SILENT HILL: DAMNATION
Chapter 7:
"Why are you here?"
The elevator stopped moving. The doors were still closed, and Danny wasn't able to do anything. He tried pushing the buttons, but it didn't work.
—Well? —Danny asked to… the elevator — now what? «am I supposed to stay here forever? » he thought. And then, the doors opened.
He was confused. Earlier, he was trapped in the Grand Hotel, during the Darkness; but now, he was in a corridor, inside a rather run down place. Apparently, during the Fog. The walls were cracked, also the roof and lockers all over the corridor.
—Where am I? … this looks like…
He walked out of the elevator, which remained with the doors opened. He walked slowly, looking to the place, and back to his only way out. He saw lockers, some doors. At his right, several feet from there, were some stairs, that could maybe take him onto another floor. «I must be dreaming» he thought, as he headed back to the elevator. A clashing metal sound called his eye. It was the doors of the elevator, already closed.
—No! Please! —he said after hitting the doors. He bowed his head, and suddenly he heard footsteps coming from one of the doors at his right.
Danny walked to the door. He opened it, and found himself inside a classroom. But he didn't stay watching. In front of him, a blonde woman wearing a gray dress run out of there, yelling to someone. Yelling —Sharon!
—Hey! Wait a minute! —he said as he followed the woman.
As Danny was chasing the woman, who run to the stairs, she was chasing a little child in purple dress. «What's happening here? »he thought. The woman was yelling to the girl —Hey! Wait! Sharon! —and Danny was trying to catch her.
Both of them, got into a new corridor, with only a door at the end of it. The woman run and passed through. Danny hesitated for a moment, but something made him follow the woman and also enter. And he was surrounded by darkness again. He closed the door, and the lights disappeared, after showing that he was in a bathroom. The place was damp, and drops were falling on the floor. Then, a flashlight turned on in front of his eyes, and he was blinded again.
—Ah! Stop- doing that! —he said rubbing his eyes.
—I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention —a woman said.
Danny's eyes quickly adjusted to the lack of light, and he spotted the blond-haired woman in front of him. Her dress was red, and she had blue eyes. In her hands, she was holding a flashlight. She was staring at him, studying him.
—I know you.
—What? —Danny rubbed his eyes again —you mean it? W-wait, who are you? —asked Danny, confused.
—My name is Rose. Rose Da Silva.
—Rose? Uh, well, I don't remember hearing your name before. Well, actually I don't remember anything before this place, so…
—What are you doing here?
—Huh? Well, I'm trying to…
—Did she called you here?
—She? Who?
—She brought you here?
—Wait! Who are you talking about? I've already told that I can't understand what the heck is going on here. I saw you looking for someone, it was… Sharon, you were looking for Sharon. Who is she?
The woman, Rose seemed to be upset, as Danny was. She spoke then.
—Sharon is my daughter. I thought she was safe.
—Safe from what? Please, could you explain me what's going on here?
—But you already know that. She told you long ago; or maybe she wanted to —she took Danny's hand —Danny, you cannot stay here. You must leave, as soon as you can, before it's too late. Leave Silent Hill now!
—But I don't know the way out! How do you know me? You gotta help me to get out.
Rose seemed to be sad.
—I cannot leave. This is a place for lost souls…
—What, what do you mean with that?
—Danny, go and look for Dahlia, she can help you —Rose released his hand and turned off the flashlight, as Danny heard footsteps moving away —be careful, and don't let the darkness take you… You are not like her.
—Wait! Rose, come back! I need…
But Rose wasn't there anymore. Danny was alone in the darkness, again. But he wasn't scared, he was very upset. «Look for Dahlia, who was Dahlia? ». Danny took a step, but stumbled over something. When he fell on his knees to the ground, he was no longer in a dark place, he had returned to the lobby of the Grand Hotel, during the Fog.
A wooden door creaked behind him. Danny turned, and from the door appeared Josh Shepherd, the boy he saw earlier in the Hospital.
—Josh? Is that you?
—I finally found you! Where have you been my friend?
Joshua sat cross-legged beside Danny. In his hands was a stuffed animal, a smiling pink rabbit.
—That's Robbie —Danny said.
—Oh! You know Robbie?
—Yeah, but I'm not sure why.
—He is my best friend, and a very important thing to me. My brother gave it to me.
Then, they heard footsteps coming right to them. They were Michael and Shaun.
—Danny! —Shaun said.
—Boy —said Michael —you really freaked us out. Where have you been?
—I'm sorry —he stood up —I don't even know what happened. But what happened to you guys?
—We end up at a kind of basement, nothing special. But, look, we found a map of the town.
Michael took a folded paper from his pants, and gave it to Danny. He unfolded it. It was a map of Silent Hill.
—It might help us find the way out of here —said Shaun.
Josh stood up, behind Danny.
—Who's your little friend? —asked Michael.
—He is Josh. It seems that he's trapped here too. Josh, they are Michael and Shaun.
—Nice to meet you people. Hey, look! This is Robbie!
Danny was looking at the map, but he had no idea where to go or how, so he gave it back to Michael. He told to his friends about that kind of vision he just had, from the elevator to Rose da Silva. Danny asked to Michael about Rose, but the man knew nothing about her. At this point, Danny started to ask himself if maybe he was crazy, and most of the people he was seeing were not real. But Josh was, and his friends saw him. Then, what was happening? Finally, he spoke about "Dahlia", and one of them recognized her.
—Oh! I know that woman —said Josh —she lives above "Nathan Drugs", on the main street of the town.
—Really? —said Danny — could you take us there?
—Wait a sec', —said Michael —are you sure you wanna look for that person? And if you do, and we find her, what'll you do then?
—I don't know, honestly. Look, I know that this may be insane. But the truth is that I'm scared. And I'm also angry, because I have no idea about who I am. I want to find answers, and if this woman is my only chance to figure it out, I'll take it. If you don't want to come with me, it's okay. Are you coming with me Shaun?
—Well, U-uh… yeah, I'm coming with you.
Both guys looked at Michael. —You won't stop, right? —he asked.
—Not until I find what I'm looking for.
Michael sigh. He knew that there was nothing sure about a way out, or a woman who could help them. He knew that they were in danger, at any place. But he knew that, this was his only chance to take care of the boy.
—Alright, kid. You win. I'll go.
Danny smiled, as Shaun did.
—Okay Josh, can you lead us to Dahlia?
—Sure! Follow us!
—Us? —asked Shaun.
—Yeah. Me and Robbie.
The group left the Grand Hotel, and began to walk through the fog and falling ashes. The only sound that pursued them was their own footsteps. Although little Josh was leading them, it was Michael who took the lead, watching for any threat. And so, Josh began to talk about him: he talked about him and his toy Robbie, about his older brother Alex, and that he came swimming to Silent Hill. Meanwhile, Danny was talking to Shaun.
—I remember —said Shaun —that we were always playing together. We were always talking about stupid stuff. Also, I remember that we used to exchange our lunch.
—Shaun, how was I?
—What do you mean?
—I mean that, if I was happy, or something.
—Mmm, you were the happiest child at school. You were always happy, smiling, laughing. And you made me to be happy too. But now that you say it, sometimes you used to be very nervous, scared, and you said that a girl in a purple dress was chasing you. And then you were speaking about crazy things, such as fire, smoke and pain. That was strange, because at the next day you were back to normal. Once I asked you about that strange days, and you told me —I don't know what you're talking about. I'm okay —.
—Are you sure about what you're telling me?
—Yeah, pretty sure. That's all.
—Okay then. What about mi family?
—Well, I met your mother, but I forgot her name.
—Only my mother? How was she?
—She was very young, in my opinion. Sometimes her hair was blonde, but then it was brown. She had blue eyes, just like you. And she was always taking care of you. Like if she feared that something could happen to you.
—Did any of us talked sometime about Silent Hill?
—Nope. Never.
—Here it is! —exclaimed Josh. At their left, there was Nathan Drugs, and the buildings disappeared up ahead —right there is the entrance of the town. If you go there, you will find the welcome sign. But I cannot stay anymore with you guys. I need to go back.
—Where are you going? —asked Michael.
—You can find me at the Lake, as long as it is not Dark. Bye.
After that, Josh run away from them, and disappeared in the fog.
—Well then, were here. What's next Danny? —asked Michael.
Danny looked at a sign above them. He saw an opened window at the top of that building.
—We are coming in, and look for Dahlia.
After that, he opened the door.
