Izaya was rushing to leave the bathroom when a strange noise drew his attention away. It sounded like wires scraping and snapping so he quickly turned and pointed his flashlight.

A hand reached out from the last stall. Izaya gasped and backed away.

Collin the Janitor, with his legs bent over his back by the barbed wire that wrapped around his eyes, pulled himself out of the stall with his arms. Slowly, he crawled out, his tongue flicking out of his mouth as he groaned and grunted. He reached up and put his hand to the wall. Strands of...something spread across the wall. Izaya wasn't sure what it was but it looked like stretched flesh that crept its way across the wall towards him.

Izaya was frozen in horror. He had never seen this monster before. He had no clue what he did or what the strands did. But he decided not to find out. Turning to the entrance, he slammed the door open and ran—but not before seeing tumor-like lumps form on the wall and pop, letting over-sized bugs that looked similar to tree louse climb out.


Shizuo pushed the shelf out of the way and crawled out of the cubby. He quickly stood and ran, heading for the stairs. However, the stairs were now cut off, a chain link fence blocking his path.

"Shit!"

Shizuo pulled on the fence but it wouldn't give. He then tried to spread it apart but again it held.

"SHIT!"

Remembering the first floor was a giant square, he turned and ran around the corner. Only to be disappointed.

"FUCK!"

Another chain link fence blocked the next corner right after the hallway that led outside. He ran to it regardless, gripping the fence and pulling.

"Come on!"

'I can smash metal easily! Why—'

A scream pulled Shizuo from his thoughts. It was a scream he recognized. It wasn't as spine-tingling as last time but he definitely knew it.

"Iza..."

Shizuo quickly turned around and ran back around the corner. He saw a flash of movement run past the fence out of sight so he quickly backtracked to the one by the exit hallway and pushed it forward to look down the hall.

A person turned the corner and was running towards him.

Shizuo felt tears rise.

"IZAYA!"


Izaya jolted and looked around himself when he heard his name being called.

"Shizu..."

He recognized it automatically. And as he ran up to a chain link fence, he saw a familiar face.

"Shizu-chan!"

Izaya ran toward Shizuo, the blond having tears in his eyes as he smiled at the raven. Izaya felt his own eyes become misty at the relief that encased his being. He pressed himself to the fence, grabbing a handful of chain link in one grip and holding Shizuo's own hand through the fence with the other.

"You're alive!" Shizuo yelled. "Thank god."

"I wouldn't go that far." Izaya chuckled.

Shizuo only chuckled as he stared at Izaya. Izaya did the same, taking in the sight of the blond. The raven was quite horrified to see that Shizuo's white shirt was dyed red. His blond locks was only covered in red with streaks of yellow here and there. His skin was also dyed, having a faint shade of red on it. He wore Izaya's fur-trimmed coat that had it's own stains of blood but nothing in comparison to Shizuo.

Shizuo couldn't contain his relief at seeing Izaya alive. He was overjoyed that he finally wasn't alone in this hell. He quickly scanned Izaya up and down, trying to see if the raven was injured. He couldn't find anything apparent except for the blood splatter that was stained on his neck and smeared on his face, copying the stains on Izaya's jacket. Izaya also had a hunter's knife sheathed to his belt.

"What happen—" Izaya started.

But his words were cut off by a scream as an over-sized tree louse landed on his head.

"Izaya!" Shizuo pulled on the fence.

Izaya threw the bug off and looked around himself. The hall he had just came from was a wall of bugs. He quickly turned back to Shizuo.

"Run!" Izaya yelled before following his own advice.

"Wait, Izaya!"

"RUN!"

Izaya ducked into a small door frame, where he froze. A burning mine shaft was underneath him, his only way across a single metal beam. Across the way was another chain link fence but he saw some of the links were broken. He looked down at the fire then back at the exit.

'Come on.'

"Come on!"

Izaya forced himself to run across.

Once at the fence he pushed against it hard and repeatedly.

'Break! Break!'

He gave one final push before becoming distracted by something on his right. He quickly flashed his light over to see a ragged black-haired girl sitting on a desk scrawling furiously on a sketch pad. When the light shined on her, she looked up.

But as soon as she looked up, Izaya fell through the hole in the fence.


"Wait, Izaya!"

"RUN!"

Shizuo's eyes stretched wide at the swarm of bugs that came scurrying down the hall. Izaya was in his right mind to run.

'We were finally reunited! We can't separate now!'

Shizuo turned to look at the hall then quickly pushed off towards the exit.

The front doors were gone, most-likely having disintegrated away because of the Darkness.

'So much for locking the doors.' He thought with a glower.

"Izaya!"

Shizuo turned the corner and was ran into. The blond screamed and stumbled back in surprise wrapping his arms around the person he collided with so he didn't fall as well.

He stared down at the person he held and his heart soared.

"Izaya!"


"Nii-san!"

"Shizuo, Izaya!"

"Shizuo-san!"

"Shizuo Heiwajima!"

The group called as they entered the elementary school. Kasuka and Cybil led the group, looking through every room in the first building.

"Nii-san!"

"Izaya Orihara!"

"Izaya!"

Kasuka felt his hopes diminish with every empty building. This was the last building besides the hospital they haven't checked. Shizuo wasn't anywhere to be found.

Ruri came up and squeezed Kasuka's hand for comfort. Although Kasuka appreciated it, it did little help.

The group then moved into the courtyard, crossing it so they could enter the next building.


"Run."

Shizuo looked down at Izaya before the raven pulled away, grabbed Shizuo's hand and pulled him to the tower he couldn't enter earlier.

"Wa-wait, Izaya! That place is locked!"

"Just run!"

Izaya tugged Shizuo hard.

Kasuka and Ruri were the first to enter the second building. Only to pause in the entrance.

Kasuka looked around himself.

"Yuuhei-san?" Ruri questioned.

Kasuka pushed his mask down and inhaled deeply.

"Hey, put that back on!" Cybil yelled.

Kasuka ignored her as he turned back to the courtyard. He looked around then turned right and headed to a tower in the corner of the clearing.


"I told you!" Shizuo yelled when Izaya grabbed the doorknob and it wouldn't open.

"Shut up!"

Izaya pulled a key ring out of his pocket and quickly went about trying to find the right one.

It took him three tries but he finally got the right key and the door opened.

"Go go go go!" Izaya barked, pushing Shizuo.

Shizuo obeyed and Izaya followed closely behind. Slamming the door, the raven locked it from the inside.

"Up! Go up!"

Shizuo grabbed Izaya's hand then did as ordered. The two ran up the stairs as fast as they could.


Kasuka stood in front of the tower, looking up at it before pulling the door open with no effort at all.

"Yuuhei-san!"

Kasuka dashed up the stairs, reaching the top in no time.


Shizuo and Izaya stood at the top of the tower, panting heavily.

"How long will that door hold?" Shizuo asked, looking around for an escape route.

"Hopefully long enough."

Shizuo looked out the window—the opening now covered in a thin layer of glass.

'I can't see anything.'


Kasuka stood at the top of the tower, looking around quickly before going to the window.

He could see most of Silent hill from that spot, the hospital in sight.

But there was no Shizuo.

'I know I smelled it. Shizuo-Nii's scent.'

He knew he smelt the unmistakable scent of cigarettes and strawberries. But why wasn't Shizuo there?

"SHIZUO!"

"Kasuka!" Cybil yelled, reaching the top and rushing over to the movie star.

"He was here." Kasuka muttered as Cybil turned him around.

"There's no one here. Put your mask on." Cybil grabbed the mask and pulled it over his mouth and nose.

"I smelled his cigarettes. His cigarettes."

Cybil pulled on Kasuka's upper eyelid, checking his eyes for dilation. "He's not here. Come on."

The police officer grabbed Kasuka's wrist.

"We still have the second building to check. Come on."

Kasuka followed silently.