Chapter 9

Josiah lay in bed, looking up at the ceiling. It was evening, but he didn't bother getting up. He felt conflicted, as when Spencer came by, this meant the end of everything.

He wanted help, but he didn't want Spencer to be his savior. And it felt oddly comfortable here in this world. He had no duties to attend to, no responsibilities.

This wasn't protocol, Josiah knew that much.

"Josiah, dear," Brandy knocked on the door. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Josiah faced the door.

"Just let me know if you need anything." Brandy said.

Josiah looked out the window, the city of Brisbane alive with activity.

He had a nice place in the middle of a large city, lively with activity.

Back home in Louisiana, his family often struggled with money and often moved around places. He never really knew stability as a kid, and worse of all, while he graduated college and got to work with the US government, he didn't really have any family left, as he was an only child and his parents shortly after his graduation died in a car crash with a semi-truck.

He didn't want to desert his duties, but he felt wanted here, even if he had to lie to get it.

Maybe that's why he should leave. At least the loneliness would be an honest existence, rather than leading an unsuspecting woman along before he left.

"I gotta find Spencer," He said to himself quietly, putting a hand on his face. "I thought I would never say that in my life."

He looked out the window, as he sighed.

He waited for Brandy to go to bed, as he waited for her to close her bedroom door.

It seemed to take forever as he stared at the ceiling, the exhaustion of the day before threatening to take him over.

But he had to will it so.

He couldn't desert.

Finally, he heard a door close, but not the bedroom but it was the front.

He got up, his feet going onto the floor, stuffing his bed with pillows as he draped his blanket over them. He grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder before he crept forward.

He cracked the door and saw the hallway before him was dark, as he poked his head out, looking left and right.

No one was here, Josiah was alone.

He walked onto the hall, closing the door and he looked to see Brandy's door was open, the darkness only disturbed by the soft glow of a monitor.

The monitor was on, as Josiah looked at it.

His intuition screamed at him, to take a look. After all at this point, he had nothing to lose.

Josiah walked to the computer as he got onto the chair.

Brandy's room was tidy, her queen-sized bed was made, and having a surplus of pillows. Various paintings that Josiah didn't know the name of lined the walls. She also had a walk-in closet with slatted doors as well.

He moved the mouse before the screensaver began as he scanned his eyes across the screen.

Open was a document for something called The Bureau of Unusual Phenomena.

Josiah frowned, as it seemed too similar to his own employer as he looked across it. The document listed various incidents that were full of jargon that Josiah didn't understand.

But he did see a few things that jumped out at him.

Two incidents relating to UFOs, each having a span of weeks between them.

Both of them mentioned himself and another, who apparently ran away from his craft and mentions an AI being interrogated.

Between them, reports of black drones with photos of them.

He recognized them on sight, as he frowned.

Then the front door opened.

Josiah panicked as he looked around, his heart hammering in his chest. He looked to the closet and crept towards it, opening the doors to it and peeking through the gaps in the slats.

Brandy came in, as she came in.

"I should stop doing this, just in case Josiah comes in here," Brandy said to herself, rubbing the back of her head. She leaned over the desk, clicking the mouse. "I'm glad my boss isn't here to see this." She sighed.

Meanwhile, Josiah shook like a leaf, hoping that she didn't come to the closet.

Brandy's shadow lingered on the computer for what seemed like an eternity, Josiah watching her as he huddled into a corner, his eyes wide and bloodshot.

He hugged himself, trying to silence the beat of his heart as he watched. He hoped he didn't hear her, the moment felt thick, like a guitar string pulled too taut about to snap.

She hovered over her computer for a moment longer as Josiah heard the squeak of a mattress and a yawn from Brandy.

Josiah remained in the closet as he felt his heart calm down, as he held back a sigh, just in case it woke up Brandy.

He waited until she snored before he opened the door. He put it as gently as he humanly could before tiptoeing to the still-open bedroom door.

His face tensed, as he crept to the door.

He felt conflicted because this woman only has shown him nothing but kindness and support.

But he had to go back home or else.

His steps were muffled by the carpet, as he approached the door and he opened it.

The creak made him stop as he looked back.

Brandy muttered something in her sleep, as Josiah heard her roll around in her sleep.

He made a small crack through the door and squeezed out, closing the door behind him.

The hallway was dimly lit, as he looked up and down.

Empty here too.

He went to the elevator and called it. His nerves were doing a dance, the elevator seemingly taking its sweet time to get up to Josiah's floor.

Ding!

The elevator's door opened as he stepped in, going down to the underground garage, making sure no one would see him there.

It was lit brightly in here, as he walked out, feeling the cold concrete on his paws as he scrolled past some cars.

"Yeah?" An all-too-familiar voice asked someone and it was getting closer.

Josiah froze and hid under an ute, as he peeked out.

A pair of feet walked past him towards the elevator, as he heard Duke speak.

"I'll be in Canberra soon," Duke said. "Nothing much's been happening so they're giving me leave for once."

He stayed there for a moment, hearing the ding of the elevator, its doors closing.

Josiah crawled out from underneath the ute as he walked to the exit, his head on a swivel.

It was a new moon, the city was dark as he scanned it, the street lights only penetrating the dark. No one was around and he wasn't sure if he should be reassured or scared.

He took a few steps away as he looked up at the condo.

"I'm so sorry, Brandy," He said, frowning. "I can only hope you can forgive me."

He power walked away, as he felt a few tears run down his face. He breathed in, as he grabbed the strap of his bag and he held down his head.

"I'm so sorry."

The streets of Brisbane were quiet, as Josiah wiped the tears from his face. The liveliness of it was deadened and it made Josiah a little more scared.

"Alright, Spencer, where are you?" He asked himself, a frown on his face.

He thought about the park where he remembered Spencer attempting to swipe him away, as he tried to remember where it was.

"If only I had a phone to find my way," Josiah said as he sighed. He looked around and remembered where he was, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. "But it would just be another thing to track me down."

The park soon came up to him in his sights, though his legs ached, as he wished he had his motorcycle right now.

He went down the path to where he first met Spencer, jumping over the creek as he found himself surrounded by the woods, the darkness his only ally, as he looked around as fog began to cover the woods.

There was an amber light in the distance, flickering. Josiah sprinted over and he came across a campsite, as a lone Weimaraner looked at him, leaning on his dirtbike.

"Finally, you decide to leave fantasy land so we can get out of here," Spencer said, crossing his arms. "I had a feeling you'd come by here, what took you so long?"

"Gee, Spencer," Josiah crossed his arms. "It's almost like I had to walk here because I can't drive!"

"Bah, whatever, we have to go," Spencer said as he got up. "I'm out of gas for this piece of crap behind me, and I have no idea how we're going to get out of here."

"Didn't they brief you on what to do?" Josiah asked, frowning.

"Yeah but the mission went south," Spencer frowned. "I landed somewhere someone noticed me and I had to take matters into my own hands."

"Absolutely great," Josiah raised his hands to the sky. "In less than twelve hours, my caretaker will wake up and report me missing." He said. "We have to get out of Brisbane right now, do you at least have a map?"

Spencer opened the seat of his dirtbike and pulled out a map.

"I was told in case something happened," Spencer pointed to Canberra, as Josiah's eyes widened. "To go around here, through any means necessary."

"Even if we have to WALK there?!" Josiah frowned.

"Yeah?" Spencer asked, nodding.

"Well, let's go then, we don't have much time before people decide to look for us then," Josiah put his hands on his hips as he sighed. "It'll be a long trip."

Spencer got up, grabbing a few of his things before he nodded.

"Let's go home already." Spencer said, as he took out the map and a flashlight from the dirtbike's compartment and went into the woods leading Josiah.

Josiah and Spencer trudged through the woods, Spencer lighting the way with a dim red light.

It was slow going but they came out to a road, and they looked around. They came out a dirt path as Spencer pointed his flashlight to the sign reading "4WD only" as he frowned.

"Doesn't look like a main road here," Spencer looked at his map. "It'll take us south towards New South Wales, let's go."

Josiah wordlessly followed as he grabbed the strap of his bag. His legs still ached from the long walk he took to get here.

The only sounds were the crickets and the other things Josiah didn't know about as he followed Spencer.

"You realize we're in the wilds of Australia, right?" Spencer asked Josiah, grinning. "You know-"

"I know." Josiah shook his head, holding up his hand.

"You're no fun." Spencer's lips curled into a pout, as he looked forward.

The dawn began to break as Josiah looked up, and he saw in the distance, a gas station. Josiah nudged Spencer and pointed.

"And?" Spencer said, looking at Josiah.

"Why don't we actually rest a little?" Josiah asked. "No need to go on a forced march like this and die of exhaustion in the middle of nowhere."

"...If only my dirtbike didn't break down." Spencer shook his head, handing Josiah his flashlight and map.

They crossed the road, running across as Josiah's legs stung with fatigue, his muscles screaming for him to stop.

They went around the back, slowing and seeing a door, as they tried it. It opened into a bathroom as they went inside and locked the door.

They leaned back for a while, the pair sighing as they felt their legs go to jelly as they put their backs to the wall, in the light.

"Go to sleep, Josiah," Spencer said. "I'll go watch since I'm still fresh."

Josiah laid his bag down and rested his head, despite the cold floor, he drifted off to sleep almost immediately.