Page 73 of False Idols

“You did this. This is your fault. How can you like this?”

I look up at Dean while he rants. He glances over his shoulder at me and I see disgust there. He really believes what he’s saying. That I’ve done this. That somehow this is my fault and that I deserve it.

It’s the same lie all abusers tell themselves when they don’t have the fucking spine to face what they’ve done. They aren’t a bad person. They were forced. How dare their victims push them over the line. They aren’t monsters when the world is against them. When they’ve been left with no other choice but to hurt those weaker than them

I bet The Reaper tells himself he’s a good person too.

It’s all fucking bullshit. The Reaper and Dean are cowards. They prey on the weak and that’s the only way they have power. What kind of a life does someone have to lead to do that kind of thing? They’re pathetic, chasing power this desperately. They think I’m the weak one?

Fuck that.

Dean and The Reaper aren’t just cowards. They’re men that underestimated me and I’m going to make them pay for it. Dean jerks the rope. It burns as it slides across my skin and I bite down a scream. I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of hearing me. He won’t get another sound out of me. I grab the rope and wrap the slack of it around my uninjured arm and grab the rest of it with my free hand. I watch Dean. He’s been pulling me along with him, giving the slack a yank every few seconds, but other than that he’s focused ahead of us. I have zero clue where he’s taking me, but I’m not going to let him. If he gets me there he’s going to do god knows what to me, so the next time I see slack in the rope I sit up and force my heels into the ground. By some miracle there’s a tree root for me to brace myself on. Before Dean can notice what I’ve done I throw myself back, throwing all of my weight into it and manage to rip the rope out of Dean’s hand.

Dean lets out a surprised sound and turns to face me. “What the fuck?” He’s holding his hand to his body like it’s hurt. Good. I fucking hope I gave him rope burn when I did that. Let’s see how he likes it.

I grab the rope and gather it up in my arms so I don’t trip and stand. “I’m not letting you do this to me. I never fucking liked you, you sick fuck.”

“Give me the rope, Nevaeh.” He holds out his hand and I sneer at the sight of that hand. It’s soft. A red mark blooms across his palm. I did hurt him with the rope. I squeeze the rope tight and wish for the axe I had before. If I had that axe, I’d split Dean’s head in two.

“You don’t have what it takes to kill me,” I spit at him.

Dean falls back a step and shakes his head. “I don’t want to kill you. I want you to like me.” A shadow moves. I barely see it out of the corner of my eye but when I focus, I know someone is there. I know exactly who is there, steadily making their way towards us while Dean gets more delusional with every second. I just have to keep him talking.

“You were supposed to like me, Nevaeh. I’m the good guy. Not him!”

There’s a stone angel with a sword in their hand standing on a raised marble platform. The angel’s wings are spread open as if it’s about to take flight with its blade raised above its head. Dean stands with his back to the angel. The figure is just behind him. It moves slow and sure, circling the avenging angel and my heart rises in my chest. I’d know that silhouette anywhere. They’ve left their mark on me in a way that no one else could ever hope to come close to, least of all some random stalker that’s fixated on me.

“Good guy? You think you’re a good guy?” I laugh hysterically, because I can’t help it. “What, you show up here and I’m supposed to just like you because that’s what you want? What the actual fuck, Dean? This isn’t junior high, you just wrapped a rope around my neck!” I scream at him. “You’re crazy! This isn’t what good guys do!”

Dean looks like I slapped him but he recovers a second later. “At least I don’t fuck killers,” he spits at me and moves to come towards me but he stops a second later, because the shadow I’ve been watching clears their throat.

“I would say I was found innocent, but that’s just the one you know about. I’ve killed plenty, fucker.”

Dean freezes and his eyes go wide when he realizes we aren’t alone. I smile at the look of fear that flashes in his stupid fucking eyes and look at Beau over his shoulder. The statue’s stone wings frame his body and he looks every bit an avenging angel.

“How did you find me?” I ask him.

Beau rolls his neck and leans back against the avenging angel statue with a sigh. “Rainbow told me.”

I pull at the rope around my neck and glare at him. “Her name is Sunny.”

He shrugs. “Whatever you say, angel.”

“What the fuck is going on here?” Dean interrupts. He moves back so that he’s facing the both of us. He bumps into a headstone when he tries to take a step back and stops to scan the area. He looks like he’s finally realizing where he is for the first time. The light in his eyes is gone. He looks so normal, so like the normal Dean that I’m used to seeing, that I almost feel bad for what’s about to happen.

Beau doesn’t look away from me when he answers Dean. “Oh Deanie baby, you really fucked up. You know that, right?”

“This is between Nevaeh and me. W-what are you doing here?” Dean’s trying to sound tough and in control. As if he thinks he can convince Beau to leave me here with him. Delusional fucking monster.

Beau’s eyes go to Dean now and he chuckles. “It’s pretty fucking simple, Dean. I’m here to kill you.”

Dean splutters. “You’re insane.” He looks at me and points a finger. “You both are insane!”

“You think we’re insane?” Beau asks with a shrug as he pushes off from the statue to stalk towards Dean. “That’s valid for me honestly, considering my history. But you know what?” He reaches behind him to pull a knife from his belt and points it at Dean, who looks like he’s about to pass out at the sight of Beau’s blade.

“I’m not the one that was just dragging a girl through the fucking graveyard with a rope around her fucking neck!”

Dean raises his hands in front of himself. “I’m sorry! I don’t know what I was thinking. She made me fucking crazy. I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry!”

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