Discovering Hell [COMPLETED]

Chapter Twenty-four

Zoe blinked up at Dean in complete shock. She knew something was off about this. Nothing made sense so of course the only obvious solution was that she was dying.

"Did you hear me?" Dean demanded, shaking her slightly. "You're dying, Zoe. You've gotta get up."

"What...what's going on?" Of course she hadn't thought that any of this was normal but how could she be dying?

Dean released her shoulders and got to his feet, holding a hand down to her. "Remember the car accident? We flipped but you weren't wearing a seat belt. You flew out the window and you're now dying."

Zoe accepted his hand and he pulled her up. "I think I remember the wreck." In all honesty, it sounded familiar, but it was sort of like deja vu. "But how do I wake myself up? How do I force myself to be alive?"

"I don't know."

"That's not helpful at all." Zoe rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're Dean Winchester. You're supposed to know everything, aren't you?"

Dean shook his head. "I'm your brains interpretation of Dean Winchester," he argued. "Since you have no clue how to stay alive, neither do I."

"So I'm stuck in my own head with a pointless hunter to spew random, metaphysical crap at me? Who knew my head was so useless."

Dean shrugged. "Until you find a way out of your head, yes."

Zoe groaned. "Great. Just great."

Dean walked around the car and opened the passenger side door. "Come on, get in."

Figuring it couldn't do much harm, she obeyed, finding herself in a large red truck rumbling down the highway. At first, she was befuddled about why she was in a random car on a random highway. So far, her whole day had consisted of life changing moments and she couldn't recall ever having anything life changing happen in a red pick up.

But then she heard the Carrie Underwood music blaring through the speakers and the tone deaf voice singing along. Zoe turned to look at the driver in complete awe. She'd never met this version of this woman before. The woman she knew always had pale, clammy skin and clouded over eyes. She was too thin for her body type because she threw up everything she ate and she wore hats and scarves to cover her bald head. It was her mother, before the cancer sucked the life out of her.

Zoe knew that the cancer hadn't gotten too bad until she was eight or nine, but she still couldn't remember this version of her mom. This version had long, blonde hair that reached her hips and bright blue eyes. A smile sat on her lips as she belted out the lyrics to the newest country song on the radio and the yellow sundress only added to her happiness.

She turned to look at Zoe and a laugh escaped her lips. Zoe missed that laugh. She'd only known her mother for twelve years and, although she didn't remember much about her, she did remember that she loved to laugh.

"Am I embarrassing you, Zo?" Her mother asked.

Zoe shook her head, feeling the tears prick her eyes, threatening to fall down her cheeks.

Her mother laughed again. "Don't lie." She reached across the seat to take Zoe's hand in her own and squeezed it hard. "It's okay. I don't mind being embarrassing. It's good for you."

Zoe swallowed and shook her head, taking her mother's hand in both of hers. "No it's fine. I really don't mind. Please keep singing."

She sent a sideways glance Zoe's way. "You never want me to keep singing. Are you making fun of me?"

Zoe shook her head again. "Never, Mom. I love you."

Again, her mom laughed and the sound was the best sound Zoe had ever heard. "It's okay if I embarrass you. That's what mom's are supposed to do." She brought Zoe's hand to her lips. "I love you too, baby."

"Where are we going?" Zoe asked. Although she recognized her mother and the old pick up that they'd had until they'd sold it to pay for the chemo therapy, she didn't recognize where they were going or why.

"Shopping, Zo. Your dad took some friends fishing and you insisted that we have a girl's day. The mall is only an hour away so it's not much longer now. Only about--oh, I don't know--fifteen minutes?"

Zoe vaguely remembered this day. She was maybe seven and her dad had taken a few friends out fishing. Usually, Zoe would go fishing with him, but today she'd suggested her and her mom go out. Her mom had already been diagnosed at this point and had gradually lost most of her energy. Of course, Zoe's seven year old mind didn't know that.

They finally pulled into the mall parking lot and got out of the car. Zoe's mom led her to the elevator and, when they stepped inside, Zoe was back home.

"Hello?" She called out. This could have been any moment from her life.

She made her way down the hallway, silently wishing she could be back with her mother. She turned the corner and into the kitchen just in time to see her father get stabbed through the neck with a silver knife.

Just like before, she ran to her father's side, barely catching him but then falling to the ground herself as he choked out his final breaths. The hunter looked down at her, an old fashioned cowboy handkerchief covering half his face. She could only see the bright blue eyes and the pale scar across his forehead beneath the shadow of his hood.

Zoe could barely make out what he said next from under the fabric. "You a shifter?"

Zoe shook her head through her tears and tried her best to keep the sobs back.

"Mind if I test you?" He held up the knife still covered in her father's blood.

She wanted to tell him to screw himself but she was so angry--just as she had been before--that she reacted in the same way. She got to her feet, wiping the tears away the best she could, and pulled her sleeve up her arm, exposing the skin on her wrist. But she knew better than to let a hunter put silver on her skin. When he got close enough, she grabbed his wrist and, in a matter of seconds, she had twisted it around and plunged it into the heart of her father's murderer.

Zoe wanted to fall down and cry but she knew the drill. She pulled up the floor boards under the dinner table and pulled out the large oak box that sat underneath the floor. Opening the box, she discovered passports, drivers licenses, and hundreds of dollars in cash. Tucking the box under her arm, she left the kitchen.

But upon opening the front door, she was surrounded in white.