𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐁𝐨𝐲 『 𝐒𝐚𝐥 𝐱 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐬 』

Lucid

It was like heaven.

"Come on, ______. I don't want the sun to set." ___ sat down on the pale yellow blanket that sat on the blue flowers. He opened the basket, had it always been there, he wondered, and pulled out the small bottle. Summer was always ___'s favorite, the green grass, bright sun, chirping birds...

"I __i_l do_'t u__er___nd wh_ w_'_e d__n_ _h_s. S__e_ne w__l se_ us. I d_n't wa__ _im to _i_d _e." ______ finally sat down, the flowers leaning into his touch as he plucked one from the ground.

___ groaned, "I told you I wouldn't let him find us, no one will. I love you too much for that."

"I l__e yo_ __o." He smiled, or maybe he didn't... ___ couldn't quite see past the light. He still smiled back, though.

"You're beautiful when you smile." He opened the bottle of juice and took a drink of it. It tasted sweet, and sour, and citrus-like all simultaneously.

"I _h__k y__'r_ m___ __a_t_fu_." ______ muttered just audible to ___. Fidgeting with the red fibers of the blanket beneath him.

"Don't lie, you know that a lie." ___ handed him the bottle, and he took it.

"W__ do __u _ee_ _e __o_n_?" He asked as he drank the juice, but the bottle was already empty.

"What? Why would you ask that?" ___ reached for ______, but for some reason, he couldn't quite get to him. The glass gleaned off the bright sun. But the cold Autumn air had a chill to it.

"__ __th k_o_ __e d_y y__'l_ g__ s_c_ of m_. __y _o_ __ it _lre__y?"

"That not true. I would never..." ___ tried to speak, but for some reason, his chest felt tight.

"W_y d__ we __e_ c_m_ __t _e__? I d__'t __n_ __ sit _n _h_ ___n."

"What are you talking about? It's sunny outside, ______."

"_s __?"

"Yeah, I mean, it was..." ___ questioned himself as the hot, almost boiling, rain patterned onto his skin. He looked down at the soaked grass, now pooling onto his shorts.

"Y__ __o_ _h_s w_s y__r _a__t."

"What?" ___ looked up to ______, his red-stained bandages now soaked with water.

"_ou __ou_d h_v_ ___ppe_ h_m." He sounded much more tired now...

"No, I... I tried to, this isn't how it was supposed to go..."

"Y__ bro_e ___r p__mi_e. I __t_ y_u."

"No, please!" ___ begged the wilted flowers crumbling underneath him, mixing with the mud.

"I __am_ _ou."

"What?"

"_ ___me y_u. _ __ame y_u. I b_ame _ou. I bl_me you. I blame you. I blame you. I blame you. I blame you. I blame you. I blame you. I blame you. I blame you.

◇

Bright, buzzing lights came from overhead, piercing into Travis' head as he lay... somewhere. As he slowly became aware of everything he felt and heard, he considered what it meant until he could force himself to open his eyes.

His head hurt, but his body only hurt worse. It felt heavy and sore, like if he moved, the world would crumble around him. His body was both hot and cold, and the air was stale and dry.

The worst part was his throat, it felt so tight and like he could barely get any air in his system. He also felt something strapped to his face, pushing what he assumed to be cold air at his nose and mouth. If it was meant to help, it wasn't doing its job too wonderfully.