Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill 3 or any of the characters or places. The only character I own is Katy.
A/N: First off, I have you guys to thank for this update since you give me tons of inspiration. Love the reviews; they rock! Enjoy reading! By the way, I have another day off (go figure), which means time for updating! Yay!
Also, does anyone actually know who was in the confession booth in the Church? I don't think it was Claudia and there have been some other theories...oh well, just another mystery of Silent Hill, I guess.
Chapter 25: Confessional
The lights were dim when they came back on, enough for me to notice that everything had drastically changed. I was no longer in the amusement park. The carousel was still there, but the horses now had white cloth draped over them, like the bodies in a morgue. What would I find if I lifted the white sheets? I didn't want to find out.
The walls around the carousel were black as night and oozing with some dark liquid. The floor was drenched with blood, as if someone had soaked a mop in it and rubbed it across the ground. It made a sickening wet sound every time I moved my feet.
The first thing I did-now that I could see-was drink down my last health drink in order to make the pain in my leg subside. The throbbing ceased and I was able to somewhat walk without wincing too much. At least I still had an ampoule. There was a set of dark double doors in front of me and I pushed my way through. On to the Church, I thought as I stepped into the cold, gray hallway. I wondered if Vincent was already there.
The hallway stretched a long way and there were scriptures printed in red paint on the walls. At least, I imagined it was red paint. Quickly I strode down the hallway, not bothering to read any of them. Most of them were difficult to make out, anyway.
On either side of the hall were the occasional alcoves, blocked by iron gates. The spaces beyond were shrouded in darkness and sometimes I even thought I saw movement in there. It's just my imagination playing tricks on me, I attempted to convince myself as I pressed onward.
When I reached the Church's entrance at the top of a narrow staircase, I found a note carved into the fine wood. It was sloppy, but I could read the first line. This door is the Gate which leads to the Road of Paradise, it read.
"Whatever," I muttered, ignoring the rest of the message. Instead, I thrust open the door and walked into the Church. Candles were lit around the room and the heavy scent of incense choked me. The stained glass windows allowed a bit of light in, but not enough to actually make the Church pleasing. Claudia stood at the altar, her head slightly bent as if in prayer. When I approached, her gray eyes snapped up and found me there. For a second, she looked surprised that I'd made it this far. Surprise, Claudia.
"How did you get here?" Claudia spat out the word "you" with bitterness. As soon as she asked, the answer shone brightly in her eyes. "It was Vincent, wasn't it? He led you here," she assumed, hitting the nail on the head.
"Don't tell me you thought he was on your side. He can't stand you, just like I can't stand you," I told her, nearing the front of the altar. Claudia's eyes burned with disgust and her mouth was set into a grim line.
"Vincent is not on your side, either. He has lured you here, always meddling where he ought not," she said. If I had any bullets left in my gun, I would have probably taken care of Claudia right then and there. It would be simple to end the nightmare this way; kill Claudia and then dispose of the God. Claudia must have known what I was thinking for she peered down at the gun still in my hand.
"Do not be foolish. The time is not yet at hand. When the Paradise we have long dreamed for will arrive," she droned on, getting lost in the idea of Paradise. There would be no paradise for her, not in this town.
"Would you shut it with the paradise thing? It will never happen. The world will never be eternally peaceful or full of happiness. That's just the way it is, Claudia," I argued. It was then that the tremors in my stomach started, just as they had in the mall. Behind my eyes, I saw red and my muscles tightened until I could not draw in a breath. Not again...
"God is growing within you," Claudia stated, a thin smile appearing on her lips. While I was struggling on the floor, she was enjoying it. The pain increased until I had to scream, my voice echoing in the Church. Oh, God, help me...it hurts so much, I thought, squeezing my eyes closed. Claudia's footsteps sounded on the floorboards and I knew she was walking away. When I opened my eyes, she was gone and the pain was fading away, as if it had never been there at all.
...
After the pain subsided, I slowly got to my feet. The Church was much too quiet, now that Claudia was gone. The flames of the candles flickered and cast strange shadows on the walls. I shuffled towards the altar and found the Bible open. Had Claudia been reading it? Had she been trying to find comfort in it?
My eyes landed on a tarot card that was wedged between two pages of the Bible. I'll take that, I thought as I reached over and removed it. Carefully, I slipped it inside one of my pockets as far as it would go until there was no chance it would fall out. Now all I need is a map.
There was another doorway slightly behind the altar, the one Claudia had passed through a few moments ago. It was hard to see anything in the next room; my flashlight was burning out. Directly in front of me were two booths made for confessions. I ran my fingers over the smooth surface of the first one until I found the handle-locked. Someone was probably already inside, bowing her head for mercy. Was it Claudia?
On the other door were a few thin sheets of paper. It was the map of the Church, pinned down by a bent nail. It was a child's drawing, I knew. Done by a little girl who had spent too many days inside this dreadful place. Alessa...
I wasn't sure how, but I was suddenly seated inside the narrow, unlocked confession booth. Maybe Alessa had wanted me there to hear what the confessor had to say. It was silent except for the sound of soft sobs that came from the first booth. The sobbing grew shallow and then a feminine, shaken voice filled my ears.
"Dear God, please forgive me. I know I'll be put to death for the sins I have committed," the woman started. The voice sounded similar to Claudia, but I was sure it was not her on the other side of the screen. Who is speaking, if not Claudia?
"I will go to my death gladly and with a peaceful heart. But please...please grant me a small piece of your everlasting mercy," the woman continued, her voice breaking more often. Fresh sobs rose from behind the curtained screen. "Let me see my child once within your Golden Gates. Send me not to hell, but to Purgatory. Allow me to atone for my sins there," she begged. If it were Claudia, I would have said that there was no doubt that she would be going to Hell after the things she had done. But was this woman as wicked as Claudia? Or much worse?
"Forgive my wicked act of revenge. And deliver the soul of my poor murdered daughter," the woman cried out. This part puzzled me deeply. Claudia did not have a daughter, at least none that I knew of. Alessa? Could it actually be...Dahlia? Is this why you wanted me to stay and hear her out? Am I supposed to forgive her?
"Please...also care for the soul of the girl whose life I have taken. God, I am a child, trembling with fear as I stare at death. Soothe my tortured soul with your infinite mercy. Please...please forgive me," the woman finished and all became quiet. There was no longer the sound of sobbing. I knew this was where I would make my choice...to forgive or to continue on with holding her responsible.
It was a dilemma. This woman-whether it was in fact Dahlia-meant so much more than a confessor. By forgiving her, I also needed to forgive Claudia. How could I do that when she'd taken so many innocents like Harry Mason and Thomas Sullivan? Had she really been doing it because she thought it was in the best interests? Was she completely unaware that it had been sinful?
A thin memory popped into my mind. It was a memory of when I was young and I had gotten into a childish fight with my mother, swearing I'd never talk to her again. My dad had been the one to reason with me. I could still hear his words, as if he were right next to me.
Everyone deserves a second chance, Katy. That's all you can hope to give them. Nobody is completely bad...you simply have to search for the good. Those words rang in my ears now as I stared at the screen in front of me, hiding the view of the first booth and the confessor inside it. Did Claudia deserve a second chance? Was I acting as sinful as her by meaning to kill her?
My mouth opened before I took the chance to sort out my thoughts. I closed my eyes and pictured Claudia in the booth. I imagined all the horrible things I would say to her-how she was a fool, murderous, evil, undeserving of God's mercy. I imagined causing her the pain that I had felt since this nightmare started, mentally and physically. I imagined the way her pale eyes would widen and she would spurt out religious words to me. My mouth opened and only three words came out.
"I forgive you," I whispered to the confessor, to the imaginary Claudia. My heart was pumping and I wondered if it was growing three sizes bigger, like the Grinch. Had I done the right thing? In my mind, I saw Alessa's small smile. Bowing my head once, I ducked out of the confessional booth and dashed away, before the confessor decided to show her face.
...
Well, there you have it. But what will this mean for the end? Will Katy bring herself to kill Claudia? Or will something else happen entirely? You'll have to stay tuned for the rest!
By the way, I wanted to give a shout out to those who have reviewed the last chapter. So, here's to 325, YourBestNightmarex, shotgunserenade, Magic Boy6, and IloveAMYLEE. Thanks so much, guys (by the way, I love Amy Lee as well). Keep reading-more is yet to come.