OK, my loyal readers! Let it be known here and now that there are MAJOR SPOILERS in this chapter for the season finale, Lucifer Rising! I think that says it all, so let's get right to it! : )
Chapter 9
The light was blinding. It swirled around the floor and shot up into the air in a large beam that seemed to disintegrate the ceiling. Dean clutched Sam's arm, terror coursing through him.
No. No. This can't be happening. This can't really be happening. Oh, God, please let this not really be happening. We were supposed to stop this!
Dean looked at Sam and could see the anguish and terror on his face. He looked back and the light was growing larger and brighter. Suddenly, Dean felt a moment of clarity. They had to get out. They had to get out now. He grabbed Sam and forced him to look at him.
"RUN! RUN NOW!" Dean yelled.
He started pulling Sam with all of his strength and was relieved when he actually felt Sam begin to move with him. He dragged Sam out of the room and down the hallway. Soon, he could feel Sam begin to run on his own accord and together they tore out of church which was now shaking under their feet. Once outside Sam pointed to the car sitting there and they ran to in and dove in, Dean in the driver's seat. He ripped the keys out of Sam's trembling fingers and after fumbling for a moment he managed to get the key in the ignition and the car roared to life. He shifted it into gear and sped away from the church, too terrified to look back.
Neither man spoke. Both were pale with terror and gasping for air. Dean gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white from the force. Sam was hunched over, his face buried in his hands, his body shaking with sobs. Dean wanted to say something. He wanted to tell Sam everything was going to be OK. That he would handle it.
But, oh God, things were not OK.
Dean stared ahead at the road. He half expected to see demons come flying out from all directions. Monsters start crawling across the road. He was waiting to see the Hell he had come to know during his time in the Pit. It was something he had prayed Sam would never see, but now it was upon them.
But the road remained deserted. They would occasionally pass another vehicle, its occupants seemingly unaware that the Apocalypse was just down the road a few miles back. The world didn't explode into flames. Locusts didn't start raining down from the sky. The skies didn't go black.
Everything felt… normal.
And that scared the crap out of Dean even more.
Suddenly, Sam reached over and grabbed Dean's leg.
"Pull over," Sam croaked out.
Dean glanced at him in shock. "What? Dude, no!"
"Pull over!" Sam moaned, grabbing his stomach. "I'm gonna be sick…"
Dean slammed on the brakes and pulled over. Sam swung open his door and leaned out, retching his stomach contents onto the ground. Dean could barely breathe and felt like he was going to be sick too. He couldn't bring himself to let go of the steering wheel, he needed to hang on to something. Finally, Sam came back inside the car and shut the door, panting for air. Dean didn't say anything, just took off back down the road.
What are we going to do? Where are we going to go? What the hell is going to happen? Where's Castiel?
Dean's stomach knotted as he thought of Castiel. The last he had seen of him was at Chuck's house, right as the archangel was approaching. Castiel had sent him away to try and save Sam while he delayed the archangel and the others that were coming. Dean knew in his gut that Castiel was horribly outmatched in that fight. There was no way he could win. And then there was Zachariah. What was he going to do to him since he betrayed them?
He thought back to their time in Zachariah's "green room." He thought about the things he had said which he was kicking himself for now. God, he had been such a dick. Castiel hadn't deserved his harsh words, but he had been too angry at the time to care.
But the Castiel came back. He came back despite the cruel, hurtful words Dean spat at him. He came back and risked everything to set Dean free in order to save Sam and stop the Apocalypse.
But that last part hadn't gone so well.
Dean swallowed down the bile he could feel rising in his throat. Castiel couldn't be gone. He couldn't be. He needed him desperately, now more than ever. He had no idea how to stop Lucifer. Christ, it's not like he had sitting around, planning that little detail out! And now he had to take care of Sam too, although he knew all too well how his little brother was feeling.
God, what do we do? God, please, what do we do!?
Suddenly, a guitar rift cut through the silence in the car, causing both Dean and Sam to nearly jump out of their seats. Trying to calm himself, Dean fumbled through his pockets with a trembling hand and pulled out his cell phone. To his utter amazement he saw Bobby's number on the screen. He opened his phone and put it to his ear.
"Hello?" Dean croaked out.
"Dean!? Where the hell have you been, boy!?! One minute you're there and then the next second you disappeared! What the hell is going on!?" Bobby's voiced yelled across the line.
Dean's throat tightened at the familiar voice. He swallowed hard, but the tears began to fall anyways.
"Bobby," Dean whispered. "Thank God. Thank God, it's you."
"Dean? What's wrong? What the hell happened?"
Dean shook his head despite knowing Bobby couldn't see him.
"Bobby… it's happening… the seals… the angels… Ruby… everything was a fucking set up… that fucking angel, Zachariah… he wanted all the seals to break…"
There was a stunned silence on the other end of the line.
"Oh shit… do you mean…?"
"The last seal broke… Lucifer's out."
"Oh my God," Bobby gasped. "What about Sam? Have you found him?"
"He's here… I have him… we got away in time…"
He heard Bobby swearing under his breath and fumbling for something. He heard another noise in the background and Bobby went silent for a moment.
"Dean… are you sure?"
Dean took the phone away from his ear and looked at it like there was something wrong with it. He put it back to his ear.
"Excuse me?"
"Are you sure Lucifer got out?"
"You're kidding me. Yeah, you're right. The fact that Lillith's blood formed a perfect circle and then some big-ass beam of light came shooting out of it and then the whole place started shaking like it was going to come down on us… yeah, maybe it was all a figment of our imagination!" Dean yelled furiously.
Even Sam looked up at that point and shot Dean a look of, what the fuck?
"Well I'm sorry, but I have the TV and there's nothing going on here. Nothing new anyway. Just the same crap they always have on."
Dean's stomach tightened. "Wait… so… there are no signs of the Apocalypse on the TV?"
Sam looked at Dean dumbfounded.
"Not a thing."
"What the hell does that mean, Bobby?"
"I have no idea... Dean, where are you?"
"I… I don't know… Castiel sent me here…" Dean looked over at Sam. "Sammy, where are we?"
Sam swallowed hard, desperately trying to fight down his panic. "M-Maryland…" He stammered. "Ilchester, Maryland."
"Maryland," Dean repeated to Bobby.
"Christ. OK, just get both your asses back here ASAP, alright? I'll try to find something to help us. Just keep me updated, alright."
"We will… thanks, Bobby…"
"You're welcome, son. Just hang in there. We'll figure this out somehow."
Dean swallowed hard and fresh tears filled his eyes. Bobby was amazing. It didn't matter what kind of mess they managed to land themselves in. Bobby was always there to help bail them out, and never once does he say there's no hope.
"Thanks, Bobby."
He hung up the phone and let out a shuddering breath.
"We're heading to Bobby's," Dean said more confidently then he felt. "We're gonna try to get there as fast as we can."
"Did Bobby say there's nothing on TV yet? That nothing's happened?" Sam asked, confused.
Dean tried to moisten his lips with his dried tongue. "Yeah… yeah that's what he said."
"Dean, what does that mean?"
Dean shook his head. "I don't know."
