Episode 3: Where Angels Fear to Tread

Leitmotif: "Forest" — Silent Hill 2 soundtrack

-:-

Leaning against the gate, Makoto could breathe easier already. As his eyes adjusted to the milky brightness, he saw rounded shapes protruding out of the ground. Boulders? Upon a closer look, their flatness and lettering made him realize that they were something just as mundane, but much more unsettling: headstones.

Makoto didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Just his luck, wandering into a graveyard. The more rational part of him tried to reason that a graveyard in and of itself was nothing out of the ordinary, but who wouldn't be unnerved at having wandered into a reminder of mortality? Especially after having just fled that creepy forest, and even more so for one who'd only ever been to a cemetery once before…

It was the heat of summer, and the Haramihama Shrine was bustling with activity, preparing for its annual summer festival. As the two of them were helping out this year, Makoto had decided to show Setsuna around and was currently showing her the hall where the Kagura would be performed.

"Is that the dance the shrine maidens do?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"It's just so strange. My grandmother's name was 'Kagura'…"

The next thing Makoto knew, they were on the bus to the cemetery in Kamiharamasu and he suddenly felt his own urge to confide. "This'll be the first time I've visited someone's grave."

"You've never gone before?"

"My dad… doesn't have a good relationship with his family, so I've never gone with any of my relatives." And the less you know about that, the better.

"What about your mom?"

"She was an orphan, so besides me and Itaru, she's got no family to speak of."

Setsuna suddenly looked ashamed. "Oh. I'm sorry."

He could only guess what she was apologizing for: his mother having such a sparse family, or having brought it up. Whatever it was, her moue tugged at his heart, just like what happened at the school entrance ceremony. "Hey, don't worry about it…"

When they'd finally arrived, Makoto couldn't help but marvel at the solemn grandeur around him, especially that of the Katsura family tomb, before Setsuna led him to the grave of "Kagura Inou".

"I guess we should pay our respects."

A pause.

"Rest in peace, Ms. Kagura."

But there was another to whom Setsuna wanted to pay her respects, one whose grave brought a quiver to her otherwise impassive lip.

"Noboru…"

The gravestone in front of Makoto read "K. Gordon". Unlike Kamiharamasu's graveyard, it was clear that this lakeside graveyard had seen better days. Now it just seemed more pitiful than unsettling…

A sound of grassy footsteps to his right alerted the young man that he wasn't alone. He could make out the figure of a tall, lanky woman walking up to a random headstone, arms folded as if trying to keep herself warm.

He made to approach the woman, who was now crouching in front of the headstone. "Excuse me, I—"

The woman rounded swiftly, startling him. "Oh! I-I'm sorry…! I—"

Makoto held his hands up placatingly. He'd seen her eyes, dark and piercing with their whites showing, and it honestly freaked him out. "N-no, I'm sorry for disturbing you. It's just… I'm looking for my father. Maybe you've seen him?"

The woman's brow furrowed, now looking more inquisitive than startled. "Your… father?"

"Yeah."

She looked away and began to pace, as if searching her memory. "I-I don't know… You're only the second stranger I've seen come through here recently…"

"Who was the first?"

"I don't know." Suddenly, she paused. "But… one thing about him stood out, even in this fog: that leopard-print shirt he was wearing…"

"That's him! Which way did he go? How long ago did you see him? Where—?" Makoto stopped his rapid-fire questions when the woman began to shrink away from him, staring warily at him. "Sorry. It's just… I came a long way to see him, and he hasn't told me where in Silent Hill to meet him." He took a step back, allowing himself to fully take in the woman's appearance. Her cream-colored turtleneck sweater, reddish jeans, dark sneakers, and pallid complexion just made her look that much more pitiable. "There's just the one road to town from here, right?"

"Y-yeah. If your father really was headed for Silent Hill, that's the only road he could've taken. You can't miss it. I can't tell you how long ago I saw him, though. Y-you can lose track of time here, especially with this fog…" She shrank away again, now looking ashamed. "I-I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help…"

"No, it's… it's fine. Thanks, anyway."

"But…"

"Yes?"

"I… I think you'd better stay away from him."

Wait, what?

Now the woman was more fidgety. "That… Th-that man… It's hard to explain, but… it just felt like something was… 'wrong' about him… And—"

"Okay, I got it. I'll be careful." This woman was really starting to unnerve him, just like that James and Mary. The sooner he got going, the better.

"I'm not lying!"

Makoto once again felt the need to placate this clearly troubled woman. "No, I… I believe you. I know he's no good. But I can't just leave, not after I came all this way…" The woman's expression softened, became tinged with concern, and he felt a sudden rush of confidingness. "Besides, I'm in no hurry to go home."

"…why?"

"I… I'm not just here because of my dad. I also needed to get away for a while." He averted his gaze as he struggled once more against that hounding guilt. "Something… really stressful… happened to me, and this town seemed like a good place to just… get away from it all."

"I understand." When Makoto looked back, the woman's face was one of unexpected sympathy. She began pacing once again. "A long time ago, something… happened to me, too, and I couldn't go home, either. I came here looking for my mama—I mean, my mother—and I thought my father and brother would be here, too, but…" (Here, she ceased her pacing and stopped by another random headstone, placing her hand on it.) "…it was already too late for them… And for me…"

Her arms were back around herself.

"Oh… I'm sorry." Makoto took a cautious step back. Now he was even less at ease around this strange woman, and felt like any sudden move on his part might set her off or something.

Fortunately, it seemed his wariness was lost on her. "No, i-it's fine. It's not your problem. Besides, in a way…" (Now she sat down.) "…it was all for the best."

Makoto was now thoroughly disturbed. It was all for the best? How could anyone say that about their family's death? And what did she mean when she said it was too late for her as well? In any case, the more distance he put between himself and this woman, the better.

"Well… take care."

"Yeah. You too." She was still gazing at the headstone, transfixed.

With every effort to affect casualness, Makoto turned, walked in the direction of the "one road" pointed out, and listened for a second set of footfalls until he got to another pair of wrought-iron gates.

It wasn't until he was on the other side of those gates that the young man released the breath he'd been holding.

-:-

Silent Hill, Toluca Graveyard, K. Gordon, Angela Orosco © Konami
all other characters and locations © 0verflow
this story © me