killjoy - joshler

zack

"josh, honey. school ends tomorrow, don't forget. are you going?" josh's mom's voice was weak as she stood at the doorway, resting on the frame.

"no." josh shook his head, looking up at her from his book.

"alright. i'll be in my room." she said, slowly making her way back.

josh watched after her, to make sure she wouldn't fall, biting the inside of his bottom lip. he didn't like seeing her like this, but he was trying his best to take care of her. she would be fine, like the doctors said, but still.

it sucked.

josh began to read again, and he was almost done with his book when he looked outside.

it was pitch black outside, the moon being the only source of light through his room aside from his lamp. he checked the time, seeing as it was almost two in the morning. he decided he read too much for his own good, shutting his book and tucking it under his bed. he reached over to turn off the light, the moon shining into his dark room. he glanced at the clock again, remembering the guy from yesterday. his heart beat in anticipation and decision, until he found himself opening his window and carefully stepping on the branches of the giant tree next to his window, making his way down without getting any splinters.

he didn't know what he was doing, or what he was going to do if he saw him, but it was still nice to get out of the house when no one was around. with his mom being sick and that prick picking on him every day, sometimes he just needed to think by himself. his first motives were completely forgotten as he began to make his way to the street, shoving his hands into his jogger pockets. he probably should have put on a shirt or a sweater or something, because wow did it get cold at night.

he trained his gaze on the floor, passing streetlight after streetlight, house after house. maybe he should do something about zero, or maybe he shouldn't. he would hate for himself to get hurt because of him, but he would also hate to start something even worse.

he felt awful.

he found himself sitting at the abandoned fountain near the empty house at the end of the street, sitting down on the old ledge and sighing. he was trying to think, trying to come up with a plan, but fell short more than once. it was only when he felt something watching him that he got up from the spot. he looked behind him, seeing nothing but darkness, but then looked in front of him across the street to see the same yellow eyes he saw before.

they hadn't noticed him, yet. the person that they belonged to walked out into the light, but it wasn't the same boy. this one looked older, a little stronger, too. he had scruff and black hair, and holy fuck.

was that blood around his mouth?

he looked angry, and josh seriously regretted coming out here. there weren't just ghost in his neighborhood, there were cannibals, too?

he needed to leave.

he slowly began to walk back to his house in the darkness, avoiding the light at all costs. the person was looking around, as if he was searching for something rather than trying to see what was around him. josh's heart pumped in panic, and, as if the person could smell fear, he snapped his head towards him. his eyes blew wide as the person turned their body completely to him, and he began to run.

cold air picked at his skin, his lungs filling with cold strain as he pushed himself to go faster, the footsteps behind him growing louder and quicker. he shouted in panic when two arms wrapped around his midsection, stopping him abruptly. he tried desperately to get out of this guy's grip, squeezing his eyes shut and screaming as a sharp pain flooded the side of his neck.

"whoa, whoa! zack!"

josh opened his eyes when he heard a second voice, looking around to see where it came from. the pain subsided, still aching, as the guy from yesterday walked into the streetlamp across from them. josh was still struggling in his grip, his neck numb and his heart about to explode.

"let him go, dude. he's fine."

zack did just that, his eyebrows coming together in confusion.

"are we not going to eat him, tyler?" he asked, josh's eyes blowing wide again.

"i mean...i don't know." tyler shrugged. "he doesn't look that good to me."

"he tastes fine." zack shrugged as well, looking at josh.

"what?!" josh was so confused.

eat him? tastes good? what?

"um, don't you think eavesdropping is a little rude?" tyler asked, placing a hand on his hip.

"don't you think taking a bite of my neck is a little rude?" josh said, looking at his bloody palm underneath the streetlamp.

he was so fucking confused.

"just...go away, and pretend you never saw us." tyler said, flicking his hand.

"that's a little hard, you know, since you took a bite of my neck!"

tyler rolled his eyes, looking at zack. he squinted, then nodded slightly. tyler made his way over to josh, kneeling down in front of him. he blinked, and as soon as he opened his eyes again, they were purple, like an orchid. he held two fingers up, josh curiously flicking his eyes to them.

"hey, hey. what's your name?" tyler asked sweetly, josh taken aback by his sudden change of tone.

"j-josh."

"listen, josh. i want you to walk away, and pretend this never happened. go home, go in your bed, and take a nap, okay?"

"okay." josh got up, feeling empty and full at the same time.       

his head was spinning, and the street was moving like a treadmill. he felt like he was about to fall, but he was perfectly fine, as if something was moving for him and he didn't have to do it himself.

as soon as josh had left, tyler and zack sped for the darkness, disappearing in the shadows of the moon.