(Disclaimer: Don't own anything Supernatural related; the following story belongs to me)

Echo.

Chapter One.

A scream is a scream is a scream.

But not when it's your own.

When it's your own, it's borne out of your depths and has a frightening reality to it, a deep resonance that reverberates through every part of you; squeezing your organs, chilling your blood as it sets every nerve on fire. It leaves nothing untouched. And it shouldn't. It's a primal reaction for which you have no control…and it's often the last thing you ever hear.

Sam was hoping that last part didn't apply to him as another scream tore from his very being. His throat was red-raw; the screams now hoarse …but they were screams nonetheless. Screams that wracked his body, screams that hacked at his psyche; screams so desperate they held a plaintive plea as they waned, only to rise again with increased pain and vigour as his punishment continued.

He lay voice to his next scream; his head thrown back, his back arching as his heels dug into the cold, damp stones beneath him and he willed himself not to beg; beg for mercy, beg for release; he wouldn't give it the satisfaction. The stones were slick underneath him; the blood from the innumerable cuts, laceration, slashes that littered his body, pooling in the cracks between them. He tried to ignore the pain in his hands; the daggers that pierced his palms and had him pinned to the floor had been driven in with such force, there was no removing them; the serrated edges ensuring the slightest movement meant agonising pain.

His scream petered out and he drew in a painful, shuddering breath; his lungs expanding as he gave birth to another; his eyes were closed to block the nightmarish vision he knew was perched above him. His mind slowly started to break as it retreated, looking for a haven from the hell he was living; retreating to a place where he still had his innocence…his mind now believing if he couldn't see it, it couldn't see him. It had worked when he was a child…so why not now?

Another scream and then another erupted from him; an unending symphony of suffering that came in waves; crashing into Sam, beating against him, driving him towards another scream and taking every ounce of strength to draw breath and let loose the next.

Taking everything til he was breathless.

Taking everything til the madness finally claimed him.

Taking everything til he could give no more.

His chest rose one last time.

It had taken everything.

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It was the fifth time he'd seen her; just a glimpse but it was enough to know it was the same woman. He'd seen her twice before Sam had gone missing…this was the third time since Sam had disappeared a week ago; leaving nothing but a large pool of blood in the bed where he'd last seen his brother after the Tennessee hunt. Her hair was red this time and she seemed shorter than the last time he'd seen her…and although her appearance was different each time…her eyes never changed.

He dropped his gaze to the map at the table, scanning the highways and hoping for some clue as to where his brother was. He knew he was heading in the right direction...he didn't know how...he just knew. He stared at the map and waited for the next town to jump out at him...like it had every other time. He smiled automatically, not raising his gaze as the waitress refilled his cup; her whispered apology as she spilled a drop of the steaming coffee on his map barely registering as she hurried away. He wiped the map with a napkin and looked at the small town underneath the stain. He frowned...this was where he had to go next, he was sure of it.

He snapped his head up when he caught movement on his periphery, something shifting too fast for the slow moving customers of this lazy roadside diner; but whatever it was, was gone and no other patron seemed to have noticed anything out of the ordinary…but then again, they weren't Dean Winchester.

He drained his coffee, folded the map and left a tip for the waitress before winding his way out of the diner; his eyes flicking left and right as he looked for any sign of the mystery woman or that strange rush of movement from earlier. Nothing. He pushed through the glass door and sauntered towards the Impala; a smile gracing his lips as his eyes lit upon his baby…the smile faltering just slightly at the lone sound of the gravel crunching under his boots. Sammy.

He sighed heavily as the car keys jangled from his pocket; his head turning quickly as he saw that rapid flash of colour again. He shoved the keys back into his jeans as he ran towards the side of the diner, the gravel kicking up behind him as he gave chase. He made the corner, catching a glimpse of red vanishing into the woods that lay behind the diner and he raced forward; vaulting a small fence as he raced through the tree-line where he'd last seen the fleeing figure. He ducked and weaved round trees, jumping over fallen logs and pushing through light scrub…the flashes of distant red keeping him on the chase. The filtered light that snaked through the dense canopy dropped the temperature dramatically and visibility was dropping as well; shadows ruled here but he wouldn't give up the chase; whatever was running from him had something he wanted, he was sure of it; and the only thing he wanted right now was to find his brother.

He ran around a large grouping of boulders, tripping over a large root and falling down hard. He managed to get his hands out to break his fall but he hit hard; the ground jarring up his arms and into his shoulders; his knees scraping painfully on the forest floor and he grunted loudly, his breath pushing out of him in a rush.

He rolled onto his back, trying to catch his breath and his eyes widened as the creature launched itself at him; flying out of the trees, its jaws opened wide, a myriad of razor-sharp teeth glistening in the dappled light as it shrieked, lowering its bat-like ears against its misshapen skull; it's ruby-red leathery wings held tight against its body. He put up his hands in a vain attempt to ward off the ten-inch talons that protruded from long, tapered fingers; the purple veins that highwayed over the sickly grey body, pulsed rapidly as it bore down on him; its blood-red eyes aglow in anticipation of the kill. And as he roared in furious rage at the beast, his world turned black.

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He woke with a start; his head smacking against the Impala's window with a dull thud as he drew in a shaky breath; he turned his head sharply as he heard a laugh from beside him.

"Nightmare?" asked Sam with a grin as he munched on some fries.

"Sammy!" exclaimed Dean, grabbing his brother and hugging him tight, the fries squashed between them.

"Dude!" Sam laughed, pushing his brother from him "You want the fries, have 'em" and he held the box out to him.

"Jesus, Sammy! Where've you been? You okay?" he looked his brother over, opening his jacket and checking for injuries.

Sam slapped at his brothers hands "Seriously, dude…if you're horny…there's a bar just down the road"

"Where've you been, Sammy?" he asked again, his eyes boring into his brothers.

Sam frowned slightly "Aaah, just went into the diner we're parked out front of" and he pointed out the windscreen to a diner that looked like it had come straight out of the 1950's "You've been out for a couple of hours and I needed food"

Dean turned back to his brother, a frown creasing his brow "Where are we?"

"About an hour shy of the Tennessee border. We should be able to make 'Red Bank' by tomorrow morning"

Dean frowned again "Red Bank?"

Sam rolled his eyes "Red Bank, Tennessee? The town where the men are disappearing? Fourteen so far? Remember?" he frowned when he saw the colour drain slowly from his brothers face "Dean? What is it?"

"What day is it, Sammy?" he asked softly.

"Wednesday"

"The date, Sam"

"Ninth" said Sam, the worry that Dean had been wearing earlier, now transferring to him.

Dean shook his head "No…it's the twenty-fourth"

Sam laughed softly, tyring to hide his worry "Sorry, dude. Ninth it is" and he grabbed a newspaper from the backseat and passed it to Dean "See? Just got it now"

Dean looked at the date…the ninth…it couldn't be "No, Sam. It's the twenty-fourth"

Sam stared at his brother, the worry now settling in the pit of his stomach; a swirling whirlpool of worry as he looked at Dean. He'd never seen him like this...unsure of himself...and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end "What is it, Dean?"

"I don't know…" he said quietly, unable to drag his eyes from the date at the top of the paper "This is today's paper?" he asked again.

"Yes, Dean. Now what's going on?" he asked.

"I…don't know. Something though" and he didn't like the chill that tapped its way up his spine and wrapped itself around his throat, the fingers of fear starting to squeeze slowly.

"Well you try and figure it out while I take a leak" said Sam as he got out of the car "You hungry?" he asked, resting his arm on the top of the Impala as he leaned back down.

Dean shook his head as he stared at the paper "Nah. I'm good"

Sam frowned slightly; Dean was always hungry "Alright, back in sec"

"Wash your hands" said Dean distractedly, smiling at the small laugh his brother let out. He looked up and watched Sam push the glass door of the diner open and walk past the array of glass windows that lined the building. What the hell was going on? He put the newspaper on the seat next to him and got out of the car, leaning back against the door as he looked around the parking lot.

He saw two women walking towards him, heading for the diner and when they were within earshot he asked "Hey, aaah…you …what's the date today?"

Both the women smiled at him appreciatively, their eyes tracking slowly down his body and back up again "Ninth" said the blonde, smiling broadly as she pushed her chest forward.

"You sure?" asked Dean.

"Positive" said the brunette, her eyes gliding over him again as she shifted her weight, her hip jutting out provocatively "Why don't you..."

"Thanks" said Dean, turning and going to the back of the car. He wasn't in the mood to flirt with anyone, all he wanted to do was figure out what the hell was going on. He leaned back against the boot, his hands going into his jacket pockets and he frowned as his fingers brushed against something. He pulled out a piece of paper, unfolding it as he began to read, his brow furrowing deeper as his world started to spin…

You have once chance to set it right. That's all I can give you. You MUST go to the town; there are clues waiting for you if you look in the right places. One chance, Dean. You know what happens if you get it wrong.

He read and re-read the message, turning the paper over, trying to figure out where it had come from, who had written it and who had put it in his jacket without him knowing. But all that did was mess with his head. He thought back to the last thing he remembered…chasing something…what the hell had he been chasing? He concentrated…red…he remembered something red. He grunted in frustration as the memory eluded him, it was just out of reach…he shook his head, if he thought about it, it wouldn't come.

He looked back at the letter …One chance. One chance to save Sammy.

"Dude"

He turned, putting the paper back into his pocket "Yo!" he grinned at his baby brother.

Sam laughed "Ready to hit the road?"

Dean smiled "Hand over the keys and step away from baby"

Sam laughed as he tossed his brother the keys, walking to the passenger side "Red Bank here we come" he said as he slid into the car, not noticing the worry that rose in Dean's eyes.

Dean glanced around the parking lot one more time before getting behind the wheel, gunning the engine and dropping the handbrake as he slammed on the accelerator; gravel kicking out behind the car as she fishtailed out of the lot and onto the blacktop heading towards Tennessee.

He didn't notice the green eyes that watched him intently from behind the treeline.

To be continued…