Shadows of Destiny / Sam Winchester

3.

As they approached the peaceful lakeside, Sam understood why Raya liked this place so much. The green grass, the rustling trees, and the soothing sound of water created a serene atmosphere, a stark contrast to the turmoil they had encountered in town. Dean nudged him, pointing towards a figure sitting on a tree, absorbed in a book. Despite the calm setting, Sam sensed a deep sadness emanating from the woman.

"Hey, Raya!" Dean called out, his voice cutting through the quietude. Raya startled slightly, then turned to face them, her expression a mix of surprise and weariness. "Mind if we have a word?"

Raya hesitated for a moment, her gaze flickering between the brothers and the book she had just abandoned on the ground. "Um, sure. Just give me a minute," she replied, her voice carrying a hint of exhaustion.

As Raya climbed down from the tree and turned to face them, Sam took in her appearance. Her eyes, once bright blue, now seemed dull and tired, framed by dark circles that spoke of sleepless nights. Her dishevelled black hair fell around her face in unruly waves, adding to the sense of weariness that seemed to cling to her like a shroud.

"Hi, Raya," Sam greeted her softly, his tone gentle and understanding. "We didn't mean to startle you. We just wanted to talk, if that's okay."

Raya offered them a weary smile, the weight of the world evident in her eyes. "Yeah, sure" one of them nods towards the table and they all sit.

"My names Dean this me brother Sam" Raya took a moment to look at them confusion written all over her face. Why would they have talked to her? No one talks to her, everyone treats as she gone insane, when they met her, they go around her as she has some kind of deadly disease so why would these strangers wanted to talk to her?

"What do you want to talk about?" She asked her voice just slightly above whisper. Sam watched her closely, noting the way she was constantly shifting in her seat unable to sit still for even a moment. His gaze trailed down to her trebling hands whose she was still nervously playing in her lap, then his gaze fell to her sleeves which rode up slightly with each movement.

"Raya, we know you been through a lot" Sam said his tone soft "we want to help you" Rayas breath caught in her throat, and she glanced ap at Sam then at Dean her eyes wide with fear, then realizing hitting her mind and sparkling in her eyes. She leaned more into herself, her leg bouncing uncontrollably making the whole table shake.

"I- I don't know what you're talking about". She her voice trembling with each word, Reality hit hard as she realized her father truly intended to do to it. Raya clung to the hope that maybe a little piece of her father heart still loved her and cared for her, but she was wrong, so terribly wrong because he did the one thing Raya could never forgive him for.

The thought of being sent to a mental institution paralyzed her. She pleaded, insisted she wasn't insane, begged her father to believe her. But he remained unmoved. As she glanced at the brothers, everything clicked into place-the suits, the gentle touches, the understanding gazes. Raya understood now there weren't kind to her out of love or concert they were kind because they were simply doing their job nothing more. She was just another assignment to be completed, a problem to be solved before moving on. The weight of the truth set heavy on her shoulders and on her heart, it was suffocating her with cold reality.

Her heart ached in her chest, a knot of anguish forming and tightening with each breath. Desperate for relief, she pressed her fingers against her thing, digging her nails into her skin, an attempt to quiet the storm raging in her mind.

As she spoke and moved her hand to her sleeve slipped further up her arm, revealing a series of scars lingering her once smooth skin. Scars wrapped in a coat of whispers agony and burnt skin. Her arm was full of cigarette burns some of them were healed showing of their light almost white colour and some of them were fresh small craters created by raised flesh and welts, the skin around them inflamed and angry. Sams heart sang deep into his stomach at the sight of them, his mind going black for a while going back to when he and his brother visit her father, he remembers very vell the cloud of smoke that was flying around the man like it was his aura warning people to ran away and stop. His gaze went to meet her eyes that were clouded by fear. He exchanged a brief glance with Dean, who nodded subtly, acknowledging the significance of what they had just seen.