Bloodthirsty Secrets

chapter eighteen | oblivion

Dean coughed. For the past couple of days, his throat felt like he'd swallowed hot coals.

Apparently, Benny was still experiencing the same thing. And Rain was too, just not to the same degree.

"Oh my god, Dean, look! It's raining," Rain said excitedly. They were in the kitchen, only because Dean had called Sam for advice, and he'd just suggested drinking more blood.

But, that's the thing, Dean hadn't had much of an appetite, not for blood, not for anything. And the thought of forcing himself to drink was far from anything he felt like doing right that instant.

"And?" he asked. "It rains all the time, why are you pointing it out now?"

"Honestly, I feel like I'm dying and you and Benny seem to be dealing with the same thing. Maybe there's some disease going around that only affects vampires, and Sandy's just immune, or something," they said, shaking their head. "Anyway, the day I accepted myself for who I am, I walked out of school and it was pouring. I had also missed the bus, but I was filled with such an intense feeling of contentment, that I didn't care. As I walked home, splashing through the puddles, I decided that from that day forward I would be known as Rain Sinclair."

"Awesome," Dean said way too seriously.

Rain smiled. "How about we go outside?"

"I think I'm good," Dean announced, and took the tiniest sip of the whiskey-blood concoction he'd conjured up over an hour ago. If the smell wasn't already bad enough, the taste made him want to vomit.

"Hey, does blood suddenly taste disgusting to you?" he asked.

"Well, you did put it in whiskey," Rain pointed out.

Dean shook his head. "That's not what I'm saying."

Rain rolled their eyes, and hopped up from their seat. "Blood tastes like blood, Dean."

"Wow, thanks. That's really helpful," Dean said sarcastically.

"Why don't you call Benny and see what he thinks?"

"I've been trying for the past three hours. Last time we talked, he said he'd try to come over so we could figure it out in person."

"Try? Isn't that a bit ominous?"

"No," Dean said immediately, then changed to, "Well, maybe."

Suddenly, Cas came stumbling through the front door, soaking wet. In his arms was Benny, out cold. He gently layed him on the couch, and took a step back looking mortified.

"Is he..." Dean asked, though he already knew the answer. He could hear his heart beating and the shallow breaths as they escaped his lips.

"No, I-- I don't know what happened," Cas said. "But I feel responsible."

"You might be, we don't know. Rain's been feeling sick too, and they never drank your blood."

"Wait, so we're all actually dying?" Rain asked, eyes scanning over Benny, taking in the utter state he was in.

"We don't know that yet," Dean said.

"Uh, sure," Rain said slowly. "Okay, I'm going outside. To meditate. And to manifest that we all make it through this."

Dean nodded, and stepped closer to Benny. Hesitantly, he put a hand to his cheek. "Hey, Benny, it's me."

Benny coughed, causing Dean to draw away slightly. He shifted and dazedly looked around the room. When he caught sight of Cas, he muttered, "Tell that angel to stay away from me."