“Left turn… Cross the street… Should be up ahead…” Zorlond’s shouted directions continued as DJ and Harry tore down the streets, the dog pack baying at their heels.
“Where are we going?” DJ managed, breathlessly.
“The dog house, should be safe…”
Internally, the virtual Zorlond added, It’s the only dog house on this street, the house it’s in front of is unlocked, that’s the actual place we’re going… And, out of the mists ahead, she saw the dog house appear. The visible Zorlond shot ahead, passing through the wall of the human house as if it didn’t exist (or more likely because he didn’t, physically, at least). A moment later he re-appeared. “It’s clear, get in!” More than enough encouragement for Harry and DJ to rush inside and slam the door shut behind them.
The dogs bashed and clawed at the door for a short while, even as Harry slammed the deadbolt into place and DJ set her shoulder to the door. DJ was just starting to wonder if this was going to become Night of the Living Dead when the clawing stopped. A few moments later, the static and feedback faded away to silence. Relaxing from his place against the door, Harry sighed. “They’re gone.”
“Are you sure?” DJ asked.
Harry nodded, fishing something from his jacket pocket. It was a little radio. “Doesn’t seem to work, or at least the way you’d think. No stations, no signals, but anytime those things come close, lots of static. More of them, more sounds.” Harry turned to go deeper into the house. “Sounds fade; they’ve either left or died.”
DJ followed him, to what looked like a kitchen/dining room. “What is going on here?”
Zorlond looked at her oddly. “Don’t you know? You were on that street bench when we found you, you don’t live here? Or did you come here by one of those whirling things?”
DJ shrugged. “I must have, I guess. I don’t remember coming here, just falling in pitch darkness, then waking up with you guys over me. I don’t even know where here is.” The concept had holes in it, but DJ didn’t see the point in explaining that this was all a dream, and herself an intruder into it.
Sitting down at the table with a sigh, Harry answered her. “The town’s name is Silent Hill. I was coming here with my daughter for a vacation. We got separated… Have you seen her? Short, dark hair, turned seven just last month? Her name is Cheryl.”
DJ shook her head. “Like I said, first thing I saw here was you two.”
“And on that subject,” Zorlond interjected. “How the heck can you see me? I should only be visible to Harry, here.”
Because this dream’s a memory, and I remember at least being visible to myself, and since you’re in my dream, you can see me too, the virtual Zorlond answered. Though you probably shouldn’t tell him that. Way too much explaining.
DJ simply shook her head. “I don’t know, I just can. You certainly don’t seem very solid…” She poked at his chest, her hand passing right through him.
“I’m a ghost.” Zorlond said. “Short explanation, I’m here to be an advisor, navigator, a second pair of eyes, and sympathetic company for Harry. He needs to find his daughter and get out of this crazy town before it kills either of them, and I want to help him do that.”
“So far he’s been good at it, so I haven’t pried too hard…” Harry said. “Still think I hit my head too hard in that car crash, but since you can see him too, and you’re quite solid at least, maybe I’m not loosing my mind.”
A few moments of tense silence, then Zorlond spoke again. “In any case, there’s something in here I saw in passing, should be useful…” He stepped through the wall again, then re-appeared from down a corridor. “Door’s over this way.” They followed him to the door.
Harry tried the knob. “Locked.”
“DJ, if you would…” Zorlond gestured to the door. Mentally shrugging, she raised a pistol and put two rounds in the lock, then kicked the door, which parted like butter. Inside was a smallish room tastefully done in Japanese theme. The only furnishing was a simple wooden stand, on which sat a sheathed katana. Zorlond indicated it. “That ought to be more useful than just running away all the time.”
Harry laughed mirthlessly. “It’s been a looong time since my last kendo class. If DJ just loaned me one of her guns…”
“Yeah, that really worked out well last time.” Zorlond looked to DJ. “No offense.” She just shrugged. “You need something, man. If those things are at the school, you won’t have any room to run. DJ can give you fire support while you deal with anything her guns don’t kill…”
DJ blinked. The school?
The virtual Zorlond sighed. Damn. If this dream’s going to go the way it looks, that school’s going to look damn familiar to you, DJ…
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Fri Sep 17 21:19:52 2004
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