Is that the end? Had the credits rolled without my consent? Am I really awake this time? Dear God I hope so. My surroundings are so surreal. I'm out. I can't believe that I'm actually outside of that horrible nightmare. I can't believe it. Can I?
The more important thing right now is what the hell I'm going to do next. Drop the sleeping sack of the bleeding old man off at some hospital miles away from here? What can I do? Go back to my life without a care in the world? Go to college and start a family? Like that would work anyways. My life was never normal, never average, and never ordinary. I suppose that's why I haven't had a mental breakdown, for the most part.
"Too bad my legs are lame." The rough and husky voice of that damned detective scared the hell out of me. I thought he was asleep. I thought it was something else.
I didn't give him the pleasure of carrying a full conversation so I retorted curtly, "Why's that?"
He chuckled low and soft, thumping his four fingertips at the cold glass of his car window. "Because if it weren't for your lead foot I'd get us out of here a helluva lot safer you know. Don't tell me after all that you didn't learn a thing about watching after your ass. Even if I wasn't in the car, you wouldn't want to wreck."
Old punk. "FYI Douglas, we're already out of Silent Hill so keep your pants on."
I guess I hadn't noticed it before until I checked the speed gage; 92. Fantastic. As our voices grew hushed and when he hadn't responded to me I eventually let the speed rush die out. Die… My God… Dad.
A burning sensation tickled the upper portion of my face and hot tears began to well. Oh Dad, I wish I could have helped. I wish I could have been there. I could have been there. I could have saved you. You could still be alive, breathing, speaking… raising me.
Much to the similarities of the unnoticed speeding, a downpour engulfed the darkened night streets around me. There are so many questions; I don't think I want to know the answers to them just yet. I want my Dad back, it's so unfair. What did I do to deserve to be punished back in that hellish town? Why is this happening?
Without warning something dark dashed across the road. If I hadn't slowed down earlier- - what was that thing anyway? The blond hairs on my arm rose high within goose bumps. Am I really out? What the hell am I saying? It was probably just a deer or coyote. I glanced over to Douglas to see if he saw it too. And to my surprise he jerked, snoring like a motorboat. Poor guy, if he didn't follow me he wouldn't have gotten dragged into it too. Hmm, if it wasn't for his help I'd be…
My whole body went numb and I began to shake. If it wasn't for his help, I'd be long gone by now. Not with Douglas' help and unfortunately not by my father's help either. But that – thing's help. Why? Why did it want to help me? What possible sanity is left in that terrible place? What haunting creature is there to aid me in such scenarios? And what in the blue FUCK was I thinking! Shaking its hand! It could have killed me… oh Dad.
I released a climatic sob as soft and quiet as I could without waking Douglas but to no avail. He woke with a start and at first showed puzzlement and then what appeared to be compassion.
"Heather." He began as I quickly silenced myself and ignored the fact that I had been crying again. "You'll be just fine. You shouldn't cry."
Why not? My Dad's dead. I have nothing to live for. I don't know if I could live my life the way I had once before. I can't go on knowing the things I just experienced. Damn, how the hell does this guy do it? Ignore it? Nah, he's got plenty of years on him, probably used to ignoring things. What am I saying? I don't like where this is heading.
He continued to question me and I continued to ignore. Isn't that what I'm supposed to do? Forget the bad and look forwards to the new? But as soon as he got the message he went straight back to sleeping like a baby. To be honest I feel sorry for him and--
"The boogeymen are coming." A whisper resounds.
I whip my head around to see where the toneless words came from. Douglas is sound asleep, the windows are rolled up, and there's not a sound but the rain and my thoughts. Then suddenly an odd feeling began to overwhelm me. It scared me. I was homesick. But what scared me the most was that home felt like… "Silent Hill."
To my utterly brutal horror the radio fuzzed over and squealed with a dark humor. My eyes shot wide, glued to the buttons and dials. I've got to be dreaming. I've got to be. Then suddenly, through the sheets of rain, and blackness of the night rolled out an unearthly fog.
"Douglas!" I scream. I want to stop driving but I can't, my feet won't let me. My body won't let me.
The car cut into the thick grey beyond and I couldn't see even five feet before me. God why isn't he answering me? I turn and note the empty seat next to me. I suck in a breath of shock. What the hell is happening?
Before another thought raced my muse I smashed head on into something big. Then everything went dark.
.
"Oh my head," I rasped out, softly massaging my forehead. It was warm and wet; I brought my fingers down and found crimson liquid slightly dripping down my nails.
Shit. Reality… or whatever the hell it was hit me hard and fast. I was back. Back home I suppose. Home? What? I looked again to the seat next to mine and found nothing. I can't be alone, I can't be.
I heard the distinct sounds of slurping to the right of me and in the far distance was a black squirming figure. I spoke too soon about being alone. Within seconds I shot out of the totaled car and realized what exactly I had crashed into, the Brookhaven Hospital. I shuddered unwillingly and yet I brought myself to enter it. Maybe I could find something here.
"The boogeymen are coming."
"Or someone," I squeaked aloud, skittishly turning every which way.
I still had my flashlight on me, that and a shit load of weapons. I don't know why I kept them. It sure was a good thing that I had though. Reluctantly I turned the light on and pursued farther into the familiar rusting hell-like hospital. I drew out my nifty handgun, holding it steady and high before me with my knife in the other grip at my side.
Delving deeper into the rotting labyrinth I searched and searched for an answer. What brought me back? Claudia? Vincent? Dad? I never even found his body; I can't even hold a proper funeral for him.
In mid hallway I stopped, fell to my knees and wept again. It felt like my soul was pouring out. I couldn't even breathe at times but I couldn't do much of anything else now could I?
Beneath my moans and groans was an uneasy feeling of dread I could almost hear it. Wait, I can hear it; the deep threatening vibe of somebody or in this possible case, something behind me. I felt the floor softly vibrate with each foot steps and then, an awful scraping of swords.
.
.
.
.
Didn't think I'd be back for more? Well think again. Heather is – in this case– back for more and what could possibly be behind her? Where's Douglas? And what led her there?! Keep on the edges of your seats and send plenty of reviews if you'd like to hear more.