Chapter Seven

Rodney raced down the street, hoping for a sign of Elizabeth. He caught a glimpse of red up ahead and picked up his pace.

"Elizabeth, wait!"

He turned the corner only to find the street empty. He stared into the fog in disbelief. How could he have missed her? He hadn't been that far behind.

Thinking the fog might be hiding her, he strode down the road. A car with its door open loomed in the desolation. He stopped beside it and peeked inside. A 9mm rested on the cloth seat.

I'm going to need that.

He snatched it off the seat and checked for bullets. The magazine was full and one rested in the chamber. He climbed in to check the backseat, but didn't find anymore ammo. Grumbling, he crawled out of the car.

A growl startled him and he rushed back into the car, slamming the door shut behind him.

A dog collided with the car door.

"That ought to teach you! Brainless dog."

The creature growled, barked and clawed at the door. It rammed the door again, trying to force itself inside.

Rodney shook his head. "You're not getting in."

Turning around, he saw the way was clear. He opened the car door leading onto the sidewalk. The creature continued to attack. Shaking his head, he hurried down the sidewalk and away from the monster.

The fog seemed to increase in thickness and he slowed his pace. He cocked his head to the side, listening for any movement behind him.

Silence.

He stepped closer to the building on his right and followed it. He crossed an alley and heard a trash can tumble over. He jumped, aiming his gun into the alleyway. The fog hid whatever caused the noise. His heart pounded in his chest, threatening to burst.

He stared into the fog for several moments, but nothing rushed him. After another moment passed, he relaxed and continued on.

Footsteps clicked ahead of him. They sounded like women's boots. He held his breath, waiting for the owner to appear out of the fog. The footsteps continued across the street, deeper into the fog.

Rodney hurried across the street, hoping to catch up. He nearly ran into a parked car. The footfalls continued down the sidewalk. He narrowed his eyes, trying to see through the fog.

"Elizabeth!"

The sound stopped and he raced around the car and up onto the sidewalk. He ran in the direction he last heard the sound, hopes soaring.

The fog cleared slightly, revealing an empty sidewalk in front of a run down building.

"Damn it." He ran a hand through his hair and glared at the building. The door hung on its hinges, paper and old wood littered the floor.

Did you go in there?

Taking a deep breath, Rodney entered the building.

A staircase leading up stood to his right. In front of him and to his left was a large desk, the top littered with papers. Rows of small boxes lined the wall behind the desk.

He strode across the worn dark carpet toward the desk. He ruffled through the scattered papers, trying to find out where the hell he was. A newspaper clipping caught his attention. It looked old, the wording almost unreadable. He squinted in the dimness to read.

Silent Hill Chronicles

He blinked in disbelief. "What?"

A door banged above him. Looking up, he dropped the paper back on the desk. Footsteps pounded across the floor.

Elizabeth.

Rodney hurried up the stairs to the second floor. Standing on the landing, he didn't see anyone running down the hallway in front of him, nor did he hear another door close.

What's going on here? Why am I hearing things?

The wallpaper was faded and torn, but it seemed to have been elegant at one time. Paintings on the walls were peeling, ripped to shreds or lost color.

He strode down the corridor, testing the doors on both sides of the hall. Many of the doors were locked or wouldn't budge when he tried to push them open. Grumbling, he continued on.

Towards the middle of the hall on his right, he found a doorway, its door long gone. He stepped cautiously into the room, his gun aimed in case a creature attacked. A strange smell assaulted his nose.

To his right stood a kitchen, blood smeared the tiles. He continued on into the living room. A broken coffee table stood in the middle of the room. The cracks in the walls resembled spider webs. The cushions on the sofa appeared worn, even torn in some places. Books and papers lay scattered across the floor.

Scratching from the hallway to his left caught his attention. He raised his gun and cautiously stepped into the corridor. At the end of the hall stood a slightly open door. Keeping his eye on the open door, Rodney checked the door on his right.

Locked. Guess its door number one.

The scratching grew louder with each step he took. His stomach coiled into a knot and an icy chill ran its fingers down his back. The urge to call out to the sound rode him, but he clamped his mouth shut. He didn't want to alert anything in the room to his presence.

Using the business end of the gun, he pushed the door open. It swung to the side to reveal a bed, its bloody bedspread torn to shreds. A body lay on top, one of its arms hanging over the side. The form looked human and female.

"What is it with this place?"

The scratching continued to his right. His gaze fell on a closet. He stepped further into the room, debating on opening the door or leaving.

Unconsciously, he looked at the body on the bed. It was covered in blood, but he could make out the slashes in the shirt and pants. He treaded closer to investigate when he heard a crash behind him. He spun to face the noisemaker.

The closet door stood open and a large figure stood in the doorway. It stepped into the room, its eyeless face focused on him. Its muscled chest was covered in scratches and scars. Its long fingers ended in talons coated in dried blood.

It sniffed the air. Its low growl rumbled.

Rodney slowly backed toward the bedroom door. He kept his eyes on the creature, hoping it didn't notice him. The creature snarled and stepped toward the bed. It swiped at the covers, ripping what was left.

Time to get out of here.

Rodney turned and race down the short hallway, through the living room and out into the corridor. He headed for the stairs, not stopping until he was in the lobby. He rested against the desk, breathing hard.

His gaze fell on the newspaper clipping. Sneering, he grabbed it and left the building. Breathing in the chilly air, he looked right then left. The fog made it difficult to see anything, but he knew the direction in which he'd come from.

Find Elizabeth or head back to the gate.

It was a difficult decision. His heart told him to search for Elizabeth, but his brain demanded he head back to the gate. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

A dog howled in the distance, but the fog made it sound as if it were right beside him. His heart jumped and he headed down the sidewalk away from the apartment building and the howling.

"Elizabeth!"

He ran down the street, calling out her name. The fog suddenly lightened revealing a sudden drop off. Startled, he fell back and landed on his butt. Pain from his wounds shot through him and he winced. Holding his side, he scrambled to his knees and crawled to the edge. Looking over, his stomach dropped at the sight. He couldn't see the bottom.

"It goes on forever."

Rodney slowly back away. He took a moment to catch his breath, making sure he didn't look back at the end of the street. Feeling lost and alone like never before, he closed his eyes, fighting the urge to scream.

Get yourself together. You're a genius remember? You can find a way out of here.

Determination rising, he climbed to his feet and headed back down the street. He moved across the road to the left side and stepped onto the sidewalk. The fog wrapped around him once again, but he kept his eyes and ears open for movement; Elizabeth or otherwise. He wasn't about to be taken off guard again.

Up ahead, a shadow moved toward him. He raised his gun, aiming it at the figure. He cautiously closed the gap, hoping the shadow was Elizabeth.

The figure stepped out of the fog and Rodney blinked.

"Sheppard?"

"Good to see you, too, McKay."

Relief washed over him and he lowered his weapon. He leaned against the wall of a building, feeling the pain draining him. He closed his eyes, his knees going weak.

"Are you all right?"

He opened his eyes. "I've been shot and sliced, so no, I'm not all right. On top of that, I think I've seen Elizabeth."

Sheppard's eyes widened. "Elizabeth? Are you sure?"

Rodney sighed and pushed away from the wall. "No. I'm not sure of anything at the moment. I don't even know how the hell I got here?"

"Where is here?"

Rodney reached into his pocket, pulled out the clipping, and handed it to John.

"It's a town called Silent Hill. We're back on Earth."

Sheppard stared at the clipping then at him. "How?"

He shook his head. "I dialed the planet we went to yesterday, stepped through the gate, and ended up here."

Sheppard gazed around them then handed the clipping back. "I wouldn't believe you if I weren't seeing it."

"Neither would I."

He shoved the clipping in his pocket and headed down the street. He had no idea where he was going, but he knew they couldn't stay out in the open much longer. No telling what they'd come across now.

"We need to head back to Atlantis and get your wounds treated."

"Not until I find Elizabeth or how we got here."

"You don't think it was the gate?"

Rodney shook his head. "I have a feeling it has nothing to do with the gate."

"Great."

They turned a corner and two skinned dogs prowled the lane. He ducked back, pressing his back against the wall.

"Dogs, two of them."

Sheppard raised an eyebrow. "Dogs?"

Rodney motioned for Sheppard to take a look. They both peeked around the corner. The dogs snarled and leaped toward them. Sheppard opened fire with his P-90. One of the dogs yelped and fell to the ground. Rodney squeezed off two shots and the second dog dropped to the ground.

"Well, that was easy."

Rodney scoffed. "You haven't seen anything, yet."

He led the way down the street, scanning left and right for creatures. The fog grew thick again and an eerie stillness came over the area. Butterflies raced inside his stomach. The tension became unbearable. It seemed a monster would attack them at any moment.

"What's with this fog?" Sheppard's whisper seemed loud in the quiet.

"Do I look like an expert on eerie towns with creepy fog?"

"Ok, stupid question."

Rodney rolled his eyes, but didn't comment. He wanted out of this fog and off the street. Something was coming, he could feel it. He jogged across the street and tested the door of the nearest building. It was locked.

"Going shopping?"

He glared at Sheppard. "Yeah, I want some shoes."

"Just trying to lighten the mood."

Rodney jogged to the next building and tried its door. It swung open on creaking hinges. It reverberated in the silence. He winced, hoping nothing heard it.

"Follow me." Sheppard turned on the light to his P-90 and stepped into the building.

Rodney glanced behind him, but the fog revealed nothing. Lifting his gun, he followed Sheppard into the dark building.

The weak light refused to enter the building and Rodney couldn't blame it. Debris covered the floor, some falling from the ceiling. The columns holding up the ceiling were chipped and covered in grim.

"This place is falling apart."

"Thanks for the information, Captain Obvious."

Sheppard stared at him, but Rodney ignored him. He strode toward his left only to have something land in front of him. He jumped back, startled.

"Bring that light over here." He hated hearing the fear in his voice.

Sheppard shone his flashlight on the thing on the floor. A body, completely devoid of skin and clothes lay at his feet. Rodney's heart stopped then started again. Bile rose in his throat, but he swallowed it back down. He walked away, taking in great gulps of air.

"I never thought I'd be living in a horror movie."

Rodney inhaled deeply and turned to glare at Sheppard. "This isn't a horror movie."

Sheppard shrugged. The light from Sheppard's P-90 landed on the doors to an elevator. The brilliance reflected back at them.

"Let's see if that works." Sheppard strode toward it.

"Hold on!" Rodney raced after him, grabbing the Colonel's arm to stop him. "You don't know if it'll even work or what's on the other side."

"You want to take the stairs?"

"Better the stairs then having to fight whatever's in that elevator."

Sheppard shone his light around them until it fell on a large staircase tucked in a corner behind them. He took the lead across the large space and up the stairs to the second floor.

The dark décor made the place appear even darker. The silence was deafening. Rodney kept looking over his shoulder, half expecting a creature to attack.

The doors lined the long corridor, six on one side and two on the other. A large painting graced the wall on the left between the two doors. Sheppard aimed the light on the painting, exposing a scene of a lake surrounded by trees on one side.

"I wouldn't expect to find something so nice in this place."

Rodney didn't answer. He tried the doors flanking the painting, but they were locked. Growling, he kicked one of the doors, but it wouldn't budge.

"Let me try." Sheppard stepped back then kicked the door. It crashed to the floor with a loud bang.

"Show off."

Sheppard smiled then led the way into the room. A grim covered mattress lay up against the wall to their left. The bed frame lay upside down on the other side of the room. A door to their right stood open, revealing a bathroom plastered in blood and grim. A powerful smell filled the small space.

"That is disgusting." Sheppard turned away from the room and stepped further inside.

Rodney moved toward the large dresser in front of him. He opened the top drawer and a large insect flew at his face. He jumped back, waving his arms to keep the thing from clawing his face. He swung his gun, striking the creature. It shrieked and fell to the ground. Aiming his gun at the little beast, he shot it. Yellow goo splattered the floor and dresser.

Rodney sneered. "I hate this town."

"Maybe we should get out of here."

He stared at Sheppard, breathing hard. "I'm not going anywhere. Better in here than out there where we won't even see the things coming."

Sheppard shook his head. "I'm not sleeping on any of these beds, if they all look like that."

Rodney stared at the mattress and had to agree. The floors weren't much better. The hard wood floors looked warped from water.

Or blood.

The thought sent a chill through him. He shivered. Wanting something else to focus on, he went back to rummage through the top drawer. To his surprise, the drawer was empty of clothes. He shut it and opened the second. To his relief, no insects came flying out. Instead, a scrap of paper rested inside.

"Look at this." He pulled the paper out and motioned for Sheppard to shine the light on it.

The paper was stained, but gratefully he was able to read the words. He narrowed his eyes to read in the bright light of the P-90.

I saw them again.

I don't think they saw me.

"That's it?" Sheppard sounded unimpressed.

Rodney shook his head and placed the note back it the dresser. It told him nothing. He slammed the door shut and opened the third and fourth one.

Nothing.

"What are you looking for?"

"A lot of things. I'm looking for answers of why we're here, how we got here, and where's Elizabeth. Also a way to get back to Atlantis."

"You're not asking for much."

Rodney glared at Sheppard. "Forgive me for wanting to get to the bottom of this."

He left the room and tried the doors across the hall. Three of them were locked while one swung opened when he tried the knob. Grumbling, he stepped into the room.

Two beds with mattresses rested against the wall to his right. Another dresser stood in the corner to his left. He hurried to the dresser and opened drawers. He didn't find anything. He turned and spotted something on the nightstand by the closest bed.

"Here."

"I'm so happy to be your flashlight."

"You can go back."

"Hell no. You're stuck with me."

"Lucky me." Rodney picked up the scrap of paper. "April 15th. I thought something was following me. The fog is so thick in this town, I can't be sure. I holed up in this abandoned hotel, hoping the fog would clear. It hasn't, yet. That was three days ago."

"Ok, I'm official creeped out."

Rodney dropped the paper back on the nightstand. Fear griped him, tightening into a tight ball in his stomach. If what the letter said was true, the fog was permanent.

A door slammed in the distance. Rodney stared at Sheppard for a moment before the Colonel led the way back out into the corridor.

"Nothing out here."

"Check the doors down the hall."

Sheppard hurried down the hallway, checking doors as he went. Most were locked or wouldn't budge when he kicked them. They continued on until they came to another staircase.

"Going up?"

"After you."

Sheppard shook his head, but led the way upstairs. Rodney looked backed the stairs in hopes of seeing Elizabeth. Instead, a humanoid creature stumbled down the hallway. It resembled the first monster he encountered back at the strange Atlantis. It didn't have any arms. A black substance dripped down its body, leaving a trail behind it.

Rodney aimed his gun and squeezed off two shots. The creature stumbled then fell to its knees. He turned and hurried up the stairs to come across an empty hallway.

"Sheppard?"

His heart pounded, his breathing raced passed his lips. He strode down the corridor, checking the doors, hoping one would open. He was half-way down the hall when a door banged open behind him. He spun, his gun raised.

A scream pierced the silence. Rodney winced, but didn't close his eyes.

A figure, dressed in white, stepped out into the hallway. It turned to face him, green eyes narrowed. The form's dark hair fell in waves over its shoulders.

"Elizabeth?"

The white dress turned red with blood right before his eyes. The creature screamed, its cry reverberating through the building. Rodney dropped his gun and covered his ears. He backed away, trying to get away. He closed his eyes against the pain in his head.

"Stop it!" Rodney dropped to his knees, but the shriek only grew louder. He fell to his side then into oblivion.