Chapter Sixteen: Psychotic Break

(Violence, Part 3)

***

Mateo was in shock, as he stared at a ghost, at a killer wearing his friend's face.

Josh was dead. Chris and Ashley said they saw him be torn apart—Sam had even seen him be killed on a fucking video! And yet, Josh fucking Washington was standing there, grinning, in the outfit of the psycho and behind the mask, unharmed and alive.

What the absolute fuck was going on around here?

"Josh?" Chris asked, in shock and incredulity.

Josh just laughed, moving away from Chris and Ashley, laughing maniacally.

"Josh!" Sam exclaimed as she rushed to Chris and Ashley and freeing them, Mateo doing the same.

"Josh, what the hell? How the fuck are you still... You're the fucking psycho?" Mateo demanded as he freed Chris.

"Josh," Mike said, something sharp and dangerous edging his voice as Josh walked to the other side of the room, still laughing.

"Oh, oh, very good. Every one of you! Got my name!" Josh exclaimed, a wide grin on his face as they stared at him in shock and incredulity, Mike joining Mateo in freeing Chris. "And after all you've been through. Good, good, good. I mean, how does that feel? Right? How does it feel? Do you enjoy feeling terrorised? Humiliated? I mean, panicked? All those emotions that my sisters got to feel once one year again! Only guess what? They didn't get to laugh it off! No! Nope! No, no, no! They're gone."

Mateo stared at Josh at the end of his rant. "What the fuck happened to you, Josh?"

"I don't know if you noticed this, Josh, but none of us are laughing," Mike said sharply, glaring at Josh.

"Oh come, come, come, come, come. Why the long faces? Come on!" Josh exclaimed. "It's good to get the heart racing every now and then, right?"

"Not with us all getting fucking traumatised in the process, asshole!" Mateo yelled, before he frowned. "Something's wrong here."

Josh, however, ignored Mateo and continued his rant. "And race they did! I mean, every one of you, just pitter-pat, pitter-pat. I hope you appreciated my little phantasmagorical spectacle! I mean, no detail too small! No opportunity missed! It was such a delight to play the puppet master to all of you! Pavlovian panic! And all that gore? I mean, gore, there was gore galore! Fake bodies... I mean. God, that shit was expensive! And not retakes! Nope, nope, nope, only double takes! You should have seen your faces. Hook line and sinker for every little stinker!"

Mateo stared at Josh in shock, could only think of Jordan and her anxiety, how something like what Josh had said could have sent her into a fucking panic attack. Did he even care about that? He would have normally—he knew her struggles with that aspect of her mental health, how bad her attacks could be, would never try to trigger one on purpose.

So why the hell did he sound like he didn't care if he would have with whatever he had been doing to them all night?

"Josh, why are you doing this?" Sam demanded.

"Don't even ask this squirrelly little runt. He's got no clue. He's out of his fucking tree," Mike snapped.

"Well, he's definitely off his meds," Chris said, glaring at Josh.

At that, it all made sense as Mateo stared at him. "You did? Josh, why the fuck would you do that? God, Jordan was right, to worry about you."

"Aw, come on, you guys. Revenge is the best medicine!" Josh exclaimed.

"Revenge? This is what you call fucking revenge?" Mateo demanded, gesturing to the horror show Josh had put them all through, mostly Chris, Ashley and Sam.

"Yeah!" Josh yelled, a manic grin still on his face.

"You're done," Mike growled.

"Mike, he's sick," Chris told him, Mateo nodding in agreement.

"He's just like Jordan, except she takes the meds that help her manage her anxiety, not quit them cold turkey," Mateo added on, glowering at Josh. After living with Jordan, after seeing the toll her anxiety took on her, how bad her attacks were and how much worse they'd gotten after Beth and Hannah vanished, after seeing how much she spiralled into the darkest parts of her and how the meds helped her... he couldn't believe Josh would do something as risky and foolish as that. And yet, despite how much he wanted to be angry, Mateo couldn't be.

He'd be a hypocrite if he was, if he treated Josh any differently than he did for Jordan.

"What? Come on, you guys are all going to thank me when you become Internet sensations!" Josh yelled.

"Wait, what?" Chris asked, as confused as Mateo.

"Oh, you better believe this little puppy is going viral ladies and germs," Josh revealed. "I mean, we got unrequited love. We got... we got blood! I don't think there's enough hard drive in China to count all the views we're gonna get, you guys."

"What are you talking about, you asshat? Jessica is fucking dead!" Mike exploded.

Josh's smile slid off his face as genuine shock and confusion entered his face. "What?"

"Did you hear me? Jessica is dead. And you're gonna fucking pay, you dick!" Mike roared, as he slammed the gun across Josh's face and knocked him out before Mateo could stop him.

"Whoa, Mike! What the hell!?" Mateo demanded, staring at his best friend in shock.

But Mike only left to grab something to tie Josh's hands up, leaving Mateo, Chris, Ashley and Sam to stare at each other, then at Josh's unconscious form before Mike came back, rope in his hands that he used to tie around Josh's hands before he hauled him up, looking right at Chris and Mateo before he dragged Josh out. 

Chris and Mateo looked at each other before they followed after Mike.

***

It didn't take long for Josh to wake up, though being knocked unconscious hadn't stabilised him—or mellow Mike's rage at Josh.

Mateo walked behind Mike along with Chris, all four of them outside. Mateo had retrieved his parka back, heart lurching at seeing Jordan's still lying across the suitcase—was she okay? Was she safe? Was she alive?—as Mike harshly shoved Josh forward, not being gentle at all. Mateo stared at it, torn between anger at Josh and what he'd done, and shock at what Mike was doing. No matter how angry he was, he could see Josh was mentally unwell, right?

Right?

Shoving Josh forward, the restrained man stumbled forward before he turned around, a pleading look on his face.

"Guys! Guys come on," Josh pleaded. "Seriously, this is crazy, you know?"

"Shut up," Mike demanded, a harsh edge to his voice.

"Why did you hit her, man? Why'd you have to fucking hit her?!" Chris yelled.

He lunged forward and punched Josh, sending him toppling to the ground.

"What are you talking about?" Josh questioned as he sat up.

"You punched Ashley, you piece of shit!" Chris thundered as Josh got to his feet. 

"I got... so mad," Josh said, as his way of answer for punching Ashley.

"You don't hit a girl. You just don't," Chris said lowly.

"Dude. Dude, Chris... bro, I—"

"I'm not your bro," Chris interrupted sharply, glaring at Josh.

Mateo glared at Josh as well, before he shouted, "Jordan has an anxiety disorder, you cabrón! Your little stunt could have trigged her to have a fucking panic attack! Would it have still been funny when she's fucking hyperventilating for air?! When my fiancé can't fucking breathe!? Huh?!"

Josh stared at Mateo, eyes wide. "Mateo, I didn't mean... I don't... I wanted Jordan scared, not—"

"Well, her being scared is jackshit when it could lead to her having a panic attack right after, puta madre," Mateo snarled. 

He looked away, scowling, as Mike pushed Josh forward as the restrained man asked, "Where are we going? Where are you guys taking me?"

"Locking you up, bro," Mike answered as he pushed Josh to the snowy ground again.

"What?!" Josh demanded as he sat up.

"So you can't do anything stupid before we call the police in the morning," Mike explained.

"And where we can keep an eye on you and not pull anymore shit," Mateo added, glaring heatedly at Josh as he stood up again. A part of him felt bad—Josh wasn't mentally well, he had a mental illness just like Jordan did, it wasn't fair—but it paled in his anger of what could have happened if Josh's prank had triggered Jordan's anxiety, if his prank had her hurt or dead like Jess.

"Come on. I didn't do anything," Josh pleaded.

"Are you serious, bro?" Chris demanded as Mike grabbed hold of Josh again.

"What the fuck do you call what you've done all night?!" Mateo yelled.

"You're a goddamned murderer is what you are," Mike snarled.

"I didn't do it," Josh denied. "Michael, please. Just listen to me, man! I did not hurt Jessica."

"Are you insane? Like, really? Do you not understand what you've done?" Chris demanded as Mateo grew silent, frowning. Josh seemed serious about saying that, that even with his mind unravelling he seemed intent on how he hadn't hurt Jess, and earlier he looked genuinely shocked at hearing Jess was dead...

"I'm a healer, man!" Josh yelled. "I bring people together! Not like you assholes."

"That's enough," Mike snapped, before he shoved Josh in the direction of the shed, Mateo and Chris right  behind him.

"You only see what you wanna see! You're blind!" Josh yelled.

"Stop talking!" Mike demanded as he pointed the gun at Josh's back, driving him to his knees.

"You're—argh!" Josh yelled as he was slammed onto the ground.

"Dude," Chris said.

"Mike, chill. He's got the point," Mateo said, frowning at Mike's treatment of Josh.

"It's not my fault you suckers can't take a joke," Josh snapped back, even with the gun now pointed at his face.

"Oh, oh, wait, did I hurt you?" Mike asked, lifting the gun. "Did you just feel a little... little bit of pain? Right now, I am so, so sorry!"

He tightened his grip on Josh's arm, eliciting a pained scream as he yelled, "Stop it!"

"Jesus, dude," Chris breathed.

"Mike, let him go! He's had enough!" Mateo shouted, glaring at Mike.

"Stop.... Michael..." Josh groaned as Mike hauled him back up onto his knees. "I'm sorry,  man. I can't tell you how sorry I am that something happened to Jessica, but I swear, I swear to you I have no idea what happened to her."

Mateo frowned, the doubt he had ever since Josh's reaction at first learning Jessica was killed growing stronger with how sincere Josh sounded about having no idea Jessica was dead or having killed her.

Chris seemed to be having doubts too, as he muttered, "Shit, Mike. This... I dunno, something feels really wrong here, man."

"Are you joking?" Mike demanded.

"I-I'm just having a really hard time figuring out that he would, like, do anything to hurt Jess," Chris reasoned.

"I agree with Chris. Listen, Mike, if Josh was faking his death in front of Chris and Ash, how the hell would he have enough time to get to you and Jess and kill her? He'd have to have super fucking speed or something to do that. And I saw the window. No human could physically pull her out through that—not even the strongest human on the planet could do that," Mateo argued, the puzzle pieces sliding together but not fitting quite right. What was he missing?

"I saw what he did to her. With my own eyes. This..." Mike fired back, gesturing to the red smeared over his white tank top. "This. This is her blood."

"Yeah, and I'm not saying you didn't see it and that isn't her blood, Mike. But what if you're wrong about this? What if we have the wrong guy and the real murderer is still out there?" Mateo argued.

"He's the one," Mike snarled, certain in his conviction, and nothing Mateo could say would change his mind.

Josh chuckled, the sound so out of field it gave Mateo whiplash as he asked, "Can't we all just get along?"

In response, Mike hauled Josh up to his feet, Josh yelling, "OW! DAMNIT!"

"We're not dicking around," Mike snapped through gritted teeth.

Josh grinned before he was shoved forward to the entrance of the shed, turning toward them again. 

"Hmm, no, nope, this is not how it's supposed to go down," he said. "You're just a bunch of bullies!"

Using the gun, Mike shoved Josh into the shed, as the restrained man continued, "You can't hang out a guy just to dry like this, guys. Huh? Not like... not like you got the guts to really do anything about it anyways!"

In response, Mike shoved Josh forward onto the ground in the shed, inciting a pained grunt from him. 

"Oh, stuff it. You're the biggest coward there is," Chris accused.

"Uh-huh? I did something," Josh retorted. "I made you believe in the world I created. And I showed you parts of yourself you were too afraid to visit."

"You manipulated us," Chris fired back. "You tricked us. You hurt your friends and you did it all while you hid in the shadows. You're a coward, Josh, that's all you are."

"And an asshole if your prank caused Jordan to have a fucking panic attack," Mateo snarled.

Mike hauled Josh up and forced him to walk toward a stool next to a pole, trying to force him to remain still as Josh said, "Okay. Tying me up now. Okay..."

"Stay still, man," Mike ordered as Mateo came over to hold Josh in place while Chris tied him up, even as his mind screamed this was wrong, they shouldn't be doing this to Josh, their friend no matter what he'd done, that he was innocent of killing Jess, that he was just mentally unwell, this was wrong.

"Right. Right, right, right. Still. Can't tie 'em up if they just wiggle around," Josh said, writhing around as Mike and Mateo pulled him back down.

"Dude!" Chris snapped as Mike and Mateo grabbed hold of Josh again.

"Leave a little wiggle room, huh?" Josh said, grinning.

"What does it take to shut you up?" Mike yelled as he moved away from Josh, Mateo doing the same.

"Ow! Not so tight, okay? Not so tight, okay!" Josh yelled as Chris finished tying him up and moved to stand beside Mateo and Mike as Josh looked down and rambled, "I can't wiggle around. Plastic ties. That's where it's at. Yeah."

'What in God's name is he talking about?" Mike demanded to no one in particular as Josh kept rambling.

"Plastic ties, plastic ties. Way more effective for hostage type scenarios..."

"This is hard to watch," Chris mumbled.

Mateo nodded. "Fuck, this isn't right. He's sick, just like Jordan would be if she stopped taking her meds. But... fuck."

"He ever say this kind of shit before? Or to Jordan?" Mike asked Chris and Mateo, that question Mateo knew well since Jordan and Josh had talked extensively about their mental health battles in the past.

God, Jordan would be crushed if she saw Josh like this, learned that he was responsible—that it all happened because he went off his meds and all her worries and fears came true.

"Guaranteed for at least three hostages or your money back!"

"No, I never seen him like this," Chris answered.

"Neither has Jordan, not even on what she calls the bad days when she talks about it to me—and even then it's vague. She doesn't like breaking Josh's privacy about his mental health. I only know he was diagnosed with depression, but..." Mateo informed, before they all looked at Josh, his rambling having stopped as, for all intents and purposes, he looked like he was going through a psychotic break which Mateo didn't think was a symptom of depression.

What was actually wrong with Josh?

"Everybody is stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid..." Josh mumbled. "Chris and Ash. Chris is an ass. Ashley's a dumb dumb."

"Ilm sorry, what did you say?" Chris demanded.

"Well I said you're a dummy, dummy," Josh responded, laughing.

"What's wrong with you?" Chris asked.

"'Ooh... Ashley...  I never imagined in my wildest dreams that you liked me'," Josh mocked, grinning.

"Stop."

Josh made overdramatic kissing noises before yelling, "You know what that sound is? It's the sound of never kissing Ashley, you pussy!"

"Stop!" Chris yelled as he grabbed a plank of wood.

"Josh, knock it off," Mateo ordered.

"Yeah, you know? You might as well let Ashley sleep with Mike. I mean, at least he's got some notches on his belt, you know? He'll treat her right!" Josh went on, thrusting as he did and making the implication clear. "You're fucking pathetic, Christopher!"

"I'm gonna beat his head off!" Chris shouted, but Mateo stopped him.

"Don't," he hissed.

"Mateo's right. Don't listen to him. Not worth it," Mike said.

"Hey Mateo. Did Jordan say yes? She did, didn't she? Of course she did—you two are a match made in heaven! You took a chance on her, huh? You took your chance on Jordan and you won! You won, Mateo. Congratulations," Josh said, grinning. "When's the wedding? Am I invited?"

Mateo narrowed his eyes. "Do you even have to ask that? After all the shit you pulled?"

"Had to try," Josh said before he twisted to Mike. "Hey Mike. Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike. Mike!"

"What?" Mike snapped.

"What happened with Jess, Mike?" Josh asked. 

"You know what happened," Mike said lowly, still believing Josh was responsible when Mateo doubted he was.

"No. No, I don't," Josh denied. "I got a problem, Mike. I don't remember killing Jess."

"Jesus Christ," Mike breathed as he turned away.

"I mean, like, I feel like I would remember killing her, y'know?" Josh continued. "She's so soft... and she's probably got a really tight bod."

Mateo scowled. "That's fucking disgusting, man."

Mike, however, had a more volatile reaction.

"Shut your fucking mouth!" Mike roared, gun pointed right at Josh's head.

Mateo's eyes widened as he tackled Mike just as Chris swung the wood on Mike's arm, disarming the gun as Mateo's tackle had Mike stumble back.

Staring at Mateo and Chris as Mateo let him go and stood next to Chris, Mike demanded,  "Seriously?"

"Wh-what?" Chris asked.

"Did you think I was going to shoot him?" Mike demanded as he picked the gun up.

"I-I dunno," Chris answered honestly.

"From my position, it looked like you were," Mateo admitted lowly.

"Come on, Chris, Mateo. You guys know me better than that," Mike said.

"Yeah, Chris, Mateo. You guys know me better than that," Josh echoed with a grin.

"Ah. Yeah, well, just next time give me or Mateo a heads up, alright?" Chris requested.

"And don't be so trigger-happy, Mike. Get all the facts right and be certain you're making the right decision before you pull that trigger," Mateo added, frowning at Mike.

Mike nodded as Josh said, "Oh, you poor little piggies. You can't even get the good cop bad cop routine to work. Leave it to the pros, bros."

Turning to him and Chris, Mike suggested, "Why don't you go back to the lodge and make sure everyone's alright. I'll stay here with this lunatic until morning."

"Ooh! Sleepover! C-can we order pizza?" Josh asked, grinning madly.

Mateo stared at Josh dubiously as Chris asked Mike, "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, we can stay here and help keep an eye," Mateo offered.

"They'll want to know everything's fine back there," Mike said, looking at Mateo as he added, "And if Jordan comes back, I know you'd feel a lot better seeing for yourself she's okay."

"You're right," Chris admitted, Mateo nodding as well—Mike had a point. If Jordan came back, then he'd prefer being in the lodge and seeing for himself she was okay than hearing about it when morning arrived.

"See you in the morning," Chris said as he and Mateo left the shed and headed back to the lodge, but not before Mateo looked at Josh and said, "You know, Jordan's been worried sick about you for weeks, dude. If she found out this whole horror show was your fault and you stopped taking your meds... she'd be devastated." 

Then he turned away, not seeing the flicker of guilt on Josh's face before it disappeared as Mateo and Chris made the trek back into the lodge and to Ashley and Sam inside it and waited.

And where, hopefully, Mateo could see Jordan soon, maybe Matt and Emily as well if they were all still okay.

Where are you, Jordan?

***

Meanwhile, Jordan in the mines with Emily and Matt...

I liked writing this chapter and Josh's mad rambles! And yeah, Mateo was angry that Josh's prank could have triggered a panic attack in Jordan even though Josh just wanted to scare her, though he does realise this is wrong and has doubts that Josh could logically have killed Jess even without him swearing that he hadn't (and yes, Jordan would have been crushed and disappointed in Josh for refusing to take his meds anymore)

But we're getting closer to the end—and the real truth about what's on the mountain >:)

Please read, comment and vote!

GhostWriterGirl out!