Travis' Journey: Realisation

[Laine]

I should have called him like I said I would....

The sense of security Calvin provided was now missing in his life. Sure it wasn't always a positive sense of security, but he was at least predictable and was a known danger rather than being unknown.

The devil you know is better than the devil you don't know..

Travis closes the door to the car behind him and locks it.

Maybe this time I can keep them out...(who?) I am not sure.

He remembers to grab his bag, walks up to the door of the Historical Society, breathes deeply and attempts to open the door.

[Laraqua]

The door opens easily beneath his hand, revealing a simple room with a counter right by the front doors. Many paintings hang on the walls of the museum, some of which show landmarks of the once-famous town. Some pieces also refer to the dark practices that have taken place within Silent Hill. The counter is partially wood, mostly glass display cabinet, with a cash register and telephone on the wooden part beside a bookmark rack with personalised bookmarks with local tourist destinations stamped on them. There's a small book case against one wall filled with purchasable texts (obviously cheaply printed) beside a poster rack filled with prints taken of the priced portraits that adorn the wallpapered walls.

Sorry,turns out it IS two storey. Or at least has a peaked attic.

[Laine]

Saturn Devouring his Children.....The Dance of Death..Paradise Lost..All the paintings here envoke some of the same perspectives of the great masters of painting..

To some extent Travis is repulsed while also overcome by the detail on some of the paintings hanging from the wall. He gravitates towards them first and examines each painting one by one.

[Laraqua]

Each painting seems to draw him in, fusing his attention to the loving strokes of paint, so that when the internal doors shuts he's snapped roughly from his reverie by a rather narrow-faced bird-like woman in a pair of overalls. "Oh, sorry, but we're closed," said the woman with a yawn.

[Laine]

Travis comes back to reality for a moment after gazing into the paintings.

"Oh, I apologize, I was supposed to meet a man by the name of, Vincent here this afternoon. We were looking for our friend Emily Latham. I believe she works here or is a member of your organization."

[Laraqua]

"Oh, Emily? Yes! Yes, she is. She volunteers here, you know, helps write a few of the books to make sure our history is captured for all the ages!" The woman gives a thin-lipped smile. "At least, that's the party line. I'm sorry, I was just sorting through some bric-et-brac, but if you're here waiting for Vincent then you might as well stick around. I don't mind so much if you want to take a look about the place. So, how do you know Vincent?"

[Laine]

"Oh, we met earlier today, at Midwich Elementary, he stopped by to see how Emily was doing as she is a shared friend of ours."

Travis continues to take in the surroundings of the building.

"I would love to take a look around, I decided to go into Early Chilhood in college, but history always fascinated me."

[Laraqua]

There's a set of double doors opposite the ones you came in through and there are also two doors against the wall with the counter. One stands just behind the counter, the other right next to it. This woman had come out from the door behind the counter.

"I didn't know Vincent had much to do with Emily but he's always been a mystery, that man. Still, he's a pillar of our community and has financially supported our society for years as his father did before him - God bless him."

Travis notices that a lot of the paintings in this room are dated from the 1970s and most of them seem to have been made by the same man. Most of the good ones, anyway.

"Well, if you ever decide to move to Silent Hill, you could always volunteer with the society. We need more upstanding citizens to comb through history with us and, well, we could use some new blood to give us a fresh perspective. It's a resort town but, sadly, we don't get many folks coming in here."

[Laine]

"That may be a good idea, infact I just moved here in order to work at Midwich. That's how Emily and I became associates. I was planning on volunteering at the hospital as well, but would love to find the time to do this as well."

Travis will look for the name of the artist on the paintings that capture his interest.

[Laraqua]

Carina Wolf.

"That's great to hear. Well, if you'll excuse me, I've still got some rather delicate letters to sort through. Feel free to take a look around but, please, try not to touch anything that's fragile." The woman pauses for a moment. "Unless there's anything else?"

[Laine]

"No, that's fine. Though I do find these paintings oddly enthralling."

Travis moves around and continues to look at any of the art pieces, sculpture or anything else that stands out to him. He pauses for a moment.

"Actually, does the Historical Society keep old memoirs or newspaper clippings?"

[Laraqua]

There's some prison memorabilia in the glass cabinets of manacles, heavy iron balls complete with chain, menu plans, and other such items.

"Well, yes, we do. We don't have a micro-fiche or anything like that, though. Would you like to do some 'light' reading while you're waiting for Vincent?"

[Laine]

"Yes, that would be great. I'd love to get a sense of the town I hope to live in."

[Laraqua]

"Of course, come with me." She leads him through the door by the counter into a large room piled high with boxes, crates, and suitcases. There's even a row of spears leaned up against the wall beside a rather uncomfortable looking steel chair. "The newspapers are over there." She pointed at a row of boxes. "Be careful with them. They're fragile. And the boxes are heavy."

[Laine]

I always had someone move my boxes for a reason...

"I'll be careful as I wouldn't want to damage anything"

Travis will attempt to be cautious as possible and will look through the boxes that are the easiest to reach and seem the lightest. He will look for anything related to daily living, major events in the town's history, etc.

Hint,transition to historical short story?

[Laine]

Pouring over he microfilm, Travis' eyes fall on the tragic story of the Park family. Typical of the time(1915) when the father passes away financial hardship followed and in a conservative family such as Silent Hill the family became outsiders.

Not so unlike today really..how many parents kill themselves and their children when they can no longer be capable caregivers..?

Taking out his note book, Travis continues to read...

[Laine]

A sense of mourning overcame Travis as he finished reading the news paper clippings of the drowning of these unfortunate children at the hands of their own mother.

I wonder how long the grip of tragedy has had it's hold over this community?

He puts away the microfilm for the time being and finishes taking his notes.

[Laraqua]

"Ahem," comes a pointed cough from behind him. When he looks back, he sees Vincent leaning against the door frame with a scowl across his face. "I'm not sure what this has to do with Ms. Latham and Walter but don't you think you have something better you could do?" He quirks an eyebrow, then throws out his hands dramatically, "Oh wait!" Then he pinches the bridge of his nose, "No, don't tell me. I think I've figured it out." Vincent gives him a withering glare. "You've already found them."

[Laine]

What's this guy's problem? I hardly even know these people...

Travis stands up from his seat and despite feeling otherwise years of being apologetic havce created patterns that are difficult for him to break.

"I am sorry, I was just looking through these archives of newspapers while I waited for you."

He closes his note book and puts it inside of his bag.

"I haven't heard from either Emily or Walter. The receptionist at the front desk told me she hadn't seen them for some time and she handed me this note from Emily."

His head hangs rather low as he pulls it out from his pocket, it's almost as though he feels like he is to blame for the unfortunate turn of events.

"It says they've killed themselves.."

[Laraqua]

Vincent pinches the note between thumb and forefinger and his gaze flicks idly across it, before he scrunches it up and puts it back into his pocket. "Interesting. It's not even in their handwriting...." He shakes his head. "Most basic trick in the handbook, you're really going to have to get smarter than that if you want to find them before something truly horrible happens to them. After all, we are moving on borrowed time, all of us, before something wicked this way comes. Now, tell me, did you try to break into the room? No, of course you didn't. I can see by the look on your face. Go back there and try to find them this time. You'll have better luck than I will." He mutters something under his breath, "Silent Hill will respond to you."