Prologue
What the hell?
He stares down at the driver's seat of the impala through the closed window, unsure of what to make of this. Sitting right in the middle of the glossy black seat is a small colored mass. He opens the door and sticks his hand in and reaches for the colored article. He picks it up and pulls his head out of the car to examine it, his eyebrows drawing close together as he scrutinizes the object. A tiny, light purple flower, perfect and unblemished. He probably would've sat on it if he hadn't paused to scratch his head. His green eyes soften as he holds it between his thumb and index finger. He continues to simply stand there gazing at it for another couple seconds. A small smile forms on his face as he extends his arm and lets it go into the wind. He watches it fly away into the warm red glow of the sunset and closes his eyes as he inhales deeply, and lets it wash over him. A sense of peace, tranquility. Something he hasn't felt for a long time. He exhales and opens his eyes, the small smile still on his face. He knows it will be alright.
With an omen like that, how could it not?
"Umm…….Dean?"
He snaps out of his stupor and turns to face his little brother.
"What Sammy?"
"You okay?"
An understatement my man.
"Course I am, why wouldn't I be?" he asks, one eyebrow raised.
Sam raises his own eyebrow and a goofy grin appears on his face.
"Oh Dean, you've gotta stop daydreaming. S'not good for what little mental health you have left" he jokes.
Dean snorts, eyebrows rising higher.
You should talk…
"I'M the one lacking mental health? You're the crazy one, fool. It's why you never get laid, among the other various reasons I have yet to mention."
Sam's eyes go wide in irritation.
"Oh you've mentioned your reasons plenty, thank you very much."
Dean grabs at his heart in mock upset and closes his eyes.
"Why Sam, I had no idea that you paid such close attention to all the things I say…It means so much to me that you actually take my opinions seriously…"
"Bite me. Now are you getting it or not?" Sam asks half exasperated
"God you're so impatient, I'm coming already. S'no need to come out and get me, you little worry-wart. I'm a big boy; I can walk from the room to the car by myself" Dean says.
Sam sighs and turns to walk back towards the motel as Dean slides back into the car to grab his and Sam's phone charger.
Could've just gotten it yourself you lethargic college boy. If you're going to make me go get something, you can a least expect me to take my time with it. Sheesh.
He shuts the door of his beloved impala and locks it. Holding the collection of wires in his hands he walks back to the motel room. As he approaches the plain white door he looks towards the sunset once more. The small smile returns for the moment and he turns the handle and pushes the door open, walks inside, and lets it close behind him.
Chapter One
God I hate the night.
Dean lies on his back and stares at the ceiling. He's been this way for a while, waiting for sleep to come. He listens to his brother's rhythmic breathing, soft and gentle. He had been hoping that listening to it would help lull him to sleep but its taking a while. He gets bored with the ceiling and turns on his side to look at the aged wallpaper. Not much better, although he has to admit to himself he finds it more interesting than the blank off-white ceiling.
He starts to count the cracks in the wallpaper. He follows the lines like an artist does their paintbrush, observes the contours of each one, the shapes they create and the disruptions formed in the faded pattern adorning the wall. Eventually his minds starts to drift, his eyes begin to flutter. He drifts to sleep, listening to his brother's quiet breathing.
Her piercing red eyes bore into his, as though she's trying to rip what she wants from his mind. They're the most beautiful yet terrifying things he's ever seen. And so familiar…But he can't recall where he's seen them before, it's been so long…
"Dean…" she whispers, eyes still fixated on his.
Suddenly Dean remembers that there's something he has to do. It's important…He can't keep looking into them, he has to remember. But they're so mesmerizing; he doesn't want to look away.
"Dean…" she says again in a deeper, masculine voice.
Wait a minute…That's Sam's voice…
He hears his name called again but this time her lips are not moving. Dean has to look away, he has to find Sam, he keeps calling for him. But her eyes won't let him go. She wants Dean to stay, he has something she wants.
"Dean!"
At last he manages to tear his eyes from hers and looks about him for Sam.
"Sam, where are you!" Dean yells.
He looks around frantically for his little brother, but he's surrounded by a black mist, unable to see five feet in front of him. He tries to move his feet but they're stuck to the ground. Now he's being pulled under water, water filling his lungs. He opens his mouth to scream but only bubbles erupt. He claws his hands at the water's surface and tries to swim his way back up to the air. He continues to struggle when those eyes appear again. Those terrible red eyes stare down at him from the surface, watching him struggle, watching him die. He stops flailing, accepting his fate as he's pulled down even further to the bottom. On his back he lands on the sandy floor and looks back up to the top as the eyes disappear and sunlight begins to break the water's surface.
He closes his eyes and accidentally inhales, but finds that no water enters. He exhales and breathes in again and still no water fills his mouth. He opens his eyes again and he's lying on a stone floor in a dimly lit room. He starts to get up and puts a hand to his head where it's started to throb.
Suddenly he hears a noise. He slowly sets his hand back down on the hard floor and sits completely still, listening. A muffled and distant voice, but its starting to come closer.
"DEAN!" Sam's voice calls out again.
"SAM!" he shouts as he looks to his right and his eyes widen in horror.
Crimson red cascading from her blazing eyes, she grabs his throat and starts to squeeze, blood pouring from where her nails are digging into his neck.
"DEAN!"
He opens his eyes abruptly up to Sam shaking him awake.
"Dean! Wake up!"
Covered in cold sweat and shaking slightly, he kicks the sheets away and pushes Sam's hands away.
"I AM awake, stop shaking me already!" Dean grumbles in protest. "What were you doing that for anyway?"
"I thought you were having a nightmare or something, you kept mumbling in your sleep. Then you started to call for me, I thought something was wrong" Sam responds, concern in his eyes.
"I'm fine Sam, just give me a minute" he says quickly, trying to slow his breathing. He sits up in his queen sized bed and runs his hands through his hair. He rubs his eyes and inhales deeply before cradling his face in his hands.
What the hell was that about? God that was so scary…
A few moments pass by in silence as Dean simply sits there absorbed in his thoughts. Sam's on the edge of his bed, watching Dean vigilantly as though waiting for him to yell out again.
"Are you okay…?" Sam asks cautiously.
"Yeah Sammy, I'm fine. It was just a nightmare. Sorry I woke you" Dean says. "What time is it?" he asks.
"Uh…around 2:30…you sure you're okay man? You don't look so good…"
"Well neither do you but that's a never ending thing isn't it?" he smirks weakly.
Sam sighs and decides Dean's alright. "Fine you jerk. I'm going back to sleep."
"Be my guest, sorry I interrupted your beauty sleep Cinderella."
"Its Sleeping Beauty to you dumb ass" Sam retorts.
"Aw…Sammy's a Disney Princess fan, how cute"
"Shut up."
A wide grin on his face Dean lies back down and rests his head against the pillow, a bit calmer. His tired eyes start to soften and a look of sadness emerges on his face. He grabs for another pillow and hugs it up against his chest and sighs. His tries to keep his mind blank as he stares at the wall again. But as he starts to drift off again his thoughts return to the dream and those eyes. He thinks of what he should do, and then his resolve is set.
I'll give her a call tomorrow morning, make sure every things okay.
His eyes close finally and he hugs the pillow tighter.
Keep on fighting. I'm coming for you.