Øverturning the lies (a twenty one pilots fanfiction)

~Tyler~

He's about to surrender completely to despair when something makes him pause. 

"He isn't dead." 

Tyler looks up. 

"C-Clancy? But you're-" 

"Dead?" the ghostly figure he sees hovering above him asks. "Yes, I know. Rather unfortunate. But your friend-Josh, you can still save him."

"H-how?" Tyler asks. "Wait. Am I dead?" 

"No," Clancy says. 

"Then how-" 

"Listen, Tyler," Clancy says, placing his ghostly hand on his shoulder, a touch he's surprised he can actually feel. 

"I can't-I can't stay long. So I need you to listen." 

Tyler nods. "O-okay." 

"Look," Clancy says. "Whatever you do, you can't give into the fear. You can't bring...him back, otherwise-" 

"Otherwise what?" Tyler asks, his fear slowly rising. 

"No, you can't-" Clancy says. "Please. You have to try to focus on something positive. Please. Please-" 

"I'm sorry," Clancy whispers. "I would stay longer if I could. But you're strong. You can-" 

Before he can say anything else, Clancy is gone. 

Positive...

Tyler takes his friend's cold hand, choking back his tears. 

"You're my friend," Tyler whispers. "You're my best friend. More like a brother. And-a lot of people really look up to you. A lot of people. Please-" 

Another tear slides down his ace. 

"Come on," Tyler says. "You didn't give up on me. You-you helped me out of there."

He and Jenna...

Oh, they had been pretty close, yes...good friends...

Don't give in don't give in don't give in...

"Please," Tyler says again. "A lot of people love you. "So do I..." 

He swallows. "If you think I'm going to let you just-disappear-forever-" 

He can't bring himself to say the word "die." 

"-Then you're wrong. Please..." 

His fear comes back and he knows it's about to swallow him whole. 

And then...

Josh's hand tightens around his own.