Chapter Sixteen
"Hello Dean. So good to finally come face to face." The sinister, cold voice was disturbing to Dean but the external facade of this evil was so unexpected.
He was a short, bald, middle-aged nothing of a man: the kind of man no one notices; the kind of man that just hangs around unseen and unheard. He was the closest thing to invisible while still having a corporeal existence. Yet, Dean sensed this was not their first meeting. He knew this man, but he couldn't place him until it occurred to him, this was the school janitor.
"What have you done to Sam?" Dean demanded.
"He's mine. I control him. I am more powerful than you can imagine. Don't try to fight me Dean. I will win. I will have my fun."
"But he's wearing the amulet. You can't do this." Dean tried to wrap his mind around this disturbing turn of events.
"Dean, Dean. I'm sorry to disappoint you but that amulet doesn't work on Sammy. It won't stop me."
"But it worked before. What did you do? What kind of evil bastard are you?" Dean was furious with this evil and would choke him to death with his bare hands if not for the restraint the control in his mind exerted over his actions.
"Dean, let's be civilized and I'll explain everything. No, the amulet didn't work on Sam before. I just let you believe it did. I do so like my games. The amulet only works for you, Dean. Once it was placed on your neck it was your protection charm, no one else's."
"But why did you let us kill Stevens. Why did you wait all this time letting us think it was over?"
"It's my game. I had no loyalty to Stevens. And Dean, you're worth waiting for. You were pretty depleted. I just gave you time to recharge your energy. I want you at your prime."
"You gave me your word Sam wouldn't be harmed." Dean knew that sounded desperate and naïve but it was worth a shot.
"Dean, little secret. I said I'm a man of my word. Guess what? I'm not a man. You really should know better. I can't be trusted. I'm evil." A sinister smirk slowly rolled up the corners of Evil's mouth.
"So, what's your game? What do you want?" Dean thought he knew the answer but he might as well keep Evil talking, buying time so he could develop a strategy.
"Dean, I plan on plunging you into a bottomless pit of despair and feasting on your unfathomable misery. You will beg me to end it but I will only extent your torment with a vengeance. As I told you before I control this game." Evil dramatically explained as he relished his power over the young Winchester.
"Yeah, yeah. I got it. You control the vertical, you control the horizontal. You know you're boring me with all your gloating. Why not release Sam and I'm all yours."
"Dean, I'm disappointed. You really don't get it. Your greatest pain comes from Sammy's pain." Evil smiled a chilling, sinister grin, his thin pale lips curling up to reveal crooked, yellowed teeth.
Dean felt absolute panic as overwhelming terror cascaded down to the depths of his soul. He could endure these nightmares, he even welcomed them if it would protect his brother, but he couldn't stand by and watch Sammy descend into hell. He had to find a way to stop this evil son of a bitch. He was desperate as he turned to his unresponsive brother.
"Sammy, wake up. Fight this. Stay with me." Dean pleaded for his brother to snap out of it, all the while knowing it was hopeless to think Sam would have any more power over this evil than he had wielded.
"Dean, you're wasting your time. He's all mine." Evil sneered.
Evil was so confident in its power to control the Winchester brothers it had not even bothered to remove the gun Sam had stuffed in his belt: the gun with the silver bullets he had decided to arm himself with just in case.
Dean struggled to overcome the control Evil exerted over his actions. He was conscious and not experiencing any alteration of reality, he just couldn't control his actions. Evil kept him confined in a virtual prison. It almost seemed like the more he struggled the tighter Evil's hold became. He decided to relax and stop fighting until he had a chance at success.
Sam lay down on the cot and closed his eyes. Dean couldn't abide the thought of Sammy experiencing his dreams but he knew he couldn't surrender that information to this evil creature.
"So Dean, tell me. What nightmare should Sammy have?" The taunting voice inquired.
Dean desperately tried to sidetrack Evil.
"Ah, let's see. Oh, I know. How about the vampire nightmare. Did you know Sammy is terrified of vampires? Yeah, or that poltergeist in Newport? Man, Sam didn't sleep for a week after that one. I tell you that brother of mine, sometimes I wonder if he was switched at the hospital or something. Just doesn't seem to have the hunter blood in him."
"Dean, I think I know what nightmare Sammy should have. I think he finally wants the answer to what happened to his mom that night." Evil was enjoying the build up to his torment. He was salivating at the thought of Dean's anguish.
Dean tried to hide his emotions. He put on his best poker face and raised the bet, even though he didn't have a pair of deuces.
"Oh, that dream? Whatever. He's heard it so many times it won't even faze him. He doesn't even remember Mom. But whatever floats your boat." Dean bluffed.
"Dean you don't fool me. You're terrified of him having that nightmare. I can sense it."
"Well, you better recheck your radar there buddy cause you're not even close." Dean felt himself gaining momentum. He was starting to believe himself. All those years of fabricating stories was going to be worth it if he could pull this one off.
"OK Dean. I'll play along. We'll start with the vampire nightmare and build to our climax." Evil consented.
Sammy was asleep on the cot and his eyes started to move under his lids.
He felt his ribs exploding as the vampires threw him against the wall. The head vampire aimed the crossbow at him and fired. The arrow entered his left shoulder and impaled him to the wall. He tried to pull the arrow out, but the head was securely embedded in the wall. The evil vampire laughed as Dean struggled to break free.
"How does it feel hunter?" The vamp sneered at Dean.
Dean knew if he didn't act fast he would be dead. The pain was intense but he forced himself to slide his shoulder forward on the arrow. He grabbed the shaft of the arrow and held it firmly as he used all the leverage he could manage to snap the arrow between his shoulder and the wall. He fell to the ground as the next arrow struck where his heart had been.
Sammy grabbed at his left shoulder as his face contorted and Dean knew he must be dreaming his arrow impaling incident. He was relieved Evil was content to draw out his game, but he still felt pain for his brother experiencing any of these nightmares. This gave him more time, but he still didn't know how he was going to overcome the control Evil had over his actions.
Dad grabbed the shaft of the arrow and quickly pulled it out as blood started to spurt. He plunged the hot steel rod into Dean's shoulder to seal the wound and the pain was excruciating. The smell of his own burning flesh was nauseating and he wondered if he could survive this torment. His body tensed and thrashed against his bindings, muffled screams escaped from his clenched mouth.
The pain was unbearable; he couldn't understand why he hadn't passed out yet. The hot metal was burning his flesh, searing his very soul, but still he was conscious. His fever was causing delirium and he thought he saw his mom. Mommy, wait for me. Mommy, don't go. Mommy, please don't die.
Sammy was frantically tossing on the cot, and then the words Dean hoped to never hear escaped from his mouth, "Mommy, wait for me. Mommy, don't go. Mommy, please don't die." Sammy was choking back tears as he cried out to his mom.
Dean took a step closer to comfort his brother and he felt Evil's hold in his mind pulling him back.
"Please, just let me show Sam I'm here. That he's not alone." Dean begged.
"Does it hurt you to see him endure your pain? To know that you are responsible for his suffering?" Evil jeered.
"Why are you asking? Can't you feel my emotions?" Dean countered, pulling back his emotions and holding them close to his vest.
"They're not as strong as I thought they would be. Perhaps you don't love your brother as much as you profess."
Somehow that was exactly what Dean needed to hear. Maybe he was successfully masking his emotions. He was concentrating all his energy into not revealing the torment he was in watching Sammy suffer. If this evil couldn't fully sense his anguish then maybe he could fight this. Maybe he could overcome its control.
Dean inched closer to his brother. He was almost within grasp of the amulet when he heard a commotion from outside the room.