Douglas and Heather gaped at Barry.
"Wha? Wait, I thought you guys had the map! That's what Cybil told us. She said that you guys would have any maps that were needed and we didn't need to bother with them!" Heather looked very worried.
"What? I thought we asked you two to bring maps! You guys have been here before though, so maybe it doesn't matter...But I was certain that Barry asked you to bring maps…" Jill looked equally worried.
Douglas frowned. "That's true that we've been here before, but Cheryl and I didn't enter the town this way, so I've got no idea where we are right now. I think we are still in the new part of town though..."
"So we have no idea where we are then?" Claire looked instantly nervous.
"Well, no…Douglas thinks we're in the new part of town, and that's where we were before, so if we just go out into the street I should be able to tell were we are…."Heather trailed off as they walked into town. "When do you think Umbrella started out in Silent Hill? If we know the date and time we can tell if they are in Old Silent Hill or New Silent Hill." None of the others knew, but Heather was anxious to get to the diner Cybil had appeared in when she first came to Silent Hill.
"Uhm…Well, Umbrella is said to have to expanded into Silent Hill in 1984, right?" Rebecca turned to Chris. "I couldn't see a definite date. I kept finding contradicting numbers, but 1984 was the one that came up the most."
"Ok…Well, that would mean that the facility is in Old Silent Hill. New Silent Hill wasn't constructed until, oh, about 12 years ago. It wasn't here…when my dad came, but it was when Douglas came looking for his missing person, right?" Douglas nodded at Heather.
"Right. And even then it was fairly new. So I assume that we should be heading towards Old Silent Hill?" Heather nodded at Douglas this time, and motioned for the rest of the team to follow her as she stepped out onto the road.
Chris grabbed her arm though, and pulled her back. "Are you crazy? We have to be careful here! What if something happened to you? We'd be stuck here."
"I've been here before and survived. So has Douglas. What is he then, chopped liver? Besides, we aren't going to get anywhere if we just stand around. "
Heather was starting to get antsy. All the weirdness in Silent Hill should have popped out and started harassing them all ready.
"Fine. But we'll go first. Because if you get hurt…."Chris trailed off as he stepped into the street.
Heather just rolled her eyes at Douglas and smiled. It seemed like these people were the type to take charge and move in slowly. Not like her or Douglas at all. This was going to be an interesting time, clashing against each other's ideas on how to move.
As Douglas and she met the others on the sidewalk, Jill turned to her. "Do you know where we are now?"
Heather looked around. "Hmmm….Defiantly New Silent Hill. Neely's Bar is over there, so that's how I know. I think we have to go that way," she pointed down a side street, "to get to Old Silent Hill. It should take about twenty minutes to get there though. Longer if there are any…detours."
"Detours?" Claire asked, clearly unnerved by the feel of the town.
"Oh, you know, the road falling to pieces, big cliffs, big walled off sections that shouldn't be there, piles of cars. That sort of thing." They all turned to Douglas, unsure if they should really believe him.
"Are you serious? Really?" Rebecca gaped at Douglas. "The road just disappeared? That would imply a structural weakness beneath the town. Is it built on top of some sort of empty reservoir?"
Heather shook her head. "You haven't even heard the weird bit yet. The roads that disintegrated into nothing end up coming back! The second time we came here all the exits were blocked. But when we were finished, we were able to leave. There were no more barricades or anything! A little creepy though…"
"But that's impossible! How…?" Claire shook her head. "If the road crumbles and disappears then it shouldn't be able to come back!"
"Well, here it does. Do you think this has anything to do with Umbrella?" Heather thought that letting the other believe that Umbrella was responsible for what was going on in the town was good for the time being. She didn't think that they would accept the ghost of Alyssa's memories was causing all the weird things.
"Well, that doesn't really matter now. We have to get to Old Silent Hill and find out what Umbrella is doing. We can talk about impossibilities of this town later." Jill walked a little ways up the street. "God….This fog is fucking thick. Can you guys even see me anymore?"
"We can, but you shouldn't go too far away. We don't want to lose you." Chris called, peering into the fog.
"Yeah…We don't want the town taking you too."
Everyone turned to Heather. Well, everyone who hadn't experienced Silent Hill before.
"You really believe that the town will take people huh?" Jill walked out of the fog and shook her head. "Anyway, I didn't see any people around. This remind anyone of anything?"
Chris and Barry grew more guarded, and Claire and Rebecca began looking a bit more nervous, but Heather and Douglas relaxed slightly. If Jill didn't see any one, that meant that maybe the monsters and hell beasts were holding back for now.
"Careful now. Jill said the way was clear, but the way this town feels….Everyone should be on high alert. Cheryl, you know where we need to go?" Heather nodded. "Good. Let's move out then people. We don't want to be caught here in the dark." Chris motioned with his hand for Heather to go first.
"I think we can all agree with that. Although, if we do get stuck here I know a good hotel. I don't think I ever returned the key for our room after the last visit. We could always stop there." Douglas provided, hanging in the back with Rebecca and Claire.
"We'll keep that in mind, although I hope to be in Old Silent Hill before we need a hotel room." Barry commented, keeping a close look at the other side of the road.
"So, Cheryl." Jill had been watching Heather since they'd reached the town, and she could tell that the younger woman had her hackles up.
"Yes?" Heather was only half paying attention. Just because Jill hadn't seen anything didn't mean that the freak show that is Silent Hill wasn't about to start.
"What up with your outfit? I mean, ok, I get the casual clothing and the bullet-proof vest, but a sword? Isn't that a bit, you know, odd?"
Heather internally smiled. She couldn't believe that it had taken so long for them to notice it. "I feel more comfortable with it on. Call me paranoid, but…"
Jill nodded, seeming to take her answer. "Ok, I know what you mean. I carry my lock picks with me everywhere, even when I don't need to….But, I mean, you just look so….Ready I suppose. I mean, ok the flashlight is looking pretty cheap and beat up, and I have no clue why you have that broken radio, I mean, can you hear the static coming from that thing?"
Heather stopped. "Static? You can hear…." She pulled the radio out and held it to her ear. Nothing.
"I heard static. Back when we stopped to look at the Chief's crashed bike. Why? What's wrong?"
Heather shook her head and resumed walking. She didn't put the radio back in her pocket though. She just looped the strap around her hand. "Nothing! Just….Nothing."
Douglas was the only one who noticed something was wrong, and came over to walk with her after Jill fell back to chat with Barry and Claire. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"Jill said she'd heard static when we were looking at Cybil's bike."
Douglas looked rightfully worried. "Shit. Do you think?"
"Yeah. Something was watching us. Something not human." Heather strode ahead, now listening keenly for any static, as well as looking for the turn they'd have to make.
"Should we….You know, tell them?" Douglas walked closer to her, not wanting the others to overhear their conversation.
"No. Hopefully we won't have to….Oh crap." Heather stopped, holding up a hand to warn the others that they'd have to stop as well.
"What is it?" Barry asked, bringing up the rear.
"Holy….That is a big hole." Jill crouched down, peering over the edge.
"When you said detours, I didn't think….I thought smaller sized obstructions. This is just…" Everyone crowded around, staring into the hole that had opened up in the middle of the street.
"Well, I guess we have no option but to find a way around this. Anyone see a clue as to where we should go? A blood trail or strange noises or opened doors?" Everyone turned to Heather, and she internally winced. "Ok, maybe not blood trails, but anyone see anything?"
Claire gave Heather a weird look. "Blood trails? Really Cheryl, it's not like Silent Hill is home to serial killers and cultists or anything."
Rebecca then piped up. "Actually, a notorious serial killer by the name of Walter Sullivan was raised by what was believed to be a cult operating in and around an orphanage right on the outskirts of the town. Apparently the cult also had a hold on the town. Strangely though most of the cult leaders died or disappeared, leading it to disband, excluding the more extremist members who have either gone the way of the leaders or stayed in town, running various parts of the city."
Claire paled. "Not helping there 'Becca."
"Well, I can't really help it if the town has an interesting backstory! I haven't even started going into the murders, deaths, missing peoples, and that freaky house fire I read about! This place is fascinating."
"That's nice Rebecca, but we don't want to be even more freaked out when we face….well, when we face whatever we face. Let's just try and concentrate on getting around this….Is there a way? Or are we going to have to start breaking down doors?" Everybody began looking for open doors, holes in walls, and in Heather and Douglas's case, trails of blood.
It took a good twenty minutes before Barry called out that he'd found a grocery store with open doors. "Even if there isn't an unlocked back door we'll still be able to stock up on some food!" He joked, looking cautiously into the empty, deserted store. "Should we go in?"
The Raccoon City group debated the pros and cons, and hadn't even noticed that Douglas had go into the store until he stuck his head out and yelled that the way was clear, there was some food and drinks that were still good, and that the backdoor was unlocked.
"What the hell are you doing Douglas? Didn't you hear what Chris said to Cheryl? What happens if you end up disappearing?" Jill seemed concerned for Douglas and stood with her arms crossed as he re-joined the group.
"I think Douglas will be ok…I don't think anything here would dare mess with him." Heather joked before turning to Chris. "So, can we go in? I mean, Douglas said it was ok, and I'm inclined to trust him, so…?"
Chris frowned, obviously not all that happy with Douglas disappearing into the store. "Yeah. You did a thorough check, right Douglas? Don't really feel like being jumped by something you missed in there."
Heather rolled her eyes as Douglas nodded, but waited for someone else to enter the store before her. It wasn't that she was paranoid or anything, but she was getting the feeling that ever since entering the town she'd done nothing but irritate the others.
As she stepped into the store, Claire walked over to her. "Sorry about my brother. He can be a dick sometimes." Heather smiled as Chris looked over, a look of annoyance and brotherly irritation on his face.
"Oh? And yet you are perfectly normal and pleasant?" Heather smiled as she scrounged through the shelves, listening to the Redfield siblings squabble.
Eventually they all moved to the exit. Heather shoved a pack of chips and several water bottles into her rapidly filling backpack and climbed over a knocked over shelf to re-join the others. "So, we heading out now? Or does anyone need to look some more?"
"Yeah, We're finished here. And, since you guys seem to keep ignoring my advice and I figured that you know the town best, we'll do things your way. Just try not to get killed, ok?" Chris held the door open as everyone filed through out into the alley. "So, which way do we go now?"
"Hmmmm….Well, I think we need to get out of this alleyway first. To the left!" Everyone followed Heather out onto the street, where she turned several times to get a better bearing of where they were.
"Ok…We are about….Oh man." She stopped and rubbed her face with her hand. "We are really close to Old Silent Hill. I guess I thought that we were deeper into New Silent Hill. We need to go straight, then turn right, then left, then we have to follow the road straight into Old Silent Hill."
"…That sound simple enough. Straight, right, left, straight." Everyone started moving and Heather could have smiled. If only this wasn't Silent Hill…Maybe Heather could have enjoyed this if she wasn't wandering around this hell town.
Everyone walked in relative silence, speaking very little. Heather had her head cocked to better listen for static, and Douglas walked beside her, staring out into the fog.
It wasn't until they reached the bridge that Heather heard something on her radio.
Rather, everyone in the States heard something on her radio.
"GOOD GOD! SHUT THAT THING OFF!" Chris yelled, holding his hands over his ears as it screeched.
Heather paled, staring at nothing, before running to the edge of the bridge and looking over. Douglas ran to the opposite side and started looking as well.
Douglas flinched away from the side he was looking over, and Heather ran over and paled even more, if such a thing was possible. A large shadow was moving under the water, heading in the direction of the lake. Everyone else moved to look as well, but Barry was the only one to see a glimpse of the monster before it disappeared from sight.
The static faded, and Barry turned to Douglas, pale and worried. "What the hell was that? I've never seen a fish that big in a stream like this. It's too big…."
"I didn't see anything Barry. You might have been seeing things in the fog." Chris interrupted, feeling sceptical. "And what was up with your radio? Is it broken? And why didn't you turn it off?"
"…" Douglas decided to answer Barry instead of Chris. "I have no clue what that was…I've never seen anything that big before in my life."
Heather answered Chris. "Nothing is wrong with my radio. It just doesn't work. Also, it was off. So I couldn't re-turn it off." She stared him down, starting to feel a little annoyed with how he was acting.
"So that works despite being off and broken? Why don't you get rid of it then?" Claire asked, bumping into her brother, making him break his glare.
"…" Heather didn't know how to answer Claire's question. Thankfully Jill interrupted, so Heather didn't have to.
"Come on. If there was really something in the water we should get moving. It could be an Umbrella monstrosity, and I want to get closer to the facility before we get swamped with…adversaries."
Heather exchanged looks with Douglas as they started moving again. "What do you think that was? I've never…well, I've never seen anything that big other than the "god" I fought and killed. Something that big though…Well, if we do fight it hopefully it's more than one of us doing it."
"I agree. Now, why so insistent on getting into Old Silent Hill? I mean, yeah the Umbrella facility is probably there, but do we really need to head there right away?" Douglas was speaking quietly, but no one but Heather was paying attention to him. From what Heather could see the others were embroiled in a conversation of their own.
"I think Cybil will be there. You know how my Dad wrote a book based on when he was here?" Douglas nodded. "Yeah, well, in it he said that Cybil was in a diner in Old Silent Hill. I'm hoping she's there this time as well."
"Do you really think she'll be there though? Did you say that Jill had heard static when we were looking at her bike? I hate to be negative, but…."
Heather hummed to herself. "I think…I think she'll be there. Just a feeling in my stomach, but…I hope she's there. Cybil's almost a mother figure to me, and I know for sure that the department would become a wreck if she wasn't around to whip them into shape anymore."
Douglas started to reply when Rebecca called to them from ahead. "HEY! Are you guys coming? What are you doing back there? Gossiping about us?"
Heather grinned widely, and nudged Douglas with her elbow. "Oh yeah. You know us, laughing at Chris's hair, wondering what you would all look like in tutus. The usual things."
"What's wrong with my hair?" Chris was trying to look indignant, but Claire ruined it, jumping on his back and pushing it all forwards so it stood up.
Barry shook his head and Jill covered up her laughter. "I think we're in Old Silent Hill now. So where to next?"
A/N 1: I was trying to figure out some dates, but if I'd assumed that the first SH game took place in the same time period it was realised (1998 in my head, 1999 on Wikipedia, and 2000 on the game case) then the year my story would be taking place would be 2020, 2021, or 2022. :| I am not a fan of those numbers though, so…uh….the story takes place sometime? I'm going to be mucking up numbers galore in this….so sorry if anything ends up wrong. ;^^
A/N 2: Sorry if I have some stuff mixed up/wrong. It's been a while since I've played the games/have played them recently but am still mixing shit up. Anything you see that needs to be changed, give a shout!
A/N 3: Do you find me referring to Heather as Cheryl in dialogue confusing when I'm calling her Heather in the rest of the story? Just wondering…..Also, am I making Chris too much of a dick and Rebecca too smart? It seems like I'm taking their characters to extremes…Bah. W/e.
A/N 4: Dear Me: STFU PLZ.