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Stan sat on the hood of his car, just watching the waves crash onto the beach. The ocean was lit up only by the headlights he left on. Darkness engulfing everything around him in a pitch black horror. There were no noises other than the hum of his car and the deafening crash of each wave.
He was lonely, that was all he could feel. Nothing else but the gnawing pain of sadness that came from not being near anyone that loved him. There was nothing left for him in New Jersey anymore, he knew that he was banned but sitting here staring at the beach made it feel real.
His childhood home was lost to him and now he can’t even stay in the state. He doesn’t know what to do or where to go. Shermie had told him he could stay with him the last time he called Ma with what little change he scrounged up. But Stan couldn’t do that, he couldn’t risk losing the last family member willing to care about him.
Stan let out a breath of dejection, turning away from the ocean for a moment to look into the inky darkness. Wondering what he was going to do, if living was worth it now.
The sound of the waves stopped, instead there was a wet slithering noise approaching Stan. Looking over he saw a fast approaching wave about to hit him. He tried to jump off the Stanley Mobile but he wasn’t fast enough.
He was hit hard and pulled into the water, being dragged across the sand into the pitch black water. The wave seemed to be made of hands, pulling him deeper into the cold ocean. No matter how hard he swam against it, more and more water arms rose out of the depths to pull him down. He was drowning, there was no way out of this. Stan was going to die because he was afraid to let go of the only home he had ever known.
With one final kick he lost his breath and watched as the light from his car's headlights faded away as he was dragged into the cold hell of the ocean. His only hope was that his car could at least make it back to someone who would take care of it and that the letters he had under the passenger seat could make it to his family.
Stan snapped into a sitting position, head jerking from side to side as he scanned the area around him.
“Stanley?” A deep voice asked from his left side.
Letting his head snap over to the voice so fast his neck popped, Stan saw his twin looking at him with a concerned face.
His twin was in a lounge chair under an umbrella, a book in his hands that was now laying on his bare chest as he stared at Stan. He was in a pair of black swim trunks that were covered in colorful math equations.
Stan felt his racing heart start to calm as he tore his eyes away from Ford, looking around at the surrounding area. He was on a beach, only this time it was a nice sunny day with calm waves just lapping at the sands.
Looking down at himself Stan notices that he is also bare chested with a pair of swim trunks on, only his were covered in pictures of hundred dollar bills. Though the closer he looked, he noticed that all the triangles had been scribbled out. He let out a sharp laugh as he flopped back to relax on the chair.
It was just a nightmare and a memory folded into one, something he thought he was past now that it had been almost two years since Weirdmageddon.
“Lee,” Ford asked his name more firmly, concern lacing the single word.
Stan turned to look at his brother, letting his eyes trace the wrinkles on his face. They were getting old.
“I’m fine Poindexter, just a nightmare.” He answered honestly, letting out a huff as he let his body fully relax.
Ford hummed as he narrowed his eyes at him, his critical gaze searching for any lie. Seemingly finding nothing, he sharply nodded before picking up his book again. He kept glancing at Stan from the corner of his eye every once in a while, trying to not let Stan see him checking on him.
Stan just ignored him and watched the waves lap at the shore under a bright sunny sky, listening to the children play nearby and the people around laugh. It was peaceful and nothing like what his dream slash memory put him through. Sitting here with his brother on some sunlit beach just existing happily was everything Stan could ever want in his life.