Silent Hill: Reflection
Chapter One
The soft white curtains dance to the bellowing wind. Streaks of sunlight poured in through gaps from the moving fabrics as the curtains flap gracefully to the momentum of the warm afternoon wind. Inside the room, the walls were dark red with crimson surfaces that resembled throbbing flesh. Bloods appeared to seep from within the walls. The place is empty except for a digital clock that sits handsomely on a decomposed table at the corner of the room.
The time on the digital clock is 13:11.
With the dark and foreboding ambience of the room, the bright red numbers of the clock display seemed to glow like an eerie pair of red eyes peering from within the darkness.
The door to the room slowly creaked open and a girl stepped in. The frail-looking girl had shoulder-length jet-black hair with neat fringe ending before her eyes. Her pale fair complexion seemed to further bring out the colour of her light icy blue eyes. The girl, dressed only in a tight pink top and a pair of baggy beige drawstring pants, slowly walked into the room.
Barefooted, the girl inched forward slowly, taking small steps, as if she was afraid that something might jump out from the dark. Her toes fidgeted uneasily, to the grim and dust from the floor, as she made her way in. The girl casually lifted up her hand, revealing her impeccable manicured fingers with dark red nail polish, to brush the loose strands of her bang to the side of her face.
It was then that the girl saw a dark female silhouette, standing by the window with her back against her.
"Hello?" She called out to the person.
The female figure somehow seemed vaguely familiar. The girl tried to recall where she had seen the person befores. Pondering at the thought, the girl reluctantly inched further into the room, towards the figure. As she was getting nearer to the figure, she suddenly stopped. A lullaby. The woman by the window was humming to a lullaby. The girl tried to strain at her hearing, attempting to make out the tune to the lullaby. Somehow, the melodious tune sounded rather familiar. It has been a long time since she'd heard it.
"Could it be-?"
As though sensing the girl's presence, the woman stopped her humming.
"M-mom?" The girl called out. "Mom, is that you?"
Suddenly, the alarm of the digital clock buzzed.
The girl jumped and screamed.
Looking towards the source of the buzzer, the girl realised that it was just the alarm from the digital clock. The time shown on the clock display now indicated 13:13. She immediately ran over to switch the alarm off.
Putting down the clock, the girl heard a rather familiar laughter. She turned her attention back to the woman by the window. Standing rooted to the floor, the girl hesitated for a moment before deciding to pluck up her courage to continue moving towards the laughing figure.
However, before she could even step forward, the woman figure suddenly turned around. The girl gasped, as she automatically threw her hand to her mouth to muffle her silent scream.
The woman had no mouth and there were only trails of wet blood oozing out from her bloodied eye sockets.
The girl screamed.
As though attracted by her scream, the woman slowly walked towards her. In absolute compulsion at the grotesque sight before her, the girl clumsily staggered backwards, away from the approaching woman. In her panic, the girl accidentally knocked the digital clock over the table. The impact of the clock landing on the floor caused the alarm to ring once more.
The girl immediately covered at her ears with her hands.
"No! Please don't come any closer!" She pleaded. "Please… no…"
Tears stung her eyes as they rolled down her soft cheeks. Her visions started to blur as her eyes brimmed with tears. Even as she pleaded, she could still see the blur vision of the woman approaching her. The girl stopped in her track as she felt her back now up against the wall.
"P-please… no…" She begged, with the sound of the alarm clock still buzzing in the background.s
"Please…"
The woman now stood in front of her.
"Silent Hill… Silent Hill…" The woman chanted, with her hand reaching out. As the woman touched her, the girl lost her consciousness.
She woke up to the sound of the alarm clock.
Bursting out a groan, she slowly feels her hand around the bedside table to locate the alarm clock before turning the noisy device off.
It's that dream... again.
Her name is Elise Strathem.
Elise lazily props herself up from the bed with her elbows. She stifles a yawn as she rubs at her eyes.
What time is it anyway?
She causally turns over to look at the clock.
13:13.
Elise froze. She is now completely awake. A wave of déjà vu engulfs her as she stares at the red digital numbers.
How can it possibly be…
Elise closes her eyes and shakes at her head, telling herself it's probably just a coincidence. It has to be. Elise quickly flips over her blanket and slides herself out of the bed, making a beeline to the bathroom to brush her teeth and shower before hitting her wardrobe to have a change of clothes.
Elise looks at her own reflection in the mirror, as if seeking approval of herself. Dressed in a white sleeveless cashmere turtleneck and leather skirt with two side pockets, the 26 year old young lady probably looks a few years younger than her actual age.
Satisfied, Elise briskly walks out to the living area of her apartment, towards the kitchen for a glass of water. Elise could not help but wonder about her weird dreams. What is with this Silent hill anyway?
All she can remember of Silent Hill were vague memories of her summer holidays at the resort town with her family when she was younger. Elise can still remember the happy memories when her family brought her to the Lakeside Amusement Park. Elise remembered her carousel rides and the haunted house. Elise remembered how she hated the haunted house. The Borly's Haunted House. She recalled. She also remembered the entire afternoon they had spent at the observatory deck at the Rosewater Park, where her mom and dad would sit by the bench, watching her and calling out to her. Her mom's occasional giggle at her dad's joke and her dad's boisterous laugh still clearly etched in her mind.
Her mom.
The thought about her mom seems to be the key linkage to her dreams. Elise wondered how her mom has been ever since she had moved out from their home take up the job at a local firm called KMN Auto Parts located within the Hilltop Centre.
Whatever happened? Ever since her dad had passed away, her mom had distant herself from her. Elise never knew why. As time passed, her relationship with her mom diluted. Soon, she never spoke to her mom. It's like a part of their kinship had died. They became familiar strangers. When Elise graduated from college, her relationship with her mom worsened. Elise remembered their constant arguments.
Her relationship with her mom took a further turn for the worse when she decided to move out of the house to stay in a rented apartment at the Daisy Villa Apartment, which to her was nearer to her workplace. Not long after, she started seeing a guy and they dated for a brief period of time. When it did not work out, they broke off.
Initially, Elise tried to call home once every few days. But her calls were left unanswered. Soon, it became once a week. Then weeks became months. After a while, her calls stopped entirely. There was no point in trying when her mom is not even reciprocating.
Walking out of the kitchen with a glass of water, Elise wondered how her mom has been doing. A pang of guilt hit her like a brick. Elise regretted not trying harder to salvage her relationship with her mom.
Just as she was setting down the glass of water on the table, the phone rang. Elise almost spilt the glass of water at the sudden sound of the ring. Heaving a sigh, she causally walks over to pick the phone receiver up.
"Hello?" She said.
There was silence on the other end of the line.
"Hello? Who's this?" She asked.
"Cassey? Cassey, i-is that you?" A male voice.
"I think you got the wrong number." Elise replied, flatly.
"No wait! Cassey, I know it's you." The male voice urged. "Please, please forgive me."
"Look, I'm not Cassey or whoever you are looking for. You really got the wrong number." She said.
"Cassey, it's me! Please!" The male voice pleaded, breaking into a cry.
"I'm sorry, I gotta hang up. I hope you find whoever you are looking for." Elise said, obviously a little shaken by the distress tone of the caller.
"NONONONO! Please don't hang up! Please! Cassey, you gotta save me! It's dark and cold here. I-I… I'm gonna die if you don't save me! Please!"
Elise shivers at the eerie plead.
"W-what are you talking about?"
"You… me… ca... acci...en… hill…" The voice on the other end crackling with static.
"Hello?" Elise shouted to the receiver. "I can't hear you!"
"Hel… me… Cass…"
Then the line went dead.
Elise let the engaged tone beeped for a while before placing the receiver down. She was totally baffled by the mysterious phone call. Who's Cassey? Elise slowly staggers to the nearest chair and sat down. The dreams. The phone call. It was just too much for her to bear. There were so many questions unanswered. Maybe, everything is just a dream.
But she knew that it's obviously not a dream. Elise suddenly felt nauseous. The whole apartment seems to be closing in on her. She could not understand what is happening.
I need to get out of this apartment for a breather. Maybe a drive. Yes, a drive outside might just do me some good. Anywhere. I'll just drive anywhere. I'll just let the breeze take me anywhere for a breather.
Elise quickly walks over to the coffee table, grabs her car key, along with her bag and cell phone, and dashes out of the apartment.
Reaching the parking lot, Elise automatically walks toward the white sedan car parked nearest to the stairway landing. She briskly unlocks the car with her car key and got in. Once inside the car, Elise inserts the key into the ignition and turns it on. Almost instantaneously, the car roars into life. Elise rests her hands on the steering and heaves a sigh. After what seems like an eternity, Elise finally disengages the handbrake and drives the car out of the parking lot.
Inside the car, Elise was in a total wreck. She felt nervous and confused. Clutching tightly at the steering, she steers the car along the road curves, while watching at the outreaching branches of the dark tall trees erected along the sides of the road passing by her as the car cruises quietly along the winding road.
Feeling uneasy with the lack of sound, Elise tries to break the silence by reaching out to the radio to turn it on.
Static.
Elise tries to fidget at the knob of the radio, trying to tune in between stations. The garble of static noise from the radio is getting on her nerves.
Static.
Elise curses under her breath, as she continues to fidget at the knob. Suddenly, a pair of bright headlights appeared in front of the road, with the loud thunderous horns blasting in the background. SHIT! Elise quickly veers her car back into her lane before coming to a complete halt by the side of the road to avoid collision with an oncoming truck. She could hear the truck driver cursing and swearing loudly as his truck passes her.
White knuckled, Elise still gripped tightly at the steering. Elise looks nervously at the rear view mirror. Her face was almost pale. After gaining her composition, she decides to continue with her drive but only to find that her car would not start no matter how hard to tries to start the engine.
"Dammit!" She cursed, slamming her hands hard on the steering. After another unsuccessful try on the ignition, Elise finally gave up and turns to dig into her bag for her cell phone. She flips her cell phone open and dials the number of her car mechanic. After a few unsuccessful tries, she managed to get the line through.
"Trusty O-Truck Services. This is Danny speaking."
"Dan, thank goodness!" Elise said.
"Elise? Is that you?" Danny asked.
"Yes, Dan. Look, I've just driven out and my car has decided to go bonkers on me and I just can't seem to start it." Elise said.
"That bad, huh?" Danny said. "Okay, I'm free up right now. Where is your location?"
"Well, I'm at-" Elise paused, winding down the driver window to look out for any indication of her whereabouts. "Wait a minute, Dan. I think I see a road sign right in front. But the fog is not making it easy for me to make out the words on the sign clearly. I'll need to go out and have a closer look." She said, before opening the car door and stepping out.
"Sure, I'll wait." Danny replied.
Elise squinted at her eyes, as she slowly makes her way towards the sign in front. What's with the fog, anyway?
"Well?" Danny asked, through the receiver.
"I'm at…" She paused. "… S-Silent Hill." She said, her voice trailing off as she stares at the road sign in horror. The vision of her nightmare flashes across her mind. Silent Hill.
"Elis… can't… ear you…"
"Hello? Dan? I said I'm at Silent Hill." Elise said, still looking at the sign.
"…se… wher… you… I…hea…"
"Dan? Can you hear me? DANNY!"
Then the line went dead.
"SHIT!" Elise shouted, staring in horror at the words "NO RECEPTION" mocking at her from the display of her phone.
Elise looks around the quiet place. The eerie feeling once again crept up on her. She takes a look at the road sign once again before making a quick walk back to her car. Once inside her car, Elise quickly checks on her phone again.
"NO RECEPTION"
"SHIT!" She curses, throwing the phone onto the passenger seat next to her.
Elise quickly opens the glove compartment and digs out an old tattered map.
Now where is Silent Hill… Tracing her finger across the paper, she tries to locate her position on the map.
"What the-?" She muttered. "Silent Hill is not even on this part of the town!"
Looking up from the map, Elise stares at the foggy sight before her. She sat in her car quietly for a moment, as though contemplating at the biggest decision of her life. With no reception on her cell phone and a useless map that is of no help to her for locating her current position, Elise decided to try her luck in Silent Hill to seek for help.
Licking at her lips, Elise once again reaches into the glove compartment to take out a flashlight. Clutching tightly at the flashlight, Elise opens the car door and gingerly steps out of the car.
As she was walking past the road sign, Elise could not help but stop briefly, staring at the words again, before she continue making her way into the town.
Silent Hill.