It took almost all night, but my hair was a nice dirty blonde by the next morning. I was only half surprised that neither of us passed out from the toxic fumes that emanated from the bathroom. The ventilation in this apartment was horrible. I'm glad Bee and I had gotten my deposit back earlier that night.
Dean was still in a coma on the couch when Bee and I exited the bathroom. Sam was nowhere to be seen. A car alarm went off outside. Dean sat bolt upright.
"Morning, sunshine." I tucked my hair behind my ear.
"Well, I guess you'll see if the saying is true." Dean stretched.
"What saying?" Bee asked.
"If blondes really do have more fun." Dean grinned.
I rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't call what we're doing 'fun.'"
"Coffee?" Sam asked as he walked in the door. As soon as his eyes landed on me, he froze.
"Thanks." I sauntered up to him and took a cup from the holder. "Also, if you take a picture it'll last longer."
"You gonna take that, Sammy?" Dean asked.
Sam shook his head and walked into the room. "Dean and I thought we'd scour the walls first thing this morning. You know how Holmes always had traps in there. Maybe Teresa's stuck in one."
"Good call," Bee said. "We splitting up again?"
"Sounds good to me," Dean said.
Before long, Dean and Bee had headed upstairs while Sam and I crammed into the wall downstairs. Sam led and I followed. About halfway through, my phone buzzed.
"Bee says they're almost done with the top floor. They haven't found anything either." I slipped my phone back into my pocket, turning around to make sure it was secure. When I turned back, I nearly bumped into Sam's back. "Why'd you stop?"
"It's too narrow," Sam replied.
"Let me see," I said.
I squeezed my way around Sam. There was some accidental grinding in such a narrow space. Color flushed my cheeks as my body sparked to life as our bodies connected. I focused on the space ahead of me. It was definitely too narrow for Sam's broad shoulders no matter how he moved. I could slip through easily.
"I can make it," I said.
"No way." Sam grabbed my wrist but quickly dropped it not wanting to relive the previous firework show.
"Look, Teresa may be down there. I'm going unless you have a better idea." Sam said nothing. "I thought so."
What looked like a cramped space actually was easy to maneuver. I had at least an inch in front of me when I pushed my back against the wall. I rounded the corner and my phone buzzed again.
"Hello?"
"Where are you?" Sam demanded.
"I'm on the north wall. There's an air duct ahead of me. I'm going to go down it," I said.
"No, stay up here," Sam said.
"We have to find Teresa somehow. I'm going," I said.
"I'm heading to you now. Be careful," Sam said.
"I'll be okay." I rolled my eyes.
I dropped down the vent. It was a shorter fall than I expected The lower level looked the same as the upper part. I pressed on, checking high and low for any signs of life. The further I walked, the more weird noises I heard. As I scanned my surroundings, I noticed ectoplasm pouring from the walls.
"That's not good," I muttered.
"Mel? What's happening?" Sam asked.
Before I could reply, I caught sight of a ghost charging right at me. I couldn't think of anything else to do but scream. My phone fell from my grip as the ghost slammed me against the wall. The world around me faded to black with Sam calling my name.
*****
I woke up surrounded by wood. Though I didn't have claustrophobia, the scratch marks above me sent shivers down my spine. Someone was so desperate that they resorted to trying to scratch themselves free. I took a few deep breaths to lower my heart rate. I needed a clear head to figure out how to get out of here.
This box can't be made of thick plywood. I bet I can kick it hard enough to get out of here...or hard enough to knock this down and shatter it.
I stomped on the bottom of my makeshift coffin until I slammed my heel down and felt pain course up my entire leg. My ankle burned after the shooting pain subsided. "Shit."
"Is someone there?" A voice came from my right.
Across the room, there was another box just like mine with the same slit cut in the side of it. "Are you Teresa?"
"Yes." The girl's voice quivered.
"I'm going to get you out of here, just stay calm, all right?" I said.
"He's out there. He's going to kill us." Teresa began crying.
"No, he isn't. My friends are out there looking for us. They'll find us." I examined the box for a weak spot as quiet footsteps approached.
"Oh my God, he's here!" Teresa screamed.
"Just try to relax," I said. "Take some deep breaths."
Silence fell. Anxiety filled me as I waited for the classic jumpscare moment. Before I could relax, a hand reached into my box. The ghost grabbed a chunk of my hair and ripped it out of my head. I shouted in pain. As quick as he appeared, he vanished with my hair.
Despite the pain in my leg, I started kicking again. Something had to give eventually. I stopped when the pain became unbearable only to hear the quiet footsteps again. I fished my knife out of my waist belt in preparation this time. A scraggly mouth appeared at the opening.
"You're so pretty," he said. "So beautiful."
"Go to hell!" I shouted.
H. H. Holmes's ghost reached his hand into the box heading straight for my breasts. I waited until he was too far in to take his hand out quickly and stabbed his forearm with my knife. He shouted in pain.
"Yeah! How'd you like that? Pure iron you creepy-ass son of a bitch!" I shouted.
"Is he gone?" Teresa asked.
"I don't know." I listened intently.
The hand reached in like a flash. It covered my mouth tightly. The shock of it all caused me to drop my knife. I tried to yell, but I knew no one would be able to hear me.
"Hey!" Dean yelled and a gun fired. The hand disappeared.
"Mel!" Sam shouted.
"In here!" I banged on my box avoiding the scratch marks that still freaked me out.
There was a scrape of metal and a whine of nails as the lid to my box started to open. I looked to my right and saw Bee trying to lift the lid of Teresa's box with a crowbar.
"We're going to get you out," Bee said.
My lid finally gave way. Sam chucked it to the floor. I sat up and hugged him tight not caring about the goosebumps rising across my skin. Sam squeezed me back. Teresa's lid clattered to the floor, causing us to jump apart. I grabbed my knife and shoved it back into my waistband.
Sam cupped my face. "Are you alright?"
"I've been better. I think I may have broken my ankle," I said.
"Let me help you then." Sam slid his arms under me and lifted me out of the box.
With the adrenaline fading, my ankle throbbed. I tried to touch it to the floor and doubled over in pain. Sam caught my arms to stop me from falling.
"Is she good?" Dean asked as Bee helped Teresa out of the dungeon. "Bianca is taking her to a hospital. Did you fill her in on the plan?"
"What plan?" I asked Sam.
Sam looked down at me and then back at his brother. "There's been a little snag. She—"
"Whatever you need me to do, I can do it," I said.
"Remember when I didn't want you to be bait? It seems like that's our only choice now," Dean said.
While they prepped the trap for Mr. Holmes, I loaded their guns with plenty of salt rounds and added a few knives to my belt. Sam helped me sit in the center of the abandoned sewer chamber. They took their hiding spots. I couldn't see them in the darkness that surrounded me, so I had to keep reminding myself that they wouldn't let anything bad happen to me.
I watched my breath fan out around me and knew the ghost was getting close. Those quiet footsteps approached. My heart hammered as his figure came into view. Anytime now guys.
"Now!" Dean shouted.
Two shots went off as I slid out of the way. A ring of salt dropped around Holmes's ghost. He looked at me with a shocked expression and then unleashed a scream of agony. Sam rushed to my side to help me up.
"Scream all you want! There's no way out of that circle, asshole!" I yelled over his cries.
Sam and Dean helped me get out of the grate that they used to find me. Dean slammed it shut once I was free.
"Let me help you," Sam squatted down to loop his arm under mine.
I hopped a few steps and came to a stop. "I hate to say this, but you're too tall for me. This is uncomfortable."
"Plan B it is." Before I could ask, Sam scooped me up into his arms.
I shrieked and then giggled as he adjusted me so I wasn't pressing on his injured arm. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed into his chest.
"Are you nervous?" Sam asked. "I won't drop you."
"Yeah, you're lighter than you look," Dean said.
I glared over Sam's shoulder at him. ""Did you just call me fat?"
"No! I, uh, I--"
"Stop your stammering." I grinned. "I knew what you meant. I just wanted to see you sweat."
Sam chuckled. Dean grumbled the whole way to the apartment. When they reached the one we had borrowed, Dean knocked twice, paused, and knocked one more time. Bee opened the door.
"Mel, what happened?" Bee asked.
"I hurt my ankle trying to get out of the box," I said as Sam lowered me onto the couch and took a seat beside me. "Did Teresa make it to the hospital?"
"Yeah, she called her family and they were coming to meet her when I left," Bee said. "Are you sure you're okay? Should we be taking you to the hospital, too?"
"Nah, she's tougher than that," Dean said. "Besides, Doc Sammy is going to fix her up." He patted Sam on the shoulder.
"I'm not licensed, so I make no promises." Sam gently untied my boot and rolled my pant leg up. I gripped the sofa tightly as he worked my boot and sock off. "You okay?"
"It's just sensitive," I said through grit teeth.
There was already some bruising on the sides of my ankle. I really shouldn't have pushed it. Sam pressed around the ankle bone. It only stung a little. He manipulated it from side to side. I gasped and grimaced in pain.
"Sorry," Sam said.
"It's okay." I reopened my eyes.
He set it down gently and took my other boot and sock off. "It's a little swollen compared to your other one. It's difficult to tell."
"I think I heard it pop when it happened," I said. "If that helps at all."
"What's the prognosis, Doc?" Dean asked.
Sam stared at it for a long time. "It's likely just sprained, but she'll still need some time off. She can't walk on it."
I threw my head back over the armrest. "I was just ready to get back into hunting and now I'm back on the DL."
"It's alright, Mel. Sammy can stay home with you this time. He should be resting, too." Dean looked at Sam's cast.
"Yeah, you people who are made of glass can rest up. We'll take the next couple of hunts." Bee shoved all my stuff into a duffle.
"We can pick up a brace on our way back to Bobby's," Sam said. "You ready to head out?"
"I guess." I stifled a yawn.
"Try to get some rest on the way home," Dean said. "You got her, Sam?"
"Yep." Sam stood.
Since I knew it was coming this time, I was able to help Sam pick me up and keep my weight off his bad arm. He carried me out to the parking lot.
"Wait there's one more thing I have to do," Dean said.
He disappeared around the corner of the building. Sam set me down on the trunk of the car. I looked at him with a furrowed brow. He shrugged. Dean came around the corner a second later in a cement truck that he poured into the sewer.
"I'd like to see that son of a bitch get out now," he shouted.
"Your brother is crazy." I laughed.
"You can't pick your family," Sam replied.
Once Dean had finished, he told Sam where to meet him. He returned the truck and took his place in the driver's seat. Sam and I took our spots in the back. To help aid the healing, Sam propped my ankle up on his leg. I tried to close my eyes and sleep when I got used to the tingles radiating from my contact with Sam, but I could feel his eyes on me.
"Why are you staring at me?" I asked quietly.
Sam smiled softly. "I like you better as a brunette."
I tried to kick him with my good foot, but I ended up just shoving my foot off the seat. "Shut up, Winchester."
"I'm not going to have to separate you two, am I?" Dean asked. "I'll pull over right now."
"We're fine, Dad," I said as I slid down in my seat and closed my eyes. "Just keep driving."
~
A/N: The photo is Melanie as a blonde (yes, I decided to go with another girl. The photo in chapter 1 is changed, too)!