This time, when Taylor regained consciousness, her head was resting on something relatively soft. As she pulled herself into a sitting position, she realised it was Dean’s lap.
“Don’t move any further,” a voice commanded.
Taylor looked up. It was Joe. And the barrel of his shotgun was pointing directly at them both. She started to get to her feet, but Dean pulled her back down, “Don’t” he whispered.
“I’d listen to your boyfriend,” Joe snarled.
There was a loud bang and at the same time as Joe’s stomach exploded, coating her and Dean in his blood. Taylor screamed covering her head and dropping it down.
“He’s not her boyfriend.” Her heart was racing as the blast echoed around her head. A hand on her shoulder made her jump. “Taylor?”
Taylor raised her head and found Flack in front of her. “Don!” she sobbed, launching herself at him, causing him to go flying backwards. Flack just wrapped his arms tightly around her.
“We have to move, now!” Sam ordered as he helped his brother to his feet.
Taylor pulled herself away from Flack and looked behind her. The fire was growing closer. The two of them scrambled to their feet. “Come on!” Flack yelled, grabbing her hand and pulling her after him as they raced out of the mine, just behind Sam and Dean.
The cold, rainy night air hit Taylor as a much welcome relief. She started to slow, but Flack continued running. “We need to get out of here,” he told her.
“Why? The demon has Joe for a sacrifice,” Taylor pointed out.
“We set the dam to blow,” Sam yelled at her.
“You did what?” Taylor asked, yanking her hand free from Flack’s and coming to an abrupt stop.
“The only way we are going to kill that demon is with a lot of water. We have to drown it,” Sam explained to her as he and Dean hurried back to her.
Taylor stared at them in disbelief. “But that’s not going to just flood the mine, it’s going to flood Centralia as well.”
“And the problem with that is?” Dean asked her.
“We have to at least warn the people in the town,” Taylor objected.
“Are you kidding me?” Dean asked her in disbelief. “After what they did to us and the last forty year’s worth of victims? They’re not going to stop unless we make them.”
“But there are children in that town,” Taylor argued. “You can’t kill innocent kids! Besides, if the demon’s gone, why would they kill anyone else? They can rot in prison then.”
“I’d rather they rotted in hell,” Dean told her angrily.
“Dean, she has a point,” Sam told him. “We can’t kill children.”
Taylor shot him a grateful look. “When is the dam set to blow?”
Flack looked at his watch. “We have half an hour.”
Taylor nodded. “We need to at least get the children out. We can stick them in our cars. I know mine can move – yours is pretty nippy too. We can outrun the water.”
Dean groaned. “Fine, but if their parent’s don’t want to come, I’m not forcing them. The focus is the children.”
“Deal,” Taylor quickly agreed.
The four of them headed to their cars – each to their respective vehicle and got in before speeding away back to Centralia. They both came to a screeching halt in the centre of town, where they all exited the cars.
“Which houses?” Sam yelled as they all spun around, eyeing up the few houses there were.
“We don’t have to worry about that,” Flack yelled, pointing to several men who were approaching them from the garage. “Run!”
The four of them charged away from them, heading towards the diner. The glass window exploded as a bullet went through it. Taylor, Flack, Dean and Sam charged through it, before flying over the counter and ducking down behind it to use it as a shield. Above them, the shots rained into the wall behind.
“Now what?” Sam cried.
“Anybody manage to catch how many there were?” Dean asked.
Flack shook his head.
“No,” Taylor said as she crawled along the floor.
“What are you doing?” Flack yelled at her. Her hand managed to grab a hold of a large knife as he grabbed her wrist and yanked her back.
Taylor held the knife up, “I was after this.”
“No offence, but against a gun, you stand no chance,” Dean told her.
Taylor pulled a face at him, “I’m not stupid enough to think I can take on a gun with this thing,” she told him.
“So why do you have it?”
Taylor just rolled her eyes, before slowly poking her arm up so that the tip of the blade was above the counter. “There’s four of them,” she told them.
The three guys just stared at her. “Get over it,” she muttered. “I don’t have a gun. Besides, I’m pretty certain I wouldn’t hit any of them if I did. I’m going to be your eyes.” Sam nodded, taking the safety off his gun, and dashing over to the register. On either side of her, Flack and Dean pulled out their guns, also taking the safety off. “There’s one at one o’clock,” she yelled. Dean jumped up from the counter and fired, hitting the target. He dropped down as the bullets rained over at them. “Three o’clock and ten o’clock.” Both Flack and Sam fired, their bullets meeting their targets. “One o’clock,” she yelled. Dean was back on his feet firing. Only this time, he didn’t hit his target – there was no one there. He dropped behind the counter, a bullet just missing him. “The other one o’clock!” Taylor yelled. Dean sent her a glare before jumping back up with Sam and Flack. All three men hit the target.
“Where did you learn to tell the time?” Dean muttered as the four of them moved out of the diner.
They all stopped when they realised that there were six children waiting outside in a line for them. “Well, that was easy,” said Taylor as she moved towards them.
She was stopped by Sam grabbing her arm, “Taylor,” Sam muttered, using his other hand to point at the children.
Taylor stared at them. They were all aged between the age of about six, and thirteen, and, she finally realised, they were all armed with either baseball bats, knives, or chains. Taylor’s mouth dropped open.
“Are you frickin’ kidding me?” Dean cried, pointing his gun at them.
“Dean!” Taylor cried, “They’re just kids.” She shook herself free from Sam’s grasp, ignored Flack who was also trying to stop her, and walked over to the youngest girl. With her blonde curls and blue eyes, she looked like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. Except for the knife in her hand. Taylor crouched down in front of her. “It’s alright,” she said softly. “We’re not going to hurt you.”
She was yanked out of the way by Flack as the girl stabbed at her – not quick enough. The knife gashed her bare left arm.
“You little witch!” Taylor cried in disbelief, as the blood started dripping to the ground.
“Can I shoot her now?” Dean asked, his gun pointed back at the children, who simply stood glaring at them.
Clutching at her arm, Taylor shook her head, “They’re just kids,” she repeated.
“Guys, we have eight minutes,” Sam told them, looking at his watch.
Taylor looked at the little girl, “I’m sorry,” she apologised before using her right hand to clock her around the side of the head and knock her unconscious. As the child fell to the floor, the remaining five children began advancing towards them, trying to hit them with their weapons.
“Screw this,” Dean muttered.
Dean,” Taylor warned.
“Yeah, I get that I can’t shoot them,” he growled as he dodged a chain that was flying towards his head. He quickly turned the gun around, and using the butt, smacked it down on the boy’s head. “Serves you right for your parents doing it to us!” He was rewarded by an eight year old smacking his knee with a baseball bat.
As he collapsed to the floor, Flack yanked the bat out of the kid’s hand and used it to render him and another child unconscious. Behind them, the final two children slumped to the floor, courtesy of Sam. “Two minutes!” Sam yelled, scooping the two children up.
Flack grabbed another two, whilst Dean and Taylor each grabbed one, and ran for the cars. They all practically flung the children into the back seats before diving in the front.
Behind them there was a large bang, followed by a grumble, which grew louder, making the cars begin to vibrate.
Taylor slammed the car into first and floored it, the tires squealing as they kicked out clouds of smoke. Next to her, in the wrong lane, Dean was driving his Impala, both cars matching each other as they tore out of Centralia.
Taylor glanced in her rear view mirror and instantly regretted it. She could see a wall of water gaining distance on the cars.
She urged the car to go faster as she raced out of the town, instinctively taking the same route as Dean to higher ground. The cars both took off as they flew over the crest of a hill, the water licking at the backs of them, before they landed with almighty jolts. Taylor slammed on the breaks and pulled the steering wheel hard to the right, so that the car spun a 180 to a halt.
A few seconds later, Dean did the same.
“Don’t move any further,” a voice commanded.
Taylor looked up. It was Joe. And the barrel of his shotgun was pointing directly at them both. She started to get to her feet, but Dean pulled her back down, “Don’t” he whispered.
“I’d listen to your boyfriend,” Joe snarled.
There was a loud bang and at the same time as Joe’s stomach exploded, coating her and Dean in his blood. Taylor screamed covering her head and dropping it down.
“He’s not her boyfriend.” Her heart was racing as the blast echoed around her head. A hand on her shoulder made her jump. “Taylor?”
Taylor raised her head and found Flack in front of her. “Don!” she sobbed, launching herself at him, causing him to go flying backwards. Flack just wrapped his arms tightly around her.
“We have to move, now!” Sam ordered as he helped his brother to his feet.
Taylor pulled herself away from Flack and looked behind her. The fire was growing closer. The two of them scrambled to their feet. “Come on!” Flack yelled, grabbing her hand and pulling her after him as they raced out of the mine, just behind Sam and Dean.
The cold, rainy night air hit Taylor as a much welcome relief. She started to slow, but Flack continued running. “We need to get out of here,” he told her.
“Why? The demon has Joe for a sacrifice,” Taylor pointed out.
“We set the dam to blow,” Sam yelled at her.
“You did what?” Taylor asked, yanking her hand free from Flack’s and coming to an abrupt stop.
“The only way we are going to kill that demon is with a lot of water. We have to drown it,” Sam explained to her as he and Dean hurried back to her.
Taylor stared at them in disbelief. “But that’s not going to just flood the mine, it’s going to flood Centralia as well.”
“And the problem with that is?” Dean asked her.
“We have to at least warn the people in the town,” Taylor objected.
“Are you kidding me?” Dean asked her in disbelief. “After what they did to us and the last forty year’s worth of victims? They’re not going to stop unless we make them.”
“But there are children in that town,” Taylor argued. “You can’t kill innocent kids! Besides, if the demon’s gone, why would they kill anyone else? They can rot in prison then.”
“I’d rather they rotted in hell,” Dean told her angrily.
“Dean, she has a point,” Sam told him. “We can’t kill children.”
Taylor shot him a grateful look. “When is the dam set to blow?”
Flack looked at his watch. “We have half an hour.”
Taylor nodded. “We need to at least get the children out. We can stick them in our cars. I know mine can move – yours is pretty nippy too. We can outrun the water.”
Dean groaned. “Fine, but if their parent’s don’t want to come, I’m not forcing them. The focus is the children.”
“Deal,” Taylor quickly agreed.
The four of them headed to their cars – each to their respective vehicle and got in before speeding away back to Centralia. They both came to a screeching halt in the centre of town, where they all exited the cars.
“Which houses?” Sam yelled as they all spun around, eyeing up the few houses there were.
“We don’t have to worry about that,” Flack yelled, pointing to several men who were approaching them from the garage. “Run!”
The four of them charged away from them, heading towards the diner. The glass window exploded as a bullet went through it. Taylor, Flack, Dean and Sam charged through it, before flying over the counter and ducking down behind it to use it as a shield. Above them, the shots rained into the wall behind.
“Now what?” Sam cried.
“Anybody manage to catch how many there were?” Dean asked.
Flack shook his head.
“No,” Taylor said as she crawled along the floor.
“What are you doing?” Flack yelled at her. Her hand managed to grab a hold of a large knife as he grabbed her wrist and yanked her back.
Taylor held the knife up, “I was after this.”
“No offence, but against a gun, you stand no chance,” Dean told her.
Taylor pulled a face at him, “I’m not stupid enough to think I can take on a gun with this thing,” she told him.
“So why do you have it?”
Taylor just rolled her eyes, before slowly poking her arm up so that the tip of the blade was above the counter. “There’s four of them,” she told them.
The three guys just stared at her. “Get over it,” she muttered. “I don’t have a gun. Besides, I’m pretty certain I wouldn’t hit any of them if I did. I’m going to be your eyes.” Sam nodded, taking the safety off his gun, and dashing over to the register. On either side of her, Flack and Dean pulled out their guns, also taking the safety off. “There’s one at one o’clock,” she yelled. Dean jumped up from the counter and fired, hitting the target. He dropped down as the bullets rained over at them. “Three o’clock and ten o’clock.” Both Flack and Sam fired, their bullets meeting their targets. “One o’clock,” she yelled. Dean was back on his feet firing. Only this time, he didn’t hit his target – there was no one there. He dropped behind the counter, a bullet just missing him. “The other one o’clock!” Taylor yelled. Dean sent her a glare before jumping back up with Sam and Flack. All three men hit the target.
“Where did you learn to tell the time?” Dean muttered as the four of them moved out of the diner.
They all stopped when they realised that there were six children waiting outside in a line for them. “Well, that was easy,” said Taylor as she moved towards them.
She was stopped by Sam grabbing her arm, “Taylor,” Sam muttered, using his other hand to point at the children.
Taylor stared at them. They were all aged between the age of about six, and thirteen, and, she finally realised, they were all armed with either baseball bats, knives, or chains. Taylor’s mouth dropped open.
“Are you frickin’ kidding me?” Dean cried, pointing his gun at them.
“Dean!” Taylor cried, “They’re just kids.” She shook herself free from Sam’s grasp, ignored Flack who was also trying to stop her, and walked over to the youngest girl. With her blonde curls and blue eyes, she looked like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. Except for the knife in her hand. Taylor crouched down in front of her. “It’s alright,” she said softly. “We’re not going to hurt you.”
She was yanked out of the way by Flack as the girl stabbed at her – not quick enough. The knife gashed her bare left arm.
“You little witch!” Taylor cried in disbelief, as the blood started dripping to the ground.
“Can I shoot her now?” Dean asked, his gun pointed back at the children, who simply stood glaring at them.
Clutching at her arm, Taylor shook her head, “They’re just kids,” she repeated.
“Guys, we have eight minutes,” Sam told them, looking at his watch.
Taylor looked at the little girl, “I’m sorry,” she apologised before using her right hand to clock her around the side of the head and knock her unconscious. As the child fell to the floor, the remaining five children began advancing towards them, trying to hit them with their weapons.
“Screw this,” Dean muttered.
Dean,” Taylor warned.
“Yeah, I get that I can’t shoot them,” he growled as he dodged a chain that was flying towards his head. He quickly turned the gun around, and using the butt, smacked it down on the boy’s head. “Serves you right for your parents doing it to us!” He was rewarded by an eight year old smacking his knee with a baseball bat.
As he collapsed to the floor, Flack yanked the bat out of the kid’s hand and used it to render him and another child unconscious. Behind them, the final two children slumped to the floor, courtesy of Sam. “Two minutes!” Sam yelled, scooping the two children up.
Flack grabbed another two, whilst Dean and Taylor each grabbed one, and ran for the cars. They all practically flung the children into the back seats before diving in the front.
Behind them there was a large bang, followed by a grumble, which grew louder, making the cars begin to vibrate.
Taylor slammed the car into first and floored it, the tires squealing as they kicked out clouds of smoke. Next to her, in the wrong lane, Dean was driving his Impala, both cars matching each other as they tore out of Centralia.
Taylor glanced in her rear view mirror and instantly regretted it. She could see a wall of water gaining distance on the cars.
She urged the car to go faster as she raced out of the town, instinctively taking the same route as Dean to higher ground. The cars both took off as they flew over the crest of a hill, the water licking at the backs of them, before they landed with almighty jolts. Taylor slammed on the breaks and pulled the steering wheel hard to the right, so that the car spun a 180 to a halt.
A few seconds later, Dean did the same.
* * *
The four of them stood on the top of the hill gazing down at the valley below. Centralia was completely submerged, as was the rest of the valley. The only clue that anything had been there were the wisps of steam, and the road in front of the emerging from the water. Overcome with exhaustion, Taylor sank to the ground. One by one, the three men mimicked her.
“Let me look at that,” Dean mumbled. He sounded as tired as she did, she realised, as he took her arm and looked down at the cut. It was still bleeding, although the flow had slowed.
“You know about cuts?” Flack asked him, looking at the wound.
Dean nodded, “Frequently have to patch myself up.” He looked up at Taylor, “I think it really needs stitches. And I’m sorry to say that I think it’s going to scar.”
Taylor sighed and leant back against Flack and looked over the water, which was now beginning to turn pink from reflecting the rising sun. “I guess Centralia left its mark.”
“Let me look at that,” Dean mumbled. He sounded as tired as she did, she realised, as he took her arm and looked down at the cut. It was still bleeding, although the flow had slowed.
“You know about cuts?” Flack asked him, looking at the wound.
Dean nodded, “Frequently have to patch myself up.” He looked up at Taylor, “I think it really needs stitches. And I’m sorry to say that I think it’s going to scar.”
Taylor sighed and leant back against Flack and looked over the water, which was now beginning to turn pink from reflecting the rising sun. “I guess Centralia left its mark.”
Orignally posted 29/07/2007