When at First You Don't Succeed - Sanders Sides

Part 8 - Roman

I watched Virgil's head slowly drop over time. It's scary enough to watch him go through this, I can't imagine what it's like for him. Once his chin was finally touching his chest and soft and subtle snores could be heard, the little screen on the panel began to glow. Logan started pressing buttons, focusing on the screen. Patton and I both had keen eyes on Virgil. He looked so peaceful yet scared at the same time. My heart fluttered a little. This was actually working.

"Is he actually asleep?" Patton whispered to the two of us.

"Perhaps it was unwise to give him that pill after he had just woken up but it won't hinder our mission," Logan explained, his eyes still glued to the screen. "Let's just hope nothing bad happens" He mumbled afterward.

I was about to question him when the screen began to show his dreams. Logan removed his hands from the panel and began to ponder what was happening around Virgil. "These should be dreams he's had previously," Logan said. Patton promptly shushed him as voices came through the screen.

"I'm gonna shove my mace right through that bastard's heart and then rip out his organs one by one!" Remus' voice shrieked. Virgil moaned and moved his head around at the sounds. We all watched him carefully until he stopped and we turned our attention back down to the dream.

"There isn't an image?" Patton questioned.

"Virgil said that sometimes he can hear the dreams and other times he can see them," I said, Logan and Patton nodding in understanding. "The only thing is, if Virgil can hear or see them, they can hear or see him too."

"What?" Logan said, redirecting his to me.

"Quiet! Listen" Patton commanded.

"I must say, that performance was a bit, pathetic. Even for you two. My very best workers for the job. But, time goes on." There was a small chuckle before the speaker spoke again. "Well, when at first you don't succeed...." The screen became fuzzy as it cut to the next nightmare.

Now we were watching from Virgil's perspective. Seeing him watch Remus Deceit and another side talk. I remembered this as the dream Virgil just had. Deceit and Remus looked uncomfortable as they talked with this other side. They were both standing with straight posture with there shaking hands behind their backs. Then, my heart almost dropped.

Just as Virgil had described it, a fire of fire started blazing towards him. He quickly took off but I could still see the light of the fire behind him. "No...no....." Virgil was mumbling from the platform.

"Easy kiddo. It's alright." Patton said through the microphone on the panel. Virgil took a deep breath and returned to his peaceful dreaming state. Turning my attention back to the nightmare, Virgil had crouched down and let the fire engulf him. Patton gasped while the screen went fuzzy again. Logan pressed more buttons whilst Patton and I exchanged nervous glances.

"Who was that other side?" Patton asked,

"I'm not exactly sure," Logan responded. The screen faded back to life as a new nightmare popped onto the screen. "This should be the nightmare he's having right now," Logan said. We all leaned in, wanting to end Virgil's suffering once and for all.

From what we could see through Virgil's eyes, Deceit was leaning over a table that was littered in papers. The other side was at standing next to him and Remus was digging through a drawer labeled, 'Drawer of Torture.' The pattern seemed to continue with this dream, we could only see and not hear.

Logan was carefully studying the new side, looking at his clothing and face but more specifically, watching his interactions with Deceit. He didn't seem as tense this time around but also, didn't appear to be happy either. They began to laugh about whatever was on that table. I didn't like the look on their faces. It seemed happy but not a good happy.

Then it hit me.

"That's the type of face Remus would make whenever he was planning something big!" I pointed out. Patton was chomping at the bit, his eyes going between Virgil, his boyfriend, and the screen. Logan shifted his attention away from Deceit and the side to where Remus...was.

"Where's Remus?" Patton said. Logan leaned up from the screen, putting his finger on his chin.

"That side's color is a bright orange, almost red...Deceit and Remus seem to be playing to his ego and this side seems like he knows how things should work." Logan thought out loud before his eyes went wide. He ran in front of Patton and shoved his mouth into the mic, "Virgil! Wake up, now!"

"Wait, what?" I yelled in panic.

"Was is it, Lo?" Patton asked.

"I can't explain right now. Patton can you grab one of the books I left in your room?" Logan's words were coming out a mile a minute. I was starting to get nervous.

Patton nodded to Logan's command and ran back towards the mind palace. I looked back at the screen and now Deceit was gone too. Now, the new side stood in front of Virgil, a big smile plastered on his face and his hands behind his back. I could see Virgil shaking from on the platform, Logan still barking at him to wake up.

The side put his hand under Virgil's chin, getting a good look at him. My fists clenched, never in my life have I wanted to beat something up more. In the dream, Virgil began to back up but stopped abruptly and turned around. 

I gasped, seeing Remus with his mace held over his head and a big grin on his smug face. The mace swung down on Virgil's head and through my peripheral vision I could see Virgil's body jerk forwards and then lean back against the tube, his arms fell to his sides. The panel started sparking.

"Woah!" I shouted. Logan and I both stepped back and watched in shock. The tube around Virgil rose back up and he fell backward. "Virgil!" I shouted. I ran over to him and pulled his head onto my lap. He looked scared. As if his unconscious mind was trying to get a grip on the situation. "How did that just happen?"

"I suppose whatever happens in his dreams actually happens to him," Logan said joining me next to Virgil. I saw something in Virgil's limp hand. When I opened his hand a little wider, I saw it was the flower and made for him. I felt tears prick at my eyes and I let them flow.

"Who was that side, Logan?" He didn't answer me. "Who. Was. That. Side?!"

"Wrath." My eyes widened.

"So he's back?"