Then and Now

And then shit hit the fan

June 20th
Michigan

Thunder crashes loudly outside, lightning flashing across the dark sky. Dean lay on his bed, half reading his new comic half stressing out.

He wasn't sure how, but somehow he had managed to finished to stay in the same school for the past 6 months. Finally done with middle school, he looked forward to the long summer holidays that separated him from high school.

He felt bad for Sammy, who would be going into middle school. It would be 3 years before they were even in the same school again, a thought that made him anxious.

He wondered where he would be going to as his first high school. Would it be fun? What crowd would he hang with? His mind preoccupied by these thoughts, Dean puts the comic book down with a sigh, sitting upright. 

The door swings open, and Sammy comes running into the room. Lately, Sam had slowly started to become more... well the only word Dean had for it was animated. He was so happy to see a little spark of life returning to his brother's eyes, a small smile that would occasionally appear on his face.

"Heya Sammy."

Sam smiles briefly, jumping up onto Dean's bed. "I drew you something," he says quietly, holding a piece of paper between his hands. "At school before we finished."

"Oh?" Dean shoves his comic aside, letting Sammy clamber over next to him. 

"Yeah..." Sam chewed his lip. "We had to draw something for... Fathers Day."

Dean's heart twists painfully. He should have kept Sammy from school that day, every year they had to put up with the painful reminder of their parents when it came time to do crafts on mother's day and father's day. 

Sam shoves the drawing into Dean's hands, eyes downcast. 

The drawing was excellent, as always. Sam was becoming quite the artist and Dean was always blown away by his little brother's talent. In the drawing, he quickly picked out himself and Sammy sitting on the beach.

They appeared smaller in the picture, younger. Sam was laughing as Dean appeared to be trying to build a sandcastle. Two adults sat on either side of them. This is where Dean's eyes burn with tears. The faces weren't filled in, but rather shadowed. He stared at the drawing for a bit, mourning for this perfect summer's day that they would never have. 

"I also made this." Sam handed him something else, this time it was a card with a heart drawn on the front.

Opening it, Dean smiled at the words written carefully inside. 'De, thank you for being the best big brother in the word.
Happy fathers day - Sam.

"Awe Sammy." Dean pulled his little brother in for a hug. "No chickflick moments, you're gonna make me cry. 

Sam giggled against his shoulder.

"Seriously though, thank you Sammy."

"Dean!" Adam came bursting into the room then. His eyes were wide, and his usually smiling face was drawn tight with concern - or fear.

"What?"

"You... he... someone..."

"Spit it out kiddo," Dean jumps off the bed, not liking the fear creeping into Adam's flustered voice. 

"It's mum, she's-" Tears bubbled up in the small boy's eyes.

Dean runs out past Adam, who was just crying openly now as he pointed frantically down the hall. A horrible sense of deja vu was creeping over him as he heard a thump from downstairs. Taking the stairs two at a time, he could feel his blood turning to ice and it was because he missed a step and almost fell down the rest. 

Heart in his throat, Dean slows to a walk as he creeps up to the living room where the sounds appeared to be coming from. He could scarcely breath, and it was like he was back at that night again. Now, Dean couldn't remember his parents, not clearly at least, but there were the small things that he did. His mother's gentle smile, the smell of her perfume and his fathers ruff chuckle.

He remembered being happy, he remembered being able to actually call somewhere home. But more than anything else, he remembered all too clearly the night that ended it all. It was something that would creep into his darkest nightmares, that would bring back the same spine chilling, intense fear that had infested his mind the night of the attack. He had spent every night since then having these horrible nightmares. 

And now, well now he was back at that night again. A scared little six-year-old watching his mother being killed before his very eyes. Except now it wasn't his mother, but rather Adam's. Mrs Milligan, the kind woman who took in orphaned kids that had no where else to go. 

He watched in horror as her body slumped to the group, the blood soaking into her clean carpet. The man stood over her, grinning as he cleaned his blade. 

No... Dean takes half a step back as his ears fill with the sound of his racing heart. How had the man found them? How hadn't the police gotten him? Why was he following them? 

Another step back. Dean's thoughts are racing as he tries to get them in order. Sammy. He had to get Sammy to safety. 

The killer still hadn't noticed him, and Dean wasted no more time in standing around. This time they might not be as lucky in getting away. 

Scrambling up the stairs, Dean tries to keep his footsteps light. His mind is a fearful jumble of thoughts and panic. Adam, poor small Adam, was still standing in the doorway, his face red and tear streaked. Sam was standing next to him, his lip was bloody from his chewing on it.  

Dean says nothing, all too aware of the danger that was in the house with them. Instead, he just raises a finger to his lips, indicating to the two younger boys to stay quiet. 

What should they do? Run? They couldn't risk going downstairs, the man was still there. He looks out the window, feeling trapped. Oh god, were they going to die like trapped animals? 

It was Sam who pointed out the answer. He pointed to his room, frowning at Dean until he was sure his brother would follow. The three boys flee, running silently into Sam's room. Footsteps thumped downstairs, they were running out of time. 

Sam runs to the window, pointing to the tree branch that rested just outside. Dean smiled, his brother was a genius. Sliding open the window, he shoved Adam out onto the branch first, and then helped Sammy. He hesitates, suddenly realising there was something in this house he couldn't leave behind. Whirling around, Dean sprints back to his room despite his brother's silent head shakes. Under his bed, he dives down and quickly finds what he was looking for, brushing aside an old shoe. Pulling the small box out, he shoves it into his bag, along with the drawing and card from Sammy. 

Footsteps start up the stairs, he was running out of time. Half frozen with panic, Dean shoves the box into his school bag, emptying his schoolwork onto the ground.

A door flings open, the loud bang of it bouncing off the wall sent Dean flying into gear. He runs, not daring to looking behind him as he sprints into Sammy's room, bouncing off the door frame and heading straight for the open window that Sam still waited by. He hurries out, ushering his brother along the branch. His heart was going a million miles per second, he could hear the man yelling now, he had been spotted. 

Throwing all caution to the wind, Dean shoves Sammy off the branch, sending a silent to his brother who landed in the bushes. They had no time to climb down now.

Glancing backwards, he could see the man's murderous expression. Conflicting feelings of anger and fear fill him in the split seconds before he breaks eye contact with the killer and lets go. The air rushes around him as he falls heavily to the ground. Time seems to slow for a moment. 

Then he hits the ground and everything speeds up again.

~~~~~

So... hey guys.... I swear I didn't mean to leave my updates so far apart but life is a pain sometimes. I'm hoping after my final assignments are done, I'll have more time to write! Of course then I'll be job hunting and doing NaNoWriMo... but I'll sacrifice sleep if I have to 😂 

Anyways, enjoy this cliffhanger 😈😇 and peace out hehehe