Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural, Dean or Sam, I'm just borrowing them and I give them back when I finished and I don't own anything to do with the film 23.
This idea comes from the film 23. The enigma number 23 is the belief that all incidents and events are directly connected to the number 23. Is it an obsession or is it a curse
The Curse of 23
Chapter One
It was past midnight as Sam stepped onto the roof; he felt the warm wind on his face and froze at the sight in front of him. Dean stood on the low wall that surrounded the edge of the flat roof, four storeys up. Dean's shirt blew in the wind, his heels of his boots hanging over the edge, he balanced on his toes. The only things Sam could hear were his own heart beat and the noise from the traffic in the streets below. One good gust of wind and Dean would be blown off, falling backwards to the pavement below.
Sam slowly approached him, hands held out his heart now thumping against his ribcage. "Dean, please don't do this" he pleaded to his brother
"We were always meant to be together" Dean replied
Sam stopped his voice quivering "I'm sorry it's my fault, we should never have come here, please come down and we can talk"
When Dean made no move Sam begged "Dean please, I need you, please don't leave me, I can't live without you"
"Yes you can" Dean's alarm on his watch started to beep, it was 12.11. "I'm sorry Sammy but it is too late now, I have to go" Dean lifted his arms and leaned slightly backwards.
Sam rushed forward hands outstretched ready to grab Dean; he was a mere half an inch from Dean's hand as his brother fell backwards off the roof, leaving his fingers grabbing nothing but air.
Dean fell backwards for a second he felt like he was floating and then he started to plummet down towards the street below, he saw Sam's distraught face hanging over the wall his hand stretched out shouting his name, Sam shouting turned into music from his cell phone.
Dean jumped up in bed, his heart pounding in his chest he was covered in sweat, his phone continued to ring. Taking his shaky hand he grabbed the phone of the bedside table. "Hello"
A first there was just static and then a woman's soft voice whispered "I've found you my love"
"Who is this?" Dean asked nervously before the static returned and line went dead.
Dean wiped his hand across his sweaty face
"Dean" a sleepy voice came from the other bed "Who was that?"
"Wrong number, go back to sleep Sam"
"Same one as before" Sam asked
Dean ignored him and looked at the clock 12.11; it had been the same every night since they had arrived three days ago in George Town Maine he climbed out of bed hoping that Sam would go straight back to sleep, Sam didn't know about the nightmares and he wanted to keep it that way, he went into the bathroom, splashing water on his face he looked in the mirror at his blood shot eyes, his heart still pounding he thought about the nightmares, they felt so real and the phone calls they were always the same. After a few minutes he climbed back into bed, luckily for him Sam had drifted back off to sleep; Dean tossed and turned for awhile before he too fell asleep.
The next morning Dean walked back into motel room with two Starbuck coffees and bagels, closing the door with his foot he found Sam on the laptop.
"Think I've found our next job" Sam looked up from his laptop
Dean was relieved that Sam was preoccupied with finding them a job and not drilling him about last night "where?" Dean asked as he handed Sam a coffee and bagel, before taking off his jacket and sitting on his unmade bed
"Thanks, not far from here Portland" Sam replied
"What's the job?" Dean asked
"22 suicides, the last person was Howard Johnson, he had a wife and a baby" Sam replied after taking a sip of coffee.
"Doesn't sound like our kinda of job?" Dean mumbled with a mouth full of bagel
"Dude, that disgusting; don't talk with your mouth full" Sam reprimand him, Dean just smirked back which told Sam he didn't care.
"Well get this, they were all male and they all died on their 23rd birthday." Sam told him
"Weird" Dean replied
"Yeah, our kind of weird"
"I don't know Sam" Dean replied thinking about his nightmares, if he said no, he would have to explain the reason why
"I'm thinking it could be a vengeful spirit, we can at least look into it" Sam gave him the look that Dean could never say no to.
"Ok, I'll pack the car up" Dean sighed before shoving the rest of his bagel into his mouth making his cheeks puff out.
Sam shook his head, sometimes he wondered if they were even related, he was sure Dean just did things to annoy him sometimes.
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Driving into Portland Dean pulled the impala over, switching of the engine he jumped out and headed towards a convenience store to ask the locals if they could recommend a cheap hotel. Sam climbed out to stretch his long legs, as he lent against the impala he noticed a second handbook shop, Sam couldn't resist the smell of old books so he sauntered in, it remained him of Stanford, on a shelf directly in front of him a book caught his eye, it had a worn leather cover, a lot like a hunters journal. Sam picked it up and read the title; "M" by Joe Black, Sam opened the book, he noticed it was handwritten, it was an original; one of its kind, he started to read the first page
I dedicate this book to "M"
May she never be forgotten
I should really introduce myself, but what's in a name, if I had to choose a name for myself then I would probably choose Joe. I know what you're thinking why Joe? Because I'm your average kind of guy, well maybe not quiet average because I have helped to save people's lives with the help of others, it's a life which I didn't choose, this life choice me, a life I was pushed into. I'm no hero; all I ever wanted was a normal life, was that too much to ask?
If I was offered a super human power like the characters in my childhood comic books, I would have chosen to have the ability to go back in time and change everything about my life because right now my life sucks big time. I have entered a black period in my life and that's why I've chosen Black as my surname, a blackness which I can't find my way out of, a blackness which is pulling me down. Other people would probably choose invisibility for my power, because they don't really see the real me.
I can't say I blame them, it's my own fault really, after tragedy struck my family I hid my scars behind a mask, this mask I still wear today, I hide my feeling, my dreams deep within me, I've locked them away, even now sometimes I struggle to find them.
People have come and gone in my life, mostly they have deserted me, they didn't care how that affected me, that their leaving cut me deeply. This brings me to the person who left me here; I can't bring myself to write his name, as far as I am concerned he his dead to me just as I am dead to him, so I will refer to him as he or him.
He was the one I trusted the most. I was loyal and I loved him unconditionally, you could say like a dog loves its master, but even a dog will eventually turn on his master when he's treated badly enough. He brought me here and left me to rot; he left me with nothing, I don't even own the clothes on my back, not that I would want to, he turned away from me when I most needed him. I bet you're wondering where he left me. I should really tell you the story leading up to him driving off without a backward glance but by the end you will have probably guessed where I am.
Sam heard his name been called, it was Dean hovering in the doorway of the shop; Sam knew he wouldn't come in; Dean had an allergy to books when it suited him. Sam asked the shop assistant how much, quickly paying he left.
Climbing back into the impala, Dean gave him a curious look, "What you got there college boy?"
"A book" Sam replied
"Well imagine that buying a book in a book shop, whatever next, what is the world coming to?"
Sam couldn't help himself he had to smile "I don't know for some reason it caught my eye, listen to this"
Sam started to read the first page he had just read as Dean started the car and headed down the road towards the recommended hotel.
They pulled up outside the Star Hotel, climbing out Dean opened the truck and retrieved their bags; "he wears a mask because his face is disfigured?"
"No, I think he is talking about being emotionally scarred" Sam replied
"O I get it now, who do you think the man is who left him? Dean asked as they headed through the hotel doors into the reception area.
"Maybe his father or grandfather" Sam replied
They stopped and look around at the decor; it was out of date, but not too shabby. Dean walked over to the reception desk.
"We would like a room, two queens" Dean asked the clerk behind the desk.
"How many nights are you staying?"
"Not sure yet, say three for now" Dean replied handing him his latest credit card in the name of Dean Hudson
The clerk give him the key for room 20, Dean noticed another key hanging on its hook "Can we have room 23?"
"Sure but it's not as nice as 20 Mr Hudson" the clerk replied
"No problems, we'll take it"
Dean joined Sam at the bottom of the stairs; they took the steps two at a time "So where do you want to start first?" Sam asked
"The Library"
TBC