~Chapter 1~

Thick fog swirls around me, leaving tiny dew drops upon my light grey skin and slowly drenching my deep red hair.
A distant male scream has me rolling my eyes in boredom. The shadows of this world must be having a fun day. I sigh and stand, stretching. A nearby siren slowly draws closer and I hop off the roof I had been occupying for the last hour.
I watch the red and blue lights disappear around a corner and smile. So he came this far? Such an insane little toy.
A slight drizzle begins as I walk, my bare feet slapping against the cracked concrete. Park comes into view and I'm almost slightly tempted to take in the view of the lake, but boredom forces me on.

A low buzzing sound nears and a flying creature hovers over me. I brush my fingers gently over its slick passing body in a tiny greeting before moving on.
I follow the siren to one of the many abandoned buildings in Silent Hill. The fading light blue paint was perpetually cracked and peeling. The shattered windows seemed to shift slightly as the reality of the world twisted.
I loved those parts of this world. Where the reality of it seemed to turn and take on a darker form. Corruption as some called it. I, as most, found it fascinating that Silent Hill had corrupted parts of it, given the reason for its existence.

I notice the front door swinging on it's hinges and a sly smile plays on my deep red lips. Upon entering the building, I find furniture pushed against windows and the stairs. A deep cough turns my attention to the kitchen. Playing hide and seek are we? Passing the blocked-off stairs, I silently step into the kitchen. A chair was knocked over as was a knife block. Armed, huh? More fun for me. I step over the blades and proceed to knock slowly on each cupboard. My heightened hearing picks out the faint, rapidly growing heartbeat.

I track it to the pantry and silently sigh.Child's play. I tap my bare foot on the tiles a few times, hearing the beating quicken. A slight chill of excitement waves through me.
It had been months since the last form of excitement had strolled through Silent Hill as a human. My memory of the lost human criminal plays a smile on my lips. Though I had never actually came into contact with him, watching him struggle through this world had amused me to no end. Seeing him go back to his reality was so saddening.
The rapid beating of a heart snaps my back into insanity.

I brace myself for the blade of a knife and yank open the door. As predicted, the stainless steal of a cleaver is buried in my left shoulder and I am shoved aside. The beautiful pain dances through my body and I turn just in time to see the man barrel his way through the back door. I steadily stand and follow slowly, easing the knife from my shoulder. Thick dead blood races down my arm, but I ignore it, tracking the pulsing of live blood through dense trees and fog.

Snapping twigs give away every step and the harsh crazed breathing brings me closer. I spot the man heading towards a clearing and stop myself, taking skilled aim. As I chuck the cleaver, it disappears within the fog only to be followed by a shrill male scream. I gracefully dance my way towards the clearing. The fog lightens just enough to allow me to see my work. The man, who's features and details I could care less about, struggles to crawl away.
I pin him to the ground with a foot and ever so gently tap the knife logged within his spine.
"So sad to arrive at the end of such a lovely game. I did have fun, so don't worry." I straddle his back, my torn skirt lifting slightly, and wrap my hands around the knife handle, ready to shove it in deeper when the mans' chuckling makes me freeze.

There was something off about it, something darker than the ravine surrounding Silent Hill. I twist my hand slightly, causing the man to gasp in pain. "And what, pray tell, is so funny?" He turns his head to me, flashing a sinister smile and that's when I see it. The shadowy, smoking mark at the center of his forehead. "Son of a bitch.." I breathe. Before he can utter a word or laugh, I stand and slam my foot down against the cleaver handle. A sickening crunch and the snap of steal from the force renders the man motionless, though his bloodshot eyes seemed to cackle manically. As I back off a few steps, the corpse begins to melt, gushing over the dead ground and fading.

Wind swirls around me and silence once again settles. After a long moment, I pull my gaze away from the black spot and head back to the roof-top I had left unoccupied, the question repeating in my mind. What is a Shriek doing in Silent Hill?

The walk back to my post seemed odd. Well, the kind of odd that you know isn't the normal kind of odd. I go to brush a lock of hair out of my eye when the gash in my shoulder catches my attention. After a quick examination, it had gone from the size of a cleaver blade to almost ripped off, I head to my apartment. It wasn't that I needed stitches, I just refused to bleed unless necessary. Once in my room, I begin my scout for a needle and thread. Upon finding it, I proceed to reattach my semi-sliced off arm. A gentle knock at my door startles me. "One second!" I call and finish, snipping the thread. I flex and roll my arm, testing it.

Good as new! I then stand, tossing the needle and thread into a corner, and go to answer the door. Howard Blackwood is leaning against the door frame when I open it, a knowing smirk appearing on his face as he eyes my resent wound. "Out playing with big man, were we?" He chuckles and hands me a newspaper. I roll my eyes. "Not in a million years."

The Big man Howard was referring to was Pyramid Head, whom I, from the moment I appeared in Silent Hill till now, had never even met let alone given a single thought. "The one foggy day I cross paths with Triangle, will be the day I show signs of dying and want to end it quickly." I toss the paper onto my bed. Howard snorts. "Be careful what you wish for, Mayra." His words send a chill through me. I turn to question him, but find him gone. Typical Howard. I close the door and go to read my paper.

I blink rapidly to the darkness in my room and stretch. "Must have dozed off." Yawning, I stand and am about to head out when the light from a nearby streetlamp shimmers over something on my nightstand. My eyes narrow, confused and still groggy. Picking the object up, I turn in in my hand a few times, even toss it in the air playfully before the realization of what I'm holding dawns on me.

The cleaver hits the ground with a audible thud and I step back to avoid it. What the hell?! The blade glints at me, as if teasing. A shiver works its way up my spine and for the first time since my existence, a wave of fear overwhelms me. I shake my head, determined to mentally and physically flip-off the fucker messing with me, and grab the cleaver. Taking the apartment stairs three at a time, I exit the building and jog towards the lake, my breath clouding in puffs from the chill air. The scent of the lake fills my nose and I stop just a yard away from the side-railing. With every amount of energy, I chuck the cleaver as far as I can. After a few long heartbeats, I finally hear a distant splash.

I stand there, motionless, trying to process the events that took place this supposedly average day. A dull buzzing sound snaps me back and I turn to find a flying creature hovering towards me. I hold a hand out and it lands, slurping and gurgling at me. I find the familiar noise somewhat calming and to sit on a bench. The silence, aside from the creature and the always there distant sirens, was deafening. The silence I had become so use to and found, on occasion, relaxing, was starting to piss me off.

Unable to sit still any longer, I motion the creature off and stand. Before I can take a step, the ground beneath my feet begins to tremble. Then shake. I fall, off balance, and try to brace myself against the bench. The ground slowly seems to steady, but then bucks hard. I hit the ground, gasping as my injured arm breaks my fall. The intensity of the pain slicing up my arm knocks me unconscious.