Silent Hill
A Senior's Story
AlchemillaMaster05
Note to the Reader
The beautiful resort town of Silent Hill is a great place to take a vacation and the residents love it as well. Legend has it, that Silent Hill used to be the site of many religious rituals; many different gods were worshiped. Legend also has it; these gods are still present for those who summon them. One of these gods is Samiel, the supposed savior of the world. This belief of Samiel, however, was not popular around modern Silent Hill. The Christian majority of the town thought of Samiel as occult and evil.
Prologue
July 24, 1994
"Settle down now, children, it's time to read of the wondrous god that will someday walk the land with us and make the world pure." the counselor called to the twenty-three children as they played on the playground. After every child gathered in a semicircle around the counselor, she read out of a very old-looking book. She read of a god being birthed by a "special child of seventeen years of age" and of the wonderful things the god would do to and for mankind.
Little Jimmy wanted no part in these teachings. He was here because his parents signed him up. An elder of Jimmy's church told his parents that the teachings were of Jesus Christ and The Lord God in Heaven. They clearly weren't. Being the oldest child there; seven years old; Jimmy knew just enough to know that these teachings weren't like the ones he received in Sunday school. The only thing Jimmy gained was time with a friend. Her name was Julian and she was the daughter of the speaking counselor. She went to the same school as Jimmy and they always had fun playing together on the playground. He was sitting next to her and she seemed almost mesmerized by the story the counselor was telling.
As the counselor spoke, Jimmy butted in.
"That's not what I learned in Sunday school!" he said loudly.
"Jimmy!" Julian half pleaded, half scolded.
"Jimmy, behave. Don't make me call your parents. Now quiet down and listen" the counselor said obviously perturbed.
After the counselor talked for a little while longer, Jimmy went at it with round two.
"I was taught there was only one God and his son died for our sins" Jimmy interjected, louder this time.
"That's it, Jimmy. You are going to the head office. Ben," she said looking over at the other counselor sitting next to her "Take Jimmy here to the office."
"Yes, Kathy, right away." Ben said grabbing Jimmy by the arm.
As Ben and Jimmy walked, Ben said:
"Were going to call your parents and have a chat with them."
"Humph" Jimmy scowled looking away.
"Your child was interrupting our counselor as she was trying to teach" Ben said to Jimmy's mother.
"Jimmy! You should be ashamed of yourself!" his mother scolded.
"But…" Jimmy pleaded
"No buts, mister. You will behave from here on out."
"I'm sorry" she then said to Ben. "He's just upset that he's not with his grandfather garage saling"
Ben smiled, and then said: "We'll give him one more chance, that's it."
"Thank you very much" Jimmy's mom said relieved. She then turned to Jimmy:
"Behave. You don't want your Dad to come down here, do you?"
Jimmy shook his head.
"Ok, then BEHAVE"
Next morning, after breakfast, the children went out to play. When it was reading time, all of the kids came except Jimmy. He was on a swing with his head down. Kathy went over to Jimmy.
"Jimmy, come over and join the others."
"No." Jimmy said simply and firmly.
"Jimmy…" Kathy started.
"I don't want to learn about some fake god. I want to go home" Jimmy said with anger in his eyes.
"Home it is, then Jimmy" Kathy said with a sigh, motioning Ben over to bring the child to the office again.
On the trip home from Brahms to the South Vale district of Silent Hill, Jimmy's father laced into him.
"You just can't behave, can you, Jimmy?"
"But Dad, you don't understand…" Jimmy pleaded.
"What don't I understand? The fact you won't do what you're told? Oh, I understand every damn bit of that!" Jimmy's dad yelled.
"Dad, let me tell you…" Jimmy pleaded once more.
"Tell away! I'd just love to hear why you can't behave yourself James!" Jimmy's dad yelled back.
After Jimmy told his father about the cult teachings, he erupted again.
"You know that's BS, kid. That's just an excuse to come home and go sale hopping with you grandfather. Well, that's not gonna happen. You're grounded for a month! That's right a MONTH!"
In his room of Apartment 102 of Blue Creek Apartments, Jimmy thought back to the camp experience. He wondered what made Julian so mesmerized (and the other kids for that matter) to the counselors' teachings. "Did they not know that it was all a lie?" Jimmy thought to himself. He also wondered why Kathy always fixed her eyes on Julian whenever she described the seventeen year old girl that was to birth the god. "Maybe to drive the point home to her own daughter" Jimmy thought silently.
After a month of grounding, Jimmy's life returned to normal. He went to garage sales with his grandfather and played with his friends again, now that the camp had concluded its teaching sessions. Julian was a little different now, though, and Jimmy didn't know what to make of it. They were still friends, but Julian seemed to think less of Jimmy now, and that bothered him. Jimmy got over it and had fun nonetheless…