Season 2 - Episode 6: Rigor Mortician

## Synopsis

Sammie talks to Judson and tries to views his memories to figure out why he's surrounded by necromantic energy. She discovers that Judson has no memories of when he was alive and he thinks he's been undead for around 30 years. Sammie passes on what she learned to Bjorn and Henry before they turn their attention back to the creature. They track it down in the sewer system and try to kill it before it escapes once again.

## Episode Description

Sammie has an illuminating conversation with Judson Stone. Then, the heroes make a plan to take down the monster.

## Key Events

* Sammie discovers that Judson is undead and has been for close to 30 years.
* Bjorn, Henry, and Sammie track down the creature in the sewers but it manages to escape. In the scuffle, the outer part of Bjorn's arm is turned to stone and one of Sammie's stone fingers cracks.

## Summary

Sammie immediately seals the door to the morgue closed with a force barrier. Judson asks what's wrong. Sammie tells him that she needs to be able to trust him completely and confronts him about the purple, necromantic aura around him. Judson says that he's around the dead quite often due to his job. Sammie asks him if he deals with the dead at all outside of work and Judson denies it. Sammie pushes further, asking if he's ever seen magic done before and Judson answers that he has no magical abilities. Sammie notices that he seems to be choosing his words and answers very carefully.

Sammie steps forward and puts her hand on Judson's head to look into his memories. Sammie notices that Judson's skin is incredibly cold to the touch. Judson's memories don't look or feel like a normal human's. His thoughts are slow, sluggish, and devoid of emotions. It feels as though something is stopping her from moving forward. She realizes it's very similar to the memories of the man who'd been turned to stone. Judson is able to reach up and pull Sammie's hand off of his forehead and snap Sammie back into herself. Judson asks Sammie what just happened, what she saw. Sammie asks if Judson is alive and he confirms that he's not. Judson says that he doesn't remember anything before being like he is now - he's not sure how long it's been since he became like this, perhaps 30 years ago.

Sammie takes another look at Judson with her Third Eye and doesn't see any kind of connection between him to another person. Assured he's not being controlled by anyone, she drops the force barrier keeping the door shut. She thanks Judson for telling her the truth and Judson assures her he doesn't have any ill will against her and the others. Sammie tucks her knife back into her jacket and heads out to the lobby to meet with the boys. They notice something is up but Sammie tells them it's something they need to talk about in private.

Bjorn, Henry, and Sammie get back into Bjorn's SUV. Sammie tells them everything she learned and that she thinks Judson is a zombie. Bjorn asks if they need to worry about him and Sammie says no. They all agree to research and look into the situation later once they have some time after this case. They switch gears back to the creature. Henry looks back at the map of the sewer system to try and narrow down their options, but comes up with the same results as before - either the middle school or a pipe that leads to the water treatment plant that feeds out into the ocean. Sammie suggests they head down into the sewers since they've already wounded it and Henry directs them to the nearest entrance.

Bjorn, Henry, and Sammie drop down into the sewers. They find a blood trail and follow it toward the water treatment plant. As they get closer, they see the green slime from the creature again. They notice a few rats that have been turned to stone outside of a smaller tunnel that branches out from the main path. Henry asks Sammie if she can see a trail anywhere with her Third Eye and Sammie confirms it goes through the smaller tunnel. Bjorn suggests they wait and see if the creature will leave the smaller tunnel so they can take it by surprise.

It takes a few hours before they hear something coming down through the tunnel. Bjorn and Henry are on either side of the entrance to the smaller tunnel. They both take off their jackets to try and catch the creature and pin it down so it can't bite them. As soon as the creature exits the tunnel, Bjorn tries to grapple it but needs Henry's assistance to keep it pinned. Bjorn yells to Sammie that they have it pinned.

Sammie, unable to see in the dark, lights her hand on fire for light. The fire catches the methane gas that's built up in the sewer and the air explodes with fire. The creature starts to wiggle free of Bjorn and Henry's hold and bites Bjorn's hand. Bjorn tries to keep his grip, but it's able to free itself. It jumps into the channel of water in the center of the sewer. Bjorn rushes to heal his hand, feeling the numbness spread up to his elbow. Sammie jumps across the channel and helps with the healing of his arm. The outer edge of Bjorn's arm remains stone, but the spread is stopped.

Henry spots the creature swimming at the surface of the channel away from them. Henry points it out to them and they all follow it. Bjorn takes a shot and hits it, but the creature dives into a nearby tunnel. They all follow it and manage to trap it in a dead end at the end of a tunnel. Henry takes a shot at it, but the creature jumps and grabs onto Henry's shirt with its claws. Sammie tries to grab the creature by the back of the neck so that it can't bite Henry and Bjorn. She does so but feels one of her stone fingers begin to crack. Bjorn wraps the creature's head in the jacket again so that it can't bite anyone.

Henry tries to slash at the creature with his claws, but the creature manages to free itself. It jumps from Henry's chest, over Bjorn's shoulder, and runs out the way they came in. As they push their way out of the tunnel, they notice a light above them. The creature has pushed a manhole aside and escaped onto the street.

## List of Appearances

* Sammie Overbrook
* Judson Stone
* Bjorn Olafson
* Henry Marlowe