S L O W T O W N

You'll Be Okay

*The song featured is the song I pictured Tyler writing for Josh, I consider it the theme of this book, please take a listen whilst reading if you really want to cry*

Stumbling, falling, catching himself on a cold, slimy wall, some sort of sticky substance dripping down from some sort of pipe, Tyler tries his best to catch up.

The coloured boy moves faster than he had ever moved, expecting the younger to be able to catch up, unaware he was drastically falling behind.

"Come on Ty! Just around here we should be able to get up that street and disappear into the forest," Josh calls, tired legs of a tan boy carrying him along as speedily as he could, tripping over his own feet a few times, growing weary and sick of running.

They draw nearer to the street, a paddy wagon pulling up to block their only way out, men jumping out, yelling things Josh can't hear past the rush of adrenaline in his ears.

"Fuck," Josh mumbles, instantly spinning on his heel, both exits now blocked from escaping, unable to move forward or back now.

"Fire exit back here!" Tyler yells, the coloured boy nodding, following the younger through what felt like more doors he had ever walked through in his whole life, narrowly avoiding the law enforcement gaining on them from their previous escape route.

Stumbling into a clean white tiled building, Josh takes his lovers hand, dragging him along the somewhat slippery flooring, shoes having no grip against freshly polished tile.

There's a curve to round, glass walls lining the inside, behind are several workers, one by one, stopping to listen to the roaring sirens and helicopters outside, spying Tyler and Josh as they fly past the windows.

They flee across a lobby, weaving through unfamiliar corridors, Josh feeling his heart thump violently against his rib cage, Tyler completely out of breath.

Tearing through an open plan office with women screaming, Josh pushes people out of the way, Tyler apologising to each person he knocks down as they pass by, a green exit sign blinking above a door at the far end of the office.

Josh rams into it, barging it open, Tyler calling for him to calm down and not be so rough.

They clear into a room that looks like a reception, no one in the small room, a couple of elevators across from them, Tyler slowly and finally halting, feeling like he's about to pass out from lack of oxygen, lungs expanding and contracting way too fast for his heart to slow down.

Josh stops too, ready for his own lungs to collapse, aching pain in his chest, trying to breath more steady, the ache growing worse, so he leans on his own knees, Tyler supporting himself against the stone pillar in the middle of the room, slipping down to sit.

Finally there's a point where they can stop, panting, breathless, Tyler clutching to Josh tightly, pulling him down too.

"It's okay Tyler, we're gonna get out of here," Josh promises, holding his partner closer than ever, smaller hands gripping tight to a torn white shirt.

Tyler feels as if he's going to cry, but remains strong for Josh, not wanting to seem like a baby anymore.

"I'm so scared,"

"I know Ty, I am too, I've never been frightened in my whole life," Josh shakes, words wavering, carefully helping Tyler to stand, only just getting a somewhat reasonable amount of breathing pace back.