Burdens and Bulwarks (Tyler Joseph Fanfiction)

Chapter Eight

*Tyler's POV*

Seeing her wrists in the condition they were in, made my heart drop and I imagine her sitting on the floor with tears rushing down her face as she battles her own mind.

How do you help heal a broken bone when your very hands are broken? You can't.

There was no way I could have held her that would have made her feel any different than I do because she was going through the same thing as she saw the crimes I've made on my own skin.

I lay in my bed... Supposedly it's 3:30 in the morning. That's what my clock tells me at least. I drove Scarlette home at 12 am. It kills me to leave her alone there, I don't want to think about what her mom could do. Scarlette told me she would be fine, but she always says that.

I hear clatters and bumps coming from downstairs, probably Zack sneaking out again. Zack has always been the more sociable one, even though I'm older than him. Whatever, I don't need to sneak out to be cool. Maybe I don't want to be cool... Maybe, I just want to be Tyler Joseph.

That's not true.

That's the voice I talked to Scarlette about.

You want to be anyone but Tyler Joseph.

But I want to change that. I want to get better.

Yeah. You want to change a lot of things.

Go away.

You're terrible, your parents hate what you've become. Your brothers and your sister look up to you, but there's no one to look up to. You're much too small.

I squeeze my eyes shut and try to sleep.

Scarlette will leave you because she can't handle what you told her. You'll scare her aw-

I hear more noises and a glass breaking on to the floor, breaking me from my thoughts.

What is going on?

I get up off of the bed and push down the attic door, quietly fumbling over to the living room.

I turn the corner slowly, making my way to where the sound is coming from. A monster. Bigfoot. Aliens. The Loch Ness Monster- no, stupid... The Loch Ness Monster lives underwater, that could never happen. I stop and laugh at the ridiculous and illogical suggestion... The Loch Ness Monster? Really? But then clear my throat and continue walking.

My heart is beating a mile a minute as I grab an umbrella that was hung on the coat rack. I slowly position the umbrella upright and cautiously make my way toward the noises.

A robber. A killer. A cannibal.

I jump out, holding the umbrella up, ready to take down the intruder.

"Hey, son!" My dad smiles, "taught you well."

My dad.

I roll my eyes at myself, I guess the truth is never as good as what you imagine. It's the suspense and anticipation that your mind creates for you that gets to you the most.

I clear my throat, setting the umbrella down on the table.

"Did I wake you?" He asks.

I awkwardly trudge over to the counter and sit on a chair, "no, actually... not at all." I mutter.

"Just making a midnight snack." My dad chuckles as he spreads his peanut butter on to a slice of bread.

"It's actually 4 o' lock in the morning, pops!" I smile, correcting him.