Banner for Desperately Seeking Sammy by Stacy L.

 

 

PART 2:  Finding a Way

 

Climbing out of the Impala, Sam immediately shrugged deeper into his thin jacket. The air was cold here in Colorado, much colder than he was used to. Glancing at his watch he noted it was 8:30. The drive here was long, and he hoped it would pay off. If it didn’t then he might never find his brother. He was going on piss poor intel given to him by a less than reputable source. Someone had recognized his missing poster and had called in. They stated that in mid-August they had seen Dean in a local tavern. He had asked if they were sure, and they had informed him that he had helped them out of a scuffle with some of the locals. The answer had bothered him, still did, for he wondered why Dean would run all the way to Colorado and not call him. Why did Dean seem to be running from him?

 

Shaking his head he approached Johnson’s Pub feeling his heart pounding in his chest as his phone rang. He answered it quickly forgetting to look at the number as he automatically asked, “Dean?”

 

“No Sam. I’m sorry.”

 

“Bobby…”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Did you find anything?”

 

“No, not yet… I called Ellen. She’s…”

 

“Ellen?”

 

“Yeah, figured it wouldn’t hurt to call her, she might turn something up we haven’t.”

 

“Good idea, Bobby.”

 

“I thought so… So you have any ethereal visitors lately, Sam?”

 

“No, Bobby, just silence. They won’t help.”

 

“Stubborn bastards… They pull him out but won’t help locate him.”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“You at the bar?”

 

“Following a lead…”

 

“Not much of one, Sam.”

 

“Better than none…”

 

“Yeah well don’t get your hopes up. It might be nothing.”

 

“I still have to look into it, Bobby. He’s out there somewhere. We just have to find him.”

 

“Yeah I’ll keep searching on my end.”

 

“Thanks Bobby.”

 

Silence stretched between them for several moments before Bobby spoke again, “Sam, I don’t think he was there, and if he was that’s not where he was taken from. Whoever took him wouldn’t have allowed him to sit in a bar all by his lonesome when they were trying to capture him. I think he was taken from the location of your last hunt probably snatched right from the hotel parking lot.”

 

“Look, Bobby, I asked around and nobody saw anything. The one who did said only that he saw Dean walking through the parking lot that night. He couldn’t tell me if Dean was alone or with anyone. He couldn’t tell me anything other than he thought he saw a van driving away not long after seeing Dean.”

 

“And after the van left was Dean still in the lot or did he say he was gone?”

 

“Nah he said he looked up but didn’t see Dean anywhere just that black van pulling away.”

 

“Sam I hate to say this but that black van, we need to get the license plate and…”

 

“Already did Bobby, they came up clean as far as I can tell.”

 

“As far as you can tell…? Well that doesn’t mean a whole hell of a lot Sam.”

 

“The plates led me here, Bobby. Is it just a coincidence that Dean was apparently spotted here around the same time?”

 

“I don’t know, Sam. I don’t know. You be careful.”

 

“Aren’t I always, Bobby?”

 

“No. Keep your ass out of trouble or you’ll be no good to your brother.”

 

“Yes dad.”

 

He grinned despite the darkness of his mood hearing Bobby mumbling about smart asses on the other end. He then disconnected the line and put the phone away before heading into the bar. The moment he stepped inside he was greeted by a pretty red head who smiled asking, “How can I help you, sugar?”

 

“Um I was wondering if your boss was here. I’d like to ask him a few questions.”

 

“About…?”

 

“My brother, he’s missing and…”

 

“Brother as pretty as you, hun…?”

 

Sam grinned before continuing, “Look I’d really appreciate it if…”

 

“Have his picture?”

 

“What?”

 

“Do you have his picture? I work every night here, might have seen him myself.”

 

Drawing out his brother’s photograph he held it out to her mumbling, “Sure, sure… Here he’s…”

 

Accepting the picture she drew it to her and smiled saying, “Came in several weeks ago asking for help, said he was in need of shelter, a place to bed down for the night. Looked like he’d been running, face was marked up, wrists too. I asked if he needed a doctor but he refused. He stayed ‘round long enough to help a traveler with the locals before he disappeared again.”

 

“Again…? Are you sure this is the man you saw?”

 

“Yeah, never forget those eyes. He seemed pretty distracted, constantly glanced at the door. I offered him a drink. He declined, said he needed a clear head to get out of the mess he was in.”

 

“What…what happened then?”

 

“He left.”

 

“He left just like that? No questions, no…”

 

“He was stopped in the lot by a couple of men. I watched them. Looked like a friendly group of people so I walked away. When I turned back he was gone, so were they. Went outside to see where he went, found this…”

 

She drew an item from behind the counter and laid it before Sam. The moment Sam saw it his heart leapt to his throat. He picked it up and hit the power button. The names that came up were all familiar, at the very top was his own. He had found Dean’s cell phone.

 

“Damn so much for tracking his cell…”

 

The woman leaned forward gazing over his shoulder as she inquired, “That his?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“Nah don’t be. You’ve been a great help really. Here.”

 

He handed her some money thanking her then turned to leave. She stopped him before he reached the door as she said, “Arizona plates.”

 

“What?”

 

“The car those men were near had Arizona plates on them. Don’t know if that helps but it’s something. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help to you and hope you find him.”

 

“Yeah me too, me too…”

 

“Hey you have a number I can reach you at in case they show up again.”

 

“Oh yeah sorry, here…”

 

Sam quickly wrote his cell phone number down on a napkin and handed it to her before heading out the door. She watched him walk away sad now that she hadn’t paid more attention to the exchange in the parking lot…or the young man who had come staggering into her bar that night looking as if he’d run ten rounds with a pissed off bull and lost.

 

                                                       * * * *

The mind is a funny thing often storing details that many don’t want to remember while forgetting those things they need to remember. His mind is stuck on instant replay, not all the time but in the night when he closes his eyes, when he dreams assorted memories and images appear some making sense, while others don’t seem quite right. Those memories he wants most to forget are the most vivid and the most confusing. They’re crystal clear as if the events had happened mere hours ago, but they are muddled by so many others that scramble together merging into one incoherent jumble, which images are real and which one’s aren’t are left for him to decipher.

 

The walls remain intact strong, trapping him inside but sometimes there are breaches and cracks in the façade that reveals to him the bitter truth of it all. Usually when he grabs hold of it moments later it’s torn away, shredded into pieces as if someone is forcing those cracks to seal and close. When he awakes he feels weaker. He opens his mouth to cry out, to scream but there is no sound. He’s trapped in silence, unable to breach it, unable to break free.

 

He shivers violently curling up tighter into a ball attempting to keep in what little warmth he can, yet still he shivers. As he settles and calms the sweet tangy scent of earth and dirt flares his nostrils and for a moment, a brief instant in time, he finds himself free of the cage his mind has placed him in. The veil lifts ever so briefly. He reaches out and the cage slams shut again.

 

She’s back. He can hear her infinitely patient speaking with him, talking to him, sitting with him and stubbornly refusing to leave his side. She asks him about Sam, and he tries not to remember. The pain and grief is still too strong though his brother died so very long ago. She softens her voice asking him why he won’t speak, why he can’t speak. He’s confused by the statement knowing full well he can and turns to gaze at her. She smiles brightly as their eyes connect blue clashing with green. Her hand lowers to his face. She cups his cheek and he tries to speak, but again no sounds escape. He grows frustrated as he attempts to communicate with her finding that she is correct, that his voice is gone. He breaks the eye contact and she immediately begins to reassure him, telling him that it will return in time and that he’s just not ready to unveil his voice to the world yet.

 

He nods unaware of how it makes her stomach flutter and her smile broaden as she draws from him more than he gave the day before. He settles in the bed drawn towards the window as soft giggles float towards him. He sits up and gently pushes past her as he approaches it smiling again as he sees the children in the playground. She moves to stand beside him inquiring as to what he’s looking at and asking if the children are back. He doesn’t answer her though, simply presses a hand to the cold glass as he watches them from afar.

 

She turns to gaze outward smiling as she speaks, “You really enjoy seeing them don’t you, Dean?”

 

He wants to respond but finds he can’t so he continues to watch the children play refusing to admit that he can’t yet communicate with her. Her voice softens as she whispers, “I like seeing them too, Dean. I like seeing them too.”

 

His smile is back and he hears her breath hitch. He’s momentarily confused by the reaction but shrugs it aside as his gaze never falters, never wavers from the children actively playing in the yard.

 

 

Next:

 

  PART 3: THE LINE BETWEEN 

 

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