NocteSpiritus

Like I'm ready to kick out the sister (who's been essentially out of the house for the better part of two weeks) of the house, doing a deep purge of stuff, and packing things that I see as "important" until later. Why should I be pulling OT (and being asked to stay and close when I left today), then come home to an empty house that should be in the process of being cleaned by someone else?

Taking back the shoes I bought last night. In my haste to get them and head out for the Gathering, I didn't noticed that there was a 6.5 shoe in a 9 size box. I can squeeze into an 8. Not a 6.5.

Happy birthday.

Complete fail due to work. I'll be there.

Waiting on hold with DTE. About to go about my evening while I wait. 2 hour wait limit my ass.

Frustrated. I race home to beat the 6pm cut off for dte energy, and it's a BLOODY TWO HOUR WAIT. Like seriously? I just wanna log into my account. And I'm hearing the occasional breathing into the receiver just under the hold music. Just pick up the damn phone and help with the minor issue.

Watching AGT and practicing the ukulele.

AGT on NBC

It did take a few minutes longer than usual to get my confirmation email. I'll wait a day or two then before calling back.

Yeah. It's a simple email and password sign in. I'm gonna have to rush home to call during normal hours or try calling either at work (not a good choice) or on the shuttle after work.

Why is the dte site not allowing me to sign in after making a profile and everything's set?

Flipping between trying to write another fan fiction chapter and slowly learning the finger placements for the ukulele chords. Bought the instrument for a dual purpose 1. I wanted to learn how to play it 2. for GISH just in case. And in both cases it worked out since one of the scavenger hunt items was learning a new skill and video it.

Like crap. I had forgotten with everything going on this past week that I had RSVP'd to something today and missed it. Between work and GISH, I volunteered at a city event, and picked up a few hours for work. I guess something had to give.

That I need to be mindful of eating strawberries before work. I discovered this week that I have that weird food combo where I break out in minor (hives?) something. I ate strawberries (in yogurt) for breakfast before work. Seven Hours Later I'm handling shrimp. I don't actually discover the red marks on my wrist that had been resting on the shrimp container until well after work. After a while, I realized shrimp; but not strawberries until the next day.

Feeling bad that I had completely forgotten that I had a wedding shower to attend, but picked up hours at work. For as good as my memory is, I guess between work, GISH, and volunteering at an event, something was bound to be forgotten.

Tired; this was GISH week, worked my usual shifts (and picked some hours up tomorrow), and worked today after I'm sure waking with a migraine. Now it's just waiting for those on my scavenger hunt team to send new skill videos so I can combine 'em all into one.

GISH is the Greatest International Scavenger Hunt (GISH). It's a week long scavenger hunt (with a list roughly 200 items. this year is 227 items. No team has ever done the entire list. Everyone pays a registration fee (cheapest is like around 30 bucks), and the money goes to a cause. Last year was helping the women in Africa who suffered from the genocide there. This year is helping clear out unexplored bombs/mines in Laos that were there since the Vietnam War. The video I was editing was a 14 second video of a pillow fight defending a pillow fort. Some of the items are out there (like using a zipline to play pinata). Others are helping others (like leaving quarters and laundry soap at a laundry mat with notes of encouragement to others).

Chilling before getting ready to show up (uber) early for the Gathering. Got a video to edit together for GISH.

AGT on NBC Judges Cuts

I should be doing more GISH items. Even if it's just recording me (attempting to) play "Carry On My Wayward Sons" on the ukulele.

Cooling off after doing some yard work. Mowed the back (was going to yesterday, but too hot), and started working on the edging with a shovel. All the grass I get from said edging is being cycled back into the yard by the road where we've parked before in the hope of it all taking root.

Chapter 30 Lighting changed in the room as the sun rose, bringing in a new day. Aaliyah followed along after Sam before he finally shooed her away, stating he wanted to be alone. Bobby guided her toward his car before disappearing. Aaliyah sat in the seat, hands folded in her lap, and didn’t flinch when the back door opened and shut. She wasn’t sure when Bobby slid into the driver’s seat or started the car before starting off from the area. The drive back to Sioux Falls was quiet with a small amount of tension. Bobby wanted to talk with Aaliyah about what happened in the house, but had the sense of not to try to bring it up. Aaliyah came back around on the drive back to Bobby’s, her mind working through what had happened and what she saw with Dean. Part of her mind seemed to go through it and compartmentalized it. When Bobby pulled up to his house, Aaliyah managed to climb out of the car and went to get whatever Bobby put in the back before he shooed her into the house. She claimed the couch and collapsed onto it. Her mind played back the images of Dean being mauled by the hellhound. A scream erupted from her mouth as she shut up on the couch, her shirt clung to her skin soaked in sweat. “Aaliyah.” Footsteps thumped on the stairs. “Aaliyah, you’re safe.” Struggling to regain her breathing, Aaliyah shifted on the couch to have her feet on the floor and braced her elbows on her knees. Adrenaline that shot through her body finally started to ebb, leaving Aaliyah shaking. A hand rubbed her back in the helpful attempt to calm her. “I … I …” Aaliyah started. “We can talk about it later,” Bobby assured her. “Try and rest for a while.” Aaliyah felt the couch cushions lift a little when he stood and his footsteps thudded into the kitchen. She grabbed the blanket that Bobby must have covered her with and laid back down on the couch. A little bit of guilt ate away at her for waking Bobby, though she wasn’t sure what time it was. She could have slept the rest of the day they got back to the house and that whole night before the nightmare woke her. Turning around to face the couch back, Aaliyah listened to Bobby move around the house for a few before one of the phones started to ring. Bobby answered it as FBI. Any of the two dozen or so hunters that somehow had ties to Bobby must have given the fake FBI card he had to some local cops or sheriffs. Aaliyah half listened as Bobby handled the call as she half drifted off to sleep. At one point she heard Bobby say that she’s welcomed to the food in the house if and when she got hungry. The day passed with her not moving from the couch save for the bathroom. “Hey, Kid.” Bobby’s voice was quiet, almost like he was afraid of something. “I think it might be time for a shower.” Aaliyah glanced up from the book she had been reading, reclined on the couch. “You sure?” “It’s been a week, Kid. Even if you don’t get out of the house, you need a shower and a change of clothes.” She looked back to the book, her eyes half glazed over the words and diagrams. Had it really been a week since the attempt to get Lilith? Aaliyah hadn’t really been enthused in changing her clothes since getting back to Bobby’s. “Hadn’t known it was that bad, Bobby.” Closing the book, Aaliyah put it on the couch and worked herself to her feet. “I’ll get outta your hair soon enough.” Aaliyah headed down the hallway to the spare bedroom that held her meager belongings. With a clean set of clothes, she ducked into the bathroom and started up the shower. Shedding the semi bloody clothes into a pile, she caught her reflection in the mirror. Dark circles under blood shot eyes. Skin that was once sun kissed seemed to be beyond winter pale. Stretching a bit, the old scars from the werewolf pulled. Aaliyah caught herself on the sink and took a deep breath. A week on the couch apparently didn’t agree too well. Showering off the week’s stench and dried up blood, Aaliyah stood there and let the water wash over her body. Finishing off, she dressed and grabbed her dirty clothes before stepping out of the bathroom. She stuffed them into her bag and stepped out into the study. “Where do you think you’re going?” Bobby asked as she grabbed her boots. “To find a case,” Aaliyah snapped. “I must have out stayed my welcome here.” She tied her boots and got to her feet. She grabbed her bags and headed out the back door. She opened the back door of her car and tossed in her bags before fishing her keys out of her pocket. Sliding into the driver seat, Aaliyah started up the engine and sat there. A glance to the back door showed her Bobby standing there with a look Aaliyah wasn’t sure she wanted to interpret. She put the car in gear and started off down the drive away from the house. *** Aaliyah pulled into a spot at the twenty four hour restaurant and killed the engine. Three days on the road with nothing but snack food from Gas n Sips finally caught up with her. Walking into the restaurant, she ignored the side way glances from the two customers at the bar and two at a table and the one waitress. Taking a chair at the bar, Aaliyah turned the coffee mug over and stifled a yawn. The waitress that had been talking with one of the bar customers ambled over with a pot of coffee. “Need a minute to decide?” the waitress asked. “Cheeseburger, greasy,” Aaliyah requested. “No onion. Fries are fine.” The waitress nodded and went to put the order in. Aaliyah reached for the sugar packets, dumping several into the mug. Aaliyah ignored the barely contained judgmental looks from the other two customers. She didn’t care; all she wanted was a warm meal and some sleep for the night. The door of the restaurant opened again and a group of eight men walked in; four of them carrying biker helmets. Each of the men wore leathers that had adornments that seemed to be made by any one of the Native American plain tribes. Aaliyah caught sight of the patch work on the back of one of the vests and didn’t recognize it. Then again, she didn’t have a full mental list of all the patch works for all of the biker gangs. The group split up; the bikers took a booth with the nondescripts took another. “Late night hunting, guys?” the waitress greeted the new comers. “Tough nest of vampires,” one of them replied. “Not sure how we’re gonna get rid of ‘em.” Aaliyah turned her head ever so slight to listen on the conversation. Faded memories flashed through her mind of the only nest she had dealt with a few years ago. “Not sure what their weakness is,” a second commented. “Elkins never did say what it was.” “It’s dead man’s blood,” Aaliyah tossed over her shoulder. “Stay out of this, girl,” a third snapped at her. She slid off the stool and turned to face the four men seated at a booth. “I know what I’m talking about; I’ve dealt with a nest before, and I know what can stop ‘em long enough to behead them.” “Since when did women start hunting?” the fourth asked. Aaliyah half shrugged. “Fine. If you wanna charge into a vampire nest and die.” She turned back to her chair at the bar. “Just know I did tell you how to deal with them and you didn’t want to listen.” She sipped at her coffee just as the waitress brought over her order. The four men were in hushed tones, but she ignored them. If they weren’t willing to listen, fine. Four more idiotic hunters she didn’t have to worry about. One of the men took a chair next to her. “What did you say the weakness was?” Aaliyah recognized the voice as the one who spoke to the waitress. Part of her didn’t want to give it away. Easier for her to get into a morgue or funeral home, get enough dead man’s blood, and take out the nest. She took another bite of her burger, her eyes forward. “I know those three are assholes,” the man continued. “They’re here to help me.” “They’ll help you alright. Help to kill you.” “How do you know?” Aaliyah put her burger down and washed the bite down with some coffee. “Because I know. You don’t go up against demons, werewolves, vampires, and everything else and not learn who you can trust with your life.” “You got one wild imagination, kid,” one of the other customers at the bar cut in. “Saying you’ve gone up against demons.” Aaliyah half scoffed at it. “I’ve gone up against more than you think. Any of you ever hear of the Yellow Eyed Demon?” “Old hunter’s story,” another called out. “Rumor had it that he was last seen a year ago out in Wyoming. Something about opening a gate to hell. I believe something happened with the amount of demonic activity since then.” “Bah, some old story from the wild west,” one of the hunters from the booth called out. “Nothing but to scare us.” Aaliyah spun as far as the chair could and looked to the booth. “I’ve seen the Yellow Eyed demon. Hell, I’ve had Colt’s gun.” “A legend…” “No legend; it can kill everything save for a few things. That yellow eyed demon is one of the things the Colt can kill. And that one bad son of a bitch is deader than dead.” “I call bullshit,” the third spoke up. “No way you could’ve killed the Yellow Eyed. Winchester has been after both demon and Colt for years. He’ll die before he’ll see either of them.” Aaliyah glanced up a bit and bobbed her head. “Well, you’re half right. He never got to see Yellow Eyes die. Not living, anyway.” Any noise that was in the background stopped. Aaliyah swore she heard the few people from the kitchen move away from what they were doing to listen. “What are you talking about?” the other bar customer asked. “Are you saying you know Winchester?” the fourth hunter asked. “Well enough for knowing him for about a month or so before he died. He did one of a few decent things he could have done as a father for his son.” Aaliyah rolled the hem of her shirt between a thumb and index finger. It was odd to think about John since his death a year or so after it happened. “I spent a good amount of time with the man and his sons on a couple hunts, so yeah, I knew him. So, when I say you’re all gonna get killed if you play stupid and go into the nest without a plan. But that’s none of my business. Just means I have to clean up your mess.” “I doubt you’d be able to if the four of us can’t take care of a nest,” the third commented with chuckle. “It doesn’t even look like you’ve gone up against a werewolf before. Or a ghoul.” Aaliyah sighed and slid off the chair as she worked off her coat and plaid shirt. She shot a look to the waitress when she started to protest. A point needed to be made; the same one that no one seemed to take seriously. She pulled her shirt off and over her head, exposing the almost five-year-old set of scars on her back. An arm lifted to show off the set on her side. “My very first werewolf,” she told them. “Back in my sophomore year of college. I don’t know how I survived. I probably wouldn’t have if it weren’t for the Winchesters.” She lowered her arm. “It’s also thanks to them that I know how to deal with vamps; how to slow them down and kill them. But I’m just a hunter who doesn’t know how to do my job.” “You’d have to understand that we hunters are bit of a superstitious lot,” the second hunter said. “Especially after what happened at the roadhouse and with Ellen.” Aaliyah debated if she should mention she meant the older woman as she put her shirt back on. “And the demons that possess anyone and everyone,” the fourth added. “You’d have to excuse us old men for wanting to …” “Make sure I’m save?” Aaliyah cut in. She adjusted her shirt to show the anti-possession tattoo that matched Dean and Sam’s. There were a few gasps from those that saw it. “Why didn’t you say you were a Winchester?” the one at the counter asked. “You haven’t believed what I’ve said so far,” Aaliyah adjusted her shirt. “And from what I’ve heard about my family, it was easier to distance myself from them.” Aaliyah wasn’t going to argue their assumption that she was a Winchester; John considered her to be his daughter back before he made the deal with Yellow Eyes. She wasn’t sure how the word got out that she had spent a good deal of time with the brothers. The four hunters gathered back together and muttered between themselves. That gave Aaliyah time to take a few bites of her burger. If the hunters wanted to go and get themselves killed by trying to take out the nest, she wasn’t going to stop them. It would just make her job in tracking and wiping the nest out harder. “What did you say we need to take care of the vamps?” the fourth hunter asked. Aaliyah turned and shifted her gaze between the four hunters. A hand pulled out some money and put it down, paying for the meal. “One of you needs to find the nearest funeral home. Or morgue.” She wasn’t about to waste her own supply of dead man’s blood on their incompetent asses. *** Aaliyah fought the urge to turn and walk away. The view before her was near the same as it was when she helped get the Colt from the vampires two years ago. Something wasn’t right and she didn’t like it. The two hunters that had gone for the dead man’s blood were late and the two with Aaliyah seemed to be getting nervous. Two men with simple tasks shouldn’t take half the night. John’s so called practice of hunting solo seemed to be the better option with each passing moment. She was ready to get her own supply when the two men appeared. One attempted to make excuses, but wised up and let it go. “Take the needles and fill ‘em with the blood,” Aaliyah instructed, keeping her voice low. “Take a few with you if you can and hit as many as you can. The blood will slow ‘em down, acting like a poison to them.” “What about you?” one asked. “What do you plan on doing?” “Well, if you were all smart enough to do this on your own.” Aaliyah eyed the level of blood in a needle. “I wouldn’t be here. But I’ll come in and start cutting heads off. Then spread word that four men nearly twice my age and more seasoned hunters than I couldn’t take of a nest of vampires.” “And take our credit?” Aaliyah drew herself up, her chin ever so raised as she looked at the man. “Yes. If you wanted the credit in removing this nest, you would done it already. But since I’m here, telling you how to take out a species thought to be extinct up to two years ago, I’m taking credit. And if you all survive tonight … better not cross my path in the future.” She pulled out the machete John had given her and started for the house. Either the vampires were stupid or they hadn’t thought of the fact that hunters could find their place and walk right in. Or she was too caught up with playing the teacher to the group of brain locked hunters and knowing what she was doing. Either way, the door was open and Aaliyah was able to slip inside. Sounds from the television wafted from the living room as she crutched down under the level of the counter top; freezing when a distracted vampire wandered into the kitchen. The thought of having the men go first popped into her head. Too late for that. She’d lose more than just face with them. Aaliyah came up behind the vampire and swung. She managed to catch the body before it hit the floor. The head had just been out of her reach before it landed with a thud on the floor. Her stomach twisted in knots in the minutes after the sound stopped, waiting for any of the other vampires to have noticed. For a moment she wished Sam was there to have her back. Getting into this case had been a bad idea from the start and it was going south fast. When no one moved for the kitchen, Aaliyah started again for the living room. Something wasn’t right. The only sound from the living room was the television and there weren’t the soft sounds of the other hunters behind her in the kitchen. The taste of iron filled Aaliyah’s mouth when she bit her tongue to stop cursing out right. A shiver ran down her neck. She turned, swinging the machete. It got stuck half way through the vampire’s neck. One of the hunters. Yeah, she was stupid and an idijt for falling for the trick. “For knowing all about how to kill us,” the hunter started. “You sure don’t know all our tricks.” “The rest of your vampire kin aren’t as smart as you,” Aaliyah countered. “So yeah, I got caught off guard.” She took a half step back away from the vampire and brought her hand up in the attempt to grab the machete. The vampire was quicker. Aaliyah’s fingers brushed against the handle when the vampire pushed her against a wall. The wind was knocked out of her lungs when she made contact with the wall. “Stupid girl thinking she’s all big and bad since she’s made a fun runs with the Winchesters,” the vampire taunted. “Hate to break it to you, but you’re not. You’re just these hunters we’ve been picking off; too dumb to realize and too slow to put up a fight.” Struggling to regain her breath, Aaliyah forced herself up and off the floor. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the door she came in through open. “And you vamps are all the same. All talk and no bite.” Her shoulders bore the brunt of being shoved into the wall again when the vampire pinned her. She swallowed hard when the second set of teeth emerged from the gums. Her mind played through all the different creatures she’s killed, never thinking that being killed or turned into a vampire was the end of the line for her. “And you’re…” The vampire didn’t have a chance to finish when the machete was pulled through it’s neck, decapitating it. “Dead,” a male voice said. “Sorry we didn’t get here soon, kid.” Aaliyah looked up from the beheaded vampire and rolled her shoulders. They’ll be sore in the morning. “I’m fine, thanks.” She picked herself up from the floor, ignoring the offered hand. “Is what they said true? Back in the diner?” Aaliyah gathered her machete and headed for the door. Word would get out eventually that she had failed into a vampire trap and end up being the laughing stock of the hunter community. She stepped out the door and headed for her car. Her mind caught sight of the three biker men cleaning off their blades and talking amongst themselves. “Hey, Kid,” the man called after her. “Where…” “Outta town,” Aaliyah snapped. “Case is finished.” “Hey, Stormcaller,” one of the men called out. Aaliyah headed for her car and dumped the machete in the trunk while the man joined his group. She managed to climb into the driver’s seat before searching her body over for the key. And the key must have fallen out in the one sided fight. Maybe the vampire had a point and all she had was the reputation the Winchesters and easy runs. A knuckle rap at the window sent her reaching for a blade. “Sorry, kid,” the man said, voice muffled by the closed window. “You dropped this.” He held up the keys. “Thanks, sir.” Aaliyah opened the door wide enough so she could get them. “You can have ‘em on one condition,” he said. “Let us put you up for the night.” All sorts of alarms went off in Aaliyah’s mind. “I’m all set. Thanks, though.” She reached for the keys again. “We did some actual digging,” he said. “And from what we heard at the diner, you’ve had quite the run.” “Trying to make me worse here?” “Trying to help. If there’s anything you might need…” He slipped a card onto the dash. “Just call, okay?” Aaliyah sat there and watched him join his friends before reaching for the card. It showed the man’s name, the one that had been called out, a number and a few other things. She grabbed her journal off the passenger seat and opened it up; writing down what happened and tucked the card into the cover. She put it down and drove off. *** Aaliyah walked into the small diner, the bell over the door rang out. She ignored the few occupied tables in her path to one. A week long hunt had come to a bloody climax the night before when she cut off the head of transformed werewolf head. Aaliyah dropped the head, in a blood soaked bag, onto the table. A corner of her mouth twitched when she saw the four middle aged white men startle when the head hit the table. “One head, as requested,” she said. One of the men poked at it before opening the bag just enough to verify. “Two hundred.” “Not what we agreed upon. Two hundred to wipe out the pack. Another two when a head is delivered.” Aaliyah leaned forward, hands and arms bracing on the table. “Now, I believe that comes to a grand total of four hundred. And seeing how you’re probably the one getting the check for the four meat heavy half eaten breakfasts, you’re the one to be paying me for my troubles.” The diner had gone silent; the wait staff and customers watching and waiting. Aaliyah stared the man down, hearing the other three men in the booth shift in their seats. “Word has it that you didn’t take out the entire group of vampires,” the man countered. “They got smart; and you never said I could not ask for help.” A half lie to cover up the mistake that nearly took her life. Her eyes narrowed into a glare. Her mouth pulled ever so slightly when he shifted nervously in his seat from her staring. “Now, where is my money?” The bell over the door chimed again, the conversation died away. Aaliyah ignored the new group of customers as she watched the man pull out a plain white envelope. His hand shook when he reached over the table to her. She accepted the envelope and leaned off the table to double check the money. A couple hundreds, a fifty, five twenties, and the rest in tens. Aaliyah nodded to the man before she turned and headed for the door. Her gaze fell to the group of men that had stepped aside of the door and swore that a couple of them looked familiar. She reached her car before one of the men by the door caught up to her. “Hunting for profit?” he asked. “A one time deal.” The hand holding the envelope slid it into a pocket. “Why are you so concerned about how I hunt?” “We hear rumors of what happened a few weeks ago. About the attempt to take out Lilith.” Aaliyah shot the man a look. There few people that she was sure Bobby would tell about that within the hunting community. The odds of her meeting one of those people had to be slim to none. “Word gets around,” the man continued. “Most will just brush it off as nothing more than another demon attack. But we connected enough dots to know it was more than ‘just another demon’.” He leaned up against Aaliyah’s car. “It’s not my place…” “Or business,” Aaliyah added, finally turning her gaze to him. “To tell you how to hunt, or for what,” he continued. “But I’ve been at this for a long time. Long enough to know when someone’s running from something.” “I’m not running.” Aaliyah attempted to push him off the car in order to get in. “Then explain those dark bags under your eyes.” Aaliyah stopped her meager attempt to push him away and stood there. She didn’t sleep willingly; passing out only when her body refused to go any more. That was a week ago. “What do you want?” she asked. “You to come join us at the hall,” he answered. “Your choice, of course.” Aaliyah looked over at him and nodded. *** Aaliyah sized up the windowless building when she pulled herself out of her car. It could be one of a handful VFW or American Legion halls in the area if it wasn’t for the sign that read “Wandering Horse Biker Gang”. She could have guessed that there would have been some sort of Native American styled name to the motorcycle group based on the group of guys at the vampire house and the restaurant. Part of her wanted to turn back for the car and drive off, but there was too much they knew not to figure out how they found out. She stopped at the door, her hand on the handle. There was something about being here; as if she stepped in it meant she needed to be around people more than she realized. Being with the brothers for the better part of the past couple years could have conditioned her about being with other people. With a sigh, Aaliyah opened the door and stepped into a dimly light hall. Wooden panels hung on the walls and cheap laminated tiles with a few tables and chairs set up. A man came through a door near the bar and leaned against the counter. “Can I help you?” he asked. “I was told to meet some people here,” Aaliyah answered, forcing her voice to remain level. “You’re gonna have to wait outside. Club’s for members only.” The door opened as the man spoke and the four men that Aaliyah had met the night of the vampire raid walked in. “She’s welcomed here, Cody,” the lead man spoke. “Cody’s one of our more attentive guards,” he told Aaliyah as he turned to her. “You wanted to talk,” Aaliyah said, crossing her arms. “About those vampires the other night,” the man started. “Not again, Stormcaller,” a second man interrupted. Aaliyah’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “Stormcaller?” “My name,” he answered. “You can call me Tom.” “We’re not taking her in,” Cody called from the bar. “We don’t have the time or resources to train a person off the streets to hunt. She looks like her last shower was a good week ago, and a good meal two weeks ago.” He leaned forward on the counter and pointed at Tom. “And I don’t mean that greasy, fat, fast food or restaurant food either.” “I’ve survived more on that greasy fast food than a home cooked meal,” Aaliyah countered. “I really didn’t want to be here, but Tom here seemed insistent on it. I’ve got better things to do.” She started for the door. “Off to work alone again?” Tom called after her. “I don’t need to prove myself to old men who see me as someone to protect.” She turned back around even as she lifted her shirts. The five men gasped. “My first hunt ever; werewolf.” Aaliyah lowered her shirts and pulled back the collar to show the blue hand prints from the djinn. “And this one’s a two for; two djinn on separate occasions. Do I need to keep going?” “You might,” one said. Aaliyah sighed and hung her head. “You all hear about what happened out in Wyoming? With the hell gate?” “Hell of a mess,” another spoke up. “How were you involved?” “That was all done by the Yellow Eyed demon.” Silence hung in the air before all five men laughed. “There’s no way you went up against the Yellowed Eyed demon,” Cody said, still laughing. “That was a wild goose chase that John …” “Winchester took on. Yeah, I know. The damn demon killed his wife and sent him and his sons on a revenge case twenty some years in the making.” “Nothing can kill that kinda demon,” another spoke up. “Nothing but the Colt.” Aaliyah glanced around to see the men sobering up. “Yeah, the Colt; made by Samuel Colt himself.” “That’s a story, kid.” “Fine, don’t believe me.” Aaliyah stormed to the door. “See if I care.” She put another tally mark up for more people she had to prove herself to. Aaliyah made it half way across the parking lot before someone called after her. “Shove off, dickwad,” Aaliyah called over her shoulder. “I refuse to prove myself to a group of middle aged men.” “You’ve actually stood against the Yellow Eyed demon?” a new voice asked. The feminine voice slowed Aaliyah’s steps. There was something about the question that got to her; like the questioner was in awe of her. Aaliyah turned around to see a woman a year or two younger than her. “Go back inside,” Aaliyah told her. “What I do is no place for you.” “I want to hunt.” “No one wants to hunt,” Aaliyah countered. “I got dragged into the life; everyone I know that hunts got dragged into it. You’re better off going home and planning for the next pow wow you’re attending.” She turned and started for her car. “Some hunter you are,” the young woman called after Aaliyah. “Always off to find the next case; just like the men back there in the hall.” Aaliyah stopped, spun around, and stormed over to the woman. “That’s what us hunters do; look for cases. You don’t get any sort of glory in this line of work. It’s bloody, with long hours with little sleep, and greasy fast food. No one thanks you for the work you do. It means going up against creatures that’ll give you nightmares for months. And your first hunt just might be your last. Do you want that?” The woman had taken a step back from Aaliyah and shook her head. “I … From the stories the men tell …” “Be grateful that’s all you hear of hunting.” Aaliyah stared at the woman. “You don’t walk away with werewolf scars or the hand prints from djinn. Or nightmares at night.” “And you do it alone. Take me.” Memories of the brothers and Amanda flash through Aaliyah’s mind. How she found Xander in the house after the fight with the vampire; finding Amanda in the bathtub after the wendigo hunt; Dean’s bloody and ripped body after the hellhound got to him. “I do it alone for a reason,” Aaliyah told her, fighting back the memories. “Go home where you’re safe.” “No one’s safe,” Tom’s voice drifted over. “Not even you.” “You think I don’t know that? Huh?” Aaliyah tilted her head. “You go up against a demon who managed to open up gates to hell and barely live to tell the tale. Go watch your best friend die with her guts in her hands from a Wendigo. Have your brother be all sorts of fucked up from a vampire fight.” She turned and started for the car. “I’m better off alone”

Providing my work schedule allows (as far as I know, only one day's time has changed), I plan on being there. A card would be nice.

Trying to figure out how to write this letter of intent for a position at the job. Basically "applying" to become a trainer at work since I'm the OG dishwasher/utility and will have to train the new people coming in.

Wait, Kat's got 'fake plastic tits'?