A Small Respite

Soul Stories - Waiting for your appointment can be Hell

In a cruel world full of darkness and despair, the waiting room of a dentist’s office was the last place Dean Winchester expected to find himself. He knew he was heading to Hell, but had no idea how he ended up staring at faded pink and yellow walls plastered in puce flower wallpaper. Dean shifted in his seat and heard the plastic which covered the chair crinkle under his movements. Every single available table was either covered in women’s health magazines, copies of sewing monthly or strange photo albums filled with pictures of plastic plants.

Dean slowly scanned the room and had notices several other people sitting in chairs identical to his own, reading or simply staring off at nothing in particular. He considered asking them where the Hell they all were but decided that he didn’t want to know the answer. Dean sat back in his chair, closed his eyes, and listened to the hum of some sort of easy-listening station.

“Winchester.” A female voice came from the sliding administrative window.

Dean opened his eyes and looked at the woman who had called his name. She looked like a character straight out of a 1960s comedy, the kind that would play a teacher or a librarian. She wore horn-rimmed glasses with the attached chains, perched on her hooked nose. Her hair was in a high, tight bun and she had bright red lipstick smeared too far outside of the lines of her mouth. She scoffed in Dean’s general direction as she sharply waved him over to the front desk.

“Guess it’s my turn,” Dean stated to no one in particular. He got out of his chair and walked over to the desk. The woman had her eyes downcast as she was frantically clicking away at a typewriter. Dean’s eyes wander to the wall behind her desk and couldn’t help but notice every square inch was covered in cat pictures.

“I heard you aren’t crazy until you have 17 of them,” Dean smirked. “But if you hit the triple digits you get invited into the premium club. Heard you get a gold watch and everything.”

The woman didn’t react to Dean’s snide comments in the least. He thought as much and just shrugged off his audience’s inability to get a good joke.

“Listen, sweetheart, wher–” Dean’s words were abruptly cut off but a wrinkled and jewelry-laden hand raised before his face in a very silencing manner.

“Through the door.” The woman hadn’t looked up once from her typewriter and just gestured wildly in the direction of a door.

“Thanks, toots.” Dean drummed the desk as he departed. He put his hands in his jacket pockets and calmly sauntered over to the door on the other side of the waiting room.

Walking up to the door Dean realized there were no handle, window, or buttons of any kind to open it. He stopped just shy of the threshold and was about to turn around and discuss this issue with Connie the Cat lady when the door suddenly swung open. A bright light shone through the open door causing Dean to blink several times until his eyes had adjusted. What he saw on the other side he couldn’t believe.

Actually, he could believe it since this was a dentist’s office. Through that door was a clean room full of equipment, tables, a sink and a dentist’s chair. Sitting with his back towards Dean was a hefty, balding man writing something down on a chart on top of the desk located in the corner.

“Sorry, Doc I’m not due for a cleaning for another 6 months.” Dean stood in the doorway and continued to scan the room. Movement caught his attention when the supposed dentist turned around in his wheelie chair and grinned up towards Dean.

“Come on in Dean! Don’t just stand there in the door.” The man swept his arm in a welcoming motion.

If he didn’t enter the room he wouldn’t get anywhere. So Dean decided to just bite the bullet and walk into one of his most loathed places; the dentist’s office.

“Have a seat would you?” The doctor motioned towards the chair in the middle of the room. “I just need to do a quick check.”

“I gotta say Doc, I most definitely have cavities so I might as well save you the time in looking.” Dean crossed his arms across his chest and stared down at the dentist. He was met with a soft gaze full of understanding and patience from the dentist in the chair.

“Now Dean I know you’re scared.” He started. “But we have to get through this before you can move on.”

“Move onto where exactly?” Dean asked drily.

One second Dean was preparing his best excuses to use against the quack of a dentist, and the next second he’s already in the chair.

“What the fu—” Dean was hit with a splitting headache before he could utter another word.

“Take it easy there son, you’ve got a nice bump on your head there.” Off to the side, Dean could hear the dentist rattling a tray of tools. He tried to remember what happened to him.

“That damn cat lady hit me over the head didn’t she?!” Dean seethed.

“Ah yes, I’m afraid she did. But don’t worry, the damage isn’t permanent. Not here.” The dentist had finally wheeled himself over to the chair.

Dean watched a silver tray of tools was placed on a small swinging table just above him. They made a small clank against the table as Dean had a chance to take a look at them. Drills, picks, and bores were carelessly left on the silver tray. The tools were dirty and covered in rust. Dean concentrated on them more through the splitting headache he was experiencing and notice they were also covered in dried blood.

“This is a nightmare.” Dean sighed and let his head fall back onto the headrest of the chair.

“No Dean.” The dentist positioned himself at the top of the chair. “This is Hell.”

~ ~ ~

Dean had tried to struggle when he first woke up but his arms and legs had been tightly bound. Further struggle against the now tightened head restraint was futile. The bright overhead light beamed mercilessly onto his face as the dentist placed devices on either side of Dean’s eyes.

“Tricky work this is, so try not to move.” The dentist whispered from inches away. “I promised to keep you intact for your first time.”

“What the hell does that even mean?!” Dean grunted back at the man.

“There, all done. That wasn’t so bad now was it?” The dentist sat back in his chair and admired his work.

Strapped to a dentist’s chair with his head securely restrained, Dean could do anything about the device attached to his face which forced his eyes open. He tried to breathe through the pain of the light searing into his eyeballs but anything he did was useless.

“Get this s**t off me.” He yelled while trying to find where the other man had gone.

“I’m afraid that is only the beginning, Dean.” The dentist reappeared in Dean’s line of sight, this time he was holding something. “How it’s time to go for a little walk.”

“What?” Dean had no chance to ask any question let alone try to find a way out of that chair. The dentist plunged a large needle straight into the centre of Dean’s left eye.

The excruciating pain radiated throughout his entire head as he screamed against what was happening to him. He tried to fight, to move away but his restraints kept him bound. His breath came in pants and he could feel a cold sweat wash over his body. He tried to concentrate on anything but it was too late. He saw the black liquid being pumped through the needle which was deep within his eye. He tried not to panic but as soon as the contents of the needle entered his system it felt as if he was on fire.

Darkness surrounded Dean as he tried to figure out what had happened. He couldn’t figure out where he was but at least he could move a bit more freely at this point. He lifted up both wrists and gave them a squeeze before trying to take a step forward. His feet didn’t budge but Dean didn’t even know if he was actually standing on the ground or not.

Look who we have here.

A voice came out of the darkness and caressed its way across Dean’s skin like soft silk. He felt shivers stream up his spine as he tried to quiet the uncontrollable shaking in his limbs.

“Where exactly is here?” He tried to act as unaffected as possible, but it was horribly unconvincing. Dean waited what felt like a millennium for an answer, to the point that he thought he had only imagined asking the question.

What are your worst fears, Dean?

The voice echoed through the void again. Dean was prepared for it this time and didn’t react as badly. Not like he was going to answer it though.

I can tell you.

“Like hell, you can.” Dean’s limited patience had run out.

This is where you all come. You all come to tell your soul stories.

The darkness began swirling around Dean as he caught flashes and scenes cutting through the inky blackness. The deaths of his father and brother; being tortured; running from some unknown monster; countless scenes spinning around him like leaves dancing on the wind.

“You’re going to use these against me aren’t you?” He already knew the answer.

You’re famous here Dean. Have to put on a good show for you. Don’t worry, we are going to have one Hell of a good time.

With those final words, Dean’s failing consciousness finally gave into the darkness. The swirling scenes of his greatest fears spinning faster and faster until they were torn into a million pieces. Silence returned to the darkness once more.