The Life (Book One/Supernatural)

Born Under a Bad Sign

Another late shift at TJz, wiping the bar clean, saying goodnight to some customers. "Good night. Thank you." The customers walked out, leaving. I heard someone clear their throat behind me. "Sorry, we're closing up."

I heard Sam's voice behind me. "How about just one for the road?"

I turned to see Sam. "Wow. Been a while since I seen either one of you two doofs. Almost had me thinking you were dead for a while. Can't call a girl after the huge bomb you dropped before taking off?"

"Well, I guess we're not the most polite guys," Sam told me.

"Yeah, obviously," I told him.

"So, can I get a beer?" Sam asked.

"Sure," I answered, bringing a beer over, setting it down on the bar, turning away, bustling over cleaning up the bar. "Where's Dean?"

"Couldn't make it," Sam told me, taking off his jacket. "We kinda—We kinda got into this fight about how to take care of something, and I sort of just took off."

"Well, that's not very nice," I told him, noticing a circular burn mark with a short line through it on Sam's forearm. "That looks like it hurts."

Sam rubbed at the mark. "No. Nah, just—just had a run-in with a hot stove."

I nodded cautiously, turning away. "So, you were saying something about leaving things with Dean?"

"Yeah," Sam answered. "Just... We have different tactics that we want to go after the demon with. His way is reckless and stupid, kinda like what our dad would do. But mine is..."

"Not Dean's way?" I finished. "The opposite?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah. I guess you could say that. I—" He looked at me, laughing a little. "Boy. You're really carrying a torch for him, aren't you?" I scoffed, looking away uncomfortably. "I'll take that as a yes. It's too bad." Sam smiled tightly. "'Cause, see, Dean, he likes you, sure, but not in the way you'd want. I mean, maybe as kind of a... a little sister, you know? But... Romance? That's just out of the question. He—" He laughed. "He kind of thinks you're a schoolgirl, you know?" I raised my eyebrows, knowing better. "I'm not trying to hurt you, Ness. I—I'm telling you 'cause I care."

"That's real kind of you, Sam," I told him sarcastically.

"I mean it," Sam told me, placing a hand over mine on the bar, suggestively, possessively. "I care about you a lot." I tried to pull my hand away. Sam held it tighter, not letting go. "I can be more to you, Nessie."

I pulled my hand out of his grasp. "Maybe you shouldn't have the beer after all. I think you're drunk enough as it is. How about some water?"

Sam shrugged. "Sure. That works, too."

I turned to pour some water from the supply, handing it to Sam, watching as he took a drink.

And as expected, he started to burn uncontrollably, choking.

I backed away. "That's holy water, you demonic son of a bitch!"

Sam/Demon glared at me with black eyes.

I ran around the bar toward the shot gun that I had on stand by with salt shells, loading it, shooting him, making him groan in pain, reloading, shooting him again to keep him back. I took out my phone to play the exorcism, my voice starting to speak the spell. "Regna terrae, cantate deo, pasallite domino tribuite virtutem deo." Sam/Demon started to show signs of pain, disappearing. I looked around, putting the phone on the bar, gun raised. "Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incuriso infernalis adversarii, omnis legio."