A Sally Face Summer.

Truth

LARRY'S POV

We took it easy the rest of the day. Tonight we were able to pick a spot and set up a small campfire as long as we managed it. We picked the spot and dusk and got it set up. Then we went to the mess hall to get and hot dogs and s'mores supplies they were handing out. We were instructed that we could stay out until 12 am. We went back to the spot and divide the food. I noticed Sal kept giving Travis weird looks. I wonder what that is about? Did I miss something? We got the food ready and Phillip started the fire. We cooked our hot dogs and ate them. I got mine mostly burnt the way I liked it. We then sat around and talked for a bit. Sal was quite and still giving Travis weird looks. "Why are you staring at me like that?" "Maybe because your father killed my mom!" I looked at Travis. Shock and confusion littered his face.

TRAVIS'S POV

I couldn't believe what Sal told me. "How is that even possible? Are you sure it was him?" "I remember the man that killed my mom. That's something I'll never forget. He's the one that mangled my face!" I saw him unclip it and put it aside. He then reached and pulled out an eye. He turned and looked at me. He was missing an eye and had scars all over his face. I started to cry. I knew I had been awful to him but had no idea what my father had done. "I'm so sorry Sal. I really had no idea that this happened and that of all people my father was the one that did this to you!" I began shaking. Larry then pipped in "you should come clean to the rest of them. It will only make it better" I knew what he was talking about. I didn't want to but I knew I had to. "Sal I too have felt the evilness of my father. He beats on me almost every day. He tells me how worthless I am and how much I'm a sinner. I now realize how much of that is true." I began crying again. I felt a hand in my shoulder and it was Larry. It felt of odd that he was being nice to me. I didn't care at this point. I was too numb to feel anything at the moment.

SAL'S POV

When Travis revealed what his father had done to him I felt bad. It wasn't his fault about what happened with his father and my mom. He didn't even know it happened. He himself was feeling his fathers wrath on him. I figured his dad was abusing  him. He always came in with bruises and with so much anger. I saw when he would get scared when people went to hurt him. The fear in his eyes was all too real. I put my eye back in and put my prosthetic back on. I then went over to him and hugged him. I began to cry myself and we just held each other. Then Larry and Phillip joined. We all just sat there in silence holding each other and letting each other cry on each other. It was in a way nice to know that we all had things that made our lives difficult and that we were all vulnerable on the inside. This seemed to draw us closer as friends. In the beginning we hardly knew each other existed and what was did know what what he were putting up for the world to see. We seemed to have break those walls and found out what each other was really about. It felt nice to share my thoughts and worries with people I trusted and I did with these guys.

PHILLIP'S POV

After the big huddle I noticed the fire was starting to grow dim. I then got up and looked for some more fire wood. It felt nice to finally break the hard shell that everyone seemed to have put up. We really connected. As I was headed back to the spot where the fire was I tripped over something. I twisted my ankle and let out a scream.

LARRY'S POV

I set up the s'mores while Phillip went to get more fire wood. I then heard a scream. I knew it couldn't be good. The others heard it too. We all grabbed our flashlights and started heading in the direction of the scream.  We found Phillip laying on the ground holding his ankle. He was silently crying from the pain. "What happened? Are you ok?" "I fell over something on the ground. I think I hurt my ankle really bad." He point I'm in the direction where he had tripped. I shined my flashlights down scanned over the area. I caught something out of the corner of my eye. I went over for a closer inspection and noticed it was a handle to a door. I uncovered the leaves that were covering it and my supposition was correct. It was a trap door. I called the others over and they came. "What's a trap door doing in the woods?" I reached down and pulled on it. It took a few tries but it eventually opened. I shined the flashlight inside to revel a staircase leading down. I looked at the others. "So are we going in?"