Picture Perfect (twenty one pilots)

The Right Words

"It's this one here with the meadow and the-" Tyler left the old man's side and rushed over to the painting. "Josh?"

In the middle of the meadow was a figure sitting on the grass with his head down and his hood pulled up.

"Josh, you're a part of the painting," Tyler whispered in awe.

"Yep," the old man said as he joined Tyler. "That happens sometimes if a person goes in 'em and stays in one spot for a while. That boy was smart in not straying from the meadow."

"Huh," Tyler said. "Wait, so what you said earlier, about the monsters, this painting doesn't have any, right?"

"Hold on," came Josh's muffled voice. He had been able to hear every word so far. He stood up and walked over to the floating frame in the middle of the meadow that he had fallen through. "Monsters? There are monsters in here?"

"Yes," the old man sighed. "But not in the one you're in, son. Don't worry. The worst you got are some annoying talking bunnies."

"Oh, okay," Josh sighed in relief. He could deal with talking bunnies.

"So," Tyler said. "I do believe the biggest question right now is how do we get Josh out of there?"

"Well, you see," the old man ran a hand through his beard as he spoke. "That's the thing. We don't."

Both boys' eyes widened.

"Come again?" Josh asked. He couldn't believe what he had just heard.

The old man sighed and ran a hand through his beard, an apologetic look appearing on his face as he did so. When he spoke, he spoke slowly. "I'm sorry, son, but I don't get to decide when you get to come out of there."

"Then who does?" Tyler asked.

"The paintings."

Suddenly the canvas before Tyler and the old man began to change. The paints swirled around and changed colors and soon they were staring into the eyes of Josh as his crestfallen face filled up the foreground. Tyler took a step back and focused his gaze on the ground. He had no idea if Josh could see him, but he didn't want to see that look on his friend's face.

Tyler felt guilty staring back into Josh's eyes. He had tried to convince him to leave his house even though Josh didn't want to. He had promised that it would be fun, but now Josh is stuck in a painting. It was all his fault.

"I'm sorry, Josh," Tyler whispered.

Josh whispered something in reply, but the canvas and layers of paints distorted it to the point where Tyler couldn't comprehend it.

"How about you take it home," the man said to Tyler. "I'd give it to you free and you bring it back when your friend gets out. That way you can keep an eye on him."

A small smile spread onto Tyler's face. "That would be great."

An hour later and Tyler had finished hanging the painting on the wall of his house's living room. It had take some convincing to get his mother to say yes to it, but after explaining the situation over and over again she agreed, partly just to humor her oldest son.

"How are we gonna tell my mom," Josh spoke up.

"Oh, geez," Tyler sighed. He ran his hands through his hair for what seemed to be the millionth time since he got home with Josh. "I didn't think I would ever have to tell my best friends mom that he's stuck in a painting."

"To be fair, I never planned on getting stuck in one, so..." Josh's voice trailed off. Behind him in the painting he could hear the distant chatter of voices. He guessed that they were the bunnies.

"God, Josh, I'm so sorry," Tyler suddenly exclaimed. "If I hadn't i insisted that you left your house this would have never happened!"

Josh shrugged his shoulders even though he knew that Tyler couldn't see him. "It's okay. Our goal was to have an interesting day right? What's more interesting than getting stuck in a painting?"

Tyler laughed. "That is true."

They say in silence for the next few minutes. Neither really knew what to say, but that was understandable given their current situation. Tyler watched as the paint swirled around on the canvas, updating Josh's current position, as Josh walked around the small meadow and listened to the sounds of the other world.

"Well," Tyler eventually sighed, "I guess we have a phone call to make."