In a different area of the terrifying town of Sanguine, Mike was scared. Very scared, with understandable reason.

He had just met a person (thing) which looked like a living skeleton (how does a skeleton live?) a few moments ago, and he was now alone (vulnerable) in what was apparently a town of monsters.

The only good things were that he wasn’t alone, his father and sister were also in the town (they could suffer together…) and that the Sheriff had given Mike a gun capable of stopping (killing) any monster in this town.

Bad news was that he was still a child (weak), he was lost, confused, scared, and he could only stop (kill) six monsters weaker than the (monstrous) Sheriff.

Mike was pretty sure that there were more than six monsters in this (horrible) town named Sanguine.

Mike thought back to what he knew of the town, very little, but he did know that the Sheriff warned him to stay away from the park (could be devoured by the Unwanted), and that he should get to the Garage his father went to for gas (safe place?).

Destination in mind, but no way of knowing how to get there and unable to ask for directions (would be killed), Mike wandered, his eyes snapping from place to place in search of Residents who would try to hurt him (gnaw on his skull).

He was still a child, so that wasn’t his exact thoughts, but it was pretty close in meaning… all he really knew was that getting hurt was not an impossibility (pain is close).

Sanguine, as explained by the Sheriff, was a terrifying place. And Mike, ignorant as he was, knew enough to understand that he was probably not going to survive (he was going to die) unless he met up with his sister (teacher) or father (provider).

The latter might not be nice (selfish), but he would look out for Mike, it was a lesson Mike learnt early in his life.

It was as he was attempting to figure out where in Sanguine he was, that Mike came upon another Resident (monster) of Sanguine, and Mike recognized what it was (a creature of nightmares) as soon as it saw him.

It was somehow even more mutated than the last one, staring at Mike with eyes reminiscent of a housefly (so many eyes), walking on four (insect-like) legs, dragging a limp (and more humanoid) fifth, screaming as it shuffled forward, trying to grab (kill) Mike.

Mike, was actually on the other side of the road (safe distance) when this being (monster) attempted to do this, and thus had enough time to run (flee for life), recalling that the Resident he had encountered beforehand was much faster.

It was still a traumatic (life threatening) thing for a child to see, regardless of the distance (closing!) between Mike and the other Resident…

And then Mike heard it, the rumble of an engine (The roar of a beast) and Mike only had a moment to turn and look at the Resident which was attempting to cross the street.

And it was in that same moment that the Resident vanished (into a maw of sharpened, horrible teeth) causing Mike to pale as he watched the cause of the disappearance speed (run) off.

It was massive, disgusting (no skin, roTtEn FLESH) and many legs (so many limbs) like a centipede, and pincers (sharp, cutting) that were like those of a beetle, its mouth was filled with (razor-like) teeth as it devoured the Resident.

The splatter and suddenness of the ‘death’ was enough to freeze Mike in place, as he stared at the side of the creature…

He vomited a moment later, heaving on the ground, not at the disgusting nature of what had just happened (blood everywhere) but at the fact that he somehow recognized the creature.

Yes, despite having never seen (with the EYES) such a being, Mike could recognize it, even as its many rows of teeth killed (can it die?) the Resident, even as Mike looked to its legs (Pointy… then turning into hands as it pulled itself forward, a constant cycle) and realized its horror…

He couldn’t help but recall that on the side of the beast, written in black, (pulsing) veins, were the words ‘The Deliverer’.

…that, that creature (thing from the depths of HELL) was what hit Mike and his family.

They had a head-on collision with that thing…

They were lucky to be alive (how though?)

“Terrifying, isn’t it?” Mike jolted as he turned to the source of the soothing voice, not having expected anyone to actually speak to him (town of monsters after all) and looked at the person.

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She… seemed normal. She seemed nice?

That first Resident appeared to be a normal person too, until it had turned around (such a wide maw…) and showed its true colours.

“W-w-who are y-y-you?” Mike wished his tongue didn’t feel so heavy in his mouth (taste of bile) so he’d stop stuttering on letters which he normally could pronounce very well…

He was scared, and afraid. It was stressing Mike out, and everyone and everything (especially things) was suspicious, as far as Mike was concerned, everything in Sanguine wanted to hurt (kill) him.

“Ah… you fear me… Well, I can understand.” The ‘person’ was a woman, wearing a long dress with a bonnet, it was a really old appearance… and again, ignoring how old her clothes were, one could believe that she was a normal woman…

She also happened to be a thinking being in Sanguine, a place of horrors and disturbing creatures, so Mike recalled the words of the Sheriff.

“You’re a F-f-founder, aren’t you?” Mike managed to stutter a bit less this time, staring at the being with trepidation.

He had practiced summoning the Scythe after leaving the Sheriff’s Office, it really was as simple as willing the revolver (something more) to his hand when he needed to use (kill with) it.

Mike felt scared of this woman, much like he feared the previous Resident or the Sheriff. Even if the latter was cordial and kind, he (it) was arguably more dangerous than the former…

One could tell this simply by the fact that the Sheriff could kill any Resident or Founder, and the only being he (it) could not kill was an Old One.

This ‘woman’ was probably not an Old One… the Sheriff was apparently the strongest Founder, and just being in his (its) presence was stifling, this woman wasn’t as scary.

It was why he could still speak clearly, or at least as much as he actually could.

“I am a Founder of Sanguine. I guide lost children like yourself, I am referred to as Mother.” Mike froze at the term, looking at the woman with suspicion…

He had never met his own mother, and his father could only say ‘she was a good lay’ about said mother… but he didn’t feel comfortable calling a stranger, let alone a monstrous existence such as a Founder, ‘mother’.

Seeming to see Mike’s distaste for the term, the woman gave an awkward smile in return.

“Ah, I doubt you’d like to call me that… You might call me…” The Mother paused for a moment, looking down at her own neck as she reached and thumbed a carved wooden cross hanging there.

“Faith I suppose…” The woman finally responded and Mike could agree to that, though he found the thought of stuttering her ‘name’ every time he said it to be a chore.

“Alright… why did you come to m-m-me?” Mike asked, and narrowed his eyes when he saw the woman soften her smile at his stutter.

Mike had never truly hated another living being, but he was actually a bit annoyed at being patronized like this.

“Well I saw a child, not a Resident, Founder, or even an Old One. A normal, living child. And despite no longer having children to take care of, I still remember the joys involved with that duty.” Faith said, kneeling in front of Mike to match eye level.

“You… wanted to help m-m-me?” Mike asked, looking at the ‘woman’ with a curious glance, trying to hide the fear he was feeling… he was also clearly failing.

“Well… I’d like to. But I don’t think you want me to help you.” Faith said, looking at Mike with a tilt of ‘her’ head, trying to reach out and touch him, watching him step back.

“N-n-no… I-I-I’m f-f-fine…” Mike said with his stutter getting a giggle from the Founder.

“Maybe you are… I will say that you are right to fear the beings in this place… there are no truly kind beings in this place anymore… any kind beings have long since died or been corrupted…” The sad look on ‘her’ face said everything that Faith was feeling at the moment.

Now Mike wasn’t sure about this feeling he felt, but he needed to address it… and so he spoke.

“You too?” Mike’s question was quiet, but heard easily by the ‘woman’ in front of him, turning her head and looking at Mike as if seeing him for the first time.

“…Yes, I am no exception. My love for children, my want to care for them, has long since been corrupted, against my will… I am naught but a puppet for the Unwanted…” Faith seemed to…

Regret. Mike wasn’t sure if that was the right term, but he could tell she felt sorry about something.

“It is because I am a puppet of the Unwanted, that despite wanting to help you, I’d probably do nothing but rush you headlong to your death, at which point you would be nothing more but another shell for the Unwanted to change into like one might change clothes.” Mike felt his face paling as he realized what Faith was saying.

“I am truly sorry.” Mike had stepped further out of reach, now standing in the road (despite knowing the roads were the domain of that thing, the Deliverer) and looked at the once kind woman.

That was past tense because with a snapping (bones cracking) and horrible twisting (flesh and skin) her form changed, her clothes stretching as her face lost colour, her skin becoming brittle and sunken in like a corpse…

Then a hood had covered her once kind face, leaving one to only wonder at what horror lied beneath the hood, her limbs now thin and spindly (like an insect), leaning forward slightly as her arms (long, too long) reached out for him…

And on instinct, Mike found a weight in his hands, aiming the Scythe at the monster before him, drawing silence as everything went still.

It was a slow thing, as Faith twitched and breathed (rasping gasps as if drowning) before pointing at the revolver in his hands.

“The Scythe? You possess it, you have a way… a way to end my suffering…” Slowly Mike began to hear the mania (the insanity) in Faith’s voice as she shuffled forward, Mike inching away.

“Don’t, don’t leave me, please, end my suffering, grant me relief, please… kill me.” Mike was still staring (and screaming, he couldn’t even hear himself scream) as he raised the gun, his hands shaking…

And then a stick-like (clawed) hand curled slowly over the gun, moving Mike’s aim as it was adjusted, the hood now hovering exactly in front of the barrel.

“I am tired of hurting others… please, stop me so that I may hurt no more.” It was then that Mike realized… that Faith did not want to do this.

Founders had to obey the orders of Old Ones (except maybe the Sheriff) but Founders were also people at some point… maybe not all of them, but some, like Faith, might regret their circumstances.

It was sad… and yet, Mike knew exactly what she wanted.

A finger moved, and a trigger was pulled.

There was a crack of noise, and a body fading to dust.

There was the sound of footsteps, slow and stumbling before a thump of knees on concrete was heard.

Much like a lone tree falling in a quiet forest, the sobs of a child went unheard.

Killing Faith was a horrible thing to do.