The Freaks | Sally Face

Chapter 85: Breaking Point

River's POV:-
It had been one week. One whole week since the accident and still no word of Travis and his condition. All of us in our hospital room left that night and not once were we given the slightest hope that Travis was going to be ok. As much as Lisa and my Dad pestered the extremely nice nurse, she still couldn't release any information because we weren't family. We pushed her, explaining that we had brought him here and that not even his own family did but still, because we weren't his blood, it meant we had no way of knowing.

I remember my frustration building when I got inside my Dad's truck. I asked him if he found out any information; he said he couldn't find out where Travis was and that there was no news. I knew my dad well enough to know he was lying to me. I saw in the corner of my eyes his facial expression drop and even though his eyes weren't looking at me; they were doing everything to avoid me. I wanted to keep going, keep digging, but the medication the nurse gave me made me feel slightly out of it, so I stopped. I left it alone and collapsed into a deep slumber for the first time in years that night.

Days went by, I hadn't mentioned it to Dad but I could tell he was watching my every move. Waiting to see if I would bring it into conversation again and whether or not he would have to think of another excuse or finesse his story. Once again, he would be left stunned when I didn't again mention it to him. I was getting more and more irritated as the hours passed, my mind constantly wondering whether Travis had died in the hospital due to his condition or if his dad finished the job alone. It was painfully obvious that Travis was being abused. What he said to Sal and I before in the park and how even the slightest mention of his father made him squirm and recoil.. it made my stomach flip thinking about whether he could truly just murder his son in cold blood. I didn't like Travis and I wouldn't forgive him for the torment he put Larry and Sal through; but I couldn't help by empathise for him.

It got to Day 6 when I finally snapped. Yesterday if I'm going to be more precise. I heard my Dad on the phone in the living room, speaking to Henry about the boys and me. I heard him, even under his hushed tones wondering when was the right time to speak to us. He knew something, they all did and finally I couldn't sit quiet anymore. I remember the blood in my veins pumping at an accelerated rate, my heart pounding through my painfully sore chest until I went marching into the main room shouting at the top of my lungs.

"You know something don't you! You lied to me!" I yelled to my Dad, frightening him half to death.

"I've got to go Henry. Speak to you soon" he hung up the phone before Henry could've said his goodbyes. "What's the meaning of this River? That was so rude!"

"Oh I'm sorry! I asked you to do something for me at the hospital; to please see if you could find something on Travis. Anything Dad! But no, you obviously did hear something and have straight up lied to my face! What was it Hm? Travis didn't make it and you didn't want to tell me because you think I couldn't hack it?!"

"That's bullshit River and you know it!" Dad's voice raised an octave, the loudest it had been in years. "I told you what I knew and that was it! Why are you listening in on MY conversations anyway? I don't do that to you?!"

"Oh sure you don't. So what is it that you and Henry are gossiping about then? How to break it to us that something else happened to Travis?!"

"River stop it! I was speaking to Henry about something else, something that doesn't concern you right now. Who the hell is the parent here?!"

"My dad wouldn't have straight up lied to my face!"

"And my daughter wouldn't keep secrets from me!" My Dad roared and made me immediately freeze. I felt a gulp in my throat, a vicious cold sensation creeping up my spine and a knot in my stomach tightening with each breath. "Oh lost for words now Hm? Tell me River, what happened at the treehouse? Why the hell in all this time we've been here that you and the boys have put yourself in constant risk! You haven't told me a damn thing! The only time I am aware of any of this is when it's almost too fucking late!"