A/N: I aplogize for the short length of this chapter--It was mainly done just so I could set up the next one. I've got SATs to study for for the remainder of the afternoon, and I take them tomorrow, so I'm hoping to update again Sunday, but no guarantees. In the meantime, enjoy, and thanks a ton to all my reviewers!

Chapter Nineteen

Naught but sheer bewilderment shown upon the youthful expression of the lady deputy as she absorbed, or rather tried to absorb, the Da Silva woman's words. How could she possibly be correct in her assumptions? In Cybil's eyes, there was absolutely no plausible way that Rose could be anyone but Rose, and even if she could, how would she have been in two places at once, as she had implied was the case? Not to say that the seemingly impossible hadn't shown possible in this place, but this was different; human beings couldn't physically appear in more than one place at once, regardless of whether they were in Silent Hill or not.

"That's just not possible," the cop said finally, breaking the awkward silence that had followed her declaration. "Rose—You can't do that." Her features were creased in apprehension, her mouth set in a stern frown which told of her thoughts; what if Rose was right in her thinking? Well, it certainly wouldn't have been the first time she was wrong about something, and she frowned even deeper at the memories.

The mother turned to gaze at her friend inquiringly, as if wondering just how she could say that something was impossible in such a place as the one in which they currently resided; Rose knew better, and she had apparently mistakenly presumed the same of Cybil Bennett. 'Twas a shame; she'd thought the woman smarter than that. With a sigh of genuine fatigue and dismay, Rose stood up, and responded as she did so.

"It would make perfect sense Cybil," she began tiredly. "When I took in Sharon, she was a part of Dahlia's daughter, and by the look of things, she still is, perhaps even more so than she was originally. In doing that, I've confused whatever forces have condemned this place to its ashen Hell; I've made them think I'm trying to take Dahlia's place." She paused, staring down at the dusty, cracked floorboards. "Do you remember what we saw when we looked over the edge of that cliff?"

Violet eyes shifted cautiously.

"It seemed like we were looking at ourselves, only…we weren't actually there."

"And it wasn't the same color as everything else around here."

"So…what exactly are you getting at?"

"I think this God forsaken town has sucked us into a second dimension."

Cybil was awed by the simplicity of her explanation, and even more so by the clarity it provided. If they had indeed found themselves trapped in another dimension, as crazy as it seemed, she would be able to understand just why it was she had never recalled Silent Hill being the ash-caked horror that it was currently exposing itself to be, little by little. During her previous visit to the town, it had never existed as it did now. At least, not to her knowledge. For once in her life, she quite suddenly realized, she was accepting something that was against anything she had ever dared to accept in the past, and more so accepting it based on the words of an almost total stranger. Silent Hill certainly had worked some semblance of magic upon her, be it positive or negative. With a strangely determined face, the cop spoke once again.

"Well then let's find Dahlia, and get the Hell out of here."

She was so going to kick herself for that in the morning.

Rose offered her hand, and Cybil shoved her wrist into it while gripping Rose's own; with a forceful tug she pulled the surprisingly lightweight officer to her feet; following only moments after, the young mother found herself to be pinned against one crooked wall, with a certain cop's dexterity keeping her there, and absolutely no means of circumventing the robust contact of Cybil's lips upon her own. 'Twas brief, however, for the violet-eyed woman knew of the risks she had taken in committing such an act, an act so intensified being that 'twas the second time she had done such a thing in this town of unresolved hate; she pulled back at the precise moment Rose projected an exceptionally staunch shove of her own. Both deemed that it had not been out of disgust that the mother had done so however, but rather a repetitive case of shock, as Cybil had experienced upon the first incident of the kind, though Rose did not proceed to return the act, as her friend had done earlier in their journey. Nor did either bother expressing concern over the matter; the only words spoken came from the lady deputy, and they were surprisingly calm and collected.

"Just wanted to make sure I'd done that in case we get ourselves killed."

The visible size of Rose's eyes gradually receded back to normal.

"You're rather unconventional at times Officer Bennett. I hope you know that."

"Unfortunately Rose, you started it."

A rolling of the eyes preceded the mother's form turning and hurrying from the ancient shed, with a woman in uniform following closely behind.