Sam had insisted they check out this mystery spot. Dean had thought it stupid. Nevertheless, he agreed because, well, it was in Florida.
It's always warm in Florida, he reasoned with himself. He'd also been hoping that, despite it being winter, it'd be warm enough in Florida to see girls in bikinis. He was sorely disappointed.
"Dude, you know this is just some tourist trap, right?" Dean asked as they walked down the street after breakfast.
"Look, it's worth checking out. Sometimes these things actually can change the laws of physics. Obviously not on their own, but witches have been known to hex them." Sam looked utterly convinced by his own words, so Dean sighed and went along with it.
The place was, and always will be, a tourist trap.
"I told you!" Dean mocked, reminiscent of a 6 year old child. "It's just bullshit!"
"Fine! Fine! You were right! But the owner looked kind of sketchy. Maybe we should come back tonight," Sam argued. "You never know; maybe we'll stumble onto a real case while we're here." Dean groaned but agreed. When they returned that night, they were as careful as ever. That is, until Dean accidentally knocked over a lamp. Sam glared at him and ran a hand over his face, much like Dean usually does.
"Who's there?!" the owner called, jumping out of nowhere and brandishing a rifle. "What are you two doing here?"
"Sir, if you could kindly put the gun down..." Sam started, trying to wrestle it out of the owner's hands before the owner accidentally pulled the trigger. Sam froze.
"Dammit, that hurt!" Dean yelled, his voice sounding strained. There was a thud, and Sam rushed over to Dean, who had keeled over on the floor.
"No, no, no, no, no!" Sam cried. "Don't do this Dean!" Sam started to cry, and was frantically trying to stifle the blood and get his brother breathing again. Alas, Dean didn't make it.
"It was the heeeaatt of the moment!" Sam woke up to the Asia classic, confused and rubbing his head.
"Rise and shine, Sammy!" Dean laughed. Sam scrunched his eyebrows together.
"Wha-? How? But you-" Sam stuttered. Dean misunderstood him.
"Oh, you know you love Asia!" Dean started to dance and sing along. Sam followed him into the bathroom. There, Dean gurgled his mouthwash the same way he had the day before.
Then, at the diner, it got weirder.
"Look, Sammy! Pig 'n a poke!" Dean exclaimed, smiling brightly at Sam.
"Do you even know what that is?"
"Nope!" The waitress came over and took their orders. Sam opted out of a meal, asking only for coffee. When the waitress brought the food, the tabasco sauce on the tray tipped off, but Sam caught it and put it on the table.
"Thanks, sweetie," the waitress, Doris, breathed.
"Lucky catch, I guess," Sam replied. After she walked away, Dean looked at him.
"Dude, it's like you knew it was gonna fall." Dean stuffed more food in his mouth as he said it.
"That's because I did! It's like I'm living yesterday all over again!" Sam whispered. "I woke up this morning right after you died!"
"That's ridiculous. I didn't die yesterday. I'm right here."
"Well, see, that's the problem. Because you die today. But you died yesterday, which was today." Dean cocked his head in confusion and Sam rubbed his temples. His brain hurt.
"Dude, I don't know what you're talking about, but you are nuts." They ate in silence. Later that day, Dean got hit by a car and died. Again.
Sam woke up the next morning, hearing 'Heat of the Moment' blasting out of the clock radio on the bedside table before it faded. Confused, he turned his head to the side and looked at Dean. Dean was dancing to Asia. Just like the day before. But Sam didn't hear Asia.
"Good morning, Night Vale," a smooth voice said lowly. Sam's eyebrows scrunched together. "We'll get to the news in a moment, but first, I know you're all dying to ask how my date with Carlos went." As the voice faded, 'Heat of the Moment' was back at full blast. It was as if he were the only one to hear it.
The day went on. Sam managed to save Dean from the car, but this time, Dean was crushed under a desk that fell from a story up. Sam had wept the first two times, but now he was indifferent, knowing he'd wake up on the same morning.
And he did. Again, 'Heat of the Moment' faded away to be replaced by the smooth voice of the radio host.
"Hello again, Night Vale. I have had many entries asking many questions, and today I'd like to read some to you. Here's one from John Peters. You know, the farmer? He asks, 'Cecil, what do you do to celebrate Thanksgiving?' Very good question, John Peters. You know, the farmer? In answer, I simply do what everyone else does. I grovel, and I have been rewarded these years in groveling pleasingly." Cecil's voice faded. Sam found Night Vale to be very strange, but couldn't help thinking about it all day.
Sam had tried explaining his 'Groundhog Day' predicament to Dean, but not before Dean choked on sausage. Sam was slightly relieved; he wanted to hear more from Night Vale. He did. When he woke up that morning (or should we call it the next morning?), the seductive voice of Cecil Palmer was once again overpowering Asia.
"Good morning, Night Vale. Carlos informed me last night that the Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home is not real. I love him, but sometimes I forget that he's new to town. As if we're going to believe that the Faceless Old Woman Who Lives In Your Home isn't real. That'd be like saying that mountains exist, which they do not." Sam noticed that the recordings had been getting longer.
As he and his brother wandered town, Sam noticed that the town was different. More so, the new things were strange and obviously out of place, but like with the news show, only Sam noticed. He saw yellow, blue, and black helicopters around, and he noticed that the air seemed drier than before. After they returned to the motel, Dean slipped and died in the shower.
It seemed to Sam that he would be stuck in this rut forever, unknowing of why it was happening. The only light at the end of the tunnel was that he was finally learning what Night Vale was all about. After waking up the morning after Dean died in the shower, Sam heard the strangest thing yet from Cecil Palmer.
"Good morning, Night Vale," Cecil began. "Let's go to the Community Calendar to start off our morning. Monday you will be full of joy for reasons unknown. Tuesday will be Hell. You will suffer but be unable to stop your own suffering. Wednesday has been cancelled due to scheduling conflicts. I would say that we will go straight to Thursday, but it seems that the City Council will be repeating Tuesday until the Wednesday dilemma has been fixed. Thursday you will find peace," Cecil continued.
Wednesday cancelled?! That's not even possible! Sam pondered.
"In other news, the Glow Cloud has taken over the City Council. It would like to remind everyone-" Cecil's voice suddenly changed to a deep chant, "All hail the mighty Glow Cloud." There was a moment of silence. "That the summer reading program will not be sponsored by the city. Those individuals who want to participate must sign a waver by next week to ensure that the City cannot be sued for any injuries." Sam's mind reeled as Cecil's voice faded once more. How could Wednesday be cancelled? That's not possible.
And yet... It seemed like it made sense. Sam reasons, What else could it be? It wasn't until he and Dean ventured into town that day that Sam realised what was happening. The town was completely different. It looked nothing like Florida. The air was dry, humid, and it reminded Sam of the air in California. As he looked around, he didn't notice the man walking towards them until the two walked straight into each other.
"Sorry," the other man mumbled. He kept his head down, long dark hair falling in front of his face. He wore a lab coat and carried a few beakers in his hands, Sam now noticed.
"Don't worry about it," Sam replied automatically. "Say, can you tell me what this town is? I think I'm lost." The man looked up, and Sam noticed that he's young and dark skinned. Sam thought he might be hispanic.
"Y-you're in Night Vale." He cocked his head. "Are you from Dessert Bluffs?"
"Uh, no. I've never even heard of the place."
"Oh. Well, if you're looking for a place to stay, my boyfriend might can help you and your..." He looked toward Dean, who seemed utterly confused.
"Brother. Thanks." Sam stuck out his hand for the man to shake. "My name's Sam.
"Uh, Carlos." He shook Sam's hand. "Follow me. He's doing a program right now, and I'm not sure when it ends. It's... Unlike anything I've heard before." Carlos smiled a little, so Sam figured it was still a good program. Carlos started down the street, and Sam and Dean followed. Dean seemed aware of the fact that they weren't in Florida anymore, but for whatever reason, he was in a trance-like state, accepting everything rather than asking a thousand questions.
"So, what does your boyfriend do, Carlos?" Sam started, trying to keep from sounding uneasy in this strange town.
"He a radio host. He does the town's only news show. He reports a lot of weird stuff, but I've lived here for a year and it seems like this stuff happens frequently." Carlos shrugged, almost dropping a beaker.
"What kind of weird stuff?"
"The usual. Phone calls from interns who've been missing for 8 months, hooded figures leaving the dog park, the death of Old Woman Josie's angels, the Glow Cloud..." His eyebrows furrowed. "The list goes on and on, really."
"And that stuff's normal here?"
"Well, it seems that every conspiracy theory about anything exists here. It shouldn't be possible, but here we are." He approached a large, desolate looking building. "This is the station. Come on." As Sam and Dean followed the scientist inside, Sam recognised the voice of Cecil Palmer.
"Wait. That's your boyfriend?"
"Yeah..." Carlos got a dreamy sort of look on his face. "Why do you ask?"
"Before we found our way into town, I'd been hearing his program."
"Well that's weird. It's an FM station. And Strex Corp. doesn't want it broadcast outside the town so they restrict it. Where were you before?"
"Uh, Florida." Sam rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I mean, shit like this happens to me and my brother all the time, it's just... Well, this is the weirdest. And we fight monsters, so that's saying a lot."
"You... You fight monsters?" Carlos stilled.
"Yeah. We hunt them, too." Sam looked at Carlos's growing concern.
"What kind of monsters?" Carlos asked, voice careful.
"Vampires, werewolves, witches, demons. Your normal, everyday baddie." Sam shrugged.
"That's normal for you?" Sam nodded. "No wonder you aren't very surprised." The program ended, and Cecil came bounding out of the studio, enveloping Carlos in his arms and kissing him gently. Dean, still in his dazed stupor, didn't notice, but Sam coughed to get the men's attention. They sprang apart. Carlos blushed profusely and rubbed the back of his neck; Cecil beamed with pride and happiness.
"Who are you?" Cecil asked, his voice still deep. So it wasn't just a stage voice, or whatever.
"I uh..." Sam stuttered. His brother had always been the more... Experimental, as far sexuality went, but even Sam couldn't deny that Cecil's voice had an effect on everyone. It was so alluring, so calm, yet held so much power that Sam couldn't suppress a shiver. "My name's Sam. Sam Winchester. This is my brother Dean." Sam jerked a thumb in Dean's direction, receiving not even a grunt to acknowledge that he was aware of what was happening.
"Ahh..." Cecil nodded in understanding. "Sam Winchester. I've been expecting you."
"You what? You've been expecting me?" Sam's jaw dropped. "That's not possible."
"I think you lost me when you nodded..." Carlos put in needlessly.
"Well, of course, I didn't read it over the show, but you were in the Community Calendar," Cecil supplemented. He seemed so calm, as if this were no more than a meeting of two old acquaintances.
"What do you mean I was 'in the Community Calendar'?" Sam asked, anger boiling in his blood at Cecil vagueness.
"Sam, don't be like this. Calm down. It simply said 'Sam Winchester arrives on Tuesday.' Nothing out of the ordinary."
"How-? What's going on? Why am I here? I was in Florida, dammit!" Sam ran his hands through his hair nervously.
"Obviously you're here to help us." Cecil smiled politely, and Sam glanced over at Carlos to find that he, too, was very confused. "You see, we experience many strange things in this town, most of which the mysterious government agency forbids us to remember, but never, in all my years, have I seen... Well, this."
"What is 'this' referring to?" Sam asked, his interest peaked.
"Carlos and I were having dinner two nights ago, and it was quite peaceful. Then at one point during the evening, I looked up at the sound of a door opening, and the man who walked in... First, he was a stranger. He wasn't set to arrive on a specific date, and he certainly wasn't a local. He locked eyes with me, and I thought, just for a moment, that his eyes were black. I blinked, and suddenly they were green again."
"Black eyes?"
"Yes. Very black. Not just his pupils. His irises and corneas as well. It was like looking into a black hole."
"Tell me about him."
"Of course. We must return to my home first. Strex Corp. would not be happy to hear about this." He took Carlos's hand and started toward the door. "Come along. And bring your brother. I must apologise, but the only way for the transporter to work was to stick you in a time loop. Dean will be perfectly fine. We can leave him at my house."
That's how Sam found himself wandering the streets of a strange town, holding onto his comatose brother's arm to keep him from walking into trouble.
"It's not too much further. Right up on the corner," Cecil insisted. Shortly thereafter, the four men were seated on couches in Cecil's oddly decorated living room.
"So, this guy with the black eyes. Describe him to me," Sam implored.
"He was fairly tall, not unlike yourself. His hair was a golden blonde, and he was pale. A rather sharp nose, square jaw. Very tough looking. Oh, and he wore a suit with a waistcoat." Cecil nodded to himself as if he were determining that that was all.
"Huh. Okay. Are there any hotels in town?" Sam had begun to brainstorm.
"There's only one. I can take you there, if you like."
"That'd be great." Sam, Cecil, and Carlos stood.
"Carlos, darling, I love you, but you're babysitting Dean. You're a scientist; not a crime fighter." Carlos looked offended.
"You aren't a crime fighter, either!" Carlos argued.
"I don't care who is or isn't!" Sam yelled. "I'm a demon hunter and I'll get rid of him if you just fucking show me where this hotel is!" Sam was panting from yelling, and Cecil and Carlos stared at him as he calmed down.
"I'll stay," Carlos sighed. "But, Sam, you better take care of him."
"I'd say the same to you, but my brother's a little out of it right now so..." He shrugged. "Come on Cecil." With a brief kiss goodbye, Cecil was leading Sam down another street to a seedy looking motel next to Big Rico's Pizza, the best (and seemingly only) pizza place in town.
"If he's staying in a hotel, it'll be this one. It's the only one in town," Cecil said. "Come along then."
"Wait. I need salt." Sam checked his pockets to find that Ruby's knife was still there. "Never mind. We'll be alright." He lead Cecil into the motel cautiously. Well, Sam was cautious; Cecil walked in like it was an ice cream shop. "Cecil, be careful," Sam hissed.
"Sam, everywhere in Night Vale is dangerous. This is a walk in the park." Suddenly, Cecil was slammed against the wall behind him, struggling for breath as an invisible hand held him up by his neck. A menacing laughter echoed through the lobby, and a tall man, who fit Cecil's description to a T, stepped out of the shadows.
"Sam Winchester?" the demon demanded. "What are you doing here? You don't belong in this universe."
"I'm in a different universe?" Sam cocked his head, forgetful of the circumstances. "What- Is this some kind of parallel universe?"
"Exactly that. You see, here, you were killed by Jake Talley. Remember him? Here, nobody would make the deal with Dean for your life. Jake failed Azazel, and was consequently killed by Azazel. Your brother killed Azazel, but Bobby Singer died. Dean couldn't stand hunting anymore, and he now works at the Roadhouse with Ellen and Jo Harvelle and that Ash guy... The point is: you don't exist here. Not anymore. So why are you here?"
"Beats the hell out of me," Sam shrugged. "All I know is that I'm ready to kick some demon ass." Sam whipped out his demon blade and squared off with the demon, occupying his attention enough to cause his hold on Cecil to fade.
"I-I brought you here, Sam," Cecil croaked, voice strained from being suffocated. "That's why our worlds mixed before you were brought here. It took time to establish the connection."
"Cecil, we can discuss this later." Sam dodged a punch from the demon and swung his arm out to try and slice at the demon, but the demon kicked him in the stomach and sent him flying.
"Little Sammy Winchester," the demon cackled. "Lost your game, I see." He reached down to take the blade from Sam's apparently limp body, but Sam sprung. He managed to wrestle the demon to the ground and roll on top of him.
"I beg to differ," Sam grunted. He brought his arm up and pulled it down, smiling grimly when he heard the satisfying crackle of Ruby's knife hitting its mark. He stood off the lifeless body. "I don't care how I got here, Cecil. As long as it's easier to get back, and Dean and I can go on to Wednesday."
"I can do that." Cecil smiled at Sam. "Thank you. I may keep the connection open enough that I can call on you both if we need help. Would that be alright?"
"Yeah, man. That'd be fine." Sam smiled back.
Sam woke up back in the hotel he and Dean had been in at the Mystery Spot. He quickly rolled over and checked the clock. Wednesday. He smiled and rolled out of bed, dancing along to "Back In Time" and shouting, "It's Wednesday! Dean, it's Wednesday!" Dean groaned and looked at his brother.
"Yeah, that's what comes after Tuesday." Sam never thought he'd be so happy to see his brother's sarcasm.