AN: This story was partly written before my muse ever wandered off after a bunny belonging to a creative soul with the user name if Bell1408. Musette forced me to follow her (the result of which is a story called Euphemism). So the first several chapters are written and will be dumped on you in very short order. Honestly, I'm the writer version of a cluster bomb.You've been warned.
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307 years later
"A house that eats people?" Dean asked.
Sam nodded, unable to tell if Dean was incredulous, fascinated, or somewhere in between because he was talking around a big mouthful of pad thai. For all he'd complained about Sam's choice of restaurant, Dean was eating like it was going out of style.
"A house that eats people?" he asked again, and this time Dean's mouth was empty enough that Sam could tell that it was excitement in his voice. Weirdo, he thought affectionately.
Sam went in for the kill. "And get this: the house is ancient, but people swear there wasn't anything there before. One morning, the empty field suddenly had a really old looking house in it. And as far as I can find, nobody has ever done anything with the field, like they hadn't even noticed it. The township is trying to establish who owns it, but no luck so far."
The intrigued look on Dean's face told Sam that he'd won. "Why would an invisible house become visible and start eating people?"
"Could be someone broke whatever enchantment or spell was making it invisible. Maybe by accident. Or whoever was doing it just died. Or it just wore off." Sam shrugged. "I don't know."
"And the eating people?"
Sam shrugged again, hiding his grin at Dean's excitement. Nobody loved hunting like his brother. "I don't know yet. Wanna check it out?"
"Hell, yeah!"
WINCHESTER * WINCHESTER
"What did the laptop do to offend you?" Dean asked, toweling off his hair. Sam was scowling at the thing like it had finished the coffee. Speaking of…Dean took a long drink of the coffee Sam had set on his nightstand. His brother's caffeine habit was very convenient, because he always picked up some for Dean too.
"Someone else disappeared. A 35-year-old woman named Sarah Dwyer. Her assistant said she might have gone to take a look at the house, but she wasn't sure. Her husband went to the press with the story because he feels like the police haven't done enough to look for her." His shoulders slumped and Dean just knew his brother was blaming himself.
"She was visiting the hungry house? When did she disappear?" Dean wanted to know. He took another long drink. Sam, like him, could drink any kind of coffee any time, but damn did he know where to find the good stuff.
"Um…four days ago."
"Well before we even realized there was a case. Stop feeling guilty for something you couldn't have prevented."
Sam gave Dean a gimlet-eyed stare. "Get out of my head, man. It's creepy."
"I will get out," responded Dean instantly, tossing the wet towel at his brother's head and grinning when Sam caught it without looking up. "It's too freaky in there."
"Shut up," Sam groused in mock irritation, throwing the towel back. "How much more time do you need to get ready?"
Dean looked at his watch and shook his head. Eight o'clock in the morning, and Sam had been up long enough to take a shower, get coffee, and pack them both up. "When are you going to get the memo that hunting is as nocturnal gig? It's not natural for me to be up this early."
Sam was unsympathetic. "A three-syllable word? Yeah, you're awake enough." He closed the laptop and slid it into his bag, then headed for the door, ignoring the one-finger salute Dean sent his way. Sighing loudly and resisting the temptation to throw something significantly more damaging than a towel at his not sleeping, driven brother, Dean followed.
WINCHESTER * WINCHESTER
Sarah didn't remember where she was or how she got there, but she remembered that she was scared. Really scared. Scared, stuck, and alone. She wanted her mommy. She cried, and it felt like she'd been crying forever.
But then she forgot that, too.
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muffinroo: I can promise the weirdness will continue! I'm glad you like Philomena...she's fun to write. I love your insight!
Scealai: You always make me smile! I'm working on patching that wall. I hope you keep enjoying it!
Jenjoremy: Well, look at you. Intriguing insight but no comment on that yet. *grin*
