DISCLAIMER: When I own something... I'll ring!
A/N : Sorry about the delay, but I have had serious issues to deal with, leaving me with migraine after migraine and... yep, another migraine! However.. "The Hunt" is being written even as we speak.. so... please bear with me! Thanks for reading.
SHADOWS IN THE DARK
DAY OF PREPARATION
Dean screamed and jerked upright, in a reflex reaction to the sudden overwhelming pain in his back. The dark shadow melted away to rejoin the other dark shadows of the forest. This shadow was different, thicker, the darkness not so evenly scattered over the shadow shape. Then Sam's voice was heard yelling, coming closer and closer. Dean tried to answer but his breath came in ragged pants as he sank slowly to his knees. He turned his face to where the thick shadow shape had disappeared and recognition of the face partially hidden in the shadows carved its features on his face. Then the world tilted as he collapsed into a heap on the leaf litter of the forest floor. The dark shadows hissed with glee, and the tension returned to the forest shadows, as they waited for the other man-thing to come. Then they could have a feast, the like of which they hadn't had in too long. The dark shadow tensed as the tall man-thing appeared. Then it hissed, hearing other man-things coming. It looked at the long shiny thing held across the man-thing arms. The shadow creature knew from past experience, the pain these things could cause. It began planning and thinking, of ways for them to have as many man-things at the feast as it could. It withdrew further into the shadows, and began waiting for the right time, and then there would be a feast, the like of which had never been seen before. It did a little hissy noise, much like a breathless giggle, as it drooled in anticipation of the wondrous flavours and aromas to come. Then it stiffened, it smelt the air, and smelt again. Then it quivered. The little ones!!! The Shadow recognized the smell. It was a rare chance to actually acquire one of the little man-things. These little man-things looked different to big man things, they were easier to kill, but made noises that hurt the shadow creature's ears. However, the pain was worth it in the end. Drooling even more, the Shadow waited for all the man-things to come and find out who and what had happened to this useless man-thing before them. Watching, waiting for this one's life force to ebb away and the shock of how he came to die would make all the other man-things so much easier to kill, especially the little-man thing. Mmmmm, the Shadow murmured liquidly at the thought of the soft succulent flesh, the moistness, the feast would be good tonight.
Sam jerked upright with a horrified yell. Dean was shaking him by the shoulder "C'mon man, wake up"
Sam looked at Dean, seeing the anxiety on Dean's face, by the light coming in the window.
"Sorry Dean,' Sam said wiping his sweaty face off with his sheet.
"Just another nightmare Sammy?" Dean asked casually
Sam looked up at Dean thinking damn, Dean already knew what it was. Sam rolled his eyes.
Dean thumped Sam on the arm, "Dude I saw that! So I'm guessing it wasn't just any old dream then?"
"Dean," Sam grumbled, "If you already know what this dream is about, then why are you bugging me about it?"
"Hey man, it wasn't me who woke up half the house screaming cos some monster was coming for him"
Sam was getting exasperated now "Hey, that's unfair I didn't wake up half the house,"
"Of course not Sammy," Dean cut into Sam's protest "Just… let me see, one, two three four, five… so that's what… hmmm, five sevenths of a household?'
Sam's eyes widened in horror as he looked toward the doorway, following Dean's gaze. "Oh Dude!" Sam exclaimed, "Guys I'm so sorry, I never meant to wake you all up!" Sam spluttered in embarrassment, seeing everyone but Stevie in the doorway looking at him.
"Sam, chill, it's cool dude," Josh answered, "You okay?"
"Yeah, thanks Josh, I just, um" Sam was obviously embarrassed.
Matt smiled, "Sam being in this family and doing the job we do, seeing the horrors we see on a daily basis, we learn that sometimes we have to admit to our human weaknesses sometimes. We have to admit that we are not made out of steel, cold and unfeeling; it's routine around here to be woken in the middle of the night because someone has had a nightmare, or because some one is afraid. Dude, we are only human, so as Josh said, Chill, okay?"
"Thanks guys," Sam muttered feeling better, knowing that the family wouldn't hold his nightmares against him.
"See you all in the morning" Josh called as he wandered away, with the others following, calling out good-nights to all and sundry. Soon it was just Sam and Dean left in the room.
Dean said "You know Sammy, when we go out there tomorrow; we are so going to kill these things. Those dreams are not going to become true dude, you just see."
"But Dean," Sam interrupted, "How can you be so sure?"
"Easy man," Dean replied with a smug smile on his face, "I'm the eldest, so I'm always right."
Sam looked doubtfully at Dean and said "Hey, I think there is hole in your logic there man,"
To which Dean replied with a wicked snort, "Prove it little brother!" Looking at Sam Dean asked "we good now bro'?"
Sam nodded, and said "yep, thanks Dean"
Dean answered, "No problems little brother, that's what I'm here for!"
Sam and Dean both climbed into their beds and soon Sam heard Dean's deep breathing, meaning he was fast asleep. Sam climbed cautiously out of bed, knowing sleep would not come anytime soon. He wandered downstairs and made a cup of coffee. He then moved into the lounge and sat down in front of the floor length window and watched the night ebb and wane.
Dean woke early and glanced across to Sam's bed, finding it empty. Dean immediately went into "Protective Big Brother Mode" and checked his watch. Hmmm, it was only 5.30 a.m, where on earth could Sam be this early? Quietly going down stairs Dean heard quiet voices and followed the sound. He saw Sam and Stevie sitting stooped over Stevie's laptop. Dean shrugged and walked back up to bed. Man, he was so not an early morning person!
Dean finally roused and looked at his watch. Man, Sam would not let him live this down! 11 a.m. Dean remembered Sam's nightmare from the night before, and made a mental note to check on his younger brother later. On those thoughts, Dean got out of bed and ambled down the hall and into the shower, taking his time, knowing the water supply to be hot and unlimited. Some thirty minutes later, Dean made his way downstairs; hearing and smelling different sounds and smells that told him the others were already making inroads on the necessary preparations for the hunt the following day.
Dean approached the dining room hearing Sam's voice. What the heck was Sam saying though? Dean listened more carefully and found that he could understand some of what Sam was saying.
"…tuis serviens, ad abigendos daemones morbosque pellendos divinea..." Aah thought Dean ,as he walked into the room, Latin.
Sam stopped speaking and looked at Dean.
Dean looked back and smiled, "Morning Sammy," Dean said to Sam
"Morning? Dude, it's nearly afternoon! Sleep enough?" Sam teased his older brother.
"Sam. Some of us need our beauty sleep uninterrupted you know man" Dean said in reply to Sam's implied criticism.
Sam blushed red at the reminder of his waking just about the entire household late last night. He knew that everyone understood, but Sam hateds making a fuss. Dean, knowing what was going through his brother's head at that moment, chuckled. Sam feeling all embarrassed was not a Sam that was going to pick on him because he over slept. Man, Dean thought, he was so good!!!
"So Sam," Dean asked, "What have you found to undo these Shadow things mumbo jumbo chant?"
"Well," Sam replied, "I was going to make up a chant in Latin but then I remembered one in Dad's journal and it just seemed so appropriate. It calls on the demons and evil spirits to flee, so that anything unclean or evil will flee from the sound; it even dispels the schemes of the evil suckers!!!" Sam looked at Dean smiling in pleasure.
Dean laughed; his younger brother looked like a cat that had got the canary! "Sounds good Sammy, you think it covers all that's necessary?" Dean asked.
"Well, there is another bit that I might add onto this one, it calls on the powers of the Christian Trinity and asks that they make all evil flee. I figured it would add a bit of extra oomph to the chant?" Sam answered little anxiously.
"Hey Sammy you're the book nerd geek boy, you know I could never get my mind around this kinda stuff," Dean answered giving Sam the unquestioning assurance that he was asking for.
"Dean, dude, do you have any idea how that used to drive dad up the wall? Man, he used to get so mad at you cos you couldn't say these words!" Sam reminisced.
Dean grimaced, remembering his dad's angry words as his older son just could not pronoun the wording of chants in Latin. Dean cocked his head as another memory came to mind. The picture bubbled up, and in his mind's eye Dean saw his dad standing in front of him shouting, and Sam sitting on the couch, this big book in his hands, reading out the words that Dean could not pronounce. Dean realised that Sam had the same smirk on his face then, that Sam had had this morning. Dean groaned at the memory, he had been about eleven, meaning Sam would have been seven. Damn, Dean thought, Sam was a clever little guy right from the start. Dean came back to present with a start to see Sam's puzzled face in front of him.
"Dean," Sam queried," You all right bro'?"
"Yeah, no problems Sammy," Dean said, refusing to be drawn any further down the path and into the land of memories.
Sam didn't seem very reassured, and Dean worrying that a chick flick moment was about to emerge from Sam, turned around and walked off into the kitchen, muttering about coffee.
Walking into the kitchen Dean found Josh leaning on the unit frowning worriedly. Dean hesitated; not wanting to interrupt Josh's train of thought. Josh looked up and saw Dean hesitating and guessed what he was thinking.
"Coffee, Dean?" Josh offered, having learnt that Dean needed at least 2 strong large mugs of coffee to kick start his day.
"Yeah, please Josh" Dean answered. "Do you think we got it covered?" Dean asked Josh, bringing both their minds back to the matter at hand.
Leaning back on the cupboards, Josh and Dean went over the hunt details, again, trying to find any holes in them, any way that their siblings could possibly get hurt. Neither of the men wanted to endure the pain of seeing and feeling their siblings get hurt. They had already endured that way too often and neither like the feelings of failure they produced in themselves, so they endeavoured to cover all the loop holes they could possibly think of.
The day passed slowly for Dean. He soon got sick of hearing Sam repeat the chant time after time after time. Dean knew that Sam wanted to embed the chant in his mind, so that even if something happened to himself or the book, he would be able to call to mind the chant in a mini second. By evening, Dean found that he could actually remember most of the chant himself.
Dean had seen Jenny, Mael and Stevie coming into the house at different times during the day and had had quick chats to them all, although Dean smirked to himself, chats with Stevie tended to be a bit one sided, and was more of a game of charades then anything else.
Matt had been busy that day preparing the first aid kit. Dean had given it a quick glance the first day they had arrived, and then the following day he had actually asked to see it again. Dean was impressed with the quality of the kit, and it reassured him, knowing that Matt was a profoundly natural and well taught medic. Dean privately remembered his chat with Matt, and Matt's confession of how when his mother had been killed, he was 3 years into a doctors degree. He had however, pulled out of his schooling and come home to help his family, becoming for them, the difference between life and death.
Dean wandered around, feeling at a loose end, having already cleaned all their weapons, twice. In the end Dean went into the kitchen and began nosing through the food cupboards, planning to put a meal together for the entire group. Not being a real fancy cook, Dean decided on a barbeque, but as he was rummaging through the freezer for meat his mind wandered back to the hunt, and the remains of the campers. At that point, Dean changed his mind, and decided to find something else for dinner.
The evening passed quietly and everyone retired to bed late being keyed up about the upcoming hunt.
As Dean lay in bed, his mind ran over the details of the hunt, for what felt like the two hundredth time in his mind. Sam had the details of the chant down to a fine art, as did most of the others as they had listened to him repeat it endlessly that day. Jenny had come up trumps, and now every member of the group had their own protection amulet. Dean remembered Stevie's bright eyes as Jenny presented him with his own amulet nearly identical to Sam's. Dean knew it was a well-needed reassurance for Stevie, and Dean was quite surprised that Jenny had managed to find the time to make it amidst of all the other preparations. The Tinkerbelle powder, as everyone had taken to calling it, was prepared, and separated into pouches for everyone to have at least one on their bodies, ready for use.
Dean rolled his eyes at his mind, filled with worry over a group of people who he had surprisingly, managed to get quite close to. Dean punched his pillow and sighed deeply, finally clearing his mind in preparation for sleep. His breathing soon slowed down and before he knew it, he was asleep, safe for the moment from the nasties lurking in the dark outside.