Reality, such as it was, took its sweet time in returning. All Dean was aware of when his mind finished circling the drain was razor-sharp claws poking and pulling at him, scratching at his already thin skin until he thought he would split apart at the seams. Peals of laughter echoed across the dark expanse, chilling him to the marrow, and reminding him of the last moments of his worthless life.

He was trapped in this deep, dark well. And he was gonna stay that way because there was no escaping this pit.

Not this time.

His worthless hide was here to rot.

Dean wondered if this void was the one Ruby tried to warn him about. If it is, well, I got news for her, he thought as he tried to force himself back to a state of consciousness. It sucks balls.

Dean felt his conscious mind start to stir and reached out to grab hold of the pinpricks of light forming red balls behind his eyelids. He managed to lever open his eyes. Everything around him was some bizarre shade of green. Not emerald, not pea soup, not even army fatigue green. It was just some sorta weird shade of green that made his gut twist, heart clench, and head throb as if he had one helluva hangover. Thick clouds, blacker then the night skies over Kansas swirled all around him, slapping at him with hands formed from the thick vapor, and tearing at his already fractured flesh with invisible claws.

Dean turned his head and saw there were chains stretched for as far as his blurry eyes could see. Thunder boomed, and lightning crashed. A fire bolt sizzled along every synapse and caused him to cry out despite his every effort not to give the sons of bitches the pleasure of him doing so. A bright bolt of pain shot through his body, causing every nerve to shudder in agony, and every muscle to weep for mercy.

Try as he did to prevent it, a scream burst from his mouth, causing the things hanging at the edge of his visual field to laugh with glee. He tried to move, to roll away from the nails shredding his flesh, but his arms and legs are held fast by a series of thick chains.

He felt the bite of something going through his right shoulder and anchored his head back to see a hook protruding from his flesh. Terror rose up to choke him as the full weight of what he was going to endure sunk home.

He was trapped, body and soul.

There were no means of escape at his disposal.

He had absolutely no hope of any type of mercy or salvation.

All those ways he would have once used to deal with what they planned for him were unavailable to him here. His weapons, Baby, Bobby, Sam they were all way outta his reach. They would be until after this place wore him down and turned him into one of the black-eyed jackals Sam and Bobby would have to hunt.

Dean was alone, stretched out like a Christmas feast, and at the macabre whims of whoever might come to take a bite outta him.

Fear burned through the pain and he felt an almost ridiculous urge to cry. He stifled that crap quick. Sobbin' like a baby was the last thing he would ever do. He was made of sterner stock than that. Dad made him a soldier. And soldiers didn't cry.

They looked for ways out of their situation.

"Help!" He shouted into the void. "Somebody help me!"

A cloud swirled up and punched him, rocking his head back and causing him to see stars. The coppery taste of blood filled his mouth and rained down his chin. Still, he called out to the only person he thought could manage to find a way to rescue him from his fate.

"Sam! Help me!" Desperation dripped from every syllable and sickened him. "Sam!"

A/N: Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!

This is tagged to episode 3x16