BLACK

Episode 36: I Remember Being Dead

This is kind of a short one (fillerish) but it's needed to get to the next chapter and what not. Lemme know what you think ;D

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When he woke up, he truly woke up. For the first time in what seemed like forever the haze was lifted. There was no darkness in the corners fogging his vision, no hatred burning through his veins, and no overwhelming urge to fight, to kill.

Rick sat up on the cot he was lying on and glanced around. He moved his legs over the side of the cot and rested his elbows on his thighs. There was a hollow feeling in his chest, a weight on his shoulders, and a lingering pain at the back of his neck, but his mind felt clear. Rick lifted his hand to the back of his neck. His fingers traced what felt like a burn wound, but the form of it was strange. It wasn't a simple burn, it was a figure.

"Your neck will be tender for many days."

Rick's head snapped up to see Castiel standing by the doorframe of his cell. Beside him was one of the newer people to show up. For some reason, Rick couldn't remember his name and only vaguely recognized his face.

"What", He cleared his dry throat, "What happened?"

"The black happened." The second guy said with a small smile. Rick remembered the monster they called the black. He could hear Dean and Castiel's voices in his mind talking about the creature that ruined the world. The second guy shrugged, "It rode your ass around like a-"

Rick narrowed his eyes at him in confusion, "Who are you?"

Castiel stepped forward so he was in the room, "His name is Gabriel. How do you feel?"

Gabriel crossed his arms and looked to Rick for an answer. Rick stared back as memories began to flip through his mind like a slideshow. He remembered this man, this ex-archangel, rolling up to the prison in a black car. He remembered the other two new faces, one woman and another man, but their names escaped him. Rick remembered the demon in the trunk, tied and gagged.

"Well?" Gabriel pressed, "We don't have all day, sheriff."

Castiel crossed the room to look at the back of Rick's neck. He leaned forward so the burn could be seen. He cleared his throat again, "I feel ok. I feel...awake."

"You didn't remember Gabriel-" Castiel began.

Gabriel interrupted with a raised finger, "Which I'm insulted by, by the way."

Castiel continued, "So I assume you don't recall Kit or Wynn as well, Crowley either for that matter, but do you remember the past few months? The winter?"

Rick slowly nodded his head. It was easy to remember the barn, meeting the Winchesters, the months of freezing weather and hungry walkers. He remembered finding the prison and making it safe. Rick swallowed the lump that formed in his throat at the thought of Lori. He remembered that. He remembered it all too well, but it was after that soul obliterating death that things began to grow blurry in his mind.

"Just...Just give me a minute." Rick closed his eyes, "It's coming back to me."

"You're mind remembers what occurred when the black had hold, but it probably didn't process it like normal. You should have no memory loss." Castiel ranted as memories played in Rick's mind, "The wound on the back of your neck is a sigil drawn in Daryl's blood."

Rick's eyes snapped open and the memories paused as the words sunk in, "Daryl's blood?"

"His bloodline is that of the Wanderer. I do not know what that truly means, but it has a negative effect on the black." Castiel replied.