By now it was fall again. Riv had already been here for a year, but it felt like no time at all.

To compensate for the pay cut, even with how seemingly insignificant it was, I took more work. Five percent may not seem like much at first, but that amount can and will add up over time and I was already making less for housing Riv. It was evident to me, especially now, that Morissey was not fond of new types, but his latest behaviors were...much more unsettling than usual. I tried to keep my face buried in whatever boring paperwork I was given, base pay and extra, hoping to keep out of sight and out of mind and not possibly cause another outburst.

As the weeks carried on from there I found myself with less and less time, so I tried to offset the load by staying up longer on weekdays. Some of the assignments were odd or hard to follow, especially while tired, so unfortunately I'd begun to turn to coffee and tea to help keep me awake even at night so I could get this done. Waiting on survey results was excruciating and I felt horrible that I'd started to consider incoming residents little more than slight boosts to my meager pay.

It wasn't at all that I disliked them, but with the staff...seemingly working against me, I hardly saw hide nor hair of them to begin with.

Every time I turned around there was someone watching me. If it was Heather I minded far less as she wanted to be helpful and keep us at-ease, but often it wasn't. Those staff wouldn't so much as speak to us, undoubtedly from the disgusting things people had been saying about us behind our backs. What bothered me the most about this is that they could very plainly see Riv and both Daniel and I, how we all treated each other and how happy Riv was the whole time. If such things were occurring, wouldn't he be exhibiting questionable behaviors? He acted no different than any other child his age-- content, healthy, and very affectionate. Even with what all he'd been through, he was still a very sweet, very well-behaved little boy and I could not be more spoiled. I wished so badly these people would see what I saw, but it seemed less about ability and more about willingness.

Every time I so much as looked to Daniel and Riv at their lobby table there seemed to be someone in the corridor staring back at me, their eyes narrow with contempt.

Every time I so much as went to eat lunch with them I would see at least one or two watching us from the hall, faces full of disgust.

Even when I would go upstairs to use the bathroom there would be someone watching me from just beyond the doorway.

I would go to my room to place or retrieve something and shadows would grow from behind me. When I'd turn to face them, often there was nobody, but to feel cornered in my own house...

...in my own bedroom...

...was really eating away at me.

Each passing day I found myself withdrawing a little more from my friend and son, terrified of being perhaps too friendly toward them should my gestures be misread or misconstrued. I couldn't afford to lose this, to lose the accreditation that kept the house running. I simply couldn't make enough on my own and should something like this happen I would not be able to employ Daniel here anymore. As strange a family as we might be, this was the closest to a family I'd ever had and I'd do anything to keep it.

I had to keep working.

Just...keep working.

When Morissey would visit in the mornings I could hardly speak or look at him, lest I do or say something to make this matter even rockier than it'd been the past several months. I had half a mind to sell this place and run away with Riv, but he was still too young to take on foot and I'm not sure even the house money could afford a wagon. I just had to keep pressing on.

It was to a point where I was afraid of looking in the mirror.

Residents came and went, cared for meticulously by his staff. It was becoming clear to me that I was less the owner of this home and more a peon with a convenient building. Maybe buying the largest open building in town was a bad idea in retrospect-- a smaller one would have been much more affordable both to buy and maintain, and I could possibly have circumvented much of this nonsense.

Finishing another cup of coffee this morning I was irritable and jittery. I stayed up too long the previous evening and was regretting it today. From the corner of my eye Daniel and Riv looked back to me from their table with eyes of worry. As much as I wanted to say something to reassure them I saw eyes staring me down from the hallway corridor and couldn't find the strength to push past it.

"Reverend?" Daniel called from his seat.

I gasped and jumped in my chair, not expecting the sudden noise, and held my head.

"Geez, sorry, I didn't mean to startle ya," he said, ears dropped low. "You just...look really tense. Are you okay?"

I tried to ignore him. I didn't want to cause a scene out here, especially during the work hours and with those shadows just across the room. Even now I could still see them from the doorway, just waiting to jump on anything I did or said. Even if I wanted to tell Daniel what was going on, how long until I'd be overheard and it'd come right back to me? To us?

"...Reverend?" he called again.

"I'm fine," I replied curtly.

"I...don't really believe that, but--"

"I'm. Fine."

He just continued to look back to me from where he sat, his expression a complicated mix of hurt and concern. I hated having to be this way, but I would hate the alternative even more if it were to go exactly as I knew it would. What was I supposed to say about any of this?

That I'm being spied on? That my privacy is being grossly disregarded?

For what, another batch of staff to come here and make it even worse than the previous? How long until they move from me to both of them on top of it? I know they watched all three of us rather intently, but they seemed...eerily focused on me, for some reason. I guess it was because I was an employee?

Daniel stood up and walked over to my desk, each step sinking my ears back just a little more than the last. He stopped just in front my desk and held out his hands. I hesitantly looked up to them, then to his face as I harshly hunched over.

"What?" I asked.

"You know, if you'd like, I could help you with some of that," he said. "It ain't often my job here is needed so I've got a lotta time to spare and you seem like you could use the help."

"I...can't do that," I said, my whole body shaking.

"Please, Reverend, you're working yourself to the bone and you have been the past few months," he continued. "I've noticed your pullin' away and hidin' from us lately and it's got me real worried. Please tell me what's goin' on."

"...I c...can't, Daniel," I stuttered, trying to look anywhere else. "Just...leave me be, please. I need to get this done."

With a defeated sigh he turned around, gently petting my head before returning to the table. It crushed me to have to do that, but I couldn't bear to get either of them involved in what was just not their problem.

"Is Father okay?" Riv asked Daniel after he returned.

"...I...don't know, Riv, but I really hope so," he responded, bringing the boy close and combing through his hair.

***

It'd been some number of weeks since Reverend and Morissey's spat in the lobby. I could hardly believe these disgusting accusations and I had an even harder time understanding how anyone else could. There were no behaviors to indicate any unusual goings-on from anyone, especially Riv, and such horrifying things come at a high price. I wondered if my pervasive affection might have something to do with it, but when I'd try to hold myself back from these things more the recipient would compensate for the effort to pull it back out of me, whether it were Reverend or Riv.

To keep them from something they enjoyed, that I also enjoyed, and posed no threat nor harm to either of them was just...crushing. These things, these experiences were healthy and necessary for a strong family, for interpersonal bonds, and it was so clear to me that they both needed and wanted it. There's nothing disgusting about hugging your children or letting them cuddle on you when they're tired or scared. These people were allegedly adults and I'm sure they knew exactly what was really going on, instead just trying to find any way, any means they could to run someone's name through the mud.

I knew they didn't like us, but while I was fine just rolling my eyes at petty jabs over my weight or occupation I wasn't about to let something like this slide. There was no proof or evidence for their claims, yet Reverend's employer ate it right up like there couldn't be anything on earth more true. I always had a feeling about him, and not a good one, so I'd be trying to watch him a bit more closely from now on. While he doesn't seem like the type to get physical, he's someone with arguably much bigger weight to throw around:

Reputation.
Money.
Control.

I remembered hearing talks in town about places getting bought up seemingly the moment their ad graced the public, and this had been true even for my shitty little apartment. The ramiotrans at the carpentry shop also noted similar, how much work they'd had lately from so many people coming and going from building to building and how much new stuff they wanted. They weren't at all hurting for an income, but they couldn't help but feel a bit off about the whole thing. Ulimi said something along those lines about large orders of food over the past several months, whether for groceries or catering.

"Sometimes people have parties or get-togethers and that much is fine and dandy, but this is...unusual," he'd said.

If Morissey's "work" is as a financier, I can't help but wonder if he's got a role to play in this. I'm not sure if Reverend would have any idea as much of what I've seen and heard is in town and...I'm...not sure when he was last outside of the house. Given what he'd come from I couldn't blame him.

At the very least I'd not heard much of anything negative from townspeople about this whole thing, so either it wasn't as bad as I thought -- yet -- or maybe it was just an odd coincidence. I didn't like to just wave things off as coincidence, though, so I'd be keeping my eyes and ears open for anything noteworthy.

I also couldn't help but...notice a strange redness in Reverend's eyes lately. Maybe it was just the lighting, and sometimes it's hard to tell with pure faraden eyes, but...something about it.

Come dinnertime I quickly noticed he hadn't come and joined Riv and I in the lounge. I poked my head around the doorway and the hallway was clear.

"I'll be right back, okay?" I told Riv as I picked up a bowl of whitesauce pasta. "Just hang tight right here for a minute."

I carried the bowl of pasta and glass of milk down the hall to the endlessly-working small man trapped in his box-like desk. While I know he saw my advancing he tried hard not to notice me. If he wanted to be stubborn, I could do the same, so I placed his food and drink on one of the inner shelves of his desk, away from his work but still completely accessible. He stopped writing and slowly looked over to it, weary from the accumulation of work and stress over these past few weeks.

"I want you to eat something," I said flatly. "Don't think I haven't noticed your skipping out of meals lately and I'm not gonna let that slide anymore. If you have to work, you can eat as you do."

"...Sorry," was all he could muster.

"You wanted me to leave you alone, so...I'll let you get back to it, but please eat something," I said, touching my snout to his overworked head. "I care about ya."

As requested, I turned around to head back to the kitchen with Riv and leave him be. Normally I'd ask if he wanted us to be out there with him so he could keep working, but with how irritable he'd been lately this might be the better option for both parties, as much as it stung.

I really, really hoped he'd be alright.

***

With reluctance I set down my pen long enough to grab a few bites of food-- a whitesauce pasta with chicken and broccoli, topped with some seasoned toast and accompanied by a tall glass of milk. Once I took a few bites my hunger took over and I started nearly inhaling everything in front of me. It had been so long since I last had a proper sit-down meal instead of just a small sandwich, piece of fruit, or cup of coffee that I nearly forgot what it was like.

I missed being with my family during meals, but if I wanted to get these assignments done this might be a more frequent occasion than I'd like it to be. I was already staying up later after Riv goes to bed just to do some extra work and compensate for the cut in my pay, especially with Riv needing new clothes soon and all three of us needing groceries every week. There just never seemed to be enough time, even in the long days of the past summer, to get everything done and still have time left over on the weekdays to have time for each other.

I was thinking myself against a brick wall and before I knew it, the food was gone. I ate so fast I was panting, my body needing a moment to catch up with everything. Looking back over to my work there was still a couple hours of it to be done, yet, but it shouldn't take long to at least bring my dishes to the kitchen.

Lifting the arm and moving past the door I slowly carried my dishes across the lobby. From behind me I thought I saw a shadow, so I turned my head to look.

Nothing.

As I slowly turned my head back toward the hallway another shadow caught my eye from the other direction, whispering lies about the things I'd been doing with my child and house nurse. Everything echoed in my head, growing ever louder.

"I-Is it true that you, um, have been copulating with the nurse?"

No!

Another shadow dashed from one corner of the room to the other, but once I looked it was gone.

"You notice how they both sleep together, and even bring that little monster in with them?"

...No.

The room started spinning.

"It's so gross how sweet they both are on each other, but maybe that's how kids like his are made, haha."

N-No...

Everything around me faded to black and all I could see were narrowed, sinister orange eyes.

"I can only imagine what sick shit goes on in there."

Stop...

No matter where I looked, no matter what I said or how loudly, those echoed remarks just screamed back at me tenfold.

"I don't care what vile acts you commit with other adults, but involving children? Are you insane?"

...S-Stop, please...

Hot trails of tears started rushing down my face as everything closed in on me. I couldn't see, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think-- everything was just loud, overlapping voices and baseless accusations as walls of eerie orange eyes of strangers judged my every move, every word, every heartbeat. I saw no way out.

No way out.

N...No way--

I lost my balance and tripped, the bowl and glass shattering upon meeting the hard floor. I heard distant, thunderous footsteps growing louder and louder, but still I couldn't see a source. All I could do was push myself back from the direction of the sound in hopes of escaping as this choking void of eyes just drew ever nearer.

Through the black fog I heard a muffled, horrifying noise. Something about it was familiar, but the sound as a collective had my hair and fur standing on end. Those steps continued to grow louder as a path cleared in the wall of eyes, only to reveal a tall, horrible figure of red. All around it was a sickening color of red as it stepped toward me.

Closer.

Closer yet.

I felt small and cornered as my back came upon some unseen obstruction. I had nowhere else to move. Somehow all of this...

...seemed so familiar.

With no other options I lunged forward, my hands open and fingers splayed brandishing my sharp claws. I reached for the only things I knew would get me out of this situation, just as I did with my father.

Just as I did with all off those people so long ago, the only means of escape I had.

But the figure caught me, right around my wrists.

I flailed in my panic, trying everything I could to get away. I tore at the floor below me, kicking and struggling how ever I could to remove myself from this iron grip. No matter what I did, no matter how loudly I screamed or how much I begged the red figure still drew closer until it was the only thing in my field of view.

Its large, grotesque arms wrapped around my ribs and held me there, holding onto me tightly. Still I struggled to push myself away, but slowly withdrew into futility. My breathing was hoarse and labored as I stood there at the mercy of this awful red being.

"...rend," it said, pushing its face against mine.

I couldn't respond.

"...Reverend," it said, a bit more clearly.

"Wh-What, who...what is--" I panicked.

"Shh," it shushed. "You're okay, Reverend."

"Wh-Who are you?" I cried. "What...What do you want?"

"Shh...you're okay."

"Please just leave me alone!"

I felt something on my head, combing through my hair. I couldn't see it, but it was...comforting, somehow, even in this void of black and red. My breathing slowed, my heart slowed as it continued this strange gesture. Though I was still absolutely terrified, I felt myself drifting off to a strange, uncomfortable sleep.

---