Jean stared blankly at the window for a moment, trying to think of a place to start. She slid off the bed and walked over toward the window and placed her hand on it once again.
"Jean?" Dr. Ashcroft asked turning her head slightly.
Jean let out a sigh and removed her hand from the window.
"I guess you can say… it started about a week before everything went to hell."
The mist was so calm, soothing almost. But it hid a dark secret in it; Jean knew it. She just needed to unlock it with her memories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Jean! You're going to be late again!"
"Huh?" Jean opened her right eye and stared at her clock, "Crap!"
It was almost eight thirty, and it took her almost ten minutes to run to school. She knew she would really get it if she was late again.
"What's clean? C'mon… there has to be something!" Jean said rummaging through her closet.
She finally found a pair of black jeans, and a plain black polyester shirt. She jumped onto her bed and picked up her black boots and quickly laced them up.
"Jean! Hurry up!"
"Coming mom!" Jean shouted, "Books, need my books."
She scanned her room quickly, some old magazines, dirty laundry, art stuff, dirty laundry, snack bags, dirty laundry, soda cans.
"Hmm…" Jean thought for a moment, "Looks like laundry time again. No time for that now though."
She dove headfirst into the biggest pile of laundry and started flinging clothes this way and that looking for any sign of her book bag and books.
"It's on the table downstairs Jean."
"Huh?" Jean pulled herself up with a pair of underwear resting on her shoulder.
"I said your bag is on the downstairs table." Drake was leaning up against Jeans' doorframe with his toothbrush in his mouth.
"Oh, thanks little guy." Jean said rushing past him and rubbing his head.
"I'm only three years younger than you! I'm not little!" Drake growled angrily fixing his hair.
"Yeah, yeah." Jean slid down the banister and grabbed her coat off the coat rack.
"Breakfast is on the table Jean."
"Only time for juice and toast mom." Jean said shoving a buttered toast piece into her mouth. She had perfected the skill of eating in less than one minute.
"Figured that much," Jeans' mom sighed, "You can't do this anymore Jean."
"So you've said," Jean swallowed a glass full of orange juice and put the glass back on the table, "Well, got to go. Love you mom."
"Love you too dear."
Jean put on her coat and grabbed her backpack off the table. She reached the door and flung it open. There was a thick layer of fog outside and it was pouring out.
"Funny, I don't recall rain being in the forecast today."
Jean rushed down the street at full speed trying not to get soaked. At least Silent Hill was laid out in a grid pattern, it made things easier on people. She rushed down road after road and passed the middle school. Jean looked at her watch.
"Damn! I hope I make it!"
The school came into sight, she just had to cross the bridge. Suddenly a fierce wind picked up and blew Jean into one of the rails.
"Ow… what the heck?" Jean looked around rubbing her hip, "Why is it so cold now?"
Jean pulled her coat tighter and look at the water below. It was a muddy color now because of all the run off and the rain. She just stared at the water for a moment then she heard a bell go off.
"Damn!" Jean bolted across the rest of the bridge.
She reached the doors and opened them. Her locker was just down the hall, she could make it to first period without being too late. She ran down the hall and saw the science room. She could see Mr. Dawson writing something on the board.
"Uh-oh…" Jean thought to herself, "He started early today."
She went to turn the corner but lost her footing because of her wet boots, and apparently they had waxed the floors last night. Jean slid across the floor and smacked into a row of lockers.
"OH DAMN!" Jean shouted rubbing her shoulder, "This is not my day."
She now hobbled to her locker and threw in her bag and coat once she got the lock open. She searched for her science book and a pen and finally located them. She came into the science room and plopped down next to her friend Eve.
"What did I miss?" Jean asked brushing her wet hair out of her face.
"Not much, just some notes." Eve said biting on her pen cap, "I see you need to do laundry again."
"How did you know?" Jean asked copying down the notes from Eves' notebook.
"You always wear those clothes when you have nothing else clean." Eve smiled, her green eyes sparkled slightly in the light.
"Ah, Jean. So nice of you to join us."
"Huh?" Jean turned away from Eve and looked at Mr. Dawson who was leaning against the board.
"Get caught in the rain today?" He asked staring at Jeans' drenched black hair.
"Oh, yeah. I guess you could say that." Jean said blushing a little bit.
She thought Mr. Dawson was kind of cute, he was twenty-three and was studying to be a biologist in college. She always liked this class, even though she was always late for it.
"Just leave earlier next time please Jean." He said brushing his brown hair out his face.
"I'll try my best sir." Jean said giving him a smile.
"Oh… and try not to swear next time you slide into a set of lockers." Dawson said turning back too the board.
Jean turned almost cherry red, She didn't know she said it that loud.
"I should give you a detention but I'm busy this week so you lucked out"
Jean turned back to Eve who was blowing her blonde hair out of her eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Jean?" Dr. Ashcroft asked, "I hate to interrupt, but, what does this have to do with what happened?"
"I'm getting to that." Jean said returning to her bed, "But didn't it seem weird to you I didn't get a detention from him when I was late?"
"Well, you told me that he said he was busy that week." Ashcroft said.
"Just keep that in mind Doctor," Jean said, "Anyway, it rained until Thursday night and the rest of the week was pretty normal until Friday."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What is this!?" Jean shouted looking out the kitchen window.
"I have no clue dear, just some kind of freak weather pattern." Jeans' mom said reading the newspaper.
It was snowing out, a lot actually. Not really a blizzard or anything, it was more like a rapid flurry.
"Is school cancelled?" Jean asked hopefully.
"Nope, all open to my knowledge."
"Aww…" Jean groaned and sank back into her chair at the breakfast table.
"Say, why are you up early today?" Drake asked poking at his eggs.
"Because, I don't want a detention."
"At least your not running around like a chicken with your head cut off today." Drake said picking up some of the eggs with his fork and watched them run through the prongs.
"Speaking of chickens…" Jean turned toward her mom, "What is up with these eggs mom?"
"Sorry, the store ran out of fresh eggs. They only had the powdered ones."
"Eww… you mean like those ones at the hospital?" Drake said moving onto his cereal.
"We don't serve bad food, we're not an airline Drake. Now stop complaining and eat."
Drake forced himself to eat the eggs once he finished his cereal but quickly drank his orange juice after the eggs.
"I better get going now." Jean said finishing off her milk and putting on her coat.
"Doesn't it feel good not to rush Jean?"
"Yes mom, but it would be even better if you drove me to school."
"Jean, you know I would if I didn't work at the hospital."
"Yeah, I know… Lisa." Jean said sarcastically.
"Don't get an attitude with me missy."
"What are you going to do? Give me an enema?" Jean gave her mom a smile.
"Just get out of here," She smiled back and tossed a piece of toast at Jeans' head, "Before I do decide to give you one."
"Alright, I'm going. Thanks for air delivery." Jean stepped out into the snow and fog and started her way toward the school.
About half way Eve caught up with her. The snow was clinging to her blonde hair and made it shimmer in the dim light of the morning.
"Hey Jean."
"Hey Eve, have you heard anything about the weather?"
"Umm… only that this is a large slow moving front." Eve said sticking out her tongue to catch some snowflakes.
"Hmm…" Jean stared at the ground for a moment and shivered.
"You okay Jean?" Eve asked, "You cold?"
"No, I'm fine it's just…" Jean bit her bottom lip.
"Oh, I know what it is." Eve said with a small grin.
"You do?" Jean looked at Eve oddly for a second.
"Yeah, you're having your…" Jean slapped her hand over Eves' mouth before she could finish.
"NO! It's not that…"
"Then what is it?"
"I just had a feeling, like a nightmare is coming into reality." Jean bit her index finger.
"Oh…" Eve whispered.
The school was dead, hardly any noise. There was nobody in sight, not even the janitor. The floor was mopped and waxed, the walls were clean; yet, a disgusting silence hung in the air.
"W-What's going on here?" Jean said with a small quiver in her voice.
"I don't know," Eve said looking around, "Was there a last minute delay or something? I don't see anyone here."
Jean approached the science room door and clasped the doorknob. It was cold, cold like death. The same icy grip seemed to take hold of her chest as she turned the knob. Jean and Eve walked into the room, the lights were off. Eve felt along the wall and flicked the switch up. They both let out a blood curdling screams, Eve fell to the floor crying and Jean wretched and vomited.
"What the hell is this!?" Eve sobbed out, "This is sick!"
Jean coughed and wiped her mouth, "I don't know…what the hell happened to everybody?"
Eve pushed herself under one of the desks and faced the back wall.
"Why would anyone do that!?"
"I don't know Eve…" Jean approached Mr. Dawsons' desk and knelt down next to the pool of blood and touched it. "It's warm, this happened recently."
"Call the police!" Eve screamed.
"Y-Yeah, that's a good idea Eve." Jean stood up and stared at the black board.
It was a grotesque site, something you saw in one of those graphic horror movies. Jean walked over to Eve and helped her to her feet and led her out of the room. Jean turned back with tears running down her cheeks; she gazed at Mr. Dawsons' skinned body hanging from the black board the globs of blood dripping from the body into the huge pool under his feet. The way he was hung, it was like he was crucified. They left the room with tears in their eyes and hugging each other for some sort of comfort.
"I knew this was going to be one of those days." Jean thought.