Consuming Darkness, Arising Light

Chapter 1: The First Few Signs Of Its Approach

August 5th- Stan

Why is the dark so scary?

This is a reoccurring thought 6 year old Stanley Marsh would always wonder about at nighttime. He's lying in between his mother and father in their bed, having snuck into their room half an hour ago, when he was sure they were in a deep sleep.

Stan wouldn't necessarily blame scary movies or cartoons for his fear of the darkness. It's just looking into the dark depths and seeing nothing further beyond brought about these apprehensive thoughts that someone or something was lurking deep within. Waiting to get him...

Stan shuts his eyes with a shudder, then opens his eyes and glances both left and right to see if he'd roused his parents awake. Thankfully, they remained asleep. Stan returns his gaze to the ceiling, the thick curtains from two windows letting in some faint light from outside. Stan loves when the moon is out, shining brightly within the pitch-black sky at night. Before sneaking into his parents' bedroom, he'd gotten a good look at the moon through the window in his own bedroom, and was enamored by the sight. He felt like he had the best view of the moon in town. Despite it being hundreds or maybe even thousands of miles away, the moon reflecting in Stan's sapphire eyes was practically bigger than his pupils.

Even though the dark sky was too vast for the moon's vibrant rays, it had some help - though very little - from the many stars that accompanied it. There's not a single cloud in sight. Stan recalled the snow clouds that completely covered up the sky earlier in the day, as well as in the previous days, and wondered how he's able to see the sky now. It's like the moon dispelled away the masses of grey clouds as it rose into the sky, something the sun wasn't able to do.

While he was so focused on the sky, he failed to notice a sinister being watching him from the shadows. Not even the moonlight could reveal their identity, not in the faintest.

Stan closes his eyes, remembering tonight's sky lulling him to sleep.

.

.

.

Come morning, his parents wake up to see their son sleeping in the middle of their bed, having turned over on his side whilst asleep. Resisting the urge to sigh, his mother gently shakes him awake with one hand, using the other to wipe the sleep from her eyes. But when Stan shows no signs of waking, his father assists her by lightly poking the back of Stan's neck. His eyes fly open in a panic, but he's instantly relieved when it's just his parents waking him up. Not the monster that was chasing him in his dream...

"Stan, what have we told you about not sleeping in your own room?" Stan's eyes nervously look up to see the stern frown on his mother's face. He looks away, ashamed. He's told them before that he's afraid of the dark, more than once in fact. He's glad that they never exposed his fear in front of his older sister, she would bully him about it endlessly for awhile, then add it to her 'Things To Bully Stan With' list. At least, that's what Stan believes she has somewhere in her room. A sigh from his mother brings him out of his thoughts. "This is the fourth time. I think it's best to buy you a nightlight."

The little noirette instantly denies the idea with a shake of his head. "What's wrong with me sleeping with you and dad?" He's genuinely curious about this, it's not like he ever disrupted their sleep or anything.

"Sometimes, we like to-"

"Hush, Randy." Stan raises an eyebrow at the blush coloring his mother's cheeks after she silenced his father. He wonders what he was going to say. Then she looks down at Stan. "You're a growing boy, sweetie. Even if you aren't comfortable sleeping in your room because of the dark, you will with time, and a nightlight will help you with that."