||The Secrets We Keep|| - Salvis

Chapter IX

     Travis walks along the sidewalk, feeling the autumn breeze and shivering lightly, holding his backpack closer to him and looking to his right. Sal continues to walk, his pigtails out and his electric blue hair resting on his back and shoulders. His prosthetic stays securely on his face, the faded magenta worn down compared to the light gray of the rest of his prosthetic. Sal looks over at him as if he can read his thoughts, just barely catching his cerulean blue eyes before looking to the floor at his shoes. Eventually, he sees Sal stop abruptly, looking up at him and seeing the Addison apartments, walking in with him and ignoring the bus as it zooms by. ". . . Have you been okay since everything with the church?" Travis asks, trying to bring up conversation.
     They walk to the elevator, Sal grabbing his mail on the way. He presses the '4' button, letting the elevator close and hearing the elevator music come on. "I guess. It feels like something changed, however." Sal finally answers, staring straight ahead and brushing a hand through his hair as he speaks.
     "Changed?" Travis questions, staring at him, a deep regret sinking in his stomach, having the same feeling as him.
      Sal nods, the elevator doors opening as he does so. He gestures for Travis to follow him, before walking out of the elevator and to 402. Travis follows behind, swallowing the lump that has formed in his throat. "What kind of change?" he mutters as they enter 402, taking off his shoes.
     Sal stretches before copying him and putting his keys away, looking over to him. "Eh, lightheadedness, dizziness, energy depletion, and I've been seeing weird stuff as well. It should pass though, it always does." Sal answers, looking at the almost mortified expression on Travis's face as he says the words. "What?"
      "What do you mean 'it always does'?" Travis mumbles, moving toward Sal, slightly looking down due to their height difference.
     Sal shrugs, unsure of how to tell him of all the odd stuff that had happened in nockfell since he had moved here. He shuffles to the room, Travis following behind him. "Uh.. well, just because a lot of odd stuff had been happening more lately, doesn't mean that odd stuff had never happened while I was here." Sal answers as he goes to his closet, grabbing a sanity's fall shirt and some shirts.
    Travis leans into the wall by the closet, getting the memo of what sal is doing and looking away. "Well... what kind of 'odd stuff' had been happening then? Both now and before." Travis clarifies, and Sal sighs, changing quickly before closing the bedroom door, moving in front of Travis.
     "Well, I guess it started when I first got here. I saw a dark shadowy figure a couple of times. Afterwards, I ended up seeing things start to move around, people sneaking around and such. Eventually, I believe I got a bit nosey into some of the mysteries in Nockfell, and Ash fell down a chute to under the apartments–" Sal says, not able to get his next words out until Travis is half holding him by the wrists, catching him by surprise.
     "Please don't tell me what I think you are trying to say.'' Travis pleads.
     "What's wrong? The area was similar to the area you've shown me, if not the same place. We got her out afterwards after finding our way out." Sal mumbles, staring at Travis's hands.
      "Why was she even crawling through chutes anyway?"
      Sal doesn't answer him, twitching in his hand, trying to forget everything with the bologna. He sits down, Travis naturally taking his hands off sals wrist after almost falling into him. Sal looks up  at him, and Travis tilts his head.
     "Sal?"
     "Yeah?"
     "Why are your eyes darker?" Travis asks worriedly, leaning a bit closer to get a better look at him.
      "What are you talking about? They are light blue, like my hair?" Sal says, looking away from him and playing with his shirt anxiously.
       Travis turns on the light, just to make sure he isn't seeing things, confirming that he wasn't wrong once he takes a second look. "No they're not.. they are like navy blue now."           Travis murmurs, kneeling in front of him.
       Sal swings his legs lightly, hands planted into the bed (Not the only time that's happening XD) looking at him in concern. "Are you okay? Are you seeing things?" he says, leaning back slightly and moving a hand to Travis's forehead.
     Travis rolls his eyes, sitting up and looking around before finding a mirror on a desk, grabbing it and lending it to Sal. "See? They are dark blue now, not like before." Travis sits on the bed next to him, watching Sal stare at his reflection.
      "Yeah.. you're right, they are a lot darker... do you know how long they've been like this?" Sal puts the mirror down, sighing.
      "I think a bit after we were at the church, though I thought it was just the lighting I guess." Travis answers, rubbing his bandaged arms and laying back into the bed frame.
      Sal stands, brushing his bangs out of his eyes and grabbing his phone, trying to figure out the intensity of the situation as he paces. Travis watches as Sal walks back and forth, laying back into Sal's bed and taking a heavy exhale. Eventually, Sal chooses to be safe, texting Todd a message.

         4:29 PM–Sal: Hey Todd, can we talk?

He doesn't expect an immediate response, putting his phone down and hearing the door sounding like it's being clawed on. He walks over to the door, instantly knowing it is Gizmo and opening the door. The orange cat walks in, instantly getting onto the bed next to Travis and curling up by his hand. Travis sits up, petting Gizmo softly with a small smile. Suddenly, Sal hears the ping! of his phone, walking over to it quickly and seeing Todd's message.

4:36 PM–Todd: Of course Sal, what is going on?

Sal sighs in relief and looks over at Travis, who was busy playing and petting with Gizmo. He looks up at Sal, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as Gizmo moves a bit closer to him. Sal gives a smile through his eyes before looking back at his phone and answering Todd.

        4:37 PM–Sal: We might have a problem.