Watchful Eye
They sat in the Impala, parking out in front of the dorms, eating sandwiches and fries. Sam, of course, got himself a salad too, which Dean tried not to ask if his little brother was watching his figure. There was just still too much girlie drama at the Maple City College to even get more by teasing Sam.
They were waiting until nightfall, the only time the snake seemed to move around. And, if Sam was correct, would be coming to the dorms. The thing Dean couldn't understand is why it hadn't reached the dorm during the same night. Why did it take so long around the campus? Their research showed it moving quickly.
However, Sam noted that if his sister Hel truly was amongst these young women, that maybe Jormungand had a hard time to single her out, especially if she was having moments of Ghost Whisperer and then forgetting about it.
"Maybe she doesn't remember who she is." Sam said and Dean rolled his eyes.
"Okay, yeah this is a big kick-ass snake, but I'm not buying the mythology aspect." Dean said and Sam just stared at him, as if to say he knew he was right and Dean was eventually going to find out.
All of a sudden, nearly making them jump out of their skins, someone knocked on Sam's window. They turned and saw Veronica bent to better see them, staring at them with a slight smile. Sam rolled down the window and she leaned on the window sill of the passenger door.
"Just what are you two doing?" she asked.
"We ask the questions around here." Dean said and she gave him an indignant look.
"I didn't do anything and I know my rights." She said, but Sam quickly jumped in to smooth out the situation.
"We suspect the snake will appear tonight, here at the dorms. We're here to make sure no one gets hurt." Sam said and she snorted.
"How chivalrous." She replied, then looked over at Dean, her voice as cold as the look in her eyes. "What did those snobs say, exactly?" she asked and now Sam seemed to be the cold one.
"We can't divulge that information." He said and she snorted.
"Of course not." Veronica said and then Dean frowned, wondering how she knew they had spoken to the girls at the sonority house again. Maybe she really was a witch. Unless she was referring to the first time they had spoken to the girls.
"Were you at their rush party?" Dean asked her and she made a disgusted face.
"Ew. No." she replied dryly. "Is it what they said about Rowan? She's some sort of freak because she didn't sense any ghosts?" she asked and Dean just stared at her, waiting for her to continue. "She doesn't remember. I even asked her and she believes it's just a rumor. I'm thinking she's right. Those Barbie dolls don't like someone who doesn't conform to their lifestyle." Veronica said and looked at Dean like he was just another one of those sonority girls.
"Has Rowan been acting strange lately?" Sam asked and Veronica turned her cold eyes on him.
"She's been a little worried that maybe those girls are trying to make her out to be some sort of freakazoid, thank you very much." Veronica said, her tone sharp, and then turned on her heels to leave.
The brothers watched her leave, surprised that they suddenly became her less favorite people on campus. She was very defensive about Rowan. Obviously, she was Rowan's friend and roommate, but they were obviously deemed odd by the sonority girls. Of course Veronica would protect Rowan.
But she couldn't protect Rowan against a giant snake, if Sam was correct.
They sat out in the Impala, unaffected by Veronica, eating in silence, watching the street and the back of the campus. Then, just as sudden as the first time, came that surprising knocking on Sam's window. They expected it to be Veronica again, but it was Rowan this time. And she did not look happy.
Sam rolled down his window and before they could say anything, she was even colder than Veronica.
"What do you think you're doing? You believe those idiots? I'm not a freak." Rowan said and Sam was quick to raise a hand, as in surrender, to calm her down.
"We never said you were. As we told Veronica, we believe the snake will appear here tonight. For the safety of everyone in this dorm, we're keeping watch." Sam said and Rowan just stared at him as if that didn't make a difference.
"You know that's bullshit, right?" she asked and Sam sighed a little quietly.
"We've seen it on tape, slithering up and around the back door to the college. I know it seems bizarre, but that's what we deal with." Sam said and then she frowned as if they were the freaks.
"You deal with stuff like UFO's?" she asked and then Dean swallowed hard, trying not to remember any experience with that.
"And more." Sam replied and her frowned deepened with disgust.
"None of that exists. You could have just said no instead of patronizing me. You're just getting sucked into this stupid story like everyone else because Stacy is a drama queen. Keep out of here or I'll call the cops, you psychos." Rowan said and did as Veronica, turn on her heels and leave. Sam rolled his window back up, looking irritated.
"Way too much estrogen around here." Dean said and Sam let out a soft chuckle like he was beginning to think the same thing. "Still think she might be the snake's long lost sister?" he asked and Sam didn't even answer, probably too irritated to get into that with his skeptical brother.
They returned to sitting in silence, eating and keeping their eyes open for anything out of the ordinary.
The sky began to darken and it hit them just how exhausted they were from running around all day, gathering information. Dean let Sam sleep first, then they would switch. He knew it wouldn't be easy to force his body into understanding that one of them had to remain awake. His eyes felt heavy and it took a lot to keep them open.
He thought of what he had seen on tape from the convenience store. He thought about the picture Sam showed him that Dr. Manderly had taken with his incredibly retro camera. He thought of the fence, how even on the camera at the convenience store, the snake had the ability to burn the metal. It slithered up the wall and out of sight.
But Rowan? Maybe she's psychic and has been trying to block out her abilities. Maybe she was just playing a prank of the sonority girls and Brad, then convincingly lied that she didn't remember.
He just couldn't accept that this was mythical. He didn't have time chasing exaggerated stories. Most of the pagan Gods were killed when Lucifer walked in on their meeting. Gabriel sure as Hell didn't mention siring kids with a Norse Goddess or Giantess, whatever she was. He specifically told Sam that not even the dragons looked like dragons.
He had better things to do, like crack open Crowley into telling them anything useful. He could use Crowley like all the times he used them in his schemes. That self proclaimed demon King had caused them a lot of grief and he wanted the chance to even the score.
What next after they solve this case, if they can even call it that? Rescue Persephone from the tyrant Hades?
Winchesters' Damsel-in-Distress Rescue missions, how can we help you? Held against your will by Hades? Sure, no problem. Oh, don't worry about Cerberus. We dealt with Jormungand successfully so that three headed dog won't be bothersome.
Dean just couldn't wrap his mind about mythologies existing. Werewolves, vampires, ghosts and other monsters, yes; he'd killed many of those. Yes, he's seen his fair share of weird things. Hell, even new monsters. But mythology just didn't fit in. Of course, when you have several pagan Gods standing before you, one who you know you saw change from an elephant to a man, you have to believe.
But this? No.
Plus, Rowan looked like an ordinarily pissed off girl, sick of the FBI watching her like a hawk with their stupid beliefs of a giant snake lurking in the bushes, preying on young woman.
That was enough to keep Dean awake, but eventually his eyes won the battle. He closed his eyes to rest because they ached so much, but he then fell asleep.
It was Sam who woke him up, having heard some screaming. Dean looked around and mentally kicked himself for having fallen asleep. What a rookie move. Sam was clearly alert and began looking around. He then locked his gaze on the sonority house and grabbed Dean's shoulder, pointing in that direction.
Dean turned the key, bringing his car to life with a roar of satisfaction, and quickly stepped on the accelerator, turning back towards the sonority house. As they approached with speed, they could see an impossibly large snake coiled in front of the house on the street as girls inside were watching with horror through the window.
At the front door, obviously locked out, were Rowan and Veronica, staring at the snake in pale-faced horror.
Dean had just put the car in park when Sam jumped out of the car to distract the snake from the young women. Dean cut the engine and quickly got to the trunk, opening it and selecting a couple of very large machetes and some shotguns for added protection.
He watched as Sam got the snake's attention away from the girls. It wasn't what Dean had expected. It was bigger than an anaconda, with bright piercing eyes and very large fangs. It hissed at Sam and coiled tighter, as if it was about to strike. Its head, sort of like a King Cobra, had an inflatable neck hood, but it opened up to make it look like a Chinese dragon with "poh shan" which is what makes Chinese dragons fly. Dean knew this from his research on dragons when he thought dragons looked like actual dragons.
Oh, don't let this snake have the ability to fly.
This snake wasn't just a snake; it was big and powerful. It flicked its tongue out at Sam, and then turned its attention back to the girls, as if knowing this was the focus of his hunt.
Dean ran up to his brother, giving him a machete and a shotgun, and they both made a large circle around the snake, up to the front door to protect Rowan and Veronica.
"Ever shot a gun before?" Dean asked the two girls. Veronica turned her wide eyes to him, baffled at the idea.
"No." she said sheepishly.
When Dean turned his attention to Rowan, he was startled. He was beginning to understand what the sonority girls meant by she acted strange, like she was different. Her entire demeanor had changed and her eyes looked dark and cold. He felt as if he wasn't looking at the same girl any more. And the way she stared down at the snake made a shiver run down his spine.
The snake hissed, flicking out his tongue as if slowly approached the house. Sam readied his shot gun and shot at the snake.
Rowan, however, had said something Dean couldn't understand, and she narrowed her eyes on Sam, as if shooting the snake pissed her off. Dean turned to Veronica and had a plan he wasn't sure would work out.
"Talk to her." he said and Veronica looked at Rowan, her face paling as she realizing that her friend was indeed acting strange. "Talk!" he snapped and Veronica tried to get Rowan to focus on her rather than the snake.
Dean stepped beside Sam and joined him in shooting at the snake. It was harmful, but not damaging enough. If anything, they were pissing it off. Its hisses came out more sharp and menacing. Its eyes pierced with such agitation that its body began to quiver as it coiled even tighter. It was getting defensive and, at any minute, maybe it would strike a deathly blow, sinking its poisonous fangs into them.
Dean got Sam to distract it, while he tried to get around with his machete. The snake wasn't fooled, but Sam continued shooting, making it direct its attention to the gun.
He could hear Veronica talking to Rowan, asking her if she wanted to transfer out of Maple City along with her, go to another college that isn't crawling with bizarre things. Rowan had just fallen silent, watching the snake like she was in a daze. Dean kept his eyes on the snake, knowing that the closer he got, the deadlier the snake was. One twist of the head, one bite, could kill him.
The closer he got to behind the snake's head, the more his heart punched his rib cage. He was in way over his head, but how else do you kill Jormungand? There wasn't an almighty hammer just lying around.
Then, the snake coiled one last time and tried to launch itself at Sam. Dean swung the machete over his head and brought it down on its neck, not even getting a clean cut. The snake turned his head, but it couldn't strike Dean. However, it twisted its body, hitting Dean so hard that he plummeted forward, right in the perfect striking range.
Sam fired more shots, but the snake wouldn't divert its piercing eyes from Dean as he lay on the ground, defenseless.
Veronica, surprisingly, was the one firing the shots, not Sam. He was the one to swing the machete high above his head, bringing it down where Dean had created a fatal wound, finishing the job. The head had been severed, but Dean wasn't safe just yet.
Its head could still bite and the damned thing was trying.
He put all he had into pushing himself away from the decapitated snake and it seemed it could not follow.
Sam helped his brother and they returned to the front door where it was safe. Veronica had a wild fear in her eyes as she clung to the shotgun. Sam had to carefully take it from her. Dean glanced at Rowan, who seemed herself again. However, she just seemed confused and terribly frightened.
"What just happened?" she murmured, her eyes just as wild with fear.
"Do you remember?" Dean asked her and Rowan shook her head as her eyes remained glued to the large decapitated snake on the front lawn of the sonority house. Dean glanced at his brother and they both knew that, whenever she became noticeably different, she would forget whatever happened.
It was now obvious that something wasn't right about her.
The girls inside the house had indeed locked the door and, judging by the expressions on their faces through the windows, they wanted Rowan and Veronica off their property.