Coming Back

The Returned appear shellshocked when they realize they’ve come back from the dead. They tend to be disoriented, confused, and—naturally—still in pain from whatever trauma killed them. For long-term illnesses or congenital diseases, they’d usually been relieved that it was finally over. And if it had been a sudden, violent death—say, a murder or a heart attack—they often suffer from PTSD. Aside from the rare easy-to-repair accident, usually they beg to be rekilled, which feels like an awkward violation on everyone’s part. Nine times out of ten, Returning is more of a curse than a blessing. I rarely recommend it.