Supernatural: Something Wicked This Way Returns

Something Wicked This Way Returns

Most people go their whole lives not knowing what's out there, hiding in the dark. They spend their whole lives never realizing that there are creatures out there that would like nothing more than to kill them, making them suffer horribly to their last agonizing breath.

But there are some people who do know what lurks in the shadows, but not by choice. Some people are just thrust into that life. People like Michael Colby, who at the age of 12, had seen what true evil looks like when his little brother Asher had been the victim of a soul sucking Shtriga, a ghoulish witch who feeds off the life essence of children. When it had come back for Michael, it fell into a trap set by Sam and Dean Winchester, who killed the creature before it could drain the boy's life force.

After the Shtriga had died, all the children affected by it, including Asher, had fully recovered like nothing had ever happened. The only child who had never fully recovered was Michael, and that was because he now knew there were things out there that wanted to kill him and his family. At the age of 12, Michael had lost his innocence and was never truly the same.

*

Not too long after that, Michael was walking home from school when he saw two kids harassing his brother. They were tossing Asher's backpack around before shoving the boy to the ground. Michael ran up and without hesitation sucker punched the first bully in the nose. When the other kid came at him, he punched him in the stomach and pulled his shirt over his head before pushing him into the other boy.

"You're dead!" the boy with the now bloody nose said.

"Mess with my kid brother again and I'll break more than your nose," Michael told them as they ran off. He helped his brother up off the ground. "You okay, Asher?"

"You never stood up like that for me before," Asher said.

"Well, maybe it's time that I started being a better big brother," Michael told him as he put an arm around his kid brother's shoulder as they walked home. "I need to start watching out for you more, kid."

*

There weren't very many books available on how to spot demons or other creatures of the night, and virtually every online article contradicted the other. There were only two sources of knowledge he could ultimately rely on: The Ghostfacers website and a series of books based on the adventures of Sam & Dean Winchester.

Micheal had saved his money to buy the first 22 books, and was looking to buy more as soon as he got more money for them. Between the books and the website, he was learning everything he needed to in order to defend his family.

*

2008

"Michael, why is there salt on the window?" Michael's mother Joanna asked one night before bed.

"It...keeps the pests out," Michael said. "I read about it in a book."

In the two years since the young man had his encounter with the Shtriga, he'd started hitting the library and internet to find every scrap of information he could on the monsters that were out there, finding ways to keep the motel that his mother ran properly warded from anything that might try to get in to kill them, filling in the gaps that the Supernatural books and the Ghostfacers website hadn't informed him on. It had become an obession with Michael, something he couldn't stop thinking about. He knew there were monsters out there, but he didn't realize just how close they truly were until it was almost too late.

*

The tall brunette woman walked into the motel office as Michael's mother was at the desk. Michael was in the back, fixing Asher his lunch, as usual. Michael instantly felt a chill, but didn't know where it was coming from.