Only In The Forest (A Continuation of the Forest Fic)

Trust

Josh's hair has soaked up a lot of the rain, and it falls on his face. Josh can't see the deer anymore, but he just keeps running. He sees a light past all the tree branches and past his blue hair that somewhat is blocking his vision. Josh runs towards the light, knowing that must be where the forest wants him to go. As Josh nears the building, he realizes it's a house. The house is just past the tree line.

The sun has almost disappeared.

"It's a house? just some random house?" Josh says out of breath holding Tyler closer to him. Josh jogged around to the front of the house. The presence is pulling on his shoulders, pulling him down, but Josh walks to the door. He looks up, halfway there and sees the window he used to climb into almost every day. Then it dawns on him...

It's Tyler's house.

Josh walks the rest of the way to the door. Not wanting to let go of Tyler, he loosens his grip on Tyler's legs and knocks on the door. Josh flips his hair out of his eyes and waits for someone to open the door.

A woman opens the door. A flood of light shines into the darkness, Josh squints. The woman looks like Tyler's mother. She even has the same eyes as him.

Tyler mother is shocked. She expected her son to be standing on the doorstep covered in dirt like usually is, but Tyler never knocks on the door. She sees the boy her son talked nonstop about.

How could this boy be real?

He was just a hallucination of Tyler's, his imaginary friend. How can a fake boy, be holding my real son in his arms?

She looks at him a little longer. She notices that the boy's holding him tighter than she ever had. She doesn't know if it is possible, to hold someone with more emotion, but somehow this boy is doing it. The boy is exactly as Tyler would describe. Bright blue hair and mocha eyes.

Josh is soaked and feels dirty. He waits for Tyler's Mother to say something, anything. He gives up waiting.

"Call 911, something happened to Tyler" Kelly (Tyler's mom) is snapped back into reality. She pulls her phone out of her pocket and waves Josh into the house. Kelly dials 911 with her shaking hands. The buzzing sound in Josh's head is gone, as suspected his mind dives deeper into the dark parts of his thoughts. Holding back the tears, he follows Tyler's Mother to the couch.

Now in the light, he sees all the burns on Tyler. He gently places Tyler on the couch. Josh kneels next to him. Tyler's face surprisingly isn't covered in burns. There is one on his neck, but that is it. Josh pulls up Tyler's shirt to reveal multiple burns towards his hip. Tyler has a sleeveless shirt on so he knows there are a few on his shoulders and forearm. The palms and the top of Tyler's hands are both covered in burns as well. Josh hears Tyler's mother talking to the operator. Josh starts to shake slightly, feeling purple-red all over. Josh pushes Tyler's hair out of his eyes and whispers, "Everything is going to be okay."

The EMT arrive almost instantly. Time seems to slow, as the EMT pick Tyler up, as if he is a feather, and place him on a stretcher. Josh grabs hold of the stretcher and runs alongside it. One of the larger men on the crew pushes him away. Tyler's mother is right behind Josh.

She says, more calmly than she feels "Josh, I want you to ride with him." They both look at the EMT lifting Tyler into the ambulance. Josh is in shock of being pulled away from Tyler.

"But, you are his mother, you should ride with him," Josh says not wanting to be rude.

"Yes I am, but you know him better than I do. And I saw the way you held him." She looks up at him with tears in her eyes "Josh, he told you everything, and I don't even believe I am even talking to you right now, but you were there with him when this all happened, you will be able..." She is cut off by one of the EMT. She is short and has brown hair. The girl, she is louder than you would expect.