This will be an AU fic of events happening post Homecoming with Joshua Shepherd still being alive. There will be some OOC-ness present in order to adapt to the novel at hand and the fic will mainly revolve around the lives of Josh and Alex after their ordeal in Homecoming.
Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill, nor the characters associated with the series.
...
"Josh? Josh? Hey kiddo, wake up… Josh?"
"Hmmmhhh?" Thirteen year old shaggy brunette Joshua Josh Shepherd grumbled as he felt his entire body being shaken up from the peaceful slumber he was engaged in. The sound of his older brother whispering his name, twenty-two year old faux-hawk styling Alex Shepherd, rang through his ears like an alarm clock at 7am on a Monday morning.
Dude, doesn't he see that I'm trying to sleep here? This bus ride has been going on since forever.
Sleepily, Joshua replied, "What is it, Alex?"
"We're here, buddy…" the elder brother smiled as he pointed out the window on Josh's right. "San Francisco."
Joshua looked to his right and noticed that the long distance travel bus they were journeying on was driving upon the road of a grey-coated suspension bridge, locally known as the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge or just the Bay Bridge,which soared several feet high over the expansive waters of the sparkling San Francisco Bay, ferries and sailboats dotting the wavy aqua landscape below. His brown eyes also captured the horizon of the Downtown San Francisco skyline approaching towards them, including the infamous white exterior of the Transamerica Pyramid tower.
Wow, this is so pretty!
"Hey Alex, I think I can see the Golden Gate Bridge from here!" Josh smiled as his finger pointed to another bridge off in the distance painted in International Orange.
"It sure looks like it, kiddo," Alex couldn't help but to ruffle his younger sibling's hair, which normally caused great annoyance for Josh.
"Maybe it won't be so bad here after all…" the younger brunette said under his breath as he continued to gaze at the landscape before him with much awe. "Maybe it won't be so bad here after all…"
After the horrifying events that he and Alex witnessed several weeks ago in Shepherd's Glen and Silent Hill, Maine, it was decided between the two brothers that it was imperative to leave their old lives behind and have a fresh new start in a new city located far away from their old hometown. They ended up deciding on California being the best place to make the escape towards. Being able to make several arrangements with favors from friends Elle Holloway and Travis Grady, Alex was able to secure two Greyhound bus tickets to make the retreat away from the hell hole that surrounded the Toluca Lake region in New England. Ever since, they've been travelling out West on several Greyhound buses, making stops and transfers in Boston, New York, Chicago, Omaha, Salt Lake City, Reno, and Sacramento, en route to their final destination in San Francisco.
After the bus completed its trek over the Bay Bridge, they finally reached their destination at the Transbay Terminal in the South of Market (or SoMa) District of San Francisco, just south of the Financial District.
"Ugh, that was like the longest trip ever!" Stepping out of the Greyhound bus onto the terminal platform, Josh aggravatingly yet playfully pouted, stretching out his arms and legs as he tried to wake himself up. The extremely cool and oceanic air that the City by the Bay was known for began to caress the exposed skin of the younger Shepherd, causing him to involuntarily shiver, as the breeze began to whirl around the arrival area. "I should've worn my zip-up!"
"You should get it from your bag then, kiddo," Alex replied matter-of-factly as he retrieved their bags, giving the younger brother his said item.
"Thanks, Alex…" Josh opened up his bag and retrieved his black American Apparel zip-up. A smile painted his face as he sighed in relief; the fabric now protected his pale skin from the chilly wind from the bay.
"I'll be right back, buddy. I need to get information on the Muni buses we'll need to take to get to our new place."
"Okay, I'll be fine," Josh nodded in the affirmative as the elder Shepherd took a gander over to the nearest information stations. He decided to take their belongings and chillax on a nearby bench until his brother was finished gathering the needed information. He began to take note of the hustle and bustle of the station that laid out before him. People walking and talking about, whether getting to or arriving at their destination, talking on their cellphones, waving for the party there are waiting for to come to them, and so much more. It was definitely the perfect place to people watch.
The younger Shepherd's chocolate eyes began to gaze on the walls that were littered with several posters and ads, but a particular graffiti tag to the wall caught his gaze.
"La Roca Fierro…" Josh softly said, his Spanish surprisingly good for his age (all thanks to hanging out with his older brother while he studied for his Spanish class back in Shepherd's Glen). "What's up with that?"
"Josh!" Said boy's contemplation was interrupted as Alex called for him to come over. "Come on kiddo, let's go!"
"Dude, wait up!" Josh began to lug their things as he walked over to his older sibling. He was provided with relief when Alex took his heavy bag off his shoulder. They began to make their way to the Muni bus (short for San Francisco Municipal Railway, the city's public transportation system) they'll need to take to reach their new home. As the two boarded the bus, Josh still could not get that graffiti tag he saw on the wall out of his mind.
"La Roca Fierro… hmmm?"
...
"Welcome home!" Alex stated as he and Josh got off the bus at the corner of Noriega Street and 46th Avenue in the Sunset District neighborhood of San Francisco, located on the western edge of the city on the peninsula.
"This is it?" Joshua pondered out loud as he gazed upon the structure in front of them. The exterior of the white-coated apartment building resembled a large Victorian house, with the ground level containing a café and an arts design shop. Josh couldn't help but notice that many of the buildings they passed by on the way to their final destinations had very similar architecture. He deduced that this would be a very common sight around The City outside of Downtown. After all, San Francisco is internationally known for preserving its unique architecture that many other cities have since torn down.
The younger brunette also began to take note of their new neighborhood. It was mainly residential in nature, which was stark in contrast to the commercial and industrial buildings they saw on the eastern side of town along the shore of the bay. The streets were wide, but fairly quiet. There was also a mini-mart and a pizzeria conveniently located across the street by the apartment building. He also noted the amazing view of the Pacific Ocean down the street on Noriega. He figured that the street would eventually end by the ocean. In addition, he imagined there had to be amazing sunsets everyday if one looks down Noriega Street before dusk.
Maybe that's why they call it the Sunset District.
"Not too bad…"
The brothers made their way inside the entrance to the apartment building next to the cafe shop, where they met with the landlord to get the keys to their apartment unit. After obtaining the keys, they made the trek up several flights of stairs as their unit was located on the fourth floor. Luckily for the Shepherds, they didn't have much stuff to carry with them.
"Here's to our escape to the Sunset," Alex smirked as he began to open the door to their apartment unit, number 401. As the door opened, the boys were finally able to take in the dwelling unit they'd be starting their new lives in. It was a small, simple, yet cozy gallery style studio apartment unit that was at the very least partially furnished. It had the necessary basics for one to live on a daily basis. The kitchen contained a small cooking stove and oven, a microwave, and a small but full sized refrigerator with a fridge unit and freezer. The living room contained a love seat sofa that pulled out into a full size bed, a small coffee table, and a small flat screen TV. The unit only had one window, but it was a bay window with a small sitting area and had an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean out towards the west. A bathroom was also included complete with a full size tub with shower near the entry foyer.
Though the apartment was a major contrast to the huge house they were previously used to in Shepherd's Glen, Josh couldn't help but to smile at the new adventures that lay ahead for Alex and him.
"Our escape to the Sunset, indeed!"