band aids ↠ joshler ✔

t h r e e

two years until

●

josh didn't know any better, he truly did believe those people deserved to be punished.

the first kill was a man who josh had known for a long time, his high school history teacher. from the start, josh knew this guy was a jerk, but it was as if the further josh got into his high school experience, the worse the teacher got. he went from being just a plain jerk to a homophobic, sexist, racist jerk. he gave out detentions if gays kissed in public, if a latino student spoke in an accent, or even if another student spoke another language. one day, long after josh had graduated, he saw the teacher walking down the side of a road, carrying a plastic bag (which josh later found to be filled with syringes and heroin). something in josh's blood boiled, and something made him jerk the steering wheel left, and his foot to slam on the gas, and just like that- the teacher was dead, josh's hood was covered in blood, and he felt great.

his second kill was filthy rich. no, not because he was successful or smart, but because he was given everything he owned from his father. his father was nice, actually, and he was smart, successful, and even hired middle class families just because they needed jobs. that's why it was such a wonder how his son ended up becoming a douche. his son was greedy and stingy, he fired people if they were simply breathing too loudly. it was when he fired josh's brother because he showed up thirty seconds late to a meeting that josh did some research on the guy, then took him out with a pistol through a nearby window across the street.

then, finally, came ms. joseph. josh, like with his second kill, didn't know her very well, but as soon as he saw her slap someone upside the head, (that someone was faced the opposite direction as so josh couldn't get a clean view, but he knew now it must have been tyler,) he knew something was up. she took the person by the arm harshly, and josh could just see a bruised hand, one that was covered in band aids, sticking out from the oversized hoodie's sleeve, flinching when the woman grabbed his wrist. it wasn't right. he quickly asked someone nearby who exactly the woman was, and he learned her name, kelly joseph. a widow with a single son around josh's age.

it seemed so easy, so seamless. after all, josh already committed two murders and got away with them, how would a third be any different?

he positioned himself behind a bush. a simple approach, he knew, but he had watched the woman walk down this road every night for the last week. all he needed was for her to appear alone this night, and she would finally get what she deserved.

and just like that, her figure emerged from the darkness, applying lipstick as she walked.

josh felt the familiar rush of excitement build up in his chest with every click of her heel against the pavement, and the very second she was in front of him, he lunged out from behind the bush, pushing her into the shallow lake.

she only managed one scream before josh's hands were around her throat, holding her head under the water and squeezing as hard as he could. he slowly felt a smile creep up on his lips as her face fell still. he checked for a pulse, and after finding none, stood up triumphantly.

he was dripping wet, but as he looked down at the woman, face down in the water with bruises around her neck, he was glad she wouldn't abuse her son- or anyone else- ever again.

however, as he turned around, he was met with flashing blue and red lights, and a whole array of police cars.

he didn't attempt to run, or to lie and say he didn't do it, but only let out a sigh before raising his hands.

he was sentenced with ten years in prison because nobody knew of the other two murders, and due to his age (he was only eighteen), josh knew he could have had it much worse.