"Just a little to the left…Perfect!" Mary Winchester exclaimed excitedly. Her husband John, and seventeen year old son, Dean finally placed her couch in the perfect spot…five spots later. Dean and John collapsed onto the couch and Mary came and sat between them.
"Thanks boys," Mary said with a smile.
"No problem Mom," Dean answered tiredly. The Winchester's moved across the state of Kansas to a small town called Lawrence. It was were Mary's mother lived, and when she became ill, the family decided to move closer to her.
The three were a tight knit family, and Dean was their pride and joy. Mary's doctors told her she would never become pregnant, and when she had Dean, she was ecstatic. But she was not blessed with more children later in her life. Both John and Dean knew how important their family was to their mother, and how she had always longed for more children. Mary would always joke and say she'd wait for grandbabies, but no one could ever miss the sad look in her eyes. Mary loved children, and would have had eight if her body would allow it.
"I'm gonna fix up my room," Dean sighed, getting up and trudging to his room. He was exhausted, and didn't feel like doing much of anything. Dean flopped down on his bed and stared at his new ceiling. He liked his other ceiling just fine, but his Dad got a better job offer closer to his ailing grandmother, so he couldn't complain.
He always felt lonely, although he had numerous friends and both parents, which was more than most people could say. But he often felt like he was missing something, that a little piece of himself wasn't all there. Dean was more tired than he thought, because e drifted off to sleep and awoke when his mother called him for supper.
A little over a block away in a small house lived Sam Harrison, and his younger siblings, Elias and Riley. Sam was putting together a quick dinner for his siblings, because he had to take Elias to soccer at seven.
"Elias, are you dressed?" Sam called out, taking the hot dogs out of the boiling water and into the rolls.
"Yea, I'll be in there in two minutes," Elias shouted back. Elias was fourteen, and loved soccer. Sam tried to get him to every practice and game, but it usually depended on their health; they didn't need anyone coming around asking questions.
Riley came trotting in with a worksheet in hand, "Sammy, I need your help with my homework." Riley was Sam's youngest sibling at the tender age of six. She was in Kindergarten and loved every minute of it. Her older brothers were very protective of her, and rarely did she witness the acts of violence that were so heavily present in there household. But the child was far from stupid and knew well enough to keep out of her father's way. Lucky for the three of them, he was working the late shift, and they could have a normal supper before retreating to the park for Elias's practice.
"Sweetness, were gonna eat dinner now, how about we finish it after the park?"
"Ok Sammy," she replied happily and set the plates and silverware around the table, her curly hair bouncing left and right. Sam smiled at her, and continued to finish with their supper.
Sam walked his younger siblings to the soccer field in town where Elias would be playing. Sam brought his sister over to the playground to pass the time. Riley occupied herself for the most part, waving or running to make sure Sam was still in sight. Sam just watched his little sister and basked in her innocence. He loved how the cruelty of the world hadn't touched her. Only a year until Sam could take his siblings away from their father. Just thinking of the man made him wince and adjust in his seat so his bruises wouldn't be bothered. Sam wished a better life for his siblings; he felt it was too late for him, but he could salvage his brother and sister.
It had been too many years of abuse that made Sam into a harder person. He was older than his years, but inside hid the scared little boy who was afraid of his father. Sam was typically the brunt of their father's hostility, as the eldest was always shielding his brother and sister from a life he had already lived…
Just one more year, Sam thought to himself. Then, we'll be free. But there was always a twinge of doubt in his mind that he would never be free, that he would die in that house before their freedom was met, or that no opportunity presented itself to leave. This was not a random act of violence committed by a stranger; this was the man who is part of his DNA. Sam always told himself that the man was a monster, but he had his good days, and he had his bad days. Well, terrible days.
"Sammy, Elias is done. Sammy, come on!" Riley squeaked across the playground, the small child waving her tiny arms to grab her brother's attention.
Sam entered reality and eased off the bench and teetered over to his sister. His body was constantly sore and it took him a few moments to get going. "I'm coming darling."
On the trip home, the past a beautiful house that had a moving truck in front of it. It was in the nicest neighborhood in town and they had to walk through it to get to their home.
"Wow," Reily said, slowing down in front of her house. All three stood in front of the house, mesmerized. The people moving really fixed up the house, and it stood out even in the up scale neighborhood.
"That's really nice," Elias whispered.
"Yea," Reily sighed.
"Come on guys, the people will call the cops if we keep loitering," Sam said, beginning to walk.
"What's loitering?" Reily asked.
"Well, it's standing somewhere that you're not supposed too. Like the kids who sit at the entrance to the mall; guards always tell them to move," Sam explained.
"Ohhhhhh," Reily said.
The three continued walking and finally made it to the house. Their father was home; his big truck was in the driveway, parked on a bizarre angle, which meant only that he started drinking earlier. Sam and Elias looked at each other and grabbed their sister's hands and made their way into their house.