Disclaimer: I, of course, do not own Supernatural or any of it's charcters and storylines.
Note: This is my first fanfic so I apoligise if it's not THAT great. Story occurs after the season 4 episode, "The Monster at the End of the Book."
Reflecting
Chapter One: Waking Up
Dean gasped. His eyes shot open and he found himself staring at a starry sky.
"What the…"
He slowly got up off the cold hard ground. He had no idea where he was. Suddenly, a loud noise and a bright light were in front of him. He dodged it, only to watch a car drive past. He hadn't noticed it before, but he had been lying in the middle of a road. He looked around and saw old brick buildings and manicured green lawns. The place looked vaguely familiar, but he just couldn't work out where it was. Still a little groggy, he started to walk down the mysterious road in the hope that he would find someone he knew.
10 minutes later and it was still the same as before. There were more buildings and it seemed like no one was around. Dean was frustrated. He didn't know where he was, how he had got there and where Sam was. He had had enough of walking aimlessly searching for his brother. He walked up the grey pathway to one of the brick buildings. He was about to knock on the door when he saw the little pumpkin sitting on the doorstep. It was Halloween. 'But that's impossible' thought Dean. Only a few months before had he and Sam fought Samhain on Halloween. Maybe the pumpkin wasn't for Halloween. A car drove past and Dean could hear the blaring hip hop music coming from it. Someone threw an empty beer can at a window and smashed it. The door opened in front of Dean to reveal a short 20-something year old guy with thick black glasses and bright red hair. He looked around cautiously.
"Uh…hi. I'm Dean."
"Look. I don't have any candy. I just washed the egg out of my hair. Why can't you guys just leave me alone?" shouted the red head. The door was slammed in Dean's face.
He lifted his fist up to the door to knock but no sound came out. It was like he was hitting air. He tried and tried again but nothing. No sound. He didn't even feel the force as he hit the door. Dean looked around. He moved back a few steps then launched himself at the door, in the hope to break it down. But instead he went straight through it and tumbled to the floor.
"What the hell?"
The red head suddenly walked right passed the pile on the floor that was Dean and opened the door, carrying a plastic bag of rubbish in his hand. He was mumbling to himself.
"Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. What do they think this is? High school or something?"
Dean quickly got up and went swiftly out the door. A million things were rushing through his mind. Was he dead? Was this just like what happened a few years ago with the car accident? He saw a group of people walking down a path so he followed them, hoping to lead him to some answers.
Dean followed them into a crowded bar that was covered in Halloween decorations. Music was playing and people where talking. It was full of people dressed up in costumes. As he wandered around, he noticed that there was one person who wasn't dressed up. He was with a black guy and a blonde girl who was dressed up as a nurse.
"Sam?"
He stared bewildered at the sight of his brother. This was a younger Sam. His hair was shorter, his face looked younger. He looked happy. Dean looked over at the blonde girl.
"Jess?"
He didn't know how this was possible. He couldn't have gone back in time. But then he remembered that time not too long ago when Castiel had sent him back to the 70s. He saw Sam and Jessica kiss and he felt this knot in his stomach. Was he supposed to stop everything from happening?
As Sam left the bar, Dean did too. He started to follow him and Jess when someone caught his eye across the street. Castiel was standing in the middle of the path opposite him. Dean looked at Sam then looked at the angel. He knew Sam would be headed back to his apartment so he decided to go over to Castiel to get some answers. Sam could wait. He needed to know what was happening.
"Dean." Said Castiel in his usual tone.
"Cass, what the hell is happening?"
"Only what must happen."
"What? Don't start this God poetry riddle crap, okay? Why did you bring me back in time again?"
"We didn't."
"Well then who did?"
Castiel sighed. "No one brought you back in time, Dean. You aren't living the past."
"Wait, what?"
"You are in a fake reality."
"A fake what?"
"Think of it as revisiting an old memory, only in extreme vivid detail."
Dean looked confused for a moment while he tried to get his head around what he had just heard.
"So this is just…a memory? But it can't be. I've never been inside that bar before."
"The reality we are in right now is not limited to what you know and have seen."
"Why am I here Cass?"
"You are here so you are away from danger."
"Oh come on, I'm not freaking five years old!"
"There is an evil power at work that wants to destroy you."
"What's new? What is it? A demon? It can't be that bad."
"No one knows what it is. All we know is that it wants you dead. And we can't afford to lose you."
"We as in the angels? And God?"
Castiel stared at Dean blankly.
"If you die then the apocalypse can not be halted. This is the best thing for your protection."
"Right…for my protection. Well, until now, I'd say you guys are doing a pretty crappy job at keeping me alive."
"This is the first time that it is certain you are in extreme mortal danger. The thing after you is ruthless. It won't stop to chat or to reveal itself to you. It will kill you before you have any time to react."
"It wouldn't be able to find me if I get a few hex bags and set up a few devils traps."
"Dean, it isn't a demon."
"Then what the hell is it?"
Castiel paused and looked up at the sky. He sighed.
"We don't know. No one knows. It is an unheard of evil. All we know is that it is super fast and an excellent tracker. No hex bag will stop it. It isn't a demon so devils traps won't work either."
"Then what is it? Surely you have some idea!"
"We don't even know what side it is on. Heaven or hell, this thing can't be stopped."
"So why am I here? What is going to stop it from finding me here?"
"The reality you are in was created by angels. And therefore only those whom the angels permit can enter."
"What about Sam? If this thing is after me, won't it be looking for Sam too?"
"Sam is untraceable. It won't be able to find him."
"And why not?"
"He contains demon blood. This thing cannot search out anything supernatural. Angel, demon or anything in between cannot be found by it."
"But Sam isn't a demon. And he only got demon blood when he was a baby!"
"Maybe that was enough."
"What I'm I supposed to do here Cass? Just sit and watch my life on freaking replay? I mean I can't interact with anything…"
"That's not entirely true."
"What?"
"You could interact if you wanted to. If you truly wanted to. You shouldn't but it isn't impossible. It would be painful to even attempt to do anything. Not to mention the consequences. Anything you interact with will change the future in this reality."
"Then why does it matter? If this reality changes… what difference does it make?"
"No one is sure if this reality is tied to the real world. That connection has never been tested. So I wouldn't do anything."
"Then what am I supposed to do!"
Dean was getting frustrated. He didn't want to be stuck here, away from the real world and away from Sam. He looked at Castiel and waited for an answer. Finally, he spoke.
"Reflect."
Then, he was gone.
To be continued...