Sorry this took so long; You're Not Here popped up while I was figuring out everything for this chapter.
Ah… onto the reviews for the fourth chapter and You're Not Here.
Gaia Faye: (Chapter Four) The hotel he's manager of is in this chapter. Yeah, pretty much; Haley knows that 'shadow man' is out to kill and that if she talks to Henry, he's put in danger. Sorry about that… I'm forgetful; once I type a sentence, I no longer remember what information I put. You're welcome! (You're Not Here) No, I don't think it would; she's not in the Nightmare Realm when she dies. Yeah, Mother ending. Thanks.
Saddened Soul: (Chapter Four) Monies… :laughs: "Evil Plagiarizing Empress Kickiness"… I LOVE that! Thanks!
(You're Not Here) Yes, it is the Mother ending. Is the Cradle of Forest the For Her story? It was VERY nice. I'm lazy too.
diddly day: (Chapter Four) Yep. Chocolates… Mmm. You know, you would make a great inspirational speaker! Sorry about the 'brunet' thing. (You're Not Here) Thank you.
Higashikaze: (Chapter Four) I thought you played SH2, too. Henry's my fav., too. Um, I think she's starting to get that he has something deeper for her, but considering she's already in a relationship. :pokes Eileen: Thanks! (backandforthbackandforthbackandforth :Henry falls over from dizziness:)
Warnings are- a bunch of confusing crap that I don't even get, blood, slight language, Walter creeping OC out, spoilers (I guess?) and a bunch of other stuff thrown into this story to make it… it.
Henry, Eileen, Walter, and the nice concept of this having to do with Silent Hill means that Konami owns Silent Hill. Not me in any way, shape, or form. The Hardest Part is sung and owned by Coldplay. (…I'm running out of chapter titles…)
Haley Oren, Brad Caulns, and the 'AntiSacrament' deal belongs to moi.
If you need any information on them to better help you understand this crappy story, please put it into a review. Thank you.
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The Hardest Part
Chapter Five: Everything I Know is Wrong
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Brad Caulns paced back and forth in his luxurious office, wondering if Eileen, his girlfriend of two months, received her birthday present yet. He had spent a good bit on her but it wasn't all just for her happiness. While he hoped to make the brunette happy by his thoughtfulness, he also hoped to dowse Mr. Townshend's ideas of taking her away from the blond hotel manager. Growling slightly, he remembered the poor pauper of a man staring at her with hurt and longing eyes as she sat across from him. Henry hadn't spoken throughout the entire meal and Brad wanted to make sure that he made a statement which said 'she's mine so back off, scum!' The man didn't take all too well, he imagined, and the blond could tell he had won the battle of expensive lunches.
Brad couldn't help but laugh maliciously. Pauper's heart was breaking little by little and Brad knew soon he would have broken the man enough to where he backed away from Eileen and left her to a joyful life with the blond. The brunet realized in a heartbeat that his wallet was ten times smaller than the manager's and Brad decided to use that to his advantage.
But, there was that girl…
He chuckled, recalling her fury and annoyance when she gazed upon him. She had seemed intimidating, as if she would truly do something out of the ordinary, like kill him in public. The Ritz-Carlton manager could tell he only had to push a few 'red' buttons to bring the girl to the edge of her seat in anger but he also knew when to back off. After all, he went by a golden rule when it came to women; 'Hell hath no fury like a woman pissed off,' and he could tell Hell would have been unleashed on his 'defenseless' form had he poked at her weaknesses some more.
The phone began to ring and Brad was knocked out of his 'wishful thinking' momentarily as he moved to pick up the receiver and talk to whoever decided to interrupt his 'decisive planning.'
"Hello?" he inquired, somewhat irritated.
"Hey, you," replied a cheerful, bright voice as he heard metal pots clink together in the background. It was Eileen and from the brief glance to his computer, he could conclude that she was starting on her dinner. "How was your birthday, love?" he asked adoringly as he lounged back in his comfy office chair. Hearing a small giggle from the other end, he grinned in accomplishment before he shifted to take a cigar from the small wooden box at the corner of his desk to celebrate.
"Oh, it was wonderful. Thank you so much for what you sent…you didn't have to spend that much on me…"
"T'was nothing, sweetheart," he began in a whispery manner. "Money is no object when it comes to you…" He smiled when he heard a flustered chuckle from Eileen and he placed the cigar in his mouth before he lit a match.
"Well, thanks anyway. You know, Henry got me something, too."
Sputtering, Brad jerked forward, dreading what he had heard. That poor, useless man was able to buy something for his Eileen! How dare that… scum of the Earth(!) interfere in his 'showing off of his money?' It was preposterous and inconceivable! How did he manage to buy something without breaking his wallet literally in half?
"…What did he get you?" he asked professionally, making it sound like he was curious, but didn't truly care. He took his pen into his hand now that the cigar he had prior was thrown across the room against the wall, still unlit, when he heard that damnable name. Gritting his teeth harder than ever, he kept pressing the button on the top of the pen hastily in a means to calm himself down before he said something that he would regret and it began to work, though it was sluggish to do so. "Oh, nothing much… just a little locket… He didn't have to get me anything… I never even told him when my birthday was and yet he took such means to find out," she sighed out as the sound of water boiling was heard from the other end and the blond chuckled. "No… you're right; he didn't have to buy you anything," he replied snidely, "I could have bought you that locket without the worry if I was going to break my budget…"
"What's that supposed to mean, Brad?" Eileen retorted angrily, sensing that he was making fun at Henry. The hotel manager could see her now, with her hands on her slightly tilted hips to accentuate her new-found fury. Only once had he seen the brunette willing to fight and that was when he said something about the apartment building she once lived in… He couldn't recall the name fully, but he did know that it was located in the downtown district of South Ashfield. "I just meant that, you know, with probably how little income-!"
"'How little income' Henry gets, Brad? Is that what you're saying? That he's too poor too attempt to make someone's birthday happy and that he couldn't even buy a week's worth of food? Are you saying that my friend, Henry Townshend, is too below poverty line to get a gift for me? I never asked for it; I didn't even tell him because I'm the one who needs to repay him, not the other way around! He did it out of kindness, which is something that I believe you lack!" And with a slam, the dial tone was heard and Brad blinked at the rage the woman had displayed over something so trivial.
-
Haley found herself staring into the mirror again… and she figured that she was completely crazy. The shadow of this unknown man still stood behind her, watching her after the strange little banter had occurred two days ago like he had before then. The brunette could tell his arms were folded loosely across his chest and he was leaning against the white wall as if he were patiently waiting for someone to come meet him. Twitching her left eye, she huffed at how causal he stood there. It bothered her at how he acted as if he wasn't some crazy shadow that lingered in the confines of the apartment and she wasn't wearing herself out to the bare quick. Churning along with the thoughts of the shadow were images of nightmarish hospitals and forests where a man with half-hooked overalls floated about with a small shovel and a young man with a brownish orange jacket hovered above the ground as he gripped his chest, dried blood clinging to his grayish skin. The most disturbing image (other than the one of her dead) was the one of the little boy beckoning her deeper into the abyssal gore and oxidation with a flick of his wrist. She felt so sorry for him; he was stuck in her mind against his will. For all she knew, he was just a figment of the shadow's deceptive 'magic,' but Haley felt as if this boy had more of a purpose than to freak her out just a bit more.
… The college student couldn't stand those malicious eyes mixed with bloodied skin and that brown coat…
In the corner of her eye, she saw the shadow man move to stand fully on His feet and Haley sighed as she thought of the reasons behind his shifting. Stepping behind her, he wrapped his freezing arms around her shoulders and laid his head atop of hers as if they were lovers. She cringed at the scent of dried sanguine and burned flesh which suddenly began to accompany him often and yet he withstood his own smell placidly. Her dark-brown orbs squinted shut as she moved enough to hide her face behind her silky long hair. He was breathing sultrily against her nape, causing her to shudder at the extra chill down her back. This man always felt as if He had been exploring the artic tundra and the icy temperature never left Him, sinking in to His calloused skin… if He had skin at one point in time…
Hearing Him take in a breath of air, she tensed up tightly. Dreading the next few seconds, she waited to hear the blasphemous concoction from Him that pertained to her being the 'AntiSacrament,' though at times He spoke of a 'Receiver of Wisdom' and of 'Mother.'
"AntiSacrament…"
"Will you stop calling me that!" she screamed, pushing away from him and stomping out of the bathroom. Noting that he was following her, Haley huffed entered the living room before flopping exhaustedly down into a chair. She gazed upwards at Him as He stood beside her sitting position prior to letting her head fall sadly into her hands. He was winning the battle between them; soon, He would have control of her and she would be unable to do anything about it. He would kill these people without any remorse or mercy through her, forcing her to watch the horrendous sight as her own hand was forced to finish the dirty deed.
"… I will kill them, AntiSacrament… though it will be Your body that I use to finish the Twenty-one Sacraments…"
She groaned, pulling her hair in frustration. The brunette wanted answers, not some more of that crackpot crap that He was talking about. Haley wanted to hear all that would happen if this guy had His way and she would find out if she had anything to do with it.
"What in the Hell is the Twenty-One Sacraments! Who is this 'AntiSacrament' thing You keep calling me?" the college student asked imploringly as the image of the little boy returned mockingly into her close-to-insane mind. The 'evil shadow' did not answer her and she assumed that he would never tell her until whatever this new name for her was revealed through action instead of words. It chilled her; just the mere thought that He would use her for His deeds… it felt as if ice-cold metal was scraping against her bones, freezing the brunette's soul. In response, she quivered coldly as she pulled her legs up to her chest and curled up in herself, wishing and pleading that these terrible
'memories' would go away… 'Just go away…'
"I can't 'just go away,' AntiSacrament… You cannot just go away, either… despite that You Yourself are a Shadow…"
There was a pause and Haley heard a soft electronic hum enter the silence, the sound piercing the silence that she now wished had stayed. Shadow? How was she a Shadow? She was not a figure formed by the light hitting an object or person nor was she composed of dark whispers of smoke like He was… Tilting her head upward to stare at him with a bemused expression, the college student gripped her sweater-covered elbows that slumped slightly off of her knees.
Shadow…?
"Yes. I am afraid that you are merely a Shadow of the Receiver of Wisdom… his 'other half,' if you want to put it that way. You merely exist; You interact with the world and yet You do not realize the destiny that was set for you as long as the Receiver lives. You are the 'Anti' of him, thus, 'AntiSacrament.' He is the Twenty-First Sacrament and You are his Shadow. You will soon start to fade into him and become nothing…"
He bent forward, leaning close so that He could lay his lips on her cheek as a frightening realization struck her hard across the face mentally and emotionally. He had to be lying… she wasn't… He couldn't… the Receiver… the thoughts became jumbled now, her mind scouring the thousands of possibilities of this being a distorted way of her mentality saying that something was wrong with it. The low hum was becoming the sound of rough metal against glass, its screeching causing her to shriek in pain as man in the coat took her in His arms.
Realizing that she was in this 'traitor's' embrace, Haley began to push against him, yelling at him incoherently with her eyes tautly closed. When He didn't yield, she stopped, opening her chocolate-brown irises to find her hands… gone…
Eyes widening, the college student began to hyperventilate, swiftly bringing her hands close to her face, but she saw nothing. Haley glanced back and forth between Him and her 'invisible' hands before she heard Him sigh sadly at this new occurrence. "It has already started… His being alive has started to take You in… Soon, You will meld into him… though…"
"Though what?"
"His death will make you whole…"
Haley blinked, unable to take this in as she saw that her hands had come back to full view. She yelped loudly before attempting to stop her heavy pants and He pondered at her. His AntiSacrament was a peculiar being… if He could bring her to His side, the Twenty-one Sacraments would be completed and thus, He would be with Mother and she would be a true individual, no longer tied to the Receiver of Wisdom. ...And He would have a physical body that would enable Him to be with both His Mother and His AntiSacrament and together, He would be happy…
He remembered back to the days at the orphanage… where he was forced to read Scriptures that manipulated the minds of the children and to stay in formidable, dank cells… He recalled reading about the fabled 'AntiSacrament' and the two ways her power could be used. One way was for the benefit of the cult that ran the orphanage and the other would help the sinners of the tainted world beyond the dark walls of the Wish House…
Then, He read about a bond between the Receiver of Wisdom and this Holy woman…
Though He young, He found it to be unfair that such a person like the AntiSacrament could be brought down so easily… She was a being of power unimaginable! She was supposed to be able to bring the Victims of the Conjurer under her command and release them among the Land of Sin where they would do her bidding; she was supposed to be able to destroy continents with a wave of her hand and control the creatures inside of the Otherworld and of God--!
…
…She was supposed to help the Order bring back their God… who would bring upon Paradise… And yet… she was defeated by a man because he merely existed along with her…
… He loved her… He did want to envision a world without her…
"His death? Why does he have to die?"
Chuckling, the shadow of Walter Sullivan brought Haley Oren closer to his 'withered' form and pressed her head against His chest. Her fragrance was intoxicating; this He noted as He breathed in her luxurious scent, which consisted of vanilla and strawberries. It was so delectable and so unlike charring flesh and pungent flowers of blood that He was so accustomed to…
"Because… You are My AntiSacrament… and I wish for You to be with Me… Forever..."
-
Henry sighed as he threw the last load of clothes into the washer before shutting the door and turning on the cleaning appliance…
Eileen had called two days ago on her birthday after an argument with Brad over the phone. She had seemed upset and (though he was secretly happy) he acted as if he felt sorry for their relationship, listening to her quivering voice as she slander her boyfriend each chance she got. He remembered that his heart did little back flips and somersaults each and every time he head that the blond was 'so inconsiderate' and that 'he had no idea what a relationship requires' and 'how dare he speak ill of her good friend'…
However, he could have dealt without her calling him a 'friend,' since he wished to be more than a friend in her wonderful eyes…
Nonetheless, he was touched that she would consider him over all of her other friends to discuss Brad. Personally, the brunet would have figured that females turn to females to converse about their intimate relationships when something exciting or angering happened, but he didn't really mind otherwise. Whenever they talked together about the various subjects of daily life, he found himself enraptured by it all. Sometimes, they would stay on the phone for hours on end, never once glancing at the time to see if it was too late for them to be up. Those phone calls only ended when both were so tired they couldn't keep their eyes open... the brunet loved those hours in his life where he could just take in all that Eileen had to say…
For some reason, as he walked out of the laundry room to enter the kitchen, the brunet found himself humming a random tune cheerfully. The song ceased for a moment or two when the man figured out he was happily humming, but then he found himself chuckling with the same airy feeling as a handsome smile graced his features. Resuming humming, Henry opened the refrigerator door to peer inside to see its contents…
'AntiSacrament…'
Screaming painfully, Henry recoiled, grabbing the sides of his head as his head ached as if a metal baseball bat hit his skull with the force of a train going full speed. Veins popped up from his neck as his skin turned reddish from the straining his body was involuntarily doing as his agonized yells echoed throughout the room. Flowing inside his mind was bloodied, fuzzy pictures of what he had seen in the nightmare world and voice heightened when he saw the numbers before him. They flashed brightly, scarlet lights flickering crazily as the brunet felt blood drip from his nose, mouth, and eyes. Soon, his hands trembled and turned cold and numb.
"Join again… Join again, O, Receiver and his Shadow… Melt into one another and save us all from the Conjurer's hold…"
21121…
21221…
AntiSacramentReceiverofWisdomAntiSacramentReceiverofWisdom AntiSacramentReceiverofWisd-!
"AntiSacrament, Hear Her call…"
"No! No!"
Blood…
"Whatever she destroys, she rebuilds… Whatever she mends, she obliviates. She will take—"
Void… Darkness… Gloom… Despair… Temptation… Source… Watchfulness… Cha…os…
"God outlined the Road to Salvation… Red God, Xuchilbara… Yellow God, Lobsel Vith… Angels… Paradise… God breathed Her last… Come… again… been lost… offer our prayers… faith…"
"N-No! Stop it!"
Fear…
"—every strike, every pierce, every stab, but in the End, nothing matters…"
…Mo… ther… Reb…orn…
21121…21221…21121…21221…
"For she is End of the Beginning…"
"Salvation… Joy… Sun… Gave people joy…"
Knees falling to the floor… tormented screams scratching the throat… hands fisting brunet locks… pleads for it to end… A chest heaving deeply and quickly…
Justendjustendjustendjustendjustendjustendjustendjustendjustendjustendjustend…just… end…
"Day and Night… time…"
Receiver of Wisdom…
… Death…
AntiSacrament…
"And the Beginning of the End…"
…
Harsh, relieved pants… hands unclenching… throat alleviated… head falling forward… crimson and sweat mingling into one on the tiled floor… Silence…
"… Haley…"
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End of Chapter Five
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…
IT MAKES NO SENSE! O o O (ß holding head in frustration and befuddlement).
… I won't blame you if you don't get it. Also, the nice little episode with Henry deals with the fact the Haley's 'disappearing' act happened at that time; she just didn't feel pain. She'll feel pain eventually, don't worry.
Also, I noticed that I mess up Brad's last name. Did you know that cauls have to do with fetuses? Freaky, huh? Well, his last name is Caulns and I forget to put that sometimes. Sorry…
Also, listen to Two Evils from the Silent Hill 4 limited edition soundtrack during the Haley and Walter scene. I think it sort of adds to it...