Here we go again...
Gaia Faye: ... I really meant for their to be less interaction because lil' Haley was too busy dealing with the 'Voice inside her head.' I wanted to focus on her new problem a bit more, but you're right; there could have been more interaction... But, if we had done it you're way... then Brad wouldn't be a problem anymore, would he? Hopefully, it will turn out that Henry and Haley can figure ALL this out before the 'plan' is complete. ... It's supposed to be 'head on hand'... I have a tendency to do that... (Yes, you are.)
P.S. I like Teacher Alice; don't be discouraged. (I meant to put that in my review of your latest chapter, but forgot to do it.)
SaddenedSoul: Yes, WS is concocting a new plan in our Southern girl's mind. "..." (ß response to 'Walter' comment). I did rush this, but I wanted to get this up before two weeks had passed.
diddly day: I noticed that ya'll were happy when I made up the 'I was mysteriously possessed that day' excuse for Eileen's behavior. You can actually blame Henry for getting me into the Silent Hill games. He's was my first and is still my all favorite from the games. I have NO idea why I make it like Haley and Henry are going to be a couple; that's just the way it comes out. I guess it's because later on, there will be a bit of a factor playing into their relationship, since, you know... the 'Voice' is now around to torment and murder. Haley will go for someone else, but until then I'll try to make better interaction between Eileen and Henry. You'll have to see about Walter... (I'm so happy I creep you out! You should read Room of Angel... I think that's the creepiest thing I've ever done...)
P.S. Is that twenty-year-old girl that helped out Henry when Eileen had her regular nightmare the character that's based on you?
DaLilMoomba: Heh. Eileen's reaction was explained in the third chapter, but Brad won't be going anywhere for a while... neither will Walter...
Higashikaze: Oh, well, I'm glad mine was the first you ever read. Thanks. Yes, poor Henry... and Eileen has her reasons... I think everybody likes Haley... I'm not sure. Hey, don't feel bad about not beating the game... :glares over to SH4 game: EVIL SUBWAY! If it weren't for the ghosts, that thing would be beaten...
Ah, I think we know the main warning: Spoilers. There's also a little bit of insanity... :anonymous music: DUN DUN DUN!
Henry, Eileen, Walter and anybody else or any place in this story is not mine; they are owned by Konami.
Haley, Brad, '21221' or 'AntiSacrament' are owned by me.
'The Hardest Part' is owned by Coldplay.
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The Hardest Part
Chapter Four: Everything I Do, It Just Comes Undone
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Henry felt like he was choking. He felt as if the sky was falling down on his shoulders and he was forced to hold it up so it wouldn't come crashing onto the Earth below. His chest constricted as he tapped his fingers nervously against the wall as he rung the doorbell again, waiting tensely for the resident to open her door. He could soon hear muffled footsteps behind the door he was staring into, he gulped down a breath and hoped he wouldn't screw this up... The doorknob turned with a click and the door opened up before the woman realized who he was. "Henry!" came a joyful sigh as arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him into a friendly hug.
"... Hey, Eileen..." he mumbled bashfully while bringing his hand up to pat her lightly on her left shoulder. She giggled sweetly as she pulled back to look at his rough, handsome countenance when she noticed he had a white bag in his other hand hanging heavily in his grip. She blinked at it before tilting her head up to eye him curiously as if she wanted to ask if it was for her. Seeing her cute expression gazing up at him, he chuckled shyly as he shifted the bag to his free hand. "... Happy Birthday..." he whispered as a light blush tinged his cheeks, which Eileen saw. "Aw... Thanks, Henry..." she said gratefully as she leaned upward to kiss him lightly on the cheek, which deepened the heat on his face. Placing her hands on her hips, she smirked at him knowingly.
"I don't recall ever telling you when my birthday is..."
"Um..." He scratched at the back on his head, letting the feel of his brunet hair beneath his fingertips help his decision and quell the butterflies fluttering lazily about in his stomach. "... Haley has a class with a guy that knows you cousin. She found out from him and told me because... I sort of... asked her to help me find out," he replied as he looked over towards the end of the hallway from the corner of his eyes, unable to meet with those wonderful emerald orbs...
"Well... what did you get me?" she asked excitedly, clasping her hands together and turning to go back inside. He followed suit, wandering like a lost, lovesick puppy behind her and closing the door behind him silently. He stood in the middle of the joint kitchen, dining room, and living room, gazing at everything with a circumspection precision and admiring Eileen's decorating skills. Pink was obviously her favorite color just by glancing at the pink-floral on white wallpaper she had on the walls and the light pink curtains, but she never over accentuated it and Henry was thankful for that since he couldn't stand too much of the color himself.
Eileen coughed slightly and Henry turned his attention towards her position at his right side. She was smiling at him again and her eyes held a sincere loveliness that made Henry want to blurt out his feelings by their sunlit beauty. She seemed ethereal in the sun-bathed living room and he felt his heart swell at the joy of her just being near him to the point where it might burst apart with happiness. He had felt this feeling before when their eyes had truly met... when they were able to learn about the horrid events that had occurred in their apartment building. He recalled finding her at the Hospital Walter had reformed to his own will and how horrible she had appeared... veins sprouting along her body, dirty bandages wrapped around her more fatal wounds... But, amazingly, she still remained beautiful, even with the curses haunting her body and the number '20121' scrawled across her back in an almost child-like fashion. She had stayed so strong for him until she couldn't stop Walter much longer from possessing her... and Henry knew that he could manage the rest when push came to shove.
The brunet smiled at her, watching her smile brighten in response before she glimpsed quickly at the bag once more in anticipation for the surprise he had for her. He fell back shyly, his eyes turning towards the floor as he began to shift his weight from one foot to the other repeatedly. His gift wasn't very expensive or elaborate... but it came from his heart, and he sure she would love it.
"H-here..." he mumbled, handing her the white bag with a timid hand. She smiled at him, taking the bag from his grip and placing it on the table that stood beside them while the sound of paper tissue paper ruffling against her searching echoed in his ears. Dread dripped into his thoughts and he felt his heart clutch itself inward as he heard Eileen's gasp in amazement. "Oh, Henry, it's beautiful!" she exclaimed before rushing over to hug him gratefully and kissing his cheek again. Uncoiling itself, his heart fluttered about in his chest, an appeased smile lazily curving upon his lips as he inhaled the sweet scent of her brunette hair. The moment didn't last for long, which disheartened Henry, but he couldn't help but enjoy her cheerfulness. When she stepped back, he watched her undo the clasp of the silver necklace and put it around her neck before her fingers fled to the rose charm hanging just below her slightly pale neck.
"It looks nice on you..."
"Thanks... You know... Brad hasn't even done anything for my birthday yet..." she whispered, hinting that she slightly despaired but not completely saddened by her comment. His mind and heart soared through his body in tremendous victory, knowing that he gotten his present to her first. Brad had been put down, and Henry didn't even use anything too elaborate or fancy. As far as he was concerned, the score was tied now after the little 'lunch tactic' Brad had pulled on him and Haley and the brunet felt that he should defame the snob some more...
But he smiled comfortingly, placing a calloused hand on her shoulder as he bent slightly to level his eyes to hers. "He... He'll come up with something... I'm sure..." and as he said each word, his eyes betrayed him and showed her every stab he was thrusting into his heart.
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The cool water felt so good against her heated skin...
Haley sighed as she turned off the faucet of the bathroom sink slowly before grabbing the towel beside her and wiping her face dry. She peered above the somewhat rough fabric to stare at herself in the mirror, her exhausted eyes meeting the reflection's before her dark, red-rimmed eyes darted around the glass' version of her bathroom. The college student was grateful that the anonymous shadow that had begun to lurk behind her lately was not present but she felt a sort of a strange loneliness now that she could no longer see it. Though it had scared her at first and literally made her scream, it soon became a natural part of her surroundings and became more of a protective unconscious thing to her more than anything else. It would follow her everywhere but no one else seemed to be able to detect its presence. She sometimes wondered at night before she turned out the bedroom light whether or not it was that weird little Voice's altered form watching her as she went about her everyday routine.
Well, it was a thought.
Flicking off the light, she walked out of the bathroom to proceed into her living room to return back to the book she had been reading before she went on a brisk walk to clear her head. Henry usually accompanied her, but he was still over at Eileen's giving her her birthday gift. Haley hoped that it was going as well she thought it would, though it could be possible that it was going to horribly for the male brunet that he just up and decided to throw himself into oncoming traffic... Shaking her head rapidly, she drove away the sudden thought and went over the to the kitchen instead to grab a coke from the refrigerator.
"AntiSacrament..."
'Oh, God, not again,' she thought desperately, not ready for another one of these bizarre 'cessions' with the Voice again as she turned towards the counter and threw head into her hands. Her breathing quickened as she tried to dispel the Voice from her head, but it was no use. Even the shadow's presence was tingling up her spine and she slightly shuddered a sob at the situation she found herself in often as of late. It eased behind her, burning into her back with its eyeless gaze. "Just go away..." she groaned exhaustedly as tears began to fall from her tired eyes. The voice chuckled powerfully in her mind, his snickers driving her into a hopeless rage as she ran to the bathroom and began to scream at the mirror.
"Leave me alone!"
Gripping the ceramic sides on the bland sink, she stared as the dark almost menacing shadow began to take a more definite form, its Voice still chuckling. The ebony mist idly swirled like smoke behind her before shaping itself into a tall, structured male, though she couldn't make much more of it from that. "AntiSacrament... I can't just leave You alone anymore... You're too close to the Receiver and Mother... And too close to My world..." His hand reached for her upper arm, yanking her close to him so his inhuman breath angrily fluttered against her trembling lips as he gripped her arm tighter. She could tell by the quiver in his breathing that he was somewhat furious with her for some reason. 'He's bipolar...' she thought frightfully as she noticed his face was edging closer to hers. 'Or he just has some screwed-up mood swings... Or he's psychopathic...'
"Don't hurt Yourself... You are too important... to Me..."
His lips brushed against hers affectionately and she shivered at the freezing sensation before he kissed her forehead. She gasped as he brought her body to press against his and a fleeting thought raced through her head at how... insane it was to be pressed up against a person's shadow. "What do you want with me...?" she whimpered as he tenderly kissed her cheek before sighing stoically. "You will be my body through this world. I'm too weak now... I used too much of My energy trying to kill the Receiver... so I am in need of You're body. Think of Me as a... 'split-personality...' though I am quite real," he whispered lustfully into her ear before stepping away from her, leaving her cold and frightened. Haley glared at him and retorted. "I won't be your damned puppet..." she hissed abhorrently while snatching herself away from his muscular grasp.
"I'm afraid You don't have much of a choice... I need to be with Mother... The Mother Reborn and the Receiver of Wisdom will be separated from the flesh... and then I can be with Mom..."the shadow said lowly, his face turned towards her pale, frightened one. She shivered as he stepped close to her once more, the chills of his presence slinking up her bones. "But... what does this have to do with me?" she whimpered timidly, her hands reaching for any possible weapon.
"Because... You are Mine... Through You will I be able to be with Mom... You won't kill them... But until I have the power to finish this... I'll be here... 'cohabiting' with You... My AntiSacrament... After all..."
His fingers delved into the Southern's brunette hair, relishing the feel of real flesh against his shadowy fingers. He was silent for a moment before he felt that it was time that only 'part' of her existence be mentioned. He chose his words carefully, unsure whether or not he was going to be able to keep most of his intentions covered up but still willing to tell her of another reason why he meant to kill the Receiver...
"You two are one and the same... and when He is dead... You can be Your own person... My sweetness..."
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Henry slumped into his apartment, his feet dragging themselves as his emotional breakdown became imminent... He felt like he had lost everything... like he had nothing to gain but everything to lose... like he couldn't go one much longer if this kept up. Flopping onto the couch, he let his head fall back and eyes close as he thought about how his day had went.
Everything had gone fine... Eileen was enjoying his company and Mr. Snob was nowhere in sight. They had sat down with some lemonade Eileen had just made before he came and talked about the different things that they felt comfortable talking about. He had felt so happy... like nothing could have messed up his day... Hell, Walter Sullivan could have smashed through the door and shot him, and he could have cared less... he was just that cheerful. But then the doorbell rang, and Henry felt a dreaded snake slither into his throat as Eileen had gone to answer the door. The brunet had seen her enthusiastic joy before she even turned back with her package and he knew he had been shamed...
Brad had sent her two dozen fresh-cut ruby-colored roses, a card telling his utmost adoration for her, some fancy chocolates and a very expensive fur coat...
... The card alone was enough to break Henry's wallet... he was sure of that from seeing the perfect design along the tickle-me-pink birthday card... He had almost fallen over from the sheer stupidity of this guy for putting a real diamond on a card! How much money did this guy mean to throw away?
Eileen had obliviously started to babble on about all the stuff he sent, making Henry's heart sink lower than he believed it had ever done before. She went on and on and Brad and his job, and his money, and his 'supposedly' good deeds and contributions ... By the time she got to the many extravagant gifts she had received from the blond, Henry felt horribly sick and nauseous...
Fifteen minutes after the package had arrived and shattered his menial hopes at having done better than Eileen's beau, Henry told her that he needed to go home. Eileen was trying on her coat (having put the roses in a clear glass vase, which stood on the coffee table) and she smiled sweetly, though disappointedly at him.
"I'd like for you to stay a bit longer... But, I guess you're not feeling well. Have you been eating right, Henry Townshend?" Eileen's hands fell to her hips and her motherly atmosphere seeped into the room's already bright aura. She looked at him with glowing emerald eyes that gleamed with both concern and annoyance. "... Because if you're not, you can have those chocolates Brad sent. I don't like chocolate that much anyway..." Stepping over to the box, she pulled out the heart-shaped cardboard container and handed it to the brunet. "He knows that I don't have much of a sweet tooth..."
Henry took the red box of delicacy chocolates out of pure spite for Mr. Brad Cauls and for the fact that he claimed to be the greatest fan of chocolate in the world (aside from Haley). Muttering his thanks, he began to walk towards the door of the apartment when he felt arms warp around his waist, stopping him in his tracks. "... Thanks again, Henry..." Eileen muttered into his shirt, her heated breath warming his somewhat cold nape. He could only grunt in response before she reluctantly let him go and he left her apartment with the shut of the door.
... Well, he sure could call himself 'unemotional' about then...
He felt despicable and yet nostalgic, like he deserved nothing but wanted the entire world in his calloused palms. Eileen deserved the best... why did he figure that he could have her all for himself? He had done nothing to say that he had earned the right to her heart... in fact, he had almost gotten her killed had he not have been fast enough to defeat Walter. She would have walked into the metallic churning blades in the pool of blood had he not speared that... thing and killed the man in the coat in time...
... So, if he deserved nothing, why did he feel so empty-handed?
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End of Chapter Four
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Yes, it's rushed... Yes, I have confused myself...
I got a new computer! My first none-hand-me-down computer::grins:
Review, please! I need to know if I make any sense...