started.
"About?", I encouraged. It was becoming apparent that we were going to literally have to drag information out of these people.
"It's kind of this local legend. This one girl. She got murdered out on Centennial, like decades ago.", she said. Finally we were getting somewhere. "Well, supposedly she's still out there. She hitchhikes, and whoever picks her up? Well, they disappear forever." This might not be just a common kidnapping.
In my opinion the worst part of being a hunter is the research… In order to successfully hunt spirits/demons/witches, the list goes on and on, one has to understand what events lead up to their being. In this case, we are assuming a vengeful spirit is what is causing the trouble in Jericho. Fortunately for me, my brothers were taking care of the research portion. We had made our way to one of Jericho's libraries, where they huddled at one of the computers. While my brothers did the hard part, I happily printed my three pictures. As I had expected, the pictures lacked in anything abnormal… But I like taking pictures. It's my own hobby. Thumbing between the three photos, I hear a scuffle at the computer behind me. Whirling around I see Sam shoving Dean's chair to the side so he can take command over the computer. Dean had an angry expression and was mouthing away his displeasure. Just like old times.
I turned back to the photos in front of me. Sam and Dean have it handled. Taking a large album from my bag, I neatly laid it out in front of me. Since Dad bought me a cheap camera, I had been putting it to use over the past few years. Granted it was only purchased to be used as a prop, but I still found myself drawn to the pictures I took. The photo album had dozens of pictures in it. Some of the pictures were of the beautiful locations we came across in our travels, other pictures were of the dangerous creatures I had managed to capture on camera without dying. All were precious to me. As a hunter, we don't always get to make our mark on the world like we dream of. We travel, we try to save who we can, and we try to make the best of what we have in our lives. Hunting is not a life that one can necessarily leave with ease, once one is exposed to the truth hiding in the dark, there is no turning back. I feel like this album is what can be my mark on the world. In its own right, it is a visual on the hardships my family and I have had to navigate through. Dad says that it is something that no one can ever see. So I suppose I am truly only making this album for myself, rather than a future lover or the masses. Personally, I have never felt like finding love and starting a family was in the stars for me anyway. Not that I don't want that in my life. I feel like my life has been bolted down by the family I was born into. I have never had the courage to just leave like Sam did. I have never had the courage to go for what I want. So far I have only followed along with what my family wants, not what I want. This book is something I want. This book is my own legacy of everything I have been through. Looking through these pictures I can follow through the horrors, heartbreak and laughs that I have been through. This book will one day be how I leave my mark on the world. But I digress.
Labeling one of the pockets, "Jericho, '04, I slid the picture of the Jericho bridge into the slot. It was my favorite of the three. It was angled straight down the bridge into the dark woods. The tail end of Troy's car was visible and none of the police had managed to worm their way into the shot. So unless I manage to find a better picture in Jericho, this will be the one!
Sliding my album back into my bag, I swung it onto my back and made my way to my brothers. They were hovering over a Jericho Herald article that was titled, "Suicide on Centennial".
"So what's the story?", I asked. Sam turned his head to look at me, and gave a smile. Turning back towards the monitor he bagan speaking.
"This was back in 1981. Constance Welch, twenty-four years old, jumps off Sylvania Bridge, drowns in the river. An hour before they had found her, she had called 911. Apparently her two little kids are in the bathtub. She leaves them alone for a minutes, and when she comes back, they aren't breathing. Both die.", Sam gave a brief summary of the article. Looking over his shoulder, the article had a picture of a young man next to a picture of the bridge we had been at earlier that day. The picture had a direct quote underneath it. "'Our babies were gone, and Constance just couldn't bear it,' said husband Joseph Welch", Sam read. Pondering a moment, Dean spoke up.
"The bridge look familiar to either of you?", Dean questioned.
It was late at night. The bridge we had been on earlier that day paled in comparison on how creepy it was now. The cops were gone, someone had towed Troy's car, and all that could be heard was the churning waters below. Coming to the edge of the bridge, the three of us peered over into the dark, murky river.
"So this is where Constance took the swan dive.", Dean announced. He leaned back on the railing and crossed his arms.
"So you think Dad would have been here?", Sam asked. He glanced up and down the bridge, not a soul in sight.
"I'm sure Dad has been here long before us. He probably has been long gone as well.", I answered. Dean pushed himself off the bridge railings and began lazily walking down the bridge. Sam and I quickly picked up speed to stay with him.
"Okay, so now what?", Sam hummed.
"Now we keep digging until we find him… Might take a while.", Dean said. That stopped Sam in his tracks. He had made it abundantly clear that he would be back by Monday for the interview… Unfortunately for him, we needed to find Dad.
"Dean, I told you, I've gotta get back by Monday.", Sam said sternly. This caused Dean to whirl around and come face to face with Sam. I can already tell this was going to progress into a fight between the two…
"Monday. Right. The interview.", Dean said slowly. He didn't seem entertained.
"Sam, we will get you back to Stanford… but we have to find Dad first… Remember? He is missing.", I reminded Sam. "Let's just drop it for now and keep looking." I was trying my hardest to change the flow of energy to a more docile one, but Dean wasn't having any part of it.
"No. Let's not. Actually, I forgot. You're really serious about this, aren't you? You think you're just going to become some lawyer? Marry your girl?", Dean challenged. His face was beginning to turn a shade of red. Sam did not back down.
"Maybe. Why not?", Sam responded. He was growing more frustrated as well...
"Does Jessica know the truth about you? I mean, does she know about the things you've done?", Dean asked. That struck a nerve with Sam, causing him to take a step closer to Dean.
"Dean, that's uncalled for!", I snapped. "Are we really going to fight right now? At this moment in time?" The situation was beginning to spiral out of control. Naturally, they both ignored me and continued their quarrel.
"No, and she's not ever going to know.", Sam responded.
"Well, that's healthy.", Dean shot back sarcastically. "You can pretend all you want, Sammy. But sooner or later you're going to have to face up to who you really are." Dean turned and continued walking down the bridge. Sam was hot on his heels, both leaving me in the dust.
"And who's that?', Sam spat. Sam stomped in front of Dean so they were face to face. I quickly attempted to step between them, before things got any worse. Looking wildly between them I was at a loss for words.
"You're one of us!", Dean exclaimed, pointing a finger into Sam's chest.
"No. I'm not like you. This is not going to be my life!", Sam exclaimed in response.
"You have a responsibility to-", Dean started.
"To Dad? And his crusade?", Sam interrupted. "If it weren't for pictures I wouldn't even know what mom looks like. And what difference would it make? Even if we do find the thing that killed her, Mom's gone. And she isn't coming back." That was harsh. Glancing at Dean, I could see the twinge of pain in his eyes. I felt nothing. Suddenly, Dean grabbed Sam by the collar and shoved him back against the railing of the bridge with a loud bang.
"Guys!", I yelled. I ran forward and grabbed the back of Dean's jacket. "Stop! This is not the time or place. Do you think Mom and Dad would want us fighting about this? Dean, just walk away." I was ignored. After a long pause that felt like hours, Dean finally spoke.
"Don't talk about her like that…", Dean whispered, releasing Sam. Turning to walk down the bridge, Dean came to a halt. I peered into Sam's eyes, he seemed pretty shook about what had just happened.
"Guys.", Dean said, catching our attention. Unanimously, Sam and I turned to Dean, only to notice what he was starting at. A woman was standing at the edge of the bridge. She was dressed all in white. This is Constance… Turning to give us a single glance, she silently stepped off the bridge into the darkness below. Without a second thought, I raced to the edge of the bridge and looked over. All that could be seen down below was the rapids.
"I don't see her…", I yelled to my brothers. Down the railing I could hear my brother's response.
"Where'd she go?" Sam asked. I scanned my eyes all over the water… Nothing. She was nowhere in the water. The Impala's engine turning over pulled me from my search. The headlight turning on nearly blinded me.
"What the-", Dean started. At least we were all on the same page. Each as confused as the next.
"Who's driving your car?", Sam asked. Maybe he left the keys in the engine… And then his car somehow turned over? The sound of keys jingling reverborated between me and Sam causing us both to glance at Dean. The car then quickly jerked into motion and began speeding it's way down the bridge.
"Fuck me!", I yelled over the roar of the engine. The three of us turned tail and ran. I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest. The muscles in my legs were screaming… Damn, I need to get into better shape. Despite our feeble attempt, the car, believe it or not, was faster. Closing in on us, I made a last ditch effort and dove to my left. Diving face first on to the black top, I continued rolling until I was next to the opposite railing. As the Impala zoomed past me, I looked up praying that it wouldn't hit my brothers. The Impala was nearing my brothers. I felt my breath hitch. Moments before the car mowed them over, Sam and Dean leaped over the edge of the bridge. The Impala then came to an abrupt stop. "Sam! Dean!", I yelled.
Climbing to my feet, I staggered to the edge of the bridge. Arriving at the edge I found Sam desperately clinging to the side. I wonder how the hell he pulled that off…
"Sammy!", I exclaimed. "I'm so glad you're okay!" I grabbed Sam by his sleeves and worked on pulling him over the railings. Once Sam was safe on the bridge, I looked out into the waters. "Dean! Dean!", I began yelling. A voice was heard from the bank of the river.
"What?", Dean answered. Following his voice, I found a pissy, muddy Dean laid out in the mud. I let my head fall on the railings, I've never felt so relieved in my life. Thank God, he's okay…
"Hey! Are you alright?", Sam yelled down to the bank.
"I'm super", Dean yelled back. Sarcastically, of course. But he was alive. That's all that matters.
After Dean crawled out of the mud and made his way back up to the bridge he spent a solid thirty minutes checking over his Impala. He looked in the driver's seat, the trunk, and in under the hood. After thirty minutes of searching, Dean seemed content with his investigation. He shut the hood of his car with a satisfying THUMP and leaned against it.
"Your car alright?", Sam asked with a smirk.
"Yeah, whatever she did to it, seems alright now. That Constance chick, What a bitch!", Dean finished with a yell. I took three steps from Dean, God he smelled awful…
"Well, she doesn't want us digging around, that's for sure. So where's the trail go from here, genius?", Sam laughed. Sam walked over to lean against the Impala next to Dean. Dean suddenly threw his arms up in the air out of frustration.
"Dean… You smell like shit.", I stated bluntly. I received a pretty glare from him.
"You do smell like shit.", Sam agreed with a laugh. Dean silently looked between us and bowed his head.
By the time we arrived at a motel, sunrise had already began lighting up our surroundings. Walking into the motel, Dean slapped the ID on the desk and spoke.
"One room, please.", he said. Hopefully this room has a pull out couch. Usually I am stuck on the floor when we go without, especially with Sam back in the crew. Due to the fact that I am 'the little brother and shit rolls downhill', I typically find myself sleeping on the couch or floor. Again, another disadvantage to Sam being back. I feel like I am going to be stuck playing in the background again with Sam here… Once again here I am on the outside looking in. Regardless, Dean probably looked like a sight, he was still covered in mud. The Clerk glanced at the card reading 'Hector Aframian', then glanced between the three of us.
"You guys having a reunion or something?", the clerk asked.
"What do you mean?", Sam questioned the man.
"I had another guy, Burt Aframian. He came and bought out a room for the whole month.", the clerk answered.
"Oh! That's our great uncle, Burt. I didn't realize he was going to be staying at the same motel as us!", I laughed. "Which room is he in exactly? I can't wait to surprise him." The clerk raised his eyebrows, then began flipping through the guest ledger to find Burt's name. Bingo.
After getting the room number, we immediately made our way to it. Sam had the locked picked in a matter of seconds. The motel door swung open and a wave of nostalgia slapped me in the face. This was Dad's room. I closed the door behind us and hit the lights. The walls of the room were covered in maps, articles, and pictures. Dad had books strewn out on the floor and bed. He had clearly been doing some research. I couldn't help but cringe when Dean picked up a half eaten cheeseburger and gave it a sniff. Dean instantly winced and brought it away from his face… Dumbass.
"I don't think he's been here for a couple days at least.", Dean deduced. Kneeling down to the floor I ran my fingers through the salt lined along the floor.
"I wonder if he was trying to keep something out of the room.", I speculated. "I mean, look at all the traps he has set out." Sam made his way up to the papers covering one of the walls.
"Centennial highway victims.", Dean assumed. Sam nodded in agreement. The wall had an assortment of victims that had disappeared. Apart from being young and male, nothing that really set them apart… "I don't get it. I mean, different men, different jobs, ages, ethnicities. There's always a connection, right? What do these guys have in common?", Dean continued.
"Dad figured it out.", Sam announced.
"How do you know for sure?", I asked. I crossed the room until I was next to Sam. He was looking at one of the articles tacked on the wall. The article on the wall was the Jericho Herald we found involving Constance's suicide.
"He found the same article we did. Constance Welch. She's the woman in white.", Sam explained. I could see the gears in Dean's head turning. Typically vengeful spirits have something traumatic happen in their lives that cause then to be unable to move on. We had previously came to the conclusion that Constance's husband was unfaithful and she now targets other unfaithful men… But that was all in theory.
"You sly dogs", Dean chuckled, turning towards the list of constance's victims. "Alright, so if we're dealing with a woman in white, Dad would have found the corpse and destroyed it."
"She might have another weakness.", Sam suggested.
"Nah, Dad would burn the bitch just to make sure. Do we know where she is buried?", I added.
"No, not that I can tell. If I were Dad, though, I'd go ask her husband.", Sam answered. Sam tapped on the photo of Joseph Welch. "If he's still alive."
Well, now that we had the beginnings of a game plan, I went ahead and pushed all of Dad's shit off one of the beds and laid down. I was in absolute bliss the second my head hit the pillow. Surely later Sam or Dean would force me off the bed, but until then I was going to enjoy the rickety motel bed.
"Alright, why don't you… Uh… See if you can find an address, I'm gonna get cleaned up.", Dean said. I could hear Dean's footsteps trailing towards the bathroom. It was a pretty awkward silence.
"Hey, Dean… What I said earlier, about Mom and Dad, I'm sorry…", Sam apologized. Again the silence was deafening. Dean's response was classic Dean.
"No chick-flick moments.", Dean said. The atmosphere in the room immediately changed to a less strenuous one.
"Alright. Jerk.", Sam laughed. Oh shit. This bit again. They had been doing this shit since we were kids.
"Bitch.", Dean responded. Hit footsteps continued into the bathroom and shut the door. Sam and Dean have always had a different bond with each other. I honestly felt like I could never attain it.
Pushing those feelings out of my head, I quickly pushed my body off of the bed and walked over to the large mirror in the motel room. I maintained eye contact with myself in the mirror. Running my hands through my hair I noticed a picture that had been stuck in the mirror frame. It was a picture of Dad sitting on the hood of the Impala, holding what I presumed was Sam as a toddler. Next to Dad was a young Dean, smiling a goofy smile. Taking the photo in my hand, I flipped it over. I guess I wasn't around to be in the picture. Turning, I handed the photo it Sam. He gave it one look and smiled sadly. He could clearly understand what was going on in my mind.
"I guess you were inside sleeping, right?", he chuckled. I suppose I was.
We slept until about four that afternoon. Being up all night can make one pretty exhausted. Of course I ended up on the floor… initially. It was another fight on who gets the bed. The main excuse came down to me 'being the little brother', it wasn't a good excuse anymore. However at some point, much to Dean's displeasure, I possibly got up and crawled into bed with him… Not that I remember. Dean demonstrated his dissatisfaction by abruptly shoving me out of bed when he woke up… It was nice while it lasted.
"Hey, I'm starving, I'm gonna grab a little something to eat in that diner down the street. Either of you want something?", Dean asked, shrugging on his jacket. He's always hungry.
"No", Sam answered. My jaw dropped. I am never one to say no to free food.
"How about you Riley? Aframian's buying", Dean continued. I nodded my head and began writing my order down. Taking the order from me, Dean shoved it into his jacket pocket and made his leave. Turning to Sam I watched him. He was listening to the voicemail his girlfriend had left him, for the third time. It was clear from his facial expression that he missed her. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for dragging him away from his new life. I slid next to him on the bed and spoke.
"Are you mad at me and Dean for making you come with us? Did you not miss us at all?", I whispered. Sam looked taken aback. I guess he didn't expect me to call him out on it. Sam paused for a moment… Then inhaled to speak. However, before he could, his phone began beeping. 'DEAN' read out on the phone.
"What?", Sam asked. I strained my ear to hear Dean… But everything coming from the phone was incomprehensible. "What about you?", Sam questioned standing up. He looked stressed, hopefully Dean is okay. Sam slipped the phone into his pocket and started rummaging around the room. He looked like a blur, running around the room.
"What's going on, Sam!? Tell me!", I demanded. I grabbed my backpack with my camera and album and slung it over my shoulder.
"Cops are here. They got Dean. It's time for us to go. Let's start by going to see Joseph Welch. We can break Dean out later.", Sam clarified. Following him into the bathroom, Sam opened the window and crawled through. I was hot on his heels in following behind him. I poised myself and leaped through the window. My dismount on the other hand was not as elegant however. My bag caught on the window frame and caused me to fall flat on my face.
"Son of a bitch", I grunted. Climbing to my feet, I staggered after Sam. Lucky for me, he was already trekking to the Impala and didn't notice my debacle. When we made it to the Impala, I climbed into the the front and threw my bag into the back seat. Sam hopped into the drivers and turned over the engine. Sam had figured out Joseph Welch's location from many google searches, so we had an idea of where to start. Pulling out of the motel parking lot, I look in the rear view mirror and notice Dean being slammed against the hood of the police car. He just doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut…
We pulled up at Joseph's house and I found myself in awe. I couldn't help but look wildly around his home. It was surrounded by piles and piles of junk. The stacks of cars, refrigerators, and engines were absolutely impressive. Trotting up to the front door, Sam leaned forward and gave it a good knock. Eventually an older man came to the door: Joseph Welch, I assume.
"Hi. Are you Joseph Welch?", Sam inquired. The man looked from me to my brother. He didn't exactly seem happy that there were two strange men on his doorstep.
"Yeah...", Joseph answered. He stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind him. The three of us began walking down the junk-filled driveway. Pulling the photo from his pocket, Sam handed it to Joseph.
"Has this man come talk to you recently?", Sam asked pointing at the picture of a younger John.
"Yeah, he was older, but that's him.", Joseph said, handing the picture back to Sam. "He came by three or four days ago. Said he was a reporter."
"Of course! We're working on a story together", I lied. It's probably best we play along, if we want to get anywhere with this guy.
"Well, I don't know what the hell kinda story you're working on. The questions he asked me…", Joseph said. He clearly didn't want to talk about it. But that was too damn bad.
"About your wife constance, right?", I elaborated.
"He asked me where she was buried…", Joseph continued, all the while glaring at me. We were literally going to have to force all of this information out of him. What a pain in the ass. On top of that, he seemed to be getting more and more aggressive. Which annoyed the hell out of me.
"And where is that again?", I demanded. It was obvious in my tone of voice I was losing my patience.
"What, are y'all going to make me go through this shit again?", Joseph hissed. I took a step closer to him and opened my mouth to speak again… Fortunately, I was interrupted by Sam. Sammy to the rescue. I was going to pull a Dean stunt if I lose any more of my composure.
"It's fact-checking. If you don't mind.", Sam said with a smile. Sam's tone seemed to smooth over this guys anger, because he started feeding out information again.
"She's in a plot. Behind my old place over on Breckenridge.", Joseph responded.
"And why did you move?", Sam asked.
"Well I'm not going to live in the house where my children died.", Joseph answered bewildered.
"Did you ever marry again?", I butted in. I felt like the vibe had simmered a bit, at least to where I could ask simple questions again. He responded without much attitude.
"No way.", Joseph murmured. "Constance, she was the love of my life. The prettiest woman I ever known."
"So you had a happy marriage?", Sam interrogated. Joseph opened his mouth to respond… But hesitated a moment.
"Definitely.", He said, after a second or two passed. I could tell this conversation was nearing its end.
"Well, that should do it. Thanks for your time.", Sam said. My guess was Sam had enough information to come to his own conclusion on where to go next. Joseph turned to begin making his way back to his house… However, he was stopped by Sam's voice.
"Mr. Welch!", he called out. "Did you ever hear of a woman in white?" Joseph turned and gave us a puzzled look. "A woman in white. Or sometimes weeping woman? It's a ghost story… Well it's more of a phenomenon, really.", Sam elaborated. This was going right over Joseph's head. "Uhm, they're spirits. They've been sighted for hundreds of years, dozens of places, in Hawaii, Mexico, lately in Arizona, Indiana. All these are different women. You understand? They all share the same story." Sam was basically preparing to ask this man if he cheated on his wife. Joseph saw it coming as well, he took a step towards Sam.
"Boy, I don't care much for this bullshit!", he snapped. Joseph turned on his heel and continued walking away.
"See, when they were alive, their husbands were unfaithful to them…", Sam continued. This comment stopped Joseph dead in his tracks. "And these women, basically suffering from temporary insanity, murdered their children. Then once they realized what they had done, they took their own lives. So now their spirits are cursed, walking back roads, waterways. And if they find an unfaithful man, they kill him. And that man is never seen again." Sam struck the nail on the head.
"You think… you think that has something to do with… Constance? You smartass!", Joseph growled. Oh now he is pissed… Better at Sam than me. Maybe I should try to take the focus off Sam.
"Well… Did you?", I asked. Joseph changed his point of view to me… And if looks could kill. Maybe speaking up was a mistake.
"I mean, maybe… Maybe I made some mistakes. But no matter what I did, Constance, she would never have killed her own children. Now, you two get the hell out of here! And don't think about coming back!", Joseph yelled. Joseph's face was physically shaking. He looks like he is going to cry. Backing up I tap Sam on his chest.
"Sam we need to get out of here before he pulls a shotgun on us.", I whispered. Looking down at me Sam nodded in agreement.
Piling back into the Impala, my head was reeling with the information I was just given. Sam pulled out his phone and made a quick 911 call, hopefully that would get the police out of Dean's hair so he could break free. I didn't exactly feel like fighting for the front seat, so I went ahead and awkwardly crawled into the back seat.
"So, the general story I have is Constance found out Joseph cheated on her, drowned her children, and then commit suicide by jumping off the bridge.", I explained to Sam. "So I expect Dad, having that information, would have gone straight to the grave site to burn the body… But obviously he didn't, because she is still around."
"Yeah.", Sam agreed. "We still have some daylight, we need to head back to Dean, then go over to Constance's house." Nodding in agreement, I zipped open my bag and prepped my camera. Jericho might just have a better kodak moment in store for me.
Within the thirty minutes of driving the sun set and we were shrouded in darkness. Eventually, Sam's phone rang. Dean was calling from a toll booth, clearly he had escaped from jail. Sam put it on speaker phone and placed it to where we could both hear Dean. Sam quickly gave Dean the cliffnotes on everything we had found out.
"... And that's all we know. I just can't figure out why Dad hasn't destroyed he corpse yet.", Sam said.
"That's what I needed to tell y'all. He's gone. Dad left Jericho.", Dean explained.
"What?", Sam asked. "How do you know that?"
"I've got his journal.", Dean clarified. How in the hell did he get that? That journal was Dad's baby.
"So you're telling me we made this trip to Jericho for nothing?", I chimed in. "Why would Dad leave a job unfinished? Actually, Why would Dad leave his journal? He would drop us before leaving without that thing. What does it say?"
"It says the same old ex-marine crap, when he wants to let us know where he's going.", Dean said. I threw my hands up. This means more coordinates to decipher.
"Coordinates. Where to?", Sam responded. He has not forgotten Dad's communication habits over the past two years.
"I'm not sure… Yet.", Dean sighed.
"I don't understand. I mean, what could be so important that Dad would just skip out in the middle of a job? Dean, what the hell is going on?", Sam asked. Leaning back in my seat I rubbed my temples. This whole situation is starting to get annoying as hell. Why would he leave? When I glanced up back at the road I felt my heart drop down into my stomach.
"Sam!", I screamed. The ghost of Constance has appeared in the middle of the road. Sam, glancing up from the phone, gasps and slams on the breaks. My body was thrown into the back of the Impala seats, nearly toppling me over into the shotgun seat. I could hear Sam's phone clatter onto the Impala's floor boards. Despite his quick actions, the impala crashed through Constance, effectively dissipating her. When the Impala finally screeched to a halt, I found myself gasping for air. Why the hell is she out here? I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end… The temperature in the car felt like it nose dived… Pushing my body back into my seat, I slowly turned my head, only to find Constance sitting in the seat adjacent to me. Fuck. Me. She was dressed in a white gown. Enhanced by the fact she was translucent, her skin was extremely pale. She had eye contact with Sam in the rear view mirror.
"Take me home", she demanded in an eerie voice. Well shit… I'm stuck in the backseat with her. "Take me home!", she repeated, louder. I backed my happy ass as far into the corner as I could possibly go.
"No.", Sam responded sternly. Apparently this bitch wasn't having any of it… I felt the locks in the car all activate and the car started pulling forward.
"What the hell, Sam?", I growled. "She's in the car! It's not like we can out run her!" Constance was still staring at sam in the rear view mirror.
"I'm not doing this…", he responded. "She's taking us home…"
The drive to Constance house was an awkward ten minute drive. I remained in my corner, poised to attack the second I was given the chance. Sam's fingers were glued to the steering wheel. Well now what? Eventually, we pulled into the driveway. The Impala shuttered to a stop and all of the lights flickered off. Constance remained unmoving and focused. Well… Better now than never, my kodak moment was here. Quickly bringing my camera to my eye, I snapped a picture of her. The flash illuminated the car's interior with a white light. I felt my entire body be shoved into the side of the car. My camera fell into the floorboard. When my vision came back to, I found Constance leaned over the seat in my face. Well shit, that didn't work.
"Don't do this…", Sam demanded from the front seat. Fortunately for me, his voice took her attention off me. She moved back into her previous position and bowed her head. I attempted to pry myself off the car's interior… But I was still stuck, unable to move. Shit, we're screwed.
"I can never go home", she whispered.
"You're scared to go home.", Sam said. Right before my eyes, Constance disappeared out of existence. Sam whirled around only to find an empty back seat, minus his brother stuck against the side of the car. Turning back around, Constance reappeared in the shotgun seat. Before Sam could react, she crawled into his lap and shoved him hard, causing his seat to recline. Well shit this is a bit awkward.
"Sam!", I yelled. I struggled as much as possible, but the power she had over me was stronger. "Damnit! What do I do, Sam!?"
"Hold me. I'm so cold.", Constance begged to Sam. Sam twisted and turned, but he was unable to get from underneath her.
"You can't kill me! I'm not unfaithful! I've never been!", Sam challenged. She did not seem satisfied with that response. Leaning forward, she whispered to him.
"You will be… Just hold me.", she said. Despite Sam's objection, she laid a kiss on his lips. I felt so powerless, only able to stand by while my brother gets violated… And probably killed! When she pulled back from him, she suddenly vanished. I frantically glance around the cab, she was nowhere to be seen… Suddenly Sam began screaming in pain and grasping at his chest. From my position in the back I was unable to see what she was doing to him. He pulled up his hoodie, only in time for her to reappear in front of him with her hand in his chest.
"Sam!", I screamed to no avail. Abruptly, loud shots were heard from outside of the car on the passenger side. The glass broke to reveal Dean standing outside with a gun aimed at Constance. He continued to fire until she vanished again. The second she flickered out, Sam flew into an upright position and turned over the car. The car roared to life, and the headlights turned on peering into Constance's home.
"I'm taking you home!", Sam growled.
"Do what!? You're taking her where!?", I screamed back. God, he isn't about to do what I think is he? The car lurched forward. I attempted to brace myself, however, I was still stuck to the corner of the car. All I could do was close my eyes and hope for the best while the Impala crashed through the side of the house. Wood and drywall flew in every direction. By the time it was all done with, we were sitting pretty in the living room of the old house. Wildly eyeballing the house, Constance was nowhere to be found. I also had regained my mobility in the middle of Sam's last resort. Crawling into the front seat, Dean's voice rang from outside of the Impala.
"Sam! Riley! You okay?", he yelled. Too tired to speak I gave him a thumbs up. Kicking open the door, I stepped out into the old house. We had apparently crash landed in the living room. The room had furniture that was covered in dust and cobwebs. Ultimately it looked as bleak one would expect an old abandoned house to look. I guess after Constance died, Joseph just left the house and never turned back. By the time I had turned around, Dean had already rushed to Sam's aid and pulled him from the car. At some point Constance had flickered into existence and picked up a large framed family photo. The woman in white already looked pretty sad. As I watched her stare into the frame of her past life I couldn't help but feel… Pity? Dean slammed the car door, causing Constance to whip around and glare at us. Rearing back, she slammed the picture into the ground and motioned at the bureau. The bureau began sliding across the hardwood floor, slamming into Sam and Dean, effectively pinning them against the Impala.
"Guys!", I panicked. Sliding over the front of the Impala, I pushed against the furniture. It wasn't going anywhere… Looking back at Constance, she had began making her way towards us. Shit. This was getting way out of hand… At this rate, we were going to be killed by some crazy woman on our first night back together as a team. Frantically looking around my surroundings, I searched for something that would help. Iron… Salt… Anything!
When all hope seemed lost, the lights in the car and around the house began flickering. This seemed to shock Constance as well. She took her focus off us and looked for the source causing the lights to flicker. What the hell is going on? The trickling of water, brought our attention to the staircase. Water flowed down the staircases, pooling at the bottom. Constance, timidly stepped to the bottom of the staircase and looked up it. Whatever she saw terrified her. The voices that came from the top of the staircase terrified me.
"You've come home to us, mommy.", two voices spoke in monotonous unity. Suddenly, two children came into being behind Constance, embracing her. She screamed as their energy merged with hers. The three became one melting into a puddle onto the floor. And with that, the woman in white was no more. Seizing opportunity, I shoved the bureau off of my brothers and freed them. Sam and Dean, pushed past me and ran to the spot the trio had disappeared.
"So this is where she drowned her kids.", Dean deduced.
"That's why she could never go home. She was too scared to face the.", Sam replied. I wonder when he figured that out.
"You found her weak spot!", Dean exclaimed with a laugh. "Nice work, Sammy."
"Nice work?", I growled. "Sam, drove through the side of a house into the living room… With me in the car! You scared the shit out of me!" I agree, Sam did do solid work… But he scared me. Stomping over to the Impala, I leaned in and dug in the back seat for my camera.
"Double nice work, Sammy. You scared the shit out of Riley.", Dean taunted. I quickly turned and mock laughed along with Dean. Dumbass. Turning on my camera, I flipped to the most recent shot of constance. Luckily, she was able to make it into the picture. Rather than her turning into a blue blur, or some other form of a screwed up picture, she was fully in the photo. The flash enhanced her translucency, she was beautiful… Despite the face she was giving the camera a death stare. Maybe I should have asked her to say cheese? Regardless, it looks like I have a winner for the Jericho spot in my album. Looking up from my picture, Sam and Dean were still bantering back and forth. Rolling my eyes, I interrupted.
"So now what? Are we going to swing back through Palo Alto, drop Sam off, then make our way to the coordinates?", I asked. Sam seen taken aback from the blunt question. "That was the deal right?" God, I was being a petty little bitch.
"Well… That was the deal, Riley…", Sam said slowly. The pause afterwards was a lifetime. Fortunately, that pause was alleviated by mr. comic relief, Dean.
"We are men of our word. If Sam wants to puss out, who are we to stop him? We'll play along… For now.", Dean said with a laugh. He slapped his hands on my shoulders and briefly massaged them, directing me towards the car. "Now, let's see if I can drive out of this shit hole without damaging my baby even more than Sammy already has." Piling back into the Impala, Dean expertly drove out of the abandoned home and started us back to town.
Flying down the road, the three of us discussed the coordinates Dad left for us. Sam, had the journal opened to the page, and was attempting to measure out the coordinates on a map. After several minutes of daunting measuring, Sam had our location.
"Okay, here's where Dad went.", he started. "It's called Blackwater Ridge, Colorado." Hmm, haven't been to Colorado in a while. I peered over Sam's shoulder to see the surrounding areas of Colorado. Hopefully after we find Dad, we could visit somewhere cool for a little R&R. Shaking my head, I focused back on the conversation.
"Awesome. How far is the drive?", I questioned.
"About six hundred miles.", Sam answered. A ways away.
"Hey, if we shag ass we could make it by morning.", Dean spoke nonchalantly. It seemed Dean hadn't given up on Sam staying either. I had tried the guilt act, maybe Dean could make him stay by simply pretending Sam didn't have an interview he was dead set on… We shall see.
"Dean, I…", Sam hesitated. Shocker.
"You're not going.", Dean finished. The disappointment in his voice was audible. I wonder if he would be this sad if I tried to leave. Shaking the jealous thoughts from my head, I leaned forward to eagerly hear Sam's response.
"The interview is in like, ten hours. I gotta be there. You both know this is what I want.", Sam said. He turned to me with wide eyes to reiterate his point. I relaxed back in my seat feeling hopeless. I guess I won't see Sam again… For a while, at least.
"Yeah. Yeah. Whatever.", Dean replied in defeat. "I'll take you home." The rest of the car ride was ridden in silence. Minus the hard rock playing in the background.
It was one thirty in the morning when we made it back to Sam's apartment. Dean nor I could look at Sam as he got out of the car. He was leaving us… Again. Leaning into the window, Sam spoke.
"Call me if you two find him?", he whispered. Dean nodded. I stayed silent. What's the point? "And maybe I can meet up with you later, huh?"
"Yeah, alright.", Dean stated. Tapping the hood of the car, Sam turned away. A moment passed before Dean leaned to the passenger door and called to Sam.
"Sam?", he called. Sam twisted around and raised his eyebrows in question. "The three of us made a hell of a team back there." Wow, nice to be included this time around. Crawling into shotgun I leaned out the passenger window to speak.
"Sam, make sure to call some. We do miss you.", I said. He smiled back.
"Yeah… I miss you guys too. And we did make a hell of a team. It was just like old times.", he said with a grin. Saying our goodbyes, Dean hit the gas and drove off. Sam watched us leave briefly, before turning to enter his apartment. My heart still felt heavy, not that I could tell Dean that without ridicule. The loneliness between us felt claustrophobic when we left Sam behind. It didn't feel… Right. Although being with Sam again could be frustrating, suffering at the hands of the Sam and Dean show… Being together made us a family again! But leaving him behind felt wrong. It felt like a mistake. After about ten minutes of deafening silence, I spoke.
"Dean…", I whispered. "Something isn't right. I think we need to go back." Dean contemplated my statement, and then responded.
"You're right. I feel it too.", he replied. Making a U-turn on the highway, we began speeding back towards Sam's apartment. The atmosphere of the car became heavier the closer we came to his apartment. Dean skidded into the parking lot and we hauled ass to Sam's apartment. I tried the door, but of course it was locked. Stepping aside, Dean abruptly kicked it open. Moving upstairs a scream came from one of the bedrooms.
"No!", Sam screamed. I body slammed the door and it opened to a visual hell. Sam was laid back on the bed with an arm shielding his face. Above him was pinned Jess, she had a horizontal cut on her abdomen. The blood from the cut soaked her white nightgown. Flames were pouring out from behind her, traveling along the ceiling. "Jess!", Sam screamed out to no avail.
"Sam! Sam!", Dean called rushing into the bedroom after me. He halted at the horrid sight of Jess pinned on the ceiling.
"No! No!", Sam cried. Dean grabbed Sam from the bed and began pushing him out the door. Sam fought the whole way. "Jess! Jess! No!". Leaving the room, flames enveloped Jess. The flames ate at the sheetrock, leading to the curtains and so on. The flames followed us out of the apartment. Meeting in the parking lot, we watched in desperation as the fire swallowed the house.
Eventually, firemen and policemen arrived to fight the fire. However, they were unsuccessful and could only watch in awe as the house burned down. Sam stood at the back of the Impala, loading a shotgun. Resting my hand on his shoulder, I looked him in the eyes and tried to tell him everything I could with my eyes that my mouth couldn't. At first all I could see in his eyes was sorrow… But it wasn't sorrow. It was fire. Dean walked up to us and glanced to the both of us, signaling it was time to hit the trail. Tossing the shotgun into the trunk, Sam spoke.
"We got work to do.", he said. Slamming the trunk and starting our journey.