Bloody Mary – Part 2
A continuation of the 'Bloody Mary' episode. Changed a few things to fit my story and my own personal preferences. A much shorter chapter, but I hope you enjoy!
Warning: There is frightening imagery of a Supernatural entity. Swearing.
After one of Donna's friends, Jill, dies in the same tragic way as Mr. Shoemaker, the case seemed to unfold from there as new and important evidence came to light. They came to find out that this Bloody Mary only goes after people with guilty secrets in their past. Therefore, when Bloody Mary goes after Charlie, another one of Donna's friends who had been aiding them in the case, they knew they had to find the original mirror that Mary Worthington died in front of and smash it before it was too late for poor Charlie.
This led to Sam, Dean and Ellie driving to downtown Toledo to Estate Antiques where the mirror was sold only about a week ago. Rain pelted against the body of the impala rhythmically as Dean drove down the dark streets.
"Ya know, her boyfriend killing himself, that's not really Charlie's fault. Is it? I mean, she didn't kill him." Ellie said sitting on the edge of the leather bench seat looking over at Sam and Dean, a habit she was developing to ensure she would be heard when she spoke.
"Well, Ellie, spirits don't exactly see areas of grey. Charlie had a secret, someone died. That's good enough for Mary." Sam expressed sadly in discontentment.
Ellie sighed knowing that was true. Spirits were not like the humans they once were, who had complex emotions and could think logically and reasonably.
"That doesn't seem fair." Ellie complained at the serious injustice of it all. Charlie was not a bad person, in fact, she seemed like one of the better people in humanity and it was just a tragedy that Blood Mary was after someone with a good character. That's why Hunting was so important she reminded herself; to stop the senseless evil that tore into good people's lives.
"It's not." Sam said simply agreeing with her completely.
There was a small beat of silence, as Sam stared at the rain peppering the Impala's windshield.
"Yeah know, I've been thinking, it might not be enough to just smash the mirror." Sam said trying to choose his words carefully.
"Why? What'd ya mean?" Dean asked glancing over to his brother in the passenger seat curious as to what his brother was getting at.
"Mary's hard to pin down, right? I mean she moves around from mirror to mirror, so who's to say that she's not gonna just keep hiding in them forever? So, maybe we should try to pin her down, ya know, summon her to her mirror and then smash it." Sam expressed logically knowing it was gusty and risky move, but at the moment his guilt for Jessica and the urgency to save Charlie made him recklessly eager.
"That's a good idea!" Ellie perked up enthusiastically thinking that they had this in the bag if that was the case.
"No, Ellie, it's not a good idea." Dean snapped over his shoulder bursting the young teen's bubble of enthusiasm before turning to glance over at Sam.
"How the hell do you know that's gonna work?" Dean asked wanting more information about this dangerous idea his brother was suggesting having a bad feeling beginning to form in his gut.
"I don't, not for sure." Sam admitted keeping his eyes on the road ahead.
"And let me guess, you are going to be the one summoning the murderous bitch?" Dean asked in a frustrated tone already knowing the answer.
"Yes." Sam expressed flatly.
Dean shook his head in frustration scoffing harshly in his throat. He had heard enough of this evasive and secretive self-loathing attitude from his younger brother.
"Alright, ya know what? That's it." Dean said gritting his teeth as he pulled the Impala off the road throwing it into park before turning to look at his brother directly.
"This is about Jessica, isn't it?" Dean asked bluntly with a curt tone of frustration.
Sam remained silent his face void of emotion as he continued to keep his eyes averted from his older brother. Ellie blinked her brown eyes feeling her breath stop in her throat as she listened intently wondering just who Jessica was and how all this connected to the Bloody Mary case.
"You think that's your dirty little secret? That you killed her somehow?" Dean asked knowing that this was all the reason for this self-sacrificing attitude.
"Are you in such a hurry to sacrifice yourself over guilt?" Dean asked pressing his eye brows together in concern and confusion a pinch of hurt edging his tone.
When Sam remained silent, Dean felt himself suck in a heated breath. His young brother's silence confirming his fears. Ellie looked between the two Hunters a feeling of apprehension growing in her gut over the tension. Ellie knew whatever Dean was saying seemed to perhaps be true as Sam was not saying a word to deny it. Despite only knowing the man for a few days, Ellie felt herself grow with concern. She did not want Sam to put himself in needless danger especially if it meant he was planning on sacrificing himself somehow. That was a very scary and distressing thought to the young teenager. Why would he do that?
"Now, you listen to me." Dean expressed in a strong tone pointing a stern finger in his brother's direction. "It wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done." Dean affirmed strongly with adamant resolve.
"I coulda warned her." Sam confessed turning to look at his brother for the first time, his words laced with self-reproach and sadness.
"About what!? You didn't know it was going to happen." Dean expressed trying desperately to knock some sense into his guilty brother's broken heart.
"And besides I know all about it now. It's not a secret anymore and it's not gonna work on Mary." Dean said certain that Mary would not go after Sam now that he knew the truth and that it was in no way his fault. His guilt was misplaced and emotionally irrational.
"But you said Spirits don't see areas of grey." Ellie cut in making both the Hunters turn their attention towards the teenager leaning over the front bench seat. "Maybe it's just the guilt Mary needs. Even if…even if it wasn't your fault." Ellie explained carefully knowing she was butting in where she shouldn't.
"Ellie, you're not a part of this conversation." Dean declared sternly feeling his teeth grit at the kid's interference mostly because she was agreeing with Sam's reckless idea and not helping in the slightest.
"Come on, Dean." Sam reproached calmly trying to take the heat off Ellie. "And she may be right and besides you don't know."
"I don't know what?" Dean gritted irritably not liking where things were going.
"You don't know all about it." Sam stated clearly with pinch of irritation of his own.
Dean's bows frowned deeply at that. "I haven't told you everything." Sam confessed shrugging his shoulders in a frustratingly casual manner.
"Well, then what?" Dean demanded in frustration.
"Well, it wouldn't really be a secret if I told you, would it?" Sam asked a bite of smugness to voice referring to Mary going after those who only keep guilty secrets.
Dean pulled his head back stunned completely taken back by his brother's secretive attitude and if Dean was being honest, he was really hurt and deeply offended by his brother keeping everything to himself, like he did not trust Dean with his problems.
"No." Dean declared adamantly. "I don't like it. It's not going to happen so you can just forget it."
"Dean, Charlie is going to die unless we do something about it. And you know what? Who knows how many more people are gonna die after that?" Sam expressed the gravity of the situation and the importance of seeing this case come to a close. It was their job to save people and with that always comes risks and danger. And if Sam was able to save a girl from a terrible fate, he was going to try despite the risks. And if he died in the process, well, it's not like he didn't deserve it as Jessica's was his responsibility and failed. He was not going to fail with Charlie.
"Now, we're doing this." Sam expressed adamantly before turning to his brother.
"You got to let me do this."
0000
Dean pulled the Impala up in front of the corner store of Estate Antiques. The old corner store was illuminated by the soft warm glow of the street light. Two large bay windows sat on either side of the black antique door with the large numbers 501 scripted above. The black security bars on the windows and door showed through the clear glass.
Sam and Dean, their minds racing and focused on the hunt did not even notice Ellie getting out of the Impala behind them. It was only when Dean heard a third door slam shut did he turn around to see Ellie trailing them far too sneakily.
"Where do you think you're going?" Dean questioned in stern tone that suggested she was, in fact, going nowhere.
"Well, I…" Ellie began with what she thought was a very convincing reason, but she was instantly cut off.
"No, you're going to wait for us in the Impala and keep watch." Dean ordered pointing idly to his prized Impala. He did not want Ellie anywhere near the danger they were about to summon.
"Awh come on." Ellie whined slightly slumping her shoulders forward a bit in disappointment, something she wouldn't dare do with her uncle who gave her orders on a Hunt. However, she was not with her uncle. "I could help…"
"Not a chance, kid. What Sam and I are doing is dangerous and not for little girls. You're going to stay in the Impala where it's safe and you're not to move until I come to get you. Your only job is to keep a look out for people. That's it. Understood?" Dean demanded, his voice deep in firm unyielding tone.
In other words, be useless.
Ellie bit the side of her cheek to prevent herself from arguing or backtalking him. She was on a Hunt and she knew the importance of following orders despite her wants.
"Yes, sir." Ellie responded reluctantly, but in a polite enough manner that was acceptable. Ellie sighed before turning on her heels to go back to the Impala like a good little solider.
Dean waited until Ellie's bottom was firmly plant on the back bench seat of the Impala and the door was shut behind her before he turned back towards Sam who just finished picking the lock. The locked clicked sharply and they entered the dark building.
Ellie sighed heavily feeling like it was unnecessary for her to be kept out of the building. She was being treated like some hopeless kid. Even her uncle would probably have let her go….probably. These Hunters were acting like she was an innocent and clueless little girl who did not know shit about the supernatural grossly underestimating her. She may be just a kid, but she was not useless. They were taking her safety far too seriously, probably only because they were friends with uncle, not because they really cared. She was just collateral they couldn't afford.
Suddenly headlights illuminated through that back of the Impala starling the young teen out of her thoughts. Ellie gasped as she spun around to look out the back window seeing none other than a police cruiser pull up right on to the curb behind her. Ellie's eyes shot towards the store's front entrance then back to the two officers who emerged from their vehicle.
Ellie felt a panic rise with in her chest that Sam and Dean were about to be caught by surprise and perhaps compromise the entry hunt or worse getting someone killed. The worst things happened when the non-hunters interfered in Hunters business, unaware of the peril they were putting everyone under by their meddling. Lives were at stake. Charlie, Sam, Dean. All of them.
Ellie sprang up from her the leather seat flinging the Impala's back door open.
"Officers." Ellie greeted hearing her voice raise in distress in all of her panic. Ellie cringed knowing that was a poor way of showing them everything was all fine and dandy, like nothing suspicious or out of the ordinary was happening. It seemed to do the opposite.
The two officers stopped their pursuit towards the building immediately turning their attention to Ellie which was exactly what she wanted. However, now that she had their attention, she had to come up with an amazing excuse and damn good story which was proving seriously difficult. And, at the present, the panicked girl had nothing.
"Why are going in the store?" Ellie asked lamely wanting to slap her forehead at her stupid question. She might as well have asked them 'What are you officers doing on this fine cold night?' Stupid. However, her intention was to stall as long as possible and, in all fairness, she was stalling.
"I think the real question, young lady, is what are you doing here so late at night?" The officer questioned suspiciously in tone that suggested he obviously was mistrustful of her. Not a good sign.
"Um, ya see, sir, my dad…" That was all the lie Ellie managed to get out before Dean emerged out of the front door.
The officers startled immediately pulled their guns out towards Dean.
"Hold it." One of the officers demanded.
"Woah, guys, false alarm." Dean reassured smoothly putting his hands up in surrendering pose. "I tripped the system." Dean explained sounding like it was all just a silly miscalculation on his part trying to put a sense of ease in the officers' minds.
"Is this your kid?" The officer asked tipping his head to the side gesturing toward Ellie without taking his eyes off Dean. Dean glanced at Ellie briefly not giving her any indication of his plan in all this. Ellie just hoped that he wasn't blaming her for the officers' edginess and suspicion, it wasn't her fault.
"Niece, actually." Dean said casually nodding his head once to the side keeping in line with the lie they used the last time they were confronted with the police. Sam being her 'father' and Dean being her 'uncle'. The irony was awkward.
"And who are you?" The officer questioned directly.
Dean gave a pause of puzzlement before quickly recovering thinking on his feet skillfully. "I'm the boss's kid." Dean expressed simply making Ellie almost breathe a sigh of relief thinking that was a good lie under the circumstances. Ellie was silently grateful she did not have to come up with a lie not at all confident about convincing these seemingly well-seasoned officers. However, that relief she felt was cut short almost instantly.
"You're Mr. Yamashiro's kid?" The officer questioned with surprising doubt.
Well, if there was a defining moment when this all would go to shit, that was it.
Ellie felt her heart drop into her gut. She was pretty sure Yamashiro was a Japanese name and Dean sure as hell could not pass for Japanese. Ellie's face paled with instant worry as they were, in the most simplest terms, screwed.
Dean opened his mouth like he was going to expanded on his clever lie before shutting it quickly and tipping his ear to the side as his brain absorbed the dreadful irony in the question, his face paling somewhat at the 'oh shit' moment.
The two officers walked on either side of Dean blocking him in.
"You know, I just…" Dean began looking from one officer then to the other pausing for brief moment seeming to make his decision. "I really don't have time for this right now." Dean declared before swinging his fist abruptly into the officer's face tremendously hard before turning and doing the same to the other. The dull thudding from Dean's fist connecting with the officers faces along with the grunting of pain echoed in Ellie's young ears.
Ellie's jumped back in startlement feeling her body grow stiff as bord, her jaw dropping in shock as she watched Dean knocked the two officers violently unconscious. Although, Ellie was essentially used to seeing violence more than most kids her age, she did not expect Dean to attack the men and so swiftly knock them out like it was just another Tuesday on the job. Ellie judged Sam must be in serious trouble or Dean just wasn't the patient type. Perhaps both were true. Ellie looked at the two officers who lay knocked out on the pavement before snapping her attention back up to Dean, her face stricken with bewilderment, if not a little fearful respect glistening in her nervous eyes.
Dean looked over at Ellie firmly as he shook out his sore fist.
"Get back in the Impala." Dean ordered curtly before turning and immediately running back into the store not bothering to wait to see if she obeyed him.
Was Sam in trouble? Was bloody Mary after him? Did the plan work? All these questioned buzzed through the young teen's mind feeling a panic build up in her. Ellie licked her lips nervously as she looked at the front entrance then back at the Impala. She knew the importance of obeying orders on a Hunt, but she also knew the importance of having back up. What if they needed help and she was just sitting idly in the car waiting for them to come back and they didn't come back? That was not an acceptable prospect in Ellie's young heart.
Ellie bit her bottom lip feeling her chest tighten and her muscles jolt with adrenaline. Before she had a chance to change her mind, she hurried over to the entrance running past the unconscious officers and into the building without a second thought. As soon as Ellie step inside the antique shop, she heard a clanging shader making her freeze in her tracks gasping in fright at the sudden loud noise feeling her body surge with alarm. Willing her shakily legs to move again, Ellie heard Sam and Dean's muffled voices as she weaved through the paths of old furniture and an unfortunate amount of mirrors which was highly unnerving.
Ellie rounded a corner to see Dean supporting Sam's limp frame under his shoulder. Ellie's mouth parted at the drained look on Sam's face and fresh blood lines that stained down from his weary eyes.
Dean's eyes grew wide flashing with startlement feeling his jaw lock and his teeth grit in irritation at seeing Ellie in front of them.
"Is-Is he alright?" Ellie inquired with concern.
However, as soon as the question left her lips, a cold icy chill filled the room and Ellie felt the hairs on her arm rise as goose bumps formed along her exposed skin warning her of the familiar presences of a spirit.
Ellie's wide sharp brown eyes honed in on the pair of pale sickly white arms that crawled out of the large shattered mirror just behind Sam and Dean. Appearing like the mirror was a doorway to another dimension that opened by shattering the glass away releasing the spirit from within.
Ellie gasped loudly feeling her body fill with a dreadful terror as a woman in a torn ragged dress emerged from the mirror. Her face was covered by her jet-black scathed hair as she moved towards them in jerky unnatural movements that was frighteningly inhuman and chillingly unnerving.
"Ellie! Turn around, don't look at her!" Dean ordered urgently making Ellie flinch harshly at the man's sharp command.
Ellie instantly forced herself turned her back, fear racing through her entire body as she frighteningly blinded herself to imminent danger that was looming behind her. Her muscles tensed in dreadful terror as a defenseless and helpless feeling came over her at having her back turned to the petrifying entity. However, the young teenager simply had no choice, but to trust the man and overcome instincts. If she didn't, she should could die. It was as simple and terrifying as that.
She heard Sam and Dean grunt and moan in straining pain making Ellie's bottom lip tremble in powerless distress. What should she do? What could she do?
"Ellie!" Dean's voice strained in painful urgency. "Grab the mirror and point it at her, but do not look at her. You hear me? Do not look at her." Dean ordered in pressing distress his voice tense and tight with pain as the pressure of the spirit was putting on his body forced him to groan in agony.
Hearing Dean's urgent words, Ellie immediately went into actions forcing her shaky limbs to move, snatching the closest mirror to her which was large mirror on a table that stood next to her. Adrenaline coursed through the teenager's veins as she lifted the heavy mirror compelling her body to hold it steady in her trembling hands. Ellie ducked her head down behind the back of the mirror hiding her face completely as she turned and pointed the reflective mirror in the direction of the spiteful spirit, not glancing up for even a split second in fear of the entity capture her.
"You killed them." A demonic sounding voice growled in a vicious raspy tone making Ellie flinch gripping onto the sides of the mirror tightly, a small unstoppable whimper escaping her shaking lips.
Then there was a whooshing unnatural sound that hit Ellie's ears sharply. She felt her locks of brown hair swoosh back feeling a rush of chilling air flow across her face. The broken glass rustled against the floor before the antique shop fell completely silent leaving Ellie to only hear her own labored breathing. A heaviness was immediately lifted off the room and Ellie felt the unnatural pressure against her limbs release allowing her to breath more freely.
"Ellie, smash it." She heard Dean order urgently and Ellie, without a moments pause, throw the mirror down in front of her letting it shatter into pieces.
Ellie stood tensely still as she stared down wide eyed at the smashed glass around the hollow mirror frame irrationally fearing that perhaps the malevolent entity would once again emerge through frame.
Ellie's eyes glance towards Sam and Dean who groan and grunted in pain shifting their abused bodies under the broken glass.
"Is-Is she gone?" Ellie's shaky voice asked in hopeful uncertainty.
"Yeah." Sam strained out of breath as he shifted his body around onto his knees. "She's gone." He confirmed in a confident manner making Ellie's tense muscles slack a bit at his reassuring claim.
"Goddamn." Dean expressed looking all the shattered glass and broken mirrors that surrounded them. "That's gotta be like, what? 600 years of bad luck?" Dean noted in disgruntlement looking over at his brother with a grimace to their misfortunes.
Sam scoffed wearily at his brother's disheartening, but true observation.
Ellie watched the two Hunters silently with concern as they slowly and stiffly got on their feet grunting and groaning from the strain that had been forced on their bodies by the entity. She did not want to even imagine just what kind of pain ensued from the spirit of getting your eyes bleed out.
After brushing off some glass from his jacket, Dean cast his attention on the teenager directly, his green eyes narrowing in a dangerously stern manner making Ellie's muscles tense once again. The grey moonlight that shined through the compact room reflected off the many mirrors casting an ominous shadow over the Hunter's disgruntled face. The blood marks that had dripped from his hard green eyes made his daunting glare downright frightening making Ellie swallow a tight knot of saliva in her throat. Ellie licked her chapped lips and shifted awkwardly on her feet as she averted her eyes away from him. If she thought the man was going to be too pleased to be alive to not care about her disobeying, she was dead wrong on that it seemed.
"I thought I told you to stay in the Impala, young lady." Dean declared sternly, his tone dropping to a dangerously low tone making Ellie's chest tense with anxiety. His used of 'young lady' adding to her already frazzled state of distress leaving no doubt in her mind that she was in trouble.
"Well, I, you…" Ellie fumbled out trying to gain some traction with her words.
"I just saved your life, if you didn't notice." She pointed out thinking that was a great reason for disobeying as it definitely trumped the alternative. An adolescent arrogance came over her along with a misplaced annoyance towards the man feeling not only did he have no right to scold her, but a mode of gratitude towards her would not be out of line. She did aid in saving their lives after all and not getting credit and recognition for that or even a simple 'thank you' was both hurtful and frustrating to the young teenager.
However, Dean did not see it that way and his frown deepened and his hard green eyes narrowed even further at the young teen's brazen and arrogant response to her lack of respect for her safety.
"That is not the point here. When I give you an order, you follow it. Period. No excuses." Dean declared rigidly feeling his muscles constrict with tension.
"You just can't seem to wrap your stubborn little head around that fact that Sam and I are the ones in charge here. You could have just as easily got take by the spirit. You were damn lucky things turned out the way they did because if you would have gotten pulled in too, there is not a damn thing Sam and I could do to help you. This could have just as easily gone to shit." Dean exclaimed in sharp tone of frustration his voice lined with a grave fear. Although his logic was sound in forcing Bloody Mary to reflect in front of a mirror, it was in no way assured that it was the right move as it was thought of on the spot and on a whim. It had been simply a stroke of luck that it had been the right call.
Dean pointed a firm finger in her direction feeling a potent combination of frustration and worry swarm in his gut at the teenager's rash actions.
"I gave you that order for a reason, little girl, and it wasn't just to hear myself talk." Dean growled in a disturbingly lone tone as he bit out his words gruffly at the teen. "That is the last time you ever disregard your safety like that or I'm gonna turn into your least favorite person real quick. Do you understand me?" Dean asked his grave deep voice elevating with a harsh and unnerving resolve.
He was already turning into her least favorite person. 'A joy to be around' her ass. The least he could have said was 'thank you', but Ellie gathered that was too much for the grumpy man. Regardless of her hurt and disgruntled feelings Ellie managed to swallow her pride on the subject despite the bitter taste it left in her mouth.
"Yes, sir." Ellie said as respectfully as she could turning her eyes to the shattered glass on the floor. She found it in her best interest not to irk the intimidating Hunter's temper by arguing as much as her stubborn spirit was straining to do so. There was a larger part of her, a lot more than she cared to admit, that was fearful at his implied threat of punishment her or…worse. She honestly didn't know what this Hunter was truly capable of, expect for swatting her backside for pulling a knife on him. He was very capable of that embarrassing and stern reprimand. What else, was a fearful mystery to the young teenager.
Dean felt a grave headache start to pinch at his temples adding to the strain of the aftermath of the malevolent spirit's wrath that left his body aching harshly and his eyes burning with a horrid soreness.
The experienced Hunter pinched the bridge of his nose as he was beginning to remember just how stressful looking after a young life could be. At least when Sam was younger, he actually knew how his brother operated and the age difference was far more manageable. However, with Ellie, things were far different and he found himself become annoyingly terrified and downright unnerved with her even traveling with them, let alone have her anywhere near danger. He didn't know what brought about these strong instinctual protective feelings, but they were undeniably there nonetheless.
How the hell did his father do it when they were younger? He was surprised the old man didn't have a heart attack or a mental break down from all the reckless and thoughtless things they did in this hard unforgiving life. And there were two of them, Ellie was just one little girl and Dean was about ready to lose his shit. It was damn near as stressful as dealing with the supernatural, if not more taxing. Kids and this damn life did not mix.
Despite his threat leaving a window of reprieve, Ellie couldn't help, but still felt a resounding and biting worry agitate her anxiety finding herself unsettled and unsatisfied. Her mind recalled the Hunter's threats to spank her for offenses and her disobedience on a Hunt was no minor thing to put it mildly. He uncle would not approve that is for sure. However, she had been threatened with chastisement in the past by other smug and meddlesome Hunters who thought to interfere with her, but she often found it was all just talk attempting to flaunt their fabricated authority over her as just some little kid. She prayed Dean was just another one of those arrogant pricks and his bark was more than bite man, but the young teen still couldn't help, but feel disconcerted somehow thinking there was just something different about this Hunter that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
"Um you ain't…um you're not gonna…" Ellie found herself beginning to ask, but faltered under her embarrassment and worry unable to express her concern directly. Ellie bit her bottom lip and fidgeted on her feet in an awkward and nervous manner unable to look at him.
"I'm not gonna what?" Dean demanded unsympathetically in a deeply stern tone taking note of her nervousness finding a slight satisfaction that she at least took him seriously. He knew very well what she was going to ask and a part of him felt conflicted about his decision not punish her.
"Never mind." Ellie murmured almost instantly. She wasn't about to repeat herself and his avoidance gave her the reassurance she that her backside was safe and any other punishment was not going to be inflicted on her tonight. Which, she thought, was rightfully just as she did help save their lives.
Dean hummed deeply in his throat in response to her reluctance to express her question.
"Alright, come on." Sam intervened breaking the tension feeling his weary body weigh down heavily against his sore muscles. "We're all tired. Let's just get out of here before the cops show up." Sam noted with a bit of urgency in his tone not wanting to linger in the store longer than necessary.
Ellie snorted humorlessly recalling the two cops that lay on the pavement outside.
"Too late." Ellie deadpanned making Sam snapped his head towards her, his brows lined in concern and confusion before looking back at Dean for answers. Dean simply groaned rubbing his temples with his thumb and forefinger. This was a long night.
TBC
Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you for reading. More to come.
