"you don't even know this kid" tyler kept on pressing his thumb into his neck as max spoke, the small dip in the middle where he could feel his heart beat.
it was slow, soft and tyler was cold.
"you always said i should make friends" tyler pointed out with accusing eyes.
"yeah, but not people you just met minutes ago and who could potentially be serial killers" max chided, glaring at tyler, bag of groceries in his hands and standing outside the house.
"um, excuse me, im not really comfortable with you guys talking about me like i'm not here, and for the record, i am not a serial killer" red head spoke up from his position of the bottom step, legs spread out together and elbow resting on them.
"see" tyler urged. he really wanted to build a tree house.
"listen, if you're so worried you can have my number and stuff to call." red head offered.
"i'd like that, yeah" max nodded and kept the bag of groceries on the floor, whipping out his phone.
tyler was bouncing on his legs, max noticed. for the first time, his brother was excited about something. he decided to let them go after he exchanged numbers with red head.
"be back in time for skating" he yelled at tyler as the two boys ran together towards the trees.
they ran deeper into the forest, past the bigger trees and into the middle where the smaller ones were.
"isn't this illegal?" tyler finally voiced to red head, as they both rested on the rough bark of a tree to catch their breaths.
"illegal?" red head tilted his head and asked.
"yeah, i think these trees are government property and if they see we'll get arrested"
"then we have to make sure they don't see, don't we?" red head laughed.
they travelled deeper into the forest, searching for the perfect tree to build their tree house. after they'd found one not too small, not to big and heavy enough, they marked it.
beginning to go back, they realized they didn't know what route they took and evening was quickly taking over.
"look" tyler began, "we're lost"
"no. we're wanderers" red head smiled, carefully setting his back against one of the trees.
"wanderers?" tyler slid down in a sitting position facing red head in the opposite tree.
"listen, we've got the entire forest to ourselves" red head bragged, stretching his hands to emphasise.
"max would worry" tyler fought to find an excuse.
"we'll worry about that later" red head smiled.
"i've got to go to the course" tyler's eyes widened at the realization.
"relax, tyler" red head's voice was like silk, soothing, calming and tyler found that if he was ever going to be able to avoid a panic attack, red head was going to have to keep speaking.
"sing" tyler whispered and he hoped red head heard.
"okay" he didn't even object, "i don't know why i feed on emotion. there's a stomach inside my brain. i don't wanna be heard. i wanna be listened to. does it bother anyone else that someone else has your name. does it bother anyone else that someone else has your name? i scream, you scream, we all scream 'cause we're terrified of what's around the corner. we stay in place 'cause we don't wanna lose our lives. so let's think of something better. down in the forest, we'll sing a chorus, one that everybody knows. hands held higher, we'll be in fire. singing songs that nobody wrote."
"it isn't finished yet" red head began but stopped when he realized tyler had fallen asleep.
"i scream, you scream, 'cause we're terrified of what's around the corner" he whispered solemnly to himself, lulling himself to sleep.
YOU ARE READING
kill your mind: joshler
Fanfictiona few years after the murder of his parents that traumatises tyler a great deal, he meets a red head damaged boy who moves into the empty house across the street. tyler confides in josh more than he had his siblings but something's wrong. no one els...
