A/N; Okay, so here's the second chapter. Now, those who have reviewed so far are correct in what you brought up. However. I do need to tweak a few things to fit my story, so y'know. When you look at the picture of Ashfield heights on the wall, yes, it does say that "Mr. Sunderland's son and daughter-in-law went missing a few years back". So, sorry for all of this confusion, but give it patience, and all will be explained. An to Saddened Soul, I apologize that you thought I was stealing your story (he he he...)
BOILED BROTH OF A MAN
Early this week, in the nearby town of Brahms, 90 year old Herman C. Hershier passed away. He died while taking a bath, and wasn't found until two weeks later. The leading detective, Douglas Cartland, reported;
"He had passed away peacefully, I'll give him that. He had something similar to a kettle that kept his bath water at a certain temperature. Unfortunately, a few hours later, it had over heated, and actually set the water's temperature so high that it began to boil. Now, he'd already been dead, but his body, disturbingly enough, had been boiling for two weeks before we found him.
"Some of the men tried to pick the body out, but he poor guy was just mush by then. In total, the forensics department gathered 50 kg's of him."
A tragic end to such a fulfilled life. Herman Hershier was a gentle...
Brett put down the newspaper, and glanced up to the shadow that had now covered his table. It was a beautiful day, cloudless and blue. Ashfield was a good place to live when it was like this. The figure casting the shadow on the outside restaurant table was hers.
"Sit down Ms. Gillespie." the man said. She did as offered, and sat across from the man. He gave his full attention to her now, and stared on. "How is life for you these days, Joanne?"
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Saturday. Oh, God, Cheryl loved Saturdays. It was only the third Saturday of the school year, and it seemed like it had taken forever to come. Glancing out her window, she saw it was a thick, fog-filled day. She stretched out in her bed, and then she found that her leg had kicked something.
She slowly opened her eyes again, and glanced to her right, where sure enough, there was a body next to her. She sat up quickly, and stared at it. It was breathing, this was true, so it wasn't a dead body.
Suddenly it rolled over and looked up at her. Henry looked up at her and stretched his back. "Good morning." he said, grin on his face. Her face lost all color, and she stared back at him. "We...didn't...did we?" she asked him.
"Oh, no no no no no." he said quickly, sitting up. He looked at her. "You don't remember anything from last night?" he asked. She furrowed her eyes, and tried to remember. Everything about last night was a blank after the restaurant.
"Then...you're not gonna like this next part." he said. She looked up to his calming eyes, and waited for what he was going to say.
"Last night, your car got stolen. That's why I'm here - I gave you a ride home, but you weren't feeling well, and almost blacked out, so I brought you inside and laid you down. Then I called Kylie, and was about to tell her I was on my way home, but you asked me to stay, so...I did."
She smiled in relief. Of course the part about her car wasn't good, but the fact that he was so sweet made her f eel better about the whole situation. Then she glanced down and had to ask. "Why are you shirtless?"
He looked down and realized. "Oh! I hope you don't mind, it was just hot in here, so...I figured-"
"It's alright. It's only your chest, nothing I haven't seen before." she laughed. But she did admit that he looked better without a shirt. He actually had visible abs, which was nice eye-candy to wake up to.
"What time is it?" he asked, scratching his head. She struggled to turn and look at the clock, because she didn't want to take her eyes off of him. He was just one of those cute loyal guys who you didn't come across very often.
"11:34 a.m." she said. "I didn't think we'd sleep that late..." he said. He slid his legs of the side of the bed, and rubbed his eyes. She stood, still in yesterday's fashion, even shoes, and walked around the bed. "Stay for a while. I'll make breakfast." she called back from the hallway, and she almost tripped down the stairs from lack of attention.
As she walked into the spacious dining room, she noticed the answering machine was flashing. 2 messages, the face read. She brushed the touch-pad, and hit "play".
"Cheryl...It's James Sunderland, you publicist "Does he have to say that every time?..." Well the books have successfully been delivered, and the fans are lining up. Anyway, I was wondering if I could come over and discuss the profit sharing and distribution. Uh, you know my cell number, so give me a call."
Then it beeped, and the second message began.
"Cheryl..."
She stopped in her steps, and immediately turned around.
"Che-...eryl...Che..."
There seemed to be static interfering, but she knew that voice.
She checked the caller I.D. to see where the call had come from. As she flipped through each number, she came to it. She couldn't believe it, but there it was flashing her in the face. MY CELL.
It was from her home phone number. She pulled out her cell and checked it, and there appeared to be a message on there as well. As she listened, it was the exact same message.
"Dad?" she said to herself. Then, as she hung up, the house phone rang, and on the caller I.D. she read MY CELL once more. The cell was there in her hands. She quickly dropped the thing, and it hit the hard wood floor. Then it stopped.
The phone stopped ringing, and the cell phone stopped flashing.
"Cheryl, I sh-"
Henry stopped as he saw her. She was pale, and looked upset. He walked up to her, and took her hands in his. They were cold and trembling. "Hey...Are you okay?" he asked. He jumped, as she threw herself on him. She began crying into his shoulder, and he put his arms around her. He was lost, for just a moment ago she was fine.
She pulled away, and looked up to him, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I...I was just having a moment."
"It's okay, we all get 'em." he said. She gave an enforced laugh, which didn't sound convincing. "Henry..." she said. She took his warm hand and led him into the living room, and onto the couch. "I haven't been completely honest with you."
He gave a confused look, and stared into her eyes. They were distant, cold...yet trusting.
"When I was a little girl, my father took me to Silent Hill. A woman named Dahlia tried to summon the ancient God of the town..."
"What happened?" he asked. She fell silent. "She offered her daughter, Alessa, up as the sacrifice...and it did work. God was born...but...it died. Then the girl reappeared and gave my father a baby. Me." she said. Henry looked completely confused. "But, didn't you say that..."
"Yeah. It get's stranger. When I was seventeen, seven years ago, a woman named Claudia hired a private detective to find me. Even after we'd changed our names, and went into hiding, they still found me.
"The truth is...I'm the Holy Mother. I was supposed to give birth to God, but I was able to stop it by swallowing the Aglaophotis. She...killed my father. Claudia took God unto herself, and God lived on, but twisted - she wasn't supposed to be the birth mother. It's because Alessa's soul is mine...I'm Alessa, but I'm still me." she said. She waited for any input he may have had, but she heard nothing from him.
"So..." he said. "You did understand what I said last night, didn't you?" She nodded. "That man you mentioned...Walter Sullivan...he said he saw he Red Devil. This was before he killed himself."
Henry gave her a look. "The Red Devil?" he asked. She nodded. "I...I created it."
"You see, my publicist, he's also connected to Silent Hill. That's how we met - he sought me out, and we began talking. I had just finished my book, so it worked out. He tries to keep a certain distance from me, pretending we don't know each other well, but we stay in contact."
"He got a letter from his dead wife, and went there. He saw Xuchilbara."
"Zhuzhil-whata?" he said.
"Xuchilbara is the Red God, that I created a long time ago...back when I was God. It's also called Valtiel, or as James saw it, Pyramid Head, but they're all one and the same."
"I'm not getting it. It sounds like a bunch of that cult-stuff I found..." Henry said. She shook her head. "Look, I'll give you Silent Hill's history later, but right now, I think we should get out of here..." she said. "Some fresh air, you know?"
Henry suddenly jerked up. "Kylie!" he exclaimed. "I was supposed to take her to the bookstore." He said as he ran to the front door, slipping on his shoes, untied, and running out the front door.
"Wait!" she called after him. "I'm coming with you" she said. He nodded, and they went to the shitty-wagon, as he called it.
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"Save the formalities, Barton." she said, sitting down.
Brett Barton looked back to her. "So what's this about?" he asked her, keeping a stern look in his eyes.
"I've found her. She was naive enough to write down all of it in a novel." she said, tossing him the hard-back copy of SILENT HILL. He barely caught the heavy object. "You've found her?"
"Yes. It turns out she lives here, in South Ashfield."
"How come every time you come around, the fog rolls in?" he said. She closed her eyes, keeping her patience with him. "You know what is near."
"You know, have you ever considered the fact that your ridiculous dogma may actually be ridiculous dogma?" he said, sipping his coffee. She stood, and glared down at him. "You've turned your back on us, haven't you?"
He shrugged. "It's just better to stay un-involved. What can I say, she's pretty powerful." he said. Joanne stormed off, and he was left to think to himself how glad he was that he was done with them all. He was only their source of money, that's all.
But this Cheryl. She could cause quite an inconvenience with the convergence. He wouldn't be so concerned if they were some sect of Jehovah's Witnesses, but when these people performed a ritual, it worked, which made the situation somewhat...hazardous.
So this is what you've been reduced to? A grave? A tomb-stone? A mere memory passed over by everyone when they see you? The know not who you are...but soon all will be performed as righteously as you planned.
She brushed her hand over the grave marker, the head stone that read only a name. James Stone. But all that he had planned was coming to pass. "I only wish you were alive to see for yourself..."
Joanne stood and glanced around. These people who walked pass were ignorant fools. Boasting in their invalid success. They will know, when the time comes, about their meaningless existence.
"Oh Jimmy, why did you leave me to do this on my own?" she sighed.
"Because you were tainted." came the voice. Out of the fog, she saw her, standing there in all her malice. Joanne could say nothing, but bend to her knees and bow before the woman. "Do not offer me praise, my sister." the woman told her.
Joanne lifted her head, and gazed upon the spectacle, her lost mistress. "What vision have you brought for me?" she asked.
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"Look, I'm so sorry - I didn't mean to forget about it." Henry plead forgive, but Kylie didn't seem to be giving into his charm. She crossed her arms, and cocked her head to the side. "I'm sure they're not all sold out by now..." he said.
She scoffed. "It's not even about the book! ARGH! You're so dense sometimes..." she said, stalking off into her room. He sighed, and rubbed his temples. Suddenly, Cheryl walked into the small house by use of front door, and glanced around.
"Oh - Sorry, I forgot you were in the car." he said. She raised a distasteful look, and glared at him. "Forgot?" she said. He quickly leaped forward. "Uh-No! I didn't mean it like that! I just, uh, had some trouble with kylie..." he explained.
"I'll talk to her..." she said, walking past her. He grabbed her shoulder quickly, and she turned around. "I was wondering...about this morning...What brought it up?" he asked her. She stared off, not particular focused on anything.
"I got a call from my dad." she said. He looked back at her, still in wonder. "Who's been dead for seven years." she said. Then he seemed to look...interesting. The expression wasn't exactly anything she'd ever seen before, but he was mostly amazed she was acting so casual about it.
She turned around, and then looked. "Which room is hers?" she asked. He pointed to the door to her left. She nodded, and slowly approached.
She slowly turned the handle, and she entered the room. It was a nice room, the biggest room in the house, which was pretty gracious of Henry to do. The walls were a dark shade of purple, the ceiling black. And above the bed was the last thing she'd expected to see.
One the large space of the wall, above the bed, it was erected, staring back at her. Only this time, it didn't give her a strange feeling. The Halo of the Sun, in red paint.
"What do you want?" she said. Kylie was a little surprised that she was here, but kept her anger in full effect. "I came here to apologize." Cheryl said, sitting on the opposite side of the bed.
"What did you do? It was his fault. He always does this..." she said. Cheryl stared down to the sheets. "But I asked him to stay last night, so, I take full responsibility." She heard Kylie laugh to herself. "Don't bother." she replied.
"Kylie, I only just met Henry last night, and I know he's awkward, but...He means well, he really does." she told the girl, trying to console her somehow. "My mom," she began.
"She's always trying to pass me off on someone...Henry's the only one who takes me willingly. He says he enjoys the company, but..."she faded. She suddenly felt Cheryl's hand on her shoulder. "I understand. When I was growing up, my mom was killed on a police call. She was shot and raped, and the guy was never caught. But my dad was there for me when no one else was. Henry, he kinda reminds me of him...He's a good person at heart."
Kylie looked her teacher in the eye, and saw the sincerity. She nodded. She decided shed forgive her uncle...for now at any rate.
"But all of the copies of SILENT HILL: SECT OF THE HOLY MOTHER." she exasperated, and fell back onto the bed. Cheryl looked down at the girl, and smiled. "Tell you what. I'll give the promotional first-edition copy that they gave me. It has the original cover art they were gonna keep until they thought it was too graphic."she said. Kylie shot up and smiled. "You mean it?"
Cheryl nodded, and then found herself hit hard when the girl jumped her and hugged her tightly. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" she shouted in one blur. She was happy that the girl wasn't still moping, so the fact that she couldn't breath wasn't so bad.
"Are you guys okay?" Henry rushed in. "I thought I heard something." he said, and then noticed the situation. What he thought he heard was a squeal from those double-headed-baby-things from the old days, but it must have been Kylie. He figured they were having a girl moment, which he'd never understand, nor wanted to.
"Okay, so you want to give me that history lesson yet?" he asked her. She sat down on the couch next to him, and thought. "I guess I could start from the beginning."
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"Listen everyone, listen!" she called out. She glanced around the room. Their numbers were much smaller, with the losses of so many great people, but they were still here and that's what mattered.
"The time is nearly here! I had a vision today, whilst upon the resting hill, gazing upon Father Stone's grave. White Claudia appeared before me, and told me that the convergence would be a tremendous event. She said...that my daughter Natasha was chosen by Valtiel himself to bear the Flower Crown of Poppy."
There was a murmur in the crowd, and she silenced them once more. "I take this as Lady Gillespie took her responsibilities of her daughter. Over these years, many great people sacrificed themselves for the greater good.
"Let us not forget Father George Rosten, who had raised the conjurer, or priest Toby Archibald. Or James "Jimmy" Stone, who erected the Valtiel Sect." She said. Joanne stepped down from the alter and began to pace the crowd.
"Because of Father Stone, both opposing sects, The Sect of the Holy Mother, and the Sect of the Holy Woman, were able to conjoin and become stronger." she shouted. There was an uproar from the followers, and she smiled. It was quite a sight to see. God herself would smile upon them.
"Father Stone was truly an honorable man. When those of the opposing sects scorned him, he did not reject them but accepted the name they called him. The Red Devil. He had laid the most conceivable plans to rest until the time came. And as he predicted with the sight given to him by the angels, all events he had written down had come to pass.
"He predicted Dahlia's actions, and then he had seen the Black sinner's arrival. The red hood that he donned was a symbol! In honor of God's angel, the executioner, Valtiel." she said. She listened to them all cheer, and shed a tear in its glory.
"And now, we go on to cast the sinners unto the hell they have created for themselves."
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"When the immigrants first arrived, the natives had a religion. The immigrants had begun to follow, but they had given their own Christian influences. You see, Silent Hill is a sacred place. It's the place were God fell and collapsed. Were...I fell.
"There were two opposing parts of the cult, against the each others beliefs: The Sect of the Holy Mother is where they brainwashed children. They originally built Hope house, also known as Wish House as a facade to their activities...rituals... The sect believed that The Ritual of the 21 Sacraments was to bring the descent of the Holy Mother, God. A man named...George Rosten was the head priest, and had raised Walter Sullivan to believe he was the 'conjurer'. He was so dedicated to the belief that he became Walter's sixth victim...a sacrifice...
"The Sect of the Holy Woman, or Holy One, was lead by a woman named Dahlia Gillespie. They believed that God was to be nurtured within the womb of a woman with 'special powers', in aims to give birth to God through that woman. The woman is called the Holy mother, or the Holy One. The woman, and the child, are one and the same. St. Alessa and the child..."
"So that's why Eileen was also called the Holy Mother...Walter was going to 'descend' God into her body, or something like that..." Henry said. He remained silent, and she continued.
"That's not all. A man named Jimmy Stone had started another sect. The Valtiel Sect. It was founded to provide intermediation between these two sects. They called him the Red Devil. George Rosten was also a priest of this sect."
"Yeah..." Henry said. "I looked up any articles on Walter Sullivan after what happened, and I read one about him killing himself. The report said he was shouting something about a 'Red Devil' making him do it..." he said. She remained fix on staring at nothing.
"Walter's Red Devil couldn't have been Jimmy Stone - he'd been dead by then." she told him.
"During the civil war, a prison had been built. Of course, the town had prospered in the cults, so everyone followed. The executioners wore red triangular hoods to honor Valtiel, because Valtiel is the Executioner of God. So Jimmy Stone also wore a red hood, in Valtiel's honor. This is probably why Walter Sullivan thought the Red Devil had told him to do it, because George Rosten had already put Jimmy Stone in his head. But, it was Valtiel himself who was making him do these things.
"Silent Hill has this power...it calls "sinners" and has a way of, more or less, punishing them. James' Pyramid Head is the same thing. He killed his wife, and so Valtiel was there to remind him of it by killing the image of his wife over and over."
She paused, and looked at him. He seemed to be taking it all in. "It's all a little confusing..." he said. She smiled, slightly, and nodded. "I know."
"Valtiel comes in many forms - Everyone seems to see it differently..."
"So you're saying that this Valtiel is really the cause of all of this?" he asked. She shook her head. "No...You're not getting it. He's one of the Primal Gods, an Angel, but it's only a servant."
"Then who's responsible?" he asked. He seemed to be getting a little edged, wanting to know more. "Look, it's a lot to take in for one night..." he said. "We really should sleep on it."
She looked down, and sighed. "I knew it..." she said to herself. He looked at her. "What?" she glanced back up to him, and smiled. "Nothing..."
"Do you want me to take you home?" he asked her. She shook her head. "I'll be fine here, if it's okay with you..." she said. He nodded, and stood. "You can take my bed - I'll sleep on the couch." he offered. "Thanks..." she said. It was only 4:30 in the after noon, but she felt herself tired already.
"You rest up. Take as long as you need." he said. As she walked off, he found something that he hadn't felt in a while; understanding. Walking into the small kitchen, he stopped in his spot. This couldn't be. It was impossible. It just was not possible in the spans of the cosmos, and yet there he was.
"Hello Henry." came the droning voice of none other than Walter Sullivan himself.
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A/N: What will happen in the next chapter? Who knows! (Technically I do...) But anything can happen! Tune in next time for another exciting episode of...eh, just review.