WELLDONE jamiekm!
C21
-oOo-
There was a distinct thud and the barmaid's mop cap fell off as her decapitated head hit the ground and rolled three times before coming to a stop lying sideways on. Merrick sheathed his sword and moved over to the Barmaid's head. He got down on one knee and calmly closed the unseeing eyes.
"She won't be giving you any more trouble now. What would you both like to drink? I'm paying. Shall I bring the food menu out with me?"
Still staring at the head, Dean spoke up.
"Double whisky. Medicinal reasons."
"What about you Sam?"
"Just water. Queasy stomach reasons."
-o-
Merrick soon returned with the water.
"Here you go Sam. The barmaid will be out shortly with the other drinks and a menu. Shall we sit ourselves at a table, like gentlemen?"
Sam simply hadn't got it in him right then to wonder at the table which looked as if it had always been there. He wandered slowly over to it and pulled out a chair. Sitting down, he couldn't stop himself from turning to stare at Mopcap's two part corpse. Dean knew his brother well enough not to disturb him whilst he was like this. He recognised that Sam was trying to acclimatise himself to the sudden turn of events. His brother needed some time to reconcile things for himself.
"You don't intend for us to just leave her out here and eat lunch staring at her corpse, surely?"
Sam's query was clearly addressed to Merrick and, for now, Dean was happy to stay quiet. Merrick sensed that it wouldn't take much more to push Sam from shock and anxiety into angry action.
"Sam? Just give it a moment please. I promise you the situation will be dealt with."
-o-
Dean closed his eyes and groaned inwardly. Here we go. Sam fixed his gaze onto Merrick, his eyes narrowing. When Sam spoke, his voice had altered, although he sounded calm, his tone was flat, monotonous.
"I see. And are you planning on sharing just how the...situation...will get dealt with? Oh, and maybe you can recommend something from the menu when it arrives. You know. Something to accompany a side order of fresh corpse?"
Dean managed to catch Merrick's eye very briefly and gave the man a minute shake of his head. Merrick didn't need the warning. Sam was getting ready to blow and, rightly or wrongly, he was the younger man's target. Only Dean turned to look when the door to the tavern opened. Slack jawed, he prodded his brother, breaking the hard glare that Sam had continued to direct at Merrick.
"Sammy. Look!"
-o-
Sam duly looked. And looked again.
"What the?"
Jogging in step over the grass came eight Munchkins in a formation of four on either side of the white stretcher they were carrying. They paid no attention at all to the three men sat at the outdoor table.
"Clean up Crew. I asked that you give it a moment. It's not over yet."
Merrick was right.
Pulling up next to Mopcap's body, the Munchins jogged on the spot for a moment, until one who headed up a line of four squeaked out.
"Clean up crew, crew. Desist movement!"
Whilst the rest stood to attention, eyes forward, the squeaker stepped away from his stretcher position and took a look at the corpse. The little chap gave an audible sigh before scanning around, his eyes coming to rest on Mopcap's detached head.
"Ah ha! ha!"
The apparent leader turned to face back to the tavern.
"Crew Two too. Snap, snap to it!"
Fascinated, Sam and Dean watched as a further pair of Munchkins emerged at a dignified jog out of the tavern building holding something between them. The lead Munchkin pointed a finger at the head of the barmaid.
"Crew Two to disengaged, disengaged item! ... On my count Crew One, Crew One and Crew two too, retrieve. My, my count!"
Like a well oiled machine, the two crews each moved to their designated body part and, with some puffing and panting, Crew One managed to get the longer stretcher under Mopcap's body, leaving Crew Two to reverently lift her head and place it on to their one foot square stretcher, thereafter both crews stood patiently awaiting their next command. The leader returned to take up his position back at the longer stretcher.
"Crew One, Crew Two, two. Perambulate!"
Again keeping perfectly in step with each other, the Munchkins trooped off back to the tavern and disappeared inside, one returning very briefly to slam the door closed again.
-o-
Merrick didn't know it, but he was witness to an ultra rare moment in the lives of the two Winchester brothers, a moment in which both the Hunters were stunned into speechlessness for a few seconds. Within that same few seconds, the tavern door opened again, and the barmaid scurried out carrying a tray bearing drinks and a hand written menu. She gave her three gentlemen customers a beaming smile from under her mop cap.
"Lord and a lawks. Would you just take a look at yourselves now? It's fair overcome I is to have three such fine looking sirs grace this old Travellinn. I swear-dee-do I mayhap come over quaite faint! A dheli-kate rosy flush just maite happear sans face. I do declare I do! I'll wager each one of all of you see someone wet and juicy you fancy. Be I right? Be I? Oooo, lummy! Dids you ear meself? Wet and juicy says I! B'aint I a naughty girl sirs? I really yam, b'ain't I?"
The barmaid looked the same, she spoke in the same dumb and irritating way, yet she seemed to have no recollection of having met any of the three men before. Dean leaned over and gently banged his forehead on the table top three or four times, exactly as he had after meeting Mopcap for the very first time.
-oOo-