Genocide | Joshler

.:17:.

"Tyler?"

"Ty, please wake up, I can't feel my arm." I stirred in my sleep, letting out a soft hum while tightening my grip on whatever was in my arms. The backs of my eyelids were tinted red, presumably because it was morning, but I ignored them as I desperately wanted to just fall back asleep.

A soft chuckle resinated through my ears. "If you don't let go of me I can't kill the lingerer that keeps hitting the outside of the truck." My eyes fluttered open to meet the blinding morning sun, intensifying its glow through the window pane. I could feel my pupils contract, burning right to my brain and i let out a groan. I automatically hid my face from the horrible sun by burying it into the closest thing, which just happened to be Josh.

"m'but it's so bright" I mumbled into Josh's shirt that definitely needed to be cleaned. It didn't smell bad, just kinda like rotting corpses and sweat. I mentally frowned at the thought of the dead and i let out a sigh. My whole upper body started to shake as a deep laugh ruptured from his chest. I took that as my signal to finally move off of him.

"Thank you." He spoke. I peeked open an eye and looked over to Josh. I scoffed at him, watching him shake his arm vigorously, trying to gain feeling back into it. I rested my head on the opposite seat from Josh and I let my eyes slip shut. But as soon as i felt myself start to fall back asleep, a loud thud against the window made me jump awake.

I sat up, now more adjusted to the light, and was met with a lady with her face and hands pressed against the glass. She looked young, but it was hard to tell exactly because, well, being dead ages people.

"Oh don't worry about her, i got it." I looked back to see Josh step out of the truck with a knife and walk around to where the woman was. He pulled her hair, quickly yanking her away from the truck, distorting her neck. I watched through the window and he skillfully jabbed the knife into her eye, the smallest amount of blood hitting the top of his shirt. Her body went limp and she fell to the ground as soon as Josh retracted the knife. I mentally groaned as i watched him wipe the knife onto his shirt; as if it didn't smell bad already.

Josh hopped into the drivers side and I crawled my way into the passengers seat. My nose scrunched as a sour smell hit my senses. I turned to look at Josh who was putting the key in the ignition. He turned to look at me.

"Whats that look for?" He asked, mimicking my face with his own.

"You kinda stink." I waved my hand in front of my nose and he rolled his eyes, letting out a laugh.

"You weren't complaining earlier when you were all cuddled up into me" he stated. "Plus you kinda stink too" He says, flashing a toothy grin.

"Well I'm not the one wearing a shirt with fresh blood all over it." He looked down to his shirt, looking at the red patches soaking into the gray fabric.

"You're right" he says. He started tugging at the back of his shirt, pulling it over his head and throwing it right into my lap. "Now you're wearing it" he lets out a silly chuckle as i glare at him, trying not to smile. Instead, I roll my eyes and throw his shirt into the back of the truck, ignoring, to the best of my ability, his exposed chest.

"Just drive." I mumble.

"Your wish is my command." He shifted out of park and started to drive in between the trees towards the road.

We didn't have a plan. We didn't know where we were trying to go and why we were going together. But Josh kept driving anyway, each second passing we were farther away from that dreadful place that became a living nightmare in the matter of days. We were lucky enough to wake up this morning without a thought of that place; however, as we continued to drive in silence, all i could think about was the Peninsula. Its the place that stripped me of everything i had. My wife, my dignity, and my trust. But it was also the place that gave me everything i needed. My safe haven, my shoulder to cry on, my blanket when the cool air nips my skin, my everything. It was right in this truck with me. He pulled us out of that mess with his bare hands. And we made it out, together, hand in hand.

I decided during that drive that i owed my life to the man with the grown out mohawk. I wasn't going through this all by myself anymore and because of him I wanted to live. I feared even the thought of death because of him and i was glad. I didn't want to die, not as long as he's around. And so if i had to go through all the crap that happened back there again just to have him as my safe haven, I would do it in a heartbeat.

"Hey, Josh?" I spoke up. He hummed a response, taking his eyes off the road to send a quick glance my way.

"Thank you." He furrowed his brows and bit his lip in confusion.

"For what?" He asked. He took his eyes off the road for longer this time, locking his gaze with mine.

"For being my everything."