Chapter Eight: Escape
"The School", State Unknown-1999
Samuel struggled in vain to slip his hands through the shackles clamped around his wrists. LeGraine's threat turned the boy's stomach to ice and he knew he had to get away. Closing his eyes, Samuel bit down a sob of frustration bubbling up in his chest. If ever there was a time that he needed his powers to work, it was now. Unfortunately, they remained dormant and try as he might, the teen could not tap into them.
There was one small window in the cellar- long coated with dust and cobwebs- but it was far too small for the boy to crawl through even if he did manage to get the shackles off. The door- at the top of a rickety flight of wooden steps- was almost certainly locked.
Samuel glanced around the dirt floor of the cellar, searching in the near-darkness for something he could use as a weapon. The ground was devoid of any object.
He didn't know how long he had but Samuel was sure LeGraine would waste no time in punishing him for running away.
W
Samuel's head shot up when he heard the cellar door open and soft footsteps followed. He squinted in the dark room and gulped, hoping that it wasn't LeGraine.
Brianne's head of curly red hair appeared instead and the boy relaxed slightly. The girl stepped forward slowly, cautiously. Brianne crouched down in front of Samuel and stared at him wide-eyed for a moment.
"Why would LeGraine kill Andrew?" she asked quietly.
Samuel shook his head, "I don't know."
"That's why you ran away," Brianne said. It wasn't really a question so Samuel just nodded.
"LeGraine and Truefold… they're not good people, Brianne… I'm not sure they even are people," Samuel muttered and fidgeted, pressing his back against the rough stone wall.
"LeGraine is really mad," Brinane said and twirled a lock of hair around her index finger nervously. She was pale and thin, her oversized clothes making her look even more waif-like, "I don't think I've ever seen him so angry."
"Brianne-" Samuel tried to ask a question of his own but the girl interrupted him.
"Why don't your powers work like ours?"
"I don't know," Samuel admitted, "I wish they would."
The girl moved forward and reached out, her fingers touching the cold metal of the shackles around Samuel's wrists.
"What's going to happen to me?" he asked, feeling fear tingle up his spine.
"What did you mean when you said LeGraine and Truefold might not be people?"
"I… there's something not right about them… about us…" Samuel began, "While I was gone… I saw a picture of my mother… the mother who they said abandoned me."
Brianne gave Samuel an incredulous look but continued tracing the shackles idly with her fingers.
"I was told she died in a fire when I was just a baby," he continued, "She didn't leave me here."
"So?"
Samuel gritted his teeth in frustration, "I was kidnapped! Taken away from my family! I think we were all stolen away by LeGraine and Truefold!"
Brianne shrugged, "Maybe LeGraine and Truefold had a good reason for doing it. We have powers, right? Maybe other people don't like that-"
"Are you even listening to yourself!" Samuel snapped and Brianne flinched away from him, backing up.
"Do you really believe that?" he asked, quieter, calmer, "Why aren't we allowed to talk about our parents?"
"Those kind of thoughts distract us from preparing ourselves for the battle for the greater good," Brianne rattled off as though reading from a script.
"Brianne… the people I met… they didn't know anything about my power," Samuel tried again, "They didn't mention anything about other people having powers either."
The red-headed girl listened, though she was clearly trying hard not to believe the boy.
"Don't you ever wonder what your mother and father were like?" Samuel asked, knowing that, even if they never told anyone, all of the other children had thought and dreamt about their parents at one time or another.
Brianne's blue eyes grew distant for a moment, as though she were imagining the face of her mother, "I do."
Samuel smiled grimly, "Help me out of here, please. Escape with me. The people I met, they can help you find your parents, I know they can."
The girl's expression turned to one of longing and awe. She reached towards Samuel again but then froze.
"I… I can't," she stammered, backing further away.
"Please! They'll protect us! We can't stay here!"
"I'm sorry," Brianne mumbled and stumbled up the stairs.
Samuel had been so engaged with the red-haired girl that he hadn't even noticed the cellar door had opened and Ansen and the others were coming down; Brianne shoving past them as she ran up the stairs.
Samuel sighed shakily and his head shot up when he heard someone snigger.
"First you run away and then you make Brianne cry," Ava's husky voice chastised from where she stood at Ansen's side, "You're on quite the roll, Samuel."
"What do you want?" he asked, trying to sound brave but his heart was beginning to pound in fear.
"You shouldn't lie about my brother," Ansen said, "I don't like it."
Tears burned against Samuel's eyes, "I wasn't lying. He might have been your brother but he was my frien-"
The boy's words were cut off as he began to choke, his already abused throat throbbing in agony.
"Let him go a minute," Jacob suggested, "We don't wanna kill him."
Suddenly Samuel could breathe again and he sucked in great lungfuls of air, despite the ache in his throat.
"Y-you…" Samuel tried to speak but his throat was too swollen. His eyes widened in shock; Ansen had used his powers against him! Something they were never supposed to do!
Ansen grinned down at him, "LeGraine said we could have some fun with you."
Samuel pressed his back against the wall, wishing he could disappear.
"Please… Ansen… Ava… don't hurt me," he begged, "Jacob… please…"
Sioux Falls, South Dakota-1999
Bobby Singer stared incredulously at the Winchesters as they explained the situation to him.
"Hold on a damn minute," he rumbled and rubbed his beard with his hand, "Yer tellin' me that Sam has been alive these past twelve years and y'all didn't know it?!"
John nodded, "The demons were too good at hiding him."
"Yer sure it's him?" the grizzled hunter asked and the Winchester nodded in unison.
"He's not a shifter or a revenant or anything like that," Dean assured him, "He even knew Mom. I showed him a picture and he knew her."
"Christ on a cracker," Bobby grumbled, "An' you're saying you lost him again?"
John nodded while Dean confirmed it verbally.
"Is there anyway you can help us find him?" Dean asked hopefully.
"I can look for demon signs but other than that," Bobby told them, "I can't do much."
Dean nodded sadly. This is exactly what had happened the first time Sam had been kidnapped.
"The School", State Unknown-1999
The children laughed as Ansen forced Samuel to dance.
It wasn't really painful but it was embarrassing. The teen nearly tripping over his own feet at the rapid jig he was performing. Tears welled up in Samuel's eyes and he could do nothing as they overflowed and ran down his face.
That only made the other kids laugh all the more raucously.
Finally, Ansen stopped him and Samuel slumped to the cellar floor, panting, legs and feet aching.
"What else can we do? Ava asked, peering down at Samuel.
"Who wants to go next?" Ansen offered, glancing at the other children.
"Pl-please," Samuel begged, "I'm s-sorry I ran away."
They weren't listening. They were arguing about who would get the chance to torture him next.
"Let me," Jacob stepped forward, grinning and Samuel inched backwards fearfully.
Sioux Falls, South Dakota-1999
"Damn it!" Dean swore as they reached yet another dead end.
John looked up from the weather reports he was shifting through, "Its only been a few hours, Dean."
His son glared at him, "Don't you think I know that? But Sammy's out there, all alone, in the clutches of some demon-"
"Lower your voice," John cautioned and Dean scowled, glancing around at the people reading books on the other side of the library.
Dean sighed and ran a hand through his short-cropped hair.
"It's just… the longer Sammy's missing," he explained in a quieter tone, "Feels like the the less likely we are to find him again."
John set his book down and gazed sympathetically at his son. He knew how it felt; he was feeling the same way. And he was feeling guilty as hell about this too. Dean had known Samuel was Sam from almost the moment he had seen him but John had refused to see the truth. Whether he just didn't want to hope or was too busy blaming his eldest for what had happened all those years ago- something he never should have done to an eight year old- he didn't know. He guessed it didn't matter. The only thing that did was the fact that he hadn't recognized his own child.
"We'll find him, Dean," John assured him, "And bring him home."
"The School", State Unknown-1999
Samuel curled in on himself, hands pressed against his sides as he tried to alleviate the pain. His breaths were fast and shallow as every intake seemed to fill his lungs with broken glass.
"I didn't even hit him that hard," Jacob commented, looking slightly worried, "At least, I don't think I did."
"You better hope he's okay or LeGraine will have your head," Ava warned the other teen.
"Maybe we should take a break," Charlene suggested and the others nodded in agreement. They turned and walked away from Samuel without any backwards glances.
He gasped when the lights were turned off, casting him into pitch darkness, and tears squeezed out from his eyes in fear and pain.
What was going to happen to him? Would LeGraine leave him down here forever? Was he going to die?
He was trapped. He couldn't escape. Even if Samuel somehow managed to slip his chains, the windows were too small and too high. And he certainly wouldn't be able to walk out the door at the top of the stairs, he'd be caught in an instant. LeGraine and Truefold seemed to know the minute any of the children were out of line.
Slowly, the pain in Samuel's abdomen seemed to lessen, it didn't disappear entirely but it was easier to breathe again and he wiped at his tear-stained face tiredly, swiping his sweaty bangs off his brow.
He wished his powers were under control. He might be able to get away if they were, or at least defend himself from the others.
Closing his eyes, Samuel searched for that spark that seemed to appear every time he was exceptionally angry or sad or afraid.
There was nothing. Samuel sensed no powers within himself, they were buried too deep.
Sucking in a shuddering breath, Samuel tried to keep from crying again. Tears wouldn't help him.
Exhaustion overtook the teen quickly and Samuel was soon plunged into a fretful sleep.
W
Samuel's eyes flew open when light suddenly seemed to slice through his closed eyelids. Raising a hand to shield his eyes, he trembled fearfully when LeGraine stepped into the basement, a smirk on his face.
"A-are you going to let m-me go now?" Samuel asked quietly, "I've l-learned my lesson. I'll n-never run away again. I promise."
LeGraine crouched down in front of him.
"Part of that statement is true, Samuel," he said, "You are never going to run away again because I am never going to let you go."
The teen's mouth opened in shock and his heart began to beat fiercely in panic.
"Unfortunately, Mr. Lane still believes you can be useful," LeGraine continued, "So I can't kill you. But he had no problem with carrying on your punishment."
"And besides," he finished, the smirk never leaving his face, "The other children so enjoy their new plaything."
Tears leaked from Samuel's eyes, "P-please… please… I won't leave a-again. I-"
LeGraine hit the boy across the mouth and Samuel's begging was cut short; the teen's lip split and blood dribbled down his chin.
"You know how I feel about backtalk!"
Samuel lowered his head, struggling to keep from crying.
W
"Samuel?" The teen looked up warily when he heard his name whispered and he narrowed his eyes when he saw Brianne standing on the bottom stair.
"Are the others coming?"
The girl shook her head, "Not yet. We have to hurry."
Samuel sat up, wincing in pain, "We?"
Brianne nodded and stepped forward, "I… I thought about what you said yesterday and I really want to know my mother. I want to see her."
"Can you help me with these?" Samuel asked and Brianne nodded.
"I never told LeGraine that I could do this," she muttered as she placed a hand over the shackle on Samuel's right wrist. With a faint click, the shackle unlocked and fell away.
The boy's mouth opened in shock and he stared in awe at the girl.
Brianne smiled coyly.
Once Samuel was free, he grabbed the girl's hand tightly, "The window is too small."
Brianne nodded, "This way."
Samuel allowed the girl to tug him towards the stairs. They reached the bottom step when Brianne stopped suddenly and let go of the boy's hand.
"Hey?" Samuel asked and Brianne turned to him, a smile on her face.
"I can't believe you fell for it!" she crowed and flung a hand out towards him. Samuel was knocked off his feet and flew across the room, hitting the stone wall with a thud.
Samuel lifted his head dazedly and heard laughter floating down the staircase towards them.
"That was great, Brianne!" Ava praised, "You almost had me fooled as well."
"B-but, Brianne," Samuel stammered, tears in his eyes, "I thought-"
The girl shook her head, "LeGraine explained everything when I told him what you'd said to me."
Samuel stared down at the basement's dirt floor. Ansen and Jacob grabbed his arms and dragged him back towards the chains.
He didn't even fight. He fell bonelessly to the ground once the other boys released their hold on him.
"Aw, don't you want to play anymore?" Ansen complained, "We were just getting started."
"Maybe he needs some encouragement," Ava said, "Charlene, come here."
Samuel's eyes widened, "N-no, please… not Charlene… please."
The fire-starter looked at him sadly and brought a small flame to life on the palm of her hand.
Author's Note:
1. Chapter title comes from a Metallica song of the same name.
2. Thanks to reannablue, MysteryMadchen, mb64, Demon2Angel, cold kagome, sarah, Sivadkristal1447, Souless666, SamDeanLover28, babyreaper, BranchSuper, SPN Mum, L.A.H.H, doyleshuny, Original1, theblonde2243, Splashfire, T.L Arens, help789 and Guest for reviewing.
3. Thanks for everyone who alerted, favourited, followed.
4. Please leave a review.