"I don't care," Darcy Harrison yelled, "I'm not going to some freak school." She slammed the door to her bedroom and locked it.
Darcy Harrison was the fourteen year old middle child of the Harrison family. She had long red auburn hair and green eyes. At that moment she was very upset because her parents told her that after the big family camping trip she was going to be sent away to some school. Darcy knew why she was being sent away. Over the last few months many strange things had been occurring and Darcy always found herself in the middle of it.
Some of the weirder things were when she and her friend Jane were in the weigh room of their school. Some football player was showing off without a spotter and Darcy saved him by dead lifting almost 300lbs. Once when she was running in the park with her older brother, Frank, she heard a ball whizzing toward them and turned to catch it before it hit Frank in the head. These and other occurrences were noticed by the other students who began calling her BionicGirl. Eventually the teachers noticed too and Frank decided to tell their parents.
There was a knock on the door.
"Go away," Darcy yelled, "I don't want to talk to anyone."
"Not even me?" came a voice from the other side of the door. It was Darcy's little brother, Will. She begrudgedly opened the door.
A twelve year old with blonde hair, holding a lollipop, looked up at her innocently. "Sorry," he said. A moment later an older version of Will slipped through the door.
Darcy frowned at Frank. "I'm not surprised that you would bribe our little brother," she said, "I mean it fits with your streak of being a rat."
"I am not a rat," Frank said feigning hurt.
"Thanks to you," Darcy said, "Mom and Dad think I'm a freak."
"No one thinks you're a freak," the nineteen year old said, "right Will."
"I always thought she was a freak," Will said focusing more on his lollipop, "but only because she's a girl." Will left and skipped back to his bedroom.
Frank turned to Darcy. "How did you know about Aunt Mary?" he asked. Aunt Mary was never mentioned anymore around the Harrison house. She had died in a fire eighteen years ago. Her husband and kids were not a part of the Harrisons' life. Three days ago Darcy had been sleep walking. She walked to her father's office, into a closet and found some pictures of Aunt Mary. Frank found her shortly after that. She was screaming about fire, blood and saving the children.
In all of the commotion over Darcy's nocturnal it took over a day for everyone to remember that Jane, who had stayed over that night, had gone missing.
"I don't know," Darcy said honestly, "I just felt something and then I saw it. The baby, the fire and Aunt Mary, she was on the ceiling."
"Well, other than Aunt Mary dying in some peculiar fire all the rest was a dream," Frank said, "now finish getting packed. Family trip is planned for daybreak."
In the woods
The Harrison family was scheduled to be camping for six days. It was now day two and Darcy was having weird feelings. She and her brother had heard a wolf prowling around right outside of their camp. Frank told Darcy not to worry about the wolf because the fire would keep it back.
Darcy still couldn't shake this weird feeling though. That night as everyone took turns telling ghost stories Darcy sat back. She usually had the best stories which she found on the internet, them embellished with her own imagination.
"The as she turned on the lights. She saw her best friend mangled and bleeding in the bed. Written on the wall was. 'Aren't you glad you didn't turn on the lights?'" Frank bowed as his parents and brother applauded. "Now it's Darcy's turn, "Frank said, "calling attention to the quiet teenager, "and I know that she has a story for us."
With her family's encouragement, Darcy took the storyteller's position in front of the campfire. She told the story of a were-jaguar called a kenaima. It was an Olmec and said to practically unkillable without a blessed blade. It feared water and fed on happiness. When Darcy was finished her mother said it was time for bed. The parents went to their tent and the three Harrison children were given the larger tent to share. After saying their goodnights and dousing the fire, the family went to bed.
Dream
"Hello Darcy," came a voice from outside the tent, "won't you come out and play?"
Darcy sat up in her sleeping bag and could now see the glow of a fire through her tent wall. She quietly snuck past her brothers and out of the tent.
Before Darcy, stood a little girl in a white dress, with dark hair and milk white eyes. There was a blazing fire between them.
"I'm glad you could join us." said the little girl.
Darcy turned her head as Jane walked up to the fire. Her eyes looked weird too. It was almost as though they were completely black.
On the Road (Two weeks later)
John Winchester and his son Dean, twenty two, were heading toward a small Louisiana town when John received a phone call. It was from his brother-in-law. After talking to him for twenty minutes he and Dean were off in the direction of the Harrison home.
On the way, John explained to Dean that his Uncle had called. The uncle's family had been attacked by supernatural creatures and was now choosing to believe that John was not so crazy. Dean hadn't even known that his Uncle had a family. He had never met the man in his life.
Brenham TX. Harrison House
Dean and his father arrived at the large suburban home some time during the evening. As Dean entered the home the faint smell of various desserts filled his nostrils. All the neighbors must have brought condolence food, Dean thought. He never understood the concept of that suburban ritual. It was like here is some food now that your whoever is dead. After an introduction, that Dean found to be as awkward as he imagined it would be, his father and uncle went into a private study to talk.
Dean meandered through a room or two of the house before coming across a young boy in what Dean assumed was a living room without a television. He had some toy cars laid out in front of him. When Dean approached the boy made little notice of him and kept playing.
"Hi," Dean said awkwardly, "You must be Will… I'm Dean… Your cousin…" Dean was getting nowhere socially with the kid. He looked down at the cars and picked one up. "Wow, a Mach 6. I used to be a huge Speed Racer fan. Thought he had the most amazing car."
"They were my brother's," the child said finally, "he gave them to me for my birthday."
"I see," Dean said, putting the car down, "So…"
"We were attacked," the boy answered almost anticipating the question in Dean's mind.
"I know," Dean said, "by a wolf."
"It wasn't a wolf," Will said quietly, "it was a kenaima."
Dean leaned in a little shocked by the boy's statement. "A what?"
"A kenaima," Will repeated, "I saw it. It was just like Darcy described it, 'A humanlike jaguar like creature that roams the woods'. It almost… and Darcy… but she couldn't…"
"Darcy?" Dean said, "That's your sister right? Where is she?"
"She went to visit them," the boy said simply. He frowned and returned to his cars.
Cemetery
Darcy stood in front of the two new gravestones. They had been made and put up rather quickly. She barely acknowledged the man that walked up and stood next to her just as she chose not to acknowledge the pain throbbing though her arm. It had been bandaged and even placed in a sling.
"Hi," the man greeted.
"Hello," Darcy responded.
The two stood in silence for a few minutes.
"I'm Dean," the man finally said.
"Darcy," she responded, "and this is my mother and my brother." She never looked away from the gravestones.
"What happened to them?" Dean asked.
Darcy was silent again for a while before saying that they were attacked by a wolf.
"That's not what Will told me."
Darcy was surprised. "You've been talking to my little brother?' she asked the stranger.
"Yeah," Dean said, "I probably should have explained. I'm Dean, your cousin. I'm…"
"You're Aunt Mary's older son," Darcy said when she finally looked at him, "You have her eyes."
Dean seemed to be taken aback by the statement.
"I found a picture of your mother," Darcy explained, "My dad told me about you. I guess now we have something in common."
Dean looked at the graves and nodded. "We both have families to protect. We have dads who love us."
"And little brothers to look out for," Darcy finished.
Harrison House
Dean gave Darcy a ride home. When they got into the house John pulled Dean over to the kitchen so they could talk.
"What's going on Dad?" Dean asked, "That kid…"
"We're taking Darcy with us," John Winchester said with a final tone.
Dean was speechless for a moment. This had not been the response that he had expected. "Well…um…okay…wh-"
"She and her family have been marked," John explained in a low tone, "that thing that came after them was only the first of many. Your uncle and the boy are going into hiding and Darcy is coming with us."
Dean continued processing what his father was saying. It wasn't his nature to question his dad's orders but there were so many blanks here.
John sensed the questions brewing in his son's mind and took a deep breath. "Darcy is…different. She and her family would be safer if she came with us. We're going to teach her the trade. Apparently she is a natural. She killed a kenaima with no training what so ever. I know this isn't how we usually do things but we are giving her the option to come with us."
Having the final word John left the kitchen. Dean followed him out into the living room where Darcy was talking to her father. She was in tears. "It wasn't my fault," she said, "I can't believe you're still trying to get rid of me." Darcy got up and ran out of the room.
"I told her," Uncle Mike said, "that she should go with you."
John sighed and looked at Dean. "I'll go try to talk to her, Dad," Dean offered.
Darcy's room
Darcy was throwing some things into a bag when her door swung open. Dean stood in the doorway.
"I could have sworn I locked that," she said not looking in his direction.
Dean shrugged, "Maybe you did. I have a way of getting through locks. By the way, I wouldn't leave these lying around. They have more uses than you think."
Darcy looked up and saw Dean holding out a bobby pin. He tossed it on the vanity.
After a short silence Dean spoke up again, "What are you doing?"
"What are you doing?" Darcy responded.
"Just making conversation," Dean answered. He plopped down in a chair.
Darcy looked at him inquisitively for a moment. So you don't have any problem with taking in a stranger?"
"You're family," Dean responded simply.
"I guess I don't have a choice anyway. What do you and your dad even do? Where do you live?"
"We live all over actually," Dean answered, "We don't stay in one place too long. Travel the country, fight evil. We have a pretty unpredictable life."
"Fight evil?" Darcy asked skeptically.
"Yeah," Dean replied, "Demons, ghosts… kenaimas. Heard you had quite a run-in with one of those."
"Didn't help," Darcy said in a low tone, more to herself, "look I'd kind of like to be alone if you don't mind."
"Sure," Dean said getting up and heading for the door, "but you are taking this news a little better than I expected. Most people freak out or deny the truth when they hear about the supernatural."
"Like you said," Darcy told him, "I fought one. Why would I not believe you."
Dean nodded and started for the door.
"Dean?"
Dean stopped and turned again.
"What do demons look like?" Darcy asked.
"They possess people, can look like people. Sometimes they have black empty eyes," Dean answered. He left the room.
Outside/ Graveyard
Uncle John had informed Darcy that they would be leaving in the morning. She said goodbye to Will and her father who would be leaving as well after a few things were taken care of.
It was about 2 a.m. when Darcy slipped out of the upstairs window. There was one thing she had to do before she left for good. She was now about two miles up the road and crossing into the park. She could have sworn that she heard a noise but scanning the dark she saw no one around.
Minutes later she reached the graveyard and made the now familiar trek to where her brother and mother were.
"I wondered when you would show up here again," came a voice from the shadows.
Darcy couldn't make out the man's face. "Excuse me," she replied backing up slightly.
"I've been watching you for about two weeks hoping to get you alone," the creep said, "I thought I had my chance yesterday until your friend showed up." He stepped forward out of the shadows and Darcy saw for the first time his black eyes. They were the same kind of eyes that Jane had in her dream.
Darcy turned and ran but a force pushed her down. A blur came up from the other direction and tackled the demon. It was Dean. Uncle John was close behind him. He splashed what looked like water on the demon. It screamed in pain as though it was splashed with acid. Then Uncle John began reading Latin from a book. The demon was stronger than Dean and was fighting his way off of the ground. Darcy thought quickly and ran to hold the thing down. Dean and Darcy held the demon down easily. When Uncle John finished the incantation the demon screamed as black smoke exited his mouth. The body was now limp under Darcy's pressure. She jumped back quickly.
"Is he…?" she began to ask.
"He's probably been dead for a long time," Uncle John interrupted, "he was possessed by a…"
"A demon," Darcy finished, "they can possess the dead too."
Uncle John nodded and gathered his stuff. He pulled out a can of lighter fluid and salt.
Dean took Darcy by the arm and started walking her back toward the house. She glanced back to see her uncle set fire to the body.
" He said he had been waiting for me."
"You can never tell what a demon's motives are," Dean replied.
They didn't say anything else the entire walk back.
At the House
When they got back Uncle John said it was time to leave. Darcy slid into the back of the Impala and didn't look back as they drove away.