Castiel didn't go to sleep that night, instead priding himself in rereading his favorite books from his personal library. He knew Marie wouldn't mind, especially since he practically finished his studies for this year last year. He loved to get ahead, and since he was homeschooled, he always made sure Marie squeezed in extra lesson when they could.
So saying he's partially off the hook would be a better explanation.
He was currently curled up in his large satin duvet, pillows aligning each side while the large lamp from his bedside table shown down unto the pages of the book. It was a comfortable position, and nights like these made Castiel feel cocooned. In his own world, where friends joined him on fantastic adventures, and he saved damsels in distress and cleverly beat the evil dragon with his wit. Where vampires and goblins and demons came to play, and flying cars and worlds that held a thousand moons invited him with open arms. That's were Castiel retreated in the late hours of the night, and that's where he felt the most safest.
Except, tonight, he kept on getting interrupted.
Every few seconds, there would be a tap and a rustle. A small tap like a stone, and the rustle of leaves. He heard them clearly, and he knew where the ominous sounds were coming from, they were coming from the stained glass window.
The first few times were of nothing important, he brushed them off as the trees that surrounded the large estate. Now, it was just getting ridiculous. These noises happened every so often, but it seemed this time they were getting louder and louder by the second.
Tap tap tap.
Castiel huffed, pushing his blankets and pillows off and placing his book carefully on his bedside table. He went towards the large stained glass window, tried the old rusted latch which still didn't budge, and looked outside the best he could with the blurred red and blues.
Nothing.
He waited a bit, trying out different colors to see which one had the clearest view, and decided on the yellow piece on the left hand corner.
He waited, hoping the noises were another raccoon like last time, he expected it to be another raccoon like last time.
What he didn't expect, was the hushed yet arduous laughter that didn't sound like Marie. He jumped back, yet instantly prying his ear to the window to hear more of the sound, to hear someone else's voice, to know there are other people out there.
"Dammit, seriously Jo. This is a nice place." A woman's voice praised.
"Nice, but still a bit creepy...we're looking to see if Dean and I can get the front doors open by Friday. See if this place is as big as people say it is, and maybe par-tay!" Another woman voice replied.
"Hush! There could be ghosts, like seriously, haven't you read on the history of this place?"
"No, of course not Charlie. Besides, what does us talking have to do with ghosts hearing us and popping up out of no where."
Castiel listened closer, hoping the women were joking about this place being secluded. They couldn't come and open it, because this was private property, a secret place...how...how do they know about this?
"You've got a point, noise works for zombies. Not dead entities."
"I dunno...wanna test that theory?"
"Fuck no, even if you are implying what I think your implying, I'm not doing it out here where there can literally be people watching us."
Castiel paused, wondering what they were talking about exactly before the tap happened once more. He jumped back, looking at the yellow part and realizing that those where human fingers tapping on the window.
Oh...
"So what your saying is you want to just not here?"
The silence was broken by the tap of the fingers once more.
"Shut up and kiss me JoAnna Harvelle."
"Gladly, Charlotte Bradbury."
"God, I hate that name."
"Ditto."
Castiel stepped back, knowing full well the rustles and noises they were making now we're not for his virgin ears. He quickly looked around his room, wondering if he used anything to break that latch open to explain to them exactly why they can't come here, and his eyes landed on his lamp. The thing was made out of iron, and Castiel took quick work to unscrew the light bulb and unplug the source.
He walked back towards the window, saying a quick sorry all while staring at the large latch, and slammed the iron pole down.
"What the fuck!" Joanna, Castiel guessed, exclaimed from outside the window. He paid no mind to the hushed exclamations, except throwing the iron lamp onto the ground and groaning in frustration.
The latch didn't even crack.
Castiel took this exact moment to explode, throwing all precautions out the window, literally.
"You useless, stupid piece of glass! I need you to open, just once, for me! Please, I'm begging you, let me free! Just let me look outside! I've tried everything, everything in my will power to get you open, to get me at least see the world where I live in and you don't budge. Not then, not now and not ever!" He cried out, and threw the pole of the lamp to the corner of the room.
"Holy shit, Jo. I think...I think someone lives here."
Castiel ignored the women outside, who are currently tapping on the stained glass, and frantically looking inside. He could see them, the pretty teenagers who are looking through the colorful window in hopes of another being.
"No shit, Sherlock, it's actually a fucking deer."
"Hey! Don't sass me, look, we just need to get this person out of here. It seems they were trapped. And who knows how long, so wouldn't the right thing to do is to help them escape?"
"Yes, but here's the deal, if someone was trapped in here, there would be a reason...right?"
The couple grew quiet, and Castiel looked at them in solace. Maybe, maybe if he replied once more...maybe he could feel the rain and the sun...mud...earth.
"Doesn't matter, I'm helping them."
"Charlie!"
"Look, if your trapped in here...and alive...I need you to knock twice. If your trapped in there and dead...I need you to knock once..."
"This is exactly the kind of shit that gets you killed in the movies Char!"
Castiel looked at their faces, wondering if he tapped...would they help. They probably would...they said they would...
He walked closer, ultimately deciding to knock.
He needed to know.
Knock knock.
"Well...you owe me a beer."
Castiel looked at their happy faces from the yellow part of the window, and his heart started to pound in fear. He shouldn't have done that, he shouldn't have, Marie will be angry and his parents...his parents would be...
He couldn't even think about what his parents would do.
"Okay...okay okay okay...um, I'm Charlie and this is my girlfriend Jo. We're here to help, well at first we weren't but now we are and are you okay? I mean are you trapped in there? How long have you been trapped in there...oh my..."
"Hey, Charlie, calm down. I think your scaring the poor guy."
"Oh...I'm sorry."
"Ill take it from here sweetie..." Jo muttered. "Look, we can't help you unless we know who you are...what's your name?"
Castiel inwardly gasped, realizing that he's reacting with another human being. Nice people...people who want to know his name...he's going to be conversing with them! Why...how could such a thing happened? After his years of loneliness and seclusion...they stumble upon Castiel.
He wasted no time in replying. "My name is Castiel."
"Okay, Castiel...we're going to get you out of here...just...tell us who put you in here. And Charlie, start calling the cops."
Castiel's eyes widened at the mention of police "NO! No! Don't do that, don't call them...please...don't."
"What?! Why not! We're only trying to help."
"Because, if you do that then it'll ruin everything." Castiel replied, resting his forehead against the cool glass, the rush of the situation besting his fatigue to a pulp.
"Ruin everything? What will it ruin, your trapped in here...with probably no food or water...or a good place to sleep. You need help!"
"That's where your wrong. I'm trapped here, yes, but I have food and I have water. I have satin sheets and an endless string of books and instruments to entertain me. I have paints and canvases, and earlier my caretaker Marie treated me to evening biscuits and tea. I'm not starved of food, water or shelter. I'm starved of freedom." Castiel finally admitted...and when he was finished...the clench of his jaw was so tense tears brimmed at his eyes.
"What's your full name..." Charlie finally asked, after a few moments of silence.
Castiel only blinked as he replied, not knowing the full power of such a name.
"Castiel Emmanuel Novak."
"Charlie...I think I owe you three hundred beers and a lap dance." Jo finally said.
