Hello again! It's chapter 2 here - I won't say much except that I'm glad because unlike almost every idea I have this one has a nice well rounded end point so I will get to finish this story properly.
I hope you enjoy reading it!
P.S I've formatted this chapter differently than Chapter 1 so that this one doesn't have the ugly line spacing. Let me know which one you guys prefer via a PM or the review box.
Chapter 2
Into Town
"You better know where you're going, Doc..."
The fat man had been mouthing off rudely for the past few minutes. In the little bursts of conversation between him and John, Kelsey had learned his name: Neil.
"The driver back there seemed to know what he was talking about," replies John, with no shortage of patience. "He told me if we follow this road we'd find a rest stop. And that's what we're doing."
The group had decided to send Amie out to the opposite of the road every so often, to ensure that they didn't accidentally miss the stop in the encircling fog. Kelsey looks anxiously into the gray, she just got her daughter back and is afraid she'll lose her again...
"We better man. There's plenty things I'd rather to being doing right now over hanging around with this sorry bunch." Neil motions toward the remainder of the group with his working hand.
Not far behind him, Kelsey wonders if he was even trying to be discreet about his feelings. Without much thought she assumes the answer is no.
John doesn't reply as Neil quickens his pace to stay a small distance away from the group.
"Nice guy," Kelsey says as she catches up to John.
"Not the worst," John smiles. "I've had some pretty tough nuts come into my practice..."
At the mention of his work Kelsey awkwardly twists her head away to avoid eye contact with the young doctor. He notices.
"It's cold out here," he finally says after some thought. Kelsey turns back to face him.
"Yeah… That woman in the wedding dress must be having a blast." She replies.
"I'll bet," John agrees, looking back briefly at the distraught looking bride. "There's a story behind that I'm guessing."
Kelsey stifles as small laugh. "Yeah…."
"So where were you headed?" he asks. "If you don't mind me asking..."
"Not not a tall," Kelsey says. Happy that they might finally have something to talk about.
"Um I-I was headed to my boyfriend's hometown," she speaks slowly, running her hand through her short hair. "He's uhhh…" Kelsey closes
her eyes, frowning. "Umm… A cop. Yeah. That's what I wanted to say. Sorry..."
She opens her eyes. "...Had a blackout."
Before he can reply, John is interrupted by a rough smacking sound behind them.
"OW!"
Kelsey quickly spins her head around in the direction of the cry. The disabled girl has fallen over onto the concrete road. For a moment Kelsey fears how the fall might have affected the insanely thin girls body. But looking closely, no serious damage has been done. The bride comes to her aid, pulling her dress behind herself to better bend over.
"Are you okay?" She asks unsurely.
Without answering the young woman pulls herself up quickly and steps back. Staring at the bride. Her expression rings of sadness and confusion - Almost as if the two of them were best friends and it the was the bride who pushed her.
"FiNE…" she finally blurts out before continuing her journey down the road. Moving away from the bride.
"Sorry about that I should've said something sooner," starts John, looking back at the incident. "The road's just gotten real cracked and bumpy around here."
Looking down, Kelsey sees it too. It's as if an earthquake has ruptured the area and sent cracks snaking all over the surface of the road. Another thing she notes is the darkness. The road's gotten a lot darker now. Like something burnt...
Kelsey catches the bride's eyes as they move forward. Afraid she'd gotten embarrassed by the disabled girl walking away from her, Kelsey feels the need to say something.
But before she can speak the sound of running footsteps catch her attention. Turning to their right, the group see a movement in the fog. Amie emerges like a ghost from the mist and is soon by her Mother's side.
"Anything?" John asks.
"No." Amie replies panting. "Just more trees."
Kelsey smiles and puts her arm on her daughter's shoulder. "Next time don't be too long okay? I was getting worried. The thought of you getting lost in this fog..."
"C'mon what the hell?" Neil grunts. "Where the actual hell is this place?"
Who he's addressing is unclear.
"Listen," Kelsey starts sternly toward him. "We know it's out there and it's out there. We'll all get there eventually."
Neil stares at her. She continues.
"And I really think moaning about it won't make it come any faster..."
After a pause the fat man scoffs under his breath.
The bride starts crying to herself, for some reason.
Amie bites her lip.
John coughs quietly.
Kelsey takes her gaze away from Neil.
"HA hA hA," the disabled girl giggles loudly at them, having found something humorous about the moment.
Then, at a loss for words, everyone falls silent. Neil shakes his head and turns away.
"Jesus… What a weird day," he mumbles.
…
And they're on the move again.
III
"Mom! I found water!"
Amie's voice finally broke the silence.
She runs toward the group, returning from another trip into the fog.
"It's not far," she explains. "You only have to move a few steps to see it..."
She points into the fog before disappearing back into it. Members of the group share some glances before following. Each step they take reveals more of what lies ahead. More cracked road, overgrown foliage, Amie and an old dirty railing running in parallel by the road.
"Honey, careful you don't fall," Kelsey says as moves to catch up with Amie, who is leaning playfully over the railing that stands between them and a steep drop.
They've come across a large lake on the right side of the road. Kelsey reaches her daughter's side. Not far beneath them lies a dark and lifeless stretch of water. The dense gray fog that surrounds them prevents any real view of how large or expansive it is.
Being the only thing worth looking at or thinking about, the group momentarily stop to admire the landmark.
Upon seeing the drop, the disabled girl immediately backs away, shaking her head aggressively. She almost disappears into the fog before she finally stops moving.
"NO. NO. NO," she insists whilst making eye contact with each member of the group. "NO," She adds.
Amie pulls away from the railing, and approaches the thin girl. Kelsey looks at her daughter with intrigue.
"Are you afraid of heights?" Amie asks softly. Prompting a violent nod from the girl.
"Mmm Hmm..." She mumbles sadly in agreement. She's shaking. Amie offers her hand.
"I used to be afraid of heights. What's your name?" The girl grabs Amie's hand in both of hers.
"CrySTAL."
"Crystal..." Amie echoes with a smile. "That's a cool name."
The smile on her face immediately infects Crystal, who returns it in kind with a blush and a laugh. She stops shaking. Kelsey smiles too.
The rest of the group watch the two youngsters with quiet glee in the gray world. Except Neil, who's moved on from the railing and continuing his way down the road.
"Hey we don't want to be splitting up," John calls after him.
"Then follow me." Neil replies abruptly and without looking back.
Kelsey and John exchange a glance and simultaneously roll there eyes before making their way after Neil.
"C'mon Amie, Crystal." Kelsey smiles at the two.
Crystal claps her bony hands together playfully before joining them. She stays close to Amie.
III
"Finally!"
Neil's shout is heard by all. Coming up behind him, they see it too. A large shape emerges from the fog. A structure. A building.
They pick up the pace.
It's old and dirty. Red-bricked. Windows boarded-up.
"Crap," Neil moans as he gets a closer look. He's read the sign hanging above the buildings large doorway: Silent Hill Fire Station.
"This isn't it?" Kelsey asks, getting her breath.
''Looks that way," replies John.
"Are we lost...?' The bride speaks quietly.
"It doesn't matter. We're somewhere." John proclaims, moving forward and taking the lead from Neil. "We'll find help here."
The group pass more buildings and it isn't long before they realize they've stumbled into some sort of a town. The place is bleak. Drab. Colourless. It's also empty. The only life on the streets is them. They turn a corner. More of the same.
"Anyone see anything?" John says out loud.
"The hell?" Neil grumbles, peaking into an old store window. It's dirty and dark. No one's home.
"Where the hell is everyone!?"
Kelsey notices a number of cars parked on the pavement. They look old and worn. Moss and decay are creeping up the windows.
"Amie stay close to me..." She says quietly.
John pulls out his mobile and tries for a signal. He's defeated. Kelsey turns to him.
"I think this place is abandoned."
He bites his lip. Considering that thought.
Kelsey whispers the words under her breath.
"Silent Hill..."
Crystal turns to Amie and grabs her arm tightly.
"ScaRED."
Amie smiles reassuringly.
"Don't worr-"
Then something approaches. The sound of footsteps in the lifeless fog. The whole group turn to face it. It's making it's way down the road. At first it looks like multiple people. Then some sort of an animal. A horse maybe.
Then it gets closer,
It looks like two people who've been melted together by everything above their waist. A tall and small person. Both female. But it's far from human. Armless, headless. The revolting mess of flesh is like rusted metal. Peeling all over, it's "skin" is a blend of cracked reds and oranges. It moves awkwardly towards them. Each step is clumsy and miscalculated. The direction in which it walks show that it's tall legs are the back ones.
Without any sign of a mouth, the creature is somehow able to emit a horrendous and gut-wrenching moan. Like something dying, crying and screaming out all at once. It's uncomfortable.
The four-legged horror is almost on them. Closer now, each movement it makes comes with the repulsive sounds of bones cracking and a painful squelching.
In static shock the group can't do much but watch as the thing gets closer. Some of them notice with absolute terror that more of the creatures are appearing out from the depths of the fog.
In that moment Kelsey feels a sudden wave of nausea overcomes her and without realising it she finds herself on her knees vomiting all over the road.
She breathes out heavily, almost in slow-motion, before looking up the rest of her group.
"Where are we?"
