In the Mind (of Demons)

Chapter Ten

~World Between Worlds~

"Mark's dreaming."

Before Amy could ask for more clarification, the black void around them shifted and they were suddenly standing in the house. The same room she had been in when she and the others had left this world for their own. Amy wished for a similar portal before her now, but instead, she was looking into a mirror.

"There's secrets to this place if you can't tap into the dark forces," the Mark of the other world said. "I'd rather not open old wounds."

Amy looked away from the mirror and at him. "So the whole 'tainted by the dark side' no longer applies to you?" she asked since it was him dabbling into those same dark forces that started all of this.

"I'm not the bad guy here."

"Tell that to Damien."

He turned to her, and the look in his eyes was so much like her Mark's that she was caught off guard, but had to remind herself who THIS was. "If you want to lay blame on someone," he said. "There's a colonel in my world who still needs to answer for what he's done."

"You know what? I'm not doing this," Amy said. She was already deep enough in this mess. She didn't want to burrow deeper. She wanted to get out. "Are Mark's dreams a way for us to get out or are you just using it to call for help?"

"It can be both, if we so choose," he said. "That's what Celine and Damien did to you."

She didn't need to be reminded. "But then Mark would be stuck here."

He nodded. "Hence the reason I'm only using it for messages," he said then turned back to the mirror.

Amy looked into its reflective surface, but instead of seeing their reflection, she saw Mark. Along with Sam and Castiel. If this was Mark's dream, why were they there?

"Wait," Amy said when something suddenly occurred to her. "You're not using this to steal Mark's body."

"I've done enough damage," he said then looked at her, meeting her eyes. "But you deserve to know that I would have if I had no other choice."

"You'd ruin someone else's life?" Amy asked. "For that, you deserve to be trapped here."

"I said if," he told her. "After meeting you, I promise I'll move on."

"Because of me? You don't even know me."

"This place connects us," he said. "I can feel your thoughts, your life. If you wanted to, you could do the same with me."

Amy got a better understanding of the relationship between her Mark and Celine. Amy didn't want to have a similar experience with this Mark, but she understood the appeal. There was something tempting about knowing someone that intimately. To know their thoughts just by being near each other.

She found herself giving in to that desire, reaching out to him mentally. She got a glimpse of something, but then a darkness threatened to close in and she backed off in a hurry.

"Not everyone can resist it," he said, his eyes still on her. "If you stayed here longer, you could learn to fight it."

"If it ever comes down to it, don't ask me to stay," Amy said then pointed at the mirror. "Is that mirror our way out?"

He nodded. "But you'd need a willing body on the other side since you can't do much in your current condition," he said. "Celine won't be willing, so all we can do is warn them."

Amy stepped closer to the mirror. "Can they see us?" she asked, watching as Sam and Castiel followed after Mark. "Could we talk to them?"

"I've tried," he said. "They obviously don't see the mirror as important."

"You can influence dreams," Amy said, turning to him. "Get their attention."

"I've tried!" he repeated.

"Try harder!"

He nodded then looked past her at the mirror, a look of relief on his face. "Maybe I don't have to."

Amy turned back and saw Sam and Castiel walking toward the mirror on their side.

There was hope.

———————————————

~California~

Dean paced back and forth, keeping an eye on Mark, Sam and Castiel. He knew they were asleep, but no movement made Dean worried. He wanted to know what was happening! Why did he agree to let Sam go?

And Amy wasn't making him any less worried. She asked the occasional question, but for now she was just standing near the bed, looking at Mark with an equally worried expression.

"Come on, Sammy," Dean muttered to himself. He started toward the bed to try and steer Mark's dream in the right direction, but then suddenly found himself flying across the room. He heard Amy scream "NO!" as he was pinned against the wall. That was when he saw Dark and knew time was up for them all.

"You promised!" Amy screamed. Dean wondered if she would physically attack Dark, but she kept her distance from him.

"I said it was an easy promise," Dark said. "I never promised." He snapped his fingers and Sam, Mark, and Castiel woke up, jolted from sleep. Dean knew that waking up too early was dangerous for those asleep, but it probably didn't apply to a demon such as Dark waking them up.

Sam and Cas were instantly on the defensive when they saw Dark, but were unable to try anything as Dark pinned them to the wall with Dean. And Mark obviously knew better than to try anything. In the World Between Worlds, Mark could easily take Dark, but here Mark was just an ordinary and powerless human being.

Dark moved toward Amy, who was still screaming something about a promise. Dean tried to fight back against Dark's invisible hold, but it was no use. He refused to let the helplessness settle in and yelled for Mark to MOVE!

But it was too late.

Dean could only watch as Dark pulled out a knife and stabbed Amy. Mark cried out and jumped to his feet, but by the time he got to Amy, Dark was gone. Amy collapsed into Mark's arms as Dark's hold on Dean, Sam, and Castiel vanished.