Chapter 25
Dean and Sam run around from the back of the radio station to the front. The stairs have collapsed, the parking lot looks as if bombs had been dropped, and there's a faint green shimmer around the front door of the station. Dean grabs onto the metal hand railing and uses the brick wall to climb up it. Sam follows and they reach the front doors. They both have to hug the doors so they don't fall off.
SPF! FWIP! WOMP! SPF!
The building shakes as green and black sparks shoot off from every which direction. Lights explode and blows are blown out. The building shakes, but this time from the lack of foundation. The building was barely standing up by will power.
Gael skids down the rubble hallway, her back slamming down hard on the floor. The Darkness walks through the debris, as if it is nothing but smoke. He stands over her, with a smirk on her face.
"Gael!" Dean yells. He slams his hands against the door.
"Gael!" Sam yells with his brother.
They repeat her name as if it is a chant. She looks back at them, her eyes glowing a beautiful, deep, emerald green. The Darkness took this moment to blast her, the black, oozing tendrils, shoves further down the hall, until her back is up against the wall.
"Castiel!" Dean screams, still pounding his fists against the door.
"Gael!" Sam screams her name. "Come on! Open the door! Open the goddamn door!"
Gael grabs The Darkness's shirt and pulls him forward.
"Castiel!" Dean roars, hopping that this would capture his friend's attention. "Come on Castiel! Get down here and fucking help!"
Dean and Sam watch as Gael shoves her fucking hands into The Darkness.
"Holy shit," Dean whispers.
Dean and Sam watch as Gael literally rips The Darkness open. They see another faint form slowly appearing from behind the two forces. It is too light for them to see its features, but they know who it is. The form is swept up in a dark blue mist and a bright green light fills the building and in a flash, it's gone.
Dean and Sam look back and see Gael slouched against the door. Her chest is barely moving.
"No," Sam whispers.
"Gael!" They both yell. "Gael! Gael! Come on!
Her name becomes a desperate call. Dean wants to fall down to his knees, but just as soon as his foot slips, he holds tighter to the door hinges. Sam and Dean look at each other, tears trying to force themselves out, but they were willed not to fall. Not yet, at least.
"Dean," a soft voice calls out to him.
Carefully, Dean turns his head and looks back. And there he is the one who is supposed to guard and protect him. Castile's hair is windswept, as if he flew as fast as he could. His coat is ripped along the sides and the sleeves. His shirt is disheveled and there are cuts and bruises all over his face.
Dean let go of the doors and fell to the broken ground. Sam stayed, holding onto the doors. Castiel stayed on the very entrance of parking lot. Maire was…Maire wasn't there.
Dean looks up and sees…nothing. His eyes move over to the trees and they're still. Birds are frozen in place and a ladybug is frozen mid-flight, its wings and shells still parted from each other. The air feels still. He can feel it moving when he does. But a greater force than his small movements forces the air to shift.
There she is. She stands by Castiel at the entrance and slowly walks forward. She forces the air to move around her with each step she takes. Dean, Castiel, and Sam could feel the particles shift and change around. They were being rearranged, forced from their frozen positions.
Maire leapt up to the doors. She places her hands on them and closes her eyes. She moves through them and disappears.
Maire enters the destroyed radio station. She takes in the fallen walls and collapsed ceilings. Her daughter had protected the outside world by keeping the destruction locked inside.
Falling to her knees, Maire reaches out and gently touches her daughter's face. She strokes the hair from around Gael's eyes and sweeps it behind her ear.
"Ciúin anois, mo ghrá." Quiet now, my love.
Maire rocks her daughter's body back and forth, as if lolling Gael to sleep.
For that day, a single day, the Earth stood still. The Earth stood still to allow a prolonged moment to say goodbye. But it wasn't just this mother and daughter saying goodbye, but for all those who are losing someone within that moment. Giving them enough time to say goodbye.
It was the day the Earth stood still.
Chapter 26
Dean and Sam watched the news in a nearby bar. The news anchor shows the destruction of the radio station, claiming that there was bomb placed on the premises. Dean and Sam took their bottles of beer and move to a quieter corner of the bar.
There were casualties, everyone died. It was an act of terrorism, but the terrorist group has yet to come forward.
Taking a sip of their beer, they both say nothing. What is there to say? What is there to do? Maire removed the shielding spell, recreated the site to look like an explosion took place. Later that evening, they're having a proper send off for Gael, but that's later. Right now, alcohol is needed.
They take another sip.
Sam slowly spins his bottle around with his fingers while holding the neck of the beer. Looking at the alcohol contents swishing around.
Dean taps his bottle, the clicking barely making a sound.
The both take a sip.
There were sounds of chairs scraping against the floor, while patrons moved around the bar. The soft sound of the beer tap being pulled, and the liquid sound of it hitting an empty glass. People chat contently to each other, talking about work, life, and the news. Someone laughs at a joke. Actually, it was more a light chuckle.
The bar smells of fries, burgers, and trucker sweat. The low lighting makes it easy to hide in the corner. People in this bar aren't particularly friendly, nor are they aggressive. They just keep to themselves and their own people.
There are people wearing rumpled suits, as if they had a rough day at work. There are people that are wearing shirts and jeans, caked in dirt. There is a couple sitting on the other side of bar, holding hands. There are people wearing sports jerseys, but not watching the game. All of these people had their eyes glued to the T.V.
All of these people don't know what happened today. They only have an idea. But the two lonely boys sitting in a corner booth know. They will always know. They see the victims' families. They watched them fall to their knees as the fire fighters brought out, one after another, bodies covered in a white sheet. There were shrill screams from some and deadly silence from others.
Those boys take their last sip. They pay and tip the bartender. They leave, off to say goodbye to one of their own.
Inside the bunker, Castiel, Maire, Sam, and Dean sit around a table. Just sitting. Books have been put away. Laptops are closed and set off to the side.
Castiel shifts in his seat, uncomfortable with the somber silence.
Sam has his hands on the table, his thumbs fiddle with slight movement.
Dean has pushed his chair back, his legs stretched out, and hands on his lap.
Maire is just sitting, her head forward, but her eyes glossed over.
They're just waiting for someone to make the first move.
Knock, knock, knock.
No one moved. No one said anything.
Knock, knock, knock.
Only one person moved, but still no one said anything.
Knock, knock, knock.
"It's Jared, Gael's friend. Please open up."
With a wave of her hand, the door unlocked. Opening the door, Jared walks in. His black hair is matted with dirt and twigs are sticking out of his hair and clothes. There's a purple line around his neck. Must have been where his neck was broken. He's covered in scratches and bruises. But for a man that died, he looks pretty good.
His steps are slow and clunky. Jared slips down a few steps, but his hand catches on the barrister. Everyone stays sitting still, as they hear the clunking of Jared's shoes finish walking down the stairs. He stumbles a little towards Maire, but finally makes to the table she was sitting at. He pulls out a chair and falls into it. He's breathing heavy, but it still doesn't take the group out of their solitude.
Jared reaches into his pocket and pulls out a USB port. He places it in front of Maire on the table. There's a white label on it with the word "mother" written on it. Maire looks at Jared, her eyes asking a question. He nods his head, confirming what she's asking.
Maire grabs a laptop, picks up the USB, and shuffles out of the room, carefully cradling it.
Maire enters one of the bedrooms and sits the laptop down. She picks up the USB and plugs it in. Lifting the top, quickplayer pops up and there, sitting in the middle of the frame is Gael. She looks…so alive.
She hits the play button.
"Hello mother," Gael waves to the camera with a small smile, "If you're watching, well, you know how it goes in the movies." She shuffles around a bit in chair, as if uncomfortable with the situation.
"Now, don't be mad mom," she starts off, looking into the camera, "I'm sorry I left you. But I knew. I knew what was happening to me, I could feel the power burning me up from the inside out. I didn't want you to watch as it happened. So I left." Gael lets out a long breath and smiles.
"I know you've been worried about me. Where I've been, what I've done. But don't worry, I fought the good fight whenever I was needed. It just got to be too much."
Gael looks down at her hands, contemplating what she's going to say next. A few minutes go by.
"Mom, I have a proposition for you," Gael looks back up at the camera. "I want you to seriously consider it. Please, for me."
Maire walks out of the room, her face red and blotchy. Her eyes shining bright with the tears that haven't stopped flowing. She stands in front of the group. She's changed her vessel as well as her clothes. Maire is now a white female vessel, hair bright red, and eyes a lonely blue. A long, black cloak covers her from head to toe, with the Celtic Dragon embroidered with gold thread.
"It is time for the burial," Maire says as she pulls up her hood.
Castiel, Sam, Dean, and Jared, follow Maire into the woods, a bright flame guiding their way. The humans couldn't tell if it is shadows or magic, but it seemed as if the trees and the brush are moving out of their way, slowly showing them where they are to go. The small flame steadily grows with each step they take, floating in front of them.
Finally, in a small clearing, there in middle stands a pyre, where a lifeless body lies. They circle around the body, that has been dressed in white. Her hands lay crossed on her chest. Her hair is spread around her face. Her face is small, white, and peaceful. The bottom of the white gown flows from her bare feet.
Jared steps forward and gently lifts her top hand. He carefully places a gold coin underneath. He puts her hand and gently pats it. Kissing her forehead, a few tears slip down her cheeks.
Maire lifts both her hands and the flame splits into many small ones, circling the pyre. They dance against the darkness, casting those weird shadows, where it looks as if the trees are bowing slightly. Their branches dipping slightly as if also paying their respects to the lost life.
Maire takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out.
"There are no words for the loss of an innocent life. For a life where they might not have been all good, but they tried their damnedest. Where they were given a life where the odds were against them, but they made the best of it."
Her voice came out loud and clear.
"An innocent life lost, was surrounded by love and support by all who met her. She wasn't the best person in the world, and she didn't try to be. She just happened to be one of the best. There are many who didn't accomplish what she did, but most don't know what she's accomplished. But for those who know her, who truly know her, know what she's accomplished. They will remember it forever in their hearts and minds. They will be reminded."
Dean, Sam, Castiel, and Jared bow their heads.
"Ye may have felt like ye've accomplished nothing, but to those whose hearts ye have touched, ye accomplished everything. Ye are well loved. Ye have been busy, ye deserve this rest. So may ye rest in peace, my love…my darling. Ye have done well."
Maire slowly lowers her arms. The small flames move closer to the pyre. Once Maire's hands are down at her sides, the flames have touched the pyre and slowly start to burn.
"Smile, though your heart is aching. Smile, even though it's breaking." Maire's singing voice comes out slow and sad. "When there are clouds, in the sky, you'll get by."
Quiet tears start to stream, and sniffling breaks up the words.
"If you smile through your pain and sorrow, smile and maybe tomorrow, you'll see the sun come shining through, for you."
They watch as the flames slowly engulf the white, causing the flame to change colors, but only slightly.
"Light up your face with gladness, hide every trace of sadness. Although a tear, may be ever so near."
As the body starts to break down, an emerald green mist rises from the body. It twists up and around in the air.
"That's the time, you must keep on trying. Smile, what's the use of crying."
A dark blue mists swirls down and catches with the emerald green mist. They happily and excitedly swirl with each other. Intertwining and untwining.
"You'll find that life is still, worthwhile, if you'll just smile."
As the sad tune comes to an end, the two mists dance up into the night sky and disappear among the stars.
Now, all that's left are five people, standing around a burning pyre, with nothing but fire to keep them warm.
Crowley is pacing the empty hotel room. Back and forth. Back and forth. When is that little squeaky thing coming back? It said that it was going to be gone for a few minutes. It's been days!
As Crowley is about to leave through the front door, the green imp pops back in. Turning to look at it, Crowley noticed that it was wearing black clothes instead of its normal green ones. It looks as if the imp has been mourning at a funeral.
"Where the bloody hell have you been!" Crowley growls at the imp.
The imp places its hat on its head and sits on the floor.
"Mother lost her daughter, so we hid in the shadows. We didn't want to interrupt," its voice very quiet, but still squeaky.
Crowley looks down at the carpet. He knows he should offer condolences, but he refuses to allow humanity to get the better of him. He refuses to be human!
As he about to say something, he looks up and sees something crawling around in the vent behind the imp's head. Crowley's eyes widen, but he doesn't say anything. The imp looks up and sees Crowley's surprised face.
"What is it?" The imp asks, but Crowley says nothing.
A long dark tendril extends out from the vent.
The imp turns around.
The tendril wraps around the imps tiny neck and pulls up and flings the dead body to the wall.
"What are you? Who are you?" Crowley stammers, afraid to go to the dead imp.
Its eyes stare at him from across the room. A hand reaches out to Crowley as if asking for help. The little imp crumbles into ashes and turns into a small dust pile.
The tendril gently strokes Crowley's face as it slides out of the vent and down to the floor.
"Hello, Crowley," the darkness whispers to him. The tendrils wrap around Crowley's face and neck. "I've missed you, almost as much as I've missed you."
Crowley gulps down a bunch of air. He's human. He's weak. He's powerless.
"Yesssss," the darkness hisses in Crowley's ear. "You've missed my power haven't you? How would you like it back? Except, now, you'll be stronger!"
What? Crowley thinks to himself.
"You'll be more powerful and stronger," the darkness whispers to him. "You will be invincible!"
Crowley barely nods his head, but it was enough. The darkness saw it. The tendrils crawled into Crowley's mouth, down his throat, and into his stomach. Soon, there were more tendrils, crawling through his eyes, and nose. Slowly killing him once more.
Crowley throws his head and arms back. A blast of power shot through his fingers, obliterating the hotel and everyone inside it.
A dark, twisted smile contorted his face to look inhuman.
"Hello darkness, my old friend."
Well you guys, this is it. This is the end. It's been a long and wild ride. I wanted to thank everyone for reading this and following it. I am turning this into a trilogy, but I just haven't had time to write out the second part yet. Honestly, this is the longest story I've ever written and finished. I think it turned out decent, definitely needs more work. Anyways, until next time. You guys have a happy holiday, and stay safe.