Disclaimer: I do not own the Silent Hill series or anything related to it. The only thing I own is the character of Katy.
A/N: So, it's off to Leonard's house. What surprises will be waiting there? You'll have to read on and find out…
Chapter 17: To Leonard's House We Go
The minute we settled back into Douglas' car—with the fog rolling in thicker than ever—I carefully unfolded the map of Silent Hill. It appeared exactly as it had in the game, except for a minor flaw. In one corner of the map, near the Silent Hill Historical Society on Nathan Avenue, was an almost perfect circle drawn in red marker or pen. Leaning forward, I noticed a small outline that faintly resembled a building on the map. Thanks for the tip, Vincent, I thought as I pointed it out to Douglas.
"You really think it'll be that easy? We walk in there, find Leonard Wolf, and perhaps he'll lead us to Claudia?" Douglas stared skeptically at me for a long moment, the map in his hands. I simply shrugged back at him.
"Maybe that's just what I'm hoping," I answered. Liar, a small voice protested in my mind and I had to agree. I already knew where Claudia would be holing up in Silent Hill; I just figured it'd be interesting to see what Leonard's house was really like. Beside me, Douglas shook his head.
"Kid, I've been in the detective business for a long time. I've gotten really good at being able to tell when someone's lying," he said, giving me a hard, serious look. My body stiffened and I wondered if he was going to press the issue. The less you know, the better, I reminded myself, echoing my thoughts from earlier. "Whatever it is you're hiding, that's your business, I suppose," Douglas finally admitted, to which I breathed out the air that I had unknowingly been holding.
"Are you going to drive or should I?" I sounded uninterested and impatient, the perfect combination to send a warning to Douglas. Apparently understanding the message, he started the engine and made a quick U-turn in the parking lot. All the while, I watched as Jack's Motel quickly faded into the surrounding fog, just like everything else.
…..
Leonard's house looked like something that came out of the Amityville Horror. It would have been the perfect Hollywood haunted house, if it only had some lightning illuminating the background.
Located at the far end of Nathan Avenue, it was an old house that seemed almost abandoned on the side of the road, a long trail leading to the front door. A rickety gate swung slightly on its hinges and a bent mailbox contained the symbol of the Order on its side, marked in what I pretended was red paint.
"Talk about Hell House," I shrugged off my anxiety. Part of me wanted to turn around and high-tail it out of there, but the more reasonable part told me I had to stick it out. Besides, I wasn't alone this time; I had Douglas with me. Yeah, that's really comforting—a seasoned detective who has no clue what he might be walking into, I dubiously thought.
"Not exactly attractive," Douglas agreed, eyeing the place. "What did you expect?" To tell the truth, my expectations hadn't been far off. Leonard had been just as senile as Claudia, both of their minds warped by ideas of Paradise. Nervously, I gripped the katana in my hands, ready for anything. "Are you really sure you need that?"
"Better safe than sorry, right?" Just to prove I meant business, I held the katana slightly raised, poised to attack at any given moment. Douglas shook his head and—I couldn't really believe it—actually laughed at the sight of me. "You pick this moment to actually laugh at something I've said?"
"It's not what you say, kid. It's what you do that counts. Let's go," Douglas motioned his head toward the house. The gate screeched as it was pushed open, breaking the silence like a shrill alarm.
The closer we got to Leonard's house, the more it became unappealing. Spiders hung from their cobwebs in the corners and the wooden porch in front had a few jagged holes in the floor. The door was one of those kinds that had brass knockers and I wondered who would answer if we knocked.
"No point in knocking," Douglas muttered as if he read my thoughts. Bending down, he lifted a gray doormat—dust swirled up and clouded around us—and found a small skeleton key. Douglas jiggled the key into the lock for a second and the door eerily creaked open. Here we go, I thought as we stepped into Leonard's house.
The interior appeared larger than the outside of the house would allow. Douglas and I were standing in the middle of the main hall, complete with a marble floor and a chandelier. There was a staircase to the left, most likely leading to the bedrooms. Another room—probably the living room or dining room—branched off the hall to our right. It would have been a beautiful house, if we had not been in Silent Hill, that is.
"Wow," I breathed, gazing up at the chandelier. The glass shards chimed a little as they swung against each other, even though there wasn't a breeze. It was then that I noticed something strange about the house: there was no electricity whatsoever. The hall was absent of any switched that might trigger a little light. Leonard must have preferred using candles instead.
"How about if I search down here while you start upstairs?" Douglas suggested, already walking towards the dining room/living room. Nodding, I glanced at the stairs and sighed. Ready or not, I thought as I climbed the first steps.
Bang! A sudden noise behind me almost made me fall off the stairs and I jumped about a mile. Clutching my hand to my heart and trying to slow my breath, I realized it was just the door slamming shut. Isn't that convenient, I thought bitterly as I resumed climbing the stairs. Each one creaked under my weight, as though they hadn't been used in years.
It was a good thing I still had my flashlight; otherwise, I'd have been fumbling in the darkness. The house was almost pitch black and shadows swallowed me whole. There were three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. As I reached the top floor, I noticed a room directly across the hall. Alessa and Claudia's room.
Their room wasn't far off from a little girl's room. Silky curtains hung over the windows and two small beds were set up side by side against one wall, matching blankets covering them. A wooden nightstand sat beside the farthest bed, a gold picture frame left there. Dust floated around the room and settled on nearly everything, except the picture frame.
It was a picture of the entire Wolf family. Leonard and Dahlia were standing behind their two children, who were posed side by side. No one in the picture was smiling; all four sets of eyes were dark and haunting. Mostly, I focused on Alessa. Her face seemed almost sad and broken, her eyes filled with sorrow. Did she already know what would happen to her? Was she already aware that she would be sacrificed for the birth of a god?
Immediately, I started to wonder about this little girl. Was she like other girls growing up, playing with her sister and laughing without a care in the world? Or was she miserable from day one? I closed my eyes and imagined her sleeping in one of those beds, or descending the stairs and into the living room. It was difficult, but I could almost feel her presence there, close enough but still out of reach.
Katy, a soft voice called from the shadows. Gasping, I dropped the frame and the glass shattered at my feet. Hushed cries filled the room and—as I stared—slow, bloody footsteps, those of a child, appeared on the floor. The steps led to the door and out into the hallway. I remembered the bloody footsteps in the video game, only showing up in the church. Was Alessa here, trying to tell me something?
"Alessa?" My voice was hollow and, as I held the katana in my hands, I followed the footsteps. My flashlight shined on the red markings, hinting that it was fresh blood. The steps continued down the hallway and stopped at a closed door. "What are you trying to tell me?" I didn't expect a verbal answer and I didn't receive one.
Hesitantly, I opened the door and found another bedroom, this one bigger than the children's. My instincts screamed at me to find Douglas, but I ignored them. As soon as the door was open, the bloody footsteps continued and led me to a blank wall across from the king-size bed.
From what I could see in the little light I had, it was a plain wall. My fingertips brushed along it until I felt a crease that traveled downwards. Maybe it's something more than a wall, I realized as I pushed my weight against the wall. Something loosened and a hidden door opened, revealing a small room. Curious, I stepped inside and gasped.
"Douglas!"
…..
"What do you know? A secret room," Douglas said as he observed Leonard's hidden study. It was a circular room with photographs of Alessa and the Church scattered everywhere. The Order symbol was carved into a narrow wooden desk in center. "Where did the blood come from?" Douglas pointed to the footsteps that had not faded away.
"I think Alessa led me to this room," I explained, tracing the symbol with a finger. Douglas gave me a puzzled look and I remembered he was clueless. "Alessa was one of Leonard's daughters, aside from Claudia. She died a long time ago when her mother forced her to birth a god, kind of like what Claudia wants to do with me."
"So, Claudia's sister is helping you out? Why?" Douglas picked up a scrap of paper from the floor; it read "Paradise" over and over in deep black. Setting the katana beside the door—mainly to keep it propped open—I scanned the photos.
"Alessa doesn't want Claudia to attempt what her mother did. Maybe she wants to spare me the suffering," I laughed, but it was weak. A sensation of discomfort coiled through my stomach and I winced.
"Are you okay?" Douglas had noticed my discomfort and sounded genuinely concerned. Forcing a smile, I shrugged.
"I'll survive," I assured him. What I thought was I hope. My eyes returned to a black and white picture of the Church. I knew that was where I would meet Claudia, but could I really head in that direction now? It isn't a video game anymore, I reminded myself. I can do whatever I want.
"Claudia will be at the Church," I stated, more to myself than Douglas. His eyes followed mine and narrowed when he studied the picture.
"How do you know that?" Douglas was still suspicious of me, as he should have been. Part of me wanted to break down and tell him everything, but I didn't want him involved to that extent.
"Seems like the kind of place she'd run off to in Silent Hill," I suggested, pretending to be extremely interested in the photo. Douglas nodded and plucked the photo from where it was pinned.
"I'll go with you," he offered, just as I had argued to travel to Leonard's house with him. To me, it wasn't a two-way street. Crossing my arms, I gave him a pointed stare.
"No way. This is something I have to do by myself. Besides, you'll get hurt," I told him. In my mind, I pictured him lying down with a broken leg, blood covering the spot over his knee. Douglas glared back like the detective that he was.
"And you won't?" My silence confirmed his words; I already knew I hadn't seen the last of blood tonight. "Exactly. Why do you have to do it alone? I'm coming," he insisted. The two of us glared at each other for a long minute before I felt myself crumbling.
"Fine, but if you get hurt or killed, it's not my responsibility," I retorted. Douglas smiled a little and I noticed his eyes were sad.
"You won't be," he said, turning towards the door. Suddenly I recalled one of his lines from the game. No one's going to cry over my grave anyway, he had said. I was sure he was thinking it now. Douglas left to check out the rest of Leonard's room, leaving me to examine the other contents of the hidden room.
"Katy," Douglas called from the room and I wondered if he'd found something else. There was a note of warning in his voice, something I didn't like. Sighing, I grabbed the katana and exited the hidden room.
"What'd you find now? Oh, hell," I gasped just as thousands of Creepers invaded the room.
….
Uh-oh, here come the Creepers! What did you guys think of the chapter?
Unfortunately, I'm going to be leaving on a vacation in a few days, but hopefully I can update before then. Until next time, readers!