Chapter Six: Grow Up and Get Moving.
I started to walk. At this point, there was something weird happening to me...to my mind, and it had something to do with Howard and this be-damned Silent Hill.
I checked my gun to see how many rounds it had in it. To my surprise (though I'm not sure why I was surprised), it still had 10 rounds in it.
'Am I a complete idiot?' I thought, 'I'm going to need supplies!'
I headed back for the car. I'd at least get my valise and get a couple of clips and my water. What in the hell was I thinking to try and get where I was going without my map and maybe even a duffel bag? Had I completely lost it?
You are the mother of my child, D. The Eater of Stars.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" I yelled, putting my hands over my ears and shrinking away as if I could escape the voice in my head. I caught myself, and laughed.
Welcome to Shit-house-rat-insanity-ville, population one.
I heard a noise in my ear, like a grunt (not in my head that time, I was almost sure). In the fog, though, I couldn't see anything to my right or left. Of course, had it been as close as I'd heard it, I should have been able to see it.
Right?
I felt sweaty (maybe it was film from the fog), my clothes were clinging to me as if they were afraid, but I tried desperately to orient myself and get back to the car. By some miraculous force, I saw its shape and went running for it. I got my supplies and headed on my way.
I heard the grunt again.
I sighed and consulted my map---feeling like an old bat for having to bring it so damn close to my face because of the spider-web fog.
I knew I was on Nathan Avenue. I knew I should go to the Hotel as quickly as possible. I had no clue why I knew I should go to the Hotel so desperately, but some things are like that---one thing I learned in my business was to trust my instincts---those instincts got me through two recessions and a couple of absolutely retarded presidents...so there was no way I was going to turn away from them now.
Heading down Nathan, I discovered what was making the grunting noise.
A large, furry, and slimy gorilla-dog-pig-type thing was ambling toward me like a bad horror movie. Under normal circumstances, I would have thought it was a practical joke. However, the rancid smell of old meat emanating from it not only rolled my stomach, but reinforced that this was real. Shaking, I took a deep breath, and steadied my hand. One shot took its nose (Nose? Snout?) off, and the next shot to the head dropped it. Survival instincts overcoming curiosity, I decided to steer clear of the animal (monster, whatever) entirely.
What the fuck was that?
The next one I saw did manage to cut my stomach with its claws a little bit...damn thing snuck up on me (which I swear is possible in this frigging fog)...but I managed to kill it. This time, I decided to get a better look.
The animal/whatever, not only rancid-smelling and furry with traces of slime across its being, had red eyes which had no discernable iris or pupil from its sclera. Just red all the way across the entire eye, and jelly like, as if the eyes were set in red gelatin. I pushed open its snout/mouth area with the barrel of my gun, and noted the incisors. They were long. Its teeth were completely jagged—no—serrated, like saws. I shivered. That would hurt more than a simple swipe from its lazy claws.
I settled uneasily into the fact that I would see more of them on this journey. Time to move on...
The creatures ceased to bother me after the fourth encounter, until I realized one of them was wearing a shirt. A torn, white shirt (well, it had once been white—more of a grayish yellow).
(Had it been human? What happened to this town?)
I pushed the thoughts away. Thoughts like that are not conducive to survival...and that's what Delia Wallace does...she survives. It was useless to dwell on that, even though my sanity was pretty much worthless at that point. There were apparently no humans left in this place...only monstrous creatures and a thick fog were left behind.
I knew inside, I'd figure out why if I could just get to the stupid hotel.
If only I hadn't let Howard talk me into this...Howard. Why did I keep thinking he was here? I kept dreaming about him. I felt like a teenager in a horror movie: "Oh Mr. Scary Croft, please don't kill me, I have so much to do before Prom."
I finally ambled to the Boat Launch and began my search for a boat to take to get across to the Lakeview Hotel...taking Nathan Avenue would have been the long way, and I was ready to finish this bullshit as quickly as possible...no matter what happened.
Along the shore was a little row boat, which thankfully still had its oars. Of course, no one was around to row the damn thing across the lake for me, so I was left to my own devices. I checked the ratty old thing for leaks (leave it to a city girl to row out to the middle and drown before solving her mystery), but found none. Grateful for the time spent on my rowing machine, I set off for the hotel.
The lake, was perfectly still with the exception of my rowing. The rowing itself was like salt in my stomach, what with the fresh cut right above my navel, (fucking pig-dog-gorilla thing) reminding me I'd need to take care of that as soon as possible. I headed toward the light (the lighthouse was lit, didn't that mean someone was there?) of the hotel and hoped I'd find some answers.
I docked on a mildew-ridden, smelly, half-eaten shambles of wooden board and carefully stepped up the stairs to the building.
