Genocide | Joshler

.:6:.

I had climbed up into the same tree Josh was hidden in when Brendon came through looking for me. He shouted my name and apologizes hung through the trees. Fortunately, He didn't linger for long, because three biters started chasing him. Josh and I had to stifle our laughs watching him run away in absolute terror as one had snuck up behind him. Once the forest was back to its pre-apocalyptic state, we talked. And we talked and we talked. Words only shared between him and the trees. We spoke of who we were. Josh dreamed to refer to himself as a epidemiologist or researcher. He had minored in epidemiology in college but somehow wounded up being a biology teacher at a fairly local high school. I never met a scientist with a mohawk before.

"So what about you? Who are you?" Josh's eyes stuck to me with curiosity, waiting for an answer. I shrugged my shoulders.

"There isn't much about me. I tried getting out into the music industry by playing at local restaurants but my two other bandmates left me and so that backfired. I was desperate for money so i got a job serving at a bar. My wife brought in most of the money." I held back tears brought on by the memories of her.

We lived in an one bedroom apartment together. It was small, and it was past the title of lived-in, but we made it work. It was perfect for just the two of us. We were happy. She was my everything. Her shimmering golden hair was my sun. She radiated warmth and love through her pearly smile and shockingly green- no wait- blue eyes. Her divine blue eyes that had claimed my soul at first glimpse.

"Did you loose her?" His voice was threaded with silk as the pure sound was so soft you would want to reach out and stroke it and let it encompass your whole existence.

I slowly nodded my head and picked at the dirt under my fingernails. Josh looked down to the ground below and shook his head. His shoulders dropped as he let out a laugh.

"Its fucked up isn't it? I mean what did we do to deserve this?" I looked up from my hands and looked at him. "I'd like to think that there is someone, something out there watching over us. But now I'm just not so sure. We are loosing the people we promised forever to." Josh played around with a ring on his left hand. He sighed and looked up putting his hands by his sides. I placed my hand on top of his. The steel band embraced around his ring finger kissed the palm of my hand, contrasting with the warm perspiration that coated my skin. I enclosed my hand over his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Its hard living for people." I began. "It's easy to say you would die for someone. But its hard to keep going when all you have left are the memories of everyone you love." Josh's gaze had made its way over to my hand that was over his.

"I loved him so much." He spoke quietly. My stomach immediately became awoke at the simple pronoun. My heart skipped a beat and i was forced to control my breathing. He wiped a tear away with his free hand and sighed out.

"I forget what he looks like." My eyes immediately shot up to see his profile.

"I mean, i know what he looks like. But not the way i should. I should've mapped out every freckle that laid against his skin. Instead, i see him without a single mark. His image isn't the crisp perfection he is, its blurred and i can't put it into focus." He took his hand from underneath mind and brought both of his hand up to is face. He shook his head side to side and let out a quiet sob.

"God, I can't even remember what his laugh sounds like." I hesitantly put my hand on his back and he immediately placed his head on my shoulder. I placed my arm firmly around his frame.

"It's okay to hurt and it's okay to cry. It's not easy and you might never get over it. But you have to continue, for them. You don't have to live for them just yet, just survive for them. Show them you are still fighting for them. You haven't given up on them."

I wish i could say my words affected Josh, but my words held no value to him. As much as I'm sure he wanted to listen to what i was saying, i was merely just a shoulder to cry on. And maybe that's all he needed at that point. But that wasn't good enough for me. I had a urge to gain his trust and respect. I wanted my words to hold value in his eyes. I wanted them to mean just as much to him as they did to me.

We eventually left the forest after Josh's cries had calmed as the moon was making its presence in the fading sky. I left with determination to make sure Josh wasn't just surviving in this hell of a world , that he was living. And i was willing to live for him.

Once we had snuck back into the Peninsula, we separated with mumbled goodbyes. I had gotten a quick meal with Melanie and i told her about my mini adventure, leaving Josh's crying out of the story. She listened with such intensity it was surprising. But i soon found the cause of her focus was because she admitted to finding somewhat of a attraction to the mohawk man. I couldn't help but feel just a pang of jealousy but I ignored it. Melanie deserved someone to love, i already had someone.

Once we had said our goodbyes, i went to my room only to find it completely trashed. I picked up the sheets and remade the bed. I stripped down to my boxers ready to get into bed, only to hear a subtle knock at the door.

"Tyler?"