Wait to start the song.

The porch light was on at Tyler's house when they pulled up in front of it. He should be feeling relieved or excited or even just happy, but he felt empty. All he could think about was how scared he was for Josh. He clutched the amulet around his neck tightly.

"It'll be okay," Ashley whispered to him.

The Satanic cross that had been seared into his flesh felt like it had been freshly created. If his family saw it, they'd send him away. They wouldn't want him anymore, and he couldn't handle that. He should've stayed with Josh. This was a terrible idea.

"Ashley, I can't-"

He froze when the front door opened. His heart skipped a beat in his chest when Zack came down the stairs, clutching a garbage bag in his hands. He was looking around anxiously, and Tyler didn't blame him. His brother had been abducted on his way home from school during their first week here. He had every reason to be scared.

"Zack," he whispered. Suddenly the need to be home overpowered everything and he was stumbling out of the car. "Zack?" He asked nervously as he shut the car door.

Dallon's car pulled away before he could have second thoughts. His brother's head shot up instantly, his eyes widening and filling with tears.

"Ty?" He whispered.

Another sob built in Tyler's chest as he nodded. "Yeah. It's me."

Zack dropped the bag and ran to Tyler, hugging him tightly as they both collapsed onto the sidewalk. Tyler sobbed against his little brother's shoulder. He smelt like home, and for the first time in weeks, Tyler felt completely safe.

"Oh my god. You're alive," Zack sobbed out. "You're safe."

Those two words seemed true for the first time in what felt like forever. "Is Mom home?" He asked weakly.

"Yeah! She's inside. She's going to cry when she sees you. Even I cried. Oh my gosh. You're here." Zack chuckled despite the tears in his eyes.

Tyler tried to smile as he nodded. He held his amulet tightly, wishing Josh could be here. He wished Josh could know what it felt like to be safe. It was too late though. Josh hadn't come with him, and he didn't seem interested in leaving The Family anytime soon. He was too scared.

Tyler's house was far warmer than Josh's, but Tyler had a feeling his bed would still be too cold without Josh or Ashley there with him. He walked silently through the living room, trailing his fingers along his piano lightly as he passed it.

He jumped in both shock and fear when Zack called, "Mom! He's home!"

There was a crash in the kitchen that scared Tyler even more than the yelling. His mother appeared in the doorway. She covered her mouth with her hand and sobbed when she saw him. He swallowed hard, already preparing himself for the worst. Suddenly his mother was walking quickly across the living room, pulling him into a hug and holding him tightly. He hugged her back just as tightly, sobbing against the soft fabric of her robe.

"Don't cry, honey. It's okay. You're safe now. You're safe," she soothed, holding him close.

"I'm sorry," he sobbed out. "I'm so sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry, baby. It's okay," his mother said softly.

He'd missed her. Her gentle voice was exactly what he'd needed to hear since the day Mathias collected him. She reminded him of Mrs. Dun though, and that hurt. What would she think when she woke up to find out what her son had done? He could only hope she'd understand. She knew how terrible that place was. Part of him believed that she'd be proud of Josh. He could only hope.

"What on earth is going on? Do you have any idea what time-" his father's voice trailed off. "Oh my Lord."

Tyler looked up at his father, sobbing again when he saw him. After weeks of associating the word "dad" with Mr. Dun, seeing his own father was a relief. He released his mom and ran to his dad, hugging him tightly. His father didn't hesitate to gather his son up in his arms and hug him tightly against his chest.

"Dad," Tyler sobbed out. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry. You're alive and that's what matters," his father whispered back shakily. "You're safe."

"Why don't you go take a shower, sweetie?" His mom said softly. "Let's get you into some clean clothes."

Tyler nodded against his dad's shoulder, trying to keep himself from trembling as he pulled away. It wasn't working. His father smiled at him although tears were rolling down his cheeks. Tyler had never seen his father cry before, but somehow it was comforting to know that his father would cry just from knowing his son was safe. Mr. Dun would never do that for Josh.

Start the song. It's A Car, A Torch, A Death by Twenty One Pilots.

He looked at his mother and little brother one more time before going upstairs. Given that it was so late, he could only assume that Madison and Jay were sleeping. Still, he found comfort in knowing they were home. He wondered if Abigail was still asleep on the counter, or if Ash had gone to bed yet, or if Jordan was still sleeping. Most importantly, was Josh asleep? Was he safe? Would he ever wake up if he did go to sleep tonight?

His and Zack's bedroom was cold. Someone had made his bed, tidying everything. He had to assume that it was his mother. She had always cleaned when she was nervous. The only source of mess was a collection of blankets on the floor. It took Tyler a moment to realize that the blankets contained his little sister. She was fast asleep, hugging his pillow as she snored slightly.

Without turning the light on, Tyler stepped over the pile of blankets and went to his closet, finding a shirt, boxers, and some flannel pyjama pants. He tried to ignore the fact that he'd picked all black. It might be a while before he was ready to wear anything else again.

He went across the hall to the bathroom, swallowing a lump of anxiety as he looked at the bathtub. Their bathroom was cleaner than the Dun's, but it still made Tyler's stomach twist painfully. He kept picturing Ashley as she sobbed in the bathtub a few days ago. He felt the weight of Josh trying not to pass out against him as he'd washed away the vomit from the mistletoe. He felt the pain in his head as Josh had cleaned blood out of his hair on the night he'd first come to the community.

Trying as best as he could to push those memories into the back corner of his mind, Tyler turned on the faucet. The water ran clearer here than in the community, but Tyler's memory still supplied him with countless memories of times the water at the Dun residence had been stained with the blood of either himself or someone he loved.

As he waited for the water to heat up, Tyler shrugged off the hoodie he'd gotten from Josh. Revealing his arms in this house made him want to throw up. The harsh scars of the burn and Josh's initials seemed far more barbaric next to his little brother's bath toys. He'd lost weight too. His ribs were more prominent, and his cheeks looked a bit hollow. He jumped in fear when there was a knock at the door.

"Tyler, honey, are there towels in there?" His mother asked softly.

Attempting to catch his breath, Tyler looked over his shoulder at the towel rack. "Yeah," he said quietly.

"Okay. I just wanted to be sure. Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," he replied, only now realising how big of a lie that was.

He waited until he heard his mother go back downstairs to strip out of the rest of his clothes. Tears filled his eyes when he saw the marks Josh had left on his collar bones. He touched them softly with his shaking fingers. His other hand clutched the amulet tightly.

"He's not dead," Tyler whispered to his reflection. "He'll be okay." Both statements felt extremely untrue, which only made the anxiety in his chest amplify.

He pulled the amulet over his head and rested it on the counter before climbing into the shower. The water gathering at his feet was filthy with dirt, blood, and mud. He hadn't realised how dirty he'd been. It had seemed like Josh had done a good job keeping him and Ashley clean, but maybe that wasn't enough when even their water wasn't as clean as Tyler was used to.

He washed himself quickly, not wanting to be alone longer than necessary. At some point during his shower, his mom came in and collected his dirty clothes. He redressed quickly, but then his stomach dropped. The amulet was gone. It wasn't here. Panic filled him as he looked for it frantically. When his search came up empty, he hurried out of the bathroom and down the hall. His mother walked out of the kitchen as he came running down the stairs. Her eyes widened.

"Honey, what's wrong?" She asked worriedly.

He could barely breathe. "With my stuff, there was a necklace. It was in the bathroom. I can't find it. I have to find it." He sounded desperate as tears began to pour down his cheeks again.

"You wanted to keep that? I didn't think you'd want to keep anything from-"

"Where is it?" His voice came out harsh, which he hadn't intended to happen.

His mother looked shocked as she walked through the kitchen to the laundry room. His things were sitting in the basket on top of the washer. In the garbage can beside the dryer laid the amulet. He grabbed it out quickly, taking Josh's hoodie out of the laundry basket as well. It wasn't until he was pulling on the amulet that his mother grabbed his arm.

"Oh my God. Who did this?" She asked breathlessly as she examined Josh's initials.

Tyler was shaking as he pulled his arm free. He hurriedly put on Josh's hoodie. "I don't want to talk about it."

"What's going on?" Tyler father asked calmly as he came into the kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it with water before walking into the laundry room. He handed it to Tyler.

"He's got letters carved into his arm," his mom whispered.

His father froze. He knew something. "Tyler, let me see."

He shook his head adamantly as anxiety filled his chest. "No."

"Tyler, is it just letters, or did they do more?" His father asked quietly.

"More?" His mother demanded fearfully. "Is that not enough for you?"

Just by looking at his father, Tyler knew his father knew. He didn't have to see Tyler's arms to know. He was already aware of what had been done to Tyler's arms and who had inflicted the pain.

"You were with the people in the woods, weren't you?" He whispered. "They took you and hurt you. I didn't believe them when they told me, but our congregation was right. There are Satanists in the woods."

His mother let out a sob as she pulled Tyler into a hug, nearly making him spill his water. She didn't say a word, but Tyler wasn't sure what there really was to say after everything that had happened. Maybe it would've been easier for them if they never found out what had happened to him. Maybe dying inside of that fence would've been the best ending for him to his family.

"The other thing, it's a symbol, isn't it?" His father asked, his eyes filling with tears.

Tyler looked down at his bare feet, nodding shamefully as he pulled Josh's hoodie tighter around himself. "Yeah," he whispered.

"And why did they give it to you?" His father asked, but Tyler could see that he already knew the answer.

His stomach was twisting painfully as the words caught in his throat. A sob came through instead, and his father deflated. "I got married," Tyler whimpered out. His mother sobbed, burying her face against his father's chest. "We didn't have a choice. They were going to kill me, and they'd already tried to do it once. It was the only way he could protect me." He was rambling, but he couldn't let them lump Josh in with the rest of The Family.

"He?" His father asked quietly.

Tyler nodded fearfully. "My husband. He kept me safe. I wouldn't be here if he hadn't risked his life to sneak us out."

"Us?" His father's voice kept getting quieter.

"His wife," Tyler whispered. "She's safe. We're safe. I just...I don't know if he is." His voice cracked and his father's face softened.

He shook his head, releasing Tyler's mother and hugging him instead. "It'll all work out, okay? We can send the police there and they can get him out."

As much as Tyler wished that would work, he knew better. He shook his head. "The police can't do much in the community. Ashley had been there since July, and they hadn't found her. Patrick has been there for longer. No one finds the people who go there. Once you're in, you don't leave."

"You did," Tyler's mom said quietly.

Tyler shook his head. "Only because Josh snuck us out. There's only one person who has ever gotten out, and Josh isn't even supposed to talk to him anymore. It's a cult, Dad. It's a cult, and he's trapped there."

His parents were quiet. Neither of them seemed to be able to think of a single word to say.

Tyler sighed. "I guess I'm going to go to bed." Exhaustion was dragging him down anyways. He might as well try and get some rest. "Can you make sure I wake up in time for school?" He asked his mother.

Her eyes widened. "Tyler, you aren't going to school the day after you escape a Satanic cult."

"I have to go. It's the only way I'll know if he survived," Tyler insisted. "Mom, I have to."

"Let him go, Kelly," his father said quietly. "He knows what he's doing. You can come home whenever you need to tomorrow, okay? If it's too much, just call."

Tyler nodded, taking a deep and unsteady breath before hugging his father. His father hugged him tightly, patting his back. He then hugged his mother, who kissed his forehead.

"Get some rest," she told him softly. "We're so glad you're home."

"I love you," he told them both, finding relief in the words he thought he'd never be able to say to them again.

"I love you too," they both replied without hesitation.

Tyler wondered if Mr. Dun had ever said those words to his children. He knew Mrs. Dun said them often, but he didn't think he'd ever heard them from the prophet. Surely he loved his children though, right? He would protect them, wouldn't he?

The question ate away at his mind as he walked upstairs and went into his room. Well aware that he couldn't sleep in an empty bed, he picked his sleeping sister up and laid her on his bed before climbing into bed with Zack. His little brother didn't comment, simply grabbing his big brother's hand under the covers before closing his eyes. Tyler was grateful that his brother wasn't questioning this strange behaviour.

Tyler's sleep was restless all night. He seemed to wake up every hour. Nightmares of bad things happening to Josh, what happened to Ashley, and nearly being taken by Mathias plagued his mind. Every horrifying moment of the last two weeks seemed to be stuck in his head on replay.

It didn't help that he could hear his mother crying a few rooms over. Every time he woke up, he heard her sobbing while his father spoke to her in a soft voice. His brother woke up a lot too, waking Tyler up and asking if he was okay every time. He looked terrified and exhausted, but Tyler felt the same way.

Every time Tyler woke up, he found himself even more terrified by the fact that he was here, and Josh wasn't. Although he was in a safe place now, his safety was still absent. While he was glad to be back with his family, it was extremely apparent to him that someone was still missing, and he wasn't sure if it was himself or his husband. Never in his life had he wished it would just be time for school already, but tonight that was all he wanted.