Disclaimer: If I buy stock in WB or CBS (50/50 ownership of CW), do I own them then?
A/N: (Anyone else having problems updating for the past couple of days? This has actually been ready to go for over a day but the site wouldn't let me upload.) Anyway, yeah, I know I'm behind. Mostly because the ankle that I had surgery on was beginning to bother me where the plate and screws are. (I have a plate and 8 screws in my ankle – going through the x-ray machine at the airport is SO much fun! Guess if they hassle me I'll just show them my fun surgery scars!) So I've been taking a small amount of vicadin again. Bad side effect though is that it makes me drowsy. So the chapter isn't quite as long as the past few. And a lot of it is Sam's dream. But pay close attention because Sam finally begins to get a clue. Slight warning for language at the end and probably in the next chapter too. Please R&R!
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Sam breathed a sigh of relief, mixed with some trepidation. He was back in the fog, so he knew he was dreaming, but still hadn't seen anyone after wandering around, and his sense of direction was completely lost. He'd tried calling out for Josie or Tasha, but hadn't received an answer. In fact, the silence was deafening.
As he continued to walk, not knowing what else to do, he saw the fog change to a darker version before him as it had done before. He stopped, hesitating before entering the black mist. He had a feeling the silence wasn't going to last once he stepped inside. He considered turning around, but knew he wouldn't get any answers staying where he was. Taking a deep breath, he took the last few steps forward.
The change was immediate. Sam dropped to the ground, covering his ears, as the voices crying out around him began rising to an unbearable level. It was to the point where he couldn't hear his own thoughts. Instinctively he just wanted to get away, but as he looked around, he couldn't tell from which direction he had come. It was as though a wall had gone up, not allowing him to escape.
After awhile, he heard someone faintly calling his name, but he couldn't focus on where the sound was coming from with all the voices still surrounding him. A few seconds later, he heard it again, and it sounded slightly louder. As that one voice became stronger, the others seemed to fade slightly. He dared to look up and saw what he had been hoping for. Josie was walking towards him. She dropped down beside him and touched his arm.
"Sam, concentrate on my voice only, okay? It will help."
Sam tried, and as she continued to softly speak to him, he noticed that while the other voices weren't gone, they weren't overwhelming him anymore. He didn't know how she was doing it, but he was grateful. He didn't know how much time he would have here, and needed to spend the time finding answers, not curled up in a ball trying to avoid this place and the overwhelming cries for help.
Sam tried to ignore the others for now. "Josie, I need help."
A cloud came over her eyes and she dropped down to his level. "I know, I'm sorry. I've been watching. I'm not sure how much I can help, but I'll do whatever I can." She brought out her hand and he took it, both of them rising to their feet.
Sam looked around. "What's going on here? What is this place?"
"That's kind of hard to explain, Sam." She sighed, and ran a hand through her hair. "It's different for me than them." She gestured widely, and he realized immediately she meant the other voices, with the people he couldn't see. "You could say we're all trapped here though, one way or another. Our own personal little hell. One that the demon put us in."
"What happened? Why are you here?" Sam was lost. Josie didn't seem like the type of person to end up here.
Josie looked down. "I did something. Something I probably shouldn't have done, but I didn't think I had any other choice."
Understanding came fast for Sam. "This has to do with Tasha, doesn't it?"
She nodded. "I knew she was dying. I had tried everything the doctors had offered, and even everything they hadn't." She looked down. "One day I got a call from a woman I had never met, but she said she knew about my situation. She told me of a different way I could cure my daughter, but it would be dangerous for others. I was so wrapped up in my own grief, I didn't care. All I could think about was that anything was okay as long as Tasha would be healthy." She looked back up and Sam saw the tears welling up in her eyes. "I swear though, I never thought any of this would happen. But I know now I'm responsible for all the people you hear suffering around you. And now for Dean's death as well." Her tears began to fall freely.
Sam thought Josie must be confused. "Josie, it's okay. Dean's not dead. I think he got just knocked around a little. My brother has gone through much worse things, believe me." He put a hand on her arm, thinking to comfort her.
He wasn't expecting her reaction. She looked at him, wide-eyed. As if she couldn't believe what he had just said. Then she looked sick as she realized he really didn't know. "Oh God, Sam, you don't understand. Dean isn't…he doesn't…what he did…."
"Spit it out, would you!" Sam was exasperated and beginning to get a little scared. "What the hell was that demon and what did he do to my brother?"
Josie looked miserable. "I can't tell you what he is. It's part of the curse he put on me here. But you already know who he is."
Sam had just about reached the limit of his frustration. "No, I don't! He just gave me the fake name that he was using in his human form. I have no idea what he was and I need to find out so I can stop him!"
Josie just looked at him. "C'mon Sam, think. Didn't you feel something when he told you his name?"
Sam slowly nodded. "Well, yeah, it just felt…wrong. I knew it wasn't his name, even before I knew he was a demon, but I still felt like I should know it somehow."
Josie nodded enthusiastically. "If you can figure out why, you will know most of what you need to do. I wish I could tell you, but I am bound by his rules here. He only lets me talk to you because it amuses him. I think he actually wants you to figure it out." Suddenly she looked behind her, and became nervous. "I have to go."
"No, wait!" Sam exclaimed. "I still need to know about Dean. And…why are you here? Why is Tasha not here with you?"
Josie looked anxious but answered. "What I did – it affected Tasha but it wasn't her choice. Because of it, he has little power over her after death. He can't hurt her, but he can still keep her here. I haven't been able to see her, but I know she's there." She lowered her voice. "The others here…" she bit her lip. "I brought him here, so it amuses him to keep me, remind me of what I've done. But the others he killed and brought here - he tortures them without end until they offer up their souls to him to end their torment. It's what he really wants; it feeds his power somehow. If you can't figure out how to stop him, it will be like this forever". She looked at him directly. "And you and Dean will be separated here exactly as Josie and I are." She paused briefly. "Except Dean will be with the others."
Sam woke up, and felt a cold fear come over him as he remembered Josie's last words. He looked over at Dean, and felt a small measure of comfort as he watched him evenly breathe in and out. He's fine, Sam told himself. He's right here, alive, not in some psycho demon hell. Sam could talk to himself all he wanted, but he knew in the back of his mind that something had happened to Dean, and he needed to find out what and fix it, before his fears became reality. For both of them.
He looked over at the clock, and saw with disgust that it was barely 3am. Well, I got a few hours at least this time. He got up quietly, trying not to wake Dean up. As he stood up, he noted with relief that he was having a better day, as his headache was not as bad as the previous morning. Well, middle of the night at least. He just felt a pain on one side. He could handle that, he knew. He had survived much worse. He tried to put it out of his mind and get to work.
As he moved past Dean's bed towards the computer, Dean raised his head slightly, squinting at him. "Sam?" Dean's voice was slightly slurred with sleep. "Wha'cha doing? You okay?"
"Just going to the bathroom," Sam lied. "Go back to sleep."
"Kay," Dean murmured, and dropped his head back to his pillow.
Sam watched him carefully for a minute, not moving until he heard the unmistakable sound of light snoring. Then he moved silently over to the computer he'd left on the desk, and prepared to do some more research.
Two hours later, he closed his eyes in frustration. He was no further along than he had been, and still had no idea what they were dealing with. He looked down at his notes, and saw the name the demon had given him again. Ed Wonmish. He stared at it for awhile. Why do I feel like it means something else? He started doodling notes around it. Anything he could think of. He drew a line from the name to the word 'demon' he written elsewhere. Connected Josie and Tasha to it. Then himself and Dean.Looking at the page again, hesighed Eyes blurry from a lack of sleep, he yawned and rubbed his eyes. As he did so, the letters became something else in his mind and the connections made more sense.
Suddenly wide awake, he quickly pulled out their dad's journal and flipped through the pages. He found what he was looking for quickly and scanned the notes, reaffirming what he already guessed. But this shouldn't mean anything, he told himself. Neither one of us...shit. He looked over at the bed. Dean.
His heart sunk as he looked over at his sleeping brother. "God, Dean," he whispered quietly. "What the hell did you do?" He sat back and waited. Different possibilities ran through his head, none of them good. When his brother woke up, they were going to have a long, hard talk.
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A/N: Kudos to anyone who figured out the name thing before Sam did. And yes, I know I haven't told you what it is, but for anyone that isn't sure, it will be confirmed in the next chapter, where both brothers should figure out what is really going on. Somehow I don't think they are going to agree on what should be done at that point. But I'll be happier because I prefer chapters where the brothers are interacting. I just had to get past this point. Anyway, hope you liked! Please review and let me know! Thanks!