Final Chapter

I stared out the window, and bathed in the warm light. It was actually sunny today.

I pulled out what I'm sure Junior- who loves- loved- Blue's Clues would have called my "handy dandy notebook."

May 13th: It's clear outside

A voice interrupted my last entry. "Hello, Garrett! My, my, don't you seem to be in good spirits today!" The arrogant voice didn't even get on my nerves today.

"Damn right." I should have been scared shitless, but I found myself oddly calm. Doctor Dickweed didn't even phase me.

"So, son," I tried not to snort. "are you ready for the trip home this evening?" He seemed eager to be rid of me, too.

"Yessir." I said happily. In a sense, I would be seeing my family again. So, in that case…

"Doctor Kaufman?"

"Yes?"

"Blow me."
He left in a huff, and I laughed hysterically.

Within moments, in popped Claudia. I began to giggle. It was like she was on cue!

"Hi, Mr. Daniels!" She greeted me sweetly.

I didn't mind playing along today. "Hi, Claude."

She sat at the foot of my bed. "Are you eager to be getting home again?" It seemed like an innocent enough question. Sure, she was a zealot, but at least she didn't try to shove that shit down my throat. She earned a little respect for that. But, insane is still insane.

"I'm not going home, am I Claudia?"

She looked puzzled. I'm afraid that I don't understand what you're saying, Mr. Daniels."

I smiled gently. "I know my wife and son are dead." I whispered. Just saying it at all made my stomach knot, and I hoped she'd just tell me that I was delusional.

She gave me one of those smiles that indicate that bad news was coming. "I'm afraid that…"

I leaned into her, and cut her off. "I've met Mary Sunderland. I know about Pyramid Head… and James Sunderland.

Her gaze faltered, and she looked, I don't know, pleased, or something.

I leaned in closer. I nuzzled my face against hers, like we were old lovers. "I've seen Alessa Gillespie." She went still against me.

Claudia pulled away from me, and stared intently into my eyes.

"Who is…" I started to say. "No, what is Mary Sunderland?" I asked.

She gazed at me as though she would worship at my feet.

I cupped her face in my hands. "Tell me."

She closed her eyes, shuddered, and then muttered. "I hear you, Mother. I shall do Your will." Even now, I can't help but be amazed at how unbalanced Claudia is.

"Mary Sunderland is now an Alastor."

I was startled, but not surprised. Why else would I have seen that passage? "Why is she an Alastor?"

She looked at me with eyes that had glazed over. "Our seers speak of her death, and that she wishes for vengeance."

I started to ask what "our seers" meant, but decided against it. That was someone else's problem.

I whispered, "Why does she want revenge?"

"She was murdered."

"By who?" Though I'm pretty sure I already knew the answer.

"The one she torments."

I was right. "You mean, tormented. James either got away already- or he will. I saw it." Damn, it didn't even phase me to know that James murdered his wife. I found myself believing that whatever happened, that he'd had good intentions. Stupid ones, but good intentions nonetheless.

Apparently, I'd been quiet too long. Claudia leaned in and whispered, "What would you have of me?"

I sighed. She sounded like a slave girl from a bad porn movie. What the hell was going on in that cult, anyway?

"You can go."

She did. Creepy.

I laid back, and took a nap.

I was in the Void, again. And Maria was standing before me, again. But there was no other noise. Thank God for small favors. I think.

"Are you ready, now?" she purred.

I was too tired to be afraid, so I sniped back. "Are you even real? Or are you nothing more than a second-rate Mary Sunderland wannabe?"

I must have hit a nerve, because her face went blank, and she began to change. Her skin took on a marble-like sheen, and her hair began to fall out. And I'm pretty sure I saw a hook-like tail begin to peek out from under her skirt.

"I take it back!" I screamed. "You're real! You're real! Just don't finish whatever you're doing! I'm sorry!"

She smiled, and black moths the size of ping-pong balls began to crawl out of her mouth. "I think you need a demonstration."

And then she gave me one.

"Mr. Daniels! Mr. Daniels!" someone yelled.

"He needs adrenalin, now!" screamed a second voice.

"Jesus, what's with this guy?"

"Call psych!"

"Mr. Daniels!"

"Oh, my God! No!"

"Mr. Daniels!"

I jerked awake, scaring the shit out of the medical crew that surrounded me.

It was Claudia, standing in the corner, who gazed at me in concern. "Are you alright? We heard you screaming, but you wouldn't wake up."

I looked up at her. "No." I whimpered.

Kaufman sneered at me. "Well, I don't bloody care! You're more than ready to go home now, and you will leave today!" He turned, and stomped out the door, the emergency crew following on his heels.

"Bastard." I muttered miserably.

Claudia stroked my face, as though I were a child. "It's alright. It's almost over." She had the ever-present serene smile on her face.

It only made me more nervous. "I know."

She stroked my hair once, and left the room.

It was then that I decided to be a big boy, and go somewhere all by myself.

Managing on the charming set of crutches that I had been given just that morning, I got dressed, and hobbled out of my room.

And straight in to hell.

I opened the door to find Brookhaven in pretty much the same shape as everywhere else.

I touched the rotted-looking walls, and quickly jerked away. It was warm, and soft to the touch. Almost like…flesh.

I chuckled softly to myself. I guess it's my turn.

I glanced at the stairwell. Realizing that that wasn't going to happen, I limped my way to the elevator, passing through two blatantly monstrous nurses.

In the elevator, I pushed the button for the main floor, but it just hissed at me.

"Fuck."

I kept pushing all of the buttons. No response. Even the "open door" button wasn't working. I was stuck.

Then, for shits, I pressed the "roof" button. It worked.

I rode in silence for a minute. Then, the elevator jerked, and I yelped. When I realized that I wasn't about to be dropped to a gruesome death, I managed to calm down, but then static blared from the speakers, and the strangest thing of all happened:

"Hello, everybody! It's time for another round of Trick…or Treat!"

"Huh?" What in the name of sweet Baby J…?

"Okay, let's welcome today's contestant: Garrett Daniels Sr. of Silent Hill!"

I froze.

"Time for today's question." Crowed the alarmingly cheery announcer. "What is the name of the creature worshipped by the Order? Is it; A: the archangel Michael? B: the demon, Samael? C: God Herself? Answer the question correctly, and you win the grand prize, a chance to say goodbye!"

I started to hyperventilate. This was some seriously freaky shit.

"Well, that's all the time we have today." Proclaimed the supremely creepy- yet cheesy announcer. "Tune in next time to hear our next contestant, Lucy Gomez, fight a battle she can't win!" He cackled hysterically.

Silence.

"Well, fuck. Those mutants worship Samael." I told the silent speaker.

With a perky chime, the doors opened.

I hobbled out onto the roof, and there was Mary, staring at me.

I went over to her. "Say it. You know you want to."

I got another freaky, marble-skinned smile. "Delia and the twins are alive. She'll be a good mother for them."

I smiled.

The doctors have told me that I've been released- that I've got to go home. I-

My stomach suddenly hurt, and felt sort of…wet.

I looked down, and realized that there was a massive knife sticking out of it.

I looked behind me, and saw Pyramid Head standing behind me.

Mary/Maria laughed, and when I looked back, she was hovering in the air in a strange, bedlike contraption, all traces of her humanity gone. "And so it continues…" she said.

With a violent jerk, Pyramid Head pulled its' massive blade out of me.

I fell to the ground, my blood flowing freely.

I was suddenly very tired, and as I closed my eyes, I thought of my girls.

And I was done.