[HIATUS] Runaway ° Supernatural

xxxv. the abc's of kidnapping

She was jolted awake by the heat of a fire and the smell of woodsmoke, panicking as pushed back memories started to resurface. Artie noticed her wrists were very sore and tried to move. She was handcuffed to a wooden chair, and a fireplace flickered in front of her. Flinching, she looked down at her wrists and saw that they had been sliced open by the handcuffs.

Artie blinked until her eyes adjusted to the warm darkness of the room.

"Everett?"

Everett, who had been standing behind her, spun around and crouched in front of the chair.

"Not quite," He flashed the same sinister grin as before and his eyes turned black, "The name's Balam."

"Shit," She replied through gritted teeth, scanning the room to find a girl dressed in a turtleneck sweater sharpening a knife, "Well, since we're giving introductions, who's she?"

"Oh, that's Amy."

She scoffed, "Amy?"

Amy turned around and pointed the knife at Balam, "I told you not to say my name. What the hell's wrong with you?"

"Sorry, A—" He cut himself off and held up his hand, "Sorry."

"There was no wendigo?"

"No, there was a wendigo," Artie's heart dropped, "Two weeks ago. I pulled that from his memories. This kid keeps nothing locked up, so it was a pretty easy take."

"So his family is—?"

"Oh, no, no. I made that stuff up. The hunt was pretty easy, actually. Everett got a milkshake afterward."

She let out a relieved sigh, "Well, you've got me now, so let him go."

Balam laughed, "You don't even know what I want yet! So brave and heroic."

She glared in reply.

"So stuck up." He rolled his eyes, "Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt him. Yet."

Despite Balam's condescension and flamboyance, he knew when to change his tone to something more sinister.

"What do you want from me?"

"Well, for starters, Sam and Dean."

She laughed dryly, "Yeah, hell no."

"Oh," He nodded, then grabbed the back of her chair and leaned her over the fireplace, "This thing's not just for air pollution, kid. We know what happened to you."

She could smell her hair burning and she had to close her eyes, holding her breath.

He pulled her back and not-so-gently put the chair back on the floor. The tips of her hair were singed and white.

"Reminds me of Arizona," Artie mused, though she was slightly disoriented.

"Where are the Winchesters?"

"I'm right here."

He raised his eyebrows, laughing incredulously, "What have you done to earn that name?"

She didn't reply. He obviously knew the right buttons to push.

"No, seriously, what? If it wasn't for mommy being—well, to put it nicely, a whore, you'd just be a regular old speck of dirt."

Her expression darkened, and he leaned down in front of her, pressing his hands against her bloody wrists, "You just don't want to admit it."

She spat on his face and he recoiled. Amy snickered from the corner and he glared at her.

"Ugh," He wiped her spit off of his face, "That is so unbelievably gross. Do you know how many diseases are spread through saliva? Now he probably has mono or something."

"Not my fault you're a wannabe Child Catcher," Artie muttered, then mocked him, "You just don't want to admit it."

"Listen, kid, I like your wit." He took a step closer, "I really do. But that ain't gonna fly with me."

"What are you gonna do to me, then?"

"Amy here is not only a demon—" He turned around, "—Sorry, Amy, but your name is out in the open now—she also dabbles in witchcraft."

"Witchcraft, huh?" Artie scoffed, "You gonna turn me into a frog?"

"Something like that."

"You know," Artie cocked her head to the side, "You are some of the less dramatic demons I've met. Most of them would have killed me by now."

"Do you want  to be killed?"

"Well—" 

He looked at Amy, who nodded with a smirk, then put his hands on both sides of Artie's head.

"Hey, uh" She began growing concerned, "Wanna take me on a date first?"

"Whatever you do," Balam interrupted her ramblings, "Don't open your eyes."

*a.n: shorter chapter, but the next few will be longer. i pinky promise :)*