Anemoia // Sally Face

31: There was rain

-->TW for violence and death

1999

It was late, and the sun had already set. It was the night after seeing Ash again and I was wasting my time sitting on the couch watching a TV show I used to watch as a teenager. Maybe I should go to sleep... I'm really tired.

BZZT. BZZT. BZZT.

My phone was vibrating from beside me, I picked it up and Sal's name appeared on screen.

"Hey Sal, what's up?" I ask.

Everything else was a blur. Sal frantically spoke, trying to make me come out to the apartments? I kept asking what this was about, but he wouldn't explain. The one thing I heard clearly was, "Please hurry!" So, I got up and grabbed my car keys.

It was pouring rain.

...

I went to his apartment first, and his dad was inside on the couch with Lisa. He didn't even notice me at first, like he was in some sort of trance. I asked repeatedly, "Is Sal here?", but no reply.

"Did you say Sal?" Lisa said in a hushed voice, must softer than she usually speaks, "What a sweet boy..."

"Lisa do you know where he went? He wanted me to come here, do you know why?"

"I always knew Sal was a special boy... and I knew he would go on to do great things..." Her eyes wouldn't meet mine, and she stared past me, right at a corner of the walls. Her eyes looked strangely glazed over, like it wasn't her speaking to me, but replaced with a softer, sadder version of herself.

The conversation was going nowhere, so I gave up and hurried to Larry's room. No one was inside, but the door leading outside to the tree house was left open just barely. I push it open and examine the surroundings. Rain was pelting from the sky obscuring my vision.

"Sal are you out here?" I cry out. The winds picked up, and the rain was only coming down harder.

I walk toward the treehouse, still calling out for Sal. I hear a voice coming from in front of me and see Sal sitting against the treehouse base.

"Sal! What's going on? Why did you call me?" I frantically ask. I kneel in front of Sal and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I- it was too late, I couldn't... He just messaged me... I ran as fast as I could I promise-" He mumbled.

"You have to calm down and tell me what happened Sal!" I try to reason. But it's no hope. He keeps saying the same thing over and over again. He was too late, he didn't know, he couldn't stop him.

"Stop who Sal!"

"Larry!" He shouts.

I pause and get up from the ground. "Sal, where is Larry?" I ask as calmly as I can. I can feel the blood draining from my face.

"He's... He was in- in the treehouse... But he's..." Sal only stares at me, expecting me to know what he means. He slowly reaches for something on the ground next to him. It's a folded piece of paper in a plastic bag. Sal holds it up to me. I take it and begin reading the paper inside. It's addressed to Sal, the contents of the letter... they don't make sense- It's like this is his final goodbye.

"Sal I'm confused. What does Larry mean in this...?" My voice shakes.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Katie," Sal sobbed, "Larry is gone. He-"