Chapter 7

The Lake View Hotel…

No, NO! I couldn't bear it if this place was desecrated too! This was where Evelyn and I spent our honeymoon!

God, please…no…

Laughter echoed behind me.

I turned, and saw Mary and James Sunderland standing there. He had scooped her up into his arms, and they were kissing like teenagers. All giddy laughter and cuddling.

On one hand, it was a relief to not have to see some godforsaken nightmare.

On the other hand, I found myself wanting to shake the shit out of the two of them for doing this to me. At this point, I was thirty-two going on eighty-two, I kid you not.

Back in the real world, my hair was turning white.

Ah, the happy couple…hey, wait a minute, something's different…

Mary Sunderland was different. For starters, her hair was brown. And her clothes were different too. Instead of the come-hither outfits I had seen her in; she was wearing a loose-fitting white sundress with pink and blue flowers on it. She also had a matching pink cardigan sweater. The whole outfit made her look as though she should be teaching kindergarten somewhere, where the kids called her, "Miss Mary."

Not that I wasn't totally confused before, but this was starting to give me an ulcer.

That's when whoever was running the show decided to change the rules on me again.

I just stood there, bleakly watching the two of them snuggle together and laugh. Then, out of nowhere, the air-raid noise went off again, and the images of the happy couple shifted. It was like I was watching them on television, and the cable had started to blow- their images bent. The whole room bent.

Then, just as suddenly, it stopped. Everything was subtly different. The room was the same, but the sun was setting. Outside of the window, I watched the red sunlight dance over Toluca Lake.

Behind me, I heard Mary Sunderland's voice.

"James, stop it." She said. It sounded as though she was teasing, but I could hear an undercurrent of irritation.

I looked back. He was videotaping her, obviously so caught up in the moment; he didn't realize that he was driving her nuts.

He kept at it for a few moments, saying something about how they should commemorate every moment together.

Now, I was annoyed. Geez, what a dick.

She started to say something else, but she was overcome by a rather violent coughing fit.

He put the camcorder down, and rushed to her side.

Easing her to the bed, he had reached for the phone, starting to call for a doctor.

She caught his wrist. "No, just stay with me." She said quietly.

He silently obliged her, and climbed into the bed next to her. She snuggled against him, seemingly content to rest her head against his chest. She looked small and frail against his much taller frame.

I stared at the two of them. They were clearly very much in love with one another. It was a very quieting thing to see.

I felt like a pervert. I finally decided to try something I had yet to try.

I fled.

This time, I woke up with a feeling of quiet respect for James Sunderland. He may have been an idiot, but he was a classy idiot. I was well, and truly humbled.

I turned on the television.

In other news, there has been another unexplained disappearance in the quiet town of Silent Hill. Twenty-year-old Delia Carver, a pre-med student at UCLA, has vanished from her family's home. Carver, who, according to her parents, had plans to specialize in toxicology, was visiting for the weekend when her parents reported her missing. Carver's parents had planned a special breakfast for the young woman, and initially thought that when she didn't come down, she was merely sleeping in. However, at 2pm, Mrs. Carver went up to the room in an attempt to waken her daughter. This was when she discovered her disappearance. Mrs. Carver reported that all of her doors and windows were closed and locked, save for the entrance to the room. Upon entry, it was discovered that Delia's bags were still sitting on the bed, and that the bed had been unused. Mrs. Carver has also disclosed that it appeared that Delia had been in the process of unpacking her bags when it happened, because the bags were opened, and there were some shirts scattered on the floor, as though dropped…

This disappearance puts the missing number at 21 in the three months. Though most towns would not find such a number significant, Silent Hill only boasts a population estimated to be under six hundred; making these disappearances to be an epidemic for the rural community.

Police, thus far, have no suspects. Initially, they speculated that the potential victims simply ran off of their own accord. However, with the numbers on a steady rise, they can no longer cling to that belief…

I turned off the television. I didn't need to hear that crap.

But, I did laugh despite myself. Maybe ol' Pyramid Head got them.

I picked up my notebook.

May 8th: It's cloudy out today. Looks like it might rain. Been in the hospital for a week now, but they won't even let me out to see the sky. I miss my shop. The thick, cloying scents of the flowers. This place reeks of stale wounds and death. Give me roses any day of the week.

I closed my notebook, and drifted off to sleep. I knew that I'd probably have a vision, but this time, I realized somberly, that I had grown accustomed to it…

This time, I found that I was standing in somebody's bedroom.

I took in the pale blue walls, and the burgundy comforter. There was also a large teddy bear sitting on the bed. There were also matching curtains over the windows.

I'm in a girl's bedroom…

As I was riddled with high-school flashbacks of getting my ass kicked by cheerleader's boyfriends, I was ironically greeted by a girl who looked just like that: a cheerleader.

She was tall, and a redhead. She kind of looked like that "Herbie" chick, but she wasn't all anorexic like that actress. The girl had some nice curves on her.

It finally occurred to me that she was carrying a couple of hefty-looking suitcases. She unceremoniously dumped them on her bed, and started to open them up. She pulled out a couple of shirts, and started to walk them over to her closet when-

"Oh my God!" she yelped, "Who the hell are you??"

I looked around, wondering who she was talking to.

"Stop looking around Mister- I'm talking to you!" she snapped.

I blinked. I was speechless for a few minutes.

Too long apparently, "Well, who are you??" she seemed to be getting really pissed off.

"Me? I'm Garrett." I squeaked. There was no way in hell she was seeing-

"Garrett, huh? Okay, why the fuck are you in my room?" she snarled.

Shit.

"It's a long, horrible story. Besides, I come off bad in it." I muttered.

"Like I give a shit. You need to get the hell out of my room."

She started to grab at my wrist, but her hand passed right through.

She froze, and stared at me. "Okay, now I'm listening…"

I sighed, I so didn't want her to hear this, but I didn't blame her. I know I'd flip out if a strange man in hospital issue clothing just suddenly materialized in my bedroom.

"Alright, alright," I conceded. "Well, it all began with a bouquet of White Claudia…"

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