Chapter Text
It was a horridly bitter night, slush coating the streets, wind so sharp it buried itself into the bones of whomever was unlucky enough to be caught outside. Josh had discovered himself to be one of those unlucky few. The walk was meant to clear his mind, but he discovered himself to be in a greater state of misery than before.
Now the origin of this misery was something Josh thought to be absolutely pointless. He was living a life that many could only dream of. He had made a wildly successful career out of his truest passion, received endless praise from fans while on his current tour, worked with world renowned musicians and producers on the daily, and yet it all felt pointless. Josh felt like an absolutely talentless hack. What had he done to deserve all this? He was stuck in a state of complete self loathing for everything he had become.
Wallowing in his self pity, trudging through the sludge and ice, he forced his head up to gaze upon the night sky. It was pitch black, not a single star visible due to the beaming streetlights. The air was silent, the street empty spare for his lost soul. Yet, despite being alone, he couldn't escape the feeling of being watched, like a million eyes were upon him.
Josh sighed, deciding it would be best to return to the tour bus. He hadn’t told the band he was leaving, and thought it would be best if he didn't vanish for too long. Begrudgingly, he turned and began his journey back to the bus, looking forward to escaping the cold, New Jersey air.
When he finally returned, he was met with Tariqh standing at the doorway with Sweeney by his side. His arms were folded, an unamused expression painting his face. Josh approached, head down shamefully.
“You need to quit disappearing like that!” Tariqh exclaimed, “just leaving without even saying goodbye.”
“I know, I'm sorry.” Josh muttered, moving past the other man to get into the bus.
The bus was nice and warm, the lights dim and comforting. Lucia was sprawled on the couch, momentarily raising her head from her book to smile at Josh. Craig and Tim were deep into a checkers match at the dining table, Craig giving a small quip about Josh’s return. Andre and Mark were seemingly asleep in their bunks already, little to anyone's surprise. Sweeney pranced below Josh, tail wagging and eyes begging for attention. Josh sat down in his own bunk, petting Sweeney and trying to ignore his racing mind.
“So what are you moping about this time?” Tariqh inquired, his tone a mixture of humor and genuine concern.
“Just nervous about tomorrow’s show. Same as always.” Josh lied with a shrug. Tariqh raised an eyebrow, but made no further comment on the subject.
“You missed a call from David.” He digressed.
Josh’s head shot up, “What about?”
“I don't know. He wants to meet with you tomorrow after the concert. Says there’s something important he needs to talk about.”
Now this news was particularly troubling to Josh. There was a world of things that David could need to talk about. Perhaps it was about the progress of the tour, what the media was saying, collaborations, or maybe he was just plain done with Josh entirely. These fears racked through Josh’s mind as he tossed and turned in the dark of night. By the time he awoke again he felt entirely unrested. Sweeney was curled into his side, head sat upon Josh’s chest comfortably. Josh let himself sit in this rare, comfortable moment he found himself in. He was equally eager and dreading his show that night. Of course he loved his fans, he loved performing, but he still held many doubts in his own abilities. Sometimes he couldn't comprehend how he had fans at all.
Through the curtain of his bunk he could hear the rest of the band shuffling around the bus. They were going through their usual morning routine all while chattering about places in the area they could pop by for breakfast. Sunlight was peaking through the windows, giving the bus a warm, soft glow. Josh forced himself into a sitting position with a quiet groan, Sweeney stirring beside him. He pushed his curtain aside, squinting as the sunrise blinded him momentarily.
“Well hello there sleeping beauty,” Lucia giggled as Josh stepped into the kitchen, “We’re thinking of going out for breakfast, you coming?”
“Yea, yea” Josh yawned, still partially asleep.
“There’s a place just around the block that I’ve heard is pretty good.” Tariqh told. Mark hummed in agreement as he combed his hair back in the mirror.
“It’s freezing out! Do we really have to walk?” Craig groaned, throwing his hands up in the air.
“Oh quit being a baby! You’ll survive.” Lucia giggled as she zipped up her coat.
“Maybe not. Some guy and his brother got attacked last night while on a walk. One of them got their entire throat torn out, I heard.”
The bus went quiet, exchanging uneasy glances to each other. Josh swallowed, thinking back to the feeling of being watched on his own walk the previous night.
“Come on,” Tim broke through the silence, nudging Josh with his elbow, “get dressed already, I’m starving.”
Once they stepped outside, Josh did have to admit, Craig had a point about the weather. The wind howled and stabbed at the group as they made their way to the diner. Mark even managed to slip on some ice, much to everyone’s amusement. The diner was almost empty when they got in, the strong scent of coffee wafting through the air.
Josh found himself struggling to focus as they all sat together. The rest of the group was conversing and laughing, all while Josh stared down and picked at his food. He thought back to the two men attacked the previous night, how that could’ve been him, how he almost wished that was him. Torn apart at the throat. Where would Josh be without his voice? He would be free, free from this prison he’s gotten himself locked in. Josh knew these thoughts were irrational, and he forced them down like every other meaningless worry and stress he had about this career.
The day passed by quicker than they had expected, and before the band knew it, it was already show time. Josh gazed at his reflection in the mirror. David had called again earlier, telling Josh he would have to miss the show, but to meet him by a restaurant nearby so they could have a talk. Josh’s heart raced at the concept, anxiety seeping into his bones at the prospect of what tonight would bring, and now he had to go out and put on a perfect show for his fans as always.
The concert itself was a blur. Every concert was like that for him honestly. His body sort of just goes on autopilot, it’s like he’s not himself anymore, and maybe that was for the best.
When Josh finally made his way out to meet David, he found the street surprisingly empty. He should have just gotten a taxi, that would’ve been the smart decision, but walks always cleared his mind. So, despite his better judgement, he walked down the barren street to where David told him to go. He pulled his coat a little tighter, held his head down, ignored his breath fogging in the air. Most of the businesses down that road had already seemed to close down, leaving the only light for Josh to be the few, shabby street lights. It was completely silent, unnervingly so, and Josh remembered what Craig had said, beginning to regret his decision.
He could’ve only been about a block away from the meeting location when he heard it. Up ahead, coming from an alleyway, he heard what sounded like scratching, and the sound of some sort of animal struggling. Josh approached hesitantly, presuming the noise to be some kind of stray dog. He turned the corner, peering into the alley. It was pitch dark at the end, but Josh could make out the figure of something crouched on four legs, shaking.
“Hey boy,” he spoke softly, crouching down at the entrance, trying his best not to scare the stray.
The figure went silent, snapping its head towards Josh. Two, piercing red eyes glared forward right at him and Josh held his breath. It was just a dog. It just had to be a dog.
“Come here,” Josh tapped the ground in front of him gently, trying to get a closer look at this thing.
“Please-“
Josh stumbled back. Did that thing- did it just speak? Fuck. Clearly it wasn’t a dog, just some homeless guy or whatever not. Its voice sounded shrill and broken.
“Sorry- sorry to bother you.” Josh stammered, quickly turning on his heel to get the hell out of there.
He was only a few steps out when he heard the voice call out again.
“Hungry.”
Goddammit. Well, the least he could do is give the guy some cash if it really was some homeless man. He pulled out his wallet, flipping through it as he reached the figure.
“I only have 20 dollars cash on me. I would like to give more but-“ Josh stopped in his tracks once he got close enough to get a better look at the figure.
It was- it couldn’t be real. The man was naked, glowing sunken eyes. He was frail, bald with pointed ears and sunken cheeks, his fingers possessing long, claw-like nails. There was a massive, gaping wound sitting upon his neck, rotting and infected. He looked dead.
“Hungry…” it spoke, sharpened teeth shining in the dark, voice cracking and quaking.
Before Josh could even process it, the creature lunged forward, grabbing Josh’s coat and slamming him to the floor.
“What the- get the hell off me!” Josh exclaimed, frantically fighting and struggling against his assailant. Despite the creature’s frail appearance, it was unimaginably strong, not budging an inch as Josh fought.
“Please.” Was all Josh heard before white hot pain shot up his spine and teeth dug into the side of his neck. Josh screamed, kicking and scratching to no avail.
It didn’t stop, not amidst Josh’s cries and pleas. Josh felt warm blood pooling beneath him, his neck throbbing. He could faintly hear the sound of shuffling, shouting, and could feel the weight of the creature coming off him suddenly before everything went black.