"I think I might be crazy." I told him as I leaned my freshly shaved head against the cold concrete wall.
"And this should surprise me why?"
"It shouldn't. I suppose if anyone would know whether or not I am, it would be my hallucination." I shrug exhaustedly.
"Yeah. That's a good point. You want to play 20 questions?" the fat hallucination asked, sitting beside me.
"Why not?" I replied, rolling my eyes.
"You start."
"What? What kind of questions am I suppose to ask a hallucination?"
"Well. For now you still know I'm a hallucination. So maybe that makes it hard. Why don't you ask me things you want the real me to answer?"
"So I can slip further into insanity? Come on Eric, I got to try to keep it together. At least for a little bit longer."
"Let me be the strong one right now. You need to rest your will." he throws his arms around me and I lean into him.
"Shouldn't I be falling?"
"Your mind is being very convincing. Let it do it's work."
"Ok. When we get out of here, im going to tell you how I feel."
"That sounds good."
"Why hasn't anyone found us yet?" I whimper into his shoulder.
"Shh... I'll come for you. Just rest now."
"Cartman?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you tell me you love me?"
"I love you, you stupid Jew. I always have, and I always will."
"Thanks, Eric. I love you too."
When I woke up he was gone again; hardly a surprise. I didn't move from my place on the floor as a tray of mushy food slid in under the door. I had thought about starving myself, but I just couldn't. I don't want to die. I don't want this place to be the last thing I see. Slowly I pull myself over to the tray, the chain on my ankle draging behind me. As I slurped the mush from my filthy fingers I stared at the marks carved along the door frame. I had tried to keep track of how long I was in here, but I had no way to know day from night. I could put a new mark there when I woke up, but who's to say that's morning? Who's to say I sleep at night?
132.
Could it be that close to a year?
"Cheer up, Kike. It could be worse."
"How could this possibly be worse?" I sighed, making my way back to the wall beside him.
"Well. You could be alone." at that I had to laugh.
"You ass"
"Im seriously, Kyle. Your not alone. You have imaginary me in here, and real me out there. We'll be ok."
"The real you has been out there for a year. He isn't coming, even if he knew how to find me." I sigh.
"Well. He knows you and Kenny went on vacation to France."
"Great, so he had a starting point. Then what? The hotel tells him they found a dead Kenny, and the trail ends there."
"I'm hurt! You underestimate my awesomeness!"
"That worked for the first few months, Eric. But not now."
"No. Because now your prissy self is too self pitying to look into my eyes and know I'll never let you go." I look up at the hallucination.
"Do you really think he's still looking?"
"Please Kahl. I would never leave you. The real me wont either."
"What if they got you too?"
"Again, you underestimate my abilities."
"Right. Sorry, Eric Cartman is invincible. No one can keep him from me for long." I nodded, allowing myself to believe it again.
"Marrant!" a new voice chimed in. I wearily looked up at the guard opening my cell door.
"I don't speak French." I replied with a glare.
"combien précieux. They won't mind if I take it for a ride." he tells me, closing the door behind him.
I don't react as he takes me. I've never been taken by a guard before, they always bring me to some fancy room where their fat boss can have me.
"Kyle!" Cartman yelled at me as the guard thrust in and out of me. I looked up at the hallucination sadly.
"Kyle, this isn't some planned raping, this isn't your normal pain. This is an opportunity. Take it." he growls at me, pointing down at the guards discarded trousers.
What did he expect me to do? I had no muscle, no strength. I couldn't overpower this behemoth.
I whimper as the guard pulls his dick out of me with pop.
"vous petite salope, suck my cock." the guard growls at me, roughly turning me around.
"There's a gun on his belt. You have to get it." Cartman tells me from behind my rapist.
I take the mans nasty dick in my mouth, carefully reaching around him while he thrusts himself down my throat.
When i feel the cool metal in my palm, i see cartman place his hand over mine. He helps me lift it, aim it, and pull the trigger.
The guard flops onto the floor beside me, and I immediately search him.
Damn. No keys! No goddamn keys! I stare hopelessly at the heavy steel around my ankle.
"seriously?" Cartman asks before guiding my hand again. Two more shots and i was free.
I pulled myself to the door, cursing my weakness.
The door opened easily, i suppose the guard left it open for himself.
I didnt know where i was going, or what i was doing really even, but Cartman led the way, beconing for me to follow.
He ducks under the windows on all the doors, but i was too short to worry about being seen. He stops at a cell down the way, pressing his ear to the door.
"Do you hear that?" he asks. I strain my hearing as i stumble towards him.
"Well im in a sex slave prison!
I got here yesterday!
Ive been left here singing!
Until they stick it up my A!
I cant help but sing it out!
As they stripped off all my cloths!
Cuz they dont seem to have a doubt!
About this little tight ass hole!
Ooh they took all my money!
And they took all my friends!
They think revenge is funny!
But they'll be burning in the end!"
"Cartman?" i gaped as i peeked in the window. He looks up at me shocked.
"Kyle! Youre alive!" he grins, attempting to rush over to me, but tripping on his own chain.
"What are you doing here?" i hissed through the bars.
"Well, i was trying to save you, but it took so long i figured you were dead, and changed my plan to revenge." he frowns.
"Well your doing great at both." i roll my eyes.
"Well damn, if i knew you were still alive i would have worked on a better exit stratagy."
"Seriously?" i hissed.
"Well don't be mad! We still have another day before the bomb goes off, so help me out of here." he snaps. I sigh before turning to my hallucination.
"Any ideas?" I ask.
"I can't see anything from in here you dumb Jew!" the real cartman shouts out.
"Not you!" I spit back.
"What? You have others with you?"
"No! Now shut up!" me and my hallucination snap back. The figment stands beside me, helping my hands move around the gun.
"Six bullets left." I mutter out, looking into his eyes.
"You can't shoot through this lock like the ankle chains." he tells me.
"Then what am I suppose to do?"
"Take down a guard, get his key."
"Are you crazy? I can barely stand, let alone fight!"
"Kahl? Who are you talking to?" the real Cartman asks from behind the door.
"Six bullets left. You catch one alone and BANG. It's easy."
"I can't kill someone."
"Then I'll do it again." the hallucination smiles warmly down at me. I nod before standing on my toes to peek in Cartman's cell.
"I'll be right back Cartman. We're getting out." I tell him. He frowns at me.
"What, your leaving me? God, just like a Jew! I came here to save you and now you just leave!"
"I'll literally be right back Cartman! How else am I suppose to get you out of here?" I hiss.
"Well. How did you get out of your cell?" he asks, cocking his head to the side in a puppy-like motion.
"I-" couldn't have done it without you.
"I-" needed to feel like you were there with me.
"I uhm-" I love you.
"Whatever! Just don't leave me here to explode." he huffs. My hallucination walks away and I hesitantly follow.
I walk down the hall weakly, my free hand supporting me on the cement-type walls. My hallucination leans against the wall ahead of me, just before the bend.
"You see any guards?" he asks me, I lean around him, seeing two guards chatting down the hall.
"God, I can't take on both of them!" I whined.
"Come here." he leads me into the open, standing behind me to help lift my weapon. With his imaginary arms around me, I fire. One in the chest. Before the other can react, my figment tells me to fire again. We walk toward the fallen men, and I blast the first in the head to quell his trembling.
"Hurry Kyle. You need to save me." my translucent Eric pleads. I search the dead, grabbing their guns and the large ring of keys.
"Let's go." I breathe out, stummbling back the way I came. By the time I make it to his cell my hallucination is gone. I unlock the door, pry it open, and collapse.
When I awake, I'm bouncing violently over Cartman's shoulder as he manuvers through the woods. I groan, and he stops to set me down.
"Goddamn, you scared the fucking shit out of me!" he frowns at me.
"What happened?" I whisper out hoarsely.
"You fainted. Luckily your gun slid over to me and I was able to take over." he grinned. I looked around blearily.
"Is this real?" I asked, looking up into his brave eyes.
"I think so." he smiles. I nod, and he pulls me after him through the trees.
We run until the sun sets, and don't stop until rain begins to filter through the treetops. He groans as he leans against a tree trunk.
"We should be far enough out. Should be safe to rest for a bit." he closes his eyes, wrapping the large jacket around him. I hadn't noticed until now, but he had placed a guard jacket on each of us. I sat down close to him, sliding under his arm, and resting my head on his chest.
"K-Kahl?" he asks. I just hum lightly in response. I know this isnt my imaginary Eric. I know that this is the real one. The one that last time we spoke ended with blood. The one that made me need some time away with just Kenny. This was the one that hated me. But I couldn't bring myself to care. This is the man that kept my soul alive. Slowly, awkwardly, he set his arm loosely around my waist.
"Dumb Jew." he huffed. I dozed off just as the explosions went off in the distance.