1.4 Bloody Mary: A Supernatural Fan Fiction

THEN

Pale and spidery against the inky black sky, a dying tree feebly outstretched its dry, brittle branches towards stars masked by a veil of clouds and darkness. There was a time when this tree had been vibrant and grand, flourishing with life. But now it stood bleak and lifeless, a listless sentry in the front yard of John and Mary Winchester's home.

Shadows of the tree's bony sprigs crept and slunk, making their way across the contours of the house, towards the warm, light-flooded window.

WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT

"Sammy!" Mary gasped as she vaulted back up the steps and down the hall.

But the moment she entered her baby's bedroom, she felt her stomach drop.

...

"Take your brother outside as fast as you can! Don't look back! Now, Dean, GO!" John shouted urgently into his son's face, handing him the baby. Dean clutched his brother tight, and hurried down the stairs as quickly as his little legs could carry him and out the front door.

John looked back over his shoulder at the orange blaze emanating from Sammy's bedroom.

WHAT THEY WITNESSED

Mary was sprawled across the ceiling, her stomach drenched in the same dark fluid, her face pale and her eyes and mouth wide open in a silent scream as a feeble breath rattled up her throat.

"MARY!" He howled, shielding his face against the impossible heat as it stung his eyes and grabbed at his skin. But the flames had already consumed the entirety of the room, and he watched as the last glimpse of Mary's white nightgown disappeared into the dark, roiling fire. "NO!"

SENT TWO BROTHERS

"Dad's on a hunting trip." Dean amended, his face deadpan. No emotion crossed Sam's face, but automatically a flurry of thoughts and feelings barreled through his mind like a tornado.

...

Sam was putting a knife carefully in between the folds of fabric as he packed.

...

"And he hasn't been home in a few days."

ON A QUEST FOR ANSWERS 22 YEARS LATER

"I swore I was done hunting." Sam said firmly.

...

Sam cried out in agony. He couldn't stop her. He was going to die.

...

"I can't do this alone." Dean finally admitted.

...

"NO!" Sam screamed, but it was too late.

...

"I'm fine." Sam replied in a flat voice, tossing the shotgun back into the trunk. Slamming it shut, he said, "We got work to do."

...

The sheriff threw a leather, buckle-bound notebook onto the tabletop. It landed with a loud, heavy thud.

...

"This is Dad's single most valuable possession," Dean told him, looking Sam dead in the eyes as he talked. "Everything he knows about every evil thing is in here." He leaned closer. "I think he wants us to pick up where he left off. You know, saving people, hunting things. The family business."

"No." Sam replied, his voice dead of emotion. "I got to find Jessica's killer. It's the only thing I can think about."

...

"Hi," she said, almost expectantly.

"Hey. Jacqueline, was it?" Dean said brightly, licking his lips.

"Actually, it's just Jay." She replied with a roll of her clear grey eyes.

"I'm Dean," he replied, chuckling, as he extended a hand. Jay shook it with a polite smile.

...

"Just... Who is she?" He said, looking over at his brother. He let out a dry laugh, "divorce agent by day, blues rocker by night, I mean the two profiles don't exactly add up."

...

"She's a hunter, Sam," Dean burst out, looking incredulously at his brother before returning his eyes to the road.

...

"Word travels." His father replied. There was a pause, then he went on, "Jacqueline is a very skilled Hunter - "

"Jay," Dean suddenly found himself correcting him, then immediately felt a stab of regret.

"-but you can't get too attached." His father finished with a sigh. "She's an enigma. Even among the Hunter community, we don't know much about her, and you need to be careful."

...

"Are you gonna ask her to help us out?" Sam asked with a knowing smile. Dean stiffened, swallowing. He couldn't think of any way to cover his ass on this one.

"Sure, why not?" He said, his tone blasé.

...

"Sam, you know where we're gonna find Dad, right?" Dean asked, turning his eyes to his brother. Sam sighed, biting the inside of his lip.

"Yeah. I know."