Supernatural, After the fact. Part 1

 

Crystal stood there in a daze, the world was turning too fast, and she is just trying to catch up. The man who raised her, took her and her sister in when they were too young to remember, is on his death bed. He is slipping fast, there is nothing she can do. Meanwhile the world is slipping away like sand through her fingers. Monsters are taking over, and no one is there to stop them. 

During the day demons terrorize the streets, turning city after city into a living hell. By nightfall, the vampires and other creatures of the night come out to play, leaving people to cower inside their homes hoping that they can survive until daylight. Werewolves and skin walkers have made themselves known, along with ghouls, ghosts and many more. 

Crystal turns to look around this all too familiar living room. The dark green walls are overshadowed by the many bookshelves. The real wood floors creek under her weight as she slowly sits on the ancient leather furniture. To the left of the room is an old marble fireplace that has fallen to ruin. To the right is a medical bed with her grandfather strapped to it. Heart rate monitors beep intently, making it hard for Crystal to hear herself think. 

When Crystal and her twin sister Ember were three years old, their parents disappeared. No one really knows what happened to them, but their grandfather stepped in to take care of the twins. His name was Dean Winchester, and he is known for being a little strange. He was always into fantasy and learning about what everyone believed was myths. But he cared about the girls and raised them like they were his own. 

The heart rate monitor started to escalate, and Crystal was on her feet in seconds. Three strides later she was at her grandfather’s side as he started to cough and struggle to breath. Crystal fumbled with the respirator until she was finally able to get it over his mouth. Soon his body started to relax, and his eyes opened. His mouth morphed into a smile as he saw his Granddaughter’s face. 

Crystal studied her grandfather, trying to memorize every wrinkle. His once brown hair is now white as snow. His skin is now thinning and fragile, his hands barely holding on. He was once the strongest man that Crystal had ever known, now he is barely able to breath by himself, it was almost more then she could stand. 

“Crystal,” Her grandfather rasped, “you need to listen to me darlin’.”

“I’m listening papa,” She said, trying to hold back her tears.

“There is a box in the attic,” he stopped and started to cough uncontrollably. 

Crystal was officially confused, “a box?” 

“Y-yes, a box. This box is especially important Crystal, you need to trust me. Grab the box, find your sister. Then you go through its contents. Learn the truth about our family, learn what it means to be a Winchester!” he started to cough again, rasping, and moving slowly. His heart rate monitor is spiking again. 

“Papa you need to calm down-” Crystal started. 

Her grandfathers hand grabbed her arm, “No Crystal you need to listen to me! I do not have much time left and people are dying. We, you, come from a family who helps people like them.” 

One bony finger outstretched slowly and pointed toward the TV on the south end of the living room. The news had shifted to talking about yet another shifter attack in south west California. Crystal cringed as she listened to all of the people who were affected by the attack. 

“You and your sister need to help them. You need to learn what it means to be a hunter.” He coughed and then leaned back into his large pillow. 

“Hunter? Papa what are you even saying?” Crystal was starting to worry. 

“Find the box, find your sister and save the world.” He stated one last time before he laid down again and fell into a deep sleep. 

The live-in nurse came around at that point, checking his vitals and making sure that he was okay. Crystal turned back to the tv, lost in thought. The news caster talked about how the government has a plan to make living in America safe again and Crystal could just care less. She has not seen her grandfather so passionate about something in a long time. What could he be so worried about?

As if on auto pilot Crystal moved to the attic. In the north hallway of the second floor there was a string that hung down. If one were to pull on it, stairs would fall gracefully to reveal a hole in the ceiling leading to the attic. Crystal had been up there a few times; it was used as a playhouse for her and her sister. But everything had been moved out of there a long time ago. 

The rope hung before Crystal, temping her with the possibility of the unknown. Outstretching her hand slowly she grabbed the rope and gave it a tug. When the stairs came down, Crystal felt that she was brought back long before any of this happened. Ember was already upstairs pretending to put together tea and cakes. Crystal would come up all dressed in her Sunday’s best. They would pretend to be rich, maybe even princesses sometimes. Everything was a lot simpler back then. 

Ember started to get into things that their grandfather did not approve of. She joined a coven and became what she called a wiccan. Granddad knew what it was, it was witchcraft. He did not approve but that would never stop her. They started fighting and getting up in each other’s business. It did not take long before things were said that should never have been said, Ember left never to be seen again. 

Now Crystal was going back to the place where the sisters had spent so much time. Now their grandfather wants Ember to come back. All of this be because of the monsters? What did he mean that they had to live up to their family name, like she had a legacy to uphold? Crystal was going to find out. 

Reaching the entrance to the attic, Crystal looked over the edge. For a second, she could see all of the play sets and toy chests, but they faded into the empty, dusty room it is today. Now there was only a single box in the middle of the room. Climbing into the attic she walked over to it. It seemed old with the corners frayed. There was no writing on it, but it was full to the point of she was barely able to move it. 

Slipping to the floor next to the box she pulled the flaps open to look inside. She was overwhelmed with the smell of old paper and leather. The box was filled with old journals written in from cover to cover. The leather seemed worn as if they had been well used. There was no writing on the outside of any of them. Crystal came for answers, so she dug right in. 

Crystal ended up staying up all night in order to read through all of it. Suddenly she had a lot to think about. She could not figure out if she came from a family of crazy people, or the only family that thoroughly knows what is going on. As it turns out all of this started for her family a long time ago. 

It started with a family of hunters called the Campbells, their youngest daughter married a Mr. John Winchester. They started to have a normal family until she died in a freak house fire. Then John was pulled into hunting and ended up becoming the best in the business. Johns two sons also became hunters, a powerful team who were a lot better then their father. Dean, the older brother, passed away during a hunt. Sam, the younger brother, lived a normal life after that, for the most part. 

Sam never stopped hunting, he just made time to start a family as well. Sam trained his son Dean to be a hunter. Dean, the second, is Crystal and Embers Grandfather. Dean taught his son to hunt, who taught his wife. They went out on a hunting trip one night, leaving their twin girls in the capable hands of their grandfather. They have not been back since. 

Years later the trails started to run cold. The hunters of the world believed that they had finally killed the last monster. Most of the hunters retired others never stopped looking. As the decades passed the hunters of old gave way to people who knew nothing the of the horrors that once filled the night. 

Crystal read about monster after monster, she read about the stories of the hunters before. She read about all of the creatures that are out there terrorizing the streets as she read. Crystal started to understand why her Grandad had such a huge issue with Ember getting into witchcraft. She also learned why they needed to start to work together to fix the world as it is today. If Crystal is going to start hunting, she needed back up only her sister could provide. 

As the sun started to shine through the circular window of the attic, Crystal heard some footsteps come up the stairs. Looking over, Crystal watched as the live-in nurse poked her head over the edge of the attic floor, with tears welled up in her eyes. Crystal did not even have to listen to the words being spoken to her in order to realize what was happening. 

Crystal could not get back down to the living room fast enough. In her mind, the world had flipped upside down. She forgot about the journals, about the passed and even her sister. All she could think about is her rock. The foundation that she had built her life on was crumbling and there was nothing she could do about it. 

Ember woke up frantic, panting uncontrollably. She had a dream she could not explain. For some reason it was about her grandfather, but by the time she was awake enough to think about it she had forgotten most of it. Moving her hand slowly through her hair she yawned the sleep away. 

Standing up slowly, Ember moved across the other people sleeping to the public bathroom. Her back ached from sleeping on the concrete floor with nothing but a blanket for support. As she made her journey she passed by her least favorite window, the one that showed what once was her pride and joy. 

A little over a year ago before all of these monsters surfaced, Ember had her own store. When she left her home and went out on her own, she took a chance and started her own business. Being a wiccan in a new town, she opened a shop to sell all things witchy. But when the world fell apart, her shop ended up burning down. Now she stays across the street in an old hotel that the military set up to keep the survivors as safe as possible from the monsters. 

A sigh escaped Embers lips as she reached the bathroom. Splashing her face with some water, Ember started to get ready for the day. Sadly, due to the fact she lived in the condo above her store when the store burned down, so did all of her stuff. Also, since no one can safely have any stores open, she is unable to buy new stuff. Until the government can figure out what to do about this infestation, she is SOL. 

Just when Ember filled her mouth with water to gargle, she heard someone calling her name. This voice almost, for a brief second, sounded like her sister. Ember shrugged it off, it was probably with her ears playing tricks on her. 

However, when the door opened and Crystal came through, Ember spit all of her water onto the mirror. The sisters just stood there for a while, staring at each other for a sold couple minutes. Ember slowly whipped her face off with a paper towel, still unable to say anything. 

“How have you been Em?” Crystal asked. 

“Fine, you?” Ember almost growled. 

“Could be better, can we talk?” Crystal asked. 

“Does good old granddad know where you are? Did he kick you out for wanting to speak to me?” Ember said with a tinge of hate. 

“Papa passed away, now can we talk?” Crystal rose her eyebrows. 

“So, wait, before our Grandfather passed, he told you to go into the attic and read old journals about killing monsters. Now he wants us to what? Go cross country and save people?” Ember asked. 

“Yes, that is what I am to understand.” Crystal said, trying her best to focus on the road. 

Crystal drove a Volkswagen Jetta, not the coolest car in the world but it had great gas mileage. She always loved how modern it feels and the fact she can connect her phone to the blue tooth. It also is the smoothest car she has ever owned, so naturally this is the favorite car she has ever owned. 

“Hey Em, what happened to your car?” Crystal said. 

“Ah well Crystal, lets think. I had a successful business and lived in the apartment right above it.  My Car was parked in the parking garage under the business. In fact, everything I ever owned was in that building. But then the building burned down, so Crystal let me ask you. Where is my car?” Ember looked at her. 

“Look keep your attitude in check alright?” Crystal sighed. “Here, pass the time by reading these journals.”

Crystal handed her a leather book that seemed like a small three-ring binder. Ember signed and opened it, looking at the shitty handwriting that was inside. However, after approximately five seconds, Ember looked back at her sister. 

“So where are we going anyways?” Ember asked. 

“There is a place our great grandfather Sam talks about in his journal. It is a hide out that he and his brother Dean used for a long time during their hunting career. It was once a Men of Letters bunker. It if full of books and supernatural artifacts. I thought it would be a good base for us.” Crystal said. 

“What are the men of letters?” Ember asked. 

“Just read the damn journals alright. They explain everything!” Crystal yelled.