The Dream

Sal's PoV

It began like a normal dream. I got ready for school like normal, and it felt real, but you know how dreams are. They are strange. I glanced at my clock, and it jumped from 6:57 to 8:00 in front of my eyes. I heard the school bell ring, and then I was sitting in first hour. The teacher was taking attendance. She went down the list, and I remember Eliza wasn't there. She called my name, and I said "Here!"
I remember she looked at me and spoke in a voice that wasn't hers. It was a voice I hear in my dreams often though. It said, "The ram shall be slain," whatever that means.
After I heard it, I stood up, and I was suddenly in chemistry, my second hour class. Mr. Stickl yelled at me to sit down. I did, but while he was turned towards me, some kid dropped a beaker.
A mist rose from it, and Mr. Stickl yelled at the kid, but his voice grew distant and when the mist cleared, time had passes, and I was in seventh hour Physics with Todd. He turned to me excitedly and quickly told me that Neil was taking him to the science museum for a date after school. I looked down at my notes. All that was there was a cartoonish skull- it kinda looked like one of Ash's little dudes- and it was crying. I raised my hand and asked to be excused. Mr. Ratinoy was uncharacteristically cheerful, so he let me go.
I went into the bathroom, and looked into the mirror. Travis was my reflection. He was crying quietly. He said, "I can't stand it. It will all be over soon. I can't be around you anymore." His voice was echoey, like it was reverberating inside of my head. Repeated himself, this time screaming in a deafening tone, "I CAN'T BE AROUND YOU ANYMORE!" He punched the mirror, and suddenly I was Travis. I felt no pain, even though blood was streaming down my- his? our? Hand. We were trembling. It felt like we were going to melt. I remember I could hear his thoughts, but not distinctly. It was just a roar. An all-encompassing, inescapable roar. We ran. I remember, Travis (Who I was apparently?) ran out of the school crying, and we ran past the church, past his house, and into the woods.
He said, "If no one comes for me in ten seconds, I'll do it." Then he counted in his head. They weren't seconds though. They started as second long counts, but they started getting more spaced out as he counted. He wanted someone to come. He wanted someone to come! But nobody came. He was alone, just as he always was; just as he always would be.
He turned the corner and looked up at a tree. An oak I think, but I'm not great at identifying trees, especially in dreams. In the tree was a... Was a... It was a noose. And he. Oh God. He. He sat down and prayed. He prayed, "Dear Lord, If I'm not supposed to do this, show me now." He waited and no one was there. He wanted someone to come! So he- he hung himself.
He had a stool out there. I watched through his eyes, blurry with tears. His hands shook violently as he set his head in it. It felt as natural as that cross necklace he always wears. He waited. He hesitated. He wanted someone to come! He slowly reached his foot to kick out the stool. He barely tapped it. He was scared. And then again. He reached his foot out farther. He hesitated again. He counted to ten again. Then he kicked the stool hard, and the world went dark and I heard a snap. It was so loud I thought I'd lose my hearing. Then, I woke up. And I can't stop thinking about how he wanted someone to come but no one was there. It breaks my heart.
And that was Sal's dream.
~Third Person again, ha...~
The three of his friends stared in disbelief. It was silent for a long time after that. There were questions that they wanted to ask, but they needed a moment to process the story. It was a believable story. It was more than just believable, it made sense, it felt like it could happen.
Larry never really thought he could care for Travis at all. He thought the day Travis died would be a happy one. He was going to watch it and laugh, he thought at the time, but now... He decided he would not. He did not want Travis to die, not now, at least. Not like this. It was sad and lonely.
Todd never really forgave Travis for things he had said. Travis throws around slurs the way pitchers throw around balls in baseball. Todd was getting pretty sick of being called queer and other similar things. He never really wished death would come to the guy, though! Travis didn't deserve that, no matter what language he flings around. No one deserved that.
Ash always had feeling there was something deeper to Travis. No one just got the way he was because they wanted to. He always looked worse for wear when she saw him, and she had suspicions that it was the reason he was so messed up. She always felt like he was a kid without guidance, and now that she knew it was true, she wasn't about to let him die without it.
"So, you see," Sal explained, finally breaking the the silence, "That's why I'm preoccupied. I'm worried and I need to change the future."
Larry nodded, without saying a word. What more needed to be said?
"Altering the future? Unorthodox reaction to a prophetic dream, but I think it's our best option," Todd thought aloud, "I'm in!"
"Me too," agreed Ash, "What do you need us to do?"
"I just need you guys to help me get to him as soon as possible," Sal explained, "Whatever you think could help. If you need to distract teachers, stop him in the hall tomorrow, whatever you think you need to do. As long as i get the chance to talk to Travis alone."