12

Who was I supposed to tell? What was I supposed to say? "I know John Savage is going to die soon"? No way was that going to work. The very first question they would ask would be "how?" or "when?", and I didn't know how or when. I didn't remember how or when. All I knew was that he died, and I couldn't stop it, because this was one of those things that I wasn't supposed to remember. I didn't understand how this happened.

As I walked out into the main room after getting dressed, John approached me and held his hand out.

"Sorry about that, earlier." He said. "I'm John."

I took his hand and shook it.

"But I guess you already knew that." He said laughing.

"Yep," I said smiling as best I could.

I couldn't do this. I had to tell someone. I couldn't tell Dave because he would react irrationally, and I couldn't tell Zach because he would just tell Dave. I looked at Bobby, because I obviously couldn't tell John. But there was a possibility that Bobby would just tell John, or even worse, the boys.

Never in my life had I been so lost or confused, and felt so pressured to do something about it quickly.

"Well you smell better already," Dave commented, making me lose my train of thought.

"Very funny," I replied.

"So," Dave said cleaning his gun. "I guess we better start planning."

"Right," I said taking a seat in front of him.

"These boys already know a bit about Azazel." John said. "I want to know what you know."

"I don't remember much." I replied. "I know that he's obviously the reason you're all out here, and I think there's a bigger picture that we're missing."

"Like what?" John wanted to know.

"Like why go after so many kids?" I started. "What's the point of giving them these special abilities? What's the point of killing their families?"

"So you know pretty much what we know." John said sounding unimpressed. "And you know that he's not like any normal demon. His eyes don't turn black. His eyes turn-"

"Yellow." I finished, remembering this detail just in time.

"You've been holding out on us, Cru." Dave said.

I only shrugged in response.

"All we know at this point, is we are going to kill this son of a bitch with this colt." John said holding up the weapon and setting it back down.

I looked down at the gun and sighed. I knew that they didn't kill the demon in Iowa, and I didn't know how to tell them that.

"What about Zach's dream?" I asked.

John sighed.

"First off, I wasn't even told about these visions until five minutes before you got out of the shower." John replied.

"Dad, we already had this conversation." Dave said bitterly.

"I get that, and I get I'm not easy to get on the phone with," John said.

"Not easy?" Dave said. "Dad, I have a better chance at winning the lottery than getting you on the phone."

"Would you all quit it?" Bobby told them. "This ain't the time for this conversation."

"All I'm saying is you could've mentioned this sometime earlier." John said. "It would've helped."

"Okay, so what about Zach's dream?" I asked again.

"Now because of Zach's vision, we at least know who Azazel is going to attack." John said. "So if we can just find this woman, and get to her in time, we can kill him. I'm sending Zach and Bobby out to go look around in the nearby neighborhoods for her. It's not much, but it's something, and Zach told me that you remember the family lives, so I'm hoping that this is a start."

"I don't remember it going like this." I blurted.

John and Dave looked at each other and back at me.

"How do we find her, then?" John wanted to know.

"No, I mean, I don't remember the demon dying like this." I said.

"But you know that the family lives," Zach wanted me to clarify.

I nodded.

"Well, look," Dave said getting up. "Just because you remember it one way, doesn't mean it can't change. We can get him."

"I hope you're right." I said.

Dave was about to say something, but was cut off when John's phone started ringing.

"Hello?" He said picking it up. His face slowly changed as he moved towards the door. "I'll be right back." He told us, leaving the room.

"Alright," Bobby said standing up. "Zach the sooner we leave, I imagine, the better."

"Right," Zach said making his way to the door, suddenly stopping.

"What's wrong?" Bobby asked.

Zach's hands were pressed against his temples as he winced in extreme pain.

"Zach?" Dave asked growing concerned. "Are you having another vision?"

Zach only let squeezed his eyes shut tighter, and groaned in pain. Eventually his breathing slowed down and he opened his eyes.

"I heard a train," He said. "She lives by a train station."

"Are you sure?" Bobby asked.

"Yea," Zach replied. He went over to his laptop and began typing. "There're two different lines that run through this town." He read.

"Well, she just had a kid, so why don't you check by the line that I dunno, has a playground by it or something?" Dave suggested.

"Right, well one runs a few blocks down from here, so I'm guessing the one we're looking for is the one in town." Zach said closing the laptop.

Him and Bobby left the room. Dave was sat at Zach's computer looking at the past towns that had those "signs" John was talking about.

I made my way back to the bathroom, finding only a comb to take out the tangles from my damp hair. I took off my jacket and set it down on one of the beds, taking a seat beside it. I looked over to Dave while combing my hair, and he was still reading, taking the occasional swig of his beer.

"I have a really bad feeling about this." I told him.

"Look, nothing's happened at this point right?" He said. "Quite worrying, everything is going to be fine."

"No it's not!" I cried slamming the comb down.

"Why?" Dave asked suspiciously. "Do you know something?"

I turned my gaze away from him. Crap. That was like the number one sign of guilt.

"No, I don't know anything," I replied continuing to comb my hair. "I just think we need to be taking more precautions, because something bad is going to happen I can just tell."

"I'm going to need something a little better than 'I can just tell', Cru." Dave told me.

The moment John walked in, though, I remembered a slight detail.

"You were gone for an awfully long time," Dave said. "Who was on the phone?"

John only sighed and set his things down.

"Have your brother and Bobby already left?" He asked rubbing his forehead.

"Yea, why?" Dave glanced at me and back at his father. "Is something wrong?"

"Dave, I have to go." John said.

Oh no.

"What?" Dave cried.

"Look, it's this demon, she's killing people we know." John explained.

"Who? Who's this demon chick?" Dave demanded to know, and like reading each other's minds, both John and I said,

"Meg," at the very same time.

"Psycho-Demon-Girl-From-Chicago, Meg?" Dave wanted to clarify. "And you knew about her?" He asked me.

"I- I just remembered her." I replied. "You can't go." I told John.

"I have to." He replied. "If I don't, more people will die."

I wanted to tell him if he went he might die, but I knew that she wasn't the one who killed him. I didn't know who did, but it wasn't her.

"What does she want?"

"The colt." John responded. "They know we have it."

"Dad, we need that. That family might need it tonight for all we know, we can't just give it to Meg." Dave complained

"No one said anything about giving it to her." John tried telling his son. "Look, no body other than us, and a couple of vampires in Colorado know what the colt actually looks like. I'm sure I can find an antique shop somewhere out here."

"You're plan is to walk in there, hand over a fake colt, and expect them not to notice? You realize this is a trap right?"

"Yes, I realize it's a trap!" John said.

"I should go," I said grabbing my jacket.

"No," Dave protested. "Stay here and tell me what you remember!"

"Nothing!" I lied.

"Tell me the truth, Cru." He ordered.

"Look all I know is that this is a bad idea, but you can't let more people die, so this is the best idea we've got. " I argued.

"You really think so?" Dave asked me seriously. I could practically feel all of the trust he was putting in me.

"Yes." I replied, and I meant it.

What other option was there? Let more of the people the Savages let into their lives just die?

But what was I doing? Was I walking John Savage to his grave? Why was this happening? I just wanted everything to stop being so scary all of a sudden. I wanted Dave to keep calling me kid forever, and I wanted Zach to take me shopping and help me steal stuff by unknowingly turning store clerks on. I wanted Bobby to give me hugs, and threaten to beat Dave up for saying mean things to me.

"She's given me a time limit," John said putting his coat. "I have to go."

"Dad," Dave called. "At least wait for Bobby to come back so you can take him with you."

"Listen," John told him. "I know you boys can take care of this. You're strong, and smart, and you've got yourselves a lot of help. I can't put other people's lives at risk." He patted Dave on the shoulder. "Please help Zach understand."

"I will." Dave assured him.

John nodded in our direction and shut the door.

This was definitely not how things went in the episode. I was positive Zach was present to hear the news that his father was placing the task of killing Azazel in his and his brothers hands. I feared I changed so much. Maybe I was becoming too involved. What if I did some serious damage?

"I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to tell Zachie without him getting angry." Dave said running his hand through his hair.

"He would get angry regardless." I argued. "But there's nothing else that we could do that could save everyone." I felt like I was trying to convince myself.

"I feel like he's going to get himself killed just walking in there." Dave said about his father.

"I know." I replied.

Dave looked at me and then scowled as he had suddenly remembered I was me, and not Zach or Bobby.

"Right, well you keep combing your hair," He told me. "I'll give them a call."

I sighed, doing as I was told, and slightly thankful I was the kid again. I couldn't understand how these characters could move on the way I saw them move on in the television series. I remembered that at home, watching John die was just another thing that was moving the story along. Now, after knowing him for a day, I was already going to miss him when he was gone. If only I could remember how he died.

When Zach and Bobby arrived back, Zach was more than angry, even with Bobby and Dave trying to calm him down.

"The only reason why we're here is because he wanted us to do this with him!" Zach hollered.

"Zach, I know." Dave said.

"Dave, Monica's daughter is six months today which means her family gets attacked tonight, and Dad just left us here to do this by ourselves? You know, this is just typical Dad, leaving when it was the least convenient."

"Zach!" Dave yelled. "If Dad didn't go other people would have died! Is that what you want? You want more people to die just because they knew us? Because another body is on us!"

"Whatever," Zach said bitterly. "Let's just do this thing."

By 11:30 at night we had been waiting in the car for at least two hours. Earlier, Zach explained to us how he saw her after leaving a convenience store in town. He had helped her out seeing that her hands were so full with a few bags and an umbrella she no longer needed, along with having to push a stroller. Zach had claimed he had just moved in and while small talking, she told him that her daughter was six months old today, and immediately after the conversation had ended, Zach met up with Bobby telling him everything, and then received the phone call from Dave explaining John's situation.

While waiting in the car for Azazel to come, Zach nudged his sleepy brother.

"Dave look," He said pointing out the window.

All of us poked our heads around to see a black cloud of smoke crawl it's way into one of the upstairs rooms.

"Let's go." Dave said him, Zach, and Bobby ready to leave.

"You aren't leaving me here are you?" I asked.

"No way are you coming with us." Dave debated.

"We don't have time for this!" Zach explained, the colt ready in his hands. "Forget it Dave just let her-"

He didn't finish because I started screaming.

Really? Really? The branding had to come now?

Dave leapt in the car clasping his hand over my mouth as I screamed. I didn't even have the chance to stop my tears before they began springing out. The pain was this time coming from my left hand along the side by my pinky. This time I could actually see it. Line by line, my skin was being burned black and I could smell it like it was barbeque.

"Bobby, can you stay with her?" Dave asked seeing Zach already bolt inside.

I didn't blame Zach. That family needed him.

"Go," Bobby told Dave, climbing into the back seat with me while I bit my lip to keep myself from screaming.

What was this incredible pain?

I could taste blood on my teeth, and even felt some dribble off my chin and onto my palm, and Bobby must have noticed because he put his hand over my mouth.

"Just scream." He told me, and I did while he kept his hand over my mouth.

I screamed for so long I didn't even care to look at what was happening to my skin. The worst part was the slightest pauses that occurred each time between a new line, because for those moments I felt relief that maybe it was done, but it would begin again seemingly worse than the time before.

I don't know why, but for some reason, I found this was the only chance to that I would probably have to be alone with Bobby. I had to tell him about what I remembered.

I moved his hand off my mouth.

"Bobby," I gasped, trying to ignore the pain. "I need to tell you something."

"Shhh, you need to relax." Bobby told me.

"No, listen it's important." I said. "But you can't tell Zach or Dave."

"What is it?" He asked.

"Don't tell them!" I begged.

"I won't, what is it!" Bobby assured me.

"John is going to die." I said panting.

I let out a little scream unable to hold it in any longer.

"What do you mean? Meg kills him?" He wanted to know.

"No," I said. "I just know he dies. I don't know how, but it's not Meg."

"What do you remember?"

"Just," I paused to deal with the pain for a bit. "I just remember that he dies soon, and that going to Meg was the start of it. I don't know what to do Bobby!" I cried. "They're going to hate me!"

"No one is going to hate you," He assured me. "Just calm down, Ella."

I could tell by the look on his face that he was deeply distraught, and then he looked down at me and smiled sadly.

"You poor girl," Bobby said, continuously wiping my hair off from my face. It kept sticking because of the sweat.

I kept clutching Bobby's flannel every time it just got unbearable, which was more often than it needed to be.

This was torture. And it wasn't ending.

I opened my eyes to examine what else was happening on my skin and recognized the candle, seeing that it was only a little more than halfway done.

From outside the car I heard the brothers screaming, and saw the house burst into flames. They were inside the car by the time the fire and police departments showed up, and we drove off before anyone could note that we were ever there.

Bobby took this opportunity to take his hand off my mouth, and wipe off the blood from his palm. Dave turned back to look at me.

"She's still-"

"Yes." Bobby said before Dave could finish the sentence.

"Dave you should've let me go back in!" Zach hollered.

"Not now, Zach!" Dave yelled. "Cru's sounds like she's giving freaking birth!"

Which was about accurate.

"And the family is alive, aren't they?" Dave pointed out.

"What happened back there?" Bobby wanted to know.

"Nothing," Dave replied. "The damn bastard got away."

"I could've had him!" Zach cried.

"You would've killed yourself!" Dave hollered. He turned back to me. "How you doing, Cru?"

I was still screaming because it still hurt, and I couldn't stop, not like with the first one, or even the second one. I was screaming so much I had to stop myself just so I could breath.

I didn't understand. I knew people who got brandings before, just like this, but they never said it hurt this much. They could've been bragging, but no way could anyone lie about this pain. This was too much. It was unnatural.

"Is she okay?" Zach asked concerned.

"Does she sound like she's okay?" Bobby wanted to know. "Her skin is being barbequed for Pete's sake!"

"What do we do Bobby?" Dave asked trying to focus on the road as well as me.

"There's not much else to do." Bobby told them.

He reached in his pocket and handed Zach a folded paper.

"Those are the brandings." Bobby said.

Zach unfolded it and showed it to his brother.

"Do they have to make them so freaking detailed?" Dave wanted to know.

I looked at my hand seeing lines of shading appear on the side of the candle making it appear more realistic. I literally wanted someone to kill me.

"Give her something to bite down on." Bobby told them.

They looked around and after a while Zach said,

"We can't find anything."

"It's-" I stopped, and winced. "It's okay!" I said before starting to scream out again.

"Yea, okay." Dave replied sarcastically.

But to be honest the pain was lessening.

"No really," I managed to say in one breath. I bit my lip in a different spot, and spoke again when I felt the chance. "It's not that bad."

"Quite bitin' your lip." Bobby advised.

I did and suddenly the pain stopped. I panted a little knowing there was one last part that had to come.

"Is it over?" Zach asked.

Like a stamp a set of strange inscriptions ran down the spine of the candle and I let out another cry. Every time after each image was branded into my skin, the foreign scriptures would be stamped around—or in this case in—the picture.

"Is it done now?" Dave asked.

I wiped tears from my face.

"I need the rubbing alcohol." I panted.

"Right," Zach said reaching in the glove compartment, and that was about all I could remember before I passed out.