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(14.1) ─ Nightmare

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫:
‧⁺˚*‧☾ 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬, 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 ☽‧*˚⁺‧

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"Carmen. Dean." Sam said, shaking the two, currently sharing the one bed.

"What are you doing man, it's the middle of the night?" Dean asked as the two groaned awake.

"We have to go,"

"We have to go back to sleep," She protested putting the pillow on top of her head. "We have to go," He repeated, putting more urgency in his voice. "Ugh, fine." She sat up rubbing her tight eyes that were fighting to stay open. "Just tell me we have coffee."

"We'll get some on the way. We have to go, right now." Sam grabbed his bag and walked out the door.Carmen looked over to her older brother, who simply shook his head. She looked down, tossing the blanket to the side. Grabbing her jacket and throwing it on before putting her shoes on. Option for just to change in either the back seat or a bathroom at a gas station that was usually in the middle of nowhere.

Carmen was now sitting in the back seat, her eyes watering from yawning so much. Dean was driving, glancing over to the passenger seat every so often. Sam was there on his phone reading out one of his Michigan State ID, "McReady. Detective McReady. Badge number 158. I've got a signal 480 in progress, I need the registered owner of a two door sedan, Michigan license plate Mary-Frank-six-zero-three-seven. Yeah ok, just hurry."

"Sammy, relax. I'm sure it's just a nightmare."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"Dean is right. You know it's probably just the normal wake up in a cold sweat type of nightmare. This license plate won't check out, and it'll all level itself out." Carmen explained after she yawned widely, having to whip the corner of her eyes.

"It felt different. Real. Like when I dreamt about our old house, and Jessica."

"Yeah, that makes sense," Dean admitted, tapping his thumb on the steering wheel. "You're dreaming about our house, your girlfriend. This guy in your dream, you ever seen him before?"

"No."

"No. Exactly. Why would you have premonitions about some random dude in Michigan." Dean added agreeing with the strangeness of his brother's dreams. "I don't know." He replied as he let out a heavy breath leaning his head onto the side of the Impala before picking it right back up. "Yes I'm here." He spoke on the other end of his flip phone. He glanced to the back seat at his sister and then at Dean before picking up a pen, "Jim Miller. Saginaw, Michigan. You have a street address?...Got it. Thanks." He hung up the phone before looking down at the black ink on his palm. "Checks out." He stated with another sigh before looking at Dean, "How far are we?"

"From Saginaw?" Dean asked and Sam nodded in agreement, "Coupla hours."

"Drive faster."

💾

The Impala parked in front of the address. Alongside an ambulance that was currently bringing a body bad out. The two turned to Sam, each concerned for their own reasons. "Let's go." He started and quickly climbed out. Dean let out a sigh before following and Carmen (now dressed in normal clothes) followed as well. Walking through the crowd and stopping up near the front, besides an old lady. "What happened?"

"Suicide. Can't believe it."

"Did you know them?"

A woman on the porch steps was crying into a man's arms while a younger man stood off to the side. "Saw him every Sunday at St. Augustine's. He always seems...seemed, so normal. I guess you never know what's going on behind closed doors." She explained her face falling with even more sadness as she corrected the tenses.

"Guess not," Carmen muttered, keeping her eyes on the people on the steps, while fumbling with her necklace.

"How did...ahh. How are they saying it happened?" Sam asked, distressed. "I heard they found him in the garage, locked inside his car with the engine running," She replied. "Do you know about what time they found him?" He asked her again. "Oh, it just happened about an hour or two ago. His poor family. I can't even imagine what they're going through," Carmen looked over to her brother, who watched the family before turning and walking away. Both siblings followed him closely behind. "Sam, we got here as fast we could." Dean tried to reason as they leaned against the Impala's bumper, seeing his brother's guilty face. "Not fast enough. It doesn't make any sense man. Why would I even have these premonitions if there wasn't a chance I could stop them from happening?"

"I dunno."

Sam shook his head and let out a heavy sigh, "So, what do you think killed him?"

"Maybe...the guy just killed himself? Maybe there isn't anything supernatural going on," Carmen suggested shrugging her shoulders. "Yeah, maybe Carm's right." Sam shook his head at Dean's agreeing. "I'm telling you, I watched it happen. He was murdered by something, guys. I watched it trap him in the garage."  "What was it, a spirit, poltergeist, what?" the oldest continued to question. Sam looked at him then at his sister, "I don't know what it was. I don't know why I'm having these dreams, I don't know what the hell is happening guys."

Her eyes softened, she was now fully seeing the worry this was causing her brother. Pressing her lips into a thin line after resting her head onto his shoulder. "What?" He asked after noticing the long heavy pause. Dean shrugged his shoulders before answering, "Nothing. We just–we worried about you, man."

"Well, don't look at me like that!"

"We're not," Carmen insisted while picking up her head and studying his face. The exhaustion was screaming from his face. "Though I gotta say, you do look like crap." Dean quickly shot her a look. One that read that she shouldn't have said that. But when Sam gave a small laugh a smile formed on her face knowing that her gut was right. "Nice. Thanks." He remarked as she nodded her head before hitting his shoulder with her fist, lightly, "Anytime, bigfoot."

"Come on," Dean stated, getting both their attention. Watching as he opened the driver side door. "Let's just pick this up in the morning. We'll check out the house, talk to the family."

"Dean, you saw them, they're devastated. They're not going to want to talk to us."

He leaned against the open door and thought for a moment before breaking out into a grin. "Yeah, you're right. But I think I know who they will talk to."

"Who?" The youngest asked as Dean smirk only grew before he climbed into the car. She looked over to her other brother for any kind of context. Who simply shrugged before getting into the car himself.

💾

"Fathers? Seriously?" Carmen teased with her brows raised and a toothy smile.

"How do I look?" Dean asked, making her smile. She laughed, "Like a Priest." Sam sighed getting into the Impala.

"So, what am I tasked with?" She asked, leaning forward between the two seats. "Sam and I are gonna talk with the wife. While you check the garage out, and see if you can find anything." Dean answered as she nodded her head. Sitting back as they drove to the Miller house. Pulling up her hair into a ponytail, making sure to take anything that could fall out of her pockets and setting them into her bag. Knowing they reached the house when the car halted to a stop causing her head to hit the back of Sam's seat.

"Good luck, fathers." She teased the two before walking towards the garage but the two stopped her. "Yell if you need us." Sam said before Dean added, "Be careful, Carm." Turning on her heel to face them, "When am I not?"

Her head was scrolling up and down the side of the house. Quickly finding the only open window that the garage had. Pushing onto the tips of her toes to be able to reach the window seal. Feeling the rough wood scrape against her palms. Pulling herself upwards pushing the window fully open with her head as she sent herself headfirst through the opening. Flipping over and keeping her grip on the window seal in order not to loudly fall into the room. Letting her grip go once she gathered herself. Landing on her feet like a cat.

There in the lone garage was the car. The very same car that the man had died in. There wasn't anything inside the car, from what she could tell peering through the dirty windows. Nothing under or around the car either.

After checking the ceiling for anything (it was clean) she climbed her way back through the open window. Pulling her hair down as she walked up to the front door. A blonde woman opened the door after she knocked on it. The same woman from last night. "Hi, I'm Carmen, my parents and I moved in down the road. We just wanted to say how sorry we are for your lost." She smiled kindly at me, "Thank you, that's very kind of you. Please come on in,"

Taking a step inside she was met with different people offering condolences. Ms. Miller led her to the living room where her brother was. "Just....tone it down a little bit, Father," Sam said to Dean and they both looked at me, confused. "Fathers, this is Carmen, she lives down the street," Mrs. Miller introduced. "Oh, we know her," Dean said, giving a smile. "Would you like something to drink?" She asked me. "No thank you," I said with a smile, she nodded before walking away.

"Anything?" Sam asked quietly, leaning in as she took a seat next to him. "No. There's nothing. It's completely clean, I didn't find anything."

The older woman came back into the room and sat down on the couch that Dean was on. "So, Mrs. Miller, did your husband have a history of depression?"

"Nothing like that. We had our ups and downs like everyone else but we were happy." Then she started to cry, "I just don't understand...how Jim could do something like this." Carmen reached over and handed her a tissue from the box on the coffee table, "I'm so sorry you had to find him like that."

"Actually, our son Max," She corrected, pointing to her side, "He was the one who found him." I looked through the doors into the dining room. There was a younger guy, Max sitting in the corner, starting into space. "Do you mind if maybe, I go talk to him?" Sam asked. "Oh thank you Father," Mrs. Miller said as Sam gave a small nod before getting up and walking over to Max.

"Mrs. Miller, you have a lovely home. How long have you lived here?" the youngest asked politely. "We moved in about 5 years ago." She replied as Dean nodded, "The only problem with these old houses. I bet you have all kind of headaches. The older women looked at him, "Like what?"

"Well, weird leaks, electrical shortages, odd settling noises at night. That kinda thing."

"No, nothing like that. It's been perfect,"

"Huh, may I use your restroom?"

"Oh sure, it's just up the stairs," She replied. Dean gave a nod and took a cocktail sausage.

Carmen looked down the hall and saw that Sam and Max were still talking. But Max's eyes met hers and she could easily read that he was upset. "Mrs. Miller, How long were you and Jim married for? If you don't mind." Finally looking away from Max after he blinked. Something Dean taught her was to never look away if someone was trying to stare you down. Once you look away you give up the power.

"19 years,"

"How old is Max?"

"Oh, Max is my step-son, He's 23."

💾

Later in the night Dean was cleaning the weapons, something he normally did to clear his head. While Carmen was sitting on one of the beds with Sam's laptop in her lap. Searching through whatever type of information she could find out about the land. Sam walked into the front door getting both their attention, "What do you have?" The oldest asked.

"A whole lotta nothing. Nothing bad has happened in the Miller house since it was built."

What about the land?' Dean asked his attention now on his sister. She shrugged her shoulders, shutting the laptop closed before answering. "Graveyards, battle fields, tribal lands or any kind of atrocity on or near the property is a no." She informed the two after shutting the laptop and sitting up.

Sam sat on the bed, his face to the wall not towards either of his siblings. "Hey, man I told you, I searched that house up and down. No cold spots, sulfur scent. Nada.' Dean told him. Sam looked over to his sister, "And the family said everything was normal?" She scooted her way over to his side, "Well, if there was a demon or whatever in there you think somebody would have noticed something?" She stated causing him to look down at the floor with a sigh.

"I used the infer-red thermal scanner, man, and there was nothing," Dean told him. "So what, you think Jim Miller killed himself and my dream was just some sorta freakish coincidence?" Sam asked, causing Dean to shrug as he stopped cleaning, "I dunno. I'm pretty sure there's nothing supernatural about that house." He told him before going back to cleaning his guns.

Sam started to rub his temples. "Yeah. Well, maybe it has nothing to do with the house." He took a deep breath, holding his head in his hands. "Maybe it's....gosh." Carmen's frowns knitted with concern, "Maybe it's connected to Jim in some other way?"

"What's wrong with you?" Dean asked while Sam sank off the bed and onto the ground, "My head,"

"Sam!" She called quickly, climbing off the bed and crouching down in front of him. "San, hey?" He called rushing over to the two. Taking a hold of his arm, "Hey! What's going on? Talk to us." Sam cried out in pain. The two had never seen him like this, only if there was a physical reason. LIke if he got hurt and the two saw it. Not some random out of nowhere headache that sent him to the floor. Both shouted for his attention hoping that one would be the winning and break him of this pain trance. Suddenly, Sam's eyes focused on them again and with a wince he spoke, "It's happening again. Something's gonna kill Roger Miller."

💾

Racing down the road towards the house, Sam held the phone tightly up to his ear, "Roger Miller. Ash no, no, just the address please....Okay thanks." He hung up and looked at Dean seeing Carmen holding onto the seat belt to keep her setty. "450 West Grove, Apartment 1120."

"Slow down alright, are you okay?" She asked using the momentum of one of Dean's sharp turns to lean forwards." He nodded his head, giving her a small smile, "Yeah," He breathed out.

"If you're gonna hurl, I'll pull the car over you know, cause the upholstery..." Dean trailed off as she swiftly hit his shoulder. "I'm fine, just drive."

"All right,"

Same looked over from Carmen to him, sighing heavily before looking straight on, "Guy's I'm scared. These nightmares weren't bad enough, now I'm seeing things when I'm awake? And these, visions, or whatever, they're getting more intense. And painful."

"Come on, man, you'll be alright. It'll be fine." Dean quickly shrugged off. "What is it about the Miller's. Why am I connected to them, why am I watching them die? Why the hell is this happening to me?" Sam asked clearly worried about what was happening confused on how Dean was so nonchalant about this. "I don't know, Sam, but we'll figure it out." Carmen knew that he was only trying to shove any sign of worry down, "Yeah, we've faced the unexplainable every day. It's just another case." She tried to help ease the tension.

"No. It's never been us, It's never been in the family like this. Tell the truth, you can't tell me this doesn't freak you out," Dean stared straight ahead for a moment before speaking, "This doesn't freak me out." He then glanced back to her, "Sam, this doesn't freak me out." She assured him with a small nod. He stared at her as if he was trying to believe her or not. Turning to Dean looking the same before looking out the window

It was true. Carmen wasn't completely scared. Freaked out, trying to understand why this was happening now? And what does it all mean? But she wasn't scared. From everything that she could remember about being with her mother she saw her do things that should scar a normal child. To be honest she had always scaredly wished her mother's witchy powers would show themselves in her. Another connection that she would have with her mother that she dreamt of.

"Hey, Roger!" Sam shouts at Roger, approaching the entrance way of his house with groceries in hand. "What are you guys, missionaries? Leave me alone," He waved off, turning back and walking away.

"No! Wait,"

Dean gunned the engine, jumping the curb as he hurried into park. The three of them jumped out of the car and ran after him. "Hey, Roger. We're just trying to help!" She yelled, causing him to look over his shoulder and sped up his walking. "Please! Hey, hey, hey!" Sam called as they reached the door but Roger closed it. "We're not priests, you gotta listen to us!"

"Roger, you're in danger!"

"He's not gunna let us in," Carmen sighed out glancing around trying to find another way in. "Guys, fire escape."

Jumping to the first level of the fire escape then running up the stairs. When they reached Roger's house they stopped. Hearing the window sliding downwards with a wet squelching noise. Carmen was the first up, which also sadly meant the first to see the horrific sight. The window was dripping with blood with Roger's disembodied head laying in the flower bed below the window seal. The smell of the iron rich blood mixed with the rotten egg sulfur imprinted itself in her nose. Causing a headache to form. Her body tense at the sight, her eyes not tearing themselves away from the scared look of the disembodied head. One they were just watching ran away from their warnings.

"Carmen Grace Winchester!"

"Huh?"

"Whip your prints," Dean ordered as both him and Sam were wrapping down the area with rags. Carmen shook her head blinking a few times reaching past the scene and fully opening the window. Climbing in, ignoring any whispered calls from her brother. Quickly and carefully taking a look around the room. Making sure not to touch or move anything.

The lump in the back of her throat tightened as the joints in her hand did when her eyes landed on one of the few photos he had. The thought that would be the last photo he probably took made her sick.

Her father would yell at her about getting too close to cases. Too emotional. That the focus should be on killing this monster. Getting rid of this evil. But she couldn't help but find a way for her to try and help people that had been affected. Even if it was telling them that they died in their sleep, instead of being ripped apart. Telling them where their missing relatives' bodies could be found. Any type of closer. Bobby said that she shouldn't try to dismiss that side of her. That part was exactly what her mother was and wanted her to be.

The normally cold necklace was now strangely warm. While holding onto it she couldn't help but feel like she was being watched. Looking over to the closet but before she could take a step towards it a noise from the kitchen caught her attention. There wasn't anything there. Nothing even out of place. But she swears she could make out the face of a black cat in the reflection of the oven.

"There wasn't anything in there," Her voice was weak, breaking through the silence as they walked back to the Impala. "No signs either, just like the Miller's house and the garage."

"I saw something in the vision. Like a dark shape. Something was..." Sam started to sat but Dean grabbed both his sibling's arms as a car honked and flew past them. "Something was stalking Roger."

"Whatever it was, are you sure it's not connected to their house?" Dean asked, checking the street up and down as they reached the Impala. "No, it's connected to the family themselves. So what do you think, like a vengeful spirit?" Sam questioned.

"Well, yeah, there's a few that have been known to latch onto families." Dean replied as they got onto the Impala. "Follow them for years."

"Angiak. Banshees."

"Basically, like a curse?" She asked, leaning forwards. "So maybe, Roger and Jim Miller got involved in something heavy, something curse worthy."

"And not the something is out for revenge. And the men in their family are dying. Hey, you think Max is in danger?" Sam asked with a tilt of his head.

"Let's figure it out before he is," Dean said turning the Impala on. "Well, I know one thing I have in common with these people." Sam said causing both Dena and Carmen to ask 'what'. "Both our families are cursed," he answered, causing Dean to let out a small huff, "Our families not cursed. We just...had our dark spots."

Sam chuckled, "Our dark spots are...pretty dark."

"You're...dark," Dean muttered after not finding any other word to come back with. Carmen shook her head with a small laugh as they headed back to the motel. Right as he was pulling out, she swore she could see the same pair of glowing cat eyes.