backtrack (style)

chapter two

you can buy me with tacos

Stan feels like he's spiraling down the same hole he fell in when he was addicted to alcohol, so it's a surprise when he opens his eyes and doesn't see Kyle's disappointed face staring back at him.

Instead, he sees a steady flow of numbers, dates, and times in different writings and languages. They all spiral down into a stream. Stan glances around, seeing a dark blue color coat everything except the little numbers.

"Where the hell am I..." Stan wonders, but for some reason, he hears his own thoughts echo around.

"What the fuck?"

"Oh god, this is trippy."

"Stop reading my mind, asshole!"

"God fucking dammit."

When Stan realizes he can't stop this from reading his thoughts by insulting it, he finally accepts his fate.

Although, when he looks back at the stream of symbols, it's split into three. Now, all three streams are flooding into the hole that's getting bigger by the second.

But, Stan soon realizes that the hole isn't getting bigger, he's just getting closer to it. He tries to float his way against the pull, but it really isn't working.

"Ngh, dammit! What's gonna happen to me? Jesus, I swear I've been good, although I think I've committed every deadly sin, but that's beside the point."

Stan braces himself when he nears the center, and before he knows it:

"Stan?"

Stan bolts up and looks at Kenny straight in the eyes.

"Two... Stans?"

Stan takes a second to assess the situation. He quickly comes to the conclusion that he's at Kyle's house, in the front lawn.

He's beside a bush and sprawled down with Kenny who's holding up a camera. Oh shit. He's travelled back to when he confessed.

"Wait- I'm back here?"

"Back?" Kenny asks. He looks to Stan's wrist and then a truck of understanding falls on him.

"Oh fuck, I sure screwed some shit up if you have that."

"The fuck does that mean?" Stan asks him, offended.

Kenny lowers his camera and puts a finger to his lips, signaling Stan to shut up.

"Be quiet, dude," Kenny says, "Don't you know the like- main law of time travel?"

"No!" Stan whisper-yells.

"You can't be seen! Jesus you're stupid. Who gave you that thing anyways?" Kenny rolls his eyes.

"You did!"

"Oh, well," Kenny chuckles nervously, "I probably had a good reason not to tell you crap."

"Well-" Stan flares his arms around, trying to make some sort of a point but not having the right words. "Can you just- tell me now?"