woops, sorry again for the wait, i have been insanly busy. thank you all once again for the great reviews, they mean so much to me. let me know what you think of the new chapter.
D: as always, i dont own anything.
TWILIGHT
Chapter 10
Dean and Kerri finally finished sealing the last room on the third floor, the large attic the only place they had left to salt. It had taken them far longer than they thought, nearly three hours, but it had to be done. They had checked on Sam and Evelyn twice, both growing more and more concerned when her fever continued to rise. At last check it was 102.4, and undoubtedly rising. But there was nothing they could do but seal the house and hopefully protect themselves from future attack. It wasn't ideal, and Dean could tell that it was taking its toll on Kerri, but, at that moment, it was the way things were.
Dean waited in the hall as Kerri swept the last of the salt from the window sill into a small bag, his own bag considerably lighter than when they had started. She was right, salting the house had used up most of their supplies and Dean wondered if they even had enough to finish the attic. He looked up as Kerri exited the room, both then slowly making their way to the large door at the end of the hall, a lopsided sign reading 'boys only' draped across it. Kerri pulled at the sign a bit, her eyes heavy, shoulders slumped. A few hours ago the two seven year olds had been playing, arguing, acting like children. And now, well now they were huddled together in the living room, sick and terrified, and it just wasn't right.
"We'll figure this out." Dean began, squeezing her shoulder. He wanted to make this right for her, had to make it better, but he was at a loss at what to do. They couldn't contact anyone, couldn't leave the house, and now they were being attacked while still inside it. And on top of everything, they still had over a week to wait it out. A week with no supplies.
"How?"
"Well, first we'll finish the salt lines. And then, I guess we just take things on one at a time."
"Evelyn's sick. She needs a doctor."
"We can fix it ourselves."
"We're almost out of salt. What if this doesn't work?"
"Look, Kerri, I know this all sucks. But I won't let anything happen to you, or Sammy, or Ev. I promise."
"You're only eleven, Dean."
"Doesn't mean I can't kick ass." Dean smiled, squeezing Kerri's shoulder once more before pulling open the attic door.
They were immediately met by a cold and fierce wind, both having to shield their eyes against the sting. Even though it was summer the storms had made the air frighteningly cold, and the two had spent the previous day making sure all the windows were closed and latched. But, obviously, one in the attic was still open.
"Do you think that's how it got in?" Dean asked, moving quickly up the stairs.
"I don't think so, both times it attacked it was through different windows."
"But, why try and sneak in the other windows if there was one up here that was wide open?"
"I don't know, but let's just seal it and get back downstairs." Kerri shivered as they reached the top of the steps. The window on the far side of the room was wide open, both panes swinging back and forth as they were pelted by the wind and rain.
Dean quickly pulled it closed, turning the old lock. He was about to turn and help Kerri with the salt lines when a strong wind crashed through the window, the lock slipping as the window flew open once more.
"Damn it." Dean began, surveying the window.
"What?"
"The lock's broken."
"Is there any other way to keep it closed?"
"Uh, see if you can find something heavy."
Kerri disappeared into the room, returning a few minutes later with a small trunk. "I think it's full of papers, it should be heavy enough."
"Let's see." Dean slid the trunk onto the window sill, the frame shuddering against it as the wind blew. Just as they had decided that the quick fix would hold, another icy gale blew, sending the trunk flying.
"That was the heaviest thing I could find, Dean."
"I have a feeling that nothing would keep that closed."
"We can't lay the salt, it'll all be gone."
"I know. We'll just have to seal off the entire attic. Let's go back downstairs, we'll put a towel under the door and then lay salt in front of it." Dean began as he jogged across the room, Kerri taking one more look at the broken window before turning to follow.
The second he made it to the stairs, as if on que, a bolt of lighting struck Kerri's back yard, passing mere feet from the window. The lightning was so bright that both children were temporarily blinded by it, the shock wave knocking them to their knees. It took Dean several minutes to regain his footing, his ears ringing, eyes still partially blinded.
He ran to Kerri as fast as he could, the young girl still laying on the floor by the open window, completely dazed. "Kerri, you ok? Kerri?" Dean's heart began to beat faster and faster when she refused to answer his call.
He knelt beside her, pulling her up to a sitting position as they both continued to blink the light out of their eyes. Kerri almost jumped when she felt Dean's hands on her shoulders.
"Don't scare me like that." She began, shrugging away from him.
"Don't scare you? I called you twice and you didn't say anything."
Kerri's eyes grew wide in horror as she stared at the boy before her, Dean looking behind him, searching the room around them for some sign of what she was seeing.
"What?"
"I can't hear you. I see your lips moving, but all I hear is buzzing." She spoke, though to Dean it sounded a bit like she was shouting.
"What do you mean you can't hear me?"
But instead of answering, instead of yelling 'I got you' she just continued to stare at him wide eyed. Dean didn't waste another second. He quickly pulled Kerri to her feet, guiding the frightened, and now deaf, girl down the stairs. He locked the attic door, grabbing a towel from the nearby closed and stuffing it under the frame, before laying a thick line of salt in front of it.
He then turned back to Kerri and pulled her once more to her feet, racing down the stairs and back to the living room, his mind on fire. The lightning was too precise, too well timed to be anything other than an attack. Whatever was hunting them knew what it was doing, knew that he and Kerri were a threat, and now it was trying to taken them out. And now, more than before he was afraid. The lightning had been so close, just beyond the window, and he wasn't entirely sure that the woman had meant for it to hit the yard. After all, had Kerri been a foot closer to the window, it could have ended much different.
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The Watcher scowled, the elder girl not as close to the open window has she originally thought. The salt lines were hurting her, making it harder to figure out exactly where the children where. She knew the younger two were in the living room only because she heard the others tell them to stay there. But now, ever since they had finished laying the salt, the large house had become completely sealed, blocking out all of their movements.
She had meant to hit Kerri with the lightning, but she had missed, and now she was afraid that she had lost her only chance. She smiled slightly then, turning her eyes back up to the attic window, the two panes swinging in the fierce winds. She couldn't get it, but that didn't mean that her song couldn't. She hadn't tried it before because there were so many other, better placed openings. But now, now there was just that one window, blocked only by a towel, and she knew that the flimsy defense wouldn't hold for long.
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Dean and Kerri were running so fast that they nearly fell down the last few steps. Sam's face popped up above the couch at the sound, his arms tightening around Evelyn, preparing to protect her. He continued to stare on in horror when his brother led Kerri back into the room and sat her on the other sofa. She looked ok, but he knew that Dean wouldn't be leading her around like that if something wasn't wrong.
"Kerri?" Sam asked, shifting a bit under the blanket. In all honesty he was sweating, the heat coming off of Evelyn's body, mixed with the blanket was surrounding him like a heater. But he didn't dare let her go, didn't dare let the blanket fall. He needed to keep her safe, and he needed to get her better. And so, he fixed the blanket a little before pressing the ice pack to her forehead once more.
"She can't hear you, Sammy." Dean answered absently as he checked over the salt lines.
"What! Why?"
"The thunder hurt her ears. Don't worry." Dean began when he saw the look of horror grow in his little brother's eyes. "She'll be ok. Now, how is Evelyn doing?"
"She's been asleep since the last time you were here. But she keeps moving around and calling out for her dad."
"That's probably because of the fever. I'm gonna check her temperature and then get her something to eat. Do you think you can wake her up?"
"Yeah."
Evelyn's big eyes slowly blinked open as Sam shook her, her owl like gaze sweeping slowly around the room. He sight finally settled on Kerri. The older girl was laying on the other sofa, her back to the room, arms covering both ears.
"Kerri?" But, for some reason, her sister didn't answer. "Kerri?"
"It's ok, Ev." Sam began, pulling Evelyn up to sit. "She can't hear you, she hurt her ears."
"Will she be ok?"
"Yeah, it just takes a little bit to get them better."
"Oh. Where's Dean?"
"He's getting us something to eat."
"I'm not hungry."
"You have to."
"No, I just wanna sleep." She whimpered, pushing away from Sam.
"Where're you going?"
"I wanna sleep on the sofa with Kerri."
"Ok, but let's ask Dean first."
"Ask me what?"
"I wanna sleep on the sofa with Kerri."
"In a couple minutes, after I check her over. But first I want to know how you're doing." He smiled, sitting beside his brother and Evelyn. He had brought in a few sandwiches and a bunch of drinks, hoping that a little food and tv would help calm all of their nerves.
"I'm tired. And cold. Can we make a fire?"
"Not tonight." He answered, tucking the blanket around them and placing a thermometer in the little girl's mouth. He sighed when he saw the reading. 102.9. "Well." He began, trying to sound confident. "Your fever is higher but not by a lot. I'm gonna give you some medicine then I want you to eat."
"I'm not hungry."
"I'm sorry kid, but I need you to eat. You and Sammy both." He pointed to his brother, knowing that he too hadn't eaten in hours. He watched as the two picked at their sandwiches, neither one all that interested. He sighed again before moving to check on Kerri, the girl still laying with her back to the room.
He shook her shoulder lightly, looking over into her face, startled to see tears slowly sliding from her eyes. He quickly turned her onto her back, making sure that neither Sam nor Evelyn saw that she was crying. They were supposed to be protecting them, supposed to be the big, strong, older siblings, and he knew that, seeing her hurt, would be devastating to the children.
He smiled down at her before shinning a light into her ears, Kerri rolling back onto her side as soon as he had finished. He really didn't know what to look for, but checking her over made him feel a little better. He was relieved to see that there was nothing oozing out of her ears, though he really didn't expect there to be. He rubbed her back for a moment, feeling her body shudder as she fought back the silent tears. He just wished that there was something he could do for the pain, that there was some way to ease her fears and suffering.
He scrubbed his face, pulling out the notepad he had brought, and scribbling down a few words before turning it to Kerri.
"It hurts, Dean." She answered back, her voice so quiet that he had to lean in to hear her.
'Do you think pain killers would help?'
"I don't know."
'I'll get you one.' Dean patted her back before running back to the kitchen, returning a moment later with a glass of water and one pill. She took it gratefully before falling back onto the sofa, her eyes drifting closed.
It was then that Dean finally noticed just how late it was.
"All right, I think we should all turn in for the night."
"Can I sleep on the sofa with Kerri?"
"I'm gonna bring her over to sleep on that sofa with you guys. I'll keep watch over here."
"Ok." Evelyn mumbled, curling up beside her sister a soon as Kerri laid down. Dean grabbed a few more blankets, making sure all three were covered before moving to the other sofa and turning on the television.
Kerri and Evelyn were asleep within moments, Sam fighting it off for about an hour before he too succumbed to exhaustion. But Dean wouldn't let himself sleep, wouldn't let his guard down, he couldn't. He had to be there, had to protect them.
But well, Dean was only eleven after all, and, after a few hours of fighting, he slowly drifted off into a deep and dreamless sleep. He was so tired that he didn't notice the singing, didn't hear the music drifting down the stairs. He didn't even see Sam's eyes open, didn't see the little boy slide off the sofa as if in a trance, didn't hear the back door open as his little brother disappeared into the stormy night.