Chapter 5 – Uncle James

James Sunderland gripped the steering wheel as he drove from Ashfield towards Shepherd's Glen. The fog was thick, and the pale light making it through gave the trees a sort of unnatural feel. He hadn't been to Shepherd's Glen in years. Haven't seen Adam since Mary's funeral. Just like the winding road ahead of him, his thoughts swirled here and there too.

It wasn't just Adam though, this trip made him feel like he was driving into his past, the regrets. Mary's face flashed into his. Memories of her laughter her warmth, and her final days. The guilt never really left him, it gnawed at his insides like an open wound. He'd hoped that time after her death the pain would dull. He hadn't found much in the way of peace. James wasn't even sure if Adam had found peace either, or even if his brother-in-law would even forgive him for what happened.

"What could I say to him?" James muttered under his breath. "I did everything I could for Mary. I loved her, even to the end. Would he even believe me?"

The road twisted ahead, and he eased the car around a bend. His headlights cut through the fog that seemed to go on forever. Shepherd's Glen always had a haunting air about it. It was isolated, tucked away like a town that was part of the real world and the other part was not. But James wasn't coming to reminisce about the good old days. He was coming to see Adam. His brother-in-law had called him out of the blue. It was their first real conversation in years. James had been too deep in his grief to reach out before.

"Maybe, Adam needs help." James thought. "Maybe he's in trouble. But why now? After all this time?"

He exhaled, trying to shake the questions out of his mind. Adam was always a tough, cold man. A soldier, he didn't fall apart and wore his experience like armor. At least to James, that's how it seemed. Maybe the years finally chipped it away.

James rubbed his eyes with his free hand, he was still exhausted from the early morning. Since Adam's phone call, he hasn't slept well, with Mary and the trip haunting his dreams.

"Mary…" The name was a whisper on his lips, just barely audible over the sound of his car. Her memory lingered on with him, more vivid as he drew nearer to her hometown. She was the link connecting him with Adam, his beautiful wife, and Adam's beloved sister. And when she got sick with that illness, James knew it was tearing up Adam, though he tried his best to hide behind his hardened soldier exterior.

"How do I even begin to bring her up? He's got to know by now. I told him what happened after… He loved her like I did."

James sighed, "Maybe he never did forgive me."

The thought struck him like a slap. Maybe Adam did blame James for Mary's death, just like James blamed himself. While he had made peace with Mary years ago, it didn't get easier. It wasn't a rational line of thinking, but grief rarely was. James couldn't begin to count the number of times he had replayed their final moments together. Maybe, just maybe he could've done something different, James could have saved her.

"Mary… I tried. I swear, I tried." James whispered to himself in the empty car. "But… you were already gone, weren't you?"

James continued driving, thoughts wandering in all directions. He remembered his daughter Laura. She wasn't his by blood of course, but the bond they shared through Mary had transcended such a gap. The poor girl lost her real family years ago, and it was Mary's final wish he adopt her and give her a real family.

Laura was a stubborn girl when they first met. Full of energy and life, the polar of opposite James was back then. She had reminded him of Mary in a way, resilient, full of hope. But then again, Laura was a reminder of what he failed to protect. Somehow, she stuck by him.

She had grown up, of course, graduated from high school in the past ten years they shared. It seemed so unreal how far she had come, especially after everything. Always a sharp wit and a free spirit, she had managed to make something of herself. From there off to Massachusetts to attend a college that she had picked out. She wanted to pursue a career as a primary school teacher, hoping to help inspire kids the way Mary had inspired her.

James had been there when she graduated, of course, standing quietly in the crowd. He felt more at times as an observer of her life, rather than a father figure. She had looked so proud, diploma in hand, and salutatorian of her class. She was so proud of her accomplishments, full of excitement and optimism. This was something James felt he never really had. Sure he had clapped for her as she gave the opening speech for her class, but deep down, he felt more of an outsider in her life. She deserved a better family, and a better father than a postal inspector could provide for her.

"Massachusetts," James muttered to himself, as his adopted daughter was so far away now. "She's off to do better things there."

Laura had always been an ambitious girl, even as a youngster. As long as James could remember, she had talked about becoming a teacher. She never let anything drag her down, from her difficult childhood, losing her biological parents, and losing Mary. She had fought for her future in a way James couldn't.

In a way, Laura had saved him too. After Mary, after Silent Hill, James was a wreck. He had originally intended to drown himself in Toluca Lake. Lost and aimless, he was unsure if he even could keep going. But with Laura, he had a new reason to stay. She needed him, and he needed him more than he'd care to admit.

He chuckled to himself, about a time that Laura forced him into AA, refusing to allow him to keep drinking. Laura had been relentless as always, and she made sure he didn't give up. He owed his sobriety of the last ten years to her, and she'd never let him forget.

"Guess I owe her.: he said, with a hint of fatherly affection.

He had watched her grow up from a rebellious and angry little girl to a young woman with a purpose in life. Now she was off to pursue her dreams. Part of him felt proud for doing something right at least.

"I should call her soon." He thought, feeling a little guilty. He hadn't spoken to her in weeks. She was busy settling into her new life, a fresh start. James had avoided making that call. Maybe he just didn't want to be overbearing.

But Laura, as always, was very perceptive. She'd be able to pick up on his mood the second she heard his voice. Maybe it was better to keep the distance for now. Be sure she's settled into a new routine.

"But after this." He muttered. "After Adam, I'll call her."

Shepherd's Glen wasn't far now. Whatever Adam needed him for, they'd have to face it. He had faced his demons years ago in Silent Hill. But as he thought of Laura, how she had moved on and built a life for herself, James wondered if he could move on. Maybe he could find a way to close that chapter of his life and live again.

At least that's what Laura would want for him.

"Massachusetts…" James whispered again. Maybe he'd have to make the drive down from Maine to see her. But first Adam took priority.

He took a moment to glance over the passenger seat, where a worn envelope sat tucked away under napkins and a gas station receipt. This time it wasn't a letter from Mary like when he first visited Silent Hill. No, it was a letter from an old friend, Angela Orosco. He had read it a dozen times already, but the words always drew him back. They kept the letters short, never too emotional. The very fact they were writing at all after their time in Silent Hill had been nothing short of a miracle.

Angela, an old friend, or that's what they could call each other. Silent Hill had taken much from the two of them. They were both lost in their ways. Angela's past was more brutal than his, far too much for anyone to endure, more personal. What she had endured at the hands of that monster, her father, the trauma had followed her to that town. It was something James could never truly understand.

At first, James thought he would never see her again. The last time he had seen Angela, was at the top of that burning staircase. Eerily calm she was engulfed by hellish flames. He had called out to her and begged her to come back, but Angela had made it clear to him that peace wasn't to be found down there with him. Whatever she found at the top of that staircase, had given her the peace she sought. Perhaps she had made peace with her Mama like he had made peace with Mary? In any case, they hadn't discussed that. After that, it had been some time before they reconnected.

James hadn't fully believed she would be fine at the time. But when that first letter came, he knew she had found some semblance of peace.

Now as he drove towards Shepherd's Glen, he reached over and picked up the latest of her letters. She had very delicate and neat writing which was visible in the envelope. Angela had changed in ways he hadn't expected. She wasn't perfect, no one was. Her words still carried a certain sadness with them. But he was proud of her for finding a semblance of life after the darkness.

Dear James,

I'm doing better these days. Just okay, not great, not perfect, but better. Okay, I think that's the word for it. It's strange for me to say, but "okay" feels like an achievement after everything. You know what I mean.

I've found new work that keeps me busy. I'm teaching art classes now, can you believe it? Me? Teaching art? It's nothing too serious, just small classes with little kids and a few elders. They say it helps them, but honestly, I think it's helping me too, more than anyone else. There's something about putting color to paper, creating something that isn't twisted or broken. It's a small kind of peace.

The kids are sweet and full of life and energy. They remind me of what it's like to be innocent before the world claws its way in. It's comforting, in a way.

I still have my bad days. Some nights are rough. I get lost in my past that I'd rather forget. But I'm finally learning how to pull myself out, bit by bit. My old demons don't have the same grip they used to. They're still there, but they don't own me anymore. Not like when we met in Silent Hill.

I guess that's the hardest part, isn't it? Learning to live with what we've been through. I'm not there yet. But I'm trying.

I remember your last letter, about finding something that gives life meaning. I don't have the answers, maybe I never will. But I'm trying to build something better than I was before.

It's not much, but it's something. That has to count for something, right?

Take care of yourself, James. I mean it. Maybe we can meet up with Laura and we can all catch up? Write me back when you can. It helps to know you're still out there trying too.

Sincerely,

Angela

He smiled faintly at that. Angela always had a sense of dry humor, even when things felt too heavy for her.

He took it all in, scanning the letter again. She mentioned that she found something to help her heal, teaching art to children, how to draw landscapes, and the like. It seemed peaceful enough. She had also started working with the elderly, helping them to create art to express themselves in ways they couldn't anymore.

"It's strange." She had written to him once. "But I think the more I help them the more it helps me. Maybe that's selfish, I don't know. But creating something, bringing beauty into this world instead of more pain, it's helpful isn't it?"

James nodded himself as he saw that line, even if she couldn't see him. It was worth something at least.

They had been pen pals for a while. After Silent Hill, they had all gone their separate ways, and Angela had gone hers, disappearing for a while. But somehow, fate, or coincidence, had brought them back together. She had reached out first, but James didn't expect that. But when that first letter came, the floodgates had opened. They didn't write back often, but when they did, they had created a lifeline.

They didn't have a deep connection, no shared intimacy beyond their time together. But they had an understanding. James knew what it was like to walk through hell and come out the other side. And Angela had done the same. Through their letters, they had built a little support network between them.

In one of her earlier letters, she had even thanked him. Thanked him for at least trying to help her, for offering her a way out, off those burning stairs. "I couldn't come down." She had admitted. "But I appreciate you for trying. I needed to find my way. I think I did in the end."

Truth is James didn't know what she found up there. Whatever it was, it had given her the peace and strength to move forward, even if just a little.

He knew both of them had come a long way since then. Neither of them was perfect, and neither of them had fully healed. But they were still here, still living, still trying.

"Art teacher," James said to himself. "Who would have thought?"

He had admired her for it, though. Angela had taken something painful, something raw, and turned it into something that gave her life meaning. In a way, it's what James had hoped to do with his own life, find purpose in the ruins. Maybe that's why they kept writing to each other. They were both searching for peace.

He sighed and glanced back to the road ahead. Shepherd's Glen was closing in now, and so were the answers he needed. But for now, he took comfort in knowing someone else out there understood him. That someone else made it through Silent Hill and found a way to keep going.

James made himself a mental note. In addition to a phone call or road trip to meet up with Laura, he'd have to write back to Angela. Once whatever waited for him in Shepherd's Glen was dealt with.

He clenched his jaw as the sound of the car's engine filled in the quiet. Adam Shepherd had always been a hard man to read, even back when they were younger. Before Mary's illness, before everything. There had always been something beneath the surface of Adam, something he left guarded, locked away. Maybe James never fully understood him.

"I'll just have to face him and see what happens," James muttered, glancing at the rearview mirror. "Maybe I'll never know what he's thinking."

The thought was unsettling, but there was no turning back for James now. He had spent too long avoiding this moment, living with ghosts. Shepherd's Glen was ahead now, and so was Adam.

The town's outline began to emerge in the fog. James tried to steel himself for the confrontation. He didn't quite know what was waiting for him.

Maybe Adam had more trouble than he let on. Maybe, just maybe, James could help.

James pulled into Shepherd's Glen, the tires grinding on the cracked pavement. The early morning fog rolled through the deserted streets. Taking it all in, he couldn't help but mutter "Just like Silent Hill..." It was an unnerving situation, and the eeriness was too familiar to him. He parked in front of an old diner, the neon light flickering weakly. This reminded him too much of Silent Hill and the horrors he faced there. This wasn't that place, was it?

Inside the diner, Adam and Deputy Wheeler were already seated in a booth near the back. Faces grim and worn out by unseen burdens. James entered quietly, eyes scanning the room. The emptiness of the dinner echoed, save for the soft conversation of Wheeler and Adam, and the distant sound of dishes in the kitchen.

James noticed a man at the counter. A thin man wearing an old leather jacket. He wasn't doing much, sipping his coffee and reading the local newspaper.

Adam looked up as James approached, giving him a nod. "James you made it."

"So I have," James responded awkwardly. He tried to break the ice further. "How are Alex and Joshua doing? And Lillian?"

Adam tightened his jaw before answering him. "Alex is back in town from the army. Joshua.. is not around right now. Lillian's holding up." Then he shifted back to James. "How's Laura?"

"She's good. Moved to Massachusetts. Pursuing a career in teaching."

Adam gave his signature small nod as he processed it. "Teaching huh? That's good to hear." He kept his tone neutral, but he softened for a moment. He always liked Laura. "Sounds like she has her head on straight."

"Yeah," James replied putting his hands in his pockets. "She's doing better than I expected."

After a moment, Adam shifted in his seat and offered him a spot to sit. "We have a lot to talk about." He slid James a cup of coffee across the table. "Figured you'd need this."

James gave a tired smile as he slid into the booth across from them. "Thanks, but I'm going to need something stronger."

Adam raised an eyebrow, before chuckling lightly. "I don't care about the hard stuff anymore, remember James? Trust me the coffee will do the job." He glanced back to Wheeler, who was sipping from his cup. The deputy had been darting his eyes to the window and the door, in case he expected trouble.

Deputy Wheeler looked even more haggard up close, years of dealing with things he shouldn't in town. "You can say that again." He muttered. "Feels like we've been running damage control for too long."

It was becoming clear to James that this meeting with Adam was becoming more than just catching up. It was about facing their shared past. About Mary, everything they had lost.

"Adam…" James said aloud, remembering what he had rehearsed. "What's going on? The town, it's just like Silent Hill. What are we dealing with here?"

Adam took a deep breath, curling his fingers around the mug of coffee. "It's worse than Silent Hill, James. Here? We have this cult… the Order they call themselves. They've been pulling the string in Shepherd's Glen for as long as anyone can remember. They've made me do things I-"he cut himself off and rubbed his hand over his head. "Things I regret."

He leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Mary's Illness… wasn't natural. It was them, James. The Order. My punishment for trying to break free." James could feel Adam's anger rise as he spoke. "She didn't deserve it, James. They did it to get to me. Remind me of my place and make sure I followed their twisted rituals."

James was taken aback for a moment. Then he felt his jaws clench, and he tightened his hands into fits on the table. His heart pounded, not out of fear, but something else, rage. "A curse? They cursed her?" His voice was more of a growl now. "They … used her to get to you?"

Adam nodded. "That's the truth of it. My family, the Shepherds, the Holloways, the Fitches, and the Bartlett's, we've been part of this damn cult for generations. Blood sacrifices to keep the town safe from…. Whatever they worship. I tried to get out, spare Alex and Joshua, but…" His voice broke off. "They took Mary to make sure I'd never step out of line again."

Adam's words began to sink in between the three men. James was lost in thought. This revelation was too great for him to beat. He thought he had known all there was to Mary's suffering, the illness, her fate. But this? This was different. It wasn't fate. It was an act of malice, of cruelty.

"Adam, I spent years blaming myself," James murmured. "Thinking I was the one who did this to her. But it was a cult all along" He looked at Adam, who was surprised to see James's eyes burn with a fierce hatred. "They're going to pay, Adam. Every single one of them."

Wheeler had been quietly listening, then cleared his throat. "I'm tired of this too. People going missing, the lies being told to cover it all up. I'm done. If you two are going after them, count me in."

James felt adrenaline surge through him, as the pieces began to fall into place. The town, the cult, it all had a darkness similar to Silent Hill… But it was more organized, more malevolent. "Then we'll have to make our move before they do. No more waiting around."

Adam and Wheeler nodded. "We need to gather allies, what few are left," Adam said. "We need to prepare. If we're going to take down the order, we need to be smart about it. They've had centuries to build their strength. We don't have that luxury."

Wheeler leaned in, lowering his voice. "I know a few people we can trust. Not many. Most of them are in the Order's pocket or too scared to do anything about it."

James was still trying to process all of it. He just glanced out the window, to the fog-covered streets. He wanted vengeance, and justice, not just for Mary, but for all the lives the Order ruined.

He looked back to Adam, he was fully convicted now. "We need to stop them. All of them."

Adam nodded in approval. "Agreed, we'll make them pay."

James, Wheeler, and Adam huddled together over the remnants of their coffee, keeping their conversation hushed. Their voices dropped to barely audible, eyes shifting to the windows and doors, staying cautious. They planned to uproot the very foundations of Shepherd's Glen.

Little did they know, they were being watched.

In the far corner of the diner, the man that James noticed sat, drinking his coffee. He kept his eyes hidden under a baseball cap. He positioned himself just carefully to hear snippets of their conversation, of their treason, but far enough to avoid arousing their suspicion. He watched back and forth and James Adam and Wheeler chatted.

The man at the counter had been observing them ever since James walked in. At first, it seemed like an ordinary catchup between old friends. But as they talked, he knew there was more going on between them, these weren't casual talks. They were planning something, something big. '

He quickly finished his coffee and left a bill on the counter. As he stepped outside, his hand slipped into his jacket pocket for his cell phone. He pressed a few buttons as he walked away from the diner.

"Curtis, it's me," he said, keeping his voice. "Adam's making moves. He's got Deputy Wheeler and some middle-aged white male with them. Don't know if he's with the feds. You need to know this. Call Holloway."

Inside, Adam, Wheeler, and James were unaware that their every move was watched. Shepherd's Glen had eyes and ears everywhere. Now the Order knew.