The Family Business
Big Brothers
I woke up to a constant banging on the front door. Not falling asleep until four in the morning, I was still exhausted and wanting to ignore it. But knowing my brother was the one knocking, I forced myself to get up and walk downstairs.
I opened the front door to see two men staring back at me, not knowing which one I was talking to on the phone yesterday. One was around six foot with short, light hair, emerald eyes and a strong jawline. His face was expressionless, as if years of heartbreak and tragedy had made him cold. The other man was a different story. He was much taller and broader built, with dark, long hair and hazel eyes that you might find on a puppy. They showed that same heartbreak and tragedy, but had much more emotion packed into them, almost as if those tragedies made him more compassionate. Like he didn't want the people he rescued to go through the same things he had.
"Austen, right?" The shorter man asked.
I nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Come in."
I let them in past me, closing the door behind them. The taller man offered me a small, sad smile. He knew what had happened to my mother.
"I'm Dean, this is my brother Sam." The shorter man introduced, him being the one I spoke to on the phone yesterday. My face went dumbfounded as my stomach dropped. I had two brothers, and they didn't even know it.
"Are you okay?" The one I knew named Sam now asked me, looking at me with dewey, puppy-like eyes.
I nodded, stammering. "Y-Yeah."
He nodded back, smiling at me again. "So Austen, have you gone to the cops about this?"
I shook by head vigorously. "No. My mom told me specifically not to do that."
"Alright. What was she hunting? Better yet, where?" He asked, taking a seat next to me on the couch in the living room.
"Nest of vampires, up in Brookings." I informed him, playing with my hands uncomfortably.
"That's about six hours from here, and she just left you?" Dean asked, looking at me with an unknowable expression.
I shook my head, baffled. "No, she didn't just leave me here. I knew what to do, and I am old enough to take care of myself."
He offered a small nod. "You can't be anymore than sixteen, though."
"I'm about to turn eighteen." I corrected him, narrowing my eyes.
"Alright, alright." Sam interjected, looking at the two of us. "Austen, we have a friend up in Sioux Falls we can take you to, and Dean and I will head up to Brookings."
"But that's my mom." I argued, looking at him confusedly. "I want to go with."
"Sorry kiddo, but I don't think that's happening." Dean argued back, looking at me with an amused expression. He enjoyed being in control.
"And why not?" I asked, crossing my arms.
"You're seventeen years old. No, no way." Dean shook his head, giving me a stern look.
"But that's my mom!" I argued once again, standing up. "I know what I'm doing. I was raised in the life."
"She's got a point, dude." Sam jumped in, looking at Dean. "If it was mom, what would you do?"
Dean shot Sam a look after that, looking back and forth at the two of us. Sighing, he shook his head. "I don't like this one bit. But you're going to do as we say, or it's your ass."
I clenched my jaw, fighting back the urge to say anything back to him. Nodding, I agreed.
Dean slightly nodded back, leaning against the island separating the kitchen and living room. "You have five minutes to get your stuff and get ready, then we roll out."
I had been on hunts before with my mother, I wasn't that inexperienced. But in each and every hunt I had been on with her, she made sure I was safe and protected. She covered me and made sure I wouldn't get hurt while I dipped my toe into the life of a hunter. It was thrilling yet terrifying, but it was about the only thing I knew. Most kids when they're little are told that ghosts and the monsters under their beds aren't real, while I grew up with holy water and a rifle loaded with salt rounds on my nightstand. I was at first devastated because I couldn't have that child-like innocence, but as I grew up, I realized it was better this way. Most kids are hit hard in the chest when they learn that Santa Claus isn't real and that it's their parents leaving quarters under their pillows, but I never had that wool over my eyes. I had always known what was real and what wasn't, and I was thankful for that.
I adjusted my Led Zeppelin t-shirt as I walked back downstairs to meet my big brothers, throwing my backpack over my shoulder. I locked up the house as we walked outside together, baffled as soon as I saw what they had rolled into town in.
"Is that a 1967 Chevy Impala?" I asked, looking at the black beauty parked in the driveway.
Dean smirked, showing me the slightest hint of being impressed. "Yes, yes it is."
I chuckled at his arrogance, but was too wrapped up in the car as we got into it. "God, it's beautiful."
He looked back at me and then at my t-shirt, giving me another one of his famous unknowable looks. "I think we'll get along better than I thought."
As he turned on the car and Creedence Clearwater Revival began playing, I figured he might be right.
I opened the front door to see two men staring back at me, not knowing which one I was talking to on the phone yesterday. One was around six foot with short, light hair, emerald eyes and a strong jawline. His face was expressionless, as if years of heartbreak and tragedy had made him cold. The other man was a different story. He was much taller and broader built, with dark, long hair and hazel eyes that you might find on a puppy. They showed that same heartbreak and tragedy, but had much more emotion packed into them, almost as if those tragedies made him more compassionate. Like he didn't want the people he rescued to go through the same things he had.
"Austen, right?" The shorter man asked.
I nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Come in."
I let them in past me, closing the door behind them. The taller man offered me a small, sad smile. He knew what had happened to my mother.
"I'm Dean, this is my brother Sam." The shorter man introduced, him being the one I spoke to on the phone yesterday. My face went dumbfounded as my stomach dropped. I had two brothers, and they didn't even know it.
"Are you okay?" The one I knew named Sam now asked me, looking at me with dewey, puppy-like eyes.
I nodded, stammering. "Y-Yeah."
He nodded back, smiling at me again. "So Austen, have you gone to the cops about this?"
I shook by head vigorously. "No. My mom told me specifically not to do that."
"Alright. What was she hunting? Better yet, where?" He asked, taking a seat next to me on the couch in the living room.
"Nest of vampires, up in Brookings." I informed him, playing with my hands uncomfortably.
"That's about six hours from here, and she just left you?" Dean asked, looking at me with an unknowable expression.
I shook my head, baffled. "No, she didn't just leave me here. I knew what to do, and I am old enough to take care of myself."
He offered a small nod. "You can't be anymore than sixteen, though."
"I'm about to turn eighteen." I corrected him, narrowing my eyes.
"Alright, alright." Sam interjected, looking at the two of us. "Austen, we have a friend up in Sioux Falls we can take you to, and Dean and I will head up to Brookings."
"But that's my mom." I argued, looking at him confusedly. "I want to go with."
"Sorry kiddo, but I don't think that's happening." Dean argued back, looking at me with an amused expression. He enjoyed being in control.
"And why not?" I asked, crossing my arms.
"You're seventeen years old. No, no way." Dean shook his head, giving me a stern look.
"But that's my mom!" I argued once again, standing up. "I know what I'm doing. I was raised in the life."
"She's got a point, dude." Sam jumped in, looking at Dean. "If it was mom, what would you do?"
Dean shot Sam a look after that, looking back and forth at the two of us. Sighing, he shook his head. "I don't like this one bit. But you're going to do as we say, or it's your ass."
I clenched my jaw, fighting back the urge to say anything back to him. Nodding, I agreed.
Dean slightly nodded back, leaning against the island separating the kitchen and living room. "You have five minutes to get your stuff and get ready, then we roll out."
I had been on hunts before with my mother, I wasn't that inexperienced. But in each and every hunt I had been on with her, she made sure I was safe and protected. She covered me and made sure I wouldn't get hurt while I dipped my toe into the life of a hunter. It was thrilling yet terrifying, but it was about the only thing I knew. Most kids when they're little are told that ghosts and the monsters under their beds aren't real, while I grew up with holy water and a rifle loaded with salt rounds on my nightstand. I was at first devastated because I couldn't have that child-like innocence, but as I grew up, I realized it was better this way. Most kids are hit hard in the chest when they learn that Santa Claus isn't real and that it's their parents leaving quarters under their pillows, but I never had that wool over my eyes. I had always known what was real and what wasn't, and I was thankful for that.
I adjusted my Led Zeppelin t-shirt as I walked back downstairs to meet my big brothers, throwing my backpack over my shoulder. I locked up the house as we walked outside together, baffled as soon as I saw what they had rolled into town in.
"Is that a 1967 Chevy Impala?" I asked, looking at the black beauty parked in the driveway.
Dean smirked, showing me the slightest hint of being impressed. "Yes, yes it is."
I chuckled at his arrogance, but was too wrapped up in the car as we got into it. "God, it's beautiful."
He looked back at me and then at my t-shirt, giving me another one of his famous unknowable looks. "I think we'll get along better than I thought."
As he turned on the car and Creedence Clearwater Revival began playing, I figured he might be right.