Dendrophobia

Chapter 12

The sun creates an orange sheet that lays softly across the tops of the trees. You rip your attention from the sky and focus on the road, causing a headache. You didn't realize it, but you were sobbing. Spit drops down your chin as you pray to whatever God is out there, that Tyler is okay.

Your knuckles burn as you speed into Tyler's driveway. An ambulance is close behind you.

You push through Tyler's front door and see Josh in the same state as you. His eyes are red and look like they've seen hell.
"Josh where is he." You choke out. "Josh, please, he promised."

The paramedics run past you into the back yard.

"(Y/n), can't go out there."

Josh grips tightly around your sobbing frame.

"Please! He promised! He promised!" You scream and try to claw yourself from his grasp. One of your scratches breaks skin, and Josh loses his grip. You fall onto your hands and knees and scramble to the back door.

**************

You scream at the sight of Tyler. His small frame hangs from the trees, as if he was a rag doll, dropped from the clouds. Josh runs to you and pulls you close before you sink to the ground.

Your mind flashes to all of the movies you'd seen of two lovers being split, but you'd never felt it.

The pain in your heart is indescribable. It's almost as if Tyler himself was ripping you apart from the inside.

Tyler's pale body is removed from the entrance to the woods and put into a bag.

***********

"You promised me! You promised me, you fucking dick! I hate you! I hate you!  You promised me!" You scream. Spit flies out of your mouth as you fall into the grass.

"Ma'am. Please. We need you to leave." A lady paramedic helps you up and back to Josh, before making her way back to the ambulance. Nobody was in a rush. There was nothing they could do. There was nothing you could do. There was nothing anyone could do. You fall into Josh's lap and cry. There was nothing more that anyone, or anything, could do.

"He-he told me, he just wanted to be home." You choke out.

. . .

You finally make it to the front of the funeral home and glance into his casket. The red lines around his neck are poorly covered by layers of what you assumed would be concealer. The all too familiar knot forms in your throat, but you feel numb. Tyler's mother pulls you into a hug.

"Thank you. You helped him so much. Thank you."

You nod a response and return to Tyler's side.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry I couldn't stop you. I'm sorry."

You whisper. You slip a letter into the pocket of his coat pocket.

"I love you."

Tyler,

This is all so strange. Strange in the fact, that I didn't know I could love someone so much and not know it until they were gone. I don't know what else to say. I just hope you're home and happy. I hope you're with Jenna and feel the happiness I know you deserve.

I found a page of a notebook in the couch cushions. It's lyrics that you wrote the first night you stayed with me.

"In this dark estranged world, I've learned to hide it
You rip me apart to get a glimpse inside
But all you see is red.
Not red like the Red Sea,
More like the Dead Sea
I'm so filled with these thoughts that it's not hard to see"

The date at the top seems not too long ago, but it's been months since we first met. I remember the first night, under the stars, how we spilled our hearts out to each other. I remember eating at a Waffle House and watching the sunrise. I remember you waking me up the way Jenna loved. I remember you telling me that you just wanted to be home. I suppose I lied when I said I didn't know what to say. I just don't want to believe that you're really gone.

   (Y/n)

Well. I didn't think I'd end this so soon. I might write an alternative ending, but I'm not sure yet. Let me know. I love you all. Stay safe.