four walls (a twenty one pilots fanfiction)

six

Soon enough, everyone had finished setting up and testing things, so we got back on the bus to get to the hotel. It was only a 10 minute journey, but watching the monotonous movement of the clock seems to drag the seconds out. I just wanted to collapse onto a bed and fall asleep. Granted, if I wasn't trying to engage myself in conversation, I'd be fast asleep on this very spot.
"So, Avery, how was your first day 'on tour'"? Brad asks, signing quotation marks with his hands.
"It was great; I had fun." I smile, nodding my head sleepily, trying my best not to slur my speech.
"Good. I'm glad you came with us." Tyler tries to grin mid yawn, looking as exhausted as me. Everyone nods in agreement.
"Yeah, just please don't yawn. You're making me realise how tired I am!" Mark chuckles softly. We all laugh, sounding equally as drowsy.

Despite my physical fatigue, endless thoughts spiralled like a whirlpool in my head. Half of my brain was waging war with the other. I wanted to rest without any nagging thoughts, but still my mind wondered about the unresolved mystery of the message in pigs blood. That was the biggest cause of my fatigue. I repeat the message over and over, trying to make sense of it.
'See the blood on you hands. It scares you...Doesn't it?'
What could it mean?
Immediately, my left side brain tries to eradicate the question, dismissing it's radicalism, trying to save itself from the emotion strain. But still, the right side fights back, stronger. My brain was at war with itself: logic again emotion. Yes, I needed to look at this logically, though it is hard to overcome my feelings.

Perhaps the person behind this message believed I was the one who killed my parents,or maybe that I was responsible for Norman Gweth's death sentence. Either way, this was clearly not the work of some meddling kids, but a person linked to the murders- set on counteracting every good thing that happens to me.

Logically, this would be most likely, as there really is no other strong enough driving force to produce these actions off of anyone. However, emotionally, in the core of my right side brain, I did not want it to be true. I'd rather it be mischievous teenagers, or at least be in ignorant bliss of the entire situation (though the left side of my brain ruined that for me).Because truly, the only 'blood on my hands' was Norman Gweth's. And that does scare me, as the message implies. But no one could've know the truth beside Norman and I. It was impossible to have another human being know that I never saw his face at the scene...because I lied. I lied and I said I saw him flee from my front door. When in reality, I saw nothing. I, the cowardly lion, hid in my wardrobe for hours. I'd kept this information from Josh, even myself. It was a stupid, desperate mistake, and which means I have to live with consequences. Built also meant that ultimately, I was responsible for Norman Gweth's death. He died because I lied.

A hand beckoned upon my shoulder, fishing me out of my thoughts and anchoring me into reality.
"Ave, we're here." Josh gazes, scanning my obvious discomfort. "...Hey, you look quite pale, are you feeling okay?"
"Yeah, I'm just overtired; nothing a good nights sleep can't fix." I jeer somnolently. He smiles warmly as he grabs my hand and pulls me up to my feet.
"Don't worry, you'll get use to it." Mark chuckles from behind.

We grab our luggage and make our way to the foyer to sign in at reception.
"Hello, how may I help you?" The receptionist beams, perhaps too  eagerly considering how late it was.
"Hi, yeah. We're booked under the name Dun, that's D-U-N. Sorry we're a few hours late." Josh huffs, resting his weight on the desk as the woman typed at her computer.
"Ah, yes: Dun. Two queen sized bedrooms and two twin rooms all staying for one night, is that correct?" She asks, raising her head up at Josh.
"Yeah, that's right." Josh nods. "Oh, we've booked you your own room, is that okay?" Josh whispers to me.
"Yeah that's fine." I say.

"Here you are sir: the key cards to the first twin bedroom- room 42." She hands Josh the card. "And the first queen sized, room 47."
"Oh, that'll be for me." I reach and grab it.
She hands out the rest of the key cards to the others, then we head to our rooms.

Luckily, it was only on the ground floor, so we wouldn't have to drag our suitcases too far. We walk along the hallways, trying our best not to disturb anyone as we passed all the doors.
"If you ever need me in the night, Mark and I are in room 42, just 5 doors down from you." Josh whispers.
"Ok, thanks." I smile.

All of a sudden, a loud trample of footsteps heed its way towards us. We all turn around, curious to see who was making such a ruckus. It was the woman from reception, waving a card in her hand. We all stop to see what was going on.
"Ma'am, I've seemed to have made a mistake." She pants. "You're in room 43 not 47. I had to reach you before you opened the door to someone else's room. My deepest apologies." She sighs as we exchange cards.
"That's no problem." I reply. She nods thankfully and heads back along the hall.

Jenna and Tyler depart from us and get to their room, soon followed Michael and Brad. Then eventually Josh, Mark and I reach our doors.
"Goodnight." Josh hugs me tightly. "Remember we're next door if you need us." He reminds me for the third time. I didn't mind his insistency, it was nice to actually have someone care that much again. Though his constant concern worried me, questioning the depth of the whole situation.
"Ok, will. Thanks again. Goodnight, Mark." I wave.
"Night!" He says back, a little too loudly. Josh immediately corrects him.
"Shh." He frowns pressing his finger to his lips. "You're waking up half of hotel." He nudges Mark with his elbow into their room, waving at me one last time.

I shut the door gently and bolt it up. And like magic, my mind fell empty, sickened by the poisoned food for thought. So I put down my suitcase and heave my body onto the bed. I can't even be bothered to change out of my clothes, I just feel like I could lay here eternally. So I rest there for a while, but even in my abysmal comfort, nothing could stop the torment that rattled inside of me, and eventually my demons writhed up; awoken by my serenity.

The door thudded loudly. It's sound jaunted, piercing the silence I once bathed in. My body quivered under the covers, like a paranoid child thinking a monster was going catch them out the minute they closed their eyes. And I was afraid to even blink.
"It's all in my head. It's all in my head" I repeat to myself. Maybe if I keep on saying it I'll start to believe it.  
Still the thudding grew louder and more desperate.
"This is just my mind playing tricks on me again. I am fine. There is no one after me."
Josh had said that if I needed him I could go to him. But I simply couldn't. This fear had a tight grip on my throat.

I can't keep living like this; in constant fear that someone was out to get me. I have to go and see for myself that nothing is there, but as I went to move, my body became paralysed.
"No." The right side spoke "I'm too afraid." I was so driven by emotion in these situations it was hard to think otherwise.
"If it were someone trying to kill you, don't you think they would've found a better way of doing so other than knocking." The left side jeered, arrogant and opposed to the right sides' irrational concern.

I had to know that it was all in my head. Looking down, I find myself stepping towards the door. I exhale, trying my best to faze out the banging. I poke my eye and peer through the spy hole. Josh and Mark stood there, knocking impatiently. I waste no time and swing the door open. They step back, flustered.
"Why didn't you answer sooner?!" Mark exclaims.
"Sorry, I was sleeping. Why are you knocking so loudly?"
"There's been a break in at room 47, a masked man took some stuff and punched the man staying there." Josh huffs uneasily.
"Wait, what? How do you know all this?" I ask, extremely confused and scared.
"Mark had left his phone charger on the bus, we were going to the bus to go get it and overheard the man from room 47 explaining to police what had happened. We remembered that you were meant to be in room 47, so we immediately rushed here to check on you. Just in case the masked man was actually after you."
"This is not good, Josh. What if it's the same man in the white van?"
"Wait wait wait, what white van? What're you guys talking about?" Mark questions.
"It's just a coincidence, it must be...Even so, I'm not taking any chances. You can stay in my bed tonight, I'll sleep on the floor." Josh sighs, trying his best to keep himself together.
"Hello? What white van?" Mark continues, rather impatiently.
"We keep seeing a white van driving behind us, pretty much where ever we go. If it wasn't for the sinister message I received in blood, it wouldn't be as worrying, but I did...so it is." I swallow. I was too tired to be sad or overly scared. Sleep now was my only escape.