Southern Gothic // Joshler

10. Rainbow

Sensory deprivation / gore / horror / mild self harm / hallucinations 

Tyler couldn't tell, but he was fairly certain his fingers were bleeding. He was still leaning against the door, picking at his fingers for an uncertain amount of time. He was sure he hadn't been in there that long, yet it had felt like it had already been a few hours, at minimum.

The worst part to him was that he couldn't hear anything from upstairs. He had taken to talking to himself to try and maintain his composure, which turned to yelling for someone to let him out, which lead to nothing in return.

"This is bullshit," Tyler muttered to himself, not caring who heard him. He didn't even care if the Lord heard him at that point, knowing that the only things that could truly hurt him came from directly above him now. 

His eyes refused to adjust to the darkness sprawling in front of him, and he knew they wouldn't, due to there being no light. He wanted to find the chair in front of him without tripping over it, but didn't even know where it was in relation to him. 

He tried singing - old hymnal verses he had learned as a child. That didn't do much for him either. He tried singing the song his mother used to sing to him to get him to sleep, something along the lines of, "Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high," but he couldn't seem to remember the rest of the words. That worried him. 

His fingers were definitely bleeding now. He just couldn't stop picking at them. It was the only thing that was calming him down. His arm itched like crazy, but he didn't want to reopen the wound. He was terrified he would bleed out if he did.

Finally bringing himself to his feet, Tyler began to walk around. He swayed as he walked, arms blindly reaching out in front of him, trying to feel for the chair, or the wall, as he walked. 

"Shit!" Tyler shouted as he tripped over the chair. His foot had hooked around one of the legs, sending him tumbling to the floor. Groaning, he sat up, moving to set the chair back up and sat down on it. 

There was an uneasy silence as he sat down. It was too quiet, he couldn't hear his own breathing.

"Hello?" Tyler's voice was small as he spoke, turning his head around, trying to make out whatever was in the room. He felt something. 

There wasn't a response. 

"Get it together, Tyler," He mumbled to himself,  bringing his arms up and wrapping them around himself as he hunched over in the chair, shaking his head. 

"What were the lyrics," He said softly, thinking hard about the song his mother would sing to him. He wished she was here with him so that she could tell him. 

"Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high," 

He thought for another moment before continuing, "And the dreams that you dream of, once in a lullaby," 

"Right?" He asked himself, clenching his jaw. "Yeah, I think that's right- what's the next verse..." 

He started from the top, more confidence in his voice as he continued the next line, "Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly, and the dreams that you dream of, dreams really do come true," 

He stopped there. It was a lovely song, but his mother had never sung more than that to him. He wanted to know the rest. Granted, if there even was more to the song.

Tyler sat back in the chair, running his hands through his hair. There was no noise from above him still. No salvation. 

"Just let me out," He muttered, staring towards where he thought the door was. He'd repent, he'd do whatever the church wanted. He'd never talk to Josh again.