Disclaimer: Sad to say, I own nothing Supernatural.
Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews! A quick note, some ppl were confused by the whole Ellicot possessing Dean thing...that was part of the first challenge (what if Dean was the one possessed instead of Sam?) , I just didn't want to break the narrative by doing a whole flashback thingy. But, yeah, I could see how it might have been confusing. Although, a great big woohoo for Catalyst for figuring it out! And to respond to Ty's post...yup, eventually the boys will hit the strip. But first, some fluff.
Dean's POV:
It's probably nothing. Really. Sammy's right, kids have active imaginations. Totally. I mean, what could it be anyway? Sal and Jake know what to look for, or listen for, in the way of ghosts. I told them all about being on the lookout for flickering lights or cold spots or…sounds of scratching. Yeah, yeah, could be something.
Maybe the kid's attracted some kind of poltergeist. Just hasn't fully manifested yet. Or even a demonic presence. Huh. I know how to test for that in a person, you know, like with possession and all, but under a bed? I wonder if Sam knows.
"Hey, Sammy!" Nothing. I lean out the door and look over the railing. He's still sitting in front of the TV, the bum. Looking confused too. Dude, they're cartoons, what could you possibly not understand? Kids who can't even wipe their own snotty noses understand them. Babies who crap themselves, hell, freaking vegetables laying in the…vegetable ward at the hospital get it. So sad. "Sammy!"
He looks up at me and snorts. "Busy!" Jerk.
Ah, well, screw it. I think I can handle a little scratching under the bed on my own. Now then…what else could it be? Demon's a maybe. We'll put poltergeist on hold right now. Something small. Like a Leprechaun.
"Why are you laughing?"
Too many Lucky Charms. "Just thinking about something funny."
"What?"
"Nothing, kid. Just some joke I heard."
"What kind of joke?" What is this, the Spanish Inquisition? Hey, witches, could be witches. Tiny, tiny witches. Lucky they never set her bed on fire with their tiny little bubbling cauldron. "What kind of joke?" Well, she's insistent.
"Grown up joke. You wouldn't understand." I turn away and bend down, get on my hands and knees and…was that just a sigh, an indignant little sigh? I shake my head and try to ignore her.
"I have a joke, you wanna hear?" Not really. "Two mushrooms walk into a bar – "
"What do you know about bars?"
"I know what they are. Duh, we have cable." I shake my head and get lower, lift up the ruffly thing on the bed and try to get a peek. "Anyway," she says all annoyed, "two mushrooms walk into a bar. And one mushroom turns…wait, no. One mushroom…" Oh God, now I know why this kid's bugging me so much, she's Sammy, just midgeterized.
"Do you know where a flashlight is, Callie?" She looks at me funny for a minute, like I just asked her if she knew how juggle knives or eat fire or something. Man, I always wanted to learn how to eat fire. Then she moves past me and grabs a little pink flashlight off her desk, hands it to me and starts up again.
"And he asks the lady to dance and she says no and he says, 'why not, I'm a fun guy'." Good Lord, does she have some crap under here. "Get it?" Clothes, like a dozen balled up socks. "I'm a fun guy. A fungi. Cause he's a mushroom." A doll. Eww, no, just the head of a doll. Weirdo. "Do you even know what a mushroom is?" And what the hell is that? "Hello!"
"What?" Ow! Stupid bed, not moving when I jerk up my head. Dude, that hurt. "What?" I ask again, looking at the little girl with her hands on her hips. She's raising her eyebrow at me like she expecting something, so I shoot her the same expression.
"Were you even listening?"
"No, sorry," I say, rubbing my head.
"It's not nice to ignore people." Just what I need from a kid who keeps severed heads under her bed, a lesson in morals.
"I know. I'm sorry."
"It's okay," she sighs. "Did you see him?"
"Nah, nothing."
"I think he might be invisible." Or he might just be buried alive under all this crap.
"You think?" She shrugs and gets down with me, looks under but comes back up shrugging again. "Well," I say, reaching my arm back in and grabbing hold of what I hope is a sock, "maybe if we clear some of this stuff out we can get a better look." I start sweeping things out and she moves around the floor collecting them.
"Hey, my sandal," she says all cheery.
"Let me guess, you've been looking for that?" She nods and I can't help but smile at how excited she is over a damn shoe. But I guess that's how it is with lost things. Even when it's something small, even when you've moved on, bought a new pair or whatever. Even if you forgot all about that lost…shoe, as soon as you find again you can't help but be relieved. Like a piece of your world just fell back into place.
"See him yet?"
I can't see a damn thing. "Nope." How did I get roped into this anyway? Cleaning out a kid's room? This is…what the…
SCREEEEEEEEEECH!
Oh, fuck! That was definitely not a sock!