Title: Awakening of dreams
Author: [livejournal.com profile] starrylizard
Fandom: Supernatural
Word count: 840
Rating: Mature, Gen, Angst, no sex or bad language.
Notes: This is a tag to episode 2x20 – What is and what should never be. Thanks to [livejournal.com profile] rinkle for the beta.



Fifty square miles of real estate. Fifty square miles and Dean still wasn’t answering his phone. Sam cursed himself for not being more insistent, cursed his brother for going into… Well, that was the million dollar question. Where the hell had Dean gone?

Sam pulled up and parked in front of the next lot of possible Djinn-infested ruins – some sort of abandoned warehouse. The patter of rain on the roof and the tick of the cooling engine were the only sounds for a few moments as Sam allowed his eyes to close. Allowed himself time to breathe and regather himself.

He stretched, trying to rub the ache out of the tired muscles at the back of his neck and slap some sense back into his face, anything to wake himself up, before he picked up the silver knife that rested on the seat next to him. He refreshed the thick coating of lamb’s blood, the act now almost a ritual.

Stepping out into the rain once again, the cool drops helped clear some of the tiredness, but did nothing for the clamp of anxiety in his stomach. Dean wouldn’t go this long without answering his phone, or finding some other way to contact him.

“Where the hell are you, Dean?” he gritted out, allowed anger to fuel him instead of fear.

Inside, the warehouse was damp and had the same musty sour odour of half the other places he’d already searched. Ahead rain dripped from the ceiling, landing with a persistent tink tink on an old type writer, highlighted by the little light that came through the glass petitions. Old desks and filing cabinets, fans, lamps and chairs - old junk from what was probably once a thriving business, now just a dumping ground.

Sam gripped the knife, hand sticky with sweat as he resettled his grip. The flashlight’s eerie glow bounced before him, highlighting more junk as he carefully moved down the corridor.

It was the smell that warned him first: the metallic tang in the humid night air that years of hunting had taught him to associate with blood. He edged quietly toward the end of the corridor and into the next room. Once inside the smell became close to overwhelming, making him breathe shallow breaths in order to keep moving. And then, there in the middle, near some stairs were the bodies. And Dean.

Sam moved quickly, skidding to a stop in front of his brother. “Dean! Dean?” he yelled, bringing his hands up to clutch at Dean’s collar, shaking him. Dean’s head lolled forward, his skin pasty, bluish.

“Dean?” Sam’s voice cracked. He shuddered out a deep breath, before he worked up the courage to touch Dean’s face.

Cold.

No comforting pulse at his neck. No warm breath.

Cold, too cold. His skin was cold.

“No, nononononono.” One arm snaked around Dean’s body, his free hand working at the ropes that held him, sawing with the bloody silver knife. “No no no no no. Dean! You look after me. You’re my big brother. You can’t be dead.”

He didn’t see the Djinn, barely noticed it at all until he was spun around to face it, a glowing blue hand descending toward his face…

***


“Dean!” Sam’s voice was a hoarse cry as he sat up in bed, twisted himself up in the sheets, and fell to the floor with a thud.

He landed on rough carpet, breathing in the stale scent of cigarettes, room deodorizer and cleaning agents before a light snapped on and warm hands touched his shoulders.

“Sammy?” Dean’s voice.

Sam turned his head, seeing bare feet, leading to legs and up to the rest of his brother. Dean was seated on his own bed, a sleepy look of worry creasing his face as he reached down toward him.

“Sam? You okay? Was it another vision?”

“You’re alive.” Sam breathed deeply, breathed in the crappy motel smell and soaked in the warmth of Dean’s hands where they rested on his shoulders.

“Yeah, man. What’s up with you? I thought you ditched the nightmares.” Dean straightened up, scrubbing a tired hand through his hair as he watched Sam pull himself onto his own bed and sit facing Dean.

“The Djinn. It, I mean… It didn’t… You’re okay?”

“Sam?”

“The Djinn?”

“It whammied me, Sam. Sent me off to some dreamland where Mom was alive, Dad played baseball and I was dating a hot nurse… but, you found me, remember? Nothing some iron-rich food and a good sleep couldn’t fix. Seriously what’s up with you?”

“Just a nightmare, Dean. It’s fine.” Sam breathed deeply, letting his body calm back down from the adrenaline rush and soaked in the all too familiar sight of the motel room. “Just a nightmare,” he repeated.

Dean frowned. “If you say so. Get some sleep, Sam.”

Sam nodded and lay back down. Dean was there, warm and alive.

“Just a dream,” he mumbled, not sure who he was trying to convince. “Just a dream,” and he drifted back to sleep.



I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man. ~Chuang Tzu
Tags:
ext_37235: (Default)

From: [identity profile] celtic-cookie.livejournal.com


Whoa. Mind-fuck like whoa.

Is Sam dreaming? Did Dean die and the djinn whammied Sammy too? (chuckle. Whammy Sammy. Oh, right. I was reviewing) *blinks* Whoa whoa whoa. had to read it twice to get what I was seeing. VERY very creepy and well done. very nice.

From: [identity profile] starrylizard.livejournal.com


Sammy Whammy! There's an icon in that somewhere. :)

Thanks so much for the lovely feedback! Mind-fuck! is so what it was meant to be. *big grin*

From: [identity profile] lightz474.livejournal.com


I really like the show but I never have time to see it. Gah. *has no Supernatural icons...feels sad*

From: [identity profile] starrylizard.livejournal.com


Well that's nice to know. I have no DW icons, if it makes you feel better adn I'm being picked on for still not having see S2 and teh new Doctor. I'll get there. There's only so many hours of TV you can watch (and vid and write), right?!

*hugs*

From: [identity profile] lightz474.livejournal.com


Rofl, ah that makes me feel better now. ;D I totally understand about not having that much time to watch TV. I still haven't seen Heroes or part of the last episodes of Supernatural. Some day I'll see them all.

Awwww, I like your icon. Hehee.

From: [identity profile] strangevisitor7.livejournal.com


creepy and good. Had to read it twice to catch it all. Well done

From: [identity profile] starrylizard.livejournal.com


Thank you! I'm so glad people got the point of it all, and thank you for bothering to read it through twice! *huge grin*

From: (Anonymous)


You know after reading this I kinda wish they had done something like this. Like that Buffy episode where she Might Have Been just a disturbed girl in a mental ward dreaming she was a slayer. They left that unresolved (she basically just chose one world over the other with the question of which was real still out there). And honestly up until the very end of the series, my Buffy friends and I feared that he'd throw that back in some where. Cause Joss Whedon was just like that, evil Genius. Kripke's world is fun and Kring's a plotting mastermind but no one left me screaming "Damn you!" at the top of my lungs at the end of every episode like that man. "Damn you Joss Whedon!"
Great story, good memories.

From: [identity profile] starrylizard.livejournal.com


Ah, I remember that episode vaguely. Yes Joss is kinda fiendishly clever that way. :)

Thanks so much for the feedback. :)

From: [identity profile] kimonkey7.livejournal.com


Oooh...twisty-twisty. Like a curly slide on a playground.

Niiiiice. Very clever. You got your wetwear runnin' on all cylinders. :)

Thanks for sharing.

From: [identity profile] iamstealthyone.livejournal.com


Ooh, nice. I like the uncertainty of whether it’s all real, or Dean really did die and the djinn put Sam into his own little dream world.

Favorite lines:

Inside, the warehouse was damp and had the same musty sour odour of half the other places he’d already searched. Ahead rain dripped from the ceiling, landing with a persistent tink tink on an old type writer, highlighted by the little light that came through the glass petitions. Old desks and filing cabinets, fans, lamps and chairs - old junk from what was probably once a thriving business, now just a dumping ground.

I really like how you set the scene here.

“You’re alive.” Sam breathed deeply, breathed in the crappy motel smell and soaked in the warmth of Dean’s hands where they rested on his shoulders.

I really like how Sam’s trying to ground himself here.

“Just a dream,” he mumbled, not sure who he was trying to convince. “Just a dream,” and he drifted back to sleep.

Oh, Sam.

I’m telling myself that it’s all real, and the boys are happy and alive. Uh huh. Yup. *nods emphatically*

From: [identity profile] starrylizard.livejournal.com


Thanks so much as always for the feedback! :D
I'm particularly glad the bit where he's grounding himself comes across well. *glees*

From: [identity profile] alias_chick.livejournal.com


Ooo!! Lovely job with this. Ha ha I mildly panicked when Dean had no pulse.. I was like shitshitshitshitshit. Ha ha ha thanks for the great read (and minor heart attack!)!!

From: [identity profile] starrylizard.livejournal.com


Heh, glad your heart recvered okay, though I'm kinda happy it had such an effect on you. Thanks for the feedback! :D
ext_57392: (Default)

From: [identity profile] 1aquaesulis76.livejournal.com


Is a nightmare worse when it's a 'could have happened' rather than something random your mind throws at you at two in the morning? Hmm, points to ponder. Poor Sam, and I love the way these boys worry about each other! Thanks for sharing.

From: [identity profile] starrylizard.livejournal.com


Things to ponder indeed! :)

I personally like how they can always worry and be all protective of each other in the show, while still remaining tough and manly. It's awesome! :)

Thanks so much for the feeback.

From: [identity profile] relativity1953.livejournal.com


Usually, I don't go for the whole 'draw your own conclusions' ending - but this really worked. And so much better than a straight-forward, 'this is what happened' ending.

Nice. Creepy. Nicely creepy. Creepily nice.

From: [identity profile] starrylizard.livejournal.com


Great! I'm glad the ending worked as planned. :)

Nice. Creepy. Nicely creepy. Creepily nice.
*laughs* Thanks so much! :D

From: [identity profile] starrylizard.livejournal.com


AH, that's another million dollar question! :D
Thank you for the feedback! :)

*matches icon to your laughter*

From: [identity profile] erinrua.livejournal.com


Dude. Poor Sam. Yeah, that whole djinn thing could really mess with a guy's head. Ick. Well done!
Cheers ~

Erin

From: [identity profile] nativestar.livejournal.com


Ooh, I love that this could be either a coda or AU, Is he dreaming? Is this real? It's really made me think. Thanks!

Just to let you know I'm doing a What Is and What Should Never Be fic rec at [livejournal.com profile] spn_epific today and I'm including this there.

From: [identity profile] starrylizard.livejournal.com


Awesome! Thanks so much for both the comments and the rec. I'm so glad it made you think. *big grin*
.

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