A/N-Sorry it took kinda long for me to update, I'm working on a lot of different stories now. My new songfic Promise from this game is up now so if anyone could check it out and leave a review, I'd really appreciate it. I just want to know what you honestly think. Thanks!

"James?"

James stopped and allowed Maria to catch up with him. She came up beside him, walking her classy walk. Her black high heeled boots made hollow thuds as she joined him, her arm just barely brushing his jacket. James backed away immediately; it was more of a unintentional reflex, as though afraid to be brushed by anyone. Maria saw this and chortled lightly. "Are you always so paranoid James?"

James scowled at her tone of voice, though he wasn't completely annoyed. "I can't help it."

Maria nodded as though understanding, or else laughing inside. Her blue eyes shone. Whenever James looked into them, he always felt as though he were being laughed at, like they were always laughing at him.

"Come on." He said, continuing to walk ahead. They had just passed Jack's Inn. James consulted his map again, trying to find the quickest route to the hotel. It wasn't on the map. James looked harder, not being able to find it.

"Didn't you know?" Maria asked him as though reading his thoughts. "The hotel is across the lake. You need a boat to get there."

James looked up at her, looking wearily into her know serious eyes. "Where am I suppose to find a boat?" He asked her, feeling irritated.

Maria looked thoughtful for a second; she put all of her weight on her left leg and crossed her arms. "Well…um…I guess you'll need to find a dock. There's a ton around here. You need to just basically go to the back of any building facing the lake. You could probably find a boat there…"

James nodded and sighed, pocketing the map. They both continued walking, they were both silent. James couldn't keep himself from sneaking looks at Maria. Despite the hair, clothes, when she was talking or making unnecessary comments and her face was nonchalant looking, he could be looking at Mary. She even walked the same way, if not with a bit more attitude than Mary. She had the same voice, but sultrier and…

James shook his head, ending his train of thought. No, couldn't do that. He was comparing Mary to Maria, Maria to Mary, it wasn't right.

"Tell me more about Mary." Maria suddenly spoke up, catching him looking at her. James turned away quickly, feeling ashamed. "Well…she loved it here."

Maria snorted softy. "Here? Why?"

James shrugged, pausing to let Maria catch up. Although she didn't say it, she must have been tired. Her face was paler and her breathing more ragged.

"She just…she thought it was beautiful here. It was quiet, like her sanctuary. She wanted to come back. But she died before…" James grimaced, wondering why he had just told a stranger that. Maria, she didn't seem like a stranger, he felt as if he knew here. It made him uncomfortable the way she was staring at him, looking almost sympathetic. He couldn't stand sympathy, not now, not when Mary died. People could say "I'm so sorry" all they wanted, it would never have brought her back. James turned away from Maria's burning stare.

"Do you…really think she's here?"

James sighed and…shrugged. "I-I'm really not sure. I want her to be, more than anything. I can't-I can't stand it without her she's…"

"All you've got to fight for." Maria quietly finished for him. She smiled a sort of sad, harsh smile.

"You're the first person not to call me insane." James told her.

Maria gestured around them, her crooked smile on her face. "What, here? I'd believe my dead spouse sent me a letter from the grave before I'd believe this! This place…it doesn't seem real. This place defies reality. Has it even occurred to you that the only reason Mary lured you here is because this is the only place she could have?"

James frowned, pondering that. "I guess that makes sense. But…I really didn't even think about that. I just assumed if she was here…she'd be alive."

Something dark replaced Maria's eyes. She suddenly frowned, looking thoughtful. "Yeah." She said softly. "I guess so."

James continued walking, hearing the sound of Maria's boots behind him, letting him know she was still with him. In a way, the sound of her boots, the sound of someone else, was oddly comforting. There was something about Maria, something that attracted and repelled her from him at the same time. He didn't know what, it wasn't just the fact she looked like Mary. Vaguely, guiltily, he wondered if she was who she really said she was.

They walked for about another minute before the unmistakable sound of static arose, reminding them both that they were still not safe, even if they had each other's company.

"Man," James said. He didn't want to fight. He glanced behind him and saw Maria looking shaken and pale.

"James," She said, looking up at him pleadingly.

"Come on," He instructed. They both walked off of the street and came in front of a building. It was large and gray with a door out in the front. Maria looked up at the building with distaste, her fear disappearing.

James looked up at the sign which read Pete's Bowl-R-Rama.

James frowned and put his ear against the door. Had he…oh yes, there it was again. Someone…talking? Was there someone inside? Could it be…maybe it was…James reached for the door knob, about to open it when Maria suddenly spoke up, her voice filled with distaste.

"I'll wait here. I hate bowling."

James looked back at her, seeing if she was joking. "I didn't come here to play you know."

Mary never liked bowling either.

Maria smiled at him, her voice dropping to its usual sultry manner. "Hurry back, okay?"

James found himself smirking slightly as he disappeared inside, feeling like laughing and groaning at the same time.

James looked around, finding himself in a hallway. Right along side the wall was a box of ammo and a box of shotgun shells. James wondered who was leaving this stuff behind, but glad they did. He bent down to get them, then paused, the sound a girl's voice reaching his ears.

"So what'd you do? Robbery? Murder?"

She sounds familiar. James thought, retrieving the items on the floor then straightening up. Not wanting to barge in, her put his ear to the door to listen to the conversation going on in the other room.

"Nah, nothing like that."

Eddie? James wondered, recognizing the voice immediately. But who was the other person?

"Hah! You're just a gutless fatso!" The other person cried out gleefully.

James winced, expecting Eddie to yell back something in a retort. But he instead, he just responded with a calm: "Whadda have to say that for?"

"I thought you said the cops were after you."

"No, I just ran cause I was scared. I don't know what the cops are doing."

The girl's voice dropped, sounding more sympathetic, maybe feeling bad for Eddie. "But if did something bad, why don't you just say you're sorry?" She the girl sounded more resolute. "I guess I ran away lots too."

James suddenly realized that was a child speaking. There was just that difference between adult answers and children answers. The innocent thinking that all you had to do was say sorry. How uncomplicated their lives were at that age, how they were so innocent and true. He supposed the girl in there must be the brat who stepped on his hand. Why was she still here? Did the monsters not scare her?

"It's no good." Eddie was saying miserable. "They wouldn't listen. No body will ever forgive me. Did you find that lady you were looking for…What's her name…Mary?"

James eyes widened, knowing Eddie was not addressing him.

So she's looking for Mary too. James thought grimly. He opened the door and walked in.

The room was large, the main room that, with light, looked like an ordinary bowling alley. Eddie was seated at a table with a box of pizza in front of him. He was eating it hungrily, making James's stomach churn wondering how he could be so hungry after being violently ill back at the apartments.

"Eddie?" James said, coming more into the room.

Eddie turns slightly, his mouth full of pizza. "Oh…umm, yer…"

"James." James said. "We met in the apartment building."

"Yeah, I remember but…" Eddie turned away, feeling slightly foolish and continued to chew slowly, attempting to drop the awkward conversation.

"Are you alone here, Eddie?" James asked, walking more into the room.

"Uh no…" Eddie swallowed a mouthful. There was a sound of something heavy rolling across the floor. James and Eddie both looked up, startled, only finding it was a bowling ball rolling out of the darkness. James and Eddie both looked up at the same time to see the little blonde girl at a door. She looked back at both James and Eddie and waved at Eddie. "Bye bye!"

She quickly disappeared through the door.

"Wait! Come back!" James called, too late. He started after her, and then turned back to Eddie. "Eddie! Let's go after her!" He said, urgency rising in his voice.

Eddie looked up at him like he was crazy. "Huh? Laura? But why…?"

"Laura." James said. "Is that her name?"

"That's what she said." Eddie said calmly, not making any attempt to go after her. He just sat there and took another bite out of his pizza, holding up a slice and offering it to James. James shook his head, annoyed at him. "This town is full of monsters." He said angrily. "How can you just sit there and eat pizza?"

Eddie looked insulted. "She said she was fine by herself…She said a ftso like me would just slow her down." He sounded bitter.

James shook his head in annoyance and waved away Eddie. "Forget you…"

With a scowl, James hurried through the door that Laura disappeared to and walked out back into the hallway. Laura was no where in sight. James sighed, realizing this was like a game of chase, and ran back out outside into the foggy, cool air.

Laura was nowhere in sight, nor was Maria. James through up his arms in frustration, realizing now he had to keep his eye on two women. James didn't see either of them in sight and started to jog around the back of the building, hoping to bump into Maria. H didn't have to run far. He saw a figure heading toward him. On instinct, James took out his gun and pointed it at the object without thinking, then lowered it as Maria came into sight. She was also running and breathing hard like she was out of breath. She caught sight of James and hurried over to him, allowing herself to bend over and catch a few breaths.

"Did a little girl run out of here?" James asked her.

Maria straightened up, still out of breath, and nodded. "Yeah, she was too fast for me! Aren't you gonna go after her?" She demanded.

James nodded and hurried ahead of her running with her close behind. He circled the half of the building and spotted an alleyway, taking a guess by going done there. James ran down it, passing a door and hitting a dead end where the only possible escape route from there was a gap between the two buildings.

"She went through there." Maria spoke up, pointing to the small passage. James went closer and tried examined the gap, finding it too small for him. He looked back at Maria who patiently waited him with her hands propped on her hips.

"Is there any other way?" He asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, there is." Maria said, pointed to a metal door on the building to their left. "Right through there.

James nodded and walked over, looking back at Maria when he found it locked. "It's no good. It's locked."

Maria smiled coyly at James and bent down and reached into her boot, pulling out a key. She walked over to the door and fitted the key and re-placed it back in her boot. She then pulled out another key from the side of her skirt and did the same thing with that one. Then, after giving James another coy smile and she turned away from him and reached into the front of her blouse, pulling yet another key. She fitted it into the lock and the door made a clicking sound, indicating it was opened. Maria turned back away from him and put the key back, then turning around to face James pointing at the door like a game show host presenting the prize. James gave Maria a funny look then tried the door, finding it open. They both stepped inside.

It was a small room with a staircase to their right. James, after receiving a nod from Maria, followed those stairs up and found himself soon into another larger room. The room had a bar set up on one side right near the front door. Chairs and tables were all set up around a stage with a pole at the end. The wall was covered in various lighten decorations, one saying Heaven's Night. James recognized that name, it being a popular club. James looked at Maria.

"Do you…"

Maria cut him off with a sharp laugh. "What, I gotta work somewhere you know."

James nodded, his question still hanging. The couple went over through the paths of chair's and tables and went to the front door of the building, opening it up to the gray world outside. The building, James realized, had been the most colorful, thing James had seen all day.

The fog greeted them, some of it drifting into the hot building. James and Maria hurried outside, walking down the metal slate stairs and back onto the pavement.

They walked along the sidewalk, James realizing they had completely lost Laura. He had no idea where she was or where she went.

Something could happen to her. James thought, thinking particularly of Pyramid Head and his great knife.

Maria stopped beside him in alarm, pointing her finger at a large building. "Look, there!" She nearly shouted.

James looked up and caught sight of Laura pulling open a large, heavy looking door and disappearing inside. There was a red cross over the door that Laura had gone through.

Maria shuddered behind him. "I hate that place." She declared. "I always hated working so close to it. It gave me the creeps."

"A hospital?" James asked, not particularly fond of them himself.

"Ugh, a hospital for the insane." Maria said. "Do you know Laura or something?"

James shook his head. "No, but I think she knew Mary somehow, she said her name. She told me I didn't love her."

"Hmm." Maria said, looking away from him. She grimaced. "James I…" She paused for a moment as though deciding against was she was going to say then shook her head, sighing. "No, never mind. Let's just get this over with." She said. James nodded started toward the building.