The Impossible Side

1

"Dad?!?" I heard someone yell in a way that seemed urgent. It sounded close. I wanted to flinch at the sound, but, for reason unknown to me, I couldn't move. It felt like I was in a trance. Not awake, but not asleep either.

"Yeah, kiddo?" I heard the person reply. I heard footsteps that seemed slightly hurried, but not in a way that you'd think it was an emergency. "Oh my! Who is this?" I heard them speak again, but closer this time.

I wanted to say or do something, but I felt paralyzed. I felt like I was frozen in a split second in time. I heard three more people walking this way. The footsteps sounded out of balance. One was faster than the others. I heard this and was frightened. So, I tried something I hadn't yet.

MOVE! I screamed in my head to myself. And suddenly, like a spell broke, I shot up gasping for air as though I was starved of it for too long. It felt harmful, yet nice. Though I swear I was breathing before. Maybe this was different. Maybe I was breathing, but only enough to keep my in the lingo between life and death.

"Patton? Virgil? What's going on h-" the person stopped their sentence when they spotted me. "It can't be." They whispered almost to themselves more than anything. I tilted my head. Does this person know me? If so, how do they know me? "I watched you die. In my arms. How are you here?" They seemed baffled. I looked at them.

I truly studied their face and even though I couldn't remember much, I connected the dots. I spoke up for the first time. "Roman?" The name rolled off my tongue like I had said it many times before. As though i hadn't just woken up. "I don't understand. I-I barely remember who I am. Why can I remember you, but nothing else?" I started to cry, and I didn't understand why. Why should I cry over a life I can't remember? I looked up at him through the tears in my eyes. He must have seen the confusion in my face.

"Is it okay if I hug you?" He asked. It was said in such a kind and gentle voice that it sounded like home. "Please."

I closed my eyes as I felt arms wrap around me. I listened for something, anything, and realized that there were no more footsteps. Not even a thump of some kind to indicate that some was coming. It took a minute to click, but I finally understood why. I opened my eyes and saw four men in front of me. I freaked out and started to panic.

Virgil, I believe the man's name was, stepped forward. "Princey. I need you to back off for a sec, okay?" He asked Roman. Roman slowly and reluctantly nodded his head and let go. "Hey," I heard him speak again, "I'm Virgil. I'm gonna help you, okay?" He said in a calm voice that I felt comfortable listening too. Unable to move my mouth and speak, I nodded my head as a show of approval. He smiled. "Alright kid," he realized that I was still looking at the audience I had in front of me, "look at me. Focus on me and that'll help you, okay?" I nodded once more, slowly this time, and pried my eyes away from them and studied the man in front of me instead.

He looked nervous, but sure of himself. Like he was conflicted with himself on how to act, how to stand, and how to go about things. He looked sure in a way that he knew what he was doing, that he could handle the situation in front of him, no matter how hard it looked. "Can you look me in the eyes, kid?" For some reason when he said kid it sounded foreign, yet normal. I remembered the question and shook my head. I didn't know why, but I felt like I couldn't look anyone in the eyes. It seemed concerning to even consider. "Alright. That okay. I can work with that." he smiled something that looked like a mix of a smile and a smirk. It made me chuckle.

I noticed my breathing had returned to normal and that I didn't feel as though the world was slipping away from underneath me, like when you walk on loose sand on the beach and almost fall.

I looked up at all of them and noticed that they were becoming blurry, but I smiled and fell into the darkness that wanted to swallow me once more.