Disclaimer: Konami owns everyone and everything from Silent Hill. Any original characters in the story are mine. Mine I tell you! ;)

Sorry for the extremely looooong delay, guys! I apologize a hundred times for making you wait so long for an update to this story. Suffice to say it's really not easy handling multiple stories at once, especially when Darth Real Life gets in the way. I do have something I want to say, and that is that I've decided to ignore the few detractors who've taken shots at this story. Constructive criticism is always welcome, but I won't allow myself to get discouraged based on a few remarks by people who aren't even fans of Heather or Alessa. If I choose to go back and revise things occasionally, it's my decision alone. This is my story and I will write it the way I want to.

I've worked hard on this chapter, so I hope you guys enjoy it. Please read and review!

Chapter 4 – Morning Rendezvous

The next day, Alessa had one goal in mind. After doing some more thinking about her double, she had eventually managed to fall asleep for a few hours. Even then, her dreams were filled with bizarre images she had never seen before; vague flashes of what her alternate's life might have been like so far. Thoughts of that short-haired girl simply would not leave her mind.

When she woke up that morning, Alessa already knew what to do. She had to talk to that girl. Somehow, she had to meet face to face with her again. And since she didn't know her double's name or address, or her phone number, there was only one way to do it. Her mind flashed to the conversation she had that morning with her parents.

"Sure you don't want me to come with you?" the blonde haired man asked his daughter.

They were sitting at the breakfast table, and Alessa had already decided what she was going to do today.

"No, that's okay," Alessa replied.

She was going to the mall. With no other alternatives, it was her best bet to run into her double again. It was a long-shot, she knew, yet something told her it wouldn't be a waste of time. It was a gut feeling; one which told her that should she be in the right place at the right time, she would have a second chance to meet up with her alternate.

Her mother wasn't so certain. Though she understood Alessa wanting to learn more about her double, she couldn't help but worry about her daughter going off alone. While there was a mystery to solve, was it worth the risk? What did they even know about that girl? Alessa understood her concerns, but she couldn't let that interfere with her mission.

Her dad wasn't too fond of the idea either. One of them should be going with her. Alessa thought that was what her dad was thinking. But she didn't let it bother her. She knew how to defend herself; if the threat was too much, aim for the kill point. Run away as far as you can first, but if they grab you, you have to take them down as quickly as possible. Don't give them a chance to take you. She didn't anticipate having any such trouble with this teenage girl, but if she did turn out to be one of those religions freaks and her buddies accosted her, she wouldn't hesitate to kill them openly in plain view. Not forgetting, she would make sure the situation couldn't be pinned on her in a negative light.

She had a knife hidden on her person, easily accessible in case of an emergency. Always be prepared.

"Are you sure?" she asked her daughter yet again. "Because you know, I could come with you if you like."

"Mom, I want her to like me, not scare her off," Alessa quipped. Her smile faded when the other woman's eyes didn't smile back. She placed her hand on the brunette's arm in a reassuring manner.

"I'll be fine, Mom."

"Well, just make sure to call us when you get there," her mother said. "And call us if anything happens.

"I will," Alessa nodded.

"Oh, and don't forget – take your stun gun," her dad told her.

"Dad!"

"I'm serious. If you get it in a fight, at least this way you can stun her," he smiled at her, though his joke didn't belie his serious demeanor.

"And aim low. It'll be more painful that way," her mother added with a slight grin.

Alessa shook her head. "You're sick. Besides, I don't intend on getting into a fist fight in the middle of a shopping mall." She didn't tell them she had already planned for that, and that she wouldn't be fighting anyone with her fists; rather, they would get their throat slashed, if the situation warranted it.

Okay, so maybe she would go for a leg stab first, or a warning slash across the wrist. She wasn't trying to be all bad ass, and acting rashly could get you in real trouble in real life. But if they did press the issue, she would be able to kill them. She had done it before.

It was a moot point, though, since anybody trying something in the middle of the mall was a very unlikely possibility. Most likely. There were some people crazy enough to try it, and security guards couldn't always get there on time. That was what the weapon was for.

"You never know," he shrugged. "She could turn out to be a psycho."

"She's a teenage girl," Alessa reminded him.

"Exactly my point."

Alessa narrowed her eyes at the smug look on his face, but she knew it was all in jest. Well, maybe not all in jest. They were a little worried about her, that much was clear.

She settled for a slight roll of the eyes. "I'll be careful, I promise." She gave each of them a kiss before heading off on her self-appointed mission for the day.

Barely half an hour later, she was at the mall. Alessa always enjoyed the feeling she got when she entered the Ashfield Hills Galleria. She breathed in the cool, regulated air, taking a few moments to envelop herself in the familiar environment. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed her home number.

She had another cell phone, one borrowed from her mother – with the strict understanding that if she lost this one, there was going to be hell to pay.

"Hello?" her mother answered after a few seconds.

"This is Snake. I'm inside the Ashfield Hills shopping center" Alessa said in a low, gravely voice, mimicking a character from one of the video games in her collection.

It took a second for the other woman to respond. "Any sign of the target?" She asked, playing right along once she realized it was her daughter.

Alessa smiled when she heard the mirth in her mother's voice. "Nothing yet so far."

"What's the visibility?"

"There's not many people around. It should be a lot easier to find the target if she's around." Alessa grinned to herself.

"Just make sure you're ready for me in case we have to extricate her from the premises," she said in her 'spy' voice.

"I always am, hon," her mother replied, in an excessively sultry tone.

Alessa held a straight face for three seconds before the laughter started to force its way out. Soon both she and the other woman were chuckling in mutual amusement over the moment of silliness.

Not many people would joke around like this with a parent, especially in such a serious situation. After all, she was on the trail of someone who could turn out to be potentially dangerous. For Alessa however, there simply was no other option. When your life consisted of so many horrible events within such a short frame of time, you had to make light of things to cope with situations, be they traumatic or merely unexpected. She had to make fun of herself and the circumstances around her. Otherwise, she would go insane every time something happened that was remotely traumatic. And what could be more traumatic than meeting your literal double in the place that you least expected?

In this case, it meant using humor to mask the very real worries lurking at the back of her mind. She held no illusions as to how easily the hopes she harbored for this meeting could be shattered. She went with the intent of solving a mystery, and perhaps learning a bit more about herself. Instead she could come out with an enemy at her back and a whole new set of problems to deal with.

Her mother understood that too, which was why she played with the admittedly silly game. Besides, they loved to banter. If there was one thing the two of them shared in common, it was their love of light and pleasant conversation. Having grown up in a household where everything was morose and grim, and she rarely conversed with her mother, the older woman relished the opportunity to talk like this with her daughter.

"Okay, in all seriousness, what are you going to do?" she asked Alessa, once the chuckles died down.

"Well, I brought a couple books with me," Alessa said, briefly reaching for the knapsack she brought with her. "I figure I'll just go to the bench we were at yesterday and see if she shows up."

"And you really think that'll work?"

"I don't know. But what's the alternative? Wander aimlessly around the mall for three hours on the chance I might spot her?"

"I see your point," her mother conceded reluctantly.

"Besides, I have a feeling about this," Alessa said.

A sigh was audible on the other end. "Okay, I get it. If your gut's telling you to be there, then you should be there. The truth is I do trust your instincts."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Just promise me you won't stay there all day waiting for her if she doesn't show up. Okay?"

"Okay,"

"And promise me you'll eat something while you're there. Got it?" the other said sternly.

Alessa groaned to herself. "Yes, Mother."

"Good. I'll see you later. Love you."

"I love you too. Bye."

Alessa clipped the phone back onto her belt. Now that that was settled, she had a doppelganger to search for.

The clacks of Heather's leather boots echoed off the floor as she set foot inside the Ashfield Hills mall. Unbeknownst to her, she had entered through a door opposite the one her double had. Just like the person she sought, Heather was on a mission. There was only one thing on her mind: she had to find the girl she encountered yesterday in that mall.

After her little talk with Harry, Heather was able to get to sleep just barely. However, her dreams were far from peaceful. They were filled with vague images that Heather couldn't discern; bizarre sequences of events that were completely foreign to her.

Some of them were not at all unpleasant. Others were downright disturbing. The visions faded when Heather woke up, though she still had the faintest recollection of them. Heather wasn't one to believe in any of that mystical crap some people spouted about dreams, so there was only one logical explanation: deep inside, she really wanted to know what the other girl's life was like, good or bad.

She recalled the conversation she had that morning with her father. Harry had been incredulous when she told him she was going to the mall to look for the girl she stumbled across the day before.

"Are you kidding me?" Harry Morris asked his daughter in disbelief.

"I think it sounds like a good idea," Heather shrugged. A slight smile graced her lips. She should have known her father would react like this.

"It sounds like a stupid one," Harry couldn't stop himself from blurting out.

"Oh come on, Dad! What other option is there?" Heather exclaimed.

"Why don't you just let it go?" Harry said in an odd tone of voice.

Heather gave him an incredulous glance. "Are you kidding me? I meet a girl who looks almost exactly like me, I scare her into running out of the shopping mall, I end up with her cell phone in my back pocket…and you want me to let it go? Forget it!"

"Heather –" Harry tried to interject.

"Dad, I'm not going to let it go! No way," Heather stated adamantly.

This was too important to her. Yes, she knew her idea sounded ridiculous. But what else was she supposed to do? Besides, she had a feeling about this. Something told her that despite how silly it sounded at first, this idea would work if only she was in that mall at the right time. Heather didn't necessarily believe in the concept of psychic intuition, but she had learned to trust those feelings when they occurred. They never led her wrong, and so, she would follow them in this situation too.

"Why don't you just look her up in the phone book?" Harry inquired.

"I tried that already. She's not listed," Heather replied.

Harry breathed a deep sigh. He didn't like this idea. Not at all. Heather could tell that he was doubtful about this whole thing. Which seemed strange considering his prior advice that prior afternoon.

"What's wrong with you, anyway? Last night you were telling me I should look her up further, and that it might be worth my time to find out who she was. What made you change your mind?" Heather asked him.

The older man frowned. "Let's just say I thought about it more, and I realized how dangerous it could be for you," Harry gave a wary look at the teenager. "I don't want you to take the risk."

"Dad, I'll be fine," Heather assured him. "It's a mall; I'm just going to check up on this, and I know how to defend myself."

"I know. But I still don't want you to go," Harry said.

"So what if I run into her again in some other area? I'm just supposed to ignore it like nothing happened?" Heather questioned.

Her dad gave no answer. Heather threw her hands up in frustration and sighed loudly.

"Dad, I'm not a little kid anymore. If someone tries something, I'll kick them where it hurts, and knock them out," Heather smiled, hoping to lighten the mood. But her father wasn't convinced.

"I still don't know about this," Harry said.

"Dad, what could possibly happen? I'll be fine. Weren't you the one telling me I need to make more friends? Well, here's a golden opportunity. And if it turns out it's just all a coincidence, I'll be able to get some shopping done while I'm there. And imagine how distracted I'll be if I don't get this settled now. I'll be walking around the house in a daze, not thinking of anything else. It'll just be sitting there in my mind, bothering me that I don't know whether this is anything significant," Heather said, listing all the possible benefits and side-effects.

Harry uttered a frustrated groan. "Fine. You can go and wait for this girl. I won't stand in your way."

Heather smiled. She knew her father would come around. "Thanks, Dad."

"Sure you don't want me to go with you?"

"No, that's okay. I'll be all right by myself," Heather stated.

"You sure?" Harry tried one more time.

"Dad, I want to meet her, not scare her off," Heather replied. She was just kidding, but Harry didn't smile back. He was genuinely worried about her.

"Dad, I'll be fine. Trust me. I'm not eight years old anymore, you know," Heather said.

"I know," Harry sighed. "It was so much easier when you were."

"Yeah, for you, maybe," Heather scoffed. She looked down at her watch, more for show than actually wanting to know what time it was. "I better get going."

"At least take your stun gun with you," Harry suggested.

"Dad!"

"I'm serious. You never know when you might need it."

"Dad, I'm not going to fight her in the middle of the mall or anything like that," Heather said.

"You don't know that. She could be dangerous," Harry said, only half-joking.

"Please. Dad, she's a teenage girl."

"Don't think I haven't taking that into account," Harry quipped. Heather groaned to herself, causing Harry to give a slight smile at his daughter's stubbornness.

"Just take the stun gun, okay?"

"Argh! Fine," Heather roll her eyes in annoyance. Her father was such a worrywart! "I'll take the stun gun. You happy?"

"No, but I know I can't change your mind about going," Harry declared honestly. His daughter placed a reassuring hand on his arm.

"I'll be careful, Dad. I promise."

Harry only nodded silently. After giving him a kiss on the cheek, Heather retrieved her stun gun and a small knapsack from her room, and set off on her private little assignment for the day.

So here she was, stun gun and all, looking for a strange girl who could almost be her long-lost twin. Pulling out her cell phone, she dialed home to give her father the update she knew he was waiting for.

"Hello?" Harry's voice answered.

"Heather's House of Spuds, Heather speaking," Heather said cheerily.

"Heather?"

"I'm sorry, sir, did you order something from us today?" Heather asked sweetly. "We have an order here for seven pounds of mashed potatoes, two coleslaws, and something called ketchup gravy. Eugh."

"Very funny," Harry scoffed.

"Hey Dad," Heather smiled to herself. "I'm here at the mall. No sign of Alessa yet, but I only just got here."

"Okay." There was a pause. "Heather, remember what I told you."

"Dad," Heather protested. And so it begins.

"I know, I know. We've gone through this before. But Heather, I'm your father. It's my job to look after you," Harry stated.

"Dad, I said I would be fine. You can trust me," Heather insisted.

"That depends on what you mean by trust. I trust you to call for help if you need it. But do I trust you not to sit there all day waiting for someone who probably won't show up? That's a different story," Harry countered.

"Dad, I'm not stupid. I know what I'm doing."

"Which is why you're at the mall on a Wednesday morning looking for someone who's a complete stranger?" Harry inquired sharply.

Heather didn't respond. She felt the stirrings of great annoyance beginning to tug at her conscience. Why did her father have to be so damn overprotective? It wasn't like she was a baby who needed to be held by the hand. She was a woman! A nineteen year old woman who knew perfectly well how to defend herself. She didn't need her Daddy coddling her, especially over something as silly as this.

Harry sighed, sensing his daughter's frustration. "I didn't say you were stupid, Heather. I just think you're being a little…naïve about this whole thing. Maybe it would be best if you just leave it alone."

There it was again – that same suggestion from before. If Heather didn't know any better, she would swear her dad knew something he wasn't telling her about. She spoke in carefully measured tones.

"Dad, I know that you worry about me. A little too much in my opinion. But you have to accept the fact that I'm not a little kid anymore. I know what I'm doing and I wouldn't be here unless I had a really good feeling about this."

Harry was silent on the other end.

"Dad, please. Trust me. I know how to take care of myself," Heather pleaded.

There was a long pause. Just when Heather was beginning to worry, Harry replied, "Alright. I understand. And you're right. You're not a kid anymore. I can't hold you hand all the time like I used to. I guess I should learn to just trust your instincts, even if they seem a little odd at times."

Heather's lips changed into a wide grin. "Thanks, Dad," she said, with genuine appreciation in her voice.

"No problem. Just promise me you won't stay there all day if she doesn't show, okay?"

Heather groaned, but she knew not to argue. "Okay, Dad."

"Oh, and one more thing."

"What?" Heather asked suspiciously.

"Promise me you'll bring me a sundae?" Harry asked.

Heather smiled. "Sure thing, Dad. The usual?"

"You bet. I live for chocolate syrup," Harry said.

Heather let out a chuckle. "Got it. I'll see you later."

"Take care. I love you."

"I love you too, Dad."

Heather shoved the phone back into her backpack. She shook her head at the conversation she just had. She loved her father more than anything, but boy could he be a handful. Heather only hoped she found Alessa soon, and that she turned out to be a decent girl who just happened to look a lot like her. It was quite probably the only thing that would convince Harry there was nothing to worry about.

She frowned at that. Was there really any chance Alessa was just a normal girl with an uncanny resemblance to her? Somehow Heather didn't think so. There was something odd going on here. Alessa's resemblance to her was too strong to be a coincidence. And if that were the case, then why wouldn't that strange feeling Heather had about disappear? As much as Heather hated to admit it, she already knew with certainty this wasn't a coincidence.

She wondered if Alessa was having the same questions about her. For some reason she wasn't quite sure of, that didn't seem likely, especially given the urgency with which the girl rushed out of there.

Something told her Alessa wouldn't be faced with the same questions. She didn't need to be, because she already knew. Somehow, she'd figured it out in those brief moments they shared. Another person might have missed it, but Heather always had a sort of sixth sense about such things, and she could sense the hints of awareness in the other girl's actions. Just because she was skeptical about the supernatural didn't mean she wasn't able to read other people.

Heather began walking. There was no use in just standing around. She had to find that other girl. This mystery had been burning in Heather's brain for an entire day and she wasn't one to take things idly when something went unresolved.

She bypassed the few people browsing around the mall at this hour without so much as a glance at anyone who didn't have long dark hair. Under normal circumstances, she too would be browsing and window shopping. But that wasn't a priority now. She couldn't afford to have Alessa pass by her unnoticed because she was too busy staring at something in a display.

Her steps were firm and confident as she headed towards the place where she last seen Alessa. Finally she reached the benches outside the Happy Burger…

…and promptly stopped short as she noticed a very familiar head of long raven black hair.

Alessa strolled assertively towards her destination in the mall. There weren't many other people in the mall at this early hour, just a few eager shoppers trying to avoid the later crowds; perhaps a few others simply lounging around the stores out of nothing better to do. Alessa barely paid them any mind unless they matched her double's basic profile. She couldn't permit herself to get distracted and let the girl pass her by unnoticed.

Her path led her to the area just outside the Happy Burger fast food restaurant. And when she reached the benches where the fateful argument had taken place, Alessa's eyes widened as she spotted a hauntingly familiar girl with short midnight black hair exactly like her own. Alessa locked eyes with the girl as they stared at each other across the mall with equal amounts of shock and fascination.

She had found her other self at last.