<strong>Grayson Park - Clearing</strong><br/><br/>The corpse with a clay face stepped out away from the playground, well aware that he was being followed and not attempting to lose his pursuers.  His intent was clear: to get out of eyeshot and earshot of the child.  Soon he passed through a number of trees, out to a clearing under the full moon.  "Thank you," he said.  "He doesn't know."<br/><br/>As Alan kept watching the mask, he could make out fine cracks, lines in the surface of the clay which were apt to crack and fall apart given some damage or attention.  It probably wouldn't take much, but the clay was hardened, so a little effort would be needed to shatter it.<br/><br/>The monster didn't seem to have seen Sarah Jane at all.  If he had, it was hard to say whether he would have left the child all alone.  "Roughly a week ago, I had a strange dream," he explained.  "An angel of shadow and black fire appeared to me in a dream, offering me the chance to live forever."  He kept his eyes on Nadia, though they were only visible as wizened slits beneath the visage.  "So I took the deal.  I had leukemia but not nearly enough money to pay for the treatment; someone needs to take care of Samuel and my wife Linda.  Neither of them are...like me, but so long as I keep the appearance of being normal, they haven't noticed anything as wrong."<br/><br/>The sharp sound of wheezing cut into the air as he took a deep breath.  "I've heard stories that someone is hunting us, and I don't intend to go quietly.  You can still walk away, and I won't stop you or chase you.  I just want to be left in peace."  The longer they looked at the man, the more time their eyes had a chance to adjust, a bulge because visible at the side of his suit coat that resembled some sort of weapon, but he didn't seem to be going for it yet.  "You seem civil enough, but I won't pretend to know what's going on or what you're doing."