once upon a time

CHAPTER FOUR: SLEEPING BEAUTIES

In a normal world, exploring a cave would be a thrilling adventure. Yet, at this particular moment, all she felt was the blood pulsing through her veins and her heart pounding. She went inside first, without even thinking about the dangers she would expose herself to. She wanted to show Dean that she was as brave as he was.

"I can't see shit," she hears him mutter.

They are now in the middle of a tunnel. The air is damp, and the smell is foul. It feels like a dead animal is rotting in between these walls.

"Can you pass me the light?" she asks as shivers overtake her body. It's damn cold in here. She wonders if the creatures felt temperature changes. Do they have the same physical anatomy?

Dean nods and passes her the light. As they advance, Boyd and Sam engage in a conversation, exchanging their impressions of the creatures and the town. Hypotheses fly, from alien-like creatures to humans with superpowers.

The other brother, though, is much more silent. The only words that leave his mouth are small comments about the putrid smell. He's not the talking type, she guesses.

Her right foot stumbles over something hard. She points the light on the unknown thing. It takes a minute for her eyes to comprehend what it was.

She lets out a scream, her hand immediately covering her mouth.

"Shhhhh," reprimands her Dean, but when he sees the thing, he understands.

A body lays in the dirt, its head ripped off.

"Sam, there's a body."

Boyd rushes over and bends down. He inspects the clothes, his eyebrows frowned and his lips pursed. "It's not one of the resident," he announces with a sense of relief. "It could be someone who didn't make it to the town in time," he guesses.

Sam stands by his side. "Does it happen often? I mean, the arrivals."

"There's no pattern," she answers. "We tried to make one, but it's just random."

"How long between the arrivals in general?" Dean inquires.

"At least every two weeks," Boyd responds.

She is surrounded by darkness. Everywhere she looks, she can only make out the shadows of the three men. However, she perceives every sound echoing through the cave system. She notices a particular one. A sort of rumbling. She points the flashlight to a small indistinct figure.

"We need to go," she exclaims in a rush, grabbing Dean's sleeve and Boyd's jacket. Sam glances at the shadow, hesitating between flight or fight. "C'mon," she hurriedly whispers, picking up the pace.

She almost trips on a rock, but fortunately, Dean holds her waist down. His strong hands are firmly planted on her sides as if he were afraid she'd fall again. Perhaps he's right. She's too anxious to think properly and to watch her step. If they die, she's at fault. She pushed everyone to explore the cave, without even thinking about the dire consequences of such an act. What if a creature emerged out of nowhere? What if other monsters live down there? Who knows what went on at night in the forest.

Once back above ground, Boyd stares at the entrance of the cave.

"Something followed us," he declares.

"And that something was a creature," Sam adds, "Sharp teeth and yellow eyes. It probably heard us."

"Yet it didn't come out," Dean remarks. "Night creatures, those bastards. At least we know what to do next."

"And what's that?" She frowns.

"Torch those motherfuckers," he shrugs as though it is normal to set things on fire.

CHAPTER THREE: inside the forest

She almost sprints to Kenny's house, feeling a weird sense of dread invading her mind. When she arrives, her nose is hit with aromas of citrus and oranges. Boyd is pacing in the kitchen and Kenny is visibly upset.

"What's going on?" she asks, an eyebrow raised.

Jade, who is holding a cup of coffee, quickly explains the issue. "Boyd wants to explore the forest and camp out there at night. Kenny is opposed to this idea. I think it's a bold move, the creatures won't see it coming."

She sighs. She can see why Boyd's so intent on going there. That's where he found the talisman. It holds mysteries. However, to what extent do they want to learn the truth about this town? What horrors will they find there?

"Is a tent even strong enough to prevent those monsters to enter?" she considers the possibility of a creature ripping apart the fabric of the tent on the very first night of Boyd's expedition.

Boyd stops pacing and looks up at her. "I believe it has walls, though made of plastic, so it'll work. We can't know this for sure, just like we didn't believe in the talismans at first."

"It's not the right time," snaps Kenny. "We've got newcomers, we need stability."

"They seem to be handling things pretty well," she butts in. Kenny shoots her a look. "Why not start with a small perimeter? Each day, you go further. Once you know the surroundings, you can perhaps stay for a night."

Perhaps he could find shelter inside a cabin or some sort of tree house. After all, people had built this town and Victor survived hiding in a tree trunk. Everything was possible.

"We could put the newbies to use. They're not scaredy cats like Jade," she continues. Dean and Sam would contribute to the town because she does not expect blondie to be the gardener type and Sam looks like he'd tell her the latin name of every plant.

"Uncalled for," Jade whines.

Kenny sighs loudly. "I'll come too."

Boyd shakes his head. "No, the town needs a sheriff."

"I'll come," she volunteers.

Kenny's head spin almost immediately in her direction. "I thought you hated this forest. You never go inside."

Well, it is true. She feels goosebumps whenever she looks at the thousands of trees hiding secrets. However, she wants to see if Dean and Sam find something. They are a pair of fresh eyes and they are unfazed by the eeriness. It's like they encounter monsters on the daily basis.

Boyd "Might be good, actually. You've got a good sense of direction."

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Dean and Sam take no more than a second to agree. They actually seem excited to explore the forest, and she's clearly perplexed. Dean is whistling as he packs a small backpack with several knives.

"How many of them do you have? This is creepy, hell, it's troubling."

He adds salt inside the backpack. She raises an eyebrow. "We hunt, so we're equipped."

"'And you plan to hunt French fries?" she laughs as he rolls his eyes.

He zips up the bag and puts it on his shoulder. "It could be useful," he shrugs.

"How so?"

"D'you always have that many questions?" She's getting on his nerves and she absolutely loves him.

"Ready?" Sam yells from the staircase.

She's only got a fanny pack, a gift from her grandmother who still believes it's a fashion statement. She's put a granola bar inside, in addition to a talisman and a first-aid kit.

Outside, Boyd and Sam get in a conversation about the town's location whilst she and Dean walk in silence, a few feet behind. An awkward silence.

"So... what do you hunt?"

"Still on that, huh?" His eyes wander to the vegetation. It flourishes, as though unaffected by the creatures' blood thirst.

"Well, I'm just trying to bond with you."

"Animals, this kind of stuff. Now, can we focus?"

He's so secretive. She wants to crawl inside his brain and learn all about him. His body language shows that he's prepared to fight. His hand rests on the knife hanging from his belt. He scans the surroundings every ten seconds.

It doesn't take much time to reach the place where Boyd found the talisman a year ago. From there, they decide to follow a path. Every once in a while, Sam engraves a cross on a tree. He's like a Little Thumbling.

As she walks, she notices a shape in between sequoias. "What's that?" she asks, her heart ready to jump out of her chest. It looks like the entrance of something. A cave, she determines as she approaches it. "Could it be....?"

"Their hideout? Possibly," Boyd answers. He bends over the little entrance. "This is some discovery. Do either of you have a flashlight?"

Dean nods and takes out one from this backpack. However, he goes to inspect the cave by himself. "I don't see shit. It's small but someone could certainly fit inside."

This discovery could boost morale for everyone. If they could find where the creatures slept, they could perhaps find a way to kill them. It has never been done before. "Can we fit inside?" She's feeling bold, perhaps because she wants to prove something to the cocky asshole in front of her.

"Well, depends on the build. You would, I guess," Dean answers with vague optimism. "Those fuckers most certainly could. I see traces of mud."

"It's dangerous," Sam argues. "We don't know what's waiting for him on the other side. I don't like this, Dean."

"Sammy, c'mon. They come out at night so they probably sleep during the day. They're just a bunch of vampires."

"You two should stop watching Dracula," Boyd laughs. "I agree with Sam, we should investigate carefully."

"It's an opportunity we can't pass on. It's narrow but we can still make a quick escape. Besides, Dean's got enough knives for all of us."

This year, there would be no snow and no mountain view. Staying in New Orleans meant being far away from your family and the little traditions established over the years. No hot chocolate in front of Home Alone on Christmas Eve. And no battle of snowman in the yard with your cousins.

While you should have been saddened by this perspective, you were ecstatic to spend the holidays with your boyfriend, though he was no fan of Santa Claus.

"Love, he does not exist," he kept repeating whenever you mentioned the white-bearded man whose role was to hand out presents to kids all over the world.

"Sadly. Bloodsuckers exist, but not a man who loves gifting," you sighed every single time with a little smirk.

"He's paler than me," he retorted, his brush furiously landing on the canvas.

Dating a vampire was sometimes awkward. He had lived a thousand lives, experienced droughts, famines, and plagues. He had seen Empires crumble. And yet, he remained spiteful over your love for an old fictional man.

He did do his best to make this holiday as special as possible. He bought a tree and dozens of garlands and bulbs. He went as far as building a village on the counter, sprinkling fake snow over the little characters.

This afternoon, you decided to bake a trifle with all of his favorite ingredients. It was your way to thank him for behaving like a normal human being and not a centuries-old creature.

"Love," he called out from the front door. "I've got new pâtisseries," he continued with a hint of French accent. "Chocolate-filled beignets, a millefeuille, and the best for last, a bûche of Christmas."

You grimaced, your hands covered in mustard. He had gone out to buy black pepper for your seasoning, not desserts. He was so impulsive with his money. He'd splurge on wine, fancy chocolates, and caviar.

"Oh." He dropped the box of desserts on the counter and bit his lip. "I didn't know you'd bake."

Your face reddened. "Well, I wanted to surprise you."

"And so did I," he laughed out loud. Little dimples popped out on the side of his cheeks. If only he could be happy like that forever. Free of worries, of fear, and hatred.

CHAPTER TWO: first night, first doubts

Every night, she has a routine. She never goes against it. First, she locks all the doors and windows. Then, she places the talisman above the door. This way, she knows that they cannot come in. Next, she covers up all the windows with old sheets found in the basement. It's not a matter of protection but of sanity. Whenever she sees one of them, she internally freaks out. They look disturbingly too human for her liking. That's also how they trap people. Sometimes, they put on a show, acting hurt or needing companionship. Some will be insensitive to this, others will fall for it.

Once everything task is completed, she makes herself a cup of hot cocoa and goes upstairs to her bedroom where she'll spend an hour reading a thriller novel. Sleep does not come easy. She always fears one will be smart enough to find a way in. At around midnight, she'll fall asleep but never fully. Her mind enters a nightmarish world where all her dearest friends die, one by one. 

This time, she's got two disruptive elements to her routine. Dean camps out in the living room, his eyes glancing at the darkness outside and the weird creatures roaming. As for Sam, he's eager to help and follows her around. She already likes him. 

"How does the talisman work?" asks Sam, an eyebrow raised. His fingers barely touch it, as if he were afraid to disarm its magical proprieties. 

Her eyes linger on the symbols engraved on the rock. She knows their strokes by heart. She remembers a bold woman, called Sadie. She had strongly believed that carving the symbols on her body would suffice to keep the creatures away from her as she tried to escape from the forest. The next day, Jade and Boyd had found her body, or whatever was left of it, in the pasture. 

"No one truly knows. It needs to be hanged above the front door to be effective. Boyd once survived in a car with this. Somehow, if all the doors and windows are closed, they cannot come in. That's my only source of comfort if you wanna know. Without this talisman, we'd all be dead by now."

She has no true explanation to give. It's all a mystery, so far. No one knows anything. They come up with theories but there's never an answer. 

Dean's head bends a little. He's looking directly at the red-headed man. 

"Don't mind this one, he's the biggest piece of shit I've ever encountered," she says.

He lets out a little laugh. "Given his weird-ass smile, I get it. He seems pretty curious to see newcomers, though."

She sighs, "he probably thinks that new food has arrived." The red-head creature is a constant in her nightmares. He's the one slashing Kenny's throat and ripping Jade's heart from his ribcage. 

"He's not the weirdest thing I've seen." Dean shuts the blinds abruptly, his head shaking. 

She wonders what he meant by that. They don't seem scared, and it's practically impossible to be calm on the first night. She's never seen newcomers accept the situation with this much tranquility and peace of mind. They should be pacing around the house, shoulders trembling and tears dripping down. 

"How about a card game? To take our minds off all of this," suggests Sam. He takes out a small pack of cards from his pocket. 

She nods. They sit around the kitchen table. President is the game she used to play with her grandpa. It reminds her of his house, a small trailer parked in a pasture. Real estate developers tried many times to buy out this plot of land, yet her grandpa never budged. It was his land. She remembers the crickets and the humming of the birds every morning. Here, they don't have this. Animals stay silent. She barely sees birds. 

Dean wins the first round. He's quite good at this game, and he becomes incredibly cocky. "Perhaps we should stop here, for your own sake, Sam."

"Says the man who cried when his favorite singer," mocks the brunette. "I'd say your luck is running out". 

It's been so long since she felt a sense of normalcy. Seeing the two brothers argue and snicker at each other's answers brings warmth to this house that often feels lifeless. 

"I've got a question," says the blond out of the blue. "Where do they go when the sun sets?"

She bites her lip. Boyd's goal was to explore the forest and find their hideout. It's never been done so far because of the multiple disruptions: newcomers, deaths, fights between drunkards at Jesse's bar.

"Victor, one of the oldest inhabitants, thinks that they live in caves deep under the ground. It does make sense."

"Like vampires," he laughs a little bit too heartily. 

"If only," she sighs. Vampires bite you in the neck. They don't tear your limbs and rip out organs. 

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌ Breakfast at the diner equals homemade pancakes and generous drizzles of maple syrup. Dean's eyes almost came out when he saw the stack of pancakes. He's now indulging in the sweetness of blueberries grown by his roommate. 

"It's pretty insane that fruits can grow here, one could think that the earth was cursed, too," says Sam. 

"Gardening's our only activity. We plant new seeds every week to ensure we get food all year round. Donna's always improving the communal garden up at the Colony house." 

Jade comes by the table, his hands full with his notebook where he scribbles the same symbol over and over. He's gone a little mad, recently. He sees things. He hears things. 

"We need you to…." he sizes up the newcomers, not knowing whether to trust them or not. "To come after breakfast. Boyd's got an idea but Kenny's against it. They want a fresh set of eyes." 

"I'll be there in a minute. You look terrible, though. Is Kenny keeping you up all night?" She giggles. Jade rolls his eyes but a small grin replaces his constant frown. 

"Living with him is torture enough," he counters, stealing a pancake from her plate.

Dean stares at the music box on the table, and then at Jade's silhouette walking down the street. 

"Are they all… disturbed like this?" 

"This town messes with your mind. I can't count the number of people who've gone mad. Hell, I almost did."

"I didn't peg you for the weak type." Coming from Dean, this is probably a sort of twisted praise. 

She stands up and straightens her skirt. She's not weak. None of them are. It's this town. It changes you. It makes you vulnerable. "We're not alone and that's our strength." 

CHAPTER ONE: A car, a jogger and one mysterious symbol

She is jogging down the road, her eyes closed and her fists tight. Well, at this pace, it’s more as if she were running away from immediate danger. Her feet hit the pavement in quick strides. Running, it’s all that keeps her sane in this town. Life has been hard for the past year. It’s draining to always be on alert. She loathes those vile creatures. They roam at night, hunting down humans who are stupid enough to step foot outside. The only thing keeping them away from people were locked doors and windows. And a talisman. This was Boyd’s greatest finding. Sheriff, a job he never sought. Yet, it is his true calling. He represents order in this nightmarish town. She’s so lost in her thoughts that she doesn’t notice the Impala speeding in her direction.

An echo of a honk brings her back to earth.

"What’s wrong with you?" yells a man from the window of a splendid car.

"You alright?" asks another man, with a much sweeter tone and a raised eyebrow.

She frowns. New people arrive, completely unaware of how much their lives will change. For the worst. Nothing will ever be the same. They’ll never know true peace. Or the absence of fear.

"You should find the sheriff," she advised. What else could she say? You’ll never get out, no matter how long you keep driving on this road. Somehow, you’ll always come back here. Stuck. Forever and ever. Once you see the fallen tree, it’s the start of a new reality. One full of monsters with sharp teeth and claws.

"We can’t seem to find our way out," explains the brown-haired guy.

"Find a guy named Boyd, he’ll tell you everything you need to know. I don’t have time for this." She quickly turns around and resumes her morning routine.

"Wait, what are you talking about?"

"Find Boyd, our sheriff. Or Donna, she’s up in the house we call sanctuary."

They’ll probably think Boyd and Donna are insane and deserve to be locked in an asylum. Newbies always reject the truth. Stubborn, they insist on finding a way out, on going out. Most will quickly back away once the creatures come out of the forest. They may look like humans but they are not. Ruthless and sadistic, they relish in killing. It is how they feed and how they entertain themselves.

She leaves them in the middle of the street, without another word. When push comes to shove, they'll get it. And they'll be thankful.

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She wouldn't call her house a safe place, but it's as close as it will get to this. The decor is all retro. In a way, the town never left the fifties. From the tapestries to the furniture, everything reminded her of an old movie her Ma would watch whilst assembling a puzzle.

On her first day in this hell, Donna explained that all newcomers faced a choice: the Colony house, considered more festive and high-risk as over 20 people share it, or a house on the main street. It all depends on the balance between deaths and arrivals, though. When it was time for her to choose, two houses were free of residents — a tragedy turned into an opportunity. One on the edge of the town, near the forest, and one in front of the Diner. She immediately chose the one closest to civilization. A charming two-bedroom and one-bath with a small yard that allows for a vegetable garden to grow and feed some of the residents.

She jumps into the shower. Some days the water is too hot to even breathe in the room, others she can’t even dip her toe without freezing to death. The water system remains a mystery. No one knows how it works, or where the water comes from. Kenny, a friend of hers and the sheriff’s deputy, has a theory: supernatural things happen in this town and an entity is trying to help them.

She puts on a dress and a pair of sandals, the lone reminders of her past life. She brushes aside the memories of her Ma baking cornbread and humming to the tunes of Aretha Franklin’s hits.

The front door opens. She recognizes the familiar creak of its wood on the linoleum. "Y/n? Are you here? " Kenny’s voice echoed through the house.

She answers with a smile on her lips. "Comin’, I’m getting ready to help out your mother to serve lunch."

"Well forget about lunch, I’ve got guests to introduce."

She rolls her eyes. She already knows the guests in question. Two men, one that appears to be the Grinch and one sweetheart with long brown hair. She’s got a bad feeling. If they got around to the idea of being trapped and faced the dilemma of where to live….

Kenny’s smile is fake. "Meet your new roommates," he announced with a grimace. That’s no good news, and he knows it.

"You?" The grumpy one said with an eyebrow furrowed.

"Nice to see you, Mr Fast Driver. Next time, be careful. I don’t wanna die on the side of the road."

He shrugged, scanning the house. "You were jogging in the middle of the road, technically you were looking for it. Not my fault."

"Dean, c’mon. Now’s not the time for useless arguments. Sorry, he hasn’t eaten in a long while and he’s getting a bit cranky. I’m Sam, and this is my brother, Dean."

She nods. "You'll like our food, 100% veggie and organic, Mr Cranky. "We eat at the diner, most " She turns to face Kenny, whose face is contorsonied by his laughter. "Do they know everything?"

"Yes, they took it... well. No tears, no shouts. I could get used to this much cooperation from the start," he exhales.

"That's not the weirdest thing we've heard, believe me," replied Sam, his fingers tracing the small drawings on the tapestry.

Those drawings belonged to former residents, a family that became obsessed with a symbol they claimed to have seen in their dreams. Every time she glances at the symbols, a shiver runs down her back. Over time, the father sank into madness, convinced his family was possessed by the creatures. One starry night, he opened the door. A grave mistake. Instantly, dozens of creatures amassed under the porch. One of them, a redhead according to a witness of the event, slashed his throat. The creatures then went up the stairs and massacred the entire family. Cries and bellows echoed through the town but no one dared to look out their windows. The next morning, their bodies were found on the side of the street — disfigured and dismembered.

Kenny clears his throat. He knows all too well how much this tapestry creeps you out. You've had nightmares so many times that he's used to sleeping on the floor next to you. "My mother's bringing new sheets and quilts for their beds."

"Alright, let me show you the bedroom. You'll have to share, sorry for that."

Dean and Sam exchange a quick look and begin to walk up the stairs, following their new roommate. "There are two beds, a window, and one closet. If you need more space, you'll find a small room next to mine. It's just empty shelves. Feel free to use them."

Mr Jerk grunts whilst Sam smiles apologetically. "Thank you, we appreciate y'all's kindness."

"I'll leave you to it. Lunch's served in 30 minutes inside the diner."

As soon as she leaves, whispers flow in the room. All that she hears is a name, Castiel, and the mention of a notebook. A notebook filled with monsters, if her ears don't deceive her. The floor creaks and she rushes downstairs. These two seem awfully too serene. There's something wrong. And she wants to know what.