#11 Your Reality
Days passed and turned into weeks before you were able to take your first steps from that bed. You were almost fully recovered, though Dean’s stubborn nature and assertiveness forced you to rest for just a little longer than you had to.
When the time finally came Sam wrapped an arm around you, supporting you at the waist whilst Dean stood in front ready to catch you should you fall.
“I’m okay guys, really” you assured as you climbed up onto the support of your own numb legs. Dean offered a skeptical glance and you actually had to let him bask in the moment as you stumbled on your first step. He was right, and as Sam caught your fall and steadied you once more, you caught a glimpse of that smug look plastered across Dean’s face.
“If you don’t wipe that look off, Dean Winchester” you frowned as the man in front of you shrugged.
“What? I can’t be happy for you?” he grinned. You rolled your eyes as you clutched at Sam’s shirt, taking another shaky step.
It took a while, though Sam finally got you to the bottom of the stairs where Dean took over and began to lead you to the refuge of the couch.
“Can I get you anything?” Sam stood up straight after shifting your weight from his shoulders onto Dean’s.
“A cold beer would be great” you replied.
“Second that” Dean added as he finally got you over to the couch.
“I can do this” you asserted before pulling away from his grasp. He clutched at you a little tighter before sighing and letting you go. You tried your legs and, shaky as they were, they did not let you down as you closed the small gap between Dean and the couch.
“We’ll give you a few days before we start your training” Dean informed. You didn’t push. You didn’t argue back. You knew that you had to wait for the muscles in your legs to strengthen once more before getting out there again and besides you had already accomplished so much in simply getting Dean to agree with the training in the first place.
You nodded in response, though halfheartedly as a question played on your tongue, “So, still not heard anything from Cas or Gabriel?”
“No” Sam replied smoothly as he walked back into the room. He placed a bottle in your hands. The cap was already unscrewed so you took a sip straight away. The cool liquid soothed your throat on the way down and you relaxed back a little into the chair. Sam handed another bottle to Dean, leaving one for himself. “Bobby’s on the case,” Sam continued “But we’ve tried everything. Everywhere that we could think to look, we’ve looked already.”
“I’ve been calling almost every day,” Dean added “It’s like nobody’s home.”
“Do you think they’re hurt?” you questioned.
Dean appeared to turn silent in thought for a short period before his answer came, “Nah, I’m not sure about trusting Gabriel but Cas can handle himself and he will be back, I know it.”
You let out a short huff, shuffling into a more comfortable position on the old couch before closing your eyes. Once they re-opened Sam and Dean where nowhere to be seen.
The empty beer bottle in your hands now felt warm from your touch. You sighed and placed it on the floor beside you.
“Sam?” you called out, though no response came. “Dean?” your head pounded a little as you stretched your legs. To your surprise there was no pain. Maybe Cas was back. Maybe you had fallen asleep, Castiel had healed you and the boys were on a run.
“Castiel? Bobby? Gabe?” you tried your voice again. When no response came for the second time you climbed to your feet.
“[Name]” Castiel’s voice called out to you.
You felt a smile creep across your features as you ran towards the Angel’s voice.
“Castiel,” your smile widened as he came into view, leaning by the front entrance to Bobby’s house. You ran forward and wrapped your arms around him, holding him tightly. “I though something bad happened to you, Cas.”
“Shh,” he soothed in your ear as he pulled you closer into the warmth of his body. “I’m your Angel aren’t I? I could never leave you.”
“Where’s Gabe?” you questioned. The smile on your features only glowing brighter. “Is he with Sam and Dean?”
“[Name],” Castiel pulled back for a moment, his expression serious, just like the Cas that you used to know. “Who are those people?”
Your blood ran cold at the sound of his words and as the ice ran through your veins your ears detected something else, a sound that chilled you to the very core. The sound of children’s laughter rang through the air. Though it was not happy laughter. This sound met your ears with a sinister, menacing hum.
“Cas?” you looked back to your only source of comfort. Your Angel, as he had put it. Though once you saw the sight before you, you wished that you had never looked. Castiel’s eyes dripped with thick crimson blood, the same substance that leaked out from the sleeves of his beige trench coat.
He reached out to you, “[Name], help.”
Before you could reach out, before you could touch him, his body appeared to envelop in flames before your very eyes. The bright flame burned deeply into your retinas as you fell backwards, lifting your hand in front of your face in a feeble attempt to shield your eyes from the merciless scene. Tears leaked from your eyes as you let out a scream. The second that the sound erupted from your throat the scene evaporated into the air. You slowly lowered your arm and pressed your palm to the floor. Those hot tears stung your cheeks as you pushed yourself onto your feet.
“Castiel?” you coughed on the smoke that had entered your lungs, though there was no trace of the fire that had burned up your friend mere seconds ago.
The sinister laughter still lingered in the air. It was louder than before, closer. Fear gripped hold of you as you lunged forward, pulling Bobby’s front door open and exiting the house as quick as your shaky legs would allow.
You fell to your knees once the night air hit your face. You were confused, with no inclination of what you were going to do. You were lost, hopeless, and so you just lifted your hands and sobbed silently into your palms.
You were startled by a smooth male voice that drifted through the air, “Why are you crying?”
You looked up at a scrawny man. He looked to be about your age with cold blue eyes and dark brown hair.
“My-my friends are gone” you stuttered painfully. There was an ache in your chest that refused to leave as the man walked over to you. He placed a hand on your shoulder whilst offering the other to help you up. Wiping your dirty hands on the denim of your jeans, you accepted and allowed him to pull you to your feet.
“It doesn’t have to be this way you know” he spoke softly and as you looked up you noticed his vision burning into you.
“What is this,” you choked “Is this some kind of sick game? ‘Cause I don’t want to play anymore.”
“This is reality. This is your life. This is how it is destined to play out, with destruction, anguish. Do you want that for your friends?”
“I never wanted this. This is not my fault” you cried.
“Shhh,” the stranger turned to you abruptly and wrapped his arms around you tightly. “I know. I know it’s not your fault.”You struggled against his grip, though he was too strong.
“I can make this stop you know,” he whispered in your ear “The pain. Your pain. Theirs.”
“How?” you felt another tear roll down your cheek.
“All you have to do is submit.”
“Submit?” your eyes narrowed as you looked up to meet his gaze. Those icy eyes of his completely focused upon your face.
“Surely you’ve noticed,” he paused as a smile spread across his lips “You and I are the same.”
“How are we?” you breathed. By this time you had stopped your struggle against his hold. You froze as before your very eyes you saw the little girl from your dream before. As you stared at the younger version of yourself she reached out to you.
“I can make you see whatever I want you to see,” his lips were upon your ear again, whispering softly “I’ve been trying to contact you for a long time [Name].”
You shook your head and pulled out of his grasp roughly.
“Who are you?” you demanded.
He simply chuckled as his eyes continued to burn into your skin, “I’m the missing link. I am the missing part of you. I am your reflection, and you are mine.”
Your eyes widened in revelation as you turned briskly and began to run in the opposite direction. You ran past the little girl who vanished into a cloud of smoke as you rushed by.
“You can’t run from this [Name]. We’re destined to meet again, and then you’ll be sorry that you turned down my gracious offer” his words that echoed out behind you began to blur as did your surroundings, though you just pushed harder into that foggy landscape. Whether it was with determination or fear, or even a mixture of both. You continued to push yourself harder and harder until you felt a pressure on your right foot. You stumbled, gravity took hold of your body, forcing you forward onto the ground.
..........
“So tell me more about little [Name]. Tell me how she’s going to save that piss poor excuse for a human race that you love so much” that voice was familiar. You lifted your aching head and brushed your [colour] hair from your eyes. Your breath hitched in your throat as you witnessed the sight before you. Gabriel kneeled bloody before another man, an Angel, one that you had seen before. Kushiel.
You climbed drowsily to your feet before rushing forward. You attempted to tackle Kushiel though you simply phased right through him, landing on the floor beside Gabriel. You looked over at him, pushing yourself to your knees. You reached out to though a bloodied lip, though your fingers went straight through Gabriel’s form.
“Gabe?” you spoke in a hushed tone, though you could slowly feel the madness rising inside of you. You shouted, pounding your fist on the ground, “Gabriel? I’m here! Gabriel! Look at me!”
You gave up and slumped to the ground once more, still beside the holographic Archangel. You pulled your knees into your chest and whimpered helplessly. Though nothing could prepare you for what you heard next. Those words that left Kushiel’s lips. They cut through you like a knife, plunging deep into your heart.
“Come on Gabriel. Castiel’s dead already You should know me well enough to know that I hate games,” you detected a sneer in Kushiel’s voice as it lowered in tone, became more serious,“You have three seconds to tell me what I really want to know.”
Silence was all that came from Gabriel’s direction. No Sassy response. No sarcastic reply. You waited until your ears detected the sound of choking. There was a brisk movement from Kushiel and then your chest tightened as you heard a thud beside you. A red liquid began to pool around your body and you knew instantly that it was Gabriel. You choked on your tears, your body refusing to move. You were suddenly at the mercy of Kushiel’s dark presence as he loomed over you. Dark chuckles filled the air, making your head spin as he leant closer to you.
Then, as his breath touched your face, your heart froze, “I see you...”