"Get her thirty milligrams of morphine! Someone get doctor Brouns in here!"
Claire opened her eyes by a crack. There were blurry figures moving around her. She was moving. Laying on her back, the world seemed so numb. She couldn't understand what the people were saying. They were all dressed in white. Doctors? Her eyes closed and everything went quiet.
Claire's deep blue eyes fluttered open. A bright white light flooded her vision. A hospital? The light slowly dimmed and her vision adjusted to the room. She lay on a stiff bed. To her immediate left was a heart monitor. She looked to the right and found a curtain raised. Likely between her and another patient. Claire's head felt under pressure as she strained to remember how she got into the hospital in the first place. It all came back to her. She had cut her wrists with a box cutter. Twenty years old and suicidal. Claire Pride thought that ending her life would save the world alot of trouble.
Claire sat up slowly and glanced around the room. There was no one else there. No sound other than the rhythmic beep of the heart monitor. She brushed a stray lock of strawberry blond hair out of her face. Her wrists were wrapped tightly in blood-stained bandages. She looked them over for several moments before searching for the nurse page button. Claire found it on the bedside table next to an empty glass. She pressed the button and waited a few moments. No one came. She pressed it again. Nothing. She mashed the little button rapidly and whipped the little contraption across the room in anger. After calming herself, she slid off the bed and tried to stand. Claire collapsed to the ground but quickly pulled herself up using the bed side. She shivered. A light breeze had blown through the room and it was then that she noticed the gown over her slim form. It didn't cover much. Her entire backside was exposed through the gown. "Just great.", she muttered.
Claire waddled her way to the only doorway out of the room. She crept up and peered around the frame of the doorway. Looking both ways she saw a long hallway in either direction, each side lined with similar doorways. And like her room, the halls were completely deserted. No doctors, no nurses, no patients, no sound. It was almost scary. Claire staggered, still weak from whatever blood she had lost. She staggered and stumbled out into the hall. Leaning on the wall, she slid her way toward one end of the hallway.
Soon she came to an island desk. This must be the nurse station for this floor, she thought. As Claire reached for the desk a loud clang caused her to jump and fall into the base of the desk. She quickly scrambled back against the desk, looking around for the source of the noise. Her heart was beating faster than a race horse could run. There was nothing there. She let her breathing slow down and pulled herself up using the desk as support.
"What are you doing out here?", a stern female voice asked.
Claire jumped again and spun to face a doctor no taller than she was, roughly five foot seven inches.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. What are you doing out of your room?"
Claire only stared back into the doctors large brown eyes, not saying a word.
"I'm Doctor Brouns, by the way. I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. Let's get you back to your room.", the young doctor said gently.
Claire only nodded and allowed the doctor to help her back to her room.
"Doc, where am I exactly?", Claire asked after she was safely back in her bed.
"Saint Clair Hospital. Fourth floor.", the doctor answered politely
"So when am I allowed to go home?"
"This afternoon if you are able to walk. Your car is in the staff parking lot out back. Your sister brought it here. She also left you a letter, shall I fetch it for you?"
"Yes please."
Claire lay down and stared up at the ceiling. Doctor Brouns strode out of the room, her white coat trailing behind. Claire began to count the tiles on the ceiling and before long, the doctor returned with an envelope. Claire took it from her swiftly and tore it open. She scanned the words on the folded paper within.
Hello sister,
You have always had issues with life but your latest endeavor has broken the final straw. You need therapy, you need a vacation. I know the perfect place to start. As you read this, you have already been in the hospital for a little over a week. Once you are well enough to leave, go to Lake Side Amusement Park. I have gone ahead of you and await you there. We will break your depression issue together.
Much love
Cassie xoxo.
Claire crushed the letter and sighed. Lake Side. She had loved the place as a child. She didn't understand how an amusement park was going to cure her depression but she had nothing better to do with her life.
After a few days rest, Claire replaced the dirty hospital gown with tight blue jeans and a Cheshire Cat t-shirt. Deciding it best to hide her cuts, she left the bandages on her wrists. She left the hospital and found her car right where Doctor Brouns said it was. Claire was on the road in no time and heading for coastal Maine. The Lake Side Amusement Park was about an hours drive. The highway started to narrow, a sign that Claire was nearing a town. Then she saw it.
Welcome to Silent Hill. The dilapidated sign loomed large and imposing before her. Truthfully it frightened her, though she knew not why. Claire brought the car to a crawl, not even ten miles per hour. A thick fog had suddenly enveloped the road. Claire couldn't see very far ahead. If she remembered correctly, the road through the town was pretty straight. Driving a little faster wouldn't be hard as long as the road stayed as straight as she remembered it. She increased speed to fifty and the road stayed straight. Then suddenly the fog broke in front of her. She slammed both feet on the brake and the car jolted to a stop just before it rolled into the ravine. "What the hell?", Claire screamed.
A ravine in the middle of the road? Indeed it was. Claire exited her vehicle and stared in awe at the end of the road, just inches in front of her car. The entire road just ended abruptly. This made no sense. Claire peered over the edge of the ravine. No bottom that she could see. It was all shrouded in fog. No matter, this way is obviously inaccessable. Claire returned to her car and brought it around to drive the other way. There was more than one way to the amusement park. She didn't get very far. Just after passing the town welcome sign, the road ended again in the same manner. What's going on here? She wondered. Turning the car off, she exited and peered into the ravine. No bottom on this one either. Claire once again returned to her car. She turned the ignition key only to have the car sputter and stall. She tried again with the same result. Several times she tried before giving up. Claire exited the vehicle and stamped her foot on the ground several times before turning and throwing her keys as far as she could over the ravine.
Now she had no car keys, or her house key which was on the same keyring.
"Now what am I going to do.", Claire said to no one in particular.
With a sigh she turned and shuffled slowly back toward the town. She had passed several buildings on her first drive through, maybe someone could help her.
Ridgeview medical clinic was the first building she came upon, its name shining brightly in red against a white background above the entrance. The building looked old and run down. The inside was dark as far as she could see. Claire approached the front door and peered inside. Nothing moved. It looked as though it had not been touched in years. The building just across the street from the clinic was a fire station by the look of it. The station was locked down and boarded up. As was the house next to that.
"Hello? Is anybody out there?", Claire called into the fog.
Her voice echoed through the streets. No answer was returned and so Claire started walking the narrow street that was identified as Lindsey street by a crooked sign. There were a few row homes and several fast food joints lining the street. Just when she was about to give up and turn back, a shadowy figure shuffled out from a side street. The fog made it difficult for Claire to see specific features but the person was doubled over and limping as if hurt. She ran toward the person.
"Hey! Are you alright? What's wrong?"
As she neared, Claire could see the person more clearly. If she could call this thing a person. It was humanoid definatly but its skin was leathery and split. Gore oozed out from each opening in its flesh. It was hairless and sexless and its face was not a face at all but a gaping hole with rows of bloody teeth.
"What the fuck?", was all Claire said before the thing lunged at her.
She stumbled backwards and fell. The monster reached for her with fingerless hands. Acting on instinct, Claire kicked out as hard as she could. The monster stumbled and Claire took that time to scramble to her feet and run past it.
Claire ran until her lungs ached for air and then collapsed on the sidewalk. Waves of saliva fell from her open mouth as she tried to catch her breath. She looked back for any signs of the monster but saw nothing. She must have distanced it. Standing straight again, she took in her surroundings. An old apartment building in front of her.
"Wood Side Apartments.", Claire read the sign aloud. "What a dump."
There was a groan behind her, thus she spun. What she saw caused her eyes to widen in horror.
Multiple monsters similar to the first one she had seen now approached her slowly. They blocked every path of escape and she didn't want to get too close to them. Looking around, Claire found her only route of escape to be the apartment complex. At least she would be able to block the door once inside. She bolted for the door and turned the handle as she went. In the next instant she was on the ground, having just slammed into the heavy oak doors. Locked. On her feet again, she knocked and banged her fist on the doors.
"Help! Please, somebody! Open the door!"
Tears pooled in her eyes as she realized she was about to die. She was going to be killed by monsters that shouldn't exist. Claire slid to the ground with her head on the door, tears falling freely. One of the monsters reached for her.
Claire felt the monsters behind her but dared not look. She huddled against the door, not looking at them, waiting for her life to end then and there. As the frail-looking arm of the monster neared her head, a screech tore through the air. The sound hurt her ears and she huddled closer too the door. After several moments passed with several more screeches, she dared to look up. What she saw was almost as stunning as the monsters.
A man, no older than 25 if looks could be judge, beat down monster after monster. His weapon appeared to be a copper colored lead pipe about three feet in length. He beat down each monster until it twitched with spasms of death or until it stopped screeching. After the last one had fallen under the brutal barrage of his lead pipe, he tossed it aside. A loud clang echoed as it hit the asphalt.
This young man was at least six feet tall. He was in every way a knight in shining armor to Claire at that moment. He was clothed in simple blue jeans and a short sleeved, form fitting shirt. Claire looked to his feet. Black hiking boots. The young man sighed and turned so that he was facing Claire. She realized that she must look so weak huddled against the door like that. She stood immedietly and brushed herself off.
"Are you alright?", the young man asked.
"Y-Yeah...Thanks.", Claire stammered slightly.
The man smiled. "Mind tellin' me what's going on around here?"
Claire only shook her head. "I don't know. Whatever it is, I don't want to find out."
"Then let's-",
A screech cut him off mid-sentence. Both Claire and the young man turned their attention to the deep fog. Many more of the monsters were approaching. Claire, thinking quickly, slammed hard into the oak door. The huge door didn't even budge. She went again, and again. The young man strode up on her and let fly a mighty kick to the door, flinging it open. The two rushed inside. "Help me!", the young man ordered Claire.
He was fumbling with the door, bracing it with the closest thing, a chair. Claire looked around for something to block the door with, thinking to put as many obstacles between her and the monsters as possible.
After the door was barricaded, the young man slid to the floor against the wall. He was huffing for breath. And then he laughed.
"That was fun, wasn't it?"
Claire glared down at him.
"What the fuck is wrong with you? Fun? That was fun? Those things almost killed us and you think it was fun...Just great."
"Uh, no, they almost killed you, not me.", the young man retorted quickly.
Claire stamped her foot in frustration.
"You look familiar, have we met before?", the young man asked.
"No.", Claire said, snobbish.
"The name's Elric, what's yours?"
"Claire."
Elric offered his hand but Claire brushed it off with a cold look. She took in her surroundings. They were in the foyer of an apartment complex. It was old, dusty, and abandoned. There was no indication that anyone had been there for several years. Elric stood and looked around also. There were several doors just off the main hall, each numbered. Probably dwelling rooms. At the end of the hall, a stairway spiraled to the upper levels.
Claire started toward the stairs. Elric followed.
"So, what has you in this little hellhole?", he asked her.
She thought for a moment on wether or not it was a good idea to tell him.
"I'm supposed to be meeting my sister at the Lake Side Amusement."
Elric gave her a funny look.
"What?", she questioned.
"That's strange. That park hasn't been open in years. Why would you meet her there?"
"She told me to meet her there."
"Why?"
"Look, I am grateful for you saving my life and all, but im just not comfortable with giving you my life's story. Nothing personal."
Elric held up his hands in surrender. "Ok ok, sorry to pry."
"Let's just get the hell out of here before I have a mental breakdown."
Elric only nodded and they continued for the stairs.
The stairway continued up to five floors. The two climbed to the third floor in silence before Elric broke it.
"Do you hear that?", he asked
"Hear what?"
"That, listen."
Claire cocked her head to the side and listened. At first all she heard was silence. The sound of a siren.
"It sounds like an old air raid siren, like the ones from war movies.", Claire stated, comparing the sound to war sirens.
"Yeah, but if you remember those movies correctly then you know that those sirens are crank powered."
"What does that have to do with anything?", she asked.
"It means that someone has to be turning the crank constantly for the siren to work."
"So someone lives here after all.", Claire concluded.
Elric nodded. Claire sighed and ran a dirty hand through her light strawberry colored hair. The siren didn't relent. The little bit of light outside was rapidly fading. Fading too fast. Something was wrong.
All light faded in only a few seconds. Claire gripped the arch of the doorway to the third landing. Something moved in the dark near her and she tensed. Frantic now, she called into the dark. "Elric?" No answer. "Elric! Where are you?"
Something moved, a floorboard creaked. It was more than just a little creepy. Claire didn't dare move. All of the scary stories she had ever heard usually had something lurking in the dark waiting to pounce on the one who strayed from a group. It was usually the virgin girls who died first. Though it wasn't by choice, at least she wasn't a virgin.
Claire listened for a moment and then inched her way into the third floor hallway using the wall as her guide. Where did Elric go she wondered. He was just with her a moment before. This place only got scarier with each passing moment. Claire's hand found a door and she pushed it open. The wall didn't feel like a wall. It felt...alive, pulsing, moving. Once in the room, she felt around for a lightswitch. Flipping the switch did nothing. Of course it did nothing. Only in a place like this.
A bright light blinded Claire suddenly. "Hey, look what I found."
That sounded like Elric. The light went away, pointing at the ground. It was a flashlight.
"Elric. Why didn't you answer when I called?" , she asked, more scared than frustrated.
Elric only shrugged. "I didn't hear you call."
Claire began to retort but Elric cut her off. "What the hell is on the walls?"
Claire directed her attention to the beam of light from the flashlight and followed it to the wall. What she saw caused her to gasp out of horror and take a step back.
It was pulsing, moving. It seemed fleshy almost.