Author's Note: In this chapter, you'll find out why this chapter shares the same name as the story. Enjoy.

An Alt. Title for this chapter would be, "Cage Spirits".

Current Time – 6:20 pm

My radio was emitting static. There was a monster nearby. I took out my pistol and readied it. But, I didn't meet a monster. Instead, I see the glowing blue figure in the distance.

The figure walked towards me and when it was close enough for me to see it up close, I saw that it had human features. She looked about nine-years-old. She wore a dress that covered her knees. She also had two ribbons in her hair. She looks up at me and her eyes were like blue daggers...staring at me.

She smiles, turns around, and runs in the opposite direction. I called out, "Hey, wait! Stop...who are you?". But she continues running, so I gave chase. I noticed that the further away she got the more quieter the static (coming from my radio) got. Then, I saw her disappear into the frozen book aisles.

I entered the same aisle and saw that she had disappeared; Even my radio had stopped emitting static. In the middle of the aisle was an unfrozen red wagon (the kind that little kids use). In the wagon was a pump-action shotgun*. I picked it up and examined it.

I don't know what kind of shotgun it is. I just know it's a pump and that it holds a total of seven shots. Other things in the wagon was a lighter*, two boxes of buckshells*, and a first-aid kit*. I took them all, might as well. Then, I heard a whisper coming from my radio.

It said, "Enjoy the gift, Nick..." Then, it hit me; I suddenly remembered her name. My past girlfriend's name. Her name is Viola. Viola Kennedy. What triggered this memory to come back to me was the whisper; it was Viola's voice. I remember I tried so hard to forget it; But ever since I entered this town, Her memory starts coming back...or at-least bits and pieces of it does.

Then, I heard a scream coming from the other side of the floor. I rushed towards it and found that the door blocking me, from getting to the source of scream, was frozen shut. It was only the lock that was frozen. I knew how to get through. The lighter.

I took out the lighter and burned the ice off the lock. Then, I tried opening up the door. It still wasn't opening, it was locked. That's when I noticed the note that was on the door. Here is what it said:

"Books are a nice way of getting away from your troubles.

That's why I always check out the doubles,

I never get tried of reading them.

Although I always forget when

to return the books. The doubles are found

in the fantasy aisle where they are bound."

Fantasy Aisle. I'll read "The Doubles" and honesty, it sucks bad. How can the writer of this note enjoy that book? But anyways, I guess I might as well go to the fantasy section. Got to find that book.

Eventually, I find the aisle. I searched for the book and soon found it in the very middle of the aisle (it wasn't frozen). It was a hardcover copy. I opened the book and found that the pages were all blank (what kind of copy is this?)...that is until the key falls right out of the pages onto the icy floor. The key wasn't labeled at all, but I knew it was the key I was looking for.

I backtracked back to the door and tried the key. It was a perfect match. When I started unlocking the door, I noticed that my radio was once again going off. Once the door was unlocked, I opened it and found out why my radio was going off.

I found myself in a giant circular room that was shaped like a dome. In the middle of the room was a monster like no other. It resembled a mix between a giant animal cage, a human, and...something else that was hard to describe. It had a distorted humanoid figure, a stomach that looked like a cage, two tentacles that acted as it's arms, and the head (that is a head, right?) wouldn't stop vibrating...at-least I think it's vibrating. The bars of the cage looked like it was made out of human flesh. And the monster was emitting a sound that sounded like a mix between a groan and heavy, labored breathing.

In the cage was Lana. She shouts, "Nick! Help me out of this...this thing!".

I shouted, "Don't worry, Lana. I'll get you out!"

The monster starts moving and let's out a deafening roar. I took out my steel pipe and prepared for whatever this monster was gonna throw at me. It starts the battle by swing it's tentacle arms at me. I ducked in time to dodge it's swing. I went up to the monster's cage stomach and started bashing it with the pipe.

After each swing was dealt, the monster would let out a loud, pained groaning sound. Judging from the sound, I guess the monster felt each swing. After the fourth swing connected, the monster let out a scream-like sound. Then after the scream ended, the monster started emitting some kind of poison gas that caused me to back away from the stomach cage. I swear that that gas smelled like a mix between vinegar and the smell that old people had, I can never get over that smell.

But after the monster was done emitting the gas, the head went down as the monster let out a long groaning sound. I noticed that on top of the head was a black spot that looked like it was weakened and beaten. I went up to it, took out my shotgun, and fired one buck at it. I might as well had set off to firecracker because as soon as I hit the spot, the monster immediately lifts up it's head and let's out a glass-shattering scream.

Hearing the scream caused me to back away and cover my ears. It was painful even if my ears were covered. The monster stops and starts swing it's tentacles at me. I felt the tentacle make contact with my body. I couldn't attempt to dodge it because I was still recovering from it's scream.

The impact of the tentacle caused me to hit the ground. I got back up on my feet, took out a health drink, and I drank the whole bottle to recover from the monster's attack. The health drink was very helpful because I felt the same way I felt before I was hit by the tentacle. I repeated the same attack I dealt to it earlier. Went up to the stomach, bashed the shit out of it, backed away, and shot it's spot on top of the head.

After repeating this once, the monster's head went once again, but this time I wanted to finish it off. I did this by continually sticking the pipe into the spot until it pieced the skin; After it pieced the skin, I got my pipe out of the beast. The monster lets out a dying sound and just stopped moving. The stomach cage opened up and Lana was set free. She gets out, goes to me, and hugs me. I didn't expect a hug coming and I had my guard down, so I was somewhat surprised.

She says (through the hug), "Nick...thanks for saving me..."

"Lana..."

"Nick, I don't know how to thank you." She lifts her head up and looks at me with her emblem-colored eyes.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad your okay."

"I wish...I...was."

"What?"

Then, I felt her go unconscious in my arms as I noticed that her forehead had started bleeding. The blood goes down her face leaving a small trail of blood on her. Soon, I started feeling faint too as my vision started going fizzy and blurry. I felt myself fall down onto the icy floor as everything went black.

The last few things I heard before going out completely was footsteps coming towards me, a bell chiming in the distance, and my own faint voice calling out Lana's name...

Author's Note: And that is Chapter seven. Hope you enjoyed it.

The shotgun that Nick finds is the Mossberg M590 with a pistol grip.

The monster that Nick fought is somewhat inspired by the "Parasite Cage" heartless from Kingdom Hearts 1. I don't know why but it just popped into my head when I was thinking of a monster that could serve as a "boss" fight.

I just added some of own ideas and thus, this monster was born.

I had originally thought up of two other ways to end this chapter. One was Nick just heading out the exit (and well, where's the fun in that?). And the second was Nick falling down a hole that the monster makes after it was killed (I remembered they did that in Homecoming, I'm aiming for originality here). I thought this ending would produce better "results" for me.

The Doubles isn't a real book. I made it up for the sake of the rhyme...

Inventory Time:

Weapons

Beretta (pistol): 10 / 24: Given to me by Harry Mason. Said he was given it by a friend. Must have been a Very good friend.

Steel Pipe: Found in the tunnel. A pipe like this is usually used in plumbing. But it makes for a nice melee weapon. About three and a half feet long.

Butterfly Knife: A rare knife that isn't sold in retail stores. I had to order it online. Can't stress enough about how sharp it is.

Pump-action Shotgun: 5 / 14: Found in Silent Hill Library. A pump-powered shotgun that packs a punch. Can take out multiple enemies at once.

Health Supplies

Health Drink x03: A drink with limited healing properties. Comes in grape or strawberry flavors. Yum.

First-Aid Kit x01: A medical kit that comes with many healing supplies inside. Takes time to use it, but it is worth it...usually.

Important Items

Flashlight: In my chest pocket. Always handy whenever I have a blackout in my house (which happens often). Can be turned on/off.

Radio: Found in Goods N' Sales. Emits static whenever there is a monster nearby. Can be turned on/off (though it's not very helpful when it's off).

Silent Hill Map: Found in the Town. Pretty self-explanatory.

Silent Hill Library Map: Found on a library chair. Like the town map, it's self-explanatory.

Savior's Note: Found in my pocket. A note from the one that saved me from the tunnel. It's the same note about the valves from the same tunnel. But, Who is my savior?

White Rose: Found at the entrance to the library. Beautifully crafted. But, who does it belong to?

Lighter: Found in the Library. Just an ordinary lighter. Can melt small pieces of ice. I decided to keep it with me, might come in handy in the near future.

Well that's it for this chapter. See ya next week.