Tyler is alone in the city of Dema. He can't remember who he was before then. All he knows now is trying to survive in this world. He sees others around him who are struggling too, and he wants to help them. But he can't. He can't even seem to help...
[I'm sorry in advance, this chapter might be a little triggering. Read with caution. I'll write in bold when we're past that, and explain what happened.]
[Edit: I'm sorry. I kinda had to write about this, it was important to the story]
"Tyler!" Josh [I almost wrote 'Jish' wow] yells. "TYLER!"
But his fren can't hear him.
He wants to shut his eyes and block out what he's seeing, but he can't. He's dreaming. He's dreaming, but what he's seeing is really happening.
One of the bishops-Nico, Josh thinks, it has to be Nico, whispers something to Tyler, who nods.
Nico gives something to Tyler, but Josh can't see what it is. The long sleeves of the bishop's robes do a good job concealing it.
And then Josh understands.
No, he thinks, no, please...don't do it. Don't do it.
Tyler's hands are trembling. It looks like he's crying.
The bishop whispers something else to him. He nods once more.
Possible trigger warning!! Read with caution!!!
And then Tyler brings the knife down onto his own skin, cutting a scarlet line across his palm.
Josh wants to wake up. He wants to wake up so bad.
Especially as Tyler makes another mark across his skin, and then another, until some kind of symbol is formed.
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[That's what the symbol looks like. It's what the bishops were worshipping in the Nico and the Niners video, and it's supposed to represent vialism]
Tyler eventually drops the knife, but the damage has already been done.
Blood rips down his arm and after several excurciating moments, one of the bishops finally moves forward and bandages the fresh wound. Josh can see the blood soaking through, though.
The bishops lead Tyer, whose head is tilted towards the ground, away.
And Josh wakes up, gasping for breath.
Okay, what happened was this: The bishops essentially forced Tyler to hurt himself and-this is going to sound really morbid, and I apologize, but I think that's the whole point of the religion of vialism in the first place-basically carve the mark of vialism onto his own skin. It's supposed to be a symbol. Josh saw the whole thing in his dream, and he just woke up, really afraid. Now, frens, please, please, please don't hurt yourself. Please stay alive. |-/. I know it's hard, but you are loved. You are needed. You are lovely.
