Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill 3. I also do not own any of the characters/locations of this game. I only own my character, Katy.
A/N: Sorry for the delay. Tomorrow is my day off, so I have finally been able to sit down and write up a chapter. No fear: I never abandon a good story! So enjoy reading and who knows-maybe I can update tomorrow since I won't be doing much of anything all day (except working on a take-home test...hehe).
Chapter 22: Don't Walk Into the Light
The second that I commanded my legs to run, I could feel a strange warmth on my back and clinging to my heels. It was overwhelming, like staying in a tanning booth too long. In my peripheral vision, I could see the haunting red hue of light behind me. Shrieks and screams rang through my ears, growing louder with each passing second, but I was sure the sounds didn't belong to me.
My heart pounded in a rhythm that matched the impact of my feet on the creaky, old floorboards. What if the floor gave way right then and there? What if I couldn't reach the door before the red light touched my skin? Don' t think, Katy. Don't think, just run, I ordered myself, clearing away any other distracting thoughts.
Down one hallway, keep moving, turn, down the next hallway, turn. It seemed like a labyrinth, as if whatever lived in here really didn't intend for me to leave. Every speck of dirt looked the same, every crack as jagged as the last. Where's the door? Don't turn around, don't look back...
Too late. Foolishly, I glanced over my shoulder to see the vibrant red light, dissolving everything in its wake. The walls vanished, the floor broke into splinters. It was only inches away.
Racing down the hallway, I faced a dead end, with only dismal gray curtains hanging over a broken window. No, when I looked to my left-lo and behold-there was the door. It was like the air had left my lungs as I wrestled with the doorknob, twisting this way and that crazily.
Open, open, open! Twist and push, I reminded myself. The red light was so close, I could feel the heat emanating from it. Twisting the doorknob hard to the right, I slammed my weight against the door and felt it swing open.
Frantically, I jumped in and shut the door before leaning against it. All I needed was a moment to catch my breath. Suddenly, the door began shaking and rattling. The doorknob fell off completely and red light showed from under the door. Oh, come on, already!
Just as the door burst into two whole pieces, I was up and running again. The red light grew in intensity until the shrieks consumed the hallway and my ears began ringing. The voice of the narrator came over the loudspeaker, his chuckling rivaling the screams.
"Run all you like. You'll never reach the exit," he cackled. At that instant, the light came too close and grazed my elbow. A faint hissing sound came along with the searing pain. It felt like someone had just burned my skin with a poker, fresh from a fireplace. Part of me wanted to stop and scream, but I forced my legs to keep going. Ow, ow, ow!
It was the same layout of the last hallway, as though the light were mocking me. I'd reached the door last time, but would I do it again this time? Turn, down the next hallway, turn. There was the same walls, the same musty smell, the same window...the same door.
Yes! Thank God! Inside, I was yelping for joy as I crashed into that final door and turned the knob. My hopes diminished as the door refused to budge. It was locked. The red light appeared in the hallway and I screamed as I twisted the knob again and again. No!
"Let me out of here! Let me out," I yelled as I banged my fists on the door. My hands were starting to bruise and hurt, but I didn't care. Beyond that door was fresh air and the somewhat living world, but I was unable to reach it.
"I told you so," the narrator mocked. The red light came slowly closer, as if it were taking its time in killing me. Afraid, I twisted the knob until it broke off in my hands. The worthless thing fell to the floor and rolled away before being caught in the deadly light. It melted into nothing, just like my skin would.
"Help me! Let me out of here! Somebody help," I cried out until my throat was raw, but who would come? Douglas, with his broken leg? Claudia, who was probably already at the Church? Alessa? Nobody will come for me, I realized as I felt tears sting my eyes. My fists slowed in their banging and my head lowered until it connected with the wood of the door.
"If it isn't Katherine," an all too familiar voice called to me as the door opened. Caught off guard, I fell forward and the screeches from the red light started up again as it realized I had found a way out.
Dragging my body up from the ground, I slammed into the door and closed it just as the red light tried to get through. The door shook violently and the screams increased. Then, everything fell quiet and the door became still once more. Breathing heavily, I slumped against the door and gazed up at my savior.
"You've certainly seen better days," Vincent snidely told me, taking his time to observe me from head to toe. "I believe I just saved your life." Grimacing at him, I pulled myself together. Why did always need to mock others?
"Yeah, right. I nearly had that door opened. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have fallen on my face," I argued, refusing to admit he had saved my life. Vincent turned his nose down at me, staring down like I was a little, stubborn child.
"Sure you did. I suppose all the screaming was for the effect," he shot back, calm as ever. As always, one eye of his stared straight at me while the other was slightly off. It bothered me, but I held his gaze defiantly. What if I told him he was nothing more than a video game character like I had with Douglas? Would he think I had gone insane? Maybe it would erase the all-knowing smile from his face.
"Why are you even here? Aren't you supposed to be at the Church with Claudia?" I knew Claudia's name set Vincent on edge, followed by sheer repulsion. Even then, his features lost the serene look and was replaced by quick anger.
"Claudia doesn't matter. She's a fool, that's all. Haven't I already told you I'm on your side?" I never remembered Vincent saying it, even though he'd implied it. Stepping away from the door, I narrowed my eyes at him. In the distance, I could just see the caraousel, its lights shining like a lighthouse at sea.
"Just because you say that, doesn't mean I trust you," I told him before moving off in the direction of the caraousel. Vincent sidestepped me until he was blocking my way.
"Who else would you trust? That old detective who, by the way, was working for Claudia?" At the mention of Douglas, I stopped and glared at Vincent. How much did he really know? How long had he been following Douglas and me through the park?
"Douglas doesn't want anything to do with Claudia anymore," I informed him. Vincent didn't look the least bit impressed. Once again, I tried to move past him and once again he blocked my path. "Would you stop doing that?"
"Listen, Katherine, we're both going to the same place," Vincent pointed out and I suddenly knew what he wanted. He would follow me, keep working on me like a puzzle that needed solving.
"Oh, you mean hell?" Vincent winced for a second, but then grinned like the Chesire Cat. If he was willing to taunt me, then I would do the same.
"Perhaps. Of course, what I really meant is the Church. We're both going there, so why not go together?" Vincent placed the offer on the table and I bluntly refused. "Oh, please. Better me than Claudia, right?" Vincent spat out Claudia's name like it tasted horrible in his mouth.
"Arguably," I admitted. Vincent took it as a "yes." Annoyed, I stomped off toward the caraousel with Vincent on my heels, like a bug that I couldn't swat or the red light that had threatened to consume me. I preferred the red light.
...
I know it's a bit shorter than other chapters, but I already have ideas for the next chapter. It should be with interesting now that Vincent is tagging along. (= Until...tomorrow?