In the woods of Oregon.
Sam and Dean burst through the bushes, towing a young woman with strawberry blonde hair between them. The girl stumbled over a tree root sticking out of the ground and fell on her face. Sam skidded to a stop and ran back to her, kneeling beside her, helping her sit up. He looked at her scraped hands and knees, heard her heavy breathing. Sam looked up at Dean, who'd stopped running and backtracked to the two of them.
Sam shook his head. "She can't keep going like this, Dean."
"We have to," Dean said adamantly. "According to Cas, if we don't get her to him before the sun rises, she'll be stuck here forever, dodging demons for the rest of her life. What's more, she'll die if Cas doesn't work his hoodoo on her tonight!" Dean lowered his voice a notch, realizing that he was being too hard on Sam. "I know you don't want her to leave, but she doesn't belong here, and you know it."
Sam's eyes grew darker and sadder. He looked at the young woman and said, "Elizabeth?"
She turned her large, green eyes to look into his soft, hazel ones. Sam could see the longing there, and the fear of death. Swallowing hard, trying not to show his own sorrow at her leaving, he said, "You do want to go home, don't you?"
Elizabeth held his gaze for a long moment. Then she looked up at the sky wistfully. It was already starting to turn pink as dawn approached, and only a few stars continued to glimmer overhead. Once the last one disappeared, so would her last chance to leave.
Sam tugged on her arm. Elizabeth got to her feet and went with the boys. Dean stole a glance behind him. "Sam!"
Sam glanced over his shoulder. Three men with black eyes were following them, and accompanying them was the Queen Bitch herself.
"Meg," Sam muttered. He scooped up Elizabeth in his big, strong arms and carried her easily as he ran, wondering why he hadn't just carried her this whole time anyway. It wasn't as though he hadn't known he'd enjoy the feeling of holding her in his arms.
"Cas said it's just on the other side of these woods," Dean said, panting as he ran alongside Sam, barely keeping up with his brother's long-legged strides.
Suddenly, Meg appeared in front of them, dark, deadly, and beautiful. "I'm getting sick of this game," she growled sweetly. "You guys are getting to be a real pain in the ass."
Sam's lips drew back and he snarled, "You so much as touch her, and I swear-"
Meg looked appalled. She placed her hands on her hips and taunted, "Good little Sammy, swearing?" She waggled a finger at him. "What would your mommy say?"
Sam chose not to dignify her remark with a reaction. The sadistic bitch was just trying to provoke him.
Seeing that she had not gotten the reaction she'd wanted, Meg raised her hand, and with a flick of her wrist, sent Sam flying backwards into the trunk of a very hard tree. Then she turned to Dean, raised her palm, fingers spread, and Dean slid backwards into another tree, and unseen force dragging him three feet up the trunk and letting him hang there, kicking and fighting and shouting obscenities at her.
Meg sauntered up to Sam and cupped his chin in her hand. Sam cringed, hip lip curling and his flesh crawling in disgust. "Don't worry, sweetie," Meg crooned. "I'm not gonna hurt her. That'd be overkill, and I'm not into that. It's so pointless, you know?"
"Then why the hell are you here?" said Sam, grinding his teeth in both rage and pain. It's impossible for most people to imagine the agony of struggling to free yourself from an invisible force grabbing you around the neck, shoulders, stomach, thighs, and legs.
Meg grinned evilly and stepped back. "To watch the show. An artist likes to view her handiwork, you know, to be sure everything goes exactly as planned." She spread her hands in an all-encompassing gesture. "And you boys are so lucky; you get front-row seats! Oh…" she placed a finger on her chin thoughtfully and feigned sadness. "Although, I suppose Sam would think of it as a tragedy."
Sam snarled, "Go back to hell, you bitch."
Meg grinned viciously. "It won't be anytime soon, I can promise you that."
Sam looked over at Elizabeth. As the last star's twinkle began to dim, Elizabeth doubled over and collapsed on the ground, coughing and gasping. Blood drained from her nose and mouth.
"It's just too bad, though," Meg mused. "That angel dick friend of yours is gonna miss the chance of a lifetime- watching his only living niece die, nice and slow."
Sam lurched, trying to break free from Meg's invisible grip, but it was useless. He could only stare in horror as the frail, gentle, beautiful girl spit up her insides. "Elizabeth!"