Silent Hill - Rebirth
Chapter Three
Bridgette knew what a deer stuck in the headlights of an oncoming car felt like now. There she was, on the brink of certain death and she couldn't even bring herself to try and run away or to just scream maniacally at the sheer horror of it all. The grotesque monster was coming closer, it's languid pace suggesting it knew she would be too afraid to run and it was right. Her whole body quivered with terror, sweat poured from her skin and yet she was frozen in place. Her entire thought process was shut down while her body stood at the precipice of its fight or flight mode, and the beam of light illuminating her visitor bobbed back and forth as Bridgette's hands shook beyond her control. It would reach her any minute.
Somewhere in the background, unheard behind the pounding of her heart and the rush of blood in her ears, the door to the hotel opened; the monster took another step closer. Fingers curled around Bridgette's shoulder, waking her out of the fear-induced trance she was in and the awakening brought with it the clarity of imminent danger. Not caring who or what was behind her at that moment, Bridgette pivoted and stumbled forward through the open door, inadvertently pulling with her another body. Unable to slow her momentum, she fell to the floor on her hands and knees just a few feet from the door and wretched her head around to see what was going on and if she should be worried about getting stabbed in the back or worse. She watched as the door slammed shut and a woman with long auburn hair, gangly arms and slender shoulders put the bolts into place. Before the stranger even turned around, words began pouring out of Bridgette's mouth,
"Oh my god did you see that? What the hell is it? Oh god it's gonna get in here! We have to go now, we have to call somebody we need a phone we need the police!"
The other woman was calm as she turned around and smiled. Her face was young, only a year or two older than Bridgette's and she had large, green eyes that reflected none of the fear her new guest felt. She wore a simple brown dress with white trim, and as she knelt down in front of Bridgette she took great care to not let her ankles show from beneath it.
"We're safe in here for now. Are you injured?"
"I—No, no I don't think so; how can you be sure we're safe in here though? That thing looks like it could break in no problem and what is that thing anyway? And what's going on here, what are you doing here—and what's with this hotel, it's supposed to burnt down, it's supposed to be gone!"
"Well, it isn't gone, as you can see for yourself…"
The woman stood and smoothed out her dress then offered her hand. Bridgette accepted the stranger's help and climbed to her feet with an exerted grunt. She kept her distance from the door, still not positive that the beast outside wouldn't come crashing through in the next few seconds as she took a moment to examine her new location. They were standing in a short hallway decorated with a few old paintings, a few pieces of antique furniture and no electricity. The woman who had saved her had a candle sitting on the table near the door and the light that flickered across the walls made Bridgette feel claustrophobic and uneasy although she couldn't pinpoint the exact reason. Pulling her gaze back to her hero, her shackles were raised in an instant when she noticed the strange gleam in the woman's eyes.
"You are with child!" her voice was a reverent hiss.
"Umm…yeah." Bridgette murmured, still relieved to see another human being but now plagued by the sudden feeling that something just wasn't right about the lady's curiosity.
"And…it is a girl…?" It was less of a question and more of an answer.
"Yeah, but what does that have to do with…"
"Tell me, why are you here?" she cut in.
That was a question that didn't make Bridgette as uncomfortable, so she answered it eagerly in hopes that it would detour the conversation away from her pregnancy, "I'm not sure exactly; my brother and I were driving and we got lost in the fog, so we came here hoping to get directions or to wait out the weather or something and we couldn't find anybody. You're the first person that I've seen in hours! Do you know what's going on here, where is everyone?"
"The wicked have been swept away and only those worthy of judgment remain now. Where is this brother of yours?"
"He…went missing. I took a nap, and when I woke up he was gone and then it was totally dark out and there was that, that thing."
The woman's face was full of pity and sadness as she nodded, "My own sister was unworthy as well…" The look vanished as her eyes came alight with hope and her mouth turned up into a radiant smile, "But the end of judgment draws nigh; your coming here has proven as much!"
"Huh?" Bridgette frowned, her heart trying to send out warnings that her brain couldn't comprehend.
"I've been chosen, can't you see? You've come to me; I have been given this great honor!"
"Honor, what…?"
"Yes! I will open the gates for God, and we will all be saved from damnation! She will bring Paradise to the faithful and death to those undeserving! She will save us all!"
Bridgette recognized hidden insanity behind the woman's eyes and she smartly took a step back, her hand tightening around the flashlight just in case it would be needed as a weapon. The other woman seemed unaware of Bridgette's defensive stance as she continued to smile and gaze dreamily at the pregnant stomach, her mind absorbed in evangelical ideas. Trying to steer the situation away from where ever it was headed, Bridgette forced a smile.
"Well thank you for all your help miss…?"
"Elaine," her voice was distant as she took a step closer.
"Elaine," the woman still wouldn't tear her gaze away from the unborn child, "Elaine!" Bridgette's shout finally caught her attention and now the two were staring one another in the awkward silence. The air crackled with malignant energy just waiting to explode. Maintaining a superficial smile, Bridgette kept her voice soft as she spoke, "I—I really have to use the restroom, could you…take me to one, please?"
Elaine seemed to consider whether she should or not but after a few seconds she nodded and picked up her candle, "There's one just down the hall here, follow me please."
Bridgette followed behind Elaine as she led them down the hall. Ahead, a staircase rose up into the darkness and the hallway split to the left and the right; Elaine turned left. Instinctively, Bridgette knew that following the woman would be a bad idea for whatever the reason. She knew that her life depended on getting away from this evangelist, so as Elaine turned left, Bridgette continued going forward, trying to keep her steps light and quick as she snuck up the staircase. She wasn't sure why the woman scared her, or why she thought that her life was at risk, but the sensation was so strong that she simply couldn't ignore it. Only half way up, she heard the surprised shout.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Bridgette didn't bother to answer or turn around. The rush of adrenaline to her system was like a punch in the stomach and she used the new found strength that coursed through her veins to fly up the stairs as fast as she could. She kept running; down a hall, through a door, down another hall and through another door, until she was sure that Elaine was left far behind. She closed the door behind her and tried to quiet her heavy breathing while she strained to listen for sounds of pursuit. As the seconds ticked by, her adrenaline running out and her fear momentarily subsiding, Bridgette began to wonder why she had run at all. Yes, the woman seemed to be a religious fanatic and somewhat on the insane side but Elaine hadn't attacked her, hadn't posed any real threat, yet at the time she had been sure the woman's intentions were evil. That feeling was gone though and now she was not only beginning to regret running from the only other human she had seen but she was regretting her idea to run at all. A small, throbbing cramp curled around her sides, a painful reminder that a woman so close to her due date should not be exerting herself so. 'Oh Nathan…Where are you?'
She couldn't hear any footsteps in the hall so she was confident that Elaine had not given chase. With that small comfort in mind, Bridgette turned around to inspect the room she had taken refuge in. It looked like your every day, run of the mill extended-stay hotel room complete with a twin beds, a table, a tiny kitchen area, a small dusty window and a door that presumably led to a bathroom. Bridgette walked over to the window and gazed out. Black night pressed in from the other side and made it impossible to see anything beyond the cold glass. Wondering if the reception would be better up here, Bridgette reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone.
As soon as she turned it on, it vibrated and played a few musical cords to let her know that she had received a text message. She flipped open the phone and felt her heart pause as the screen loaded, showing that she had a message from Nathan. Bridgette hit the button to open her message.
'where the hell did u go'
She stared unblinking at the message until the words began to blur. Was he out at the car right now? Did he even know about the monster? What if the thing got him already? Bridgette dialed his number but was answered right away with the annoying tones of failure. She frowned as she stared at the lack of signal bars. She needed to warn him! Her frown filled with determination as she punched in a reply message. Maybe that would go through…
'i'm in the hotel, watch out for the monsters! we have to meet somewhere safe, where are you?'
The message sounded stupid to her but she could think of no better way to convey all that she needed to. She hoped that he would receive it and reply soon. Then she could find him and together they could leave this horrible town. In the mean time, Bridgette knew she'd have to sit tight and stay out of trouble. Whatever was going on right now exceeded any logical explanation she could come up with so for her to try and wrap her mind around it felt like a waste of precious time and energy. She could only hope that either the answers revealed themselves later, or that she and Nathan would be out of here before it mattered.
Scanning over the quaint room, Bridgette thought back to old McGuyver episodes and felt the urge to look around to see if anything could be useful in her predicament. She opened the drawer in the nightstand between the beds first, but found it empty. The closet on the sidewall also yielded nothing. Checking the kitchen next, Bridgette was delighted to find a large cutting knife in one of the drawers, though she prayed that the time to use it would never come.
Standing in the kitchen, weapon in one hand and flashlight in the other, Bridgette felt quite proud of her prowess in this situation. She was happy to find out that in horrific circumstances such as these she was not the type of woman who would curl up in a corner and cry until death found her. No, she would not just curl up and die; she had a baby and a younger brother to look after and they were both depending on her. With that thought in mind, Bridgette continued to look through the cabinets and drawers with renewed vigor. In the last drawer she checked, she found a glossy pamphlet that catered to the visiting populace. It advertised a fun-filled family amusement park and even had an illustrated map for the park as well; a few pages after that it had another map for the resort area of Silent Hill. She wasn't sure if it would come in handy or not but Bridgette took it anyway; after all, if she did happen to end up in that part of town and didn't have a map, she would curse herself for not bringing it. Hindsight was a bitch.
Bridgette was about to leave the kitchen when the refrigerator caught her eye. She felt silly for wanting to check it out but today seemed like a good day to do something irrational and maybe if she was lucky there would be a freshly made turkey sandwich inside with her name written all over it. After opening the door and shining her flashlight inside though, Bridgette's stomach decided that a trip to the sink would be necessary. Nothing came up from the painful heaves but she felt better afterwards nonetheless. Inside the refrigerator was not a turkey sandwich. Instead there sat a severed human hand, blue, gray and bloody, with small lesions decorating the fingers and one of the fingernails torn off. The hand was curled into a fist with something metallic and shiny poking out from the side. Bridgette just stood there for a moment, staring.
"Oh god you have got to be kidding me…" she groaned.
After pulling the key loose, Bridgette spent a good measure of time gagging in the sink some more, wondering at the same time how much more her stomach could handle before it simply folded in on itself and called it a day. This was worse than having morning sickness all over again! Still, finding a key in such an odd place felt important so she didn't regret her decision to take it. Now equipped with a key, a map, a knife and her trusty flashlight, Bridgette was feeling confident about leaving the room and continuing her search for Nathan. All she had to do now was take a quick bathroom break and then she would be off.
The bathroom was small and musty, but it did accommodate Bridgette's needs nicely even if the toilet refused to flush afterwards. After jiggling the handle a few times, her common decency arguing that it was the proper thing to do, she gave up and went to the sink, her eyes seeking out her reflection. The flashlight was standing on the counter near the sink, pointed at the ceiling so it managed to fill the room with enough light to let Bridgette see the discolored bags beneath her eyes. She was tired, hungry, scared and frustrated, all of which was no doubt enough to make her eligible for an ugly award. Depressed, Bridgette sighed and brushed her hair back behind her ears but then her plump cheeks seemed to stand out even more so she pushed the hair back in place, thoroughly displeased with her appearance and ready to ignore it again.
About to reach for the flashlight, Bridgette stopped mid-motion as an electrifying tremor coursed through her body. It raced down to her fingers and toes, igniting nerve after nerve and she had no time to react before a familiar and wrenching pain tore through her abdomen, nearly buckling her knees and sending her sprawling. Bridgette leaned forward against the sink with both hands, her face a portrait of torment as the unborn child inside of her convulsed violently, kicking at her from the inside and flailing about with agonizing precision. It felt as if something was being ripped within her womb and Bridgette was forced to grind her teeth together to keep from screaming aloud and possibly attracting unwanted attention. Her mind was numb as tears fell from her eyes and time had no meaning as she sank to the floor twitching from the torture. The rushing blood in her ears blocked out the rising static that her phone hissed. Bridgette's head lolled to the side as her eyes fluttered open, her mind still buried beneath a pyramid of pain. What she saw sent her thoughts clawing to the surface and her body scrambling backwards until her back slammed against the tub.
If Bridgette had to imagine what it would look like to see a virus eat away at a person, this is what she thought it would look like. Thick coppery veins crawled from beneath the door and began growing up the walls and across the floor towards her with unnatural speed. As they spread, they ate away at everything, turning the walls to rust and blood and transforming the floor into grating that hid a bottomless abyss. She jumped to her feet, her head light from the diminishing pain and twirled as everything shifted before her open eyes. The effect was nauseating. The change was near complete before Bridgette's ears began picking up the screeching static coming from her phone. She recalled this happening before but…
Something was scratching at the wall from the other side of the door. It sounded as if it came from something small and Bridgette dared to hope that maybe it was just a lost cat or at worst maybe a mouse or two but she wouldn't have bet her life on it. But now the big decision came: stay trapped in here, hoping that somebody might come and save her before she starved to death or open the door and face whatever was out there. Beyond the door something whined. It sounded like a dog, no, more like a baby that hasn't gotten its way; no, definitely more like a dog…whatever it sounded most similar too, it sent shivers down Bridgette's spine regardless. Several others, creating a chorus of desperation, joined the first whine. Her blood ran cold in her veins.
Bridgette snatched up the flashlight from the counter and wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, "Please just let this be a bad dream, please just let this be a bad dream, please just…oh god just let this be a bad dream…"
She continued to whisper that mantra as she picked up the knife and inched towards the door. The rusted knob taunted her. It promised unspeakable horrors beyond and eternal imprisonment within and either option walked hand in hand with death. The scratching and whining outside the door continued. Bridgette held her breath as she shifted the flashlight over to her knife-hand and reached for the doorknob. She couldn't even hear the static anymore as she started pulling the door open and as her eyes found the source of the noise she felt her own sanity wanting to go on holiday. Her free hand dove towards her mouth and stifle a scream.
There were three monsters in the room, none larger than a young child and all more hideous than the next. The one closest to her had the body of a developing fetus. It was snakelike but much less functional and flexible than an actual serpent. The skin looked wet and raw as it pushed feebly against the floor, propelling the creature forward as it scraped against the wall. Atop the body was a bulbous head with bulging cheeks and eyes much too large for the sockets they sat in. It had the face of a child, only one that was distorted and nightmarish with parts concaved and open like a festering wound and other areas protruding at awkward, curved angles. The thing had four arms, three of which scratched at the walls with sharp little fingernails; the forth arm was just a mass of flesh. It hung limp at the monster's side and had only three fingers, each one thick and oddly curved; unusable. The other two creatures in the room were just as repulsive as the first but each in their own terrifying little ways.
Bridgette was so engrossed with staring at the monstrosities before her that it took her a moment to realize that they were now crawling towards her, inching their way across the floor and reaching out to her with their little fingers. She slid to the right and kept her back pressed to the wall as she made her way towards the door, her eyes never leaving the things in the room and her mind screaming in abject terror. As soon as her back found the knob she dropped her hand away from her mouth and tore the door open. Shuddering, she swung out of the room and slammed the door shut behind her with a noise caught in her throat that was both a scream and a sob. The dog-like wails pierced the hallway from the other side, each one conveying a miserable longing and each one loosing another ounce of rationality from her mind.
Turning away from the door and forcing her impending cry back down Bridgette was dismayed to find the hallway a reflection of the hotel and bathroom. Rust and blood covered the decaying walls and ceiling, the floor was metal grating and though she should have been able to see the rooms below there was nothing but darkness beneath her feet. Another shriek bubbled within her throat and it took several swallows to push it down and remember to breathe; each one came out with a keening whimper. Base instincts were trying to take over and Bridgette had to push them away to keep her body from running mindless down the halls and seeking a dark corner to collapse into.
Not daring to close her eyes, she took several deep breaths and hugged herself for a few seconds, the knife once again in her other hand and ready for quick use. A minute passed while she listened to the wailing from the room behind her, the sound of nails just a few feet to the right of the door. 'Breathe in; oh god, oh god, oh my fucking god; breathe out, breathe in, breathe god help me please, oh Jesus fucking Christ what the hell is this place; just breathe, just, just breathe…' Her thoughts circled in erratic waves as she tried to council herself. Another minute passed.
With her self-control in check and her body under stringent restraint, she managed to look around without fleeing. The hall seemed clear and free of monsters in either direction so Bridgette chose to continue left. Her footsteps clanked against the grating as she made her way further from the room and as she walked she noticed that her phone quieted down then altogether ceased making the strange static. Was it reacting to the creatures she kept running into? She wasn't all together sure but kept it on anyway, just in case.
Darkness clogged the hallways as Bridgette walked, her flashlight unable to penetrate very far through the gloom that seemed ready to suck her in at any moment. It was stifling and more than once she found herself holding her breathe as if the dark atmosphere could suffocate her should she take too much in. She tried several doors along the hall and was becoming agitated to find that many refused to open no matter how hard she pushed; some were missing doorknobs altogether and others just felt welded shut from the other side. She was coming up to the end of the hallway and was running out of doors to try when one finally gave in to her efforts. Had she not been in a weird town filled with monsters around every corner she would have whooped at her success but since she was in a weird town filled with monsters she opted to keep her mild conquest a private affair. The door opened with a loud crunch as rust grinded against rust and Bridgette winced with every second of sound it made, ever fearful that it would draw attention but nothing came.
Before stepping into the room, Bridgette leaned in and shined the flashlight around; it sported the same look as the hallway and by some great miracle was clear of anything murderous. The only things she could see inside were a desk and a chair, both filthy and splintered but otherwise in one piece. On the desk Bridgette found what appeared to be a page torn out of a book, a majority of it illegible and covered with what she could only assume was dried blood. She whispered the visible part aloud, her own voice an unconscious comfort to her shaken mind,
"…the fires that cleanse… Only then will the world be purified and the sinners sent to Hell. Light the flames of righteousness and burn the wicked… God, what kind of book did this come from…?"
The only other thing that inspired investigation was the desk drawer and it was locked. Bridgette tried to force it open but it didn't matter how hard she pulled, the damned thing wouldn't budge. As she started to turn away, giving up from the effort, a candle flickered in the recesses of her mind and Bridgette shook her head at the notion.
"Don't be stupid…"
Still, even as she spoke she reached into her pocket and pulled out the key she had plucked from the severed hand. The chances of it fitting the desk were slim and Bridgette felt dumb for even suggesting it to herself but she tried it anyway and was surprised; the key fit and the lock opened without protest. Hoping she wouldn't find another body part inside, Bridgette pulled the drawer out. She stared at the contents with mild disbelief, feeling like a pawn in some demented game now. Why would some one leave a hand with a key inside of a refrigerator? And why would that key just lead her to another key? It felt as if something or someone was playing a cruel joke on her and she didn't find it the least bit funny.
Inside the desk drawer was a key ring with four keys, one of which was larger than the rest and broken in half. Lying beside them was an old lighter, the kind that flipped open and was made of steel, and hidden in the corner were a few pencils, dull and indented with teeth marks. Bridgette pocketed the keys and looked at the remaining items, not sure if they would prove useful in the future or not. She grabbed the lighter and gave it a try, astounded that it still worked, so it too was taken. The pencils seemed meaningless though so she left them behind.
With her pockets full of freshly stolen goods, Bridgette sat down in the chair and let out a miserable sigh. Why was this happening to her of all people? She wasn't anyone special; hadn't accomplished anything great in life, hadn't done anything particularly wrong, yet here she was nevertheless. She couldn't shake the feeling of being toyed with either and the longer the notion sat nestled in her mind the more unsettled it became. Was Elaine the one doing this to her and if so, why? But what about the monsters, how could things like that possibly exist outside of a dream? It was true that this did feel like a nightmare but not the conventional, while you're sleeping type, so there had to be some explanation for the horrible creatures. Bridgette also had to wonder if anyone else was trapped like she and Nathan were. Elaine had spoken about a sister; maybe she too was alive somewhere, cut off from the world and terrified. The idea was almost comforting and Bridgette embraced the thought that perhaps she wasn't the only one alone and scared, that maybe she could find somebody to help her find her brother.
Her stomach gave a loud protested. Pulling out her phone she saw that it was just after midnight and her body was already starting to succumb to weariness and hunger. Her daughter as well was projecting unhappiness at the stress and lack of food she was being subjected to and Bridgette felt the emotional ache keenly. She needed to find Nathan soon… Standing, Bridgette clutched onto the knife and the flashlight as she made her way back out into the hallway, her thoughts gravitating around a single, hollow phrase. God help me.