Persevere.

“You work at that Christmas store, whatever it is, right? I was in there the other day. Trying to get into the spirit of everything. Turns out I’ve never really been one for Christmas and that trend is just continuing. It’s a nice store though, lots of, uhm, things.” She fumbled over her words a bit, not really good at making small talk. However, she needed to make friends in this place because the most social interaction she got was at the bar when she came in for her shift. Now that her shift was over, maybe it was time to try to get to know someone. “My names Jo, I usually work back there, but I just got off. If you want to know a trade secret, order the signature cocktail and then tell them to swap out the vodka for white rum and make it a double. Trust me you won’t regret it.”

“I’m sorry, but if you’re here, and I’m here, that must mean that we’re dead, right? I know that I’m dead, or I’m probably dead, because there was no saving me. Are you dead too? Is that what this is? Are we all just dead and now we live in this blissful and quaint little place? Is Dean here too?” 

Jo had been minding her own business, walking down the street, trying to get acquainted with the new place that she found herself. Memories of the life she had left behind were dancing behind her eyelids. She was so focused on them that when she saw him she almost thought she had imagined it. Jo was always a very confrontational and forward person. So it was no surprise to her that her feet carried her directly across the street, without looking for cars, until she was standing right in front of him. She studied him wordlessly, staring at him like he was some sort of enigma to her.  He looked like Dean, he walked like Dean, and yet something about him felt off to her. “Okay.” She said simply, as if that was enough of an explanation. “Now I know that I’m dreaming.” 

This place was weird, Jo felt it in her bones. She had always been good with all of the weird in the world and this place reeked of it. She nodded as the other woman spoke, sure that she could understand. She fought monsters all the time, or at least, she used to. Sometimes it plagued her mind in the night as she had dreams of the life she had left behind. The life where it had all ended so suddenly, and now she was stuck somewhere she didn’t quite understand. Her dreams too, in a way, were of a time in her life that was real and she had lived, although at this point it maybe all could have been just a dream. Who’s to know anymore? “I know what you’re talking about. When you wake up and you can’t tell if all of it actually happened or not. You question everything. It’s even worse when deep down a part of you knows it was real, you’re so sure of it. That makes them even scarier.”