Destiny Cross Roads

Annette's Point of View

When Leonard turned to look at me, I saw his once glowing lavender eyes now looking empty and soulless. I looked at him for several moments, "Leonard, are you alright?" He looked at me with a look of shame on his features. "No need to feel ashamed to ask for help, Leonard. It's okay, may I get you something, some water maybe? Something to eat, I baked some cookies last night. I can let you lay down, look over the mess."

He shook his head. "I need to return to Silent Hill. I've been away longer than I'm allowed," he turned away and walked away again, "Stay clear of the cults."

I grabbed his wrist as he looked at me. "You can't leave in your condition, not alone. I'm coming with you. No, ifs, and's or buts, let's go."

Leonard looked at me with a grin. "Are you always this eager to help when someone is weak? Or do you care for me? Whatever the case may be, I need to return to Silent Hill. Keep away from the cults, my lovely flower. It would be a shame if they purified purity. Not a lovely sight to see. I've witnessed it once and have no desire to see it again."

"Leonard, I have one more question."

The man clad in black looked at me, awaiting me to continue, so I did, "What does the cult's plan to do with me when you say they want to purify me? Purity is a good thing."

"Fire doesn't cleanse, it blackens."

"You keep saying that, but what does it mean? I don't understand."

Leonard sighed, "Thirty years ago, before the town had a name. A mother and a son separated because of false promises made to the boy's mother of purifying filth. The child was sinless, no more sinless than any other child. There were these monsters that lived to hurt the small boy, leaving him crying with no one to turn to in the bathroom stalls, just because he had no father. His mother was the sister to the leaders of the cult, Christabella and Claudia. Christabella promised the child's mother that they would purify the child. The boy's mother prepared to take on a fate that wasn't her load to carry. For weeks, they gathered to prepare for that day, the day that would change everything. Then it came, the day of the purifying. The mother walked with her son to be purified. But to the mother's disappointment, it wasn't her they wanted, they wanted the boy. 'You may leave now, Dahlia we fight the sin, not the sinner.' The child struggled and screamed for help, though he knew he had no chance against the men that forced him to be purified. The mother ran to get help. But she was too late to save her baby. There were good people in the town, people who liked to help people like you, Annette. But the fire was too great, people were dying. They couldn't find half the bodies, and that was the end of Silent Hill. The phantom that now takes its place; is a resting ground for madness."

"Please tell me the little boy is alive and well." I felt tears roll down my face, looking at the man before me.

"He's alive. Perhaps that is a fate worse than the death intended for him. The pain he endures every day, both mentally and physically, he silently prays for the eternal sleep to end his pain. But, it's a prayer that is out of reach for being well. His fuel is hatred. To those who have done him wrong, desiring to put those in the lake of fire." Leonard looked at me, wiping the tear away with his thumb, "Don't be sad, you weren't there. Let it rest in peace."

I looked at him. "That was horrible what they did to that family. Where you the boy's father?"

"No."

"Someone who tried to help him?"

Leonard didn't speak. "How can you know so much about this? Unless you're," I felt my eyes go wide as Leonard continued to look at me, "You're the boy from the story." I whispered the sound of my door kicked by the cults startled me. "Say it, Annette, say it out loud. Tell them who roams your home and who's protecting you. Make your decision on who you are going to join; the time is now." Leonard's gaze pierced the door, his tone serious.

"You're Leonard Shepherd, the protector of Silent Hill." I looked at him as he still watched the door. Courage filled every fiber of my being. "Leonard is my protector, the one who is going to win this war. He protects me, and I protect him! We are a packaged deal, and we are going to bring order back to Silent Hill. We are going to make the town flourish again!"

The sound of the haunting children disappeared as my apartment changed. I now stood in the living room of a moth and dust-eaten home. "Welcome to Destiny's Crossroads, Annette. I have been expecting you." Leonard's voice said from behind me; I turned around and saw him sitting on the couch. He then stood up.

"You're okay."

"Silent Hill is my prison, as well as those who roam there. I am forbidden to go outside of the realm. If you had not made your decision when you had, I didn't have the strength to go back on my own; another five minutes, I would have been dead. You saved my life, Annette. Thank you."

"You're welcome, but how did I get us here?" I smiled, walking over to him.

"Remember, I told you this is a mental battle. Your realization created this place, allowing me to heal my body and powers; this is the alternate version of your apartment; it looks like Silent Hill but functions like Brahms." He looked at the blank walls, "You're guarded against the cults here, you can't leave, and no one can come here without your permission, you are the ruler of this realm."

I looked at him, "So what do we do now?"

"We wait until the realm has decided that we are ready to do this task. This realm acts as a protector. We are not to die in this battle. It is protecting us."

"So we just sit here and wait?"

"Pretty much."

I sighed, looking around, "So you hungry?"

He looked at me, "Sure, I'll try something."

I smiled, walking over to the kitchen.