by Amelia Esla
"This is where you boys will be sleeping." Gloria led them into one of the hallways. "There are plenty of rooms, so you won't have to share." She turned and smiled down at Megan. "You'll be staying in the other hallway with us girls." She motioned for Megan to follow.
Megan turned to look at Dean and Sam before following. Dean winked and smiled, although he wasn't so sure he wanted to be split up yet. But with Megan distracting Gloria, he had a better shot at casing the place, without an escort.
As soon as they left, Dean threw his bag into one of the empty rooms and patted Sam's shoulder. "Come on, let's take a look around."
Sam nodded, taking a moment to look at the rooms available. He chose one that used to be a classroom, which he knew because of the whiteboard on the wall. It still had half-erased bible verses written on it.
"Are those your brothers?" Gloria asked as they walked.
Megan shook her head. "No, just some friends, I guess. We met after the outbreak."
Gloria frowned. "So you don't know anything about them before all this happened?"
Just that they hunted monsters for a living... Megan thought to herself. "No, not really," she lied.
Gloria smiled again as they made it to Megan's room. "There's already an extra mattress in here. You can put your stuff in here and get comfortable."
Megan dropped her bag and sat on the mattress. "Thank you," was all she said.
Gloria left quickly. She had seen the sign- the angel had seen inside the newcomers and given her his decision. The two men were dangerous; they were guilty to their deepest foundations. They were not to be trusted. Megan, on the other hand, was innocent. She would stay.
That left Gloria with the unfortunate task of having to kill those boys without scaring the girl away.
It's for the best, she knew.
...
"What are you talking about, Dean?" Sam whispered.
"I don't know, Sammy. I just have a bad feeling about this." They were wandering through the back hallways of the church. They were mostly going in circles or walking into closets, but Dean was determined to find something suspicious.
Sam tried not to roll his eyes. His brother could be so damn stubborn sometimes. "That's not good enough, Dean. I'm gonna need more than a hunch."
"Look, Sam. I just wanna check out the back, and see what they got. It's not like I'm gonna take anything. They'll never even know!" While they had boxes upon boxes of supplies, Dean had yet to see a single weapon that wasn't theirs. When he asked one member, Zach Smith, about it, he replied that they didn't need any weapons here. God would protect them. "I know they're hiding something. Call it a hunter's instinct."
Sam stopped suddenly, grabbing Dean's shoulder. "What the hell, Sam?" Dean turned to his brother.
"You're not gonna screw this up, Dean." Sam let go of him. "If they catch us back here, they're going to throw us out- and I won't blame them! We finally have a place to stay..."
Dean sighed. Sam was right; Dean was just going to get them kicked out of the one group of living people they'd managed to find. "Fine. But that doesn't mean this is over. I still don't trust them."
"I'm not asking you to, I'm asking you to trust me. If something's up... I'll be right there beside you to check it out." Sam waited for Dean to reply, but his brother just sighed again and nodded.
...
As Megan sat on her mattress in the middle of the room, she felt strangely at home. While she hadn't been religious, she had been curious and open-minded to the possibility of a god. It was strange, but even just stepping into the churches front door gave her a sense of peace.
She could tell that the brothers didn't share that same feeling, but they were, after all, monster hunters. It would seem that those who have seen and fought demons with their own eyes and hands would also believe in their opposite, but obviously not. Megan didn't think she'd ever truly understand anything about these boys.
Over the last few months, she had certainly gotten closer to them, yet she felt like she knew nothing about them. When they talked about their past, they mostly talked about hunting. Occasionally Dean would tell a story about baby Sammy, or Sam would tell her about the loving, yet ever abrasive big brother Dean. But she never heard them talk about any other family or friends or anything like that.
As if on cue, Dean knocked on her door, coming in without waiting for a response. "It's not past curfew yet, is it?"
Megan smiled. "Nope, I don't think so. Where's Sam.
Dean shrugged. "Talking to that crazy chick, I think." He sat down on the mattress beside her.
"She's not crazy. I thought she was nice."
"I don't know. I didn't like the way she looked at me." Like she couldn't trust me...Well, right back at you, bitch.
"She reminds me of my mom, a little bit." Her and her mother hadn't always gotten along, but Megan loved her anyway. She was a kind woman, and her laugh was contagious. Now more than ever, she missed her. "You've never told me about your mother,"
Dean shifted uncomfortably beside her. "She, uh, she passed away when I was little."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Megan immediately felt guilty about bringing it up. Obviously he didn't talk about things for a reason.
"It's fine." The last thing Dean wanted was for her to feel bad for him. After a moment of silence, he explained, "It was a demon." It felt weird actually talking about it with someone other than Dad or Sam. "That's how we got into hunting. We've been trying to track down the demon that killed her ever since."
Megan didn't know what to say. She was shocked that he was even telling her any of this. It took a lot of trust to let that out, and she was flattered that he trusted her that much.
She cleared her throat to say something when Sam walked in. She was secretly grateful that he interrupted them. "Dean, I think you're right." He said, seriously.
12- Skeptics
After he was sure that his brother was on his way to see Megan, and not sneak around the church, Sam decided to speak with some of the other survivors. Like Dean, he had his suspicions about this place, but unlike him, he was willing to be patient instead of jeopardizing their chances of staying.
When they had first arrived, everyone was sitting in the pews. Now, they seemed to be scattered around the church, doing whatever jobs they were in charge of.
Sam thought it was best to start with Gloria, who seemed to be the leader of the group. Where did she go? He spotted a man carrying some boxes across the hall. "Whoa, here, let me help you," Sam rushed over to him, grabbing a few of the boxes that were stacked on top before they fell.
"Thanks," The man said flatly. "Don't worry about it, though. I got it." He rearranged the ones in his hands, and waited expectantly for Sam to return the ones he took.
"No problem," Sam was hesitant, but he obviously didn't want any help. At first he thought he was just being stubborn, but as he handed back the last box, he got a glimpse of what was inside. Guns?
They had made their stance on guns obvious before- they were to be outlawed completely. They didn't believe in them. Apparently, one of the priests who had started this camp was shot not too long ago. They didn't want them to bring their guns in, but Dean flashed his cunning smile and convinced them that the guns themselves had sentimental value, but agreed to get rid of the ammo.Well, Dean gave them all the ammo that they knew of.
"Welcome to the camp, man." The man nodded quickly and scurried away.
Sam smiled politely and clenched his jaw as he turned around. Dean was right, something's up.
...
"I knew it," Dean stood, shaking off his previous conversation. He didn't look at Megan when she stood up as well, but managed a sideways glance at her when she was staring at Sam.
"Right about what?" Sam's whole body was tense, and Megan knew something was wrong.
"You know their whole 'no-gun policy'? Well I just saw some guy carrying boxes of guns, and who knows what else, off into the back." Sam explained. "And he certainly did his best to ke
ep me from seeing them."
Dean was about to reply when he was interrupted by a high-pitched voice. "Hello, boys." Gloria stood in the doorway behind Sam. She was dwarfed by his 6'4" frame, but suddenly her smile seemed a lot more like an evil grin as her gaze quickly found Megan. "Hello, Megan. I need these two for a moment. I hope you don't mind."
"Um," Megan stuttered, not sure what to say. If Dean and Sam were that worried about these people, she didn't want to be alone.
Dean glanced at Megan. "Sure, no problem." Sam looked hesitant, but followed his brothers' lead, and followed Gloria out the room. Dean followed behind, but as he left he brushed by Megan, seeming to run his hand along her lower back. When he left, she reached back and felt the small pistol he had stuck in her jeans. She held it out in front of her and checked for ammo. It was full.
Thanks, Dean.
...
Dean hated not having a weapon on him, but it was more important that Megan had one right now. She had given up any ammo she had on her when they came in, so she was completely defenseless by herself. Dean at least had Sam in case things got bad.
While Dean was already prepared to fight, Sam was more cautious. While he didn't trust them, he also knew there were a lot of reasons for those boxes of guns. He didn't want to be too trigger-happy.
"Thanks for helping me," Gloria said as she led them through the halls. "I just need help moving stuff, and you guys looked like you could handle it."
They entered a dark room, and Sam felt Dean tense up beside him. The door slammed shut behind them, and before they had any time to react, Gloria rammed into Sam, sending him to the ground.
Another figure grabbed at Dean, although in the dark he couldn't tell who it was. Dean swung his fist at the guy, and knocked him off balance. He lurched at him, grabbing for some kind of weapon. He felt a gun, but he didn't have a chance to wrestle it out of the man's hand, the butt of the gun went right into his face.
Meanwhile, Sam was struggling with Gloria. He had successfully knocked the gun out if her hand, but was too busy holding her down to reach for it.
"Why are you doing this?" Sam yelled through clenched teeth.
"It's God's will," Gloria hissed back. "The angel spoke to me, and told me of your true nature. You don't deserve to live."
Sam ignored the pain that came with that outburst. What if it's true? What if she really did speak to angels? It wouldn't be the weirdest thing they had seen. And it certainly wouldn't be the first time they encountered something they thought didn't exist.
Dean fell backwards, holding his nose. The man, who he could now see was Zach, held the pistol to his face. "I'm sorry, but the angels want it this way."
Dean groaned. "I don't care what the angels want, buddy." He snatched the gun, and kicked Zach in the crotch, hard. He went down in pain and confusion.
Dean stood, not even taking a breath before running over to Sam. "Hey, hey, get off her," he panted. He aimed the gun at Gloria as Sam released her. "What the hell do you want from us?"
"God has chosen me. It is his will that you should die." Gloria spat.
"She said...an angel came to her," Sam explained quietly. He didn't want to believe what Gloria was saying, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she was right.
...
Megan clasped her fingers around the gun that Dean had given her. It wasn't the one she was used to-, that one was lying abandoned in her bag. Why did I give my ammo away? Megan groaned. Stupid, stupid!
Luckily, Dean had been smarter than that. Her hands were shaking as she creaked open her door and peaked out. The hallway was empty. So where did she take them?
Not wanting to draw attention to herself, she tip-toed her way to the door leading to the nave. She peered through the small glass panels but to her surprise, it was empty as well.
As soon as she entered the room, everything started to shake like an earthquake. "What the-" She lost her balance and fell back on the floor, dropping the gun in the process. She quickly grabbed it, pulling herself back up into a sitting position.
Behind her, she could hear a slight buzzing sound, and she turned to it. A blinding white light appeared before her. She shielded her eyes, but when she looked again, it began to take the shape of a man.
"Who are you?"
The light slowly faded, leaving a tall, red-haired man. He wore the dark clothing of a priest. "I have been sent by God, Megan." His eyes narrowed as he studied her. "But it seems so have you."
...
With Gloria and Zach tied up, Dean and Sam left to find Megan. The rest of the congregation was still out there, and that had no idea how much they knew about "God's plan".
As Sam followed behind Dean, his mind raced. "Dean...do you think she was right?"
"About what?" Dean huffed.
"About the angel. Maybe she wasn't crazy- maybe she actually saw-'"
"Come on, Sam," Dean cut him off. "That's crazy. There is no such thing as angels, and if there were, do you really think they'd be killing people?" His voice was rough and dismissive. End of story.
"But, Dean. Think about it-"
"I did, Sam. For a good two seconds, which is as long as it takes to see that its bullshit."
They were about to reach the door out of the hall when they were stopped by a wave of people. It seemed the rest of the congregation suddenly came out or nowhere, and stood guard at the door. "Oh, come on," Dean groaned.
"We were chosen," a small woman with hazel eyes spoke. She stepped forward, and held out her hands, palms up. "Chosen for redemption. And so can you two, if you join us."
"Where's Megan?" Dean pointed his gun into the group.
Sam immediately grabbed his brother's arm. "Dean...these people are human," he reminded him quietly. He didn't think that he would actually shoot any of them, but he wasn't ready to take that risk.
Dean's face didn't change, nor did he put down the gun. "Did you hear me? Where is-"
"Dean!" Megan's voice rang out from behind the group. "Sam! I... I'm okay."
Dean immediately let his hand fall to his side. "Jesus. Come on, Megan. We're outta here."
"We can't just leave, Dean," Sam protested. "Angel or not, something is going on here."
"I think I know," Megan pushed forward through the members until she was standing beside Sam. "I mean, I'm not very good at this...hunting thing, or whatever...but I think it's a ghost."
"What are you talking about?" One member asked. "This isn't a ghost story- this is a miracle! They're talking to angels!"
Megan shook her head. "No, it- or he- came to me. He told me about what he told the others," She had this odd look on her face that Sam couldn't quite place. "But, he looked just like a man, and I felt really cold,"
Megan was worried that she wasn't making any sense, but for some reason she was sure that this thing was not an angel. She was sure it was a ghost.
Dean, however seemed to jump on the idea. "That would make sense. This thing has vengeful spirit all over it!" He looked to Sam for support.
Sam thought it over. He wanted to believe that this was an angel, but clues began to click into place the more he thought about it.Damn, "The 'angel', Megan, what was he wearing?"
Megan tilted her head. "A priest's outfit, I think."
Sam sighed, closing his eyes, "I think it's the ghost of the priest who died here. The times all match up."
"Do you mean Father Gregory?" One man in the group asked. "You think...you think he's talking to them?" The congregation all looked up to Sam for an answer.
"He was shot here a few months ago, right? And shortly after is when the angel began appearing?" Everyone shared a look, nodding slowly as they connected the dots.
Dean shook his head. "Alright. Where's he buried?"
"Behind the church," A tall brunette woman answered quietly. The room was silent now.
"You gonna let us through?" Dean evened his tone.
Everyone looked at each other and then hesitantly made a path to the door. "Thank
you," he motioned for Sam and Megan to follow, and then rushed out to the back.
...
Father Gregory had been buried only a few months ago, which meant he wasn't hard to dig up, but he also wasn't fully decomposed yet. "I can't believe we have to waste gas for this," Dean groaned as he conscientiously poured gasoline over the body.
"What are you doing?" An accusatory voice came from behind them. They all turned to see Father Gregory standing there. His face was pale and shocked. "Why are you burning me?"
"Because your killing people, dude," Dean stood, his hand sliding into his pocket where he kept a lighter.
"I am not killing anyone," he protested. "I am helping these people to help God. I was chosen- and I'm just trying to do what is right."
"You're not an angel, Father," Sam said gently. "You're a spirit. I'm sorry- but you weren't chosen for anything, you just need to move on."
Father Gregory's face twisted with confusion and disbelief. "You don't know what you're talking about. I- I'm just trying to do good!"
"I know, I know you are. But you did a lot of good when you were alive. Now it's time to let go."
Dean gripped on the lighter as he watched the priests face for any sign of acceptance. Luckily, he seemed to be calm, even if upset. "I understand..." Father Gregory said at last. He glanced up, squinting. "I...I think I can see it. I can see the light." He held out his hand and walked forward, and the three of them watched as he faded once again into a bright white light.
They were silent.
"Let's get the hell outta here,"
13- Hotel California
The trio put the church behind them. Nobody talked about it, they just watched as it grew smaller and smaller in the distance, until it was gone. Out of sight, out of mind.
Dean was quietly relieved to be back on the road. Sure, he wanted what was best for Sam and Megan, which was a home. Or at least some place to call home. Dean knew that somewhere deep down, he wanted that too. But he was a hunter, and hunters were nomads. Whatever he wanted didn't matter. This was what he was good at: driving down the highway with Sammy at his side and a gun in his lap. Even though the world had all but ended, there were still monsters out there, and people to save. Who knows how many more travelers those pyschos would have killed in the name of God if they hadn't put an end to their delusions? This was what it meant to be a hunter, and if Dean wasn't a hunter...then he what was he?
