A/N: Hi, there! This chapter is a little shorter, because I didn't have enough time for everything, as always. Sadly, I won't be able to post one next week. My exams are screaming for attention. Anyway, please tell me what you think. I can't wait to see some feedback! Thanks to loveintheimpala for reviewing, andersaa for favoriting and reviewing; and DeanGirl-01 for following the challenge and this story :) Here's a little more from the labyrinth. We'll switch back soon, no worries ;)
Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural nor its amazing characters. A new OC has been added with this chapter (A.). I apologize in advance for any grammar, spelling or other mistakes in this chapter.
Chapter 3: Still fighting or barely breathing?
Sam ducked in the last second. An enormous axe just flew near his head. "Hey! What are you doing? I'm not here to hurt you." No response. "Come on-" His sentence was cut by the pain in his right thigh. "Ah.. You aren't playing fair. I don't want to hurt you." Even if it wasn't a ghost, Sam instinctively grabbed the salt from his jacket, made a circle around him, feeling the pain going away. Wow. I need to remember this. The girl came closer telling him: "Why nobody wants to play with me?" "Nobody likes to be in pain or seeing axes and play." replied Sam. "Will you show me the way to the blue light?" It was needless to say that the girl puzzled him.
"What do you mean?" "I'm here for so long. Can you cure me?" There's always a way, they say. "Can you promise me something first?" "Okay." she hesitated a bit, but still agreed. "Alright, could you leave the axes and other powers alone for the time I come out of this circle and help you? I will be more focused if I stop worrying." Time was ticking and Sam needed to make it in order to see his big bro and Y/n again. He really hoped to be quick enough, without bad moves for sure. But nothing goes smooth, not with a Winchester. The girl nodded, tilted her head a bit and showed him the way to an old well.
"This is the well of all hopes. The Romans wanted to destroy it, but the mighty magician hid it here. As he captured me, he threw my golden necklace in the well. There's a key on it. It's my way to freedom." She sounded like under a spell. Sam listened patiently, waiting for her to finish. "My key is gone and all my hope sank with it. Every human or creature that crosses my path has to try and get it back to me. Your hope is stronger than others'. I can feel it. You are scared too, but that's normal." Huh, she's quite a talker. Sam asked: "Have you tried to go down there?"
"Yes, every time I come close to the water, it pushes me out of the well. I might have lost my hope, but I'm still stubborn enough to try it again and again." What changed? Her voice is a fraction different. "So, basically you are saying that I have to go down, find your necklace and key in the water and come back?" Her eyes traced the well in front of her. "Yep, exactly like that. There's another thing I have to say. You have to be aware of the evil hopes. They can drown you and trap you with them. Don't let them win." "Uff, okay. How do I fight them? Is there anything that stops them down?" Anything would help, to be honest. "Not that I know."
"I have this knife." Sam reluctantly showed her Ruby's knife. She blinked a few times saying: "The inscription says that this knife is against evil, it should work on them. Good luck Sam." she handed him a rope and guided him down the well. Once in the water, it became more than clear that this is going to be tough.
Sam had a plan. To take a breath, scan as much as possible of the left half of the well, escaping the hopes or fighting against them and repeat it. Going down the first time, Sam saw many holes on his left. After a while his hand touched something sticky. If that is what a bad or evil hope is, he would survive. At 4 meters he still couldn't see the bottom. An inscription on the wall said 4 meters, abandon the evil hopes, fear the good ones. Why? I should go up. When on the surface he called: "Hey! You still there?"
The girl grabbed the edge "Of course, I' m here." after a short pause "You found something?" "Not yet. Did see where your necklace was thrown? Maybe it got stuck or something." It would be a lot easier. Sam added in his mind. "I remember that it fell in right in the middle, if it didn't I would have it by now." she replied. Sam was calm, too calm. Something bad was going to happen. Before swimming down he asked her "Where is the bottom? Is it at 10m?" The water splashed beside him. "Yeah, it should be. Be careful at 5. Go now." He flipped himself down, pushed his legs from the side of the well, swimming down till 4 m, slowly approaching 5m. The moment he reached 5.2, something punched him in the jaw. The demon knife almost fell on the now barely visible bottom. Some of the air escaped his mouth because of the hit. He grabbed the knife, but couldn't see the hopes roaming around him. He felt them, nothing more. His lungs burnt for air.
He tried to come up, but he couldn't move. Crap. Swinging the knife around his legs, he made it to hit something cold. After that, he rose.. 4m .. 3m ..2m, reaching the very needed air. Huh, this is better. Sam coughed, spitting out water, breathing in the fresh air.. even relaxing for a second to prepare for the next round. Not successfully, because a "Watch out! Behind you!" diverted his attention. The fight with the purple hope didn't seem to end nicely. Sam stabbed it many times, only ending up with a stronger hope than before. So ironic. The more he stabbed, the stronger the purple thing grew and glowed.
It grabbed Sam's neck, making him gasp for air while he tried not to drown in the process. He swatted it away, only to have it return with full force on his nose. "Ow.. What the.. ow..blurgbdrjs.." The girl, Aina, couldn't watch the mess anymore. She found the yellow stones she was searching and hoping for, the moment Sam disappeared under the water. 3 stones landed in the water, which became clearer and forced the good hopes to find Sam and drag him to the surface. He was the only human so far in this universe to be nice to her. Since she was still a witch, she enchanted the rope to wrap itself around Sam, bringing him to her on the solid ground. He is so heavy.. Using her powers made her feel dizzy. She swore she'd never use them again. Emergency wins this time.
Laying him on ground she gently turned his head and lightly patted his cheeks to wake him. "Sam, wake up. Sam.. Breathe, I don't have the power to.." He wasn't in water that long. She turned him on his side, patting his back to let the water out. Nada.. "Come on Sam, I'm not letting you die!" laying him on the back again, she checked for his breathing and pulse. Nothing. Her last option was reanimation.
Tilting his head back, lifting his chin she said "I'm sorry Sam, this is going to hurt." His nose was broken, swelling slightly. She pinched his nose and gave him 2 breaths on his mouth. Next step was 30 chest compressions, check for pulse and breathing and repeat the process. "Sam, dammit.. Stay with me. Come on, you can do it." Almost there... His heart beat a few times and stopped. One more time. She was getting desperate. "Come on, live, Sam. You deserve to live, to go away from this place." Two breaths and finally "Khh hghss ..swhgpfff.." with that Sam spat and coughed out all the water.
He painfully gasped for air, breathing quickly to get all the air he needs. "Easy Sam" she held him close to her lap, turning him so he could lay on her. When his breathing calmed she had to check for any after effects. "Does your head hurt?" Her eyes searched for any sign of wrong. "*cough* a little *cough* *cough*. My nose.. What happened?" He felt so confused. "That purple crazy hope knocked you out in the water. It landed right on your nose, with full force." He touched his nose, flinching in pain. "..explains a lot *cough* *cough*. How do you know my name?" Uh, I'm glad he noticed. He's been dead for almost a minute. Only a slight concussion then (hope hit him hard), no serious brain damage though. Good.
"It's complicated. Honestly, I can feel different energies and feelings around me. Sometimes I can recognize a name from the soul or just by touching someone." She explained. "Wow. But how did you drag me out of the well? You said that the water pushes you away." That's the truth. "It does, I threw a few magic stones in the water to force the hopes help you and make the water clear. Then, I enchanted the rope to drag you out." Oh, is it good to have powers like her? - thought Sam. "Hmm.. How did you get here, I mean .. to this labyrinth or universe, whatever this is?" His back ached. "Remember the wizard I mentioned? He thinks he is a wizard and he wanted to take all the hopes away from our world. I couldn't let him.." Sam nodded. His brother wouldn't tolerate it either.
He started shivering. "Let's go on the sun. You're freezing." They lay on grass where the sun wasn't burning on them, they had to move. Sam tried to sit up, but the sudden dizziness made him return to ground. "Hey, let me help you." said the soothing voice next to him. He slowly leaned on her as they stood, preparing for pain, which never came. She brought him closer, his head rested on her shoulder, moving forward in baby steps. Soon enough, they were both sitting with legs crossed, enjoying the soft blows of the hot wind drying them quicker than expected.. After a beat, Sam spoke "Thanks for saving me."
Aina genuinely smiled. "Ditto. You gave me hope to continue. It's radiating from you like warmth from the sun." He chuckled. "Really, somehow you revived a part of mine. Looks like Scarly didn't take all of my hope in the end." "Scarly? Did he escape from a movie?" It was nice to joke a little. "Hah, no, he's that crazy schizophrenic wizard, has a zoom-like eye, colored scarlet. He probably killed my entire family and has me imprisoned here like a hamster-robot. Until now. You broke the spell." He needs to be thought a lesson then. "I'm very sorry. If you agree, we can search for your family, once we're out." Aina was sad, still angry for losing the loved ones. Time does that. "I don't know.. I will think about it. Maybe it's better this way."
