I am really in awe of this. The language is so evocative. The you-are-there-ness is more than just visual - it's palpable. You feel it under your skin.

My heart breaks for the characters. You let us see a glimmer of something else, some compassion, in John this time. (And by the way, I don't think canonJohn was so physically abusive, or Sam wouldn't have seen such a contrast between his own dad and Max's dad in Nightmares. But I'm quite willing to explore it in fiction, if it's this well-written.)

You're very subtle about how you portray Dean, and I like that. An omniscient POV often shows Dean much more protective and selfless and self-sacrificing, but this is Sam's POV and it's an undercurrent only here. Dean's motivations aren't what this story is about, but it's still quite clear how much he means to Sam.

I love that Sam is already the obstinate, mouthy character we know canonSam grew up to be. His life is miserable, but you've shown us he has the resilience to survive it, even as it makes our hearts ache to watch him try to endure everything.

Will be bookmarking this series, and hope there will be more. I know it will be worth waiting for.