Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill 3. The only character I own is Katy.
A/N: Time for another chapter! Enjoy and remember to leave a review for me!
Chapter 26: The Church
The Church was still and quiet. There were no footsteps, no bells chiming, no soft, wilting music. It reminded me of the Borely Haunted Mansion-creepy and empty. At least there was no narrator talking this time.
To my right, there was a locked door, but one I knew led to the classroom. How often did Alessa attend classes here? How often did she sit at that desk with the word "witch" carved into the surface? Too often, a childish voice whispered across my mind. Alessa, I am sorry...
Rushing past the locked classroom, I ducked into a square room. The tiled floor was shatteredand broken under my feet. There was a blackboard with letters and notes attached to it from years before. There were also two Closers occupying the room. The closest one turned and noticed me standing there. Grunting, it spun, one of its long arms toppling the blackboard.
The other Closer tried to shove the first in an attempt to reach me. It was like twins fighting over a special prize-the two swung at each other as they cornered me.
The first Closer drew near and shot its thick arm toward my face. Swiftly, I ducked and the arm crashed into the wall, creating a large dent. Plaster and paint sprinkled over my head like snow. Lowering to my knees, I crawled around the Closers, who were distracted by colliding into one another. Ah...the door! I caught sight of it, only a foot or so away.
Bam! A thundering sound made me turn my head. One of the Closers had seen me and had aimed its arm for my leg. It had missed me by a good twelve inches. Time to go, I realized, jumping to my feet.
I ran for the door with the low grunting of the monsters behind me. The last thing I saw were the Closers raising their arms in defeat before I slammed the door. I backed away slowly and nearly tripped over a hospital gurney directly behind me. What the hell is a gurney doing in a church?
It was like I was transported to Brookhaven Hospital. The gurney was covered by a clean, crisp white sheet. There was a lumpy outline of a body. My fingertips grazed the edge of the sheet and it was like a touch of magic.
As I watched, a thin red line spread over the sheet. It was a single line at first and then became a pool of red. It started at what I figured was the head and then traveled along the outline. Soon, the whole gurney was dripping with droplets of blood. Oh, God...
Quickly, I turned away and started down the hallway, before anything worse happened. It was the most foul church I had ever seen. Sheets of mesh lined the walls while the rest of the tiled floor was yellow and stained. As my light weakened, it became difficult to see. Feeling my way around, I found that the hallway was shaped like a T.
At the very end was a door with a rusted handle. It almost refused to turn in my hand, but I forced it open. It was a bedroom, the plain kind that seemed like no one ever really occupied it. It isn't Alessa's, that's for sure, I thought, picturing her room.
This bedroom contained a single bed with white sheets; at least, they had been white before. Now, they were a dreary gray color. At the foot of the bed was a table with a kerosene lamp, brightly lit. A bookshelf stood off to the side, filled with none other than religious texts. A second table was settled in the far corner, the chair pulled out as though someone had been sitting there recently.
Carefully, I moved into the room. On the second desk was a journal, but most of the writing was difficult to read. Beside it was a small cassette tape. Vincent's room, perhaps? Or Claudia's?
Part of me debated on bringing the tape, but then I tossed it back on the desk. I already knew what it said, anyway. On my way out, I grabbed the kerosene lamp-maybe it would serve me well in the dark hallway.
In the corridor, I turned right and passed through the door at the end there. The silence was starting to bother me, but I supposed it was better than being attacked.
The door led to another hallway, this one longer. A painting of an angel was on its side in front of a secret passage. As soon as I stepped towards it, a child's crying filled my ears. Bloody footprints appeared on the ground and walked across to where the picture sat. Alessa...
I set the kerosene lamp beside me and gripped the picture frame. It was heavier than I expected and it took me a few minutes to inch it away from the door. Jeez...the other characters make this stuff look easy, I thought bitterly.
Picking up the lamp, I stepped through the door. I suddenly remembered that the library was along this way. Maybe Vincent would meet me there. If not, then I wouldn't be waiting for him.
The hall was cluttered with hospital beds, each drenched with blood. Some were even tossed on their sides, with pale arms hanging beneath the once-white sheets. Splattered blood painted the walls as I slid past the gurneys, trying my best not to touch them. What do they use all these beds for? How many people die in here?
The next area was dominated by an old elevator that descended to a lower level. Instead, I turned away from it and ran around the narrow corner that was lined with doors, holding my lamp in front of me.
"Whoa!" I cried out as I collided with a Missionary. It was hunched over and bearing its blades. It raised them and swung for me, causing me to back away.
Instinctively, I pulled my lamp back and brought it forward until it caught the Missionary on the side of the head. It lost its footing and fell to the ground. Serves you right, I thought gleefully as I dahsed past it before it could regain its balance. Now where's the library? Think, Katy, think...
In my mind, I imagined myself with the controller in my hands. I imagined the Playstation 2 with its green power button. Was it the first door or the second? The last?
An image popped into my head then of my television screen. I knew which one it was. The Missionary was standing now and rushing at me with incredible speed. Hastily, I tore open the last door and closed the door. There was a single moment where the door shook, and then everything became quiet again.
My heart felt like it was going to explode. Thankfully, I saw stacks of books and rows of bookshelves. It was dim, with only one lamp sitting on a table at the other end of the library. Slowing my heart rate, I walked along the shelves until I came to the table. My kerosene lamp was out from hitting the Missionary. Well, I already stole one, so why not another?
The door squeaked open and my body automatically became tense, waiting for danger. Slow footsteps started along one of the rows and I forced myself to maintain my calm. Of course it wasn't a monster. No, it was just something that succeeded in getting on my nerves a tad bit more.
"Hiya, Katherine."
...
This chapter is sort of short, but I'll be updating real soon. Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I actually just realized that this story now has 62 reviews. Thanks so much, guys! I couldn't have made it this far without your support.
Until next time! (=
By the way, I seriously (though I do not know how) mixed this game up with Kingdom Hearts, of all things. While I was writing the part about the Closers, I started calling them Large Bodies...thank God I double-checked. Silly me.