Good morning! Yay for Friday! I have my fingers crossed this weekend I will be able to wrap up a few more prompts. I've got most of them started, but not all. So I definitely have to keep focused!

Thank you all for reading these chapters and for all the kind words! I wish I had more hours in the day to spend responding to each and every one of you personally, but unfortunately, I have to work lol. I tell ya, that job just gets in the way of everything. :)

Since I'm not independently wealthy, I shall continue drudging away at work to pay for my internet so I can post my stories, while squeezing my writing time in anywhere I can. ;)

Again, very sincere thanks for taking the time to read!

No. 16: A TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY

prompt options: Forced to Beg, Hallucinations, Shoot the Hostage

Setting: season 7

Oh this was bad.

Bad.

Considering their whole lives, it wasn't even close to being the worst bad thing that had ever happened to them.

But right now, it kind of felt like it.

Dean stared at his brother, fear and anger coursing through him.

"I'm telling you the truth, Sam," Dean said, trying to keep his voice even. Trying to keep his brother calm.

"No, he's not," the wraith said, standing at Sam's side. "Trust your instincts."

There was nothing wrong with Sam's instincts, of course. But his grip on reality? That was a very big problem. Things had been getting worse and worse. Every day, Dean had seen the signs of his brother slipping deeper and deeper into the hallucinations. It wasn't an occasional moment of confusion or doubt. Now it was every single day, far too many times every day.

And, of course, today they'd run afoul of a wraith. Today, when they hadn't even been looking for a case. Today, when Sam had been lost in his head more than he'd been lucid.

"Sam, look at me!" Dean shouted, hoping to achieve a brief instant of eye contact.

But Sam was far too distracted to pay any attention to him.

Between the wraith holding him hostage - something Sam didn't even seem aware of - and the obviously constant berating of the hallucinations in his mind, Sam did have a lot on his plate. Whatever the devil was telling him, Sam all too clearly was listening. And it was all playing straight into the wraith's hands.

"Just come with me," the wraith said, its soft, gently cajoling voice a complete antithesis of its maliciously delighted expression. It knew it was winning.

Sam was wavering and there wasn't much Dean could do considering the wraith had its hand on his brother. Dean's own hand was itching to pull the trigger on his gun, but the wraith was too close. All it had to do was extend its spike and Sam would be dead before the wraith would be.

The monster probably felt like it had won the lottery. Sam hadn't fought it at all. Had just gone to it when it had called to him and was now standing there, a completely helpless victim.

The wraith inched closer, knowing it had the full advantage. Sam glanced at it, then at something to his left which had him flinching and moving closer to the wraith.

"This has been the easiest day of my life," the wraith grinned, wrapping an arm around Sam's shoulders, that threatening hand resting on his neck.

"Get the hell away from my brother."

"Oh, I don't think so. He reeks of fear. Do you have any idea how delicious-"

"Shut up," Dean snapped, patience running low as his desperation escalated.

The wraith's grin widened.

Dean caught his brother's eye, but there was no recognition staring back at him. Just complete confusion and fear. There was no point trying to reason with Sam now. The wraith had the complete advantage and he knew it.

"Come," the wraith said softly. It took a step backward, its hand lowering slightly.

It was cautious to stay pressed very closely to Sam, protecting itself from becoming an easy target, as it pulled him along. There was no clear shot for Dean to take, even if the immediate danger of the spike had lessened. If he tried to hit the wraith, all he'd wind up doing would be shooting his brother in the head.

A terrible thought crossed his mind. It was horrible and he hated himself for considering it, but there weren't any other options. The element of surprise was all he needed.

So he lifted his gun and shot his brother.

Sam cried out in shock, crumpling forward.

The wraith was caught off guard, its expression going from smug to bewildered. It reached forward to grab at Sam as he fell to the ground, but Dean fired his gun again without any hesitation whatsoever this time. He emptied the clip into the wraith's face. Wasn't silver bullets, but complete cranial-destruction would work in a pinch.

Before the creature had even hit the ground, Dean was on his knees next to his brother.

"Sammy?" he asked, one hand on Sam's shoulder, the other pressing down on the bleeding leg wound. "You ok?"

"I'm bleeding."

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that." Dean had aimed carefully; just a flesh wound, but it had been enough.

"You shot me?" Sam raised an eyebrow, cringing as Dean applied more pressure. The pain grounded him and brought him back to reality. "What..what's going on?"

"Had a situation."

"And you had to shoot me?"

He sounded so completely normal. So coherent. Like he hadn't just been hallucinating who knew what while about to willingly go with a wraith.

"Sorry. Didn't have a lot of options." Dean shook his head, his smile a bit shaky. "Let's get back to the motel and I'll get you fixed up"

Sam accepted his hand and struggled upright, flinching in pain as he put weight on his leg. He flinched again when he caught sight of the mangled remains of the wraith.

"Dean?"

"I'll catch you up on the way," Dean said, slinging his brother's arm over his shoulder.

Sam leaned more heavily on him and limped forward.

Dean gritted his teeth and led them back to the Impala.

It may have turned out ok, but that didn't mean the situation still wasn't bad. He'd had to hurt his brother to save him. The pain in his leg was keeping Sam focused on the here and now, but that wasn't a long-term solution.

They were both exhausted. Neither sleeping. Between dodging Leviathans and trying to cope with Sam's invisible tormentor, it had been a difficult few weeks. Today's experience just was more proof.

They were running out of time.

Hope you enjoyed!

tomorrow's theme/prompts: No. 17: I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING, Blackmail, Dirty Secret, Wrongfully Accused