A/N: Here's Chapter 3 for you. I would like to thank everyone for the great reviews you've given me! You give me the inspiration to keep this story going! Special consideration to Ombrenuit for the amazing writing! He outstands us all in this genre! Well, read on, and enjoy! Happy reading and writing!

Chapter 3

The time was getting closer now. Claudia could feel it. As she stepped up to the Orphanage, she thought of how unfortunate it would be to be consumed by the darkness. That's why she had to warn them all, before it happened. Before hell knocked on their door, and they invited it in…

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Payton awoke, drowsiness draped over her eyes. It took her a moment to realize what had happened. She had passed out yet again as the darkness took her over. And that siren…that awful siren…

She examined the area around her, this time taking great care in knowing all the minor details in order not to stumble over herself again. She had to squint her eyes in order to focus, moving her head back and forth still examining.

The walls consisted of plain red wallpaper covered in a moss like substance, and dripping and peeling almost as if it were real bodily flesh. Horrid smells of rot and must stung Payton's nostrils, causing her to sneeze and nearly vomit. She shook in terror, wondering if this was really the end of days as Claudia had told her.

She finally managed to sit up on her knees, and look around some more. It appeared as though she had been imprisoned in a large and lackluster utility closet. She noticed that there was no door that went in or out of the room, which greatly distressed her.

She quickly turned in all directions and noticed a series of shelves above her that withheld tools of only a macabre nature. A hammer swung from a hook on the second shelf, sharp pointed spikes poking out from its many sides. Bloody mannequin limbs were what the top shelf consisted of, and a long pickaxe stood on the bottom.

Payton twitched, only to find that she was possessed in relentless horror. She began to search rapidly for a means of escape, finding a small crawlspace in front of her that was just big enough for her to fit through.

She entered, feeling inclined yet claustrophobic. She scurried her way through not attempting to go back. The darkness was laid out in front of her; its blanket caressing the ever so twitching ends of her skin. She still decided to press on, though her ego told her to stop, and just perish on the spot. She could get through this. She had never been afraid of the dark anyway.

Suddenly her hand slipped, and fell into a tight and damp hole just below her. She stopped, attempting to budge her hand from its strangling snare. With struggle, she pulled it out, rubbing it as if she were in real pain. Right at that moment, only Payton knew if real pain even existed.

Payton began to hear muffled groans below her. She turned her head down, staring closely into the hole that had caught her arm. She saw something stagger its way back and forth, pacing the confines of the light and musty room below the hole. Payton breathed a sigh of relief as she realized there could be someone that could help her in that room.

"Hello? Anyone? Please help!" Payton yelled down the hole, hoping and praying that it was someone that could help her.

The thing stopped in its tracks, and moved into the room's dominant light source. Payton then realized she had made a grave mistake.

The Charlie horse monster in the room below the hole had four legs, two of which protruded out of its upper back. Its head was stretched out lengthwise, interpreting the shape of a deformed horses head. It had broad arms too, which extended out from its chest, and stroked the ground making loud scratching and gnawing noises. Strangely, the creature had no tail, which seemed strange for its animal-like figure. The creature's skin trickled with sweat and blood, and its skin complexion was the color of a grapefruit grove.

Payton froze, uneager to move any further. She told herself that if she didn't move, then maybe…

The Charlie horse turned its head into an awkward upwards position, almost as if it had two faces. It stared bluntly, straight in Payton's direction. She was still frozen, unable to move, and taken aback by something worse than terror itself. She attempted to move, but her fear only got worse as she struggled with every bit of power she had left in her.

The Charlie horse let out a low growl, startling Payton to hear breaking point. She screamed as if someone was actually there to listen to her. The Charlie horse flailed its arms, letting out moans and groans of wrath and pain. It began to rotate around in incomplete circles, getting even more furious. It looked around desperately, as if trying to look for something it had lost.

Payton felt relieved as she realized that the Charlie horse was virtually sightless. It had no idea that she existed, let alone know that she was the cause of the entire disturbance. It only knew that it was being bothered or violated because of all the loud noises she was making.

Payton finally gathered her courage and decided to use the subordinate's disability to her advantage. She pressed on, taking precautions this time on how much noise she made as to not attract anything else to her midst.

As she continued forward through the contracted tunnel, she began to see a horde of light rushing in to greet her. Small amounts of relief and happiness began to fill her emotions, making her thoughts almost clear. She crawled faster through the tunnel, hoping that it was a safe light.

She began to get closer and closer to the light, until she heard something coming from behind her. It was a low grunt, like the one a dog makes when it's chasing a victimized cat. She wanted to turn around, but the space in the tunnel was far too narrow, and plus she didn't have enough time to spare. The grunt became louder, and more blunt as Payton shuffled through the tunnel faster towards the blinding light. She had a gut feeling that it was safe, and that it was help.

The tunnel seemed never ending, like an underground train. The grunt turned into a scurrying sound. Something was crawling after her.

She began to hear disembodied voices in her ear as the crawling thing behind her came closer.

"Help…" was the last thing she heard behind her before bursting into the ever so pure and cleansing light at the end of the tunnel.

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The dense, foggy breeze outside blew on Payton's neck. It gave her a comforting tingle, like she had finally escaped this madness. She was back in Silent Hill, and out of what she believed to be hell itself…at least for now.

She opened her eyes and squinted as the dazzling light flowed through her vision. She had made it, and there was no going back now. There was no reason to.

She twisted around, wondering if the endless tunnel of despair was still behind her. Wondering if those brutal creatures were still coming after her. She looked, finding no trace of where she had come from. All that was before her was blank air rushing past her face. She had no time or strength to twinge, but she still wondered. It was as if the darkness had led her through a portal into light.

Why would hell lead you to Heaven? She thought, as she stroked her chin ever so slightly. She turned around again; staring at what horizon was represented before her eyes. She looked up, searching for a street sign. She realized she was on the corner of Clover Street and Simonson Avenue. This was near Willow Dale Street, where the Hillside Tower, and Payton knew that she could find at least some security there.

She began slowly making her way down towards Kingsley Street, which wasn't too far from here, and it was where Hillside Tower was located. She walked, not stopping to even look at anything. She was fully aware of where she was going, even though what was occurring in front of her didn't have her full attention. It no more than suddenly appeared to her that she was being followed by something, its traction beginning to increase as she stepped further.

Payton hadn't realized this until she reached the corner of Bloomington Drive and Kingsley Street. She stopped for a second, wondering if she should turn around to investigate, or just ignore the sounds occurring behind her. She had come this far, and had been through so much. Payton felt ambivalent about turning around, but she figured that if she wanted to move any faster, she had to face the unknown monstrosity that lurked in her shadow.

She flung herself around, and took a defensive stance, hoping and praying that this monster didn't even exist. She closed her eyes, and threw a punch at only mid air. She opened her eyes, and threw her head back in surprise.

"Have a hold of yourself there?" Said the man standing in front of her. He was bulk and muscular, his eyes drooping into Payton's. His eyes were very glum, and their color was a flushed black, not like any color she had ever seen before. His hair was an ashy gray, and kind of looked like a wool blanket. His clothes consisted of a ragged and old looking tan suit coat, with silky blue trousers, and mocha colored dress shoes. She suspected him to be around his mid to late 40s judging by his skin complexion, which was slowly falling into wrinkling folds.

"Well are you just going to look at me, or are you going to say something?" The man said vindictively.

"Never…sneak…up…on anyone…" Payton was breathing hard now, her face pasty white in terror. Her heart was thudding in her chest, almost as if it wanted to break free.

"Well now. Seems I better introduce myself. How rude of me. My name is Hammond Gillespie." He said, stroking the crops of his hair nervously.

Gillespie…it sounded strangely familiar to Payton…

Hammond stood there, staring blankly at Payton. She snapped out of her terror, her face becoming flushed and her expression becoming a curious and optimistic one. She wondered what this man was doing walking around a town like Silent Hill. He certainly didn't seem like an off-season tourist, and oddly enough, he didn't seem like a resident either.

Hammond glanced around himself as if there was something that he missed.

"Is there…something your looking for?" Payton asked Hammond, her eyes burning into his.

"The Hillside Tower is this way, isn't it? I've always wondered…" Hammond said, paying no heed to Payton's question.

"Yes. Follow me, won't you?" Payton asked, not caring what his response was.

Hammond stood there, staring at her with contentment. "I'm not-" Hammond was cut off by Payton's masterful escape. She ran, not trusting the man that trailed behind her.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Hammond hollered after her. "STOP…"

It was too late. Before she knew it, a familiar being butted its head against Payton's solid backbone, sending her hurdling through the mist like Raggedy Ann in a car accident, leaving a foreign world to seize her once again.

A/N: There you have it! Chapter 3! I know it probably wasn't very good, but the story will get better. Yes there are a lot of plot holes and things I haven't explained yet, but its only chapter 3. R&R, don't bash, and enjoy!