Chapter 1 - An Old Enemy
Dean thumped the steering wheel along to the drum beat to Iron Maiden's 'Can I Play With Madness?', grinning to himself and singing the odd word or line he remembered, nodding his head from side to side. As of late Dean and Sam had been staying at Bobby's with their girlfriends, Jade and Jordan. They'd been staying with Bobby since Dean's accident. After Jordan had been exposed to a Vampire and Castiel had healed her as best he could, leaving a finite amount of the Vampire strand in her DNA, leaving her a hybrid - a human with the thirst. Bobby had informed them of a cure in Chicago, so the gang went to check it out.
When they reached the factory on the edge of the city, they found it was haunted by Shadow Demons, who dwell in shadows and kill their pray by squeezing major bodily organs like the heart and lungs. Dean was almost killed then and now he was working his first solo hunt since he'd recovered.
Sam had picked up reports of the disappearance of a couple who'd moved into a cottage on the outskirts of Lawrence, Kansas. Dean was reluctant to take the case, suggesting they wait until Sam, Jade and Jordan returned from their own hunt and taking it on together. Bobby stayed behind in case the others needed his help, meaning Dean had travelled back to his hometown alone.
He reached over and pulled the file Bobby had made and opened it, glancing down at it, and back up at the road. Heather Wilkins and Tony Harman, they'd recently moved into the cottage about a month ago, and had reported strange goings-on; lights flickering, cold weather despite the high temperature of the boiler and noises in the dark. And about a week ago they weren't answering their door, seen in the town, or answering their phones.
Dean frowned and replaced the file on the passenger seat, glancing at the empty seat and swallowing nervously, he reached for the box of ID's and found an F.B.I. badge and slipped it into the inside of his leather jacket.
The CD was changed from Iron Maiden to Metallica and Dean started to bop his head to 'Fuel.'
As Dean saw the driveway to the cottage ahead on the right, he slowed and indicated to pull in, and stopped for the officer standing guard there, who checked his I.D and waved him through. The Impala slowly crunched up the gravel to the cottage; it was simple, two levels (not including an attic), a single-car garage set away from the main garage, creeper plants and ivy was growing over the house, the thatched roof and immaculate garden gave it a real fairy tale illusion. Dean circled the Impala around to face back down the driveway and cut the engine, he sat still for a few seconds staring at the cottage and then got out, going to the trunk, he opened it and grabbed a few devils traps and a knife, he already had a gun in his waistband.
He approached the door and opened the unlocked door, looking around, it seemed the building had been untouched but he could make out the fingerprint dust on light switches and door handles. His jaw clenched and hand gripping the knife, Dean closed the door and began walking around the house.
He checked each room, and after having found nothing worth mentioning to Bobby or Sam, went to the kitchen to see if the water was still running. It seemed that the power was out, he hoped that the water was running. He turned the tap and a dribble came out, and he sighed, turning to the door where he saw something dark move across the doorway fast. He drew the gun and aimed it towards the doorway.
"Who's there?" he asked, standing still, glancing quickly to the door on the other side of the kitchen, he made his way towards it, switching the gun from the main door to the second door. He turned the handle and found it locked. He began to approach the main door again and stared into the hallway beyond.
He paused when he heard the creaking from above him, a muffled whimper, and then tapping down the stairs…then silence…Dean stayed where he was in the kitchen, the bottom of the stairs in full view of him. There was no noise at all, it was driving Dean mad, then there it was! Thumping along the hallway, possibly footsteps coming towards him, or a hand on the wall, louder…and louder…and louder…until eventually it sounded like whatever it was was standing right outside the door, staring back at him.
Dean swallowed and cocked the gun, loaded to the brim with silver bullets, and after Jordan's time with the vampire's, lined with garlic.
Suddenly the presence was gone, Dean felt the pressure lift from his shoulders and then the muffled whimper from upstairs again. He dropped the gun-arm and ran to the stairs, climbing them two-at-a-time, until he reached the top and ran towards the room above the kitchen, as he opened the door he was met with someone he'd seen before, turned away from him. Quick as a flash it turned to face him smiling.
Dread filled Dean's mind as he heard the horrible, dull low voice in his head while the creature stared at him.
"Dean Winchester…we meet again." it said before it pushed Dean against the wall with great force, "Your wish will become your nightmare tonight," he said as Dean fell unconscious.