DISSAPEAR INTO THE DUST

A/N: This takes place the day Sharon picked up KFC for the boys in 'Death of Eric Cartman.' The line: 'Stan, you said your mom was bringing Kentucky Fried Chicken home for dinner! Now is she or isn't she?' struck me as interesting and I couldn't stop thinking; what if she never brought home the chicken? What if she never came home period?

SHE DISSAPEARS

It was a Friday and that meant only one thing to the kids of South Park- it was finally time to relax and have fun for two and a half days before the cycle began again. Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny decided to spend the remainder of the day at their friend Stan's house since his parents were not home and his sister was at her own friend's house.

"Sweet dude, I love when we have a whole house to ourselves," Cartman said as he cracked open a Pepsi and sank onto the coach.

"What should we do?" Kyle asked.

"Xbox!" Kenny suggested, reaching for a remote near the TV.

"Naww, c'mon, let's play outside," Stan said.

"You play video games more than any of us though," Kenny crossed his arms.

"Look, the snow is turning to slush right now. It's the warmest day of the week, we should take advantage of it," Stan pointed out the window.

"He's right. I want to go outside too," Kyle stood up.

"But- but Terrance and Phillip…" Cartman pointed to the TV.

"It's a repeat. C'mon, let's play in the slush!" Stan smiled.

"Goddamnit," Cartman mumbled but followed the other three out, soda in hand.

The boys spent all that afternoon in Stan's backyard, occasionally running back into the house as well for a snack and simply because they could. Stan, Kyle, and Cartman took their jackets off not long into the day. They played with Stan's cars and trucks for an hour before deciding to play with their water guns. Cartman stalled them though as he tried to keep pumping the end of his Super Soaker but couldn't get it to work.

"Wait you guys, let me get my other gun. This one's crapped out." Cartman threw his gun down and left the yard to go back home.

Stan sat on the cold grass breathing hard now.

"Dude…" Kyle walked over to him.

"I think I should- stop. Can't breathe," Stan sighed.

"Sure dude, whatever you need. I'm getting kind of hot too."

Stan sat on the sofa that was littered with toys and empty soda cans, eyes half-shut while Kyle searched around upstairs for his breathing machine. He came down a couple minutes later with the nebulizer in hand.

"Sorry dude, playing with our Super Soakers was my idea," Kyle frowned as he set it up Stan.

"Who cares? I'll be fine."

"I'll call your mom, just in case," Kyle told his friend after he placed the long end of the tube to his face where the medicine sprayed.

Sharon was at work when she got the call from Kyle. "Okay, I'm leaving right now. Thanks for telling me Kyle. And thanks for calling in general, I didn't know if you boys were home or not. Tell Stan I'll be there in five minutes."

She told her boss she had to run home for a short while and arrived there five minutes later to a mess. She kicked aside stray trucks and a box of cookies and chips on her way to the living room.

"What in the world went on in here?" she gasped when she met the boys.

"Friday. We- got carried away, sorry," Kyle bit his lip.

"Well you boys promise me to clean up in time for dinner all right? You know I don't like coming home to a disaster." She sat next to Stan and caressed his face. "Are you okay sweetie?"

Stan nodded as he set the tubing aside. "Fine Mom."

"Poor thing, you were doing fine the past couple weeks."

Stan sank into the corner of the couch, waiting for that usual lightheaded feeling to fade. Sharon continued to rub his shoulder. A smile popped on her face.

"Say boys, let's make a deal. If you get this place cleaned up quickly, I'll pick up KFC for dinner."

Stan sat up now.

"KFC? Really?"

"Why not? Your father won't be home tonight so we can finally have chicken. And your sister is spending the night at Krissa's."

"You're really going to get us KFC for dinner tonight?" Kyle smiled.

"I will. But I might be a tad late. I need to pick up a few groceries after work tonight."

Stan, Kyle, and Kenny high-fived one another. Sharon got to her feet.

"So I want this space cleaned up okay? And I'll bring home KFC."

"Thanks Mom," Stan beamed.

She kissed his cheek and stepped out the door. Five minutes later Cartman walked into the house, another Super Soaker in hand.

"Sorry I'm late fagots, couldn't find the right one." He looked around. "What the hell did I miss?"

"A lot. I just finished a breathing treatment so my mom stopped by and she said she's bringing KFC home for dinner!" Stan cried.

Cartman's eyes went wide. "Did- did you say KFC?"

"Oh yeah."

"KFC?" Cartman repeated.

"Yes Cartman, god!" Stan said annoyed. "But we have to clean our mess first."

"What?"

"C'mon, it's the only way fatass," Kyle got up and brought over the trashcan from the kitchen.

"I'm not cleaning anything!"

"You have to or you won't get any chicken!" Kyle spat.

Cartman flexed his fists in anger. He needed KFC, needed it. Nothing was better than that juicy chicken with the magical skin. And a huge side of mashed potatoes with gravy didn't hurt either. And biscuits… Cartman went into overdrive and began to pick up the soda cans and snacks off the floor.

And so the boys began to clean the place up, Stan pitching in a minute later when he no longer felt lightheaded. Before they knew it the house was clean and sparkling again as if four little boys had never run-a-muck in it. Kyle and Cartman phoned their mothers and told them they were having dinner at Stan's tonight. Kenny's of course wouldn't care so he didn't tell them. By 7 PM they went into the kitchen to get ready for dinner. Stan set up a stack of plates and he took a seat at the breakfast table in the kitchen next to Cartman, Kyle and Kenny on either side of them. Now all they had to do was wait for the delicious smell of Kentucky Fried Chicken to fill the house. It was very difficult to wait, they were all hungry. 7:30 rolled by.

Stan sighed as he impatiently tapped the table. "Dude, where is she? We can't wait."

Kyle was smiling. "God, this is going to be sooo yummy."

Cartman growled. "Stan, you said your mom was bringing Kentucky Fried Chicken home for dinner! Now is she or isn't she?"

"She is."

Cartman rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "I swear to god you better be right Stan or I will shove my foot up your ass."

Stan glared. "She is all right? Damn."

Another half hour went by. Stan went from being impatient to feeling slightly worried.

"I'm starving here!" Cartman moaned.

"You think you're starving?" Kenny shot.

"Dude, what time did she get off work?" Kyle asked.

Stan looked at the clock. "Six. She said she'd do a little grocery shopping after, and then get the chicken."

8:00. Stan sighed and got off his chair at the table and onto the one by the phone. "I'm going to call her, see what the holdup is."

"I swear, if I just cleaned up your house for no reason I'm really going to twist your balls Stan"- Cartman warned.

Stan put a finger to his lips to signify 'shut-up'. He waited a minute but Sharon didn't pick up her cell phone. He tried again but there was still no answer.

"What's up?" Kyle asked.

"She's not picking up," Stan told his friends.

They looked at each other.

"Try calling KFC, see if she stopped by," Kyle suggested.

Stan looked in the phonebook and called the number.

"Kentucky Fried Chicken," spoke a bored young man's voice on the other line.

"Er- yeah, hi. Um, this might seem like an odd question but- do you know if my mother came by to pick up chicken?" Stan asked, feeling stupid saying it.

He was sure the man on the other end was looking at the phone weirdly now. "I don't know, how does she look?"

"She's average height, has short brown hair, blue eyes. She should be wearing a blue coat. Her name is Sharon Marsh."

There was some noise on the other line and voices. Stan tapped the counter impatiently.

"Yeah, there was a woman who fits that description that stopped by."

"They said she was there," Stan whispered to his friends.

"Ask what kind of chicken she picked up," Cartman told him.

"Cartman!" Kyle glared.

"Do you know when she picked up the food?" Stan asked.

More voices. The man came to the phone again. "According to a copy of the receipt, 6:46."

"Oh…"

"Why do you ask?"

"It's just that- she hasn't come home yet. We only live ten minutes away."

"Sorry to hear that young man."

Stan scratched his face. "Did you see her leave?"

"Well of course she left or she'd still be here wouldn't she?" the man sounded annoyed now.

"Damnit," Stan cursed to himself. "Well- thanks anyway." He put the phone back on the receiver and hopped off the chair. "They said they saw her buy the chicken at 6:46 but that's it."

"6:46? That was a whole hour ago, where would she be?" Kyle wondered.

Stan thought. "Maybe she stopped by to see my dad? I dunno, I'll call him and see if he knows anything. Wait- let me see if she picks up her phone this time…" Stan first called his mother's cell a third time but there was still no answer. Sighing, he called up his father.

"Yeah?" Randy said.

"Dad? Is… Mom there?"

Randy frowned. "No, why do you ask son?"

Stan sighed again. "She's not home yet."

"Hm… well I wouldn't worry; she's come home late from work before. You know how they like to hold up everyone at the clinic now and again on Fridays."

"It's not that Dad, she said she was bringing home Kentucky Fried Chicken after. I called them up and they said she's been there but nobody seems to know where she went after," Stan explained.

Randy was thinking on the other end. "That's funny… she said she'd be home right after?"

"Yeah. She was going to go grocery shopping first then pick up the chicken."

"Hey Stan, maybe she picked up the chicken first, then went to the store?" Kyle suggested.

"She wouldn't. She'd get the chicken last so it would still be hot when she got home," Stan told him.

"Oh."

"Listen son," Randy said, and Stan put the phone to his ear again. "It's almost 8:30 now. If she isn't home by nine, call me back and I'll come home all right?"

"Okay. Bye."

Minutes later Stan decided it was time to fix up a quick dinner for everyone since they were starving at this point. Stan however didn't eat much of the frozen pizza, glancing at the clock every minute almost. Seeing that the boy wasn't going to finish Kenny ate the rest of Stan's slice. At nine o'clock there was still no signs of Sharon anywhere so Stan phoned his dad again who said he was on his way now.

"How long do we have to stay here?" Cartman asked, playing with his pizza crust.

"Until Stan's mom comes home," Kyle shot at him.

"That could be any time."

All three boys glared at him now. Randy came into the front door, coat wet from the rain that had started up not long ago.

"All right, first things first, let's not panic," Randy told the boys.

Stan couldn't believe what he was hearing; his dad was the only one who panicked in the family in the first place!

Kyle got out of his seat in the kitchen. "I have an idea. Let's write down what we know, a timetable."

"Good thinking Kyle," Randy said and the boy took out a pencil and paper.

"Okay, she got off work at six," Kyle said, writing this down. "Went to the store apparently, and got the chicken at 6:46."

"Maybe she stopped by Shelley's friend's house?" Randy said.

Stan took hold of the phone and called Krissa Harring's house. Shelley said their mother had not come by but now that she wasn't there, Randy told her to come straight home. Stan sat nervously on the couch with his sister and his friends while Randy thought for a moment.

"I'm going to go out and look for her okay?" he finally said.

Stan got up to get his coat but Randy stopped him.

"I want you kids to stay home."

"But Dad"-

"And you guys"- he turned to the three other boys. "Need to go home too. I'm sure your parents want you back by now."

"I want to help if I can though," Kyle told the man.

"If we need you we'll call but it's already 9:30 and I want you boys home. C'mon, I'll drive you there. Stanley, Shelley, your Uncle Jimbo is coming by to look after you while I'm out okay?"

"Maybe it's better to have one of us help you if Mom's missing though," Stan said.

"Or we can all go together," Shelley added.

"No, if your mother shows up someone needs to be here," Randy told his children firmly. With that he motioned for Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny to get in the car. "I'll be calling in every-so-often, just in case. And make sure you keep trying her cell too." He took the car keys out of his pocket and left his house.

Stan and Shelley gave each other a look.

"We- we're overreacting a little aren't we?" Stan said nervously.

"What?"

"I mean, it's only 9:30, Mom can't be too far. She can't actually be missing. She must be at a friend's house." He was saying this only to make himself feel better.

"Not if she said she'd come right back home after picking up your stupid chicken," Shelley slapped him upside the head.

Stan looked over at the tiny bit of info Kyle had written down. She picked the chicken up at 6:46 meaning she should have been home at 7 o'clock or so. She was not picking up her phone and nobody seemed to know anything the two hours she hadn't shown up. Biting his lip, Stan dialed Sharon's number again but it only rang on and on. Thankfully Jimbo showed up moments later.

The first thing he told them was, "Don't you kids worry, your mother is going to show up tonight."

"How do you know?" Shelley questioned the bald man.

"Yeah Uncle Jimbo, she hasn't been picking up her phone and I've called it close to ten times by now!" Stan said.

"Well, this isn't a violent town or anything. I don't think anything dangerous happened to her. She probably stopped by somewhere and didn't call."

Stan rested his head on his hand on the arm of the sofa. That wasn't like her at all; she knew his friends and himself were waiting excitedly for a KFC dinner. She wouldn't abandon them. Plus he suffered a slight asthma scare today, she was always super attentive to such things, she would have sped home right after picking up their chicken. No, she simply wouldn't have gone off anywhere but home tonight.

The time went by. Stan had fallen asleep on the side of the sofa. He heard hushed voices suddenly but he didn't open his eyes. The voices stopped and he felt two hands slip under his armpits and he was lifted into his dad's arms. Stan strained his eyes.

"Mom?"

"No, it's me, Dad," Randy said. "C'mon, it's late. Let's get you in bed."

Stan was too tired to argue but as soon as he dad placed him on his bed Stan shot up. "Wait- what happened? Where's Mom?"

Randy bit his lip. "We- we weren't able to find her son."

"What?"

"Shhh!"

"Mom's still missing?"

"Shhh, she's not 'missing', we just haven't found her yet."

"That means she's missing!" Stan cried.

"Look, I'm going to file in a missing persons report to the police okay? They'll- they'll be able to help find your mother," Randy strained.

"When?"

"Tomorrow morning. Don't worry son, I want your mother back home just as much as you do. She might show up in the middle of the night, you never know."

Stan looked down. Randy pushed him back onto his pillow, took off his shoes and pulled his covers up.

"We'll find Mom, Stanley, don't worry."

He gave his son one last look before turning off the light and closing the door behind him. Stan frowned; for almost two hours of searching, his father could not locate his mom. As each hour passed Stan grew more worried. It was one thing to be a half hour late or so after a small trip to the grocery store and buying chicken for dinner, another to be five hours late. Stan turned over on his side, knowing it would be difficult to fall asleep tonight without a good-night kiss or tucking in from Sharon.

Chapter one. I hope you like it and are in for another 'mystery' type fic. Don't forget to review! Thanks a ton.

Love: Rose August 22nd, 2010