Disclaimer: I write for love, not money, maaaaan.

Author's Note: Reminder: This is a TWO-PART UPDATE! So if you went right to the last chapter, you'll wanna move back one and read the interlude first! Enjoy.

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C H A P T E R – S I X

He had to go back.

There was little question in James' mind about whether or not the dream was real. It had been Mary. It was indisputable from the moment he put his arms around her. And her tears, the sinister voice, the dream's abrupt end, it all said that she was in danger. He knew it was a trap.

But it didn't matter.

("I guess I really don't care if it's dangerous or not. I'm going to town either way.")

James flipped through the phone book until he came to an entry in Laura's careless handwriting, the letters striking beyond the printed lines. He dialed the number and waited two rings before a cheerful voice greeted him with "Hello?"

"Kate?"

"James!" Kate exclaimed on the other end of the line. "Are you on your way?"

She sounded genuinely pleased that he had called her, and he felt a twinge of regret for disappointing her. But he had more important things to worry about. "No, Kate. I'm sorry."

"Oh?" Her voice was immediately apprehensive. She knew what he was going to say. But convention of conversation had him go on.

"I won't be making it."

"Oh…

"Yeah, something important has come up, and I'm busy right now."

"Well," she said, sounding hopeful, "we can always reschedule--"

"I'm sorry, Kate," James interrupted, closing his eyes. "I think it's all just… just not a good idea."

There was a pause, and when she spoke again she sounded mildly irritated. "James, I don't understand why you can't just give me a chance. You can't just be alone like this forever. I'm not saying that something more has to develop, but--"

"I'm sorry." He hung up the phone and returned to his room. An open backpack, mostly filled, sat on his bed.

James went through the bag again. He pulled everything out and laid it on his bed, trying to think of anything he might have forgotten. He stood at the foot of the bed and stared at the items for a few minutes, and then he finally pulled his hands roughly through his hair and set about putting everything back into the backpack.

The first item was the radio. But that wouldn't go in the bag. He would leave it at the old pack's side so he would remember to attach it to his jeans pocket. Not that he thought he could forget. The static of the old radio was something he could never forget, not with what the noise signified.

The next item, that would go directly into the pack, was a complete map of Silent Hill he'd found on the internet. Granted, it was old, predating the vacation he and Mary had taken there, but the streets looked the same. He doubted the town changed much at all. There was no one there to alter it. Those old construction sites were probably still there. He frowned, recalling how hard the map had been to find, even online. A search for just the town of Silent Hill hadn't called up much of anything. He thought about all the rumors he'd heard. He focused on packing again; he didn't need to discourage himself further.

He'd managed to break the pocket flashlight he found on the mannequin in the apartments, so he made do with a household one. It wouldn't be as efficient since it wasn't hands-free, but it was better than nothing.

James had put various other things in the pack too, like gloves, a hammer and a few other tools, batteries, some food, but he couldn't help but feel silly doing it. Just the idea that you could prepare to go into Silent Hill and you'd come out okay was ridiculous.

He wished he had a gun. He didn't think it was a good idea to have one in the home, though, especially with Laura in the house. There was certainly no time to go buy one. If he had known before that he would be going through all this again, he would have bought a few dozen.

James zipped up the pack and looked at the clock: seven o'clock in the evening. He planned to leave early the next morning, and he knew he needed sleep. But he wouldn't get it by himself. He left the room and went to the bathroom. He rummaged for the sleeping pills in the medicine cabinet, and when he found the bottle, slipped a couple pills into his palm. He turned and jumped when he saw Laura standing in the doorway, holding Blotch and glaring at him.

"What is up with you?" she demanded. "I saw that bag in your room. You going somewhere? Why didn't you tell me?"

James didn't look at her. He filled a miniature paper cup from the tap, tossed the pills into his mouth, and chased them with the water. He crumpled the cup and let it fall into the small trash bin. Without a word or a glance, he nudged Laura out of the way and walked back to his room.

But she was never one to be brushed off. She had her foot in his door before he could shut it. "Where are you going?"

This was why he couldn't have left earlier. Laura would have noticed, and being how she was, she would've followed him. But tomorrow was Monday, and she would be at school.

"I'm just going away for a day." A thought whispered to him, and he amended, "A day or so. Not very long, I don't think. It's a company thing."

"… For the mail room?"

He really had to stop underestimating her. "Yes, for the mail room. Isn't your show on or something?"

"The stuff you packed isn't for some 'company thing'." She put the cat down and folded her arms, looking up at him defiantly.

"You know what, Laura?" he said irritably. "It's really none of your business, okay?"

She took offense at this; her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. "The hell it's not my business!" she snapped. "Why would you spring some lame business trip on me the day before? I dunno where you think you're going, but I'm going with you."

He laughed. "No, you're going to school. And I know you're going to school, because that's where I'm taking you tomorrow morning."

She didn't have anything to say to that, and after glaring at him stubbornly for nearly a minute, she huffed and stalked from the room. Blotch looked up at James, yawned, and padded silently after her.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

He was so nervous that two hours later the pills didn't have much of an effect. He was heading back to the bathroom cabinet when he passed Laura's room and could just hear her voice behind the door:

"Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take."

She said it every night, though once in a deep discussion (a rare thing between the two of them), she had admitted to James that she wasn't exactly sure what she believed in. Her time at the nun-run orphanage had influenced her of course, but she said she didn't think much of it. The nightly prayer was more out of habit than anything, she said.

But listening to her now, her voice told him that it was a comfort.

He wished God could help him.

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