Family Secrets: Part three – chapter 10

Oh momma I'm in fear for my life

from the long arm of the law

Lawman has put an end to my running

and I'm so far from my home

Oh momma I can hear you a'crying

you're so scared and all alone

Hangman is comin' down from the gallows

and I don't have very long

The jig is up the news is out they've finally found me

The renegade who had it made retrieved for a bounty

Never more to go astray

This will be the end today of the wanted man

Renegade - Styx

One day ago ~ Saturday afternoon ~

Sam paced slowly in front of Rachael Lameroux; tied to a chair in the middle of a devil's trap painted on the floor. His face was dark and angry. He paced like a caged animal. The thought that this demon would use Jess's memory against him… He was beyond livid and he barely trusted himself not to kill her outright. His hand itched to grasp Ruby's knife… to feel it piercing through the flesh of this meat suit and into the demon inside her. He took a deep breath trying to calm himself. He needed intel first, and then he would kill her.

"You're not a very smart demon." Sam's voice was deep and grating as it echoed through the abandoned warehouse. It was the same warehouse where Sam had summoned Balthazar to ask for help many months ago before it became clear that Balthazar was no friend. "You tried to use Jess's memory to get to me."

"It does get to you." The demon sneered at him. She could smell the barely contained anger boiling below the surface of his skin.

The image of Jess kept flashing through Sam's mind making this demon look and sound just like her. Sam's right hand came across her face in a hard backhand that slammed into her cheek rocking her chair back and then slamming her down hard. Her head lolled forward and a string of blood hung from her lip until it finally made contact with her thigh and began soaking into the material there.

"You're not Jess." Sam squatted in front of her so that he could look up into her face. His eyes were cold and dark; his body trembling with rage. "What's your game?" He sprayed holy water across her face watching… grinning as it burned like acid and she screamed in pain. "Who sent you?"

Her eyes weren't the endless black emptiness of demon eyes. Instead they were the clear blue of Jess's eyes, misted with tears, pained and pleading. Her soft lips begged him. "Sam… Don't hurt me. Please. Sam?"

Sam growled and stood, turning his back and pacing away from her. He ran his hands through his hair then quickly turned lunging forward and connecting his fist with a meaty smack to her jaw. The blood that had pooled on her lips mixed with new blood and spattered across Sam's face. "You're not Jess! Jess is dead! You're a demon bitch!"

"Yes! That's right." She no longer looked or sounded like Jess. Her eyes were black, her lips snarled. "I saw Jess in Hell. She was my favorite play toy." Guttural laughter punctuated her hateful words. "The things I did to her. She cried… and she screamed."

"Shut up, bitch!" Sam's face was red with rage, his body shaking.

"I peeled the skin from her bones. She screamed your name…. Saaammmm!" The demon laughed. "She thought you could help her. Stupid bitch."

"Shut up!" Sam's next backhand rattled her teeth and sent her flying, chair and all onto the floor."

Mark walked into the warehouse and gazed on the scene before him. "What's this?"

Sam turned away from the demon and faced Mark. He took a deep calming breath. "Thanks for coming."

"He can't help you." The demon smirked. "No one can help you."

"Shut your cake hole!" Sam swung around and pulled Ruby's knife from its holster at his side. "Or I will end you."

He turned back to Mark. "Demon. She approached me in the coffee shop. Tried to get me alone and take me out. But as you can see her plans ran amok." Sam paced in front of the demon. "I want to find out who sent her, who she's working for."

"So… what'd you do to her?" Mark gazed at the bleeding demon.

"A little holy water… a little salt."

"He beat me." She whimpered. "Sadistic bastard!"

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Mark sneered at the demon.

"She was talkative." Sam walked away from her toward the door. "But she wasn't willing to give up info on who's behind all this."

"They rarely are." Mark shook his head. "Demons are a stubborn lot."

"I need to get back to the studio before Alta and Sophie know I'm gone."

"I'll work on her. See if I can get something out of her."

"Don't kill her. Drug her if you have to." Sam hesitated at the door. "Nobody knows but us. I'd like to keep it that way."

"Yea? Good luck with that." The demon snarked at him. "People saw us leave the coffee shop together. Witnesses, Sam." She laughed.

"A smart ass." Mark mused. "I got a gag with your name on it, sweetheart."

Sam glanced back to see Mark filling her mouth with cloth, tying a bar rag around her head and covering her head with a cloth bag, decorated with devil's traps. Sam knew what the demon was in for. The Campbell's knew how to interrogate and Mark had done his fair share. He knew that the woman she possessed would not fare much better. He didn't care. He needed the intel… need to know who sent her… what the plan was. He knew he would do anything to protect Alta and his baby… anything.

… … …

Orange glow of flames reflected across his face as Castiel gazed at the ring of fire around him. He sighed, hurt by the betrayal. Balthazar's smile was painful to watch.

"I never wanted it to be this way between us, Balthazar."

"No?" Balthazar's clear blue eyes twinkled as he teased his brother. "How did you want it to be between us, Cas? Couldn't have been trust. I've begged you for years now to get free of this insane attachment you have to the Winchesters." The teasing twinkle left his eyes and Balthazar's voice began to betray his own pain. "I did everything for you." His voice became harsh; his eyes flashed hatred. "I stood by you while the rest of heaven laughed. I made them all see you were righteous. I even managed to put a positive spin on your betrayal of all of Heaven." Balthazar's hands waved in a giant gesture to illustrate his point. "I convinced everyone you were the new leader of the Heavenly Host." Balthazar stared at Castiel… silvery blue eyes to deep blue. "I did it to save you. I saved you're life while you wasted it on that big oaf, Sam Winchester. I got his soul out of Hell for you… to save your life… because you wouldn't sever the connection to him. You wouldn't let him die."

"I am his guardian. He is in my care." Castiel seemed unaffected by Balthazar's passionate rage.

"I'm your brother. I raised you. I took care of you when his torture would have killed you."

"He was being tortured because of Michael and Lucifer's power struggles." Castiel's face remained placid. "He sacrificed himself to save the world from destruction."

"It wouldn't have been the first time the world has been destroyed." Balthazar argued with his brother. "It's part of the process for this little planet… these little…" His face was twisted with rage. "… pitiful beings. They would rebuild. They always rebuild."

"This time they chose to fight. I chose to help them." Castiel's face glowed red. Balthazar honestly didn't know if it was from his passion for these humans or a reflection of the flames rising out of the holy oil that kept him captive.

"Well no matter. You won't be able to help them this time. Sam Winchester will die… his bitch and the bastard child she carries as well."

"Do you hear yourself? Do you count yourself as righteous?" Castiel's grace shivered within him. It was such a fine line and Balthazar had crossed over into obsession; driven by Michael.

"I am righteous!" Balthazar could barely contain his rage. "The Winchester's thwarted the plans of Heaven… Father's plans."

"Not Father's plans; Michael's dreams of glory." The impasse between the brothers was clear.

"No! You're wrong."

"You can't keep me here forever." Castiel reminded his brother.

"I can keep you long enough." Balthazar sighed. "I can keep you for a generation; long after Sam and Dean Winchester have returned to dust. They will have to make their way without your help. And they will fail."

… … …

Sunday morning ~

Vern Lameroux was devastated. His wife didn't come home last night… again. He paced across his living room and buried his face into his hands. His breath came in big wet sobs. Vern's heart was broken. He didn't know how much more he could take. Rachael was his life… his everything. They were high school sweet hearts. It had never occurred to him to even think of dating anyone else and he knew she felt the same way. Their life had been perfect. He'd done well in his family's construction business and Rachael was so smart. She'd built her own Real-estate business. She was the best in town. They were happy. He couldn't believe what was happening to him. He couldn't understand what had happen to Rachael.

In the last three months Rachael had gone from being Vern's loving wife and his best friend to someone he hardly knew and who looked at him as if she couldn't stand to be in the same room with him. Unless she was horney. Then she didn't make love… she screwed him… used him. On some level he thought he should like it but it left him feeling… dirty. She'd rather whore around with other men. And she made no effort to hide it. Everyone knew. It was as if she flipped a switch inside and became the very opposite of the person she'd always been. He knew she'd left the coffee shop with that Winchester man. He was just another one of several but she'd never come back. Winchester had showed up back in town just a few hours later but not Rachael. Vern's gut churned with fear. What if she'd finally gone off whoring with the wrong man? What if…

… … …

Sam could barely contain his rage until he reached the warehouse. Once he dropped Alta at Bobby's he was able to forgo all his efforts to hide the rage that boiled within him. He strode in slowly, taking in the sight of the demon still tied within the devil's trap. Her face was covered with old dried blood; her eyes swollen; her head lolled across her chest.

"You get anything from her?" Sam looked at Mark.

"Yea. I got an interesting story." Mark's voice was soft and he gave Sam a sly smile. "Her job was to set you up for kidnapping and possibly murder. She made sure somebody saw you, man."

"Who?" Sam continued to stare at the demon as he paced slowly in front of her.

"Well, Sophie saw you, for one. But that's not a problem. She doesn't know what's going on but if she knows it's a demon she'll back you up." He shrugged. "Right now she thinks you're having an affair."

"What?" Sam was incredulous. "Why would anybody think I would cheat on Alta?"

"Sam, man… you got to know… that's the way people are. That's what they're all gonna think." Mark leaned against a desk in the corner of the room. "Can't pin murder on you if they don't find a body. But kidnapping's a capital offence."

"So who else saw us?"

"The coffee shop owner… the waitress… anybody who happened to be on the street that day." Mark cleared his throat. "If I were you I'd definitely be going off the grid and changing my name."

Sam's mind was racing. He had to quell his anger… he had to think of a way out of this. He couldn't just drop off the grid. There was too much at stake. He had a wife. He had a family to think about. "We need some help with this. Can you go get Dean?"

… … …

Sunday morning ~ where we left off last chapter...

"I can find Sam."

"Sonya! Damn it!" Sophia's eyes turned to her sister, horrified. "No!" She grabbed Sonya's arm and pulled her toward the door, determined to get her sister to safety.

Dean was immediately between them and the door. "Wait a minute. You're not going anywhere." He held his hands up to calm Sophia's panic but it was clear he was not going to let them pass. "You got some explaining to do." He turned his gaze to Sonya. "How can you find Sam?"

Suddenly the door opened and all eyes turned to Mark as he stepped into the room.

"Mark!" Sophia heaved a heavy sigh of relief.

"Not so fast." Dean's eyes narrowed. "You are not off the hook yet." He quickly turned to Mark "Where've you been and where's Sam?"

"I need to speak with you." Mark's voice was soft as he jerked his head toward the door indicating that they should step outside.

"No!" Alta stepped in. "What is it? Is it about Sam? What's going on?"

"Alta, I need to talk to Dean..."

"No! If it's about Sam, you better tell me now!" Alta's hands were clenched into fists at her side as she squared off at Mark. Her face was red, her lips a thin line. She'd had about all of this she could stand.

Mark stepped close to her placing his hands on her arms in a gentle grasp. He kept his voice soft, not much more than a whisper. "Sam's not hurt. He's alright." His blue eyes focused on Alta's angry green glare with infinite calm. "I've been with him all morning and he sent me to get Dean…"

"Dean?" Alta's voice was shrill. She couldn't believe what he was saying. "What about me?" She tried to pull away but he held her tighter. "I need to see him…"

"You need to trust him." Mark sighed. "Trust me, Alta. Sam's not hurt but we need to deal with a demon. We need Dean and Sam doesn't want you anywhere near it." Mark gave her a slight shake, just enough to get her to focus on his eyes to make sure she heard what he was saying. "You know why." His eyes drifted lower to the swell of her belly. "A demon can reach inside you and… Sam doesn't want to risk your baby like that."

Alta swallowed hard. "You're right… he's right." She thought for a moment, putting the pieces together. "The woman in the coffee shop? She's a demon?"

"She's possessed, yes."

Dean fished something out of his pocket and stared down at it in deep thought, his face was dark and pinched as his fingers idly ran across the name printed on the card. Dante Welch. He handed the card to Ben. "Find out whatever you can on this man." Ben took the card and gave Dean a questioning look. "I don't know." Dean answered his unasked question. "But dig deep. Find anything… everything."

"Find out everything you can on Rachael Lameroux too." Mark gestured toward Sonya. "You stay with Alta." He gazed at Sophia. "You got her back."

"Let's roll." Dean called on his way out of the door.

… … …

Sheriff Mills desperately wanted to roll her eyes, but she focused on the distraught man pacing about in her office.

"Something's happened, sheriff. He's done something to her." Vern Lameroux's face was red and sweat popped out across his forehead. "I want him arrested! Now!" The man's face trembled with rage.

"Vern." She kept her voice calm and tried to reason with him. "She's not been gone 24 hours yet. She'll show up." like she always does... she wanted to add but that would just be throwing fuel on the fire. "She's not a 'missing person' until it's been at least 24 hours. We've talked about this before." oops... there it goes... fuel on the fire... She immediately regretted saying it.

Vern's face looked as if it would explode any moment. He sputtered, little droplets of spit spewed toward her and she reflexively blinked and stepped back. "I'll be back in 24 hours and then I want that man arrested!"

"IF... Rachael isn't home in 24 hours, you come back and I'll investigate. IF... There's any reason to suspect Mr. Winchester... I'll do what the law allows." Sheriff Mills pulled herself to her full five foot five and gave Vern her no nonsense stare; the one she always used when men felt like they could intimidate her. "Now, you go home and wait to see if Rachael comes home or calls." She placed a hand on his shoulder and guided him toward the door. Her brown eyes were softer as she tried to show him some sympathy. "Vern, she'll show up and if she doesn't show up, we'll find her."

Honestly, this didn't look good. On the one hand, Rachael Lameroux seemed to have gone into a midlife crisis... a little early maybe. She was hardly middle aged but she'd gone crazy lately and it was driving her husband nuts. Over the past several months she'd been known to have a few extramarital affairs and even disappear for a day or two. The whole town talked about it and how sorry they felt for poor Vern. So this didn't seem out of the norm... at least not the recent norm for Rachael and Vern.

But something niggled at the back of Sheriff Mills' mind and that something centered on Bobby Singer and the Winchester's. She knew Bobby had a string of 'drunk and disorderlies' and she was sure all his dealings weren't strictly on the up and up. But he'd not had a 'd&d' in years. She remembered a couple when she was a deputy but nothing in the past six years since she'd become sheriff.

She knew of the Winchester boys. They'd been coming and going to and from Bobby's since they were kids. She had no idea what their story was but she sensed it was kind of shady, like Bobby's. She knew it didn't involve anything in her county or her state for that matter... she'd looked and found nothing… at least not until now. And now... she wasn't so sure. Right now, she'd bide her time and wait for the 24 hours to pass and Vern to come storming back into her office.

... ... ...

Jezebeth's mouth was set in a tight line. Why do I let Balthazar talk me into playing his stupid Angel games? She knew why. He was just irresistible. Demons were one thing... Humans were fun too... But sex with an Angel was on a level all its own and she was pretty sure Balthazar was the best. Although... he was also probably the only Angel who would do such a thing with a demon. It was unheard of. And she thought that might be the best part. She had something no other demon had... an Angel lover.

So here she was on her way to South Dakota in February; heading into some Podunk town in the 'wild west', knee deep in snow, eating tacos and drinking beer when she really wanted to be in the warm and decadent Deep South eating crawfish etouffee and drinking mojitos during the biggest party on the continent. Damn!

Jezebeth finally arrived at her destination and parked outside the sheriff's office... waiting... watching.

... ... ...

Bobby walked into the warehouse greeted by the younger men huddled around the demon. "Why is it I can't leave town for one day… just one day without you boys getting mixed up in some kind of crap?" He gave first Dean, then Sam his 'idjit's' look. No need to say it out loud. He gazed down at the demon as she sat unconscious, head flopped down to her chest, blood scabbed across her face and staining her clothes. "My God!" He sighed. "You better fill me in."

They gave Bobby all the details and waited for his assessment. "Well son." He looked at Sam. "She was easy to capture because she was supposed to be. I'd say she the first part of a trap that's about to slam shut on you." He gazed at the woman. "She's a member of this community."

"She's a demon." Sam insisted.

"She's a human possessed by a demon."

"The demon in her is calling the shots. You know what it's like when demons ride humans." Sam argued his point. "They leave them 'rode hard and put up wet'"

"Town folk don't know that." Bobby watched for Sam's reaction. "Her husband's gonna want to know where she is. The town's likely to get into an uproar over this."

"I thought maybe Cas could help." Dean's worried expression mirrored Bobby's. "He won't answer."

"Maybe he can't." Mark's soft voice brought everyone's eyes to him. "Maybe that's part of the trap. If I was gonna set a trap for you, I'd sure as hell take out the Angel on your shoulder."

"Not many things can take out an Angel." Sam's look was thoughtful. "Another Angel…? Balthazar or Michael?"

"You think Balthazar's working with demons?" Dean questioned.

"Might be." Bobby looked again at the demon. "But, like you say not many things can take out an Angel. If it is Balthazar…" There was silence as they all thought of the implications.

"I got nothing…" Dean finally broke the silence.

"Yea. Me too." Sam sighed.

Mark paced over toward the demon. "If we let her go…"

"I'll accuse the lot of you of kidnapping." She raised her head, smiling through bloody teeth.

"We can burn her." Dean volunteered.

"What about the woman she's possessing?" Bobby looked at Dean.

"They'll still connect me to you, Sam. Too many witnesses." She laughed. "They don't need a body. The last piece of this trap is almost set…" Her eyes focused on Sam. "Checkmate, Sam Winchester!"

"What the hell do you mean by that?" Dean's voice was low and menacing.

… … …

Sheriff Mills never made it to lunch. She parked her car next to a cherry red mustang outside the diner and as she stepped out of her car she was overwhelmed by the smell of sulfur and the burning, strangled feel of smoke forced down her throat. She ignored the blond who lay at her feet as she stepped back into her car and headed back to her office. It was nearly 24 hours now and she had a 'missing person' to investigate. Before she pulled out of the parking space she gazed into the rearview mirror. Brown hair… I hate brown hair. I just hope this doesn't take long. She looked down at the diminutive body. Too small… Her hands smoothed over the fabric of her jacket across her small breasts. Balthazar would hardly be impressed with this body. Not nearly enough flesh. She sighed. This is what he wanted she reminded herself. She floored the gas petal. Let's get this done.

… … …

Two deputies came for Sam. They came to Bobby's with a warrant for Sam to bring him for questioning as a 'person of interest' in the disappearance of Rachael Lameroux. Sam rose to his full height, towering over the deputies, his chest bowed out, his face dark and threatening. "You can ask me questions here… now."

"Give me a minute, fellows." Bobby pulled Sam to the side. "You better go with them, Sam. It's just for questioning."

"I'm not going." Sam's face was no less menacing as he glared at Bobby. "I'm not gonna let them lock me up." He turned his back on everyone but Bobby. "I can't deal with being in a cage… I don't think… I can't."

"You'll have to, son. They can only hold you for 48 hours without charging you. We'll get this figured out." Bobby face was soft as he laid a hand on Sam's shoulder. He knew what Sam had been through. He knew what Sam was thinking when he said he couldn't deal with being in a cage.

Dean had joined them and the three of them made a tight huddle. He placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "You can do this, Sammy." Dean rarely called him Sammy anymore and Sam knew he was trying to encourage him just like he did when they were kids. "We'll get you out. I swear it. Just hang on… hang on tight."

Sam took a deep breath. He glanced at Alta. She stood motionless unable to fathom how her world had crashed around her feet in just a short few hours. She knew whatever he'd done; he'd done to protect her. Sam spoke softly to the deputies. "Can I…?" He motioned toward Alta.

"One minute." The older deputy motioned for Sam to go and he stepped over to Alta.

Sam placed his large hands on Alta's cheeks and pulled her face up to his. "It's gonna be alright." He tried to comfort her. "Don't worry. Dean will take care of you." He kissed her… just a soft brush of his lips on hers.

It's gonna be alright he said… Dean will take care of you he said… She would be alright he was saying… What he didn't say was what she saw in his eyes. He was not so sure about himself… She was not so sure he would be alright.

He held out his hands in surrender. Then he slowly removed his gun from the back of his pants placing it on the table and he took Ruby's knife from his belt handing it to Dean. The older deputy put a cuff on one wrist and turned Sam so that he could cuff his wrists together behind his back. The two deputies patted him down and found no other weapons. The whole family watched as they led a peaceful Sam to the car and took him to jail.

They weren't out of the drive before the family all went into action. Alta had followed Sam out onto the front porch and watched him as they led him to the car… she recognized his hesitant steps. She watched as the younger deputy reached up to place his hand on Sam's head, guiding him into the back seat. She saw him glance back at her from the window. She watched as the deputy's car moved out onto the highway and disappeared around a curve. She felt numb… helpless... as she continued to stare down the empty road. This wasn't a monster you could kill… this was the law and Sam was in real trouble.

Alta heard the front door open. It was Dean. She knew it was him. She didn't need to look. His footsteps were soft… almost hesitant. He was here to assume his duty… to care for his brother's wife. It wasn't his strong suit… this tenderness. He stood behind her and placed a coat across her shoulders. She didn't realize she was cold but she supposed she was. His breath fogged as he moved to stand beside her and gaze off down the road with her.

"He'll be alright, Alta." Dean's hand was comforting on her shoulder.

"No." She sighed. "He won't. He can't take being locked in a cage."

"What?" Dean's gaze turned to her.

"The Hell memories will come out." Alta's eyes slowly closed. "I can feel it."

"I thought…" Dean swallowed hard. "He still has dreams of Hell?" Dean swallowed hard. He remembered just how bad Sam's reaction to his Hell memories could be.

"Sometimes." Alta fought hard to hold back tears. "He's better at dealing with them but…" She turned to look at Dean. She saw the worry gathering in his eyes. "I don't know what will happen when they lock him up."

Dean slipped a warm arm around Alta's shoulders and pulled her into a comforting hug. The warmth, the gentle touch… maybe it was just that someone cared and worried … loved Sam as much as she did; she turned and buried her face in Dean's chest… the soft spot just above his heart… and wept. He caressed the back of her head, running his fingers through her hair. He stroked her back and held her close. Maybe he was good at tenderness after all.

"What did you find out about Rachael Lameroux?" Mark asked Sonya.

"She's dead." Sonya stated with confidence. "She's been dead for months. The demon that's in her body rode her hard... burned her out fast. She didn't last more than a couple of days after she was possessed." Bobby looked at the girl, his eyes narrow and his brows lowered. "She… the demon has been waiting for someone else… Jezebeth…" Sonya closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. The pain she felt was obvious.

"That's enough." Sophia put her arms around her young sister. "It's ok… you've done enough."

"No…" Sonya brushed her arms away. "She was supposed to leave the body… she didn't expect to be trapped. The plan was to frame Sam for murder… and there's someone else… Balthazar."

Bobby met Mark's gaze. The girl was clearly psychic and she confirmed their fears.

"Is there anyone else involved?" Mark asked.

"Stop pushing her." Sophia glared at Mark. "Can't you see this is hurting her?"

Mark walked over to the women and slowly knelt in front of them. "Sophie, this is important." His hand grazed the side of Sonya's face. "I'm sorry. I know it hurts but we need to know. Is there anybody else?"

Sonya gazed at Mark; her silvery blue eyes not really focused on him. "Yes, but I can't see… I can't get a name… I don't think she knows who… just that there is another."

"Thank you, Sonya. You did good." Mark's hand cupped her chin. "You find out anything else… you let me know." He glanced at Sophia as he stood. Sonya's eyes met Ben's but she looked quickly away. She didn't like the way he looked at her.

"Um." Ben tapped his hands on the keys of his laptop. "I can't find anything on Dante Welch… anywhere."

"Well…" Bobby turned to Ben. "You and Sonya see what you can suss out on this Jezebeth. Better hit the books." He jerked his thumb toward the bookshelf behind him and the old manuscripts there. "Mark, we need to do something with that demon. It's for sure they're gonna be looking for her."

… … …

When he walked into the sheriff's office the putrid smell of sulfur filled his nostrils. It was unmistakable and it was fresh. They led him directly to a small cell. "I thought I was here for questioning." Sam tried to hold back from going into the cell.

"When the sheriff's ready." The deputy told him as he shoved him toward the cell door.

"No. You can't just put me in jail! I'm here for questioning!" Sam pulled back harder. "What are you charging me with?"

"Resisting arrest… assault on an officer if you push back against me one more time." The deputy pushed Sam toward the door again.

Sam stumbled into the cell. The deputy put duct tape over Sam's mouth and hauled him to the side of the cell chaining the hand cuff to the bars so that Sam was chained... hands behind him... to the wall. Sam's eyes were wide in panic... How can I answer questions...? This is wrong... so wrong... He heard the heavy metal of the door clank closed behind him; the lock clicking firmly into place. The sound knifed through him piercing his soul; sounding like forever… like hopelessness. He dropped his head, his eyes screwed shut, his hands still cuffed behind him. He could feel the memories clamoring to the surface of his mind and he pushed… pushed hard to get them back behind the wall. This place stank. It reeked of sweat and piss… sulfur… fear and loneliness… despair. He could hear other voices cursing and begging… crying. His wrists began to sting and his fingers go numb. His shoulders ached. And he pushed… pushed hard… and the memories of Hell pushed back… hard.

… … …

TBC

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