mamapranayama | The Incredible Shrinking Sam, chapter 1

Chapter One

Dean heard the key turn in the lock just before it swung open and in walked his little brother. He hastily turned off the TV. No need for his brother to know that he'd been watching the afternoon Lifetime original movie, even if it had been a pretty good biopic about Monica Lewinski.

"Hey" Sam greeted somewhat sheepishly and rightly he should. Dean had only suggested that a little training might benefit the kid since he had been out of the family business for so long . But, noooo. Sam had gone off on him, telling him that there was no time for that when they had a spirit three blocks away haunting a local bed and breakfast. Thankfully, the spirit hadn't killed anyone yet, just knocked a cleaning lady down a flight of stairs and gave her a broken arm. Dean saw that they didn't have to rush into this one, no one was dead and the incidences of any malevolent activity was pretty few and far between. But Sam had different ideas, wanted to research and look into the place right away. A shouting match ensued after that, ending with Sam slamming the motel door on his way out to God knows where.

Dean had only hinted, okay maybe not so much hinted as blatently pointed out that Sam's time away from the hunting world had made him somewhat rusty. Granted he had done pretty good at keeping his shit together with the lady in white and the wendigo, but only a couple of days ago Dean was the one that had to watch as some pansy-assed, pudgy ghost that looked like he could have been an accountant when he was alive got the drop on Sam and had sent him sailing clear across a graveyard and smack into a tree.

He knew then that he needed to get Sam focused again and get him back up to snuff. His little brother was distracted and it hadn't escaped Dean that he wasn't sleeping and eating as well as he should. But trying to convince Sam that he was both of those things was nearly impossible. While it was good to be on the road again with his brother, he was finding that the kid was just as pissy as ever.

He knew also that Sam was still reeling from losing Jessica and now with dad missing, he had issues galore. But when the damn kid wouldn't even answer his phone after he stormed out, Dean was ready for a smack down.

"Where have you been?

"I just went for a walk. "

"And what's with not answering the phone, huh? God, you could have been anywhere or in trouble and I wouldn't have known."

"I'm not ten years old, Dean. I think I can handle a walk in the park." Sam shot him a patented bitch face that only he could pull off before going to his bed and parking himself on it with a petulent glare in Dean's direction.

"Do you even know how long you've been gone?" Dean allowed the irritation and worry he had been feeling since Sam took off come through loud and clear in his voice.

"I wasn't gone all that long." Sam shot back.

"You've been gone for almost two hours, Sam." Dean came back with equal force.

"No I haven't. It's only been..." Sam raised his wrist then froze, seeing it was bare. "Awww...dammit."

"What?"

"My watch is gone. That's what." Sam's jaws began making a grinding sound loud enough for Dean to worry that he might have to run his little brother to the dentist for emergency tooth repair. "And I have a pretty good idea who took it."

"Who?"

"Some man I ran into in the park."

"What? So, you're just letting some random guy get one over on you like that?"

"When I said I ran into him..I meant I literally ran into him. I wasn't paying attention and I knocked him down. He must have taken it when I helped him up."

Dean felt a small smile begin to curl around his lips "And you're just now noticing that it's gone. Dude, I think this only goes to prove how lax you've let yourself become these last few years. I have to say I'm a little embarrassed for you."

Dean saw his little brother slouch in defeat, taking on the look of a wounded puppy before he threw his head back with a sigh. Yep, even Sam was embarrassed about the fact someone had managed to swipe his watch without so much as a fight.

"So...about that training, Sammy...Sure you don't need it?" Sam growled again at Dean's suggestion and hung his head.

"Fine...You win." Sam grumbled lowly. "You were right."

"What was that?...I didn't hear ya. " Dean found himself grinning. God, he loved hearing those words come from the brother who was convinced that he was always right.

"You were right, okay?" Sam threw up his hands. "I guess I could use a little brushing up." He sighed heavily again. "What do ya want to do first?"

"Change your clothes. We got some sparring to do and pack your gun we'll do some target practice after that. Our ghost can wait a little longer."

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Ray bit his lip nervously. Lizzy had set out a black cloth with a pentagram in across the middle of the cafe table. After that she lit several candles, lighting up the darkkened room with an eerie glow.

Next came the silver chalice in which she started dumping all kinds of crap. He wouldn't have been surprised if eye of newt and toe of frog ended up in the bowl as well, especially after she threw some old chicken bones in for good measure. It was all a little gross in his opinion, but if Lizzy thought it might work, then he was all for it.

Lastly, she took the watch Ray had stolen from the Goliath in the park and plopped it into the bowl with the rest of the concoction. She then lit a match and dopped it into the pot, causing a flash of flame and a burst of acrid, horrible smelling smoke to float around the room.

"Jeez that stinks. You sure this is gonna work?" Ray asked skeptically, pinching his nose to keep the smell from entering his nostrils.

"Of course it will. Just stop your bellyaching and be quiet." She grabbed the book next and flipped through the pages. "Where was that spell? ...Let's see...ah, here it is..."

"God, Lizzy. The smell is getting worse. The neighbors are gonna complain."

"Shut it, will ya? I need to recite this."

Ray grumbled, but held his tongue as Lizzy cleared her throat dramatically and began chanting in latin. He had no idea what she was saying, but it sounded like one of those hokey spells you might see the chicks on Charmed say. He might have laughed at her the way she was taking all this magic crap so seriously, but just then a gust of cold air blew through the room from nowhere, sending shivers up his spine.

"Shit..." He breathed in sudden anxiety. They were in way over their heads, he thought.

"Well...that should just about do it." Lizzy said just as she finished her chant and shut the book with an air of satisfaction and a little grin his way.

"That's it?" Ray wondered, looking around, wondering suddenly if they were going to be swept up another cloud of smoke and turned into frogs or something.

"Yep. That's it." Seeing that his skin hadn't turned green and slimy, Ray let go of the breath he had been holding and shot a grin back at his sister.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Sam found himself falling. The next thing he knew, his shoulder was hitting the grass hard before his arm was yanked up and out in a classic arm bar. One pull on on his wrist and he knew that he wasn't going to win this one and tapped Dean on the side, letting him know that his big brother had won yet another sparring match.

Dean let go almost immediately. "That was lame, Sammy. Even for you. C'mon...get your head in the game here."

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, just focus for God's sake."

"I'm trying."

"Well, stop trying and just do, there is no try." Sam rolled his eyes at the Star Wars reference. He couldn't count the number of times he'd heard Dean use that line on him. But he had to admit he missed it while he was away at school.

"Dean, you make one crappy Yoda, ya know that?"

"Shut-up, Bitch. Just be glad I'm not having you carry me on your back and making you lift rocks with your mind while doing a handstand, young Skywalker. Now, get up...C'mon let's do it again and don't forget to actually dodge my punches this time."

Sam sighed heavily. He was already tired of this and they'd only gone a few rounds so far. Truth was, he was exhausted. He hadn't been sleeping well...or rather hardly at all and his body was telling him that burn-out wasn't far off. At least, he hoped, he would be so tired after all of this that he might actually get a decent night's sleep without the threat of nightmares.

Pushing himself off the ground, Sam made himself ready, taking up a fighting stance. That's when a sudden gust of wind hit both he and Dean in the face. Sam felt a powerful heat course through his body followed by an odd tingling sensation. Before he could understand what was happening, the world tilted on its axis and he was caught up in a reeling and nauseating bout of dizziness.

If it hadn't been for Dean catching him, his face would have been eating the ground.

"Whoa...you okay?" Dean asked in concern.

Sam took a moment to regain his balance until his vision stopped spinning. As it faded, he looked to Dean who was still holding him by the arm. "Yeah...just got a little light-headed. I'm okay now."

"What was that?"

"I dunno...I just felt weird for a second there." Sam straightened as if to prove to his over-protective brother that he was indeed fine now, but Dean still looked at him like he was going to drop at any second.

"Guess that's enough sparring and training for today. Why don't we go get some food in ya, huh?"

Sam wasn't really hungry, but he knew that Dean would never stop bugging him about how he was doing if he didn't let him take care of him a little bit.

Dinner was take-out from the chinese place across the street from the motel with Dean hovering over him more than he would have cared for and forcing more and more greasy, moo-shoo-whatever-it-was on him. Sam ate as much as he could stomach, which admittedly wasn't a whole lot. And for the rest of the night, he just couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, but whatever it was, he couldn't put his finger on it.

Deciding that a nice, hot shower was in order after their workout earlier and his little spell, ( which he refused agree with Dean was a fainting spell) he allowed the water to pound against his skin and soothe him until it ran cold. Dean was gonna have a fit that he used all of the hot water but right then, he was just to tired to care.

After drying off, he reached for a clean t-shirt and pair of sweatpants to wear to bed. Slipping them on, he noticed the looseness in the waist-band and how the shirt wasn't as tight across his chest as he remebered it being. Maybe he was losing weight. It wasn't like he had much of an appetite lately and the stresses and pure phyicality that hunting brought with it were more than likely taking a toll on his physique.

Mentally shrugging and without thinking much more about, Sam dragged his tired ass to bed and flopped down, asleep almost before Dean began to bitch about the hot water.

TBC...

The Incredible Shrinking Sam, chapter 1

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