AN: No, I did not forget this story...

Chapter Five: A Rupture

In his last moment of bravery, Cole took a step forward and pulled the crimson hood back. His fingers shivered in the icy mist-like feeling around the beast. The thing emitted a cry that started muffled in its throat and then rose to an ear-shattering shout of protest. Cole's eyes were shut tight, an involuntary reaction. Slowly, when he had removed the hood, he opened them and stumbled backward.

Cole was staring into the face of a man who appeared to be in his late twenties, perhaps early thirties. His face was pale and gaunt. His eyes were large and almost black, with long, dark lashes. Lank, damp brown hair fell around his shoulders. All in all he was handsome, but upon his face was an expression of panic. In comparison to the child-scaring, slasher movie mask-wearing hooligan Cole had imagined was underneath the disguise, this man seemed docile. He stared wonderingly at Cole, blinking rapidly, his body rocking slightly to and fro.

"Aih-" he began.

Cole cringed. His voice was a rasp, quiet and stony.

"Aih-ee-" he tried again and choked. "Aih-ee-vee- Ivy. Ivy. Whu- where- where is- Aih-ee-" he stopped again and gagged blaringly, his hands shaking as though enduring a seizure, his eyes wide in terror. He bent over and gave a final cough. A disgusting sound took place, a heave, and the man slowly raised up his face, eyebrows raised in substantial shame.

A long dribble of dark blood burbled out of the right side of his mouth like thick, red drool.

"Are you…" Cole had begun to ask if the man was all right, but deemed that it would invoke a much-deserved angry response ("to hell I'm all right!"), and trailed off. He was wondering just exactly what to say when the man winced and grabbed his backside.

"Ow," he said simply, made a face and turned around, pointing.

The back of the costume was decorated in long spikes, which seemed to be constructed out of very well- sanded pieces of wood, thick and glassy at the ends where they were sewn (or connected somehow to the red material) and thin and knife- sharp at the tips. This seemed to be where the problem was, for at least three of the spikes, being curved, were inside the man's back. Black blood splotches soaked him.

Cole wondered where to begin- this certainly was not the typical ghost. For one, this was no gun shot or knife-wound, which Cole had seen before, and had at least been able to understand. Secondly, why was he here? And last of all, he seemed to have some sort of speech impediment, which was worthy of recognition but it was a mystery as to how this all fit together.

"What is your name?" Cole finally inquired. This was a tried and true conversation starter. People liked talking about themselves and ghosts were no different.

The man turned around again and stared at Cole. "No-ah Rob-ert Per-cee," he articulated slowly and stopped. "Who…?" he pointed to Cole, cocking his head to the side.

"Oh… My name is Cole Sear. I might- might be able to help you," he replied. It was now clear to him that Noah was mentally handicapped in some way- his speech, his mannerisms and the long pauses between his words pointed to this conclusion. "What happened?"

"I am not supposed to. Be in here, but Ivy… makes it so," he finished, a little darkly. He appeared to be annoyed slightly, and looked from side to side. "Where is Ivy?" he demanded.

"I don't know, I'm not sure-"

"Where is Ivy?" Noah shouted, and raised the creature claws threateningly, his breathing becoming loud, the sound sickening due to the holes in him.

"No, Stop it!" Cole cried out.

Noah obediently stopped and dropped down to his knees. "I'm so sorry, I don't wan' to go!"

"Huh?"

"I don't want to go to the quiet- you, you tell Papa I stopped, then I think that it's all right. Ivy always says it's all right except… not now." He shook his head, raised his hand to his mouth and wiped the blood, smearing it across his cheek.

"Who is Ivy?"

"Ivy is mine," he said pleasantly, and stood up, his fear of "the quiet" apparently forgotten. "We have fun. We run races. She always cheats- it is funny." He smiled slightly at the thought.

Cole laughed. "She cheats?"

"Yes, and sometimes, I can kiss her. If she says." He stopped for a moment and then raised his hand and shook his blood-tinted finger. "Only if she says."

Cole thought a moment. "Why are you hurt?"

Noah made a face and shrugged. "I was bad. I am not supposed to be here, but I-I-I tried to go home yet no one saw. Everybody is maybe, ang-, anger-ee? at Noah. No one makes a sound to me. Ivy keeps to Lucius. I believe it is my punishment," he said firmly. "I found a way here. I made my own bad color. I went to find Ivy. She didn't like that."

'What a horrible feeling,' Cole thought. He had wondered about it before. 'To be dead and not know, and to try and speak to everyone from your life. To feel as though everyone hates you.' He attempted to keep up with the story. "Who is Lucius?"

"Lucius Hunt was Ivy's friend, but now, he wants to have her. I do not like it," Noah exclaimed. "I went where Papa says no and I took the knife to Lucius. Only because Ivy is mine and they should not marry."

"Did you kill him?"

"No!" Noah sniffled, eyes helpless. "I did not mean- only for Ivy- I meant- it's just like the animals for my bad color. I had to." He gestured to the front of the creature suit, which Cole now noticed was adorned in feathers and bones, almost tribally.

"So, you made this out of animals?"

"Sure. It's secret."

Cole bit his lip. That was a bit drastic. "Was it for Halloween?"

Noah looked lost, and ignored the question. "I only wanted Ivy, I didn't mean to be bad. You'll tell Mama, Papa, Mister Wall-ker, and Ivy? Lucius?"

"I can try," Cole stated, wondering if this would ever make any sense. "Could you tell me where you live?"

Pointing straight ahead, Noah said simply," There."

"What?" Cole tried to make out something besides trees.

Impatient, Noah frowned. "Well, you have to walk and it's a white house."

"And it's through the trees?"

"Yes!"

"Okay! Okay. Just a second." Cole walked back to the fence and peered through. From what he could hear and make out, everyone was still wandering about. He turned around and jumped. Noah was standing right before him, eyes wide and vigilant.

"Now?"

"Yes."