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Dream Slayer

Chapter three

Stacey's eyes filled up with tears and she spoke with a shaky voice.

"I heard Tom screaming that night. I figured he was having another nightmare and went to wake him up. And …and I opened his door…" Stacey started to cry and couldn't continue.

Dean reached out and took her hand.

"Just take it easy Stacey, take your time."

She nodded and waited till she could compose herself.

"I saw him…I saw him hanging in the air…He was…He was covered in blood, he was being ripped to shreds." She put her hands over her face and began sobbing.

Dean glanced at Sam then back at Stacey. He squeezed her hand.

"I know it's hard to talk about this, but could you see what was hurting him?"

"No." She shook her head and wiped at her eyes. "He was just hanging there screaming…"

"Then what happened?" Sam asked.

"He kept screaming, he was in so much pain. And then he just fell down across the bed. But after he fell on the bed …all the blood and marks disappeared. It looked like he was just sleeping, but he was dead. I told my family what I saw but …" She looked down sadly and shook her head. "But they didn't believe me. Who would? The blood was all gone and there wasn't a mark on him."

"We believe you Stacey." Sam said gently.

"And we appreciate you telling us what happened." Dean added.

"Oh thank you, I'm so glad someone…."

Suddenly the quiet of the diner was interrupted.

"I thought I told you two to leave my sister alone!" Joe shouted as he and three of his friends entered the diner.

"Please Joe, they don't mean no harm." Stacey said.

"You go home!" Joe said as he roughly pulled her out of the booth and pushed her toward the door.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Sam said as he and Dean both stood up.

"You don't tell me what to do boy!" The man struck out and hit Sam in the throat. He fell to his knees, one hand on the floor the other up to his throat gasping for air.

Dean dropped to the floor beside his brother and checked on him. When Sam finally nodded that he would be okay, Dean stood up and turned to Joe.

"Why don't we take this outside?" Dean glared at Joe.

"Can't your brother fight his own battles?"

"Not when he doesn't know its coming. Now I on the other hand am fully aware that you're a coward and only strike when the person has no idea he's about to be attacked."

"Why you little…" Joe threw a punch at Dean who ducked and countered with a blow to Joe's face. Blood poured from his nose and he sank to his knees.

Just then the diner's manager walked over.

"I've already called the cops and I don't want any of you starting trouble on my property. I want you all out of here now!"

"We'll meet again." Joe said as he grabbed some napkins off the table and held them up to his nose then spun and stormed out of the diner with his three friends following.

"I'm counting on it." Dean yelled to his back. Once they had left, he helped Sam to his feet. He was still having a little difficulty catching his breath.

"You okay Bro?" Dean asked as he gently took his brother's hand away from his throat and examined it. A purple bruise was already forming across it. "Damn him. He could have killed you." Dean muttered as he glanced out the window and watched as Joe drove away.

"I'm fine." Sam managed to get out. "I just didn't see it coming."

"That's the second time that jerk blindsided you." Deaq said smiling as he patted his brother on the back. "You're losing your touch Sammy."

"Yeah well, it won't happen again."

"Just watch your back. I don't think we've seen the last of him."

"Yeah, I think he might come after you. You took him down in front of his friends, he's not going to like that."

Later back at the motel room

Dean sat on one bed looking through their father's journal while Sam lay on the other bed staring at the ceiling holding an ice pack to his throat.

"You know from what Stacey told us we're definitely dealing with a Dream Slayer." Dean said.

"Sure sounds that way."

"Dad has in here that a Dream Slayer will mark his victims with a faded red X on their forehead a few hours before he kills them." Dean looked over at Sam and breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't see an X on his forehead. "You know Sammy, I don't like this. If this thing does come after you, it could kill you."

"It's Sam, and you're here to see that doesn't happen."

"But what if I can't? What if holy water isn't enough?"

"It's what Dad killed the last one with…. It's all we got Dean."

"What if I can't wake you up? What if this thing kills you before…"

"Dean, we have to try this or this thing is going to kill more people. We're the only ones that know how to stop it."

"Well I still don't have to like it."

Sam gave a little laugh.

"No, I guess you don't." Sam turned on the TV then began switching channels trying to find something to watch. He stopped on the movie Nightmare on Elm St. and watched as Freddy Krueger shredded one of his victims in his sleep.

"Do you have to watch that?" Dean said as he watched Freddy peel the skin off of his victim. He shook his head and turned away, fully aware that the same thing could happen to his brother.

Sam turned off the TV.

"Hey, I'm going to go get some burgers. There's a sandwich shop down the street. Do you want something?"

"I'll go, you should stay off that ankle for a while."

"It's fine. If I sit around it'll tighten up on me, besides I need to get some air."

"Well then take the car." Dean tossed Sam the keys.

Sam caught them and put them on the table by the door.

"It's only two blocks away."

"Well, it looks like it's going to rain."

"I'll be back before it does…Do you want anything or are we going to go back and forth like this all night? I'm hungry."

"Okay, bring me back a cheeseburger."

"Onions, ketchup, and mustard?"

"You got it."

Sam left the motel and headed for the sandwich shop while Dean continued studying their dad's journal.

Down the street Joe and his friends watched as Sam left the motel. They had followed them after they left the diner.

"Too bad it's not the other one. He's the one I really want. But his brother will have to do."

"You know Joe if you go after his brother again he's really going to be pissed. Why don't we just wait till he comes out? He's the one you want anyway."

"I'll deal with him later. Right now his brother will do just fine."

They followed Sam to the shop and waited for him to come out.

By the time he came out it had started to rain heavily. He put the burgers under his jacket, pulled up his collar, and started for home. As he past an alley way a blow to the back of his head knocked him unconscious. He never felt himself being dragged into the alley or the blows and kicks that rained down on him.

TBC