Guardian

Authors note: As I've said before I do not own any of the characters, creatures, or music of Silent Hill. It all belongs to the wonderful Akira Yamaoka and Konami.

The door to apartment 303 was brutally kicked in, causing Eileen Galvin to jump out of her skin. She whipped around to see a dark figure with long dirty blonde hair and a stained navy blue coat standing in her door way. His hands were covered in what appeared to be dried blood, none of which was his own, and she could see the rusted and crudely dented steel pipe that he held in his left palm. Her gaze shifted to look at his face, a set of piercing green eyes staring at her causing her to feel a great deal of fear. But what frightened her most was his smile because it wasn't a regular smile; it was a malicious evil grin, one you'd imagine a cat would make before it jumped on its helpless prey. The man quietly turned around and shut the door behind him, then turned back to face Eileen.

At this point she was backing up frantically, trying to find some object to put in between her and the intruder, panting and shaking heavily from the fear she was feeling. This fear only seemed to fuel the strange mans intentions as he slowly walked towards her, tapping his rusted weapon against his right hand. Eileen finally ran out of space as the back of her knees hit her couch and she gasped as she fell on the obstacle. She winced from the initial contact and looked up to see the man was right in front of her now. He reached out quickly and grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her up and causing her to cry out. He was now only inches away from her face the smile still there as if it was a painting, and she was on the brink of tears.

Eileen didn't know what he wanted from her, but she figured if she talked maybe she could reason with him. Even if it meant giving up her valuables, she would gladly give it in exchange for her life. Through shaky lips, she managed to get her words out.

"P-Please...don't hurt me. You can have my jewellery, m-my purse is even over there. Just please don't kill me, I beg of you." She said her voice quivering. The stranger merely leaned forward and put his mouth by her ear, whispering the worst sentence she'd ever hear:

"I cannot do that, sacrifices must be made. And you are number twenty, the mother reborn." He said in an eerily calm tone. Eileen didn't understand any of what he said except for the part where he said he couldn't spare her life. Her eyes went wide at the realisation and without a second thought; he threw her to the ground. She turned around and tried to crawl away from him but didn't get far before he swung his pipe and it came smashing down hard on her ankle, breaking the bone. She let out a scream in agony as the searing pain ripped at her nerves, but she had little time to recoup as he lifted the weapon back and swung it at her again, this time hitting the arm she was trying to reach down with and breaking this as well.

Eileen cried out again as the pain had become unbearable and tears were squeezed from her tightly shut eyes. She fell on her side and tried to crawl away with one arm despite the pain. His footsteps could be heard drawing close to her yet again, and she frantically looked around trying to find some means to defend herself. Her eyes came upon a pen that had fallen off her table and she grabbed it quickly. Just as he stood over her head and was about to land a fatal blow on her skull, she quickly jabbed the pen into his ankle, and saw the warm red liquid seep through his pant leg. He yelled in pain and dropped the pipe and Eileen saw her chance to escape. But it was short lived as the man quickly recovered and kicked her in the face, bruising the area around her eye terribly. She yelped and just laid still, her body in too much pain to move despite her will power. The man in the coat was growing tired of this fooling around; he had to make his sacrifice and leave. He quickly walked over to the small kitchen area and pulled a small paring knife from the block. Making his way back over, he could see the woman's shaking form had still not move. Taking the opportunity he sat on her lower back, causing Eileen to groan in pain, and took both her arms holding them behind her back in a very tight grip. Eileen's breath became panicked once more, a hundred thoughts flying through her head as to what he was going to do to her, the most frequent one being rape. But what came next was much worse.

He dug the tip of the knife sharply into the tender flesh of her back causing Eileen to shriek worse than she had before. The man continued for a whole minute, but for Eileen it felt like ten due to the agonising pain, and didn't stop no matter how loud she screamed the whole time. By the end, she had the bloody numbers 20121 carved into her back. She was sobbing uncontrollably which mixed with the blood that profusely flowed from her head wound, and the man merely chuckled to himself. With Eileen still pinned to the floor, he reached over to the side where he had dropped his pipe and picked it back up. He raised it behind him while lifting her head up, and prepared to bludgeon her to death.

"Stop, leave her alone." Came the voice of a small child. The man looked up to see a little boy no more than six sheepishly standing in front of them. The man glared at the boy and ceased his actions, getting up and walking over to the window. He opened it and put one leg out, looking back at his 'sacrifice' one last time before climbing out and disappearing. Right after his leave, there was an unlocking heard in Eileen's front door and it flew open. The figure who appeared from the hallway was a familiar one; it was Henry Townshend, Eileen's next door neighbour who hadn't been seen for days and no one could get into his locked apartment. He was out now, or at least that's what it seemed like for him despite the fact that the walls were alive and rusting in this alternate dimension of his home. He had rushed to find her lost apartment key when he heard the screams, and from the sight he saw before him, he feared the worst for his neighbour. Henry stared dumbstruck as she slowly crawled over with what little strength she had left to the little boy who saved her, not even noticing Henry was there.

"Hey kid...thanks." she said in a raspy and tired voice as her wounds were overcoming her. She could feel her energy fading away from blood loss. "D-Did you find your...mom." was the last thing she said as she let out a final breath and faded into darkness. As unconsciousness consumed her, she had only one thought left. 'Why did this happen to me? All I wanted... was to go to my friends party...I...I don't want to die.'

Eileen awoke with a scream, hugging her sheets tightly to her chest and shaking uncontrollably. Her breathing was in a rapid pattern and she tried to take deep breathes to get it under control. It had been a year since that rollercoaster ride through hell, but she had survived thanks to her introverted but kind hearted neighbour Henry. He had defeated the serial killer Walter Sullivan A.K.A the man in the coat, and they both managed to escape with their lives. They never went back to Ashfield, too afraid that the whole damn building was just like Henry's apartment not to mention it brought up those awful memories. The two of them had managed to find a new apartment and were even fortunate enough to be neighbours again which brought a great deal of comfort to Eileen.

As her heart rate returned to normal, she sat there in the dark reminding herself that this time it was all just a dream. She looked at the clock and saw that it was one in the morning which explained why it was still so dark out. Letting out a shaky sigh she rubbed her shoulders and went deep into her thoughts.

'A whole year has passed since that horrible time...so why am I still having these nightmares? Walter died; I shouldn't have anything to worry about.' She thought while hugging one of her many stuffed toys. She loved stuffed animals and collecting them was one of her hobbies, although she had no idea what happened to her Robbie the rabbit doll. When she had gotten out of the hospital, she had asked the super if he could get it for her but he had come back saying it wasn't there. It didn't matter now; it was just a toy after all. A knocking at her door startled Eileen out of her thoughts. Cautiously she stepped out of bed and threw her robe on. The knocking continued until she got to the door. She didn't have a peep hole on her door, so the only thing she could do was ask.

"Who's there." She said her voice still uneasy from before.

"It's me, Henry. I uh, heard you scream, so I was worried. Is it alright if I come in?" he said. She knew it was her neighbour by the soft tone of his voice. Just to be sure she opened the crack and looked out into the moonlit hallway before opening the door fully. He quietly stepped inside and she shut the door behind him, locking it with a click.

"I'm sorry Henry, I didn't mean to wake you." She said quietly.

"Don't be, your scream didn't wake me up. I actually haven't gone to sleep yet." He replied

"You're still up? At this time in the morning? What exactly are you up and about doing?" Eileen asked a look of bewilderment on her face.

"Uh well, sometimes I work on photography projects, but mostly it's because I don't sleep well at night." He said shyly

Eileen could see now that she looked closely in the pale moonlight that her neighbour's features did look a little sunken. How long had he not been sleeping well and why had she never noticed. When they moved to this new apartment, the two of them hung out a little more than at the other apartment. Perhaps it just hadn't been as severe in the last few months as it has now; he looked like he hadn't had a good night's sleep in a week. Generally concerned for others well being, Eileen just had to ask:

"Why?" Henry looked at her, and then averted his eyes to the ground. "Lately, I've been having nightmares... about Silent Hill." He said quietly, but Eileen heard every word. She suddenly found it hard to swallow as a hard lump formed in her throat from fear. Henry noticed she had gone unusually quiet and was worried if he'd brought up bad memories.

"Eileen? Do you need me to turn on the lights?" he asked quite concerned. He could see her shake her head.

"No, they won't help anything." She was finding it very hard to talk, but she had to tell Henry about her nightmares. She took his hand in hers, which caused Henry to turn red really fast but she couldn't see it in the dark and he was grateful.

"Henry, there's something I need to tell you. Come with me." She said in a sad tone. She led him back to her bedroom and sat down on her bed. She tugged on his hand as if to say it was ok and he sat beside her. Taking in a deep breath, she looked down at her knees and tried to find the right words to explain.

"A year ago...you and I ventured into a nightmare that we barely escaped. Once Walter had been killed and we started our new life, I thought I could put that hell behind me...but I didn't. Every few months, I'd have reoccurring nightmares of when Walter attempted to kill me. Lately they've become more frequent, and...I'm scared." She said trying her best to remain strong, but her tears found their own way out. Henry knew she needed comfort, but his shy nature prevented him from spontaneously wrapping his arms around her.

"I...I don't want to keep being reminded. I was so hurt, so afraid." She turned away from him so he wouldn't hear her cry but it was no use. Her sniffling was quite clear in revealing her fear. Henry needed to do something, say something to help. Finally he put his hand on her shoulder which caught her attention right away.

"Eileen..."he started but was interrupted.

"Henry, I never thanked you." She said wiping her eyes.

"T-Thank me? For what." He asked.

"For being my hero. If you hadn't shown up in that creepy hospital, I would have been all alone. With the bad leg I had I would have never outrun all those monsters; I would have died if you hadn't protected me. You're not just my friend or my neighbour; you're my guardian angel." She said softly. Then she slowly turned and wrapped her arms around his torso, snuggling her wet cheek into his chest. He froze up, not expecting Eileen to be so comfortable with him, but he cared deeply about her even if she didn't know it. He hesitantly retuned the gesture, and he felt her start to shake again. He rubbed her back and rested his cheek on the top of her head.

"I-I could never let you die Eileen. To be honest, I've wanted to be friends with you since the first day I saw you when I moved into Ashfield. You were always so kind to others and I always tried my best to help others, but my shyness made it difficult for me to say what was on my mind. But I won't let that stop me now." He said, feeling her head move slightly up.

"Eileen, don't be scared. I'll always be near to watch over you because I..." he felt his face getting red as he tried to get out the next words, Eileen's silent gaze upon him.

"I love you, and I'd go through hell again if it meant I could save you from these nightmares." Henry waited for her rejection, but he was willing to take it as long as she knew the truth. But he heard no hurtful words, instead he felt warmth. It had stunned him for a second but then he realised the warmth was on his lips, from Eileen's lips. His face felt hot and now he was glad the lights hadn't been turned on. She pushed in a little trying to get a response and he gladly kissed back, feeling her lips turn into a smile. She pulled away and he felt slightly disappointed until he heard her reply:

"How could anyone not love you." She said kissing his cheek despite the rough stubble. She loved his unshaven look whereas most women would think he was dirty and unkempt. The more Eileen thought about all he had done for her, the more she kissed him, moving from his cheek to his mouth and finally his neck and collar bone. Henry was beside himself in happiness, enjoying the feel of Eileen's affection on all parts of his face. He moaned slightly and realised where this could all be headed very fast. Henry didn't want to rush anything; if he was going to have a relationship he wanted it to build at a steady pace.

"Eileen." He said as he gently lifted her back into an upright position. He knew without seeing her face that she was upset she had to stop.

"I'm sorry Eileen, but I don't want to jump right into sex. I want to cherish you for you." He said 'yeah right, like she'll buy that cheesiness.' He thought to himself.

"Henry, that was cheesy, but I understand." She giggled and Henry just became more confused. "You always know how to cheer me up, thanks." She said hugging her friend yet again. He hugged her back and then proceeded to get up.

"Well um, I guess I should get going back to bed now." He said shuffling slightly to the side. As he turned to leave, he felt a hand on his wrist. He turned back to see Eileen's tired face looking sternly at him.

"Henry, please. Stay with me tonight, I don't want to sleep alone again." She pleaded. Henry couldn't say no, he loved her and she needed him the most right now. And as long as she was the one fine with it, then so was he.

"Okay, I'll stay." Eileen was overjoyed and hugged his hips. She turned around and rolled down the covers on her bed. It was a king sized so it could fit both of them, and Henry was assuming she wanted him to be right beside her.

"Here you can get in first." She said. He complied and shuffled under the soft covers. He waited for Eileen to slide in right after, but instead he heard cloth shuffling around in the dark. Finally she crawled in and got comfortable. He went to put an arm over her side, but jumped a little when he put his hand on her backside and felt skin. He was going to pull away embarrassed but she put her hand on top of his and held it there as if to say relax it's okay. Henry had a feeling that wasn't the only place that was naked on her.

"You're naked?" he asked his voice quiet and nervous.

"Yeah, I always do. I feel comfortable just feeling the sheets on my body." She said. 'I never saw that when I looked in the peep hole.' He thought but was brought out of it when he felt his shirt being pulled away.

"Would you like to try." She said seductively.

"Uh, I, well..." he was getting way too flustered for his own good. She knew this and giggled.

"You're so shy; it's one of the qualities that make you cute. Here, how about just the shirt?" she asked. He nodded and she could just see it in the darkness. She kissed him on the lips as a way of comfort and removed the blocking garment. Eileen tossed it over his shoulder and moved her hands back to his chest sliding her arms down around his waist. Henry took the opportunity to pull her flush against his body, the feeling like nothing he'd experienced before. Her soft flesh rubbed against him, giving a sense of pleasure, comfort, and excitement. He did his best to keep a large amount of blood from rushing to his loins. Eileen melded into his form and let out a moan of content and Henry followed. He could feel her heart rate calming down through his chest pressed against hers.

"Henry, you're an angel. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." She whispered as she drifted off, sleep overcoming her. Henry kissed her brow and rested his cheek against it.

"You mean the same to me. Sweet dreams Eileen." He said softly, but she was already deep in sleep, in another world. That night, the man in the coat came after Eileen again, but this time someone opened the locked door and came to her rescue. Out in the hall stood, not a child, but a scruffy faced man with brown hair and a white shirt. The light shone behind him causing an angelic glow in the eyes of Eileen. For the first time in forever, Eileen and Henry slept soundly; not a single nightmare haunting them.

There you have it, fiction number two. Not the same as the first in the fact that this one was touchy feely more than smut, but I was doing my best to nail the twos personality. I love Silent Hill 4 and I wanted to make a tribute to Eileen and Henry (They're so cute together.) thanks so much to all the people who reviewed my first fiction, and a special thanks to Randman for the tips and comments. Hope you enjoy this one as much as the first. If anyone has any other pairing suggestions, I have many other video games to write for such as Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid, Devil May Cry, Haunting Ground, and Clock Tower 3.