Welcome to the Impala

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"I need some beer," Dean said, making his way down the street. "And some pie." Cas was walking next to him, starring at his shoes, deep in thought. It was strange behavior, even for Cas. "You okay, Cas?"

The trench-coated angel raised his head. "You can't be here, Dean." Castiel said again.

"We'll be fine, Cas." Dean reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Cas leaped in front of Dean, blocking their path.

"You don't understand, Dean." Cas said, his deep voice sounding grave. "Something's wrong, it's not safe here." His blue eyes were pleading with Dean's green ones. "Something terrible is coming." Cas' voice was almost a whisper. Suddenly Castiel was alert, blue eyes scanning. If he were a dog, Dean thought, his ears would be standing up, listening for someone-or something. And the angel was gone.

Dean stood, blinking. "Cas? CAS!" He screamed. Within twenty minutes, he had lost both his brother and his angel to this crazy town. Dean ran his hand through his hair, before stepping into the Moonlite All Night Diner.

xxxx

"C'mon in," Carlos said as he opened the door to his and Cecil's apartment. "Make yourself at home." Sam made his way into the foyer of the small one bedroom apartment. The entryway lead down the hall and to the bedroom; there was a bathroom door near the bedroom and on Sam's left side there was the living room and what looked like a kitchen beyond that. Sam was surprised; out of all the things that he and Dean saw in Night Vale, the apartment was probably the most normal. There was a small table in the entryway, right in front of Sam. On top of that table was a cat, its tail wrapped around its paws as it sat straight up and stared at Sammy. The was a dark gray, almost black, color with strange purple markings and eyes and, just like Cecil, the cat has three eyes.

"Who's that?" Sam asked Carlos, not taking his eyes off the cat.

"Oh, that's just Khoshe-KH," Carlos' voice ended in a sneeze. He crossed the room and lovingly scratched the top of Khoshekh's head. The cat still kept his eyes on Sam. "He's harmless." Carlos disappeared into the kitchen.

Sam slowly reached out his hand to Khoshekh. "Hey, there." The cat's mouth opened and a loud unholy screeching came from inside. The noise was loud enough that Sam could feel his teeth rattle in his jaw and he swore that windows would start breaking. The screeching stopped just as suddenly as it had started, leaving Sam still standing, dazed, in the foyer. "What the hell was that?"

Carlos poked his out from the kitchen. "That just means he likes you." Carlos returned to the kitchen. As if to help convince Sam, Khoshekh began rubbing up against him, purring loudly. Sam cautiously scratched the cat's head. Carlos' head peeked out again. "Oh, and Sam? The spine ridges of adult cats are highly poisonous. Just thought you ought to know." Carlos returned to the kitchen again, leaving Sam with Khoshekh and his poisonous spine ridges.

xxxx

Castiel sat on an old flower patterned sofa, a cup of tea in his hand, untouched. He was sitting in Old Woman Josie's house, surrounded by his brothers and sister, most of whom were named Erika, but a few names Cas recognized. Gabriel, Balthazar, Gadreel, Samandriel and Zachariah. Old Woman Josie sat across from Cas in a matching flower patterned armchair. Where Cas' tea was untouched, hers was almost gone. Old Woman Josie had gray hair that was tied on top of her head. She wore a tan sweater over a white shirt and a gray skirt. The armchair almost completely swallowed the small woman.

"Enough of this." Cas said as he rose to his feet. He crossed the room to the stools lined up along the counter where Gabriel was sitting. "Why have you called me here, Gabriel?"

Gabriel smiled and ruffled Cas' hair. "Why are you so upset, Cas? Did your boyfriend break up with you?"

"Stop messing with the boy, Gabriel." Balthazar said, peaking through Old Woman Josie's blinds. "Just tell the lad why he's here and make him happy."

Gabriel slide off the stool he was sitting on. "Why don't you relax a little and have some fun?"

"Don't you get it?" Balthazar whirled on Gabriel. "We have to leave! We won't survive when it comes!"

"Balthazar, dearie, relax." Old Woman Josie said in a sweet voice. She handed her now empty tea cup to Erika as another Erika placed another cup into her hands. "Let Gabriel have his fun." Gabriel stuck his tongue out at Balthazar, who, in turn, told Gabriel that he was number one. Castiel cocked his head to the side, starring at Old Woman Josie. He slowly made his way back to the sofa.

"What, exactly, is coming Miss Josie?" Cas asked. She looked over the rim of her silver glasses. Everyone in the room exchanged looks as the woman handed her tea cup to Erika.

"I'm sure you, as the rest of my angels, have noticed something strange in Night Vale?" she said. "Not the strange things of Night Vale, but something else entirely. Something terrible on the wind." Cas kept his eyes locked on the woman sitting across from him. From the moment Cas and his Winchesters came close enough to Night Vale, he had, in fact, felt something on the wind. He didn't know what exactly it was, but he knew that it wasn't safe for Dean. And Sam, of course. "I'd be careful if I were you, Castiel. What's coming has been to Night Vale before, and that did not end well for anyone the first time they came. I would suggest you and your boys leave, as soon as possible. Or learn to protect yourselves when they come." The woman took a moment to regain her composure before speaking again. "You are welcome here anytime, Castiel, but my angels and I will be gone by morning. Erika, please show Castiel the way out."

One of the many angels named Erika stepped forward and held the door open for Cas. He left Old Woman Josie's house with a sense of urgency to get his Winchesters out of Night Vale.