Guest, I am terrible sorry to hear about your mentally disabled friend. I'm sure he is a very strong individual.

The night that Randall had observed the child residing in the old couple's house, he realized that in his current position there really was no way back to the other world. At least, not while he stayed with the human Mercy and the smaller human Anne. Oh- and their father.

He would have to roam. Yes, Randall decided silently on that night, that after settling and snatching up some grub he needed to set out on search of some way back. He was clever enough to know that the doorway in the trailer's house would have been shredded. There was no sense in bothering them. Especially when on the same night, after prodding Mercy on the subject, he found those humans were highly violent anyways. There would have been a chance of him having his scales bruised again.

So in the morn after waking from his little closet nest in Mercy's room- he quietly went into their kitchen to look for more of that meat he had been fed before. He had planned to slip out after, but instead he made a mess and- well, you know the rest.

The cleaning done, Mercy explained they didn't actually have any more chicken on the premises. She would have to go to the store in town and buy some. This was both good news and bad. On one hand- he would have to wait for something good to eat. On the other, he found after some begging she said he could go with her. Because- "To be honest, I'm scared ta leave you alone Randall."

So the girls got dressed and prepared to leave. Mercy had a banged up used truck which was an ugly shade of faded green. Like a mash of baby food that had to become an 'airplane' to get eaten. Anne came with them as well, being that unless she really had to Mercy felt she was too young to just stay by herself. She wanted to come along, anyways. They would have called their father before leaving to see if there was anything he needed, but Mercy decided against it for whatever reason.

Randall had refused to sit invisible in the back of the truck like Anne suggested. She said it would be fun, but he just shook his head. In the end he was in the back, anyways, the wind and road rough on him. But there was plenty room and nobody could bother him nor see him. He felt sick to his stomach by the time they had reached the store.

"Ugh," he grumbled, clambering out of the end of the truck, still unseen. "I feel like I could puke."

Mercy slammed her door shut. She didn't carry a purse so she latched the keys onto one of her belt loops. Her wallet was in her back pocket. She laughed. "Randall I don't think you should go in with us." She was looking where she had heard his voice.

"That's dumb!" Anne said, now beside her sister. "You didn't want him alone in th'house, but he could do jus' as much damage sittin' in the truck!"

The older sister looked a little embarrassed at her stupidity. "Oh, well, whatever." She hated feeling dumb. "Gettin' smart with me." She mumbled under her breath. "Just don't let no body see you, m'kay Randall?"

Randall, who knew better than to show his scales off in such a public place, crossed his arms (though nobody could see) and tilted his head up. "I'm not stupid."

"Nah, yer not." Mercy said sweetly. "Just really destructive."

"Come on! I wan' get some strawberries!" Anne chirped, starting off towards the store entrance. The sun was beating down on the three of them painfully, and they had to walk halfway across the parking lot to get inside. So they all hurried up towards the source of cool air.

The doors were automatic. The store was rather large, so even though the parking lot was fairly full there were plenty of empty isles. Anne had a shopping list and read off things as they passed by certain isles, prompting them to go collect what they needed as they went along. It was only a few things, however they still used a shopping cart.

Almost ten minutes into their shopping trip, Anne whispered "Randall? You still followin' us?" When no reply came the short haired girl began to panic. "Mercy, I think Randall ran off!"

Mercy retrieved some chocolate mix from the shelf on the right and sat it in the cart. They often ran out of chocolate mix quickly, being Anne was so addicted to chocolate milk and refused to drink it from a carton. "Ah let'em. Long as he don't go n'bother no one n'get himself seen he ain't doin' no harm. But we do need ta find'em before we leave."

Anne's face was skewered in worry. "But how can we find'em? He's invisible!"

A crash clattered the cart as a large bag fell into from what appeared to be the ceiling. It startled the two girls, and they stared wide eyed up at where it had come from. "What the fuck?"

Anne glanced at the frozen bag in the cart. "S'chicken- Randall!"

"What?" Whined the invisible monster from above. He was obviously perched on top of the shelf. "No one saw me!" He rasped down at them. Then he appeared and snickered, thinking no one would see him, being that the isle was empty.

Mercy face palmed, dragging her bottom lip down in the action. She sighed loudly. "Stop that!"

He stuck out his blue forked tongue and eased out of vision again.

"What's next?" Asked Mercy.

Anne 'hmph'ed and took the crumpled piece of torn out notebook paper. "Strawberries!" She clapped, cheery.

Mercy gave a singular laugh, told Randall to get off the shelf, and then they went off to collect a bundle of strawberries in the fruit section. After, Mercy found a register, paid, and they left the kart up front being that both girls could carry the bags.

They set the few bags down behind the seats of the truck. "Hey," Randall said, appearing. He was growing tired of being unseen, and was increasingly caring less about someone noticing him in the parking lot. "Mercy."

"Hmmmm? You gonna get seen!" Mercy scolded. Anne got up in her side of the truck and closed the door. Mercy stood outside, a hand on her hip and the other on the door frame.

"Oh shut up. Listen," His voice lowered "after this I have things to do."

Mercy narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Oh?"

"I know I said I'd stick around. But I have to go back home. I need to find some children."

"You're not really leavin', are ya?" Asked a sad Anne from the truck, craning her neck to see Randall from inside.

Mercy shook her head at him. "What ya need kids for?"

"The closets. I told you, we come from the closest- and I need to find a kid with a monster." He wrung his first set of hands in his usual habit. "Shouldn't be hard. I just. . thought I'd tell you."

She nodded, thinking it over. Then, she finally said "Well, I can't stop ya. Can hit ya over the head with a broom as much as I like, shove ya in a cage- but it ain't right keepin' no one locked up like n'animal. 'Sides, it's Anne that'll be upset."

Anne bounced a little, pouting. "I'll- I'll cry if you leave, n'then you'll feel sorry!" She half-yelled pitifully.

Mercy ignored her and got in the truck; her back felt like it was on fire from the sun. After she was sure Randall was situated in the back, she started the truck and they were headed home.

He was gone after being fed; Anne locked herself in her room and cried her eyes out. They hadn't known the monster for long, but she was sure taking it hard. Mercy decided the best thing to do was leave her alone to get it out of her system. Then when she finally had calmed down a little, Mercy could talk with her.

Mercy had to admit; she was disappointed to let him go. In fact, she was highly disappointed. She went to sulk in her room, though she wouldn't allow herself to be a big baby like her little sister. Instead she sat in bed and scribbled in her notebook. She wrote a short diary entry to list the details of the past events with the giant lizard, and even doodled a little pencil drawing of him under it. She gave him his squinty eyes and big uneven toothed grin. Mercy smiled back at it.

Short dull chapter, moving the plot along a little bit now near the end. Randall's about to get his plan in action, what little plan he thinks he has. . .