The light rain turns into a downpour, forcing Tyler to turn on his windshield wipers. He curses at the unpredictable weather, he had just washed his car, the rain always left a nasty residue on the sleek black surface. Tyler wonders about going to the car wash again but there's no point. At this time of year, the rain pours almost every single day. Tyler fixes his rear-view mirror a few times before deciding that he's happy with its position. A jasmine shaped paper flower hangs down from it filling the car with the smell of summer. The droplets splatter against the windshield too quickly for the wipers to wipe them off and Tyler's getting frustrated. This day is already not going as he planned.

The man reaches Josh's house when the rain is at its peak, flowing down the car in thick liquid stripes. The man watches the dark windows of the boy's house, wondering if he should go inside. He glances at his phone ignoring a few missed calls from customers, Zacks, and a few other people. He doesn't feel like being bothered on his weekend. Tyler sits in his car for a few minutes, waiting for the rain to calm down. Finally, he hops out and strides down the path that is all mud by now, only a few stone slabs protecting his shoes from the muck beneath his feet.

Tyler reaches Josh's porch quickly, raindrops in his hair as he reaches his hand for the doorbell. The man's hand hover above it without pressing, he chews his lip trying to remember Josh's schedule. He shouldn't bother him. He moves his hand away and stuffs it into his pocket, a slight tremor in his body. He notices an old lady staring at him from the other side of the fence. Tyler's hand rises hesitantly for a wave, the old lady steps outside with her umbrella. Tyler watches her approach the fence with curiosity.

"Morning," Tyler greets, not sure what the lady wants yet

She stares at him intensely for a few seconds before speaking up. Her voice is tender, a bit scratchy at some points. She stinks of old wine and cigarette smoke but Tyler doesn't say anything.

"Are you looking for Joshua?" she questions. Tyler nods his head, it's pretty obvious since Josh is the only one who lives in that house. The lady squints her eyes, glancing Tyler up and down. The man smiles softly, lips pressed shut not making any unnecessary sounds. The lady's face is partially hidden by her bright yellow umbrella. The raindrops racing down the slick surface non-stop obscures the view of her face for Tyler even more.

"If you see him, tell him that I have his waffle maker," the lady says, gentle fingers fidgeting with the end of her umbrella "I've borrowed it from his a quite some time ago."

"I sure will," Tyler nods with confidence "Have a great day."

"You too, young man," the lady waves the man off as he hurries back to his car, not really smiling but not frowning as well. Her lips sit at a thin vertical line.

Tyler sits in his vehicle, watching the old lady retreat back to her house. Her yellow umbrella disappearing inside her dark hall. Tyler starts the engine, the man drives off slowly, still watching Josh's house in the mirror as it slowly fades out. Tyler doesn't rush, he makes sure to avoid the potholes as best as he can but there are still some bumps on the road. The trunk of his car rattles a bit when he goes over the speed bump, Tyler's teeth grit in the slightest.

The coffee shop where Josh works comes to the view. The windows are bright and lit up, the man can see a couple of customers inside. A tall boy is standing behind the cash register, a grim look on his morning face. Tyler slowly down and stops in front of the coffee shop, his small black car standing out like a sore thumb against the beige and orange coloured surroundings. A stray leaf pirouettes down from the sky and sticks to Tyler's window. The man sighs and gets out, picking the leaf off before heading into the shop.

Tyler is greeted by Dallon before he could even walk into the store. The boy moves cautiously, glancing at the street and inside the coffee shop to confirm that they're both clearly visible to the others. Dallon guards the entryway, looming over Tyler but the man doesn't feel intimidated. He smiles before trying to push past.

"I would like you to leave," Dallon says calmly, his beaten up face glistening in the light from medication

"Why?" Tyler's head tilts to the side, he hides a smirk

"Because," Dallon points at a small wooden board on the window next to the miniature version of their menu. Tyler reads the small text with a frown on his face.

We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone

Tyler scoffs, glancing into the coffee shop through the window.

"He's not here," Dallon states, angrily glaring at Tyler. The man glances inside a few more times before he gives up.

"Where is he then?" Tyler questions

"That's what I want to ask you," Dallon's arms fold over his chest, trying to tower over Tyler even more with his stance

"Why would he be with me?"

Dallon scoffs and rolls his eyes, he leans against the doorframe, moving away slightly to let a customer out. There's a flash of fear behind his eyes when the taller boy realizes that it was the last of them and now they're alone.

"Oh, I don't know," Dallon shrugs "I'm not the one shoving my dick in all the wrong places."

"Excuse me?" a chuckle leaves Tyler's throat unexpectedly. Dallon doesn't expect this kind of reaction from the man. He just shrugs again and glances at the grey sky. 

"If you see him-" Tyler starts

"No." Dallon cuts him off "You know where he is, don't you?"

"Dallon..." Tyler sighs

"You do," the boy bickers "You- He hasn't answered my calls, he didn't come to work. And now you're coming here like you're looking for him, Oh, where did my Joshie go. Cut the bullshit."

"Are you-" Tyler's eyes flash with anger, his hand is already gripping Dallon's shirt "You're delusional, you know that?"

Dallon struggles out of the man's grip, Tyler's fingers curl into fists but he shoves them down his pockets.

"If you see him," Tyler repeated, "You tell me. Do you think you're the only one who's worried? He's my boyfriend. You would never know how I feel."

Tyler's words jabbed Dallon where it hurt the most. He nodded with his teeth puncturing his bottom lip, a glint of sadness in his gaze. Yeah, Tyler was right. He will never know how it feels.

"Shut your mouth and stop making false assumptions," Tyler turned around just as he was about to walk off  "At the end of the day I wasn't the one to creep under his windows in the middle of the night. If something really did happen to Josh, they know who to look for."

Tyler left Dallon standing in front of the coffee shop. A sour, twister look on his face. Dallon scoffs, as if Josh reported him to the police. The boy walked back into his coffee shop trying to distract his mind from Josh and Tyler. Josh especially.

___

Josh is forced to wake up by a dull throbbing alongside his neck. He can't tell if his eyes are really open or not, everything is so, so dark. His head rests upon some sort of rag, the scratchy old material rubbing against his cheek. There's a jolting pain where his knees are digging into his stomach, crammed in the tight space he's been confined in. Josh feels his own breath upon his skin whenever he breathes out, making the area feel warm and clammy.

A faint hint of Jasmine flows through the air, but Josh brushes it off while he tries figuring out where the hell he is. Panic quickly spreads through him as his muffled breathing picks up. Clear tears stream down his freckled cheeks, painting over the tracks where there they had previously dried.

Josh tries moving his thin arms, wanting to stretch them far above his head and rid them of the aching but that doesn't happen. Instead, a burning pain slides across his skin as he tugs them apart. Even though he can't see it, it feels like zip tie fastened tightly around his fragile wrists. He soon figures out it isn't much different for his ankles, either. The boy feels loose material around his arms, he realizes it's his bedsheets that had been earlier cut up into long stripes. Whoever took Josh must've changed up the restraints while he was unconscious.

The more awake and aware of his surroundings the boy becomes, the more the pain in his neck grows. It's hard to breathe. The boy can't tell if that's from pain or the small area; a mixture of both. His head is dizzy and everything hurts.

Josh's throat is dry when he tries to talk, hearing a quiet creak under his head. The boxed area shakes a bit but there's no answer anywhere. A loud slamming causes Josh quietly shout in fear, muffled by the rag that was still in his dry mouth. Josh is still continuously fading in and out of consciousness, but as soon as he hears the rumble of what he assumes is an engine, he knows. He knows that he had been shoved into the trunk of a car. A quiet rumbling grows louder as the car speeds up.

Faster tears roll down Joshua's face at the realization, his chest feels tight. He squeezes his eyes shut, praying to wake up in his soft bed. Where is he being taken? Who's driving?

Everything that had previously happened is blurry. All he can remember now is being slammed down on his bed and choked till he passed out. The air feels heavy, his throat is sore. The boy wants to cough but he can't, the rag restricts the airflow, Josh starts to panic again afraid to suffocate.

The car jolts every time it hits a speed-bump, rock, or pothole. No matter what it is, Josh bangs his head on the top of the trunk each time. He can tell the car is quite new judging by how quiet the engine is. It runs rather smoothly whenever there isn't a hole in the road.

Josh tries screaming at the top of his lungs. Except, perhaps it doesn't make a sound. The burning in the boy's throat has him squirming around, trying to break himself free. His chest is tight, every breath is torture, Josh senses a faint smell of gasoline. It's making him sick, the boy prays that he doesn't throw up. He would suffocate and die. The boy doesn't want to die. He wants to go home, he wants this to be just another nightmare. He closes and opens his eyes hoping to wake in his bed, warm and comfortable. Josh prays to God even though he's not very religious. He prays the best he can, he's never done this but he hopes that miracles exist.

Suddenly the car stops with a jolt. Josh listens to any sound, eyes shifting rapidly in the darkness. His head is still spinning, he needs fresh air. There is none in the small space. The car door slams, Josh's heart thumps in his chest waiting for something to happen next. He waits, there are light footsteps and muffled voices. Josh thinks he recognizes both of them but he is not sure. The voices seem familiar, the boy screams for help but nothing comes out of his dry throat. Tears wet Josh's cheeks again, he's helpless.

The car engine starts again. Josh screams as much as he can for the people outside to hear him. No luck. The car speeds up, smell gasoline filling the trunk again. Josh is fully awake now, he collects all of his strength to kick and punch the roof of the trunk and the sides. He wiggles all around, desperately trying to get out. No luck.

The car comes to a stop, Josh suddenly regrets his actions. He feels the trunk being opened, bright light beams into is face nearly blinding the boy.

"Wh-" Josh mutters, the rag dry in his mouth

He kicks and punches as best as he can in his restraints. A cold hand grips his jaw, tilting it upwards. Josh senses a ripping pain in his neck, like a needle piercing through his skin. Josh starts screaming again realizing that's what it is. Icy liquid fills his veins and the curly-haired boy feels sleepy again. This time he goes unconscious in a matter of seconds. Darkness envelops Josh when the trunk closes again. Josh fades out, the engine of the car lulling him faster to sleep.

___

Tyler's foot presses against the gas pedal as he left the city behind. He keeps glancing at his rear-view mirror, he still isn't satisfied with the placement of it. Finally, he stops, annoyed by the slight rattling at the back of his car. Tyler curses under his breath as he shuffles in the glove compartment. A thin string of steel flashes in his palm. He hops out of the car and unlocks his trunk before looking around for curious eyes.

The trunk open with ease, Tyler is greeted by muffled noises and shuffling. The man pops off the cap with his teeth. The clear liquid in the syringe slowly drains. Tyler holds it there for a few seconds to get every last drop out. The shuffling soon dies down and Tyler is able to get back to the road again.

The man drives off, leaving an empty used syringe on the gravel at the side of the highway.