Chapter 8

Now having defeated the Hell Hound, Steven can continue his journey through Silent Hill.Will he ever find a way out?

Steven made his way up Cielo Avenue, and came across the town hall.It was big and old fashioned, having been there for such a long time. Steven walked up to the front door and entered the building, half expecting to find it dilapidated.To his surprise, town hall was in good condition.The interior was beautiful.Stone pillars to hold up the ceiling, marble floors, wooden bookshelves,old desks, old lighting, and beautiful paintings on every wall.It appeared as if town hall hadn't been touched by the hands of time.

As Steven was having a look around, a random person stepped out from behind one of the bookshelves.They looked to be in their mid sixties.

"Hello?"Spoke the old man."May I be of some assistance?"

Due to astonishment that anyone was still alive in this town, Steven got a fright.He jumped slightly.

"May I help you?"Chimed the old man.

"I don't know if you can help me."

"Allow me to introduce myself.My name is Maxwell Anderpart, Mayor of Silent Hill"

"This town still has a mayor?"

"Very much so."

"Wow."

"I know that the state of my poor town must make it seem as if nobody lives here.On the contrary, quite a few people still live here, just not as many."

"I haven't seen anyone else."

"I do have to admit, though,with certain areas of the town being so run down, I am amazed that anyone is here."

"You're the mayor.Surely you could do something to improve the town.You handle the funding, yes?"

"This town depends of funding of tourism...Unfortunately, this town doesn't have a good reputation after wild rumors ran a muck."

"They aren't rumors.Have you seen the creatures roaming the town?"

"Now, you see, it's things like that that kill small towns."

"Whatever"

"Yes."

"Look, do you know the best way out of town?'

"Sadly, due to low funding, many of the roads out of Silent Hill, are unusable."

Steven was now more frustrated than ever.It appeared that he was never going to be able to find a way out of Silent Hill, even if he busted his balls.

"Have you seen another male running around?"

"Besides you?"

"Yes, apart from me."

"I have been around town lately but haven't seen anyone new.However, the police department has been tipped off about a strange person going around town, doing all sorts of scary things."

"Did they say what the person looked like?!"

"They said that the person was going from building to building rambling about demons, monsters, and strange cults."

"Thank you.The info is more important than you could realize."

"If you don't mind me asking, but who is the stranger to you?"

"Whether or not your info is correct, it might be my brother."

"Oh."

"The sooner I find him, the sooner we can get out of this place."

"I'm surprised at how someone as young as yourself, would be willing to go to find their brother or sister."

"Yeah."

While he wouldn't admit it, Steven hid the fact that he and his brother hadn't been close at all.Nevertheless, Steven still had to find him and escort him home.Otherwise, the possibility of going to jail was very high.This is something that he could not afford to happen.

"Thank you again for the info, Maxwell."

"No, thank you, Steven Wilcox."

Steven turned and headed for the exit.But just as he was about to walk out the doors, Steve remembered that he hadn't told the old man his name.Especially his last.

"How?"Mumbled Steven, suddenly overcome with a sense of fear.

With fresh information on where he might be able to find Chris, Steven headed towards the police station.The rest of Cielo Avenue was blocked off by a massive hole, throwing yet another spanner in the works.Borden Street heading down, was also blocked off, but this time by a wall of metal.The only way was up Borden Street.This led to Midway Avenue, the only viable route through.

"Guess my only option is to go up Canyon Street, hopefully leading me somewhere."

Steven made his way up Canyon Street and found an alleyway leading to the back entrance of Alchemilla Hospital.Upon further inspection, Steven saw that the doors were locked, completely sealing off any entry.But still, there were some supplies.An Uzi clip, shotgun shells, pistol ammo, and a couple of health drinks.Once he gathered them up, Steven went on his way.He exited the area then continued up Canyon Street.However, it wasn't long until he found himself on Koontz Street.

The gates to Alchemilla Hospital were bolted shut.Steven automatically knew why.From the front of the hospital, Steven could see that it had been torched at some point, but why?Scorch marks, ash, and blown out windows, were all signs that the hospital had been on fire.Steven wondered who could have done it, mainly because of it being a place to heal.Clearly someone had had a grudge against the hospital and decided to burn it down, hoping to make it disappear.

As strange as it was, every street apart from Wein Street, was blocked off.So, Steven followed it.It led him to Sagan Street.Leading away from the Silent Hill docks(towards Old Silent Hill), was blocked off. A large gate rose up out of the ground and stood between Wilson Street, and Simmons Street.The gate was still in Sagan Street, but in between the other two.A large lock was in the very center of the gate and was shaped like a peace symbol.While it was out of place, Steven had learnt to expect the unexpected.

Steven needed to find the key or he wouldn't be able to go any further.So, Steven followed the road up Simmons Street, eventually coming across the Silent Hill Town Center.Just from the ominous look of the outside, Steven knew trouble lurked within.But with the road just beyond the antique store having a massive hole in it, there wasn't much of a choice.Steven used the pipe to pry open the front doors, switching to the axe after finding wooden planks blocking the entrance.

With a few precise chops, Steven destroyed the planks and made his way inside.At first it didn't look like much, but Steven soon found that town center was actually a mall.There were clothing stores, toy stores, a food court, a few jewelry stores, and an electronic  store. Steven explored all of them(finding supplies, a few Bound Children, and False Dentists), arriving at the electronic store last.It had been locked at first, but after exploring the rest of the mall, Steven found that the entrance to the electronic store was now unlocked.

Steven entered the store only to find that most of the stuff in there, was ancient.Old radios, old televisions, and old microwaves.Everything was old.As an added surprise, Steven saw that there weren't any cellphones either.It was apparent that the town had been under funded for a while, going so far as not having updated technology.That was the biggest insult yet.

Sitting on the counter was the first half of the peace symbol.It was made of metal and was a bit heavy, proving to be a little annoying for Steven.When he walked over to it and picked it up, the front doors slammed shut.The alarm that Steven had heard a few times, rung loudly throughout the mall.All of the light seemed to fade away, leaving behind nothing but darkness.Steven turned on his flashlight and saw that everything was covered in the grey dust.This was annoying.

Steven explored the rest of the electronic store and made an important find.One of the walls near the back of the store, was slightly different.Steven ran his hand along the wall, looking desperately for any way to remove it, or change it.As he brushed his hands along the wall, Steven managed to rub off some of the dust.He rubbed away all of the dust to reveal a single door.It was old and had chips of painting, coming off.

Steven noticed that the door lacked a handle.However, there was a slit where a door handle should be.Steven took out the switchblade and inserted it into the slit, practically using it as a handle.With a twist to the left, Steven opened the door and walked through.Once again, Steven stood in Doctor Walters office.The only difference this time was that the office was already covered in the dust. Steven had to use his flashlight, again.

Doctor Walters was nowhere to be seen.With that in mind, Steven searched the room in hopes of finding anything useful.One of the books in the bookcase was out of place.It wasn't covered in dust, nor was the book facing the right way.Steven pulled out the book and put it in the right way, hearing a click come from the desk.There were four drawers in the desk, each one being locked, but the click was one of them unlocking.

Steven pilfered through the drawer and found a photo of a crime scene.To make it more disturbing, Steven saw something truly frightening.In the photo, Doctor Walters was dead in her desk chair.This didn't make any sense.It was going to get weirder, too.Steven placed the photo on the desk and watched as the dust blew away.Suddenly, there was color and light, an appreciated change from the dark and depressing.But as things appeared as if they were about to get better, they got worse.

Doctor Walters was now sitting in her chair.The problem was, she was dead. A letter opener was sticking out of her chest, this being the weapon that had taken her life.

"Oh my god,"Whimpered Steven."who could have?"

The book on the bookcase slid itself out, turned around, then slid itself back in again.With this process being complete, the scene began to play backwards.The letter opener removed itself from Doctor Walters chest, placed itself back on the desk, and remained there.She sat forward and began sorting through her mail.

"Bills more and, bills, bills."Said Doctor Walters, but her words were backwards.

By this point, Steven was getting anxious.He watched as she went about her business, then stop.So, figuring that reversing the book might make the scene play normally, Steven did just that.Instantly, the scene played forwards.A knock at the door alerted Doctor Walters, saying that for whoever it was at the door, to come in.Steven entered the office and walked over to the desk.Although shocked by the abrupt action, Doctor Walters asked what he wanted.

Steven picked up the letter opener and plunged it into her chest.She slouched backwards, unsure of what just happened. Steven didn't say anything.He just left the room and shut the door.

"Why?"Gasped Doctor Walters, struggling to get any air.

Within a few short minutes, Doctor Walters was dead.The dust covered everything again and reverted the room back to normal.For Steven, this made no sense.He hadn't killed her, so why was it displaying him as the murderer?Maybe there was more to this situation than first thought.

"There has to be something else to this.I would never harm Doctor Walters, she is my best friend."

There was very little to go on at that point, so Steven took the book, opened it, found a key to one of the drawers, unlocked one of them, then pilfered through it.Just like before, a photo was hidden inside.This photo was different, though.Instead of Doctor Walters being dead, she was alive and well.The more Steven focused on it, the  worse it blurred.It became too blurry to see anything any more.

Steven dropped the photo on the floor and ran for the door.While his back was turned, Doctor Walters came back to life.She took out the letter opener and placed it on the desk, the sound of it hitting the desk startling Steven.He turned and got a fright, shocked at the fact that she was now alive.Doctor Walters had an evil smirk on her face, too.

"I'm impressed with how well you are doing, especially with your victory with the Hell Hound."

Still not quite sure what was going on, Steven just stared blankly at her.

"However, the decisions you have made thus far, will seal your fate.Not everything is as it seems.You need to be wary, Steven, of what goes on around you.Even if you think you know what is going on.Some truths are harder to swallow than others."

"What is going on?"

Doctor Walters just smiled and pointed to the door.

"No!"Shouted Steven, punching the desk."I want answers, not f*****g riddles!"

The look on Doctor Walters face went very serious.The door flew open and revealed nothing but darkness.However, Steven remained steadfast.He planted his feet firmly on the floor and made it known he wasn't going anywhere.

"It's time to go, Steven."

Just as he was ready to put a fight, a large gust of wind came from the otherside of the door.It was stronger than any wind.

"It's time to go, Steven."

The wind became so strong that it began to pull Steven.He gripped the desk tightly, not wanting to get sucked out of the room.But no matter how hard he held on, Steven found himself lifted off the floor and sucked out.Down, down, down, Steven fell into the never ending void.He screamed in pure terror as he fell further and further, unable to imagine what might be waiting for him below.

Suddenly, Steven awoke to find himself laying on the ground out the back of the town center.He stood up in confusion, shaking his head to try and clear the fogginess.There, on the ground in front of Steven, was the first half of the peace key.Steven picked up before carrying on.He eventually came across the Silent Hill Docks.There was a strange force compelling him to investigate what might be at the waters edge.

Steven followed the path down to the wooden wharf and was saddened to see most of the boats were partially sunk, having been there for quite some time.The closer he got the the water, the better Steven could see something at the bottom.Inch by inch, Steven crept closer, being careful not to fall in. He had a sickening feeling that something was behind him, preparing to push him in.And, just as he turned to see what it was, two hands pushed him down.

The freezing water enveloped Steven, both hugging and pulling him down. No matter how hard he fought to stay afloat, Steven sunk even more.He sank so deep that the world above disappeared from sight. Steven thought it was futile to fight it anymore, choosing to let himself drown rather than try and survive. The black water swallowed Steven. There was nothing he could do to combat the icy water, nothing but let himself sink.

When Steven awoke, he found himself at the bottom of the lake. Strangely, there was no water. Steven was breathing air instead of water. Also, it was pitch black. Steven could hardly see anything in front of him, turning on his flashlight to illuminate the way. When the beam of light pierced through the darkness, Steven was shocked to find himself standing in the ruins of an old town.One much older than Silent Hill.

"What is this place?"Mumbled Steven.

Single storied buildings were all over the place. They all had significant  water damage, but most were still standing.Imagine an old town from a western movie. Steven walked down the single street to see if there was anything of use, and came across an old general store.There was no front door, though. Steven wandered inside and found something interesting. On the counter were a series of religious idols. One for Buddhism, one for Judaism, one for Christianity, one for Satanism, and one for Taoism.

A riddle was written/ carved into the counter. 

"Place the idols in the religious status from biggest to smallest.Only then shall the symbol of peace be revealed."

Steven remembered seeing a pie chart online from 2005, showing all religious statuses.In fact, on the wall of the general store was the exact same one. Steven found this odd.It was almost as if it had been plucked from memory.

"If I put these idols in the right order, I might be able to solve this thing faster than expected."

Steven took the Christian Symbol(cross), and placed it first. Next he put the Buddhist symbol( Dharmachakra wheel), in the second place. Then the Judaism( Star of David), followed by the Taoism( yin and yang), and finally Satanism( pentagram). With all of them placed in the correct order, the pressure plates sunk into the counter top. A secret compartment opened, but the peace symbol was not there.

Annoyed, Steven inspected the compartment and took the object inside.It was an old bottle of alcohol, one that Steven didn't recognize. From what he could see, there appeared to be a slip of paper inside. Steven added it to his inventory then exited the general store. There were only four buildings there were safe enough to enter, one being the general store, one a bank, one a saloon, and another was a jail.

Using common sense, Steven went to the saloon  to see if there was a bottle opener of some kind, just to open his one. He entered and saw that the inside was perfectly preserved, even after being submerged for such a long time. Steven went behind the bar and looked for something to open his bottle. An old fashioned bottle opener was stashed beneath the counter, making for an easy take. Steven used the corkscrew and popped off the cork, emptying the contents onto the counter top.

A slip of paper had a combination written on it. 25 left, 15 right, 13 left, and 30 right. Although annoyed, Steven knew that this would help him. He went to the bank and instantly made a beeline for the safe.The size of it was intimidating, towering over him. But there was work to do. Steven twisted the turn dial using the combination acquired, listening carefully for any sound. And, with a loud click, the safe door was now unlocked. Steven pulled it open.

"There had better be something good in here."

There were no gold bars, no gold coins, no parchment, or anything of value. Instead there was a pair of old western handcuffs.Steven stared at them trying to figure out what they were used for, but they were more of a clue than anything. He gathered that they had something to do with the old jail, seeing as they fitted the criteria.

"I'm hoping that these actually have a purpose and aren't dicking me around."

Steven ventured to the jail and immediately found what he was looking for. A chain was hanging from the ceiling, while its counterpart was sticking out of the floor. Steven connected the two using the handcuffs, then pulled the chain down. The jail cell not far from Steven, slid open. He walked inside and was surprised when he found, well, nothing. The only thing in the empty jail cell was the bed.

Using all of his strength, Steven dragged the bed from its spot and found a secret compartment. Even though the space was only small, the second half of the peace key was inside. Steven took the piece then made his way outside again. However, there was something waiting for him when he got out there.A massive hole had opened up in the middle of the street, throwing Steven off. He approached with caution as he didn't want to fall in. Surprisingly, a light could be seen at the bottom.

Every fiber of his being told him not to do it, but Steven did anyway. He sat down on the edge, took a deep breath, then hopped down into the hole. As Steven got closer and closer to the light, he blacked out. When Steven awoke, he found himself sitting on the edge of the wharf at the Silent Hill Docks. There was no trace of water on him even though he had fallen into Toluca Lake.It was almost as if he imagined it all, having never taken place.

Now having the two piece of the broken peace symbol, Steven returned to the gate and placed both halves into the lock. The gate swung open, finally allowing Steven to advance. The next objective was to get to the police station, locating a police officer, find the last known location of the stranger, then go there. Steven didn't care anymore. He just wanted to find his brother and get the hell out of Silent Hill. But as we all know Silent Hill never makes it that easy.

Author's Note

This content contains graphic themes. I hold no responsibility for any offenses taken, so read at your own risk.Also, if the words and paragraphs appear stuck together, the formatting has gone wrong.I have tried to correct, but yeah