Consuming Darkness, Arising Light

Chapter 34: The Long-Awaited Reunion

Clyde

Clyde awakens from a dreamless sleep. He really hates when he has those while asleep, they always leave a discomforting after-feeling. But despite that, his body feels refreshed.

His eyes widen, then he sits up. Something smells good. He notices that he's sitting on the couch in the living room of the Marsh's abode.

Waking up to the scent of food being cooked brings back memories. That's another thing he won't ever forget, next to his mother's affable nature and appearance-it's her cooking. Him and his father could always count on her to prepare meals for the three of them, even snacks and desserts too on some occasions, special or not. Clyde especially loved the cakes-big or small-and the muffins she baked, they went well with a cup of milk.

A hollow sound of something making contact with the small wooden coffee table startles him a little out of his reminiscing. He looks to see what's been giving off such a mouth-watering zest, it's a steaming plate containing a thick, succulent hamburger served with french fries fried to fit the golden and crispy narrative. A bit closer to the fries is a puddle of ketchup.

He blinks. It's like he's looking at a meal that came straight out of a fast-food restaurant. His stomach rumbles loudly over the silence, then his cheeks heat up when he hears a giggle.

"I figured you would be hungry once you woke up," Mrs. Marsh says as she heads back to the kitchen.

Clyde is more than just hungry, he is starving. He fixes his position to face the small table, reaching for a french fry on the plastic dinner plate. He sticks the whole thing into his mouth, which isn't too hot as the steam makes it out to be, and bites down on it, the crunching sound resonating from his jaw up to his eardrums. Both the crispiness and salty taste are satisfyingly delectable. He eats the fries, sometimes dipping them into the ketchup, until the hamburger appears to have cooled down. He grabs the sandwich with both hands, raises it up to his mouth, and sinks his teeth into it, letting out a moan of delight. He never knew a hamburger could have such a riveting flavor.

Mrs. Marsh returns with a can of cold soda and a paper towel in each hand. She places them down next to his plate, his mouth unable to verbally express his thanks since it's full of food. Her gentle smile denotes that she knows he is thankful. She walks over to the staircase and ascends the stairs.

A little while later, Clyde hears her lightly knock on a door, assuming she's standing before the bedroom that used to belong to her daughter. He figures she's trying to wake Kyle up. He doesn't know what time it is exactly, but knows that it's the afternoon since Mrs. Marsh made lunch...or could this be his dinner? It's so hard to tell if the day has just begun or is ending when the sky is always so dark, and being inside of a barrier that's a deep color makes it even more difficult to distinguish the time. He then realizes that Craig isn't here based on the absence of his pure magical energy, and also perceives only one person with Dark energy upstairs. Stan can't have gone anywhere, he's supposed to be unconscious. He rules out Kyle as well, Mrs. Marsh would've long since sensed that he left. Just who could it have been?

Just when Clyde is about to ask Leon, noting he hasn't said a word ever since he regained consciousness, he hears Mrs. Marsh exhale a troubled sigh as she ambles back into the living room.

Clyde feels something small in his hand, seeing that the hamburger is only a bite away from being entirely gone. He's been eating on autopilot. He tries not to look dissatisfied. "Something wrong?" He asks before consuming the rest of his sandwich.

Frowning, Mrs. Marsh sits down in the armchair adjacent to him. "I believe Kyle has entered...that 'phase'." So it was actually Stan that left. But how? Isn't he supposed to be incapable of moving right now? Clyde pushes the thoughts aside when Mrs. Marsh says that she will tell him everything that happened after he passed out, if his Inner Guardian hadn't done so already. He says that Leon didn't, so she fills him in.