Consuming Darkness, Arising Light

Chapter 16: Facing This Together

Clyde

Clyde is anxious yet also curious about his current surroundings. This is the very first dream he's ever undergone where he's actively conscious within it. There's nothing but a long, well-intact bridge before him, stretching deeply into this dark place. But he's flummoxed as to how he even ended up here.

Just approximately one minute ago, he was just sitting in his bed, listening to the rain and the infrequent thunderclaps. At some point, he must've dozed off without realizing it. Well, he was feeling very bored, and the sounds outside were rather soothing to listen to, so it was impossible not to fall asleep. He just wishes this dream he's experiencing wasn't so tedious and creepy.

He takes one step forward onto the bridge. The hard wood beneath his bare feet feels cold. A strange noise comes from behind him and he turns around so fast that he almost loses his balance. The starting point of the bridge extends just as long as the opposite end. Before he can question it, he notices something above and he looks up. There are a cluster of grey clouds, but they seem to be concealing something. He can see a faint light peeking through the clouds.

He looks down with an uneasy frown. He doesn't want to be here any longer. He pinches his arm, hoping pain would be enough to rouse him awake. "Come on, me. Wake up." When nothing happens, he applies a bit more pressure onto his skin, hissing while clenching his eyes shut. He soon relents heaving a disappointed sigh, opening his eyes brimming with tears while rubbing his agitated skin.

Suddenly, a new sound loudly penetrates the silence. It startles him, and he scans around for the source. When he's unable to locate where the sound is originating from, he's given a hint. The sound becomes more distinct, Clyde now recognizing it as water pattering against more water. He nears the railing made of thin rope, and looks down in between the wide openings. He gapes at a massive body of water rising up to the bridge, however it's only raining on the side he's facing a little far away from him and the bridge. He's shocked at himself for failing to notice the rain falling from the clouds sooner. He observes the water gradually reaching his level, seeing its steady advancement fills him with wonder.

He decides to sit down underneath the railing, and swings his legs back and forth. He's starting to like the sound of the rain. Snowfalls are silent unless it's a snowstorm, and he hates when South Park gets those. He once learned about Antarctica, back when Mrs. Wayford was still teaching. She said that Antarctica was the coldest continent in the world, and only marine species lived there, listing a few of them, though there were some dwellings for humans. It was fascinating information. Clyde wants to visit there just to see the penguins. He remembers seeing them in a picture book, and even colored them in as an activity. They look so harmless and cute, especially the baby penguins. He then gets an interesting thought: How would a penguin adapt in South Park? It always snows there making it cold all year round, and it can swim in Stark's Pond and eat the fishes in it. The only main difference is that there are more humans than animals in South Park, so it might get uncomfortable by not being with its kind. Clyde thinks that if it's taken care of properly, it would be just fine.

His immersion is interrupted when the rain stops. He pouts, then focuses on the position of the water. It's just meters away from his feet. He raises an eyebrow, though, when he sees the clouds beginning to disperse through the reflection of the still, pellucid sea, looking up just as a pretty night sky shows itself. "Wooow..." He is left in awe once more. He can't believe that a big and bright moon, and hundreds of stars were all obscured by a bunch of grey clouds. An exact situation that happens every night in South Park.

The longer Clyde gazes up at the sky, the more he becomes unaware of the approaching danger. It's only until he hears someone stepping onto the bridge that he snaps out of his reverie, which sounded close by. He looks down turning his head towards his left, a tall, fairly-built man with curly, apricot-colored hair and hazel eyes is standing there with a dull fixation at the sky. If it wasn't for the moonlight, Clyde would've thought the guy was merely a floating head. That's how well his clothes camouflage with the background. He's wearing a long trench coat over a turtleneck sweater that's tucked into his cargo pants, and his pants legs are tucked into his combat boots. The belt around his waist is a charcoal color, and lastly, he's wearing a fingerless glove on his right hand.