Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill 3 or any of the characters/places in the game. The only character i own is Katy.

A/N: See, I told you I'd update the next day! (= I'm basically not doing anything on my day off anyway, so why not write up a new chapter? Enjoy, everyone!

Chapter 23:The Carousel

"So, why did you come to Silent Hill? There must be a good reason," Vincent's voice was buzzing in my ear, almost impossible to ignore. I almost regretted my agreement of bringing him along. Almost, if it weren't for the human contact. For some reason, he was suspicious about me; he obviously didn't believe I was only here for Claudia.

"I came for the scenery," I sarcastically replied, gesturing around the foggy, black amusement park. I came because I was sucked into a videogame. You're nothing but a videogame character and so is Claudia, I imagined telling him. The two of us walked away from the Borely Haunted Mansion, towards a green-painted door that would lead into the next area of the park.

"Silent Hill used to be a tourist attraction," he mentioned, as if he were trying to make simple conversation. No, there was a reason he was telling me this. "A man disappeared here a few years ago. They never found his body, not a trace," Vincent spoke each word deliberately, his eyes fully trained on me. James, I realized.

"That won't happen to me," I assured him confidently. It couldn't happen to me, not when I had to get out of this nightmare and back into the world I knew. Vincent seemed skeptical of that idea.

"Only time will tell." Sighing, I pushed open the green door ahead of us. Inside the next area was a spaceship ride, the metal rusted completely. Wooden benches surrounded the ride along with pots of flowers that had long since died. On one of the benches was a long chain, but when I tried to lift it, it was much too heavy.

"Help me with this," I ordered Vincent, who was leaning against the ride with his arms folded over his chest, an amused expression on his face.

"I don't like to get my hands dirty," he said. Scowling at him, I managed to drag the chain across the area to the ride, with Vincent watching me. I tied one end of the chain around the handle of the ride and the other around the handle of the gate that refused to open.

"Could you at least push that button in the control booth?" I pointed to the small booth next to the ride and Vincent followed my finger. For a minute, I thought he wasn't going to do as I asked, but then he walked over and pushed the button. "Thank you for that, at least," I mumbled under my breath.

The ride stalled for a moment, but then started up. The spaceships creaked as they rose and fell. As the ride spun, the chain tightened until the handle of the door burst away and clattered on the ground. The gate inched open and I shot Vincent a satisfied smirk.

"I wouldn't get too cocky if I were you. Silent Hill has a way of tearing people down," Vincent warned me as I strode through the gate. My thoughts swiftly turned to Douglas and I wondered if he was okay.

Briefly I scanned my eyes over the next area. It was larger than the one before it, with small shops and food kiosks scattered around. Most of the food looked greasy and moldy and the shops were locked. A red tent was set up in a corner with a sign that boasted of fortune telling. My mind whirled as I considered cutting through one of the doors nearby; I struggled to recall which path led to the caraousel.

"Don't tell me you're lost?" Vincent was mocking me again-he seemed to find enjoyment out of it. Rolling my eyes at him, I pointed to one of the doors next to the tent.

"I am not lost. All we have to do is go through there and-" At that moment, my radio emitted a stream of shrill noises and my hand froze in the air. Instinctively, my hand went to my side, until I remembered that I dropped my katana when I jumped off the roller coaster. How do I fight without a weapon?

Out of the darkness came one of those oversized beetles, its sharp blades held in front like the wings of a pterodactyl. Hastily, my eyes roamed around the ground in search of anything I could use. The grinding sounds filled my ears as the monster dove into the air and began hurtling towards us.

"Get down!" I grabbed Vincent's arm and forced him to the ground just as the monster floated over our heads and crashed into the wall behind us. "Run," I demanded, heading for the door I had mentioned. I didn't know if Vincent was behind me, but all I could think about was that door.

Behind me, the grinding increased, growing louder as the creature came closer. The door was inches away and suddenly I was rushing through it, slamming it once Vincent got inside.

"I...really hate...those things," I said while trying to slow my breathing. At least I had chosen the right door; there were the familiar Cinderella and Snow White statues with tracks leading past them.

"Bravo. Your brilliant idea is to run," Vincent stated, shaking his head at me. My heart was slowly returning to normal, but anger fueled it again.

"What exactly could I have done without a weapon? Oh, right...I'd get myself killed," I argued with him. Why did I ever agree to take him along with me?

"There are worse things than getting killed," he said, almost softly as though part of him didn't intend for me to hear. I was about to ask him what he meant when he started walking away from me. Oh, sure. Now he's the one leading the way.

For the first time, the Cinderella and Snow White statues set me on edge. Their porcelain faces were so pale and their eyes were glassy, the kind that made you feel as if they were following your every move. They towered over me and their faces were lowered to stare at all passersby. Did one of those stautes just blink or is it my imagination?

Paranoid, I followed Vincent through the exit at the end of the path. It was a large, but light door; the kind that's usually seen at the end of spooky attractions or rides. In red paint were the words "come again soon", though I knew there was no chance of that.

As soon as we stepped outside again, relief poured through me. Only a few feet away was the caraousel, its lights shining alone in the darkness. The horses were not as pretty as they might have been once. Instead, their wide eyes stared at me and their mouths were open as if they were silently screaming. It's the carousel from hell, I thought and started to laugh for some reason.

"Well, this is it," I murmured quietly. "I'm going alone." I told Vincent outright, with no room for argument. Of course, he refused to listen to me. His eyes became gaurded and he opened his mouth to protest.

"You remember we're both going to the Church," he reminded me. Had he completed his challenge? Had he been able to put some of the pieces together? I crossed my arms and stood my ground.

"Yes, I remember, but there's something I need to do first. You can stay here. Don't follow me," I demanded as I headed for the carousel entrance. The ticket booth had blood on the side and its window was filmy.

As I pushed through the gate, I glanced over my shoulder to make sure Vincent wasn't following. Surprisingly, he was nowhere in sight. Where has he gone?

Ignoring it, I stepped onto the carousel and instantly held my guard up. On the floor was a switchblade and I gratefully picked it up. The music started up and the horses began rising. All I could do now was hold my knife in front of me and await Alessa's arrival.

...

So, I hope you guys enjoyed reading. Two chapters in two days; you readers should be very happy, especially since there's more to come. Next up: the fight with Alessa...