Taking Route East, Not Calling "Home" • Twenty One Pilots

TRENCH: 1.3: chapter thirteen

a/n: Ready for a climax? To those who got my TLOTFK reference last chapter, thank you for noticing ;)

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The next two weeks of wait were almost walking back into mental hell for Tyler. To build up trust in the anxious guard outside that he wouldn't be breaking out, that he understood punishment and took it instead of abused it. But of course, all guards in prisons are ready for anything. Tyler's was just a little newer than the others he had seen. This wasn't a problem, but just a repercussion. On the twentieth day of being confined, he learned they made the prisoners go to separate bathrooms at separate times as they each had their own schedule planned for their imprisonment. Tyler eavesdropped his guards conversations out of utter boredom, and learned his was at six o'clock at night. The fall nights made this an earlier sunset, and too soon enough the sun would be setting during the day as the taiga biome Dema was set in wasn't temperate.

The bathroom break of the day had arrived with little patience. Tyler was staring at the imaginary version of Josh in front of him. Talking to him as just letting him listen as solitary confinement wasn't any good for anyone, it made people go at least a bit mental but the people who had to keep them there couldn't help them if they tried as most prisoners in the cells were manipulative. No wins. Tyler had gone slightly mad, but to him it would all be worth it. He was still himself, just needing to talk to a person instead of air.

He hated talking to air.

"Joseph, let's go." The guard said from the door, unlocking it's hatches to let the bandito go to the bathroom. Tyler learned his quirks and observed that he was beginning to feel very confident around him. He almost felt sorry for having to escape.

Tyler was pulled out of the cell and turned around, almost being thrown on the floor. The guard grabbed a hold of his arms, walking him down the hall. As if it happened in slow motion, Tyler wrestled himself free when he felt the grip loosen out of instinctive trust from the guard that he wouldn't go. 

Tyler ran, darting for the stairs and grabbing onto the middle pole and sliding down like a fireman. The last he saw of the guard was him standing there in shock. It was a pathetic escape but the clothes he wore would let him be caught ever so easily. He looked up at the empty stairwell as gravity acted upon him as he slid stories down the pole. When his feet dropped to the floor, holding himself up after falling, guards were running down the stairs.

He darted outside, citizens of Nico seeing him. They gasped consecutively, looking at him in such fear and holding their children. Teenagers looked at each other, smiling.

"They're lying to you! Don't listen!" He screamed, starting to run after a quick look behind him to see no one following. People made the way for him, teenagers looking proud at him.

"Run if you can!" He yelled, trying to breath simultaneously but failing. He couldn't scream, not in that moment.

He ran quickly to the apartments, guards unable to find him. No one in the halls, he tripped up the stairs, arriving at his apartment and shutting himself inside. He quickly changed from his prison clothes. Shoving it into an extra backpack and wearing his trench jacket, not his ideal one, that would be saved for the ninth flower. But his black one with tape on it, set and ready to go.

He quickly grabbed another flower from his trunk, taking his bag and running out of his room, seeing guards' flashlights' shadows form floors below slowly climb their way up the walls. He started to run down the opposite hallway, where no guards were climbing. He escaped unnoticed, walking outside and going to the edge of the cliff where he usually met Josh. No guards were present, the day that was previously unknown to him had played in his favor. Tuesday, six thirty.