The burning chalice continued to dissolve…walls on fire…the fire came closer…no…not a flame…the walls were not ablaze…the altar was nowhere to be seen…he was somewhere familiar…a figure before him took shape…he focused his eyes…

"Lisa ? Then I'm in the hospital?"

The young nurse failed to meet his gaze. Extremely pale and a little short of breath, she cut a sorry figure.

"Hey, you don't look too good, are you OK?" pried Harry

"I'm fine. Nothing you need to worry about."

According to Kaufmann and Rachel, Lisa Garland would have been thirty years old…yet this woman could barely be into her twenties…though she still looked like she hadn't slept for days. He wanted to ask where she had been for the last seven years…what happened to make her disappear… something held him back…she had reacted badly to any challenge of her status quo. He needed any information she could give, so he didn't want to tick her off.

"Well, if you're sure." he mumbled feebly. Watching her hands tremble on her lap, Harry felt guilty for ignoring her condition, but he had to find Cheryl.

"Lisa, do you know a woman named Dahlia Gillespie?"

"Oh yeah, that crazy Gillespie lady." Lisa uttered, sounding a little spaced out, "She's kind of famous around here. She never sees anybody, so I really don't know that much about her. But I heard her kid died in a fire and supposedly, she's been crazy ever since."

"Well, she says the town is being devoured by the darkness. Do you have any idea what she's talking about?"

"The town being devoured by the darkness?

Yeah…maybe…I think I do.

Before this place was turned into a resort, the townspeople were on the quiet side. Everybody followed some kind of odd religion. Weird occult stuff. Black magic, that kind of thing.

When young people moved away, people said they were summoned by the gods." she laughed, "Evidently, things like that used to happen around here all the time. Before the resort there really wasn't anything out here. Everyone was so flipped out...got to blame it on something. Then a lot of new people came in and everybody clammed up about it."

"A cult."

"Last time I heard anything about it was gosh……years ago…when several people connected with developing the town died in accidents…people said it was a curse……oh…I'm sorry, I'm rambling…I'll shut up."

"No, Lisa, that makes perfect sense; I've seen images of sacrifice, I've just come from an antique store with a hidden altar…the other church in this town…that's what Dahlia Gillespie said!"

"Uh…glad I could help?" ventured the nurse.

"Listen, my daughter is missing. I don't know what this has to do with that cult, but it all seems to be connected. I have to find her before they do.

Can you tell me how to get to the lake from here? It's the last place she was seen."

"The Lake? You take…Bachman road."

"The road's blocked."

"Well…that's the only way out there."

"Are you sure?" he challenged, agitated, "There's got to be another way!"

"Wait!" Lisa recoiled from him. "I just remembered something!"

"What?" he asked, more softly. Why would she flinch like that?

"There's a waterworks over by my old elementary school. It's been abandoned for years. There's an underground tunnel used for inspections or something. I remember hearing it runs all the way to the lake."

"Really? Do you think I can get to the lake from there?"

"I've never been down there myself, so I'm not positive. Besides, it's all fenced off to keep people out."

"If there's a chance, I've got to try." he rose from the examination table.

"Harry! Don't go! I don't want to be alone. It's so scary I can't stand it."

He hesitated. She was in a fragile state…he almost felt paternal toward her, but he had to find his own daughter.

"How about coming with me?" He placed his hand on her shoulder. "This may not be the safest place in the world either. I can't promise anything, but I'll do my best to keep us safe."

"No. Somehow I feel like I'm not supposed to leave this place. Oh Harry, I'm so scared…I'm cold!"

"Look, just wait here a little longer. I'll be back as soon as I find my daughter."

"Harry…" She turned away from him.

Pain exploded across his head as he moved toward the door. The sirens screamed, deafeningly in his ear. Darkness filled his vision.

Harry came to covered in a sticky red substance which clung to his clothes as he got up. It had the same consistency as the liquid from the smashed vial on the medicine room floor. Though there was a strong smell of iron it was too thick to be blood. The scent could have been coming from the corroded metal floor of the room he found himself in.

The viscous liquid was smeared across the mesh he stood on, in the shape of the symbol from the schoolyard.

Had he drawn that himself? Still unaware of the significance of the mark, he was perplexed by its presence. Maybe he'd been in another dream creating this in some fugue state…maybe he was possessed…maybe he'd written too many horror novels.

Keen to get away from the confusion and find a place to clean himself he stumbled, dazed, across the room and up a flight of stairs. Led outside he found himself consumed by the night. In pitch blackness he felt the rain sweep cold across his face, washing the liquid from his skin. How long had he been out?

Fumbling around in his jacket, he found the flashlight that had served him so well in the eclipse. Switching it on brought an inhuman cry from the darkness. Searching frantically for an attacker, Harry noticed he stood outside Green Lion Antiques. Cybil had been there with him, seemingly a short time ago. The sidewalk was gone and the road replaced by metal grating, supported by scaffolding poles descending into the gloom.

Something sharp whipped across Harry's scalp, his blood mingling with the rain. The flying beasts, all raw flesh and vicious teeth, had found him and were swooping on him in turn.

He ran.

The grating was slick with rain causing him to slip and struggle. The creatures did not give chase.

Shaken but please to have survived once more his pace slowed. Decrepitude surrounded him; broken windows and busted doors everywhere. The rain and cold showed no signs of letting up. It would have been nice to curl up somewhere dry and forget about everything.

Noticing a rupture in the shutters outside the mall he was passing, he was tempted to sit out the storm and hope to be rescued.

But he couldn't give up…he had to find Cheryl. If she had managed to get to the lake he would have to use the old waterworks to follow. The elementary school was back over the bascule bridge into old Silent Hill…that wouldn't take him past the hospital…Lydia…he hoped the others were okay.

Up ahead he could see figures moving around the mesh. The winged creatures were swarming in the road. Panic set in…he turned back on himself, only to be confronted by the chasing pack. Screeching and swooping they attracted the attention of the waiting group, who started flapping their wings. He was being hunted…a level of intelligence he hadn't expected. Talons bearing down on him he darted across the wet metal toward the mall. Squeezing through the rupture just in time, he felt the impact of several predators on the flimsy barrier behind. He decided to keep moving.

This nightmare arcade was not somewhere he wished to be, but it was better than being torn to pieces. He reached the escalator but stopped as white noise echoed around the entrance. A bank of monitors fizzed to life. The symbol…

…it popped and fizzed around, ultimately settling on all nine screens. Then the picture changed, a static riddled image of his daughter replacing the emblem. It flickered…Harry thought he saw another picture…was someone there with her?

Cheryl's picture spread across all the monitors. Her wrists bound.

"Daddy? Help me…please…where are you?" she cried.

"Cheryl!" yelled Harry.

…and as unexpectedly as she had appeared, she was gone…strange new symbols alternating between the televisions.

Desperate to find another way out of this place and get back to Cybil, to find Cheryl, he raced up the defunct escalator. Searching all around for the fire exit he tripped over a maggot infested, rotting body outside a similarly decomposing jewelry store. Harry landed heavily causing the floor underneath to give way. Though he stumbled and fell the impact on the level below was softened considerably by sand, sitting where an atrium should have been. All the flooring, as far as his flashlight would reach, was covered by a beach. He kicked at it expecting tiles to be exposed, but the sand ran deep. Occasionally it rippled, slightly at first, just a few grains. But the disturbances grew and grew until the sand was heaving every few seconds. A particularly large movement gave him a glimpse of something strange and slimy. A rumble from behind span him round. The animal before him was long, more than eight feet. Its body was segmented, with several pairs of legs. It was very much like the smaller parasite they found inside Dr. Philips. One of the feelers on its head explored Harry's leg. Jumping back, he narrowly avoided a spray of filthy yellow mist. His eyes, nose and throat were burning. The giant parasite burrowed into the sand and out of view. Suppressing panic as the ground shook again he remembered Cybil's handgun tucked in the back of his jeans. Surprised he'd managed not to shoot himself in the ass so far, he drew and threw himself to the right of the emerging creature and its noxious emittance. Rolling over he fired two shots in the back of its head. The creature shrieked and crawled away from him, smashing through the glass door and the shutters and into the street.

Outside, thankfully, the insect was nowhere to be seen. Returning to the driving rain, he put his head down and ran. He was behind the mall now, so he headed toward what he guessed was due south. It was difficult as the mesh narrowed, and vision was limited to a few feet. Screams and cries resonated across the night air keeping his legs moving. In his peripheral vision, he saw the mark again…

and again…

and again…

…smeared and scratched across walls and doors, windows and garages. As he reached the beginning of Sagan Street the scaffold turned right, so he followed. Plagued by unwanted interest from a host of monsters, he kept running. Running past Simmons Street…past the local movie theatre…past Wilson Street and the police station. He came to the bridge, but the scaffold had run out. He had to find another route. Turning left onto Crichton Street, he caught a glimpse of some familiar figures in his beam. Lydia Findly was dressed now; propped up against the front door, flashlight in hand and a SHPD jacket around her shoulders. Rachel Mahoney carried a heavy sports bag and Detective Briggs was poised, wielding a shotgun. They, like Harry, were soaked through.

"Lydia!" he yelled, waving, "Rachel!"

It took them a moment to realize he was calling. As he closed, he could see that Briggs was not pleased to see him.

"Where the hell did you go?" admonished Rachel.

"We thought one of those things had got you." added Lydia.

"What are you doing out here? Did Kaufmann give you the all clear?" Harry enquired.

"We decided to break quarantine…like you. And it seems the good doctor also failed to follow his own advice. I guess you both had your reasons for slipping out unnoticed. For us, we found the need to arm ourselves became greater than the will to carry on the lockdown. There are things in that hospital Mr. Mason…scared the shit out of me.

Anyways, we needed to get out and with Kaufmann gone, Rachel stepped up to the plate."

"I carried out a makeshift autopsy…Kaufmann had gotten things started so…I did the best I could." she self-effaced.

"It became pretty obvious all the victims had large amounts of PTV in their bloodstream. You could smell it, over the smell of the blood. Dr. Philips' veins were clogged with the stuff. So we figure…if the parasite is something to do with the drug, then as long as you're clean, you're clear." Briggs reported.

Harry exchanged glances with Lydia. He hoped her drug use hadn't put her at risk. Her face told him that she was afraid of the same thing.

"We stuck together for safety, headed to the station to pick up some more ammo…and some decent weapons." he smiled, brandishing the shotgun, "As it turns out, the streets are more dangerous than the hospital. We were attacked on the way there and on the way back. Lucky we managed to get back here in one piece…which is more than I can say for those monsters we came across…actual monsters…never seen anything like it…I don't often agree with Cybil these days, but it looks like the apocalypse really has come to Silent Hill."

Briggs hadn't been joking about Cybil. She had seen something that couldn't be explained. Why did she deny it?

"We were just about to go back in. You're welcome to join us." added Briggs.

"Really?"

"You think I'm a monster? I'm not going to leave you out here in this nightmare. Even a suspect…"

"I'm officially a suspect? For what? Did Lydia tell you something?"

"My head injuries were caused by Trevor White, the caretaker." Lydia didn't meet his gaze. "That's about the only thing I remember."

"It's convenient that you both have amnesia. Especially with the question of how Mr. White got so badly burned still unanswered. A man who can himself provide us with no answers as he is dead. It's a murder investigation now." Briggs jabbed him with his finger. "You know his keys had melted together?"

He was within his rights to be suspicious. Harry remembered a corpse - or what appeared to be a corpse. The flesh raw and charred, a bunch of melted keys stuck to the remaining skin. A key that he had taken and used. A key that he had later passed to Cybil without fear of consequence. It seemed that she hadn't told Briggs about it. That would be a breach of procedure to say the least. Had she really put her career, her liberty at risk to protect him? If the truth were known he would be languishing in a jail cell…it did look pretty bad. Nevertheless, Harry was starting to trust his faculties again. What seemed impossible just a few days ago was less so. What he remembered could have happened.

He wasn't about to admit that to Briggs though. The detective was currently judge, jury and executioner for the murder of a man he didn't even know. He wondered if Lydia's amnesia was due to her injury or, like him, fear.

"Mason? Did…you…know…that?" he snapped.

Harry was saved by a scream from Rachel, her face contorted by horror. The group followed her gaze to the giant parasite, which was writhing further up Crichton Street. Briggs ushered everyone toward the hospital gates, the creature in pursuit.

As Rachel struggled with the latch, it stopped moving. The skin around it hardened and became more translucent.

A sudden, thunderous cracking sound filled the air as it split open. An antenna felt its way out of the crack followed by another. Wings protruded, made up of great black panes. They were seeing the metamorphosis; the next stage of the creature's life. As it emerged, it resembled a gigantic moth but with a huge sting. The human sized wings made a terrible hum as it flew towards the gate where Rachel still stood. They retreated rapidly, the insect following. The group was in danger of being split, hunted down one at a time by this awesome specimen.

"Hey!" Harry waved and shouted, before he knew what he was doing.

The colossal beast took no notice, closing down on Rachel who was pinned to the spot with fear. He pulled Cybil's gun from his pants and fired a round at its thorax. Black liquid spilled out, effervescing between the gaps in the grating. Harry had the attention of the creature…and no idea what to do with it. As it bore down on him, he fled up the nearest fire escape and onto the roof. He flung himself on the cold, wet concrete and switched off his torch, hoping to avoid detection. He heard the hum of the wings, flapping overhead. Closer and closer. He heard the crunch of something piercing the block next to him. Shifting to the right he was met by an even closer impact, coating him with shards of masonry. It could apparently see in the dark better than he could. Clanking footsteps ascended his left accompanied by the glow of a flashlight. Briggs shouted something from the top of the stairs and began shooting repeatedly. Harry struggled woozily to his feet. Switching his own light back on he saw the detective being engulfed in a dirty yellow cloud. He screamed and clawed at himself.

Harry yelled and fired his weapon, hoping to distract the creature from his prey. It worked, bringing it back his way. He squeezed the trigger. It didn't go off. He squeezed again. Was it jammed? Out of bullets? He wished he knew something about guns. The stinger was aiming squarely at his chest, nowhere left to run.

Out of the darkness a shot rang out, whizzing through the insect's head, leaving it in a gooey mess. The sirens, familiar now, wailed in the distance. The darkness lifted before his eyes, swirling into ever smaller clouds until it had vanished. The sky had transformed to a brilliant white, bringing the snow. It hadn't been night after all. Everything beneath, the buildings; roads; sidewalks, it was all back to normal.

Groans of frustration came from the fire escape. Briggs was prostrate on the floor, clawing at his face. Harry put his hand on the detective's shoulder.

"Help me Mason!" he screamed, "It burns…"

Harry used his t-shirt to wipe some of the poison from Briggs' face. It had left him red and swollen. The eyes were closed and the lids were puffed up, lips too. Where his t-shirt had absorbed the liquid, it began to sting his skin.

He helped the detective down the stairs and they hobbled to the hospital gates where Lydia and Rachel were waiting, huddled together for warmth. Lydia held a steaming rifle in her right hand. The nurse rushed over to aid them and they struggled into reception. Briggs was laid on a seat while Nurse Mahoney went to fetch medical supplies. The black sports bag was tucked between the seating, full of guns.

"That's quite a stash." Harry laughed. "I thought you just needed pepper spray for self defense."

Lydia smiled…did she remember?

"You really can't remember anything about the school?" he asked, hopefully.

"No." The color drained from her face.

"That's a shame. I've been hoping to speak to you…find out what really happened."

"What happened on the roof?" she seemed keen to change the subject.

"Heroism." said Briggs, unexpectedly, "Real bravery Mason. Real stupid but real brave too."

Harry was speechless.

"If you hadn't distracted that thing, it would have killed Rachel. You saved her life. And mine."

"And I saved you both." chipped in Lydia.

"That was a hell of a shot." admitted Briggs.

"I told you I belonged to the gun club back home."

"I'm not normally in favor of civilians being armed…but at times like this…"

"How are your eyes?" Harry patted him on the arm.

"Still burning. I can't see a thing…is my suit okay?"

"It's fine." lied Lydia.

Rachel came back with a first aid kit and a bowl of warm water. She proceeded to clean his eyelids where pus was gently weeping.

"It might be a while before you can use these again. I'm sorry." she said softly as she worked.

"Who needs to see? I've got a fine marksman on my side." He attempted to indicate Lydia.

"What do we do now?" she asked.

"We wait for help to arrive." suggested Rachel, "I can find dry clothes for us in the laundry."

"Cybil should have gotten to Brahms by now. They'll be here soon." Ed concurred.

"No." disagreed Harry, "I met Cybil. She didn't make it out of town. She said the roads are blocked."

"Is she alright?" Briggs looked concerned.

"She was fine."

"Why isn't she with you? Where is she?"

"We got separated when everything changed. She's probably looking for me."

"I don't understand what's happening." Rachel placed the bowl on the floor. "How is any of this possible?"

"I have no idea. But it looks like we're trapped inside the same nightmare." Harry answered.

"Well…" pondered Briggs, "…we are well armed…the hospital is relatively warm and dry…running water…there's food in the kitchen…"

"Hospital food…" Lydia pretended to gag.

"It's better than risking your life for a Twinkie." scolded Rachel.

"…plenty of medicines…we have all the facilities we need. If we stay together we should be safe." continued Briggs.

"I can't stay." Harry made for the exit.

"Why? Where are you going to go? I can see there are injuries to your head…you're clearly exhausted and soaking wet." Nurse Mahoney looked genuinely concerned.

"Cheryl is still out there. Cybil saw her heading down Bachmann Road toward the lake. I need to get out there."

"At least let me tend to your injuries…get dry and warm before you go out back out there."

"Every moment I'm safe and warm is a moment Cheryl is alone in the cold. Cybil's out there too. I have to go."

"I'd like you to stay where I could see you. I still haven't ruled you out as a suspect for the murder of Trevor White. And you were holding a Glock 22, police issue, so I dread to think what happened to Cybil.

But I can't see a thing. So I'm powerless to stop you."

"I can't prove my innocence, detective…but I would never hurt Officer Bennett. I just want to find my daughter. I have to go." Harry headed for the entrance.

"Mason…"called Briggs, "…if you find Cybil, you look after her…and…good luck."