Chris and I and roughly escort Josh to the shed. He woke up pissed.
"Guys come on!" Josh argues.
Josh looks back to Chris pleadingly.
"Chris... Bro..."
"Why'd you have to hit her man? Why'd you have to fucking hit her?!" Chris asks.
"What?"
"Ashley. You punched Ashley, you piece of shit!"
We turn around a bend and the shed comes into view.
"I... I got so mad. She cut me with those fucking scissors."
"With good reason." I object.
"You don't hit a girl Josh. You just don't." Chris says simply.
I look at Chris and he looks heated. I am too, for multiple reasons, but starting a fight isn't going to make anything better. Hitting him right now would probably feel great, but it wont help in the long run. Its strange seeing Chris upset. Furious is something iv'e never seen on his face until now. Chris is the nicest one in the group, the purest. Now seeing him on the brink of killing his best friend. How the tables have turned.
"W-Where are you guys taking me?"
"Locking you up."
"What?!"
"We cant let you do anything stupid until the morning."
"Come on guys! I didn't even do anything that ba-"
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Chris argues.
"Your a fucking murderer and a creep that's what you are." I say, walking into the shed.
There's a single supporting beam in the middle that looks like a good spot to leave him and hopefully tie him up.
"I didn't do it man. I did not hurt Jessica-"
"Are you insane? Do you not understand what you've done?" Chris says.
"I'm a healer man. I bring people together. Not like you assholes."
"That's enough." I stop him.
I look around and spot rope on a hook. A little further back is a stool in front of a desk.
"Chris grab that rope. And that stool in the back." I say, holding Josh's back firm against the beam.
Chris nods and lets go. He goes and Josh fights against my grip.
"Where do you think your going asshole?" I say, keeping him still.
"Come on Mike! You know me, I wouldn't hurt Jess."
"I don't think I know you as well as I thought I did."
"Guys come on! I'm-"
"Stop trying to look like the good guy. Your not!" Chris says.
"It's not my fault you guys cant take a joke."
I scoff and bring Josh's arm behind him and up more. I pull it a bit hard and Josh winces.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I just hurt you?" I ask sarcastically. "Did you not like the little bit of pain? I'm so SO sorry."
I pull it tighter and he screams.
"Stop it!" Josh yells.
"Mike." Chris says.
"Michael... I'm sorry man... I'm so sorry that something happened to Jess but I swear to you, I promise, I have no idea what happened to her..." Josh says.
"Mike... I dunno... something feels off man." Chris says.
I look at him purely confused.
"Are you serious?"
"I mean I just... I cant see him wanting to hurt her."
"It wasn't just her Chris! It was Y/n, you, Ashley. He hurt Ashley. I bet you never thought in a million years he would hurt her."
Chris has a reluctant look on his face.
"Chris. I saw what he did to Jess with my own eyes. This... This..." I say, looking down to my bloodied tank. "This is her blood. He tied up Y/n, gassed Sam, had saws lowering on your heads. Calls that a joke. Says we can't take a joke."
"Come on Chris. Cant we all just get along?" Josh says.
"You really just need to stop man." Chris says, setting the stool up under Josh.
"Now that's mean. I don't even know what you mean. I have nothing to regret." Josh says.
A wave of shock and heartbreak hits me. I never considered Josh a best friend, but I considered him a friend. And for him to say he doesn't regret doing everything he did to us. That's a new low.
"Oh my god..." Chis says.
"I made you believe in the world I created and showed you the parts of yourself you were too afraid to visit." Josh says.
"Was that the point? Huh? Just to show us something you think is rational?" I ask.
"Michael-" Josh starts.
"No, how was killing Jess supposed to do that?!" I say, shoving him down on the stool in front of the beam.
Chris wraps the rope around his chest and arms, keeping them secured. He hands me the other end of the rope and we start tying.
"Okay, now your tying me up... okay okay." Josh says, moving around loopily.
"Stop moving."
"Ooh, cant tie them up if they cant stay still huh?" Josh says.
"Leave me some wiggle room, I wanna wiggle around."
Josh starts wiggling around exaggeratedly. Acting like he's drunk or something.
"Just stop moving!" I say, pulling the rope tight.
"Ow! Not that tight! God! Plastic ties. That's what to use." Josh says, rambling the last part.
"What... the hell is he talking about." Chris says.
I think back to when he would have used plastic ties and remember cutting the zip ties off of Y/n.
"How he tied Y/n up..." I say to Chris.
"Plastic ties, zip zip. Way more effective for hostage type scenarios." Josh rambles.
"Jesus..." Chris says lowly.
"Iv'e never seen him like this..." I respond.
Chris finishes tying the rope on his end and I finish mine.
"Everyone is so stupid. Stupid. Stupid.... Chris and Ash, Chris is and ass, Ashley's a dumb dumb..."
"The hell did you just say?" Chris asks.
"I said you're a dummy, dummy."
The look on Josh's face changes completely.
"Oh Ashley, I never imagined in my wildest dreams that you would like me..." Josh teases.
"Stop Josh."
Josh makes kissing noises, scrunching his lips together to kiss the air.
"You know what that sound is? Its you never kissing Ashley you fucking pussy!" Josh says.
"Josh, seriously." I say.
"Yeah you know what Chris? You might as well let Ash sleep with Mike. I mean, at least he's got some notches on his belt. He'll treat her ri-!"
"Shut up!" Chris yells.
He angrily grabs a wood plank and comes over to Josh. I intercept him and hold him back by his shoulders.
"No." I say, looking into his eyes.
"I'm gonna beat his fucking head off." Chris rages.
"Its not worth it man, wait till the police get here. They will take care of him."
"Mike. Mike. Mike. Mike. Mike. Mike." Josh rambles, seemingly endlessly until I answer to him.
"What." I say, looking at him and away from Chris, letting him go in the matter.
He looks up at me curiously, his eyebrows scrunching low.
"What happened with Jess, Mike?"
"You know."
"No..No.. Mike... I.... Huh.... I don't remember killing Jess."
"Christ." Chris says, rubbing his eyes.
"I mean, like, I feel like I would remember killing her you know? I mean I remember... oh I remember..."
He starts giggling. His mood changing from curious, back to the one of an evil mastermind.
"What." I say, just about done with all his shit.
"I mean I remember taking Y/n, she ran pretty far before I got her. You know Mike, you should be thanking me I didn't hit her for hitting me in the head with a bat."
"Rightfully so."
His face changes again. The fact of how quick he can change his emotions is unsettling.
"God, she looked so... hot... in that bathtub." He says, laying his head back on the beam and closing his eyes.
I was angry before, but now. Mocking everyone like this? Like he didn't just traumatize us?
"What?"
"I'm glad she didn't see me. Beautiful sleeping bird.. She was so...bubbly...and....soft." He says as his eyes open again.
"Shut your fucking mouth!"
"Oh i'm sorry, ?" He says unconfidently with a small head tilt, almost asking himself if he is in fact sorry.
I shake my head to Chris in disbelief that a guy we've all called a good friend for so many years could turn into this. Whatever the hell this is.
"You sneak a peak?"
I look at him again. A look of pure disgust.
"Excuse me?"
"The other video. You didn't take a peak at that work of art? I was so quiet. Tip Toe Tip Toe Snatch the clothes Tip Toe."
"What video asshat?"
Josh looks at me confused. Not like his fake confused he displayed moments before, but actually.
"You saw the camera right?"
"No, what camera Josh."
I remember seeing a camera. Y/n found it and seemed weird about it. She threw away the memory card.
"What did she say happened?" Josh asks.
"You fucking chased her, knocked her out, and tied her up in the dark."
Josh chuckles, his other persona switching back on.
"That's not at all what happened. Well, not all of it."
"Then what did happen? What the hell did you do to her?!"
"I didn't touch her, well..."
I grab him by his collar like Chris did, it not having the same effect as he's tied back.
"Not that way. She likes you Michael, and enough to risk the trust of her friends for your life. If you don't believe me, just ask your ol' buddy Chris."
I let go and look back at Chris and he gives me a face that confirms it.
"Ahh Mike help me!" He mocks. "Aw it was so funny man."
I give Chris a look, motioning to the wooden plank in his hand. He comes up to hit him when a distant shriek erupts.
"What now."