Aviary // Joshler

// CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Tyler woke that night to immediate confusion. He was half asleep, but he did know that it was still dark and that he should still be drowning in brain-induced dopamine. Something must have woken him, but he didn't know what it could be.

And then, the darkness of the room became a little less so.

A glowing, of some sort, filled Tyler's bleary eyes with faint pink light. He thought it was his imagination, at first, or a trick his eyes were playing on him, but after blinking a few times, the light stayed the same.

Rolling over in bed, he was able to find the source of the light, and his eyes widened. There were glowing streaks of pink light slowly circling over his roommate's bed, like vultures circling a carcass. Carefully and quickly, Tyler slipped out of his bed and approached them.

The coils of light were transparent, but still vivid enough to be noticed. They glowed as they circled almost lazily over the form of Tyler's roommate as if they were too tired to go much faster. Josh was still asleep--at least Tyler presumed because his eyes were closed and he didn't stir when Tyler approached. The light didn't change whatsoever, either. Tyler had no idea what it was...could it be a threat?

He almost reached out to touch it, but then realized it might not be safe, so he grabbed the nearest book from Josh's bookshelf, and he quickly passed it through the pink coils of light.

Almost immediately, they disappeared, and Josh sat bolt upright in bed. Startled, Tyler dropped the book.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Josh grumbled, voice a little growly from sleep.

"There was--I don't know what--there was this light," Tyler stammered.

The mood changed abruptly in the room, and the yellow-haired boy said nothing for a moment, rubbing one of his bare arms and not looking at Tyler.

Tyler only stared at Josh, still worried, before it dawned on him. "That was you, wasn't it?"

Josh nodded quickly, blinking rapidly a few times. "Yes. Yes, okay? That's my abilities." He lifted up his closed fist, flicking his thumb up, and Tyler watched with wide eyes as it lit up with bright yellow light. It was like a flame, but not really a part of Josh so much as it was living off of him.

"I can create and control light. It's only supposed to happen when I want it to, but...I was dreaming, and I guess..." he trailed off.

Watching that little bit of yellow light up that space between them, Tyler was in awe. It was strange, yeah, but so was everyone here; hell, so was he! 

It was beautiful, too if he was being honest. He didn't really understand why Josh had been so reluctant to show him.

"Are you freaked out?" Josh asked quietly. He had been looking at the floor again, but he flicked his eyes up now to look at Tyler.

"No," he said seriously. "No, of course not," he added, for reassurance. "Birds follow me everywhere and bring me dead snails, I've seen much stranger things."

No smile crossed Josh's face, but Tyler could see that he was relieved in the way his eyes softened. "Okay. Okay, cool. Thank you." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Um, I'm gonna...go back to sleep now."

"Me too." Tyler stepped back, then turned and climbed back into his own bed. "I'm sorry I woke you."

"It's okay," Josh whispered, pulling his comforter up. "Goodnight, Tyler."

"Goodnight, Josh."