Luis awoke to the sound of a phone ringing. He rolled over and groaned, a crease forming above his nose before clumsily snatching the phone off the cradle and jabbing it next to his ear.
"H-hello?" He muttered, squinting against the sunlight that streamed through his blindfolds.
"Its Ada." Ada's cool, crisp voice caused him to sit up. Something was wrong. There was the slightest tremor behind her business-like voice.
"Ada," He said hesitantly.
"The bastards done it this time." She said icily. Luis grimaced and rolled over.
"What happened, Ada?"
"I'm at Laura Sunderland's house. Wesker was here last night…" Her voice trailed off as though she were in deep thought. She sighed deeply into the phone as though weary. Luis felt a sudden chill despite the heat from the sun. He glanced out between the blinds of his window, suddenly fearing the worse. "Laura…" He started. "is she…?"
"Laura's fine." Ada said simply. "But her father was kidnapped this evening."
They had been walking for what seemed like hours. Against Cheryl's objections, Leon had opted to scope every exit of town, seeing the damage for himself. Much to his amazement, everything she had said was true. Every damned street leading out of town had…just disappeared. The road ended abruptly as though the section of Earth had broken away.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me." He murmured after making his way to the last possible exit. "You have to be fucking kidding me."
"Heh, I wish." Cheryl said dryly. She turned to walk away.
"Wait-are you seriously going by yourself?"
"I've got a gun." She pointed out. "Pray I don't need to use it."
"But…aren't you scared about what's out there?" Leon asked cautiously, not wanting her to take offend.
Cheryl bit her lower lip, staring out into the fog as though searching for an answer. After a moment of silence, she sighed and shook her head. "I'm not scared of the monsters." She said slowly. "I'm scared…of the town. This place has a mind of its own." She watched Leon wearily, waiting for any objections. "Look, yes I'm scared. But not that kind of scared. I'm scared most of all for Harriet…"
Leon nodded. "Because of the monsters…" He offered.
Cheryl clenched her jaw. "No," She said firmly. "That's not why." He cheeks flushed red and tears threatened to pour. "There are things here worst than monsters." She said in a lower voice. "I am positive that they are the ones who brought Harriet here. They…they are the worst creatures of all!" She said venomously, narrowing her eyes. "and I'm going to kill everyone of them that's comes in my way!"
She turned abruptly, leaving Leon, stunned by her words, watching her walk away. Something told him not to disturb her; she had reasons for being here that she wasn't telling him. And he was just fine with that for the minute. But he was far from done with this place. Cheryl wanted to get to the church, for some reason. She somehow knew that Harriet was there waiting for her.
Leon started off the same direction that Cheryl had just gone, though the fog had long swallowed her. Leon was going somewhere else, though. He set off for the school.
Luis paid the taxi cab driver with cash before stepping out of the cab in front of the modest looking house. Ada was waiting outside for him. She was dressed only in a pair of black jeans with a black, long-sleeved t-shirt. She wore high-heeled black boots that, even on her, looked modest. Even so, she looked like she has just stepped out of a high-class fashion magazine.
Ada led him through the heavy wooden door without a word. Luis looked around the foyer with mild interest. Photos clung to the walls, brightening up the otherwise dreary wall paper. One photograph in particular lay on the floor. A result of a struggle? Luis bent over to pick it up. A young woman smiled gently out of it. She wore her brown hair swept back into a bun like a dancer's. Her blue eyes seemed to gaze out with a kind of innocent curiosity. A lovely woman, Luis thought. He wondered if she was the deceased wife.
"Come on," Ada chided, leading him forward. Luis placed the picture on the table against the wall and followed her into a neat living room where Laura sat in a chair, looking drawn and frightened. She gazed at Luis as he walked in.
No one spoke for a second. The atmosphere in the room was so tense that Luis though he moght choke if he tried to speak. He opened his mouth a few times, but nothing came out. Laura was the first to speak.
"He came here for me." She murmured softly, looking into her lap. "James didn't know what was going on…" Her voice turned raw.. Laura glanced up at them. "I'm right, aren't I?" She demanded. "He wanted me! James wasn't involved!"
Ada didn't try to cover it. "Yes." She said softly.
Laura clenched her eyes shut. For a second, Luis thought she was going to cry, but when she opened them, there was a hard look in them. Her face had a pale pallor to it. Her blonde hair had come loose from her bun, and her lips were pursed tightly together. "I got home last night," She began softly. "and there was no one here. I knew something was wrong though. James wouldn't have gone without leaving a note." She bowed her head.
Ada stooped down beside Laura. Laura did not acknowledge her presence. "Laura," Ada said softly. "you're going to have to tell me some things you won't want to." Laura did not respond. Ada thought that maybe Laura felt that Ada was responsible for what happened. "Okay?" Laura nodded grudgingly. "Here's the first one…does anyone actually live in Silent Hill, anymore?"
Laura made a face. "I don't know." She admitted. "It's not a very big town, not nearly as big as it used to be. But it's not abandoned, although some people say it is, but I always thought it was wishful thinking." She looked up. "Is that where they took James?"
Ada shrugged. "Possibly," She paused. "Why do some people say it's abandoned?"
"I have no idea. I thought it was weird…James mentioned the town-once-and said something like that. I'm…very confused about the whole thing. I've talked to a lot of people about their own personal experiences there." She hesitated. "Most of them were mentally unstable. The town…it seems to somehow appeal to people like that. They tell me the town has called them, or something." She lowered and shook her head, moaning.
Ada glanced at Luis who was listening silently. He looked grave. "Laura," His heavy accent rolled her r's softly. Laura looked up at him wearily, her long fingers still clenched tightly into fists. "Was your father-I mean James, was he…unstable?"
Laura's eyes brightened. For a second, Luis thought she had snapped and was getting ready to punch the living daylights out of somebody. But instead, she bolted out of her chair and snatched a video cassette that was lying on the floor. Luis accepted from her outstretched hand. Her eyes looked dazed all of a sudden and she was seriously having trouble supporting herself. "See for yourself." She snapped. "See how insane James was."
Ada hurried over and snatched the video from Luis' hands. "Do you have a VCR?" She demanded. Laura bit her lip and nodded. Ada saw it and strode over to it stealthily. She had a feeling she knew what was on the tape. Everyone watched her silently as she inserted the tape and turned on the TV. There was snow at first. "Have you seen this yet?" She asked Laura. Laura shook her head, biting her lip again. "No," She said slowly. "But I think I know—"
"Shh," Luis said as a picture came in view.
A woman, the same woman as the picture in the foyer, came into view. She was dressed in a pale pink sweater and smiled fondly at the camera and she walked in. Laura squeaked when she saw her. Ada looked over to see her go very, very pale. "Are you taping again?" The woman in the video demanded playfully. "Come on!" She seated herself into a chair facing a window. Was it a hotel room? "I don't know why," The woman continued, gazing out the window with wonder. "But I just love it here. You know what I heard," She asked the unseen video holder, glancing at them with a slight smile playing around the edges of her mouth. "This whole area use to be a scared place!" She laughed lightly and sighed, looking out the window wistfully again. "I think I can see why! It's so peaceful…" She stood and faced the camera, pleading with her hands. "Please promise you'll take me again, James!" Luis heard a movement from Laura at the name, and realized that it was his deceased wife on the film. He watched as Mary's smile faded suddenly and she began to cough violently. The camera swayed as it was being put down and there was snow again.
"Hold on." Ada commanded as Luis went to turn it off, watching the film intently. Luis sat back down, and glanced over at Laura who was white as a ghost and sitting on the edge of her seat. "Oh no…" Laura said softly as a newer picture came on screen, interrupted with static here and there. It was Mary again, but this time, lying in bed. Even though the static, Luis could see how different illness had made her look. Her lovely face was physically deformed, and she had lost a lot of weight. James strode on the screen and bent over Mary. Laura hid her face in her hands. James kissed Mary's forehead once, gently. He was crying, though there was no noise. With sudden violence, He yanked the pillow from beneath his wife's head and forced it over her face. Mary lashed out weakly, but the picture once again went to snow, going back and forth between the two tapes, Mary coughing and her murder. Everyone watched silently as James smothered Mary to death before letting go of the pillow. The picture went to snow as it ended.
Luis' eyes were wide with shock. He hadn't expected this. He hadn't known…but a look at Ada's face told him that she had known something about this. He forced himself to look at Laura who looked oddly composed, holding herself rigid as she had forced herself to watch the tape. Luis was beginning to think she had gone into shock, but she spoke into the silence suddenly, her voice sounded weary.
"I…I'd never known how he had killed her." She murmured, blinking away tears. She fell silent again…her grief suddenly taking over.
Luis stood and carefully edged himself down beside her. Laura didn't look up at him, but she was grateful for the gesture. "Mary was so sick." Laura said softly into her lap. "I met her while she was sick for the first time. Even then…she knew she was going to die, I think." She sighed deeply, relating a story that she had never told anyone.
Her hands trembled slightly, though she was holding up quite well for someone who had just witnessed a video tape of the murder of…a friend? No, Ada decided. A parent, almost.
"I was an orphan for most of my life." Laura shook her head. "When I was seven, I developed a bad case of pneumonia. They-the sisters-put me in the hospital. I met Mary…and…I loved her." Her blue eyes filled with tears. "She was so nice to me. The only person who ever seemed to give a damn about me. I knew I was hard to handle at the orphanage and nobody really liked me…but they never did anything to try to help me! No one ever gave me a chance to…to be nice!" Ada felt her own heart cringe at the bitterness in Laura's voice for a second. She, herself, had been an orphan and knew what it was like to grow up around a bunch of hard asses who didn't give a shit.
"Mary told me all about herself. Her life…her husband…and she would show me pictures. She always spoke about this place called Silent Hill. From the way she spoke of it, it seemed magical. She told me the legends of the area and the pretty buildings. I began to fantasize living there with Mary as my mother. I wanted her to adopt me so much," She hugged her knees to her chest tightly and shut her eyes. "I didn't realize how bad Mary's condition was. Now that I think about it, I think she knew she was dying. She just…had a vacant look, lifeless, hopeless. But I didn't see that then…I just assumed everything would be ok and we would grow old together. I would finally have a real family."
Laura grew almost thoughtful. "I think I use to resent James because I felt like…he didn't deserve Mary. He wasn't nice to her. He wasn't even there when she needed him! Even a fucking seven year old could see that she needed her husband! So where was he?
"Then one day, Mary left. Without even saying goodbye. No one would tell me where she went. I asked Rachael, our nurse, about her, but she told me not to be a busy body. Finally, I got tired of waiting for people to tell me anything, and went to look by myself. I looked through Rachael's locker to see if it would tell me where Mary went, and I found a letter addressed to me from Mary. I read it…and I…left the hospital by myself to go to Silent Hill."
"Is that where Mary said she was?" Luis asked.
Laura shook her head. "No…but in the letter, she spoke about a 'beautiful place', and I immediately thought that that was where it was." She hesitated. "I…immediately assumed that was where she was talking about. I never imagined she was talking about…death." She lowered her head and was silent for a moment.
Ada's eyes flickered passed Laura's bent head to out the window to her right. She went still, her arms crossed, and squinted her eyes. Was it just her imagination, or did she catch a flicker of movement? A squirrel…or someone eavesdropping…or spying. Not giving any indication that anything was wrong, Ada walked to the window and pulled aside the white curtains further to reveal the neat, almost painfully ordinary neighborhood. She looked both ways out the sides of the window, not finding anything. She nearly jumped when an elderly gentleman popped in front of the window, scowling. Ada instinctively reached for her gun strapped to her thigh.
"No!" Laura said, rising. "That's just Mr. Finch."
Ada looked back at the old man, who was still scowling and holding up a gardening shovel. Muttering to himself, he walked out of the way back to his lawn.
"He spends most of his time in the garden," Laura explained nervously. "mostly, he keeps to himself, but the kids in the neighborhood like to hide his tools in other people's bushes." It was clear by the tone of her voice that this was a regular occurrence.
"I act a bit rashly at times," Ada said, fingering, almost fondly, the gun on her thigh. She threw the old man next door a weary look. Something still didn't seem right. Even though the old man was turned away from their window now, she still felt the cool eyes of a stranger on all three of them.
She walked back to Laura and Luis. The Spaniard caught her eyes and raised his eyebrows questioningly. Ada shook her head.
"Laura?" Ada asked the girl gently. Laura looked up with fresh tears. "Did you go to Silent Hill looking for Mary?" Laura hesitated, than shrugged.
"If you want me to be completely honest, I can't remember. I just remember looking for…for something else, too." She sighed sadly. "I really don't know. I went somewhere…there were people I spoke to, but that's all. I remember finding James…but beyond that, nothing." She lapsed into another silence for a moment. "I once read somewhere that the human mind does anything in order to hide from pain…including blocking out memories. I always thought that that is what happened to me. I found out Mary was dead…and I just blocked everything else because I was so upset."
"So…you never knew, up until now, how James had killed Mary?"
"No."
"Does it make you mad?" Ada asked her softly.
Before Laura could answer, the phone rang. Laura jumped in her seat before snatching the phone off the receiver next to the couch. Ada wandered into the kitchen across the hall. Luis joined her less than a second later. Ada leaned against the counter, her arms crossed tightly. "You think he's in Silent Hill." Luis said, it wasn't a question.
"Mmm hmm." Ada responded. "Don't ask me why Wesker is involved in all of this. Hell if I know."
"Maybe he doesn't really know why he is doing this, or else he is being paid handsomely." Luis pointed.
"Wesker is no one's bitch." Ada said. She thought about her current attempt to deceive him with the virus from Spain. Although she knew her plan was going fine, something told her Wesker was not all oblivious to her plan. She wasn't at all naïve that he would probably have her killed the minute he found out.
But I don't really know whose side I'm on. She told herself. If I wanted to leave Wesker's poor attempt of Umbrella, I could, but I don't.
"He wants something." She decided. "There is something more to this than what we think. I wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't even told Krauser."
"Do you think we will find him in Silent Hill with Sunderland?"
"It wouldn't hurt to look." She agreed.
"If you guys are going…I'm going too."
Laura stood in the doorway, holding herself up straight, but her face looked uncertain.
"No." Ada said immediately.
"Yes." Laura replied.
"It isn't safe—"
"You think I don't know that?" Laura demanded angrily. "I know what I'm doing, so stop treating me like a child! Stop trying to mother me because I know all you care about is your own motherfucking job!" Her voice rose to a shriek. "This is my business, lady, and if you don't approve, than stay out!"
Ada froze, her red mouth hung open slightly. She was not use to be being said no to. Especially not form some little brat who liked to get her way. The assassin clenched her fist and Luis looked worried on Laura's behalf. Both of them stood erect, their hands prepared for any fight. Laura breathed heavily, causing the strands on her forehead to fly up. Finally, Laura sighed and bowed her head, and cried for the first time since her father had disappeared. Silently.
"I'm not mad at him." She murmured wearily. "I love James. He is a father to me, and I don't want to lose him." She met Ada's gaze evenly. "I can't forgive him for what he did, I don't think I ever will, but I know he loved Mary, and he never meant her any pain. He only wanted her…to be happy, and at that point, nothing in this life could."
"Laura—" Ada started.
"No." Laura held up her palm for silence. "If you guys are going to Silent Hill, I'm going with you. James is my father, and this ordeal is personal. Besides…I-I can't hide from my past forever. I can't act like nothing happened, because it did, and it is causing bad things to happen now." She crossed her arms. "I'm going."
She held Ada's even gaze until the older woman finally sighed. "Alright."
Laura nodded in silent thanks. "I'll be right back." She disappeared out the kitchen.
Ada rolled her eyes after the fleeing teen. Luis laughed at that, breaking the tense air in the room. "She's right," Ada admitted grudgingly. "We can't leave her here unprotected."
"Do you think someone will come back?" Luis wondered out loud.
"Probably," Ada shrugged. "They wanted Laura, clearly. If it was Wesker-which it was-he'll expect to get Laura one way or the other."
"Or the other?" Luis' brow furrowed. "We could be leaving her into a trap!" Ada nodded. Luis let out a low whistle. "We just can't win!"
"No." Ada agreed as Laura showed back up.
"I'm ready." Laura told them, a handgun clutched between her hands. Luis looked at her and laughed loudly.
"Imierda, chica! We have more powerful weapons than that in the back of the car!"
Laura looked slightly insulted at his response. "Not all of us can own Umbrella's top-notch weapons."
"Well—"
"GAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHRRRRRRR!"
Everyone look shell shocked from where the scream had come from. Outside and very close. Ada bridled up, her gun already removed from her thigh holster. "Get Laura to the car," She directed Luis, who mutely nodded and dragged Laura out of the kitchen by her arm.
Ada trekked around to the side of the house, her gun held in ready position. The neatly cut green lawn crunched beneath her boots. She slipped between the alley separating Laura's house form her neighbors, checking for any origins of the scream or evidence that someone had really been there earlier, spying on the house.
That side of the house seemed cleared. There was only an eerie silence that hung around the backyard, as if no other neighbors had noticed the scream. Ada took a breath and ducked around the corner of the house, her gun pointed forward. Finding no one, she brought it back down and scaled the length of the back of the house.
One, two, I'm coming for you…She thought to herself. She sidled up against the side of the house, preparing to peep around the last corner. She finally jumped the corner, and took two steps forward before drawing up short.
Oh shit…!
She nearly dropped her gun. Her mouth drew into a surprised 'o'. A blanket of blood carpeted the green lawn. Not ten feet away, a mutilated body laid, its head torn from its shoulders. The face was that of the old man from earlier, Mr. Finch. His glassy-eyed gaze stared up at her blankly, a scream forever etched on his face. That was not the worse. Ada moved forward quietly, goose bumps running up and down her arms as she stared at the side of the house where a picture had been painted with the old man's blood. Ada stared hard, her stomach twisted, not because she was disgusted by the sight, but because she had just seen this man not half an hour earlier, alive and well. What had happened?
There was something with the symbol…Ada tried to remember where she had seen the weird circle decorated with symbols on the inside. She furrowed her brow, suddenly remembering she had seen that symbol in the office where Wesker worked, and in the lab! It had also come up with Luis' research on the paper about the cult. The Halo of the Sun.
There is no question…he is in Silent Hill. She thought to herself. The hairs on her neck stood, and the feeling of being watched returned. She looked around, finding no other human being. She shuddered, suddenly wanting to drive far away from the house, not enjoying the feeling of unease she was experiencing. Careful not to step on the blood, she walked back to the front where Luis waited in the car with Laura in the back, ready to go.
Luis noticed Ada's pale parlor as she hurriedly got into the car. "Is everything ok?"
Ada sent him a look that told him she'd tell him later. "Its fine."
Luis drove away from the house and out of the neighborhood. Ada leaned back in her seat and sighed, and wondered what hell awaited them in the quiet town.
