The Forest Fic pt. II (COMPLETED)

Chapter Twø

Josh is back in the woods. He doesn't know how he got there, he just is. His feet seem to have a mind of their own, taking him where they want to go. He suddenly finds himself in front of the tree. The very same tree with the very dark history. History that is very recent, and very sad. Very.

Josh can see things no one else can. Things that aren't "there." To the living, at least. He can see the past; the residual energy withholding emotion. He can see everything that has ever happened in and around the place where he now stands. Every person walking by, every conversation taking place, every leaf falling from a tree. Everything. Some memories pathetically insignificant, others playing a key role in history.

Regardless, every place on planet earth contains layers upon layers of memories. Most of the time Josh can just ignore them, but if he chooses to, he can watch them relieve themselves as if from a projector. And that's exactly what memories are: a projection, to put it simply.

Some are stronger than others, though not too strong for Josh to have a hard time controlling them. They used to be so difficult, nearly impossible to subdue, but over time he began to learn. Although it was unlike anything he'd ever known and he had no one to guide him, he never really had a problem up until now.

The memory- or better titled, nightmare- begins to unfold before Josh can control it. It's like standing on a rug only to have it ripped out from under you and then hearing cruel laughter from all your "friends" as they surrounding you and crowd in until you can't breathe.

Everything happening seems so far away. The argument, Tyler yelling, Josh lashing out. That feeling neither of them could quite explain. That emotion, that dread. Tyler running away crying, Josh feeling horrible for not thinking, yet continuing his not-thinking. A pile of guilty, apologetic, conflicting emotions, he decides to just leave the forest, and were goes, even he doesn't know.

He lets himself drown in the blue-black waves. He lets them carry him into nonexistence, and for a while, just drifts. It's so cold and empty, the ebb and flow of nothingness. It's so peaceful and melancholy, his sorrows being drowned by themselves, in themselves.

Josh doesn't know how long he drifts for, but all of a sudden, something changes. The current becomes swifter and more forceful, yet the air hangs still. Too still, much to still, as if in anticipation. Something is wrong.

Josh snaps awake as if from a dream to find his feet firmly planted on a bed of pine needles, at the very edge of the forest. He smells the fresh evergreen trees mixed with cool air and something else that he can't quite place. Then all of a sudden it hits him. Smoke. Running as fast as he can, he reaches the clearing where his and Tyler's treehouse should be, only to find engulfed in flames. A horrific sinking feeling takes over as the initial shock sets in.

Tyler is inside that treehouse. Tyler did this. He did this to himself.

How Josh figures it out, even he doesn't know. Something just kind of shifts, and two pieces of a puzzle click into place. Those pieces complete a picture, and what the picture reveals makes Josh regret he even decided to start the puzzle in the first place.

Now it's all going too fast. The way the flames blaze, how the trees sway, the airplane flying above, completely oblivious of the tragedy below. Josh's thoughts race too quickly to catch. He wants to be saved. He's going too fast.

People come running,
People come screaming
Sirens in the distance gradually grow louder
Flames flicker higher,
The treehouse is on fire
As hope grows dimmer,
Death grows prouder