TINTED ▷ Sam Winchester [1]

14 | MEANWHILE, IN HELL

"Sam, everything is in order. Fergus is coming."

    "I promised Dean I'd call," Sam answers, the phone still pressed to his ear as he tries to get in touch with Dean.

    "I promised Lincoln a fun night at the theater," Rowena says. "Things change." I raise my eyebrows. "It's now or never." Sam takes the phone away from his ear. I catch his eye, knowing that Rowena is right. If we are going to do this, as much as I hate to do this, we need to do it now.

    Dean doesn't show up.

    Sam, Crowley, Rowena and I walk between massive walls with torches every few feet, illuminating the setting somewhat. It almost reminds of the Maze Runner. Looking up, I can see lightning streaking across the empty black sky. I furrow my eyebrows.

    "Dramatic enough?" I tease. He glares back, but doesn't say anything. "I remember it being... hotter," I add. Yes, I've been to Hell. I mean, we have all been to Hell. I remember the heat, the screams, the torturing...

    This isn't like that. This is ridiculous.

    "That was years ago," Crowley says. "We've upgraded."

    "That's a word for it," I reiterate. Again, he doesn't say anything back. A silence follows.

    "Flop sweat, Sonny?" Rowena speaks, noticing Crowley's tense stance. I noticed too, but humiliating him is his mother's duty, I suppose, not mine. "Dread of what's to come?"

    "Can it," Crowley says. "Your barbs may amuse your circle of hags. You have no idea what you're tampering with. What Lucifer is capable of."

    At this, anxiety begins to settle in the forefront of my mind. Not for me, or the bickering, annoying mother and son, but for Sam. I am positive with every fiber of my being that he will not help us, unless he finds a loophole, and even in that scenario, bad things are going to happen.

    "Well, dear, if you can't stand the heat," Rowena says, pausing for dramatic effect, "get out of Hell."

    I turn my head to the right, to where Sam is walking next to me. He stands taller than I do, by a few inches or so. He doesn't notice me looking at him, he's got his head to the side, looking at the walls.

    "I must say, it's not as scenic as I expected," Rowena says, tone laced with disgust. I roll my eyes and purse my lips together.

    "We're in the furthest reaches of Hell," Crowley informs her. "Limbo. Where I send unruly souls for time-outs."

    "This is where I meet with Lucifer?" Sam asks after a moment.