Øverturning the lies (a twenty one pilots fanfiction)

~Jøsh~

He doesn't know what's happening to him, only that there's a terrible, terrible darkness surrounding him. But he can't see anything that confirms his suspicions. The darkness, it seems, is only inside of his mind.

The very idea makes him shiver. He opens mouth to say something, anything, but nothing comes out. In desperation, he reaches for his memories, tries to understand, to remember who he is, why he is there-but he finds nothing.

No release-none at all.

And yet for some reason he finds himself thinking that whatever is hidden in those deep corners of his mind will only remind him of the demons that have plagued him for longer than he'd ever care to admit.

Yes, that's right, he thinks.

And he knows with a solid certainty, though he doesn't think he can explain how he knows.

It's just a feeling, telling him that even from the very beginning, not everything was as happy as one's childhood ought to be.

That doesn't bode well in his mind, and that's when the doubt begins to trickle in.

If he was doomed from the start, why does he continue to fight? Why does he?

And does anyone truly need him at all?

No, a voice whispers in his ear.

It feels like cold, icy fingers have him in their grip, making it hard to breathe.

No? he asks fearfully. But-

They don't truly need you, not truly. But we do.

Who-he looks around.

Or, he tries to.

But he's paralyzed, utterly and completely.

A voice seems to be laughing somewhere.

You know us.

He does.

No. Please-

We need you. We weren't finished with you yet.

Somehow in the back of his mind he is relieved he is needed somewhere.

But everything has been turned upside down again and he doesn't know-doesn't know...

Someone's yelling something.

Who?

What?

He doesn't know.

Where is he?

What's happen-

More screaming. Why is someone scream-why doesn't he know anythi-

Is he even ali-

Why can't he mov-

Why ca-

Wh-

And then everything rushes back all at once.

Why are the lights so bright?

After the darkness he has found himself in, they make his eyes burn.

And now that he can breathe he does so. Great gasping breaths.

It's like he's never before been alive until now.

And maybe he wasn't

He doesn't know anything.

But then...he does.

His head is pounding.

It hurts.

So much.

Thoughts are swirling around his head so much...so hard...there is no escape, no, once again.

And he remembers.

"Hello, child," a voice says, sounding almost...amused.

He doesn't glance in the direction he hears it coming from because simply hearing it makes him remember.

He remembers his name because it's the name he hears being wrenched from the lips of one of the people he cares about most in this world.

He remembers that, too.

A thousand memories seem to crash through his mind.

And then...

"No. no. No. Josh!"

That's his name.

He squeezes his eyes shut...and he rememembers.

Tyler. That's the name that goes with that face.

No.

Oh, no, please, just...no.

If the two of them are back in the same place, it means...

"Welcome to Dema," a scarlet-robed figure says. "It's good to have you back."

No.

No.

NO.

How did he end up here?

Alone?

Josh glances at his fren.

He looks so defeated.

But he can't do anything about it.

There's nothing he can do and he hates it.

"No," the red-cloaked figure tells him. "You follow our teachings, and I garuantee you'll be saved. Both of you."

Saved. Not safe.

Josh notices something else in that moment.

He notices the bandages.

The tired eyes.

The neon lights.

And he remembers someone else.

Jenna.

Is she safe, at least?

Josh hopes she is. Seeing her here...well...Josh's heart aches as he looks at Tyler.

He's already been through too much.

But he doesn't know how to help him without endangering himself in the process.

Sad. Very sad. They all want to help, they just don't know how...maybe they'll figure it out. Maybe.