Chapter One: Something's Wrong
I knew as soon as I woke up something wasn't right. The air around me felt cooler, different. My eyes are immediately open, and blinking. One minute, I'm in my comfy bed about to drift off, with my electric blanket and the dull glow of my cell phone on my bedside table. Next, I'm wedged between too-tight cold bed sheets, where everything is pitch black and wrong. I jump out of bed, looking around desperately. My phone was there a minute ago, I'm sure! Kyle sent me a message five minutes ago. There is a phone on the bedside table, but the batteries are flat, I notice as I flip it open. Did I imagine these things? And why is my bed suddenly cold? Am I dreaming? Yeah, I was falling into sleep anyway. So if it's a dream, where's all the crazy stuff? Why aren't I naked at school or something? Well, this room is sort of creepy. It's a cold and dark version of my own, only much emptier and tidy, for once. Almost as if this wasn't the bedroom of a fifteen year old named Stanley Marsh. I stood there, trying to make sense of everything. This is too real to be a dream... Nothing's happening. I felt lost and confused and very drained... super drained... I quickly rush over to my window, and draw the curtains back. It was the same street I had known all my life, only in pitch black. I was surprised no street lights were on, and some of the houses looked completely empty. I began to breathe quickly, and freak out. I ran out of this version of my room, and into the hall. I decided to go to Shelly's room first, as it was upstairs like my room. But her door was missing. I looked around helplessly, and sprinted to my parent's room. It was there to my relief, but empty. I freaked out even more. I kissed them goodnight less than an hour ago. The TV wasn't on either-and was smashed. Oh God, did we get robbed? Did they kidnap my parents? I feel dizzy... Everything started to go black, and before I collapsed to the floor I heard the front door of this empty house crash down in splinters of cold, hard wood.
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Warmth. Voices. It was all a dream... it had to be. I slowly lift my eyelids, to find my mother barging into my room, screaming, "Stanley, I've been yelling at you for ages, come downstairs or else you'll miss the bus!" Sighing with relief after my restless night, I glance at my bedside table where my red poof-ball hat and mobile phone are sitting. There is a new text message from Kyle.
Hey dude, got a really weird message from you last night. Cya on the bus.
I start feeling dizzy again. I didn't text Kyle at all last night, oh God, what if I accidentally texted him during my little panic session? Yeah, Stan, you texted your best friend Kyle while you where sleep-walking and somehow managed to send a message at like one in the morning. Get real. I sigh and walk downstairs. I'll soon forget about the dream, it was my imagination.
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I'm running late, but as I stumble around the corner of the snow-strewn street I notice Kyle, Kenny and the fatass standing there.
"Hey guys," I say, approaching them.
"Hey dude," Kyle smiles back, the glint in his eye tells me that he'll tell me about the message when we're alone. Cartman notices.
"Oh, and the Jew and the hippie made out for a while, before... ow!"
Kyle had already punched Cartman in the arm as the bus drove up the icy road. It heaved a little, and stopped just in front of us.
As I we stepped on, we were greeted by the familiar "sit down and shut up!" remark, but as I looked at Ms Crabtree half blocked by Kenny, it almost looked as if she was young and blonde-but only for a second. I shook it off, I was tired. Kyle and I took our usual seats in the bus, and he leant towards me. My heart started pounding, wondering while Kyle was suddenly so close when he pulled out his phone and my body began to relax. He handed it to me silently, and I read the text message slowly.
I will stop you. We will all stop you. This isn't over yet, you and your 'demons' will never win!
I stared at it blankly.
"Dude, I didn't write this."
"It was sent from your number," Kyle pointed out, matter of factly. Then I have a flashback.
"Oh. I let Cartman borrow my phone yesterday."
"Oh. Another lame plan to break up the 'super best friends?'" Kyle flashes a wide grin in my direction, and I grow numb.
The smile disappears, as Kyle then says, "the message was sent at like, two in the morning Stan. There's no way fatass could have sent it."
"I promise I didn't send it Kyle, double check the number."
Kyle squints at his phone, then goes "huh."
"What?"
"Well, the number is exactly the same as yours-only the first three numbers are different."
"Weird dude!"
"Yeah... It's really creepy..."
I flinch slightly. Not the first creepy thing that's happened to me this week.
"It's probably some dumb prank call dude," I say, getting nervous, "better just delete it."
And when I see his slender thumb press the 'delete' button, my heart starts beating again.
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I am perched over the rim of a school toilet, about to throw up. I am just so shocked it feels as if my insides have shifted and are creeping up my throat. After the deserted version of my house, hallucinating about Ms Crabtree and Kyle's odd text message, THIS was the final straw. I still can't believe I just ran screaming out of class though. I mean, Mr Garrison is boring and everything, but nobody has ever run out screaming. No, scratch that, Cartman did in like, the fourth grade when he wanted a Nintendo Wii. Anyway, as the bus pulled up at the school and the four of us got out, everything was normal. As we took our seats in the classroom, everything was normal. Cartman tried to bully Kyle into giving him the answers for the surprise maths quiz Mr Garrison announced we would do, to which Kyle replied, "It's a surprise quiz fatass! How am I supposed to know the answers?" To which Cartman replied, "You Jews always cheat." Kyle then punched Cartman. This was all normal though. But during the maths quiz I heard Kyle's voice, whispering my name. I turned to him, but his head was down and concentrating. Oh, ha ha Kyle. Make me think I'm going crazy. It was just such a Cartman joke though. Not funny. I glance over at Cartman, just in case but he's busy trying to cheat off Wendy. The voice said my name again, and I noticed how hissy it sounded. Evil, and dark... but Kyle. I looked to see if anyone else could hear it, but they were all just carrying on with their quizzes. It was when the disturbing voice shouted my name that I ran screaming from Mr Garrison's class. What's going on? Am I mental?
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The air is icy as I am sent home early from school. How embarrassing-sent home because I'm seeing things, hearing things and sending creepy text messages (from a number I don't know)... Then again, the text message didn't exactly say Kyle's name in it... Kyle... I hope he doesn't think I'm insane... Because I'm not... I'm just stressed. Yeah, school's pretty stressful. That's got to be the reason. And lack of sleep. I'm exhausted.
I pick the spare key up from under the mat, and as soon as I enter the house my whole body grows weak. I sluggishly trudge up the stairs and turn my bedroom door, and lie down. The next thing I remember is a strange, white light... Something's wrong with me...