Tell me a story

by oschun

A meta frame-story. A grandfather, so not Kripke though, tells his sick granddaughter the story of SPN. A retelling and outsider's commentary on the mytharc.

"Tell me a story."

"Once there were two beautiful princesses -"

"You're kidding, right?"

"Alright, once there were two handsome princes."

"That's meant to be an improvement? Do they have to be royalty? Everybody knows people identify more with the struggling underdog. And what do you mean by handsome? How do I know your idea of handsome is the same as mine? I could be imagining two characters that look nothing like what you're picturing in your head."

The storyteller sighed and looked at the surly teenage face, pale, but with the red flags of fever marking her cheeks. "Okay, they're not princes. They're warriors, soldiers if you will, from a suitably proletariat background. Do you know what that means?"

That was met with an eye-roll and a sigh only annoyed teenagers are able to make. "Yes," ending of the word drawn out in a long hiss. "They've already covered it in normal history classes and I'm in an advanced class." The girl settled herself more comfortably against the pillows. "Warriors are good, better than soldiers."

"Right, they're warriors, brothers, and both are handsome. The older brother is tall, strong and fair. The younger is even taller and dark-haired -"

"What? Like Snow White and Rose Red? You know I'm too old for fairytales, right?"

"It's not a fairytale. But, yes, they're a bit like Snow White and Rose Red. They're different but complementary. The older brother is confident, a little arrogant perhaps. The younger brother is quieter, more introspective."

"That's good. It's like buddy movies, the opposition between the two central characters is what drives the story forward."

"Buddy movies? Perhaps. Anyway, where was I?"

"You were doing character description. Your physical description was a little thin, but I suppose I'll take your word for it that they're handsome."

"Well, the story starts with the death of the boys' mother when they're still very young. One night an evil villain enters their happy home and murders the mother while the boys and their father sleep."

"An evil villain? What does that mean? Isn't the villain always evil? He's not masquerading as one of those misunderstood villains, is he? And how does he kill her? Is it a horror story? Yeah, make it a horror story. Perhaps he could wear a hockey mask and chop her up into bits with a chainsaw."

"No, there's no chainsaw. She dies by fire. A fire that attempts to consume her beauty and purity."

"What does that mean? The guy sets her alight? That's pretty gruesome."

"Don't be so literal. It's hellfire."

"Seriously? Oh. Okay, awesome."

"The villain is a demon, a demon with glowing yellow eyes. He kills the mother, and the older brother, Dean, saves his younger brother, Sam, from the blaze. It's an action that forges a bond between the two brothers, a bond that lasts a lifetime. The father is torn apart by the death of his beautiful wife and vows to hunt down the demon."

"Aah, it's a revenge story. Does it have a happy ending or is it one of those stories with a moral at the end? He's destroyed by his own desire for revenge, right? Anyway, I thought you said it was about the two princes, or warriors, whatever."

"All in good time. The father, who was once a soldier, spends many years searching for the demon. He comes to realise that there is much evil in the world which threatens all that is good. He becomes a protector of the innocent."

"What? Like a superhero? Superhero stories are stupid, only geeky boys like them. It's all about their insecure masculinity. They fantasize about being able to kick the school bully's ass with their secret superhero powers."

"No, not like a superhero. He's only a man, and the burden of trying to save so many innocent lives weighs heavily upon him. He raises his sons as warriors to continue the battle against evil after he's gone. He teaches them how to fight, how to hunt and track evil creatures like -"

"Like vampires, werewolves and evil spirits. What? It fits, right? If it was a demon that killed the mom and all?"

"Yes, he teaches his sons how to destroy evil creatures and raises them to follow a code, one of chivalry and honour."

"Oh, I bet they don't like that."

"Why wouldn't they? It's their destiny. They're warriors for good."

"Uh, two words: teenage rebellion. Kids never want to follow in their parent's footsteps. Bet you that Dean totally told his dad what to do with his code of chivalry."

"No, Dean is obedient, always tries to be everything his father needs him to be. He's the oldest, remember. They've grown up without a mother and their father is focused on his quest. Dean's had a lot put on his young shoulders. It's the younger son who rebels. He's intelligent and precocious, decides university is his way out of their life of struggle and self-sacrifice. He's the one to turn his back on them."

"Is that meant to be a personal dig at me? So the clever kid weasels out -"

"I wouldn't presume to use a story to criticise my only granddaughter. Sam just questions his father's choices in a way that Dean doesn't. It's not cowardice that makes him leave. It's the ability to think for himself, to have a separate identity to that of his family."

"Okay. So what happens to Sam?"

"He's accepted at Stanford. Decides to do law."

"And probably becomes a human rights lawyer and does a lot of pro bono work, right? I get it, it's meant to be ironic. He escapes but it all comes down to the same thing."

"Perhaps. While he's away he meets a girl and falls in love"

"A love interest, that's predictable. I thought it was a story about warriors. I don't like love stories. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I have to. I have a headache, perhaps you should leave now."

"The father is angry with Sam for leaving and because he's consumed by vengeance and is so single-minded about what he feels is his predetermined role in this life, he tells his son to leave and never return, never to contact them again."

"How like a parent. So what happens? Tell me about the girl."

"I thought you had a headache."

"I do and I think you're making it worse with this story of yours. Just tell me about the girl and then you should probably go."

"She's good, beautiful and intelligent, and for a time Sam is happy."

"Right, because happiness is a beautiful, intelligent girl you meet at University? There's hope for me yet."

"You think happiness is meeting a girl at university?"

"Well it beats meeting her in small-town Hicksville, wouldn't you agree?"

"Perhaps. So, Sam is happy for a time and then his brother comes to find him because the father has disappeared."

"What's his name? The father."

"John. John has disappeared and Dean doesn't know what to do, so he seeks out his brother. Sam leaves with Dean, but John cannot be found. When Sam returns to Stanford his girlfriend is killed by the Yellow-Eyed Demon and she dies a terrible death in front of him."

"Seriously? Poor Sam. Although I think you already used that plot device earlier."

"Well, it was the same demon and there's narrative unity in having the father and brother becoming obsessed with the quest in the same way."

"Right, so the brothers hunt down the demon and Sam kicks the shit out of him. Sorry, Grandpa, you know what I mean."

"I'd prefer it if you didn't swear. You'll have to wait and see. Sam rejoins Dean and they scour the country looking for their father, who leaves them clues and co-ordinates to find demons and the like, but not the yellow-eyed demon, who remains elusive. John, too, remains out of reach. They get to know each other again through their hunting of evil creatures and have many dangerous adventures."

"Many dangerous adventures? You're not going to follow that with them returning to the shire, are you?"

"Finally, Sam and Dean are reunited with their father in a show-down with the yellow-eyed demon. But things go wrong, Sam is weak, and fails to destroy the demon when it counts."

"What does that mean? Doesn't sound like the boy who turned his back on his family and destiny and sh - stuff. Grandpa, you can't do the story in these broad elliptical arcs, for god's sake."

"Well it's obvious, isn't it? The demon inhabits his father's body and Sam faces a terrible choice: to destroy the creature that killed both his mother and the woman he loved, and in so doing kill his own father."

"Oh and I bet John is all gung-ho about it, especially after being absent for so long. Fathers! Sorry. So what does he do? What does Sam do?"

"He chooses his family over vengeance."

"What? And that's how the story ends? What happens to the demon?"

"Oh, no, that's not how the story ends. There are always consequences to choices. But perhaps you're tired now and your headache…"

"What? No, I'm okay. So, Sam chooses his father over killing the demon? Good way to get out of the vengeance is bad for the soul plot-line. So, what does Papa John do after Sammy Son has shown him up?"

"John sacrifices his life for Dean."

"Oh."

"The Yellow-Eyed Demon is powerful and ultimately the father shows that he loves his son more than all the years he's sacrificed trying to destroy its evil. Dean has always been loyal to his father, accepted his authority and choices. He's the one that keeps the family together. Dean is dying as a result of Sam's choice, but John makes a deal with the demon to trade his life for Dean's. You alright?"

"Sure. You could have warned me about the tear-jerky bits. How do the brothers deal with their father's death?"

"They pursue the demon of course."

"Hope the fucker gets what's coming to him. Sorry."

"I do wish you wouldn't swear. He does. He dies in a cemetery. Dean kills him. Sam and John's spirit are both there."

"That's a good ending. Kind of righteous after Dean has had to deal with his father's sacrifice."

"Well, there are complications."

"Now I do have a headache. I'm scared to ask. You could end it there, you know. Just say the brothers drive off into the sunset."

"Well, I could say that, but it wouldn't be the truth."

"The truth? It's a story. It ends when you say it does"

"Perhaps. But that's not how the story ends."

"Okay, tell me about the complications, but there had better be a happy ending. I'm only sixteen, you know, and sick as well."

"Sam was killed."

"What? Sam's killed? You can't do that, you're not allowed to kill off the central character!"

"Sam isn't lost for good, Dean saves him. Let me explain. The demon gave Sam a special gift on the night his mother was killed, fed him demon blood. Sam and other special children like him. There was a final confrontation. Sam didn't win. He made another mistake -"

"What do you mean another mistake? I think you have it in for this character. I think Sam sounds cool. There's nothing wrong with being independent and smart and, what was the word you used?

"Precocious."

"Yeah, precocious. So what mistake does he make? And what's the deal with these other special children?"

"The demon intends to use children with special abilities to bring about his reign of evil and terror on the earth."

"Sounds very biblical. I like it, fits the genre well. So, Sam's mistake?"

"The demon sets up a situation where the humans with special powers have to fight each other to the death in order to determine who will lead the Yellow-Eyed Demon's army. In this final confrontation Sam refuses to kill another man who has super-human strength. This man is afraid to lose his own life and betrays Sam. He stabs him in the back."

"So it's a moral choice, not a sign of weakness on Sam's part. It's a bit mean to constantly place this character in a situation where he has to make these choices. But Dean saves him, right?"

"Dean makes a deal with a demon, just like his father before him, and gets his brother back."

"And that's how the story ends? Sounds a little too easy to me."

"No, that's not how the story ends. Deals are two-way bargains."

"No way! Don't tell me -"

"Yes, Dean gives up his own life for his brother's. He has a year to live before the hellhounds come for him."

"You've used that plot device before as well. John sacrifices his life for Dean and now Dean sacrifices his life for Sam. What's with this family? But it's about narrative unity, huh?"

"All good stories are about heroic sacrifice. John and Dean are willing to give up their lives for what they love most, for family."

"Family? The hellhounds can come any time for my family. Not you, of course. I mean Mom and definitely for Simon. I'd hand him over with a ribbon around his neck. And Dad, definitely for him, wherever he is."

"You don't mean that, not really."

"Maybe not. So how do they get Dean out of his deal? Sam kills the other demon, right?"

"Yes, Sam kills the other demon. But it's not that simple."

"I knew you were going to say that! There are complications, right?"

"Yes, there are complications. This demon doesn't have the power to release Dean from his bond and killing it changes nothing. Time is running out for Dean."

"So what happens? They have other options, right? There's always a way out."

"Perhaps. They spend many precious months searching for an answer. I say 'they,' but really it's just Sam. Dean has become entirely complacent about his fate. By complacent I mean that he's almost given up on everything."

"Grandpa, I know what complacent means. Mom told you they tested my IQ at this shrink's that I'm seeing, right? I'm like a genius or something. The added bonus of not having any friends is that I read a lot. I mean other than the fact that friends are a waste of time."

"Being a genius doesn't mean you're smart. Friends are important."

"Whatever. So Sam must be pretty angry about Dean's complacency, right?"

"Yes, Sam is angry with his brother and he's afraid, very afraid of being left alone. Being a warrior for good, especially on your own, is a lonely path to follow."

"Sounds like you need some girls in this story. Perhaps it's time for another love interest. That might get Dean interested in living again."

"Yes, the brothers meet a woman. She appears to be a warrior like them."

"Yes, that's good, because she would understand their lives then. They don't have to share her, do they?"

"No, there's no sharing of women in this story."

"Pity, I was just thinking that's what it needed. What? I'm kidding. It's a good story, seriously. So, she's not really a warrior? What is she then?"

"She's a demon."

"Ooh, cruel twist of fate. Sam's not going to fall in love with her and then have to do the terrible choice thing again, is he?"

"I thought you didn't like love stories. Nobody falls in love with her. She befriends Sam and promises to help him get Dean out of his deal."

"Sounds a little suspicious to me. Why would she do that? And, yeah, about the deal. Who's controlling the hellhounds then if the other demon is dead?"

"All in good time -"

"Oh, no, you don't! I hate it when there's an unnecessary amount of suspense. Who is he, or she, for that matter?"

"Stories don't work that way, as you well know. You'll have to wait and see. Now where was I?"

"The demon was helping them get out of the deal."

"Yes, she helps Sam. Tells him things. Things about his mother and her friends. She reveals that they were killed for a reason but refuses to explain what that reason is."

"One of those purposefully cryptic characters. So, what is the reason?"

"That's not how stories work. Sam doesn't know, so you're not allowed to know."

"I hate a limited point of view. Oh alright, if you're not going to tell me then just tell the story. Please."

"Sam keeps this information from Dean."

"What? He's started keeping secrets from his brother. Why would he do that? Hang on, does Dean even know about this new demon?"

"Yes, Dean knows about her and is suspicious of her motives."

"And rightly so."

"Perhaps. Until she saves Dean's life."

"What? She gets him out of the deal?"

"No, she saves him when another demon attempts to kill him."

"Another demon? Where'd all these demons come from?"

"Out of the mouth of hell, of course, when the gates are opened."

"What? When did the gates of hell open?"

"Before Dean killed the Yellow-Eyed Demon."

"Grandpa, you failed to mention that before."

"Oh, I am sorry. My memory isn't what it used to be."

"I don't believe you. I think you purposefully did that. That's just mean."

"I'm telling you now. The man with the super-human strength opened the gates of hell and many demons escaped before the gates were sealed once more. Some of these escaped demons still believe that Sam is the man to lead them. Others are less accepting of his leadership and there are many contenders for this role."

"I'm still not happy with you keeping things from me. What do you mean some of the demons still think Sam's going to lead them? Sam didn't come back wrong, did he? I mean you said he was dead and all."

"Dean fears that there is something wrong, something different about his brother. Sam starts to make decisions, choices that are not in keeping with his character."

"That's worrying."

"Yes, but Sam accepts that he has to change, has to toughen up because he'll be alone soon."

"I thought you said that the demon could get them out of the deal."

"And I thought you realised she wasn't to be trusted."

"She lied?"

"Yes, she lied. On a terrible, dark night she reveals to Dean that all demons were once human. They're souls tortured in hell that become lost and angry with time. She tells him there's no hope for him and that the hounds will come for him and he will become one of these lost souls."

"Shit! Forget the love interest, he doesn't need anything other than that to kick his ass out of complacency. What's with Dean, anyway? I thought you said he was this solid character who holds the whole thing together for their family. Accepts his father's choices, right? So, he's a soldier, where's his fight?"

"Dean is more complex than that. He is a soldier but he's also a man. Unlike Sam, this is all he's ever known. His character has been distorted, if you like, by what he's learnt from his father."

"And then his father abandoned him."

"Yes, his father abandoned him many times over. John was absent and always heroic, or seeming so, and young men take directives from their father so seriously. It's a heavy burden to bear."

"He's tired."

"Yes, he's tired, but he doesn't want to die."

"John loved him though. Gave it all up for him when it counted."

"Arguing for the absent father?"

"Cheap trick and a little beneath you, Grandfather."

"Yes, I'm sorry."

"Ultimately, they're just caught up in something they can't control. So how does it end?"

"I'm tired now."

"You're not allowed to do that! I'm the one that's sick."

"And I'm the one that's old. If you like I'll come back tomorrow and tell you some more."

"If you like."

"Grandpa."

"Yes."

"I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

"Grandpa."

"Yes."

"You won't tell mom about the happiness is meeting a girl at University thing, will you?

"No, I won't tell your mother. But one day you'll have to."

"Perhaps. Grandpa?"

"Yes."

"Thank you. It's a good story, but you'll make it a happy ending, won't you?"

"Perhaps."