"In three words I can sum up everything
I've learned about life: it goes on." -Robert Frost
<< The Tragic Life of Magda Peterson >>
Sam and Dakota waited until the sun went down to start scooping around the farm. Sam pulls the EMF reader out of his pocket and raises it in front of him, Dakota watches him skeptically. She purses her lips at him while following, she doesn't think it's a ghost. She thinks the witch makes more sense, but she understands Sam's thought.
Dakota pulls out her flashlight and clicks it on, brushing past Sam to go into the barn. The only sound that could be heard was horses breathing and bugs hidden in the dark. Dakota shines her light around, Sam mimics her after pulling out his own flashlight. They both shine the lights over baskets of fruit sitting on the table, Dakota wanders over to them while Sam looks at the EMF, trying to find any traces of the deceased Peterson.
Dakota glances over at the horses and smiles at the animals, moving passed Sam she reaches her hand out. Her fingers brush softly against a horse's nose, a small giggle escapes her lips but she's quick to muffle the sound.
A loud noise goes off near them, almost sounding like a door squeaking open. Sam and Dakota exchange panicked looks, both turning off their flashlights. Sam grabs Dakota's hand and pulls her off to the side in one of the horses stall, his free hand reaching up to cover her mouth as Abraham walks into the barn.
"Elijah?" Abraham questions as the younger Peterson stalks in, carrying a lantern in his hand. "What's wrong?"
"Mom's with Magda." Elijah answers, his voice sounding sad. Dakota hears Sam's breath hitch at the revelation that Magda Peterson is alive.
"Your mother's doing God's work." Abraham assures his son.
"She's hurting her." Elijah responds stiffly, anger flaring up in his tone. Dakota tenses, hurting her how? She gives her uncle a sad look and he brushes his thumb comfortingly over the back of her hand.
"Son," Abraham sighs, "the Devil's a deceiver. Don't let him sow doubt in you. If anyone found out about Magda, they'd come for her."
Abraham reaches over to place some feed into the stall that Dakota and Sam are hiding in. They both try to press themselves tightly against the side to not be seen, Dakota practically sitting in Sam's lap.
"And if that happened..." Abraham continues after he places the feed, not having seen the two Winchesters. "I love your sister...but you know what she can do."
There's an eery silence that follows Abraham's words, Dakota grips onto Sam's hand tightly.
"Magda..." Abraham sighs, "Magda's our cross to bear."
Abraham's words swirl in Dakota's head, distracting her slightly from their departure. Sam nudges her, but she's too lost in her thoughts to feel it.
"Kota." Sam mutters, nudging her harder this time. Dakota blinks a couple times before glancing at him in confusion. "They're gone, let's go."
Sam pulls Dakota to her feet, patting her shoulder before sliding the stall door open for them. He clicks on his flashlight and Dakota copies his actions, stepping out of the stall and pulling out her phone. The screen lights up, but shows there's no signal. She sighs sadly and passes the phone to Sam, who curses under his breath before passing it back.
Dakota trails after Sam as he leaves the barn, his body is slightly lowered to the ground as he runs towards the farm house. Dakota rolls her eyes at him trying to 'sneak' around, the man is like seven feet tall, there's no way he can hide himself by lowering his body a little bit.
The younger Winchester doesn't even attempt to hide herself, she just walks after Sam. Granted, that's probably a bad idea, but if Abraham didn't see them in the stall than he's probably not going to.
Sam looks over his shoulder at his niece, nearly blanching at how nonchalant she's making the situation seem, he grabs her wrist and pulls her close to him.
They both hear snapping sounds and Gail speaking in a different language, they crouch down next to the basement window, peering in.
Dakota's face pales as she lays eye on the small, broken figure of Magda Peterson. Slashes are covering the young girl's back, both old and new ones. She whips herself as her mother prays in the same language the victims were muttering. Whimpers and cries escape Magda's chapped lips. Dakota's eyes tear up at hearing the girl's struggles. They're roughly the same age, how could they have completely different life styles. Dakota isn't afraid of her dad, sure she doesn't have the safest life, but it seems like a blessing compared to Magda's.
Magda stops whipping herself, breaking down into heart shattering sobs filled with agony. A soft whimper escapes Dakota at the sound, she wants so badly to take away Magda's pain.
"Again." Gail demands, pausing her reading to speak to her daughter. "Again!" She screeches when the young girl doesn't move.
Dakota silently cries as she watches a mother force her child to viciously whip themselves. How could a parent be so cruel?
Sam's phone starts to vibrate loudly, the tall man panics and grabs Dakota and his phone. He pulls his crying niece from the window as he desperately tries to free his phone from his pocket.
"Hey." Sam answers the phone, whispering as he pulls himself and Dakota away from the house.
"Beth is not a witch." Dakota faintly hears her dad say, she sobs to herself quietly, Magda's own cries still echo in her head and around her heart. "You were right about the whole ghost thing."
Another cry slips through Dakota's lips at her father's words. Magda is very much alive, but suffering every second through her life.
Dakota has seen some bad stuff in her life, but she's never really cried like this on a hunt before. She was bewildered by how much emotion floods through her. She's not one to break down like this, hunts rarely get to her in this way. Of course, she's seen some heartbreaking stuff before, but she's never broken down like this before. Something about Magda's situation crushes her inside.
"Listen, Magda is still alive." Sam rushes out, he continues to hunch over as he quickly walks through the yard, pulling Dakota along with him. "Yes, Magda's not dead." He answers to whatever Dean's response was. "She's alive!"
Behind the two Winchesters a shotgun cocks, causing the hunters to stiffen. Dakota stops crying, but tears remain in her eyes and down her cheeks.
"Sam." Dean's voice echoes through the phone as Sam pulls it away from his head, raising both hands in the air. Dakota follows suit and raises her hands in surrender.
She closes her eyes as Sam turns around to look at the gunmen. Dakota sighs and looks over her shoulder, her body following the movement. Her teary green eyes widen at the sight of Elijah holding the two at gunpoint.
"Don't move." The Peterson boy orders, Dakota stares at him with an almost heartbroken expression.
"Sammy? Kota?" Dean's voice questions.
"Elijah." Dakota says. "Listen to me. We can help your sister, okay? We can save her from this pain." She begs. "I just need you to trust me."
Elijah's eyes soften at Dakota, he slightly lowers the gun. Before Dakota could move Sam collapses next to her with a grunt, his body going limp as he loses consciousness.
"Sammy!" Dakota cries out before the same board is slammed into her skull, sending her whole world into darkness as she crumples to the ground.
"Sam?" Dean voice turns panicked. "Kota? Sammy?
Soft singing is all Dakota can hear as she slowly comes to. Her head pounding with pain, she blinks harshly as she tries to focus her sight. A mixture of a groan and whimper slip through her lips as she tries to move around, her hands are bound behind her back.
"Magda?" Sam questions from beside her, having woke up a few moments ago too. Dakota shies away from his voice, despite how quiet he spoke, the sound reverberates around the young hunter's skull.
The singing ceases from the air, making the dimly light basement appear even more terrifying.
"Magda Peterson." Sam says, sounding more sure of himself as he sits up straight. Sam quickly glances over at Dakota, making sure she's beside him, and at least relatively okay.
"That's not my name." The young girl speaks, her voice stronger than Dakota was expecting. "I'm not Magda. I'm the Devil." A devastating tone laces her words, Dakota feels a pang of sadness pierce her.
Dakota exhales sharply, pushing herself to a sitting position. "No. No, you're not. You're really not." She assures the girl softly, her voice wavers with emotion.
Magda shifts around so she's facing them, chains rattling against the ground as she does so.
"He's inside me." She whimpers. "I can hear him whispering. He lets me hear what people are thinking. He lets me do things."
"What kind of things?" Sam questions. Magda looks down, away from the two as tears line her eyes. "Magda, I'm here...we're here to help you. Show me."
"Please." Dakota adds.
The Peterson girl looks up at Dakota, she gives the hunter a ghost of a smile. She turns away from the two, facing the cross that's hanging on the wall above the candles.
The cross starts to sway before completely coming off the table. It stays a few inches into the air, Dakota's mouth falls open at the sight. Magda's not the Devil, she's a psychic.
"Magda." Sam says in soft tone. "You're not the Devil. You're just psychic." He echoes Dakota's thoughts. "There are others other there like you, like--like me. I have powers, too. I'd get these visions sometimes and--and I could move things with my mind."
Magda turns back around to face the two, the cross slowly sinks back down to the table. "You can do that?" She questions the older Winchester.
"Well, no, not anymore, I don't think. But that didn't make me the Devil." Sam almost stutters as he explains. "It--it--it just made me who I am."
"Then you are evil." Magda states, her voice cracks.
"No," Dakota denies, her greens eyes turn fierce. "He's not evil. You're not evil. Your powers, they don't make you evil. What you choose to do with them is what makes you evil or not. The powers themselves don't define your...your goodness. You're not evil, Magda, you're just...special."
Sam gives his niece a soft look, he knows how strongly she feels about psychics.
"Mother says I'm evil," Magda croaks out, the tone of her voice makes tears well up in Dakota's eyes. She forces them not to fall. "'Cause I hurt people."
"Who did you hurt?" Sam asks, his brow furrowed.
"I didn't mean it." Magda swears, turning away from the Winchesters. "She was pretty, and she always smiled. And I thought that maybe she could help me. I couldn't talk to her, but I could hear her thoughts. And I thought maybe I could make her hear mine. So I prayed. And I reached out to her...but she never came." Magda recalls sadly, her voice thick with emotion. "And I did it again with that delivery boy. Mother says I killed them."
"Magda," Dakota says, her voice barely above a whisper. Sam wheels around to look at her, worry in his eyes as he listens to the amount of sadness in her voice. His heartbreaking at the amount of emotion that's pouring from the two girls, it was almost like Dakota was channeling Magda's agony.
"That wasn't your fault." Dakota insists. "You are not the Devil. You're not evil. And it's scary. I-I know it's scary, but you can learn how to control it."
"You don't ever have to hurt anyone ever again." Sam continues Dakota's thought.
Dakota flinches at the sound of the basement door opening. She shuffles closer to Sam, her eyes wide as they stare at the door in alert. Elijah and Abraham walk down the stairs, the latter carrying a shotgun.
Elijah looks sadly at Magda before glancing at Dakota, guilt sinking into his stomach at the hidden fear in her eyes.
"It's time for supper." He says quietly. Abraham grabs Sam harshly while Elijah unlocks Magda's chains.
"Don't touch him!" Dakota cries out, watching Abraham shove Sam forward sharply. Elijah grips onto Dakota's bicep, gently as he lifts her up. He keeps on hand on Dakota's arm and another on Magda's, leading the two up the stairs.
Sam's tied to a chair at the corner of the table, Abraham across from him at the head. Elijah ties Dakota to the chair across from Magda, on Sam's left. Elijah takes a seat next to his sister while Gail passes out food to everyone's plate.
"Abraham..." Sam says slowly. "Your daughter needs help."
"What do you think we've been doing all these years?" Abraham asks stiffly.
"You talk about knowing God, but we know the Devil." Gail informs, Dakota can't help but scoff at the woman's words. She's never seen the Devil, not really. Dakota realizes that Sam did the same thing she did. "We've been wrestling with her for years."
Magda looks down at her plate sadly.
"You have any idea what she's done?" Gail nearly demands.
"Those people..." Sam starts, eyes bouncing from both parents as he insists. "That wasn't her fault. "
"You think they're the first?" Gail spits. "Tell him." She orders Magda. Her daughter looks at her with wide, pleading eyes. "Tell him." She repeats, harsher this time.
"Before we came here..." Magda starts quietly, struggling to say the words. "I wanted a new cellphone, but my mom wouldn't buy me one."
"We were driving home," Gail cuts in, "and she screamed at me to pull over. And I felt the Devil at my hands. I yanked that wheel right into oncoming traffic. She did this to me. She did this to us. She has taken lives. Don't you understand that by keeping her here, we're protecting you?"
"By doing what?" Dakota snaps angrily, wheeling around on Gail as the woman sits next to her. "Beating the hell out of her?"
"Pain purges sin." Gail explains slowly, almost like Dakota wouldn't understand it any other way.
"No, it doesn't. You're wrong." Dakota asserts sternly, glaring fiercely at the woman.
"Abraham." Sam says pleadingly, drawing the attention away from his niece.
"It's time." Gail announces, reaching a hand out to Abraham.
The Peterson family all clasps hands, bowing their head as Abraham begins to pray. Sam and Dakota breathe out sighs, exchanging a depressed glance. A bad feeling sinks in Dakota's stomach, she tries to tell Sam through her eyes.
Almost as if a small miracle struck them, realization dawns in Sam's eyes and he gives her a terse nod. They both attempt to free themselves.
"We thank you for these bountiful gifts." Abraham prays. "May they nourish our body and soul. And look after each one of us, now and until our dying day. Amen."
Gail and Elijah echo, "Amen."
Abraham is the first one to eat.
"Dig in, everyone." Gail says. "Elijah." She urges.
Elijah gets a spoonful but before he could place it in his mouth, Abraham drops his spoon and begins to gag. White foam starts to seep from his mouth.
"Dad?" Elijah panics.
Abraham continues to choke, placing a hand on his throat. Gail places a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Abraham?" Sam and Dakota question, the latter almost whimpering in fear.
"Dad?" Elijah repeats, standing up from the table as Abraham's gags get loudly.
"Shh!" Gail hisses sharply at her son.
A few seconds later Abraham falls forward, dead on the table.
"What did you do?" Sam demands, staring at the man with shock.
"Eat." Gail orders everyone, not answering Sam's question.
"What did you do!?" Dakota repeats Sam's question louder, her voice almost a screech.
"This is how we will stay together." Gail explains to her children. "We will enter Heaven as a family. Eat!"
"Elijah, do not eat that!" Dakota shouts, he looks at her in panic, unsure of who to listen to. "Elijah." She pleads, Gail's chair scrapes against the ground as she moves back.
She walks around the table to her son.
"Mom?" He asks in fear.
"Eat." She demands.
"Elijah, do not do it." Dakota repeats herself, her voice pleading but stern.
"Eat!" Gail urges.
"No! Elijah, don't!"
Elijah ultimately listens to his mother, raising the spoon so his mouth.
"No!" Dakota and Magda scream, Magda uses her powers to send Elijah's spoon across the room.
Magda rises from her chair, glaring angrily at her mother.
"Devil." Gail accuses.
Elijah's bowl is the next to be flung across the room, Dakota ducks out of the way.
Gail picks up a knife and lunges towards her daughter, but Elijah jumps up, exclaiming "No!"
The knife stabs Elijah's abdomen.
"Elijah!" Dakota sobs, watching as he struggles to catch his breath, pain filling his expression. Sam watches in horror.
Gail pulls the knife out of Elijah, the boy groans softly before falling onto the floor, dead. Magda watches, her whole body shaking with rage. Gail lunges forward again, attempting to stab Magda again. Gail freezes, the knife inches away from Magda but unable to move.
"I'm not the Devil. You are." Magda corrects tensely.
Magda glares at her mother, the knife starts to turn towards Gail, shaking as tries to stop it. Sam grunts as he thrashes against his bindings. Dakota stares blankly at Elijah's body, tears cascading down her face.
She liked him, she really liked him. They got along easily, they talked quite a bit when they worked on the buggy. It was a short period of time, but Dakota gained a crush. He was nice to her, she liked him.
"Magda, stop!" Sam shouts as the knife gets closer to Gail, the woman gasping as she tries to stop herself. "You don't have to do this. You could control it. Magda, nobody else has to die. Please!"
Magda sobs softly, allowing her mother to drop the knife from her chest.
Dean had eventually came, freeing Sam and Dakota. He called the cops and an ambulance.
Dakota sits on the ground by the ambulance, staring at her hands vacantly. She glances occasionally at Magda, who's sitting in the back of an ambulance. Sam and Dean stand together by the gate, Sam's arms crossed over his chest, both have glares across their faces.
"She's the Devil!" Gail shouts as two police officers escort her towards a squad car. "The Devil is among us! She must be cleansed! She is the Devil! Pray for us!" She's finally pushed into the back of a cop car, the door shut after she's inside.
"Sorry I missed all the psycho." Dean says as him and Sam approach the ambulance.
"Hey, you thought our family was crazy." Sam retorts.
"Yeah." Dean agrees, casting a concerned glance over at Dakota who coughs harshly into her arm, her eyes filled with sadness.
"Hey, Magda." Sam greets softly as Magda watches the cop car pull away with her mother inside. "Are you holding up?" The stares at them in fear, she's not scared of them just everything happening around her. She nods slowly, giving Beth a ghost smile.
"Beth called my aunt in California." Magda speaks up. "I'm gonna be staying with her."
The Winchester men nod their heads at her words, agreeing that--that's a good idea.
"She has a ranch." Beth adds gently. "Lots of wide open country."
Magda forces a smile at Beth.
"Well, that's great." Dean says quietly, a soft tone layering his voice. "You know, sometimes in order to figure things out, a person needs space." Sam looks confused by Dean's words, looking over at him.
"Agent, can I talk to you?" Beth asks, looking at Dean.
He presses his lips together, casting a glance in Dakota's direction. "Yeah, sure."
Sam sits next to Magda, telling her that eventually she's going to be all right. That her powers don't control her, she controls them. He tells her to call him if she needs anything, the young girl smiles and leans her head onto his shoulder, hugging his arm with one side.
"You think you made the right call back there, letting her go?" Dean asks Sam as the three Winchesters walk back to the Impala.
"I hope so." Sam sighs, glancing at Dakota who chokes on something.
The three stop as she grips her throat, gasping for breath as her face turns bright red.
"Dakota!" Dean panics, Dakota's eyes widen in the same frenzied state as she attempts to get her breath, her hand gripping onto Dean's coat tightly. The other one still around her throat.
"D-" Is all she's able to gasp out, she wheezes harshly as her face turns slightly blue. Her eyes full of panic and fear. She falls sideways limply, collapsing on the ground with eyes closed, a single tear slipping out under her eyelid, sliding down her temple and into her hair.
"Dakota!" Dean screams, throwing himself down next to her, Sam doing the same thing.
Dean's shaking hand finds Dakota's pulse point and his face pales.
"S-Sammy." He gasps. Sam quickly picks her up, Dean stumbles after him as they take the last couple steps to the Impala. Sam lays Dakota in the back, Dean sliding after her before Sam jumps in the drivers side.
They race off towards the ER, their hearts in their throats as their youngest family member lays in her father's lap, with no pulse.
Hey guys! Next chapter I'll explain better about Dakota's feelings during this, why she got so emotionally invested into Magda. I'll also explain her thoughts on Elijah's death, she'll confide in Dean for help on trying to push through it.
What do you think is happening with Dakota?
Is it natural or supernatural?