Untitled Part 1

Chapter XXI

         Travis walks blindly through the forest, his dying out flashlight in his hand that he got from the abandoned building blinking on and off. On... and off. All of these trees look the same. Shit. Travis has been searching for the way home for almost an hour now, and he is absolutely lost. He is watchful as he stumbles through the woods, before feeling a splash of water hit his ankle. He gasps, before looking down and pointing his flashlight to the water source, which happens to be a small lake in a clearing he didn't notice before. He follows the moonlight to find a more illuminated area, going onto his knees to take a drink of water. He cups the water into his hands and brings it to his lips, guzzling it down without a second thought. He catches a glimpse of his reflection before he's could stand. He looks exhausted. He splashes some water in his face, sighing and standing up. He needs to get out of this forest, and sitting around and panicking won't get him anywhere. He digs through his pocket, looking for his phone as he fumbles with his flashlight. At the same moment as he fishes his phone out of his pocket, the flashlight dies out and leaves him in the pitch darkness. Travis throws the flashlight aside, checking his phone and finding a message from Phillip asking about him and Sal. Right, Sal. Travis has been trying to block him out of his memory since their fight and separation. They haven't fought like that since high school when... Travis shakes his head. He doesn't want to think about that. He had to get home and fix things with Phillip and Sal. He types back to Phillip, letting him know he will be back soon. If I ever get out of this forest.

           Sal sits in his room, and empty document on his computer in front of him. He lays his head on his palm, sitting on the floor and staring at the screen and blinking cursor. He sees streaks of light out his window from the corner of his eye, showing the early signs of dawn. He hasn't slept a blink. He couldn't stop thinking about what they said to him. Was he really wrong about everything they had argued about? Was he being too harsh? He slowly rises from the floor, shutting his computer down and discarding it onto his bed. He slips on his shoes, not bothering to even take a look at himself in the mirror or fix his hair and prosthetic before leaving his room. It is trashed, but he couldn't bother to pick anything up from the floor or put anything away. He is a mess. He disregards his father passed out on the sofa, or gizmo who is laying next to him, walking past the living room and kitchen. Sal doesn't hesitate to open the door, leaving the apartment he can't even call his home. He does down the stairs rather than taking the elevator, catching a glimpse of the windows after going down a floor. It was pouring out. Great. Sal sighs before continuing down the stairs, deciding to go out anyway. Raining or not, it doesn't matter anyway.

          Phillip holds out an umbrella over his head, twirling the curve of the handle around in his hand. The pouring of rain has barely lessened to a drizzle, which has made it the perfect time to go on a walk and look for frogs and clear Phillip's head. It becomes more than that, however, when he spots sal walking down the sidewalk, drenched by the downpour of the earlier weather. Phillip slowly brings himself closer, making it his mission to help, or at least talk to him. He needs this argument to end already. He finally reaches out to Sal, placing his hand on his back. Sal startles, looking behind him swiftly and stiffening when he makes eye contact with Phillip. Phillip scans his friend in front of him. He looks like shit. "I know you don't want me around, but please just talk to me. All of you guys are worrying me." Phillip blurts out, the words hanging in the air while Sal watches Phillip almost dumbfoundedly.
          "I don't want to talk to you, or Travis, or anyone. It's safer if I'm away." Sal answers, taking a single step back and breaking eye contact with him to look at the road.
          "No, Sal. It's better if you're here. All of us, Larry, Travis, and I, have been worried about you. Travis especially has been in shambles" Phillip pleads, grabbing sals shoulder and thinking back to how Travis had arrived at his house last night, dirtied and frustration clear in his tear stained eyes.

         Travis finally breaks through the forest, relieved and frustrated tears falling onto his splintered and mud covered hands from his falls to the jagged ground. He starts into a sprint, panting yet refusing to stop running until he gets to Phillip. Just a little longer. A few minutes pass until Travis finds himself in Phillip's neighborhood, searching blindly in the night for the oh so familiar house. The place that took him in whenever he needed to be bandaged up and always offered a warm bed and extra plate at the dinner table for him. He finally spot the house, almost missing it in the shadows. He runs up to the front doorstep, banging wildly on the door, in a frenzy of emotions. The door swings open before Travis could continue, an angry Larry glaring at the suddenness before visibly relaxing at the sight in front of him. Travis sees dark bags under his eyes, as if he had barely gotten sleep, and his hair is a mess of bed head. "Oh, church boy, it's you. Are you alright? You look very messy—" Larry begins to say before Travis shoves him aside, going into the house and calling for Phillip
           "Pip? Pip!" He shouts, looking around the house and checking every room.
Larry shuts the door, rolling his eyes and walking in front of Travis, blocking his way. Travis starts to protest until Larry cuts him off. "He is upstairs, but keep it down. Let us help." He says, a start and almost motherly tone in his voice and look on his face.
             Just like his mother. Travis hears a pair of footsteps join them, and at the same time as he looks up, Phillip peer over the railing, chiming in with a meek, "Trav?"
            Travis instantly runs to the stairs, hurriedly going up and stumbling on every other step before reaching Phillip, face to face. Phillip wraps his arms around Travis, pulling him into a embrace. Travis awkwardly hugs him back with a pat in the back before pulling away. "Are you alright?" Phillip asks, subconsciously wiping at his shirt to rid himself of the dirt and grime that was transferred onto him.
            "Yeah... are you? And Sal?" Travis asks, hearing Larry come up behind him but ignoring him.
           Phillip nods, then a sour look infests onto his face that makes a shiver go down Travis's spine. "Sal is still... out of it, per se. He hasn't contacted, or been active on anything, since the fight." He explains, and Travis's heart sinks.
            This was their first big fight, and even then Sal has never been too angry at something or someone. He was always understanding to a level, and was quick to forgive. He hates being yelled at and even yelling back, and Sal even hates being too mad. So now, hearing this... Sal might not even be mad anymore. And that's what scared Travis. He may not be mad anything, but more upset and sad. Sal has a history of falling into depressions and heavy burnout; sometimes suddenly and without a cause, but also like this time... with buildup. Travis is at a loss for words as he tries to think of all the ways he, Phillip, and Larry have tried to help in the past. But no matter how much they've helped, no matter how hard they tried, the only person that can help themselves out is Sal himself. Even if they help, they can only give enough support for it to be a stepping stool to the way through. Only Sal can actually take the step forward. "I don't... I don't know what to do." Travis says, pausing to swallow and turn to      Larry, for some sort of guide or plan.
            The only thing Larry does is shrug, a defeated look on his face as he crosses his arms. Phillip stares at his feet, fidgeting with his hands. "We don't either. He needs time, but then again, the more that passes..." he trails off.
              He fucked up, and bad. He didn't think it would get this bad. To this meds. He just wanted a souvenir, and a chance to explore more. A reminder of all he has done. He didn't mean for this to happen, for stakes to get so high, for more to be uncovered that is isn't allowed to know. He doesn't understand and that infuriates him. Yet, he doesn't have a right to know, for his protection. But now, there is nothing he can do. He is stuck, and Sal is away, and Travis doesn't have a solution this time. What has he done?

Word count: 1573 words