What's

Up With

Empathy?

BY: Alexandra Jones

Cursed

Sam stared out the window of the Impala, highly agitated. Dean, John, and he were on a hunt for a witch that refused to die. Well, it was more like Dean and John were hunting and he was just doing the hours upon hours of research and they didn't even appreciate it. Sam was tired of them getting to be the heroes while was just the guy on the sidelines. It didn't help that he and his dad were going at it all the time. Anything from John not having a job that didn't have them in mortal peril every other day to Sam's lack of enthusiasm for hunting was fought over in the car or their current motel. Dean always intervened before it came to blows between them, but Sam knew that he could totally take his dad.

John at the present moment was discussing the details of the hunt with Dean. He glanced at Sam.

"You know what you're supposed to do right Sam?" he asked gruffly. Sam rolled his eyes, but shook his head. Apparently this wasn't good enough for John as he asked again.

"Yes, dad I know what I'm supposed to do, okay I do it every hunt." Sam snapped.

"Don't take that tone with me." John growled, glaring at Sam. Sam glared right back, but to Dean's relief neither Sam nor John said anything; he really didn't feel like stopping a fight.

They pulled over and Dean and John got out of the car, leaving Sam sulking in the back seat. Sam glared at them as they got their guns out from the truck and his glare intensified as Dean came up to the window. He flinched under Sam's intense gaze and gave him a weak smile. When Sam's glare didn't waver he sighed and went to join his dad. Sam slouched lower in the seat and his bad mood intensified.

Dean and John were planning on ambushing the creature, but apparently along with its talent of burning people alive the witch could also read minds and attacked them well before they were ready. Now, they were busy dodging fireballs and trying to keep from getting roasted alive.

"Dean, watch out!" John shouted as another fire ball was launched at Dean. Dean ducked just as it whizzed past where his head was two seconds before. Then, the attacked stopped and John instantly knew something was up.

Dean glanced around warily before a horrible, blood curdling scream reached his ears.

"SAM!" He shouted running back towards the Impala hoping desperately that Sam was okay. But, his fears were quelled when it became apparent that Sam wasn't the one that was in danger. The witch had a huge bullet hole right between her eyes and Sam was still holding the smoking gun.

A minute passed before Sam noticed that he was still holding the gun. He dropped it quickly and leaned against the car shaking. Dean rushed over to him and inspected him for bruises or injuries.

"You OK?" Dean asked, concern riddling his voice.

"I killed her …" Was Sam's faint reply. Dean cast a worried glance at his dad. He got Sam into the backseat and slid into the passenger seat with another worried glance at Sam. John got into the car and quickly peeled off.

They drove for hours in an uncomfortable silence before it was finally broken by Sam.

"I'm screwed."

Those were the only words he spoke, but Dean could have laughed out loud. He was afraid his brother might've been seriously fucked up after that incident. He cleared his throat.

"How so?" Dean asked trying not to sound too interested.

"I think that she cursed me before she died." Dean turned back to the front and cleared his throat in the absence of a reply.

"What did she say?" John asked not letting the worry he felt reach his voice.

"It's more like what she did. She touched my face and whispered something in a weird language that sounded kinda like Latin. The only thing she said in English was that my soul would be in eternal torment forever."

"Oh yeah, you're totally screwed." Dean snickered. Sam sent a fierce glare at the back of his head.

"Sure, just laugh at my misfortune."

For the rest of the trip Sam stewed quietly in the back seat while Dean continued to laugh.

Back at their motel room John had quickly gotten to work. He asked Sam to repeat what the witch had said in Latin, and while it might've not been accurate, John got the gist of it.

"I think that she may have given you the ability of empathy." He stated.

"Um dad, what's that?" Dean asked.

"It's the ability to feel the emotions of others and sometimes manipulate them." Sam jumped in. "But, why would that be a curse?"

"If the empath can't control their power the emotions of everyone around them touch his or her mind driving them slowly and painfully towards insanity." John explained.

Sam sat heavily on one of the beds. "Well, that's just great."

After a fitful night of sleep Sam, finally woke up feeling the same as he had yesterday.

'Maybe her curse didn't work.' Sam thought hopefully. He stretched and yawned, he looked at Dean and his dad, both of whom were still asleep. They wouldn't mind if he took a short walk, would they?

Sam slipped on his boots, swiftly crossed the room, and quietly left the room. His hopes of the curse being ineffective were dashed as soon as he got outside. His head felt like it was being split open. Anger, hate, lust, impatience, and envy all crashed around in his mind creating an unbearable pain in his mind.

He stumbled back into the room falling with a loud thud that instantly woke Dean and John. Dean rubbed his eyes and blinked sleepily.

"What the hell –"He stopped in midsentence when he noticed Sam on the floor. Dean jumped out of the bed and raced over to Sam, who was now unconscious.

"DAD!" Dean shouted while trying desperately to rouse Sam. John was over in an instant. They quickly carried Sam to the Impala and laid him down on the backseat. John peeled off at breakneck speed and as Dean tried to keep himself from being flung into the windshield, he prayed to anyone that might be listening that Sam would get out of this bind alive.

(A/N: Review please. Do you think I should continue? And since I have no clue who to pair up could you guys stated who you would like to be paired up in your reviews.)