Cochise?

when the worst happens

It had been 36 hours and Josh wasn't back . "He hasn't even got his phone with him Sammy !" Chris shouted at her as she told him that he'd okay for the twentieth time . Chris sobbed into Josh's jumper as his mind wondered the worst . It was 1.30am and his eyes cast out to the window, the darkness of the unfamiliar country returned to his vision . " He has been gone for nearly two days , nobody knows this apart from me you and Mike , he hasn't taken his meds and he has an unrelenting hunger for human flesh, I'm going to search again Sam" Chris cried, frantically shoving items into a backpack. After Josh had left , everyone continued on with their day at the beach , Chris was worried about Josh but Sammy kept telling him that Josh had just gone to clear his head and to enjoy the day . Then the night came and Josh still wasn't home . That's when he started to panic , Sammy tried to call him but realised that Josh's phone was still on the countertop. They had then spent the next 24 hours taking it in turns searching for him , while the other one stayed in the hotel in case he came home . Chris decided to not tell the others in case it made them turn to Emily's earlier point of Josh just hurting everyone all over again .
Sammy hugged him tightly before he left ; he breathed in her lovely lavender scent and kissed her on the head. "I love you Sammy, pray that I'll find him this time" Chris whispered , his voice breaking on pray.
The humid air hit his skin as soon as he left the hotel , his shaky hands holding his phone , as he called out his lover's name . Josh was his entire world and his heart physically ached with anxiety and dread . He roamed the cobbled streets searching every alleyway and each pub and restaurant ;places he knew Josh wouldn't be but it didn't hurt to look . Chris passed many a drunk person stumbling home from their night out , he ran up to all of them questioning them about a man in a mask . Every single time they slurred back no in response. Every single time they replied with a no , Chris lost a little more hope . What if Josh had been hurt because somebody thought he was a wild animal ? What if he never saw him again ? For hours Chris shouted Joshs name as he walked further and further into the darkness , Spanish voices echoing in his ears as he searched . He heard the chattering of society get less and less until pure silence returned to his ears , as he found himself, torch in hand , on a clifftop . Tiredness was looming over him, as he noticed a light hint of daytime return to the sky above. His eyes stared at the horizon as his tear ducts overfilled with painful droplets of water . All he wanted was that beautiful man back in his arms . He turned around ; ready to return to the awful empty hotel room and the hopeful looking Sammy who was awaiting him . Then he heard it . A shriek . A painful horrific beautiful noise . It came from the wilderness which stood behind him . It rang like music to his ears . That monstrous sound that belonged to his man . "Josh!" He screamed . Chris turned and ran into the long grass , his eyes desperately scanning the unknown territory. He had no idea where he was heading but he knew he was close. He sped through the grass , stumbling in the dark field , his heart thumping in his chest with hope . The grass moved about twenty metres away from him , giving the indication something was lurking there . Chris almost jumped to that location. But when he arrived , His heart dropped to the very bottom of his chest ; his jaw swung upon and his eyes practically fell out of his head . In front of him was a body . A human body .It's skin was ripped from segments of the arm and torso looking like peeling wallpaper . Parts of the thick red muscle was gone in sections, bites taken from the legs and chest . But the most disturbing part was the fact the body had no head . It appeared to have been a male from what Chris could tell , but the only thought he could fathom was how it was a half eaten meal . The blood vanished from his face and Chris stepped back in shock , vomit flowing from his mouth onto the long green grass . "J-J-Josh" Chris whimpered meekly , conflicted whether he wanted to kiss him or kill him. A shriek answered him back through the darkness . Although he was shaking , cold , terrified and disgusted Chris followed the howl, further into the unfamiliar darkness . After wondering for ten minutes , his heart beating so loud he could hear it in his ears , he saw him . Josh was curled up in the middle of a flattened area of grass and wild flowers . He was naked apart from his boxers , with blood and dirt smothering every section of his skin . His mask was ripped around his neck and thick scratches covered his chest . Chris knelt down beside him and whispered his name . Josh's eyes still had the emerald contacts in ,his skin was red and puffy around them showing how irritated they were but Chris saw his eyes manically dart towards him ." Baby can you hear me?" Chris said slowly, reaching out his fingertips towards him . Josh jumped back like a scared dog , a low growl escaping his torn open mouth . For a moment it seemed like he was going to run away again , his face consumed in terror and confusion. Then Josh shuffled closer to Chris , his head cocking to onside as if he was only just noticing who Chris was . Another growl left his lips, but this time it seemed more of one of realisation. "Do you know who I am ?" Chris murmured, his mind flicking back to the mangled corpse . Josh's clawed red coated fingers reached out and grabbed Chris's arm . "W-what's happening? Where am I? " Josh croaked out , reality beginning to sink in . Chris gasped in relief and pulled the shaken man into a hug . He held him for a second , his heart feeling complete again now he was with his Joshua . He felt the blood soak into his shirt as Josh began to choke on his sobs into his shoulder . " You're okay baby , I've got you " Chris whispered, his own voice hitching . Josh didn't respond instead he gagged and hiccuped tears overflowing from his eyes. His breaths began to struggle to leave his mouth as the panic took over . "Ssh it's okay , just hold me " Chris said softly." I'm going to make a phone call and get Sammy to pick us up okay ?" . Josh nodded harshly but continued to moan and shake in his arms. Chris slowly reached into his pocket and dialed Sammy after pinging her their location . Josh's claws dug into his skin as he heard Chris tell Sam to get them at the dirt road that was a ten minute walk away . Chris promptly thanked Sammy and grasped onto Josh like he was his life source . Josh suddenly released a horrific sounding shriek , as if he was in pain ." Talk to me darling " Chris mumbled. Josh just dug his head underneath his armpit as his body shook as if he was being shocked .
Josh was terrified and overwhelmed . The last thing he could remember was leaving the hotel room and now he was shuddering covered in blood with no memory of getting there . Chris had never looked as scared as this before and to make it even worse Josh could distinguish that the blood covering him wasn't from an animal. The wendigo wasn't roaring with hunger at all ; he'd done something bad . Shockingly awful . Josh went to speak, when another voice echoed in his ear . "Did you miss me ? Look at what you fucking did " Hannah screamed into his ear . Josh jumped back in disgust and horror. His eyes cast upwards to see his sister's decomposing corpse behind Chris . A sharp howl left his lips as the panic built up worser than ever . " W-w-what the fuck is happening?" Josh whimpered. The hallucination screeched a manic looping laugh , as he felt Chris pull him to his feet . "Try and walk for me baby , we'll sort everything out back at the hotel " Chris said sincerely. He saw his feet stumble forward as Chris pulled him along the long murky green grass . Speckles of blood covered small pieces of grass . The scent of the sweet red liquid entered his nostrils . It was human . "Follow the scent you beast " Hannah screeched into his ear . Josh jumped back away from Chris , and let his wendigo instincts return to him. Josh ignored Chris's protests as he sniffed put the trail of red . When Josh reached the end , he howled , his eyes transfixed on the corpse below him . He had killed someone. He was a fucking monster. It looked as if there had been a fatal crash but In reality it was his last meal . Josh stumbled back whimpering as the voices kept repeating how Emily was right and he was the actual devil. His breathing became non existent as his claws reached towards his eyes , suddenly wanting to rip the sight away from his mind. Chris's arms suddenly became wrapped around him , as he manically scratched at his eyeballs . "STOP IT JOSH !" Chris screamed into his ear . Josh howled , overcome with pure pain. He felt his eyes begin to cloud over as his body dropped to the floor .
Chris stood over his boyfriend's unconscious body , his brain stinging . He slowly reached down and lifted his battered body into his arms and started to walk towards the road . Josh was heavier than he looked but all Chris was focused on was getting out of there , out of the worst experience he'd ever been through . When he reached the dirt road and saw Sammy in a hire car , his arms gave our dropping Josh's blood soaked body onto the ground. He heard Sammy gasp and run towards them both . Her mouth was moving but Chris couldn't take in a single word she was saying . He sat on his knees in defeat , watching her pull Josh into the backseat . Josh looked dead , if it wasn't for his chest heaving up and down he would have sworn he was gone. Chris became transfixed on this thought for what seemed like years. Until all of a sudden he was sat in the front seat and Sammy was yelling at him . His ears began to focus again . " What Sammy ?" He said his voice croaking . Sammy sighed shakily, her fingers tapping on the steering wheel. " Help me get him inside we're back" She said , smiling a false smile to reassure him .Chris nodded and exited the car . When he looked down upon Josh he noticed that Sammy had wrapped a blanket around him and pulled a scarf over his features when he had zoned out.
They both managed to pull Josh into the apartment room without being noticed. To be fair it was now 5 in the morning and every reasonable person was sleeping . Josh remained unconscious, and although They tried to shake him awake he was dead to the world . So Chris pulled the duvet over him and planted a kiss on his bloody forehead . Chris let out a sigh , he had been holding for two days , teardrops fell from his eyes , as Sammy made them a cup of tea. He walked out onto the balcony and pulled a cigarette from the packet on the countertop . He quickly lit it and breathed in the instant anxiety relief. Josh was home , the worst had happened, but nothing can't be fixed as long as they were together. We'll that's what he had to keep telling himself . As if the past two days had taught Chris one thing , it was that he could never live without Josh again . He needed that man more than he needed to breathe.