Lost in the Fog 2

The building he stood before was weathered brick with large pillars of faux stone supporting a large front. The sign over the entrance was missing, likely taken by the forces of nature but he didn't need the sign to know he had found the visitors center. Scattered across the damp sidewalk were brochures ruined by the rain, all unreadable with the exception of a few stuck in the frame of the large glass and steel door.

He grabbed the handle and forced the door open.

Nothing greeted them except for a blast of cold air. The rusting skeletons of steel and wood that once contained souvenirs, maps, postcards and other bits of paper that existed solely for the purpose to enlighten visitors of the town's attractions and locations all in an attempt to empty their pockets lay scattered about.

Postcards, most of them showing a lake and old three story hotel, lay in haphazard piles on the floor. Others showed an amusement park with a roller coaster, Ferris wheel and a carousel. All bait to snare newcomers.

He ignored the postcards and made his way over to the broad desk and its silent old fashioned registers, the mouth of one was open and ready to devour hard earned money from tourists. Out of curiosity he checked the drawer of the register; ignoring the protests from the AI.

Empty.

Not that he had any need for money now. Even if there was money in the register what would he even spend it on in an abandoned town? If he walked into a gas station that was operating he'd be met with screams and likely gunfire.

A crash that sounded far too loud in the silence ripped him from his thoughts. Silently cursing his nervousness he looked about for the source of the sound and despite the general annoyance he couldn't help but to smile at the sight of the fox dangling from the ceiling, a midnight blue baseball cap hanging from one ear.

"You look ridiculous." he chuckled then stepped forward, plucking the hat off the fox. A lighthouse was embossed on the front along with the words Toluca Lake. It honestly wasn't that bad for an overpriced souvoiuner. With a bit of fandangling and work he managed to cut two slits in the side of the hat then fit it back over the fox's head so the large ears stuck out of either side. "There, that's better." Mangle let out a joyful bust of static, ratty moth eaten tail flicking back and forth.

"Let's see if we can find a map and figure out where the hell we are." the mangled dog-fox let out a sound of agreement and vanished into the gloom of the store while he turned back towards the main counter.

Swear.

Shut up. I'm beyond old enough to swear if I want.

He pushed aside the mounds of moldering fragile brochures, letting them fall to the floor in his search of a map. That's when he noticed it, something sticking out halfway out of the closed drawer of the second register. He tugged on it but the register was as stubborn as a bulldog and refused to let go of its long coveted treasure. He leaned over the ancient thing, studying the dust covered buttons. One stood out, a dark red one. He pushed it with some hesitation.

The ancient machine emitted a rustle of gears then opened wide and released its treasure, a tightly folded map that once unfolded showed a simple representation of the town of South Vale. As to why it was in the register was a mystery. Why had someone tried to hide it?

Isn't this stealing?

He snorted. Stealing from whom? There is no one here.

You are taking something that doesn't belong to you.

No matter. It was his now.

He spread it out over the counter, studying it. The paper was heavily stained and there were notes written in black ink in the margins and large circles were made around key locations, Rosewater Park, Natan Ave, Woodside Apartments. His attention went immediately to Nathan Ave. The street appeared to lead out of South Vale and written in black ink next to it was an arrow and to Central Silent Hill.

A harsh burst of static broke the thick silence. Surprised, he almost dropped the map, gaze immediately snapping to the windows while fear seized his insides when he spotted a hunched shadow rapidly approaching the window.

Doggy!

"That is not a d- "the window shattered violently, spraying the inside of the room with shimmering shards. He raised one arm instinctively to protect himself against the glass shards while something heavy slammed into the floor followed by a metallic scraping sound.

That's when he laid eyes on the thing that had been following them. It vaguely resembled a dog though it had metal fused with raw flesh, limbs bent into unnatural angles and it was morbidly thin. All its ribs stood out under the matted filthy pelt.

He found himself frozen in place, unable to stop staring at the thing writhing on the floor.

Mangle dropped from the ceiling, teeth bared, a ridge of filthy white fur rising along its metal spine. The grating harsh sound snapped him back to his senses.

The dog-like monster let out a low series of pained sounds as it struggled to stand, its long metal limbs that had been damaged by its charge through the glass window underneath it.

Thinking quickly he grabbed one of the ancient registers off the counter and brought it down on the monster's head which exploded in a spray of bone fragments, metal and brains. The body twitched a few times before going still.

The radio fell eerily silent.

Ignoring the near frantic AI he inched around the corpse, pausing long enough to scoop up Mangle with one arm, clutching the still agitated animatronic to him and making his way out the door. Without looking back he chose a random direction and took off down it, not wanting to hang around the building in case more of the things showed up.