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"Inmate Joseph. Inmate Joseph! For fuck's sake, let go of the fucking door and stop staring like that. There is nobody out there except the other guards and me. I don't know who you think you're seeing, but there is nobody there. It's all in your head! Get a grip on yourself!"
"You're lying. I know you're lying. He would never leave me like that. HE PROMISED, HE WOULD NEVER LEAVE ME ALONE! He never breaks his promises...no he is out there. YOU ARE LYING HE HAS TO BE OUT THERE."
He wouldn't leave me right? He said he loved me. He's my best friend... but why am I alone? And where am I? How did I end up in here?
Inmate? Inmate? Am I... NO! This can't be happening this is a dream, a dream, just a dream Tyler. You're fine, everything is going to be alright, you're going to wake up soon and he will be right next to you calming you down.
'Hate to break it to you but this isn't a dream. This is the realest thing you've experienced in a while. What a bummer that you can't remember what got us in here. It was sooo much fun.'
No no no no no no no. Please leave me alone, this isn't real. You aren't real this is all just in my head...right?
"JOSH PLEASE GET ME OUT OF HERE. JOSH HELP ME. Josh...please, don't leave me with him"
- 1 month earlier -
"Hey baby boy are you ready for our date tonight? I thought we'd get some Taco Bell and then go see a movie together. What do you think about that? I'll pick you up at 8, have to go back to work now. Bye... I love you", the beep after the voice message ended echoed through the now silent apartment and nearly made the boy in the corner jump.
Something didn't feel right today, he didn't feel right today. Tyler has been feeling better for weeks now, he didn't understand why he had to feel like that today of all days. Josh, his boyfriend, had been looking forward to their date night for ages
The older thought that Tyler was finally calm and collected enough to actually enjoy a date in public with him but little did he know that today was a particularly bad day for his lover.
The smaller boy still cowered in the corner even afraid to move towards the middle of the room. The voices in his head. No, THE voice in his head wouldn't leave him alone today. Whispering, screaming, shouting at him every minute, every second.
'You aren't worth it. He doesn't love you. Josh is just staying with you out of pity', the voice never shut up and the worst thing about it was that Tyler started to believe the things it said.
'You are just a waste of time and space, he secretly hates you and wants to kill you. Those tacos tonight? I'm sure he's going to poison you, what a quick and easy way to get rid of his little boyfriend don't you think?'
Tyler sat there rocking back and forth on his heels, pressing his hands to his ears desperately trying to block out the voice.
- 2 weeks earlier -
Remember that date Josh planned for them? Sounded like a lovely idea, right? It was off to a good start but it went only downhill after they ordered their food, Tyler refusing to take a bite in fear of Josh poisoning him, but of course he didn't say that. He blamed it on not being hungry and having an upset stomach, but Josh could hear his boyfriend's stomach growling out of hunger from the other side of the booth.
It went only worse after they left the cinema, Tyler refusing to take a shortcut back to his apartment in fear of Josh killing him and dumping his body in an back alley.
The voice hasn't stopped tormenting him since then, it only got louder and more intense. Twisting his thoughts and throwing his insecurities in his face every chance it got.
'He hates you'
'He is going to kill you'
'You know what we should do? We should kill him before he kills us.'
'Remember that big, shiny kitchen knife we have? Next time he's visiting you should ram it into his neck. Wouldn't that make a pretty sight?"
"NO NO NO NO NO, I can't kill him. You need to shut up. SHUT UP! SHUT UP! I LOVE HIM!", Tyler screamed, desperately trying to block out the voice by pressing his hand over his ears and humming a melody.
- 1 week earlier -
Tyler slept with the knife under his pillow now whenever Josh stayed the night. The other hadn't noticed it yet but Josh has been worrying about his boyfriend for weeks now.
He has been noticing the erratic behaviour, the scared glances, the frantic movements. Tyler wasn't okay, he hasn't been in a long time.
But Josh was too selfish, too weak to actually get his boyfriend professional help, because he knew what that meant. Tyler would be back to taking those pills again, those damn antidepressants that numbed him and his personality.
The pills made him act like a puppet and Josh was sick of being the puppeteer. They've been through this twice already and the older didn't know if he couldn't handle a third time.
He tried to ignore the signs for weeks, tried to ignore that his own boyfriend flinched whenever he got near him or tried to touch him. Josh really tried, he isn't a bad person but he is just too scared to lose the love of his life. He could fix him, Josh was sure of that.
He would make Tyler feel better, he would hold him and make the voice go away. He would make the self hatred go away. Josh would try and get his boyfriend back.
- 1day earlier -
"Tyler are you in there? Babe answer me please I just want to talk to you okay? Nothing bad, I promise but please open the door for me."
Josh had been banging on that goddamn bathroom door for almost an hour now but for whatever reason Tyler refused to let him in and quite frankly he was getting quite concerned for his boyfriend's safety.
"He promised he wouldn't do it anymore", Josh mumbled under his breath before taking a step back and bracing himself to open the bathroom door forcefully.
"Tyler baby step back okay. I'm coming in now."
Taking one last deep breath, he ran to the door and pushed against it with full force. The old wooden door wasn't really a big obstacle for him and soon he could enter the bathroom.
"Hey everything is going to be okay. I love you, I'll help you through this. I promise.", he whispered seeing only Tyler's back. The younger one was hunched over the bathtub, not moving a muscles as his boyfriend moved closer and closer to him.
Slowly stretching one hand Josh reached out to touch Tyler's shoulder, but his hand never reached its destination.
'Wasn't I right? That knife looks pretty in his neck."
- present time -
'Do you remember now what we did to him? What you did to your precious boyfriend? Want me to tell you a secret? '
'He never hated you, he never wanted you dead. I guess that was all me. I love playing games Tyler and you were the perfect puppet in my game. Have fun rotting in here, you'll never get out after what you did.'
Sobbing, Tyler let go of the metal bars of his prison cell and slowly sank to the floor. This couldn't be real right? He didn't really kill him.
It's all just a dream, it has to be a dream.
"Joseph stop whining and get your ass off the floor. It's dinner time, come on. Up, up, up!"