Falling Shadow: Dean's Battle (Supernatural Fanfiction Book 3)

Confronting the Echoes

As we all settled in the motel room, the weight of what I was about to say pressed down on me. Sam, Bobby, Castiel, and Gabriel were all looking at me with a mix of concern and expectation. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself before speaking.

"I need to tell you all something," I began, my voice wavering slightly. "It's been... hard lately. There's something I've been dealing with, something I've kept to myself because I didn't want to burden anyone. But I guess keeping it bottled up hasn't done me any favors."

Sam's eyes locked onto mine, a silent plea for me to continue. I knew he was worried, that he'd been worried for a long time, but hearing the truth was going to be hard for him.

"I've been hearing voices," I confessed, my gaze dropping to the floor. "In my head. They're constant, always there, telling me things I don't want to hear. It's like... they're trying to push me over the edge. It's been getting worse, and I don't know how to make it stop."

There was a heavy silence in the room as my words hung in the air. Bobby's hand rested on my shoulder, a silent show of support, while Castiel's brow furrowed in concern.

"How long?" Sam asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"A while," I admitted. "Long enough that I don't remember when it started. But I didn't want to tell you because... I didn't want you to worry. I didn't want to be a burden."

"Dean, you're not a burden," Sam said firmly, stepping closer. "You should've told me. We're supposed to look out for each other."

"I know, I know," I replied, my voice thick with emotion. "But I just... I didn't want you to think I was weak. I didn't want any of you to think I couldn't handle it."

Gabriel spoke up then, his tone softer than usual. "Voices like that... they're not something you can just ignore, Dean. And you shouldn't have to deal with them alone."

I nodded, but I couldn't bring myself to tell them everything. The bathroom visits, the way I'd been dealing with the voices at night—that was something I wasn't ready to give up yet. The pain had become a twisted kind of comfort, a way to drown out the noise in my head, and I wasn't sure I could face those demons without it.

"I just need time," I said, more to convince myself than anyone else. "I need to figure out how to deal with this, and I will. I promise."

Sam didn't look convinced, but he didn't push it. Instead, he just nodded, his hand gripping my arm as if to reassure himself that I was still here, that I wasn't going to disappear on him again.

"We'll get through this, Dean," he said softly. "Together."

I wanted to believe him, I really did. But as the voices murmured at the edges of my mind, I couldn't help but wonder if I'd ever really be free of them. For now, I'd keep my secret, keep the nightly visits to the bathroom locked away. I wasn't ready to give that up just yet.

As soon as I finished speaking, I could see Sam wasn't satisfied. His eyes narrowed, and I knew he was gearing up for something. He wasn't going to let this go.

"What about the bathroom, Dean?" Sam asked, his voice more assertive than before. "And the jacket? You've been wearing it nonstop, even when it's warm. What's going on?"

I stiffened, my heart rate picking up. "Sam, drop it," I warned, trying to keep my tone even. But I could see the determination in his eyes. He wasn't backing down.

"No, I won't drop it," Sam shot back, his voice rising. "You're hiding something, and I'm not going to sit here and pretend like everything's fine when it's not. We're in this together, Dean. You need to talk to me."