Forgotten Pride

Greenskin: Epilogue

Chapter five: A Waste of Life

He walks steadily…cautiously through the house. It is almost dark out and the lights in house don’t seem to be functioning properly. The house is barely lit. He decides to check every corner of the house in order to find somebody. He starts with the kitchen. When he enters, he stands completely still, in shock of what he finds. He then falls to his knees, buries his head in the palm of his hands…and weeps miserably. What he has found…is his wife and sons’ heads on stakes that have been planted into the floor.

He has trouble standing up. He can’t get over this. Not this. This isn’t just some street punk. This is his family. They’re gone. Gone.

“Don’t worry…don’t give up hope…” a familiar voice is heard by him.

Ken looks back at him, his sad heart has been filled with rage. What he sees behind him, is something he’ll never forget.  It’s Nate…in a man’s rotting skin. Pieces of skin are dangling off of Nate’s cheekbones and others have been stitched together. The “suit’s” eyeholes are obviously too large, though. Another characteristic that Ken doesn’t happen to miss…is the colour the decaying skin has become…green.

“Nathan, what have you done?” Ken demands.

“I thought it would have been obvious enough. I killed them. I killed my parents and I killed your loved ones. Don’t call me Nathan. Call me Greenskin.”

“What are you wearing?!!!”

“This is so that my friend can always be with me.”

Ken’s eyes widen in disbelief. Suddenly, Nate pushes Ken to the ground, pulling a knife out of his left pocket. He is knocked back by his desperate prey. Ken quickly pulls out his gun and shoots. To his terror, all that the bullet does is make Nate look at the hole is chest, but his gaze is quickly returned to Ken. Nate starts to laugh…first just casually, but later hysterically. After this, his laughter turns into something inhuman. Something not even related to any existing creatures. Something demonic.

Ken is forced to run. He needs to think fast. He needs to find something he may be able to use to escape. The door has somehow been locked…so that’s a “no”. He reaches for his lighter in his pocket. He might be able to use it. His house has bars over the windows, so he’ll also have to check that one off the list. He just wishes he’d taken his keys with him. Of course, he can use the tunnel to get out. The tunnel that was built in his house in case of emergency. It’s in the basement. He runs down the flight of stairs and quickly reaches the bottom. He is greeted by someone he didn’t expect to see…Nate. Nate throws him hardly against the liquor cupboard and litres of alcohol spill over the open floor.

“DON’T. LOSE. HOPE.” Nate proclaims.

Ken sees he is right next to the exit. He tries his best to crawl out from under the cupboard, as Nate slowly walks over to him, mockingly. In one strong jolt, Ken is out. He opens the hatch to the tunnel, still noticing Nate treading over to him.

“You’ll never be able to escape, John. Not really,” Nate whispers, getting closer.

“I will,” he returns, throwing his lighter into the liquor, causing a huge fire to form between Nate and himself.

“I will.”