Dreams
Dean Winchester found himself wondering how he got in this situation. He was laid out in the back of his beloved Impala weaving in and out of consciousness. A groan escaped his lips as he tried to shake the mental fog out of his mind.
"You'll be okay Dean."
Dean tried to focus on the voice talking to him.
"It's going to be okay."
"Sammy?" He asked after he recognized the voice. He reached up to the front of the car. He had to touch something make it feel real. Nothing made sense now.
He felt a light pat on his hand followed by he's brother's soothing voice. "It's okay Dean. We're almost to the bunker. Cas is on his way we'll cure you."
Dean pulled his hand back he felt darkness pooling in his vision. He heard Sam call out to him repeatedly as he lost consciousness again.
Three Days Earlier
"I got a case for us." Dean said as he walked into the war room laptop in hand.
Sam looked up from his laptop. Ever since their mom had ran off and Cas had been looking for Lucifer's child Dean had been constantly on the lookout for a case for them. Sometimes he had something other times it was nothing. "What is it?"
Dean sat beside him and laid down the laptop. "A witch."
Sam raised an eye brow. "Yeah?"
Dean clicked on a news story. "Okay might be a witch." Sam chuckled. "Hear me out." He pushed the lap top over to Sam who read over the article.
Local boy mysteriously unable to sleep. Sam frowned and kept reading: August 26, Eric Daniels (10) of Jennings Kansas mysteriously dies after being unable to sleep. He began the ordeal on August 15. He increased to have difficulty sleeping. The case is still under investigation.
"So," Sam started. "You think a witch did it?"
"Or something." Dean said shrugging. "Unless that kid was so heavy into Mine Craft he forgot to sleep this sounds suspicious as hell."
Sam did a quick search on his computer. "Well we might have something here this isn't the first case." He showed the results to Dean. "This is the third person who has died from sleep deprivation. First kid though."
Dean nodded and closed the laptop. "Okay let's go and see what's going on."
They arrived in the little town. They were already in their FBI gear. They first went to the hospital were the boy died.
"Hello I'm agent Blackmore and this is agent Gillan. We're with the FBI." Dean said as they flashed their badges to the receptionist
Sam smiled and said. "We were hoping to talk to the doctor who was treating Eric Daniels."
The receptionist nodded. "Shame that one. Cut from life too early." She picked up a phone and called for a Doctor Cox. "The doctor will see you in his office." She pointed down a hallway. "He's waiting for you."
The two brothers made it down the hall too see an older doctor standing outside an office door. He motioned for them to come in.
"Yes the Daniels boy real tragic." He said as he sat behind his desk. "He's mother and my daughter went to school together. So why is the FBI interested?"
"We are just following up on a case." Sam deflected as he pulled out a note book. "What can you tell us about his symptoms?"
The doctor put his hands together and let out a breath. "Really strange actually, he's sleep became disturbed really. First it was he lost an hour, then two then he got to where he wasn't sleeping at all. Then he couldn't even get through a day he would just fall asleep."
"Like narcolepsy?" Dean asked
The doctor nodded. "Here's where it gets strange. He was sleeping but he couldn't identify what was real and what was dream."
"What do you mean?" Sam asked
"Well let's see he dreamed he had a math test but forgot to study. Young Eric became convinced he failed at least three math tests and school hadn't even officially started yet. He was sleep walking and right before he passed he… well he was completely lost in his dream world."
"Is that normal with sleep deprivation?" Dean asked
"Hallucinations, paranoia, and psychosis sure but…" He looked down at his desk and shook his head. "Hallucinations are one thing but I swear this boy was living a second life in his head and was convinced it was true." He bit his lip. "I still don't see why this is an FBI case though."
Dean smiled and nodded. "Well it's probably nothing but you can never be sure."
The two went to get up and the doctor said. "Oh yes I forgot another thing." He pulled out a file and took out a photo and handed it to them.
Sam took it and looked at it. It was an intricate pattern across a chest. "What's this?"
"When Eric became ill that appeared on him. As he got worse so did that tattoo."
"Okay thanks." Sam said as the two left.
"Sounds like a curse." Dean said after they were out of ear shot. He looked down at the picture and nodded.
"Should we call Rowena?" Sam asked. They began to walk out of the hospital
The eldest Winchester shook his head. "Nah." He unlocked the Impala. "No point in bringing her in we can handle this." He said as they got in the car.
"Let's go see this kid's mom."
At the Daniels resident. Dean looked around the room of happy pictures of a little boy hanging on the wall. A cup of tea cooled on the table in front of him. He could see the images of a happy boy who had a long life ahead of him. Real shame someone ended it.
"What about his friends?" Sam asked taking Dean out of his thoughts.
"He didn't have many friends. That's one of the reasons he was in therapy." Miss Daniels said. She poured Sam another cup of tea and kept smiling at him.
Older women always liked Sam. Dean smirked to himself as Sam took the tea from her.
"Now how long had he been seeing this therapist?" Sam asked
"About a year."
"And their name? In case we have to ask questions?"
Dean looked at the delicate tea cup sitting on top of lace. He wondered if this suburban lace covered life would have been theirs if they never started on the path of hunters. He picked his tea cup up and tried to down it. Was this really the type of life their mom wanted? He looked at the picture hanging above the woman sitting across from them. Nice family photo. That could have been them. He frowned at his tea. He never liked tea preferred coffee.
"Okay thanks for answering our questions." Sam said and stood up.
Dean followed suit and they left the small house. Dean was glad he didn't think he could sit there in the sadness of that woman surrounded by pictures of her dead son. "Okay the therapist?" Dean asked
Sam looked at his notes. "A doctor smith apparently. She said she was a nice woman."
"Oh she?" Dean asked grinning. He opened the door to his car. "I see the good head doctor and you go to his school. Maybe he had a teacher who hated kids."
Sam nodded and headed down the road. The school wasn't too far from the house.
Dean drove his car to the psychiatrist office. There was only two cars in the lot. Given it was about noon most likely everyone was on lunch. He walked into the office and looked at the receptionist who was a young guy who was busy on his phone.
"Excuse me. I am Agent Blackmore I'm here to see Dr. Smith."
The young kid looked at the FBI badge and turned around and yelled. "Hey Alex some fed is here!"
Dean flinched at the kid's lack of tact. Soon though his mind changed when a young thin blond haired woman bounced from the back and to the front office. Hot Damn Dean thought
"Alex Smith." She said holding out a hand.
"Agent Blackmore." He took her hand. "But you can call me Dean." He said turning on his charm to full blast
She smiled warmly and nodded. "I assume you're here about Eric Daniels. Or are you need of mental health."
Both he thought. "I'm here to talk about Eric."
She led him to an office and closed the door behind them. Dean scanned the room seeing peaceful pictures of lakes up, a fountain bubbling water, incense burning and he was pretty sure Enya was playing quietly in the back ground.
"Please have a seat." She said
Dean sat and pulled his note book out. "So what can you tell me about Eric?"
She shook her head. "Probably not much than what you already know." She pulled out a file. "Him and his mother started coming to me after they moved to this town. Apparently the father ran out on them last year. The son had been experiencing night terrors since. Difficulty making friends and the like."
"Did you prescribe any medication?"
She shook her head. "No mister Blackmore I never prescribe medication. It never fixes the problem." She looked at her clock. "I have nothing more to add. My next patient isn't until about an hour from now. Got anything you need to get off your chest."
"Nope." Yes, I can think of a couple of things
She smiled. "You see agent. I've always been really good at reading people. That's how I got in this job. And I can tell by reading you, you got something on your mind." She said in a sultry tone
Dean blinked. Her professionalism was gone long gone. "I ugh don't have anything on my mind." Smooth Dean real smooth.
She leaned over and laid her hand on his face. She rubbed the stubble on his cheek and said. "Oh really Dean? You look like you got something to tell me."
Dean opened his mouth and suddenly he said. "I am a hunter. Me and my brother are looking for a witch." Oh man. He looked around the room it felt so small now. The smell of the incense flooded into his nose. Damn it! The incense was magic.
"What else?"
Dean tried to fight himself but his mouth kept to going. "My mother came back from the dead, she's working with British Men of Letters and I'm not happy about it." Shit Dean get a hold of yourself
"Oh mommy issues. What else?"
"I miss Cas really bad. I feel so incomplete without him." Dean stop talking. He felt his heart pounding in his chest. At this rate this woman will know everything about him including the length of little Dean. He let out a growl trying to break her spell with will power.
She smiled an evil cruel smile. She leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Thanks for sharing Dean." She laid her hand on his chest and he felt a burning pain. "Now go home you won't remember any of this."
"Okay." And like that he got up from his chair.
Dean realized shortly he was sitting on his bed at the motel. Sam was standing there looking at him. "What?" He asked
"So you're saying she didn't say anything?"
He shook his head. "All she said was the kid had a hard time making friends. Didn't seem too interesting." He had a nagging feeling that something was wrong. But he couldn't place his finger on it.
Sam sighed. "Nothing at the school either."
"Maybe the witch left already." He got up from the bed and walked over to the fridge to get a beer.
"Yeah but every case there was at least three victims in town before another case popped up in another town."
Dean nodded. "Okay so we stay and work the case then." He took the cap off and drank his beer.
"So you really don't remember what you did after you seen the therapist?"
Dean shrugged and he sat down at the table with his beer. "I don't know maybe we sat and talked about our feelings." He really couldn't remember and it was bothering him.
"Did you go get drunk?" Sam accused
"No!" Dean looked down at his beer. "At least I don't think I did."
Sam glared at him. "Okay I'm going to see that therapist then. Something is off about you."
Dean blinked and before he knew it Sam was gone. He shrugged. Whatever happened with her wasn't important. He's phone went off and he pulled it form his pocket. He looked to see his mother had texted him.
Working a case?
He texted her back explaining the case leaving it brief. He then checked his inbox to see his messages. He had one from Cas. He's heart fluttered as he opened it. He frowned why did his heart flutter like he was a teenager?
Still looking for Kelly
Cas's message was short and simple. After Dean had fussed at him for not keeping them up to date more often the angel would make a point to try to at least text him. He sent the angel a quick text back telling him about the case when his phone rang.
"Hello." He answered
"Dude that psychiatrist you seen today. She's gone she took off right after she seen you."
Dean almost dropped his beer. "Gone how?"
"Gone like she walked out the back door after you seen her."
He blinked putting two and two together. "Sammy she must have been,"
"The witch." Sam sighed. "Dean…"
"Shit!" Dean yelled he got up and looked at his chest in the mirror. Nothing unusual about his person
"What exactly happened?"
"Dude I don't remember. But I don't have the curse tattoo on me so maybe she didn't curse me."
"I don't know. I'll be back in a few okay."
Dean hung up his phone. He pulled his shirt back down his body and finished his beer. Crap this was turning out to be a bad day. He suddenly felt tired. He laid down on the bed and felt himself fall asleep fast, almost too fast.
Dean's dreams were usually simple ones. Fishing, seeing a loved one dying, waking up at school naked that type of stuff. He found himself standing on a deck fishing rod in head. He felt someone touch his arm he turned to look to see Cas standing there beer in hand handing it too him. He took it and smiled. The angel smiled back and he felt a little surge in his heart. Dean went to open it and drink it.
"Dean."
He looked at the angel and the angel was gone. "Cas?" He called looking around for him.
"Dean!"
He looked around again. Suddenly he heard screaming. "Help, help me! Dean! Dean!" He followed the voice to see Cas laying down on the ground covered in cuts. Suddenly Dean was at that barn when Cas was hit by the lance of Michael and there he was dead. Dean screamed.
Dean sat up in bed sweat beading on his four head gasping for air. "God." He whimpered. That was so vivid. He got out of bed and headed to the bathroom and splashed water on his face. He looked over at the clock it read 2:00 Am. He frowned. He didn't get his usual four hours of sleep. He looked at Sam who was still asleep. Dean shook his head and made his way back to his bed. He laid down. Sleep did not take him this time. "Shit." He muttered to himself. He had been cursed by that witch.