Terror Town, USA 12/?

[mlebayre]

Malcolm’s Kitchen…

Sam didn’t know why he had to come here, to the diner. Maybeit was because he wanted to be sure Lynnwas safe, she’d been so kind to Dean. Maybe it was because Dean said go to Lynnif there was trouble, if something happened to Dean.

Dean had gotten into a fight with a man. Sam didn’t thinkDean was hurt, but his instructions to Sam were clear. If anything happensto me go to Lynn. If Lynnneeded help, Dean would help her. Dean would follow after Sam. Sam ran. He wantedto do what Dean told him to, he wanted Lynnto be safe, he wanted Dean to be safe.

He was confused. Nothing made sense other than the jumble ofnumbers in his head. One, one, one, zero, two, two, two, two. Over andover the numbers rang through his head until everything else was pushed out.They chased him no matter how fast he ran. His only other clear thought was torun. Some odd scrambled up logic dictated if Dean was in the diner, and Sam wasin the diner then Lynn was safe andDean was safe and Peter couldn’t do anything.

Sam didn’t stop running until he ran straight into Lynn.She grabbed his arms, pushing him toward a booth, away from the people in thediner. “Honey, where’s your brother?”

“Dean promised, Dean promised. They were in the way, becausethey were in the way.”

Sam barely spared a glance to a small group of people ten orso feet away grabbing and pulling at one another.

“Who was in the way?”

“Sam’s a bomb. Save Dean, can’t save Dean, save Dean.” Sampushed by her, barely paying attention to her trying to pull him back by onearm. “You! Not hurting Dean. Not taking my brother!”

When or how Peter had gotten there Sam neither knew norcared. He landed on the boy, both of them crashing to the ground. Nothing wastaking Dean again. Ernie pulled him off a second later just before Sam’s handsgot a good enough grip on Peter’s neck. From somewhere farther inside the dinerSam heard high-pitched giggling, it sounded more like someone was afraid.

“Who is taking Dean?” Ernie was shouting at him, shoving himaway from Peter, to the booth again.

Sam saw Dean charge through the door, stopping long enoughto look around, look for Sam. His face was flushed from running, his eyes wideand frightened. He was already moving through the diner when Lynnpointed to Sam. Dean nodded to her. Peter darted away from him, stopping on thefar side of the diner, near the jukebox.

Dean hadn’t made it quite halfway across the room to Samwhen a girl slid into the booth across from him. “Hi!” She leaned over the tableand Sam couldn’t help looking down her shirt, then away fast. She had long,light brown hair that fell in chunks over her shoulders and breasts. There wasa pale expanse of skin between where her tight shirt stopped and her low, tightjeans began. She reached across and stroked two fingers over his cheek. “Youare so cute.”

“I-thank-uh-I’m Sam.”

Her smile widened, her eyes shown. She was pretty. “Marie.”Her finger slipped into his mouth for a second then skimmed his lower lip.

Sam gulped.

The jukebox flared to life. Strains of music filled the air.

Silver bullets in the jukebox, spin another round.Everybody at the back of the line it’s midnightat the lost and found. Midnight at the lost and found, lost souls in the hunting ground. A remedyfor all your ills, at the lost and found. Midnight at the lost and found.

“You can’t usesilver bullets you have to mix the silver with lead, or they’ll be too soft.”Sam blurted out.

Marie’s eyeswidened, she leaned farther over the table. “Wow. That’s hot!” She reachedacross the table, latched onto Sam’s shirt and pulled herself over and onto hislap.

“Sam!” He waspretty sure Dean didn’t like this.

“I’ve seenwerewolves, they are nassss-teee.” Sam thumped his hand against the table inbeat with his words.

“Really hot.”Marie stuck her tongue down his throat and her hand into his jeans andgrabbed-oh there!

Hangin onbarely, hitch a ride away. Belly up and bury, boy, all the hurt you feel today.

“Sam quit foolingaround with that girl.” Dean’s hand on his shoulder caused Sam to pull backfrom Marie.

“I’m not the onefooling. You keep telling me to get laid more often.”

“I didn’t mean rightnow!”

They both lookedat the wall with the jukebox. Peter stood beside it, holding up the unpluggedcord. The power was still firmly out.

Hangin onbarely, hitch a ride away. Belly up and bury, boy, all the hurt you feel today.

Without warningMarie’s warm hand and curious tongue were yanked away. Dean had her by the arm.

“Hey! He’s a bigboy, and he’s mine, get your own.” Marie’s voice was an indignant squawk.

“Listen sweetie,I don’t care how old his or how old he lives to be, that’s my littlebrother and he’ll never, ever be old enough for you.”

“Asshole.” Mariespat.

“Pediphile!” Deanreturned.

“But Dean…”

“No!”

Ernie appearedbeside Dean. “What the hell?”

Whatever answerDean was going to give Ernie was cut short by Marie making another dive atSam’s lap. Dean caught her around the waist and shoved her back.

The jukebox’svolume ramped up. Two women and a man landed on the table across from where Samsat. He watched as they tugged and pulled at one another’s clothes.

Some one hitsomeone else, tossing them over the service counter.

“This is insane.”Dean growled and grabbed Ernie, moving him back in time to avoid being hit witha chair.

“How is thatthing even playing? We still have no power.” Ernie shouted above the wracket.

Midnight at the lost and found, lost souls in the huntingground, A remedy for all your ills, at the lost and found, Midnight at the lostand found...Silver bullets in the jukebox, spin anotherround. Everybody get back in line, last call for the lost and found…

“Come on, Sam.This whole place has gone nuts.”

Dean took hold ofSam’s arm, started pulling him to his feet.

The jukeboxskipped and scratched, it was so loud it made some people stop and cover theirears. A second later another song blasted out, impossibly loud.

People beganripping food from the refrigerator behind the counter. Others were throwingdishes and trays.

Your soul,your soul. You’re going down, boy, all the way down. Hellhounds on your trail,boy, Hellhounds on your trail…

Dean’s hand slidfrom Sam’s shoulder. The color left his face. Pivoting on his heels he put hisback to Sam, faced the jukebox. He froze in one spot, trembling head to foot.

Sam lost track ofwhat the others in the diner were doing, it was all a jumble of noise andmotion.

A clock waschiming to twelve. Lilith opened the door. Sam begged and pleaded for it tostop. Dean was dragged to the floor, blood and bone ripped and shredded away.

Come alittle closer it's a feeling that I can't deny. I was weak, but I never thoughtI'd speak about the darker side. Is that a tent? I could repent on the side ofthe road. But, I kept on going yeah I headed for another load.

Lilith’s handraised and the room whited out. When it cleared, Dean was lying dead andbloody. Sam had barely a second to realize he was still alive before Lilithvacated the body and slithered away in a black haze. Sam’s world closed down tothe mangled body of his brother. He didn’t try to stop the tears. When Bobbyrushed in, trying to move Sam away, to help him, Sam spun and hit Bobby hardenough to knock him into a wall.

Hit Bobby.Christ he’d hit Bobby.

On a roadoutside of nowhere, in the middle of the night. Well I guess I hit rock bottomand the dawn was not in sight. And a Tempest made of fire, onset the sky aglow.And a sweet young thing called out my name. And this is how it goes, shesays...Go boy, can you hear them? Are you falling through the cracks in youreyes?

Sam carriedDean to the Impala and carefully, with the utmost tenderness, he’d placed hisbrother in the back, covered him with a blanket. Starting the engine, Sampressed foot to the gas pedal and drove. Paying no attention to the speed limitor other cars, he careened down the road, intending to drive until a fatal blowstopped him. A cop tried to stop him. Sam hit him too, right before the man sawthe body Sam had in the backseat. He sped away not knowing, or caring if thecop was alive or dead.

The carstopped, almost of its own accord, at a cemetary in Wyoming. The Hellgatewouldn’t open, Sam needed time to prepare, set up the rituals. He laid Dean ina caretaker’s shack.

He couldn’t doit, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t open the Gate, bring Dean out.

Still Sam heldon.

The worldfaded away, narrowed down to the bottles of whiskey he found in the trunk andthe ruined flesh of the man who’d been his brother.

Gripping Dean’sshoulders with both hands, Sam shook him. Pleading, “Dean!” He wanted thememories to go away, but they washed over him in a tsunami, vivid andrelentless. Under his hands Dean’s entire body shuddered. He did nothing butstand and stare at the jukebox.

I get up fromthe ground in the middle of the morning. Up from the ground in the middle ofthe evening. Up from the ground and I'm falling back down. Up from the groundand I testify.

How much timewent by before Dean’s body vanished, Sam had no idea. Now he was alone,horribly, painfully alone. Even Dean’s corpse was gone. Reason and time lapsedaway.

Still Sam hungon.

Every cutthat heals reveals a scar that you can never hope to hide. All the pain thatyou restrain keeps building up deep inside. If you think you're above it thenit's you my friend that I implore. You've got to talk before you run. See thenight before the dawn. Before you pull yourself off the floor.

The next thingSam felt, truly felt that wasn’t grief or pain was warm fingers against his face.A deep, familiar voice pulling him from his stupor.

I get up from the ground in the middle of the morning. Up from the ground inthe middle of the evening. Up from the ground in the middle of the night. Oh, Itestify.

The scars onDean’s chest Sam had seen for the first day only. He remembered them, everyoneof them. Sam couldn’t see them now, but they were there. He didn’t care, theywere there and so was Dean.

Sam shook Dean again. Without letting go of his brother’sshoulders, Sam straightened and locked eyes with Peter standing across theroom. Curling his lips to a snarl, Sam focused on Peter.

Peter stilled and glared right back.

“Demon flashy thing doesn’t work on me.” The words hissedfrom Sam’s mouth without his brain actually forming the thought.

Dean’s shoulders twitched, he turned his head and his eyesslid to Sam.

The jukebox scratched and screeched again, another songblared at them.

It's the end of the world as we know it. It's the endof the world as we know it. It's the end of the world as we know it and I feelfine.

“I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of this crap.”Ernie pulled his pistol up, other hand waving at Peter, “Get away from there!” Heelbowed Dean’s arm.

Peter dropped the jukebox’s electric cord and jumped to theside.

“Yeah.” Dean snapped out. “This ends.” Shrugging off Sam, hereached behind his back for his pistol. Raising it to match Ernie’s aim, Deanshouted the command, “Get down!”

Sam watched as the people in the diner obeyed withoutquestion and dropped. Some were screaming, some crying, others rolling togetheron the floor.

Dean and Ernie opened fire on the jukebox.

Blue-white flame mingled with orange-red. Sparksflew in all directions, hitting the ceiling and bouncing off the walls and thepeople. The sparks grew and coalesced, combining into one ball of glowing,shimmering blue-white orange tipped flame. It hovered for a second, thenexploded outwards. Flames lapped around Dean’s neck and arms, igniting his hairand curling around his fingers and climbing his legs.

Sam froze. His stomach churned, hairs all over his bodyrose, his skin tingled while his mind screamed NO! Next he felt Dean’sweight hit him and crush him to the floor. Fire surrounded them. Dean wasscreaming his name, screaming SAM!

One, one, one, zero, two, two, two, two flew out fromthe ball of flame at Sam, swirled around he and Dean before being melted awayby a fire burning blue-white and deep orange all at once.

Song lyrics:

Midnight at theLost and Found by Meatloaf

Testify by Meatloaf

It’s the End of the Worldas We Know It by R.E.M.

Chapter 13