Alrighty you people. This is from my story, White Houses, that was completely wiped out when my laptop died. :'( Oh well.

This is a Angst Chapter

NOTES: If you are a proud supporter of Suburbia and that crap, read to just Mark meets the girl.

This Mark chapter comes from my heart and I feel it is true. Please, flames and praises are appreciated for this chapter.

DISCLAIMER: Don't own RENT

MARK

I stood in the front yard, curious of what would happen in the neighborhood at night. There were houses looming over me, watching me. Empty, no noise and music flowing outside of the houses. There wasn't the sound of cars screeching and Asian taxi drivers screaming at each other. There weren't constant honking.

There were no lights.

It was about six o'clock. The sun was close to setting, but I really didn't care. I found a bike that was ancient and hooked my camera on it. I decided it was time to go on a nice ride around the neighborhood.

The camera was rolling, but nothing was happening. I looked around. There were sprinklers in the front yard and four children were running through the sprinklers, giggling insanely. They were laughing, careless of what was happening in the world around them. But I noticed one kid. She was sitting on the side, watching them with a camera in her hands. It wasn't like my camera, it was like a Polaroid Camera. It was odd. She had long black hair streaming in her face and she seemed pale. She smiled meekly at them. They were all girls, younger than her. I assumed that the girl with black hair was probably fourteen, and the girls running through the sprinklers were about nine. I could be off.

She noticed me as I rode by. I stopped and filmed them. I could tell that a few of the girls running through the sprinklers were scared of me. Obviously they didn't have people stopping and filming them all the time. It was common in New York. You just looked past that person, ignoring them.

That was why I felt invisible in New York.

But I felt like the whole world was watching me here.

"Jackie!" I heard someone hiss. The girl with the black hair broke her contact with me and looked immediately at one of the girls. "Jackie" stood up and walked towards me.

"Hi."

"Hello, look, I'm sorry if I-"

Jackie smiled. "No, it's no problem. I actually am fine with it. They just think it's weird."

I smiled. "Really?" I asked her.

She nodded.

"Yeah, I mean, it's just a camera," she told me.

Just a camera.

Just a camera?

"Well, it's not just a camera. I see through this thing. Without it I don't think I could manage to get through this world. Without this camera…"

I paused.

Without this camera…

My life would be different.

I wouldn't have won an award at the Sundance Festival without this camera. Without this camera. There would be no art. There would be no memories of Angel and Mimi. Without this camera…

Without this camera…

I would be nothing.

She smiled. "Don't worry. I get it. Everyone gets mad at me for carrying my camera around with me," she told me, gesturing to the camera that hung around her neck.

"Uh. Mark Cohen," I told her. I held my hand out to her.

"Lindsay Williams."

I smiled at her. "I better get going. If you ever want to stop by, I live in that house…on the hill," I told her. Lindsay smiled.

"I might take you up on that offer."

I got back on my bike and continued riding.

When I was riding, I watched this silent world people call paradise. There was a woman watering in her front yard, children splashing in the pool and men mowing the lawn.

That was all.

There were no muggers, no hookers roaming the streets, no junkies, no homeless people. Just an empty sidewalk and me. Just the empty sidewalk that past by the silent houses. I wondered what happened inside of those houses. They were huge, with looming red brick and glass doors. Flowers in the front yard, giving off an awkward scent to the neighborhood. They were spread out, displaying their superior beauty.

I wondered what happened behind those walls. Those walls that held the secrets of the family. The walls that created paradise-within-hell.

The walls that created Mankind's greatest lie.

The women with blond hair that didn't match the color of their eyebrows. The women who smile constantly, carting their pathetic children around with them. The women who filled their minds with useless chatter about makeup, cushions and other mindless rambles. The women who cared nothing about their family, but all about having the Best Yard of the Month.

The men who stood beside each other, toasting to themselves. They worked long vigorous hours, slaving to get more money for their family. When all of the money they earn just goes the government that filled their minds with lies of promises and peace by blowing people up. They believe the government, the people who hide everything from them, trying to pretend they are right.

The men who drink their beers beside each other, talking about their robotic wives and sheltered children. They drank to their success of the day at the work and the bonus they are getting for Christmas. The bonus that goes straight to the government. They think only of themselves, and not what is out there and what is happening within our own borders. Blind to the reality of the streets of New York City. Blind that women make careers of prostitution, junkies who live for more heroin running through their blood, homeless women and men sleeping outside in the snow on Christmas Eve. Blind to the world beyond the fake paradise.

So they sit there and toast. Toast to Mankind's greatest lie.

Their children run around outside. Carefree and forgetful of the world. Blind to the fact that children their age are dying of diseases. Blind that there are kids their age starving. Blind that the world they think exists, and is the only real thing in life.

Is just a lie.

That's all these perfect lawns and ivy covered walls were. A lie that was created to protect them. But instead of protecting people, it corrupts them. To where all the wives can think about is the new curtains, and all the men can think about is the Christmas bonus that they don't even get to enjoy. All the children think about is the next time the Ice Cream Man comes.

The corruption of mankind's greatest lie.

The lie that destroys people within the very core of their souls. Reckless women who refused to settle down come here and are tamed. The world that destroys the world that we know by hiding the truth from the people.

Behind the white washed fences and green grass. The paradise that hides us from reality.

The paradise…

That is Mankind's Greatest Lie.

The lie that drowned people.

But once you see the truth and the reality of the world. You can never drown in the lie.

That was why we would float.

Because we've been through starvation, unemployment, death, disease and homelessness. We've seen the reality from behind the lie.

So we could never drown

In Mankind's Greatest Lie.

I rode my bike past the houses, and saw a small path that led off into the distance. I thought it would be fun to explore where the path went. So I went down the road and found a small pond. There was a concrete path along the pond and the most magnificent thing I've seen yet.

A waterfall.

I stood in front of the waterfall, on the bridge watching the water rush down.

I stood in front of the waterfall and listened to the running water. So many memories rushing back into my head. Memories of happiness and bliss. Memories of pain and sorrow. Memories I never wanted to relive again. The memories that completely destroyed our lives and paths. But memories that changed our lives for the better.

I watched a woman run by, her blond hair pulled back and I studied her. I pulled the camera off the bike and zoomed in on her.

"One of the millions of victims…" I said. I lowered the camera. "One of the victims of Mankind's Greatest Lie."