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WHEN they arrived to the club, Sam had already been prepared to ask the questions. Joyce looked around the parking lot as sirens wailed around her.
"That's the guy." The bartender groaned in pain. "I called 911, but he was gone before they could show up. That dude get to you, too?" He asked, pointing to Sam's arm.
"Oh, uh, no. This is just a hunting accident."
"Damn."
"Would you do me a favor? If you do see him again, will you give me a call?" Sam handed the man his contact card.
Joyce looked around the parking lot for anything, but there was nothing to find. She walked towards the truck as Sam waved her down, and she stuffed her hands into her pockets.
Sam looked to her as he started the truck. "You all right?"
The woman shook her head. "I just have a weird feeling."
"What's the feeling?"
Joyce looked at him. "Don't worry about it, I'm just paranoid."
Sam pulled onto the main road. "Okay, uh, there's a motel not too far from here. We can sit there for a little bit until we find something on Dean."
As they drove, Sam glanced over at her, and down at his phone.
"Here. Use this. It's easier when I'm driving."
When Joyce looked down at his phone, she noticed the talk-text app.
"Try it out. . . Uh, what happened to your mom?"
Joyce typed on the phone, and once she was finished, she pressed the "Speak" button.
"She was killed by a demon."
Sam looked at her. "A demon? Do you know who it was?"
"No, I just remember his face. I haven't seen him since."
Sam nodded. "I'm sorry. Okay, um. . . What were you doing before you were taken?"
"I was trying to hunt the demon down. I ran into the one you met before you found me, and I ended up locked in that basement."
She hated thinking about the cold, dirtiness of the basement where she believed for a period that she would rot. It was nerve wracking to even think of dying alone.
Sam noticed the look on her face as she stared out the window in a trance.
"You're safe, Joyce. Okay? That demon is dead, and you're free."
Joyce took a breath in as she sent him a smile, pressing "speak". "I know."
When they arrived to the motel, Joyce followed Sam inside. She sat down on the edge of the bed, watching as Sam ran a hand through his hair.
"Give me a minute." Sam said, pulling his phone out. He exited the room, and Joyce was alone.
The girl walked into the bathroom and ran the faucet immediately. She cupped her hand beneath the water and leaned down to splash her face. When Joyce looked up, she saw him.
The woman stumbled backwards as the man stared at her. She quickly turned around, but no one was there. She was still alone, now clutching her knife in her hand as she stared in bewilderment.
Joyce couldn't get his face out of her head, nor her mother's dead body. It was a nightmare she relived every day.
Joyce turned back to the mirror, and he was there again. Joyce lifted her knife and hit the mirror, causing the glass to shatter. She jumped back as the broken shards fell into the sink, and she swallowed.
"Joyce?"
The woman hurried out of the bathroom when she heard Sam's voice. The man stood at the door, seeming alert.
"Crowley— Dean's back at the club." Sam said. Joyce nodded as she walked towards the door. When Sam noticed the blood on her hand, he grabbed it.
"What happened?"
She pulled away and signed. "It's nothing. Let's go."
The club was empty, and as Sam pulled the truck in, he looked to Joyce.
"Maybe you should stay out here until I get him. I don't want you in the cross-fire."
"Are you actually serious?"
"If I need you to drive or something— quickly, you'll be ready." Sam said to her. "I've got to talk to him on my own."
Sam went to get out, but she quickly grasped his shoulder. He turned his head, watching her nod.
"Joyce? Joyce! Stay with me!"
The girl's eyes opened, and the world around her was a haziness reality. She passed through a hallway, laying flatly on a stretcher as she was wheeled towards the operation room. Her mother stared down at her, her stomach churning at the sight of her daughter as she began losing her life.
"Joyce, sweetheart, please don't stop fighting."
She could see the blood on her mother's clothes. It was Joyce's blood.
"What could've caused this? A bear?"
"It has to be some type of animal attack. The father's deceased. Confirmed on scene."
Joyce tried to talk, but her throat burned and her air became thin. The doctor shook his head.
"No, don't talk. Joyce, the more you talk, the more you risk your life. Your vocal cords have been torn."
The pain was excruciating, but the more time passed, her body was consumed by an engulfing numbness. The ringing in her ears grew louder, and the lights above her became brighter.
"JOYCE!"
She was pulled out of her trance as something hard pressed to her temple. Joyce remained still in the seat, noticing Cole standing outside of her door.
"Get out. Slowly."
Joyce reached for her gun, but the man slammed the butt into her temple. Pain shot through her skull as she fell back against the seat, listening to the door open. Cole grabbed her arm and yanked her out, watching as she hit the ground.
"Should've listened."
Joyce swung her leg out and knocked Cole onto the ground. She tried to stand to her feet, but the man quickly grabbed her ankle and yanked her down again. She twisted on the ground, trying to reach for her gun.
"You could've avoided all of this. You could have left when you had the chance. Ain't nothing good about these brothers."
Cole gripped her neck and stared at her scar.
"This is going to hurt."
Joyce gasped as Cole punched her, sending her to the ground harshly. Her head spun as he walked away, out of her sight. She blinked as she tried to focus, watching the smoke as it poured out of the club.
The woman crawled across the cement as she noticed Sam outside of one of the doors. He was unconscious, laying still. When she looked back and saw the confrontation between Cole and Dean, she took the opportunity and staggered towards Sam.
She sank down to the ground and patted his face gently, knocking on one of the metal bins beside him to gain his attention. Sam grunted as he stirred awake, staring up at her as she lifted his head.
"The water." Sam whispered as she helped him to his feet. "The holy water."
Joyce lifted her shirt over her nose as she entered the bar. She rushed through the fading smoke and looked around the bar, noticing the flask on the floor. She grabbed the flask and ran back to the door, tossing it to Sam.
Sam walked around the building just as Cole was shoved to the ground. Dean was facing away, and Sam's presence wasn't known.
Joyce grabbed the dropped gun and clip from the ground as Sam spewed the holy water on Dean. Dean grunted as it burned, causing him to fall to his knees.
Sam hurried and cuffed Dean. "Stop! It's over!"
Dean stared up at Sam with a piercing look, one that caused Joyce to shiver.
"Joyce!"
The woman rushed towards the two and grabbed ahold of Dean's arms.
"Get him in the car." Sam said, pulling a set of keys from Dean's pocket. She turned her head and stared at the old car; a 1967 Chevy Impala.
Joyce pulled Dean towards the car, opening the door.
"And who might you be?" Dean asked her. "You know what, it doesn't even matter. It won't when you're dead."
Joyce pulled her shirt down to reveal her scar, and she lifted her hand and flipped Dean off.