if you look at him, he'll kill you!

12: deathly afraid

tw: abuse, homophobic slur

tyler was scared to walk into his house. he's late. the walk home took longer than expected with the fight and the whole josh spilling his whole life story thing.

it's his dad's birthday, so maybe the man would go a little easier on him but also tyler's late. things never go well when the boy's not on time.

josh had waved him off with a silent good luck and that worried look in his eyes. at the very last minute, tyler almost didn't hear him, he said a very quiet "meet me by the big rock at one if you can."

tyler hoped he could survive long enough to make it there. as much as he hated his life, tyler was actually terrified of dying. the whole prospect of death just seemed to settle wrong in his stomach, twisting and turning until the thoughts exploded in the form of vomit burning his throat. the thought of death made him sick.

it was sad really, being on the brink of death at the hands of his own parents at least six times a week yet being utterly petrified by the idea of dying.

most people saw tyler as some suicidal freak, a psycho. but if only they knew the real tyler.

the boy who's trapped inside a house that feels like his own personal hell. a boy who is itching to feel real, genuine happiness for once in his life. the boy who misses his best friend more than anything in the world. the boy who just wants to be loved.

by the time tyler was snapped out of his thoughts, his brother's bedroom window was cracked open and a small head of brown hair poked out. "dad's really mad, ty. be careful. i love you."

tyler could have cried at that. that is, if he wasn't so terrified about what would happen when he walked through the front door.

the brunet looked up at his brother, flashing a fake smile and reassuring the boy that he'd be okay. "i love you, too, zack. you, maddy, and jay just go into maddy's room. it's the farthest away from the living room. and put some headphones in or turn the tv really loud for me, alright? just don't listen."

zack had tears in his eyes. ever since that day when maddy helped tyler, his other siblings have started secretly giving him encouragement and talking to him when their parents aren't around.

tyler's grateful but he's still scared that something is going to happen to them.

zack nodded, wiping away a tear that fell from his brown eyes. "okay. i love you, ty."

tyler almost cried just looking at his brother. "i know. i love you, too. tell maddy and jay i love 'em, too."

zack gave him one last glance, before shutting the window and running towards maddy's room.

tyler hated how every conversation with his siblings somehow seemed like their last. but honestly, there's always the possibility that it could be.

tyler sucked a deep breath through his teeth and then began to crutch himself up the ramp that was luckily installed on the side of their house.

he held his breath as he got to the top, his arms sore from the steep incline, and pushed open the front door.

it was weirdly quiet. he didn't hear any tvs or cell phones or the sounds of his parents yelling as soon as he stepped through the door.

tyler was nervous, but he wasn't stupid. he used the opportunity to rush to his bedroom.

but there they were. right there, in his room just waiting, was his mother and father.

tyler felt tears begin to sting his eyes. his father was walking around the room, pacing back and forth with a wild look in his eyes and his mother sat on the bed, twiddling her fingers. his father picked up and small batman action figure from the otherwise bare desk, running his thumb over the BU written in silver marker on batman's cape.

tyler let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and his parents both looked up. but there was no sign of anger or disgust in either of their faces. just blank stares.

"we're sorry, ty."

ty? they never call him that anymore. they haven't since tyler was 13. and they're sorry? no way.

tyler didn't respond. he didn't want to. this had to be some sick joke, right? there's no way his parents are actually speaking to him like a human being, much less apologizing.

"we were wrong for how we've treated you. it's not right and we're bad parents. we'll do anything for your forgiveness."

the sixteen year old had a surprised look on his face. he couldn't believe what his parents were saying.

he sat there for a couple minutes, trying to think of something to say.

"you're sorry?" he whispered, his eyes wide and his voice shaky.

his mother nodded, but then tyler looked at his father and he knew that his parents were still as sick in the head as ever.

his father started laughing. actual maniacal, psychotic cackling. his mother soon followed after, her whole body shaking.

"he actually believed it! like we'd ever apologize to a faggot! ha!"

tyler felt like he couldn't breathe. he just let his mind drift as he felt the crutches being pulled from under his arms and his non broken leg being kicked out from under him.

he didn't ever cry out when he felt a fist slam into his nose, and his stomach, and his chest. he didn't even register it as a foot slammed into his crotch and when a hand dug into his scalp and pulled his hair harshly. he didn't even feel it when long, pink fingernails scratched across his face or when pointed heels kicked at his sides.

he didn't hear it when his little sister ran through the hallway, swinging open the front door and running to the neighbor's house.

he didn't hear when his brother followed behind, making sure his parents didn't hear.

he didn't hear it when the front door slammed open and a loud voice rang out through the house.

he didn't see when none other than joshua dun and a man who appeared to be his father ran in and knocked tyler's parents away from him.

he didn't see when twenty minutes later six police officers and paramedics swarmed his house and carried his parents away in handcuffs and himself away on a stretcher.

and he definitely didn't feel it when joshua dun laced their fingers together in the back of an ambulance as the paramedics placed an oxygen mask over his mouth after cleaning the blood away from his lips and nose.

-

1128 words

published december 29, 2019

hello, i'm back! this chapter hurt me. :(

it's been a while, it's nice to be back to writing.

i haven't updated this since the beginning of october and i'm so very sorry for that. a lot has been going on recently.

my stepdad has been being a complete ass to my mom and they've been having issues, i'm pretty sure they're separating so that makes me happy because i Hate him. so my house has been very gloomy recently.(update its may and they never separate which sUcks)

also, my friend's dad passed away so i've been helping him through that.

umm but other than that, some pretty cool stuff has happened.

i saw ajr on halloween, that was really really fun.

i went to the bahamas(woop woop) and that was the best thing that's ever happened. it was wonderful.

anyway, i'm so so so sorry it took so long to get this update out and i'm going to try my best to do them more often. there might be two more by new years idk.

anyway, love you guys and i hope this wasn't too terrible!!