The School for Wayward Children

Chapter Twenty Four- Blood Showers and Water Women

"Today, class, I'd like to introduce a new classmate," Ruby announced from the front of the drama hall. "Everybody, this is Meg Edmund." Sam and Cas both stared at the girl, then turned to each other.

"It can't be the Meg that Gabriel keeps going on about, can it?" Sam muttered. Cas shrugged helplessly.

"We can't know until we ask her."

"Ask me what?" Meg suddenly appeared behind them, her dark hair bouncing in waves around her face. Sam jumped. He was sure a second ago Meg had been at the front of the class, but brushed off the thought almost instantly. No one could move that fast. Meg raised an eyebrow, and Sam  blushed, realising she was still waiting for an answer.

"Oh... um... if... er... we were wondering if you... er... knew... this... this guy we... we know," Sam stuttered, completely baffled to why he was suddenly so nervous. Meg's other eyebrow joined its partner in her hairline.

"This guy?"

"Y-yes," Sam glanced at Cas, but his friend was just staring at Meg incredulously. "Gabriel. He's Cas... my friend... he's his brother. Right, Cas? Cas?" He elbowed Cas in the ribs, snapping him out of his trance. "Right, Cas?"

"Oh, yeah, right," Cas stumbled over his words, blushing. "My brother. Gabriel." Meg stared at the two of them, then turned and walked away.

"If it's the same Meg Gabriel knows, it's no wonder he talks about her all the time."

"I agree. She's scary."

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The scalding water cleared Sam's head as he stepped into the shower. It beat on his back, on his shoulders, massaging the muscles and leaving hot trails of fire. He dipped his head, rivulets of water running off the ends of his hair and into the white tub he was stood in.

His mind was swirling with jagged thoughts, unconnected and irrelevant to one another. His felt like there was a balloon in his head, filling with more and more air, pressing against his skull until he was sure it would crack and burst. Sam exhaled. He wondered what would happen when it did. Would he gain some strange clarity? Or would his mind simply shatter with all his unanswered questions? Either way, it would be better than this twilight zone.

Scrubbing himself fiercely with soap, half blinded by the steam swirling round the bathroom, he treasured this brief moment of privacy. He needed time to think and process. He needed to-

A sharp, stabbing pain in his side cut off his thoughts. He clutched his side, gasping, his eyes screwed shut against the pain. It came in white hot waves, rolling over him until he felt like he was floating. Then it suddenly worsened, and Sam fell against the wall.

He opened his eyes, crying out when he saw the river of blood cascading from his side. A ragged hole pumped blood, wetting his hands and filling the tub. Sam reached blindly for a towel, shrieking when he saw his reflection in the mirror- he was soaked in red, his hair plastered to his head and the colour of rust. He gasped up at the shower, whimpering as, instead of water, scalding hot blood rained down on him.

"Sam..."

The voice was barely more than a whisper, but to Sam it was as loud as a gunshot. His head whipped round, his eyes adjusting to the steam that was turning a steady shade of red. He could just discern the outline of a woman, one hand outstretched towards him.

"Sam..."

Her features slowly filled in- wavy brown hair, hazel eyes, a spattering of freckles across her nose. She seemed familiar, and Sam felt strangely calmed; even the blinding pain in his side subsided to a dull ache.

"Who are you?" he murmured, worried if he spoke too loudly she'd blow away like a whisper on the wind. The woman smiled, a sweet smile like sunshine. Then her smile hardened, and she was suddenly fierce and strong and oh so familiar- if only Sam could place her.

"The Unity watch over you," she raised her head defiantly. Sam closed his eyes,  trying to remember where he knew her. When he opened them, she was gone. The blood was gone. He stood in a clean bathroom, painless and completely by himself.

Alone.

A/N: yay! I finally updated! Sorry I took ages, and that it's so short. And so Sam-centered. Except I'm not really 😉😉

Question of the Week:

Who do we think the woman in the shower was?

Hint: you'll only be able to get this if you've read the previous book

It's called Broken Wings. Again, you don't have to have read it, some things will just make more sense if you have.

Please don't forget to vote, comment etc. Love you guys xxx