Redemption Prologue

Tex walked down the stairs of her home. It felt odd without Alessa around anymore. Her pictures still hung on the walls. Alessa had moved out years ago. The picture of Alessa and Alex's wedding from seventeen years ago hung beside a smiling image of their then three-year-old daughter. It amazed Tex that Alana was already thirteen. Tex really was getting old.

Tex moved into the kitchen and took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of coffee. She didn't remember making coffee. She sat down at the table and opened her eyes to find a mug sitting on the table in front of her.

"You look like you had a good night's sleep." Church sat down at the table across from her. "It really is a lot quieter in here without the kid around." He smiled at her as he sipped his own mug.

"Leonard." Tex stared at him, not believing he was there. "You can't be here. You died, again, like twenty years ago."

"We really are getting along in the years." Church shook his head. "Though I'm surprised that out of everyone you would think I'm dead. I've been blown up by a tank, shot with a sniper rifle, and stabbed more times than I can count. No, death would be a luxury that I don't get to have." Leonard glanced down at the brown liquid in his cup. "Why am I drinking this? I hate coffee." Tex stared across the table at him in stunned silence. "Now you are starting to annoy me."

"I just don't understand. How are you here? Please don't tell me that we have to deal with that whole Silent Hill crap again." Tex groaned and leaned back in her chair as she unhappily sipped at her coffee.

Church shrugged. "You won't be forced to get involved this time."

Tex set her mug down. "What the hell does that mean? Since when has that place ever given us a choice?"

Church raised his eyebrows at her. "It gives you plenty of choices. It gave me a chance, and I took it. That was my choice."

"Why did you leave us?" Tex turned her gaze to the table.

Church shrugged ignored the question. His features softened. "I've missed you, Allison."

"I've missed you, so much, Leonard." Tex could feel tears in her eyes. She'd tried so hard not to think about Church as much. Still he haunted her. She'd been plagued by thought of him at Alessa's wedding when she'd wished he could walk her down the aisle. When Alana was born she'd wandered back to thought of him, of how he didn't get to experience the joy of seeing his granddaughter born. "I wish you could be here."

"I know that I missed a lot." Church shook his head. Tex could see the deep look of loss in his eyes. "I don't regret it though. It's all part of the deal."

Tex furrowed her brow. She didn't understand how he couldn't regret missing all of Alessa's life, and Alana's. "What's it like, living in Silent Hill?" Tex tried to change the subject. She didn't want to see him hurt like this but she didn't know what else she could do.

"It's a hellish nightmare that gets worse and worse over time. Though the weather tends to be consistent." Church's voice was light as he spoke. "I can't complain about the company, though I have a hell of a commute."

"How can you talk about it like that?"

"Because I deal with it every day since, what, like over twenty years ago? It's not a big deal to me." Leonard stood up and moved over to the sink. He poured out the coffee, and placed the mug in the sink. "It would be like if I got upset each time that Caboose ate my pillow because Tucker told him it was a marshmallow. You get used to it and learn to steal Tucker's pillow to get back at him."

Tex closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She stood up and marched across the room to stand only inches away from him. "Answer my question."

"I thought that I just did." Church leaned back on the sink. "Or were you not listening?"

"That's not the question I meant. I mean why did you up and leave me like that? Why did you do what you did at the train? Why did you let Alessa kill you?" Tex wanted to reach out to him but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Leonard took a deep breath. "Sadly I am here on business…well, personal business, but still business." Tex frowned and waited for him to continue. "You don't have to get involved, but they are coming for her."

"Alessa?" Tex felt a chill run down her spine at the idea. She'd been unable to protect her daughter from the people in the cult. They'd nearly even killed Alex.

Leonard shook his head. "No, not Alessa. She is already off bounds, they cannot touch her without incurring It's wrath. They'll come after Alana. I'm warning you because if they take her, then things are going to get out of hand. I'm going to have to get involved, and I don't want Alana exposed to that." Leonard's face was grim. "I'm very serious about this."

Tex nodded her head. "I understand."

Leonard instantly softened and smirked at her. "Now that that's clear, ask your question."

Tex was caught a bit off guard by the sudden change. She took a moment to realize what question he was talking about. She relaxed a bit. "I thought that I already did." Tex frowned at him. "Would you just answer it?"

Leonard reached out to her and her hands trailed over her sides. "I wish I could tell you. It won't let me."

"What are you talking about?" Tex reached out and placed a hand on his chest. She withdrew it and took a step back as she realized his skin was as cold as ice. "Leonard?"

Church coughed and there was a hint of blood on his lips. Tex looked down and saw the tip of the rusted blade piercing his chest. "He always likes to play the moment killer." Church laughed and Tex looked around. They were no longer in the kitchen, rather standing in the middle of a street. "Guess they found out that I came here to warn you. But it was worth it." A figure appeared in the fog behind Church and Tex recognized it right away as Pyramid Head. The blade was pulled out of his chest and Leonard clutched the new hole. Pyramid Head's hand reached out, grabbing the back of Church's shirt. He pulled him back and the two vanished into the fog.

Tex ran after them but she found nothing, only an abandoned street. She turned and found herself staring into the face of a beautiful woman with fire-red hair. "Who are you?" The figure didn't reply, only turned and vanished into the fog.

Tex sat up in her bed in a cold sweat. The dream was still so vivid in her mind and she could still feel Church's cold skin under her fingers. She raised her hand and looked down at it, noticing that it was shaking.

Tex reached over and picked up the picture at the side of her bed. She held it in front of her and stared down at the happy memory. She sucked in air trying to calm herself down. "I miss you." She ran a finger over the image of Church. She set the picture to the side and got out of bed, moving to the bathroom. She splashed water on her face and stared into the mirror. Leonard's warning echoed her head. They were after her granddaughter. She glanced back into her bedroom, the king sized bed that she shared on her own. She found herself once more wishing that he was lying there, that he could clarify all that had happened. She'd never gotten an answer that she was satisfied with and she was starting to believe that she never would.

Tex turned back to her reflection. She wasn't sure how much she trusted the dream. For all she knew it was a trick or maybe Church had really visited her in her dreams to warn her. Did he even have that ability? She let out a long breath and moved back to the bed, curling back up under the sheets. Her hand moved over the vacant half of the bed before curling it back against her chest. She shut her eyes and tried to fall asleep.

~End Prologue~