who you gonna call? (winchesters!) ~ k. br.
a/n: raaaahhh happy SuA day!!! a little late on the international end of things but it's better late than never, right? anyways enjoy this fic, I had so much fun writing it that I may get back into watching supernatural. :) also the title is based on an edit of the winchesters brothers to 'ghostbusters' by ray parker jr!
I normally don't do a separate trigger warning for specific triggers, but since this is the first time that a piece of work has touched on such a serious topic, I wanted to put a big disclaimer out there. There is a scene in the fic where suicide is discussed as a possible cause of death. There's isn't any more graphic of a description than the word being thrown around once or twice; however, I feel it is my responsibility as an author to inform you of this. That being said, if you or a loved one are struggling, here's a list of international suicide hotlines that can help you if you need them. take care of yourselves, my loves, and remember that you all are beloved by me. ❤️
tw: BRIEF MENTION OF SUICIDE, main character death, lots of blood and gore in this one, not accurate to the Supernatural episode (Season 1, Episode 5) that it is based on, reader's parents died at an early age, it's a mixed bag of angst, fluff, and hurt/comfort with an open ending
summary: after one of the worst nights of your life, a pair of "reporters" roll into town and ask you questions about your dead friend. unfortunately, one of the girls, SuA, is a bit too charming for her own good. your curiosity towards the girl brings you closer to her, and it brings SuA closer to solving your friend's death, as well as the death of your parents.
♡ Masterlist ♡
“Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody-”
“Stop!” You cry out before shutting your eyes. “Don’t do this!”
“You know it’s not real, right?” Ryujin looks at you as concern laces into her voice. “We can leave, if you’re uncomfortable-”
“You’re both chickens!” Yuna teases you before turning back to the bathroom mirror. “O’ spooky mirror ghost, tell these losers to go back home!”
She cackles as you open your eyes and place a steady hand on the counter.
“Yuna, I’m sorry, I can’t do this.” You bite your lip as tears start to form in your eyes.
Yuna’s smile immediately fades as she pushes Ryujin aside to pull you into a hug.
“I’m so sorry! I was just playing around, and I didn’t mean to make you cry.” She whines before placing her head on your chest. “Please forgive me!”
With pleading eyes, Yuna looks like a wounded puppy as you gently comb your fingers through her hair.
“It’s alright, Yuna,” You reassure her as your free hand wraps around her side, “I know you didn’t mean any harm. I’ve just been sensitive to these things since people started spreading those haunting rumors after my parents died.”
“Those people are assholes,” Ryujin injects, “and you shouldn’t pay them any mind.”
Yuna bobs her head up and down before letting you out of her arms.
“That’s why you’ve got us!” She proudly says before looking in the mirror. “We’ll protect you from anything, ghost-related or not.”
You let go of Yuna before heading towards the bathroom door.
“Thank you, to the both of you.” You wipe away the tears that threaten to fall as Ryujin grabs your hand and guides you away from the bathroom.
“C’mon, I’ll make you some hot chocolate and we can talk about those cute girls you’ve been seeing at college.” She teases as you smile back at her.
“Girls? What girls?” You play dumb, which causes Ryujin to laugh.
“You know exactly what I mean.”
Your other hand catches the door frame as you look back at Yuna.
“You coming?”
“In a minute!” She gleefully says as you remove your hand from the doorway.
A second later, and it would’ve been crushed by Yuna slamming the door shut. You allow Ryujin to drag you to the kitchen as your thoughts begin to wander.
It’s silly to believe those rumors, right? Maybe I should be brave like Yuna and face them head on.
~
After Yuna slams the door shut, she turns the light off and grabs the candle from the sink. With a spare match that she stowed away in her pocket, she lights the candle and sets it back onto the counter.
Yuna looks at herself in the mirror, locking eyes with the reflection that looks back at her, as she smiles to herself.
“It’s just a child’s game - what harm could it do?”
She leans close to the mirror before whispering, “Bloody Mary.”
A single shiver runs up her spine - fear? adrenaline? panic? fate?
She sighs to herself.
This is stupid.
“Bloody Mary.” Her voice rings out again, and this time, the candle wavers in the wind.
Yuna looks out to the window in the bathroom, but it isn’t wide open or slightly cracked. It’s completely shut, with no holes to be seen.
A new shiver runs down her spine - this one she identifies as pure terror.
What’s going on?
“Bloody Mary.”
The words leave her lips before she can stop herself. Yuna immediately turns on the lights and looks around.
There’s nothing here - you’re just a scaredy-cat!
She breathes out before wiping a tear from her eye.
I must’ve really scared myself if I started crying.
She looks down at her hand, expecting to see nothing but a teardrop, but she sees blood.
Her blood.
A scream is caught in her throat, threatening to escape as she looks in the mirror.
This time, she sees blood falling from both of her eyes, and a shadowy figure in the back.
A woman.
Bloody Mary.
~
You grab the warm mug from Ryujin’s hands before taking a sip of the hot chocolate. Like an impatient child, you take a sip and are immediately reminded why doing so is a terrible idea. You quickly set the mug back down as the liquid in your mouth is scolding your tongue and throat as it travels down to your stomach.
“Fuck,” You wipe your lips, “that’s hot.”
“It’s hot chocolate, you know.” She nudges your arm before taking a seat next to you in the dining room.
You roll your eyes as she laughs at her own bad joke.
“Thanks, Einstein.”
Her mug sits on the table, right next to yours, as her hand grabs your arm.
“How’s college life? Meet anyone special?”
“Not yet. I’m focused on my studies.” You shrug off her nosiness, but Ryujin’s persistent.
“You can’t just spend the rest of your life slaving away at work, you know.”
“You can’t just spend the rest of your life working at a shitty cafe, Ryujin.” You mimic her voice as she loudly gasps.
“Excuse you! My caramel macchiatos are anything but shitty!”
You both laugh before falling into a comfortable silence.
Her fingers run up and down your arm, and you find comfort in the gesture. She’s been your closest friend since your parents died, back during your first year of high school. Through her, you met Yuna, her neighbor and childhood best friend, who had the biggest house on the block.
It was easy to escape the pain of being in a home with no parents when you could simply spend every night at a friend’s house. It wasn’t like their parents complained - you all got decent grades and stayed out of trouble, so what was the harm?
“It was nice of Yuna to offer her house to me since I’m in town for the week.” You say, as Ryujin nods.
“Her house is always open to me. The benefits of being neighbors, I suppose.” She looks over to the hallway where the bathroom is. “Yuna, come out here before your hot chocolate gets cold! I don’t want to hear any complaints if it already is!”
You laugh before looking out to the hallway.
“That’s odd. She’d usually have some sort of smartass comment to say by now.” You glance at Ryujin, who seems perplexed by Yuna’s odd behavior.
“You’re right. She’s never this quiet. Do you want to check in on her, or should I do so?”
“I’ll do it.” You quickly get out of your chair and head towards the bathroom.
“Yuna!” You call out to her as you slowly approach the bathroom door. Nearly every light in the house is on, yet you feel some sort of darkness around you.
C’mon, Yuna, now is not the time for jokes.
“Yuna, please come out! Ryujin and I, we’re worried about you!” You stop before the door, fist raised to knock against it.
You knock once, twice, thrice.
No response.
“Yuna, please!” Your voice becomes more desperate as you continue to knock. “This isn’t funny!”
You try to open the door, you’re past the social politeness of knocking in case she’s taking care of private business. You’re worried that she slipped and fell, or maybe she hurt herself and didn’t want to say anything-
A key. There has to be a key somewhere.
You look down to see if you can spot a key, but your eyes widen at the sight in front of you.
Blood soaks into your shoes and the carpet below your feet.
You shriek in terror.
“What’s wrong?” Ryujin races around the corner as you start sobbing.
“Call an ambulance! I think Yuna’s, she’s-”
You choke on your own tears as Ryujin scrambles to find her phone to call for help.
Your mind can’t help but to make a terrible comparison, one that you thought you would never have to relive.
This was exactly how you found your parents, all those years ago.
~
“Mom! Dad!” You call out from your bedroom. “You guys forgot to turn off the hallway light!”
You tightly hug your stuffed rabbit as you wait for one of your parents to respond. They were the two people you trusted most in the world, even though you were a young teenager.
Making friends didn’t come easy to you, especially not in high school, when most of the friend groups had already been decided.
You did talk to this one girl in your math class - Ryujin - but she was more of a study buddy than anything. A friend that simply saw you as a means to an end.
How tragic.
“Mom! Dad!” You call out for them again, wait for a response, and then get out of bed. “I wanted to stay curled up in bed, but I can’t do that when you guys are ignoring me!”
You sigh before putting on your slippers and trudging towards the hallway.
You exit your bedroom and turn to the left as you find the lightswitch with ease. That, however, isn’t what peaks your interest.
It’s the steady stream of a red liquid coming from the master bathroom.
“Mom…” You trail off before walking towards the door. “Dad?”
As you approach, a metal tang hits your nose. It isn’t any red liquid - it’s blood.
~
Red and white lights consume your vision as you sit on the steps of the front porch. In the distance, you can hear Ryujin talking with one of the paramedics, but it all feels like white noise to you.
Could it really be? Could the same entity that killed my parents really have done this to Yuna?
It’s all a jumble of lights, endless questioning, and paranoia until a hand meets your shoulder.
You look up at Ryujin, who tries to give you a forced smile.
“What did they say?” You softly ask as Ryujin takes a seat next to you.
“They think it was a stroke, or some other heart condition. That’s the only thing that could’ve caused her eyes to be like that.”
“Her eyes were liquified, just like my parents.” You quietly say. “Paramedics said they died of strokes, too.”
“But I don’t get it. Yuna ate healthy, exercised regularly, and didn’t seem stressed at all. That’s why they’re looking into suicide as a cause of death too.”
“You can’t be serious, Ryujin,” You glare at her. “Suicide?”
“We never really know what’s going on in someone’s head.” She shrugs before letting her head fall between her knees. “How are we going to tell her family about this? We should’ve been in there with her, maybe we could’ve caught the signs sooner-”
You lean your head against her shoulder and offer her a bit of comfort.
“Trust me, dreading the past doesn’t help at all.”
“What are we supposed to do, then?”
When Ryujin lifts her head to meet your eyes, she hides her face in a valiant effort to hide her red eyes and quiet sniffles. You gently rub circles into her back as she grabs your shoulders and pulls you closer to her.
“We grieve, we remember, and we move forward with our lives.”
~
“Hustling for pool money again?” Siyeon asks, not daring to lift her eyes from the newspaper.
“Uh-huh.” SuA tosses a stack of cash on the bar table. “What do you think?”
“That it’s better than the credit card scams, but worse than an actual job.” Siyeon bluntly says before SuA grabs a chair, spins it around, and takes a seat.
“Think what you want, but it’s money and it’s right there.” She proudly smiles before looking at Siyeon. “Speaking of jobs, have you found anything?”
“This might interest you.” Siyeon grabs a pen and circles an article in the paper before tossing it to SuA.
“What am I looking at?”
“A girl from a prominent family died about a month ago. Shin Yuna was her name.” Siyeon explains.
“What’s so special about her that requires our… unique expertise?”
“Read the autopsy report in the paper. Her eyes were completely liquified, and they found most of the blood in her body within her skull. They claim that her cause of death was a stroke.”
“No shit.” SuA bites her lips as her eyes gloss over the page. “Are we dealing with a pissed-off spirit, a deranged vampire, or something else?”
“I say that we give it a look before those men over there get mad at you for your hustling.” Siyeon grabs her jacket as SuA takes a sip of beer from the stein in front of her.
“Hustling is an underappreciated art form.” SuA argues before putting on her leather jacket. “Let’s go.”
Siyeon shrugs before grabbing the newspaper from SuA.
“Let’s go.”
~
“This feels wrong.” Siyeon raises her fist to the door before looking back to SuA’s ‘67 Chevy Impala. “Are you sure there isn’t anyone else we can talk to first?”
“Family and next of kin is always the best source.” SuA adjusts the aviators on her face as she admires her reflection in a side view mirror. “We have to rule out witchcraft and demonic possession, just so we can be sure that we’re dealing with a pissed-off spirit.”
“Yuna’s family… her parents have been through enough. Should we really not start anywhere else?” Siyeon’s hesitation causes SuA to sigh and walk towards the house.
“Where has this hesitation come from? It’s not like you.” SuA places her sunglasses on the top of her head before knocking on the door.
Siyeon crinkles her nose in disapproval before moving to the side.
“Mr. and Mrs. Shin, a moment of your time!” SuA calls out while banging on their front door.
She stops for a moment and waits for an answer, but no one responds or comes to the door.
“They must be out of town.” Siyeon shrugs before watching SuA grab a bobby pin from her hair. “Don’t tell me you’re going to-”
“You said they weren’t home,” She argues, “and we have to learn about our victim one way or another.”
She places one knee on the ground as she lowers herself to be eye-level with the door. One hand grabs the door knob while the other takes the bobby pin and begins to mess with the lock and-
Easy does it, baby.
“Hey, I’m pretty sure trespassing is illegal in all parts of the world!” A voice yells, which breaks SuA’s concentration.
Startled, she launches herself to her feet before Siyeon walks backwards and falls into SuA, sending them both to the ground.
“Nice one.” SuA grumbles before Siyeon scoots aside.
“You tried breaking in!”
“You encouraged it!”
“You two have to be the worst thieves I’ve ever seen.” A pink-haired girl walks from the next-door house to greet them at Yuna’s home. “Or you’re the next Nancy Drew in-training.”
“Who are you?” SuA quickly stands up before offering a hand to Siyeon.
Siyeon takes the hand and quickly reaches for her wallet in her back pocket, most likely looking for whatever fake ID will get them out of a potential cop car ride.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?” She innocently tilts her head as her piercing gaze makes SuA sweat under her leather jacket. “The nearest police station is five minutes away, and I know the deputy’s daughter-”
“Ryujin, that’s enough!”
SuA lets out a heavy breath as her knight in shining pajamas appears at Ryujin’s side. With messy bed hair and a kind smile, they look much less terrifying (and much cuter) than Ryujin.
~
“Ryujin, that’s enough!” You march towards Yuna’s house as Ryujin sheepishly backs down from the two women in front of her. “They’re probably interns at a newspaper who were sent to look into Yuna’s death.”
“Yeah, sorry we forgot to mention that to you.” The taller one rubs her neck before putting her wallet away. “I left my college ID in my car, I can go get it for you if you’d like-”
“Nah, don’t worry about it,” You shrug before looking at her, “Names are enough for me.”
“Siyeon.” The taller girl sticks out her hand, which you gladly shake.
“And you?” You look over to the smaller girl, who simply smirks.
“You can call me the woman of your dreams.” She flashes you a charming smile before Siyeon elbows her in the gut. “Fuck! What was that for?”
“Her name’s SuA.” Siyeon apologetically says as SuA grabs her stomach in pain. “She can be a bit… much at times.”
You simply smile at SuA, who leans against the doorframe to look tougher.
And less like a child who got their hand stuck in the cookie jar.
Cute.
“SuA, Siyeon, it’s nice to meet you,” You say before quickly introducing yourself, “and this is Ryujin.”
“You still didn’t tell me why you’re knocking at our dead friend’s front door.” She deadpans as you place a hand on her shoulder.
“It’s better that they bug us instead of her parents,” You say, “who have been out of town since the funeral. Rumor is that they’re going to sell the place, but it’ll most likely get torn down.”
“Right. No one wants to live in a house where a woman died.” Siyeon looks at the door for a moment. “Is there any way we could look inside? For our article, we need a full biography of the victim, and we thought her childhood home might fill in the pieces that we don’t know.”
“Yuna.” Ryujin sternly corrects Siyeon. “Her name is Yuna.”
“I-” Siyeon pauses, rethinking her answer. “Yuna, of course. Apologies.”
Ryujin scoffs before nodding.
“I wouldn’t feel comfortable being in there without her parents’ permission, but we can talk to you in Ryujin’s house.” You clarify before Ryujin can say something argumentative in response.
That, however, does not completely stop her from responding as Ryujin’s head snaps towards you.
“You can’t be serious! They’re strangers-”
“-Yet, they’re much better than the other reporters and photographs that have come around here.” You say before beckoning SuA and Siyeon towards Ryujin’s house. “C’mon, we can tell you everything you need to know. We were her closest friends, and we were there when she died.”
You don’t miss the way that SuA’s eyes light up when you say the last part.
She must be really invested in this case.
~
“This hot chocolate is really good.” SuA remarks before offering her glass to you. “Want some?”
“No, I’m alright,” You lean towards SuA with a smile, “but Ryujin’s coffees are so much better.”
“Are you shit-talking my hot chocolate?” Ryujin yells from the kitchen as you slide into the stool next to SuA.
“I thought you said it was okay to do so, as long as you said your coffees were better!” You holler back as Siyeon takes a seat next to SuA.
“My coffee is fantastic, by the way!” Ryujin says as you chuckle to yourself.
Never change, Ryujin.
“Maybe I could buy you some, as a treat for your hospitality?” SuA gives you a wide grin before nudging your shoulder.
“Maybe.” You teasingly shrug before looking at Siyeon. “Are you sure you don’t want anything besides water?”
“No, I’m alright. I feel like we’re imposing on you already.” Siyeon gives SuA a sharp glare before looking back at you. “Do you mind if we ask you some questions about Yuna? It’s not exactly surface-level stuff, and if we cross any boundaries, be sure t-”
“-Did you notice anything weird going on with Yuna before she died?” SuA enters the conversation with the gracefulness of a one-ton elephant. “Any flickering lights, sulfur around window sills, increasing or decreasing temperatures…”
“No, none of that,” You shake your head before thinking, “but there was one thing that she did say, before she died.”
“What was it?” SuA looks deep into your eyes, and you’d blush under any other circumstance.
“The three of us - me, Ryujin, and Yuna - were in the bathroom a few minutes before she died. When we were in there, Yuna was teasing me and she started chanting Bloody Mary in the mirror. I stopped her before she got to the third one, but I can’t help but wonder…”
You bow your head for a moment to recollect yourself before speaking again.
“...I’m sorry, you didn’t come for speculation. So no, there wasn’t anything weird with Yuna before she died.”
You glance over at Siyeon, then to SuA. The two girls are staring at each other with an intrigued look on their faces.
They can’t actually believe this story, right?
“Have there been any other deaths like this in town?” Siyeon asks.
Here we go.
“Two, actually,” You start to chew on your lip, “my parents.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
The words fly out of Siyeon’s mouth as she tries to pick her jaw up off the table.
“Don’t be, it was seven years ago. But yes, when I found them, their eyes were liquified, just like Yuna’s.” You offer a weak smile to your companions, both of which look like they’d rather be five feet under the ground than right next to you.
And everyone wonders why I don’t like to talk about my parents - the response is always similar to this.
“Can I ask a stupid question?” SuA takes a sip from her mug after responding.
“Shoot.”
“Did you play Bloody Mary before your parents died?”
Your eyes widen as SuA’s bluntness.
“I-”
“SuA!” Siyeon reaches behind you to smack SuA on the shoulder. “Why would you ask something like that?”
“I’m forming a theory on what’s happened here,” She pauses for dramatic effect, “a damn good one if you ask me.”
Siyeon clears her throat before grabbing her water and standing up.
“Alright, we’re done here. Pardon my partner’s rudeness.” Siyeon walks over to SuA and hauls her onto her feet.
“But my hot cocoa-” SuA whines, which causes you to laugh.
“It’ll be here if you have any more questions.” You wave at the two girls as they bicker and exit the house at the same time.
Ryujin slowly approaches from the kitchen with her eyebrows furrowed.
“Why’d you tell them all that? You know they’re not reporters, right?”
“I don’t know, Ryujin,” You say before patting the vacant stool on your left, “there was something different about those two. They might just be nosy tourists, but I think they might be able to find something in connection with Yuna and my parents.”
“Be honest - you just let them in because SuA was eye-fucking you-”
“RYUJIN!”
~
“Alright, SuA, what’s your theory?” Siyeon places her feet on the dashboard before SuA swats them away in disapproval.
“We’re not dealing with a demon or a vampire or a werewolf. This is just a seriously pissed-off spirit. One that looks like Blood Mary, apparently.” SuA says before turning the car to the left. “We need to look into unsolved murders in the area. Perhaps one that has to do with eyes?”
“Spirits do like to kill their victims in ways that resemble how their murderer killed them. A twisted sort of revenge.” Siyeon nods along. “What would cause the spirit to attack once, and then not attack until seven years later? Usually, these sort of killings happen in rapid succession.”
“That’s the part that has me stumped, too.” SuA pulls into the motel parking lot with ease before putting the car into park. “Let’s get some sleep and see what we can figure out in the morning.”
~
“Shit.”
SuA runs her fingers through her hair as she stares at the headline for the morning news broadcast on TV.
A Deadly Sleepover: Three Teens Found Dead in Local Home!
“You think it’s our spirit?” Siyeon asks as SuA places her head into her hands.
“They said that the girls had their eyes liquified.” SuA absentmindedly looks up to the ceiling.
Why does there always have to be more deaths before we catch our murderer?
SuA watches Siyeon sort through a few newspaper clips while looking at her computer.
“Tell me you’ve got a lead.” SuA taps her foot against the motel flooring as Siyeon nods.
“I do. I cross-referenced local unsolved murders with any autopsy reports of eye gouging or similar injuries, but I couldn’t find anything on the victim’s side.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” SuA asks as Siyeon hands the computer to her.
“Look here. Lucinda Brown, 25 years old. She was murdered in her home by an older man who had his eyes gouged out at the scene of the crime.”
“Jesus.” SuA scrolls through the autopsy reports. “You think this is our girl?”
“Timeline matches up. Lucinda was murdered twenty years before any murders occurred here. That’s enough time to drive any person, living or dead, to insanity. Speaking of, her murderer managed to escape jail time by pleading that he was mentally unwell at the time of the murder.” Siyeon replies.
“Alright, so what do we do now? Dig up some old bones and give them a communion in fire?” SuA suggests, which is quickly shot down by Siyeon.
“The woman was cremated, so that’s a no-go. There must be something else tying her to the mortal world.” Siyeon ponders for a moment. “Let me see the laptop again.”
“Sure.” SuA hands it back to Siyeon before looking at the TV.
The reporter’s interviewing a neighbor who had heard nothing of the incident, except that the girls had been playing Bloody Mary with a handheld mirror in the backyard.
“Bingo,” With a satisfying click, Siyeon turns the laptop to face SuA, "we've got our object of interest.”
On the laptop monitor is a picture of the crime scene from Lucinda Brown’s home. It’s obvious that this was a home invasion - a dresser was knocked down in the background, sheets were tangled with each other on the floor, and blood was splattered across every possible surface in the room.
No wonder the family cremated the poor girl.
SuA’s eyes drift up towards the middle of the picture, where a floor-length mirror stares back at her. In the middle of the mirror, written in blood, is a simple message: Help Me.
“She knew she was going to die there.” SuA softly says. “One last act of rebellion against her killer. I think we’ve got our ghost, but the question remains: where’s that mirror?”
~
“I can’t believe you still kept the thrift store, after all of these years.” Ryujin adjusts the cap on her head before leaning over the counter. “I know it’s your parents, but that place gives me the creeps.”
“I know.” You nod as you stare out of the cafe window. “There’s just a part of me that would hate to see it go to ruin.”
“So you just leave it in limbo?”
“So I just leave it in limbo.” You answer as she looks over to the register.
“You could always come work with me, y’know. I might own this place one day.” Ryujin’s eyes sparkle with ambition, and you can’t help but laugh at her goals.
“You work on that, Ryujin.” You take a step back before the door opens. “Well, if it isn’t our reporter friends.”
“Friends?” SuA scoffs before walking in. “I thought I left a better impression than friends.”
“Maybe I want you to make a better impression now.” You tease before grabbing your coffee. “Order something first, and then we’ll talk.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice.” SuA rushes over to talk with Ryujin, which causes laughter to fall from your lips.
Wonder if she’s like this with every person she meets…
“Siyeon.” You greet her as she admires the display of baked goods. “You should try the donuts so Ryujin doesn’t have to burn anything in the oven.”
“It was one time!” Ryujin yells as she writes SuA’s order on a cup.
“I’ll get something in a minute, but I wanted to ask you if you saw the news this morning.” Siyeon places her hand on the display case as her eyes look through the different options.
“I did, yes,” You lower your voice before asking, “do you think it’s related to the other deaths?”
“Given that the girls had the same wounds that Yuna did, I’d say there’s a strong chance that it is.” Siyeon quietly answers.
“Do you know how to stop them?”
“We have a strong idea. Have you seen a mirror like this?” Siyeon grabs a folded-up piece of paper and hands it to you.
You grab the paper and carefully unfold it, and you gasp as you stare at the crime scene in front of you.
“I-” You pause as you notice the mirror in the corner, “I think I’ve seen that mirror before. My parents used to have one just like it in the thrift shop that they owned.”
Siyeon’s eyes widen as she looks over at SuA.
“I’m listening, hold on.” SuA hands her card to Ryujin before walking over to the two of you. “Mind if we take a look around there?”
“I thought you wanted to have a coffee shop date.” You smile as she bashfully looks away for a moment.
“Ah, so now it’s a date.” SuA chuckles before leaning against the counter. “We can change plans, as long as you don’t mind having a third wheel.”
“As long as you two aren’t making out in the back of the Impala, I don’t really care.” Siyeon shrugs before Ryujin hands her a baked good.
“Here’s one slightly toasted-but-not-burnt donut.” Ryujin says before grabbing a coffee from the back. “And your black coffee, you heathen.”
“I prefer my coffee black instead of liquid sugar, thanks.” SuA remarks before taking a sip. “Perfect.”
“Whatever.” Ryujin rolls her eyes before looking out of the window. “Hey, did you see that woman?”
“What woman?” You look out to the road, but there’s not one car or person outside except the Chevy Impala.
You notice the visible panic on Siyeon’s face as she walks over to Ryujin.
“What does she look like?”
“Well, she had pretty blonde hair, but her face was a little messed up. It almost looked like she was dead or something…” Ryujin confesses.
“Fuck.” SuA sets her coffee aside before grabbing Ryujin.
“What are you doing?” She frantically looks around as SuA drags her to the car.
“If you want to live, you have to come with us.”
The door slams shut as Siyeon follows after her.
“We’ll explain in the car, I swear.”
~
“Are you serious?” Ryujin breathes deeply through her nose as Siyeon covers the rearview mirror with a small towel. “If so, I’m fucked.”
“But she didn’t say Bloody Mary three times!” You try to reason with SuA as she steps on the gas after pulling out from the parking spot.
“It doesn’t seem to matter who said it.” SuA runs a red light in town as you fumble with the keys in your hand. “What can you tell us about that mirror in your parents’ thrift shop?”
“I remember that they sold it to a woman in our neighborhood, a few weeks before they…” You trail off. “You’re telling me that this mirror killed my mom and dad?”
“Not the mirror as much as the spirit attached to this.” Siyeon says as she lowers the passenger seat window.
“This is insane, right?” Ryujin looks over to you with a look of fear that doesn’t normally sit on her face. “I can’t believe that you believe this!”
“I mean… I’ve always felt that there was something wrong about their deaths, but I didn’t think it was a literal haunting. I just thought it was a mean rumor that the neighborhood kids saw.”
“The same kids that would play Bloody Mary with that mirror?” SuA asks as you point out the thrift shop in the distance.
“You guys have done more to solve my parents murder in the last twenty-four hours than the police have done in seven years.” You shake your head. “I don’t know how I could thank you.”
“Let’s save your friend first, and then let’s talk about thank you’s, alright?” SuA pulls into a nearby parking spot as you hand Siyeon the keys.
“Are you positive that the mirror is here?” Ryujin looks over to you as you nod.
“The woman who bought that mirror had died a few weeks later, of an actual stroke, and one of her children took it with them when they moved out of her house.” You explain as SuA nods along.
“That explains the lack of murders in seven years, but that means someone brought it back to your town.”
“I’ve used the thrift shop as a storage unit since my parents’ house was torn down two years ago. A few weeks ago, I saw that someone placed a floor-length mirror outside of the back door, so I brought it inside so it wouldn’t get smashed.” You hand the picture back to Siyeon. “The same mirror in that photo, minus the bloody message.”
“I hate to rush the exposition, but I’ve seen Bloody Mary in your side mirror.” Ryujin says before slapping a hand over your eyes. “Can we please get this show on the road?”
“Right. You get the hammer, I’ll get the shotgun.” Siyeon says as she and SuA exit the car at the same time.
“I’m fucked, aren’t I?” Ryujin whimpers as you rub her shoulder.
“They hunt ghosts, or whatever they tried to explain to us. We have to keep you alive long enough for them to deal with this.” You attempt to comfort her as you hear the trunk of the car slam shut.
You roll down the window as SuA approaches your side of the car.
“Hey, be careful out there. I still want to get coffee with you sometime.” You offer her a cheerful smile as she runs a hand through her hair.
“You don’t have to worry about me, babe, I’ve got you. Both of you.” SuA winks at you before walking towards the thrift shop.
You shyly look away as Ryujin punches your shoulder.
“Can you flirt with her when I’m not near certain death?”
~
“Of course there isn’t any electricity.” SuA quietly grumbles before flipping the light switch off. “Where did they say the mirrors were?”
“Up ahead, and to the left.” Siyeon says before following your instructions. “Here we are.”
“How many mirrors are there?” SuA says as she looks at the collection of floor-length mirrors. “Do we start smashing, or…?”
“Maybe if we summon her, she will appear from the mirror that was in her house.” Siyeon says before turning to a mirror hung on the wall.
“That’s a terrible idea that will get us both killed.” SuA tries to pull Siyeon away, but Siyeon pushes her aside. “Don’t do this, I’m warning you.”
“Too late.” Siyeon locks eyes with the reflection in the mirror. “Bloody Mary, Blood Mary, Bloody Mary.”
The lights above them flicker as SuA approaches the first set of mirrors. The reflection of the flashing lights nearly blinds her, but she manages to smash the first one with little difficulty.
“Do you see her?” SuA yells before smashing another mirror.
“Not yet!” Siyeon calls out before turning to the side. “Keep going!”
The lights flash with increasing frequency as SuA continues to break every floor-length mirror that crosses her path.
Why would anyone ever have so many mirrors?
Again and again, SuA smashes every mirror that she sees. And again, none of them seem to stop the flashing lights. She travels deeper and deeper as her hammer strikes every mirror in her path.
SuA’s deep into the back of the thrift shop when Siyeon screams in pain.
“Siyeon-ah!” SuA yells out before running through a different part of the store.
How many different types of mirrors are there?
“She’s… here!” Siyeon manages to get out before another scream escapes her.
SuA doesn’t have time to smash every mirror she sees - she has to find the mirror, and fast.
She flies through the store, to the musical accompaniment of Siyeon’s sounds of terror and pain, until she spots a mirror with the tiniest bloodstain on it.
“Guess the mirror wasn’t totally clean, huh.” She says to herself before the hammer connects to the mirror.
It shatters instantly, just as Siyeon goes quiet.
“Siyeon!” SuA backtracks quickly, only to find Siyeon laying on the floor with blood coming from her eyes. “You okay?”
“I’ll live,” She mutters before slowly getting off of the floor, “but she won’t.”
Siyeon weakly points ahead of her, where a woman that matches Ryujin’s descriptions and the autopsy report disappears into a cloud of black smoke.
“You think she’s gone for good?” Siyeon quietly asks.
“As long as the mirror stays shattered, I’d say so.”
~
“I suppose I should say thank you.” You say as you approach the Chevy Impala.
SuA leans against the driver’s side door with a smirk.
“I suppose I should say that you’re welcome, but I think an apology is in order.”
She sheepishly looks away as you wave off her concerns.
“Don’t worry about the mirrors. They’re not worth the price of someone’s life.” You look over to the thrift shop. “Besides, it’s time that I let that place go. It’s just a collection of bad memories and poor decisions. Something more positive and welcoming should take its place.”
“You’re selling it?”
“No, I’m giving it to Ryujin. She’s dreamed of owning her own coffee shop since she started working at that little cafe uptown.” You gaze at the keys in your hand. “She’ll make better use of the space, I know it.”
SuA tilts her head at you.
“How is she?”
“Fine. Nothing that a pint of beer and a bit of therapy won’t fix.” You laugh to yourself. “How’s Siyeon?”
“A bit shaken up, but nothing major. Brushes with death are pretty common in our line of work.”
“Well, for your sake and mine, I hope you’ll be a bit safer through your travels.” You bite your lip as SuA takes a step toward you.
“You’ll be thinking of me, even after we leave? How sweet.” SuA teases you before you retaliate.
“It’s not every day that I meet a girl as forthcoming, kind, and attractive as you.” You flirt back before taking a step towards SuA.
It’s in this moment that you realize how close you are to one another, and another step from one of you will cause your bodies (and hopefully your lips) to collide.
“If you keep sweet-talking me, I might not be able to leave.”
There’s a shred of honesty behind SuA’s flirting - she’s seriously considering staying for another night or two.
“Maybe that’s the idea,” You take a half-step forward, and you place a quick peck on her cheek, “but you have more people to save, no?”
“Unfortunately, I do, but I’m not ruining this moment.”
SuA pulls you closer by grabbing your hips, and before you have time to relax, her lips collide with yours. You immediately kiss her back as your hands land on her shoulders.
You only break off when you need air, and SuA looks at you with a proud smile.
“Maybe I’ll come back some day.” She lets go of you before pulling her aviators off of her head.
“Maybe.” You softly repeat as SuA climbs into the car.
Siyeon offers you a friendly wave before rolling down her window and handing you a piece of paper.
“For later, when you miss SuA.” She says before the Impala pulls out of the parking spot and heads back onto the road.
After the car leaves your field of vision, you look at the note in your hand.
Written in pen is SuA’s phone number, followed by a brief message:
For when you miss SuA, or if anything in this town ever requires our area of expertise. - Siyeon.
You smile to yourself.
Maybe you’ll call the Winchester girl and see if she’s free for a week or two in the future. Maybe you’ll call just to hear her voice and ask about her adventures. Maybe you’ll wait for her to track down your phone number and call you first.
maybe, maybe, maybe.
