Another chapter, slowly but surely..............please don't sue, I don't own anything!
Enjoy
Chapter 38
My phone vibrates in my pocket and I fish it out. Dean looks up at me in the rear view mirror and I flick my eyes up at him and quickly stuff my phone back in my pocket. Tearing my eyes away from him I stare out the window, I'll call Danny back later.
We pull up at the Shoemaker house and climb out of the car and I try and calm my beating heart and ignore the way Dean is looking at me.
Walking into the house I quickly realise that we've crashed Mr. Shoemaker's funeral. I can instantly feel my stomach twisting painfully, I hate funerals.
"Feel like we're underdressed" Dean says and I swat him on the arm and we continue walking through the house until we're out in the back yard.
The garden is full, but I spy a few girls hanging out by the collapsible chairs.
"Look" I say, pointing discreetly to the girls and we all walk over to them and I can feel my nerves bump up a notch. I hate lying to children.
"You must be Donna right"? Dean says quietly to one of the little girls.
"Yeah" she answers
"Hi uh—we're really sorry" Sammy says with a sympathetic smile.
I'm keeping my mouth shut and try not to concentrate on the fact that Dean's coat keeps brushing against my leg.
"Thank you" Donna says.
"I'm Sam, this is Dean. We worked with your dad" Sam lies effortlessly and I suddenly get a horrible thought. If they can lie so well, have they ever lied to me? No, they wouldn't do that. We're like family – I quickly banish the thought.
"You did"? Donna asks.
"Yeah. This whole thing. I mean, a stroke" Dean continues but Donna looks up at me suspiciously.
"Who's she" she asks accusingly.
"She's my girlfriend" Sam says quickly, taking my hand in his and smiling.
I think my head is actually going to explode and I try very, very hard to ignore how good that sounded. But my heart s racing and my head still feels like popping.
"I don't think she really wants to talk about this right now" one of the other girls says, wrapping her arm round Donna.
"It's okay. I'm okay" Donna says with a small smile.
"Were there any symptoms? Dizziness? Migraines"? Dean asks.
Sammy squeezes my hand and I can barely breathe. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH ME!!!!
"No" Donna says.
"That's because it wasn't a stroke" the smallest girl says.
"Lily don't say that" Donna says quickly.
"What"? Sam says, releasing my hand and I thank God. I can breathe normally again, what the hell is going on!? My whole body feels like its vibrating!
"I'm sorry, she's just upset" Donna says.
"No, it happened because of me" Lilly says, a few tears falling from her tiny eyes and I can feel my heart break.
"Sweetie, it didn't" Donna says, throwing her arm over her.
"Lily," Sam says, bending down to be eye lever with her " why would you say something like that"? He asks gently.
"Right before he died, I said it" she says quietly.
"You said what"? Sam asks.
"Bloody Mary- Three times in the bathroom mirror. She took his eyes, that's what she does" Lilly says and I can feel a cold shiver run up my spine and I try and hide it.
I HATE the legend of Bloody Mary.
Dean stands up next to me and places his hand on the small of my back and I can feel the electricity shoot straight through me.
"That's not why dad died. This isn't your fault" Donna says.
"I think your sister's right, Lily. There's no way it could have been Bloody Mary. Your dad didn't say it, did he"? Dean says softly.
"No I don't think so" Lilly says, wiping at her eyes and I can feel my heart break for her. Poor kid.
--- --- --- ---
Walking through the Shoemaker's house, I get an overwhelming sense of dread and I instantly want to be anywhere else but in this house and I'm trying very hard to not freak out completely.
Suck it up Soph!
"The Bloody Mary legend- Dad ever find any evidence that it was a real thing"? Dean says and I feel my stomach leap into my throat.
"Not that I know of" Sammy says and we all walk into the bathroom and there is still dried blood on the floor.
God, I wish we never even came here! I try and control my breathing.
"I mean, everywhere else all over the country, kids will play Bloody Mary, and as far as we know, no one dies from it" Sammy says and I feel very light headed.
"Yeah well maybe everywhere it's just a story but here it's actually happening" Dean says.
That's it.
"I'm gonna head back out to the car guys, I'm not feeling to hot" I say and Sam spins round and looks down at me.
I'm practically hanging off the towel rail, I feel really clammy and hot but cold at the same time.
"Jesus Soph, you look terrible" Sammy says, shocked.
"Thanks Sammy" I say, trying to smile.
"You go on ahead Soph, we'll meet you back at the car" Dean says handing me the cars, not looking at me.
I stumble along the hall, down the stairs and out the door and I can't stop myself from actually running to the car, jamming the car key in the lock and practically throwing myself in the car. Locking the door behind me.
What the hell is wrong with me. Okay, so I don't like the Bloody Mary legend. Why the full on panic attack? I mean, I have dealt with demons and ghosts, this is just the same gig right!?
I breath in deeply, letting the comforting, familiar smell of the work leather seats and the overall aroma of Dean and Sammy fill my lungs and slowly I can feel my heart resume it's normal rhythm. I keep my eyes closed until I can hear Dean and Sam walking back to the car.
They climb into the car and I resist the overwhelming urge to just squish myself in between them and never let them go.
"Busted" Sammy says as they settle back into the car
"Huh" I ask eloquently
"Charlie busted us checking out the place" Sammy elaborates.
"Oh" I say, totally not with it.
"Hey kid.." Dean says, looking up at me in the rear view mirror "..You okay"?
"Mmmmhhhmm" I say, nodding.
"Okay" he says, unconvinced and starts up the car with a growl and peels out.
"Where we going" I ask, leaning back against the cool, back seat of the Impala.
"The library, see if we can't dig up something on this Bloody Mary deal" Sammy says and I swallow, hard.
--- --- --- ---
I like libraries. The smell of old, dusty books, the quiet.
"Say Bloody Mary really is haunting this town. There's gonna be some sort of proof—like a local woman who died nasty" Dean says, slowly wrapping his arm round my waist and pulling me into his side.
My heart thumps painfully in my chest and I hold my breath.
"Yeah but a legend this widespread it's hard. I mean, there's like 50 versions of who she actually is. One story says she's a witch, another says she's a mutilated bride, there's a lot more" Sammy says a little disheartened.
"All right so what are we supposed to be looking for"? Dean asks me when we reach the correct section.
"Umm, okay, every version's got a few things in common. It's always a woman named Mary, and she always dies right in front of a mirror" I say, and my heart flutters as Dean locks eyes with me. I know he's only doing it ;cos he wants me to concentrate and not freak out again.
"So we've gotta search local newspapers, public records as far back as they go. See if we can find a Mary who fits the bill" I say, a little breathlessly.
"Well that sounds annoying" He says with a smile and I can feel my knees start to weaken.
"No it won't be so bad, as long as we…" he starts, turning toward the computers.
They are all out of order.
I take it back. This will be very annoying" Sammy chuckles.
--- --- --- ---
We pull up outside of the closest motel to the library, we are all tired and I can't wait to sink myself into a hot, bubble bath.
"I'm gonna go get us a room" Dean says and throws the keys over to Sammy.
I pop the trunk and haul all of our bags out, slinging them over my shoulders and stalk over to the reception where Dean is paying for our room.
Sammy jogs up beside me after locking up the car.
"Need a hand with those" He asks, looking down at me with a small smile.
"No, I got it" I say huffily and then I stop in my tracks.
"Sorry Sammy, I didn't mean to get snippy. I guess I'm just tired" I say and hand him a few of the bags.
He takes them and then slips mine off of my shoulder and throws it over his own.
I smile my thanks and Dean leads the way to our room.
Unlocking the door I fling myself onto the nearest bed and just lay there. I can here the boys chuckling at me.
"I'm gonna go get some beer and food" Dean says and I can hear the door close.
Sammy walks around the room and I can instantly feel a heavy tension in the air so I pretend to be asleep.
I hear Sammy flop onto one of the beds and soon he's snoring loudly. He's so cute.
After a while of just laying in the dark I haul myself up off the surprisingly comfy bed and walk into the bathroom and I nearly have a panic attack when I see my reflection in the bathroom mirror.
"Eeew" I say to myself and pin a towel over the mirror. Much better, no more temptation.
I close the bathroom door and run the hot tap into the bath.
After a while the bath is full of lovely hot water and white fluffy bubbles. I undress quickly and sink into the blissful water. I close my eyes and try and stop the repeat button in my head going over every single time Dean has looked at me or held me close, but it does it anyway.
I hear Dean unlock the front door.
"Soph" he whispers loudly (if that's possible). He must've seen Sammy was asleep.
"I'm in here" I whisper-yell "I'll be out in a bit"
But instead of waiting, Dean just walks into the bathroom and sits himself down on the loo.
"Ummm…okay" I say but he just ignores me.
Okay, so if I wasn't in such a totally relaxed state I would totally be freaking out right now. I mean Dean is sat a few inches away from me and I'm naked in the bath!!!!!!!
Lucky I put like a whole bottle of bubble bath in then I guess! The more bubbles the better!!!!
Okay so I'm freaking out a little……
"So what was up with you today Jones"? He asks me quietly and hands me a cool beer, not actually looking at me.
I slowly take a sip and let the cold liquid make it's way down my throat, feels nice against the heat of the water and I close my eyes. I press the cool, glass bottle against my forehead.
Chill out Soph!
"Nothing, I was just feeling a little..off. That's all" I say. "Promise" I open my eyes which was a big mistake cos he's looking at me like…well…like that and I think my heart has just stopped beating.
I can't breath…..look away Soph….SOPH!
"So what's with the towel"? He asks pointing with his beer bottle toward the covered mirror and looking back at me, like that.
It's suddenly got unbearably hot in here and I can feel a few more sweat beds travel down my head and neck and I try to remember to breath properly, or at all!
I take another sip of beer.
"It's nothing" I lie, and then wince slightly to prove it.
"Look Soph.." Dean starts, looking at the floor. I run my fingers through my hot, damp hair. I know what's coming…
"We all get jobs that are too much to handle, I mean, I didn't do to well on that plane a few weeks ago". He says quietly…. Only I'm not listening to him. I'm trying to drown him out because if I can't hear him, he's not actually sitting there while I'm in the bath.
"I know Dean..look, I can pull it together. I promise" I say, looking up at him and he locks his eyes on mine and for a few seconds there is nothing but us. No scary supernatural murderers, no constant moving around.
Nothing, just us.
He takes a deep breath.
"Okay Soph" He says after a while and leans back against the cistern and stretches his legs out, swigging his beer.
"Umm…..Dean" I say
"Hhhmmmm"
"Uh, get out" I say with a smile.