March 2016 - Interstate 86, Pennsylvania

Cas wasn't sure what day it was, but it didn't matter -here behind the wheel, the engine roaring and the chassis bucking he could almost forget everything. The scenery was awash in orange ,that time between dusk and nightfall that seems to magnify the intensity of the setting sun. Stray beams cascaded over the dashboard as the canopy of trees whizzed by, shadow struggling against light in an ageless battle.

His foot pressed against the accelerator a little harder, coaxing the old Ranger into a sputtering eighty five miles per hour -the truck needed work, but Cas couldn't find it in himself to care. With Claire gone now -how long had it been? Squinting into the setting sun he hunched over the steering wheel, elbows propped to guide the wheel as he fumbled with a joint and Zippo.

Inhaling sharply he tossed the Zippo into the cup holder, a bottle of pills rattling in protest, and decided it had been roughly two months now. Two months since their botched rescue mission. Two months since they'd failed to rescue Claire Novak. He'd failed her too many times to focus on.

It didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore.

The joint burned hot and quick, before he knew it he could feel the sting of embers at his fingertips and he cursed loudly, flicking the roach out of the drivers' side window. Returning his attention back to the road he squinted against the shadow of a house looming in the distance, the sunlight seemed angry, swallowing the image up, burning into his eyes and obstructing his view.

As the road curved and everything came back into focus he could do nothing but curse -a large deer, one he could picture over a boastful hunters fireplace, was crossing the road. And, despite the way the truck barreled down the road, gripping tightly to the asphalt, the animal didn't seem at all in a hurry.

Slamming both feet onto the brakes he held on to the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles yellowing around the edges as he braced himself. The truck slowed slightly before he tried to correct around the deer, the back wheels screeching as he inevitably lost control.

As everything upended itself, spinning and frightening, Cas could tell the rear of the truck clipped the animal. His hands flew from the wheel to above his head, the horrible crunch of metal against pavement consuming all other manner of sound.

Time seemed to slow here, in these moments of chaos. As the truck righted itself Cas slammed down from the roof into the passenger seat, able to make sense enough of his surroundings to see a line of trees.

Before he had time to react metal screamed against bark and he felt himself become weightless again, reminded of the stratosphere and stink of ozone.

April 2016 - Unknown Location, Pennsylvania

Everything was fuzzy, like looking through murky water. Colors diluted themselves as his head swam, mending into one blaringly elegant mess. He blinked once, twice before everything began to come together. The fuzz had spread to his ears and they began to ring loudly, almost deafening. A voice sounded, garbled and watery as if it were coming through the ether.

"I wouldn't move too much if I were you." It boomed again.

This time it was clearer, his eyes making their way to the speaker before they slid shut again. "Where am I?" His own voice reverberated in his head, a pointer finger coming to massage at the opening of his ears.

A chair creaked somewhere in the room, then the floorboards beside the bed, "Not far from the interstate." At the silence that hung in the air she elaborated, "Pennsylvania."

He squinted, head pounding in protest and looked around the room. The decorations were simple, the furnishing lacking, but he felt safe here in this strange woman's presence. She seemed nice enough, a kind rounded face and a voice that said she was from anywhere but Pennsylvania.

"You've been here three weeks."

Brows knotted together at the unprompted admission, "Three weeks?" He pushed himself up slowly, carefully on the bed. "How did I get here?"

The woman's face became serious, "You don't remember?"

Cas shook his head in the negative and he pulled the blanket up closer around himself -he wasn't cold, but it was comforting.

This seemed to worry her and she chewed on her bottom lip, dragging it between her teeth nervously. "I found you in the road." The words seemed to come out in a rush, as if she wasn't sure she should be saying them. "You had an accident." Looking to the foot of the bed she seemed to be debating on whether or no to sit, "Do you mind?" She motioned with her hands.

Castiel nodded his permission, "It must have been pretty bad if I can't remember it."

"Your truck was bent up around some trees," She sighed, wringing her hands together, "through some others." Carefully, almost weightlessly, she sat on the corner of the bed, "I found you about fifteen, twenty feet off in the woods." Running her hands down her jeans she added, almost as an afterthought, "Against a tree." She cleared her voice, perhaps giving a moment for the information to sink in before continuing. "You're lucky."

Despite the news he managed a smile, surprised even at himself for not being in the least bit freaked out about his circumstance.

"What's your name?"

He opened his mouth to respond but found himself needing a moment to decide. His thoughts seemed to swim, snippets coming together out of sync and he shook his head in the negative, eyes closing once more.

"Oh." Her voice was small, apologetic. "I went back after I was sure you'd be alright on your own." She stood quickly, "I salvaged what I could from the wreck, spare parts-" Moving to the other side of the room she opened a closet door, "Maybe something that can help?"

It was a question but she sounded hopeful and he decided he would be also. Despite his best efforts at optimism, however, as she disappeared behind the closet door, he could feel the sting of frustration. His eyes watered slightly and he pinched himself, forcing them open.

Her voice was muffled inside of the closet, "I didn't look through any of your personal stuff, figured-" The door slammed shut, "When you woke up you'd want it to be how you left it."

He watched her struggle with a large green duffel bag before sliding it across the floor by it's straps. "Thank you." The phrase felt alien to him, as if he hadn't practiced it much in whatever life he'd come from- was he an asshole? Seriously?

"It was getting dark," She shrugged, apparently not able to accept praise anyway, "Didn't see any sense in leaving you to the Zombies."

Eyes slammed shut at that, flashes of memory, fractions of sound, snippets of out of synch conversation came back to him. It was something, but it wasn't enough. "Cas." He struggled to get it out, "My name it Cas." It sounded right, seemed right. But still, something nagged at him- maybe it was a nickname?

She hummed slightly as if pondering the validity of his claim. Eyes narrowed slightly she smirked lopsided, "You seem more like a Clarence to me." Her head fell to the side, eyes wide and expectant, as if she were waiting for him to have some other worldly epiphany. After a moment of awkward looks she sighed, "Mary." She lied. "My name is Mary."

Clarence. Something nagged at him, begging him to be realized. Biting on the inside of his lip, he sighed in defeat. "Hello Mary." He tried to force a smile, tried to say thanks with the failed gesture, but it didn't quite reach his eyes and it did absolutely nothing to quell the growing pit in his stomach. But then he did come to a realization. One that was, admittedly, a bit late. "Zombies?!"