The door closes firmly behind as you make your way out into the afternoon sunshine. Work had been chaotic and a walk home would help clear your mind. A history teacher wasn't the career you had always planned one but things had just worked out that way. Now you sort of enjoyed it. It was a stable life and you could work with a subject you loved. Life was almost ok.
Home was another story. You loved your family and would do anything for them, but they drained you and demanded too much at times. Still you knew you couldn't leave them. Ever. You had raised your little siblings and would continue to be there for them no matter what. Despite your love, you also couldn't mask the growing resentment. Sometimes, an increasingly common sometimes, you wanted to be free, to see the world and do something bigger with your life.
Unfortunately adventure and excitement seemed a distant dream. Instead you settled for what everyone settles for: fiction. Movies, T.V, books they had all been your foray into other worlds and different lives. For a few blissful hours a day, you could be someone entirely different.
Your thoughts linger on all these thoughts as you make your way home. The school you taught at was not far from where you lived. The neighbourhood was pretty small and you recognized the faces that passed by almost daily. But today something felt a little different. A strange feeling kept following you, like someone was watching. Chalking it up to a tired brain, you chose to ignore it and keep walking.
As you continue on your way, the feeling returns, overwhelming you this time. You stop and look around. There doesn't seem to be anyone else around but something is off. Walking more cautiously, you look around as you make your way, paying careful attention to any windows that reflect things behind you.
Gasping, you stop as you catch a glimpse of a man behind you, a man who disappears as you turn. Deciding that leading the person to your home is not a good idea, you turn around and make your way towards a plaza nearby where hopefully you can lose your stalker. You try not to think about how they might have disappeared into thin air.
Your nearly there when a beam of sunlight falls directly on your eyes, temporarily blinding you. As you tilt you head and attempt to regain your vision, you realize you're not alone. Three tall men surround you. You're not one to run normally and would fight anyone, even much bigger men, but something about these guys makes you certain you could not fight them.
As you turn to run, the tallest of the three holds out his arm to stop you.
"Wait," he calls, "we just want to talk."
You do stop. Not because he asked you to, but because you recognized the voice. Sam?
You look up and finally get a proper look at the faces of the guys around you. Sam, Dean, and Cas.
Immediately you think of what you have drunk or eaten. Maybe the heat is getting to you. Could this be a very lucid dream?
"Trust me, we are very real," Cas assures you, as if he has read your thoughts.
"Is this a prank? What show am I on?" you ask looking from one to the other for answers. "Not that it isn't great to meet you guys, I'm a big fan of the show"
Dean rolls his eyes as Sam, hand still on your arm, tries to convince you they are real and here to see you.
"Look, I know you think we're actors from a show. We've been there before. But it really is us, Sam, Dean, and Cas. I know you know who we are."
"Yeah, I know of Jensen, Jared, and Misha. I'm not going viral on the internet guys, good try though." You look around trying to find the hidden camera.
"If you let me, I can prove it's us," Cas interjects.
Smirking, you tell him to go ahead.
The smirk is quickly replaced by astonishment as Cas, or Misha to you, suddenly disappears, coming back seconds later. He holds out a small purple box and your face goes white.
"That's not possible."
He opens the familiar box, revealing a silver ring with two amethyst hearts. A graduation gift from your mom.
"This can't be real!" You sit on the curb, head in your arms.
"It's real, believe me." Sam replies.
You look up at them, really look. These men don't look like actors. They have a grittiness about them that feels very real.
Sam looks down at you with a small smile, hoping to calm you down. Dean refuses to look directly at you, you can see a hint of anger in the way he clenches his jaw. Cas looks like Cas, matter-of-fact and waiting patiently for you to process the news.
"Ok, fine, you're real. Why are you here though, and why were you following me?" You decide to shelve your scepticism for now and see what happens.
"We need your help. But I had to make sure you were the right person, or rather the right version, of you." Cas explains.
"The right version?" you ask. "There's more of me out there?"
"Yes, several. But it was this particular version that we needed to find"
"Why? I'm sure there's a version of me out there that's solving world hunger or something."
"Possibly, there were more accomplished versions, but the instructions were clear, it was you in particular"
"Instructions? From who?"
"I don't know. I just know that you need to come with us"
"Yeah right." You laugh. "Even if I believe you're real, which I'm not sure I do by the way, why would I come with you? I like being alive."
"She's right," Dean says, speaking for the first time. "She's safe where she is. We can't pull her into our crap."
Sam and Cas both turn to Dean.
"No, we need her, she has a role to play, and we cannot pretend that isn't true. Doing so leaves her at risk of being found by less friendly angels or even demons." Cas argues.
You listen to their conversation, heart pounding. What was going on? What were you being pulled into?
"Ok, I need someone to explain what the hell is going on, immediately!" Your anger was getting the best of you. "You cannot just stand around and talk about me and what I have to do without talking to me."
The three look a little startled but stop arguing amongst themselves.
Dean looks at you. "You're right," he says, "You have a right to know. But we can't talk here. Cas get us out of here."
Cas holds out his arm, "Hold on to me", he says.
The second your hand connects with his arm, you're pulled away into nothing and reappear suddenly by a cheap and deserted motel on the edge of town. You follow the guys into a room.
Sam offers you a drink as you perch on the edge of a chair.
"Tell me" you say to the room at large.
Cas speaks first, "We, that is to say angels, had a sudden vision telling us to find you. I'm not sure where it came from or what it means, but I do know that every angel is now looking for you and not all of them are friendly."
"A vision? What does that even mean?"
"It is unusual. Angels do not normally get visions like this"
"Which is why we feel it's best if you come with us." Sam adds, looking hesitantly at Dean.
At his glance, you too look towards Dean. He still looked angry.
"You don't agree?" you ask him.
"No, I don't. I don't want to drag another person into our messy lives. It never ends well."
The words are barely out of his mouth when the room begins to shake and an electric noise fills the room.
"Angels!" Cas shouts. "We don't have much time. You have to come with us. Now."
"What about my family?" you ask, realizing for the first time the true danger you are in.
"I'll protect them, I promise." Cas replies. "For now follow Sam and Dean."
The other two were already working quickly on the spell to take you back to their world. As you follow them through the portal, you turn back to see windows shattering and a white light filling the room.
Suddenly you find yourself in another motel room. Glancing at the rain outside the window, it is clear you are no longer home. Sigils are painted on the walls, no doubt keeping you hidden from angels and demons alike.
Your head pounds with pain as you struggle to take in the past half hour of your life. Nothing made sense and you just wanted to get some rest.
"Where are we?" you ask.
"Kansas," Sam informs you, "not far from the bunker. Once Cas is back we can head over there."
Dean paces the room as he waits, agitated and impatient. "Damn it, Cas! Where are you?" he exclaims.
As if summoned, Cas appears.
"I've checked the area. We're safe to move." He tells Dean.
"Wait. What about my family? You said you would keep them safe." Worry settles in your chest as you think about them.
"I've hidden them from angels and demons. I've also modified their memories so they do not question why you are missing. They will not remember you."
Cas's words are far from reassuring. The growing knot in you chest tightens as the reality of what has happened sets in. You will never see them again. Life will never be simple again.
You look up and catch Dean looking at you with concern, as if trying to read your thoughts.
"I'm sorry it had to be this way." He says, green eyes not leaving yours. "If it were up to me, you'd never had met us."
Despite everything, you can't help but be reassured slightly at his words. You know that if anyone understood you in this moment it would be Dean Winchester.
"Let's go." Sam interjects. "We don't have much time."
You sit in the back of the Impala watching the rain hammer the windows, lost in thought. What feels like minutes later, you find the car has stopped. You see the door of the bunker. A few hours ago, a door you thought only existed in fiction.