Disclaimer: I do not own anything in relation to the Silent Hill series. The only character I own is my OC, Katy.

A/N: As always, this chapter probably wouldn't be here without the support from those who review my story. (= So, here it is and I hope the readers enjoy.

Chapter 10: Construction

The cool, night air blasted my face as I emerged from the underpass. I could practically feel the wind battling against the heat in my face. The trapdoor slammed shut, covering the ladder and any sign that the trapdoor was there. Piles of dirt were scattered around the vacant construction site, barrels laid on their sides against the white walls that rose into the pitch black sky. Glass crunched underneath my boots as I made my way to the entrance of the deserted white building, its doors caked with dust from neglect.

"Okay, Katy. Just have to get through this building and into the offices. Then I can go home," I reassured myself, though I was certain that "home" would not mean the end of this nightmare. But which home will I be going to? Mine…or Heather's? It was a strange question and I imagined Harry Mason being killed in his living room by something not quite human. At what point did he end up dying? Was I already too late to save his life?

The doors of the building creaked as I shoved them open and a cloud of dust swirled up from the floor. Coughing, I waited for my eyes to adjust to the dim setting. Paint cans were placed on the floor alongside old, dried paintbrushes. Off to the side were a couple of yellow signs that read "Wet Paint" in large red block letters. There was a light switch on one wall, but there was no electricity within the building. That's typical. All I'm asking for is a little light, not a God-given miracle.

A bathroom was located near the emergency stairs, its tiled floor crawling with spiders and dust bunnies. The bathtub used to be white, but the abandonment of the building had caused it to become stained and ancient. Out of curiosity, I twisted the handles but no water came from the taps. There was no water from the sink, either.

Scowling at the useless taps, I glanced up at the cracked mirror above the sink. I recognized Alessa, standing just inches behind me, her dark eyes narrowed dangerously and her body covered in blood. Quickly I whirled around, but there was no one there. When I looked back at the mirror, my reflection was the only one staring back. It's just a trick of the light. That's all, I tried to convince myself. I wasn't really sure if it had been Alessa or not and so I rushed out of the bathroom, unwilling to look back even once.

….

Since the electricity was off inside the entire building, the only way to get to the upper levels was by using the stairs. I even jabbed at the elevator button multiple times, hoping it would miraculously work. It didn't. My elongated shadow crept along the walls as I entered the stairwell. Boxes and paint cans were stacked in the space below the stairs, left behind and forgotten. Slowly, I climbed the first few steps, gripping my gun the entire way.

Creak! It sounded as though someone had carefully stepped up behind me on the stairs. Turning, I pulled out my flashlight and waved it around, the beam illuminating the stairs below me. Nobody was there; I was probably the only living thing here. Still, it felt like I was being followed and I hated it.

Discouraged, I hastily ascended to the next level. The door wouldn't budge and there was a sign explaining the construction that was taking place. The third floor had a similar yellow sign, this one insisting that the third floor ceiling was gone and so it might be dangerous. Sure, dangerous. I've seen things ten times more dangerous than that!

The only door that would open was on the fourth floor level, even though the floor was gone. As I slid into the room, I could see that the sign was right. A gaping hole was in the center of the room. Surrounding it were small crates with discarded cans, cups, and ashtrays placed on them. Flat boards were nailed into the floor, in case anyone needed to walk closely next to the hole. A stained, bare mattress was on the right side of the hole, out of my reach.

Taking a deep breath, I held onto my gun as I began walking across the boards next to the hole. It angled away from the actual floor so that on both sides were empty spaces and open air. I had always been uncomfortable with heights; not exactly afraid, but I always had the feeling that I would fall into open air to my doom. Occasionally, I wobbled while walking across the boards, causing me to look down to the floor of the third level. It was quite a way down and it took me a minute to regain my balance. Don't look down. There's no use falling and dying now.

I ran the rest of the way across the boards and breathed deeply when I reached the other side. There was a health drink on one crate which I tucked into my handcrafted bag tied around my waist. Putting the gun down on the crate, I dragged the mattress over to the hole and tossed it over the side. It was like slow-motion; it kept falling and falling until it slammed into the floor, a cloud of dust rising from the impact. Now it was my turn. I just had to hope I would actually land somewhere on the mattress.

"Okay, I can do this. I just have to…jump," I told myself out loud, staring at the mattress at the bottom of the hole. Lifting the gun into my hands, I closed my eyes and leaped into the open air. My body picked up speed as I fell, the air rushing around me. I reached out my hands for anything to grab onto, but there was nothing. With a sharp thud, my body collapsed onto the soft surface of the mattress. Amazed, I smoothed my hands over the mattress, just to make sure it really was the mattress I had landed on. "Ha! I did it, I did it, I really did it!" I sang to myself, proud of the way I hadn't crashed onto the cement floor. I even went as far as to start dancing around and gloating.

On the fourth level, I heard the door slam. That one noise stopped my gloating immediately and the unmistakable sense of fear coursed through me as I pictured Alessa, following me through the building and leaping into the gaping hole, absent of any fear at all. Remembering the creepy environment around me, I hurriedly pushed my body through the torn hole in the building. It led to a kind of catwalk, high above the ground. That uncomfortable feeling erupted in my stomach again.

A sudden buzzing sound—like that of a drill—broke the silence and forced me to start moving. It was a thin catwalk and I took small steps as I neared the other building next to this one. There would be an open window there, I recalled. It took me over a minute to carefully cross the catwalk and find the open window, just across from the building. The buzzing grew louder as I lowered one foot into the open window. Below me was the messy ground of the construction site.

Awkwardly, I managed to get my other leg inside the office just as one of those bug-like creatures passed by. I pressed my body against the wall of the office, hidden in dark shadows. The bug glanced both ways as if wondering where I went. Then, it turned and crawled away out of view. Sighing, I gazed around the office and figured it was the safest place for me to be at the moment. It was too bad I'd have to leave it sooner or later.

…

Sorry for a week going by without an update. I just started a new story this week and so I've been preoccupied with that. But, I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and will continue reading my story. (= Hey, guess which character is coming up soon in the story? It should be very interesting, don't you think?