Silent Hill 2 Official Novel

Beckoning town.

On the other side of the dirty clouds was a vision of himself. Reflected in the mirror was his own face,

hard and stiff as if it were the face of a corpse. Actually, I guess I am dead, James Sunderland thought.

My heart's as good as dead anyway. He wasn't filled with a sense of loss, he just felt like his life wasn't

worth living anymore. He had become indifferent. Work, free time-none of it really mattered

anymore. Even the strong scent of ammonia that permeated the filthy little room couldn't catch James's

attention. The dirty urinals caked with a yellow, moss-like substance, the sticky wet floor that soaked

into the soles of his shoes-none of it brought a flicker of emotion. Rather, the only suitable substitute

for him would be an actual zombie.

"Mary...could you really be in this town?" he asked to the James in the mirror. He had doubts about

the incident. Did it really even happen? But...

With his hands on the sides of the wash basin, he peered into the mirror. Despite his attitude, he did

feel a bit revitalized. He shook his head and brushed the bangs from his face, like waking from a

delusion. He knew it was really true because it came in a letter.

He stepped out of the gloomy place and into the cloudy sky. The public restroom could not compare

to the brightness that awaited him outside. A damp wind brushed James's cheek. Across the parking lot

was the vast Toluca Lake, mist dancing on its surface and stretching over the entire scenery.

In my restless dreams, I see that town. Silent Hill. You promised me you'd take me there again

someday. But because of me, you were never able to. Well, I'm alone there now...

In our "special place."

There was no doubt that Mary had sent this letter, it was written in her familiar handwriting. Three

years ago, he had spent a holiday with her in this small town, and now James was here again. Alone.

His car sat in the corner of the small parking lot, engine at rest. Even though it was in perfect working

order, it wouldn't be of much use anyway. The highway was the real problem. The tunnel at the far end

of the parking lot that led to the town of Silent Hill was blocked off because of construction work.

There was no way around the heavy, unbreakable fence that blocked the entrance. There was no choice

but to go another way.

After retrieving a map of the town from his car, James descended a stairway at the edge of the

parking lot. With each downward step, the fog thickened. By the time he reached the lake's shore, his

entire field of vision was shrouded in white. More and more James was beginning to feel an unnatural

suffocating feeling. However, even in this oppressive atmosphere, his mind was occupied by thoughts

of Mary and the letter. Somewhere far off a dog was barking like crazy, but he ignored it. He sank into

a grave mood, stomping the ground as he continued to walk.