Real Care : A Sal x Travis Fan Fiction

December somber

At first, Sal thought Travis just had to stay home, it had been a few days and it was Christmas time. But Sal expected a phone call, a letter, hell- Travis going to 'work'. But the Phelps family in general just stopped responding for those few days. Those few days killed him.
The first time Sal saw Travis again, it was Christmas Eve. Sal spent hours and hours, wondering what his father had done to him. Wondering where he was if he was okay- he was almost obsessed with the gruesome thoughts that plagued his mind day and night. And each day he'd wonder what he could do. He wondered how he could save Travis from this potential fate he'd fallen into. He knew it was his fault. Sal had begun to blame himself, and no matter how many times his friends told him it wasn't- he still believed it. And- of course, he had to think of the situation. The cult, Travis, this...new feeling

Travis' usually tanned skin was rather pale in the candlelight of the church. Maybe it was just the light tricking his eye... Sal knew Mr. Phelps wouldn't let his son miss a day of church. Especially not on Christmas Eve. So- in an act of desperation, Sal went to a ceremony, and for four hours- he listened to Christian songs, the story of Jesus' birth, and all that religious crap he didn't have time for. Travis was in the front of the room- mouthing the songs extremely quietly- or maybe not at all. He couldn't tell from where he was standing. He stood, eyes not moving, the body still. He mouthed prayers by heart- almost as if he was in an unsettling trance.  He looked like a corpse, he didn't move from his spot the entirety of those four hours. His hair was covering his left eye. Sal's eye watched Travis like a hawk, but couldn't just get up and talk to him.

However, during the last 15 minutes, Sal managed to slowly shuffle out of the church pew, wander outside, and look for a door into the back area of a church. Sal took a breath before slowly opening the door. It was back of the stage he had been looking at earlier. Sal could barely see through the dark red velvet curtains that backdropped the area. People had started to stand now, as the session ended at 11 pm. Children were hanging off their parents' legs and backs- tired from not going to bed at their bedtime. Sal hid behind a cardboard cutout of the manager scene- probably from some sort of play. It was dark, the air was unsettlingly still back here, it was almost hard to breathe. When the people said their goodbyes, he heard Travis' father mumble to him "go. You're not needed anymore." Quietly, and continue to stay on the stage. Sal had stayed behind as Travis slipped behind the curtain like a ghost, and Sal quickly pulled him by the arm before anyone could see him, putting his cold hand onto his mouth before he could make a sound. As soon as their eyes met, Sal looked into his eye-and Travis formed dilated pupils in recognition. "S-Sal..?" He mouthed almost silently, and Sal nodded, leaning on his toes and hugging him "t-travy.." Sal whispered back into his ear
"I missed you." The two said together, but they smiled and hugged each other tighter. "Travis what did he do to you? We talked to your mom and-" Travis lightly hushed him "come on, let's go somewhere private." He said, slowly moving with him out the door and quickly walking behind the church and into what looked like a tool shed. He could just barely make out some tools through a tiny window. It was cold, and the snow crunched under their feet. Travis quietly opened and closed the door to the silent little shed, it was so cold...Sal was only wearing a dress and a jacket- hopefully to try and fit in with churchgoers as much as he could. Travis looked at him and moved his hair out of the way of his left eye. The pupil was gray, the eye looking slashed at...
Stabbed at.

I'm sorry Sal. I wasn't strong enough- he's, he's worse than I could ever imagine. I have to tell you something Sal- we're all in danger-" Travis started before he was cut off. "Travis! What- your, your-"
he whispered, clearly shocked "I...I can't see out of this eye anymore Sal..it got infected, and my father he...My whole body hurts, my wrist is broken, the bones are forming weirdly." "How could he- I can't- Travis why didn't you leave??" "I can't! He's been locking me in the temple for days. I've been eating fucking stones, Sal!" Travis said, and sal looked around "what temple?! Travis, I don't understand we have to call the cops-"