Reborn

On the edge of a boundless plane of nonexistence, a consciousness freshly freed from its body tries to piece itself back together.

what...


warm...


...spinach...i...I


I think...I think, therefore I...


ham and cheese sandwich - good...


I am a what?


questions...I have...many, but no ham and cheese sandwich or spinach...or warmth...what am I?


I am...a person, no, a man...what is a man? Maybe it is...it's...not something I ever knew.


I am...Barbera! Where is she? Barbera...I miss Barbera. Who was she?...


...gone now...long gone, dead and gone. Dead? What is that? What am I?


Dead? Yes...this is dead...I am dead...a dead man...missing a dead woman...how?


...where are the other dead people? Am I alone? Who am I? Hair, snagging me. I saw so much hair in my life...and pain. I tried to stop the pain...with...hair?


That can't be right. What else is there? I met - no, knew - Soup, Hitch Hiker, Thermostat...Barbera...I remember her fingers now. They were sharp. What were we? We were...


we...


were...


PEACE WARRIORS! We battled the forces of evil with our mighty...no, respectable...no, modest super powers. We didn't care that we lacked great power. We took on great responsibility anyway!

I was a fighter, a helper, a proud man...too proud. It hurts. I don't want to see the pride anymore. I loved myself, but I loved God too, really. Ah, soothing... good things from good thoughts, but I must remember more. I see so many lies like cancer, but some more like shots. I didn't want to, but I had to...lie...sorry...I wasn't such a bad man. I was...

oh God, I understand! I know, I see! I recall everything, all the pain of sins and the joy of service. I know who I was, and I was -


"Stand back you gawking idiots! Don't overwhelm him!" The Head Chancellor of Necromancy shouted. Black and white cloaked men scattered from their huddle. Aldrich pushed forward, followed closely by Archibald.

"Sir, can you hear me?" Aldrich demanded of the naked, gasping man cowering on the floor. As Aldrich spoke,  a beard sprouted from the man's face and crept over his knees until it completely enveloped him in ash brown curls. "Sir, look at me!" The man's eyes locked with Aldrich's. His breathing slowed slightly. He parted his lips to speak, but he only managed to wheeze sloppily. After a bit of experimentation with his tender vocal chords, he spat out three words.

"Who am I?"

Aldrich's lips twitched into a bitter-sweet smile, "You were Harold Capili-"

"but," interrupted Archibald, laying his hands on Capili's temples, "not anymore."