To Be Normal

Chapter 1

The girl ran through the dark streets, sweat beading on her forehead. It seemed like she'd been running for hours; days, even. She risked a glance over her shoulder to find three more following her, gaining. She knew she would not last long.

She continued running, taking an unexpected turn in a doorway, the demons running past her. She stood there for a moment, panting. Her green eyes were looking everywhere, searching for something, her mind calculating. Could she have gotten out of this one already?

She'd gotten her hopes up for nothing. As she stood there rubbing her sweat-filled hair, one of the demons showed up, smiling maliciously.

"We've got you now," he growled, closing in.

"No," she said firmly.

"Now, now, that's not the way to answer me, Alice," the demon said, morphing into her father.

Alice glared at him. "You're not my father," she said.

"Oh, little Alice, I believe I am," he said.

"No!"

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Sixteen year old Alice Winchester bolted awake, sweat beaded on her forehead. She looked around, disoriented. Wasn't she just in New York, being chased by demons? No, it wasn't possible. Demons didn't exist. Everything Dad had taught her was wrong. She hugged her sheet to her chest, rocking herself gently.

"It was just a dream," she told herself. "Just a dream."

She felt something fall down her cheek; whether it was a tear or a bead of sweat, she didn't know. She got up, turning on her bathroom light. When she saw how she looked, she shuddered. Her brown hair had tangled into a rat's nest, possibly from tossing and turning. Her face had a mixture of sweat and tears smeared across it.  She stood over the sink, closing her eyes.

The image of the demon had been so real, almost like she was actually there. But how? And what did it mean when it said that it was her father?

She didn't believe it was a demon. Demons didn't exist.

She turned on the water, washing her face. When she had finished, she grabbed her brush and began working through the tangles in her hair, trying to forget the nightmare.

Twenty minutes and lots of pain later, Alice stepped out of the bathroom, bumping into her brother, who'd been standing outside for a while, waiting to talk to her.

"Hey, Alice," Sam said. "Is everything alright?"

Alice nodded, moving to go around him and back into her room. Sam stuck a hand out, catching his little sister around the middle.

"Sam! Let me go!" She screeched, slapping his arm.

"Uh-uh-uh," Sam said, smirking. "You're going to tell me what's going on."

Alice huffed, going limp. Her weight should force her brother to let go. But he held on. Wow, he was strong.

"Fine," she said.

"Thank you," Sam replied, letting go. Alice rubbed her middle, sore from trying to force her brother to let her go. She followed him into the living room, sitting down at the window seat, her most favorite spot.

"What happened, Alice? I heard you cry out and then shortly afterward the water turned on in the bathroom," Sam said, looking concerned.

Alice shrugged, afraid to tell of her nightmare. Sam may have been older than her by six years, she was stubborn. She didn't like being told what to do, she hated the family business and wanted nothing more than to be normal like her friends. Sam and Dean had known their mother  while Alice didn't. Their mother died when Alice was an infant, which had forced their father into taking up hunting, when he figured out that their mother was murdered by a demon.

Alice was a girl, and having been on the road until she was fourteen with no real mother to look after her, she didn't quite understand much. She didn't know what a mother's love was, like Sam and Dean did when they were younger. And the fact that Mary Winchester was murdered in Alice's nursery always made Alice feel uncomfortable. She knew it wasn't her fault, but why would someone kill the mother of a six month old infant?

"Come on, Alice. I didn't wake up this early just to hear silence from you."

Alice stayed quiet, letting Sam get upset.

"Alice, please. It's early and you have school later today."

Alice sighed, getting up. "You want to know? Fine.  I had a nightmare. About demons. If it hadn't been for you, Dean and Dad I wouldn't have these nightmares and I'd be a normal girl!"

"If it hadn't been for us, you'd be dead!"

"Dead? Ha. I'd be roasting in the demons' fire, under their control!"

"No, because luckily, Dad became a hunter after mom died. So we're all safe."

"Not for long," Alice said.

"You know what? I'm done with your attitude. You're always angry at one of us just because we're hunters. Well, I'll tell you, you should be glad we're hunters. Because if we weren't, we'd be dead now!"

"If I hadn't have been born then Mom would still be alive!"

"Oh, so now it's your fault Mom died? Yeah, right. Little miss Alice deciding the entire reason her mommy's dead is because she was born! Real good move, Alice."

"I hate you!"

"I hate you, too!"

Alice had had enough. She went running from the room, going straight for her bedroom. She slammed the door behind her, pulling a chair over to the door, leaning it under the doorknob. She quickly pulled out her duffel bag, filling it with a few outfits, some books and her diary. She put her switchblade, lock picks and phone in her pockets of her jeans, and checked to make sure she had her credit cards and IDs. Satisfied, she threw open her window, glancing behind her as Sam began pounding on the door, trying to get in. She sat on the windowsill, her legs on the outside, and took a deep breath.

"Bye, Sam," she whispered.

Sam broke through just as she jumped.