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“Dean, check that out. Within two weeks, four people in a small town reported being attacked by a creature while walking in the woods. One’s currently in a deep coma.”
“Alright, what makes you think it's our kind of weird?”
“One of the victims said the creature had glowing yellow eyes. And another had part of her arm ripped off by quote-on-quote huge teeth.”
“Yeah, sounds like a monster. Where is it?”
“Um, Gravity Falls. Easter Oregon.”
“Okay, I’m gonna tell Kevin, and we'll leave in thirty minutes.”
—
Two days later, Sam and Dean arrived in the town. Once they'd checked into the first motel they'd found not far from the center and put on their suits, they headed for the police station.
They stood in front of the lady at the reception desk and pulled out their fake badges with their usual assurance.
“Agent Farrell, FBI,” Dean announced. “This is my partner, Agent Johnson. We would like to talk to the person in charge on the case about the people attacked by the mysterious creature in the recent days.”
“Sure. Sheriff Blubs can see you now, he's in his office.”
They thanked her before knocking on the door she had just indicated.
“Sheriff Blubs?” Sam asked after they'd been told they could go inside.
“Yes, what's this for?” The sheriff was slumped at his desk, a cup of coffee in hand.
“Agent Johnson and Farrell, FBI. We're here to investigate strange assaults in the city.”
“It’s just some wild animal. Why would the FBI even be interested in this?” The Sheriff asked, raising his eyebrows suspiciously.
“These are orders from above. Now would you give us access to the files, we'd like to go talk to the victims before the end of the day.”
“Sure,” Blubs finally agreed after two sips of coffee. With very little motivation, he rose from his chair to grab a file from the mess on the floor.
“Thanks,” Sam gave a small, forced smile as he retrieved the folder.
—
“Rosanna, I know it's very complicated for you to talk about this, but we need you to tell us what happened. Every bit of information, even the smallest detail could be useful to us to put away the thing that did this to your husband.”
Sam and Dean were on Rosanna's sofa, who had poured them a cup of tea despite the fact that it was summer. Her boyfriend, Reginald, was the victim who was currently in a coma. Apparently, the doctors said that his condition was no longer life-threatening, but that he was likely to have long-term after-effects. Rosanna sniffed and started to talk, her voice shaking.
“We were... on a walk, in the forest. It's not something we usually do, but the weather was nice and the stars were visible. We thought it was romantic. And after a while, we heard... a noise. Like the growl of a wild animal. We turned around quickly, but the creature came and it... it attacked Reginald first. I panicked and started running… oh I’m so ashamed of myself for abandoning my husband like that. But then, the creature caught me, but it only hurt me.” She showed them her bandaged arm. “I ran as fast as I could to get away from it, and I called the police. There, that's all I can tell you.”
Rosanna had tears in her eyes and grabbed a tissue.
“Any particular detail that might help us identify the creature? We were told it had yellow eyes.”
“Yes, yellow eyes. And...” She paused.
“What?”
“Nothing, that's stupid, the police didn't believe me.” She smiled nervously.
“Whatever that is, we believe you, Rosanna.” Sam said, with the compassionate voice that was so good to help victims to confide in him.
“Well... the monster... when I looked at him, I saw... something weird. Something… terrifying.”
“What do you mean?”
“It was like... my worst nightmare. Like it could read my mind or something... I can't tell you anything more, I'm sorry.”
“That’s already a lot, thank you very much. We'll leave you our card, if you remember anything else. Promise, we will do everything we can.”
“Thank you, agents.” Rosanna took the small piece of paper Dean handed to her, still sniffling into her handkerchief.
—
“Dean, we should check this thing… One mile's away, there's a museum called the… Mystery Shack? Apparently, they feature supernatural stuff and local legends, so there's a chance they might have some information on what we're looking for. Because right now, I don't see anything in the lore that matches what the three victims described to us.”
—
“My name’s Agent Farrell, this is Agent Johnson, we're here to investigate reports of mysterious attacks that happened in the town's forest. We'd like to know if you have any information about the creature we're looking for.”
The man who greeted them, Stan Pines he said, who had looked very nervous when he opened the door, seemed to relax at the announcement of the reason for their coming.
“Come in.”
Dean and Sam entered the room, which was the local souvenir store. A young redheaded girl was behind the counter, busy tapping away on her phone. Hmm, this place looked more like a tourist trap than a real museum of the supernatural...
“So, according to the information we have, the victims were attacked by a tall, yellow-eyed creature. We were told that this place was renowned for its collection of strange things... So, do you have any idea of what this creature might be?”
Stan scratched his head. “A yellow-eyed creature you say... No, it doesn't ring a bell.”
“Are you sure? Something in local legends or the museum archives, any information would be helpful to us...” Sam insisted.
While Stan was thinking, a little girl, whom the two brothers wouldn't have given more than 13 years old, came into the room.
“Grungle Stan, I need help with...,” she stopped short when she saw the two men in suits and ties. “What's going on here?”
“They're FBI agents, they're investigating a yellow-eyed monster.”
“A yellow-eyed monster?” She repeated, as she opened her eyes wide.
“Exactly, do you know anything about it?”
“Well, yes, I fought one with my brother not long ago!”
Before Sam or Dean could say anything, what do you mean this kid had faced a monster, Stan walked up to her.
“Don't listen to her! She's telling you stories she made up with her brother, those kids you know… they've got a lot of imagination.”
“But no, we...” The girl tried to defend herself.
“Mabel, how about you come with me and show me why you needed my help in the first place, eh?”
Stan turned Mabel toward the stairs and began pushing her gently, smiling at the two brothers.
“Gentlemen, if you’d excuse us.”
They both disappeared, and the redheaded girl made no comment. Sam and Dean looked at each other, a little puzzled. This man and this place were really strange. But since the search obviously wasn't going to lead anywhere at the moment, the two hunters gave up and walked back towards the Impala.
It was getting late anyway, and it was time to head back to the motel. Their FBI suits were carefully placed on the old wooden chairs.
While Dean showered, Sam took out his laptop and placed it on the table in the corner of the room. Next to it, he placed the notebook in which he'd jotted down the main points of the case and a summary of the victims' testimonies, as well as the case file he'd borrowed from the police station.
Yellow-eyed monster.
“Found anything?” Dean asked when he came back, while Sam was trying to crack access to an Oregon archive site.
“Not for now. It doesn't look like our usual monsters, ghosts, vampires, werewolf, it just doesn't fit. The only yellow-eyed creature I can think of in supernatural lore is Azazel, but he's dead. Maybe it could be someone of his kind, but he'd have to have shapeshifter powers, since no one has reported seeing a human. And even then, what would be his goal?”
“The vics just lost blood, right? I don't think there was any intent to kill them.”
“No, even the person in a coma, the report says that as soon as the blow was struck, there was no further violence.”
“Mmh, maybe it's just a creature we never encountered. Nothing in Dad's journal either?”
“Nothing,” Sam sighed. “I'm trying to find out about the local legends.”
“Alright, let me know if you find anything interesting. I'll go and inspect the weapons.”
—
It was a little after eight o'clock when there was a knock on their bedroom door. Dean was lying in bed, listening to music. Sam, who was taking a break from his Internet research, went to open the door and found himself face to face with Mabel and a young boy who was probably her age. Their cheeks were a little red, as if they'd been running or walking very fast.
“Yeah?” Sam asked, surprised to see her again.
“I needed to talk to you! About the monster you're tracking, my brother and I think we know who it is. And we have proof!”
Sam raised his eyebrows in surprise, but let them in. Meanwhile, Dean had removed his headphones and stood up on his mattress.
“What are you doing here?”
“We waited until our uncle was busy to come and see you. We brought a book with the information, you'll see.”
Mabel took a book out of her backpack, a sort of old grimoire flaunted with a large 3 in a golden hand. She placed it on the table next to Sam’s closed computer.
“Number 105, the Gremloblin,” she announced, turning the pages until she reached the one she wanted. The two brothers approached to see.
“Awesome name,” Dean thought it useful to specify. Because of course he would say that.
“I know it may sound a bit crazy to you, monsters and all, but we’re not lying! Dipper and I have seen him before, he came to the Mystery Shack not long ago. The yellow thing, it happens when you look into his eyes.”
“Wow, hold on. We do believe you but… what's this book, and how did you see it?”
“The book is kind of an inventory of the weird creatures of the town. And the meeting’s a long story. He wasn't that bad, I promise, but I don't know… maybe he got mean for some reason.”
Sam and Dean looked at each other. What do you mean these two twelve or thirteen-year-olds have access to a lore book, met monsters and talk about them as if it was absolutely normal?
“Okay, and you... he left you alive? What did you do?”
“Oh, we improvised! It's not in the book. They talk about water, but from experience, don’t do this, it really pissed him off. We made him look at his reflection and boom, it scared him so much he ran off into the forest!”
“Are you sure this monster feat the description of the attacker from his last days?” Dean asked, leaning over to read the content of the page. No other vic mentioned that the creature also had red eyes.
“Pretty sure.”
“Well, thank you very much for the information. We'll… take a picture of the page.”
“What are you doing with him?” Mabel asked out of the sudden.
“We’ll deal with it, he's already hurt enough people, we can't risk it going any further or killing someone.” Dean’s tone made his intentions very clear.
Mabel gasped audibly. “But… you're not going to hurt him too much, right?”
What, she'd come here to help the two agents find the monster, but she didn't want it to be killed?
“No, Mabel, we're professionals, don't worry. Thank you very much, now it's time for you to go home before your uncle gets worried.”
—
“Gremloblin, a gremlin and goblin hybrid. I haven't found much information about it on the internet, but it looks potentially legit. Anyway, I have a record of a hunter in the 70s who killed a creature that sounds like the description we have. Normal bullets should do it, it doesn't seem to possess magic.”
“Any info on why it would attack people now, but not the two kids?”
“Nothing clear. Maybe it has something to do with moon cycles, a virus, or it's controlled by some other entity that needs blood or human flesh.”
“Hmm. In case, we’re gonna take other types of weapons.”
“Sure, I guess we could go tomorrow at dusk. I’m too tired to go tonight.”
—
With their rifles loaded and their blades sharpened, the Winchesters set off the next evening for the Gravity Falls forest. They walked with no attempt at stealth, hoping to draw the creature to them, and not have to return the next few days. Kevin had called earlier in the day to tell them that he might have some news about the Demon tablet, so they had to sort it out quickly.
Fortunately for them, it was their lucky day, and after fifteen minutes of walking by torchlight, a growl was heard. Dean shone his torch in the direction of the noise, and it seemed to move.
Okay, there it was. Communicating by gesture, Sam and Dean moved a little apart, hoping to draw the creature to one of them so the other could deal with it.
Less than a minute later, two red orbs appeared in the night and just as he was about to turn because of the noise, something hit Sam, sending him tumbling a few meters away. The creature, surely thinking the first one was now out of action, headed for Dean, who had had two more seconds to anticipate.
“Dean, be careful-”
Dean was ready to shoot but at that moment, he made the mistake of looking into the creature's eyes, which immediately turned from red to yellow. As if paralyzed, he froze in place, his gun jammed in his hand.
Dizzy but trying not to panic, Sam managed to get up and he almost ran in the direction of the monster. He aimed his gun at the head, while the creature had already punched his brother twice and was prepared to launch another attack. Two bangs echoed through the night, and the creature staggered before collapsing in a cloud of dust.
Dean, whose eyebrow was bleeding, breathed a sigh of relief. Not too much damage and a lightning fight, what more could you ask for? They just needed to burn the body, and they could call it a day.
—
“Dean…” Sam asked while they were driving back to Kansas. The Demon tablet was a pressing matter, so they'd left immediately, with no time to thank the two kids for their help. “You know what they said about the nightmare… did you see something in the yellow eyes?”
Dean turned his head from the road to look at his little brother for one second. “Nothing exciting, just the end of the world, as usual.” His tone was a little too light and detached.
Sam thought back to his reaction, so intense compared to what Rosanna had described. Dean had faced the end of the world, he knew how to handle the feelings. And Sam knew him by heart, they grew up together after all. It felt like he wasn't telling the whole truth.
But Sam didn't insist and simply hummed. Never mind the nightmare, they already had enough real problems. And they'd accomplished their mission, the town was now safe, that was the main objective. Dean didn't add anything either and silence filled the car.