"Hey uhm, Scarlett we have a case and you might be able to help us." Sam says over the phone.
"Where?" Lottie asks.
"We're working a case, it smells supernatural but not a ghost." Sam says.
"You're thinking something dark? Nothing appeared on the EMF. You think it might be a witch gone dark." Lottie says.
|| Impala ||
Dean is driving.
"Roger Miller. Ah no no, just the address, please. Ok, thanks" Sam holds his head."450 West Grove, Apartment 1120." He instructs.
"You ok?" Dean asks.
"Yeah." Sam says Lottie gives Sam a concerned look.
"If you're gunna hurl I'll pull the car over you know, cause the upholstery..." Dean says.
"I'm fine." Sam says.
"All right." Dean says.
"Just drive." Sam looks at Dean, sighes heavily, and looks away. "Dean I'm scared man. These nightmares weren't bad enough, now I'm seeing things when I'm awake? And these, visions, or whatever, they're getting more intense. And painful."
"Come on man, you'll be all right. It'll be fine." Dean says. Lottie looks for something in her bag.
"What is it about the Millers. Why am I connected to them, why am I watching them die? Why the hell is this happening to me?" Sam asks.
"I don't know Sam but we'll figure it out. We've faced the unexplainable every day. This is just another thing." Dean says.
"No. It's never been us. It's never been in the family like this. Tell the truth, you can't tell me this doesn't freak you out." Sam says.
"This doesn't freak me out." Dean stares ahead. Sam stares at him then turns away.
"Aha." Lottie pulls out a bottle placed it in Sams's hand. "for the pain, it's herbs if they help I can make more."
"It's green and looks a little dirty, it smells like alcohol." Sam sniffs it.
"Helps with the pain and to calm you down." Lottie say, "Thank you." Sam says.
|| Roger's Street ||
The Impala pulls up as Roger approaches the entrance with a bag of groceries.
"Hey Roger." Sam says out the window.
"What are you guys, missionaries? Leave me alone." Rodger doesn't spot Lottie.
"Please!" Sam says. Roger is gone. Dean guns the engine, jumping the curb as he hurriedly parks.
"Hey. Roger. We're trying to help!"Sam runs out of the car, "Please! Hey, hey hey hey hey."Sam runs up to the entrance just as Roget closes the door it behind him.
"I don't want your help." Roger walks away.
"We're not priests, you gotta listen to us!" Sam says.
"Roger, you're in danger!" Lottie says.
"Come on. Come on come on." Dean looks around.
The three, run around the corner to a back entrance, it is securely locked. Dean quickly looks around then kicks it open. They jump to the first level of the fire escape then run up the stairs. When they are one floor from Roger's house, they hear the window slide down and a wet squelching noise. Sam and Lottie freeze, Dean sprints past him and grabs the railing. Roger's head lies in the flower bed under the window, his blood all over the kitchen window. Sam and Lottie join him, Lottie stares in horror.. After a long pause, Dean pulls handkerchiefs from his pocket, throwing one to Sam and Lottie.
"Start wiping down your fingerprints, we don't want the cops to know we were here. Come on, come on!" Dean says.
"I'm gonna take a look inside." Dean lifts the window.
Sam and Lottie continue wiping down the metal railing.
• • • •
"I'm telling you there was nothing in there. No signs either, just like the Miller's house." Dean says.
"I saw something, in the vision. Like a dark shape. Something was....something was stalking Roger." Sam says.
"Whatever it was, are you sure it's not connected to their house?" Dean asks.
"No, it's connected to the family themselves. So what do you think, like a vengeful spirit?"Sam asks.
"So we're ruling out as witch?" Lottie asks.
"Well yeah, there's a few that have been known to latch onto families, follow them for years." Dean says.
"Angiak. Banshees." Sam says.
"Basically like a curse. So maybe Roger and Jim Miller got involved in something heavy, something curse worthy." Dean says.
"A vengeful vampire?" Lottie says.
"And now the something is out for revenge. And the men in their family are dying." Sam says.
"Hey, you think Max is in Danger?" Sam asks.
"Let's figure it out before he is." Dean says.
"Well, I know one thing I have in common with these people." Sam says.
"What's that?" Dean asks. "Both our families are cursed." Sam says.
"Our family's not cursed! We just...had our dark spots." Dena says.
"Our dark spots are...pretty dark." Sam says. "You're....dark." Dean says.
|| Miller House ||
Max leads Sam, Lottie and Dean. The boys are wearing their priests' outfits.
"My Mom's resting, she's pretty wrecked." Max says.
"Of course." Dean says.
"All these people kept coming with like, casseroles? I finally had to tell them all to go away. You know cause nothing says I'm sorry like a tuna casserole." Max says.
Sam smiles. Max smiles back. Lottie gives him a cheeky smile.
"I understand, when my parents passed away we had lasagna for weeks, we had to go give many away." Lottie says. Max gives her a smile and nod. Max gestures to the lounge and they all take seats. There is a moments silence, then Sam sighs.
"How you holding up?" Sam asks.
"Ok." Max says.
"You're dad and your uncle were close." Sam says
"Yeah, I guess. I mean, they were brothers. They used to hang out all the time when I was little." Max says.
"But not lately much?" Sam asks.
"No, it's not that. It's just....we used to be neighbours when I was a kid, and we lived across town in this house. Uncle Roger lived next door, so he was over all the time." Max says.
"Right. So how was it in that house when you were a kid?" Sam asks.
"It was fine. Why?" Max says.
"All good memories? Do you remember anything unusual? Something involving your father and your uncle maybe?" Dean asks.
"What do ya....why do you ask?" Max shakes his head.
"Just a question." Dean says.
"No, there was nothing. We were totally normal. Happy." Max says.
"Good. That's good. Well, you must be exhausted. We should take off." Dean says.
"Right. Thanks." Sam says.
"Yeah." Max says.
"Hey I know what is like losing someone close, so here's my number if you need anything." Lottie gives him one of Deans numbers. He nods his head.
• • • •
The three walk down the drive to stand beside the Impala.
"No one's family is totally normal and happy. See when he was talking about his old house?" Dean says.
"He sounded scared." Sam says.
"Yeah, Max isn't telling us everything. I say we go find the old neighbourhood, find out what life was really like for the Millers." Dean says.
"He's hurting, inside, it's a lot of pain." Lottie speaks up.
• • • •
The three stand on the footpath, talking to a man in his front yard.
"Have you lived in the neighbourhood very long?" Sam asks.
"Yeah, almost 20 years now. It's nice and quiet. Why, you looking to buy?" the man says.
"No, no, actually, we were wondering if you might recall a family that used to live right across the street I believe." Sam says.
"Yeah, the Millers. They had a little boy called Max." Dean says.
"Right." Lottie says.
"Yeah, I remember. The brother had the place next door. So uh, what's this about, is that poor kid ok?" the man asks, Lottie get a bad feeling.
"What do you mean?" Sam asks.
"Well in my life I've never seen a child treated like that. I mean I'd hear Mr Miller yelling and throwing things clear across the street, he was a mean drunk. He used to beat the tar outta Max. Bruises. Broke his arm two times that I know of." the man says.
"This was going on regularly?" Sam asks.
"Practically every day. In fact, that thug brother of his was just as likely to take a swing at the boy but the worst part was the stepmother. She'd just stand there, checked out, not lifting a finger to protect him. I must have called the police seven or eight times. Never did any good." the man says.
"Now you said step-mother." Dean says.
"I think his real mother died. Some sorta...accident. Car accident I think." the man says.
Sam has his hand to his head and is grimacing.
"Are you ok there?" the man asks.
"uh, yeah." Sam winced.
Dean holds an arm out toward Sam "Thanks for your time."
Sam lifts his hands to his head. "Yeah, thank you."
"Thank you for your time." Lottie helps Sam. They turn to go, Dean and Lottie supporting Sam.
"God." Sam says.
Sam looks up and the world spin. He is suddenly in the Millers' kitchen. Mrs Miller is chopping vegetable with a large knife.
"I don't know what you mean by that. You know I never did anything!" Mrs. Miller places the knife down.
"That's right. You didn't do anything. " Max makes the knife starts to rattle on the chopping board. "You didn't stop them, not once." The knife lifts into the air.
Mrs.Miller backing up against the wall. "How did you..." The knife moves forward to hold her against the wall.
"Max! please!" She begs. The knife twists in front of her face, coming close enough to her eyeball to pierce the tear there so it runs down her cheek. She gasps.
"For every time you stood there and watched. Pretending it wasn't happening." Max cries.
"I'm sorry." She says.
"No, you're not. You just don't wanna die." he says. She gasps and cries. The knife slices right through her eye and out the back of her head.
|| Impala ||
Sam tells them about Max being behinds it and then they agree to follow Sams lead as they go inside.
"Son of a bitch" Dean says.
"I know." Sam says.
"That's their punishment, he killed his own family." Lottie says.
|| Miller's Kitchen ||
"You know I never did anything." Mrs.Miller says.
"That's right. You didn't do anything. You didn't stop them, not once!" Max says.
Sam, Dean and Lottie burst through the front door.
"Fathers? Ms. Salvatore?" She asks.
"What are you doing here?" Max asks.
"Aahh, sorry to interrupt." Dean says.
"Max, can we, uh, can we talk to you outside for just one second?" Sam asks.
"About what?" Max asks suspuisl.
"It's....it's private. I wouldn't want to bother your mother with it." Sam says. "We won't be long at all though, I promise." Sam tells her.
Max looks at his stepmother, then back. "Ok."
"Great." Sam says.Lottie stays with Mrs.Miller
Dean and Sam turn for the door, Max follows. As Dean grasps the doorknob he turns back to smile at Max. Max sees the butt of the pistol in Dean's waistband in the hall mirror. Suddenly the knob is pulled from Dean's hand and the door slams shut, as does the wooden window blinds all around the room.
"You're not priests!" Max backs up.
Dean draws his gun but Max uses his power to pull it away, sliding it across the floor to where he can pick it up. He holds it on Sam and Dean.
"Max, what's happening?" Mrs.Miller asks. "Shut up" He says. "What are you doing?" She asks.
Using his power, Max flings her backwards. She hits her head on the kitchen bench and falls to the ground unconscious.
"I said shut up!" Max says.
"Max calm down." Sam says.
"Who are you?" Max asks, Lottie checks on Mrs.Miller.
"We just wanna talk." Sam says.
"Yeah right, that's why you bought this!" Max indicates to the gun
"That was a mistake, all right? So was lying about who we were. But no more lying Max ok? Just please, just hear me out." Sam says.
"About what?" Max asks.
"I saw you do it. I saw you kill your Dad and your Uncle before it happened." Sam says.
"What?" Max asks.
"I'm having visions, Max. About you." Sam says.
"You're crazy." Max says.
"So what, you weren't gonna launch a knife at your stepmom?" Sam taps his eye. "Right here? Is it that hard to believe Max, look what you can do. Max, I was drawn here, all right? I think I'm here to help you." Sam says.
"No one can help me." Max cries.
"Let me try. We'll just talk, me and you. We'll get Lottie, Dean and Alice out of here." Sam says.
"Uh-huh. No way." Dena says.
Sam, Dean, and Lottie look up as the chandelier begins to shake.
"Nobody leaves this house!" Max says.
"And nobody has to, all right? They'll just...they'll just go upstairs." Sam says.
"Sam, I'm not leaving you alone with him." Dean says.
"Yes you are. Look, Max. You're in charge here, all right, we all know that. No one's going to do anything that you don't want to do but I'm talking five minutes here man." Sam says.
"Sam!" Dean says.
Max looks back at his stepmother. "Five minutes?" the chandelier stops shaking "Go."
Dean moves to pick up Mrs.Miller and he checks on Lottie.
• • • •
|| Miller's Lounge ||
Sam and Max sit in the lounge. Max stares at a letter opener and it raises on its point and begins twirling slowly.
"Look, I can't begin to understand what you went through." Sam says.
"That's right you can't." Max says.
"Max, this has to stop." Sam says.
"It will, after my stepmother --." Max says.
"No. You need to let her go." Sam says.
"Why?" Max asks.
"Did she beat you?" Sam week.
"No, but she never tried to save me. She's a part of it too." Max says.
"What they did, to you, what they all did to you growing up, they deserve to be punished..." Sam says.
"Growing up? Try last week." Max gets up and lifts his shirt. His chest and side are a mass of bruises. "My dad still hit me. Just in places people wouldn't see it. Old habits die hard I guess."
"I'm sorry." Sam says softly.
"When I first found out I could move things it was a gift. My whole life I was helpless but now I had this. So last week Dad gets drunk. The first time in a long time. And he beats me to hell, first time in a long time. And then I knew what I had to do." Max says.
"Why didn't you just leave?" Sam asks:
"It wasn't about getting away. Just knowing they would still be out there. It was about...not being afraid. When my Dad used to look at me, there was hate in his eyes. Do you know what that feels like?" Max says.
"No." Sam says.
"He blamed me for everything. For his job, for his life, for my Mom's death." Max says.
"Why would he blame you for your Mom's death?" Sam asks.
"Because she died in my nursery, while I was asleep in my crib. As if that makes it my fault." Max says.
"She died in your nursery?" Sam asks shocked.
"There was a fire. And he'd get drunk and babble on like she died in some insane way. He said that she burned up. Pinned to the ceiling!" Max says.
• • • •
"Listen to me Max. What your Dad said, about what happened to your Mom. It's real." Sam says shocked.
"What?" Max asks.
"It happened to my Mom too, exactly the same. My nursery, my crib, my Dad saw her on the ceiling." Sam says.
"Your dad must have been as drunk as mine." Max says.
"No, no. It's the same thing, Max. The same thing killed our mothers." Sam says.
"That's impossible." Max says.
"This must be why I'm having visions during the day. Why they're getting more intense. Cause you and I must be connected in some way. Your abilities, they started 6-7 months ago right, out of the blue?" Sam asks.
"How'd you know that?" Max says.
"Cause that's when my abilities started Max. Yours seem to me much further along but still, this has to mean something right? I mean for some reason, you and I...you and I were chosen." Sam says.
"For what?" Max asks
"I don't know. But Dean and I, my brother and I, we're hunting for your Mom's killer. We can find answers, answers that can help us both. But you gotta let us go Max. You gotta let your stepmother go." Sam says.
"No. What they did to me. I still have nightmares. I'm so scared all the time, like I'm just waiting for that next beating. I'm so sick of being scared all the time, I just want this to be over!" Max shakes his head.
"It won't. Don't you get it? The nightmares won't end, Max. Not like this. It's just, more pain. And it makes you as bad as them. Max, you don't have to go through all this by yourself." Sam says.
"I'm sorry." Max uses his powers to fling Sam backwards into the hall closest and slam the door. He looks across and a tall, heavy, hallway bookshelf slides in front of the doors, blocking them.
Sam bangs on the doors "No. Max!"
|| Upstairs Bedroom ||
Mrs.Miller sits on the bed with Lottie by her side, Dean crouches beside her, holding a facecloth to her bleeding forehead. The door creaks open on its own and Max walks in. Dean rises and moves purposefully toward Max as the door closes behind him. Max sends Dean and Lottie flying and he crashes into the wall.
"Max!" Mrs.Miller says.
Max raises Dean's pistol, his hand shaking.
"Son of a..." Dena rises, freezing when he sees the gun, then again beginning to walk toward Max. He stops when Max lets go of the gun, leaving it floating in mid air. It cocks, then turns to point at Mrs.Miller. Dean steps in its way.
"Stay back. This is not about you." Max warns.
"You wanna kill her you gotta go through me first." Dean says.
"Ok." Max says.
The gun fires. Blood splatters over the wall. We see Dean with a bullethole in the middle of his forehead, eyes blank. Lottie lets out a horrifying scream. He wavers and crashes heavily to the ground, Lottie holds Dean's body. Mrs.Miller shocked face down to Dean, sprawled on the ground, eyes open, dead.
|| Downstairs Closet ||
Sam comes back to himself, gasping and holding his head and we realize it was a vision.
"No. NOOO!!!" Sam panics. The bookcase in front of the closet doors slides away. SAM freezes, then pushes the door with his hand. It swings open.
|| Upstairs Bedroom ||
The gun, in midair, turns to point at Mrs.Miller.
"Max. No." She says.
Dean steps in front of her and the gun turns to point at him.
"Stay back. It's not about you." Max says.
"You're going to kill her you gotta go through me first." Dean says.
"No," Lottie says trying to pull Dean back.
"Ok." Max says. The door bursts open, Sam comes in.
"No don't! Don't! Please. Please. Max. Max. We can help you. All right. But this, what you're doing. It's not the solution. It's not gonna fix anything." Sam says.
Max is a mess, he is shaking, sweaty, in tears. He stares at Sam, anguished. Suddenly he relaxes a little, his face clears.
"You're right." Max says. Sam smiles at him, but Max turns away from him, as the gun swings to point at Max. He shoots himself in the head.
"NO!!" Sam says, Lottie looks in horror.
|| Motel Room ||
Sam places a bag in the trunk of the Impala which is backed up to the door, and returns inside.
"Dean I've been thinking." Sam says.
"Well that's never a good thing." Dean teases.
"Hey, he got into Stanford." Lottie says, Sam and her high five.
"I'm serious. I been thinking, this demon, whatever it is. Why would it kill Mom, and Jessica, and Max's mother, you know? What does it want?" Sam asks.
"I have no idea." Dean says.
"Well, you think, maybe, it was after us? After Max and me?" Sam asks.
"Why would you think that?" Dean asks.
"I mean, either telekinesis or premonitions, we both had abilities, you know? Maybe he was, he was after us for some reason." Sam says.
"Sam. If it had wanted you, it would've just taken you. Ok? This is not your fault, it's not about you." Dean says.
"Then what is it about?" Sam says.
"It's about that damn thing that did this to our family. The thing that we're gonna find, the thing that we're gonna kill. And that's all." Dena says.
"Actually there's uh ... there's something else too." Sam says.
"Ah jeez what." Dean says.
"When Max left me in that closet, with that big cabinet against the door ... I moved it." Sam says.
"Huh. You got a little more upper body strength than I gave you credit for." Dean says.
"No man, I moved it. Like, Max." Sam says.
Dean pauses his gathering of clothes and standing still. "Oh." "Right." Dean says softly.
"Yeah." Sam says.
"Bend this." Dena picks up a spoon, making Lottie laugh.
"I can't just turn it on and off Dean." Dean says frustrated.
"Well how'd you do it?" Dean asks.
"I don't know, I can't control it. I just....I saw you die and it just came out of me, like a, like a punch. You know like...a freak adrenaline thing." Sam says.
"Yeah well I'm sure it won't happen again." Dean says.
"Yeah, maybe. Aren't you worried, man? Aren't you worried I could turn into Max or something?" Sam asks.
"Nope. No way. You know why?" Dean asks.
"No. Why?" Sam asks.
"Cause you got one advantage Max didn't have." Dean says.
"Dad? Because Dad's not here, Dean." Sam says.
"No. Me." Dean smirks. "As long as I'm around, nothing bad is gonna happen to you."
Sam does puppy dog look and a tiny smile.
Dean slings his bag over his shoulder and moving toward Sam "Now then. I know what we need to do about your premonitions. I know where we have to go."
"Where?" Sam says.
"Vegas." Dean grins at Sam.
Sam tilts his head, looks away, looks back, does bitchface and walks out the door to the car.
"What? Come on man. Craps tables. We'd clean up!" Dean says. Dean follows Sam and Lottie to the door and pauses on the threshold. He considers Sam, looking very thoughtful, then turns to pull the door closed.
• • • •
"I can help you control it if you want." Lottie tells Sam, they're taking a break. "You were worried, that helps fuel your powers." Lottie says.
"I'll think about it." Sam says.
"I'm here if anything." Lottie says.
Sam nods his head. "Thank you Lottie."
She smiles and they wait for Dean.
|| Words 3865 ||
Hope you enjoy, vote, comment, and share. Sorry I haven't been updating more.
|| Updated December 05, 2019 ||