South Park AU:Garden Of Spite

Chapter Seventeen

"You can run..."

"...But you can't hide..."

"...Wake up, Shelley."

                               * * *

Shelley snapped her "eyes" open.

She bolted up and looked around.

It was purple...was she back in her own bedroom?

But, then she noticed...

...The lamp was closer than before, and there was a Terrance and Philip poster.

There was other differences, but she barely had time to note them before the door opened...

...And in came Eric, the little fat boy that her little brother used to hang out with.

"Moooommm, she's awake!" he called.

"Oh, how wonderful, hun! Be a dear and help her out," Eric's mom's voice spoke.

Eric walked towards Shelley.

"What am I doing here?" she asked.

"Last night, I woke up, went downstairs cause I heard a noise, opened the door, and found you unconscious. Mom carried you in and you slept on MAH BED," Eric explained, hostility when he talked about her sleeping on his bed.

Shelley stiffened.

"Unconscious...?" she asked.

"Yeah. You were all beaten up, so my mom treated your wounds, and your right eye looked NASTY," said Eric.

Shelley stood up without another word and ran out of the room, into the bathroom, and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

There were bandages over her body and most of all, her right eye was scarred. And she realized how she couldn't fully see anything anymore.

She was half-blind.

And none of that had been one, terrible nightmare.

Shelley shakily walked out of the bathroom, just as Eric caught up to her.

"AY! What's with running away like that?" he asked.

"Oh, and I haven't got to the best part, YOU'RE ON THE NEWS! AND SO AM I! Actually, maybe this isn't all that good, BUT WE'RE ON THE NEWS," he added.

"What?" Shelley asked.

"It's true, c'mon, look!" said Eric as he grabbed her hand and led downstairs.

"See? See?" he asked as he pointed to the TV.

Shelley looked up at the TV.

"Breaking News:The Marsh residence has been attacked and burned down to the ground! The only known survivor is the daughter, Shelley Marsh, who is being taken care of in the Cartman residence," reported Tom on the news.

"See!? We're on the news!" Eric shouted excitedly.

Shelley could feel no excitement, only shock and horror.

"Even so, Shelley has injuries all over her and even a ruined eye," Tom added.

"The mother, Sharon Marsh, has been found dead, her body burnt nearly completely and a knife stabbed into her chest. The Dog, Sparky, and the father, Randy Marsh, have no sign or trace of them left, and it is not fully known what happened to them yet," he finished.

"See? We're on the-oh...right...you're family is kind of dead now..." Eric said grimly.

Shelley stared, tears forming.

"My family...is dead..." she choked out.

"Hey, we don't know exactly, there's no body found of your father and your Pet," objected Eric.

"They could've been fully burned away," whimpered Shelley.

"Well wouldn't they at least find the skeleton?" suggested Eric.

Shelley didn't listen, just sniffled, tears running down.

"My family is dead..." she said sadly.

                               * * *

Shelley sat down on the bench at Stark's Pond, watching the sun's reflection in the water, Eric sitting next to her.

"...I've lost my brother...and now I've lost my family..." she said bleakly.

"Hey, there's still hope that your Dog and dad are still alive," said Eric.

"No, how could they?" she replied with the same bleak tone.

"I've lost everything...all this pain...it's all HIS fault..." she said.

"What?" Eric asked.

"If Stan hadn't died, I wouldn't be so sad, none of my family would have, and mom, dad, and Sparky would still be alive, and-" but before she could finish her sentence, she felt a hand bash in.

Shelley was still as she felt the sting on her cheek.

She then looked at Eric and shouted,"YOU TURD! DID YOU JUST SLAP ME!?" Another slap from Eric was the response.

"YOU-" but before she could finish her sentence, Eric slapped her once again and shouted,"NO, YOU'RE THE TURD! YOUR LITTLE BROTHER'S DEAD AND YOU ACT LIKE IT'S ALL HIS FAULT!? WOW! GREAT WAY TO RESPECT YOUR DEAD BROTHER! AND YOUR FAMILY, THAT LOVED AND CARED ABOUT HIM! THEY SURE WOULDN'T BE MAD AND DISAPPOINTED IN YOU!" Shelley stared, shocked by Eric's sudden serious and outraged tone.

"HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF YOU DIED AND YOUR BROTHER PUT ALL THE BLAME ON YOU!?" he continued.

Shelley looked down at her legs. "I...I'd be mad..." she said.

"OF COURSE YOU WOULD, YOU LITTLE TURD!" Eric shouted at her. "JUST LIKE HOW STAN WOULD BE!" he continued.

"WHAT A GOOD WAY TO RESPECT THE DEAD!" he shouted sarcastically.

He stopped and looked at her with a gaze of burning anger and disappointment.

"You fucking bitch," he said as he got off of the bench.

Shelley sighed.

"...You're right...I...I shouldn't blame my dead brother..." she said sadly.

"That's it!" said Eric more approvingly.

"Now come on, mom's probably wondering where we are by now!" he said as he ran away.

"Hey, wait up you little turd!" Shelley called as she followed him.

                                * * *

He ran, ignoring the horrid pain aching in his body.

He had to find any member of his family that was still alive!

He slowed down as came up to Stark's Pond.

He moved around the lake and picked up something.

He breathed it in.

Her.

She was alive.

He quickly followed the scent, and also picked up the scent of a certain little fat kid.

They had went this way.

The scent took him to the same neighborhood where...IT had happened.

The scent led him to a green house.

He knocked against the door with his head.

The door began to open, a little c r e a k coming out of it.