FALTER

CHAPTER 13: To greener pastures.

The Green residence, which had been drab since Rachel left, was illuminated by the chatter and shuffling of the neighbourhood families on this day. Rachel's mother was surrounded by and being comforted by a gaggle of her neighbourhood 'friends', who were alternating between lightly patting her back and standing around mumbling soliloquies clearly meant to dig into both the parents' ears.

The husbands of all the women and men upstairs were congregated in the downstairs living room. They had drinks in their hands and spoke solemnly, althought one would have to be blind to not notice their prolonged looks at the door of Rachel's bedroom. It wasn't anything too out of the ordinary, but there was a fluffy plushie of some sort hanging from the doorknob, and even this little show of personality seemed to offend every guest that saw it.

Present in the living room was also Rachel's father, Hayden Elizabeth Green, who, even in his currently dazed state of mind, heard the fleeting words in the air subtly insulting his daughter. He saw people's eyes uncomfortably dart to Rachel's bedroom door and the light pursing of their lips. He could feel his stomach churning in disapproval. Needing some fresh air, he got up unsteadily and sauntered out of the room when his legs found their strength. When the sun shined through the grey, dreary clouds outside and hit his skin, pain took over again. Sharp nails pierced his head from every possible angle and he keeled over onto the grass. Through his red tinted vision, he saw that viscous dark liquid drip onto his hands; the source of it was presumably his nose.

Mr. Green had been followed outside by another man. He was a rather contentious neighbourhood menace and even through his rapidly deteroriating consciousness, Mr. Green's ego told him today was not a day to take any shit from anyone.

He didn't even know his name, Mr. Green thought to himself as he once again staggered to his feet, but still he could feel the hate. The younger man didn't offer to help Mr. Green up. Instead, he chuckled.

"Sheesh, no wonder your girl ran away! You always look like shit, Mister?" He gave out a heart laugh as he pointed at the green stains around the knees of Mr. Green's pants. "I'm just kidding! Kidding! We all, heh, we all know she's gonna come back. I mean, she wouldn't have ran way if you'd kept a leash on her huh? Like, what else is in that room of hers? Well, this is just what happens when you don't get your kids to pray properly and they get that lil' devil whisper in their ears."

Mr. Green couldn't see anymore. Well, that wasn't exactly right, since he could still *see* everything he laid eyes on, but his mind was too far gone. He didn't see an annoying neighbour in front of him, but instead an obstacle. Something to be swatted aside - no, something to be ripped apart, chewed up and spat out.

The other man did not have an opportunity to say anything other than a horrified "Hey!" as Mr. Green lunged at him. His jugular flew through the air as his initial scream turned into a guttural rattle as the air from his lungs escaped. As he rapidly blacked out, he looked at Mr. Green in front of him, but there wasn't a human there anymore. There was just the contorted, twisted, bubbling form of what used to resemble a humanoid but nothing as unholy as that... monster had ever existed on this Earth.

When the younger man's wife came outside to look for him, the blood was dripping down the blades of grass like dew. She screamed as she looked at a corpse so mangled that nobody other than her could've ever recognized what used to be her husband. The culprit was nowhere to be seen.