Hello. Kiwi here. I'm writing this story with my friend MortalInstrumentals. It's our first collab with one another and our first Supernatural story. If you don't like occasional bad language or violence, don't read. Thanks.

Chapter One: Wait Until Nina Comes (Part One)

The worst thing about Florida winters were the random rainstorms. The cold that followed only added to fact that Kevin hated winter the most. Today was no different. Luckily the cold hadn't set in yet, but it didn't stop Kevin from cursing out to the sky.

"Fuck!"

He waited in his spot, as if expecting someone to shout an apology back at him and stop the rain. It had been drizzling before he left for work, and with his luck, it began pouring just as he stepped out. Tijuana Flats was located just off University Boulevard and Goldenrod Road. It wasn't that far from where Kevin lived, about a twenty minute walk. Only five minutes out, and he was already soaked.

Kevin looked around at the cars waiting by the stoplight just as the pedestrian signal flared in the gloomy distance. He crossed the street in a sprint, water splashing as his foot plunged into a puddle.

"Shit." He looked down at his now soaked shoes and attempted to dry them with a shake. Looking back up at the road ahead, he sighed and began trudging his way back home. The weather reflected his mood perfectly. Just when he thought that the weather would go back to normal, it would do a complete one-eighty. It's hot then it's cold, then it's hot then it's cold. Florida really needed to make up its mind. He hadn't brought his umbrella with him; he really should have known better. As if it could read his mind, the rain picked up. The path darkened, and he could only see just a few feet ahead. He had closed shop today, so it was relatively late. Kevin looked around, but there weren't many cars. Not that it mattered. The area was usually safe, it wasn't as if this was the first time Kevin had closed the shop.

Meow.

He stopped in his tracks, wondering for a split second if he had actually heard what he thought he'd heard. With his curiosity now piqued, Kevin turned to his right, where the sudden noise had originated from. It was nothing but darkness. At first, he thought he was just staring at a clearing in the trees, but then Kevin was able to discern the faint silhouette of a wooden sign where a mailbox should have been. It was just a driveway. Squinting at the sign, Kevin read the four numbers scrawled on it: 4175. He had walked by the lot every day during his commute to and from work, but he had never paid much attention to it. Where was the house on the lot? He couldn't quite remember what it looked like. Straining his eyes against the relentless downpour, Kevin saw a pair of gleaming eyes staring back at him. Definitely a cat, just like he'd thought.

"What are you doing out here in the rain?" Kevin felt like the animal's eyes were looking right through him, judging him. He took a step closer to it. The cat emerged from the darkness only slightly, its deep raven hued fur glistening from the rain. It looked as dejected as Kevin felt. Reaching out a single hand towards the cat, Kevin expected it to come towards him, but was surprised when it shrank back into the driveway. "Where are you going, little guy?" He blindly walked forward. The cat eluded him, like in a dream. No matter how close Kevin got, the cat always seemed to be the same distance away. There were lights growing closer, he could see it now; the familiar shape of a house jumped out at him the windows aglow with soft, radiating light. It broke through dark curtains and spilled out from a crack in the door. There was an old dejected car parked off to the right. Someone's home. He should start heading home too.

It's dry inside. Kevin studied the sight before him; the house looked different. Had it always seemed this inviting? It's warm inside. If he remembered it correctly, it had always seemed rejected. An empty lot filled with weeds. It seemed so open and welcoming though. He took a few more steps forward, drawn to the door. Come inside. His hand wavered near the doorknob now and, without another second of hesitation, he pushed the door the rest of the way open and stepped inside.

The fireplace in the living room immediately caught Kevin's attention. They weren't really commonplace in Florida homes. Maybe this house was older than he expected, or owned by some snow birds that couldn't live through the winter without their northern comforts. Something brushed up against his leg and he stiffened up, glancing down to see the cat from outside. It made its way through the foyer and Kevin followed, already feeling the difference that the warmth from the blazing fire made. A wave of comfort washed over him as he made his way past the few pieces of furniture in the living room to sit in a plush upholstered arm chair close to the fire. Maybe the owners wouldn't mind if he stayed here for just a little while. At least until the rain let up a little.

Meow. Kevin looked down to see the cat rubbing up against his leg once more. Did this cat belong to the owners of the house? It didn't have a collar on or anything. Then again, that stuff was usually more for dogs then cats. It turned away from him before encircling the center of the room and sitting, its tail flicking back and forth. "Wait until Nina comes," it said in a surprisingly deep voice.

Kevin stared back at the cat. Had he heard it right? His eyes focused on the creature. "D-Did you say something?" The cat continued staring. Its eyes flickered to the side for just a brief second and, once again, those glowing eyes were back on Kevin. "Did—" A purr filled the room. Kevin's head spun to the side where another cat was boring its eyes into him. Kevin forgot about the other cat and watched as this new creature made its way towards the fireplace.

His coat was grey and spotted like a leopard, but that wasn't the only thing different about this cat. It was larger than the first, much larger. It was as big as a Labrador, but its movements were as agile as a snake. Without taking its eyes off Kevin, the larger cat slithered into the fireplace. Kevin jolted in his seat, about to reach out for the cat, but thought better of it and remained seated. He watched as the cat pawed at a piece of coal and played with it as if it were a ball of yarn. It nudged it with its muzzle and looked up abruptly, as if finally remembering that Kevin was in the room with it. With a tilt of its head, the cat got up and joined its smaller companion in the middle of the room. "What shall we do with him?" the larger cat said in a hushed tone.

"We shan't do anything," the smaller one said. They both stared at Kevin, their eyes studying him intently.

"But what if he leaves? What if he goes before Nina comes?" As if on cue, Kevin jumped to his feet. Both cats watched him as he backed up towards the entrance, towards the rain. "You see?"

"We will wait," the deep voice said. "Wait until Nina comes."

Kevin continued backing up, not breaking eye contact with either of the cats. They too kept their eyes on him. He reached out behind him, feeling for the doorknob, when a lion walked past him. The two cats fell silent. Their focus was now on the lion that strutted past them and curled up inside the fireplace. As Kevin studied the beast, he realized that it wasn't a lion but a long furred orange tabby cat. It barely fit in the fireplace as it rolled around on the coal. "We shall wait for Nina," it said with a yawn.

"I told you," the smaller cat said with a hiss, but the larger cat remained silent, watching as the largest of the three played lazily with a piece of coal. A tinkling sound filled the room and all three cats immediately turned to face Kevin. He stopped dead in his tracks, mind completely blank, when something small brushed against his leg. He looked down to find a calico kitten staring back up him, purring excitedly. Kevin watched as the kitten skipped towards the two cats waiting in the middle of the room. The cats looked at Kevin, waiting for something to happen, while the calico licked her paw absentmindedly.

A flash came from outside the window. Lightning. Kevin screamed, but the thunder that followed was too loud, muffling his shrieks of horror. The three cats watched, their eyes glistening with glee.

"Aargh," Theo placed his hands over his face in an attempt to muffle his scream of anguish. "I don't think I can handle another three hour lecture. All the professor does is talk and talk and talk and talk. He never stops."

Raelynn rolled her eyes and chuckled lightly, watching her friend writhe in agony. "Come on. It can't be that bad," she said, moving her backpack further down the long, wooden table that Theo was currently seated at. She pulled out the plastic chair directly across from him and took a seat. "You could always come sit through my four hour organic chemistry lab. I'm sure you'd enjoy that then."

"Ich. No thanks. I'll take Dr. Speere any day. He's boring, but at least the subject is exciting."

"That's what I thought," Raelynn said with a grin.

"So how was your first day of classes?" Theo said as he pulled out his laptop from inside his bag.

Raelynn pulled her bag closer to her and rested her head down on it. "I don't know. It's been fine, I guess." She slowly unzipped the main compartment of the deep indigo bag and pulled a thick, three subject spiral notebook from it. "My stats professor told us we're already gonna have a quiz this Friday and then my calculus class . . ." Raelynn lifted her head and opened the notebook before digging back into the confines of her backpack and grabbing a pencil. "Well, calculus is calculus. It's not easy, but it's not too hard I guess. Just boring." She dated the top of her paper, preparing to start practicing some of the stuff she'd already learned in lecture that day. "And you?"

"It was great honestly. The subjects are nothing to complain about. My professors could be a little bit more exciting, but I'm not complaining. They could be a lot worse. I've got some great sources for my blog though," he said, typing furiously on his keyboard. "Do you have any clue when soccer starts this semester? I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to cancel it altogether with all this crazy weather."

She groaned, her brown eyes focused down on her paper still. "I got an email from the coach that practice should officially start next week, but I've been down to the fields myself to try and get a better feel for them, but they're all muddy." The numbers she had scrawled looked like nothing but scribbles to her and Raelynn pushed them away, now focusing on Theo who was engrossed in his writing. "Like, super muddy. My cleats started sinking right in which was not cool. Took me an hour at least to clean them all up. Are you actually gonna come out to practice this semester?"

Theo looked up from his computer screen and studied her for a second. He brushed his sandy hair back and closed his eyes as he considered the question for a second. "Nah," he finally said. "I don't think so. I've really got to get working on my blog. I barely post, but I'll probably go down to the field with you. It's always fun to watch you guys play. Just thinking about it is exciting. Maybe I'll dedicate a page to soccer!" His attention was back on the screen. "Do you still have that picture of us? You know the one, right?" He looked up for a brief second. His cobalt eyes scanning her face, bent down towards her notes, her eyebrows furrowed. He held back a laugh just as she looked up and stuck her tongue out at him. "It'd go great on my blog you know."

"Shut up." Raelynn pushed her eyes back down to her notes, the ghost of a smile playing on her lips. "I look awful in that picture anyways. High school was my awkward phase and you know that." Before Theo could try and come back at her with anything else, she cut him off. "And, yes, all of high school was my awkward phase. The picture stays between you and me and not on your blog." Raelynn felt a soft vibration from her jean pocket and dug her phone out, placing it on the table. Unlocking the screen with a single swipe of her finger, she sighed deeply. "Just got an email from my biology professor. Quiz in that class on Thursday now and I haven't even had a single lecture for it yet." She squeezed her eyes shut, deciding that she would much rather work on biology than math now. "I think I might have left my textbooks in your room after I picked them up from the bookstore. Mind if we head there so I can pick them up and start studying for something?"

"Yeah, I should probably get to studying too. We have a quiz in my world lit class on Friday." He closed his laptop and placed it back in his bag just as Raelynn did the same with her notebook. "Jared and Jensen should be back, but I think Mark still has one more class today." Theo had been lucky with his roommates. They were nice enough, clean enough, and didn't pry too much into his business. The two made their way up to the first floor of the library and out. Theo stood at the entrance for a second, staring past the Reflection Pond. He and Raelynn hadn't gone back home for winter break. It was their first Christmas away from home. He could have gone back to Pennsylvania to see his parents, but after he moved, they took the family business back up. When he called them to make plans, they had been halfway across the country on a hunt. He told them it was okay, that Raelynn would be staying back with him so he wouldn't be alone. That was a lie, but Raelynn took advantage of the situation and used it as an excuse to stay back with him. Her coming to Florida didn't exactly sit right with her parents, so they didn't leave on a good note.

"Theo? Let's go," she said. "We could probably get something to eat after dropping by your place." They both made their way towards the Student Union at the heart of campus, Raelynn greeting her friends with a wave, and Theo nodding in acknowledgement.

The cloudy sky prevented the usually unrelenting sun from beating down upon them as they made their way across Memory Mall—students walking to and fro across the patches of grass in between the walkways. Raelynn let her eyes drift towards the constant traffic that barreled down the street that separated Knight's Plaza from the rest of campus. Just a quick trip across the road and they would be at their dorms. She took a quick glance at the building off to her right as they walked, trying to see if she could pinpoint her window. It had been a bit disappointing when she had learned that she wasn't in the same building as Theo, but at least their buildings were next to each other. Tower 3 and Tower 4. "Do you ever feel weird living with the super smart kids?" She watched as Theo quickly input his security code into the number lock by the front door of the building.

"It's not . . . too weird," he glanced around at the group of students gathered in front of a flat screen T.V. They were playing the new Smash Bros. game. Theo watched as Link was thrown off screen and the entire group roared with laughter. "It's pretty interesting listening to them talk, but sometimes I find it tiring listening to them. I wish they had put me in Tower 4, but what can I do? At least Jared and Mark are in the same boat as me." Out of his three roommates, only Jensen was in the honors college, and even he found the other honor students to be a bit unbearable. They weren't bad people, but they could be a bit eccentric about their studies. Theo and Raelynn made their way to the stairway and climbed up to the third floor, a girl in a TARDIS dress rushing past them, her light blue backpack bouncing as she continued down the steps.

Theo's dorm was just across from the door that led to the staircase. The theme for his floor this semester was Disney. There were four cutouts of Mickey Mouse on the door, each with the name of the students that lived there: Mark, Jared, Theodore, and Jensen. Theo unlocked the door, and Jared greeted him from the small dining table—books strewn across the surface—positioned in the corner of the room. "Where's Jensen?" Theo said. Jared motioned towards the left of the dorm, where his and Jensen's bedroom stood. Theo looked down the small hallway; Jensen had just peeked out, giving a brief wave, before disappearing back into his room.

"Mark just texted me," Jared said. "He said his class is out, but he's going to grab something to eat."

"Cool, we're about to do the same thing," Theo said as he followed Raelynn down the hall that led to his and Mark's bedrooms.

"Your bed's a mess," Raelynn said.

"You're one to talk," he said placing his bag by the desk in front of a window. "You ready?"

"Yep."

Raelynn grabbed one of the books thrown across Theo's bed, and Theo stuffed his wallet into his jean pocket. They walked back into the dorm's living room where Jensen was now sitting on the couch opposite from the T.V. "Do you guys see this?" he said. Theo and Raelynn looked towards the screen, even Jared looked up from his notes to watch was happening.

"Chaos in the streets of Winter Park earlier this morning," the reporter said, his expressionless face giving Raelynn the creeps. "Twenty-one year old Kevin Burnett was found wandering aimlessly near the intersection of University Boulevard and Goldenrod Road, causing major traffic delays." Tearing her eyes away from the screen for a split second, Raelynn glanced over at Theo who seemed engrossed in the news story. "After failing to return home last night, his concerned girlfriend set out to locate him, only to discover him out in the streets, whispering to himself and acting uncharacteristically. Authorities showed up at the scene and have placed Burnett in the care of the staff at Winter Park Memorial Hospital. No other information has been released at this time, but all delays have been cleared up for the evening rush hour."

It all seemed a little . . . odd. Sure, the news was full of crazy stories, and Raelynn herself had driven past Knight Library on the weekends and seen drunken students stumbling across the sidewalks, but there was something about this that felt different. She could tell that Theo felt the same way. "Weird," she said, turning away from the television and slowly making her way towards the main door of the dorm. "But, we've gotta go get something to eat before we waste away into nothingness." Clutching her biology book a little tighter, she widened her eyes as Theo followed her, telling his roommates that he'd see them a little later.

The door shut behind them and they stood out in the hall. "I know that look, Theodore Barnes," Raelynn said, raising a single eyebrow. "You think something's up, don't you?"

"I could be wrong," he hoped, but after all these years, he knew what to expect. "That doesn't mean we shouldn't look into it. Maybe the guy's just drunk."

Feedback is appreciated. I'm writing this for fun, but MortalInstrumentals is a creative writing major so I know he'd love to read critiques. Thanks!