That Insidious Beast

"I can't stand to look to the horizon. The fight has passed me by, I know. I am a coward, I know. But I cannot stand to look out. They're out there. The terrible things. The ones that fight for us."

—The Unknown Soldier

A short (relatively speaking) Web-based story by Zack Parsons (of Something Awful), who also wrote Instruction for A Help.

The world is divided against itself, between two supernatural (or alien, or maybe... something else?) threats called the Unfolders and the Angels. The former portion of the story is mostly scene-setting, while the latter part follows a soldier ("named" Dan) as he is called before one of the Angels.

It can be found here.

Tropes used in That Insidious Beast include:

Adult Fear
Alternate History: Apparently, the Unfolders and the Angels began appearing in the 1960s or 1970s (possibly earlier), and the war began shortly thereafter.
Blue and Orange Morality: The Unfolders and Angels.
Body Surf: The Unfolders.
Church Militant: America.
Cosmic Horror: May not be completely cosmic in origin.
Earth Is a Battlefield: The world is torn apart, and at war with itself as well as with the invaders. Canada and Europe are (believed to be) siding with the Unfolders, while the United States follows the Angels.
Evolutionary Levels: Possibly. Both the Unfolders and the Angels claim to be 'born of flesh, just like you', and frequently imply they are humans at another 'stage'.
Exploitation Film: There's an entire channel dedicated to the executions of those who violated American laws- whether the laws make sense or not.

Grey and Gray Morality: There doesn't seem to be a nation that hasn't done something terrible. America has become a military state, Canada and presumably Europe is allied with the Unfolders, and there are many references to Chinese eaters.

Growing the Beard: The early editions of the series are very similar to Zack Parsons' similar stories. With Fall Sweeps, the story shifts to the first person and deals with as much interpersonal themes as it does cosmic horror.
- The Unknown Soldier himself gains a fair bit of character development.
Moral Dissonance: Played with.
Mind Screw
Moral Guardians: It's recommended you don't cross these guys.
Nightmare Face: The Ghosts of Brier Hill, page two.
- Active Area as well.
Non-Malicious Monster: Hierophant, maybe.
Papa Wolf: The Unknown Soldier straps a bomb to himself and goes up against an Eldritch Abomination after finding out his family was taken.
Reality Bleed: The Bleeds are caused by the Angel's machines, and are possibly threatening to destroy reality itself.
Show Within a Show: The Infodots and TV Programming Guide.
Wham! Episode: Fall Sweeps.