Imagine... (based off of Mystery Spot)

Word Count: 1873

~

Your eyes pop open as Heat of the Moment by Asia plays loudly on the radio. Struggling to stand up off the floor, you glare at your brothers. 

You kick away the blankets that lay on the floor where you were sleeping and make your way to the bathroom. Unfortunately, it was your turn to sleep on the floor since the past two times in a motel you had one of the beds. 

You stretch out and try to ignore the irritating sound of Dean rinsing his mouth out. After the three of you finish your morning routines, you head to the diner. 

Sam blabs on about this man who disappeared, as you stare at the menu in disinterest. You order pancakes.

The waitress comes back with the food and accidentally drops the hot sauce. You wince as the bottle shatters on the floor. 

Done with the food, you pay as you watch your brothers walk out. A man sitting at the counter pours maple syrup onto his pancakes and you can't help but notice his gaze on you. 

You run to catch up with Sam and Dean. On the way, you pass a barking golden retriever, two guys trying to move a piece of furniture, and a woman holding some flyers. 

Sam and Dean have decided to check out the Mystery Spot tonight, so you have quite a bit of time to kill. 

At the Mystery Spot, everything goes fine until the owner comes with a shotgun pointed at Dean. 

He fires and hits Dean in the chest. 

"Dean!" You and Sam yell at the same time, rushing to his side. You try to stop the bleeding but it's too late. 

You and Sam hold him as he dies. Tears pour out of your eyes as you watch the life fade from his.

~

Heat of the Moment plays, and your eyes open instantly. You launch off the ground and stare in shock at Dean lip-syncing to the song. 

Shocked, you look to see Sam looking as confused as you are. 

The morning goes by the same, eating at the diner, passing the people on the street. The whole experience is freaky.

Then, Dean starts crossing the street and is hit by a truck. Sam is the first to react, rushing to his side, as you stare in shock. 

Crying, you shake your head in disbelief. 

~

You wake up to Heat of the Moment for a third time and go through the same routine. This time, you and Sam tell Dean that you're stuck in a time loop. He listens and suggests that if he stays alive until Wednesday the time loop would be broken. 

But, he is crushed by a desk as you walk back to the motel. 

~

You're at the end of your rope by the tenth time Dean dies. Sam is keeping it together better than you, but you can see how it's affecting him too. 

As you wake up to Asia, you get changed and run out of the motel before your brothers can stop you. You take a minute before going to the diner and ordering a coffee. 

Sam and Dean aren't here yet. 

You find yourself sitting next to the man with the pancakes. 

"Having a rough morning?" He asks.

You sigh heavily, "You could say that."

Just then, your brothers walk in and sit at the booth. You go sit with them and apologize to Sam for running away. 

Tuesdays pass by, and soon enough, you lose count of how many Tuesdays you've gone through. Each day, you watch helplessly as Dean dies. 

"... just desserts." You had gotten lost in thought as Dean points out that the man who disappeared got what he deserved. 

Your head snaps up as he says those words, and look to Sam. 

"What if this is a trickster?" You ask Sam, excited to have possibly figured out the mystery.

"Could be. It certainly fits." He replies.

You look to the counter, ready to pay, and you notice the pancake man leave. Funny thing is, the syrup that he used isn't maple anymore - it's strawberry.

With an outraged gasp, you wake up to Asia again. 

You suppress your anger until you and Sam follow after the pancake man as he leaves. Each of you are armed with a wooden stake. 

Sam attacks the man and holds the stake to his neck, "We've finally figured it out, trickster! And, we've killed one of your kind before." He threatens the man. 

You gasp as the man's face changes into a familiar one. 

"Actually, bucko, you didn't." He says with a smirk.

"Why are you doing this?" Sam questions him, desperate for answers.

"You're joking right? You chuckleheads tried to kill me last time. Why wouldn't I do this?"

"The man who disappeared, what about him?" Dean interrupts. 

"That putz? He said he didn't believe in wormholes, so I dropped him in one." The trickster laughs. "Then you guys showed up. I made you the second you hit town."

"So this is fun for you?" Sam glares at him.

You join in the glaring, "Killing Dean over and over again?"

"One: yes it is fun. Two: this is so not about killing Dean."

"How the heck is it not about killing Dean?" You shout, about ready to kill the whiskey-eyed jerk. 

He turns to you, "This joke is on you and Sam. Watching your brother die everyday... forever."

You clench your teeth and try not to scream in frustration as Sam struggles to keep calm. 

"You son of a b-"

"How long will it take you to realize? You can't save your brother. No matter what." 

Teardrops pool in your eyes. 

"Oh yeah?" Sam asks, determined. "I kill you, this all ends now." He presses the stake against his throat sharply. 

"Hey, woah! Okay, okay," the trickster winces. "Look I was just playing around. You can't take a joke, fine. You're out of it. Tomorrow, you wake up, it'll be Wednesday. I swear."

"You're lying," you argue.

"If I am, you know where to find me. Having pancakes at the diner."

"No, easier to just kill you," Sam says about to end it.

"Sorry kiddo, can't have that." With a snap, you find yourself back in the motel room, only Asia is no longer playing.

Relief floods your senses, and you and Sam rush to leave the motel and the town. Dean goes to pack the car.

Not long after, you hear a gunshot. 

Dean lies on the cement. Dead. 

Sobbing, you hold him and wait for the day to restart, but it doesn't. 

"Sam, this isn't supposed to happen!" You yell, trying to shake off the anger and the hurt.

Months pass. Dean is still dead and Sam is still looking for the trickster. You had joined him, but gave up after no luck. You couldn't bear to be with Sam and watch him turn into something he's not. 

It kills you to see your brother in such pain. 

The empty bottles littering your floor are a reminder that no matter what you do, you can't forget about the pain of losing Dean. 

Another sob escapes your lips as you rake your fingernails against your arms, trying to mask the emotional pain that you've endured. 

Without Dean or Sam to hold you together, you're falling apart. 

"Wow, you're sure taking this worse than Sammy." A hateful voice states as the trickster appears in your apartment. 

"Go to heck," you spit at him, taking a swig from the nearest whiskey bottle. 

"Aww, that's no way to treat an old friend!" He exclaims in mock sadness.

You glare at him, "Old friend?" You laugh mirthlessly. "You killed my brother!"

"To be fair, he tried to kill me first." 

"I don't friggin care. Bring him back!" 

"No can do, Dean's deader than a doornail." He stands in front of you.

You shake your head and bury your face in your shaking hands. You can't stop the rush of tears as you face the cold reality of it.

The trickster seems to be taken off guard. He stands there, not quite knowing what to do.

"Please, I'd do anything to have him back," you beg.

"I know you would, that's the problem." He replies, sitting next to you.

You sniffle, "What are you talking about?" 

"You, Sam, Dean. You'd do anything for each other. All you do is try to keep the other alive, but it only ends in blood and sweat and tears. Can't you see that?"

"They're my brothers."

"This is what it's gonna be like when they're gone."

"I don't want to live like this." 

His eyes meet yours as you continue. 

"If you're done with your fun, then just kill me. I can't go through anymore of this torture." 

"Sweetie, this stopped being fun months ago." 

He stares as you keep crying. Then, to your surprise, he wraps his arms around you. You blink in shock as the warmth from his embrace fills your senses.

"I'm sorry." He says, still holding you. 

"Please, just take me back. I know you can."

"That's true. I can do a lot of things," he smirks, withdrawing his arms. 

He snaps his fingers and you find yourself back in the motel room laying on the floor. You jolt up and make eye contact with Sam, who seems as relieved as you feel. 

You launch up and wrap your arms around Dean. 

"Woah! What's this for?" He asks in confusion.

You smile with happiness, "Nothing." 

He looks at you in confusion before shrugging you off and going into the bathroom. Then, you go to Sam and hug him. 

"Let's not talk about it, okay Sammy?" You whisper to him.

He nods in understanding.

"But, I have something I need to do before we leave."

~

You go to the diner to find the trickster. To your surprise, you find him sitting at the counter eating pancakes. Sighing, you sit beside him.

"The pancakes here are really good." You initiate conversation. 

He glances at you, "I thought I'd be the last person you'd want to see."

"You are, don't get me wrong. I still want to kill you." 

"That why you're here then, to kill me?" 

"Surprisingly, no. I-um, I wanted to say thanks. Throughout all this, there was a lesson to be learned."

He raises his eyebrows, "Is that so?"

"Yeah. The lesson is: cherish each moment you have with your loved ones, and fight like heck to keep them safe."

"Like talking to a brick wall." He complains, but you see him smirk.

"You should know that me and my bros will never stop fighting and we'll never stop looking out for each other."

He scoffs, "Yeah, I kinda got that."

"Anyways, I also wanted to ask your name." You continue.

"Why?" 

"Well, you know my name, but I don't know your name..."

He looks thoughtful, "Gabriel. Just don't tell your nitwit brothers, okay?" 

"Okay. Also, you totally owe me for that prank you pulled, so you're buying me dinner sometime."

"I am?" He asks, puzzled, but a smirk forms on his lips.

"Yes, so I'll see you around." You tell him before walking out. 

He watches you leave and then turns back to his pancakes with a smile on his face.