Kneeling Sam examined the ground in front of the fireplace where the racoon had been sitting. Reaching down he carefully collected several tufts of fur discarded and scattered when the thing had been grooming itself.
Earlier he'd tangled himself up in trying to think around the rationale that it might be his own perception that he was looking at; the racoon being an illusion, like a faerie glamour fashioned from his own conception of the deity.
Sam had to pull himself sharply from that area of thinking beginning to appreciate Dean's earlier inner turmoil over the damn thing and decided to ignore the existential and stick to the physical. Now, with the hair, he'd found some hard evidence of the racoon's corporeal existence. He pocketed it carefully with a satisfied smile; his plan would have faltered at the first hurdle if he'd been unable to find anything 'substantial' belonging to the racoon.
He still thought of the thing as a racoon, finding it difficult to see the deity as anything else, although he knew that its true form must be something entirely different. Somehow the image of the racoon had stuck with him but for his current purpose this representation would suit, taking less effort to visualise than something more uncommon.
Sam circled the hut making his preparations thankful that the spirit had made no attempt to communicate or show itself. However, having no way of stopping the deity observing his actions if it wanted to Sam made no attempt to hide what he was doing but prayed that the thing would leave them alone long enough for him to complete the ritual. However, he had the feeling that the creature wasn't far, the pungent smell he associated with the racoon had gotten stronger as he worked.
Watching him, a baffled expression on his face, Dean sat in silence knees drawn up arms wrapped around himself in protection. Sam noted that every now and then, when he thought Sam wasn't looking, his sibling glanced at the closed hut door apprehensively.
Sam wished he could give his brother some comforting words, reassure him, throw him a life-line of a joke but he had nothing. He himself felt the apprehension deep in his own gut, a small knot of fear that teased at his confidence.
As supernatural beings went this deity was an unknown quantity, Sam had only the sketchiest idea of its nature from the reading he could recall. As to the accuracy of that of that lore – putting his and Dean's life on the line based on its validity was probably foolhardy and maybe he should had reviewed their options when Dean had questioned him before. He shook his head because there were no other options. He didn't find the prospect of living the rest of his life as a worshiper, bowing and scraping to the will of their captor pleasant and he was sure he could speak for his brother as well on that score so they had to do something and this was the only something he'd come up with.
Sam sighed inwardly, Dean was relying on him, all he could do was continue with the ritual and exude as much assurance as he could muster into the actualisation despite the fact that part of him felt he was grasping at straws even thinking that his plan would work.
Settling himself in front of a large flat stone Sam tugged out several strands of his own hair and added them to the racoon fur. Then he twisted and wove the filaments together his fine fingers working the strands with deft assurance. Occasionally he spat on the threads smoothing and knotting the braided fibres.
"Dude." Dean protested as Sam spat for a third time.
Glancing up Sam smiled at the look of distaste on his brother's face. "Haven't got any Bend Over Oil so this will have to do."
"Bend Over Oil?" The incredulous tone of Dean's voice said everything a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. "You gotta be kidding me. You gonna f….."
"DEAN."
"…to death." Dean finished the smirk now fully formed.
"Yeah…and I volunteer you…"
The smirk fled and Dean's mouth opened to object but Sam hardly keeping the amusement out of his voice put his brother out of his misery. "It's used when you want to dominate, subjugate and force another to do your bidding." He said recalling the passage as he spoke. "It's just another name for Commanding Oil."
"Oh, I see."
Dean didn't see at all it was obvious but Sam had no time for lengthy explanations. Quickly he spoke an incantation as he nimbly tightened the threads into a slipknot making the braid into a circle. He spat again over the last tied whorl repeated the verse and looked up to see Dean observing him quizzically. "Knot Magic." He offered as if that explained everything.
Slipping the hair/fur bracelet onto his right wrist he stood up, he was ready.
XXxxxxxxxxx
Miserable as hell Dean waited for Sam to finish, he had no idea what his brother was doing and hesitated to break his concentration to ask. He just wished that whatever it was Sam would hurry up because the deep aching in his body was getting worse and he was about done with it, camping, rain, lush vegetation and f**king forest deities could go hang. What he wanted was a soft bed and twenty-four, no forty-eight hours sleep, followed by the largest cheese-burger he could find. No scratch that, the burger first then he'd sleep.
Observing Sam carefully he tried to discern what ritual his brother was about. Of course Dean had heard of Knot magic but this wasn't like any he'd seen. Bobby had used a long cord and made knots in patterns along its length, recited a curse then buried the whole thing in his yard. At no time had the grizzled hunter spat or mentioned spitting or even 'Bend Over Oil' now his brother had to have made that one up!
Rising suddenly Sam stood straight and tall to his full six feet five inches. He turned and grinned at Dean encouragingly before shouting loudly.
"OKAY…YOU WIN ….COME BACK AND WE'LL TALK."
Silence reigned. Sam turned back to Dean and shrugged. Dean didn't shrug it would've hurt too much but he pulled a face turning the corners of his mouth down and raising his eyebrows.
Dean half hoped that the racoon was gone and would stay gone. Hoped it had tired of playing with its human hostages and disappeared up the hole from whence it came but he knew they wouldn't be that lucky. Never in all his years of hunting had a supernatural creature packed up its bags and got out of Dodge, not of its own free will anyway.
Sam was shouting again and it made Dean's head hurt, the jackhammer back from lunch was thumping in a regular pounding rhythm. Closing his eyes he carefully relaxed back until the base of his skull touched the wall.
He swallowed as everything spun, lurching around him as if he was drunk. Bile filled his throat hot and bitter, choking him. He wouldn't have minded so much, if he had been wasted at least he would have enjoyed the process of getting to this point.
Coughing, leaning over and spitting in a parody of Sam's ritual he expelled the noxious substance. It was weird, normally he would have been up there ready to gank the sucker as soon as it appeared. He knew he should be up there, up next to Sam, ready, weapon in hand but all he wanted to do was sleep, lose himself in the cool darkness, to get away from the pain just for a while then he'd be okay, feel better, help Sammy.
Slowly, his body slipped sideways and Dean never felt the floor hit him in the face.
XXxxxxxxx
"I don't think I like your tone."
Sam whirled round he'd been shouting for the last half-hour it being the only way he could think of attracting the attention of the racoon. He'd seen Dean collapse and rushed to his stricken brother but apart from settling Dean more comfortably on the ground there was little he could do. His brother needed a hospital and the quickest way of getting him to one was to deal with the racoon.
"You're saying you want to stay, to talk yet I get the feeling you wish to leave."
Sam wasn't sure what to say to this statement, the racoon's perceptive and accurate understanding of his inner intent made him more than a little apprehensive. Could he trust the lore? Would the thing be able to discern his motives despite turning him clothes inside out and back to front? However, he chewed on his lip, there was nothing he could do now except to continue with the plan and hope for Dean's sake that it worked.
"We have to go, Dean needs help."
The racoon ambled over to Dean's inert form and sniffed, digging its snout into his neck between the hairline and the rim of the T-shirt. It huffed, twice blowing out before shifting round to nudge under the chin lifting Dean's head up and back. It then sat face close to face and waited expectantly.
Sam stayed quiet; his body tight with tension ready if the creature did anything to his brother but the racoon remained still, blinking its glittering green eyes until it broke the silence.
"Wake him up. He amuses me."
It sounded petulant like a child who didn't understand that it had broken its toy and Sam found himself shaking with anger realising that to the creature he and Dean were just playthings, it had no concern for their well-being. They were entertainment.
Sam had thought he'd recognised the deity's motives, feeling some sympathy for something that was protecting its forest from invaders, preserving, defending, guarding its territory. Any creature would do the same in the face of the destruction that the human race can wreak however inadvertently but the racoon had gone beyond that had shown that it had no regard for life, no understanding beyond its own gratification.
"He's unconscious."
"Wake him up." The racoon nudged Dean again with its muzzle.
"Leave him alone." Sam unable to stop took a step towards the pair but found himself flung across the hut to slam painfully into the wall. Breath exploded out of his lungs and he fell gasping to the ground but Sam wasn't cowed, he wasn't going to let that thing hurt his brother any more. Rolling onto his knees he staggered to his feet supporting himself with his palm flat to the wood.
"He's unconscious," Sam shouted his whole body trembling as he tried to control the emotions rushing through himHe wHH
, "he can't wake up. I wish he could but you flung him around like a rag doll and smacked his already injured head off a stone wall."
"He was insolent and like you he needs to mind his manners."
"He needs a hospital…"
Sam stopped realising that he was goading the racoon into a repeat performance of his earlier painful lesson. The desperation and anger he felt was evident in his voice, well way to go Sammy you really kept a lid on that one, he berated himself for slipping his control. He swallowed and reigned himself in. He had to keep calm and keep a clear head if he was going to trap the deity. Losing it over Dean wasn't going to help; moreover he needed to keep the creature unaware of his intentions until the last possible moment and emoting all over the place wasn't going to cut it
Taking several breaths Sam calmed himself and stepped slowly into the centre of the hut. He stood for a few moments and then sat down crossing his legs and waited.
The racoon regarded him suspiciously. "What are you doing?"
It was working the thing couldn't read what he was doing. Keeping his eyes deliberately on the ground in front of him Sam made no reply. The creature shuffled closer sniffing the air.
"Are you making a supplication." It came closer. "Where is your offering?" It sounded hopeful and Sam gave himself a mental kick, of course, he should have used food to entice it but he couldn't help that now. He maintained his silent vigil keeping his breathing even and measured. Scraping the ground with its claws as it moved the racoon closed the space between them.
"Have you any more of that…that food." It made the last word sound strange and hopeful as if the very concept was foreign but at the same time it was eager for it.
Tensing Sam held himself ready, willing the creature nearer, fighting the urge to look up, to look it in the eye. 'Come on, come on, come on.' He chanted over and over in his head, waiting, a bit nearer, a bit nearer.
Dean moaned and shifted.
It broke the bubble, the racoon's head went up and turned then it was scampering towards the sound and his brother. Sam cursed inwardly he'd been so close another few minutes, a few feet and he'd have gotten hold of the thing but at least he'd tested his theory about the clothes the racoon had seemed to be unaware that Sam was about to try and trap it.
XXXxxxxxxxxx
"S S'mmy?"
A wet tongue slimed his face and Dean tried to pull away confused as to why his brother was licking him.
"Du…de."
The tongue swiped along his nose and dipped into his partially open mouth on its way across his skin to his neck.
Dean's eyes fluttered open and the mild protest of disgust suddenly turned into a yelp of horror as he recoiled cringing away from the creature who was up close and being waaaay to personal. "What the…!" but the sharp movement caused a shock of pain and his whole body tensed robbing him of the breath to finish his exclamation.
"I want you to talk." It was grinning again.
Disorientated, still trying to come to terms with waking up and having a racoon sucking on his face plus the abrupt return of pain Dean didn't answer immediately. That earned him a cuff, the force jerking his head to the side, sharp claws scoring, marking his cheek deep enough to run with blood. Pain soared pounded inside his skull a thumping, drumming certainty that drowned any other sensation.
"Talk. Amuse me."
Dean flinched barely knowing what from and his hands came up defensively expecting another blow.
"HEY."
The word came from somewhere far away slicing through Dean's daze vaguely familiar to his unfocused brain and he made a conscious struggle to place the sound .
"S..a..mmy"
Moving, slower this time, Dean rolled more onto his back, it hurt but the confusing fog was clearing and he definitely knew that what he wanted was to get away from the roving tongue and claws of the creature sitting in front of him. Gritting his teeth he endured and managed to put - inches - between him and it.
"Sam…" His head fell back, heavy with pain and he wanted to say more but he couldn't force out the words over the sickening waves of torment that raged through his head.
"Stay still Dean I got this."
Frustrated Dean tried to focus on his brother, screwing his eyes against the throbbing pain, desperately trying to get a grip and work out what the hell was going on. Panting he fought to sit up because he sure as hell wasn't going to take any of this lying down but the whole interior swooped and spun, turning his stomach in a sickening lurch of nausea. In the end he settled for raising his arm and splaying his fingers in a parody of a wave.
"Need I remind you that your continued existence is based on your ability to keep me amused."
The racoon's warm foetid breath goosebumped his skin as it ghosted his face and Dean couldn't prevent the shaking shudder of fear that trembled through his body. He retched then closed his eyes swallowing hard vowing to himself that he was going to gank this freaking thing, he was; there was no way he was going to spend his last days as some a**hole deity's jester.
There was a crinkle of cellophane off to his right. The racoon grunted and the looming oppressive presence lifted from Dean as the creature scooted round and practically sprinted away from him, scuffing up and spraying dirt in every direction.
Dean spat the soil from his mouth expressing a mental 'WHOOP' and a 'WAY TO GO SAMMY' because as distractions went that one worked like a f**king charm but after his initial relief he struggled. His enervated body refused to sit, his muscles trembling and paining so violently that Dean had to do what he rarely ever did and give up but he didn't give in forcing his tired muddled mind to focus on his brother.
Sam appeared to be holding out another Granola Bar to the racoon, how many of those freaking things had his brother packed? Dean mused that he would have to get himself one of those bottomless backpacks instead of his duffle and fill it with cheeseburgers. Then he remembered, although it didn't have burgers in it that he'd had a rucksack and it was lying on a forest trail somewhere slowly rotting in the rain. He wondered abstractedly if the creatures in this Godforsaken place liked breakfast bars or burgers better and then was assailed with an image of ants marching off in a line carrying the unwrapped snacks above their heads.
With difficulty Dean wrenched himself out of this whimsical spiral of distracted thought realising that dangerously he'd lost time. Panicking he blinked trying to force his melted mush of a brain to concentrate and fix his attention on Sam and what was happening three feet away.
XXXxxxxxxx
After its initial enthusiasm the creature seemed to be hesitating stopping short of snatching the bar. An uneasy feeling settled in Sam's stomach as he slowly waved the cereal stick from side to side. The racoon's head followed the movement and it licked its lips but frustratingly the damn thing wouldn't reach out and close the last few inches.
Worrying at his lip with his teeth Sam backed away, if nothing else he could try and get the creature away from Dean. He risked a glance at his brother, it was impossible to tell how bad Dean was but he couldn't help the stab of anxious concern at his sibling's silent, almost motionless form.
Snuffling and huffing to itself the creature followed him eyes fixed on the tasty treat but it seemed reluctant to move nearer and when Sam pushed the bar forward it backed away.
Why wouldn't it eat the goddamned snack? What was it waiting for? Did it suspect? Sam's already pounding heart gave a lurch. Maybe the inside-out thing didn't work after all? Maybe it was a pile of bulls**t and they were screwed.
Sam tasted copper as his teeth broke skin.
Keeping his voice deliberately soft he gave it one last-ditch attempt.
"Mmm look yummy bar, I've got more, however many you want."
For a moment he thought the racoon was going to take the bait but then he saw with a sinking feeling the change. A flicker was all it was, a fleeting speck of doubt appearing in the thing's eyes but it was enough and he cursed as it shuffled back a few more steps, sharp yellow teeth showing in an angry grimace.
Recklessly, seeing his opportunity about to vanish Sam lunged forward, grabbing the racoon's nearest paw with his free hand and holding on. He dropped the Granola bar, fingers blindly feeling until they found the hair bracelet he wore on his right wrist. Gripping the slender plaited thread he slipped it over the wide part of his hand and onto the racoon's leg.
"Racoon, I command and compel you to follow my will." Pulling on the slipknot Sam tightened the circle of hair and fur around the foreleg securing it firmly. "I command and compel you to follow my will."
A roar of rage filled the small space of the hut and Sam staggered back, falling, scrabbling backwards until his shoulder hit the wooden wall, the air around him crackling, alive with power. The roar came again and the creature leapt high, jack-knifing, arching, chewing at the circle parting the fur on its leg in frantic snacking bites. Moans and snarls emanated from its throat as it jerked and tore at the knotted bracelet.
Ozone crowded Sam's nostrils making his throat constrict and eyes water but he knew he couldn't stop he had to use his advantage. Lungs burning he hoarsely barked out his command.
"I direct and charge you to remain in this hut."
Arm covering his nose and mouth Sam pushed himself onto his feet groping blindly for his knife hoping that the bracelet would distract the creature long enough for him to complete the ritual.
Grasping the hilt he slid the blade free stabbing the point into the dirt floor. Scoring the surface, carving an inch deep groove, he circled the writhing creature as quickly as he could, three times.
Coughing, he paused trying to find enough breath to whisper the invocation as he closed the circle.
"I call on you the elements of Water, Earth, Air and Fire to close this circle. I call on you to contain this entity. I call on you to revoke and abolish its power." He repeated the chant twice more moving to the compass points on the perimeter.
"Releasssse me."
It was crouching facing him eyes unblinking, glowing green animosity as they glared.
"No."
The small hairs on the back of Sam's arms rose prickling the surface as the small space once again became charged and still the racoon stared unblinking a growl rumbling in its throat. Lightening veined across the interior narrowly missing Sam. Forking, striking the ground in sparking electrical bursts, cracking the atmosphere and illuminating the dark shape of the creature. More came, hitting the floor spitting up dirt and sparks searing Sam's skin forcing him to retreat, backing him up against the interior wall as the hut filled with a scintilla of dust and spoil.
"RELEASSSSSE ME."
The voice's menace sliced through the thickened the air and Sam felt as pressure as if something was pushing down on him. Gathering the remnants of his strength he darted forward and throat constricting completed the last invocation.
"I call on you the elements of Water, Earth, Air and Fire to close this circle. I call on you to contain this entity. I call on you to revoke and abolish its power."
The electrical storm died abruptly silencing leaving a fog of dust floating, clogging the air.
Sam coughed and retched as the still charged particles invaded his lungs as he forced himself to move, making sure that he didn't break the circle he crawled towards his brother. Dean was choking, body convulsing as he lay helpless to do anything but breathe in the noxious atmosphere.
"Dean...DEAN…"
Scooping the half-full bottle of water from the floor Sam used his teeth to unscrew the cap. Holding his breath as best could he shrugged off his jacket ripping the seams to produce two rough squares. Soaking the fabric he folded it tying one piece around Dean's mouth and nose and the other around his own hoping that the mask would afford at least a little protection. Only then did he turn his attention back to the enraged deity.
The hiss it gave made his skin crawl and he couldn't stop himself gripping more tightly onto his brother. Dean moaned but Sam resisted looking down unwilling to break eye contact with the creature.
The racoon threw itself at Sam lips curled up, mouth open to bite, showing two rows of sharp yellow teeth ready to rip and shred. Sam jerked back pulling Dean with him but the deity slammed into an invisible barrier. It raged clawing at the unseen wall howling its frustration as it sought for a crack in the containment.
Slowly its fury died and it began pacing; pacing the inner edge of the circle's arc. Pacing and turning and pacing and turning never taking its glaring eyes from Sam.
"This will not keep me for long." It spoke in a long low drawn out sentence.
Sam had no doubt that the creature was right the protection would not last; its base was not secure, not permanent but he gave no outward indication of how worried he was.
"Long enough."
He grabbed the front of his sibling's shirt hauling him upward; he had to get his brother out of the hut and away. Dean groaned and remained a dead weight. Sam pulled again raising Dean onto his feet ducking so that he could wedge his shoulder into the older hunter's stomach then thigh muscles complaining he pushed up levering Dean into a fireman's lift and headed for the door.