Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a bad idea. You knew it the moment you were in your boyfriend's car and he sped up like he was running a race. You braced yourself for whatever was coming, either a tree, a wild animal, or a person – even though you doubted there were people roaming around the woods in the middle of nowhere. It was a terrible idea. It seemed fun at first, when Bryce, your boyfriend, proposed to go on a trip to a ghost town. At least that's what everyone called it after the fire.

Since a man called James Sunderland went there and came back telling stories of his dead wife, who had sent him a letter – how can a dead person send you a letter? – your boyfriend and your friends wanted to visit Silent Hill. Ghost towns usually were just old abandoned places full of scary stories to attract more tourists. It was fun because the ghosts from the stories weren't actually real. But as the trip progressed, you were sure you'd seen a foggy figure wandering into the forest. It looked like a girl with pale skin and long dark hair, but Bryce was driving too fast for you to take a good look at her. However, the moment you looked in the rear-view mirror, she was gone.

"Did you guys see that?" you asked, your eyes still fixed on the rear-view mirror as if trying to make out the figure once again, but in vain.

"See what?" Bryce said almost immediately.

"That girl in the woods," you pointed backwards with your thumb.

Everybody laughed, to your dismay.

"Was it a ghost?" Chris, one of Bryce's friends, scoffed.

You ignored him, looking out the window.

You took a glance at the speedometer, your heart beating faster as the car accelerated from eighty to one-hundred kilometers per hour. As the trees passed you by, the wilderness soon gave way to a lonely town, and you were greeted by the sight of a huge sign with "Silent Hill" written on it. You released the breath you didn't know you were holding when Bryce slowed down and finally parked the car near the town's entrance. At first sight, the town definitely did look uninhabited, with all the thick fog surrounding the buildings, like ashes floating in the air, which gave an eerie ambience to the town itself. 

In spite of that, you had read on the internet that a few people still lived there, and you weren't sure whether it was good or bad. You sighed, trying to relax as you remembered the saying safety in numbers and glanced at every one of the people who went on the trip with you: you could trust your boyfriend and your friends, but you weren't sure about Bryce's friends, Chris and Ian.

"Here we are! Let's look for some creepy stuff," Harper squealed in excitement as she made her way to the main street.

"Wait, we should take a look at the map first," you pointed out.

Everyone stared at you as if a third eye had sprung up on your forehead.

"We don't want to get lost, right?" you added when the staring had become too awkward.

"Of course, plus we could meet some ghosts along the way." Harper elbowed you jokingly.

"We should find Lakeview Hotel first," Amanda suggested, "don't we need a place to sleep in?"

"For real, this trip's tired me out," Harper said as she stretched her muscles.

"Are you fucking serious?" Ian complained at the map. "The hotel is literally on the other side of Toluca Lake!"

"Perhaps you should have listened to me when I told you we should have booked a flight," Bryce teased him.

"There are no flights to Silent Hill, remember?" Sean countered. "We were forced to use your car because everyone said this place was haunted or something."

"Cowards," Chris mocked.

You studied the map, trying your best to fix every street and important buildings into your memory. 

"We should go forward for now, until we reach Rosewater Park to our right," you suggested.

"I agree," Bryce said, "the fastest way to reach the hotel is by boat. Let's just hope that there's a couple one on the shore."

So you all set off through Nathan Avenue, taking a look at occasional broken down buildings every once in a while. As you walked through the fog, you couldn't help but notice a deep shade of red on the street, as if something – or someone – had been dragged across the road. 

"Guys, look." You pointed at a red stain on the asphalt. "Isn't that blood?"

They gathered around the horrid stain, each with a different expression on their face. But they didn't look particularly worried.

"Finally something interesting!" cried Ian as he snapped some pictures with his cellphone.

"We could be in danger and we don't even know," you reminded them, ignoring him.

"Come on, don't be a buzzkill," Bryce minimized. You frowned at his nonchalance.

"She has a point," Sean thankfully said. "This looks like real blood."

"What if this is a sign we shouldn't be here? I read on the official website that unfamiliar faces aren't welcomed by the town itself."

Even though you tried to convince them that it was a bad idea, they were still determined to go on. 

You ventured further into the ghostly town, trying not to think about the blood stain on the road, and yet you couldn't take it off your mind. But fortunately, the walk to Rosewater Park was more or less quiet, and you didn't even meet a single soul. And yet you still had the impression of someone watching you as you opened the gate of the park. 

"Before we take the boat," Amanda interrupted the silence that had fallen among the group. "I'd like to take a look at Jack's Inn over there. Maybe we can find some water or snacks."

"Good idea, I'm getting hungry," agreed Harper.

"While you girls take some things we might need, we're gonna set up the boat," Bryce said, and something about the way he was looking at Harper didn't feel quite right to you. His gaze lingered on her for a bit too long, but you quickly brushed it off. Maybe it was just your imagination.

By the time they were back, you and the others had already set the boat up and were ready to leave. You all decided that Chris would have steered the boat – as he admitted to having some experience – while you would have hopped on taking turns, that way no one would have been left behind on the shore. Soon you were left alone while Chris was taking the last person on the boat to the other shore, and you were waiting for him to return. The way to Lakeview Hotel was quite long, so you walked around the park to loosen up a bit. The cold air, together with the gloomy fog surrounding the lake, gave you shivers that chilled you to the core. The silence made it all the worse. It made you feel distant, disoriented, as if you had left the real world and found yourself in a sort of limbo between what is earthly and what is otherworldly.

You had already visited an abandoned town on a trip with your friends once, but this time it felt different somehow. Last time you were in an abandoned town, it just felt poor, lonely, bereft of any form of life. However, it was just that: a plain uninhabited place. Nothing less, nothing more. But you felt it in your bones that Silent Hill wasn't like other uninhabited places. You swore you could smell a faint burnt ash in the air, as if the fire was fresh, alive, still burning underground.

As you walked in the park, admiring the statues made of stone and nature that blended perfectly with the urban landscape, a distant figure caught your attention. You glanced at the lake, looking for the boat, but there was no sign of Chris, so you assumed he was still on the opposite shore. This meant you had plenty of time, so you took advantage and approached the ghostly figure. As the fog cleared out a bit, you could finally make out some of the girl's features, and you swore it was the same girl you'd seen on your way to Silent Hill. She had the same dark hair, the same graceful gait.

"Hello," you quietly said. The girl's eyes pierced into your soul, and she looked at you with such warmth, as if she already knew you.

"I've seen you already, you look so pretty up close." She smiled as she traced your chin with her cold fingers.

"Do we happen to know each other?" you bluntly asked, a little uncomfortable by the sudden physical contact.

"If you're from this town, yes. But I doubt you are. You look like a foreigner."

That word made you shiver. Did she use it on purpose to let you know that foreigners weren't welcome there? Or maybe she was simply explaining what she thought.

"I'm from a city not far from here," you said, not wanting to be specific, "do you live here?"

"Yes, and it's the most beautiful place anyone could ask for, don't you think?"

You nodded and offered her a smile. It wasn't that bad, but it looked like it had seen better days.

"What's your name?" she asked, but her eyes were elsewhere, as if somehow she already knew and just asked for the sake of formality.

You told her your name. "What's yours?"

"My name is Alessa," she beamed, "and I'm so honored to meet such a brave and kind soul like yours."

You smiled, not sure how to reply. She surely was nice and all, but the way she spoke gave you the creeps. 

"And I'm glad to finally meet someone here, you're the first person I've seen."

"You'll get used to it. So many people moved out of town to somewhere more – how do they say? Civilized." Her tone was bitter, like she was talking about her worst enemy. But she was just a girl, too young to understand the evils of the world. And yet her eyes were full of hate.

"I'm sorry about that. It surely feels much nicer to be surrounded by nature every once in a while. The city is so crowded and polluted."

"That's exactly what I think!" she bubbled. "And I've got some friends here, too. At first you may feel alone, but then you realize there is more than meets the eye."

"That's good to know," you hummed.

"How about you? What business have you got at Rosewater Park?" 

"My friends and I are trying to reach Lakeview Hotel," you explained, "and this seems to be the shortest way."

"Interesting. The hotel is very old and it's unlikely you'll find someone apart from the receptionist. If he even is there." She spoke with so much confidence you thought her intelligence was way beyond her years.

"Thanks for the information," you grinned, "by the way, are you all by yourself here?" 

"No, my friends are always here. Actually, they might be at the hotel, so maybe you'll have a chance to meet them."

"At least we wouldn't feel so lonely here." You chuckled. Her expression turned vacant for a split second, so much that you wondered if she was even listening to you anymore.

"It was nice meeting you, but I'm afraid we must part ways right now. There's your friend looking for you."

You gave a small wave as you noticed Chris on the boat, and he returned it, but he had a confused expression on his face.

"Who were you talking to?" 

"Oh, she's–"

You turned around, widening your eyes when Alessa wasn't there anymore. Chris gestured for you to hop on the boat. 

"There's no one here," he said with a baffled expression on his face.

"Never mind." You sighed as you put your foot on the boat.

Chris placed his hands on your waist to help you, sliding them on the part where your skin wasn't covered by your jacket. You let it slide, but then his touch lingered 
when you sat next to him. Your body tensed, but you still tried to convince yourself he wasn't doing it on purpose. When you felt like you couldn't take it anymore, you opened your mouth to yell at him. But, as if his skin were being burned, he retreated his hand in the fraction of a second, letting out a hiss.

"What's that thing doing there?" he yelped in pain, pointing one bloody finger at the barbed wire on your seat.

"Wasn't it here the whole time?" you asked, although not actually interested in what he had to say. 

"No, I've just noticed. Who would need barbed wire on a boat?"

"I guess that's kind of suspicious," you agreed. 

You knew that definitely wasn't there when you first hopped on the boat. And yet a part of you was glad it made his hand bleed. The ride to the opposite shore felt longer than it probably was, and it was thankfully silent. When you arrived, you could already see the looming figure of Lakeview Hotel.

You immediately approached Amanda and Sean, as you felt much safer around them. As you all entered the immense building, you admired the exquisite wallpaper, parquet, and even the expensive looking furniture, that, however, had been torn apart by time.

Harper, Ian and Chris ran up the staircase leading to the hotel rooms, but you decided to take your time, as if not wanting to awake whatever dragon was resting in the depths of Silent Hill. It was probably a childish fear, and yet you couldn't stop thinking about that girl you met at Rosewater Park. Alessa had told you her friends were probably in the hotel. The most insecure part of you made you doubt her friends would have been friendly - and yet she'd been nice to you, so they couldn't possibly be that bad. You cautiously followed after your friends before being startled by the noise of someone opening a door. You stopped to see Harper coming out of a hotel room. 

"Check this out," she chirped, "this bed is so comfy! I've never seen one this big!"

You gave her a smile of relief as the others followed inside. Harper and Ian let themselves drop on the bed and laughed as they bounced. 

"Now that we've found the rooms, can we get some rest? It's getting dark out there," whined Chris. 

"Sure, all the doors seem to be unlocked," confirmed Ian.

"We should share rooms," suggested Amanda, "so we're not completely alone. You never know."

"I'm gonna share a room with my girl, it's only fair," Bryce cooed as he smirked at you. You tensed up as all eyes were suddenly on you. 

"Just don't be too loud." Sean rolled his eyes. 

Bryce wrapped an arm around your waist and led you to room 209. He closed the door behind you, then grabbed you by the collar to pull you closer, his lips meeting yours. But when he kissed you for too long, you already knew he wanted to take it too far. As if not understanding his intentions, you pulled away and made for the door.

"Where are you going?" Bryce asked, clearly confused. 

"I just want to take a look around." Without adding anything else to embellish your lie, you left before he could stop you.

The hallways were dirty and dark, they smelled of old wood and the occasional dust made you cough a bit. You wouldn't have been able to see the floor itself, if it weren't for the few old lanterns hanging from the walls, lighting the halls up as if they were little stars of hope in a dark sea of loneliness and despair.

But how were they still burning?

You just walked, and kept on walking, until your mind was at peace and you were so calm you would have fallen asleep if you weren't standing on your feet. The soft parquet under your feet soothed you, the lanterns warmed you, the overall atmosphere was cozy, like the nostalgic house of your grandparents. 

But something was off. Everyone said the town was burned by a fire accident underground, but no one ever explained the source of the fire itself, as if it was meant to stay secret. How could the hotel feel so cozy and peaceful, how could it have that safe atmosphere and be almost entirely intact, if the town had been damaged by the fire? 

You wandered deeper into the hotel, distractedly opening doors to check out the rooms inside.

But something else was calling your attention: the iron bars in front of you, which started on the ceiling and ended on the floor, as if they were engraved deeply into the parquet.

You slowly approached the unusual scenario, curious of why the bars – which resembled the ones of a jail cell – had been built like that. It was so dark on the opposite side of the bars that you couldn't see what lay before you. You touched one of the iron bars, and a shiver ran up your spine. When you looked up, a red figure was in front of you, the bars being the only thing to keep it from reaching you.

You instantly flinched, as if the iron was ice burning your skin. With all your efforts, you tried to observe the figure to keep it etched in your mind, as if to make sure what you saw was real and not a mere figment of your imagination. However, you couldn't make out its features. The figure was glowing red, so tall it almost touched the ceiling, and it bore what looked like a pyramid helmet.

You didn't scream, as much as you wanted to.

You slowly backed away, blinking a few times, hoping the image would disappear. You didn't believe and weren't afraid of ghosts or anything of the sort, but your accelerating heartbeat and feeling of passing out were starting to prove you wrong. A slow, metallic breath was all it took to make you wince.

Then another. 

And another. This time more labored. 

Was it a living thing or was it your mind playing tricks on you? 

"What are you doing here?" Harper's sleepy voice was so close to you, yet so distant. But you were glad to hear it anyway. 

When you turned to look at her, she was staring at you in confusion.

"Just taking a look," you safely explained, but betrayed yourself when your voice trembled just a little.

Can't you see it? Can't you see the demon behind me? 

You turned again, expecting to see the red figure and the iron bars. 

But neither were there.

Chapter Text

A scream. Metal scraping across the floor. A wailing siren. 
All these distant sounds blended like a nightmarish symphony, shaking you to the core. You rubbed the remainders of your sleep in your eyes, and the sounds were silenced.

Was it a dream? 

Just in case, you sprinted out of bed, checking whether anything was amiss. You threw your shoes on and bolted through the hallway, but there were too many rooms and you couldn't tell where the scream had come from. The night had come and the darkness enveloped the hotel like a dim veil of fog. Then you heard it again. It sounded like Harper's voice, and the way it echoed in the hallway sent a chill to your spine.

Harper hadn't said where she would have spent the night, so you had to keep guessing. You looked to your left and took the only path available, stopping every once in a while to open every unlocked door and hopefully find your friend, but she was nowhere to be seen. When you reached the very end of the corridor, muffled words came from room 201 and a horrible image appeared in your mind - what if she was in danger? What if she was being... 

Murdered? 

You slowly opened the door, trying your best not to make any noise. But when you got inside, the sight before you shocked you. 
Bryce was in the king-sized bed with Harper, under the dusty sheets. This time you did your best to make noise, as you got even angrier when they didn't even notice the door opening.

"Asshole," you growled, "how could you?"

You felt the need to slap him. Even better, strangle him. But you refrained from doing anything of that sort. You just stayed at a distance, staring as their faces turned from confused to guilty.

"It's not what it looks like," Bryce stuttered, his eyes darting between you and Harper.

You bared your teeth in disgust, clenching your fists, refusing to even give him the attention. 

"And you." You scowled at Harper. "How does it feel like to betray someone's trust? You're a slut."

You emphasized every poisonous word to make sure she got the message.

"Wait," said Bryce as he hurriedly put his pants on, "don't go, we can still work this out!"

As you tried to walk away with Bryce after you, the sound of a siren that reverberated in the building pierced your eardrums. It was so loud you all had to cover your ears to thwart it. Harper and Bryce put their clothes back on in the bat of an eye, probably as terrified as you were. When the infernal chaos was finally over, silence filled the hallways. But the silence was soon troubled by what sounded like metal scraping across the floor.

You placed a finger on your lips, gesturing for Harper and Bryce to keep silent. As you tiptoed to the door, your heart pounded in your chest. You peeked through the crack in the door and could faintly make out a figure in the distance, covered by the fog, and it was coming towards the end of the corridor. It looked like the red figure behind the iron bars. In spite of his muscular arms, he barely had the strength to carry his great knife and dragged it across the parquet. The figure looked more distinct than earlier, not to mention the huge pyramid where his head should have been. It was terrifying up close.

Your throat ran dry, your limbs froze. It felt like you were in a very vivid nightmare. Your eyes were fixed on him, as if in a daze, as if peacefully waiting for death. You slowly turned to face Bryce and Harper, afraid the sole movement of your head would be sensed by the red pyramid thing. They looked at you in disbelief, much to your disappointment. 

"We're in danger," you whispered, hoping the monster couldn't hear you from where he was. 

"What, are you trying to scare us as revenge? Just stop it already," Bryce said, too loud for your taste.

"I'm not kidding," you seethed in white hot anger, yet still keeping your voice down. "There's someone out there."

"Then why don't you go say hi?" sneered Harper as she shoved you out of the door. A sudden pang stabbed your chest; she had never acted so ruthless with you.

You lost your balance and would have fallen on the floor if you hadn't leaned on the wall for leverage. Your eyes were immediately drawn to the creature inching closer, and by the way his head turned to your direction, it was obvious that the sudden noise had caught his attention. You didn't believe in any form of god, and yet you prayed for your life as you helplessly stared at the approaching monster. 

"What are you doing? Harper, open the door." You tugged on the knob, but the door wouldn't budge, as Harper had probably locked it from the inside.

"I'll do that if you stop messing around."

"Please," you begged, tears welling up in your eyes. Every part of your body was trembling in fear. You didn't even have a weapon to defend yourself with. Any kind would have been enough to make you feel like you had a fighting chance. 

The pyramid monster was now standing before you. You could hear his breathing resounding in the helmet, and his height alone was enough to make you feel small and defenseless. With your back pressed against the door, you had nowhere to run to. You started to breathe in short, shallow breaths until your legs finally gave in. The last thing you could remember before passing out was the monster kneeling before you, his wiry arms outstretched towards you. It didn't feel like passing out, but more like dying a peaceful death and awakening in another world. 

You woke up to the putrid smell of old furniture and decay. You found yourself in a bathroom stall with no recollection of how you got there. Your senses were immediately on high alert as soon as the main door was thrown open, followed by running footsteps.

"We know you're here," Chris' voice echoed in the eerie bathroom.

"Seriously, come out. We've been looking for hours," said Sean in a weary voice.

You wondered what he meant by that. What if you had been sleeping there for a couple of hours and just dreamed of Bryce cheating on you? Of that red demon? It surely was all a dream. It was the only reasonable explanation. And yet you didn't remember falling asleep in a filthy bathroom stall. Chris and Sean checked every bathroom stall to look for you, until only yours was left. Chris threw the door open before rushing in.

"Found you!" he exclaimed in triumph as he grabbed your arm and pulled you out of the stall, then pushed you until you stumbled and fell on your back with a loud thud.

"What's going on?" you shouted, your cheeks hot in anger.

"You were gone for too long after pulling that stupid prank on Harper and Bryce," explained Chris as he reached out his hand to grab yours and help you up, only to shove you back onto the dirty floor. You got up on your own, looking daggers at Chris as Sean elbowed his arm, glaring at him.

"What prank?" you genuinely asked.

"They said you were being weird, saying there was someone who wanted to kill you." Chris snorted, clearly annoyed by the whole situation. 

You didn't feel like arguing, and if everyone was going around saying you were crazy for thinking there was someone out there who was hungry for blood, then they were most likely right. Maybe you really had imagined everything, since everyone was safe and sound and nobody was harmed. 

"So you think I came here all by myself?" you asked sarcastically, but neither of them answered positively.

"You didn't?" asked Sean, widening his eyes in shock. 

You shook your head. "No, I don't remember coming here. I swear."

They started spitting out theories to why you didn't remember sleeping in a bathroom stall, eventually arguing with each other. The same metal dragging sound pierced your ears, but it wasn't obvious to Chris and Sean, who were talking too loud for them to pay any attention to it. 

"Guys, did you hear that?"

But they dismissed it with a shrug. Even the screeching of the door opening was muffled by their voices. You suppressed the strong urge to yell at them. And yet you instantly regretted it when the red demon was back; this time he raised his blade, ready to attack. 

"Run!" you shouted. You didn't know what his business was, but it was generally common sense not to trust a stranger with a large knife pointed at you. You couldn't even fathom why they preferred to stay still, staring wide-eyed at the monster, instead of saving their own skin.

Are we even seeing the same thing?

"Halloween's over, freak," mocked Chris as he pulled a handgun out of his jean pocket. How long had he been hiding that? He turned towards the red demon, holding the gun with both his trembling hands. He shot his torso twice, stunning him for a few seconds, but the blood loss didn't stop him.

Before you could even react, the huge knife made its way through Chris' chest, missing you by a few inches, splattering blood all over you. His eyes went vacant and his head slung over your neck as he struggled to breathe, clawing at your arms for help. You screamed until your throat was on fire. The monster pulled his weapon back and practically impaled him in the air until every bit of life was squeezed out of his body. His corpse fell to the ground, leaving you staring in helplessness. 

Sean and you made for the exit, taking advantage of the monster slowing down as he finished Chris off. The demon turned towards you, then drove his great knife into the floor, splintering the linoleum with his brute force. You sprinted all the way down the corridor, refusing to give him the time to attack, then you turned left and went up the stairs, careful not to trip over the steps.

You tried to push the door to your right, but the lock was broken and you couldn't open it. The only option was to go left. After shutting the door behind you, you searched for a room to hide in, but most of the doors were locked, as you realized with trembling hands. You were so focused on your task that you didn't even notice Sean hyperventilating.

"Oh my god, Chris is-" he trailed off, taking a deep breath, but he couldn't stop shaking.

Dead, you wanted to say, but deemed it too disrespectful in some way. But you had no time to comfort him for his loss. When the same metal noise echoed in the hallway, you grabbed Sean's arm and led him into the first room you saw. You slowly closed the door, and it was so silent that there was no way the monster had heard you.

The noise stopped, and you sensed a presence just out of the room you were in. The tension was so thick it could have been cut with a knife, and you were holding your breath for god knows how long. It was suffocating. The air in the hotel room was stale and unbreathable and almost made you cough, which would have revealed your position.

You shut your eyes close, preparing for the worst. Sean held your hand for what felt like forever, before you felt a tickling sensation on your leg. You opened your eyes. 
Something that looked like a giant cockroach was crawling on your knee. You wiggled your legs, screeching in fear as you stood up. Sean flinched, and you did your best to kill the thing, stomping on it with both your feet. As it died, it made an obscene squishy sound, releasing a sticky green liquid. 

By the time it was dead, a buzzing sound filled the room. You looked at the door, where the sound was coming from, and a swarm of similar looking roaches was rushing inside, fluttering and crawling everywhere with their little legs.

Chapter Text

The noise of the monster's deadly sword eerily reverberated in the hallway. The hideous, misshapen creatures made their way towards Sean and you, some crawling to your feet, some flying around. You kicked at them, letting out a screech when one of them climbed on your knee. Sean was crying in a corner, swatting the bugs away with his bare hands.

You looked around the room: there was a rugged pipe lying on the floor. You instinctively grabbed it to swing it at the roaches, killing some of them as they let out high pitched squeals and bled a greenish liquid. They came from every corner, filling the room in a matter of minutes. You squished a roach that was about to fly on Sean's arm and he quietly thanked you. While you were busy killing them off, Sean ran around the room to find a path to escape, but the only door available was the one the roaches were coming from.

Being in the same room with those demonic creatures was suffocating - but right when you thought you couldn't take it anymore, they retreated into the tiny fissures of the door, leaving Sean and you alone.

"Maybe they lost interest." Sean sighed in relief.

"I don't think so," you doubted. "We were cornered."

The unpleasant noise of walls creaking filled your ears, and you both grimaced at the sound. The hotel, which had turned into a sort of fleshy, bloody living creature - as if it could breathe and birth demonic monsters - was now a simple, regular hotel. The wallpaper went back to its original ivory white color underneath a wooden structure, certainly not thoroughly clean, but better than the previous bloody mess. The floor turned back into its walnut brown color, leaving no trace of the maimed flesh and blood clots that haunted the place earlier.

The sudden knock on the door made you jump. Your heart skipped a beat, but you released the breath you were holding when you were greeted by a familiar face.

"Alessa?"

"It's good to see you again." She grinned as she slowly made her way inside.

"What's going on here?" You ran up to her, stopping to catch your breath.

"I don't know what you mean," she had the nerve to say with the fakest innocent expression on her face. "I'd like to speak with you alone."

Sean sent a confused look your way while you hoped he would be patient for the time being. You mouthed a "wait here" to him, but he shook his head with what looked like a disappointed look on his face and immediately left the room, taking the stairs. Alessa didn't seem to notice him, or maybe she was pretending. Either way, you walked out of the hotel room and joined her in the hallway.

Before you could even react, a metallic breathing sound behind you made you jump out of your skin. As you turned around, the stench of rotting flesh and grime hit your nostrils. The demon had somehow silently caught up to you. You gasped, but this time you weren't able to dodge his attack. He grabbed your waist with his free hand and knocked you against the wall behind you, then you were met with his great knife on your neck. He stood like that, and you swore you could feel his heart beating in your ribcage. He remained still, as if waiting for a sort of order to finish you off.

"Alessa!" you whimpered, tears streaming down your cheeks. "Please, help me!"

You stared at her with pleading eyes, not daring to look at the demon. She watched the scene amusingly, but she said nothing and you stayed like that for what seemed like hours. The metal was inches away from severing your whole head, as it already drew blood from your neck.

"No," she shook her head, looking at the red demon. "There are other people who deserve punishment. She's not one of them."

You widened your eyes, astonished that she decided to spare your soul. Even more surprised that the pyramid monster actually obeyed her - although reluctantly - as he released you from his deadly grasp. Your breath came in short and frequent panting, still deeply shaken by that life-or-death situation. You let yourself fall on your knees, sobbing violently, fully appreciating that you were still alive.

"Stop it." Alessa kneeled in front of you, then slapped your face as if to make you recover from a trance. A part of you feared that she could read your emotions and darkest thoughts buried deep inside your mind.

"He's dead," you cried out. "He wasn't my friend, but the way he killed him-"

"He was going to taint your purity," she said with sorrowful eyes. "And so are your other friends. I knew it from the first time I saw them. They sinned, and the executioner must punish sinners. That was his final judgement, there was nothing you could do to stop it."

"Final judgement?" you repeated in disbelief. "What's going on here?"

"The person who gets in the way of the final judgement must perish by the sword of the executioner. You did the right thing by just letting it happen. A wrong move and you would be dead where you're standing."

"This must be a nightmare." You stood up, dusting your clothes off, then walked the opposite way before Alessa clutched your arm with surprising strength for her age.

"This is very much real. The people who you believe to be your friends are actually your enemies. I refuse to let them have their way."

"But why?"

"Because I like you," she gave you an impish grin. "And because I know what it feels like."

Her face turned more serious, almost sad. She looked away, probably remembering her misfortune, but you decided not to pry further.

"Do you believe in Hell?" she asked, her face returning to her playful, almost coquettish, expression.

"No, nothing of the sort."

"Let me tell you, then, that your friend is burning there right now. I've made sure it's really painful."

You were grateful for her wanting to defend you from harm, but even if Chris had touched you more than you'd wanted him to, did he deserve that agonizing fate? And what if she changed her mind? What if she suddenly decided that you, too, were worthy of an equally agonizing punishment?

"I wouldn't be in one piece if it wasn't for you," you cautiously said, trying to get on her good side. "Thank you."

She smiled as if she had been waiting for your thanks, then she said, "I did what was right. You deserve to live, unlike the people you brought here."

Your heart sank. "What do you mean?"

"They shouldn't have come to Silent Hill. We don't want other enemies. The Order was enough for us to waste our energy, and your friends... they may not be as dangerous, but I'm afraid they have to be eliminated."

"Why would you do that?" you raised your voice a bit too much and Alessa glared at you.

"I failed to create a world of peace, so this town at least has to remain pure."

"And then you'll just let me leave?"

"Don't you want to stay here? You said you liked it here. Was it a lie?" she asked with childish impatience.

"I really like this town," you assured her. "But I can't stay here forever. I'll have to go back home."

"I'll let you stay if you want. You can be who you want to be, kill everyone who ever wronged you... without any consequences. You can stay here with us." She gestured to the pyramid monster and herself, a playful smile on her face.

He was perfectly still, his hands leaning onto the hilt of his sword. You weren't sure you would get used to seeing such monsters every day if you decided to live there. Were you even considering that? Nonsense. You would leave before they had the chance to kill you like they killed Chris.

"Is he one of your friends?" you asked with doubt in your tone.

"Yes. I call him Pyramid Head," she whispered in a mischievous tone, as if not wanting him to hear her. "His purpose is to punish anyone who deserves it. Anyone who has sinned. I told him he mustn't harm you. How would I play with a dead person anyway?"

You swallowed a lump in your throat. She wanted you to be her friend. Whatever she meant by that, killing people surely wasn't an appropriate activity for children. You just wanted to find Amanda and yes, even Bryce, Ian, and Harper. Even thinking about their names made you feel safer. It made you feel normal. Down-to-earth. Because whatever was happening was probably all in your head. If it was real, then you had really lost every last bit of your sanity.

"He dared shoot him," her nose scrunched up in disgust. "How can people be so cruel?"

"I'm not defending him, but I think he just wanted a fighting chance."

"What did you say?" she snarled. You raised your hands in defeat.

"I'm not saying Chris should have shot your friend. He-" you stopped to gesture at the red demon. "He saved me. He saved me from being... tainted, as you said."

You winced at your own words, but feigned conviction as not to anger her. She fortunately seemed to believe you as she nodded with a smile.

"Of course he did. You would have been assaulted, had I not ordered him to step in."

"Wait, what?" you asked in disbelief, blinking a few times. "Chris would have never done that."

"He would have, had he gotten the chance." She glanced at the demon, a proud look on her face, then looked back at you. "I looked through his soul."

"Then I'm grateful for your help," you conceded. "But now I need to find my friends." You turned to the stairs, giving a last glance at the both of them: the apparently innocent girl and the demonic executioner. His abnormally large helmet jerked to your direction, as if startled by your sudden movement.

"We are your new friends," Alessa said with a hint of irritation in her voice. "Or maybe you just want to say goodbye before the executioner gets rid of them?"

"I just need to think this over," you lied. Of course you would have never decided on the death of Bryce, Harper, Amanda, Ian and Sean. Even if they annoyed you sometimes, even if Bryce cheated on you, it didn't mean you wanted them dead.

"You wouldn't regret it if you chose to stay here. But I can't force you. The choice is yours."

You nodded and gently waved at her, then carefully descended the stairs. When you arrived at the second floor, you looked back to make sure you weren't being followed. The last time you saw Bryce and Harper, they were in room 201. So it was worth a shot to check that room.

You were panicking, sweat dripping from your forehead and a shiver burning your very core. With clammy fingers, you picked up your cellphone and scrolled through your contacts, looking for your mother's number.

"Please, pick up."

Through the deafening white noise, you distinguished your mother's voice, but her words were broken and unintelligible.
Her voice felt warm and familiar, but the only thing you could hear her saying was your name in a desperate tone. Then the line went dead and you were alone with your thoughts again. Of course there was no signal in a dead town like Silent Hill.

You opened the door to room 201, but it was empty. The bed sheets were a mess, and you grimaced at the thought of Bryce and Harper sleeping there. You slammed the door behind you, then wandered through the long corridor once again. There was no sign of human presence, as if your friends had magically vanished. What if they actually left you on your own, throwing you into the lion's den, and returned home with Bryce's car? Or what if you were still sleeping?

Ignoring all the pestering what-ifs in your head, you moved forward. After checking several rooms, you found Amanda in room 217. You called out to her; when she saw you, she ran up to you and pulled you into a tight hug. Her hands left a wet, sticky substance on your waist: it looked like blood, but on a closer look it was black, like ichor.

"Where are the others?"

You bit your lip. How were you going to explain that Chris had been violently murdered by a pyramid-head monster? You decided to stay silent for the time being.

"I don't know," you lied, shaking your head. "What's that thing on your hands?"

She sighed, then rubbed her hands on her own clothes to clean them off.

"You're not gonna believe me."

"Trust me, it's probably not as weird as what I saw in the hotel restroom."

She stared at you, mouth agape. "So I'm not seeing things? Those monsters are real?"

You nodded, hugging Amanda one more time to feel safe. She pulled you closer, then gently caressed your hair.

"I killed it. It looked like a person, but it wasn't. It spat a sticky substance at me, and it melted my jacket so I had to take it off."

"Acid," you guessed, meeting her gaze without breaking the hug.

She nodded.

"I saw a man that had a pyramid instead of a head. He had this giant knife," you trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. You couldn't tell her about Chris - she would have asked too many questions. "I've never been so scared my whole life."

Amanda broke the hug and held your face in her hands, her lips quivering in nervousness. She pulled out her cellphone, showing it to you.

"You don't have to worry anymore. I called my father and told him to send help. We're getting out of here."

Her father was the sheriff, so you could at least have hope: knowing his daughter was in danger, he would have certainly come with his officers to help you. You thanked her, then the two of you were off in search of Harper and Bryce. You wanted to tell her about Alessa, but somehow you couldn't bring yourself to do it. As you left the room, the walls started crumpling to pieces, revealing the crimson red flesh underneath, as if the whole building were made of rotting meat. The occasional paintings were askew, with blood trickling from the frames and the images full of cracks. The same smell of rusted metal and putrid meat made its way into your nostrils, making your eyes burn.

As you turned around a corner, a monstrous creature blocked your path. The two figures looked to be intertwined in a morbid sexual act, their bodies reclining over a bedframe, standing on a pair of crooked legs. Their faces were indiscernible, the bodies resembling corpses more than living beings, merged together by a clump of flesh. The hellish creature roared, charging towards you, but before it could hit you Amanda shot it with a handgun.

It took several bullets before the monster collapsed on the floor, until it stopped moving completely and its dark red blood soaked the parquet underneath.

"Where did you find that?" you asked, panting in fear as you gestured at the gun in Amanda's hands.

"In the women's restroom. Which was a blood bath, by the way."

You were perfectly aware of the reason why. That blood was most likely Chris' before he met his grisly fate. How could she have not seen his corpse? Maybe Alessa got rid of it somehow - you liked to think so. You couldn't give Amanda another reason to worry. The monsters roaming around the hallways and the disappearance of Harper, Ian and Bryce were enough. And where was Sean? He didn't say where he was going before he left you alone with Alessa.

"Listen, I've got a plan," she said as you were wandering through the hotel like lost souls. "We should split up. We'll cover more territory if we do so."

You widened your eyes, but then frowned. "Who in their right mind would ever do that?"

"I know it doesn't make sense to you. But if we do, one of us may find the others and-"

"And I'll be dead by the time you find them," you said with poison in your voice. "I'm the one who doesn't have a weapon."

"Then how about we meet at the hotel lobby? We won't get lost that way."

You sighed, a burning sensation invading your chest from the inside.

"I hope you're right."

Chapter Text

After hours of pointless searching through the hotel rooms, you met Alessa and the red demon in room 219. Trying to be as quiet as possible, you doubled back, but the door screeched and they both noticed your feeble attempt at avoiding them.

“You’re not trying to leave, are you?” she asked, a disappointed look on her face.

“I was looking for my friends,” you mumbled, afraid that she was going to punish you in some way for it. She nodded understandingly, although her eyes had a hint of malice to them.

“They can’t have gone far. I can help you look for them.”

“It’s not necessary,” you insisted, your tone begging.

“Actually, we can help each other out,” she suggested, “while I search for them, could you please stay here with him? I don’t like it when he kills my other friends.”

“You want me to what?”

You assumed her other friends were deformed, bloodthirsty, evil monsters like the red demon. As soon as you turned to the door, it slammed shut before the thought of leaving the room even formed in your mind. When you looked back to Alessa, she had a satisfied smile on her face.

Did she just do that?

“What if he tries to kill me?” you protested in a barely audible whisper.

“He won’t. You are a kind-hearted, selfless and brave human being, so you should be safe.”

It was the should that alarmed you. Before you could add anything else, she had already left, leaving you alone with the executioner. You saw the way he murdered Chris and Ian with the utmost ease, so you weren’t exactly thrilled to be near him. The thought of being alone with him made your guts twist in turmoil. And yet, he just sat on the bed, seemingly peaceful, almost not noticing your distress. Despite that, you could feel your anxious beating heart in the room, the rhythmic sound becoming one with his deep metallic breaths. You didn’t know how to act, so you did what you would have done had he been human. Hopefully that way he would spare you.

“I wanted to thank you for helping me back there.”

You offered a smile, but all he did was turn to face you. Either he had no interest in your words, or couldn’t even understand what you were saying. However, you were proven wrong when he let out a sharp metallic sound, his hands driving the great knife into the earth in a swift, powerful movement. You flinched, taking a few deep breaths to calm down before carefully approaching him. It took every molecule in your body to muster up the courage to sit beside him. He let out a hissing sound, thwarted by his metallic helmet, and you shut your eyes close, preparing for the worst. But on a closer look, you figured out what was troubling him.

“It hurts, doesn’t it?” you empathized with a shaky voice. He kept looking at the bullet wounds on his chest as his arms trembled, trying to bear the pain.

He was unreadable – you couldn’t see his face, after all – and he was probably trying to suppress his urge to slaughter you, but you were determined to prove your innocence, if that was what it took to stay alive. You would have done anything to survive.

Firstly, you ripped a piece of cloth from the bed sheets, then wet it with tap water. When you attempted to touch his bare chest, he seized your wrist with so much strength it became numb and it felt like your bones were bending. Despite your instinct to yelp in pain, you tried to stay calm.

“I want to help you,” you drawled in a soft tone, “I mean no harm.”

Quite oddly, he slowly let go of your wrist. You climbed onto the dirty mattress, and he thankfully opened his legs to make your kneeling position comfortable. His hand clung to the hilt of his sword, using it for support as he bent his back a little to give you more space. You were almost in a straddling position, your face heating up for the close proximity between the two of you. You were so close to him that you had to hold your breath to ignore the repulsive reek of meat and rusted metal. However, he didn’t seem to mind in the slightest.

You gently rubbed the wet rag on his dirty wounds, cleaning them as best as you could until all you could see was small amounts of blood oozing out of them. You soaked another rag with water before doing the same thing, removing all the blood, then you pressed the rag directly against the wound to prevent it from leaking more blood. After the bleeding subsided, you wrapped the rags around the wounds and applied more pressure. You found some bandages in the bathroom of the hotel room, so you used them to hold the rags tightly in place. When you were finally done, you couldn’t help the satisfied smile spreading across your lips.

“What’s going on here?”

Alessa’s voice startled you – how could a child freak you out so much? – she crossed her arms, staring at you with her usual wary eyes.

“You’re back,” you stuttered, “did you find my friends?”

You casually stood up, walking away from the pyramid-head monster, hoping Alessa hadn’t seen you in that compromising position. How would she even suspect if she’s just a kid?  you thought despite yourself. Thankfully she didn’t say anything about you sitting too close to her friend, but she just nodded.

“Store room on the second floor.”

“Did they see you?” you asked, regretting it almost immediately when her eyes fired up.

“What do you mean?” she yelled, her hands clenching in fists, “you think only you can see me because I’m a ghost?!”

“No, I just–“

“Stop implying that I’m not real!”

“I’m not,” you said, your voice shaking in fear, but she flinched, seemingly not proud of her sudden outburst.

“Sorry,” she looked down, “I didn’t mean to…”

She trailed off, and you gladly gave her a few minutes to regain composure.

“It’s time I told you about this town. There are many ghosts,” she accentuated the word in a disgusted tone, as if deeming it disrespectful, “as you common mortals would call them. They aren’t exactly real like you and me, but they will get to your head if you let them. The face they choose to show you depends on your life conduct. However, some monsters are representations of old memories, old regrets of people who came here in the past. That’s how he was born.”

She pointed at the red demon.

“Long ago a man named James Sunderland came here to look for his dead wife. He had actually killed her, and wanted a fair punishment for his crime. I still don’t know what he did after that, maybe he just left Silent Hill or who knows? He might even be dead.”

You stared, listening intently to every word she said, trying to absorb everything. You couldn’t deny that you felt a bit special, after all she was telling you. However, you still doubted the whole situation was real. A man went to Silent Hill to find his dead wife? Was he out of his mind? How could you find someone if they had passed away? Had you known about all this, you wouldn’t have agreed to go to Silent Hill. You would have grabbed Bryce’s shoulders, stared him deep in the eyes and told him: “We’ll never go there”.

“But now I’m just rambling. What were you guys doing anyway?”

Whether it was your imagination or not, her eyes seemed to become darker, and her smile was replaced by a more serious expression.

“I tried to help with his wounds,” you explained, offering a smile.

She burst out laughing, and you looked between her and him in confusion.

“He’s immortal,” she giggled, barely able to contain her amusement.

“What?” you gasped, assuming that being immortal was real. Those bloodthirsty monsters were real, so you were ready to believe anything at that point. You were still convinced you were dreaming it all up anyway.

“Then why did he let me do it?”

“Honestly, I don’t know,” she shrugged, “maybe he likes you.”

Your face heated up against your will, and you hoped that Alessa didn’t notice. You didn’t know why you were getting so flustered about a monster that didn’t even speak, that didn’t even have a face, – or did he? – it was pointless. And yet your whole body shivered at the recent memory of being so close to him that you could hear his relaxed breathing; the memory of you kneeling between his legs, your small frame so close to his muscular torso – what were you thinking? A murderous monster was all he was. You brushed the intrusive thoughts off your mind, – how did they even get there in the first place? – they were like toxic smoke clouding your brain, making you almost forget you had to leave Silent Hill and return home safely.

After thanking Alessa and saying goodbye, you took your leave. Fortunately, the store room wasn’t far from the room you were in. Before coming in, you were utterly relieved to hear Amanda and Bryce’s voices from outside.

Amanda cheered, reaching for a hug as soon as you were in sight, the mood being lightened up for a bit until Sean spoke.

“Where are Ian and Chris? They’ve been missing for too long.” He nervously tapped his foot on the floor, occasionally pacing around the room.

“We need to find them, we can’t leave without them,” added Bryce.

“We’re leaving already?” you asked, feigning naivety.

“Of course we are!” fumed Sean, “or didn’t you see all those monsters?”

“So you did, too.” You sighed. “But we need to cross the lake again. How long is that going to take us?”

“I don’t fucking care! I’m leaving this hellhole.” Harper had dry tears on both her cheeks, her clothes looked messy and her makeup was smudged all over her face. You hated to see her like that. Despite the fact that she and Bryce had betrayed your trust, you still felt the need to hug her and comfort her. No one deserved to be in that hellish place. You wouldn’t even wish it upon your worst enemy.

You couldn’t keep your mouth shut anymore. You had to tell them about Chris, otherwise they would have still looked for him and Ian in vain, putting each of you at high risk. And most importantly, you didn’t want to spend any more time than it was necessary in that haunted town. You’d seen enough, and it would have probably stayed with you for years to come.

“We should go right now. Chris…” you hesitated, everyone staring at you and prompting you to go on. “Something got him. I don’t know what it was, but I saw him in one of the restrooms. There was blood everywhere.” You forced a few tears to come out, and it wasn’t even hard. Despite not feeling bad for his death, crying came easy to you as you would have never recovered from what you’d seen. Harper hiccupped before bursting out crying, while everyone looked like their eyes were going to jump out of their sockets. The fact they were so surprised meant that Sean hadn't told them about it either.

“What are we going to tell his family?” Bryce ran a nervous hand through his hair.

“They’re probably going to blame us,” you figured. “They won’t believe that a monster killed them.”

“Hello? Are you actually worried about that right now? Let’s leave before those monsters come back!” Sean panicked as he took his backpack and made for the exit.

“Sean, wait!” Harper called out, “let’s stick together.”

As you left the store room, you had to cover your nose and hold your breath to avoid the suffocating stench invading the whole hallway. It reeked of death, putrefied flesh mixed with the smell of burning wood. Blood leaked from the walls, and Harper screeched when a gooey substance dripped on her shoulder.

“This is it, we are in Hell,” Bryce solemnly announced.

Your journey through the cursed hotel was longer than you expected, as if you were being teleported from one room to the other, as if the hotel itself was alive and didn’t want you to leave. It felt like being trapped in time, and for a good hour you feared you were never going to escape that nightmare. After what seemed to be endless, aimless wandering through the dirty halls, you finally got in the lobby and headed to the hotel’s exit like your life depended on it.

But before you could even inch closer, Alessa stood before you, blocking your path.

“Now the fun begins.”