Beginning of the End

Chapter Ten: Tugfork

Elli couldn't take it anymore. Her, Dean, and Castiel had been in the car for six hours already and not a word had been spoken since she told them everything. The radio was even off…Castiel stared out his window while Dean drove with a grave expression, never looking her way, let alone any other direction. She took a deep breath. Something needed to be said. She took another deep breath.

"Stop the car." She said, breaking the hardened silence.

Dean remained as he was, gruffing a simple, "No." Elli frowned and reached over, grabbing the wheel and turning it harshly to the right. Dean cussed and slammed at the brakes, skidding to a stop at the side of the road. Elli wasted no time and took off, bolting out the door and running as fast as her legs allowed. There was no use talking. He wouldn't listen. The only way was to lose him.

"Elli, no!" Dean shouted behind her. She kept going, jumping over bushes and swerving around trees. She went deeper and deeper into the woods until the only sounds she could hear were her heavy breathing and her footsteps pounding the ground.

She stopped running and leaned against a tree to catch her breath. The night was almost over, but the sun wouldn't be up for a couple more hours. She calmed herself and listened.

The rancid smell of decay was strong and she tensed. Moans from the walking dead suddenly surrounded her. She looked at the nearby trees, but the branches were far too high for her to climb. Staggered footsteps from every angle closed in on her and she pulled out her pistol. She counted the footsteps, guessing there were at least eight of them. She felt a drop of sweat run down the side of her face. "Damn…"

Without warning, Castiel appeared next to her and grabbed her. She closed her eyes, her body feeling like it was on a violent roller coaster ride. When her feet hit ground and she was still, she opened her eyes to see Castiel move away from her and next to a glaring Dean. She twitched, causing Dean to snag her arm and jerk her towards him.

"Don't even think about it!" He said warningly.

"Dean, leave me. You don't need to go."

"The hell I don't! This is my job, and I'll be damned if I don't finish it!"

"But…" Elli shrunk away at her thoughts. "Your job is to hunt monsters…You're forgetting that I am a monster."

"Can it."

"No, Dean!" She jerked her arm back out of his grasp and looked him in the eyes. "My family is the reason walkers even exist! My family is the reason the world has gone to shit!" She straightened herself up. "My family is the reason your brother is dead and isn't coming back."

Dean yelled out in frustration and turned around, his back to her. She watched him run his hands through his hair and attempting to catch his breath. "I know a hunter's look all too well. The look you get when you want—when you need to take something down. You gave me that look, Dean."

He didn't turn around. She gave his rigid shoulders a sad smile, tears forming in her eyes. "My Dad always gave me that look when he was home." Dean slowly turned around to look at her. "He was never a father to me. He loved my mom, but only tolerated me. If he was alone with me, He would always say, 'Eleanor, I should kill you. But killing you would kill your mom. And I cannot live without her.'"

"So don't go through this because of what we've been through. Don't do this because I seem normal. I'm what you kill and when this is over, I wouldn't mind at all if you found me and ended my misery. But please, let me go so I can finish this for everyone's sake."

Dean didn't move as she went to the car and grabbed her satchel of ammo and her AR-15. He didn't move when she went through her duffel for a few extra supplies. And as she began jogging back through the woods, avoiding the walker herds, he remained still and silent. Castiel didn't appear next to her and she pressed on. It was her job to finish this business with the demons. And when she was done, it would be Dean's turn to finish his job. Either way, she stared at death with each step she took.

…

The river in which her parents would be wasn't too far. She had been to it once when she was younger. Her mom showed it to her when she told her their curse. Elli moved swiftly through the thicket as the sound of running water reached her. It wouldn't be too long, now.

Drawing her AR, she shot down the first crote. The place was surrounded and she shot down each one, never wasting a single bullet. When they stopped coming, she lowered her weapon and slowed down to a walking pace.

The rinver was quite large and she stepped up to its edge, looking into the water. She felt her skin begin to crawl. Bodies lined the bottom of the shallow water, tied down by something she couldn't see. But their eyes were open and their arms reached for her, their faces frozen with the gaze of hunger. She took a step back. "Walkers…."

"Not just walkers. These ones are special. My newest creation." Elli stiffened at the sound of his voice and faced him, her skin paling. Standing before her was her very own father, his eyes coal black.

…

Next: Chapter Eleven: Death