Chapter 10 – Mercurius, Part I

With a grunt Mercurius sat up, and looked around sharply. He was back in the real world. Looked like it was nighttime now. It was black, at least. With no idea where he was, Mercurius turned and looked around him.
Behind him there was a bar. It seemed to be the only thing in town that still had power, because its neon sign flashed the name "Heaven's Night." It looked like he was in some kind of car park. Slowly Mercurius walked inside, rifle raised.
Music greeted his ears…it sounded like something Zanatos would of listened to. However, even Mercurius recognised Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana.
Walking further in, he recognised that the place had probably been a strip joint. He'd been in enough over the years. It was all part of being a professional soldier…you took comfort where you could. If he thought about it, he could probably remember a dozen or so clubs just with the same name as this one.
What really caught his interest was the man sitting, gently sipping a class full of black liquid and with a bottle of Smirnoff Vodka next to him. He was pretty big, maybe 6ft 3 or 4 inches, and looked out of shape. There was a pump action Remington shotgun next to him, and he was wearing a pair of faded denim jeans with a black T-shirt. As he heard Mercurius he raised his head and looked around, revealing tired green eyes and auburn hair. "What can I do for you? Care for a drink? Since there's no staff I guess its free…just as well, really, since I haven't got any money."
Mercurius paused, uncertain. The man's accent was…strange. A mixture of American, British and several other countries all mixed up. "How are you still alive?"
The man, obviously young, but with ancient eyes took another sip. "I redeemed myself. Paid for my sins, proved I wasn't the piece of shit I thought I was. Looks like I get to leave with my life, if not my sanity, and plenty of nightmares."
Slowly Mercurius sank into the stool next to him. "How did you get here? What happened to you? What's going on in this town?"
In way that suggested he was badly in need of sleep and probably less vodka, the man reached behind the counter and pulled out a glass. "All good questions, which I'll answer as well as I can over a drink. Trust me, my friend, you'll need it."
Taking the glass, Mercurius poured himself a double shot of tequila. "OK…now, tell me, what's going on here."
The man sighed and slumped slightly. "I dunno, to be blunt about it." He held up a hand before Mercurius could protest. "But bare with me, and I'll tell you what I know.
"OK…I'll start at the beginning, I suppose. I was travelling across America to meet some friends of mine from the Internet, when the coach I was on ran into a spot of bother. Basically, the engine blew up. We crashed, and I hit my head pretty good. When I came too, everyone was gone. Dazed as I was, I figured something was pretty wrong with this scenario. I staggered into town, and found this gun. And then I got attacked. It was like a dog that had been skinned, but was still alive. Well…I killed that. Kind of. I'm not sure if the things you kill around here really die, or what. So…I went looking through town. I can't really tell you much about what happened to me, because it won't help, and I can't remember a lot of it anymore. But I met some other people, too. Some weren't real, and some were dead and didn't know it yet.
"Anyway…after a long time, I fought off my demons. Proved I wanted to be free of my sins, and that I felt remorse for what I'd done. It took a lot too. I'm still not entirely sure if I'm alive and dreaming or dead and remembering, as the song says.
"And that answers, as much as I can, how I got here and what happened to me…as to what this place is? I think I can help you some there. See, Silent Hill has been here a long, long time…maybe not called Silent Hill, but something has always been here. Some things, too. Demons, I guess you could call them. They've influenced the events of this town for centuries…when there was a prison here, they made the guards cruel and vindictive, killing their victims by skewering them with a spear."
The green-eyed man drained his glass with a single gulp and poured himself another before continuing. Mercurius got the impression he'd had a lot of them before he'd even arrived.
"The people of this town were there agents, not all, but more than not. There was a cult that was trying to raise one of the more powerful demons…actually, he's an Elder God or something. Don't ask, I don't know. I think the managed it, but something went wrong and now the thing they called is in control. For some reason its influence isn't spreading very far, but it does have complete control of the town, that's for sure."
Mercurius looked at him. "Why us? Why me, and you, and my friends? Why have we been called here? Why is this happening to us?"
"Because, my friend, we're all sinners with a dark past. This town is now a place of trial. If you can repent your sins just enough, you can go. If you can't…you join this place."
"The town will kill us?"
"Much, much worse."
"You said you'd redeemed yourself…if you've completed these…trials, why have you still got the shotgun?"
The man looked blankly at the gun lying on the bar. "Oh, yes, that. I've spent a long time in this town…seems like months, but its probably just a day or so. Somehow, I very much doubt I'll ever do anything without that shotgun again."
The man suddenly stood up and picked up the shotgun. "My sin was I couldn't save her…I don't know what yours is, but you will when you remember." He started walking towards the club's door.
Mercurius stood up and called out, "Who are you?"
"Me? I'm just a guy who wants to see his friends and loved ones one last time…and I have the chance now." Then he stepped out the door.
Mercurius rushed after him, and looked out…into new version of the hell world, one that looked a city after a nuke had gone off. Everything was…black and burnt, and ash rained down from the sky like some kind of black snow.
Of the man with green eyes, there was no evidence he'd even existed.