The Permutation

Breakthrough (Part 4) Vergil

Friday 12:30 a.m. November 4th

Legs dangling off the roof of Cole's Quality Foods, Vergil hugged his arms to his chest in an effort to control the shivering running rampant through his body. No matter how many Idaho winters Vergil endured, they still managed to catch him off guard. In the intervening months, memories of the biting wind faded, over the past few days, they renewed their assault with a vengeance, cutting through his hoodie, stocking cap, and hand-knit gloves like tissue paper.

    "You really are an imbecile. I told you to buy some winter clothes if you were going to insist on this foolishness, but once again, my infinite font of wisdom has fallen on deaf ears," Albert said, curled up in Vergil's lap.

I'm like his throne.

    "Who's the one that's lived here for twenty four years? I know when it's time to get new clothes, and now isn't it," Vergil said trying to stifle the shivers in order to prove his point.

    "If I didn't know any better, I would suspect this is some misguided attempt at self punishment," Albert said.

    "Good thing you know better," Vergil replied.

    For being such an enormous pain in the ass, Albert had a sixth sense when to stop pushing..

    Vergil felt Albert sigh against his legs "How many more nights of this must I endure?"

    "As many as it takes," Vergil replied, "But tonight is the night, I feel it."

    "Vergil, I really do find this hero complex and infallible determination of yours quite admirable, but it may be more palatable in small doses, and in warmer locales."

    "Stop playing the victim you old grump. No one's dragging you out here."

    "Oh please, the one evening that I leave you to your own devices, I have no doubt you will manage to be the engineer of your own demise."

    "Aww Albert, it's so adorable you care about me!" Vergil said scooping up the dog and squeezing him to his chest.

    "Unhand me heathen!" Albert huffed.

    A metallic clattering rang through the night, adding its voice to the whistling \ wind. Vergil set the dog down and pressed a finger to his lips. The two scanned the streets for the source of the noise. A pair of meows echoing down Falls Ave. gave them their answer. A cat fight.

    Past midnight, Lancet Falls became a ghost town, even high schoolers didn't stay out after dark. No one spoke of it openly, but they could feel it, the pall settling over town. People were scared for their lives, but the fear ran deeper than that. The good people of Lancet Falls feared what they didn't understand. Kids going missing, folks getting disemboweled, and killers on the loose were matters that the inhabitants of Lancet Falls hadn't been equipped to handle, and they knew it. That meant the task fell on the shoulders of a super drunk and his belligerent talking dog.

    Vergil and Albert had spent the last two nights perched atop various rooftops on the lookout for the killer to strike again. When the body of Cade Jahns had been found hanging outside O'Connell's, Vergil arrived on the scene, too late to be of any help, but early enough to see the gruesome message the killer left behind. Three more yummy flies; The letters scrawled across the sidewalk in blood.

    Saul's death triggered something in Vergil. At that moment, Vergil made a decision. His own life was secondary. The lives of others needed to take precedence over his own. That's why he had been so miserable; he wasn't doing what he was meant to do. Vergil Wilson had one purpose, to forget himself in the service of others. Life hurts less that way.