CHAPTER 3: ERIKA

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In The Fog...

My name is Erika.

I think.

At the moment, my head feels so rattled, I'm not really sure of anything I'm seeing or feeling. Not sure of how I ended up here.

At first, I thought I was dreaming. I could do that sometimes, be sleeping, then suddenly realize it was just a dream. This certainly had all the aspects of a dream. I had been in a classroom moments before. Correction, I had been struggling to stay *awake* in a classroom, moments before.

18th century European History class usually did that to me. That, and staying on the computer playing Citizen Bad until 1:30 AM.

"That must be it!" I said to myself. So I had to be dreaming.

Because I had suddenly found myself awakening on a large bed. In a room I had never seen before. The room in question was bare, albeit the bed, a closet, and a small chest off to one side. On the chest, there lay what looked like a pamphlet.

"Just a dream."

I wandered over to the chest, and picked up the pamphlet, reading the words typed neatly in the center.

Silent Hill Resort Motel

Satisfying Customers since 1890

Below the text was a small black and white picture of a flat, one-floor building. A motel, like the brochure advertised. Opening the pamphlet, I skimmed through some paragraphs about the pricing and accommodations, and how "brightened and at-home" the customers would feel upon spending their time at that particular motel.

Then my eyes fell on another picture. Black and white like the one on the cover. Slightly less faded. But I recognized the room. It was furnished, and looked inviting. This room where I now sat, was cold, and as faded as the picture. But it was the same room.

I paused momentarily.

I can read this. Isn't there supposed to be some sort of rule that I can't read stuff while I'm dreaming?

"Oh shit...,"

I wasn't dreaming. It was official now. Still, I pinched myself. A childish thought, yet sure proof as to the reality of my surroundings.

"Where the hell am I?" I asked myself aloud, well aware that talking to oneself was the first sign of panic. But who cared in this situation. "Fine...I'll just go find someone else to talk to!"

Oddly rational thinking.

I must have gotten amnesia. Cracked my head. Forgotten.

Sure, there were so many rational explanations. But that seemed like the most likely. I had come here for one reason or another, gotten hurt somehow, and forgotten everything up to some day at school.

Perfectly rational.

But I couldn't stop that feeling. That familiar feeling we all got. An uplifting in your chest, like the butterflies trying to pry their way out through your chest. Like some twisted Aliens movie.

Sure. One more minute and a little sewer rat will burst out of my chest, tap dance a song, and tell me I really am dreaming!

I took a deep breath.

Let's just recap and make sure I haven't gone completely brain dead....

"My name is Erika Kane. I am...17 years old! Right. I go to Lakeside High....in the city of Toronto!"

Great girl genius, you still know who you are. You deserve a pat on the head and a cookie!

I blew a strand of my long, curly brown out of my eyes, dark and very narrowed at the moment.

After another moment of feeling paranoid about my situation, I finally rose and headed for the door, opening it with caution.

When I stepped outside, I found myself looking into dense fog.

"Silent Hill....you can see the sights for miles!" I muttered, shutting the door behind me and heading for what looked to be the office.

Three doors down, I heard an odd sound from behind one of the motel doors.

Pausing, and put my ear to the door.

Stop being a little pervert...

But the sound was odd. A scratching, and an strange, whiny-like high screech.

Like someone chocking with a high C.

"Hello? Hey, are you alright in there?"

The sound stopped instantly, and I suddenly felt very nervous. More so then before. I could still hear movement, faint, but present.

What if it's some drunk guy...comes out and molests you...?

I tried to push the thought away...and found myself falling backwards as the window to the right of the door smashed open violently, glass flying and nearly catching my cheeks. I landed on the floor just in time, the shards missing me be half-a-second.

Then I saw the thing.

The scream tore it's way out of my throat.

A DINOSAUR!

That's the first thing I thought of when I saw the large, bird-like creature with the reddish wings, and bird-looking snout. It screeched, beating its wings and flying out the window.

"OH MY GOD!"

My voice was shrill as the thing saw me, and instantly recovered itself, heading back down to the earth, right at my face.

I then felt strong hands hefting me up from behind, and a voice screamed into my ear.

"GET UP! COME ON GET UP!"

It was a man's voice. Low but clearly demanding, even with this somewhat horrifying situation. A British accent, and a definite pushy attitude.

Especially since the man dragged me to my feet, and violently pushed me forward, running ahead of me.

"RUN DAMMIT!" He yelled, reaching a door ahead of us.

The office.

I ran, with the thing screeching and flying at my back. The man had opened the door, and had already dived inside. Moments later, I was there, and felt him pull me inside, with the creature's talons just nicking my back.

He slammed the door then, and locked it.

The screeching was louder, and I screamed as I saw a window break, fearing it would get in. But the windows were re-enforced with thick bars. Probably being placed their to avoid robberies.

Or freaky mutated birds trying to eat you alive!

"Are you alright?" the man asked, startling me out of my reverie. In all the haste to get away from the bird-thing still flapping around the building, I had forgotten about him. I turned, wanting to know who he was.

The man was at the other window, his hand resting against the sill, and glancing between the outside, and looking back at me in haste. He looked to be in his early forties, with white and gray straight hair that fell straight down to his chin. From far, I couldn't see his eyes, which continued darting back and forth.

Almost like a neurotic.

He was tall, and thin-though not unpleasantly so. A pair of thin-framed spectacles rested before his eyes, which were serious, intelligent ones. As for clothing. Bit odd. A long white doctor's coat, with an unreadable blurry name tag attached, and shiny black leather shoes that tapped with each step.

I suddenly felt strange.

Watch out around this guy....

The little voice was acting up again. The little paranoid voice. But this time, there was something there that told me it was right. Something about this man I didn't like. Something that made me feel uneasy.

"What in bloody hell were you doing out there on your own?" he demanded, his tone still somewhat unbecoming.

"Touring! What the hell do you think!" I replied, equaling the snap in his voice. The near-encounter with the thing outside had seriously unhinged my nerves. I had no patience for *anything* at the moment. Much less lip from some strange man I didn't even know.

My tone seemed to startle him, and he paused momentarily. When he spoke again, his voice seemed less rude.

"Look, I'm sorry for doing that. Pulling at you, then yelling like I did. But it's dangerous out there. What you were doing wandering about, without a weapon no less...?"

"I DON'T KNOW OKAY....," I yelled, cutting him off. I fell backwards onto a sofa, which was thankfully far from the windows. My head fell into my hands, my elbows resting on my knees. "I don't know about anything! I just...woke up here! At this motel, in this weird town I've never heard of...I can't remember how I got here, or anything....," my voice became weaker with each word, until I just trailed off.

"Big surprise. This demonic excuse for a town has a way of messing with your mind. I'm Stine, Christopher Stine by the way! I'm a doctor over at the hospital...at least I was...," he trailed off, shooting another glance out the window.

"Great! Nice to meet you Doc. I'm Erika Kane. Up 'till know, I was falling asleep in school, in another town, and woke up in this motel. Now, care to diagnose me and tell me I'm crazy? It would make me feel a hell of a lot better!"

Doctor. Stine's mouth was set in a thin line, his eyes narrowed in thought behind his spectacles.

"I wish I could. I wish I could tell you this is all just some nightmare. But the fact is, your not the only one thinking that you had lost your mind. No, I most assuredly don't remember things this way when I went to sleep last night!"

Great, so I haven't lost my mind.

Another shriek from the creature sent me flying off the sofa, and to the middle of the room, turning my back on Stine. The thing flapped nearer, and I couldn't keep a scream from tearing out of my throat as it broke another window.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?" I screamed, once the thing gave up a second time.

I turned to face Stine.

Who had somewhat, vanished into thin air.