Silent Hill: The Inner Monster
Page 22
By John Priest (Efrit, Drake, Noctros, etc)
*Tai's Story*
Once in the bright illuminating light of the entrance, Tai is finally able to relax, even if it is for just one slim, serene moment of silence. Her pulse has luckily, decreased and returned to a state of calmness, far away from the rapid beat that once perpetrated her body, deriving from her fear of this theater and it's cruel mind games. But, that fear no longer nests inside her body, for like the parasite inside of a dog, the foul taint of dread has been expelled and Tai has been allowed to once again, re-capture her composure. With it nestled closely to her sanity, she moves forward through the expertly decorated room. The glass chandelier above sparkles brilliantly as rays of artificial light, shine through it. On top of the rings holding the chandelier together, are a varying number of jewels, which while fake upon close inspection, are nearly identical to the real article from far away. The wallpaper covering the walls of the room, are decorated with the designs of the classic theater. Shakespear is a dominant theme, with scenes from his various works painted on the paper. Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, etc., you name it, it's on it.
She was never a big fan of him, but she has always had respect for him, for his talent. She herself, has always preferred a more fantasy approach in plays. The Swan Princess, ironically, is one of her favorites. But, she didn't like how it ended, preferring a happier ending herself. But life doesn't always end happily, which she had to learn in a despicable way. Noticing these dark thoughts, which are beginning to bubble inside the pool of her mind, she changes the topic inside her mind, to something far more joyful: Escaping. The very thought, elevates her mood. To escape this hell, to perhaps wake up and this was all just a horrid dream.... The possibilities are wide and hopefully in her favor. She allows herself to be deluded into this fantasy, refusing to accept the reality, in all it's harshness and unfair hands.
She is enveloped in the daze of her fantasy, her eyes closed to fully embrace it. She likely would've stayed inside it had she been allowed too, but a tremor begins to occur, its mighty force causes the chandelier above, to drop the crystals inside it. She covers her head as she strides to get out of the falling debris. The crystals shatter on impact, their flaming beauty once bright, now extinguished. Tai quickly treads back to the door leading to the box office, wary of the objects above her head. Then, in one single moment, the grand chandelier that had recently hung above her head, comes crashing down to the earth, its remains laying upon the satin rug below it. Ache, is the only thing inside Tai's heart. Ache for the loss of such beauty, to see such a once pristine attraction, reduced to a former shell of its lost grandeur.
She slowly kneels next to it, picking up the many fragments, up with her hands. She noticeably shows an expression of sadness. As she scavenges through the remains, she comes upon an odd object. What she finds, is a Camera Lens. What was a camera lens doing inside of a chandelier? What is even more confusing, is that there is not a single softening object in the chandelier, by logical means, it should be destroyed, but it is not for some strange reason. In any case, she's received a new item, which is hopefully helpful. She stands up, finding no other item or object of interest here. She stands alone inside the dimly lit room. With the chandelier gone, the room has dimmed severely. No longer are the details of the hall visible, enveloped in a darkness of unnatural formation. Something......isn't right about this.
Knowing this, Tai slowly looks around the room, gulping a bit of air as she begins to worry. On the ground, underneath her feet, lies the lingering feeling of being consumed. She quickly decides to get out of the hall while she's still able to, turning to her left and going towards the doors leading to the left stairwell. As she opens the twin doors, she looks back one last time, surveying the damage done. With her last glance through, she turns and walks into the stairwell. Inside, the stairwell is fairly dusty, clearly it has not been cleaned in some time, but it is still is some good condition, if rather small.
Step by step, she ascends the powder blanketed stairs. Although she should be weary with monsters about, the grisly beings are the least of her worries. If she doesn't hurry up, she could potentially be harmed or even killed. Something has taken place of the solitude atmosphere, something....far more observant. She feels....that something is watching her. She can't say what, but she can say this. It's giving her goose bumps, crawling up her spine, and sending down chills of an uncertain focus. Unlike those monsters, which scare her, this....thing is striking at her confidence. It's hammering away at her courage, slowly breaking her down by supplanting her confidence with uncertainty. Her discomfort is visible. Her expression slightly arched into a minor frown, her shoulders slumping, and her movement slowed down to a cautious walk.
Finally, she gets out of the stairway, entering the second story level without hesitation. Once the door is closed behind her, she instantly feels the pressure lifted off of her conscience. With a large breathe, she re-barricades her mental defenses, hoping to fight off that suspicious atmosphere should it arise once more. She hopes it doesn't return, but with this town, she's unsure if she'd be that lucky in that regard. Nevertheless, she knows she needs to strive on, and she does. With the lead pipe in her right hand, she walks through the hallway timidly. Before she can even pass the first door though, she hears a crash coming from her right. She hesitates at first, but decides to go and investigate, knowing that usually a noise means something of importance like a clue, could be awaiting her.
She quickly tread's her way through the door, stopping instant once she begins hearing a voice coming from the Lighting Box room. She comes close to the door, intending to peak inside, but instead, the door opens and out comes Jake, visibly agitated. She freezes, not knowing what to do. Jake sees her at once, his brows rising in a questioning manner.
"What you doing here? You stalking me now?" Spits out Jake in a hostile way, which hit's Tai and causes her to become agitated. "For your information, I'm exploring and hoping to find a way through this hell hole. So don't flatter yourself." Replies Tai as she puts her palms onto her hips and glares at Jake.
They keep up this silent manner for quite a bit, before Jake just sighs "I don't have time for this, I need to get to the Green Room" replies Jake as he brushes past Tai "Why in a rush? Afraid I'll bite you?!" Asserts Tai, Jake stops in his tracks and turns around "Listen you arrogant woman! I'm not in the mood for you're crap, so drop it!" But she refuses too, walking up to him and getting into his face "After you, I'll in the meantime be checking out the right side of the second story" In which Tai walks pass Jake and through the northern door, not allowing him anytime to form a remark or rebuttal.
She's stopped once again by Jake, who follows her through the door "No use in doing that, the whole area, including the doors, are locked. I know, I tried getting through but they won't budge." Informs Jake, who sighs "Listen, I know we've had our....differences, but could you for once, just use reason and help me?"
Tai shakes a bit at this prospect. She could go with him to the Green room, but she'd be trusting a stranger. Then again, he did save her life from those cursed dolls. Still, he's a man....but....maybe she should trust him....for now. She'll need help in getting out of this place, not to mention, she still feels guilty over treating Jake so badly before.
"F....fine. Just lead the way, but be aware, I'm watching you, so don't try anything!" Warns Tai as she raises the lead pipe and points it towards Jake.
Jake himself is surprised by this, but just shrugs and smiles a bit as he opens the door to his left and goes through it. Tai following in suit.
Once again, she's forced to go through another stairwell. Thankfully though, the atmosphere isn't as....creepy as last time. Jake and her make it through quite easily and swiftly, not wishing to spend any more time in this theater. But, as Jake goes through the doors, he stops. Tai follows him and joins his side, wondering what is the matter. But, at once, she knows. The lights, they are all out. No sort of illumination is present, not even from the doors leading to the outside. Just, pitch black darkness.
Jake grabs her left hand "Let's....get out of her." Tai quickly agreeing and going with him.
The other rooms aren't any better, each one as dark as the last. Jake and Tai both rely on her single flashlight for visualization of the rooms. Thankfully they come to the Green Room without any major issues and/or altercations. Jake quickly comes to the door and produces a key out of his pocket, putting it into the lock and unlocking the door. He motions for her to stay here as he goes in first. After several minutes, he opens the door from inside and nod's that the room is clear. Inside, the room is vastly up to date. Cameras, green screens, and other miscellaneous equipment. Tai flips the switch, not expecting the lights to come on, but miraculously, they do. Tai and Jake just stare at each other silently, both reflecting confusion onto each others eyes.
That's when, Tai remembers the lens she found. She takes it out of her left pocket and goes towards the central area. Out of the cameras, she sees that the middle one is missing its lens, so she proceeds to put the lens back on, succeeding after several minutes of struggling with the camera. Jake, who's near the technical area, glaces at the screens beside him and sees something odd. A flashing button, lighting up quite quickly. Guessing there would be no harm in seeing what it does, he presses the button. Instantly, the camera's are turned on and the screens all reflect one singular image: Tai, in some sort of twisted landscape. He briefly stares with a disturbed expression as he sees this, but manages to regain his grip and looks at Tai.
Unknown to Tai, she is right infront of a transformed Green Screen. Jake, seeing the twisted landscape reflected on the screens, on the green screen, rushes to get to Tai. She's confused at this sudden charge, panicking and bringing up the lead pipe. It's when she hears a strange scraping sound, that she looks behind herself. Her mouth gapes wide at the sight, unable to comprehend how this is possible. Jake manages to get to her and begins to shake her, to try and get her mind back, but it's to no avail. She is terrified. Then, as Jake is struggling with her, the screens behind him turn to static and a loud wail is heard as the green screen begins to expand. They cover their ears in a vain attempt to block out the noise, but it's no use. They pass out, unknowing that they've been transported, to the Otherworld.