13

Humanism

I didn't like doing this. In fact, I hated doing this. I didn't want to watch my little brother be hurt like this. I didn't like watching him scream or tears trek down his cheeks. I didn't like it at all.

This wasn't part of what I agreed to. I agreed to help Zachariah kidnap him. Fine. I didn't agree to this.

I had to stand by and watch while he was forced to strip in front of us. I was repulsed by how they laughed and snickered at him. Castiel was innocent. He had not sinned in his human life, no matter how short it had been. Well, unless you count lusting for a whopping five seconds. But I'm not Catholic.

That raw edge in his voice when he spoke to Dean Winchester made my chest ache. He was my, our brother, and I was the only one that seemed to remember that. Well, William did, but he has no means to do anything about it.

Zachariah demanded Ezekiel and Abraham to take him to the black hole we had found earlier. I think it used to be a freezer.

He'd been in there for a few hours. I was ordered to stand outside the door…and listen. He screamed at nothing, cried from fear and pain. The poor thing… He was so terrified. I shut my eyes, leaning my head against the door.

"Are you alright?" William said, walking down the hall toward me.

"Deeeaaaan…help me! Help me, plehease!" He sobbed through the door. I looked at the ground for a moment.

"This isn't right, William," I said. "What has he done to deserve this?"

"He disobeyed," he said matter-of-factly, tossing his head so his dark hair was out of his face.

"So his disobedience as an angel makes it right to punish him as a human? I don't think that's right. He can't take punishment like he could when he was one of us," I said pointedly. He rubbed the back of his neck, his tell. He knew I was right.

"Look, Saphriel, the point is, we have to follow orders. And I'm here to tell you Zachariah wants him back out here. He wants you to bring him," he mumbled. I shut my eyes, sighing.

"Alright, alright, I'll be there in a minute," I sighed. When he left I turned to the door, carefully pushing it open. I took a deep breath and swallowed hard before walking in, snapping my fingers, making a water bottle appear in my palm. He was my brother.

So dark. So cold, so, so cold. I had crawled into a corner, hiding my face. I could see things, horrific visions of monsters in the darkness. Bright red eyes, snarling teeth, coming for me. My fevered face pounded, the rest of my naked body shivering violently.

I screamed at the demons that emerged from the pitch black in front of me. I could hear a hellhound snarling next to my ear and no matter where I went it was right there. I cried for Sam and Dean to help me. I buried my face in my knees, huddled together as tightly as I could get myself, sobbing.

I could hear Zachariah's laugh echoing all around me even though he wasn't there. I thought I might be going insane. But it all seemed so real.

Suddenly light blinded me, horrible light that made me shrink away even further, hurting the bullet wound in my shoulder.

"No, no, no," I whimpered. "Please…"

"Hey, hey, easy," it was a voice I recognized. A woman's. Hands touched my face, coaxing my chin, and I was too weak to fight them off. "Castiel, it's alright." I looked up at her, my eyes growing.

"Saphriel."

My heart cracked right in two when I saw those eyes. Those eyes filled with so much confusion, agony and innocence. The poor thing… Lord, what were we doing?

"Yes, Castiel, it's me," I said, trying to smile a little. I glanced at the ragged hole in his shoulder, my chest taking another blow. His lips trembled as he tried to speak.

"A-are you gonna hurt me t-too?" He whimpered.

"No," I shook my head. "No, I'm not going to hurt you." I opened the water bottle I was holding and tipped it to those shaking lips. He drank hungrily, downing the whole thing. I wiped a tear from his cheek, startled at how hot his face was.

"Castiel, are you sick?" I asked. He nodded, still shaking. What more damage could we do? This wasn't fair. He didn't even have the chance to fight back. It made sense why he was screaming while he was in here. His fever was making him hallucinate. "Alright, I…I have to take you to Zachariah."

"Please!" He choked, those eyes begging me not to take him. "D-don't make me go back. H-help me, please…"

I had no choice. I didn't. I took the gag that was hanging around his neck and replaced it back in his mouth. He started to cry, his eyes still pleading with me, leaking tears. I took the chain between his cuffs in my hand and started to drag him out, the load almost weighing nothing. He fought feebly, sobbing, not making this any easier.

I think it was then that I swore that no matter what, I would get him out of here. I wouldn't let him be killed by the monster I called brother. I may not have been human, but I had a soul.

Saphriel dropped him in the middle of the large room he had been in previously. He brought himself to his knees, trembling hard.

Zachariah smirked.

"So, Castiel, tell me, are you afraid of the dark?" Castiel nodded in his naïve purity, being completely honest because he didn't know better than to lie. Saphriel looked away.

His cuffs disappeared. The chains were back, wrapping around his raw wrists, hauling him to his tip toes again.

"Let's find out what else you're afraid of, huh?" An evil smile spread across his face. He cocked his head.

"SAAAAAA-AAAAMMM!"