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The first time you bumped into James Sunderland you were sure that you wouldn't be seeing him again. It had hardly been a meeting at all.
It was more like a passing of two random strangers in a town that seemed pretty fucking determined to swallow everyone whole without a second thought.
You had been standing outside of the little motel 'Jacks Inn' when the sudden wave of fog started to roll in through the trees and over the top of the road.
That's when you noticed the man again. With his signature blond hair that was hard to ignore in the greying town of Silent Hill, and that green jacket that was like a beacon. A face the told the entire world just how tired James looked on the inside.
He had stopped just a few feet away from you. staring you down with the same unknowing feeling you felt towards him. "Sorry." Was the first word he said to you.
The fact that it was the first voice other then your own that you heard made you blink. "For what?" You asked, James seemed almost embarrassed by your line of question. "I just thought that you were someone else."
You nodded, and gave him a small but encouraging smile. "Doesn't seem like there's that many people in this town here to confuse me with." For the sightly, brief moment you watched as he twitched. His face contorting into an almost smile,
"Yeah." He said and then the man was walking away. Just like that the conversation was over and he walked back into the fog. You hadn't caught his name, at least not yet you hadn't.
As you continue down the road you assume that the encounter you have with this man would account for nothing other then a very strange moment in a town that seemed to have an endless supply of strange moments.
You were wrong in the end. The second time you saw the man you were standing just inside the abandoned gas station ‘Texxon Gas’ The place had obviously been picked clean over the years, or at least it looked like it had been. Dust was covering anything, and everything that it was able to land on. From the counters to the shelves. Those to were empty, the flickering over head lights that gleamed at you fluorescently.
Those lights made everything seem so unreal in a cause kind of way. You were in search of something, hell anything in the back room when you heard clear footsteps. You froze, and your hold tightened on the metal pipe that you had been carrying around with you after bumping into the mysterious man.
Then all the sudden the footsteps stopped altogether. You stepped cautiously making sure not to step on anything to loud in the hallway. The man was standing there again, you stared at each other for a moment, then the man sighed.
“You again.” He groaned, and you raised your brows at him in confusion. “Me again?” “I mean…” He said rubbing at the back of his neck, “I just… I didn’t mean it like that.” He huffed, and you couldn’t help but laugh.
“Im starting to think that you might be following me.” The man put his hands up in defense, “I’m not.” You nodded, and hummed. “That’s exactly what someone who’s following me would say.”
Your comment actually has the man smiling, it’s a small one, and brief but it’s the most real thing you’ve seen in town so far. “I could say the same thing about you.” He threw out finally. You nodded in agreement, because it was probably a little weird to bump into someone when there was nobody else around for a second time.
The silence the fell between you wasn’t as uncomfortable as it had been the first time you had bumped into each other. The man looked in towards the room behind you, “Did you find anything?” He asked curiously. “No.” You replied sadly. “Me neither.” He told you.
You looked towards the empty shelves, “Successful trip, I take it.” The man huffed quietly, “Very.” Neither of you moved for a long moment, until eventually the man was looking down towards the hallway.
“I should go.” He resigns, ‘Probably.” You muttered. You watched as the man took a few steps before looking back at you. “Be careful.” He said finally, and you nodded. “You too, James.” That was it before the man was disappearing into the fog.
You hadn’t excepted to see the man again, but you had a feeling you should have known better. Because Silent Hill had a way of being funny like that, throwing it’s sense of humor in your face, and apparently it was the town favorite jokes.
Putting the man in your path again, again, and again.
The third time you bumped into the man, it was near the ‘Wood side’ apartments in town. You had just finished your climb of the stairs when you nearly crashed into the man.
James stumbled backwards, you reached out and grabbed his arm instinctively. “Whoa!” You said sucking air through your teeth. James steadied himself, “Sorry.” “You know you apologize like a lot, right?” “I’ve noticed.” You smiled at James.
James looked at your for a longer moment now than usual. “Are you okay?” you asked, your question seemed to catch James off guard. “I’m fine.” His expression going soft just a little around the edges.
You gave him a look, and it seemed to make James sigh in defeat. “Mostly.” He finally admitted. “Yeah that’s a better answer.” James glances down at your hand still being wrapped around his arm. Neither of you had noticed that you were still touching until several long seconds had finally passed.
You let go of James’s arm slowly, “Sorry.” James huffing a laugh. “It’s alright.” He promises you, there is something about the way he speaks that makes your chest feel all too warm. James looks exhausted, far more then he had the last time you had seen the man around town.
There is a shadow that is just beneath his eyes, giving me dark under eyes, along with the way his clothes have somehow become dirtier. You wonder to yourself where the hell, and what the hell he’s been through. You don’t ask rather you reach down into the depth of your over the shoulder bag and hand him an unopened granola bar.
James stares at it, like he hasn’t seen food in ages. “What?” He says still staring at the bar, “James you look hungry.” “I dont…” He stumbles over his words, then his stomach growls and gives him away. You raise your brows at him in an all knowing kind of way.
James closes his eyes for a moment, and seems to be considering what you’re giving him. “Okay.” He takes the bar in your out-reached hand. He accepts it with a rather sheepish grin on his face, “Thanks.” He says simply.
"You are very welcome, James.”
He unwraps it quickly, and takes a quick bite. You lean agasint the brick wall of the apartment entrance. “Good?” “It’s food.” He mumbles with food in his mouth. “Hmm, it’s getting high praise I see.” You tease a little.
When you look back up at him, there’s a small smile on his face, and for a single moment the town that you had walked into seems almost… almost normal. Just two strangers sharing a little snack in the middle of an apartment entrance.
The moment, the simple bubble that the two of you are living in breaks when there’s the distinct sound of something getting scraped agasint the ground in the distance. You both freeze, you can hear your heartbeat racing quickly in your ear. James looks around and steps closer to you on instinct.
“Stay behind me, please.” He mutters quietly, stuffing the rest of the uneaten half of the bar into his jacket pocket. you look at him with wide eyes, “You don’t even know what’s out there, James.” “No I don’t.” He confirms, but there’s something in his eyes that makes you think he might be lying to you.
His hold does tighten around his weapon. “I would rather you weren’t in front of it though.” He says, and you feel your heart beat a skip in your chest and your ear. Before you’re given the chance to ask what he even means, the sounds faded away completely.
Nothing is coming, and James finally relaxes in front of you. “You should go.” He murmurs, “So should you.” You echo him. he gives you a curt nod, but neither of you move from your place in front of the Wood Side apartment building. Finally after a rather long, and silent moment you smile at James.
“I’ll see you around, James?” You ask, he looks surprised. “How do you know my name?” He asks, as if you haven’t been calling the man by his name since you first bumped into him here. “You told me.” You tilt your head at him “I did?” More confusion on his face. “No.” He blinks, and a layer of fear come to cross over his eyes.
You smirk. “You name is on your jacket.” You say pointing to the spot on his jacket where it’s on a little sticker. James looked down bewildered, and for the first time you see a little pit of amusement on his face. “Right.” He says dumbly.
You walk away, and behind you there's the sound of James laughing softly. It’s the firs time you’ve heard him laugh and you find yourself walking away hoping that it won’t be the last time either.
The fourth time that you bump into James, you’re starting to wonder if the town is doing it more deliberately. You’re now sitting on the edge of the fountain in a very quiet, and dull courtyard. The ‘RoseWater Park’. You’re just sitting there trying your hardest to catch your breath. When you see James emerge from the fog, he stops and you look up.
“Seriously!” you groan, he stares down at you. “Serious.” He parrots, “So you are following me?” You ask with narrow eyes, “No.” You roll your eyes now, “Sure?” “No, I’m pretty sure.”
You smile, and so does he. James comes up and sit down beside you, not too close just close enough that you can feel your shoulders barely brushing. The heat of his body radiates beside you. Neither of you speak for a long time, both trying to catch your own breaths.
The silence isn’t uncomfortable like it had been, it’s actually nice, and that surprises you the most. There is something about James that makes you feel the silence is a little less empty. “Always finding me when I’m resting.” You says quietly, “Maybe you’re always resting when I find you.” You shrug your shoulders up to your ears.
He glances at you, “You seem to be doing okay.” He says looking you up and down. “So do you.” James looks away shaking his head, “Sorry.” You say taking notice to the way he’s hiding away. “For what?” His brows furrowed when he finally looks back at you. “I keep asking things I shouldn’t be.” He shakes his head, “No.”
His voice is quiet, “You can say it.” You look at him seriously, and James stands his ground on his words. “I’ve been worse.” James admits, you nod in agreement. Again neither of you wanna press the matter, so instead you lean back agasint the fountain. “Do you have a place you are trying to get to?” You ask, he nods slowly. “Is it important?” You ask, “Very.” His expression going distant. “Someone?” You’re able to study his face as his hard, jaw tight.
“I’m looking for my wife.” You mouth falls open at his words, and you feel guilty right away. “I’m sorry.” James gives you the tiniest nod, “She’s here.” He tells you quietly, you frown, “Where, here?”
“Somewhere.” He shrugs, and swallows hard. “I came here looking for her.” He tells you, there’s something painful in his face, and then there’s the feeling the spread across your chest telling you that you should help him.
“I hope you find her.” You say quietly. James looks at you, “Thank you.” It’s a long pause that takes over after that, “What about you?” He finally asks, you blink “What about me?” You ask, “Why are you here?” He asks.
You look away from James, and the park around you. Instead you out towards the fog that seems to be following you just like James is. “I don’t know.” You admit, James nods in understanding like he knows what that answer means more then other people would. “Me neither.”
You laugh softly, “That’s not what I meant.” You say with a tiny smile, “I know.” He smiles back at you now, and somehow in those few minutes the town of Silent Hill doesn’t seems quite so intimidating.
From that point forward you’re able to notice James before he notices you. There are glimpses of green in the fog, a familiar silhouette that is standing beneath a streetlight, his footsteps somewhere just behind you. You end up finding him in the places that don’t make sense.
Right outside the hospital.
In the alleyway that you’ve already searched.
Just across the street from one of the many boarded-up shops. Even once you spotted the man through a window on the second floor of a building that you had just left. He waved down at you, and you waved back. You couldn’t help but laugh at the irony.
Because it was starting to get ridiculous. Eventually you just starting to out right tease him about it. “You know…” You say at one point when you find him agasint a wall of one of the buildings. “If you wanted to spend this much time with me, you could just ask me.”
James nearly chokes on nothing, “I wasn’t…” He starts to say but notices your face. “I am only joking, James.” “Oh…” He looks so embarrassed, you grin. “You know you keep appearing everywhere.” James nods, “So have you.”
You shrug, “Maybe we are just terrible at avoiding at each other.” James looks at you for a second, “You might be right.” After that you notice that there’s a change between the two of you.
You aren’t strangers any longer, you are… friends?
Or something close enough to that, James stops apologizing every time he talks to you, and he starts to ask if you’ve eaten, and now you start to even keep an extra bar in your bag. He start to walk beside you instead of ahead of you.
And whenever you hear something in the distance. In the fog, his hand is already on your shoulder, sometimes it stays there for longer then it needs to, and you honestly can’t find it in yourself to complain.
At one point the fog gets so thick that you can’t see more then a few feet ahead of you. You start to wonder if you had take the wrong turn at some point, when you heard a familiar voice calling out your name. “Hey?” You turned around, and yet again James emerges from the dense fog.
You feel the relief wash over your body and it takes you by surprise, “You.” You speak lowly, he smiles, “Me!” He throws a wink your way. You walk towards him. “I’ve been looking for you, James.” His expression changes, “You were?” His brows furrowed together, you nod quickly. “I haven’t seen you in a while.” He stares at you, and then looks away. He mumbles quickly.
You smile, “Please don’t apologize.” He nods, and you stand together beneath a broken streetlamp. He looks utterly exhausted more so then you’ve seen. You can see it seeping into his features. “You okay?” “Yeah I think so.” “Are you sure?” He hesitates, “No.”
Your smiles fades away, and beside you James takes a deep breath. “I’m not sure I know what’s happening anymore.” He tells you honestly. You don’t say anything. “I keep thinking I am getting closer to her,” He continues on, “Yet every time I do, everything around me changes.”
You take a few steps closer, and quietly you tell him. “You don’t need to explain.” “I know that.” He huffs, his eyes meeting yours, “That’s why I like talking to you.” He admits, your heart skips agasint your chest. James realizes what he’s just said right after.
“I mean…”
“James, I know what you mean.”
Again neither of you speak, then James is reaches out for your hand. Slowly, almost like you might run away from him once he’s touching you. His fingers brushing agasint yours, and you let him take your hand.
His hands are warm, grip steady and constant. In the ever changing town of Silent Hill. “I’m gonna be honest. I’m not sure how much longer I’m going to be here.” He whispers, squeezing his hand, “Neither do I.”
“But…” James whispers, looking down at your joined hands, “I keep finding you.” You smile. “Maybe that’s a good thing.” James looks at you, and smiles. A real smile. Still small, tired, and somehow oh so gentle in this shit ass town. “Yeah maybe it is.” He hummed.
A day passes in the town, and you find yourself waking up in an unfamiliar room. It’s several seconds where you just stare up at the ceiling of the room. Then like a flash of lighting has come down to earth, you remember that you aren’t home, you still in Silent Hill.
You sit up, and your weapon is still beside you, your bad is still intact. You are still very much alive. That must count for something right? You grab your stuff, and opened the door stepping outside to find that James was already there.
James wasn’t there when you opened the door, it was the fog the met you instead. James was just across the street. He looked up, and the moment he saw you the tension went loose around his shoulders. “You okay?” You smiled, “Yeah.” He crossed the street at a light jog.
“I was starting to get worried.” James admits, “You were?” You asked confused. “Yeah.” You tilt your head at him, “Why?” It makes James stop right in front of you, but then he’s reaching out for your hand. “Because I wasn’t able to find you.” Your heart warms in your chest, “So you were looking for me?” He nods.
“I guess I was.” He says quietly, you squeeze his hand. “Well you did find me, didn’t you.” You tease. He ends up looking down at your joined hands, then towards you. “Yeah I did.” There is a fog that starts to curl around the tallest of buildings in Silent Hill.
Somewhere in the distance there’s a groan of something, neither of you move. For once, you don’t feel the need to run away, James thumbs brushes over your knuckles slowly. “You know.” He murmurs, “I’m starting to think that you might be the only thing in this town I don’t mind finding.” You smile, and feel your cheeks grow hot.
“That’s almost romantic.” You tease, “Almost?” He says with a smile, “I don’t know, James you might just have to try a little bit harder.” You tease further, and he laughs. There it is again, the laugh that you had been waiting to hear.
It’s rare, and so fucking beautiful. You lean agasint his shoulder, and he goes stiff but only a few second before relaxing. James arm come around to wrap around your waist. The touch is protective, gentle, and so very familiar. Neither of you know what is awaiting the both of you in the fog.
Neither of you understand what Silent Hill is, and if it ever intends to let either of you. Yet for right now, you just hold on to each other. Perhaps that was enough, after all you had met James once by chance, then twice, and then three times.
Somehow it was that he kept finding you. You had a strong feeling that no matter how stranger the town of Silent Hill was or what it was going to become. Neither of you would be very good at letting the other one disappear into the town itself.