The thunder boomed louder and louder each time, and Sam threw the covers over his head for "protection". He shook with fear, as any five year old would in such a predicament, and wanted desperately for the storm to pass. He heard Dean watching TV in the living room and considered going out to ask if he could stay awake with him for comfort. Their dad was out on a hunt, and no five year old should be left in his or her bedroom alone and scared during such a horrible night.
Sam walked up to his door and contemplated for a second. He was scared but he also wanted his brother to think him brave and grown-up, of course…so he dropped his blankie and teddy bear before opening his bedroom door. He closed it behind him as quietly as he could, but Dean heard right away and whipped his head around.
"What are you doing? You were supposed to be asleep an hour ago." Dean looked angry and Sam cowered.
"Um, I couldn't sleep with all the noise outside." It wasn't the whole truth, but it was close enough.
"Well then put some earplugs in and go back to bed."
A clap of thunder sounded again and Sam gasped and scooted closer to his big brother.
Dean looked at him incredulously. "You're not actually afraid of thunder and lightning, are you? Come on, Sammy, don't be a baby."
Sam bit his lip. "It's scary, Dean! It sounds like a Giant is stomping around out there and he might come inside and eat me…" His eyes began to water and he wrapped his arms around himself.
Dean looked at the TV to roll his eyes, and then returned his gaze to his little brother. "Don't cry, Sammy. The storm can't hurt you if you're indoors."
Sam's eyes widened in fear instead of realization, as Dean intended. "But Dad is probably outside right now, in a forest!"
"Dad knows what he's doing. Trust me, a little storm is nothing compared to the stuff he hunts. Besides, legend has it that thunder just means that the Angels in Heaven are going bowling."
"R-really? ...Bowling isn't very scary."
Dean smiled. "Exactly, so just go back to bed and try to think about when a strike happens versus a gutter ball."
Sam nodded and tried to put on a courageous face, when an ill-timed bang of thunder came and he jumped a foot in the air with a terrified squeal. Dean sighed but said "Alright, come on" and patted the spot beside him on the couch. Sam wasted no time in running over and curling up beside Dean. The older boy said nothing else but switched the TV from CSI to the Berenstain Bears for Sam's sake and current sensitive state.
"You know Cody from my class? His dad hunts deer and moose. What does our dad hunt?" Sam asked curiously.
"Uh, Dad doesn't hunt those things…" Dean shifted uncomfortably. Sam didn't know the truth about monsters yet. "You could say he hunts more…dangerous things."
Sam raised his eyebrows. "Wow, that's pretty cool." Dean laughed and anticipated the day when they told Sam the truth, and his face would go from disbelief, to shock, to fear, to determination, just as Dean's had when he had turned eight and learned about his Dad's real job. For now, however, Dean was happy that Sam was able to be innocent and naïve, and he hoped it would stay that way for as long as possible.
Each time the thunder clapped, Sam would shudder but Dean would say "I bet that was a strike!" or "sounds like that goof only knocked over one pin" until Sam would laugh. Eventually, the younger boy drifted to sleep and Dean happily switched the TV back to CSI. When Sam started snoring, however, Dean saw no alternative but to pick him up and carry him to his bed. He plopped him down and pulled the covers over his small frame.
"Sleep tight, Sammy," he whispered. "and you better grow out of this fear quickly, because I refuse to carry you to bed once you weigh more than 50 pounds."
The thunder and lightning continued all through the night but Sam slept peacefully through it, dreaming of himself bowling alongside a strange man with brown hair and a beige trench coat. Sam didn't know the man, who was looking back and forth between the ball and the pins as if he didn't understand the concept of bowling. Sam showed him his technique and got a strike on his first turn.
The man took his turn and after guttering the ball and creasing his brow, snapped his fingers and made all ten pins fall over as if by magic. Sam was too content in his dream to be confused as to how the pins were knocked down, so they continued to bowl, each to his own individual style, for the rest of the dream.
