Chapter Twenty One
Kenny's Point of View
Damien moves closer to me maliciously sniggering, and crushes his lips into mine. I let him, too tired to fight back.
"I said good morning," he growls, pulling sharply on my hair.
"I heard you," I reply sternly, "but there's no way I'm exchanging pleasantries whilst you have Kyle held captive." Damien narrows his eyes at me, sending a shockwave of pain through my core, one I've experienced thousands of times yet still manages to jolt my body leaving me gasping for air.
"STOP THAT," screams Kyle in horror.
"Oh I'm sorry Kyle," whispers Damien, moving closer to him, "would you like to experience the pain as well." Kyle grits his teeth and narrows his eyes but says nothing. Damien stands up. "Well I'm going to leave you two alone for a little while, I need a stretch. I'll be back, so don't wander off." He chuckles to himself before a bright flash of light and sparks fly up from where he stands as he disappears. Kyle desperately scrambles to turn to me, grabbing my arm, a look of utter dread on his face.
"Kenny, oh god, Ken are you alright? I'm so sorry, I didn't notice, you've been in such a mess! I just naturally assumed that you were living a care free life as you always have, but now I think about it I can't remember the last time I saw you with a girl and you weren't at the party. I should have noticed!" he starts sobbing hysterically. There's no way that I'm letting Damien make him feel like the guilty one.
"Kyle STOP, you have nothing to be sorry for," I croak, throat dry and soar.
"But I didn't notice Ken, I didn't help." He runs his ice-cold hand down my bare arm and grabs my hand in his, clasping it tightly, I turn to look at him gravely.
"No one could notice Kyle; if they did... then this would happen." He looks at me with a confused expression on his face; I suppose there's no harm in telling him now. "Well I fell in love with Damien," Kyle's face shifts from a look of confusion to a look of shock, I sigh and nod, "yep; I thought he was wonderful, he was so passionate, so good to me." I laugh bitterly. "I made a deal with him to get something I've been wanting a very long time. I can't get away from him and now you've been dragged into this mess."
"I don't care about myself right now!" he yells.
"Well you have to Kyle, because you're in a lot of danger. Damien doesn't need a reason to hurt you." I reply steadily but with force in my voice.
"He doesn't seem to need a reason to hurt you either!"
"He does have a reason. I'm the reason."
"You're the reason?"
"Yes, Kyle, I'm the reason."
"What do you mean you're the reason?" he asks, squeezing my hand even harder.
"Because I'm me, Kenneth McCormick, 'a homosexual loved up little fool," I reply, bitterly, replicating Damien's words.
"Love is not a valid reason to hurt someone."
"I never said it was valid."
"Then it's not a real reason."
"Fine then maybe there are other reasons. You ever read a story about someone selling their soul to the Devil? Well his son buys them as well." Kyle stares with fear into my eyes, shivering as icy breath blows out in front of him.
"Ken- I..."
"Don't ask questions Kyle, I can't tell you, accept that you can't know and you may get out of this."
"It's gone cold Ken," he whispers softly, "why has it gone so cold?"
"It's because Damien's left, he radiates extreme heat. It burns sometimes." If I had to choose between freezing and burning I know which one I'd choose. I drag my handcuff along the rail above us and move in closer to Kyle, wrapping my free arm around him. We huddle close. My mind wanders over what Kyle said earlier, about girls and parties. I really couldn't care less about that anymore, it may have made me happy before but ultimately it was a hollow happiness. All I want is love and care; I just want to feel safe. I don't want to have to change myself for anyone, or pretend to be something I'm not. I just want someone who can piece me back together, I know I can't have this but, however painful, it's nice to dream.
"My feelings for Eric seem irrelevant now," says Kyle, cutting through the silence.
"No they're not," I reply unflinchingly, "and you need to hold on to them. Promise me that you will not let Damien plant doubt into your head, do not let him break your spirit Kyle."
"I promise," whispers Kyle resting his head on my shoulder, I rest my head on top of his suddenly exhausted.
"What do you promise pretty boy?" asks Damien, sparks flying as he re-enters the hut. He looks in amusement at us laughing. "Oh I see, how sweet. You promise to have and to hold," he slowly makes his way over to us, "for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer," he grins demonically now crouching down in front of us, instantly shooting our body temperatures up, "in sickness and in health," he grasps both of our shoulders, squeezing tightly. He emphasises the next inevitable line, taking his time to glare into both of our eyes, "until death do you part."
Stan's Point of View
There was no answer at the McCormick household; I even looked through Kenny's window but with no luck. Kenny wasn't in.
"It's not that strange," says Wendy as we sit on the curb outside his house, unsure of what to do now.
"It's just weird that neither of them is at home," replies Cartman, "where could they be?"
"Well why don't we think about whom Kenny could be with, he doesn't have a car, he can't have gone far." I say, rubbing my temples.
"The only other person Kenny seems to hang around with is Craig?" asks Wendy.
"I doubt it," I reply, "you remember last night; Craig was so out of it." Wendy and Cartman both nod in agreement.
"Well who else is there?" asks Cartman in desperation. It suddenly hits me, the person Kenny's spending more and more time with, someone who wasn't at the party last night. How could I forget?
"What about Damien?" I respond. Wendy looks at me in confusion and Cartman stares into my eyes before slowly nodding.
"I guess that's possible," he replies. "There is something strange going on between them."
"WHAT?" I ask shocked.
"I just think it's weird the way they're always missing lessons together, hiding out in that private hut alone, who knows what they could be doing? I asked Kenny about it in a jokey way and he seemed so momentarily shocked and fearful, it just makes me think that their relationship isn't as simple as he says." My mind whirs quickly as I take in this information.
"I went to visit them in the hut not long ago," I say hesitantly, "Kenny was acting strange, almost jealous, he didn't want me to be alone with Damien, and he didn't seem to want to leave." I feel a twinge of doubt in my mind as I'm saying this. "I just feel like something doesn't quite fit, Kenny didn't look loved up with Damien... he looked scared."
"I know I don't see Kenny that much," cuts in Wendy in a concerned tone, "but when he's in lessons he seems more worried than he used to, he looks more strained." I'd never really thought much about it but Wendy's right, Kenny hasn't been as lively as usual. I remember something Kyle asked me last night and decide to see if Wendy and Cartman know anything about it.
"I don't suppose you guys have ever been ultimate sledging?" They look at me baffled, raising their eyebrows, "it's where you stand up on the sledge and tie the rope around your wrists so you don't fall off."
"That sounds ridiculous," says Wendy, "I've never seen anyone doing that, and besides, what does it have to do with finding Kenny."
"Nothing," I say scratching my head, "it's just that he has cuts all down his wrists from it." Wendy stares at me wide-eyed, as if she's deep in thought. Cartman lets out an annoyed grunt.
"Kenny hates sledges," he says slowly, "he got seriously hurt falling off one when we were kids, I don't think he's been back on one since." Wendy screams and jumps up.
"Then maybe those cuts were caused by something else!" she exclaims.
"Or SOMEONE else," I yell as I jump up as well. Cartman follows suit, eyes widening in fear.
"S-Stan," he chokes out, "how did you find out about 'ultimate sledging'?" I suddenly realise what he's getting at and feel the fear as well.
"Kyle told me, y-you don't suppose he's involved in this?"
"I don't know!" yells Cartman, "but I have a feeling that something big is going on. We need to find out more, I need to know that Kyle is safe," he starts pacing.
"Is there anybody else that Kenny could be with, or who might know something?" asks Wendy frantically. We all look helplessly at each other, I feel the pressure building.
"BUTTERS!" cries out Cartman, "he was asking after Kenny at the party, now I remember he seemed rather desperate to find him."
"Well come on then," says Wendy, "grabbing my hand, "let's get back to the car and find him."
We drive in silence to Butters' house as our minds try to process what we've just discussed. How could it be possible for my two best friends to keep two massive secrets from me? Just after I've got over the shock of Kyle and Cartman, which is still something I'm not happy about, I find out that Kenny could be keeping a worse secret. My mind flicks back to that meeting in the hut, Damien's words echoing in my head: 'don't worry Stan will be fine...' Could it be that Kenny wasn't jealous, but just concerned for my safety?
Wendy pulls up outside the Stotch household and Cartman is the first to scrabble out of the car, he runs down the path and hammers on the door. Wendy and I quickly follow, arriving at the door just as it's thrown open by Butters.
"Oh hello," he says, eying Cartman nervously, "what's wrong?" It never fails to amaze me how Butters can instantly tell if something's not right.
"Butters, do you know where Kyle or Kenny are?" asks Cartman.
"N-no I don't Eric, and I was kind of hoping that Kenny was with you because I can't find him."
"Butters, why do you want to find Kenny so badly," asks Wendy in a soft tone. He looks down at the ground and rubs his knuckles together, not saying anything.
"Is it because of Damien?" I ask boldly.
His head snaps up and he stares into my eyes in fear. "W-what do you know about Damien?"
"Well now I know that you're hiding something," I say crossing my arms.
"No I'm not."
"Butters, Kenny could be in danger," he closes his eyes and puts his head in his hands, "we may be able to help him if you tell us what you know." He looks up.
"How much danger?"
"We don't know that's why we need you to tell us." He nods and replies quickly.
"He claimed that he loved Damien, I'm n-not sure if he still does. I hope not. Damien's abusing Kenny... really badly. Why, he like cuts him and stuff. He seems to want to get out but then he doesn't, I'm not sure if he can. Kenny also said that he couldn't tell anyone, I think maybe something terrible would happen if he did. That's why I've been trying to find him, I've not seen him since he told me and I need to make sure he's alright."
Suddenly Cartman growls, turns away from the doorstep and begins running down the sidewalk, I sprint after him, staying close but slightly behind. We soon come to an abrupt stop outside Kyle's house. He bangs on the door violently until Ike opens it. He looks at us both, annoyed expression on his face.
"I've already told you that Kyle's not home," he grumbles, "in fact I'm the only one at home right now so beat it." Cartman ignores him, pushing him to the side and bolting up the stairs, Ike just gazes up after him too bemused to say anything. He turns to me and raises his eyebrow. Cartman soon comes crashing back down the stairs, grabbing me and muttering in my ear so Ike can't hear.
"Every single pair of shoes Kyle owns is up there and if you turn around you'll see his coat still hung up on the peg." I slowly turn around, trying to keep a straight face as my eyes meet with an orange and green coat. I turn back to Cartman and see fear blazing in his eyes.
A/N: And breathe. Phewww. It feels like everything has been building up to this moment, all the doubts and observations I've planted in their heads throughout the other chapters and the whole blooming ultimate sledging thing, don't try it at home kids because KENNY made it up and even he doesn't do it!
Thank you peeps... we're VERY close to the end now... then end which I know and you don't! *Evil laugh* (Well you may know it. You may just not know that you know it...)
Ha-ha 'Steffany209' I often find myself writing this in my head when I'm supposed to be doing work, then I realise I haven't been taking in anything that's going on!