basement

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SALLYFACE POV:
Travis didn't come to school yesterday, or the day before. I find myself worrying about him constantly, what if he's hurt and needs help? I can't sit still during class, i'm to worried. My leg is shaking up and down and my teachers words are melting together in my memory. Today is going to slow. I'll check on him after school, he'll be fine. I remind myself that i'm in my 7th period, last one of the day. I keep looking at the clock, trying to calm myself. Fading in and out of concerned disassociation.

Before I know it i'm standing in-front of Travis' house. It's baren outer walls. The dark wood molding over dirt and grime. I wander around the back of the house peeking into windows looking for Kenneth. I pass a window by the kitchen where i see a touch of yellow hair. I pause and peek my head by the pane just enough to see inside and not be noticed. I see Kenneth facing an old TV, watching some sort of biblical channel. The floor is littered with empty bottles of alcohol. He isn't moving much except for a slow rise and fall of his chest, meaning he's alive. He must just be sleeping I say as I carefully walk past the sleeping father. I reach the backyard where I climb to the roof and start up the tree. Bark falling off as I make my way to Travis' room. I cross the branch and open his unlocked window, and step inside. It smells awful in here, heavy air and the smell of rotten food creeps into my nose.
His room looks the same from the outside, red walls and a mattress. The walls aren't painted very well, ugly color too, it's an orange yellow. I step closer to the wall as I move towards the door when I come to a horrible realization. The walls aren't covered in paint, this is blood. My hand traces the streaks of color, how long has Travis been abused like this? This horrifying mess of a family makes me sick to my stomach as I pull open his door and exit to a dark hallway.
With his father downstairs I don't turn on any lights, I move slowly around the house, tiptoeing on the hardwood floor. I explore the upstairs of the house, as I expected almost empty. There is one locked room, I assume is Kenneth's. I peek under the door and see lots of furniture, white and cream colored unlike the rest of the dark brown house. I continue down the long hall until I reach a set of stairs, I passed one earlier but I guess he has a back passage. I start to go down the grey concrete stairs, holding onto a cold metal railing as I do. It's still daytime so the sunlight illuminates the stairs before me. I reach a platform where I can hear the TV much louder. I must be on the ground floor now.
I look around me and pause, more stairs? I'm guessing a basement or third level of some kind. For such little furniture this house has a lot of puzzling passageways. I start down the second set of stairs, brushed with cool wind as I go deeper into the house. I reach the base and look around for more stairs before looking for a light. I look around the room and focus on a darker corner. There are lots of cardboard boxes around here. What's different about that corner is the pink sweatshirt on the ground.
"Travis?" I whisper.
I hear groans of pain as I creep towards the noise. The light from a small window concentrates on him, chained to the wall.
"Sal?" he says, voice patchy from lack of sleep.

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