Chapter 2
That Damn Gas Station
Play: "Rock Of Ages"
By: Def Leppard
"Jackie!" Harper yelled.
"Harper, help me!" a little girl's voice yelled back.
"Jackie, hold on!" Harper screamed, she was running towards the sound of her sister's voice in the middle of the woods. "Jackie?" Harper called. There was no reply. Harper stopped running, she was out of breath. Harper leaned against the tree on her left. Suddenly, from Harper's right, there came an ear splitting scream that spoke two words.
"Harper, run!"
Harper awoke with a start, she sat bolt upright and screamed her sister's name. Sam and Dean sat up with expressions of horror. Once they had realized who had screamed and that they weren't in mortal danger, they relaxed a bit. Realizing what she had done, Harper took a deep breath.
"Sorry, bad dream. Didn't mean to wake you." She murmured between breaths. Sam rubbed Harper's back.
"That bad?" He asked.
"Woods with Jackie again." Harper replied. Dean stood up from his bed.
"So you've had that nightmare before?" He asked.
"Yeah, but it was never this bad." Harper said clutching her stomach. She waited a moment before swinging her legs off the bed and rushing into the bathroom. Sam and Dean could hear her as she threw up into the toilet.
"Does this happen often?" Dean asked.
"It's not usually this bad, but she did have nightmares every night." Sam answered as he stood up.
"Has she ever thrown up like this?" Dean asked.
"No." Sam replied.
"Yes." Harper interrupted as she emerged from the bathroom, wiping her mouth.
"Wait, what?" Sam asked.
"You didn't know?" Dean asked.
"No…" Sam replied.
"That's because no one knew." Harper said quietly. Sam and Dean turned to her.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Sam asked.
"Because once I found out that it was a regular thing, you had left! You were the first person I tried to go to. Once I figured out that you had left… I kept it to myself." Harper walked shyly over to her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. "I texted you, called you, you wouldn't answer. I finished my senior year by myself. I hardly talked to anyone. I got my degree and I left. I hunted alone some, then I met Marcus, then you came back. I didn't exactly have anyone to tell my life story to!" Harper yelled. Sam and Dean were stunned.
"I- I didn't… I'm so sorry." Sam said quietly.
"Yeah, tell that to the girl who almost ruined her vocal chords crying for you to come back every night." Harper turned around and went into the bathroom. From inside, she turned back around and met Sam's eyes before she closed the door rather loudly. Dean turned to his brother.
"On a happier note, she's feisty. I like it." Sam rolled his eyes and began to collect his belongings in order to get ready.
"I heard that, Dean-O. Don't tempt me!" Harper yelled from the bathroom.
"Oh, I've got a nickname." Dean mused.
"Didn't you hear her? Don't tempt the woman." Sam whispered loudly. "It's not pretty." There was a giggle from the bathroom which made Sam and Dean laugh. If Song Ends, Play: "Thunderstruck" By: AC/DC
About an hour later after she had showered and gotten ready, Harper came out of the bathroom wearing a bright blue top under a sleek, black leather jacket. She was also wearing ripped, black skinny jeans and light brown combat boots. Her dark brown hair was wavy and it fell perfectly around her face. She was wearing a small amount of mascara and a nude lip color. Dean whistled.
"Oh, please, could you at least try to hide the fact that you like me?" Harper asked.
"Nope, too difficult. I'd rather be upfront about it." Dean replied quickly. Harper blushed, hesitated for a moment, then put her backpack down on her bed.
"We should, uh… we should get back to research. I've- I've got some leads." Harper stuttered. She grabbed her laptop and opened it. She tried not to make eye contact with Dean but still managed to. When she did, she froze. Dean smiled and winked. Sam looked on in awe. When Harper regained control of her body, Sam hit his brother in the arm.
"I think you just made Harper Coleman freeze in nervousness." He said quietly. "No one can do that, not even me." Dean's eyes widened.
"Really?" Sam nodded. "Huh." Dean grabbed his clothes and walked into the bathroom. He turned on the shower and Sam and Harper were left alone.
After a few moments of awkward silence between Sam and Harper, Sam decided to speak up.
"He really likes you, you know." Harper stopped scrolling on her article but didn't respond. "I can tell that you like him a lot." Harper's eyes glanced at the floor. "You can totally go for it, by the way. You seem to make each other… well, he's the only other person I've ever seen you talk to, let's put it that way." Harper smiled.
"Yeah, he's pretty… interesting."
"Oh, come on. You have to have a better adjective than that somewhere in that crazy mind of yours." Sam urged.
"He's… caring, as far as I can see. He's protective, especially of you." Harper looked up at Sam. "There, you happy?"
"Delighted." Sam answered. "You know, he's never been asked out before, maybe you should be the first, make him all flustered and confused." Harper rolled her eyes.
"Great, I'm so desperate that you of all people is giving me relationship advice." Harper groaned.
"Hey, that's offensive! I give great advice!" Sam argued. Harper giggled.
"Sorry, I've just never really done that kind of thing before." Harper said shyly.
"I know, I just want this to work for you." Harper glared at Sam. "What?" He asked.
"Doesn't it strike you as creepy that you want me to have a successful relationship with your brother?" Sam's smile faded but he laughed. Harper rolled her eyes again. "So before I fell asleep, I found something." She turned her laptop around and showed Sam the bookmark she'd made. He took the computer from her and skimmed her information.
"Cattle mutilations, weather changes, mysterious deaths, this is all great!" Sam read. The water from the shower stopped running. "We should start with the deaths of course." Sam clicked on the first link which displayed a couple of newspaper articles.
"This first one, Arnold Mayweather, died two days ago in his car. No signs of struggle, he was stabbed multiple times in his chest." Harper explained.
"Doesn't sound good. What else?" Sam asked.
"We got… Carol Eisenhower, died the exact same way, stabbed in the chest in her car. She died three weeks ago."
"Do we have any leads?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, they are connected." Harper replied.
"How?"
"They both cheated on their spouses… with each other." Harper said. Suddenly, the bathroom door opened and Dean stepped out. He was wearing a tight black t-shirt and a dirty pair of jeans. His necklace was hanging in the middle of his chest. Harper looked up and her jaw dropped the slightest bit. Sam stood up and got in the shower with a wink in Harper's direction. She didn't quite catch it because she was looking at Dean. His biceps weren't necessarily bulging but they were definitely there. His arms were well defined and Harper found herself staring for too long as he walked by. She caught herself before Dean noticed and went back to her research quickly. Dean glanced at Harper as she looked at her computer. She began to type and her tongue stuck out the smallest bit in between her teeth. Dean smiled and Harper looked up. Dean has also been starring. Harper giggled under her breath. "You should take a picture, it'll last longer." She mocked. Dean froze and looked at the ground. Harper giggled and stood up. She walked over to Dean.
"What's up?" Dean asked. He found the courage to look her in the eye.
"Well, we found strange stabbings to two different people. They were stabbed in their cars, in the chests, there were no fingerprints or murder weapons at the scenes. Just the victim in their locked cars." Harper repeated. She got a little closer to Dean and looked down slightly from his eyes to his lips.
"Um, that's… that's good." Dean stuttered. He couldn't help but look at Harper's lips as well. "Do you," he cleared his throat, "do you have any leads on them?" Dean asked.
"Yeah, Arnold Mayweather and Carol Eisenhower were both cheating on their spouses with each other." Harper answered. She wanted to step even closer but instead she took a step back. She looked down at the ground, took a deep breath and went back to her computer. Dean looked down at his shoes and turned around, walking away.
Sam stepped out of the bathroom and began to put his belongings away into his bag.
"We should get going," Harper said softly as she picked up her backpack. She made sure she got everything and left the hotel room. Sam and Dean followed her. End Song If Not Yet Finished
Play: "Back In Time" By: Huey Lewis & The News
After throwing their bags in the trunk, Sam got into the driver's seat, Dean in the passenger's and Harper was still in the back.
"So, where to?" Sam asked.
"Oklahoma City." Harper replied.
"Alright, we're a couple of hours away, we should make it by tomorrow." Dean added, Sam started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.
They stopped in Cairo, Illinois to get gas and snacks. Sam insisted that his brother picked up some gummy worms for him and Dean nodded, but he ignored the request. Harper and Dean set off into the store while Sam filled the gas tank. End Song If Not Yet Finished
Play: "Snake" By: Elevator Music Project
Harper grabbed a packet of gummy bears and a bag of beef jerky for herself. Knowing that Dean wouldn't get Sam's gummy worms, she grabbed a bag of those too. She was about to check out when she saw Dean staring at the display of pies. Harper giggled and walked over to him.
"You know, if you stare at those even harder, they'll come to life and grant you 3.14 wishes." She said over Dean's shoulder. Dean turned his head and glared at her.
"What do you have against pies?" Dean asked. Harper stood next to him.
"Absolutely nothing, I love pie." Harper replied. Dean beamed.
"Me too." He said shyly.
"Yeah, I figured out that much from the longing look in your eyes for the cherry supreme." Dean laughed and looked down at the snacks in Harper's hand.
"Gummy bears, beef jerky and gummy worms, good choice. I like a girl who knows her way around car snacks."
"Why thank you," Harper replied. She smiled as she walked away to the checkout counter. Dean followed her carrying a container of cherry pie. When he put it on the counter, Harper scoffed.
"What?" Dean asked innocently.
"You seriously got that?"
"Yeah, why not?"
"There's still another five hours until Oklahoma City."
"What's your point?"
"My point is… you know what? Never mind, buy what you want, it's your money." Harper bought her snacks and left the gas station. Sam was waiting for her outside, he was leaning on the car with his hands in his pockets.
"Hey, how'd it go?" Sam asked.
"What, shopping for snacks so I don't starve on the way to Oklahoma?" Sam nodded. "I guess it was fine, why?"
"Just wondering, did Dean grab my gummy worms?"
"No, but I did." Harper pulled out the gummy worms from the bag and gave them to Sam. If Song Ends, Repeat It
"Harper… you always know my favorite." Sam smiled and took them from her.
"You're welcome by the way." Harper said. Sam opened the door and threw the gummy worms inside. He cleared his throat and turned back around.
"Where's Dean?" He asked. Harper turned to the front door of the gas station.
"I don't know, I checked out and left, he was right behind me… or so I thought." Sam looked around nervously.
"I don't think there's anyone in there. Maybe we should check it out." Sam said quietly. Harper threw her bag of snacks into the car and made sure her pen was in her shoe.
"No, you're staying here. If I'm not out in two minutes and thirty-eight seconds… assume I'm dead." Harper walked away confidently and into the store. Sam glanced at his watch, then back to Harper.
"Hello?" Harper called. The only noise in the entire store was the sound of Harper's footsteps and the sound of the door shutting. No one answered. Harper used a fake name in case someone was listening.
"Michael? It's Penelope." She said loudly. No one answered. Harper scoffed. She took out her phone and was about to call Sam when it was knocked out of her hand. Her anti-possession charm bracelet fell to the floor but Harper didn't notice. She spun around and was met with a very tall man who covered her eyes and mouth.
"Get the hell off of me!" Harper yelled, but her voice was muffled so it sounded more like, "Gerr the herr off of mrr!" She bit the man's hand that was over her mouth and she was released from the his grip. Between those times, four other men had surrounded Harper.
"Great," she whispered. Soon after, Harper was punched in the head and was knocked out. End Song If Not Yet Finished
Play: "Long Train Runnin'" By: The Doobie Brothers
Harper woke up, engulfed in darkness. From what she could feel, she was tied to a wooden pole by chains. Chains?
Try hards. Harper thought. Harper struggled to remove the chains and they wouldn't budge. The chains made lots of noise and Harper tried to get out of them quieter.
There was a stir from across the room and Harper stopped moving. She held her breath and waited.
"Hello?" A raspy voice asked. Harper exhaled.
"Dean?" She asked. The voice was silent for a moment.
"Harper?" It asked. Harper smiled but Dean couldn't see in the darkness.
"Well, I found you. Now I just have to take you back to the car." She struggled to pull the chains off again but they wouldn't give.
"Don't bother, I already tried that." Dean said dully. Harper stopped struggling and took a deep breath. There was a slight humming of electricity and the entire room lit up with a blinding white light. She and Dean both groaned and shut their eyes. Harper opened her eyes and saw that the room's walls were completely white. Dean was sitting across the room, tied to a pole in chains as well. There was a loud noise behind the door on the right of Harper and it swung open, hitting Harper in the face.
"Seriously?" She yelled. The door closed and a woman walked in. She looked down at Harper and Dean.
"Ah, I see that you two are nothing short than perfect." She paused and the door closed behind her. "Excellent." Her tone was cold and frightening enough to scare a person's skin off. She turned to Harper. "You know, I'm in need of another meat suit. You seem like a mighty fine individual."
"Demon?" Harper asked.
"Correct!" The girl replied happily. The demon stooped down. She spoke quietly but not soft enough that Dean couldn't hear. He struggled under the chains as the demon spoke. "You up for it?"
"I guess I don't really have a choice, do I?" Harper asked. The demon laughed and stood up.
"Nope." The black smoke came billowing out of the girl's mouth. When it was all out, the girl fell to the floor with a "thud". The smoke roamed around on the ceiling before flowing down forcefully into Harper's mouth. Before the demon took her over, Harper looked down at her wrist. Her bracelet was not where it usually was.
Damn. She thought. Then, she couldn't think at all.
"No!" Dean yelled. All of the smoke had disappeared inside of Harper and her head hung, unconscious. After a few moments, it jerked up. Dean saw that her eyes were pitch black. When he noticed, they switched back to Harper's green ones. She smiled.
"Hello Dean." Harper said, but it wasn't Harper, her voice was rough and cunning. Dean shuddered at the unfamiliarity. Harper grunted and the chains broke under her. She stood up, brushed off her clothes and cleared her throat.
"Well, well, well. The famous Dean Winchester." Harper walked slowly over to Dean who struggled under the chains again. If Song Ends, Play: "Brain Damage" By: Pink Floyd
"Get out of her!" Dean yelled.
"Oh, believe me, it is very hard to hold onto her." Harper's head jerked to the side and she stopped walking.
"Fight her Harper!" Dean yelled. The demon's head jerked to the other side, then back again.
"Dean!" Harper's own voice rang out of her body.
"Harper!" Dean called. But the demon was back again. Her head was back upright and she kept walking towards Dean after taking a deep breath.
"Aw, now that wouldn't be very fun, would it?" Harper asked. She reached Dean and sat down on his lap, straddling his legs. "Besides, I have something else in mind." The demon leaned in and kissed Dean softly. Dean could feel as Harper relaxed and began to make out with him. Her hands slid up his sides and under his jacket, Dean couldn't help but slightly enjoy it. Dean was about to turn his head to pull away when Harper snatched the gun from his pocket and stood up in one swift motion. She walked a few feet away and twirled the gun in her hand, laughing hysterically.
"Dammit," Dean muttered. Harper turned back around to face Dean. "What are you going to do with that?" Dean asked.
"Well, it's not for you." Harper replied.
"Then who is it for?" Dean asked. There was a crack in his voice as he spoke, as if he knew. Harper smiled.
"Since you asked so nicely." Harper raised the gun to her head and paused for only a moment. In that time she smiled sweetly, not a bit of regret or remorse on her face.
"No!" Dean screamed, his voice echoed off the walls of the room. The demon pulled the trigger and a bullet lodged into Harper's brain. She felt a sense of relief afterwards, finally rid of the struggle to keep Harper in. She barely flinched at the impact. The demon took the loaded clip from Dean's gun and threw it into one corner and the rest of the gun to another.
"No…" Dean murmured. Harper laughed. Dean's eyes turned ruthless and cold as he began the exorcism. "Exorcizamus te omnis immundus spiritus," Dean muttered under his breath. "Omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio," Dean said a bit louder.
"Wait," the demon warned.
"Omnis congregatio et secta diabolica- ergo, draco maiedicte ecciesiam tuam securi tibi facias libertate servire te rogamus."
"No!" The demon raged and ran over to Dean, but it was too late.
"Audi nos." Dean finished. Black smoke came flowing out of Harper's mouth. It disappeared through the floor and Harper fell to the ground. Blood came spilling out of the side of her head and onto the white floor.
"Harper!" Dean screamed. He pulled in the chains as hard as he possibly could and they finally gave way. Dean threw the chains off to the side and stood up and raced over to Harper. Her eyes were still open but she wasn't breathing. "Harper?" Dean asked. There was no answer. Dean looked around, his vision was getting blurry. He forced himself not to cry and went to open the door. He looked around outside for anymore demons before he raced back to Harper, picking her up. He walked through the door cautiously, making sure not to hit Harper's head on the side of the doorframe. He found the nearest exit and ran out, blood dripping from Harper's head and onto the floor. Dean looked around, as he made his way out of the building. He look out his phone and glanced at his map. Then he called Sam who answered on the third ring.
"Hey, where are you guys?" Sam asked quickly.
"Auburn, Indiana. We were kidnapped by demons." Dean answered. He paused, not going on.
"Where's Harper?" Sam asked quietly.
"She… she was possessed. The demon…" Dean's voice cracked from trying not to cry. "Sam, she's dead." Sam was silent on the other end. After about twenty seconds he finally spoke. End Song If Not Yet Finished
Play: "Impossible Year" By: Panic! At The Disco
"Okay," he said softly. Sam sniffled before continuing. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Just… hold onto her. I'll be there soon." Sam hung up. Dean held his breath and crumpled to the ground. Harper's body fell next to him and sprawled out on the ground. Dean exhaled sharply and put his phone back in his pocket. Tears filled his eyes as he glanced over to Harper and sighed. He reached over and lifted her head onto his lap. If he looked past the bleeding hole in her head, Dean thought she almost looked peaceful.
"She's just sleeping.' Dean assured himself. Dean forced himself to smile and he brushed the stray hairs from a Harper's face. He only knew her for three days but he felt something in his chest. A hole that had formed when Harper had been shot. A single tear fell down his cheek and Dean let it fall. He closed her eyes with a shaky hand and whimpered, "Please wake up."
Don't End Song, Let It Finish And Soak In Your Sadness For A Little Bit
