Even before Taylor opened her eyes, she could feel the intense heat on her face. Gingerly she tried to focus on her surroundings, wincing at the pain in her head. She was tied up in a large cavern, the only light coming from two fiery torches attached to the wall. She let out a moan of pain as she tried to move. It just caused more pain: her arms had been tied above her head to a hook. She tried to tug at it, but as she was standing, there was no leverage.
“You alright?”
She turned her head. Next to her, tied up in the same way, was Dean. “As well as I can be,” she told him. “How about you?”
“Just peachy,” he told her as he tried to pull the ropes loose.
“So what’s the plan?” Taylor asked, watching him.
Dean looked around, “I’m working on it.”
Twenty minutes later, and Taylor was drenched in sweat, her clothes clinging uncomfortably to her. “How’s that plan coming along?”
“I’m working on it,” Dean repeated, tugging on his ropes.
Taylor sighed. “You don’t have a plan, do you?”
“I’m working on it,” he repeated through gritted teeth.
Taylor rolled her eyes and started shouting for help.
“Hey!” Dean yelled at her. “Do you really think that’s going to help us? We’re probably the only living things near here.”
Taylor’s eyes widened. “Dean, I could kiss you.”
Dean grinned, “Well, feel free as soon as we’re out of these ropes.
Taylor shot him a scathing look. “Aiden!” she bellowed.
“Who the hell is Aiden?” Dean demanded, confused.
“Me, pretty boy,” smirked Aiden appearing in the cave.
Dean banged his head against the wall. “Figures,” he muttered.
“Aiden, a little help?” Taylor asked, nodding her head upwards to highlight her arms bound above her.
“I’m not supposed to interfere,” Aiden told her. “It could cost me my job.”
“Aiden, if you don’t, you’re going to be out of a job anyway,” Taylor snapped. Aiden stared at her, an internal battle marking her eyes and finally nodded.
Dean turned his head to Taylor, “Seriously, what exactly to you expec-” he stopped when he saw Aiden begin to untie Taylor. “How are you doing that?”
Aiden paused long enough to wave her fingers at him. “They’re called hands.”
“But you’re dead!” he blurted out.
“Yeah, and I’m trying to stop you from joining me,” Aiden retorted.
“Aiden is what we call a poltergeist,” Taylor explained as one of her hands came free.
“But poltergeists are evil,” Dean said, still staring at the ghost warily.
Aiden rolled her eyes, “That’s it,” she told Taylor as her other hand came free. “First he tries to shoot me, now he’s calling me evil. You can untie him.”
“Thank you,” muttered Taylor. She hurried over to Dean as Aiden disappeared, reaching up to the ropes around his wrists. “Damn it,” she cursed. She was too short to reach without pressing herself up against him.
“Any other time, and I would love to be tied up with you pressed against me, all sweaty as we are,” Dean smirked.
“Do you have to lower the tone?” Taylor grunted as she struggled with the knot.
“Yeah – it makes me more relaxed,” he told her.
Taylor frowned in concentration, “That’s good to know.”
“How about you take advantage of the situation and give me that kiss.”
Taylor stopped what she was doing and stared at him, bringing her lips close to his. Dean licked his lips. “It’s a shame you’re no longer tied up,” she told him before stepping back.
“Tease,” Dean muttered as his arms fell to his sides. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down the cooler of the two tunnels, hopefully towards the exit.
He had picked the right one. The wall exploding next to them as they rounded the corner, confirmed that, as Joe fired his shotgun at them.
Taylor shrieked and pushed Dean and herself to the floor, landing on top of him as they ducked back around the corner. “I had you pegged as a girl who liked being on top,” Dean told her as the two got back to their feet.
“You are unbelievable,” she yelled at him as they ran back the way they had come from.
“Yeah,” Dean shouted back at her as they dodged more gun shots. “I get that a lot.” Taylor would have rolled her eyes but instead followed him through the cavern they had been held in and deeper into the labyrinth-like mine. After a while it was evident that they were no longer being followed. Taylor stopped and bent over, her hands on her knees as she gasped for breath. Next to her, Dean was doing the same thing. “We need to get out of here,” he told her in between large breaths.
Taylor barely nodded as she tried to catch her breath. The heat was making it incredibly hard to do anything. She lifted her head to catch some of the breeze that was blowing down the tunnel.
Taylor looked around. The only light was coming from right down the tunnel in the direction in which they had been running – a soft flickering light which was slowly growing bigger and brighter. Taylor grabbed Dean’s hand to get his attention – the fear was preventing her from speaking.
“What?” he asked her.
“Look,” she managed to choke out, pointing his hand in the direction of the light.
Dean swore. “Come on,” he urged, trying to tug her in the opposite direction.
“We can’t go that way,” she gasped, as she pulled him back. “They have guns.”
“Taylor, the guns are a lesser of two evils at this point,” Dean told her. “At least getting shot won’t be as painful as being eaten alive by a fire demon.”
Taylor looked from Dean, back down the tunnel to the growing fire, then past Dean to where Joe would be waiting. “Oh, God,” she sobbed.
Dean stepped in front of her and grabbed her face, making her look at him. “Come on,” he reassured her. “We have more chance with Joe. His shotgun only has two rounds before he has to reload. If we can make him fire at us, we can get him whilst he reloads.” Taylor stared into his eyes. She could see herself reflected in them, and the fire behind. But she could also see that he wasn’t going to give up without a fight. “Besides, Sam’s still out there. He won’t give up on us. And something tells me that boyfriend of yours won’t either.”
Taylor nodded, sniffing. “You’re right.”
Dean let go of her face and the two of them hurried back in the direction they had come from. They slowed as they drew near to the cavern – Joe’s shadow was pacing back and forth in front of them. Dean stopped and pulled Taylor back against the wall. “I’m going to run out to the right,” Dean whispered. As soon as he fires, you run out after me, but go to the left. That’ll draw his attention away so I can get behind him.” Taylor took a deep breath and nodded determinedly. Dean was right – if nothing else, she would rather be shot than killed by a demon. “Just in case we don’t make it out of this alive…” Taylor looked up expectantly.
And then Dean leant over and pressed his lips against hers.
Taylor stepped back and slapped him. “Come on!” Dean hissed.
“Nice try Casanova,” she hissed back. “But if this demon doesn’t kill us, if Joe doesn’t kill us, Don will.”
Dean shrugged, “Well, can’t blame a guy for trying.” Without waiting for a response, he dashed out and into the cavern.
Almost instantly, the shotgun fired.
Taylor took a deep breath and dashed out into the cavern, heading to the left like Dean had instructed her. She dived to the floor with a shriek as the wall exploded behind her, rocks and dust landing over her. She rolled over, ignoring the fact that she had managed to scrape her side, and pressed herself to the wall. In front of her, Dean had launched himself at Joe and knocked the shotgun out of his hands as the two fell to the floor.
There was a scurry of movement as the two fought each other, and then Dean managed to knock Joe to the floor. As Dean slumped to the floor himself, Taylor dashed over to him, “Dean!” she yelled, picking him up so that his side was leaning against her.
His eyes slowly focused in on her, before focusing in on something behind her. “Look out!” he yelled. Taylor turned to move, but it was too late – the butt of the gun came crashing down on her forehead.
“You alright?”
She turned her head. Next to her, tied up in the same way, was Dean. “As well as I can be,” she told him. “How about you?”
“Just peachy,” he told her as he tried to pull the ropes loose.
“So what’s the plan?” Taylor asked, watching him.
Dean looked around, “I’m working on it.”
Twenty minutes later, and Taylor was drenched in sweat, her clothes clinging uncomfortably to her. “How’s that plan coming along?”
“I’m working on it,” Dean repeated, tugging on his ropes.
Taylor sighed. “You don’t have a plan, do you?”
“I’m working on it,” he repeated through gritted teeth.
Taylor rolled her eyes and started shouting for help.
“Hey!” Dean yelled at her. “Do you really think that’s going to help us? We’re probably the only living things near here.”
Taylor’s eyes widened. “Dean, I could kiss you.”
Dean grinned, “Well, feel free as soon as we’re out of these ropes.
Taylor shot him a scathing look. “Aiden!” she bellowed.
“Who the hell is Aiden?” Dean demanded, confused.
“Me, pretty boy,” smirked Aiden appearing in the cave.
Dean banged his head against the wall. “Figures,” he muttered.
“Aiden, a little help?” Taylor asked, nodding her head upwards to highlight her arms bound above her.
“I’m not supposed to interfere,” Aiden told her. “It could cost me my job.”
“Aiden, if you don’t, you’re going to be out of a job anyway,” Taylor snapped. Aiden stared at her, an internal battle marking her eyes and finally nodded.
Dean turned his head to Taylor, “Seriously, what exactly to you expec-” he stopped when he saw Aiden begin to untie Taylor. “How are you doing that?”
Aiden paused long enough to wave her fingers at him. “They’re called hands.”
“But you’re dead!” he blurted out.
“Yeah, and I’m trying to stop you from joining me,” Aiden retorted.
“Aiden is what we call a poltergeist,” Taylor explained as one of her hands came free.
“But poltergeists are evil,” Dean said, still staring at the ghost warily.
Aiden rolled her eyes, “That’s it,” she told Taylor as her other hand came free. “First he tries to shoot me, now he’s calling me evil. You can untie him.”
“Thank you,” muttered Taylor. She hurried over to Dean as Aiden disappeared, reaching up to the ropes around his wrists. “Damn it,” she cursed. She was too short to reach without pressing herself up against him.
“Any other time, and I would love to be tied up with you pressed against me, all sweaty as we are,” Dean smirked.
“Do you have to lower the tone?” Taylor grunted as she struggled with the knot.
“Yeah – it makes me more relaxed,” he told her.
Taylor frowned in concentration, “That’s good to know.”
“How about you take advantage of the situation and give me that kiss.”
Taylor stopped what she was doing and stared at him, bringing her lips close to his. Dean licked his lips. “It’s a shame you’re no longer tied up,” she told him before stepping back.
“Tease,” Dean muttered as his arms fell to his sides. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down the cooler of the two tunnels, hopefully towards the exit.
He had picked the right one. The wall exploding next to them as they rounded the corner, confirmed that, as Joe fired his shotgun at them.
Taylor shrieked and pushed Dean and herself to the floor, landing on top of him as they ducked back around the corner. “I had you pegged as a girl who liked being on top,” Dean told her as the two got back to their feet.
“You are unbelievable,” she yelled at him as they ran back the way they had come from.
“Yeah,” Dean shouted back at her as they dodged more gun shots. “I get that a lot.” Taylor would have rolled her eyes but instead followed him through the cavern they had been held in and deeper into the labyrinth-like mine. After a while it was evident that they were no longer being followed. Taylor stopped and bent over, her hands on her knees as she gasped for breath. Next to her, Dean was doing the same thing. “We need to get out of here,” he told her in between large breaths.
Taylor barely nodded as she tried to catch her breath. The heat was making it incredibly hard to do anything. She lifted her head to catch some of the breeze that was blowing down the tunnel.
Taylor looked around. The only light was coming from right down the tunnel in the direction in which they had been running – a soft flickering light which was slowly growing bigger and brighter. Taylor grabbed Dean’s hand to get his attention – the fear was preventing her from speaking.
“What?” he asked her.
“Look,” she managed to choke out, pointing his hand in the direction of the light.
Dean swore. “Come on,” he urged, trying to tug her in the opposite direction.
“We can’t go that way,” she gasped, as she pulled him back. “They have guns.”
“Taylor, the guns are a lesser of two evils at this point,” Dean told her. “At least getting shot won’t be as painful as being eaten alive by a fire demon.”
Taylor looked from Dean, back down the tunnel to the growing fire, then past Dean to where Joe would be waiting. “Oh, God,” she sobbed.
Dean stepped in front of her and grabbed her face, making her look at him. “Come on,” he reassured her. “We have more chance with Joe. His shotgun only has two rounds before he has to reload. If we can make him fire at us, we can get him whilst he reloads.” Taylor stared into his eyes. She could see herself reflected in them, and the fire behind. But she could also see that he wasn’t going to give up without a fight. “Besides, Sam’s still out there. He won’t give up on us. And something tells me that boyfriend of yours won’t either.”
Taylor nodded, sniffing. “You’re right.”
Dean let go of her face and the two of them hurried back in the direction they had come from. They slowed as they drew near to the cavern – Joe’s shadow was pacing back and forth in front of them. Dean stopped and pulled Taylor back against the wall. “I’m going to run out to the right,” Dean whispered. As soon as he fires, you run out after me, but go to the left. That’ll draw his attention away so I can get behind him.” Taylor took a deep breath and nodded determinedly. Dean was right – if nothing else, she would rather be shot than killed by a demon. “Just in case we don’t make it out of this alive…” Taylor looked up expectantly.
And then Dean leant over and pressed his lips against hers.
Taylor stepped back and slapped him. “Come on!” Dean hissed.
“Nice try Casanova,” she hissed back. “But if this demon doesn’t kill us, if Joe doesn’t kill us, Don will.”
Dean shrugged, “Well, can’t blame a guy for trying.” Without waiting for a response, he dashed out and into the cavern.
Almost instantly, the shotgun fired.
Taylor took a deep breath and dashed out into the cavern, heading to the left like Dean had instructed her. She dived to the floor with a shriek as the wall exploded behind her, rocks and dust landing over her. She rolled over, ignoring the fact that she had managed to scrape her side, and pressed herself to the wall. In front of her, Dean had launched himself at Joe and knocked the shotgun out of his hands as the two fell to the floor.
There was a scurry of movement as the two fought each other, and then Dean managed to knock Joe to the floor. As Dean slumped to the floor himself, Taylor dashed over to him, “Dean!” she yelled, picking him up so that his side was leaning against her.
His eyes slowly focused in on her, before focusing in on something behind her. “Look out!” he yelled. Taylor turned to move, but it was too late – the butt of the gun came crashing down on her forehead.
Originally posted 25/07/2007