"Dean? What the hell dude." Dean was staring at his younger brother as if he were a guinea pig. A pathetic rodent trapped in a cage with no way out. "Dean?" It suddenly dawned on Sam that his brother hadn't escaped. He had been brainwashed, and now he was a prisoner. A follower. A servant.
Alaugh suddenly came from behind him and Sam spun around to face the owner of the voice. He gasped in surprise as he stared at the entranceway to the small room as something appeared within it; the cloud of black smoke, but now Sam realized what he was really dealing with. This thing was human, or at least it took the shape of a human figure. The black smoke swirled around its arms, its legs, its torso, forming the shape of a body and giving it an evil appearance, the blackness of the smoke dark and threatening.
Sam could not find his voice. He was beyond speechless, even his mind blank now. The voice of the creature suddenly brought him back and he pushed the numbness of the shock from his mind and focused on the figure before him.
"Sam," the creature spoke, its voice low and intimidating. "I believe you already know who I am."
Sam hesitated before replying, his voice slightly shaking. "Silas, The Cursed One."
Silas laughed once more, his voice booming through the room and Sam turned his head to look at his brother. Dean was staring at him; his head bent low and a grin on his face. Sam turned back to Silas.
"What did you do to him?"
"I did him a favor!" Silas spat, suddenly becoming angry. He took three steps forward and stopped before Sam. His face was blank, no eyes, no mouth, no nose. It was all consumed by the black smoke, swirling continuously around his body, taking the place of his skin. It was truly frightening.
"How so?" Sam asked in a disgusted voice, not giving in to the terror that now gripped his heart.
Silas stepped away from Sam and walked towards Dean, placing a misty hand on his shoulder. His voice was soft now, almost kind like a parent's. "By giving him the chance to become something so much more then just human." Dean still stared at Sam who had turned to follow Silas' movements.
"Don't touch him." Sam threatened. Silas ignored the younger Winchester as he tilted his head to the side, running his hand down Dean's face. "It's strange, isn't it? Skin, that is. It's so… fragile, yet it's what keeps us whole. I think it may be what makes us human, don't you think?"
Sam didn't answer but only stood still, anger burning in his eyes as he listened to Silas speak.
"I mean, our skin is our protection. It protects our heart and our veins. It keeps our blood within us."
Sam's hands began to shake but he did not know whether it was caused by terror or rage. Silas continued to stroke Dean's face.
"It protects us but it can easily be broken." Silver glinted in the creature's hand as he brought it down the side of Dean's face, a line of crimson red trailing behind.
"No!" Sam shouted and he jumped at Silas. He fell right past him, through a flurry of dark smoke and then to the floor behind him.
"Sammy, Sammy, Sammy…" Silas' voice seemed disappointed as Sam struggled to his feet to face the creature.
"Don't call me that,"the younger Winchesterwarned as he breathed in deeply. "Get away from my brother."
Dean still faced the other way but Sam could see the trickle of blood running down his brother's neck. "You're going to pay for what you've done." Sam said this menacingly, all fear and doubt gone from his mind now, replaced with a burning fury.
Silas scoffed at Sam's threat. "Wouldn't you like to know why I am doing this, Sammy? Why I took those thirteen people? Why your brother must obey me?"
Sam looked surprised for a moment. "You took those thirteen people?"
The creature laughed mockingly. "Why of course. I thought you would have figured that one out by now."
Sam ignored the sneering tone and narrowed his eyes. "Why?"
"For the same reason we all do it, Sam. Revenge. Greed. Reprisal. Something was taken from me and I can never have it back. Something all of you take for granted. In its place I received a gift." He spread out his arms to gesture to the smoke surrounding his body. "But I will never forget the fact that this is also a curse," he said sourly. "I simply want others to know how I feel each day. The pain that scours my body and my mind, punishing me for something I did not do."
"What? What were you punished for?" Sam decided to keep Silas talking as he figured out a plan. There was no point in trying to fight him at the moment. He was too powerful, and fairly, Sam had no clue what he was up against.
"I was human once. I was like you and your brother. I didn't deserve this. I didn't deserve any of it!"Silas was becoming angry, the smoke swirling faster around him now. It suddenly slowed as he appeared to become calm once more. "I was in the theatre at the time… It was closed as it is now. I was just passing by the town… I had no money and I needed a place to sleep. The place looked as good as any. I still don't know what happened that night…"
Sam was listening now, a plan still forming in the back of his mind but part of his attention lingering on the creature before him.
"All I know is I died that night. I was murdered and condemned to this body. To this cursed life!"
"Murdered?" Sam asked.
"Yes… The police found me a few days later, the skin missing from my body. I still don't know what did it to me."
"Wait a second. The police found your body? But how is that-"
"I don't know! I don't know what happened that day but I do know that this is who I am now. I'm a freak. A monster…"
"Silas, hold on." Sam was beginning to see a chance forming. This – creature – was not a monster. He was no demon or spirit. He was human. At least a small amount of him was. "If you were murdered, then what did they do to your body?"
Silas snorted. "What did they do? They covered it up of course. No one cared about some teenager with no identity. The police didn't even bother announcing it to the public."
"The girl… The one who was found killed in the theatre. Did you…?"
"Kill her?" Silas finished Sam's question. "Of course I killed her. I wanted to know what the police would do, and of course they did the exact same thing. No identity, no name, no need to tell others about her death. Those selfish bastards! They just didn't want more work for themselves… But I'll punish them for what they did, to me and to her. I'll make our deaths known."
"Silas, listen to me." Sam was hoping he would be able to convince Silas to let him and his brother go, and all the others. "It's- It's horrible what they did to you. It was wrong but so is what you are doing. This isn't right."
Silas was silent for a moment but then let out a cruel laugh. "I know what you're thinking. You think I can still be helped, that I still have some human left in me. You're wrong Sammy. I died a long, long time ago, and ever since, I've been trapped within a painful world. I was so confused about what had happened, why no one ever did anything to try to help me. I stayed away from everyone else, where they couldn't see me for what I am now. I was driven insane by the constant thought of 'why me?'" He paused. "But I soon grew to realize that I was not doomed to an eternity of suffering. I could use my powers to get revenge, and so I am."
He suddenly spun around and grabbed Dean, holding a glinting metal knife to his throat. Dean simply stood there, staring into space as he accepted the cold metal pressing against his skin. Sam held his breath. "Don't hurt him. Please, just… don't hurt him."
"You're a strange one Sam," Silas said, almost admiringly. "The others are so easily controllable, but you? Your mind fights back. I could feel the power within you when I tried to take you in the motel room while you were sleeping. I thought I could weaken your mind if I killed your brother, so I tried that night but you saved him. Then the thought occurred to me. You would let me control you if your brother's life was threatened, wouldn't you?"
Sam's heart beat faster and faster as he fought the urge to pounce and fight.
"Come to me Sam," called Silas in a beckoning tone. "Come and share in my power. Be my servant. Let me guide you. Let me teach you and help you like I have to all the others. Let me take away your pain and suffering and replace it with my control. You can join my army as your brother already has. Together we can punish all those who do not understand the pain we go through. I know what you're life is like. I know the anguish you feel each day. You can help me, you are strong. Come to me Sam."
Sam stared at Silas and then at his brother, a line of red blood already forming around the knife's edges. He saw no way out of this. His mind was in a haze, no thoughts making sense. Hesitantly, Sam took a step forward, and then another.
"Come to me Sam."
The black mist slowly slithered onto his skin. It was cold and damp as it swirled around his neck, growing thicker and blacker. Sam could feel it taking control. It numbed his body, leaking into his mouth and his ears, covering hisskin and swallowing him whole. He stared at the figure before him, wrapped in shadows. Silas had his hand on Sam's head, and though he had no face, Sam knew he was smiling. He had won.
The smoke began to cover Sam's sight. Inky blackness filled his vision as his mind started to shutdown and his movements became those not of his own. Silas was controlling him now. Sam was his servant - his slave. In one last effort Sam's eyes flickered to his older brother. Dean still stood there, blood trickling down his neck and his eyes cold, dark, and empty.
This is not what he would want, thought Sam weakly as his mind was almost completely lost in the darkness. He would not want me to sacrifice both of us. Dean would want me to fight.
Sam knew he needed to resist but his vision suddenly turned black and pain tore through his body. "That's it Sam." Came Silas' voice. "Come to me. You are here. You are mine!"
It took all his strength, all of Sam's effort to fight through the pain. Sam would not succumb to Silas' power. He would not let this monster take both him and his brother.
Sam could feel Silas in his head and he lashed out with his mind, tearing at the darkness. "No!" he shouted as the shadows were ripped away and replaced with a blinding light. There was a sudden unearthly screech and the rushing of air as the pain increased tremendously. It grew until Sam could not take it, the white light burning his eyes and scorching his skin.
It was so excruciating –so agonizing- that Sam screamed out, but then there was only silence that filled the room afterwards.