"And all of your weight/All you dream/Falls on me"

Chapter 21: Falls on Me

CONVICTED RAPIST ESCAPES MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON

"Eric Cartman, 21, was convicted on multiple counts of spousal abuse and rape, and two counts of attempted murder just over a year ago. He was given a life sentence. Late last night, his cell was found empty and no one claims to have any idea of how he escaped. Police and S.W.A.T. units are looking everywhere for him before they believe he can reach the mountain town of South Park, where Cartman's…"

I stopped reading the article and looked at Eric's mug-shot in the center of the article. Underneath the picture simply said his name and what he was convicted of. Curious, I read on, finding only information on how the police and S.W.A.T. teams are handling the situation. The end of the article read:

"…Though police don't believe Cartman is armed, he is to be seen as highly dangerous. Should anyone see him, they are to contact local law enforcement immediately."

I put the newspaper on the conveyer belt along with the groceries - guess I put those on the belt while I was reading the paper. I flinched at the sound of glass breaking and looked over at where a woman was apologizing to an employee for dropping a jar. I sighed deeply and gripped at my jacket where my heart was pounding in my chest. I was already jumpy and I just learned Eric escaped. This wasn't good; I was probably going to have a heart attack before he got to me.

"Are you okay, sir?" The cashier asked me with concern lacing her voice.

I looked over at her and smiled. "Sorry, I just got startled."

She chuckled and started scanning everything. "Yeah, that happens a lot during the holiday rushes. You get used to it after a while." She stopped when she grabbed the newspaper. "That's awful how this man escaped, and that he's heading here."

I put another bag into the cart and nodded. "It is."

"I feel sorry for his ex-husband," I looked at her from the keypad once I swiped my debit card, "he has to be so scared right now."

My eyes dropped back to the pad. "Yeah…I'm sure he is." I quickly typed my pin number in and took the receipt when she held it out to me. "Thank you."

She smiled. "You're welcome. Have a good day."

I put on a small fake smile. "I will."

I practically ran out of the supermarket all the way to my car. Okay, so maybe I was overreacting a bit. Eric escaped last night and the maximum security prison is across the state, it would take him at least a week to get here if he's not caught by that S.W.A.T. team first. I froze at that thought, nearly dropping the eggs when I did.

"Crap!" I caught the bag with the eggs in it and sighed in relief. "I almost dropped breakfast," I said nervously.

I placed the eggs in the trunk and then grabbed the newspaper out of the bag it was put in before shutting the trunk. I shoved the cart into the cart catcher near the Mustang and then quickly went back to the car. I started the car and dropped the newspaper in the passenger's seat. I had to show this to Stan. Now. Screw that he was at work; he needed to know what was going on!

Easily, I pulled the Mustang out of the parking spot and whipped it from the parking lot, earning a couple of middle fingers from the car I pulled out in front of. Oh well, nothing new.

Minutes later, I pulled the car into the KFC parking lot. I jumped out of the car with the newspaper in hand and ran for the door. With the exception of a few people, the place was empty and, lucky for me; Stan was on a front register today. And oh did he look thrilled to be there!

"Stan!" I ran over to him, skidding to a stop in front of his register.

He blinked in surprise. Can't really blame him, I rarely visit him at work. "K-Kyle? What're you doing here?"

I slapped the newspaper onto the counter. "Have you seen the headline in the newspaper today?"

"I haven't gotten my break yet, so I haven't been able to read the newspaper today."

"Well look at it now!"

"Kyle, I'm working."

"Look at the damn paper Stan!"

He laughed slightly. "Okay, okay, if it's that important, I'll look at the newspaper." He sighed and grabbed the newspaper from the counter; his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates at the sight of the headline. "Kyle…this…can't be real…"

"It is Stan." I wrapped my arms around myself to keep from shaking. "They wouldn't just print something like this for shits and giggles."

He placed the paper back on the counter and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Shit. I guess it's good that the prison is across the state." Our eyes met. "Even if, somehow, the S.W.A.T. team doesn't get him, it'll take him at least–"

"A week to get here," I finished for him before leaning over the counter. "Stan, you leave for basic next week. What if he gets here when you're gone?"

He placed one hand over mine. "Don't worry Kyle. Cartman has S.W.A.T. after him. The chance that he'll actually make it here is minimal. Most likely, he'll be caught and thrown right back in that cell before I even leave for basic."

I looked down at our hands. "I would love to believe that, I really would, but I know just how manipulative and…sneaky he can be. I'm really scared he's gonna make it here!"

He shook his head. "Don't worry, okay? I'll protect you."

"But what if he gets here when you're gone?"

"There are people all over town willing to protect you. If I'm gone and he arrives, go to someone and they'll keep you safe. I promise he won't hurt you."

My lips tightened into a straight line. I loved that he was promising that I'd be okay and safe, but there was this part of me that was screaming that once Stan left, everything was going to go so far downhill that I'd actually pass Hell. Nothing about this situation was going to be okay, I somehow knew that Eric was going to make it here and that he was going to kill me when he did. I shook a bit and pulled my hand away from Stan's.

He leaned over the counter to meet my eyes. "Kyle?"

I stepped back and away from the counter. "I need to get home. I left the groceries in the trunk."

His face was full of concern and I think he wanted to try to comfort me as much as he could while working, but he just nodded and said, "Okay. We're not done talking about this though. When I get home tonight…"

I nodded. "I know." I pecked his cheek when I was sure no one was looking. "I love you."

"I love you too. See you at home."

I turned and left, leaving the newspaper there for him to read on his break. I know that he believed everything he said, and I wanted to too, but it was just so hard. And I hated that I couldn't believe my own boyfriend's words of protection and safety, but after everything Eric put me through, I just had a hard time believing that he was just going to let everything go and let me live without even a few major injuries.

Okay, so maybe I was overreacting, maybe I'd get lucky and Eric would avoid coming here just to avoid an evitable re-arrest and possibly a death sentence. Surely he just wanted his freedom; he would actually come to where the police and S.W.A.T. were anticipating him to. He wouldn't be that stupid.

At least, that's what I'd like to believe; I know better though. Eric was going to come here and he was going to try to kill me and Stan. All I could hope was that at least Butters would be spared of it, I mean, surely he'd stay out of the way. The last thing I would want Kenny to have to come home for would be Butters' death.

I sighed deeply as I stopped in my parking space in front of the apartment. Shit. I rested my forehead on the steering wheel. Was I overreacting? I probably wasn't since the last time I saw Eric, he was only trying to kill Stan and me with a goddamn baseball bat. "He's gonna kill me," I muttered. "I'm gonna die…"

I sighed again and threw open the door. "I need to calm down!" I slammed the door shut and popped the trunk. "Nothing's gonna happen, I'll be fine!" I yelled at myself.

"Mommy," I looked over at a kid pointing at me with his mother staring at me, "why's that man talking to himself?"

"It's rude to point dear." The woman quickly grabbed her son and ran for their apartment.

I sighed once again and shook my head as I grabbed all of the groceries. I really need to stop scaring the neighbors. I shut the trunk and ran over to the apartment door before I could scare yet another neighbor.

Inside, I put the groceries up and sank down to the couch with dread and despair welling inside of me. I hated feeling this way again; it felt the same as when I first started seeing Stan while I was still married to Eric, when I still completely feared being caught. It really sucked how much things can turn around in only a year. First things had changed for the better: I had gone from being afraid I was going to get hit if I made a wrong move to constantly smiling and actually being happy. Now I was afraid that if I rounded the wrong corner, Eric was going to be there was a handgun cocked and ready to shoot me.

"Music," I said suddenly, "I need music!" I jumped up off the couch and grabbed the remote off of the end table on the other side. I sat back on the couch and turned on the Music Choice: Rock station in time for a Three Days Grace song to Since October's "Life of Mine." I sighed. Perfect song to start playing, just perfect!

Regardless, I kicked my legs up onto the couch and laid back to just stare at the ceiling. I didn't want to be in fear for the rest of my life, or until Eric found me, but I didn't feel like there was anything I could really do other than sit here and wait to die. So that brought up the question: What now?