hello everyone. thank you all so much for the great reviews, i am glad you are all enjoying it. thankfully, i've managed to get this chapter up a little faster than the rest. there arent too many chapters left, so hold on for the ride. as always, let me know what you all think. :)
ETERNAL
Chapter 14
"You know, Sam, I swear she used to be smart." Dean mumbled, loading yet another gun.
Sam had to agree. He had always seen Kerri as a pretty level headed person, but lately he had come to realize that that view was a bit twisted. Yes, while he rated her current actions pretty high up on the stupid meter, she really did do these kinds of things a lot. As children he had always compared her to Dean, and next to him, no one in the world was reckless. But ever since they had come back, ever since Evelyn had died, Kerri seemed to throw caution to the wind a little more often.
In reality she was a completely different person than the one he had left behind over twelve years before. That Kerri had been more full of life, her eyes brighter, smile more genuine. But now, well now she was nothing more than a shadow of her former self. And, while Sam knew her change had a lot to do with losing her sister, he also knew that there was more to it. It was Dean. They had been so close as children, nearly inseparable, but they day he left, that all seemed to change. And, whatever they had before that twelve year absence, was now painfully gone.
"She's trying to help, Dean."
"Yeah, well, she should stop."
"You're the one that asked her to come in the first place."
"Oh, don't start that crap again. I screwed up, Sam, I know that."
"That's not what I meant. You asked her to come and help, and that's what she's doing."
"Whatever." Dean huffed, pulling open the door and scanning the hall. Once he was sure the coast was clear he signaled Sam to follow him.
"You're gonna cut her out of our lives again, aren't you."
"This really isn't the time or place, Sammy."
"Just answer the question."
"Well first I'm gonna make sure she has a life to live. But then, maybe, who knows."
"That's not very fair to her."
"You just don't get it, Sam." Dean stated, turning angry eyes to his brother. "She doesn't need us around."
"How do you know that, Dean?"
"She doesn't need us screwing up her life. You heard her, she had normal, hell, she was engaged."
"Yeah, was."
"She had all that when we weren't around."
"And she lost it all while we weren't around, too."
"I'm not going to be responsible for taking anything else from her."
"Like what, Dean? What's she got left to take?"
"Her life. Look, Sam, we're not kids anymore, we're hunters now."
"So?"
"So, sometimes, it's easier to just walk away."
Sam stood still and silent, watching his brother turn back towards the hall, scanning the shadows as he went. He was right, it was easier to just walk away, but this was something he didn't want to turn his back on, something he didn't want to forget. This was Kerri, this was Valley, the one good thing in his childhood, and he didn't want to lose her again. Too much had been taken from all of them, stolen away in the dark, wiped from the earth as though it had never been. They had given too much, sacrificed too much, and Sam would be damned if he was going to give up more.
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Kerri wandered through the small, dusty space between the walls, the darkness around her so deep she had to user her hands to guide her. This had started out life as a pretty good idea, but the longer she walked, the more she began to second guess herself. She had no weapons, she was only being kept alive by some weird drink, and she was now completely alone once more. Oh yeah, this was smart. But there was no turning back now, no slipping back into her room because A: she couldn't find it and B: Dean would probably kill her once she got there. No, this was her decision, and she was going to see it through.
She turned another darkened corner, completely unaware of where in the house she actually was. It was hard enough to find her way when she was actually in the halls, and she was amazed that Dean had managed this as long as he did. But then, he had the added advantage of light. She stumbled, cursing as her bare feet caught on the unfinished floors, sending her falling into one of the walls. She lowered herself slowly to the floor, massaging her elbow and knee. If that painting didn't kill her then being trapped inside the walls just might.
She sat there for several long moments, wondering where to go next, when she heard the faint whisper of voice. She couldn't make them out at first, but as she listened they grew stronger, whom ever owned them coming closer and closer to her as they spoke. She figured she was within a room when she heard a door click open, the voices now crystal clear.
"William, I swear, I saw them together."
"How long ago?"
"No more than thirty minutes."
"And you saw only the two of them?"
"Yes. Why, should there be more?"
"They have someone else in the house with them."
"A guest?"
"No, a stowaway."
"Sam mentioned something about a brother."
"That would be the third one."
"William, why can't you just take Kerri now and move on?"
"What would be the fun in that?"
"You can't run forever. And besides, they are children, leave them."
"They may be young, Charlotte, but they're more than they seem. You see, Sam and his brother are two of the best hunters to come around in quite some time."
"Sam Connors is a hunter?"
"Yes, and his real name is Winchester."
"As is, John Winchester?"
"That would be your young heartthrob's father."
"William, please, you need to rethink this."
"I've prepared for them. I've been doing this for over five hundred years, Charlotte, and I plan on doing it for five hundred more."
"You're not afraid of them?"
"My dear, I'm not afraid of anything. Besides, the brothers are as good as gone."
"What's the supposed to mean?"
"It means, that they are no longer a problem. They're not the only hunters here, you know."
"William?"
"Trust me, Charlotte, it's better for you if you don't know."
And, before he could say anymore, before he named the other hunter, the door snapped closed, making the voices next to impossible to hear. Kerri sat there stunned, her mind trying to process everything she had just heard. Charlotte was in on it, and, worst yet, there was another hunter somewhere in the building, and he or she was hunting the boys. This was all so much worse than any of them had thought and, for the first time, Kerri was seriously afraid.
She had to get back to Sam and Dean, had to warn them about what was coming. But she didn't know where she was, and she didn't know where they were. She pushed herself back to her feet, trying her best to retrace her steps through the walls. She knew that the chances of Sam and Dean still being in the room were next to nothing, but it was the only place she could think of to start looking. She strained her ears as she moved through the confined space, listening to the conversations just beyond the wall, hoping against hope that she would hear either one, or both of the brothers.
She needed to find them, needed to let them know what was going on, what was coming their way. It was more than just a hunt against William Bramhurst, more than just a race against time, now all three were fighting for their lives, and they were doing it against a five hundred year old murdered and a trained hunter. Kerri wished she hadn't lost her phone, wished there was some way to just jump through the walls, to call out to the boys, to warn them, but there was nothing she could do.
And then it hit her, the painting. Ever since they had been at the house they had all been drawn to it, ending up at it even when they were doing all they could to avoid it. All she had to do was get out of the wall and go to the painting. She just hoped she would find Sam and Dean before anyone else did.
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The brothers walked down the dark halls in silence, neither one having spoken since Dean admitted he was going to walk away from Kerri, walk away from his past. But he had to, there was just no other choice, and he didn't know why Sam couldn't see that. They were a danger to her, and Dean would be damned if he let anything happen to her again. He had seen her hurt too many times, had faced too many near misses, and after this one he was never going to let her be afraid again. She had been safe without him, had been whole, been normal, and she didn't need him busting back into her life now. Hell, she had even been engaged. He had already stolen normal from his brother, the apple-pie life Sam could have had gone because he didn't want to be alone, and he wasn't about to let that happen to Kerri.
But, for some reason, he still couldn't walk away. Hell, he'd never been able to walk away, he just pushed down the memories and focused on everything else. But Kerri had been there, always, the memory of her floating quietly just below the surface, coming back to him whenever he let his guard down. Going back to her home had always been like waking from a nightmare. The nights in Valley always seemed a little brighter, the sun not quite as harsh, the shadows nothing more than innocent pockets of darkness. Even after the watcher he still felt safe there, still felt as close to home as he could ever get.
But that was all a memory now. It wasn't home anymore, wasn't the same place he had known as a child. It was empty without Evelyn and Tom, quieter without the laughter, without the life that had once been there. It was like a shell, hollowed out by the grueling passage of time, and Dean didn't want the last bit of that memory to crumble away. Kerri used to be so vibrant, used to be so full of life, so spirited, but now she did what she had to do to get by, and nothing more. And, to Dean, that was more heartbreaking than anything else.
She was the one that had pulled him from his silent prison when he was a child, the one who had saved him from the darkness that had over taken his soul. She was the one that showed him how to live again, how to laugh again. He needed her to be that girl once more, to be the old Kerri again, but he was afraid it would never happen.
"Where are we going, Dean?" Sam's voice broke through Dean's mind, pulling the older man back to the mansion, back to the moment at hand.
He looked around, straining his eyes to make out the halls around him, his small flashlight doing little to illuminate the large space. In reality he had no idea where he was going, he was just walking. But, when he finally made out the corridor around him, he felt his heart skip a beat. The painting, they were heading back towards the painting. No matter how much he tried, he just couldn't stay away from the damn thing, couldn't turn his back to the artifact's pull. It was like being trapped inside a whirlpool, and no matter how hard he fought, he just couldn't pull himself out of it.
"Son of a bitch."
"What?"
"We're heading towards that damn painting again."
"We are? I don't feel anything."
"I don't either, but I recognize the hall."
"Are you sure?"
"What do you mean, am I sure? Of course I am."
"It's just that all these halls kind of look the same."
"Trust me, we're near it."
"But--."
"Don't even think about asking me if I'm sure again."
"Why did we even come this way? Do you really think Kerri's down there?"
"No, Sam, I don't, but I just can't seem to help myself."
"So, it's drawing you back there now?"
"Seems so."
"Well, if it's drawing you there now, then maybe it's drawing her there, too."
"I knew I kept you around for a reason."
"Very funny."
"So, we keep heading this way and hope she's there?"
"You got a better idea?"
"No." Dean mumbled, hating when his little brother was right. He didn't want to be anywhere near that painting, and he didn't want Kerri anywhere near it either, but it was at the heart of all their problems, and there was really no way to avoid it.
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Kerri sighed, thankfully finding a large grate faster than Dean. She had been afraid she'd be stuck in the wall all night but, after only fifteen minutes of searching, she found an escape route in what looked like a long disused kitchen. But she didn't really care where she was, as long as she was out of the wall, because, though it scared the hell out of her, she was sure she'd be drawn towards the painting.
And, sure enough, ten minutes later she entered the corridor that contained the painting she had come to despise. She didn't know how she got there, didn't remember the turns she had taken, all she knew was that she was there again, and nothing seemed to be able to keep her away. But now, with the help of the drink, she managed to get close to the artwork without passing out. She slowed down as she neared the picture, the voices ringing out from it once more.
It was more beautiful than she had remembered it, the voices blending together in elegant harmonies, wrapping around her, warming her with peaceful tendrils of sound. It was so comforting, so mesmerizing, so enchanting, that she felt herself being lost to it once more. That was, until she heard a sound even sweeter. But, the relief at seeing Dean and Sam rounding the corner was instantly ended when she saw the dark figure appear behind them.