Keith (AYAOTD)

Keith

Background

Keith Saunders is a high school student. He was in a bad car crash that injured his legs so bad he would never walk without a limp.

During the events of Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Season 2 Episode 6 The Tale of the Dark Dragon played by Chuck Campbell

Mariah walks up to Keith in the library and says hello and he tells her that he has something for her and gives her a bag of chocolate covered blueberries. Mariah asks Keith if he is going to the dance on Friday and he says that he is more of a sit and watch guy than a dance guy. Gary and Gary's Friend walk into the library and Gary's Friend sees Shelly in the library and Gary tells him that they are fighting and Shelly accused him of taking her for granted. Gary and Gary's Friend play hacky sack, and the hacky sack goes towards Keith and Gary tells him to get it. The ball lands by Keith, who has leg braces and Gary apologizes to Keith and says his comment was rude.

As Keith is walking, he accidentally bumps into Shelly and Shelly drops what she was carrying. Keith apologizes and while he is helping to gather her things, asks her if she is going to the dance. She tells him maybe and he offers to go with her. While Keith is studying at a diner called the Charcoal Pit, Shelly sees him and knocks on the window next to him to get his attention and waves at him. He gets up and walks towards the door as she enters it, but she walks by him and goes to hug Gary. As Keith is reading a comic book, he comes across an ad for Sardo’s Magic Mansion which mentions bringing out the best of yourself with a potion. That evening, Keith goes to Sardo’s Magic Mansion and tells Sardo that he came for the potion. Sardo doesn’t initially know what potion Keith is asking for until Keith mentions it is the one that brings out the best in a person. Sardo goes to a cabinet and then asks what else the potion was supposed to do, and Keith says it is supposed to also make him more confident and powerful. Sardo grabs a potion and tells Keith the instructions for use. He is only to use one drop at a time and tells Keith it costs 40 dollars and then offers it for 35, before asking how much Keith has and sells it to him for 20 dollars. Before leaving Keith tests the potion out on a mangy looking rabbit in Sardo’s shop named Harold and Harold turns into a larger rabbit with nice fur.

Keith goes home and drinks a drop from the potion and his hair changes, and he can walk again. In the morning, he goes to the Charcoal Pit and walks up to Shelly and her friends and tells them that he is KC, a cousin of Keith. The next morning, Keith has to go back to wearing leg braces and notices a blemish on his chest. When he walks outside his apartment, Mariah notices he is wearing a turtleneck, and he tells her that he has a cold. She asks about the other guy that came from his apartment and started flirting with Shelly and Keith says it is no one. At school Shelly asks Keith if KC is going to be at the Charcoal Pit later and tells Keith to tell KC that Shelly and her friends will be there later. Mariah tells Keith that he never told her that he had a cousin, and Keith says KC isn’t from there. That evening Keith’s Father asks him how his test went, and Keith tells him that he flunked it. Keith’s Father is surprised, and Keith looks down and sees he now has a blemish on his hand. Keith puts on a glove and then throws the potion in the trash.

Shelly calls Keith and asks if KC is there. Keith fakes his voice to mimic that of “KC” and Shelly invites him to come over and watch some television. Keith agrees to it and then removes the potion from the wastebasket. As Keith is leaving Shelly’s apartment, he asks her out to the dance on Friday and she agrees to go with him instead of Gary. The next morning Keith’s face and body have changed even more, and he has started to grow large canines. Keith goes back to Sardo’s Magic Mansion and shows him the negative effects of the potion. Sardo tells him that he is the only one who has ever bought the potion and while looking at the spell, Keith notices the spell continues on the next page and the spell description warns that one must fight the dark dragon from within before bringing out the best. Keith goes back home and hides in bed and Mariah goes to his apartment and takes his hidden key and walks in. She tells Keith to let her into his room and that she can help him, but he tells her that no one can help him now as he fully changes into a mutated version of himself.

That evening, Keith goes to the school and takes more of the potion before locking it up in his locker and then changes into KC. He goes to the dance and dances with Shelly. The Principal gives the trophy for the best athlete in school and the winner is Gary. Gary dedicates the award to Shelly and says he would give anything if she danced the next dance with him and she agrees to dance with him. Mariah walks up to Keith and tells him to ask her to dance. Keith realizes she used the potion, and she tells him that she loves him and now that she is pretty, he can be with a pretty girl. Mariah starts to have pain in her stomach and she and Keith leave the dance area. She tells Keith she drank the whole bottle and starts to mutate, and Keith tells her that he hated himself after the car accident. He apologizes to Mariah and cries on her shoulder and he and she transform back to themselves. Keith tells her that he thinks he beat the dark dragon that was inside of himself after the accident. The Principal walks up to them and asks them what they are doing, and Keith says he is taking Mariah to dance, and they go back into the dancehall.