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Logan crossed out the date on his calendar, November 2 2022. Tomorrow was his “birthday” or as Virgil had made it, his “appreciation day”. He appreciated (no pun intended) the thought but changing the name didn’t make it better. He didn’t deserve the appreciation.
His eyes caught on an iridescent sash stuffed into the corner of his closet, stained with black.
No, he didn’t deserve the love and affection from the other sides, he had caused something horrific to happen and no matter how much time passed, no matter what the day was named, Logan found himself unable to forget how the story of that day ended. If he had one wish, a single birthday wish, he would go back and undo what had happened all those years ago.
Turning off the light he crawled into bed, trying not to focus on the inky black the engulfed the room and stained the glittering sash.
Logan awoke in his room, something felt off. He reached out to grab his glasses… and was surprised to feel tape wrapped around both the bridge and hinges of them. He was very careful with his glasses and hadn’t had tape on them since he was…. 13? He put them on and blinked, this was… his room… but also not. It was his room from … dear gods 20 years ago? Wow…. maybe they really were getting old. Getting out of bed Logan felt… smaller? He was in pajamas he hadn’t worn in years. His signature dark blue, with glow in the dark planets and stars. Okayyyyyy, what the actual fuck was going on? Them his eyes caught on the calender. November 3rd… 2002. Sweet Newton he had somehow ended up in the past… fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck. Out of all the days to send him back the universe chose this day! No no no no no. tears began to swell in his eyes and his breathing became rapid. He couldn’t do this, not again, please please please, no. He didn’t want to do this again.
“Logan?, whats wrong?”
There where hands on his face, wiping away tears and through the blur Logan could see a gray button up shirt with an iridescent sash across the chest.
Romulus
“What happened, why are you crying?”
His mind felt fuzzy and Logan blinked, trying to remember when he had gotten out of bed, and apparently started crying
“I- I can’t remember”
What had just happened, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something awful was going to happen.
“You can’t remember?”
“Uh- no-”
What was going on-
“Well- don’t cry- its your birthday! I know just how to cheer you up. Wanna go to the Imagination today?”
Something deep inside his was screaming no, that this was a bad idea, but… Logan had always been begging Romulus to take him…
“OK!”
Nothing was going to go wrong, Romulus was always in the Imagination, he would keep them safe. They would be fine.
The two raced down the hallway and down the stairs, grabbing muffins (and a hug) from Patton before sprinting back up the stairs to change. Within five minutes Logan was bouncing on his toes outside Romulus’s door, waiting for him to answer. A few seconds later the door swung open, but instead of the grinning face Logan was met with a pale face, a deep crack running down the middle, leaking some kind of black goo. Logan took a step back as Romulus looked at him. Eyes pitch black and in place of tears was the same inky black goo running down his face.
“Run” came the gargled voice of the creative side, goo dripped from his mouth, staining his sash.
“Run now, don’t do this, please, save me from this fate”
“Wha-what- Rom- please, you’re scarring me, what happened”
“Go, while you still have the chance”
More of the goo was dripping from the crack, eyes, and mouth of Romulus
“Run- Run- R̖̼͍͓͕͕̿ͣ͐́U̷̙̖͉͉͑̈̈̈́N̛̳͚̲̮͙̱̎”
Logan jerked away as the other side reached towards him, squeezing his eyes shut.
“Logan!”
His eyes flew back open, and there was Romulus. Normal and healthy, not a crack on his skin, or drop of black goo on his sash
“You ok?- you spaced out there”
“Y-yeah, I’m fine… ready?”
“Yep! Lets go”
The Imagination was mostly a dark void, it remained blank unless Romulus was inside making creations. Logan was fascinated by what Romulus was able to create out of thin air. Little drops of different colored lights floated and when Romulus grabbed one he could mend it, have it grow and shape, adding more colors until it became whatever he wanted. He made them a river, a tree house, trampoline, and anything and everything Logan asked for. They ran down hills, floated down the river, and flew off the swings. Logan could have stayed forever, so caught up in the magic of the creations he could almost forget what he had seen- almost. There was an uneasiness in his gut, something telling him to go back, to run back to the warmth and safety of his room. But how could he! He was never allowed into the Imagination and he loved it. Unfortunately it soon became lunch time and the two young sides needed to head back. Logan desperately wanted to stay but he had to admit he was hungry. So they walked along the river bank, following it back to the door they came from.
Easy conversation and teasing flowed between the two, splashing water at each other whenever one turned their back. Soft laughs echoed through the empty space. Two boys, just on the edge of their teenage years, still with the innocence of childhood but now with more emotions- the way their stomachs fluttered when they spent time together, an overwhelming happiness… that felt like more than just friendship. Their hands joined, fingers intertwined as they walked back towards home.
Too soon they made it to the door leading back inside
Hurry
Again, something screamed at Logan to move faster
Go! Get to the door! NOW!
He reached out, turned the handle… and the door didn’t move. Frowning, he tried again, shaking to door in an attempt to get to it open.
“Let me try”
Romulus grabbed the doorknob, other hand still grasped in Logan’s. And he too was unable to get the door open.
No… no… too late- I failed, I’m so sorry little one.
They were trapped inside the Imagination.
“Hey- its ok- I spend loads of time here- we’ll be fine… Patton will get worried and open the door eventually- we’ll be ok”
There was a slight shake to the other sides voice, and his palms grew sweaty.
“We- We’ll be ok- yeah- ok”
It sounded more like he was trying to calm himself than Logan. The vision of the cracked Romulus re entered Logan’s head. What was going to happen- what happened when a side spent too much time in the Imagination?
They sat down, Romulus forming a bench a few feet away from the door, so close, yet unable to enter. They chatted until they grew tired, how long had they been in here? They fell asleep in each other's arms, wrapped in each other’s warmth and comfort.
Logan woke first, rubbing the sleep from his eyes he saw his hand first- stained black.
Desperately he tried to rub it off without waking the other. Untangling himself from the other’s grasp Logan stumbled over to the river and washed off his hand. That’s when he noticed that the black stuff also covered his chest. Logan nearly screamed- but- the goo wasn’t coming from him. But that meant- no- nonono. He ran back over to the bench and saw Romulus was no also awake- with black goo oozing out through his shirt. Realizing this Romulus all but ripped the shirt off- revealing several deep cracks going through his chest and stomach. Grabbing him Logan dragged him over to the river and began to desperately clean the cracks. He watched in horror as he was able to see them ever so slowly widen and crawl up the creative side.
Stumbling out of the river the two simply stared as each other, tears in their eyes.
“Logan- I- I don’t think I’m going to survive this”
“No! No- please don’t say that, you- you’ll be ok”
“I- am not sure about that”
The cracks had spread up the sides neck now.
“I’m so sorry Logan- I’m sorry this is how your birthday went- and I’m sorry I won’t be able to stay with you”
“Stop- don’t say that please don’t say that this is my fault”
“My dear- how could this be your fault?”
“I- I should have known- I knew something was wrong I shouldn’t have let you bring me here”
“But this was my idea- you couldn’t have known!”
The cracks where halfway up Romulus’s face, they didn’t have much time
“I- I love you Romulus- I don’t want you to go”
“I love you to- we’re young I know that- but I love you”
They were in between his eyes now
They held onto each other, Logan desperately trying to keep Romulus together. He clung to the side’s sash
“Goodbye my star”
Romulus pressed a gentle kiss to Logan's cheek- the first and the last kiss the romantic side would ever give. And then he fell apart- literally. Romulus split into two, becoming a pool of black goo and flesh. Logan felt like he was going to vomit. The pool of goo and flesh began to move and if there was anything in his stomach it would have been on the floor. Slowly the goo formed two lumps, which developed into two sides. One in a red T-shirt and the other in green.
Logan was shaking, he was also covered in black goo. Numb with shock he took of his shirt and noticed a single crack, right above his heart. He had to get out of here- he also had to get the other two out- but he couldn’t carry them both. He ran to the door, pounding and shaking it, begging it to open. He fell to the floor, he began to crawl back towards the new sides. Grabbing them and holding this close he prayed.
Now Logan was Logic, and religion often wasn’t very logical but he was desperate.
“Hello there”
Logan jumped, and there in front of him was another side, dressed in orange and black.
“My oh my- what happened here?”
“Please- please help me, take one of them and please open the door”
“And what will I get for this?”
“I- I don’t know I’ll do anything please just save them”
“Hm- fine, but I’m holding you to that promise later”
The orange side scooped up the green one and Logan did his best to carry the red one to the door. He looked pleadingly to the orange side when they made it to the door. Sighing the other side waved his hand over the knob before opening it. Logan almost sobbed with relief as he stumbled inside. He turned to thank the other side but he was gone, taking the green one with him.
Logan staggered into the living room, all but dragging the red side with him. The world was fading to black around the edges of his vision, blurring as he made it to the couch. Before collapsing onto it and passing out.
Logan awoke with a start in his bed, hands shaking he grabbed his glasses. No tape, he put them on, he was back in his normal room, back in 2022. He sighed and dragged himself to the bathroom. Taking off his shirt he stared at his reflection. His crack had never vanished, a permanent reminder of his failure.
“Hello there”
Once upon a time Logan would have flinched at the unannounced arrival, but he had grown used to it in the years past. Turning around he faced the other side.
“Hello again Orange”