Cannibal • Jøshler

Chapter eleven

Tyler was woken up by the sound of something being dragged on wood.

He slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times and holding back a yawn.

He saw a plate being pushed into the closet through a small rectangular opening in the bottom of the closet door.

"A-Are you up?"

Tyler didn't want to leave Josh hanging on that question so he just growled in response.

"Oh, alright" Josh gulped "Here's breakfast, I thought you must be hungry"

Last night, Josh finally decided to exit his room. His parents yelled at him for around three hours and he earned numerous slaps from his mother. His parents couldn't believe he'd beat Tyler up like that; but, honestly, neither could he. This morning, Mrs Dun fried some chicken wings for Tyler and just added a few raw ones in case Tyler would prefer raw meat. Josh, though, was certain Tyler would eat none of that.

Tyler eyes the many chicken wings on the white plate that stood only a few inches away from where he was sitting in a rather uncomfortable position.

"I'm not going to eat that" Tyler spat.

"Tyler, please" Josh pleaded "You can't be hungry"

"Bring me someone to eat then"

Josh sighed "I'm not gonna have this conversation with you again"

Tyler stayed quiet.

"You want water?"

Tyler hesitated "Yes, please"

Tyler squeezed his eyes shut in regret after saying that. He shouldn't have said 'please'.

A small bowl of water was pushed in through the opening with the same dragging sound that woke Tyler up.

Tyler put his arms out to take the bowl. He brought it close to his mouth and leaned it to drink. Water wasn't tasty any more. Sure, water has no taste generally, but water was literally disgusting to him now. But his throat was dry and his lips were chapped; he had to drink.

Just as much as he had to eat.

"See ya later, buddy" Josh closed the door.

Tyler looked at the chicken wings. He was really hungry. Hunger made him weak. He needed to eat. Maybe if he took just one bite? Nobody would see. There's so many wings on the plate, Josh won't even notice.

He carefully picked up a raw chicken wing and brought it to his mouth. He took in a sharp inhale and let out a shaky exhale. He took a bite.

Ew.

He chewed carefully. The taste bothered him and the texture was so much different from human flesh; it was exhausting to bite the soft meat. As the piece of meat slid down his throat, he wanted to put the wing down in disgust.

But he couldn't.

He was so hungry.

His stomach craved for more, his brain obeyed and brought his hand to his mouth once again. He took more, now fast, bites.

Soon enough, he was licking the bone clean.

But what with the bone? Where will he hide it? How will he cover up the truth of him submissing?

There was only one place he could put it.

He started to bite the bone; his strong and sharp teeth crushed the bone into tiny pieces. He swallowed all the small pieces of the whole bone.

Knowing there's nothing he cam do now, he wrapped his arms around his body and fell asleep; a frown on his face from the first second.

Later on, Josh returned to the room. He smiled when he heard Tyler's silent snores.

He ever so quietly and carefully took approached the closet, kneeled down and took out the plate with chicken wings.

He made sure to count up all the wings before giving them to Tyler earlier; seven fried and eight raw.

Now, there were seven fried and seven raw.

Josh grinned victoriously.

...

"You can't treat him that way Joshua"

Josh sighed "Yes, Mom, I know"

"Yet you do it" Mrs Dun crossed her arms on her chest "You treat a human, your best friend, you treat him like an animal"

"He shouldn't be treated like a human, Mom"

Slap.

"Why now?" Josh asked, his eyes shut in pain.

"He's the same Tyler he was before the incident" his mother narrowed her eyes.

"I've told you a million times! He's not! He's changed! Why can't you freaking understand that?!" Josh yelled, standing up from the armchair he was seated in.

Mrs Dun covered her mouth with her hand in shock and her husband stomped into the room furiously.

"Don't you dare ever rise your voice with your mother, ever!" Mr Dun threatened.

Josh groaned in annoyance and started to walk toward his room.

"Don't walk away from me, mister!" his father yelled behind him.

"I'm twenty eight years old!" Josh shouted in response before shutting his room door loudly.

He heard a noise in the closet; Tyler had jumped in surprise.

"Damn, sorry for waking you up, Tyler" josh rubbed is eyes with his fingertips.

"You should let me go"

"What? Why would I do that? So you can hurt me or my family? Not gon-"

"I won't hurt you. I'll leave. I'll go far away from you"

Josh frowned "What are you talking about?"

"I'm causing you trouble, you're fighting with your parents because of me. You've surprisingly become violent. All because of me. You're better off without me"

"Oh, c'mon, Tyler. You're my best fren, I want to take care of you. Besides, where would you live? You have nowhere to go"

Josh couldn't see it, but Tyler shrugged "I'd live in the woods, maybe. At least I'd get any food I want"

Josh sighed "Humans aren't supposed to live in forests, Tyler"

"Am I a human, Josh?"