Hide away (Stan Marsh x Kyle Broflovski)

Chapter 17

"Stanley?"

"Mom, I can't- I can't just drive into town. Just the thought of him being threatened by all the animals, I have to get him." Stan said, staring at the old path. It was covered in fallen leaves, old branches, and more. Despite that, Stan could feel himself being pulled in.

"Stan, the truck won't fit through there."

Stan turned to his mom and gave her a sad smile as he climbed out of the car. He grabbed his phone and looked around. The air was cool to his skin, but that was the last thing he could care less about. "I'll go look in the woods with Sparky. You drive the car around town and ask if anyone has seen him. Don't tell them too much, and stay safe, okay?"

Sharon climbed out of the car slowly, leaving the door open for Sparky as she made her way to her son. Stan wouldn't look at her; his eyes trained on the forest ahead. She grabbed his shoulder slowly and turned him around. "Stan..."

The blue-eyed male turned around, frowning as she cried before him. He grabbed the hand she had placed on his shoulder and squeezed it tightly. This only worsened the tears as she began to sob lightly. Randy always said he got his emotions from her, and how he teared up made Stan think it was true.

"Stan, honey, please. Whatever you do, please come home in the end...." Sharon begged and moved her hands to cup her youngest child's face. Sharon moved Stan's head down and raised her own.

When Stan was younger, he used to fall a lot. He'd come to Sharon crying despite Randy telling him to hold those tears in and power through. Sharon would press kisses to where he bumped his head or bandage where he scraped his knee. She promised she'd kiss all the injuries she could and hold him in her arms until the pain went away.

Sharon kissed Stan's forehead, hoping it might ease the storm brewing in his mind. When she pulled away, Sharon wiped every tear from her son's eyes just before he moved away from her—into the forest and out of her arms, leaving her alone with nothing but a heavy heart.

Stan heard his mother close the doors to the truck and drive off. Stan did his best to keep it together while he and Sparky walked through the woods of South Park; he refused to look back to where he left his mother.

"Do you think you can sniff Kyle out, boy? Is his scent still on my phone?" Stan asked, lowering his phone down near Sparky's nostrils. The dog sniffed the phone for a minute before sneezing and sniffing the ground: an old dog, but a good one. Part wolf and part Doberman, Stan knew he could always trust him to find something no matter how far away it was.

Stan followed eagerly as Sparky sniffed around the woods. They had to have been walking for five minutes before the dog stopped at one specific tree. He sniffed all around, making Stan smile slightly.

"Has he been here, boy? Can you smell hi- oh. Oh, Sparky, come on. You gotta be kidding me." Stan pinched the bridge of his nose. Sparky lifted his leg and peed against the tree while Stan groaned in annoyance. The old dog then moved happily towards Stan, sitting at his feet, basically smiling.

"You did that on purpose."

Stan huffed and decided to go straight, hoping that maybe just maybe, they'd find anything. It seemed as if they'd been walking for hours without luck. Stan's legs were sore, and his empty stomach was no help. He had no service so he couldn't call his mom, and his throat was sore from yelling Kyle's name.