Henry's P.O.V.

When he woke up that morning, he had expected to see Walter immediately but the blonde man didn't show up. After well into the afternoon,Walter was still nowhere to be seen, leaving hope in Henry's heart. Should he risk going after Alex while the killer was away? Maybe Walter decided to stop his stalking or Eileen managed to get him distracted. Either way, Henry knew that Walter was gone, so he had to use this opportunity while he could.

Keeping close attention to his surroundings, Henry ran at full speed to the mansion. Thanks to his otherwordly speed, he got there fairly quickly. Once he went through the walls, he set out to find Alex. But to his dismay, neither he nor Josh were anywhere to be seen. School and work. Of course.

Henry found that only Esmond and Carl were in the mansion. The two were conversing at a table with cups of steaming coffee in their hands.

"So, then he agreed to it?" Carl asked.

"Yes. Like I told you he would," Esmond sipped at his coffee.

Henry had a feeling in his gut that he knew who they were talking about.

"I never doubted you. But would his brother be okay with it? The idea of having two lovers might seem strange to a boy that age."

"It doesn't matter what he thinks."

"Now why are you so hard on Josh? I find the boy adorable," Carl all but cooed.

"You weren't there when I was dating Alex the first time. The little brat always gave me a look that made me want to slap him. He acted like he knew everything about me."

"He was just looking out for Alex, I'm sure. You can't blame him for that."

Esmond's eyes widened as if he suddenly got an idea.

"Why don't you spend some time alone with Josh? Take him to the amusement park or whatever."

"So that you can spend some alone time with Alex?" Carl grinned mischievously.

"You aren't jealous, are you?"

"Of course not. But I do want to spend some time with Alex too. You said that you would share him."

This conversation made Henry want to lose his lunch he had yesterday during Walter's attempt to apologize. They way they spoke like Alex was a prize to be shared among them made him sick to his dead stomach. He wanted to punch Esmond for that smile, if only he could.

Henry didn't know where Alex worked, so maybe he could endure their conversation long enough on the off chance they will tell him where he is.

Unfortunately, it was too much to ask for from fate. The men continued to talk about disgusting things they would want to do to Alex but not Alex's whereabouts. Henry gave up after some time and just left the mansion altogether.

As a dead person with no job, Henry's days were very long at times. There was no purpose for his existence so he spent his dead days watching other people. It was okay, he guessed. At least he didn't have to worry about bills or anything. He didn't have to go grocery shopping or interact with strangers anymore. Still, being a ghost was already getting very boring. Henry sometimes felt like a zombie now that he had nothing to live for.

He wanted to talk to Cynthia, he realized. There was no way he could find Alex just by wandering around, so maybe Cynthia might have some clues. The other ghosts liked to wander around too and Cynthia often spoke to all of them. She would probably know by talking to them. Surely at least one of the victims figure out where Alex went.

Walter's P.O.V.

The crunch crunch sounds from the fallen leaves and snow were music to Walter's ears as he entered the only town he felt comfortable being in. Silent Hill looked normal on the surface to most people. Blind people, as Walter liked to think. He went into the familiar church and prayed for guidance.

God came after men and it was the Order's belief that God hadn't come yet. So all Walter could do was get answers from someone else that crossed the other side, someone with more authority than him. He plunged into the darkness, hearing sirens boom in his head and a second later he was in a new version of Silent Hill. Someone else's other world. Someone who was now in front of him.

Walter frowned as he got to his feet.

"I didn't want you," he told the dead priest in front of him.

Vincent did his usual half smirk that made Walter want to punch him.

"Sorry but Claudia is busy. If you're here to confess, make it quick."

"I want Wolfe for confession."

"Why not me?" Vincent's eyes lit up as he realized something, "Unless this sin is something extra fascinating? I can see why you would only want to talk to her then."

"She must be coming back soon, surely?" Walter couldn't prevent the near plea from escaping his voice.

The stupid priest simply shook his head with a smirk and a light chuckle. Vincent had sick fun with his religion when Walter wanted someone who was much more serious with it. He wanted to speak with Claudia Wolfe.

But now that Vincent figured out that Walter wanted to keep something from him, he wouldn't be able to convince the man to let him confess to Claudia. Walter bit his bottom lip to refrain from saying anything that would anger the Holy Mother. Her priests were all deserving of respect, even this asshole.

"I'm afraid not soon. What do you need to confess?"

There was nothing Walter could do but tell him. Denying or lying to a priest would anger the god that Walter learned to love, fear and worship. He decided to kneel as he was taught so long to do. It seemed that his submissive stance finally brought Vincent into a professional mode, for the man was now looking concerned.

"I have doubts."

"About?" Vincent pressed. Walter heard that Claudia was the one who killed him before sacrificing himself and Walter had never felt more proud of his favorite priestess.

"I've completed the 21 Sacraments and I have my mother. I was told that everything in her and my otherworlds would be mine to do as I wish."

"So, where do your doubts lay? You have your mother, right?"

Walter nodded, still on his knees. He hated to respect Vincent but at least he was still being professional.

"How can I make one of my victims love me?"

There was silence for so long that Walter dared to look up. Vincent's mouth was slightly open, revealing his terrible lack of dental hygiene. At first glance one would think the priest cared about his looks until they saw his yellow rotting teeth.

Walter waited for Vincent to find advice from god or condemn him from his doubts.

"By God's law, he's already yours. How do you know he doesn't already love you?"

Walter never mentioned the gender of the victim but it appeared that Vincent was already well aware of his sexuality. It wasn't like he tried very hard to hide it even during his teenage years. The Order didn't care much about homosexuality like a few other religions seem to.

It was his own doubts that worried him, not the fact that he was in love with one of his victims. He felt marginally reassured that Vincent didn't know which make victim it was and Walter was grateful that only four of his victims were female, making it harder for anyone to guess. If it was Claudia, he would've confessed immediately that he wanted Henry Townshend. But with Vincent he wasn't nearly as trusting with his secrets.

"He rejected me."

"He cannot overpower you."

Walter looked him in the eye.

"But he rejected me."

Here Vincent paused as he pondered Walter's meaning.

"You mean you want him without forcing him?"

Walter nodded. This was the worst part of his confession. Now Vincent knew where the heart of his problems lied. Vincent placed his hands together in thought.

"As your property, he has no choice but to give you his will. Unless you think his will is more powerful than yours? Then you would be doubting the 21 Sacraments completely."

Now he was met with a guilty silence. There was a flash of fascination in the sick priest's eyes before being replaced by half flax concern. At least he was trying to act like the father he made himself out to be but that was all the credit Walter could grant him. Where was Claudia?

"I see. So your doubts are worst than I thought. You have proof that your own mother came back, right?"

"Yes. She's back. But forgive me, Father. Henry fights me so much that I would think the ritual did nothing to his will."

The second the words left his mouth was when Walter wanted to shoot himself. How could he make such a simple mistake when he was just grateful that Vincent had no idea who this mysterious crush was?

Vincent didn't notice Walter's inner turmoil. The priest looked up in thought, his glasses reflecting in the many candles surrounding the area.

"Henry…That's the name of your…Chaos, was it?"

"Receiver of Wisdom," Walter gently corrected. No use hiding the truth now.

Vincent nodded to show that he heard but still didn't look Walter's way. Whatever he was thinking better help out with Walter's doubts. The killer would have to refrain from punching a priest in Vincent decided to crack one of his unfunny jokes.

"Perhaps your doubts have made it easier for the receiver to access a free will?"

It was a serious suggest but it almost upset Walter as much as any tactless joke ever could. With a breath sucked in, he calmly shook his head to deny it.

"No, that's not true. I was completely devout and firmly believed that it would all go according to plan the moment I finished the ritual."

Vincent pushed up his glasses.

"Then did something with the process of the ritual itself? Are you sure you didn't divert from the path at all."

Walter wanted to deny it. He so wanted to deny it. But a thought struck him silent as he remembered that day. The pages he remembered reading contradicted what he done exactly.

Vincent frowned at Walter's silence. He stared at him for a while before opening his mouth to reveal his terrible lack of dental hygiene.
"Was there something else you needed to confess?"

Walter wanted to tremble on the knees he was kneeling on. But his god wouldn't fall for appeal towards pity.

"My receiver. I didn't kill him correctly."

"What do you mean?"

"He was supposed to die from the aura of my otherworlds, correct?"

"That's right," Vincent pressed, "What he would think was a major migraine would actually end up being his death. Are you telling me you didn't allow your otherworld to kill him. Wasn't it your mother to deliver the final blow?"

This interrogation made Walter feel like a little disobedient kid again. He had come this far so he had to continue.

"It was taking so long and I was so ready to meet my mother. I couldn't wait a second longer. I fired my gun through his brain before he could die by the aura."

"That explains his will then. No doubt your mother is punishing you by not granting you his love."

The man was right. This was the one thing Walter could agree with him on. He had made a terrible sin and now Mother would make sure he paid in full. How Walter hadn't come to this conclusion before was beyond him.

Then that surely meant that as long as Mother willed it, Henry couldn't love him. What he had thought was a victory that day was actually a curse from Mother. She must have not told him so that he would have to figure it out by himself.

"Then how do I repent, Father?"

Vincent paused in thought.

"Prove to her that she's your top priority. Hurt your receiver in such a way that will break his will completely."

"Hurt him?" Walter stood up for this. Vincent gave a smile.

"Your explanation is not the entire truth, is it? You pitied the way this Henry was suffering so you ended it early. The problem is that you did so at your mother's expense. Something tells me you know a way to completely destroy your receiver. If you do, then do it and he will be yours."

God was speaking through Vincent, that must have been it. And now Walter knew exactly what to do. It turned out that killing his damn living being was no longer about revenge.

Alex's P.O.V.

"You keep drinking that crap and you'll be fat in no time," Nordic said half jokingly.

That didn't sound too bad, actually. If he was fat, it would turn Esmond off, right? But then Esmond would have no reason to keep Alex if he didn't consider him attractive.

Even though he knew it was a joke, Alex tossed the half drunk Coke in the trash. It was his third can anyway. He stood up to readjust himself so that he looked presentable.

"I guess I should head back out," he told Nordic.

"You're making yourself pretty for the boss?"

He was given the fiercest glare Alex could muster, which was a lot scarier than the old man must have expected because he tensed up in his chair.

"Why do you ask?" Alex demanded in a hard tone.

Nordic raised his hands as an attempt to show no hard feelings. Alex calmed down when he realized that Nordic didn't mean anything by his remark. How could he? Unless he knew about why Esmond really hired Alex, which Nordic had no reason to know unless someone told him.

Great, now Alex felt like an ass.

"Sorry," he told Nordic, "I guess I'm a little jumpy."

"Problems with your family?" Nordic asked in concern.

"Something like that."

"Well, take it one day at a time. Won't give you a prep speech like it will better eventually because who am I to judge fate. I'll just pray that the good lord give you a break every once in a while, okay?"

Nordic didn't seem the religious type so this remark surprised Alex. Alex considered himself relatively open-minded. He was okay with all religions even though he grew up in a secular environment.

The Order wasn't a religion. It was a damn cult that supported demons lurking on earth and child sacrifice.

"Thanks," was all he could say, "I guess I'll leave now."

The rest of the job was relatively uneventful after that. Chris had to tell people for the hundredth time not to take pictures of the extremely old photos taken from people who first discovered the artifacts. One would think that these people could read. Why post the rules if he had to tell them anyway. Then some of the people would look upset with him for telling them no.

After his shift, he knew he had to pick up Josh soon. But he didn't want to go back to the mansion immediately. So he called Carl and told him and Esmond to forget about the ride. He and Josh would walk around town and do some errands. Carl sounded a bit dejected but agreed nonetheless.

Happy with this, Alex changed quickly and took the bus to the nearest stop toward Josh's school. A few blocks would be all he needed to walk to get there and although it was a bit cold outside Alex was happy to clear his head.

The two brothers found themselves shuffling around Target an hour later. Josh wanted to wait by the electronics but the ever protective Alex decided to stay with him. While Josh played on the free advertised demo games, Alex looked at the selection of laptops.

"There you are."

Oh God. That voice? So soon? Alex wasn't ready. He made sure he had on a false pleasant smile before turning to the direction the voice had come from. Esmond was smiling at him in a way that was far more convincing than Alex's own grin. There was even a glint in the blonde's eye, like a cat that found a plump juicy mouse.

"How did you find us?"

"Us?"

Did he completely forget about Josh at this point? Alex knew he didn't like his little brother but to forget a kid he invited to share his house with was almost ludicrous.

"I picked up Josh from school earlier. He's playing video games."

"Oh. Yes, like those PS2 things, right?"

"I think they're up to 4 now."

"I'm not big on video games, I guess. But you already knew that. You beat me plenty of times at those racing games we used to play."

"Mario Cart," Alex thought back to happier times before he knew that his parents planned on killing him.

"Would you like to go get coffee? There's a Starbucks in this Target."

Alex frowned and looked to where Josh was playing. He didn't even noticed that Esmond had arrived.

"I don't know. It will be hard to pull Josh away."

"I mean just the two of us, anyway. I want to talk in private and I think we can use some coffee for this discussion."

Suddenly Alex felt very sick. He didn't like this setup. What else could Esmond have to say that would upset him further?

"Don't worry about Josh. We'll just be a few minutes."

Alex paused before very reluctantly agreeing.