He's Gone- A South Park Story
Chapter 3:
It was surprising just how much Cartman understood about kidnapping and abduction.
To be honest, Kyle thought as they gathered in the chubby kids basement, it was a little bit frightening.
Granted, Cartman had done a lot of evil deeds in his little life- like attempting to exterminate the Jews, or keeping Butters hidden, or even feeding Scott Tenorman his own parents- but it was almost as if he was testing his own limits, to see how far he could push himself, to see how far humanity itself could be pushed.
It seemed as if Eric had been waiting for this moment his whole life and, as Kyle dropped his schoolbag- the gang had left halfway through the day, due to special circumstance but Cartman glanced at him and prepared to say something.
The words never came and the only thing that broken the silence was Kenny dropping his own bag, withdrawing from it a notepad and some pens.
"When we used to play Detectives, we had to make notes on everything." He explained, adding; "Plus it's important to have a record."
"Good call, Kenny. I was just going to bring that up." Agreed Cartman, turning back to Kyle and adding; "Whilst he takes the notes, can you make a note off everyone in our school we may need to interview?"
Then he turned to Butters, who gulped.
"You don't want another semen sample, do you? Cause my parents said if I gave another semen sample, I'd get grounded."
Kyle and Kenny almost dropped their pens.
"No. Just… No, Butters. Just pay attention, okay?"
They remained silent as Cartman paced around the basement- then he spoke, his voice clear and his words cutting into the minds of the three boys.
"From what we have been told, Stan disappeared on Sunday after telling his mother he was going to Stark's Pond. That was just before dinner, a few hours before nightfall and before the blizzard begun. Stark's Pond is normally full of other kids our age running around, so its unlikely that Stan was alone at the beginning, he may have been seen either waiting or even playing with someone."
He waited for Kenny and Kyle to write down their notes as Butters listened, tapping his fingers on the table as Cartman then continued;
"What we need to do, first up, is interview kids who would likely hang around at Stark's and find out who was there on Sunday- that could lead us in the right direction."
Butters raised his hand, Cartman acknowledged him with a nod.
"Erm, wouldn't the police have already done this, Eric?"
Kenny nodded in agreement, adding a muffled; "Yeah, it does seem like something the police would have definitely taken care off."
"No. The detectives told us they had searched. They're not looking for Stan to be alive- they're looking for a corpse."
Kyle froze, his pencil stopped moving, and he raised his head.
"What?"
Stan's corpse?
But… How did they know he was dead?
And if they did know, why hadn't they said anything before?
He shook and then froze again.
The red poof-ball hat was at his house- it may have fingerprints or any other kind of evidence attached to it.
Well, not anymore, it was contaminated at this point…
He cursed himself, but focused and continued to listen to Cartman, who seemed to be issuing orders to Butters.
"I need you," He explained, his voice completely serious and strong- it was an Eric Cartman the gang hardly ever saw, "to talk to all the kids that Kyle has on that list."
"What? Why me? Aren't we all doing it?"
"Well off course we are, Butters. But we need to have the kids understand that we are doing an investigation in the first place- if you talk to them first, it could trigger something in there memories that we can use to find out further information."
Kenny nodded; it was a good plan in theory.
Butters seemed unsure, his innocent eyes darting back and forth as he added; "But most of the kids in class and school hate me!"
"No they don't." Kyle lied, ignoring the twinkle of joy and satisfaction that Butters then seemed to radiate.
Cartman continued with a loud cough; "Whilst Butters talks to the other students, Kyle, Kenny and I will take a look around Stark's Pond."
"But didn't the police look around Stark's already?" Asked Kyle, tapping his pen on the notepad- but Cartman just turned from the gang and smiled, but it was a sad smile and as his voice echoed throughout the basement the gang could generally feel the emotion behind it.
"The police were looking for a corpse, you guys… We're looking for a weapon."
***
His life was pain.
Only pain.
He remembered growing up, being told to believe in gumdrop fairies and rainbow dreams and Disney stories of life and love and respect.
Love? Hah…
Love was the manifestation of the most painful emotion of them all, something so weak that it could break and crumble with just a few words or a single action.
A single punch.
Love hadn't worked for his parents.
Love didn't work with his ex-girlfriend.
Why should it ever need to work for him?
The Red Haired Goth Kid opened his eyes, lost in the sea of his own misery, to find that his friends were in a state similar to his.
Then something cut through the darkness, the combination of black clothes and hair clashing intently with the blue and blonde that came from the world of joy.
"Ah…" He muttered, flicking his hair out of his eyes; "You're that little faggy vampire kid…"
"Yeah! Heya Goth Kids!" Butters cried happily, clapping his hands together.
"What do you want?" Henrietta snapped, lighting another cigarette and picking up another poetry book.
"Is it another Hot Topic?"
"Nope!"
"Darn…"
Butters kicked the floor a few times and Red Goth analysed him, a loathing feeling building up within his stomach. This Butters kid… he acted too much like a kid for his liking.
He was the complete opposite of everything he stood for.
He was happy.
He had suffered a heartbreaking relationship.
He had demanding parents.
He had got through it.
He was annoying him.
"Again. What do you want, brat?"
Butters kicked the ground again and asked; "Have you fella's by any chance been to Stark's Pond on say… Sunday?"
Henrietta opened her mouth to ask why she was called a guy- but the big nosed Goth just replied coolly; "We don't go to Stark's Pond with all those conformists… We go to Benny's and drink Coffee… Why would we want to go to that pond and skate and dance with the rest of you Justin and Britney wannabes?"
"Yeah…" They all said together- but Butters just shrugged.
"Aw, I was hoping you'd know something about Stan…"
Red Goth raised his head slowly and flicked his hair once again out of his eyes.
"He's still missing?"
"Yeah. Me, Butters, Kyle and Kenny are trying to find him- Say! Why don't you help?"
The Kindergarten Goth rounded his small body round and gazed at Butters darkly; "Why would we want to help you?"
Butters probably launched into a speech at that point, a speech about friendship and joining forces and how he probably learned something.
Red just sighed and lowered his head.
"So exactly why are you filled with such pain, Raven?"
He remembered his first conversation with Stan after his transformation into the darkness and gothic lifestyle they had all grown to enjoy, how they sat and waited outside just after class, waiting patiently for the others.
"My girlfriend dumped me."
It was a worthwhile reason.
"What about you- erm…"
"Red. Just call me Red."
He always used that name with people- it allowed them to grow closer, whilst always keeping a strong distance.
"Oh, okay dude. Why do you live like this? What made you embrace the… er… darkness?"
He was so uncertain about his new lifestyle; so much so that Red was pretty sure the kid would probably be back with his real friends by the end of the week…
Well, if he did, the pain of losing someone he was close to would at least give him material for a poem.
Awesome.
"Girlfriend dumped me, too."
"Dude… Weak."
"Yeah… Same day my parents split up after months of battering each other day after day."
He was worried he'd said too much, but continued; "But, hey, it's all good. My Grandma understands the pain I feel…"
For some reason Stan laughed at that point, a cutting sound that echoed through Red's soul and remained etched in his brain forever…
What happened next actually scared the Goth, though.
"What's so funny- and why are you laughing, aren't you in pain?"
"Dude, of course I'm in pain! My heart is literally breaking but… Dude… I just had this image of this old lady with black clothes and long streaky hair and…"
He burst into a fit of laughter again, holding his chest as Red sat beside him.
Then it happened, his lips curled into a smile and he could feel the laughter he had kept dormant for years building up-
"Hey, we're here. Come on, we're going to Benny's."
The others had arrived and slamming his expression back to his original, he kept his laughter and joy dormant. That image of his grandmother looking just like him was pretty funny, he had agreed.
That night, Stan had left after talking to this Butters kid and whilst it had annoyed his friend who had shouted after him about how he was betraying them by returning to his own sunshine fairy tale, Red had felt disappointment.
Sure, they spoke every now and again- Stan would greet him in the hallways, Red would just nod back.
He hadn't been interested about the dance competition, but he did certainly make up for it by telling Stan that Wendy was going to fight Cartman.
He figured the jock would do something- but he was just as clueless as ever.
Snapping back to reality he caught the end of Butters speech, figured it was just as pointless as everything else the blonde kid had said and waited.
"…So if you did know something, could you please let me or Kyle or Kenny or Cartman know?"
"Why would we conform to you assholes? If we knew something we'd keep it to ourselves and let it eat away at our souls until we burst-" Snapped Henrietta, getting to her feat to face Butters and perhaps drive him away.
He opened his mouth to reply, but Red was on his feat and sighed.
He knew what he had to do; he knew if he didn't it was going to annoy him forever.
Sure, that'd give him some joy/pain, but at the same time it wasn't worth losing out on a kid he had seen as a friend.
"I'll do it… I'll help you kids find Raven…"
"What? Conform to this kid?" Snapped the Big Nosed Goth, also getting to his feat- but Red snapped; "I'm such a non-conformist that I'm not gonna conform with the lot you."
He tapped Butters on his arm; "Lead the way, faggot."
"Yes sir!" Cried Butters as he begun explaining what Cartman had told him and why it was important that the gang met up at Stark's Pond later.
Meanwhile, Henrietta collapsed onto the ground.
"Whoa."
"Yeah," Added the Big Nosed Goth; "I think we just got put in our place…"
"We just got Goth Served." Finished the Kindergartner, amazed.
To be Continued!
And the fifth member of the investigation team trying to find Stan is revealed! A random choice- but he's a character I really enjoy. Now all that's left is to find Stan, so get ready, cause the investigation is going to begin!