killjoy - joshler

nightwalks

"are you sure you could walk by yourself?" pete asked, the blare of the loud music barely allowing josh to hear his voice.

"yeah, i'll be fine." josh called, grabbing his coat from the rack it was hanging on.

he slipped out the door from the dying house party, the early morning hours beginning to come. the moonlight casted a creamy shadow against the quiet neighborhood, josh tightening his coat when a chilly breeze cut through his hair. he hated walking alone, especially in his own neighborhood, but he wasn't the one who drove here and pete was still drunk off of his ass.

they were supposed to leave even later than this, but josh's mom needed him at home.

she was sick, and despite the efforts of josh's siblings, they had families, too, so it was up to him to help her. he didn't mind, but it was a constant reminder of what illness could do to people.

it made him sad.

he sighed, deciding not to think too much about it, turning the street corner towards his neighborhood. an instant chill found its way to his spine as he walked closer to his house, one of the few lit on the street.

the thing is, josh should have known something was wrong when someone just randomly took night walks down his street a few days ago. he'd sometimes wake up from nightmares at these hours, glancing out the window to see a figure pass underneath the streetlamps across from his room just as he woke. it creeped him out, and he swore never to go outside during the early morning.

but two am was rolling around and josh was screwed.

he switched sides, walking on the opposite side of where he would see the person. he tried to brush it off, telling himself that it was probably just someone who hated the daylight, a new neighbor, or something. there was a house that no one ever moved into after it was put up for sale a few weeks ago, so maybe they lived there.

he blinked, nearing his house, until he saw something faint across the street. they were two, little yellow circles, glowing slightly off of the light of the streetlamp. he stared at them, soon realizing that they were eyes, and he backed up into the deeper shadows of the neighborhood, beginning to panic. it was just him and whatever had glowing eyes across the street, during the time where most people would be asleep. the eyes neared closer to the streetlamp, and as soon as josh blinked, they were dark brown, and look at that-

belonging to the random person that took these night walks.

josh's breath hitched loudly, the person looking around in panic as soon as he heard it.

"is someone there?" he asked into the shadows, trying to figure out who the heck was outside at two in the morning.

he glanced over to josh, whose eyes widened in fear. his heart was pumping hard in his chest, almost blocking out the sound of bugs calling and the chilly winds that made the trees dance in the dark. all he heard were the rhythmic thumps in his ears, like a timpani drum. he didn't know what to do, but he was slightly relieved that it was a person and not just a ghost or something.

that would be even scarier.

he had so many questions, but he didn't know which one to ask first. the boy was still looking around, trying to see in the shadows. he was usually able to see clearly at night, but he didn't eat all day and that sometimes messed him up.

"who's there?" he asked again, his voice still shaking with uneasiness.

"wh-why were your eyes yellow?" josh asked, mentally slapping himself.

he had all these questions swarming in his head, but the only thing he could get out was that?

"it was just the light. they're brown, see?" the guy said, just like he had rehearsed.

this is why he never went out: because of people. they asked too many questions when they first saw him.

"why do you take walks at night? i see you all the time."

"why are you out right now?"

josh decided to come closer to the guy, because not only did he want to see what he looked like, but he also wanted to make sure he wasn't a ghost. ghosts were scary, and if he was to be a spirit, josh would know when to run instead of making small talk.

"i just came back from a party." josh said, seeing the boy clearly now.

the yellow streetlamp shone on his fluffy, brown hair, a permanent pink tint settled on his nose bridge and fatty cheeks. he watched josh make his way into the dim light, seeing him clearly as well.

"you're ruining my night walk." the guy said, making a face.

"are you a ghost?" josh asked, noticing how pale he looked.

"i'm hungry, but that's about it." he shrugged, looking in the direction of where he was supposed to go.

they were probably waiting for him by now. he needed to leave.

"do you want food? i have some in my house." josh offered, making the boy wonder why he was being so generous like that.

"i could be a murderer." the guy said, confused.

"you haven't killed me yet." josh shrugged.

"i can't eat it." the boy shook his head, hugging himself in the yellow sweater he was wearing, brown strips decorating parts of the sleeves.

"why not?" josh asked.

"i'm...allergic?" he tried, making josh squint at him.

"to everything?"

the boy nodded.

"i got to get home now, but thanks." he smiled, waving at josh before putting his hands in his pockets as he walked away into the shadows.

"wait, what's your name?" josh asked, looking around in the darkness for him, but just like that,

he was gone.