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Josh wasn’t sure what Tyler was, but he knew Tyler wasn’t human.
Sure, he acted and looked human. You wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a human and whatever Tyler was. During the day, Tyler acted human. He ate food, he listened to music, he read books and he wrote. Josh and him worked together perfectly; they were best friends after all. Tyler showed Josh his lyrics and Josh showed him his drum beats. They played shows night after night and talked to fans.
But after shows, Tyler would disappear.
At first, Josh didn’t know where Tyler went. He would get back on the tour bus to find it empty, silence pounding in his ears. Josh would ask the driver if he had seen Tyler, but the answer was always no. Then they would wait until Tyler came back hours later covered head to toe in blood, and Josh would scream until his voice was hoarse. He demanded to know where Tyler went every night, but Tyler would make excuses and lock himself in the bathroom. Josh was so scared. He thought Tyler was hurting himself.
He was wrong.
One night, they were back in Columbus for a hometown show. It was a pretty big show for the boys; the arena was sold out and would be decked in screaming fans. Josh was pacing the green room back and forth, trying to get out some unneeded anxiety before the show. Tyler was sitting on the sofa, his head down and his hands entangled in his lap. Josh had noticed Tyler didn’t look well. His face was hollow and his eyes had heavy bags under them, proving he wasn’t sleeping. Tyler wasn’t in the right condition to play a show.
Josh sat down down to his friend and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Tyler, what’s wrong man?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” Tyler replied, but his voice was shaky and Josh knew he was lying.
“Friends are supposed to tell each other when something is wrong. Please tell me, I want to help you. You’re a mess.”
“My problem isn’t something you can help me with Josh.” He leaned into Josh’s touch until his head rested on Josh’s shoulder.
“You shouldn’t be playing tonight. You’re sick.”
“It’s a hometown show man, I have to play.” Somebody walked by their room outside, and Tyler’s eyes followed the maintenance worker. He wetted his lips without realizing it.
“Can you stay with me tonight and sleep? Don’t disappear like you always do. Please. I need you.”
“Maybe.” Tyler stood up and stretched, his eyes catching Josh’s. He sighed. “I’m gonna go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”
Josh nodded his head and watched Tyler leave the room. His heart was beating quickly; he felt like something was really wrong. Something told Josh that Tyler wasn’t going to the bathroom.
He followed Tyler down the hallway a good ten feet away, trying to be light on his feet so Tyler wouldn’t know. Just like he thought, Tyler walked right past the bathroom. Josh realized that Tyler was following the maintenance worker. He was a large, heavy set man with a mustache and Josh wondered what Tyler was doing. The worker pushed out a door and Tyler followed. Josh stopped when he reached it and put his ear to it. It led outside; he could faintly hear traces of police sirens wailing in the distance. Josh held his breath and waited.
He heard someone scream. It was a low, unsettling man’s scream and fear rattled Josh’s body. He quietly pushed open the door just a crack and shoved a hand over his mouth to avoid screaming himself.
Tyler was on his knees, his hands viciously tearing into the man’s body to rip off flesh and shove it into his mouth. He had a large set of sharp teeth in his mouth, his nails looked like claws, and his eyes enough were something to give people nightmares. Josh was stuck in a trance watching Tyler eat this person. He ate like he hadn’t eaten in days. Josh tried to remember the last time Tyler had disappeared after a show.
That had been two weeks ago.
To think this was what Tyler was doing every night was crazy. Tyler, what was Tyler?
Josh was terrified, and he knew he had to get back to the green room before Tyler or he would be in a lot of trouble. What if Tyler tried to eat him? Would Tyler do that?
Josh thought he knew everything about Tyler. He had been friends with him for six years, and they had spent so much time together. Josh was wrong.
He watched as Tyler looked around worryingly before hoisting up the remains of the man and throwing him in the dumpster. Josh choked. This wasn’t right, Tyler had just murdered that guy and Josh was sitting here watching. He felt like he was going to puke.
Josh let the door close and he ran as fast as he could back to their dressing room. He had to act normal. If Tyler found out, Josh was sure he would be killed. Josh had never been this scared in his entire life.
He was sitting on the couch with his legs crossed when Tyler came back into the room. He had removed every trace of blood and his skin seemed to radiate. His face looked fuller and Tyler didn’t look dead anymore. Tyler smiled.
“You ready to go Josh? We gotta go backstage and get suited up.”
Josh nodded. He was too afraid to speak in case his voice cracked and then Tyler would know something was up.
That night, Josh focused on playing his part in the songs and that was it. He slipped up a lot, for every time Tyler would come over Josh would feel fear radiating off his body and he was scared Tyler would smell it and know Josh knew he ate people and kill him. Seeing Tyler run around on stage like he always did wasn’t comforting anymore. After the show, Josh went to the bus quickly, not even stopping to let Tyler touch him. He changed clothes and prayed he could pretend he didn’t know anything. He tried to act normal but it was so difficult and Tyler could tell something was wrong. They had went outside to speak with fans who had waited outside their bus and the entire time Josh had tried to avoid Tyler. He even refused to look at him.
Tyler confronted Josh once they had started moving for the night. “Alright dude, what’s going on? You’ve been acting weird ever since the show started.”
Josh shook his head. “Nothing’s going on. I’m just tired is all. I’ve got weird nerves from the show. I don’t know, I feel anxious. I just need sleep probably.”
“You still want me to sleep with you?” Tyler grinned, raising an eyebrow. He attempted to throw an arm around Josh’s shoulders but Josh slid further down the couch.
“Uh, no, uhm, that’s okay. It’ll be a tight fit in the bunk, it’s better for us to have more room. Besides, I think I’m starting to get sick.” Josh faked a cough and stood up to head towards the back. Tyler grabbed his arm. His face fell when Josh began trying to shake his touch off.
“Josh, what is going on?”
Josh had tears starting to slide down his cheeks and he cursed himself for not being able to hide his emotions. Josh loved Tyler to death. The worst part is that he still loved Tyler, even after seeing him eat somebody. That scared him more than Tyler did.
“Where do you disappear to every night?” Josh demanded, voice laced thick with hysteria. He still struggled to break free from Tyler’s grasp.
“Josh -”
“I have to know! You’re coming home covered in blood and that’s scary Tyler! I don’t question you a lot but I have been recently and you’re scaring me!” Tyler looked at him with wide eyes before dropping Josh’s arm and falling back onto the couch. He then slid to the floor and pulled his knees up to his chest. Tyler’s hair was tousled and his sweatshirt was pulled over his hands and he hadn’t shaved today; Tyler didn’t look like a monster. He looked beautiful.
“Josh, I can’t tell you. I can’t. It’ll kill you and I can’t stand to see you sad. I love you Josh, I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I saw you!” Josh blurted out, and then he was raising his hands to his mouth. What had he just done?
Tyler looked up at him. His bottom lip was quivering. “You saw what?”
“Tyler, how could you do that? How could you?”
“Josh, what did you see?”
“You fucking ate someone!” Josh was screaming loudly now, his body shaking with betrayal and fear. Tyler blinked and suddenly tears were streaming down his face as well. He raised his hands to his face. “He had a family, a life, and you, you -”
“I know what he had!” Tyler pushed himself off the ground and pointed a finger at Josh’s chest. He backed him up into the opposite wall of the bus. “You don’t think I know that? I know what he had, and I know I ruined it. I tried Josh, I tried but I have to eat. I’m not strong, I can’t wait.”
“What are you?” Josh whispered, his voice still thick with fear. Tyler shook his head sadly.
“I don’t know.”
***
“I haven’t always been like this.” They were in Florida for a show, and Tyler had suggested they take a walk on the beach. It was cliche, but Tyler had promised he would explain when the time was right. They went weeks without talking to each other - Tyler would come back to the bus covered in blood and Josh would only shake his head and turn away. “You remember that night I got mugged?”
Josh nodded his head. Tyler was in the hospital that night getting a splint put on a fractured wrist.
“They did something to me. I don’t know what, but suddenly I was craving human flesh and now I’m this thing.” He sighed. “I tried so hard to resist Josh, trust me I did. But I got sick, I felt awful, and I gave into temptation. I was terrified of myself. Imagine looking in the mirror and seeing glowing gold eyes and two rows of freaky sharp teeth. It’s not like I could see a doctor for it. I couldn’t certainly tell you. And I know it’s wrong, I know, because these people have families and lives and jobs and dreams and ambitions, but I can’t help myself. I get hungry and I have to eat or I’ll die.”
Josh didn’t say anything. He just stared at the ocean waves crash against the beach.
“I know this is a lot to take in. And I understand if you don’t want to be around me anymore. I’m a monster, I know that. I wouldn’t blame you for getting as far away as possible. But Josh?” Tyler stopped and rested a hand on Josh’s shoulder. He tried to ignore the fact that Josh flinched. “You know I’d never hurt you right? Please tell me you know that.”
Josh took a deep breath, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he looked at the clouds overhead to avoid looking at Tyler. “I’m not going to leave you Tyler. You’re my friend and I love you. This, it doesn’t change anything between us.”
Tyler looked at Josh with pleading eyes and repeated his question. “Please tell me you know I’d never hurt you.”
Josh didn’t answer.
***
The tour was coming to an end.
Things had been tough between the two of them. It was still hard for Josh to look at Tyler, even though he knew Tyler was the same person he had always been. Tyler still ate Taco Bell and made stupid vines and cracked dumb jokes about The Dixie Chicks. But Josh knew at night Tyler disappeared into the streets of whatever city they were in and murdered and ate an innocent person.
People started to realize Josh and Tyler’s relationship wasn’t the same anymore. He was getting so many tweets asking if they were okay. His family and friends were asking if they were okay. Josh couldn’t take it.
He came into the kitchen area of the tour bus and approached Tyler. “You have to turn me.”
Tyler started at him like he was crazy. “What are you talking about?”
“Make me like you. You have to do it. I’m going crazy Ty.”
He scoffed. “Even if I did know how to do that, I wouldn’t ever do that. Especially to you. Are you telling me you want to be a monster?”
Josh stomped his foot angrily and huffed. “Dammit Tyler, I can’t do this anymore!”
“Josh?”
“I can’t deal with knowing what you’re doing. It scares me so badly. I have nightmares Tyler, and then I wake up and I still feel uneasy because they are all real. Every last one of them.”
“Josh, please don’t.”
“I can’t do this anymore.” Josh was crying again. He forcefully rubbed his eyes and forced himself to look at Tyler. “I love you Tyler. And not the best friend kind of love, I actually, for real, love you. And I hate myself for it.”
“Josh,” Tyler’s voice was sad and it made Josh want to hug him.
“It’s making me look past the fact that you’re killing people. I, I just, I want to help you.”
“You can’t help me. We’ve talked about this.”
Josh walked away.
***
It was the last show of the tour and Josh noticed that Tyler looked like he had been ran over with a truck. He wasn’t eating.
Josh should have been happy Tyler wasn’t killing people, but it was the exact opposite. Seeing Tyler looking so sick and dead to the world broke his heart.
He came into the dressing room with a paper cut, a small sliver of blood running down his thumb. Tyler looked over at Josh, face uneasy.
“You need to cover that up,” Tyler demanded, his voice stern. Josh shook his head.
“You have to eat Tyler.”
“I can’t. I feel awful, and you don’t like it. I’m not going to do anything you aren’t comfortable with.” Josh sat down on the couch next to Tyler, and Tyler immediately stood up and walked to the other side of the room.
“If you aren’t going to eat, then you can eat me.”
Tyler’s mouth fell open. “Are you stupid? I’m not going to do that.”
“I’m comfortable with you doing that. You need to eat, and if it’s the only way I can help you, then I’m willing to do it.”
“Josh, I’m not doing to do that.”
“Then you need to eat.”
“I’m not -”
“We can continue this conversation, but we both know how it’s going to end.” Josh stuck his thumb in his mouth and sucked the blood away. It’s metallic taste filled his mouth. “You go out into the alleyway. I’ll bring you someone.”
Tyler shook his head. “Jesus Josh, this isn’t right. I can’t, you can’t, do that.”
“What’s the difference?”
“I’m not going to get you involved in this. It’s fucked up.”
“You’re weak Tyler, and you need strength. Please let me do this.”
It was quiet for a moment before Tyler was sighing. “Okay. This one time. It’s not going to become a habit. I have rules though. It can’t be anyone attending our show. It can’t be a child.”
“I’ll find someone in the building.” Josh rubbed his eyes and raked his fingers through his hair. “Did you bring a spare set of clothes?” Tyler nodded. “Then I’ll be right back.”
Tyler watched him closely as he left. Josh wandered around, trying to find someone that wasn’t that important that Tyler would accept as his meal. He felt so weird doing this; he was basically picking out a murder victim. It was wrong. It was horrible. What would his family think of him?
But Josh, he didn’t feel bad about it. He was helping Tyler. Helping him because he loved him.
He finally spotted a tall lanky guy backstage working on the pyrotechnics for their set. Josh bit his lip as he approached him.
“Hey!” He called excitedly when he noticed Josh. “I’m so excited to see you guys play. I’m a big fan of the band.” Great. He was out.
“I’m so happy to hear that.” He forced a smile and continued.
Josh found a blonde girl smoking a cigarette outside the venue. She glared at him when he came up to her.
“Could I borrow your phone to make a call? Mine died.” She looked wary of him, but eventually gave in and handed Josh her cell phone. The minute he had it in his hands his took off running and she started yelling behind him. Josh turned round the corner of the building down the alleyway and didn’t stop until he heard high pitched screaming and a loud crack as Tyler snapped her neck. He sank to his knees as her corpse hit the pavement.
Josh squeezed his eyes shut, the sounds of tearing flesh and teeth echoing in his ears. This wasn’t something he had planned on listening to in his lifetime.
When the sound ended, Josh could feel a presence directly in front of him and he peaked out from behind his fingers. Tyler’s face was covered in blood, but it was also masked in worry. His voice was gentle.
“Are you okay Josh?”
“Never better,” he squeaked out. Then Josh was leaning over to the side and puking up his dinner.
***
It didn’t happen all the time, but Josh got used to luring in Tyler’s meals.
Tyler was Tyler, even if he did dine on human flesh. He still made jokes and wrote songs and jumped off his piano. He watched movies with Josh and kissed him gently and told him he loved him.
Josh was there to comfort Tyler, even when things were tough. He stroked his hair when Tyler cried about being a monster. He wiped away tears when Tyler called himself a goner and told Josh he wanted to kill himself. He loved Tyler, because Tyler was always going to be Tyler.
Josh wasn’t sure what Tyler was, but he knew Tyler wasn’t human.
Sure, he acted and looked human. You wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a human and whatever Tyler was. During the day, Tyler acted human. He ate food, he listened to music, he read books and he wrote. Josh and him worked together perfectly; they were a couple after all. Tyler showed Josh his lyrics and Josh showed him his drum beats. They played shows night after night and talked to fans.
But at night, they took care of each other. Because Tyler loved Josh and Josh loved Tyler and that’s how it was always going to be.
Together.