110 A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Dark Alessa watched motionlessly as Edward fell into the pitfall appearing under his feet. She didn't really have any ill will toward the boy, it was what the real Alessa wanted. Through her, Alessa could see the world. Through her, Alessa could exact her revenge. As for the devil, she could devour more and more negative emotions, making her stronger day by day.

Dark Alessa glanced at the girls Edward was with, particularly the blonde little girl. Eve tried to grasp Edward's reaching hand, but alas, it was too late. At the last moment, the hole closed with Edward trapped on the other side. There was nothing she could do. No matter how loud she yelled his name, he would never return. Dark Alessa would make it so that he wouldn't see the sky anymore, not that he could in this dead town to begin with.

Once the hole completely shut, returning to the state it was before, completely devoid of any sign of being tampered, Dark Alessa turned toward Rose who had a reluctant expression on her face.

"A change of mind?" muttered Dark Alessa, sneering.

However, before she could hear Rose's answer, she had a sharp glare on the back of her neck. It was the little girl, Eve. She was gritting her teeth while emitting heavy pressure. Bulging veins appeared around her tiny oval face as the pupil of her eyes vanished.

Right behind her, Pon was having a tremendous change. It was getting bigger and bigger, and its form twisted. The huge bird gently pushed Sharon away with its wing to avoid hurting her accidentally. It continued to writhe in pain, telling its owner to stop. All of the feathers on its body turned white. But it was useless, Eve couldn't, nor was she intending to stop even if she could.

"Eve!" called Sharon, but her voice couldn't reach the former.

The ground cracked. It moved toward where Dark Alessa was standing. Just a little bit more... and she would have wreaked havoc upon Silent Hill.

However, with the flap of its tiny wings, the Limbo butterfly entrusted by Edward to protect Eve, perched on her reddening nose, blocking her vision. The wrath and the dangerous aura she emitted faded away, shifted to a somber one. A muffled sobbing came out of her as her wrenched heart started softening. Just in a span of one night, Edward had become the most important person in her life.

"Mr. Butterfly..." mumbled Eve, tears filling her eyes. She immediately found comfort in the butterfly. It was telling her that Edward was fine, that he would return. Falling on its butt, Pon breathed a sigh of relief as its body deflated to what it was once before, still big, though the pale white color of its feather seemed to be a permanent change.

Scared.

For a moment, Dark Alessa was scared. It was pure fear.

Sensing the danger the little girl possessed, dark shadow wrapped Dark Alessa's arm like a drill. It flew right toward Eve's heart, but it was deflected by the sudden appearance of a bubble around Eve. The Limbo butterfly was protecting her, Sharon, and Pon.

"Tch...", annoyed Dark Alessa sent another brute attack but it couldn't even put a dent on the bubble.

Eventually, she was forced to give up for now. She knew nothing could bypass the defense of that thin and frail-looking bubble. Sharon was also inside, so she couldn't make a move on her yet. With nothing else to do, Dark Alessa focused on her current task. More or less, everything proceeded just like what Edward predicted.

The cult's devotion to the unknown female god provided its follower with absolute protection against evil that was Dark Alessa. She couldn't force her way inside the church's closed door. Not even the Dark Dimension's curse. That was why she needed a ride, inside Rose's body.

When Dark Alessa moved a step forward, Rose moved two steps back.

"Backing down, now?", smirked Dark Alessa.

"Where's Edward? What have you done to him?", questioned Rose. Her back touched the wall behind her.

"I guess you can call it payback for what he did earlier. Let's just say, I'm putting him back in his place. Deep down the gutter," replied Dark Alessa.

"Return him! Now!" yelled Eve.

"Quiet, little one. The longer you bicker about him, the more you're wasting your time. Where I sent him, is not a place a mere human could survive." glared Dark Alessa. She continued, "I assure you that he'll live, but that's all depends on your action. And you need to hurry, for each second you waste, it's a second closer to his doom."

It was a threat. And if they didn't comply, God knows what would happen to him. Eve was on the tip of her toe. On one side, she wanted to do anything to get Edward back, but on the other side, she didn't know what she could do. Sharon was all the more frustrated among the girls. She felt lost at what was currently and had been happening since she woke up.

Rose stopped resisting and let Dark Alessa do what she wanted. When she touches Rose's body, Dark Alessa started melding into her. Rose could only squirm as she let her dive into her body. As soon as she vanished into her body, the sirene blared, snapping her awake.

"Time is short. I suggest you hurry. Tick... Tock...", echoed Dark Alessa's voice.

Without wasting time, Rose ran toward the church as Pon nipped the little girls' clothes and them on its before following Rose. Along the dark corridor, the frozen faceless nurse was moving, following the light and the sound that the group made. However, Pon, with Eve and Sharon clutching on the bird's back, blasted right through them, opening the way for Rose.

Although as long as the butterfly was still around and nothing could put a scratch on them, it was not indestructible. Rose hoped Edward would return from wherever he was thrown into.

As they ran outside the hospital, they noticed that the intensity of the Dark Dimension coming for them was much heavier than before. It was harder to breathe. Countless birds were seen flying toward the unknown horizon, trying to escape the fog world for the first time. With the sirene in the background, the group ran and ran without stopping. Soon after, they reached the church's domain, encircled by the grave of the past residents of Silent Hill.

Passing through the graveyard, Rose noticed someone familiar arrived there before them. A blonde short-haired woman in a police suit. She remembered her as the police officer that was chasing them before they arrived at Silent Hill. Before the policewoman could say something, they were interrupted by the swarm of the cult members who were escaping into the church.

The Dark Dimension was altering everything behind them like a moving curtain as people converged on their path in the same direction, running toward their one and only safe haven.

Some would trip and fell, but they stood again, didn't dare to stop even for a second. They knew that if they hesitated for a moment, their life would be at risk. They all wore black clothing, most of the women had veils covering their faces as if mourning for all eternity.

Seeing the ball of feather pushing them aside, all of them would flinch and hasten their pace, which was understandable. No such creature could exist in real life without the inclusion of the Dark Dimension. Oddly enough, they made a path for the trio and the bird. Pon's feeling was hurt though. Eve and Sharon had to cheer for the poor bird.

A moment later, they reached the steps. Pon lowered its body so that Eve and Sharon could get down from its back. Pon's... plus size... made it hard for the bird to climb the step with them on its back. This was understandable because it couldn't fly, only gliding or falling with style.

As they climbed the steps, they ran to a policewoman who seemed to recognize Rose and vice-versa. Though she wanted to question Rose, now was not the right time. They raced to the top, the wall of the dark dimension was right behind them. Through the thin veil, Eve could feel hundreds, if not, thousands of evil creatures spawning in the darkness.

As they reached the second flight, they were met with the downcasted Alessa's mother, Dahlia, who was being stoned by one of the cult members, a woman in her twenties.

"Sinner!" yelled the woman.

Rose grabbed Sharon's hand, ignoring them, and kept climbing the steps. After what the woman had done to Alessa and Sharon, she didn't bother herself to help her. She wouldn't be in danger either, even if she lend a hand. Sharon's eyes were met with Dahlia's hazy eyes. The latter shifted her gaze away as she couldn't stand the guilt flashing in her mind whenever she saw Sharon's face. Eve wanted to help her stand, but she was ushered by Pon and the butterfly to continue.

It was then, when they passed the two, behind the woman throwing a stone to Dahlia, Pyramid Head appeared in all his glory. She grabbed the woman by the neck. The woman tried to resist, but she failed to do so. Pyramid Head stripped the clothes off her body, and then it was her flesh. The inaudible scream soon turn muffled and silent.

The policewoman reached the door first and held it open for them. Rose and Sharon went inside and were followed by Eve. Pon charged in, however, it smashed into some sort of barrier. The bird tried to push it, but it was futile. Neither the bird nor the butterfly could get inside.

"Mr. Butterfly! Pon!" cried out, Eve. She tried to pull the bird's wings but it didn't move an inch. A bubble of tears appeared at the edge of her eyes.

The bird used its feather to wipe the tears off her pretty little face.

'This is it. This is where we will part.'

The police officer grabbed her and closed the door.

"Nooo! Staaaaay!" screamed Eve as the Bird and the Butterfly disappeared behind the wooden door as Pyramid Head approached behind them.

Slam!

The police officer wondered what was the relationship between the girl and the monster-sized creature she was with for her to be saddened like this. But this had to be postponed as well because new trouble seemed to befall the group.

The arrival of the group of women was met with a disdained look from the town's people. These people were brainwashed by the cult into believing everything aside from them was evil. So when they met the outsiders, especially the little girl Rose held, they all went nuts.

"Witches!" yelled a woman the closest from them. She was pointing at Sharon. They still remembered the face of the devil that cursed them. With that woman as the trigger, like a chain of fireworks, the others spat all kinds of slurs and curses toward them.

"I saw them with the white devil! They are corrupted people!" commented an old man who was met with affirmation from the others that saw them earlier.

Eve was still weeping behind the Police officer who was now protecting her from this lunatic crowd. The situation started to worsen as they were getting closer and nastier. They converged on them and were ready to punish them under the name of their fake God.

Before the situation escalated too far, the police officer pulled out his gun and shot it to the ceiling.

Bang!

Everyone froze and ducked in fear. The sound of the gun echoed inside the church, silencing the lunatics.

Suddenly, from the center of the church, behind the mad crowds, a protesting voice thundered, "This is a Sanctuary!"

The filthy crowds parted ways, revealing a woman in her fifties coming over, followed by four of her goons. The woman's face and gesture were warm and noble. None would've expected that behind the warm cover, hid the wicked face of a vicious cult leader. She was more of a witch than the real witch.

From among the crowd, come forward an old lady, weeping, "Please, Christabella. They lured my Anna to the fiend!"

Rose and the Police officer were flabbergasted by the blatant lie the old woman concocted.

'What should I do now?' thought Rose. 'So far, everything went just like what that kid said. Her story, her resentment, the cult, everything he told me was true.'

She glanced at the police officer beside her and thought, 'What is he?'

Rose then recalled the conversation she had with Edward earlier.

===°°°===

At a random hospital room on the first floor.

"The blonde policewoman, don't let her die," said Edward.

"Who?" muttered Rose, raising a question.

"We should've met her earlier, but because of me, everything went too fast. You'll meet her at the Church I told you about. She will be a great help, keeping you and the girls safe."

"But didn't you say you'll protect us?"

"I did, only if that little bi—" Edward tilted his head to see Eve and Sharon playing together in another room with Pon. He lowered his voice and continued, "only if that biatch allowed me to do so."

"But we have the huge bird as..." Rose pointed at the bird using her nose only to see Pon having a hard time to stood up after the girls rolled it around the room. Rose turned toward Edward and firmly nodded, "Keep the police alive, got it."

"Anyway, your priority is getting into the church as soon as possible. And the task for you is already half-finished."

"Half-finished?" muttered Rose, confused.

"Listen. The little bas— mustard won't come out immediately. Or rather, she couldn't. Even with Dark Alessa in full power, she couldn't easily bypass the protection, that's why she wanted to do it from inside. But she too underestimated their faith. There's nothing she could do even if you're inside."

"It's useless then. Why proceed when you already know the finish line?"

Edward smiled confidently, "Because I've already seen the finish line. Once you are inside you will be surrounded by the townspeople, there you'll see their ring leader..."

Back to the present...

'Christabella.'

Edward's voice trailed in Rose's mind. She felt nervous and kept telling herself that it will be fine. Sharon, feeling that clutch on her hand was getting stronger, could only watch her mother with worries.

"Mom," muttered Sharon.

After calming the old lady before her, Christabella turned toward them and spread her arm, expanding the dark blue robe she wore like some peacock.

"Do you have some time to join us in prayer?" wished the lady, smiling innocently.

"Are you the one called Christabella?" asked Rose.

"That's my name. May I ask who you are?" replied Christabella with another question. She tried to peek at the little girl hiding behind Rose, but she was distracted by Rose's reply.

"My name's Rose. The police officer beside me is..." said Rose, passing the baton to the police officer.

"I'm Cybil Bennett, from Brahms Police Department." introduced the police officer, showing her badges. "I'm here after following Mrs. Rose's car. My motorcycle crashed and I think I'll need a mechanic, do you know one?"

"We're just devoted followers of the church. We have long detached ourselves from the world. I think after looking around the town you'll know what I mean. But don't lose hope, some of us are pretty skillful with machines." replied Christabella, calmly.

"I can see that..." mumbled Cybil, a bit pessimistic after looking at the piss-poor condition of the so-called devotees.

Satisfied with the answers from the two women, Christabella glanced at the hiding girls and inquired the two, "And how about the two little girls behind you?"

"They are my children," replied Rose immediately, blocking Christabella's line of sight.

"What a joyful bliss, it must feel great to have two wonderful daughters. It has been quite a long time since we ever saw children in this town." praised Christabella, she walked a bit closer to them and glanced to the side, where a mirror showed Sharon's dark hair.

Oblivious to this, Rose was recalling what Edward said to her about this place.

"They are just a bunch of lunatics. They thought that the world was swallowed by the apocalypse and they were saved by their own faith. That the purging of the filth has succeeded in saving their meager life. Those are the lies that Christabella planted inside their head."

"How's that gonna help me summoning the devil?"

"Everything the cult members do, even if it was a grave sin according to our belief, is fair as long as they did it on the behalf of their fake God."

"All you need to do is one," said Edward, holding his index finger in front of her.

"What is it?"

"Push her off the pedestal. Force her to commit an abysmal sin for a selfish reason."

Rose couldn't help but gulp. She reached under her clothes, holding toward the grenade Edward gave her to use in a moment of crisis. At the same time, Christabella finally managed to see the face that was carved deep inside her memories, as Rose recalled his last words.

"A murder."