Ink on Paper Leaves a Mark by kimonkey7 (pg)

[musesfool.livejournal.com]

Fandom: SUPERNATURAL
Pairing: Dean-centric gen with John/Mary in the background
Length: 2,560 words (+ handwritten scans)
Author on LJ: kimonkey7
Author Website: LJ memories
Why this must be read:

After "Bad Day at Black Rock," Sam and Dean spend some time cleaning out John's storage locker. Dean finds an old notebook that belonged to their mother, detailing the first few months of his life, and the temptation to read it is too great to resist.

His knuckles catch on the corner of an old composition book tucked under a curled-toe pair of boots. He’s surprised to see their mom’s lettering again, this time his own name written in the subject line of the school notebook. With trepidation, his fingers ghost across the black-and-white marbled cover, electric sparks tapping Morse code on his palm.

A book’s much easier to open than a letter, especially a book that bears your name. There’s no unfolding, no slow reveal. A crack of the dry-paste spine will do the trick, but Dean pauses. The same as all the rest - maybe this is meaningless, useless information, too. Plaster for cracks that aren’t his to begin with, yet the allure is bright like a lightning bug on a June night; an enticing capture for a small boy’s hands. The book finds itself open on Dean’s lap, his squat falling into a sit.

This story is awesome because it is utterly and completely heartbreaking (definitely have tissues handy) and also because it's multimedia fic of a sort, as we get to see the handwritten pages of Mary's notebook and read the story of Dean's first few months. The juxtaposition of Mary, bright and hopeful, with Dean, broken and weary, is wonderfully done, deserving of every, "Oh, Dean" it causes. Also, the show never gives us enough of Mary, and I love her relationships with John and Dean here.

Ink on Paper Leaves a Mark by kimonkey7

If you enjoy the story, please let the author know!

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