A/N: I'm rather nervous to put this up here. Tell me honestly what you think and know that I will be eagerly awaiting your responses. Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural.
The air was frigid and held the strong scent of moss and wet rock that seemed to seep into Dean's skin. He shivered a little, goosebumps breaking out along the skin of his arms and the nape of his neck. Water dripped onto his nose, making him sneeze then scowl in annoyance. Dean was beginning to seriously regret taking this case. His mind shot back to the previous night back in the bunker.
"Dean, I think I found something," Sam said, tossing a slightly torn newspaper onto his older brother's bed. Dean, who had been lounging with his hands behind his head, grunted as he lurched into a sitting position. "Whatcha got for me, Sammy?" he said gruffly, turning the newspaper in his hands roughly. Sam sat down on the edge of the bed, the memory foam mattress sinking a little under his weight. He watched calmly as Dean hid a yawn behind his hand.
Dean's green eyes scanned the page Sam had pointed out to him and he frowned, reading one of the headlines. 'Seven missing. Police have no leads whatsoever. Public officials question government security.' The hunter's brows rose and he flicked a brief glance over at his younger brother. "Think it's something in our department?" Dean asked. He scanned the article quickly, taking in its contents with a mildly curious glint in his eye.
He whistled in a long tone of surprise. Sam sighed, a serious expression on his face. "What else could it be, Dean?" he said. Dean pursed his lips and slid the newspaper away from him, his downcast eyes hard with understanding. "Want to check it out?" Sam asked as they rose from the bed in nearly perfect unison. Dean didn't answer; he was too deep in thought.
"Dean?"
"Let's tell Cas where we're going,"
The corner of Sam's mouth lifted slightly in a secret smile and he nodded towards his brother. He followed Dean as they walked quickly down the long hallways of the bunker. Sunlight shone brightly across the floor, painting them with orange and red light. Sam watched Dean's expression soften the moment the angel came into view. Cas was sitting quietly at one of the tables, reading one of the many books with great intensity. "Hey, Cas, we got another case," Sam called out before Dean could say anything.
Cas turned his head a little at the sound of his voice and carefully closed the book he had been studying. "What is it you need me to do?" the angel said, his gravelly voice echoing in the large room. Dean, who had apparently taken the newspaper when Sam wasn't looking, placed it down in front of the angel and pointed to the headline. "Apparently, some dumbass tricked seven people into believing in a rumor about...a portal to paradise or something," Dean muttered, glaring at the paper. Sam leaned against one of the bookshelves nearby, a small smirk playing on his lips.
Castiel leaned closer to Dean, seemingly to get a closer look at the article. The angel's brow furrowed and he frowned as he read. "There is no such thing as a portal to paradise," he began, "The only thing that I could think could even remotely come close to being one would be the gateway to heaven." Cas shifted a little uneasily and Sam found himself looking at Dean. His brother was staring down at Castiel with barely contained affection and was giving the angel his complete attention.
'I don't think you realize just how obvious you are,' Sam thought, shaking his head at his brother. Sam had vowed to himself that he wouldn't interfere in whatever relationship the angel and his brother had going on, but it was a bit difficult; it was like watching a soap opera where you knew the characters loved one another but neither would confess. From Sam's point of view, it was probably the most frustrating thing he'd ever experienced- one of them, anyway. Shaking his head, Sam decided to leave the subject alone. For now.
"...not quite sure of what it could be," Cas was saying, "I will look into it and see what I can find out." Dean smiled and clapped a hand on Cas' shoulder. Sam had to stifle a snort of laughter at the two engaged in another one of their moments of totally-not-gay staring. He coughed and Dean shot him a glance of slight annoyance. "Thanks, Cas. Call when you've got something," he said, patting the angel on the shoulder again before making his way over to Sam.
Castiel watched Dean walk away, an unreadable expression on his face. "Alright, Dean. Good luck, you two," was all he said before he disappeared with the sound of fluttering wings. Sam followed Dean outside, pausing to take a deep breath, the crisp and cool air of autumn filling his lungs. Dean had on foot in the Impala and the other on the leaf-littered strip of road in front of the bunker. He was looking at Sam with a curious look; after all, the taller of the two brothers was just standing motionless, eyes shut tightly.
"You stand there any longer and people might mistake you for a moose," Dean joked. Sam sent him a sarcastic laugh in response and went around to the passenger side. The doors creaked and slammed with two distinct thumps. Dean turned the key in the ignition and rubbed his hands along the steering wheel as the Impala rumbled awake. "Listen to that purr!" he crowed, laughing. Sam smiled and shook his head, turning to stare out the window as they began to drive.
"So, where to, Sammy?" Dean said, glancing over at his younger brother. Sam didn't turn away from the window. "Oneonta, Oregon. I've seen pictures and it's considered one of the most breathtaking places in America," he said. Dean snorted and reached over into his cassette box, rifling through it. "I don't care how much beauty it has. I just want to get whatever son of bitch is behind this," he said. Once he found the tape he wanted, he hummed a little and inserted it into the Impala's radio. When the first strums of twangy guitar began to play, Sam turned towards Dean, eyebrows raised. "Fortunate Son?" he said incredulously.
Dean bobbed his head to the music and, instead of answering, began singing along with Creedence Clearwater Revival. Sam scoffed yet he couldn't help but laugh. The Impala flew over the empty highway, its open windows spilling classic rock into the silence of nature. They ended up stopping at a bed and breakfast in Idaho, where Sam had found out more about the mysterious portal rumor from a pretty brunette. The apparent portal was supposedly a magical mirror that allowed someone to see whatever their hearts desired.
Castiel had ended up calling when Sam and Dean were a few hours away from Oregon. "This mirror...it could be what is known as one of what's called the fauna of mirrors. Its supposed purpose is to allow creatures from the separate dimension to enter into this one freely and without harm. I have not heard of people disappearing because of them; it allows both sides to cross over freely. I do not think these people would not return without some type of prohibition on the other side of the mirror. I will see if I can look more into this and figure out what it could mean," the angel had informed them.
So, now the two hunters were here, freezing their asses off in a shallow, yet narrow cave behind a deafening waterfall. Dean's teeth were beginning to chatter; they had had to cross through the rushing falls and were now not only soaked to the bone, but they were also wading through waist-deep water. "I'm so damn cold, I think the leather of my jacket fused to my skin. Tell me again why the hell we're here?" Dean grumbled as he splashed forward. Sam tucked a lock of wet hair behind his ear and shrugged, his jacket sticking to his arms awkwardly.
"Because seven innocent people are missing, Dean," Sam said, ducking to avoid some low hanging moss. Despite the crappy conditions, the place truly was as beautiful as predicted. Wedged between great moss-covered rocks, a magnificent waterfall flowed gracefully down the jagged crevices into a shallow river that was dotted with fallen leaves. Sam and Dean had found the cave behind the falls and were currently making their way along the dark, cool, mossy cave. The beams of their flashlights made the cave walls, glistening with moisture, shine brilliantly.
"You know, even though we're on a case, this isn't too bad," Sam commented. Dean hummed in agreement, nearly tripping over a rather large rock. The cave narrowed then opened up into an enormous cavern. Sam gawked, mouth dropped open in awe, as he took in the shimmering, uniquely shaped walls of the space. Bits of sunlight broke through small openings in the rocks, illuminating the moss and algae covered walls. It reflected off of the clear water, causing wavy light to dance along the rocks' overcasting shadows. In the center of the cavern was a circle of glossy clover covered land, water rippling around it softly.
A tall mirror stood out like a sore thumb on top of the land, its shiny surface flecked with water droplets. Its frame seemed to be engraved with what appeared to be Chinese symbols. Sam made a mental note to analyze them further. The siblings shared a look and Dean's impressed whistle echoed loudly through the cave. "Son of a bitch wasn't kidding," he said. He and Sam each drew their guns and cautiously approached the mirror. Silently, Sam flicked his head a little to the side, indicating to Dean to circle around the other side. Nodding, Dean moved as quietly as he could through the water onto the patch of land. The mirror seemed to stare at the hunters with cold bemusement.
After a few moments of inactivity, Dean stopped a few feet from the mirror. He looked up at the massive frame and raised an eyebrow. Sam stood to the side of the mirror, trying to memorize all of the symbols. Although there was no visible threat, Sam still felt an uneasy feeling deep in his gut. Dean winked at his reflection in the mirror and fixed his hair. He frowned and let his hands fall to his sides.
"I don't get it, Sammy. It's just a mirror,"
"I don't know. Something isn't right, Dean,"
Neither of the two brothers noticed the dark shape looming up behind Dean. The hunter took another step forward, staring at his reflection in the mirror. "What do you see?" Sam asked. He stood a small step to the side so only his brother's reflection blinked back at them. Dean lowered his gun a little and his usual smirk curled up his lips. "I'm standing next to Dumbledore. I've won the House Cup," Dean said. Sam rolled his eyes and was about to take a step forward when he finally noticed just how large his brother's shadow had become. "Dean, there's something behind you!" he shouted.
Dean whirled around, but he was too late. A terrible wind swirled harshly through the cave as the figure howled, throwing Dean backwards. Dean flailed, losing his grip on his gun. It flew into the water with a splash. Sam watched helplessly as Dean vanished into the mirror's surface. The last thing Dean heard was Sam yelling his name before everything was silenced. He felt as though he were falling and floating all at the same time. He refused to open his eyes out of fear of seeing just how high he was; he had a terrible fear of flying. Abruptly, his stomach dropped and Dean hit the ground hard, crashing with a loud clatter.
Groaning, Dean rolled over on his back and put his hand to his forehead. "Sammy?" he whispered. There was no answer. He heard the faint barking of a dog and what sounded like police sirens. Dean felt drops of liquid hit his face and realized, with a jolt, that it was raining- hard. Dean sighed and was about start using every curse word in his vocabulary when he heard a small noise. If he hadn't been lying still, Dean most likely would not have heard it. It sounded like the shuffling of feet of someone hesitant to approach. Dean forced his eyes open and twisted halfway around, his side pressed against the ground with one hand supporting himself.
Dean paused, his eyes locking on a pair of scruffy converse standing a few feet away. Thunder boomed loudly, shaking Dean from the daze he'd been in. He slowly looked up, taking in the dark jeans and rain-splattered hoodie of the stranger in front of him. It was when Dean saw the person's face that the hunter froze completely. A pair of bright blue eyes stared down at him, blazing with concern. "Are you alright?" the person asked softly. It sounded younger and less gravelly than normal, but there was no mistaking that voice.
Cas.
A/N: So? What do you think? Should I continue? Alice Through the Looking Glass inspired this; although, the story isn't based on the movie's story-line. Please, let me know if it's worth posting the second chapter.