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He finally did it! He was out! Maybe he wasn’t fully free. Many things had to be done before he could be, but he was finally taking the first steps to getting out for good! The windows of his rickety car were rolled down, the wind flinging his bleached hair around, yet, for once, it didn’t bother him. This time the wind wasn’t teasing him. It wasn’t taunting him with the idea of being as wild as the birds that coasted it breezes. No, this time it was Travis Phelps who was free. His cage opened, and he soared.
Tears of pure happiness stained his cheeks as he sped down the darkened backroad. It was a while before the lights of a small town came into view, but it was enough for Travis. Towns meant a church. A church meant sanctuary. It was right where he knew it would be, too. Smack dab in the middle of the town. It wasn't a massive building, but that didn’t mean it was any less pretty to look at with creamy white panelling and dark shingled roof while the moon glinted off the stained glass windows. The boy parked his car in a dimmer part of the parking lot. He nearly stumbled trying to get out, but it didn’t dampen his mood any. There were lights on, which meant someone was in. He worked up the courage to pick up the bronze knocker that hung heavy on the immense oak doors then let it fall. The noise echoed through the sleeping streets of the village. He almost picked it up again when the door creaked open.
It revealed an older man, possibly in his mid to late sixties. His chocolate hair was streaked with grey, shimmering like silver in the little light that the streetlights provided. He had softer honey eyes with crinkles in the corners. He looked surprised. Travis couldn’t say he blamed him. He’d probably be surprised too if someone was on his doorstep at nearly midnight. He was probably a sight to see with his long bleached hair with the dark roots growing in, a bruised eye, and tear stained cheeks. He bowed his head politely, “I’m sorry for intruding so late, but I need a place to stay for the night, and I was hoping to take refuge here?”
The man seemed to gather his composure then, though, he was still visibly stunned. “Yes, yes, come in. Heavens, you must be freezing out here with no coat!” He stepped to the side to let the boy in. Travis hadn’t noticed the chill in the air. Probably because his veins were still flooded with adrenaline. He nodded in thanks and stepped into the door, looking around to take in his surroundings. There wasn’t much to set it apart from any other church he had been in. Old carpets, wooden pews, biblical tapestries, a rather simple altar, and of course the little chorus areas set up in the corners by the altar. He looked behind him to see the man eyeing him curiously. He outstretched his hand. Travis shook it firmly. “I’m Jason, the pastor here. You are?”
“Travis,” he answered. He didn’t want to say his last name. Not yet, at least. He was scared the pastor might know his father, even though Nockfell was miles away.
“Travis,” the old pastor rolled the name over his tongue, but, for once, it didn’t feel threatening. “If you’ll help me get the backroom sorted out, you can stay in there. The couch in there pulls out into a bed.”
He nodded eagerly. “Yes, I’ll help!”
Jason smiled and made a gesture to follow him. Travis did so. They started with moving a few things out of the way and putting things into their more respective places. Jason wasn’t getting any younger, he’d admit that, so it was nice to have someone’s help in exchange for a night of sanctuary. Though, he couldn’t help but be curious. Who wouldn’t be? He held his tongue until the bed was pulled out and Travis had sat down. As he set down blankets at the foot of the pull-out, he asked, “If I may, what brings you here? It’s not often we get people looking for sanctuary.”
Travis looked down at his hands that rested in his lap. Normally, he wouldn’t trust anyone with anything. Especially not a pastor. But there was something about Jason. He had a softer aura. It was..soothing. A lot more soothing than anyone he had ever been around. “I had to get away from my dad. From that entire town,” he replied after a moment, his voice nearly a hoarse whisper.
Jason took a seat next to him, the springs creaking in protest under his weight. “I’ll take it your father isn’t a kind man,” he inquired quietly, his honey eyes glancing between his bruised eye and the old scars that were partially hidden under his sleeves. It brought tears to his eyes seeing such a young child to be burdened so heavily.
The younger shook his head in response. His father was a cruel and unforgiving man. He glanced up at the pastor’s gentle expression. “Does… God really love everyone?” he asked tentatively. Immediately after asking he felt stupid, but it was too late to take his words back.
Jason wasn’t too surprised that Travis had asked. When you’ve had a tough life, it was easy to figure that even God himself was against you. He couldn’t blame the boy. Though, he did answer earnestly, “Yes, he does.” He meant it. He was sure there wasn’t a single thing of his creation that he didn’t love as much as the next, whether they be sinner or saint. Watching Travis's face change, though, he sensed that there were some words going unspoken. “What’s on your mind, kid? I can see your gears spinning out of control.”
Travis didn’t meet the pastor’s eyes. “Even the abominations..?”
“Abominations?” he frowned, confused. The blonde avoided eye contact and fiddled with the bottom of his shirt. It took Jason a moment to figure out what he meant. It hurt when he did. How could anyone instill such things into a child? It was evil. No kid deserved that. He outstretched his arms a bit. “May I hug you?” he asked, wanting to make sure it’d be okay. The boy leaned in a bit with a small nod. It was enough for the pastor to pull Travis into a tight hug. “Travis, God loves you no matter who you love, girl or boy. I don’t know why people say that he wouldn’t.”
Travis looked up from the pastor’s shoulder, his voice shaky. “But Leviticus-”
“The bible was altered in 1604. There’s no telling how many times it was altered in the years before or after, not to mention it’s been translated repeatedly in many different languages. Things were bound to be changed or misunderstood in the midst of that. Even if that didn’t apply, Leviticus is in the old testament. We read the old, but we follow the new. You’re not an evil person or an abomination just because you love the same gender,” the pastor attested. He hated that so many other people felt the same as Travis. It wasn’t right.
Travis wasn’t sure how to feel. Everything he was hearing now was so much different than everything he had been taught and told. He just wanted to cry. And sleep. Jason was nice to be around, and he hadn’t slept in so long. For once in his life he finally felt safe. He leaned into the kind pastor and closed his eyes, tears spilling off of his bottom lashes. Jason rubbed his back gently before gently laying him back on the bed, He fluffed out one of the blankets that he had brought in earlier. Laying it over the bleach blonde, Jason tucked him in and flicked off the lights.
Jason was adamant that God sent Travis to him for a reason, and he wasn’t going to let Travis go without helping him.