Consuming Darkness, Arising Light

Chapter 18: Dreadful Encounters- Pt.1

Clyde and Craig

The sky has now darkened to a point where it looks very foreboding. Neither any thunder nor lighting have been heard or seen for quite some time, but the rain is still pouring down heavily from above.

"Stop," Leon abruptly orders.

"Huh? Why?" Clyde asks.

"Because I Said So."

Deciding not to question Leon any further, Clyde stops running, forcing Craig to do the same since they are still holding hands.

Panting, Craig raises an eyebrow at Clyde. "W-why did we s-stop?"

Clyde doesn't answer him until he's breathing normally. He turns his head to meet Craig's confused gaze. "I don't know. My Inner Guardian told me to. Yours didn't?"

Lowering his eyebrow, Craig shakes his head. "No, Stri-I mean mines didn't say anything." He isn't sure if he should reveal to Clyde that his guinea pig - who no longer looks like a guinea pig - is now his Inner Guardian just yet, and he's glad that he caught himself from spilling.

It's the little brunette's turn to copy Craig's earlier expression. Was he about to say Stripe? Now that he thinks about it, he's surprised Craig didn't bring his pet with him. He cherished it very much, and Clyde highly doubts the Being of Darkness corrupted it. Craig didn't say that it did, plus it's just an animal - a small one at that.

"Clyde, We're Takin' A Detour."

Clyde makes a face as he looks forward, having not a clue what detour means.

"Master Craig, There's Something I Must Tell You," Stripe says. Craig frowns, looking ahead of the sidewalk as well. Whatever Stripe is about to tell him is not going to be good thanks to his stern tone. "I Was Going To Wait Until After We Defeated The Being Of Darkness, But It's Far Too Dangerous To Approach It Now. One Of Its Victims Has Claimed A Friend You Once Told Me About Named Bebe Stevens Some Minutes Ago."

"What?!" Craig thinks, greatly shocked by the news.

"A...detour?" Clyde repeats back confusedly.

"Yeah, Meaning We're Gonna Try And Save Bebe Instead," Leon says.

"But what about going to help Kenny?" Clyde thinks it's rather sudden that his Inner Guardian has decided they help Bebe now, although he has no problems with it since he wanted to do that in first place. But at the same time, he doesn't wish for anything bad to happen to Kenny. Leon told him that killing the Being of Darkness wouldn't get rid of its corruption, so perhaps he's thought of another solution, Clyde believes.

"...Two People Are Already Helping Kenneth Right Now, But Something Has Changed. It's Far Too Risky To Approach Kyle's Area, And The Two Of You Wouldn't Last Even A Second If We Go There Now."

Clyde looks over at Craig, his friend's face is expressing an emotion he can't read. He presses his lips together and glances down at their intertwined hands, giving Craig's hand a light squeeze. When he looks at him, he softly asks, "Do you wanna help Bebe?"

Craig looks away with a reluctant frown on his face, then he mutters, "We don't really have any other choice...I just...want this all to end."

Clyde couldn't agree more. First, there was the murder case along with Eric's missing whereabouts that will forever be unsolved, and now there's a monster tearing their town upside down. Perhaps this all happened because of the murder, which Clyde now believes could've been the Being of Darkness' doing. It could've also taken Eric. Clyde really, really hopes Kenny and the two unknown people that are with him defeat the Being of Darkness. But most importantly, Clyde yearns to save Bebe—to revert her back to the way she was before all of this occurred. He thinks it's possible now since Craig is with him, and they both have an Inner Guardian. Leon told him that Craig's Inner Guardian was Light while him and his father were running away from home earlier.