Author's Note: Hi everyone - I'm back. Well, I could not resist...I wrote another Kenny centric story. This time it has a little 'crenny' side to it. Nothing 'romantic', I don't think, but there will be a forming bond between them. Please enjoy this story and I look forward to any of your reviews on it.
Disclaimer: The characters of 'South Park' are created, and owned by Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
Summary: Kenny saves Craig from near death. This has Craig feeling he owes a huge debt to him. His chance may come when the Cult of Cthulhu kidnaps the immortal child and somehow strips him of his memory.
Chapter One - Hero
Regardless that it was a sunny day; the weather was cold, especially for February. The temperature was -11 degrees Celsius. Most of the civilians of South Park were getting off work and heading to the warmth of their homes. However, two young children braved the winter air, walking down a residential street, hand-in-hand.
Karen cuddled her doll closer to her chest as if it was able to produce heat through her thin green jacket. When that didn't seem to work she walked closer to her brother's side.
"Brr," she shivered.
"It's ok, Karen. We are almost at your friend's house." Kenny muttered through his orange hooded parka. He was able to tolerate the cold a bit better than his little sister could.
"Thanks for walking me, Kenny." She cooed. "I'm sure mom or dad would have been able to drop me off, but mom got a call to work at the Olive Garden tonight, and dad had to do something too."
"I know, Karen. At least they are trying more now than they did in the past." Her older brother acknowledged with a nod.
There was a brief pause before Kenny spoke again. "You have everything you need for the sleepover?"
"Yup," the young girl chirped. "It's all in my backpack."
They finally stopped in front of a purple house with yellow window frames.
"This is where your friend lives?" Kenny asked, pointing at the house.
"Uh-huh," Karen nodded an affirmative.
With that, the two of them walked up to the door. Kenny reached for the doorbell, and pushed it to ring for attention. A moment passed before someone opened the door from the inside.
A little girl about Karen's age and height stood in of them. She had curly jet-black hair that reached her shoulders. With a wide grin, she waved at Karen.
"Hi Karen, you made it!" She cheered.
"Have fun, Karen." Kenny waved as his little sister stepped into the warm house.
"Bye, Kenny." She called out before the door closed.
A cold breeze blew by, and felt as if it went right through Kenny's entire body. He shivered as a result. Figuring he shouldn't stand around, Kenny continued on walking home. He decided to take a short cut through Stark's Pond.
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Meanwhile, Craig focused so much in the video game he played on with Clyde that he failed to notice the time. He finally glanced out the window and realized that it was getting darker out.
"Oh crap," he spat as he dropped his controller and leapt off the couch. "I gotta go if I want to get home before dinner."
"Are you sure you don't want to stay till my dad gets home. I'm sure he can drive you?" Clyde offered.
"That's ok," Craig dismissed the offer with the wave of his hand. "I don't live far...just on the other side of Stark's Pond. Besides, if I'm late my mom will have my hide."
The stoic boy rushed to grab his coat, and shoved his feet into his black boots before turning to open the front door.
"Alright, I guess I'll see you at school on Monday then." Clyde sighed as he sauntered up to him.
"Yup, see ya." Craig nodded before heading out in the freezing cold.
By the time he reached the end of the block, Craig regretted heading home before Mr. Donovan would be around to drive him. The icy breeze bit at his nose as he entered Stark's Pond. The sun almost was out of sight, however, the trees surrounding the park made the area much darker, and harder to see the path in front of him. Figuring he'd get home faster, not to mention, building natural body heat, Craig decided to start running through the darkening path.
He got half way when something jumped out of the bush on his left. It was a squirrel, but considering the lack of light, Craig assumed it was a dangerous beast.
With a yelp, Craig jumped to his right, stumbled and tripped over a root sticking up from the ground. He landed then slid a few feet on a cold flat surface.
The boy looked up to see the small animal with a bushy tail watching him from on top of a rock.
"Stupid squirrel," he spat bitterly.
The second he moved to get up, he heard a loud crack underneath him. Craig's breath hitched once he realized he was eight feet out on the frozen boating lake. Apparently, he managed to slide over a weak spot of the ice and it was failing to support his weight.
"Oh no...no-no-no-no-no..." Craig sputtered in a panic.
Each delicate move Craig attempted to make just caused the ice beneath him to break apart faster. Before Craig could move a foot forward to shore, the ice crumbled and he fell into the freezing water.
The boy let out a scream and yelled, "Help!"
Unable to breath-hold properly, he accidently swallowed some water when his head submerged. Craig felt instant cold shock once the freezing water soaked entirely through his clothes. Somehow, he managed to rise back up to the surface. He took in a bit of oxygen through choking coughs. When he opened his eyes, Craig thought he saw an orange blur running down the path towards the pond.
Kenny gasped when he saw Craig's head go under water again. He feared the worse, but didn't waste another second. Kenny took a leap of faith and skidded on the ice towards the drowning boy. Once he got close enough, Kenny lied flat on his stomach and extended his hand out.
Craig came back up, choking for air again. He thought he was hallucinating when he saw Kenny reach out to him.
"Take my hand!" Kenny's words muffled out in a desperate cry.
With a shaky hand, Craig extended his arm to the poor boy. The second Craig's hand got close enough; Kenny grabbed onto it and dragged his frozen body out of the water. It worried the orange clad boy how Craig's entire body shivered violently while he hyperventilated in choking breath. His skin was paler, and his lips were even looking a little blue.
Kenny slid the cold boy back to the shore, and dragged him up onto land. Craig managed to open his eyes a crack to look up at his savior.
"It's going to be ok." Kenny told him as he took off his parka.
He unzipped Craig's blue coat before pulling him up to slip on his orange parka over his shoulders and covering his head with the hood. Kenny turned, and pulled Craig up onto his back. The unzipped jacket allowed Kenny's body heat to reach Craig's chest for a little warmth.
The freezing moisture from Craig's cloths soaked through Kenny's thin white T-shirt and down his legs in a hurry. The blond boy shivered as a result.
"Sh-sh-shit, that's c-cold," he stuttered through chattering teeth before glancing over his shoulder and added, "G-good thing you don't live f-f-far from here."
Craig opened his eyes slightly and let out a low shaky groan in reply.
As briskly as he could, Kenny carried Craig out of the park and towards the next residential block down the path ahead.
Fifteen minutes felt more like fifteen hours to the two boys as they finally reached Craig's house. Kenny, at this point felt a minor case of hypothermia due his now frozen backside. He lifted his left arm, allowing Craig's leg to slide down his side. Not giving it much concern, Kenny instead banged desperately on the door until someone finally opened it.
Mrs. Tucker looked down at the two shivering boys looking back up at her. She recognized her child, and let out a scream.
"Craig!" She screeched, reaching down to relieve her drenched son off Kenny's back.
She was about to close the door when she noticed the blond boy hugging himself as he shivered outside. Mrs. Tucker realized at that point, he was only wearing a white T-shirt over his upper body and that it was soaking wet down his back. Mrs. Tucker glanced down at her son in her arms and saw the orange parka covering him. Instantly, she brought her attention back to the boy.
"Get in, hurry!" She ordered.
With a simple grateful nod, Kenny forced his legs to move forward into the warm house.
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Author's Note: Hi everyone. Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. I am not sure how often I will be able to update (the goal is every week, but if I am delayed that means I am busy with a project.) So, post your comments and 'follow' this story for soon-to-be more action packed chapters.
Thank you :)