The next chapter!
Like I said in the previous note, I really wanted to put something about the Djinn and Nikki's alternate world in here, so I'm toying with the idea of posting a separate snip-it about it, so; sorry for the wait for the next chapter, and keep an eye out for the
Nikki POV
I pried the cellar door up with my knife, and Sam held it open for me while I went down. Once I crawled down the six foot ladder, I looked around. The only light came from the open cellar door. Sam called down to me and asked if I wanted a match, I said no.
Going on instinct, I raised a lousy closed fist, with a blueish light illuminating from it. I walked around the mainly empty cellar, kicked a few pieces of wood around, and heard a few rats. I found a rotted shelf in the back with some canned jars of food, and grabbed as much as I could carry. When I brought it up, Sam grabbed one and was about to pour the soupy apples into his mouth.
"Hey!" I said, grabbing the jar. "This stuff has been down there since before the Bay of Pigs, and I don't know what the Hell is in this. Yellow-Eyes did bring us here." I reminded him. He all but pouted. "Just, go see what else you can find." I told him, waving his hands away from the jars on the floor. Sam frowned, but left.
I held my hands over the open jar of apples, and let out a slow breath. I was using my powers to see if there was anything harmful in the jars.
"Guys!" I heard Andy call. "I found something!"
I got up off the floor and walked towards Andy's voice. I chuckled a little when I saw him. He was holding two large burlap bags in the air. "Salt!"
"That's great, Andy. Now we can all s…" Sam trailed off, looking around. "Where's Lily?"
I looked around like everyone else. "Lily?" I called loudly. The only sound that came after that was wood creaking and breaking. While the others looked around the building, I walked outside, onto the porch. I looked up towards the creaking windmill.
"Hey! You all might wanna get out here!" I yelled. Seconds after, everyone came running out.
Andy stopped next to me, his mouth slack. "Oh my God." Ava gasped.
There was a rope with one end tied to the center of the windmill, the other around Lily's neck.
We all looked up in shocked silence. Well, accept for Ava.
"Ok, that—that's officially just…" She turned around and grabbed Sam's arm. "Sam, she's dead! She's dead! You said we were chosen for a reason. That's not chosen! That's…killed."
"Ok, you know, we have to get out of here." Ava said, trying to head for the stairs. Sam stopped her.
"I second that motion." Andy said, his eyes still on Lily's body.
"Not sure that's an option." Jake said, shaking his head.
"Lily was trying to leave." Sam said, leaning back so he could look at Ava's face.
"The demon's not gonna let go that easy." I finished. "We have to gear up and sit tight. This is nothing, compared to what he's capable of." Sam nodded in agreement.
"Gear up?" Andy questioned.
"This is nothing?" Ava asked, gesturing wildly towards Lily.
"Yeah." Sam and I said at the same time.
"Ok, well, I'm not a soldier. I can't do that!" Ava snapped.
"Look, if you want to stay alive, you're gonna have to." I told her, jumping over the fence. "I'll get her down."
I climbed up the ladder in the middle of the windmill and flicked out my pocket knife. I waited until everyone was inside before I cut the rope. Lily's body fell to the ground with a sick crunch.
I looked towards the sky. "You suck." I said under my breath. I wasn't sure if I was talking to God or the demon. But at that moment, I guess they both sucked.
When I walked back into the building, Sam was talking.
"…what I'd give to have a working phone." He said, shaking his head.
"You know, you may not need one." Andy told him. I'm assuming they were talking about Dean, who else would Sam want to call now? I stood next to him.
"I, uh, I mean, I've never tried it long distance before. Do you have anything of Dean's on you, like, something's he's touched?" Andy asked. Sam started to go through his pockets. He pulled out a wrinkled receipt, and handed it to Andy.
"Yeah," Andy said, grabbing it. He squinted at the signature. "D. Hasselhoff?" He read off questioningly.
"Yeah, that's Dean's signature." Sam said casually. I gave him an odd look. He just shrugged at me. "It…It's hard to explain." He muttered.
"Alright." Andy said with a slight grin.
"What are you doing?" I asked him.
"I, uh, I figured out I can do this…thing. Put stuff in people's heads, you know?" Andy mumbled, shifting on his feet, before he closed his eyes in concentration. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes, made a face and tried again.
"Something wrong?" I asked him.
"Yeah, not in real good shape. I keep thinking about these awesome meatball subs back home." Andy complained. "Like I said, never tried this long distance. Don't think I'm strong enough."
I frowned, then glanced down at my hands. "What if I gave you a jumpstart?" I asked.
"What?" Andy asked, confused.
"A jumpstart." I repeated. "Put your hands out, palms up." I told him. He glanced at Sam, then did what he was told, still holding the receipt in one open palm.
"Nik, what are you doing?" Sam asked wearily.
"I've been getting better," I said. "With, with my Wiccan stuff, I mean."
"Is this like that healing thing?" Sam asked, I ignored him.
"Andy, I want you to do your thing, ok? On the count of three, I'm going to grab your arms." Andy nodded, already in the zone.
"One…" I counted off.
"Nik, don't do this if it's gonna hurt you." Sam insisted. I saw Ava and Jake walk into the room.
"Two…"
"I need you strong, Nikki." Sam persisted,
"Three!" I grabbed Andy's forearms, and his hands wrapped around mine as his shoulders tensed up and his chest was pulled forward like he was being electrocuted. I let my energy flow into Andy for ten seconds, and then pulled it back and let go of his arms.
Andy threw his eyes open and gasped once I broke the connection. He stumbled back, and he leaned against the wall. After he stopped gasping, he started laughing. "Wow!" he said. "That-That was awesome! Can-Can we do that again?" He asked, practically giddy. "God that's amazing! It's-It's better than anything I've tried!"
Sam looked at me with what I almost mistook for awe. "You…You're ok?" He asked.
I smirked at him. "Perfect." I confirmed.
We were all in the front room of the building.
Jake was by the door with a metal rod that was mangled on one end in his hands.
Sam was by the windows, the knife he found in easy reach.
Andy was passed out on the table.
Ava was staring pensively at the jar of canned tomatoes she'd just eaten.
I was sitting on the floor across from Sam by the windows, using my knife to pull soggy peaches out of the jar. I'd stab them with my knife, pull them out of the jar, pinch them off my knife and drop them into my mouth.
Sam's head was bobbing up and down; almost falling asleep, then jerking awake.
"Hey." I said, nudging his foot with mine. "Get some sleep." I told him.
He shook his head, and shifted in his chair. Within 5 minutes, he was out cold.
Sam's Dream
"I'm dreaming." Sam realized as Yellow-Eyes walked past Jake, over the salt line. His swirling yellow eyes were illuminated by a strip of light that didn't seem to have a source.
"What do you say you and I take a little walk?" Yellow-Eyes asked, smirking slightly.
Sam reluctantly agreed, and walked outside with the demon. He shot a look back at Nikki, who was still eating peaches on the floor a few feet in front of where he'd been sitting. She almost didn't look like the same girl. Her hair was cut shorter, and tightly braided down her neck, letting very few curly strands free. Her posture was different to, similar to Dean's and his now; straight and alert, ready for anything. But it was still a little relaxed, not completely hunter. Sam admired the way that, on the floor of an abandoned house in a ghost town, kidnapped by a demon, she could still smile a little when she ate one of the overly sweet peaches she pulled off her knife after stabbing it out of the jar.
"You're awfully quiet, Sam. You're not mad at me, are you?" Yellow-Eyes asked once they were outside.
"I'm gonna tear you to shreds. I swear." Sam said threateningly. The demon only chuckled and began to walk down the empty street.
"When you wake up, tiger, you give it your best shot." Yellow-Eyes continued to chuckle.
"Where's my brother?" Sam demanded.
"Quit worrying about Dean. I'd worry more about yourself." Yellow-Eyes said.
"What? You gonna kill me?" Sam taunted, even opening his arms in a 'come at me' fashion.
"I'm trying to help you. That's when we're talking." Yellow-Eyes explained slowly. "You're the one I'm rooting for, after all."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asked.
"Welcome to the Miss America pageant." Yellow-Eyes said sarcastically. "Why do you think you're here? This, is a compition. Only one of you crazy kids is gonna make it out of here alive. Well, two, I guess."
"I thought we were supposed to be-"
Yellow-Eyes cut Sam off. "Soldiers in a coming war? That's true. You are. But here's the thing." He said, holding a finger up in emphasis and leaning closer to Sam. "I don't need soldiers."
Sam clenched his jaw and moved to let Yellow-Eyes past as he circled him, still talking. "I need soldier. I just need the one." He said, holding that finger up again.
"Why?" Sam asked sternly.
"I couldn't just come out and say that, could I, Sam?" Yellow-Eyes said, condescension lacing his tone. "I had to let everyone think they had a fighting chance. But what I need…is a leader."
"To lead who?" Sam pressed.
"Oh, I've already got my army—or, I will soon anyway." The demon explained.
"You son of a bitch." Sam spat.
"Honestly, I'm surprised you hadn't guessed." The demon started to circle again. "I mean, why do you think so many children flamed out already—Max Miller and Andy's brother, what's his name?" He paused to think for a moment. "They weren't strong enough. I'm looking for the best and brightest of your generation."
"My generation?" Sam repeated.
"Well, there's other generations, but let's just worry about yours." Yellow-Eyes shrugged off. "That's why I'm here, Sam. I want to give you the inside track. You're tough, you're smart, you're well trained, thanks to your Daddy. Sam…" he trailed off.
Sam tipped his chin up defiantly.
"Sammy…" he started again. "You're my favorite."
"You ruined my life. You killed everyone I love." Sam said coldly.
"The cost of doing business, I'm afraid." Yellow-Eyes said dismissively. "I mean, sweet, little Jessica…She just had to die. You were all set to marry that little, blonde thing, become a tax lawyer, with two kids, a beer gut, and a little McMansion in the suburbs. I needed you sharp, on the road, honing your skills—your gifts."
"Besides, if she didn't die, you wouldn't have met Nikki." Yellow-Eyes reasoned. "I'd say that's more than a fair trade."
Sam's face twitched.
"Nikki's better for you that Jessica anyways." The demon continued. "She can keep up with you. Handle the pressure of the lifestyle."
"Don't compare them." Sam suddenly blurted out.
Yellow-Eyes chuckled again. "Struck a nerve, I see." He said offhandedly. "But you can't say it isn't true.
"Sure, Jess had her endearing quirks; the inability to open a pickle jar and fix a water heater, needing ten minutes to put her face on and the matching bra and panty sets. But Nikki," he paused, chuckling. "Nikki doesn't need you. She can handle her own just fine. She could take down a vampire in five seconds flat without a scratch on her, then laugh at a dumb joke half an hour later. She doesn't want to be with you because she's scared of what's out there and needs to protect her; she wants to be with you, for you."
"Be with—Nikki and I are just friends." Sam said defensively. The demon practically snorted.
"Well, while you pretend that's true, admit it, Sam, you love that you can be you around her." The demon said, leaning close to Sam, who was glaring at him with his jaw clenched.
"Why is she here?" Sam made himself ask. "She-She isn't like the rest of us."
"No, no she isn't." The demon reasoned. "She, is so much better."
Sam looked at the demon in confusion. "Weren't you listening?" The demon asked. "I said two of you were going to make if out alive. You, are my perfect soldiers. She, is the perfect weapon."
"Weapon?" Sam repeated.
Yellow-Eyes smirked. "What do you know about Nikki's abilities?" Sam's jaw twitched.
"Well, I can assure you, she can do so much more." The demon said, still smirking. "Concupivi Filia Caeli Telum." Yellow-Eyes said the name almost in admiration. "Let me put it to you this way; if you knew what she could do, and how easily, you would have put a round through her head in that diner in Pennsylvania."
"Sam! Wake up!"
Sam gaped a little as he woke up. Nikki had her hands on his shoulders, she'd been shaking him. Her curls were free from her braid and springing out from her head in that very Nikki way, and her wide greenish eyes looked down at him with a concerned look in them.
If you knew what she could do, and how easily, you would have put a round through her head in that diner in Pennsylvania.
She finally spoke up. "Ava's missing."