Sure Looks Strange to Me
The rumor swept across southern Colorado like wildfire, hopped the state line into New Mexico and kept moving south. In less than a week every 1st grader at Grafton Elementary School had heard the news: a one-eyed one-horned flying purple people eater was on the loose.
"Its supposed to be eight feet tall and all over purple," says Sam. "And fuzzy like a Muppet!"
Across the tiny kitchen table, Dean looks up from his math homework. "Are we talking like Grover fuzzy or Snuffleupagus fuzzy?" he asks.
"Really fuzzy!" says Sam, pleased to have finally gotten Dean's attention. He digs a purple crayon out of the box and adds squiggly lines to his monster picture. "Trent said it ate his cousin's neighbors' parents!"
"Trent is seven. Seven year olds are full of crap."
"I'm seven."
"Exactly."
Sam scowls. "But shouldn't we do something?"
"Like what?"
"Like hunt it."
"You want to bug Dad about this?"
Sam nods solemnly.
"You really want to bug Dad about a purple people eater?" Dean shakes his head and looks back down at his homework. "Tell him when I'm out of the room. I don't wannna hear him yelling at you about wasting his time."
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Dad's reclining in his secondhand easy chair, with his feet up and a beer in hand, watching a football game on the black and white TV Dean found in the apartment complex dumpster. He's still wearing his oil-stained work clothes from his part-time job at Rick's Auto, and he looks pretty tired. Sam chews his bottom lip and gathers courage. He's never proposed a hunt before.
Sam looks over at Dean, who's paging through a comic book on the couch, then takes a deep breath and walks up to his father.
"Dad?" Sam asks.
"Hmm?" Dad doesn't look away from the game.
"Um." Sam doesn't quite know where to start. "You know Colorado?"
Dad turns from the TV and gives Sam a bemused look. "The state?"
Sam nods.
"Yep, I know of it."
"Well, I guess some people have died there."
"Uh-huh." Dad raises an eyebrow.
"And it was like they were eaten."
"Uh-huh."
"Like by a monster."
"A monster," Dad repeats, half-smiling now.
"And I think we should check it out."
"You do?"
"Yep."
"And where did you hear about this?"
"School."
From the couch, Dean suppress a laugh behind his comic book.
"Sam," Dad starts, in the voice he uses to tell Sam "no". Sam feels disappointment flooding through him. He wilts.
"Kids make up stories all the time. And they exaggerate."
"But Trent said it was a monster."
"Did Trent see it?"
Sam looks down at his shoes. "No," he admits.
"Kids make up stories," Dad says again, and he turns back to the TV.
Sam isn't ready to give up. "But maybe it is real, and if it is we have to stop it, right? Can't we at least check, Dad?"
Dad sighs wearily and ponders his beer can, then looks back at Sam. "Okay," he says finally. "I'll look into it."
"Really?" Sam blooms.
"Yeah, really. Now don't you have homework or something?"
Sam's been done with his homework for hours, but he can take a hint. He bolts out of the room, grinning from ear to ear. On his way out he notices that from behind the comic book, Dean is grinning too.
A/N: Thanks for reading the 1st chapter! So, I know Sam was older than 7 when he found out about the family business, but waaaaay back when I started writing this story we viewers didn't know that yet. Then I just decided to ignore the truth. I hope the AUness doesn't bug anyone too much.
Please let me know what you think!