The next day, Tyler was better and worked a lot harder than he normally did. Josh decided to help him with some of his work before doing his work.
Still, even if Tyler was well again, he continued to take in as much chlorine as he could.
Josh had no idea what Tyler was doing to himself. He always thought it was because of his anxiety and depression.
But it was because of the chlorine.
Josh put down his hose.
"I'm going to get some deicers."
"Ok Josh."
When he left, Tyler took one of the deicers and started drinking heavily.
He drank so much that he vomited most of it, but he kept going.
As he was drinking, Tyler heard a sound from behind the shed.
"Josh?" He called.
He got no reply.
"Might just be the neighbors."
Tyler went back to drinking. Then he heard it again.
"Hello?"
"You shouldn't be drinking that."
"Who said that?"
Suddenly, a tiny little creature appeared from behind the shed.
When Tyler saw him, he thought it was the weirdest thing he had ever seen.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Ned."
"Ned?"
"Yes."
"How did you get here?"
"I came from your thoughts."
"Thoughts?"
"You imagined me, and here I am."
"I didn't imagine you to appear."
"You thought about me in your head."
"I'm very confused."
"That's why I'm here."
"Why are you here?"
"I'm here to help you."
"Help me with what? I don't need help with anything."
"Your drinking that poison."
Tyler looked back at the deicers.
"That's chlorine. And no, it is not poison."
"Then why are you constantly getting ill from it?"
"I don't know. Maybe being ill helps."
"It doesn't help you. You need to stop, or you'll die."
Tyler became angry.
"You go away! Or I'll stomp you up!"
"I can't go away. I'm in your head."
"Then disappear!"
Just when he said it, Ned disappeared.
Tyler had no idea how he thought of him, or possibly dreamt him. It felt so unreal.
After contemplating on what just happened, he went back to work.