Silent Hill
Chapter 1: A Step Into Darkness
By X-treme X-taggano (backfire@subdimension.com)

I don't even remember when we decided to take a vacation. It all happened years ago, after all, but one day I just stood up from my writing and said "I need a break." I guess most people do when they approach their mid-life crisis. I was out of new ideas for my writing anyway.

And besides that, most of my writing was far too dark . . . it all was so depressing and moody.. It had an impact on people who read it in a sad sort of way. I couldn't help but write like that. It was my wife. . . I missed her so much I didn't even want to say her name. . . fearing it might bring more sorrow into my heart. In fact, had it not been for Cheryl, I would have committed myself for being a suicidal citizen. The joy of having Cheryl for a daughter was so great that most of my depression had died down significantly. . . except in my writing.

I really needed some rest and relaxation. I felt like the stress in my life would make me explode. So I decided to visit a resort. Now anyone who wanted to take a vacation knew it wasn't easy for a normal household. A lot of work goes into finding the perfect resort, such as making sure it's affordable, choosing the right time to leave, and making room for it in your agenda. Taking all that into accountability, I started looking for the perfect spot.

The travel books were never any help, but I couldn't think of anything else to find some vacationing spot. Most of the resorts in the books charged more then then I could make in a lifetime. Lord knows what kind of people could afford those kinds of hotels. Besides that, I knew I couldn't afford the airfare. I suppose I could, but that would be one less meal for Cheryl and I. Maybe there was some place where we could go... close.

Driving distance close.

I'll just skip ahead because only God knows how long I spent looking. But somehow I ended up choosing this place. It looked like a nice town. It had three districts... a shopping district, a residential district and a resort district. It was also built right next to a lake. I researched carefully about the "family activities" there. They had a carnival in town, which was a good thing. Overall, it sounded like the perfect place to visit. Cheryl and I could stay at a motel, go swimming, maybe go to the carnival too.

I asked Cheryl if she wanted to go. She then asked for the name of the place. I politely told her but it seemed odd how Cheryl reacted. She told me straight out that she had a funny feeling about that place. I raised an eyebrow at her, wondering what my crazy kid was thinking about. I thought she was playing a game with me, but her tone of voice convinced me otherwise. I had never heard Cheryl talk like that. . . ever. She portrayed her apprehension in a way that almost captivated me. But nonetheless, she said she would like to go. She used words, however . . . words I thought any normal seven year old wouldn't know. I do not mean she went off and used profanity. She just used descriptive words in ways that almost painted pictures in my mind. Was going to this place really a good idea? Maybe Cheryl's fear was justifiable.

A week later, however, we had forgotten about that incident entirely. I had spent almost a week packing, and my back was killing me. Cheryl had told me several times in the past that I needed to do a little more than write. She told me I should work out more often and eat healthier than I did. I smiled whenever she told me those things. It reminded me of what a damned hypocrite I was. I'd tell her to go outside and play with her friends and eat her vegetables. I did neither. I usually don't even go outside at all. I don't have many friends. I kept thinking Cheryl was the only one I needed.

It wasn't until late at night that we finished getting everything together. I told Cheryl she should probably sleep on the way there. It wasn't, after all, as close as I might have made it seem. It was several hours from our home. Cheryl brought her usual sketch book. I will admit, she never was the best artist in the world, but she drew pictures that always made me smile. I remember the first picture she had ever drawn... a picture of me. It's true that it looked more like an parasite than a human being, but it still had this magical value to it.

After we had driven for at least an hour, Cheryl had fallen asleep. I always loved watching her sleep. She looked just like an angel. I kept my attention on the road, however. I hated driving places. I had remembered the days when my dad used to drive me places and I'd look at him, wondering how anything as interesting as driving could get boring. But I had quickly realized that driving can be a chore . . . an endless chore that doesn't give you a break.

Several hours later, we reached a mountain path. Windy roads seemed to go on for hours. Cheryl woke up at about that time. She then smiled at me. I returned the same expression. Fortunately for me, Cheryl never got carsick. A good thing, considering the constant twists and turns in the road. No one was even on the road, but I figured that was because of how late it was.

But somehow... I thought I knew this place. I started to feel strange...

I started to sense Cheryl's apprehension.

Suddenly, I saw headlights in my rear view mirror. Maybe another car? Why on earth would another car be out this late? I laughed realizing the other person was probably thinking the same thing. I changed lanes to let the vehicle behind me past.

It wasn't a car. It was a motorcycle, and one that probably belong to the highway patrol. I looked at my shoulder, making sure Cheryl and I's safety belts were buckled. The officer looked at me. It was a woman... her face was far too feminine to be a man. She just smiled at me, and drove on ahead of me. I raised my eyebrow slightly.

Did I know her?

It wasn't much further up the road that I noticed her cycle. It was there, but she wasn't. Whoever it was wasn't there any more. The cycle laid in an awkward position that convinced me that she had been in a wreck. I sure didn't see her body anywhere though. Maybe she just parked and threw her bike aside. She had probably crossed the street. It seemed strange that she'd leave it this late at night, though.

Cheryl just stared straight out the window, obviously as confused as I. We both shook our heads as we continued down the seemingly endless chain of twists and turns.

I really felt tired, and almost found myself falling asleep at the wheel. I occasionally slapped myself to keep myself awake . . . maybe even conscious. The road seemed to be a blur, so I slowed down slightly. It was then that Cheryl pinched me. That certainly woke me up. I started to zoom down the road. Cheryl giggled slightly. She knew how I was.

Suddenly, my eyes caught a glimpse of something up ahead. I couldn't quite tell was it was. It looked blue from a distance. I saw Cheryl staring at whatever it was. She looked as if she were in a trance... as if she knew exactly what it was and why it was there.

It was a girl! I couldn't get a good look at her, but I couldn't hit her! I suddenly spun my wheel to the left, trying to dodge her. Our car spun in a one hundred and eighty degree angle and it tipped over. It was than that I hit my head on the wheel... so hard...

Everything started to go black as I lost my grip on the world.