2
'The Woman in the Graveyard'
Authors Note: First, an apology for the awful grammar and formatting on part 1, and for what will be on all the following parts. I cannot figure out yet how to put certain characters and extra spaces into word documents that go up. Anyone who knows how please send me a message
The trail was long and winding, the dirt path tilting down as it followed the edge of the lake. It branched away not far from the parking lot, and he suddenly found himself at a wrought iron gate. He could barely make out a line of soft gray headstones through the soft blanket of fog. An old stone wall led in both directions from the gate, and he could even see the shadow of an old style church looming off in the distance. This area was certainly old. He had even seen an old well just before the gates. It had been dry, but still in surprisingly good repair.
He had gotten used to the fog the first time he had been here with Mary, but it had never really been this bad. He was lucky to be able to see twenty feet in front of him. The fog should have been dispersing, not rising, this late in the day. The air was not damp, and in was only slightly cool, but nowhere near the temperature needed for this much fog. But at least it was not a great hindrance. He would just cross this graveyard, and. and.
And what? Where was he supposed to go? The hotel they had stayed at? The park? The school or the lake front? The town was too large to search end to end. He shook his head. He would head for the hotel first. Regardless of where he was going to look, he would at least need a room to stay in. And getting there would take him past the park, which he could check as he passed it. He checked his map, circling the hotel and the park in bright red ink
It suddenly dawned on him that this spot was not on the map. He had been expecting to come out right at Toluca avenue after following the path away from the lot. He prayed he was not lost, as he could end up wandering around forever until the fog lifted. He shrugged and pushed through the gate. He certainly wouldn't get any closer to town just standing there.
The quiet of the graveyard was almost cloying, and he nearly shivered. He hated these places, which was no surprise now that he had been one of those rare few who had to put others in the ground before they had planned to.
He then noticed another person. A woman in a white sweater and dark red jeans, with shoulder length black hair, was squatting in front of one of the graves. James started to approach, and felt a spike of guilt. He didn't want to bother her in a place like this, but he really did need directions.
"Excuse me, I." he said. The woman all but leapt to her feet, and whirled to face him, gasping in surprise "I'm sorry. I . I. I was just." He nearly laughed at her reaction. She must've thought he was the groundskeeper or a guard. He held his open hands out to his sides, trying not to look meanacing. "No it's okay. I didn't mean to scare you." He stepped back. "I'm kinda lost."
"Lost?" The woman cocked her head to one side, staring at him like he was nuts. He blinked in surprise. What was so surprising about that? He raised and pointed to were he thought the town must lie. "Yeah, I'm looking for Silent Hill. Is this the right way?"
The woman clutched her sides protectively, and nodded slightly "Uh. yeah. It's hard to see with this fog, but there's only the one road. You can't miss it." He nodded, and suddenly she raised a hand, almost in warning "But, I think you better stay away. This uh. This town, there's something wrong with it. It's kinda hard to explain, but." she trailed off, searching for the right words.
"Is it dangerous?" he asked.
"Maybe, and it's not just the fog either, it's." James shook his head slightly, turning away. "Okay. I got it. I'll be careful." The woman suddenly stamped her foot, doing a near perfect impression of a nine-year- olds pout. "I'm not lying!" James waved reassuringly "No, I believe you." He turned away, staring off into the fog, and shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess. I really don't care if it's dangerous or not." He turned back towards her "I'm going to town either way." He was almost surprised at the confidence in his own voice.
"But why?" James' voice dropped again. "I'm looking for. someone." "Who, who is it?" Again, he turned towards the rolling fog. "Someone. someone very important to me." He heard the woman shuffle away slightly "Me too. I'm looking for my momma, I mean my mother." She corrected herself. "Its been so long since I've seen her I thought my father and brother would be here too, but I can't find them either." She suddenly straightened and turned towards him again "I'm sorry, it's not your problem."
He motioned again, trying to reassure her. "No it's alright. I hope you find them." He didn't want to stay around and risk upsetting her further, so he started heading through the fog.
"Yeah, you too." She said towards his retreating back.
He followed the low stone wall around, past the old moisture coated church, to a second gate, which led to a much wider beaten dirt path, almost the size for a car or truck. He wondered faintly why someone would go to the trouble of making a dirt road out here without bothering to pave it, then realized he didn't care. He stuck his hands into his pockets and slowly plodded up the road
He followed the path out of the cemetery, which twisted and turned in long switchbacks up and over the hill. He thought he had walked about an eighth of a mile when he heard the grinding of a motor. Then he had rounded the next bend, and saw, lying along the edge of the path was a large timber log, cut into about an eight foot section, and settling through the wood, in the middle, was a bright red gas powered chain saw. The teeth still gnawed angrily at the wood, throwing out sawdust in a faint yellow mist. James looked around for whoever had been sawing the log, but saw no one. He walked over and pulled the thing free, which rattled and smoothed at the sudden lack of resistance. It wasn't that old or clunky, but it had an aura around it that said it was a piece of equipment more likely to been seen as a horror movie prop rather than in a lumber yard. He clicked the starter off, and the saw gave one final rattle and then fell silent. After staring at it a moment longer, he set the saw down by the side of the log, and proceeded further down the trail. It was far too bulky and heavy to carry, and besides, why would he need a chainsaw?
In hindsight of course, he sorely regretted not taking it along.
'The Woman in the Graveyard'
Authors Note: First, an apology for the awful grammar and formatting on part 1, and for what will be on all the following parts. I cannot figure out yet how to put certain characters and extra spaces into word documents that go up. Anyone who knows how please send me a message
The trail was long and winding, the dirt path tilting down as it followed the edge of the lake. It branched away not far from the parking lot, and he suddenly found himself at a wrought iron gate. He could barely make out a line of soft gray headstones through the soft blanket of fog. An old stone wall led in both directions from the gate, and he could even see the shadow of an old style church looming off in the distance. This area was certainly old. He had even seen an old well just before the gates. It had been dry, but still in surprisingly good repair.
He had gotten used to the fog the first time he had been here with Mary, but it had never really been this bad. He was lucky to be able to see twenty feet in front of him. The fog should have been dispersing, not rising, this late in the day. The air was not damp, and in was only slightly cool, but nowhere near the temperature needed for this much fog. But at least it was not a great hindrance. He would just cross this graveyard, and. and.
And what? Where was he supposed to go? The hotel they had stayed at? The park? The school or the lake front? The town was too large to search end to end. He shook his head. He would head for the hotel first. Regardless of where he was going to look, he would at least need a room to stay in. And getting there would take him past the park, which he could check as he passed it. He checked his map, circling the hotel and the park in bright red ink
It suddenly dawned on him that this spot was not on the map. He had been expecting to come out right at Toluca avenue after following the path away from the lot. He prayed he was not lost, as he could end up wandering around forever until the fog lifted. He shrugged and pushed through the gate. He certainly wouldn't get any closer to town just standing there.
The quiet of the graveyard was almost cloying, and he nearly shivered. He hated these places, which was no surprise now that he had been one of those rare few who had to put others in the ground before they had planned to.
He then noticed another person. A woman in a white sweater and dark red jeans, with shoulder length black hair, was squatting in front of one of the graves. James started to approach, and felt a spike of guilt. He didn't want to bother her in a place like this, but he really did need directions.
"Excuse me, I." he said. The woman all but leapt to her feet, and whirled to face him, gasping in surprise "I'm sorry. I . I. I was just." He nearly laughed at her reaction. She must've thought he was the groundskeeper or a guard. He held his open hands out to his sides, trying not to look meanacing. "No it's okay. I didn't mean to scare you." He stepped back. "I'm kinda lost."
"Lost?" The woman cocked her head to one side, staring at him like he was nuts. He blinked in surprise. What was so surprising about that? He raised and pointed to were he thought the town must lie. "Yeah, I'm looking for Silent Hill. Is this the right way?"
The woman clutched her sides protectively, and nodded slightly "Uh. yeah. It's hard to see with this fog, but there's only the one road. You can't miss it." He nodded, and suddenly she raised a hand, almost in warning "But, I think you better stay away. This uh. This town, there's something wrong with it. It's kinda hard to explain, but." she trailed off, searching for the right words.
"Is it dangerous?" he asked.
"Maybe, and it's not just the fog either, it's." James shook his head slightly, turning away. "Okay. I got it. I'll be careful." The woman suddenly stamped her foot, doing a near perfect impression of a nine-year- olds pout. "I'm not lying!" James waved reassuringly "No, I believe you." He turned away, staring off into the fog, and shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess. I really don't care if it's dangerous or not." He turned back towards her "I'm going to town either way." He was almost surprised at the confidence in his own voice.
"But why?" James' voice dropped again. "I'm looking for. someone." "Who, who is it?" Again, he turned towards the rolling fog. "Someone. someone very important to me." He heard the woman shuffle away slightly "Me too. I'm looking for my momma, I mean my mother." She corrected herself. "Its been so long since I've seen her I thought my father and brother would be here too, but I can't find them either." She suddenly straightened and turned towards him again "I'm sorry, it's not your problem."
He motioned again, trying to reassure her. "No it's alright. I hope you find them." He didn't want to stay around and risk upsetting her further, so he started heading through the fog.
"Yeah, you too." She said towards his retreating back.
He followed the low stone wall around, past the old moisture coated church, to a second gate, which led to a much wider beaten dirt path, almost the size for a car or truck. He wondered faintly why someone would go to the trouble of making a dirt road out here without bothering to pave it, then realized he didn't care. He stuck his hands into his pockets and slowly plodded up the road
He followed the path out of the cemetery, which twisted and turned in long switchbacks up and over the hill. He thought he had walked about an eighth of a mile when he heard the grinding of a motor. Then he had rounded the next bend, and saw, lying along the edge of the path was a large timber log, cut into about an eight foot section, and settling through the wood, in the middle, was a bright red gas powered chain saw. The teeth still gnawed angrily at the wood, throwing out sawdust in a faint yellow mist. James looked around for whoever had been sawing the log, but saw no one. He walked over and pulled the thing free, which rattled and smoothed at the sudden lack of resistance. It wasn't that old or clunky, but it had an aura around it that said it was a piece of equipment more likely to been seen as a horror movie prop rather than in a lumber yard. He clicked the starter off, and the saw gave one final rattle and then fell silent. After staring at it a moment longer, he set the saw down by the side of the log, and proceeded further down the trail. It was far too bulky and heavy to carry, and besides, why would he need a chainsaw?
In hindsight of course, he sorely regretted not taking it along.