And I'll meet you further on up the road.


Graveyard boots:

Once upon a time the world is swallowed up in fire. Not the fire that burns forests and has troops trying to put them out. Not the burn of a third world war that people have feared and predicted for years.

This is the fire of hell, and the world resides in it. Demons roam free, incarnating with absolute freedom. There is no prayer or chant to make them go away, no god to pray to, not one who will listen. They roam free of worldly shackles, a new playground theirs for the taking.

Dean's thinking of bullies in high school. Claiming, taking, ruling. Hurting. Just because.

This is the nature of demons, and demons are big bullies, and Dean's watching what's left of humanity hide in the corner hoping to pass unnoticed.

They're walking the street and civilization collapses under the heavy march.

Dean sees it clearly in his mind and once upon a time he would have stood up, kept on fighting, found a way to make things right, because that's what the Winchesters do. On occasion.

Once upon a time. Now Dean doesn't care. It was Winchester blood that brought the world down and Sam is lost to him to the other side. Dean's feet feel heavy, his boots thudding around to a beat that says death would have been better. The Demon won't let him. The Demon will bestow him life, over and over again, to let him watch how he lost the war.

How he lost his brother.

Dean keeps on walking, blending in, more ghost than human.

He sees it clearly in his mind.

He should have pulled the trigger.


Dead man's suit:

Once upon a time the world almost got lost to fire. It was in a fraction of a second, and that fraction seemed to last forever, till time moved again, and the world was still there as it's always been.

Cars moving, light changing, night falling, day breaking, people moving sleeping fucking dying living, same old story practiced over and over again.

Dean can see it clearly in his mind, because he knows this world. Has loved this world.

More than his brother.

Less than his brother.

The world didn't change, but Dean did. Like a ghost, driving around, trying to forget his brother's face. No more ties, all he's loved dead and he's thinking that as far as he's concerned the Demon's won.

He would have liked to shove the same gun in his mouth and pull the trigger, but knows neither Sam nor Dad would have approved. He doesn't think they'll approve of this pit he's sunk into right now, but this one he can't help.

There's pain in his head that won't go away and is stronger whenever he dreams. He always dreams.

If he had done this or done that….if his world had changed. The world didn't. It stood still and stamped Cain's mark on him and Dean can see the endless years ahead of him as a wait to the other side.

He sees it clearly in his mind.

He should never have pulled the trigger.


Where the gun is cocked:

Once upon a time Dean Winchester is cocking the gun that will save the world.

Once upon a time Dean Winchester is cocking the gun that will kill his brother.

There are two roads he can walk now. He can see them clearly in his mind. They play out like fucking blockbusters with Dolby surround and his trigger finger trembles slightly looking at Sam Winchester.

All the steps and miles and years leading here.

Two roads.

And neither is leading to salvation.

He is a Winchester, Dean's thinking and accepts the loss of hope.

He is a Winchester.

And salvation has never been for their bloodline.

-The End.


Sidenote: Main title and chapter titles taken from Johnny Cash's "Further on up the Road". It's a brilliant song , which gives a new perspective to the fic. Possibly. Don't know. Anyway, I don't mean to infringe on any rights, nor make profit of the song or anything of the sort. Total disclaimer here.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, I just write about them. Alas.