Title: 12.) Episode 1.12: "No Evil"
Description: (Original airdate: September 10th, 2009)
Stokes - July 15, 2009 06:48 PM (GMT)
Prologue:
The rain fell in a gentle mist that made the older hotel in downtown Detroit look even more somber. While most of the many pedestrians made their way to their destinations, a lone figure stood on the street corner. His shrouded silhouette made him invisible to most. He was just another stranger, nobody to concern themselves with as they carried on with their mundane lives.
Carson watched as the world continued to move around him. Once, he had been like these unfortunates. He smirked as he realized many of them would wind up in the Pit sooner or later. He wondered; would they last and grow strong or become one of the simple lower-level demons that could only endure the endless pain and suffering? He had been one of the stronger ones; he held on to his human heart and soul for hundreds of years. But eventually, like all, his human essence was replaced with the cold, calculating spirit of the demon he’d become.
He pulled up the collar of his coat and hurried across the street. It was time to offer his “assistance” to Sam once again. Like most of the demons that still stood loyal to Azazel, Carson wanted Lilith taken down. It was Sam who would be the hunter to do that. But if his plans were to succeed, he needed to get the stubborn hunter to work with him, rather than against him.
As he reached the bottom of the stoop, however, he ran, face first, into a woman. She had long, flowing brown hair and luminous brown eyes that reminded him of someone. She dropped the papers and books she was carrying which snapped Carson out of his determined state. “I’m sorry. Let me help you with those.”
He put the papers back together and stuck them inside of the book. He put the one book on top of the other and handed them both to her. “Thanks,” she told him. “I’m Casey Taylor. This is my son, Logan.”
“I’m Carson. Carson Adams.” Her voice began to register. Who was this woman? Who was this boy? He couldn’t shake the feeling that she reminded him of someone. The boy standing next to her was a wake-up call too. “Josephine? Charles?” were the questions that escaped him as they proceeded to enter the motel.
Casey paused, turned, and shook her head; her eyebrow curved upward just the way it always had when she was trying to figure somebody out. “I think you have us confused with somebody else.”
Carson looked down at the boy, his mind’s eye flashing back to the day he had walked out of his son’s life. He was no longer the 7-year-old boy that Carson remembered, but a young man; the hair longer, the body taller, but the way his deep brown eyes gazed at him were the same. “I’m sorry,” he returned. “You just remind me of…” he stopped before he could make a fool of himself. It wasn’t possible after all. His Josephine and Charles had died a long time ago.
“That’s okay, Mr. Adams. I’m sorry for have running into you.” Casey tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she placed her hand on her son‘s shoulders. Again, the similarities were to hard to ignore. She might not be dressed the same, but the way she moved, the way she talked, it was all there. If he closed his eyes, he could still feel the softness of her hair beneath his fingers, he could almost smell the floral scent that always followed her. He wasn’t sure how, or why, but he was certain that this woman was his Josephine and the boy was his Charles.
As he watched her turn to go, he had to stop her. “Why don’t you let me carry those for you? I’m headed in the same direction.” Carson shook his head. Smooth, he thought. After years of watching, he’d gotten a tad rusty on the whole pick-up line routine.
Casey gazed at him for a moment as if to determine his intentions. If she only knew what he truly was, she’d run screaming in the opposite direction. But instead, she handed him the books. “Thanks, Mr. Adams. I’d appreciate it.”
“Call me Carson…”
“Carson it is, then. What brings you to Detroit?” It was only small talk, but he’d suffer it if it meant being able to hear her voice for just another minute, even just another second.
“I’m looking for an old friend. He’s staying at the motel. Do you live here?” the demon asked her. This is ridiculous, he said in his mind. Carson was beginning to feel like a young schoolboy. He was too old for this. He was too old to be feeling the pounding of his heart and the sweating of his palms. It had been so long that he had forgotten what the sensations felt like.
“Yeah, I help manage the place and in exchange, Logan and I get a free room. It’s small, but it’ll do until we can find something more permanent.” Casey’s smile faltered for a moment.
“So, your husband, he’s…?” Carson couldn’t bear to entertain the thought of her loving anyone but him. Wait, where had that come from? Love? Jealousy? Those emotions had long ago been stamped from his soul. He shook his head as he awaited her answer.
“Ah, he passed. Quite suddenly, as a matter of fact. But Logan and I will be just fine, won’t we?” Casey patted her son’s shoulders again. The boy looked up and smiled shyly before continuing up the stairs. “And you? Are you married Mr. Ad-- er, Carson.
“She… she’s been dead for some time now.” He was surprised at the sorrow and pain those words brought him. It had been so long…
“I’m sorry,” she said. They reached room 408. “Here we are. Thank you for lending me a hand Carson. Perhaps we’ll meet again.”
Carson smiled as he handed her the books, their hands touching for a brief moment. As her hand left his, he sucked in his breath. “Ah… sure. Well, I better get going before my friend leaves.”
As Casey closed the door behind her, Carson turned and started walking down the stairs. All thoughts of talking to Sam left as he tried to solve the enigma that now surrounded him. Unless something supernatural was at work, there was no chance in hell that his family could be alive. He didn’t know how, or why, this had happened, but he sure as hell was going to get to the bottom of it.
Carson gazed up the stairs before leaving the building. He’d speak to Sam in a few days. Until he answered the questions that the latest wrinkle in his plans brought him, Winchester would have to wait. First he had to figure out who wanted to toy with him and why. Then after he dealt with whomever or whatever had brought his wife and son back from the dead, he’d locate the hunter and have a chat with him.
*****
They had been driving for almost three days now. Along the path, they only stopped briefly to get some rest, fuel, and food. Where they were going, Sam had no idea. He just needed to drive. So far, he had refused to discuss what he had learned about Carson’s history, much less the horrid future he’d been sent to. How could he tell his friends what was in store for them if he couldn’t change the past? He noticed they were approaching a small town in Montana, a grin forming on his face as he realized he had subconsciously been driving to one of the two places that he truly felt safe.
The first place was the Singer Salvage Yard in South Dakota. He normally would’ve stopped there, but the older hunter wasn’t home. Last time Sam had spoken to Bobby, he was joining another hunter to help some poor girl who was showing all the signs of possession. He knew his mentor wouldn’t mind him staying in his home for a night or two, but he also knew how Bobby felt about Ruby. Of course, he’d rather not be reminded of earlier times right now either. He’d find himself staying in the same room he and Dean always shared, walking through the same rooms that they had frequented after their father’s death, and then there were the cars. If he closed his eyes, he could still hear his brother joking around with Bobby while they worked on some old wreck.
Travis was the one to break the silence in the car. “You really need to work on your demon homing beacon skills Ruby. How come you can’t tell us where to find a decent job to work if you’re so in tune with the demon world?”
“Yeah right, like you’re any better. When we found you, you were having your ass handed to you by an incorporeal demon. If Sam and I hadn’t shown up when we did, you’d be a pancake right now.” Ruby turned to the other hunter. “So Sam, mind if I ask where we’re headed?”
Sam sighed as he stretched tired muscles. He wanted to call ahead and make sure that Ellen would welcome them-- all of them. She had never met Ruby, but Sam knew how she felt about demons. It was understandable as she had lost some really close friends when the original Roadhouse burned down.
He’d kept in contact with her. He and Dean had even stopped at her new location in southwest Montana once or twice before his deal came due. They had never stayed long though because neither of them could stand the sympathy they saw in Ellen’s eyes.
Ruby punched his shoulder lightly. “Hello? Earth calling Sammy-- you’ve been awfully quiet since we left Detroit. Care to share?”
“Come on, dawg. Three days and you still don’t tell us why you woke up screaming in that motel? As much as I hate to actually agree with wonder demon over here…” Sam reached over and caught Ruby’s arm as she began to turn to the backseat. Travis continued speaking, oblivious to the imminent danger he was in. “You should talk about it. Maybe we could help.”
Sam decided it was time to find a motel. The bickering between Ruby and Travis was even worse in the small confines of the car. All he wanted was to lock himself away for a few minutes, just long enough to sit down and think about what he’d learned and seen. He knew it was past time to at least tell them about what he’d learned about Carson. “Let’s find a motel. Then we can talk.”
*****
Opening Credits Roll: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_AqUE4ywfQ
*****
Guest Starring...
Jerry O'Connell as Mike Wexler
Azura Skye as Jordan/Lilith
Samantha Ferris as Ellen Harvelle
Stephanie McMahon as Casey Taylor
Jackson Warris as Logan Taylor Stokes - September 11, 2009 12:50 AM (GMT)
Prologue:
The rain fell in a gentle mist that made the older hotel in downtown Detroit look even more somber. While most of the many pedestrians made their way to their destinations, a lone figure stood on the street corner. His shrouded silhouette made him invisible to most. He was just another stranger, nobody to concern themselves with as they carried on with their mundane lives.
Carson watched as the world continued to move around him. Once, he had been like these unfortunates. He smirked as he realized many of them would wind up in the Pit sooner or later. He wondered; would they last and grow strong or become one of the simple lower-level demons that could only endure the endless pain and suffering? He had been one of the stronger ones; he held on to his human heart and soul for hundreds of years. But eventually, like all, his human essence was replaced with the cold, calculating spirit of the demon he’d become.
He pulled up the collar of his coat and hurried across the street. It was time to offer his “assistance” to Sam once again. Like most of the demons that still stood loyal to Azazel, Carson wanted Lilith taken down. It was Sam who would be the hunter to do that. But if his plans were to succeed, he needed to get the stubborn hunter to work with him, rather than against him.
As he reached the bottom of the stoop, however, he ran, face first, into a woman. She had long, flowing brown hair and luminous brown eyes that reminded him of someone. She dropped the papers and books she was carrying which snapped Carson out of his determined state. “I’m sorry. Let me help you with those.”
He put the papers back together and stuck them inside of the book. He put the one book on top of the other and handed them both to her. “Thanks,” she told him. “I’m Casey Taylor. This is my son, Logan.”
“I’m Carson. Carson Adams.” Her voice began to register. Who was this woman? Who was this boy? He couldn’t shake the feeling that she reminded him of someone. The boy standing next to her was a wake-up call too. “Josephine? Charles?” were the questions that escaped him as they proceeded to enter the motel.
Casey paused, turned, and shook her head; her eyebrow curved upward just the way it always had when she was trying to figure somebody out. “I think you have us confused with somebody else.”
Carson looked down at the boy, his mind’s eye flashing back to the day he had walked out of his son’s life. He was no longer the 7-year-old boy that Carson remembered, but a young man; the hair longer, the body taller, but the way his deep brown eyes gazed at him were the same. “I’m sorry,” he returned. “You just remind me of…” he stopped before he could make a fool of himself. It wasn’t possible after all. His Josephine and Charles had died a long time ago.
“That’s okay, Mr. Adams. I’m sorry for have running into you.” Casey tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she placed her hand on her son‘s shoulders. Again, the similarities were to hard to ignore. She might not be dressed the same, but the way she moved, the way she talked, it was all there. If he closed his eyes, he could still feel the softness of her hair beneath his fingers, he could almost smell the floral scent that always followed her. He wasn’t sure how, or why, but he was certain that this woman was his Josephine and the boy was his Charles.
As he watched her turn to go, he had to stop her. “Why don’t you let me carry those for you? I’m headed in the same direction.” Carson shook his head. Smooth, he thought. After years of watching, he’d gotten a tad rusty on the whole pick-up line routine.
Casey gazed at him for a moment as if to determine his intentions. If she only knew what he truly was, she’d run screaming in the opposite direction. But instead, she handed him the books. “Thanks, Mr. Adams. I’d appreciate it.”
“Call me Carson…”
“Carson it is, then. What brings you to Detroit?” It was only small talk, but he’d suffer it if it meant being able to hear her voice for just another minute, even just another second.
“I’m looking for an old friend. He’s staying at the motel. Do you live here?” the demon asked her. This is ridiculous, he said in his mind. Carson was beginning to feel like a young schoolboy. He was too old for this. He was too old to be feeling the pounding of his heart and the sweating of his palms. It had been so long that he had forgotten what the sensations felt like.
“Yeah, I help manage the place and in exchange, Logan and I get a free room. It’s small, but it’ll do until we can find something more permanent.” Casey’s smile faltered for a moment.
“So, your husband, he’s…?” Carson couldn’t bear to entertain the thought of her loving anyone but him. Wait, where had that come from? Love? Jealousy? Those emotions had long ago been stamped from his soul. He shook his head as he awaited her answer.
“Ah, he passed. Quite suddenly, as a matter of fact. But Logan and I will be just fine, won’t we?” Casey patted her son’s shoulders again. The boy looked up and smiled shyly before continuing up the stairs. “And you? Are you married Mr. Ad-- er, Carson.
“She… she’s been dead for some time now.” He was surprised at the sorrow and pain those words brought him. It had been so long…
“I’m sorry,” she said. They reached room 408. “Here we are. Thank you for lending me a hand Carson. Perhaps we’ll meet again.”
Carson smiled as he handed her the books, their hands touching for a brief moment. As her hand left his, he sucked in his breath. “Ah… sure. Well, I better get going before my friend leaves.”
As Casey closed the door behind her, Carson turned and started walking down the stairs. All thoughts of talking to Sam left as he tried to solve the enigma that now surrounded him. Unless something supernatural was at work, there was no chance in hell that his family could be alive. He didn’t know how, or why, this had happened, but he sure as hell was going to get to the bottom of it.
Carson gazed up the stairs before leaving the building. He’d speak to Sam in a few days. Until he answered the questions that the latest wrinkle in his plans brought him, Winchester would have to wait. First he had to figure out who wanted to toy with him and why. Then after he dealt with whomever or whatever had brought his wife and son back from the dead, he’d locate the hunter and have a chat with him.
*****
They had been driving for almost three days now. Along the path, they only stopped briefly to get some rest, fuel, and food. Where they were going, Sam had no idea. He just needed to drive. So far, he had refused to discuss what he had learned about Carson’s history, much less the horrid future he’d been sent to. How could he tell his friends what was in store for them if he couldn’t change the past? He noticed they were approaching a small town in Montana, a grin forming on his face as he realized he had subconsciously been driving to one of the two places that he truly felt safe.
The first place was the Singer Salvage Yard in South Dakota. He normally would’ve stopped there, but the older hunter wasn’t home. Last time Sam had spoken to Bobby, he was joining another hunter to help some poor girl who was showing all the signs of possession. He knew his mentor wouldn’t mind him staying in his home for a night or two, but he also knew how Bobby felt about Ruby. Of course, he’d rather not be reminded of earlier times right now either. He’d find himself staying in the same room he and Dean always shared, walking through the same rooms that they had frequented after their father’s death, and then there were the cars. If he closed his eyes, he could still hear his brother joking around with Bobby while they worked on some old wreck.
Travis was the one to break the silence in the car. “You really need to work on your demon homing beacon skills Ruby. How come you can’t tell us where to find a decent job to work if you’re so in tune with the demon world?”
“Yeah right, like you’re any better. When we found you, you were having your ass handed to you by an incorporeal demon. If Sam and I hadn’t shown up when we did, you’d be a pancake right now.” Ruby turned to the other hunter. “So Sam, mind if I ask where we’re headed?”
Sam sighed as he stretched tired muscles. He wanted to call ahead and make sure that Ellen would welcome them-- all of them. She had never met Ruby, but Sam knew how she felt about demons. It was understandable as she had lost some really close friends when the original Roadhouse burned down.
He’d kept in contact with her. He and Dean had even stopped at her new location in southwest Montana once or twice before his deal came due. They had never stayed long though because neither of them could stand the sympathy they saw in Ellen’s eyes.
Ruby punched his shoulder lightly. “Hello? Earth calling Sammy-- you’ve been awfully quiet since we left Detroit. Care to share?”
“Come on, dawg. Three days and you still don’t tell us why you woke up screaming in that motel? As much as I hate to actually agree with wonder demon over here…” Sam reached over and caught Ruby’s arm as she began to turn to the backseat. Travis continued speaking, oblivious to the imminent danger he was in. “You should talk about it. Maybe we could help.”
Sam decided it was time to find a motel. The bickering between Ruby and Travis was even worse in the small confines of the car. All he wanted was to lock himself away for a few minutes, just long enough to sit down and think about what he’d learned and seen. He knew it was past time to at least tell them about what he’d learned about Carson. “Let’s find a motel. Then we can talk.”
*****
Opening Credits Roll: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_AqUE4ywfQ
*****
Chapter One:
The diner was small but remarkably clean. The bright red Formica table was chipped, yet still sparkled through the years of use. The yellow booths, while worn, were still comfortable to sit in. Even the waitress was friendly as she came to take their order.
“So Sammy, when are you gonna fess up? Did you have another vision?” Ruby asked, softly aware of the other diners in the restaurant.
Travis looked up, his eyebrow raised. “Dawg, I thought you said that you only had death visions. Is that why you won’t tell us?”
Sam winced slightly at how close his friend came to the truth, the image of Travis’ mutilated corpse still burnt fresh in his mind. The waitress saved him from answering, however, by placing their food in front of them. “Not here, guys. Once we get settled for the night, I’ll explain.” Sam saw the look of disbelief on both of their faces. “I promise,” he said, sighing. He knew he had to come clean on some of it, at least. He owed Travis and Ruby that much. He was honestly surprised that they had left him alone for this long.
Sam picked at the salad he had ordered as he tried to organize his thoughts. He could tell Ruby and Travis were getting impatient with him. He didn’t blame them. For the first time in a long time, Sam got to thinking about his father and his need-to-know mentality. Growing up, he always questioned why John wouldn’t just come clean and tell Dean and him everything. Now he got it. How would telling his friends about their impending deaths at Lilith’s hands help them now?
A slight jostle at his elbow reminded him that he wasn’t alone. “If you’re done reorganizing the salad, maybe you could eat it so that we can go and find a room,” Ruby remarked as she pushed her empty plate to the center of the table.
“I’m not really hungry. Let’s just find a room.” Sam looked down at his plate one more time before putting it on top of the other two. The more he thought about what he’d learned, the less appetizing the meal became.
“I’ll drive Sam,” Ruby announced as she held her hands out for the keys. “You look like you’re ready to fall asleep.”
Sam felt like arguing for a moment. He decided against it as it was futile. Ruby was right; he was past exhausted. “Thanks,” he replied as he handed her the keys before moving to the front of the diner to pay the bill. He didn’t catch the worried look on their faces. He just left. Then they hurriedly followed him out the door.
*****
It didn’t take them long to find a motel room for the night. Travis arranged for two adjoining rooms at the Castoga Inn. They had hauled in their gear, salted the doors and windows, and set up the protection sigils and hex bags. Sam wished it had taken longer than it had. He still wasn’t ready to have this discussion. But he knew it was time after Ruby and Travis each pulled up a chair next to the small table.
“When I went out to the car, I decided to take a look at the stone… the one from South Dakota.”
Sam heard Ruby’s quickly indrawn breath. “You didn’t touch it, did you?”
Sam rubbed the back of his neck. “I wanted to see if I could use it to learn more about Carson. I mean, if Bobby can’t even find anything on him, then there’s nothing left to discover using normal channels.” Sam felt like he was back in high school sitting in the principal’s office. Ruby looked slightly pissed and Travis sat there with his arms folded across his chest. Neither said a word, so Sam continued. “I picked it up and it felt warm. I thought about going back to his past and then there was this amber flash…” Sam stopped as Ruby began to shake her head.
“And what would’ve happened if you couldn’t get back here, Sam?! What if you had been trapped in the past?” she exclaimed, her anger belied by the honest concern in her eyes.
“Ruby, I never really left! It was a dream!”
“No, it wasn’t, Sam. That’s how the Vicis Oculus works. It’s a puzzle. It make’s you question what you find out by working like a dream. It doesn’t take your body to the time you’re going to, but your mind in a corporal form. Your body stays where it was, but on, for lack of a better term, auto-pilot. The lights are on, but nobody’s home.” She stopped, realizing something, and then turned to Travis. “That’s why he was acting so strange that day. Sam’s body was with us, but his mind was off time-jumping in whatever time the human Carson’s from.”
“Well, if that’s the case,” Travis said, “then he obviously found his way back home. So let’s wait until later to kick ass, huh?” he asked, leaning forward. “What’d you find out, Sam?”
Sam spent the next hour telling them about his trip back to the early 1800s and what he’d learned about Carson’s deal. By the time he had finished, he could tell that they were as confused as he was. On the one hand, Carson had done exactly what his father and brother had done-- traded his soul to save a loved one. On the other hand, he had become a being of pure evil with no sense of right from wrong.
“Sam, just because Carson and Dean made the same deal, it doesn’t mean that Dean’s gonna become the monster Carson is,” Travis said, making his own assumption as to why Sam had woken up screaming. “But I do understand why you haven’t stopped talking about killing Lilith for the last couple days.”
Sam really didn’t want to tell them about the future too, so he silently decided to let his friends continue believing that this was all about Dean. There was no sense in telling them the truth anyway, it served no purpose. So Sam sucked in a ragged breath. “I can’t let Dean become that… that thing. I have to kill Lilith because the longer Dean stays down in Hell, the greater the chance that he and Carson will share more than the deal they made. I promised myself that I would not let him become that. I know he told me to stop trying to save him, but I can’t do that. Whether Dean likes it or not, I am going to save him.”
The young hunter stood up and moved towards the door. As he exited, he called to them over his shoulder. “I’ve gotta get some air. I’ll be back.”
*****
Sam had walked over to the Impala and climbed inside. He put the keys in the ignition, but didn’t start the car. Instead, he leaned back and closed his eyes. Images of his brother, both good and bad, flashed through his mind’s eye. “I’m sorry Dean…” he whispered inside of the only true home both boys had ever known, opening his eyes. He just hoped his brother could hear it.
He could see Travis walking agitatedly in front of the window. He really didn’t need this right now, getting in the middle of another row between his two friends. He was starting to understand how Dean had felt, getting in between so many fights between John and Sam.
Opening the car door, Sam emerged from his own personal fortress of solitude. It was time to get back to the problem at hand. He had to find Lilith and kill her before Dean turned into the next thing he felt compelled to kill and before she brought about the end of the world. “Don’t worry, Dean. I’m gonna get you home. Just hold on for me a little bit longer…”
*****
“You are crazy, you know that?! No, scratch that. You’re not crazy. Worse, you’re certifiably insane!” Travis yelled as Sam entered the room.
Ruby continued the argument. “You’re just mad that I can help Sam and you can’t,” she taunted.
“What the hell are you guys talking about?”
“I’m gonna summon Lilith so that we can kill her. Travis here would rather run around aimlessly and hope that we just randomly stumble upon her again.”
“Can you blame me? I mean, this isn’t some miniscule, lower-level demon we’re talking about here; it’s Lilith, Queen Bitch of Hell!” He turned to Sam. “You can’t possibly agree with her so say something, damn it!”
Sam sighed. He knew Travis was right, but his concern for Dean was taking him over at this point. “I’m with Ruby on this one. If Ruby can summon her and we can contain her in a stronger version of the Devil’s Trap, then we can end this then and there.”
“Look, Sam, I get that you wanna save Dean. But getting yourself killed is not gonna bring your brother back!”
“Neither will running from the demon who holds his contract. As long as Lilith is breathing, Dean’s trapped in Hell. If we catch her unprepared, then we’ll have the upper hand. We’ll have the strategy, we’ll be running the show.”
Ruby threw in her two cents. “It’s better than your plan of avoiding her until we cross paths with her again. Then it’ll basically be us having a pissing contest with one of the strongest demons that currently walk the Earth.
“Fine!” Travis retorted. “But I want to go on the record now saying that this is a really bad idea!”
Ruby followed him over to his bed. “Look, we tried doing this the regular way and look at where we are. Even you can’t be stupid enough to think that’d we’d be able to get the upper hand in a battle with Lilith if we just find her because then, it’d either be a trap or bad luck…”
Travis threw his hands up over his ears. “I’m not listening to your warped version of reality!”
Travis turned his back on Ruby, effectively silencing her tirade. Sam still had to step between the two though before she proceeded to take his head off. “Guys, how many time do I have to tell you this. Fighting only helps the demons. We have to work together.”
Travis turned back to Sam, looking at him thoughtfully. “Look, man, I’m gonna do this, but only because you’re my friend. But when this goes south…”
Sam knew exactly what he was going to say so he finished the sentence. “Then you can say I told you so.”
*****
Sam watched as Ruby finished her preparations for the summoning spell. Part of him knew that Dean would never approve of what they were about to do. It was reckless and Sam knew it too. But he was running out of options and they were running out of time. Travis had managed to get everything they’d need and was just finishing up on the Devil’s Trap.
They had found an old, abandoned ranch just outside of the town they were staying in. The large barn was empty except for a few old bales of hay. The sounds of moving rats and other creatures of the night echoed, making what was about to happen seem even more creepy.
“Are you sure this is going to work Ruby?” Sam asked quietly.
“It should Sammy. The trick’s gonna be in finding her. But I think I can call in some favors from the other demons who went rogue like me.” She glanced up and Sam and saw the hesitation in his eyes. “It’s gonna be okay, Sammy. I promised you that I would get her here and help you kill her and I meant it.”
Sam was beginning to have doubts. Maybe Travis was right…
“Scout’s honor,” Ruby said, holding up her index and middle fingers.
“Like you were ever a scout,” Sam said.
“True,” she admitted. “I don’t even think the concept of scouts had been thought up back around the Black Plague.”
“Are you two done?!” Travis exclaimed. “I’m getting the heebie-jeebies over here.”
Ruby sat down at the makeshift altar she had set up. “Then you’re in the wrong line of work, pal.” She lit the candles. “Are you both ready?”
Sam simply nodded while Travis snorted. Ruby’s shoulders tensed for a moment, but after looking to Sam for support, she returned to her concentration on the task at hand. Sam silently handed Ruby’s knife to Travis who slid deeper into the darkness of the barn. The candles cast an eerie glow and the shadows danced to music only they could hear.
“Okay then, let’s get this over with. There’s a bubble bath calling my name.” Ruby looked at Sam one more time. Her look was crystal clear. This was his last chance to say anything if he wanted to stop this. Sam nodded to her and she began to add the necessary ingredients to the bowl in front of her.
The hot coals within the bowl flared brightly as she added the lavender, cinnamon, and wormwood. As the flames grew, she pulled out a small bell from the corner of the table as she prepared to call forth one of her buddies from the Pit.
“Meus cruor ut ego partis per alius, vos atrum creatura, advetio ex subter supter. Audite meus placitum pro suggragium gigno unus ut ago peto. Inscribo quisuam denego suus quod botum mihi puteus, ego voco vos. Penetro nostrum plagiarius ut ego sanus campana…”
Ruby rang the bell three times and then closed her eyes. Sam looked around as he felt a change in the room. The pattering of the night creatures movements had ceased and a chill suddenly filled the air.
The wind picked up in the room as pieces of straw and debris circled and struck the hunters within the barn’s walls. “What’s happening?!” Sam called out to Ruby as she fell back, looking at him briefly before moving for the bell. Invisible hands grabbed the brass instrument and threw it against the far wall.
“Ruby?” he yelled as he leaned into the gale force winds that threatened to throw him. It was clear something was wrong. “Ruby, stop the summoning!”
“I need that damn bell!” she returned. Standing, she attempted to make her way over to the far wall. She cried out when the winds stopped instantly and a blinding white light filled the room.
Sam closed his eyes as pain like he had never felt before raced through his skull. It felt as though his eyes were burning themselves to a crisp. “GAH!” Sam cried as he fell to his knees. Then as quickly as it all had began, it all ended.
As Sam struggled to get his bearings, he heard an irate voice call something from the other side of the barn. “I told you so!”
*****
Chapter Two:
Sam scanned the darkened barn for Travis or Ruby. He didn’t remember when the candles had blown out, but he did know that he couldn’t see them. “Ruby, I think something went wrong,” he started.
Ya think? Ruby found herself saying in her mind after trying to say it aloud and failing to do so.
Suddenly, Travis blurted out, “I can’t hear anything!”
Sam turned his head in the direction of Travis’ voice, but still couldn’t see him. “What do you mean you can’t hear anything?” he asked, then he realized the question served no purpose. If Travis couldn’t hear anything, then the question was included in that. He decided to shout at Ruby next. “What did you do, Ruby?!”
Ruby walked up to Sam and looked at him curiously. When she saw the blank stare that came back at her, she turned to Travis and snapped her fingers in front of his face. He scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. “Ruby!” Sam snapped, making her jump slightly. “Why aren’t you saying anything?” he continued, growing more impatient with her.
Maybe because I can’t!
Ruby moved over to the far wall to reclaim the bell. Sam heard her footsteps as she walked. “Where the hell is she going?” he questioned, standing and beginning to walk over to where he heard Ruby, but an arm grabbed him. It was more callused than Ruby’s so he knew it must be Travis.
“Ruby!” Travis yelled, watching her set the bell back down on the altar. The look on her face said it all. Something seriously had gone wrong. “Talk!”
Again… I can’t!
Sam’s blank stare turned to a countenance of understanding. “You can’t talk, can you?”
Finally! Finally, you got it!
“So let me try and put this into words… while trying to summon one of your friends from Hell, you made me blind, Travis deaf, and yourself mute?”
Travis translated after she nodded. “Yes? Yes to what?” Ruby grabbed a pen and small paper pad from her pocket. She wrote down what was going on. “Oh, you stupid bitch!” he finished, reading what it said. “How the hell did you manage to do that?!”
“Travis, that’s my ear you’re screaming in!”
Ruby wrote it down. “Sorry, man.” He then faced Ruby again. “So what do we do?” Ruby scribbled her answer down. Travis read it out loud. “We figure out what we caused and reverse it or figure out what we released and then kill it. What’s this we stuff?”
Travis grabbed the pen and paper from her hands. He showed Ruby what he had written and she glared at him. Sam heard the sound of crumbling paper and knew it was an insult or something of the sort. “Guys? Seriously? You have to do this now?” Sam massaged his temples for a minute before continuing. “We need help.”
He heard the sound of pen on paper and then after reading, Travis asked, “Who do you suggest?”
“Ellen only lives a few miles from here. She’s our best bet.” He knew Ruby wouldn’t be too pleased with that. It was hard enough for her having to work with one person who didn’t trust her. After what Sam had told her about the original Roadhouse, Ruby knew Ellen wouldn’t exactly welcome here with open arms. Sam knew it too, but he also knew that they had no other options. He fished the Impala’s keys out of his pockets and waited for Ruby to take them. “Let’s go.”
*****
A short time later, they had arrived back at the motel. They needed to get their things before visiting Ellen. Ruby had gone across the hall to pack her own luggage. Travis said, “I’ll get your stuff packed for ya, Sam.” Sam nodded in response knowing Travis wouldn’t be able to hear a vocal one. Travis understood.
Sam looked over to the door as he heard someone knocking. Travis, noticing him nodding to it, walked and opened the brown wooden frame, revealing the blonde waiting on the other side. They sat around for another few minutes as they waited for Travis to finish packing and then they helped Sam out to the waiting Impala.
Ruby and Travis put Sam in the backseat. Travis threw the bags in the trunk while Ruby started the car. Sam sighed as he felt the car start moving. Here we go… he thought.
*****
Pulling into the parking lot of Harvelle’s Roadhouse, Mike Wexler climbed out of his 1982 Ford Firebird and looked up at it. The hunter he had met back in Los Angeles, a man named Rufus, told him that the woman who owned the bar would be able to help. He stretched tired muscles before grabbing his bag. Either he was leaving with information or not leaving at all.
Mike entered the place and made his way to the end of the bar. He sat down on a stool and then took in the nice-sized room. There were a few pool tables, a juke box, and an LCD television set playing the Seahawks/Ravens football game.
Mike looked around, seeing the place packed with other hunters, but judging by the way they dressed, he made out two or three tourists. He turned his attention back to the bar when he heard a beer get set in front of him. Mike was a beer connoisseur, so what brand didn’t matter to him. He eyed the older, brown-haired woman that he had told to surprise him. “Need anything else?” she asked.
Mike started to reply when Ellen turned to the opening front door. The first to enter was a blonde. She had a knife sheathed by her waist and was wearing tight jeans and a black leather jacket over top of a red tank top. The next was a bald, black man wearing several layers and carrying four duffel bags. The last being a white guy, freakishly tall, with long brown hair, carrying a couple of sawed-offs and had a handgun tucked into his waistband. After watching the hunters enter, the tourists casually made their way to the opposite exit.
“Sam,” Ellen announced as they took a seat on the other end of the bar. “What a surprise!”
“Hey, Ellen,” he said. “How’s it going?”
“It’s going pretty good. Business can be hell catering to hunters, no pun intended, but we’re making due with a reasonable profit. Are you okay, boy?” she asked, seeing his glazed over eyes.
“We need help,” he whispered in response, dropping the small talk.
Ellen listened to their problem and took it in. “Is there anything you can do?” Sam asked.
She nodded slightly. “I can probably get a hold of Bobby. He should have something that’ll reverse the spell. But like you said, he’s off on that possession thing so it may take a while.” She watched as their heads dropped to the bar with three united sighs. “I’ve got some rooms in the back though where you all can crash for a couple nights.”
“Thanks Ellen,” Sam said, smiling at her.
She put her hand on top of his and smiled back. “It’s my pleasure, Sam. You’re like family, boy. You and your friends can stay as long as you like.” Ruby and Travis smiled too.
Mike slowly got off his bar stool after guzzling his beer. He’d heard the one Ellen called Sam mention Lilith’s name. This may be his opportunity. If Lilith and these hunters were on the warpath with each other, then she’d be coming for him once she heard he was blinded.
Mike walked over and purposefully ran into Travis. “Wach wher yur wakin…” he slurred, pretending to be drunk.
“Hey, man, what’s your problem?” Travis asked, not noticing what he’d said, nor even hearing it for that matter.
“Whas my probem? Whas yur probem, muda…”
“Hey, whoa!” Sam said, stepping between the two voices. “That’s enough.”
“Who da hell do you hink you are?” Mike said, laying his false drunken state on really thick. What came next, Sam didn’t even see it, literally. Mike gave Sam one of the strongest right hooks he’d ever felt. Just before Sam fell to the ground, Mike grabbed the back of his collar and his lower back, bending him over, and kneeing him straight in the stomach. Sam gasped for breath before Mike let him go, both falling to the ground as another hunter smashed a beer bottle over his head.
“Looked like ya needed some help, El,” the biker said.
“Thanks Joe,” she returned. “Appreciate it.”
“Not a problem,” Joe said, shaking his head. “Not a problem at all.”
*****
Mike Wexler was in a dark alley. He had been following his girlfriend for the last couple of blocks. Mike hid in the shadows as he watched Jordan start speaking with another man. “Did you find him?”
“That traitor Carson? Not yet. We’re still looking. Those hex bags of his hide him pretty damn well.” His eyes darkened to a hollow black. Mike’s next breath caught in his throat.
“Thank you Jason.” She turned to leave, Mike seeing her luminescent white eyes, but then faced him again. “One more thing? A message for your search party?”
“Anything, my queen,” he said. “What is the message?”
She slid a gun with a long barrel from her back pocket. “You are.” She shot him in the face and his black eyes glowed, slowly changing from the shadowed version to the human eyes he originally had, to the lightless eyes of a dead animal.
“JORDAN!!!” Mike screamed, shooting up in the bed Ellen and Travis had set his unconscious form in. He was breathing heavily and unable to slow his heart rate down. He threw off the covers and exited the bedroom, making his way back out to the bar.
*****
Travis sat back in the chair he had been occupying for the last three hours. He looked over and smirked at Ruby who was busy reading through some of the old books that Sam always kept in the trunk of the Impala. “Whatcha looking at?” he asked before realizing that even if she could answer him, he wouldn’t be able to hear her.
He sighed as he pushed the pad of paper that they had been using to communicate back and forth to her. Ruby wrote quickly and then gave him the pad back so he could read it. “I think I may have found something. I was looking through spirits that may cause what we’re experiencing and found this…” She pushed the book she was reading from over to him.
The Voluntas Spirits steal the sense of those who come in contact with them. Most often, the sense stolen will be that of sight, hearing, or speech, but there are recorded occurrences where the ability to smell and the ability to feel were taken. This, however, is extremely rare.
Travis looked up and sighed. “Why couldn’t it have been smell?! I mean, with some of the places we stay at, that’d be a blessing!”
Ruby wrote something down and Travis read it. “Keep reading.”
“Okay, okay. Geez, somebody forgot to take her happy pill today,” he crooned.
While the Voluntas Spirits are considered benevolent entities, for those who have been touched by evil, they can become aggressive. For those who’ve seen too much evil, the sense of sight is removed. There is a record of a man who demanded to never hear evil again and they granted his wish. The most common affliction though is for those who speak or summon evil. Their ability to speak is removed thus forever silencing the evil they may invoke.
Travis rolled his eyes. “So basically, we’re screwed!”
Mike emerged from the back room and walked over to Ruby and Travis. “Anybody seen Sam?” he asked. “I wanted to apologize.”
Ruby translated and Travis replied, “Oh, Sam’s in the back room still coughing up blood from when you attacked. Don’t worry though. He’s fine.”
“Sarcasm isn’t really helpful,” Mike said.
“Yeah, well--” Travis started, standing. Ruby got up and in between the two. Way too much testosterone here! She scrawled something onto the paper and Travis read it. “I’m going to get Sam. Try not to kill each other while I’m gone.”
Ruby left and Mike took her place at the table. She ran back in a few minutes later and hurriedly wrote something on the pad, then turned it to Travis. “Sam’s gone!”
*****
Stokes - September 11, 2009 12:51 AM (GMT)
Chapter Three:
Sam shivered as he slowly came back to awareness. He could tell he was sitting on a wooden chair. His hands were bound tightly behind him, his legs tied to the legs of the chair. He tried to see, but nothing came to him. He heard the sound of water dripping, but otherwise, he appeared to be alone.
His head heart from where the demons had struck him. Judging by the sounds of pain and cracking he heard just before the lights went out, he had managed to get some solid hits in too. But unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.
He could feel his face swelling and could taste blood where his lip must’ve been split. His breath hitched as his movement in the chair caused pain in his ribs. While he didn’t think that they had been broken, he did remember a vicious kick to his side during the scuffle. Hopefully, they were just bruised.
The worst part, however, was that he could tell he had been stripped and was now only sitting in his boxers. Wherever they had taken him, it was too cold to be sitting without the protection of his clothing. He turned as he heard footsteps approaching, coming from a flight of steps. Sam reasoned he was in some kind of basement or cellar.
“Nice of you to join our little party Sammy,” Lilith said, her voice echoing in the room.
“Lilith,” he said, anger filling his voice. “Still can’t do your own dirty work, I see. What’s the matter? Afraid you’ll break a nail?”
A sharp crack to his face brought more pain to his head. Another hard slap to his other cheek made the split on his lip reopen. He once again could taste blood in his mouth. He licked his lip and spit out the blood on the floor before staring sightlessly at his tormentor.
“You really have to learn to play nice Sammy. Here I bring you to a special party, just for you. I even bring you a present. And yet, you still have to be rude and spiteful.”
Sam jerked as he felt her finger trace his jaw line before moving down lower towards his chest. “Big words for such a young bitch. Now why have you brought me here, Lilith?”
“I told you Sammy. For a party!” she giggled as she sat down on his lap. Her hot breath fanned his cheek as she leaned in and kissed him on the lips.
“Get off of me!” he yelled, trying to buck her off.
“Why, Sammy, you like it rough, huh?” Lilith cooed into his ear.
“I’m going to kill you…” Sam said through gritted teeth as he turned his head away from her.
“Sure you are Sammy. But first you have to find me.” He felt Lilith slide from his lap and move away. He breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived as he then felt a white-hot pain burst through his shoulder. “How’s that blade feel, Sammy?” Sam groaned as she twisted the knife before leaving it in place. He could feel it against his collar bone with each breath that he took. The room began to spin as he felt blood leaking down his chest.
“You haven’t asked me for your present yet, silly. Don’t you want to know what it is?” Sam tried concentrating on what she was saying. Her voice belonged to a woman, but she sounded more like a spoiled little girl. He decided not to respond or play her game. He screamed as he felt the knife pulled from his shoulder and then reinserted in the same wound. “I asked you a question Sammy. Do you want your present or not?”
“Fine! Just get this damn present over with. What is it?”
Sam gasped as Lilith continued to play with the blade in his shoulder. “Haven’t you wondered how Dean’s been doing in my playroom?”
A scream filled the room, followed by a soft sob. “No--please--stop!” It was his brother’s voice.
“DEAN!” Sam called out.
Lilith placed her hand on Sam’s good shoulder. “This is a one-way picture show, Sammy. You can hear him, but he can’t hear you. After all, we wouldn’t want to invade his private therapy session, now would we?”
“Please! God, I’m begging you! Please, stop! AHHH!!!”
“DEAN!”
He jumped as he felt something wet placed on his lap. It was warm and he could smell blood as he tried to dislodge what had been placed there. “What’s the matter, Sammy? Don’t you want a piece of Dean to remember him by? You know, I think it’s still beating.”
Sam could feel the organ as it thumped in his lap. A small sob escaped him as he realized that Lilith had torn out Dean’s heart. “Never mind, Sammy. I can tell you don’t want it. I’ll just deliver this back to my sandbox so that we can start over.” Sam felt the weight removed from his lap before Lilith leaned in and whispered something in his ear. “How many times do you think he’ll be able to endure it, Sammy? How long before we stamp everything that made him Dean Winchester out of his soul? How long before he becomes the next demon you have to hunt and destroy?”
Sam screamed his denial as he heard Lilith’s soft, playful laughter surround him. Before he could speak, he heard Dean’s screams once more. As he continued to be forced to his brother’s torment, his own despair threatened to drown him. Sam couldn’t help but think one thing. This is all my fault…
*****
Ellen sat behind the bar, looking at the trio in front of her. She was more than upset by what had happened. Not only had Sam come to her for help, but the boy had been grabbed from right under their noses. The room was totally trashed and there had been blood, indicating that Sam hadn’t gone without a fight.
“How are we going to find him?” Travis asked, looking back at Ellen. She knew he couldn’t hear her response so she just reached out her hand to comfort him. Ellen had never met this hunter before. But as long as Sam trusted him, it was good enough for her.
However, when Sam had told her that Ruby was a demon, Ellen couldn’t help but wonder if the younger Winchester had lost his ever-loving mind. It had taken him over an hour to convince her that he believed Ruby was truly trying to help defeat Lilith. While she didn’t trust Ruby, she did trust Sam so she’d allow her to remain-- for now.
“I know how to find Sam,” Mike confessed. When Ruby and Ellen looked at him, Travis following suit when he realized something was up, he continued, “I’m hunting Lilith and I know she really hates Sam. So I picked the fight. Back when I had him doubled over and was gripping his jacket, I slipped a bug into his pocket.”
“That’s good,” Ellen assured him though she still didn’t like him. “Go get the receiver.” Mike rushed off to find it. “I also heard back from Bobby,” Ellen continued which got Ruby’s attention. Again, when Travis realized something was up, he got to focusing too. “He sent me the info on how to reverse what happened.” Ruby gave Travis a thumbs-up sign. For as much as these two argued, Ellen couldn’t help but smile at how they supported each other as well. They acted more like an old married couple than hunting companions.
Ellen reached under the bar. She pulled out a small black cloth bag. She dumped the contents onto the bar, a clear quartz stone and a rose-colored quartz stone. Next she pulled out a piece of paper with words written on it. Ruby look at her, realization suddenly dawning on her face. Ellen smiled, enjoying this way too much. “That’s right. The cure for what ails you is a cleansing ritual. I’m not too sure how it’ll work on you Ruby because, well…” she laughed slightly to which Ruby rolled her eyes, “but Bobby seems to think that if you can think happy thoughts, it shouldn’t burn you up too bad.”
Ellen then pulled out a bottle of holy water from beneath the bar. She walked around and stood in front of Travis. The man looked nervous, but he remained still while Ellen started to recite the cleansing ritual and touched the stones to his ears. She then poured some holy water on both of her hands and gently rubbed it into Travis’ ears.
The ritual only took a few moments. Ellen cleared her throat and stepped back. “So Travis, can you hear me now?”
Travis reached up and touched his ears. He smiled saying, “I believe I’ve got four bars, Ellen.”
Ellen smiled and slapped the man joyfully on his arm. “I swear, I don’t know how Sam can put up with you two.”
“Ellen, was that holy water you used?”
“Yep, sure was. I know that she’s a demon too so I’ve gotta say, it really sucks to be her at this point in time. She’s gotta drink some of it to purify her mouth and the stones are holy too and they’ll have to get put up to her lips too.”
Ruby sighed and nodded to signal that she understood. What had been painless for Travis was about to cause her a significant amount. Not to mention, it may not work at all since she was a demon.
“If you’re ready Ruby…” Ellen moved forward and continued with the cleansing ritual. Travis moved behind Ruby and grabbed her shoulders to steady her. Ruby sucked in and held her breath as Ellen placed the stones to her lips, sizzling immediately as she did so. Ruby hissed, but remained staunched. Ellen recited more of the words Bobby had sent her before handing the bottle of holy water to Ruby. “Just a small amount should do it,” she said. “I don’t even think you have to swallow.” Ellen only cared about the demon because she knew Sam would never approve of anyone hurting her unnecessarily.
Travis gripped Ruby tighter as he whispered in her ear. “Go on. Take your medicine and I’ll make sure the doc gives you an extra big lollipop!”
Ruby glared at the other hunter before pressing the bottle to her lips and taking a swig. The reaction was instantaneous as steam began to pour from her mouth. “Son of a bitch! That hurt like hell!”
“Well, it obviously worked,” Travis said, releasing her from his grasp. “So much for peace and quiet.”
“You just wait, Travis,” Ruby warned. “You have to sleep sometime.”
Mike returned with the homing device in his hand. “I’ve got a reading. He’s not far from here. We can take my car.”
“No way, LAPD,” Travis said, raising up the keys to the Impala. “We’re taking our ride. She’s loaded with everything we’ll need to get Sam back.”
“Hey, how did you…” Ruby spit out as she dug into her pockets, finding the keys missing.
“Wait, you actually thought I was hugging you for support?” Travis laughed as he headed out to the car.
*****
Sam shook his head as he could feel his eyes fill with unshed tears. He had lost track of time. Lilith was torturing him in a way worse than inflicting pain, by tearing him apart. She was forcing him to listen to Dean scream and cry in agony only to be silenced by his body giving out. Then it started all over again.
What he wouldn’t give to see the bitch again. He knew she feared him and his abilities and wouldn’t dare to face him were he whole. Now though, he was at her mercy. It was only a matter of time before she tired of this game and killed him. But then, maybe he’d get to join his brother.
He let his head drop to his chest as he felt himself losing consciousness. Between the head injury and the loss of blood, his body couldn’t fight any longer. The last thing he heard before slipping away was his brother calling for somebody to help him. “Dean…”
*****
Ruby, Mike, and Travis made their way quietly through the old warehouse. Ellen had agreed to stay behind so that she could call in reinforcements should they run into trouble. Mike had called her and given her their location. The deal was if they didn’t call her back in twenty minutes, she was to send as many more hunters as she could gather on such short notice.
As they moved through the silent warehouse, Mike wondered if they were too late. Sam was still registering on his homing device as being here which meant that his jacket was here at least. Ruby held up her hand as she pointed to a door that seemed to lead to the basement. Travis nodded as he pulled out the sawed-off and got it ready to shoot. Mike pulled out his service revolver and then followed the others.
Travis whispered to him, “Remember to try for the leg or shoulder. We only need to weaken them to perform the exorcism. We always try to save the host.”
As they began to move down the steps, they heard a soft chuckling and speech coming from below. “Oh, c’mon Sammy, this is no time to sleep. I want to play some more!”
Mike cringed as he heard the voice he’d grown to love. “Jordan…” he whispered, but silenced as Travis placed a finger to his lips. They continued to move further down the steps. They could see a light in the room at the foot of the flight. Ruby motioned for them to move as quietly as possible.
They stopped just outside the doorway and froze at the sight before them. Sam was tied to a chair. Blood covered his body and his sightless eyes stared at the floor, seeming dead. Mike winced as the form of the woman he loved slapped Sam hard enough to break bone. A small moan left the captured man’s lips, but nothing more.
Deciding that Sam couldn’t take much more, Mike ran into the room and headed for the demon. He would try to distract her while the others got into position. “Jordan, stop it!” he commanded. He leveled his gun at his girlfriend’s back. Her long blonde hair swirled around her shoulders as she turned to face him.
Mike felt his gun fly from his hand. He then felt himself hit the cold stone wall. He couldn’t move as the demon wearing his girlfriend’s meat approached him. “So you found us. My, I’m impressed. I guess we’ll have to speed up this circus and get straight to the center ring.”
“Jordan, I know you’re still in there. Please fight,” Mike pleaded.
The pressure in his chest slightly let up as the milky white in his girlfriend’s eyes turned to their normal shade. “Mike?”
“Yes, baby, it’s me. I knew you could beat it. Keep fighting.”
Jordan looked at her boyfriend with sympathy, then her eyes immediately reverted as a malevolent laughter filled the air. “Jordan’s dead, you stupid son of a bitch. Did you honestly think she could stand up to the likes of me?”
“Maybe not, but I can!” Travis yelled as he unloaded both barrels of the sawed-off into the demon’s back. Mike slid down the wall as Lilith fell to the ground with a shriek.
“NO!” Mike retorted, running to his fallen girlfriend’s body.
“Mike, stay away from her!” Travis shouted as he ran to them. He had already reloaded the gun.
Ruby ran over to Sam and quickly cut the ropes that bound him. “Sammy, it’s Ruby.”
“Ruby?” he whispered as he slowly lifted his head up and tried to fix his eyes on her. He bit his tongue as she pulled the knife from his shoulder.
“Shhh, just relax. I’m gonna fix your eyes.” Ruby had already memorized the spell. The tricky part would be when she had to touch the blessed items. She’d bear the pain for Sam.
Ruby pulled out the holy water and the stones. Sam blinked as he heard the beginning of what he recognized as a cleansing ritual. He heard a soft hiss from Ruby and then a first followed by a second cool stone rubbed against his eyes. Ruby continued to recite the cleansing ritual. Just as she was about to pour the holy water on her hands, Travis came over and took it from her. “It’s not that I’m worried about you, but we may need you to fight and you can’t do that with burnt hands.”
“What?” Sam began to ask.
“Nothin’ man. Just hold still.” While Ruby proceeded with the ritual, Travis gently washed Sam’s eyes out with the holy water. As the final words were spoken, Sam blinked, beginning to see shapes. He closed his eyes tightly to get the rest of the water out and then opened them, smiling as he saw his friends for the first time in over twenty-four hours.
“You seeing again, Sammy?” Ruby asked as she waved her hand in front of his face.
Sam blinked and grinned. “Yeah,” he said, tired from the torture. “I can see again.”
Suddenly Jordan shoved Mike away from her telekinetically and then glared at the hunters. She could tell that Sam’s eyesight had been returned to him and headed for the stairs. “I don’t think so!” he crooned, holding her in place with his telekinesis. He could feel her fear. “Karma’s a bitch, ain’t it? Now Ruby!”
Ruby charged for the demon, pulling her knife out as she went. “NO! JORDAN!” Mike yelled.
Sam knew Jordan was dead so he didn’t care about Mike’s pleas. “Finish it, Ruby!”
Ruby raised the knife to plunge into her chest, but just before she got there, Jordan’s head dropped back and she screamed, Lilith lurching up through her throat in the form of the black demonic smoke. “Damn it!” Ruby cried as the demon they’d been hunting escaped them once again.
Sam dropped his arm and would’ve fallen if Travis hadn’t been there to catch him. “Don’t worry, Sam. I’ve gotcha.” Sam looked over to see Mike cradling the body of his deceased girlfriend. He could see the sobs as the man grieved for what had been stolen from him.
Sam walked over to Mike and placed a hand on his shoulder. For a moment, Mike looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, but then returned his attention to Jordan.
So many lives had been lost. So many had been taken by Lilith. Sam refused to let her reign of terror continue. It was time to end this. Sam did not care if he died fighting. He knew he probably would. All he knew was that no matter what, Lilith was going down with him.
*****
Epilogue:
“I tried everything. I guess it just wasn’t enough,” Mike let out, still rocking his girlfriend’s body which dragged Sam from his thoughts. “I’m so sorry, Jordan.” He buried his face into her chest, crying.
Sam could hear sirens in the distance. Somebody must’ve heard all the screaming and called 9-1-1. Ruby ran over to them. “I hate to cut this short, but cops really don’t like us. C’mon, Sammy, let’s get going.”
“Ruby, the guy’s girlfriend just died,” Travis said, joining them. “Give him a minute.”
“I’m sorry, but do you wanna go to jail again?”
Travis thought for a minute. “Point taken,” he said, helping Ruby with Mike.
“NO! JORDAN! NOOO!!!”
“Come on LAPD. She’s dead and we’ve gotta go. Whether you like it or not, you’re leaving with us,” Ruby instructed. “Now either get a grip on yourself or Travis, break a leg off of that chair so I can knock him out.”
It was a bit of a struggle, but Ruby, Travis, and Sam got Mike into the car. He was still sobbing, but at least they didn’t have to worry about him going to an insane asylum for telling the cops a demon killed his girlfriend… or worse. For all they knew, the cops weren’t cops anymore, but demons coming to back Lilith up.
Travis tore out onto the dirt road and flipped the radio on which was playing the newest Linkin Park single, “New Divide.” Ruby smirked, turning the rock up louder. Sam couldn’t help but listen to the words.
“I remembered black skies
The lightning all around me
I remembered each flash
As time began to blur…”
“Dean…” he whispered. God, was that what his brother was going through because of him? Was that how Dean spent every day of his afterlife?
“Like a startling sign
That fate had finally found me
And your voice was all I heard
That I get what I deserve…”
*****
Carson spent the next several days contacting those he knew from his days in Hell who should know what was going on. However, nobody knew anything about somebody bringing his dead wife and son back to haunt him. Whoever had done this was no demon he’d ever met, assuming it was a demon to begin with. The only thing he could be sure of was that whoever had done this didn’t do it for his benefit. It was a taunt, a sign that he had truly pissed somebody off and that person wanted revenge.
The demon returned to Detroit with hopes of talking more to Casey and her son Logan. But he had never gotten the chance. Instead, he only watched from afar. After all, what could he even say to her? To her, talking with Carson was just a brief meeting with a stranger. What did humans do when they wanted to have an honest conversation with their friends? Go out for coffee or something? Even if he did manage to convince her to spend more time with him, in the end, what would it accomplish?
While he watched, he convinced himself that he had no feelings for her any longer outside of the anger that boiled just below the surface. He had handed his soul to the Devil so that she could live a long and happy life with her boy, and she’d rejected it. He wasn’t going to give her another chance to turn away.
The pain had never truly left him. In fact, it had grown like a cancer until Carson Adams was all that remained of Sheriff Jedediah Washington.
It was better to keep his distance for now and watch. One thing he had learned over the years was patience. He’d keep an eye on Casey and Logan Taylor, not because he cared about them, but because they’d eventually lead him to his unseen enemy.
As Carson took one last look at the lit window of Casey’s apartment, he saw her silhouette up against the glass. For a brief moment, there had been a longing he thought had long ago died. He felt a need to hold her in his arms, to feel her body pressed up against his. Shaking his head, the demon squared his shoulders, turned his back on the scene, and walked down the alley, fading into the shadows and mist.
*****
End Credits Roll
*****
