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This is a story I don’t tell often if at all. The last thing I woyld want is for someone feeling sorry for me, but sadness is something I’ve always struggled with. Happiness, anyways it has always eluded me. It all goes back to the Happy Days of youth where I met this bizarre kid.I suppose happy isn’t the best way to describe it, but thinking back he was the first person in my life to truly make me happy, maybe it was love or maybe it was just another way the universe likes to fuck with me. Dangling happiness in my face only to snatch it away at the last possible moment. There are so many places I could start, but for your sake and for mine I’ll start here.From what I remember it was cloudy out that day, I was 14 and I had just gotten back from another therapy session. I took off my boots and ran straight upstairs locking myself in my room. There really wasn’t anything special about it, but it was my room my own little fortress of solitude. There I didn’t have to deal with all the bullshit. Back then I was at my lowest and had no idea what life was, pointless it still is but it was so much bleaker back then.I threw my jacket over my bed and put in my ear buds, cranking the volume up on my iPod. My head reared back on my pillow and I just stared at the ceiling. Though the music was blaring I could still hear his thick voice pierce through my door.“Stan, Open the door come out here”, he said.I was used to not listening to him so I curled over onto my side closing my eyes. Why did he have to bother me , I just wanted to be left alone.“Go away”. He ignored my less than energetic reply.I remember telling him to fuck off but he didn’t take too kindly to that . I could hear heavy fists pound on the door. He never left me alone.I open my eyes and there he was. A sudden rage over took me for a second as I ripped the buds from my ears.I insulted him told him to get the hell out of my room and pushed my hand up against his chest. Who could blame me I had the right to be mad, this was my space nobody had the right to come into it.“Calm down son”, he said as he grabbed my wrist.When I heard those words my eyes felt hot and tears threatened to stream down my face, but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.“Don’t call me that, you’re not my dad”.I felt it, his ring thud against my lip. The feeling was dull. when I when’t to touch my hand to my face my cheekbone was swollen and sore. He tried to apologize to me but I told him to get out.I pushed him out the room and slammed the door in his face. Sparky seemed scared huddled in the corner. My face it felt like someone had thrashed a brick at it. My fingertips where red from the blood that smeared onto them when I touched my bottom lip .“Come here boy”. I collapsed onto my bed, and Sparky jumped right onto my lap. I hugged him. Sparky was my only real friend. My mother had remarried and I felt everyone hated me , but I’m sure my father had his reasons. When he left nobody wanted to hang around me, I became reclusive and more cynical. So even my friends stop hanging around me soon enough.Everyone had always left me. Sparky was the only one I could count on . As I rubbed my cheek against his soft fur I couldn’t help but cry, the tears slipped out. I thought it was my step dad when I heard another knock but it was the voice of my mother.“Stanley I’m coming in”.I wipe away the tears with my forearm and Sparky leapt off my lap. I know my face still must’ve been red. When she came in I look down on the floor like a lick puppy. I know what was coming. she always sided with him . Mom put her hand on her hip and frowned.She told me why we always had to fight.I never thought she cared about me since she remarried . I was hurt but she didn’t comment on it, all she did was shook her head and brush my swollen face with the sleeve of her sweater.“Stanley you know I care, and so does Robert, he worries about you. I kept quiet I couldn’t think of anything to say.“If you would just stop acting so aggressive and listen to him I’m sure you two would get along”.I wanted my mother to be happy but, the guy was a psycho. My parents split about a year and a half ago, and she married him. He was full of himself, high and mighty, ex-military, he wasn’t even a cop just some mall security guard.Me and my father were still close. I visited him at the time, him and his girlfriend in LA, Sophie’s was nice. He left for obvious reasons, financial. More money in the city than in a little town like this. But I could tell he still loved my mother from the way his voice cracked up when he called. I miss him.She looked at me and sighed.“Look were worried. Therapy doesn’t seem to be helping . I pulled you out of school just like you asked, but you can’t spend all your time cooped up in your room like this; you need friends”.I knew what she was thinking when she told me that. But I didn’t need friends, friends were poison. That’s why I asked if I could attend school at home. I’d rather be alone than have friends. Kyle, Kenny and Cartman, were clear when they told me they couldn’t deal with my emotional state anymore. But that wasn't the reason I asked to be homeschooled.I curl up on my bed facing away from her. But she wasn’t having it. she grabbed me by the collar of my shirt.“Oh no you don’t, Stanley you’re coming with me”.I just wanted to sleep my troubles away like I did everyday. But the next thing I knew we where in the car, and she told she had a surprise for me. With the luck I had it would probably be cancer.We had been driving ten minutes or so and I was about to ask her where the hell we were going, but then my mother's minivan pulled into the driveway of a familiar looking house. This place had been on the market for months, someone must have finally moved in. And so I would have to sit there while she chatted up the neighbors. I wasn’t pleased.“Do we have to go I don’t want to talk to anyone”!My mother ignored me and told me that a kid my age had moved in. She said he was lonely and he couldn’t leave his house because he was sick. She said I knew him. But I didn’t think that was possible. Although my memory was bad I don’t think I would forget someone who was my friend.But I indulged my mother .We walked up the long twisting driveway. It was beginning to get dark due to the shorter winter days. I knocked three times .“See nobody’s home can we go now”.“Just wait”.A second past and woman answered the door. I sweared I’d seen her before somewhere. She has a bob of chestnut brown hair. Her nails were freshly manicured in a shade of light pink. She was wearing red high heels, and a plain white apron wrapped around her frilly dress.“Sharon”… I’ve been expecting you, come in come in. Oh this must be your son. Aww isn’t he sweet.“The lady knelt down a little bit and rubbed my hat pushing the rim over my eyes, she kissed me leaving an imprint of lipstick on my cheek. I frowned and readjusting my hat.Sitting in their living room, it looked like they just moved in because there were boxes of every shape and size .“Sorry about the mess we’ve been busy trying to settle in. Richard with his new job it’s just been so hectic this week”.“Oh don’t worry about it ”.“Can I get you anything to drink? Coffee”.“Oh that sounds lovely”.“What about you, coffee hun?”I pouted crossing my arms. I never liked coffee.“Stanley”! Don’t mind him he’s in a bad mood “.She laughed."Oh that’s alright. I’m glad he’s here Tweek need someone to talk to. I remember when they used to play together they were inseparable ”. Speaking of Tweek why don’t you go upstairs and say hello while me and your mother talk”.Tweek? That’s why she seemed familiar. I used to play with him in the 3rd grade when he was part of our group for a while. He moved away halfway into 4th grade. I’ll admit I kind of liked him. I was even a bit sad when he went back to his group. He was pretty neat despite his constant shaking. But I still wasn’t happy that my mother tried forcing me into making a new friend, but I knew I couldn’t win and I didn’t want another argument on my hands. So I did as I was told and whent. I heard her call up to me.“It’s the door on the far right, knock before you go in, Tweek Doesn’t like surprises”.I called inside and I hope I didn’t get an answer but some part of me secretly did. When I turned to walk away when there was no answer a slightly nervous voice said.“Come in I guess”.When I saw him I was abit shocked. Was that Tweek he looked completely different. He was standing by his window arms over his chest, looking out at the street below. He was tall, taller than me. It might have been the scuffed up Leg high boots he was wearing,but I doubt it, he still had almost three feet on me.His hair was different to. It was shaved in a punk style Mohawk. He had a wife beater on with black and green army camouflage jeans. When he turned his head to Square me up I could see he had quite a few piercings too. He had three on his bottom lip, one had a bat on it, another had a skull, and the last had a small robot panda on the end.He looked tired when he glanced up at me, deep bags ran under his eyes.“Is that really you Tweek, You look pretty cool dude”.“I guess. Stan, right. You haven’t changed at all. Err Still wearing that stupid hat ”.“Hey I like this hat”.This whole situation seems awkward. I look at him trying to make small talk. It’s weird when you try to talk to people, especially people you haven’t seen in a long time. Looking at him made me feel bad. I always wanted to get to know him, but he was so different now. Tweek had actually done something with his life. While mine just stayed the same, I was even wearing the same clothes as 4 years ago. If only Tweek had stayed the same I would have had a better chance to know him, but now he was completely different. Cool confident he hardly shook.I rubbed the back of my neck. “So my mom wants me to make more friends. I guess that’s why I’m here. So… what you wanna do? ”He walked over, and paced around me before encircling his arms around the back of my neck. He leant close and whispered in my ear. “Let’s ditch this place and get high”.“WHAT, we can’t do that are moms are right downstairs”.“Nngh You’re no fun Stany ”. He let go of my shoulders and sauntered over to his bed, clicking his teeth he whent. He collapsed on the bare mattress in the middle of the floor.“So, Stan you’ll have to show me around town, it’s been awhile man! Do it myself but I just got back, and I’m stuck inside, online classes. Which sucks ass”.He was so nonchalant about the getting high thing, and now he was offering for me to show him around town?“I’m kinda in the same situation too”.“Gah. Seriously what the hell is your fucking excuse? I just got out of the hospital, how you can stand being inside its torture man!”“It’s not so bad”.When I said that he leaped up from the mattress and closed the gap between us. His coffee brown eyes stared into my blue ones, and he crinkled his nose scratching at his freckled cheek. He pushed me a couple times towards the door.“Hey stop that”! Without even showing any sign of warning his fist crashed into my eye. I stumbled backwards and landed on my ass, and smash the back of my skull on the door.I didn’t even think twice about it, I shoot up and sock him in the mouth. He stood there a second wiping blood off his lip before spitting a wad of bloody saliva on the white carpet.Tweek was on top of me now and was about to give me another black eye when the door to swung open.It was his mom, and mine. She pulled her son off of me. And my mother just placed a hand over her eyes and sighed.“This Guy a psycho”. I shoutedHis mom tried to explain to my mom that this was all a misunderstanding and that Tweek was usually a good boy.Tweek Looked to the ground shuffling his feet. He looked like me when my step dad yells.I don’t know what possessed me to say what I said next, but the words were mine they came from my mouth.“No it’s my fault, I started it”.Tweek stared up at me and kind of smiled.The car ride home was quiet. I swallow nervously and ask.“Mom, can I come back tomorrow. I want to visit Tweek”.My mother watched me Twist the canvas of the seat belt, and looked at my black eye.“Really, why?”But I said nothing in return.
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My head ached as I woke up to a tapping at the window, it wasn’t particularly late only 10:30 or so. But the thrashing Tweek had given me hurt and my mother interrupted my sleep; sleep was something I needed if I was to remain even remotely positive. With a moan I rubbed the tiredness from my eyes careful not to irritate my already swelling face. Off the night stand I grabbed the icepack I was using. I parted back the curtains and saw Tweek standing in my back yard flicking cat-eye marvels from a small velvet bag.“What the hell Dude you’re gonna break my window. Just how did you get in my back yard anyways?”He smirked as he fished three brass lock picks from his long black trench coat , licking them and tossing them behind his head.“Nngh never you mind that Stany. Just come down come down come down. The night is young”.I remember thinking he was crazy as I looked at him because if I was caught leaving my house in the middle of the night I wouldn’t hear the end of it from my dad.Tweek sucked on the tip of his finger and kinda laughed.“Dont be stupid if you’re already being schooled at home it won’t matter if you leave your house, now come, jump”.I listened to him and grab some stuff before we went. He did have a point, but why I was sneaking out my window at 11 at night with the kid who busted my face up was beyond me.It seemed that we walked in silence for the longest time until Tweek finally said something. He kicked at the gravel of the abandoned train tracks.“Hey man, sorry. Errr I didn’t mean to fuck ya up. Its… I didn’t like you’re answer that’s all… I mean (Tweek grab at his hair like he had a bad migraine. )you sounded like you like being stuck in your house that’s just stupid”!I thought hard how I could explain it to him. I couldn’t very well tell him I was a crybaby loser who couldn’t handle daddy leaving, so asked mommy to pull him out of school because his so called friends didn’t give two fucks.“Ahh this is messed up dude, I began shouting, the warm summer breeze blowing through my face. You remember 4th grade when I went through that depression shit and the guys told me if I don’t cheer up then that’s it. Tweek nodded. I wrung my hat in my hands letting the warm breeze ruffle my hair.“Man it’s okay you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to”.I shook my head and looked to him. I told them everything, what happened with my parents, my friends leaving, the therapy sessions. It was as if a huge burden has been lifted off my soul. Then he asked me why I chose to be cut off from everyone. He was going to think I was suck a loser, I thought.“I couldn’t take , I couldn’t face them”. I said embarrassed.I was surprised that he didn’t care, he didn’t judge me even though it was a stupid excuse he just slapped my back and told me to cheer up in that we were here.“Were where?”We were talking so much I didn’t realize we were standing on the parking lot of the local Walmart. South Park eventually caved to the pressure and with a few bribes here and there it had snaked its way into town. He grabbed my hand dashing for those automatic doors. I stumble over my feet just to keep with him. I gripped on to his shoulder and felt butterflies in my stomach when Tweek brushed his fingers over my cheek; shiny black nail polish gleaning in the street lights of the parking lot.“Jeez Stan you gotta loosen up man. Can’t blame all your problems on life; it’s too short”.“But…”“Look man friends are fickle as fuck. You can’t expect to be around the same group of dudes your whole life. Live like that and who knows, your true bro might walk right by and you wouldn’t even know. No more being scared and paranoid for this guy, fuck that noise”, he pointed to his chest and punched me in the arm.Those words have stuck to me to this very day. Living your life sheltered and scared because it too much of a hassle to make an effort, just wanting to be near someone that doesn’t even care, not considering anyone else. I don’t know why maybe it was out of boredom or lack of energy, but here I was getting close to Tweek and it just felt great. I hadn’t felt that happy and full of life in a long time. This was exactly what I needed, a distraction. I didn’t know why I never noticed Tweek before.This was the summer were everything would change for me, my whole outlook on life turned on its head, and like it or not I would welcome it. I wanted to ask him some fallow up questions, since I told Tweek a little about me I thought he should do the same. Like were he’d been all this time. I didn’t know, no one knew . He just sort of disappeared one day sold his house and was gone. He didn’t even give a reason why. He was a mystery; like a mysterious wind that blew through town changing the lives of everyone it touched, at least he change my life. Or at least he would.We went down aisle after aisle Tweek Shifting his eye down each elongated strip of cheap linoleum and fluorescent lights. That’s when I saw them. I froze wanting to make a mad dash down the long narrow corridor. But then out of the blue I felt a hand grab at me, turning me around. That voice made me shudder, it was like nausea crawling up my spine.“Hey how are you” he said.It was Kyle and Cartman. They were shopping for Snacks. Ever since I left our group Cartman and Kyle have been inseparable. I know all the crap fat ass gave Kyle was just petty jealousy. I was always in the way, at least, now Cartman had the opportunity to get close.I wish I could have gone with them. But i remembered what Tweek had said so I remained strong.“Who’s your new friend”?“Come on Kahl lets go”.Kyle gave Cartman a dirty look and ignored him.Cartman huffed and crossed his arms; I could tell he didn’t want to be there at the moment.The towering blonde behind me reached over my head and slinked his hand down my shirt. I was embarrassed Tweek was the type who like to fuck with you. Then he began laughing and said “Me and Stan here are gonna have a bunch of sex. Which way to the condoms?”With the expression on my face I tried to tell Kyle it was a joke. I had to have gone at least three shades of red. I pulled his arm out of my t shirt and glared at him. He didn’t seem to feel sympathy for me or care at all.Cartman raised an eyebrow and pulled kyle around the corner.I thought I was going to kill him he ruined my only chance of me taking to kyle. I tried to get Tweek’s attention as I ran to catch up with him but all he said was “They were giving you a hard time”.When I turned for only a moment, out of the edge of my eye I saw Tweek go to the hunting aisle“Stan over here” he called.He had that characteristic twitch in his eye. Tweek wriggled a hunting knife ,weaving it in and out through the gaps between his fingers. Nervousness and knives didn’t go together.“Give me a hand man”.He shifted his sight from side to side up and down, making sure the coast was clear before slipping the weapon along with several others into the many secret compartments of the inner lining of his raggedy jacket.“Tweek What are ya doing you can’t steal that stuff what if someone sees”.He lifted my shirt and slipped the blade under the waistband. Again I feel those pesky Insects Swarm around in the pit of my stomach when long gangly arms brushed against my stomach.“Let’s go, he tells me roughly pulling my shirt down. Don’t look so worried every Walmart has the same basic layout we won’t get caught, and if I’m going down you’re going down with me”.“Oh and these, “he plucked a pack of slim jims off a nearby shelf.My legs were noodles as we walked past the greeter. My heart it was beating faster than Tweek’s when he was jacked up on coffee and who knows what else. The adrenaline was pumping through my veins, I’d never stolen anything in my life. I was grabbing my at my knees hunched over gasping for breath; it felt like I just ran a marathon.Tweek patted my back perfectly calm apart from a casual tremor that racked up his body every now and then.I asked him why he stole that stuff and his answer was only "Oh you’ll see, this way”.We went around back past the rusted train tracks and over a chain link fence practically falling apart. I didn’t know this place was here, and hidden behind a Walmart no doubt. We were surrounded by concrete walls paved over with graffiti, it looked like this place was under an overpass. I could hear the hiss of engines and the squeak of rubber tires penetrate through the concrete ceiling above us.I told Tweek set this place looked shady. And he told me not to be a pussy, that we were almost there.He paid attention to the road beside us making sure no one saw what he was about to do. He dragged the soul of his steel riveted boot across an area of loose soil and dry leaves, exposing some dry planks of rotting wood. It looked like this makeshift trapdoor had been here for ages from the spongy green moss that clung to its surface.Tweek Pulled up his sleeves, fingers hooked under a knot of rusted iron. He flipped the plank over, when it came crashing to the dusty ground it sent plumes of billowing dust and dried leaves all around us. I was about to hack up a lung shielding my mouth and nose, this was going to make my already bad asthma worse.I could see him descend down into the deep dark passageway, hear his voice calling for me. It was deep, it seemed endless. The only way down was a rickety wooden ladder.I didn’t know why he taking me into a hole in the ground?This place was huge it had rooms carved outta the soil and bedrock, supported by two by fours. It had a storage area and what looked like a kitchen. In the corner there was a pretty wrecked to hell circular table with a shit ton of weed and those wrapper things you use to roll up joints. On one of the walls there was dart board with a whole bunch of sharp crap stuck to it. Various knives, ninja stars,long needles. The only light source in the whole place was from a couple of candles that laid scattered about the room, some on the table and the rest were nestled in dug out holes in the walls; candle-holders I suppose . I called for to Tweek because I couldn’t see him in the darkness.Meet friend number two Christophe aka the mole. He was paranoid one might say, a chain smoker psychopath, but as this tale unfolds he would become one of my best friends. I think Tweek once told me he had dissociative identity disorder as he would switch between various personalities, he would could be violent at a drop of a hat; the slightest thing could set him off. Speaking of setting off the moment I called out Tweek’s name Christophe had me pined up against the wall tightening his grip around my windpipe against his forearm.“Get the fuck off of him. Jesus Christophe”! Tweek shouted.“What are we doing Tweeky you can’t bring zees person into moi’s lair. How can we trust zee’s one, he will touch everything with he’s filthy little hands, now our whole operation has been compromised”.“Your lair , your lair”.“Yes Mon Ami I am the one who dug it out no”.“It as much mine as it is yours. I’m the one who planned it. I’m the one who snuck the wires from that crappy Walmart across the street so we could have cable. I’m the one who got the generator. And I’m the one working on getting us electric lights. So don’t give me this crap Chris”. Besides I told you about him yesterday. Now take your god damn knife”.Tweek reached into his jacket pulling out the knife, he twirled it in the air like a baton catching it blade down between his index fingers, and fling it across the room to Christophe.I had to admit the french guy may have been a psycho but he was kickass. He didn’t even flinch, he just parted his two fingers and caught the thing just like Tweek.“Wait this one seems familiar no”, he said walking over to me. I was still rubbing my throat. Fuck it hurt. Yes you are zee one they call Marsh no. Where is the green hatted one, you two were joined at the hip”.“Cut it Chris, Stan doesn’t hang out with him anymore”.“Wait I’m confused you guys, how do you know each other. Didn’t you just move here Tweek?”“Don’t you dare Tweeky how does one know we can trust him”.“Would you stop, you’re acting more paranoid than me”.Christophe walked over to me, he ghosted the knife over my throat.“I suppose I could trust you. Yes you could be of use to us, you seem quite strong. Very well then. Tweeky bring him here tomorrow four o'clock on thee dot, after our studies of course. Our adventure will begin then”.“Slim Jim man, Tweek gestured to me.“No thanks dude I think I should get going it’s getting late”, Tweek looked at me and took a bite of his dehydrated piece of meat.“Stan we talked about this life is too short. Cut loose man. Ah I know just the thing”.Tweek told me to sit down while he rummaged around in a small cupboard. He had his head deep in the small space, his butt wiggling around in the air. I looked over to Christophe who was sitting at that old table, cigarette in mouth. He flung those knives Tweek gave him at that checkered dartboard: glaring at me. He still didn’t trust me. But he would, we would get close and even form a tight bond in time.When Tweek was done searching for whatever he was searching for he strode across the room to the crappy floral couch I was sitting on. I didn’t know how they got furniture in this place. It look like they raided a thrift store; whoever was in charge of the decor had a pretty crappy sense of fashion. I guess you could say my new friend was grinning. He wrapped his long arm around my shoulder and gave me something.“Is this what I think it is?”“Yup, right here’s a bowl”.I didn’t know if I should’ve been smoking this. Sure I smoked a tad in 4th grade but it was only once and it made me puke right after. But there was just something about Tweek, his confidence, I felt safe around him. He was like the big brother I never had, one who had my back unlike Shelley.“Yeah man I’ll show you”.He went over to the table where Christophe was sitting and snatches a baggie of weed. “I’ll take that thank you very much”, Chris just glared at him but he didn’t say anything. I suppose he was used to Tweek’s odd personality.Tweek took the bowl and stuff it in my face,and quickly took a set of matches out of his camouflage sweats and struck one on the hard bedrock were the coach was leaned up against. The flickering flame at the end of that wooden stick lit up the packed weed.“I’ll show you how. Just suck it in, easy and slow.I coughed like a newbie.“You’re a dork Stan; like this”.He showed me the right way to do it. He took the bowl from me and inhaled a deep breath blowing the smoke above his head.“There like that man”.Before we knew it, we were holding our guts laughing over the stupidest things. I think we were watching something on that crappy analog TV that was in this place; the picture was already fuzzy and we were stoned out of our minds.“You know what”, Tweek said.“What dude”.“Jesus has the ultimate super power. You’re like 70% water one touch and your done son, instant alcohol poisoning”.“Dude that’s so random why you say that”?“Isn’t that Jesus on the TV”?“No I think it’s the walking dead”.“Jesus, walking dead same thing man. Zombie Jesus, Jesus was basically a zombie”.“Okay”… You’re so high right now”.It was really late I was making my way up the latter to go home when I heard his voice.“Man what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t walk you home”, Tweek said.We were standing in front of my house and I couldn’t help myself, I hugged him; I, I know it was a little gay.“Thanks dude I haven’t had this much fun in a while, thanks for the great night”. He looked at me. I thought he would be weirded out but he wasn’t. He just rubbed the back of his head and smiled“You still have that knife”.“Yeah I think; here”.Tweek reached into his coat and pulled out a marching one. “Let’s trade. There now you have mine and I have yours, whenever you feel down just look at that knife and know I got your back”Just as quickly as he came Tweek turned and carelessly waved goodbye disappearing into the darkness.
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I could remember it like it was yesterday, cold and raining, wind rustling through the leaves of the tree outside my house. We had a project due in a couple of days, and so I needed help. Kenny had gone wherever it is he when and so our group was looking for someone new to hang around with. “And lucky me” that person was Tweek.I was never been good at math I always found it confusing, but luck would have it Tweek was good at it. Which wasn’t at all surprising, since he was always going off about conspiracies and his crazy theories about aliens and things of that nature , so of course he would be good with numbers and theories.I didn’t know why we ever made him our friend. He was annoying and a loner, he wouldn’t talk to anyone; just being around him made me cringe. That was until that night. We were eating dinner, around eight or so, and Tweek was there at our table, my whole family staring at him. Shelly raised an eyebrow, my mother asking if he was okay, and dad…well he was just laughing, “Stan where you get this kid he cracks me up” he said. Tweek was so thin back then, and not tall like he was when I met him years later . Most probably because he never ate , I only ever saw him drink coffee.But anyways Tweek seemed hungry tonight with how he was banging the heel of his fork and knife against our table top, utensils grasped firmly in his grip.“More beef, more beef Tweek desires more beef”, Tweek said practically jumping up and down in his seat from how much he was shaking. I stared at him, and nudged his shoulder.” what are you doing dude?“"Tweek is god, and every god deserves a crown. I thought he was still excited from our little Sea Monkey escapade because he reached down and pulled a tin foil hat from his Chinpokomon bag, the tip molded into an antenna. I leaned into him, my eyes darting in all directions around the room, and I whisper in his ear. "Tweek what are you doing my parents are going to think you’re insane”. He winked at me then at my parents and pointed to the thing on his head. “This here is my disruptor. "Gah” You never know when aliens or the government may be listening in. “Ra-ra-ra” My brain waves man they’ll read my brain waves “.I couldn’t help the snicker that formed on my face, I almost choked on my Potatoes. Mom raised an eyebrow, and put another piece of steak on Tweek’s plate. He quickly scarfed it down like he’d never seen food before."So Tweek… is it, my father called from across the table. What do you want to do in the future?”“Ahhhgahrara that’s hard Mr. Stan but I’d like to get with Bebe Stevens”. Tweek elbowed me, and winked at my dad. He tugged at his sleeve and his neck spasmed causing him to slap the side of his head against his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me and said. “Come on Stan you know what I mean. Gah !You should totally hook me up with that, Then we can double date you and Wendy, me and Bebe". “Shhh”, mom Stan’s new friend is weird", Shelly slurped Pepsi through her braces.We spent the rest of the night in my room Tweek helping me out with the math. Us cutting out Letters of brightly colored construction paper, gluing them on thick Bristol board. We started talking and passed the time playing COD. He was just, what’s the word “different”, every time he smoked me he would jump up bouncing and screaming on my bed. “Gah take that Stan You can’t touch this”, he said slam dunking my ps3 controller on the mattress.It got late fast thunder and lightning clashing outside the window. The rain pelted down over Sparky’s dog House in the backyard, pitter pattering like beads in a shaker.We continued to talked all night, Tweek told me how he was so scared of everything, that he didn’t even try to make friends because they’d all just make fun of him. He was so awkward. He said When lunch time came around he’d locked himself in the bathroom, his legs trembling against his chest as he perched himself on the bathroom stall. And when he couldn’t get away from the people he would sneak out and eat his Peanut butter and jelly sandwich by the bus stop bench, or anywhere, where there weren’t people around. I could relate to his loneliness. At this point the isolation was starting to set in with me and my friends growing apart.The question I asked myself was what about Craig, Clyde and the rest of his friends ? Well it turned out they didn’t really want to be around him him. We all have those people . People who we thought were our friends, but they were just acquaintances , people we work with ,or god forbid people who we talk to you on the Internet. Outside School Craig didn’t want anything with Tweek, he was just an acquaintance at school.The wind was still howling and the ps3 said 2:45 am. We had school in a couple hours, but Tweek didn’t even seem tired.He pulled out his lime green sleeping bag Covered in coffee bean designs and wiggled deep into the fabric. He brought it right up to his mouth, only the top half of his head was visible. I couldn’t tell if it was shaking or if the fan on the desk was blowing his hair around. I reached up to turn off the lights, and I could see Tweek’s pupils dilate like pinpricks. His forearms shuttered under the pale yellow of his pajamas when he grabbed the fringe of his sleeping bag.“Goodnight dude”, I said.“Nnarg– night Stan”, he said as his teeth granted together.I closed my eyes and drew my knees to my chest resting my cheek on the cold hard wall. I made sure not to do it too loud. My chest raised and fell as I let out small noises . As I snuggle my pillow close to me I felt something grab hold of my shoulder. Once I turned my head I saw him. Tweek was tapping on my back.“S-Stan you okay, why are you crying?”Tweek seemed concerned from how his jaw clenched and his eyebrows tilted from side to side. His hazel eyes shuddered and gleamed from a strip of artificial light that streaked through the window and, across my football that lay on the floor. “I’m not crying, crying for girls". I firmly denied. Now go back to bed"! I turned back around.This time instead of tapping my back Tweek grabbed my shoulders and shook me back and forth.“What’s wrong with you”, I shouted.“Nnarg– I’ve seen you cry before, now I’m not letting go until you tell me what’s wrong”.I thought what business was it of his, what was wrong with me? Nobody ever seemed to care before, even the people closest to me didn’t seem to care. I let out a breath.“I don’t want to live anymore". I close my eyes, and turned my head back to the wall.It hurt, I felt his bony hands they dug into my shoulders. He was so “heavy” despite his size. His legs clamping around my stomach, pinning me down to my bed.“Get off of me”!It was strange I was about to call my parents or maybe even Shelly, but for some reason sparky who was at the foot of my bed wasn’t barking or even growling. He got aggressive if there was even a hint of me being in any danger. But Sparky tilted his head up and brought it back down. He must’ve sensed that Tweek wasn’t going to do anything. That or he liked him.“Dude what the hell".I struggle to get him off me, my fingers dug into his face, but he kept biting down on my arms and shoulders. “Stop that you weirdo". He managed to get one final punch on me before I slipped my foot under his stomach and flung him on his back.“Your stupid Stan! Life’s great think of all the things you’d be missing out on”I found it odd that he would say something like that. You would have thought he would be the one who wanted to off himself.“You think I haven’t thought about it man – Killing myself. Well I have, that’s not a solution man. Fuck I always wanted to talk to you guys even before you wanted to hang out , but I’m shy. Man I know how to deal with negative thoughts, anxiety sucks. I could teach you some coping skills. Like breathing or finding your center. Like this".He got up off his back crossing his legs, swaying his thighs left then right, nestling himself into my comforter. Tweek’s eyes closed shut, he repositioned himself into a lotus stance, pinching his thumb and Index fingers together. Deep breaths he took deep breaths, in and out, in and out. He seemed calm for once aside from how his eyebrows shuffled, and his toes curled in his weird black and white checkered socks. I turned on my side again to not answer him. But out of the blue he grabbed me.“Jesus you need a hug".Tightness coiled, around my chest, I felt erratic breath damp and warm roll over the back of my neck. His bony chest quivered against my spine. Tweek slipped His leg through mine, again I felt his heaviness as our legs tangled together in the mess of my sheets. I didn’t know how to react nobody had hug me like that before, it was an invasion of privacy, but it felt nice as well. For the first time in a while someone cared about me, I didn’t know why it was him, I never treated him well; actually I’ve never let anyone close to treat well.As I was about to push him away I felt him tremble even more . And suddenly I could hear him say. “Gah I’m so scared Stan”, his voice uneasy and frightened.My stomach became tight and yet again the heaviness of his arms and legs gave me a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. Let go, I let the weirdness swirling in my stomach go, my expression softening.I didn’t turn around to face him, but I told him everything would be alright by letting him spill all his troubles into the back of my neck.“What’s wrong"?“Don’t make fun me kay? But I’m scared I don’t wanna die”. Die I would welcome death and its sweet embrace, but that’s when it all made sense to me. It was the reason I was seeing less and less of Tweek at school. What was I going to say? There’s wasn’t any point in lying. So I did the only thing I knew how.“Hey shut up stupid I’ll be dead way before you”.“Fuck ow don’t hit me.“ Needless to say Tweek was infuriated with me being so negative. Monday morning after school I told him why. I felt like no one understood me. Me and my friends were already growing apart. Kyle to focused on school to pay me much attention, Cartman; well who knew with him he was always off doing his own thing to pay anyone much mind, and Kenny when he came back into the picture was too busy chasing pussy around to give a crap . It was sad to think but what Tweek had told me was true, even the closets of friends grew apart, it didn’t matter if you knew each other your whole lives.The next day 4 p.m. and were at my soccer game. Tweek had encouraged me to join the team, get my head out of the clouds. It was working for awhile. I could hear him shout from the sidelines. Tweek running his hand through the grass, throwing the green blades above his head screaming. "Gah that’s my friend, did you see that he scored”, he elbowed some annoyed looking guy in the shoulder. All was well that was until I got the news.I was in the locker room changing out of my uniform. Tweek was waiting outside with my parents. Then it happened, my phone vibrated. When I looked at the screen all I wanted to do was drowned in sorrow that much more . “It’s over , It’s not you it’s me"!Wendy. “She dumped me”, what was this the 4th time? Did I do somthing wrong? Who broke up over a text.“Stan hey err what’s taking so long”, I heard his voice. To my surprise when Tweek found me shoulders slouched, elbows dug into my knees seated on the cheap changing room bench he stammered right for my wrist.“Stop it put, those down”! He found me popping anti depressants like they were Mentos. “SLAM” the sound of rusty steel! He pinned me to the locker, the bottle I held slipped out of my hand. It echoed when it hit the grimy tiles, capsules pouring out and clattering like marvels. “Am I such a horrible person that everyone I meet hates me. Can’t I be happy for once. Wendy’s my everything I can’t dude”, I said pinching the bridge of my nose, scraping my fingers over my eyes.When I open them my mom and dad where there, mom shaking her head, dad lecturing me, Tweek smiling oddly. Tweek grabbed my hand and we walked towards the car.As we cross the street hand and hand I thought that’s when I first realized Tweek was my friend. He actually put up with me, every time Wendy would break up, Kyle wouldn’t care; nobody cared. But with Tweek it was different, he didn’t seem to mind or be annoyed by the drama that was Stan marsh.We were in the back seat, my dad looking at me and Tweek In the rear-view mirror , Shelly brushing her hair. We were supposed to be dropping Tweek off at his house, but out of the blue he jumped up.“Gah Mr. Stan and um… Mrs. Stan can um me and Stan go to the movies or something”.“Shhh” mom that’s not fair if twerp gets spend the day with “vibrator” here I getta see my boyfriend".“Shelly shush! I don’t know Tweek is Stan even finished with his homework, and tomorrow you have school”, my mother protested.“I’ve been helping Stan out every night this week, ahhhh he’s not as big of a dumb Jock as everyone makes him out to be”.“Hey”.“Gah Jesus that was a compliment”.“Are you asking me out on a date?” I gave him a sly smile and a upturn of my brow.“NO NO” he waved hands in front of his face, waggling his open palms in front of me. I thought he just blushed.“Two please”, Tweek said. I felt guilty I wanted to pay, but there was no arguing, once Tweek got something in his head there was no changing it.The theater was dark, cool AC circulated around us. As soon as the lights dimmed and pictures rolled across the screen Tweek screamed and pulled his packman T-shirt over his mouth. “JESUS CIRIST WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!”“Your funny dude, why did you chose an alien movie when your terrified of them”.“AHHH shut up man”! He pulled the brim of my hat over my eyes and threw a handful of popcorn on me.“You’re gonna get butter on me grumpy".“Would you tell your loud mouth friend to shut the hell up”. I shifted my weight and swing my body around giving the guy behind us the biggest fuck you.Tweek slouched his shoulders. I was expecting him to be pissed off since every time I got him mad or even said anything to him he’d show me his fiery temper. Not this time. He looked so small and crumpled, and when that jackass opened his mouth I wanted to punch the jerk right in his messed up face.“S-Stan am I weird?”When Tweek heard a half chuckle from the dude, he staggered up from his seat, the spring in the cushion squeaked as the base of the chair hit the backrest. I pulled him back down by the front of his shirt, and showed my distaste for the ass who would make such an outgoing person like Tweek feel bad about himself.“Your not weird dude were all weird, but that’s what makes us different … unique man”.This time Tweek squeezed my hand a little, but quickly pulled it back when he heard “Get a room”.“Come on lets sit closer up”.“Ahhhhhh”!Now his fingers wrapped around mine,as he buried his little head in my bomber jacket. It was strange. What was this feeling? My stomach twisted and churned.“ scared”?“Shit No way I’m manly as fuck”. He quickly pulled himself off me.“Right”?“Hello, Tweek Its almost 4 In the morning What are you doing calling me”.“ Jesus I just wanted to tell you thanks for seeing Prometheus with me and not making a big deal bout that whole you know… I don’t think I could have gotten through that movie without you. Ahhhhh What if aliens really did that,What if they Created us man! It makes so much sense.” Calm down everything I’ll be ok".“WHAT IF THEY COME AFTER ME I BET THIS IS ALL A GOVERNMENT COVER UP, THEY KNOW THAT I KNOW THERE GONNA KILL ME. THIS IS SOME X-FILES SHIT RIGHT HERE”.“ Relax remember what you taught me, find your center, deep breaths”.This had become quite a regular thing, Sure it could be annoying sometimes, but what could I say Tweek had grown on me. That’s why I didn’t care when he asked me to come over at such an awful hour.The cool summer breeze made me smile as I walked the secluded streets of South Park. Tweek’s house was only a few blocks down, It was familiar to me. The old tree house in Tweek’s back yard called me , and I remembered all the happy times we had here. Telling ghost stories, playing video games, and giggling when we got caught spying on the neighbors.That night when I climbed up those rickety nailed on planks I was greeted to the site of my weird little friend pacing back and forth. Our mason jars we’re scattered about the dusty floor, with fireflies tucked inside lighting the dark tiny clubhouse.Tweek was in hysteria when I peeked my head up through the hole in the floor. He hung on to me for dear life, his mad platinum blonde hair tickling my throat as he let out apology after apology. How could he think I could ever be angry with him. He’s the one who should’ve been angry with me for being so mopey all the time.“What’s wrong grumpy pants, everything okay”. Tweek furrowed his brows giving me his best pout as he pushed off my chest. Aside from that he didn’t say anything and we walked over to the squishy 80’s floral coach in the corner of the tree house, by the open space in the wall; our sad attempt to build a window. Neither one of us were handy that was for sure. We didn’t say anything for a while, we just sat there watching gravity falls. Tweek loved stuff like this, the endless conspiracy , and I thought it was cute.I could live with silence, just watching him while we shared a bowl of M&M’s , Tweek leaning on my shoulder was fine with me.He got all serious on me, I always could tell with him from how he would lose any sign of nervousness. His expression would go all cold and steely; Tweek was pretty… dude, scary when he got that air of determination about him.“I gotta tell you something "dude”. Tweek said laughing under his breath on how ridiculous that word sounded coming from his mouth.“Ha ha ha don’t, it doesn’t suit you”.“Okay, but seriously I… uh gotta tell you something”.“WHERE YOU GOING?”I got up and simply walked to the exit. what else could I have done. I couldn’t even explain what I was feeling at that moment. I was going to lose him I thought. Tweek had become dare I say my best friend. when I was sad and couldn’t go on he was there, when Wendy broke up he was there, whenever I had the slightest confidence problem he was there. He was always there; no matter how small or insignificant my problems were. Now he was moving because of his infirmities.“ Jesus Christ Stan How do you think this makes me feel. You’re my best friend. Don’t you think this makes me feel bad”?Don’t look at him I told myself , If he doesn’t see you face this i’ll be a lot easier.He grabbed my arm, and turned me around. I knew he could see my face was red. I had to leave I couldn’t be there. He kept saying “say something, say something”, but I didn’t say anything. I didn’t even fight back when he started wailing on me. I was on the floor crawling to the exit. Then I got up, and grabbed Tweek’s forearm Inches away from my face.“Tweek stop I’m sorry. I know this is going to sound weird, but… could you sit on me”.“ Just say it already Stan. wait, what”?“ I don’t know, when you came over to my house you were just so heavy”.“Ahh are you calling me fat”!“No I’m not. When you first came over and hugged me , and when you started beating the crap out of me when I was being so negative. You were on top of me, It was the best feeling I’ve ever had”.“ Is this a sexual thing, because gah I don’t know”.To be honest I didn’t know if it was sexual. I loved Wendy and I always would, she’d always be one of my best friends. But after that night with Tweek, me pinned underneath him; I felt strange. As soon as he left that night I touched myself for the first time . For most of the next day I avoided Tweek feeling pretty fucking awkward; a ten year old shouldn’t be experiencing that for his best guy friend. But at that very moment all I wanted to feel was that wonderful suffocating feeling of Tweek’s heaviness.“Please. This is the last time we might ever see each other, please do this for me".He was hesitant at first, twisting his moss green minecraft shirt in his awkward fingers. Tweek wanted to take me to the couch. “No” I wanted it right there on the dusty planks of wood, I needed to feel every ounce of pressure of his weight, his awesome heaviness. I told him to push down my shoulders, and he did. Tweek got on my stomach. His bare knees pressed hard against my ribs just over my jacket, and when my face started to make weird facial expressions Tweek started to stroke his neck.“Doesn’t this hurt?”My only response was to run my hand over his cheek.“ Don’t you dare forget me”. Tweek said struggling to hold back tears biting his bottom lip.I hated it I hated it with all my heart. I hated having to brush tears away from such a brave person. But most of all I hated myself.“ Be brave, we’ll always be friends. you’ll be fine without me”.“Err gah but what if…”“ You’ll be fine you’re not going to die, You’ll see we’ll see each other again. I promise I’ll never forget you”“ Promise”.“ Promise”.I was a gross disgusting waste of space. I looked straight into his face and lied. It may have not happened immediately, but I forgot Tweek. It killed me. Looking at his picture , seeing him in my dreams. It was messed up. I let my petty problems let me forget him. The one and only friend that truly helped me. I promised him I would meet him at the airport, say goodbye. I didn’t. I stayed home because maybe if I ignored it, it would all go away.And now there I was In Tweek’s basement, looking up at him In his Metallica shirt and heavy leather boots, Camo backpack Slung over one shoulder. That’s why he fucked me up. I really wish I would’ve die, how could I forget a friend as great as him.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was hot, sticky and humid. The type of weather that caused your clothes cling to your skin. I told Tweek to “Hold on” as I grasped my knees , hunched over, lungs pumping, gasping for breath . My palms were clammy and so I wiped the sweat over the black fabric of my shorts. They soaked up the heat from the sun and made my legs warm.It was 4 o'clock like we agreed. We had just left Tweek’s house and like in 3rd grade he had helped me with my homework .“Stany is it just me or have we gotten slower over the years, ca-come on we can’t keep Chris waiting”. He said. Tweek tapped his boot on the cracked cement his arms crossed over his Metallica shirt. It was full of holes. His left eye twitched slightly and his fingers ruffled through the pages of the two buck scifi novel he probably got at Value Village.I told him to wait that I just needed a minute to catch my breath. I inhaled the sour mist from the inhaler. Tweek looked disgruntled like a homeless man but that look soon softened and he seemed sympathetic . I could tell he wanted to console me or at the very least say something I thought, but I brushed his affection away. He shrugged his shoulders and we continued our trek down the sunbathed asphalt.When we arrived Christophe and his mother were on the front lawn. She was a woman with simple dark straight hair like mine, and a heavy accent. She leaned down and kissed her son’s cheek and messyed up his hair that was dusty and encrusted with clots of dirt. But hesitation wasn't Christophe so that’s why he spat at his moms shoes and jumped off their porch. He started yelling , throwing handfuls of dirt on his face, which seeped into his pores.“No Mother you do not touch me, I did not give you permission”. He shouted pointed to the sky , and paced around in circles. His mother look tired. She smiled at but you could tell deep down there was something amiss . I told him he shouldn’t talk to his mom like that but Tweek interjected, he chewed on his nails and told me Chris didn’t give a shit that he treated everyone like that. Then Christophe shoved his mother through the screen door and slammed it shut. She didn’t say anything except “ be a good my wee mole and play nice with your little friends”.Years later Christophe would tell me he felt terrible about treating his mother that way. But he had lashed out ever since his father went to the store to buy his cigarettes and never returned . From the gear he was wearing I could tell we were going someplace dangerous and even life-threatening. If I had known I would have never gone with them because maybe he would still be with me.For the longest time we walked in silence. I asked them where we were going but Tweek and Christophe would only give me an odd smile and say “you’ll see”. My feet slowed and that happy sound of friends telling each other lame jokes brought a sense of sadness to me . I didn't remember ever seeing this part of town before. The buildings were strange, tall with large open windows, soaring tube light chimneys spewed ash and soot into the air. I thought possibly we were in the warehouse district where all the construction companies kept their shipping containers. I didn't know where we were but the buildings towered on each side , we were rats scurrying down the center.Tweek stopped and asked me why I was so far behind. I looked down at my feet, and shoved my hands in my shorts kicking the rocks along the abandoned tracks. I felt so… down. I should’ve gone home. I didn't deserve him. I forgot Tweek the moment I laid eyes on him. The tiredness in his eyes, the violent outbursts, of course he would be pissed. I still remembered his words. "Don’t you dare forget me man". And I did the complete opposite.“ I think I should go, uh Christophe doesn’t like me and um…"What” Chris like that with everyone, aren’t you"!“Mostly".“Now err what’s really eating you?“I whispered into his ear because I was embarrassed about what Christophe might think of me. To my surprise he wasn’t angry. Tweek told me he was upset but he didn’t blame me because even back as kids he would always catch me locked in my room listening to depressing music. He said I was an airhead, and I couldn’t really argue with him there. But even still I could tell he was angry. Back then Tweek only got aggressive when I did something stupid, or when I'd piss him off, losing confidence in myself for example.Definitely forgetting your friend was a more than good enough reason to be upset. I deserved the pain on the right side of my face."Never mad at you, you’ll always be my moody short ass Stany”. He cuped my face in his hands, scrunching up my cheekbones. And gave me a strange wet kiss on the forehead. I blushed just like all those years ago at movie theater, and I got that same wonderful suffocating feeling when he was sitting on top of me; pressing his bony scraped knees into my ribs.I pulled his hands back.“I was taller than you once you know. And… uh you’ll always be that grumpy kid next door that can always makes me feel better".Christoph stood a few feet away from us and called us “bigger faggots” than god. Tweek told him to shut the fuck up and gave him the middle finger. He brushed it off but still Christophe made a comment that he thought I was acting strange with how quiet I was being. But he let it go because we had arrived. I knew this place looked familiar, the clearing in front of us. It was the place known as crookneck Creek. The kids around town knew, well everyone knew that this was a place to stay away from. It was cursed. It had begun a couple months before, at first it was only the homeless that began disappearing so the police didn’t bother to investigate. But then kids started going missing. They thought it might be suicide at first because around here a lot of people jumped off the bridges around town .The first body they found was face down, most of his penis eaten away by the the salmon in the stream . Bodies decompose and the first thing to go were their feet. As of then 12 shoes had been found all with matching feet to go along with them. The feet were always the first to go. The cartilage around the joints begins to wear and they soon detach. They end up washing up along the shore, and when the old folks take their dogs for their walks at 5 a.m. that’s where they find them. But I suspected something more than suicide was at play.Now we were here, at that place . A grove covered with thick trees, lead us down into the ravine. Our feet slid on the steep slope knocking rocks out of the side. They splashed into the shallow stream below .I followed close behind.Christophe took the lead. He walked over to the edge of the water, and started poking and prodding, sinking his shovel into the hard bedrock. The murky waters stirred. My Converse’s were getting soaked through. Leaving me with that gross squishy feeling of wet socks. I guess that was why those two were wearing boots, Tweek in his scuffed up leather engineer boots, and Christophe in his army rubbers.Three times Christophe struck the shovel. It sounded not like before. That hard clattering sound, sounded softer like it hit a sack of flour. Slowly he pull something up. A piece of tattered cloth hooked over the end of the rusty shovel. "Eahh"was that what they wanted to show me. There hanging on the end of the shovel was a body. It wasn’t much older than us, younger even; its skin cold and clammy. Poor kid I thought nobody deserved that. Its hands and legs were bond with that cheap itchy string you could get at the dollar store for a buck fifty, and it looked as if the life was completely drained from it. It was hard to tell what it was, but I thought it was a boy. The decomposing was bad ; its lips rotted away revealing gums bloody and bruised. Flies and maggots crawled in and out of its mouth, and from the empty sockets in it's head where eyes must’ve once been. That being said various parts of it had been eaten away by more hungry pecking fish, presumably. The smell wasn’t that terrible on the account of all the time it must’ve spent at bottom of the stream. All it wore was a tattered powder blue shirt, and a pair of underwear riddled with holes, little cats around the waistband.Why would anyone do this, this was fuckin gross the thought came to my mind. I wanted to hurl. whoever this was, was someone’s friend, someone’s son, and now it was curled up in a ball thrown out like Fridays nights trash. I couldn’t even tell, but I thought it had blonde hair.“ We found it like this some time ago”.“Hey its ok”.Tweek grabbed my hand and held it in his. He knew I was tense from how I was clenching my fists.“Marsh, Marsh, Marsh we must learn Not let our emotions get the best of us, "oui”. We have been investigating this little troubling affair. You probably don’t watch thee news, but there has been a rash in disappearances of shall we say adolescences. Look over here".“ Don’t call it an it dude. It was a person once”. I said.“ You are quite sensitive and naive. It does not matter what it was, for we all return to the earth and become soil for the next generation to thrive. Alive or dead we are meaningless. I can sense you are getting irritated with me, no”??I knew much more than he would have thought, and they didn’t like his tone. Christophe was cold it was like he didn’t care that this person was even alive once.“ Jesus stop it Chris! your such an asshole”.“Anything for you my Tweety Bird”.“This is what we wanted to show you”.I follow them, Christophe Smirked. His boots crunched beneath the twigs and dry leaves. I still felt weird leaving that mutilated kid to rot in the hot sun. They could have at the very least buried it. But there was no time to argue. Quickly, Christophe stomped down on the tall grass with his heavy boots to reveal a dark crevice. It was like looking into a black hole, an endless void. I didn’t know how to explain it, but it was ominous. There was something not right. The air became dense, heavy even.I told them that I thought we shouldn’t go in there because bad things always happen to me. This was precisely the reason that nobody wanted to hang around me especially Craig. But Tweek insisted everything would be fine, that he would protect me.This was bad. The feeling i got about this place, a growing dread in the pit of my stomach. Something was off about whatever this place was. why weren't they calling the police? They found a body right next to a cave for that was some shady shit right there. This was like one of those cheesy horror flicks, the ones where you go into a creepy place knowing that it all could’ve been avoided by simply getting your ass outta there.Christophe handed Tweek the flashlight and in turn he handed it to me. But as we went further and further down into the pitch black passageway, there was an eerie green glow. Strange veins of crystal knotted in and out of the walls. Their aquamarine glow was so intense that we didn’t even need our flashlights.Deeper and deeper we went , I feelt like the walls were closing in on us. Cutting off our air. Before I could stretch my arms, but now I felt the bumpy walls brush the sleeve of my shirt. It scraped and tore on the rough jagged rock. I started to panic, I couldn't breathe.“ What are these on zee walls?”“ umm ugh I guess there Mushrooms???”. Tweek commented his eyebrows slanting together.“I don’t know about that Tweety bird. I’ve never seen a mushroom quite like this. Their luminescent, transparent. What are these tentacles that their tethered to the rock with”?Christophe went to touch one, the odd shaped mushroom Shuttered and squirmed puffing up like a balloon, and exploding into a million particles of strange technicolored pixels. It flooded the whole passageway with it’s light.“What zee hell was that! These things weren’t here the last time”.“Chill man it didn’t hurt you. They’re just like those dandelion bubble dee boo things, urgh only with lights”.As soon I was going to open my mouth , question why they’ve been down here before we stopped. My face rushed forward ,Crack , It collided. Damn Christophe was solid.“Gah We’re here”!I rubbed my nose , and the next thing I knew , we were in a large “chamber”? The door that laid before us was the creepiest thing I’ve ever seen. It was huge and circular. Must've been at least six inches thick. Strange symbols were carved into its surface. There were three slots, one up top , one at the bottom, and one in the center . Each slot was a … I didn’t even know, a troll or maybe a gargoyle. They had sharp teeth and everything. This place…“ What the hell let go of my arm. Don’t put it in there”.“ I would have never thought the infamous Stan marsh would be afraid to put his hand "en” a door".It wasn’t that I was scared but Christophe wanted to put my hand in that jaw full of teeth. I guess I was acting like Tweek used to, but come on. I wasn’t a moron anyone stupid enough to put their hand in there…“ You know I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. Tweek said. Remember back in 4th when you were crying, saying everythings shit. Err … You were at Stark’s pond all by yourself Swinging, looking at that damn sunset; that’s a good way to go blind you know. Well then I came up and ask you what was wrong. I wasn’t going to leave you all alone. we spent the whole day together, you even slept over."Tweek not in front of Christophe he’s gonna think I’m a wimp”.“ Sweet Jesus” he already thinks you’re wimp".“Zees Is true”.“ Dude I don’t know”.“ It’s safe, me and Chris have been down here a million times. Besides we need three to get this thing open”.“ But why me”?“ Don’t flatter yourself Marsh. Me and Tweety Bird are how you say not social. Any idiot will do”.“ Ignore him man. It just takes a long time for Chris to warm up to people”.This was a mistake. Everything told me not to put my hand in there. Whatever was on the other side of that door I didn’t want to know. Even if ended up sheding light on the disappearances. But I was curious about the mangled body. So I listened.Trust was a rare thing and I didn’t know why I trusted Tweek. But somehow I always have. We all have that special someone in our lives , and it just so happened to turned out to be Tweek that helped when the whole world had abandoned , given up on me. Not Tweek though he never gave up on me even when I wanted to. So for those reasons alone I trusted him.The three of us looked up , and nodded in agreement. Christophe went first his arm slipping through the top slot. Me and Tweek went together, he grabbed my sweaty palm.“ It’ll be okay”Swish swish swish the echos of plates rung through the rocks of the cave.My heart it stopped I couldn’t move my arm. Crystal told me to shut up to stop flailing! But again Tweek defended me, he told me to come down or the asthma would get worse. His hand snaked around and squeezed. My shoulders reared up and I laugh. He was an asshole because he knew I was sensitive there.I started to sweat my whole body writhing. It took everything I had not to spill my lunch all over the floor.These things weren’t letting up, even a kid as tough as Christophe fell to his knees grabbing at his stomach through his army jacket. The circle of the door where our arms were trapped shimmer and shuddered. The whole chamber glowed like the surface of the sun in hot golden light. All three of us struggled pulling and thrashing our trapped limbs. Those eyes in the center glowed red as the runes in around the disk lit up.“AHH J- Jesus this fuckin smarts”. Tweek shouted a moan slipping past his clenched jaw . He tried to pry open the jaw of teeth that held his wrist in place.I panicked again but just as Christophe was about to hit me his eyes “widened”.The old door was rumbled, the stabbing feeling in my hand grew worse. It was like a horde of rats gnawing through my veins.And there around that nasty pair of eyes in the center of the stone slab… what was the best way to describe it, a ring I would say. Made of some sort of clear crystal.“Yes blood so tantalizing to the senses.“Mmmmm”, I’ve never tasted a blood so sweet.“Hehehehe he ahraha”!It must’ve taken those fools thousands upon thousands of those little brats to quench my thirst. BUT YOU, YESS I FEEL IT, FREEDOM”!!!That voice I almost pissed myself, it drilled into my very soul . Like someone pulling my guts out through my mouth with a rusty hook. It was deep, and… “Oh God… I knew coming down here was a mistake.“Wait” I knew what that voice meant now. I was so stupid. That ring and all the other strange runes that were glowing red. “It was blood”!” What is this! You mean to tell me you are the one responsible for this, these atrocities".Christophe curled his rough calloused fingers over his forearm. Thrashing and wailing, the skin around his wrist began to tear.“ Jesus”.The whole place was soaked in that sickly red glow. And now finally I could see what those weird mushroom things on the walls were. All around us were bodies, skeletons embedded into the walls and even beneath our feet. some still had flesh on them, now crystallized, all were kids.They were screaming.“ Help us we were human once" ."I want to be alive.”“ Brother ”.Each one wailed and screamed. Their misery filled my eardrums. These things didn’t resemble people anymore, taken in the prime of life.I couldn’t believe I thought Christophe was this cold heartless individual. Mine and Tweek’s words had no effect on his fury. He was pissed! He couldn’t take it. Like a gust of fierce wind he took out one of his many knives, this one strapped to his ankle just under his pant leg. Just then the mass of bodies that were crawling out of the walls, and the floor stopped.The demon heads that held our wrists in place opened they’re crooked jaws. All three of us stumble back onto the grimy floor. As I looked at my hand there was blood everywhere. Something had pierced it like a huge spike. And around the pool of blood in the center of my palm were those strange runes. But as quickly as they came they were gone. I thought those two noticed.The cackling of the disembodied voice grew stronger, coming from every direction. Plumes of violet purple smoke poured from the three slots. It enveloped us. We were hacking . The smoke irradiated my eyes . My lungs were on fire . I fell to my knees drool dripping from my bottom lip. I thought I was going to die. But then as the smoke cleared I saw it.In the center of the room it stood. Chistophe glared at it, shouting his french obscenities , Tweek was picking at the steel rivits on his bag. It didn’t even turn its head.The thing towered above , its long gangly limbs outstretched. It must've had at least ten feet on us. The Dark ebony armor that was bolted to its body reflected the light of the runes and strange crystals in the walls. Not a shred of skin showed on it, not even it’s face. It was majestic though I wouldn’t say frightening. Wispy locks of pure white hair attached to the back of its beak like mask with leather bound straps. It's mask was the thing that I would remember more than anything else. It looked like one of those plague doctor masks with the long noses.“Mon dieu. I am talking to you freak”.This time the thing turned around. The left side of it's was mask melted. Like a hawk its penetrating gaze cut into me. It’s eye practically bulged out of the one remaining socket in its mask .What was wrong with grumpy, his expression.All around me I felt waves of thin air start to prickle at my skin. Hard and rough like sandpaper, a bony grasp around my ankle. I touched my fingers to my cheek, more blood. Once I caught my breath I saw it. One of those deformed things grabbed my shorts and pulled down. I thougt those things were evil, but it saved me.“ Lucky , lucky little black haired boy. It seems like my pitiful victim saved you. What a shame.”In a blink it swept from across the room and behind me, as if it were a mirage, its clawed fingertips facing the wall of the chamber like a spear. It Adjusted Its head from a 90 degree angle to look to me, that violent reddish eye. Ever so slowly it moved its gaze up to the stalactites that dangled from the ceiling. A sound like gritty broken glass could be heard as it scraped its long razor sharp talons across its plated abdomen , up its throat to where it’s mouth should have been. The mask bubbled away as if it were hot tar to show off its pale lips. No! Droplets of red driped down long nails into its mouth.I didn’t even notice. I looked down at the thing that pulled me to my knees, It’s empty sockets wide with sorrow. I touched my cheek again, examining it more closely this time. There on my face was a gash. I could see it in the puddle that formed beneath my feet from the dripping stalactites. Thats when the relatively hit me. If that thing, that creature didn’t pull me down when it did … that masked bastard would have taken my head clean off.“No this is not it. How dare you deceive me little brat. This blood it’s not the sweet tangy euphoria that freed me!”This time I saw . It lifted off it's feet, levitating above the ground ever so slightly, but instead of phasing across the room like before it did a backflip at least five feet in the air. SLAM! It drilled into the ground and slithered like some kind of snake through the rocky soil; its body twisting and curving like there wasn’t a single bone in its body.My clothes were torn to hell, and small trickles of blood oozed from the corners of my mouth and eyes. It held me there , long claws wrapped around my throat. And it squeezed. The whole world began to fade in hazy clouds of grey. Meekly my fingertips squeaked over the surface of the stone wall. It was no use I didn’t have the strength to lift my arm to even try and loosen its grip around me.“ Go to sleep little liar”. It said as it held me there against the wall in one hand. It slowly reared back the other, its long claws pinched closely together to deliver the final blow. Any second I could’ve blackout but before that happened I saw a sliver of silver, gleam in the distance of the ceiling. Like bone cracking, a hefty stalactite jostled loose and crashed on the nape of its neck . It pierced the creatures strange armor, and before It could even turn, that silver gleam stabbed through the back of its neck and out the other side. It instantly dropped me to the floor gurgling and choking on its own fluids.“Ca- Christophe”! I staggered out.“You ba- bastard ahhh… how dare you lay your filthy hands on me.”Without even so much as a smile Christophe reached, he pulled the blade out of the stuttering things throat and slashed it clean from ear to ear. The hand it used to cover up the wound fell to its side. And blood came rushing out, cascading like a waterfall out of the huge gaping hole in its throat.“Errr MOTHER FUCKER! YOU. DO. NOT. TOUCH. MY FRIEND”!Tweek planted the heavy soul of his boot On it’s face. Without grace he snatched the knife from Christophe’s grip, earning him an annoyed grunt from his friend. I could hear the spinal cord of the thing crunch under Tweek’s steel toe boot as he grinded its head into the soil. The knife came down again and again, stabbing through the it’s chest. Tweek’s pretty face and platinum blonde hair were completely drenched in its blood. I thought the armor would be more sturdy, but I suppose it was for show. It was soft like tar or warmed up candle wax. Tweek kicked in its head, and with one final thrust he stabbed the hunting knife through it’s eye. It shutter a little but it stopped moving.“Gah Mother fucker serves you right”. Tweek Pulled out the knife, flicked it. Blood splattered off the blade and onto the ground. And before he handed it back Tweek caved in the top half of it’s head. The crunch its skull made, and brain matter on the souls of Tweek’s boots gave me nightmares.Christophe patted my back, and Tweek gently ran his fingertips across the cut on my cheek.I was blubbering tears flowing non stop for itchy red eyes. Tweek told me to stop crying. I thanked Christophe from the bottom of my heart as I buried my head in his jacket which smelled like week old cigarette butts. I was scared to admit it but I was afraid not only of the creature but of Tweek. Tweek slowly approached the door. But then my heart stopped.“ Where do you think you’re going. You honestly thought I would let you get away with this”.It cackled . "For fuck sake", the top half of its head was completely gone! So fast. The bottom half of the mask disappeared again. Fangs as sharp as hypodermic needles sank deep into Christophe shoulder. The boy that saved my life went pale. The sound was grotesque. The wound in the mask things throat closed , and its skull began reforming. The muscle growing over top of the bone immediately, followed by the soft sea turtle like armor. The eye sprouted back and popped through the socket in it's mask.“No It wasn’t you either. Your bloods disgusting like cheap wine”.Clasping Christophe’s collar, effortlessly it lifted him off the ground, and threw him across the room like a rag doll, he landed with a thud on the grimy wet floor.“ Where was I little black haired boy. NOW. DIE!”“Ahhhhh why… why”!When I open my eyes there was Tweek In front of me. That bastard, no. Blood dripped on my face. Not my blood but his. Tweek had dived in front of the pair of claws.“ I told you I wouldn’t let anything… happen to you”. Tweek struggled to finish his sentence, blood gushing from his mouth mixed with saliva.“H’m”.Whatever this thing was its long clawed hands tore through Tweek’s stomach. He shielded me. I should have been the one. Not him. I was a crybaby, a coward. Everyone always had to save me. Why my best friend, the person who always cared for me. That bastard didn’t care. He kicked Tweek in the stomach, and flung him off his talons.So, So much blood so much blood. " Stop bleeding. Stop. your the toughest guy I know. How can you be bleeding like this. STOP IT"!Without remorse the masked bastard lapped up his blood soaked hand. The hand that had pierced my best friend’s stomach. That was my friend’s blood.“Yes, Enticing. Delectable, euphoric Bliss”! This is the blood, this is the sweet scent that freed me". It laughed methodically looking up , that violet reddish eye dilated.“ You’re gonna make it. Just stop trying to talk”. Hard I Press down on his stomach with both hands like someone would do giving CPR. Oh no the wound was so deep his intestines were showing.“No Stany you have to go. He’ll kill you. I’m sorry I didn’t listen. Je- Jesus”.I bit my lip tears flowing from my eyes. Tweek Simply dragged his hand across my face. Leaving trails of his warm blood over my forehead.“ I love you… I always have”. I collapsed on top him. And kissed the fuck out of him. I cupped both his cheeks . His face was so cold from all the blood he was losing. I always loved his messy hair so I ran my hands through his mohawk. Surprisingly he didn’t mind.When he broke off our kiss he just looked into my eyes and said “Me to”.That awful sound of squeaking footsteps like windshield wipers on a rainy day, as each agonizing step approached.“ Such a shame to waste a blood as sweet as his. But it seems this is where the tale of the star struck lovers must end”.“ Stan I said go”.I wasn’t going to listen. I just laid on top of him. If this thing was going to take Tweek away from me I was going to go with him.But something happened then. As soon as the tips of its claws made contact with my back it started screaming. It’s claws dissolved away along with the armor on its hand revealing normal knuckles. It was human.“ I see your that individual. No matter ”.That Silver gleam . Christophe laid there, face down, his stomach in a thin sheet of water. His left eye was sealed shut, a trickle of blood dripping down it. He panted , his chest raising and falling. The hunting knife left his fingertips.The sound it made like when you step on a grape or when you crush a bug in between your fingers and its guts ooze out. It pulled the knife from its eye. Just like before it instantly regenerated, only this time without the help of Christophe’s blood.“ Consider yourself lucky your him” . It said to me levitating high above the door. The violet purple smoke growing around it, the glow of that sickly red energy gathering in its palm. It lifted its index finger and curled it towards itself as if saying “C'mere”. And at that moment a spear of energy instantly formed around Tweek’s Body.“DONT TOUCH HIM”!“Marsh Stop we have to go! Christophe did all he could to hold me back from the mask bastard. He grabbed my shoulders and turned me towards him."It is over there’s nothing we can do for him now”.“ How can you say that. He’s your best friend isn’t he, how can you abandon him like this. This is all you are fuckin fault, you’re the one who wanted to show me this. You’re the one who got him killed”.He slapped me. Tears running down his face. In all the time I’ve known him I’ve never once seen Christophe cry, but that day was the exception.“ I know Marsh. But we must not let his sacrifice be in vain. I promise you if he’s alive we will get him back. Zees I promise you”.He linked elbows with mine and we ran. I looked back. My hand reaching out longingly for Tweek as his body floated in the ball of energy. He reached out his hand and did the same. The passageway filled with the purple smoke, and that horrible laughter. And the last thing I saw was a light, even brighter than the one before. It enveloped everything , exploding outwards from the bastard’s body, like a forcefield.“ Where am I”.“ It’s going to be alright lad. Commander Yardale we have another one"