.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Fear of the Dark
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
(Present Day)
Everything felt too heavy. He couldn’t lift his head, whenever he tried it just fell back lamely to the ground with soft thump but he felt too numb to feel any pain that it may have caused. His eyes flickered open for no longer than mere seconds at a time and when they did, his vision was far too blurred to actually make anything out. Even the sounds that came from his surroundings were jumbled and mixed up, he tried to focus on just one but his mind was far too foggy, clogging any clear thoughts he tried to form. His breathing was a mixture of deep and shallow breaths, painful and hitching in places and his heart was beating erratically in his chest, threatening to break out through his unprotected layers of skin and muscle and bone.
A cold hand touched his forehead… or was it that he was so hot the hand just felt cold… he didn’t care… it was just there… it was something to focus on so he could forget about the pain. He blinked his eyes again and tried to search for the owner of the hand… hoping to see the kind and worried eyes of his brother. Instead, all he saw was the swirling yellow pits that haunted his family and then the darkness came to claim him, taking him swiftly away from everything and into nothingness.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
“You son of a bitch!” Sam cried, “Get the hell away from my brother!”
Sam stared hard at Dean’s body, watching carefully for any movement and happy to see his chest rising and falling at odd intervals. It was almost as if his brother had the hiccups, without the funny, yet embarrassing, high pitched squeaking noise.
He felt a deep sense of hopelessness as the demon kneeled down next to Dean and placed his hand on Dean’s flushed forehead, making him struggle as much as he could against the force keeping him pinned against the wall.
“Stop touching him” He shouted childishly, “Leave him alone.”
The demon looked up at him, eyes bearing into his soul and Sam felt his anger rising, Dean’s breathing had started evening out but that thing was still touching him and Sam wanted to rip its hand away from the vulnerable older hunter. The yellow eyed bastard just smiled in reply, a grin to rival the Cheshire cat’s or even that of a particularly cocky Dean.
“You want me to leave him alone so badly?” The Demon taunted.
Sam didn’t answer instead he just glared, refusing to turn away and break eye contact.
“He’s not one of mine but who’d have guessed he could actually turn out to be useful.” The Demon dropped his gaze back down to the unconscious form, an insane glow forming in its eyes.
“I’m going to kill you!”
“No you won’t.” It stated calmly, “Because wherever your brother goes, you’re sure to follow and right now, he’s got much more darkness in his heart.”
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
(6 Days Ago)
When Dean eventually woke up, morning was practically over and the afternoon was merely minutes away and his younger ‘I’m an annoying morning person’ brother was already up, showered, dressed and fed and was sat, at the pathetic little thing that could just possibly pass for a table, scouring the Internet on his laptop.
“You look better.”
Sam remained silent, merely nodding in reply.
“What you looking for?” Dean asked, pulling himself out of bed.
“My vision happened in a park… I was trying to find it.”
“Oh… And have you?”
“Hackworth Park… few hundred miles north from here.” Sam looked up, his features set, “Part of me wants to stay the hell away from it because it’s just asking for trouble going there…”
“But?”
“But I can’t keep running from my fears. Something happens and I’m gonna stop it before it does. I’m gonna face it head on.”
Dean smiled at his brothers determination, “No Sammy, we’re gonna stop it, we’re gonna face it head on… we’re in this together, you know that right?”
“I know.” And Sam smiled too, it was his first smile since waking and he was relieved feel how genuine it was.
“Well then, let me grab a shower and we’ll get this show on the road.”
Little over and hour later, after Dean had been showered and had drank the sweet nectar that was black coffee, that Sam had so kindly gone and bought for him, and had scrounged a couple left over doughnuts, they were on the road headed north. Naturally Dean refused to let Sam drive and naturally he had his classic rock playing in the background, Iron Maiden echoed through the car as he mumbled the parts with lyrics and tapped the steering wheel to the instrumentals. At the speed he was driving, they might make it to Little Willington before midnight rang across the state.
Sam played around with his laptop, searching the weather patterns for the area and for any other signs that may point to the Demon. He pondered slightly, wondering whether or not he should Ash a call, see if he’d noticed anything but then… surely Ash would have already called if there was something showing up. No, they were probably alone on this one and Sam knew that’s the way Dean would want it. There were very few people that Dean truly trusted and when it came to Sam, he was wary of just about everyone.
It wasn’t until they were only a couple of hours away that Dean finally asked if Sam had found anything out unusual about the town they were going to, any recent unexplained deaths, suicides or missing person. But it was clean. An old lady had died the week before and someone’s pet cat had been run over but other than that, there was nothing.
And so with only a couple of miles left to go before they reached Little Willington, Dean pulled into the next motel shortly after midnight and the brothers went to claim a yet another tacky motel room where they would sleep and prepare for the next day. Both of them unaware of the watching eyes and ticking clock that was counting down to that moment somewhere in the near future that would change them and brand them if they let it.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Yellow eyes watched from the shadows, smiling as the pawns were moving slowly into place. He would claim what was rightfully his, and when he did, he would use the eldest’s blood to toast the victory, savouring the taste.
But of course, not all the cards were on the table just yet and sometimes if a pawn manages to make it to the other side, they can become one of the most dangerous and powerful pieces on the board, so even Demon’s with a fool proof plan can be beaten if they’re playing against a true fool unless that pawn makes it to the other side and doesn’t want to turn back.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.