Anathema

thirty four - stay with me

On Tuesday afternoon, a storm picked up, bringing wind and snow. Clancy still wouldn't tell him what happened the night before, and Tyler was once again too tired to do anything.

The wind was especially violent that night. Tyler lay awake in his bed, staring at the ceiling, and tried not to move. The cuts on stomach still stung and itched, and he didn't want to make them worse.

"I don't like the wind," Clancy mumbled to himself. "It's like a scary movie. When the lightning strikes, you'll see a shadow and then you'll be murdered."

"We're not going to be murdered," Tyler grumbled, turning on to his side and cringing in pain.

Just then, something hit the window with a bang. Instantly, they all froze.

"You were saying?" Nico said.

"It was just the tree in the wind," Tyler insisted. "Nothing's -"

The bang on the window came again, harder this time, and his heart nearly stopped. He suddenly couldn't breathe, and the only logical thought in his mind was that the man from the forest had finally found him. He was finally going to take him and finish what he started. All Tyler could picture was Nico kissing Clancy against his will, and he suppressed a shudder. He stayed frozen in his bed, shaking as much as the storm outside. The knock came again, and he almost screamed, slamming his hand over his mouth just in time.

"Who is it?" Nico called, looking out.

"Are you trying to get us killed?" Clancy hissed.

"What else would I be doing?"

"Who is it?" Tyler asked softly.

"I don't know. You'll have to come look."

After only a second, curiosity got the best of him, and he slowly climbed to his feet, his stomach stinging. He joined Nico by the window and looked out, and to his surprise, he was met was terrified coffee eyes and cotton candy hair covered in snow. His eyes widened and he quickly opened the window, ignoring the snow that billowed inside. "Josh!" he called. "What - what are you doing here?"

"Remember when you said you owed me one?" Josh said, his voice shaking. Tyler noticed now that his nose was bleeding, though he tried to hide it with the sleeve of his jacket. He gave him a strained smile, like broccoli.

"You - you need -" Tyler shook his head quickly. "Just a second." He ran to the door and poked his head out into the hallway. The light in his parents' room was on, but the lights were off downstairs. If they were quiet, he could sneak Josh up to his room. He went back to the window and called down to his friend. "Come around the front. My parents are going to bed, so they won't see you."

Josh nodded and ran around the house. Tyler noticed that he was limping.

"You can't do this," Clancy whispered. "What if they find him in your room and - and - what if they think you did - did - you know?"

"Had sex?" Nico said in a monotone.

Clancy blushed furiously, and Tyler glared at them. "We're not going to do anything," he grumbled. "He needs my help. I can't just let him stay out there alone. Besides, I owe him one."

He closed his window and ran down to open the front door to reveal a soaking wet and very scared Josh. "Thank you," he whispered, stumbling into the house. He still had his sleeve up against his nose, and his other arm hugged his waist protectively.

"Come up to the bathroom and we'll get you cleaned up," Tyler said, and Josh just nodded, his eyes hollow and exhausted.

Tyler led him to the bathroom upstairs and shut the door behind them so that no one would see them. He helped Josh rip a wad of toilet paper and press it against his nose to stop the bleeding. His mouth and chin were smeared with blood, and his sleeve was soaked in it. It was bright scarlet against his pale skin. Tyler began to notice other scrapes and bruises and pale pink scars across his face, and his stomach turned cold.