Chapter Five
Sam crouched as far down as the rocks surrounding him allowed. He'd found three boulders, all huddled together, in which to hide from the man with the light, the man he could now see as the deputy, Mike. He was searching for him, reluctantly it seemed, but still searching thoroughly. Sam attempted to crouch further, aware of the rustling sounds he was making, but his long body and his aches and bruises conspired against his need for smallness. The light swung back over in his direction. Once again he tried to duck down further, only succeeding in making more noise. The light dimmed, the footsteps stopped.
The light went out.
He heard the distinct sound of a gun being cocked.
"I know you're there boy, do us both a favour and come out now, come on."
Mike carefully stepped forward again, he wanted nothing more than to be home in front of the television watching Law and Order and seeing how they did things in the big city. Not that he ever wanted to go there, the furthest he'd ever been was up to Flagstaff, and that was busy enough for him, he didn't like to travel. He liked his home comforts and his quiet life, not this, not a hunt. Before Phil had gotten the taste for the pain the most Mike had had to deal with was ol' Mac Cartwright drunk on a Friday afternoon attempting to direct the small amount of traffic by the school.
"Come on boy, I ain't gonna hurt you."
Sam weighed his options; stay in his hiding place, which Dean would no doubt mock him for and ask him what the hell he was thinking, or make his presence known and take hold of any opportunity to gain the upper hand that presented itself.
Well, it wasn't as if he was hidden all that well.
As soon as he began to move the beam from Mike's flashlight breathed life once more and bathed him in a blinding ray of light. He could make out the silhouette of the deputy, caught as a buffer between light and dark, hope and desperation, life and death.
Attempting to keep the grimace from the many aches and pains, knocks and bruises from his features, Sam walked forward, hands above his head, hoping the placating gesture would buy him some time.
"Where's my brother?"
"With Phil, he's safe for now."
"Really? Wouldn't say Phil was a guy to be safe with."
"Yeah, you're probably right about that, I gotta take ya back now, take you back to the road."
"Then what?"
"Now boy, I can't tell you, but you have to come back with me." Sam caught the hesitation as it ghosted across the Deputy's face. Swallowing hard and feigning a look of fearsome menace, Mike motioned for Sam to walk ahead of him, back towards the dirt road.
"You sure you want to do this Mike?"
"Shut up, of course I'm sure."
"Was it your idea or Phil's? I bet it was Phil's. You don't want to follow him your whole life do you?"
"You need to stop talking boy or I'll shoot you right here."
"I don't think you will", Sam stopped walking and slowly turned to face Mike, his hands still behind his head, he smiled carefully and raised his eyebrows sympathetically.
"Come on Mike, you seem like a real intelligent man, a lot going for you, how'd you get messed up in all this?"
"I chose to be messed up in this, now keep walking."
"I think you want to let me go." Sam held the other man's eyes, hoping to hell he'd judged him right. Hoping to hell he'd at least gain some time to think of something, anything to get them both out of this. He could only guess what state Dean was in right now. If he could just reason with this guy, just a little bit, so that at least when they were all back together he might raise a concern with Phil, buy Sam and Dean some time while they no doubt argued.
It was a weak plan.
But he'd run out of ideas and his head hurt too much to help him think of new ones.
"Listen to me boy, I ain't gonna let you go, even if I wanted to, this here, this has gone too far now, can't let you live, can't let you go."
Mike looked almost sorry for him, he smiled sadly and raised the gun chest height to Sam.
"Now turn around boy, and get to walking. You and your partner ain't gonna make it through the night so you might as well at least make it easie……"
Sam looked up as Mike stopped talking, the hand holding the gun was shaking, causing the barrel to point toward Sam's neck, his chest, his shoulder. The hand holding the flashlight shook causing the light to dance back and forth creating a grotesque seizure of the land.
The flashlight dropped from his hand, rolled away as it landed on the dirt, casting it's beam back the way they'd come, yet they were both still bathed in light.
Coming from behind Sam.
Mike's eyes were wide with fear, his mouth had dropped open and sweat had broken across his face. The light grew around Sam, a wind rushed past him, warming him and enveloping him in a shimmering embrace. Slowly he turned, even though he thought he knew what he would see he was still hesitant.
Once was a concussion.
Twice was a spirit.
He allowed his body to turn fully before he raised his eyes to the figure before him. She stood amongst a billowing fire-like light, her hair blowing around her as if caught in a hurricane, her dress barely moving amongst the energy surrounding her. She was beautiful, as pure as the earth from which the roses grew in a field of freedom and untouched by all, she was real, she was here. Again Sam's eyes filled with tears, tears of missed memories and stolen love. He opened his mouth, his words stuck in his throat, yet one word escaped, one word spoken and the figure smiled to him with a love so deep he swore he'd feel it for years to come.
"Mum?"
"Sam."
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John Winchester watched as a beautiful blonde-haired girl walked along the street outside the main campus building at Stanford the sun shining down upon her. Autumn had turned the trees to purples and browns yet today was a summer's day in California, a beautiful summer day, as a proud yet scared father watched his son race down the steps, book laden and grinning, smiling so fully John was taken aback by the joy in his youngest's face. He'd never had his boy smile at him like that. Dean could elicit full facial grins, but never John, never anyone else until Sam set his eyes on the blonde haired, beautiful girl who reached her arms around him in greeting. With a sad heart for a life unknown, John started the truck's engine, cast another look toward his son, and as he drove off he wondered 'What would Mary think of her boy now?'
Sam stared like a deer in headlights, rooted to the ground, unable to breathe, unable to move, unable to process the sight before him. Mary smiled, she grinned fully and allowed one single tear to catch on her skin before it took flight toward the stars.
"Sam, it's ok."
"Mum?"
"What the hell ?" Mike had been all but forgotten his gun still raised, but this time pointed toward Mary.
"Leave my boy alone."
"This ain't real, this ain't right, this ain't real." Mike slowly began to back up, his foot knocked the flashlight, twisting it around to face Sam. Mary gazed at her boy, bathed in light and so fragile, in so much pain, yet so beautiful. She smiled again, the corners of her mouth causing the tears in the young hunters eyes to fall freely, his breath hitched slightly, the world spun yet Mary stayed strong, stayed firm.
"Find Dean. Help him, bring him to my grave."
He nodded slowly, sadly, backing away yet wanting nothing more than to run forward and lose himself in his mother's embrace. Mary shook her head sadly, she was so proud of her boy, so proud of the man he was, the man he could be. She knew in her heart the girl he had picked had been the right one, yet the demon had taken her from him too, all the pain, all the anger, a family splintered and broken, two boys raised as warriors, a husband lost in the need for revenge. Emotions began to surge through her causing the light around her to sway and pulse, her focus on Mike, her anger on Mike, her revenge….on Mike.
Mike lifted the gun higher.
And fired.
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(second time lucky, hope this time the site accepts my changes!! )
BWA HA HA HA HA Evil cliffie!!!
Once again thank you and hugs to you all for reading and a reviewing
I'm so excited about the new eppy, i'm like a bunny in a carrott field!!
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