"Listen, buddy, I've been tied up by prettier guys than you. You're not special. Why don't you just give this up and untie me?" Dean's free mouth allowed his smart words to flow, probably succeeding in annoying the five-mile radius. His hands had been loosened to a comfortable tightness just a bit by working his fingers. They lessened the burning, yet Dean was glued to that chair. He clenched his teeth, the silent kidnapper driving him mad, along with the darkness surrounding him. A recipe for insanity, honestly.
Finally, a noise other than shuffling and short breaths was heard. It was a squeaking or maybe a faucet, the immediate running of a liquid accompanying it. Dean froze at the sound, a shiver of fear running down his back.
"Now, now, let's calm down here, Chase. You don't want to do this." His mind, along with all the time to think had pieced together the remained of the story, of his kidnapper's identity.
Only two ghosts, not three or four. Amelia's killer must have been cremated, or simply moved on. She had been keeping the girls safe from her own sibling, even when he housed no need or want to hurt them. Just a precautionary measure, Dean was sure. She hadn't known it was Chase, or the fact that he was only going after men of a certain type. Dean had stupidly brushed their similar appearances off, trying to focus on family relationships or whether or not they had a daughter. It was a mistake that could potentially cost him his life. God, if only Sam would hurry it up. He's the brains of the family, Dean thought. Why hadn't he located Dean yet?
"You're the one who did it. You deserve as much as I got." Chase strode towards him, feet clicking to the ground. He stopped in front of Dean, grabbing a side of the chair. The wood dragged across the stone, creating a loud and obnoxious noise. Dean protested as the sound of running water grew louder.
"H-hey! Are you going to do this again? Drown another innocent person!? What the hell would your sister think of you killing people not involved in any of this!? Think about Amy for once, goddamnit!"
Like talking to a freaking brick wall. Dean felt a rush of cold water, freezing water that trailed over the bottom of his shirt and pants. The sink was obviously holding more water than it could handle, and the excess liquid was streaming over the sides. Goosebumps formed on his arms, legs numbing.
Dean clenched his teeth, chuckling nervously. It was a very odd sensation having his entire bottom half almost non-existent.
"I am thinking of Amy, everyday. I'm doing this for her." Chase picked the sides of the chair up, Dean falling forward slightly. Even in the dark basement he could see the heavy swirling liquid destined to take his life away. Chase slowly let the tilt grow, Dean diving face-first. He struggled, hands and legs trying to break free. Even with such strong pulling, the rope kept tight. Dean could only close his eyes and try pivoting his head to the side. He succeeded in taking a breath of air, only to have his hair pulled tight and slammed back into the water. His watery cries no longer being able to hold his breath rang out. His lungs couldn't take it, an intense burning, one that was even worse than his hands formed. Finally, with nothing hanging on, Dean had to let a breath in while he head remained underwater. Water flowed from the sink and into him, drowning everything out.
"Dean!" A gunshot rang out, a spray of rock salt coming from the area of the stairs. The hands holding to Dean disappeared, the man falling limp into the water. The words were barely real to him, the pain of watery lungs mostly of concern. A new figure rushed to his side, pulling him from the sink.
"Dean!? Dean, are you still with me? Answer me, it's Sam!"
The disoriented world of black swirled as the water in his mouth was coughed out. Dean retched, his past dinner nearly ending up with the puddle of water to his chin.
A small smile and relieved laugh came from Sam's lips. He patted Dean's back, the sputtering man still outing the water.
"God, Dean. You scared me. I can't leave you alone for a second, can I?" His brother regained his composure, tongue slightly out of mouth as he gasped for air.
"Yeah, yeah, just untie me already." He gaped, leaning his head back. Tiring work being the damsel in distress.
Sam complied, cutting the ropes with a swift motion of the hand. He picked up his discarded flashlight, Dean already going for his own legs.
"Alright, what do we burn?" Dean asked, cracking his ankles as he pulled himself from the chair. Sitting for nearly an entire day wasn't the best treatment for any bones. He stretched silently, listening for any movement.
Sam looked around, the sun's rays streaming in from the door above.
"There's a small window, and a wooden box has to be underneath." Nothing could be seen in the pitch black, especially a small wooden chest.
Suddenly, rays from the outside rushed through an opening. The small spotted and cracked window was uncovered bu Dean, who then hopped from the chair and stared under it.
Sam appeared, his eyes being to the same area his brother's were.
Encased in several years worth of dust particles was a cubed object. Dean locked eyes with Sam, bending down to open the container.
"He said his most precious item was inside."
The words to which Amelia had told him echoed to his mind, Sam picking the item from the velvet box bottom. The weight was not much, yet it hinted of an object inside the rusted hinges.
It was a necklace, one to which often contained photographs of a loved one. A gem of red was fitted to the outside, though it had lost most of its shimmer. The particles were brushed off by Sam's finger, his own reflection staring back at him. He unlatched the gold, opening way to the inside.
Dean grabbed a lighter from the bag slung to Sam's shoulder, creating a flame and inching it towards the items in the necklace. Sam whipped it away, Dean withdrawing the spark questioningly.
"What is it? Sudden change of heart for arsony? We've done worse, Sammy."
Sam ignored Dean's comment, examining the object yet again. The items to which the locket contained were so important. How could he burn them without showing Amy? Without truly getting Chase's feelings conveyed? Sam made a decision, dropping the necklace back to the box and heading towards the stairs.
He would fix the situation, no matter the obstacles that hit the path. Ladies and gentlemen, his god complex in its true form.
Dean was still rubbing a towel through his head as they pulled up to the pond. The rays of the defeating sun set lazily between the brush, hinting of a greater encounter of light at the body of water.
Sam and Dean jumped out of the car, Dean peeling the towels from the seats of the Impala. Not a single drop of liquid would touch his baby, even if it was his own.
Sam made quick steps into the dense vegetation, Dean trying his best to keep up.
"Slow down! A man isn't his best after being drowned." He cried, wiping a speck of moisture from his forehead. Sam didn't slow down, he may have even picked up his speed. He needed to get to the girl, ASAP.
Finally, the bright ball to the sky was seen in its full glory, the clouds surrounding it being basked in a yellow orange illumination. The reflection in the waving pond was just the same, a single girl's image appearing as well. Amelia White was alone in her standing, eyes shifting towards Sam's reflection. He stopped behind her, box still covered mostly in dust. It would probably be unrecognizable to any gazing at it, yet the object was just the same to her. She looked to it silently. Did she think it was maybe a mere illusion created in the water? Or did she know it was the same toy from so many years ago? The same box she would try to open, only to be harshly scolded by her older brother?
"Why did you bring it here? I asked you not to, Sam." Annoyance was in her blue eyes, Dean's image appearing behind Sam. She finally turned to the true form of atoms, realizing that they did indeed have the small chest.
"Amelia, listen, you have to see what's inside this box." He begging breaths only put skepticism to her pupils, Sam holding the item out to her.
"Please, just open it."
Even in not wanting to, Amy grabbed the box. She studied its fading wood, feeling the smooth sides. To her, it had not changed in the slightest from the early years of near-forgotten memories. No, not at all.
Wordlessly, and with a more interested stare, Amy opened the box. The rusted hinges squeaked in protest, yet with encouragement, they allowed access to the contents.
The normally sad blue eyes began to increase in size at the revelation of the locket. They were as huge as saucers by the time she had brought it out of its hiding place. The cleaned ruby shone brilliantly, echoing the sun's lowering rays. She could only pop open the locket and glance over the contents with a gasp before another figure appeared to the scene. He stood behind her, hands slightly tucked to a pair of black dress pants. The breeze did not affect his white shirt, nor the vested jacket. His black tie was unmoved as well, tucked neatly into the nook of his vest. Brown hair a similar color to Amelia's was lazily strewn to his head, some locks appearing over his blue eyes.
Such sad, sad blue eyes.
"I never wanted ou to see inside that necklace, Amelia. I never wanted anyone to look at my greatest weakness, my most precious treasure." Chase stood with a simple silence as he finished. Amy turned to him, eyes still quite large.
Siblings reunited after so many years of being apart, and all Amelia could do was grip the locket for dear life. He lip started a small quiver, teeth clenched to keep the whimpers and mumbling down.
"This locket, Chase, you.."
Keeping with the sequence of age was a very old photograph tucked into the indented frame of the necklace. It showcased a very happy smile and pair of bright blue eyes. Just the image could bring a grin to any man's face. The while lace dancing around the dress' neckline was barely seen through the brown hair wrapping to it. It was such a change from Amelia's typical expression and tight features.
This was the item her big brother had been keeping for so long, keeping out of harm's way. A simple picture of his sister and a clipping of his own hair.
"I've been so confused, Amelia. My mind has been filled with such rage and depression. All I could think of was finding that man, the one who hurt you."
He withdrew his hands, taking a few steps towards her. Not a sound erupted as the grass remained straight under his feet. A truly ghostly attribute.
"There is so much blood to my hands, far too much to be washed away by words. Amelia, I may be asking for too much, but, please.." Setting a small and innocent hand to her shoulder, Chase let out a very dense mixture of guilt and loneliness with his pleading eyes.
"If you say you forgive me, it would mean so much. I'm so very sorry for what I've done. Please, Amy.. I 'm your big brother. I was supposed to protect you..."
She let her muscles relax just a little, the locket noisily jostling into the gold chain.
The two still living individuals watched on in silence, the family not to be interrupted. Amy stared down to the ruby instead of the sad blue that were most likely pointed to her.
"My life was cut so short. It's so unfair that I never had the chance to do any of the things I had wanted. even with that being true, it's not the thing that bothers me most."
Chase withdrew his hand from her shoulder, the sight of a liquid dropping from her eyes surprising him. He started to blink quite rapidly as she looked up, painful smile plastered to her lips.
"Why didn't you answer your phone, Chase? I died without anyone I loved nearby, and without hearing a voice. I sunk to the cold ocean only looking to the stars shining, wondering if I still knew what you sounded like, what anyone else did. You're my big brother, so why didn't you..?" She trailed off, the increased intensity of waterworks catching her breath as her pale face turned red.
Chase could only smile, pulling his small sister in his arms. He ran a hand through her hair, trying to comfort the now unstable girl. His smile increased in size as he spoke.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you, but now I can. I can always be with you, my little Amy.."
Without a word, Dean sensed the embracing siblings were telling them the end was coming close. He raised the lighter to the stripes of hair in the locket, as well as the picture. They caught ahold of the spark within a small amount of time, both siblings retracting from the hug to face Dean and Sam. Even so, Amy grabbed her big brother's hand from his side.
"Dean, is it? I apologize for my attempt at your life. No hard feelings, correct?" Just a bit of a laugh crept into his voice, Dean rolling his eyes.
"Sure, sure. Just as long as you don't try giving me a bath again." The experience had obviously left rather scornful feelings for the man, Dean's unimpressed stare saying so.
Amelia White and her big brother Chase's images grew weaker with every breath of the siblings standing before them.
"Sam, they're in the most North Western branch of the sewers, all the girls. Please go to them with haste, as the food supply may be low." Even with her own situation resolved, and nothing to be gained in releasing the information, Amelia let it spill from her lips.
Because, Sam realized, this was the exactly the type of girl she was.
The beautiful little Amelia not with the sad blue eyes, never the girl able to freeze others with such sorrow, but the teenage girl with a set of eyes and a bright smile that could light up a room in an instance.
Almost as if it were on cue, her pearly whites and glimmer in both pupils were shown. She could only get a single phrase from her pink lips before the White siblings disappeared from the spot they stood.
"Thank you, Sam Winchester. Truly, and deeply, thank you."
With the two figures gone, the retreating sun shone an even more brilliant color into Dean's eye. For once, Sam thought, glancing to the pond's edge to confirm.
For a first time since entering this town, this pond, he could not see a face of such sadness reflecting from the clear waters of the pond. It was a bittersweet feeling, having to let a friend go after just meeting them. But Amelia and Chase deserved it, deserved the peace and rest with each other. Sam could tell they cared so much for each other, and that was great.
He turned to Dean, half-smile forming.
Yeah, just great.
"Pair of siblings reunited, even if it's as lonely as the form of spirit. I think we've done out work, Sammy. Let's go give an anonymous tip about the girls. I could use a burger." Dean yawned, barely catching the majority of the action with his hand.
Sam nodded, placing the remains of the charred locket into the box. He gave it a good toss to the pond, upsetting the water and creating many ripples of disturbance into it. He watched as the box began to take water in, decreasing in distance from the pond bed until the faded wood was no longer visible.
He turned back to Dean, smile now full.
"Yeah, sure, Dean."
Nothing is as strong as familial love and devotion, spirits crossing into the world of the living based on feelings of attachment and loyalty.
The same could be said for the Winchester boys, their future uncertain as many challenges and difficulties are sure to arise. Even if such a catastrophic event occurs, ripping all basic feelings of self and compassion only to leave raw instinct, will one have the other to lean to? Will be these boys be able to stay together even with such demons?
None can tell at this point, yet one thing is sure..
It will promise to be one hell of a ride.
