Interlude 1: Worst-Case Scenario
Leitmotif: "Please Love Me… Once More" — Silent Hill 3 soundtrack
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Given her crazy work schedule, it wasn't unusual for Moeko Itou to go for days (weeks, even) without seeing her son. So, when Makoto hadn't answered her with a "Welcome home", she'd thought nothing of it at first.
Then she remembered why she'd been looking forward to the holidays. Shouldn't his school have let out by now?
An uncrumpled-looking piece of paper on the coffee table caught her eye. Recognizing her son's handwriting, she read it. Felt her blood freeze.
Then she turned the paper over. Screamed.
-:-
It was Christopher Da Silva* who had taken the case, but Douglas Cartland who felt more years of his life sloughing off. The private investigator sat at his coffee table and took out his notes, as well as the photo his client had provided for him: her son at the beach with his little sister, who had just built a sandcastle. (Holy hell was that kid just another face in the crowd…)
He began writing a summary of this latest case, a sickening promnesia welling in his gut.
Client: Moeko Itou
Request: Searching for missing son,
Makoto Itou (16), believed to have
gone to Silent Hill after receiving
letter from estranged father, Tomaru
Sawagoe.
Last seen yesterday at Narita
International boarding flight to
Ashfield, Maine, which is half-day's
drive from Silent Hill. According to
client, Makoto has no prior affiliation
with or knowledge of Silent Hill.
Client claims it would be unlike her
son to accept his father's invitation as
the two of them haven't had a good
relationship since Makoto was a child.
Furthermore, according to client,
Tomaru "doesn't give a damn" about
any of his children.
Client is also adamant that Makoto was
not involved in any known criminal
activity nor was he the type to run
away from home.
Case is similar to that of Ayumu Inou
(then 26), who also went to Silent Hill
under similar circumstances and
remains missing. Furthermore, Ayumu
was also Tomaru's son.
This can't be coincidence.
What connection, if any, could this
Tomaru guy have to Silent Hill? Is he
another Order freak like that Claudia
woman?
Also, this needs to be asked: did
Ayumu or Makoto accept their father's
invitations of their own free will? Or did
Silent Hill somehow influence them?
I wouldn't put it past that place.
Hopefully, I'll find this Makoto kid, bring
the Ayumu case to a close, and this'll be
the last time I have to deal with that
screwed-up town.
He felt that old craving for a smoke, or a stiff drink, dredging itself up. How was he gonna tell Cheryl about this? He didn't have long to ponder this before the woman in question announced herself, having just returned from Christmas shopping in Sakakino-cho.
Douglas sighed. Here goes nothing.
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*Christopher Da Silva: consider this my "nod" to those films that couldn't hope to do the games any justice.
Moeko and Makoto Itou, Tomaru, Ayumu Inou © 0verflow
Silent Hill, all other characters © Konami
Christopher Da Silva (name) © Christopher Gans/Open Road Films
Christopher Da Silva = Douglas's alias, this story © me