The Supernatural World of Vladimir and Viktor, Chapter 60

Jill and Sam sat at a table in one corner of the lounge in the Vam San each browsing their own smart phone. In an overstuffed chair nearby, Andros was in a sleepy stupor as a result of overeating during the celebration. Brothers Joseph and Hank were playing at the pool table.

"Found her trail," muttered Jill. "Binghamton, New York. Erie, Pennsylvania; that's where the spy came from. Lagrange, Indiana. Similar report of a body with a huge bite out of the it and all of the blood and organs sucked out."

"So, she's probably already in Chicago," said Sam. "Any reports from there?"

"No, but her spy said he was to look for her on 64th Street. Find the link into property transfers with a 64th Street address. Could be through the recorder's office or on GIS."

"Mmm. Of course..."

"Are we going to Chicago, then?" mumbled Andros.

"Yes," said Jill. "We need to end this before it starts. Where's Dean?"

"Out in the dining room with Vlad and Vik."

"Wonder if we should ask Daniel to come along," mused Sam.

"He's busy for a while," said Andros.

Then Andros jumped up excited, "Hey! Speaking of." He muttered an incantation and a large gold coin appeared over the table.

"Daniel gave it to me. Make it spin and everyone who sees it falls asleep. We loaded up the closet with the coin, a sword, a circular saw blade, a bag of marbles... My stuff on the top shelf and room on the bottom, so Daniel and I can call for anything in there and both use them for ourselves. We couldn't keep his snipping creature in the closet because it's alive and we've seen what happens to living creatures. Uh, and no hedge apples; they rot. But then, they are one of the few things I can call without the sigils."

Dean reached over Andros' shoulder and snatched the coin.

"So, can I call them?" he asked.

"You will need to know the incantation," Andros explained. "And you need to have been the last to touch the object while it's in the closet for the magic to respond to you. I could put your Colt and blade in there..."

He heard a 'click' sound behind him and saw Jill and Sam slump back asleep in their chairs. He did not have to turn around to know that he would see the coin spinning on the pool table and that Dean and everyone around the table would be asleep. He called the coin back to the closet and waited for everyone to wake up.

Anica approached and surveyed the situation.

"What happened here?" she demanded.

"Good food?" Andros replied sheepishly, and settled back in his comfy chair.

"Like herding blind children through a glass shop," she muttered to herself.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then returned to the dining room where residents were looking for their own faces on Vladimir and Viktor's banner for Hank. The enthusiasm was infectious and soon she was looking for herself in the panorama.

The woman carrying glasses of blue liquid on a tray had to be Monica. And the two frowning guys running with their knives out would be Dean and Sam. The comical bug wearing a top hat had to be Professor Wogglebug himself. And then there was the large ferocious-looking woman with the long sharp teeth and with claws on her hands.

"Is that me?" Anica asked Vladimir, a bit alarmed.

"Yeah! And that's me beside you!" said Vladimir brightly. "We're protecting the Vam San."

Sure enough, in the picture there was a young boy peering around from behind the woman's dress and making a menacing gesture with the same sharp teeth and claws. And behind them a sleeping dragon puffing smoke.

"Guess where I'm at in the picture," Eddie said, his hands on both boys' shoulders.

Anica looked closer. He should be somewhere near her and the sons.

"Mmm..."

"I'm leaving Vladimir and Viktor here," Eddie said. "I'm taking Dorothy through the tunnel to my place in Montana. She agreed to be groundskeeper. I wanted Castiel to come along so we can see the other dimension, but I haven't seen him. Do you know where he is? He wasn't in Oz and he doesn't respond to phone calls."

"Mmmm. No..."

"Well, keep a watch for him, if you would. Maybe Monica can help. I'm taking Dorothy there right now through the doors in the tunnel. Castiel can take her later when the weather is nicer and you can come, too."

On their way to the tunnel, he heard Joseph in the background saying, "Punkin won the set, your turn at the table Claire."

"You're not letting go of that name any time soon, are you," Claire declared.

"Never! It's too good to let go of."

Castiel stood beside Amazing Bob in Tennessee, looking over Brammerung from the neighboring mountain. The town looked peacefully quiet. Bob's house remained the same although it was now a convenience shop. The bus sat nearby.

"Are you going to miss them?" Castiel asked.

"Deeply," admitted Amazing Bob. "I'm glad I restored the town. I had planned to just sit and be a nobody, but they took me in and made me a part of their group anyway. I think they would love my universe."

"So do you plan to create free-willed beings in you universe?"

"Yes. Now that I've experience companionship, my universe would seem empty without them. I'm sure my universe is amazing. I already have beings that agree with me but that's because I made them that way – like your Creator's angels. But to have a free-willing being look over my creation and say, 'That's amazing, Bob!' would make me satisfied that I did well."

"I know my world is right again now that I've reconnected with my Creator," said Castiel.

"I noticed 'Chuck' had not set well with you," admitted Amazing Bob.

They silently stood and observed the world like only Gods and angels can do, until the sun began to sink behind the mountain.

"Time to go," Amazing Bob announced. "The agreement was I would be here until I learned about humanity, and I have. Now I've released my control over the places in this universe that I resided in. So I am to retreat back into my own universe not to return. I discovered when taking Vladimir and Viktor to the magical realm that there were already barriers they could cross that I could not. I am sure once I leave, there will be a similar barrier to keep me and others like me out of this universe.

"But your ability will not change. You could cross with me and return. Then, I could still be aware what goes on here. Follow me and see my universe, then return when you are ready to come back."

With a final glance at his abode in Brammerung, Amazing Bob disappeared into his universe.

Castiel disappeared, but he did not follow the god of another universe.

He appeared at the Vam San among the revelers and found Anica who was still with the group looking over the banner.

"My wings are black," he told Anica.

"Hmmmm?"

"On the banner. I'm a warrior. My wings should be black. Where's Eddie?"

"We haven't found him yet. He's somewhere in the picture..."

"No. Physically. Where is Eddie physically?"

"With Dorothy at his place in Montana to get her acquainted with the place."

Viktor offered Castiel an artist's brush and a jar of gloss black enamel model paint from his paint kit. Castiel bumbled a bit with the brush and paint in his hands. Having never painted before, he wisely suggested Viktor do it instead.

Then the angel joined in the face search.