Dark Descent

AN: Thanks for being patient with the story everyone. This chapter is mainly a transitional chapter, but it still has a few important things of interest. The circumstances under which Alessa and Heather meet are covered in Mirror Image, another fanfic that I have to get around to updating. The scenario Alessa describes is a brief synopsis of that.

Enjoy.

 

Chapter 6 - An Unpleasant Conversation

 

It wasn't long before the kaleidoscope began. Images swirled at the periphery of her subconscious, appearing and fading too quickly for Alessa to identify. She felt like she was flying, her body floating across a limitless void. Gradually the pictures coalesced into one solid canvas, upon which was painted a very familiar setting.

The young woman looked around as she regained control of her consciousness. She was in the Central Square Shopping Center, located just a few miles off the home where she and her family recently settled. Alessa frowned as she took in the commercialized surroundings. There was something off about seeing the stores in picture perfect condition. It felt wrong somehow, as though the shops should be more unclean than they were. It was a strange sensation, to say the least. Why should she feel that the stores would look better rundown and...?

And corrupted, Alessa thought.

That wasn't the only thing that was odd about the shopping mall. The area was deserted. No matter where she looked, all she saw was an empty place. What happened to all the people?

Something else caught the girl's attention. It was this peculiar feeling growing in her stomach, washing away her worries. The doubts at the back of her mind melted away, to be replaced by a burgeoning lack of fear that left her unusually placid.

And in an instant, all her questions disappeared. Suddenly it no longer seemed strange in any way for the mall to not be occupied. In fact, she felt that things could not possibly be better. Alessa walked the hall she was in feeling better than she had in days. She felt entirely at ease with her surroundings, like she could spend the entire day here and feel nothing but a wonderful sense of happiness.

And she was not alone.

Heather was beside her, looking every bit as comfortable as the onyx haired beauty she accompanied. Alessa had no idea where she'd appeared from; she hadn't noticed anyone walking up to her from behind. Yet that didn't seem to matter. She felt content merely to enjoy Heather's company in the perfectly isolated mall.

The two girls walked side by side, happily appreciating the fact that they were together, away from others, with no one to bother them or try to force them apart.

"It's nice to see it like this, isn't it?" Heather remarked.

"Yeah," Alessa agreed. No crowds, no stress, no pushy security guards telling her they couldn't kiss in public. Just she and her girlfriend, alone in a favorite place...

They came to the central atrium of the shopping center. Heather stood back a little while Alessa checked the place out. It looked the same as always. An octagonal flower bed was placed in the center of the plaza, the middle of which contained a somewhat decorative fountain that was the standard in so many malls across America. As with the rest of the locale, there was no trace of anything amiss.

"Alessa?"

"Hm?"

"I've got an idea," Heather smiled.

"What is it?" Alessa asked curiously.

Heather leaned in close and whispered in her ear.

"Here?!" the other girl exclaimed, eyes wide as saucers.

Alessa's old friend had a devious smile on her face, one that sent shivers down Alessa's body.

Oddly enough, the idea didn't seem unappealing despite the setting. Alessa took a glance down at the tiles behind her. There wasn't anywhere else to go. This part of the mall didn't have benches in it. She thought it over for a brief second. The floor was hard and not particularly inviting. But it would do. It would more than do.

"Why not?" She answered, feeling unusually mellow about it.

Brown and amber eyes locked as they approached each other. Taking one another by the hand, they allowed themselves to be lured into a kiss. Heather's soft lips met Alessa's as the girls closed the distance between them with exquisite gentleness. Alessa brought up her hand behind Heather's neck, holding her close while they traded soft, loving gestures of affection. Gradually the kiss intensified until they were practically clawing at each other through their clothes.

Somehow they ended up on the floor. There wasn't exactly another place to do this on, but it wasn't as bad as she expected. Alessa wasn't worried about germs. The floor was spotless. Sterile even, which was kind of odd. The faint smell of cleaning solution and something else wafted in the air, tickling her nostrils. It looked like nobody had walked through there in days, long after it was cleaned. And if there were still germs on the tiles...well, that was what their clothes were for. Not to mention, the purifying power of a hot shower.

Heather settled down gently so as to not bruise herself. This wasn't her first choice of a love setting, but the warmth of having Alessa near made up for that. Her hands roamed down the girl's body, trailing over her back to gently cup her waist. She kissed Alessa fervently, devouring the soft texture of her lips. They stopped momentarily to get some air, and then resumed their feverish make out session. Soon they paused again, even more out of breath than before. Heather was surprised when Alessa reached to unzip her jeans.

"Me first?" she asked with a bit of bemusement.



"Hey, you're the one who suggested the idea," Alessa replied.



The pseudo-blonde girl squealed in delight. Her lover smirked at her enthusiasm. Though it had been Heather's idea to do this, she clearly hadn't expected her to take the initiative like this. It was nice to see they could surprise each other still.

Alessa pulled down Heather's jeans. Folding them neatly, she set them down behind her head in the form of a makeshift pillow. Heather smiled at the considerate gesture. There was nothing she liked more than when Alessa treated her gently. Smiling back at her girlfriend, the brunette leaned in for another kiss.

Now in her underwear, Heather eagerly reciprocated. Their tongues danced a familiar rhythm in their mouths, one they had perfected over their months together. Alessa cuddled close to her, lying down on Heather's right. She idly placed a hand on her collarbone, tantalizingly close to her breast, yet not enough to touch the pliant flesh. While their lips were occupied with the passionate kiss, Alessa's hand drifted down to her abdomen. Being to the side of Heather's body, she had easy access to the front of the blonde's undergarment.

Alessa rubbed Heather's crotch through her panties. She started off slowly at first; this wasn't intended to get Heather off, only to get her excited. And it worked like a charm. Heather moaned softly as Alessa caressed her sex while they kissed. When Alessa pulled away, there was a smile on the other's face as she moaned quietly from her lover's gentle touch.

Heather briefly grabbed a hold of her wrist. Alessa knew this wasn't because she wanted her to stop. Quite the contrary, actually. This was proven correct seconds later when she grasped at the dark blue of her underwear. Heather hooked her fingers under the material and pulled aside, exposing her sex to the open air.

It was a blatant invitation to Alessa and she was not about to resist. Bring up her hand to her lips, she sucked on and ran her tongue over the digits before taking them back down to Heather. She wasted little time in going for her clit, applying the same gentle pressure she had before. Only now, it was her bare sex meeting Alessa's hand. She rubbed Heather's clit in an up and down motion, careful not to go too fast. Heather wrapped an arm tightly around Alessa. The other lingered around her waist, trying to resist the urge to add her own tough to her girlfriend's effort.

Alessa ceased her ministrations after several minutes. She pulled back and placed her hand on Heather's chest, right between her breasts. Heather's pulse was a strong and steady beat, slightly elevated from the excitement of Alessa's sensual strokes. The blonde was warm from her touch. Little beads of sweat would have been forming on her forehead, if not for the air conditioned atmosphere of the mall.

There was a moment as the two girls locked glances. An unspoken message passed between them, one the brunette immediately picked up on. Heather wanted more.

Her girlfriend wasn't going to deny her. Alessa slinked down Heather's body until she reached her slim companion's sex. Alessa grinned wickedly at her girlfriend, knowing how teasingly close she was to what Heather wanted done. Grabbing the sides of elastic, she pulled down Heather's panties and slid them off her legs.

With her friend utterly exposed, Alessa dived right in. She started off slowly at first, kissing Heather's pussy, nibbling on her labia and licking around her inner thighs. She knew what Heather liked. Her hands roamed beneath the blonde's thighs, gliding over her ass cheeks, savoring the feel of her smooth curves under her fingertips. Soon Heather was bucking against her in unabashed desire. Alessa moved her arms under her hips, to prevent her bare skin from touching the floor. Holding the other's body in her grasp, she proceeded to eat out Heather at her whim, licking eagerly at her clit and labia. Pleased with the result, Alessa took it one step further. She enclosed Heather's sex with her mouth, lapping at the aroused folds, nibbling at them, and sucking at her clit in her version of a very intimate French kiss. Heather moaned in pleasure, her cries becoming louder and more urgent, until finally she was at that wonderful breaking point.

"Oh God, I'm gonna come," Heather said in a rush.

Hearing those words from her beloved, Alessa continued feasting on her girlfriend's mound, licking faster and deeper at her clit, causing Heather to cry out in ecstasy. She only had to do this for several moments, until at last the pseudo-blonde stiffened in her grasp. The brunette held her form as Heather broke out into pleasure spasms, riding the wave of her orgasm.

Had she been able to see it, the blonde's face would have been equally satisfying: Heather gasping in pleasure, her eyes rolling back in her head as the climax took over her body. Alessa pulled back just in time to see the first stream of cum erupt from Heather's pussy. She watched, mesmerized, as Heather squirted her juices onto the tiles, catching some of Alessa's shirt in the process. Enraptured in pleasure, she furiously rubbed her clit until all traces of the orgasm were exhausted.

Once satisfied, Heather settled limply in Alessa's grasp. Her hips were still over Alessa's arms, which was mercifully preventing her from touching the ground with her rear. A good thing too, since she wouldn't have been able to stand up in her condition. She barely noticed the hardness of the tiles as she laid her head back against the plaza floor. But Alessa wasn't done yet. Reveling in her arousal, she buried her face between Heather's legs, eagerly lapping up the remainder of her juices. She skirted her tongue over the now very sensitive folds, sending tiny shivers of semi-orgasmic pleasure though her body. Heather gently brushed the hair from Alessa's forehead, signaling her to stop.

Alessa sat back pleased with her handiwork, the taste of Heather's spicy juices still on her lips. Heather rarely came with such intensity. Her legs were still in Alessa's grasp. Alessa doubted she could move them. The environment they were in must have had an added effect, taking Heather's arousal to brand new heights by reminder her that they were doing something naughty...and very, very out of the place in the mall before them.

Eventually Heather did get up from her exhausted position, coming to stand on her knees. She casually embraced her friend as they shared another deep, sensual kiss. Heather smirked at the taste of her own juices on Alessa's lips. Her hands roamed down her lover's back, pausing to cup her ass, pulling Alessa's hips closer against hers. Pausing for a moment, Alessa took her shirt and lifted it over her head. Heather licked her lips at the sight of Alessa's bare breasts, looking creamy as ever. Smiling deviously, she gave the girl another kiss.

It was Alessa's turn now. The raven-haired beauty allowed Heather to gently guide her back against the floor. She put the jeans she had discarded a while ago underneath Alessa, to keep from feeling the hardness of the floor too much. Along with Alessa's shirt, it made for a semi-comfortable throw cushion. Alessa laid her head against the makeshift pillow, trying not to shiver in the frigid shopping mall air. There was another reason she was shivering. She had never done this before - not in a public place like this. For some reason, she felt utterly exposed, despite there not being anyone but Heather in the vicinity. And yet, she had no intention of turning back. She was shivering in anticipation of what Heather had planned.

Heather pulled Alessa's sneakers off her feet, followed by her jeans. She was left in nothing but her panties and a pair of socks, a fact which Heather greatly appreciated. She smiled at the way the other girl was shaking. Alessa was so cute when she was nervous. Heather lowered herself over Alessa's body and wrapped her in a heady kiss, cradling Alessa's head in her hands. Pulling the brunette up with her, she strayed away from those full pink lips, holding Alessa's face against her chest as she kissed the top of her head, then her forehead, working her way down to her cheeks, until finding herself back at her lips.

She carefully lowered Alessa onto the ground once again. Her hands explored the length of her girlfriend's body, traversing along her sides to her thighs, gliding over the smooth skin, before traveling back up to Alessa's breasts. The nipples on the pliant flesh were erect, though from the cold or arousal, Heather knew not which. Nonetheless, just focusing on the hardened peaks sent a shiver of arousal through her body. Her clit hardened in response as she began to play with her lover's chest.

Alessa uttered a gasp as Heather massaged her breasts, kneading the pale mounds thoroughly in her hands. She loved it when Heather handled her breasts. They were so sensitive, and Heather's hands felt so good, it was enough to send the shudders of pleasure straight to her crotch. She resisted the urge to rub herself, knowing Heather had something else planned besides giving her a massage. She couldn't wait to have her friend's tongue between her legs, licking thoroughly over her clit until she came all over the blonde's mouth.

So she leaned back and let Heather do her handiwork, molding and caressing and squeezing gently the pliable flesh of her breasts.

And then things went utterly wrong.

A horrid ripping sound indicated the tearing of something which sounded like cloth. Alessa was snapped out of her arousal and nearly fainted at what she saw. Hanging in Heather's grasp was a strip of flesh torn right off her breast. The devious smile she wore hadn't left Heather's face even as she held her friend's torn skin in her hand. Alessa's eyes widened in horror, and her jaw fell open as she began to gasp for breath. Soon the pain caught up with her senses, sending currents of agony straight to her brain. And that wasn't even the worst of this. Looking down, Alessa didn't see the huge gash on her chest she was expecting. Instead the wound was blackened to a gruesome burn, teeming with blood and other bodily fluids.



Alessa cried out in the utmost revulsion. She had the urge to vomit as she stared at the hideous wound, though she tried to choke down the bile rising in her throat. But Heather wasn't done. With a frightening look, she reached down for Alessa's chest. Grabbing a hold of her breasts, she tore another strip of flesh from the right as easily as if she were ripping a sheet of paper. Again, horrible, grotesquely burned flesh was revealed. The agony overtook Alessa. Her chest felt like it was burning; she was powerless to stop Heather's unexpected and unexplained assault on her body. And her chest was not the only target. Digging her nails deep into Alessa's skin, Heather proceeded to rip the flesh off her arms, little by little. Alessa screamed in agony and terror. She was going into shock, feeling numb and pain stricken at the same time. Deep at the back of her consciousness, she realized what was happening. She was being dismantled. Her body was being stripped away to reveal all the rotting of the soul underneath - the result of thirteen years of accumulated hatred against the Order.

Alessa was not the only one being transformed. The corruption was seeping into Heather, flowing up from her arms in revolting spidery veins. The substance engulfed her body, converting her flesh into blackened, diseased tissue until her entire form was a charred imitation of how Alessa once was.

Exactly as Alessa was now.

Alessa held her arms protectively close to her body. Or rather, what was left of it. Her skin was completely peeled away, leaving her a fire-wrecked mass of flesh in its place. The smell of her own burnt flesh penetrated her nostrils, tempting the bile to rise to her throat. She felt the blood and other body fluids pooling under her torso, forming a disgusting patch of sickness from the moist, grimy wounds on her body. Alessa looked at her supposed friend and felt a chill go through her body, as though she weren't frightened enough.

The Heather she knew was gone. Heather's eyes were red, staring at her with a vacant look that sent shivers down her spine. Those eyes weren't human. Those were the eyes of a demon; something foul and grotesque, and utterly inhuman.

The doppelganger dug her fingers into Alessa's flesh with sinister intent.

"No, please..." Alessa begged, though she knew she would receive no mercy.

She was right when a moment later, the unthinkable happened. Heather plunged her hand deep into Alessa's abdomen. Alessa spasmed in the throes of anguish as her body went into the utmost shock possible. Uncaring of her torment, Heather's fist carved a path through her internal organs, dismantling the flesh with her fingers. The coppery taste rose in the back of her throat as blood pooled in her mouth. Her eyes rolled up into the back of her head; the pain was indescribable. She knew she was dying. The doppelganger continued her grisly deed, tearing through flesh and fluid, until Alessa found herself fading into black. The last thing she saw before the darkness claimed her was a piece of her heart in Heather's blood drenched hand. Soon a flash of light illuminated the area, tearing Alessa away from her indescribably horrid nightmare.

~

With a terrified scream, Alessa woke up from the horrifying nightmare. She looked around wildly searching for her doppelganger, before realizing she was no longer in that surreal place. Neither was she in the battleground she had been in before. The stores were back to their original conditions, unmarred by the corruption of the Otherworld. The monster she had killed was nowhere to be seen. The rocks beneath her feet had disappeared, and the tunnels through which the monster burrowed were long gone from the surroundings.



She was back in the normal world.

Alessa breathed an enormous sigh of relief. Her heart was pounding in her ears. She was breathing hard, feeling she had just run a mile without stopping. Unconsciously she looked down at her body, examining herself to make sure her body parts were all still intact. Thankfully the skin on her arms was still there, and there was no sign of any injury to her body. It was all a dream.

She didn't stand up right away. Instead she sat there trying to catch her breath. God, it seemed so real. Too real for comfort. She leaned against a fountain, the same one from her dream. Strange, how accurate a replication this was of that image. In fact, the stores themselves were a reenactment of those in that amazingly vivid dream. Never mind that was familiar with the layout of this shopping mall. It wasn't possibly a coincidence that the same location in that nightmare was the one she found herself in now.

It didn't take her long to realize the truth. The way they behaved in that scenario, completely oblivious to anything else. How easy it was to go along with everything, in the most uncomfortable of places; to believe that this was actually occurring. The way she could "read" Heather's thoughts, despite being a completely different person. Then there was the unusual mood throughout the experience. The way she felt distanced from the whole thing. How easy it was to think of that girl as Alessa, not herself, while at the same time being Alessa. This was no ordinary dream. Only the Red god could have created such a convincing illusion to wreck her mind with.



Alessa pondered Heather's presence in her dream. The two had met a little under a year ago. The circumstances of their meeting were outstandingly complex, and she had no desire to go into them at this time. Suffice to say, Heather was the person Alessa would have been had she not gotten caught up in the Order's manipulations. They quickly became friends and eventually, turned into more. Alessa didn't regret becoming lovers with her. She only regretted things had ended so badly. Heather's father wasn't able to accept their relationship becoming intimate. He was jealous of the attention Heather lavished on Alessa, and he wasn't able to accept Alessa's father using any means necessary to protect her - methods that often bordered on the ruthless. Worst of all, he cloaked it behind the callousness of using Alessa's gender as an excuse.

Heather was caught between her girlfriend and her father, never a good combination. And so they parted ways. Heather refused to abandon her father for true love, even if it meant letting him ruin her life for the rest of her life. She apologized later, begging Alessa to forgive her. Alessa politely refused. She didn't hate Heather, nor did she wish her any ill will. Alessa reassured the time she spent with her. She just didn't want to be with someone who didn't know what they wanted.

Still, those memories were among the happiest of her life. The feeling of connecting with someone who truly understood what she was feeling, how she was thinking, at all times, was one that she always cherished.



She wondered what the purpose of having Heather in her nightmare was. Was it to tease her with a glimpse of happiness in order to motivate her to keep going? Or was it to show how even the most pure of things could be corrupted by the Otherworld?

Alessa got to her feet. How long had she been out? In her mind it seemed like only a few minutes, but physically, it felt more like a few hours. Her watch was no help. The minute hand was stuck on a quarter to seven.

Her jaunt through the edges of space and time had taken longer than expected, not astonishing considering she was fighting for her life most of the time. Even now she wondered about the reason behind this madness. What was the point? Maybe there was no purpose to this. Perhaps the Red god was just having some fun manipulating her like a pawn. The gods were just as fucked up as any human being. Maybe this was the Red One's way of getting his jollies, and now that she had run his little maze, he would finally leave her alone. She hoped so. She wasn't in the mood for any more traumas.

Not surprisingly, the shops were all closed. Even if the trip through that horrible realm was over, it was probably nine or ten o'clock by now. Mall closing time was at seven thirty.

Damn. Mom's got to be worried by now, Alessa thought. I hope she's okay.

Oddly enough, the Happy Burger was still open. There wasn't much inside, though. Any traces of that alternate dimension were gone. The tables were neatly arranged with the usual condiments, table mats and napkins. Curiously, a health drink was on one of the countertops. Alessa wondered if it was left over from her trip down the rabbit hole. A warning bell went off in her head. Was this a sign that things still weren't over with the nightmare world? No, it couldn't be. She'd done what he wanted, hadn't she? She'd killed a bunch of monsters, solved his accursed riddles and given in to her anger, proving that she was still as hate-filled as any other person in the world, given the right circumstances.

Was that was this was all about? Giving her a chance to work out her anger, judging her for it like some holier-than-thou being? If so, then it was a waste of time on his part. She hated the Order. She would always hate the Order, and nothing a god could do would change that. If it was psychological torture the deity was after, then he certainly accomplished that. The scares from that place were more than enough to last her a lifetime. She barely got out of there with her skin intact. What more did he want from her?

The way to the main foyer was unlocked, much to Alessa's relief. She smiled when she saw the main exit. Yes, I'm free! She thought, feeling a little giddy. Who wouldn't be after going through a Twilight Zone version of their favorite place?

She was on her way out when an all-too-familiar voice halted her in her tracks.

"Alessa!" Douglas Cartland called out across the plaza.

Great. Just the last person Alessa wanted to see right now. She kept walking. Maybe if she ignored him, the bastard would get a clue and leave her alone.

No such luck, however.

"What do you want?"

On the outside, Douglas ignored the venom lacing her tone. Inwardly he cringed. Rarely did he hear such venom from a pretty young girl like this.

"Alessa, what the hell just happened? All those weird places. And that monster. What the hell was that?"

Alessa gave him a baleful glance. "Oh please. Like you don't know already," she scoffed.

"What are you talking about? What did I do?"

"You. You're in on this with that witch, aren't you?" Alessa spat.

"A witch? What witch? What are you talking about?" Douglas asked, bewildered.

"A white haired woman! Wearing a long dress. Looks like one of those religious fanatics you hear about on the news," Alessa snapped. "Don't play dumb! You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"White haired woman...are you talking about Claudia?"

Alessa froze at the confirmation that it was indeed Claudia who was behind this. She'd suspected her childhood friend might be the woman she encountered in that hallway, but to hear it bluntly from someone took things to a frightening level of realism. It pained Alessa to know her friend had turned into one of those fanatics she hated so much. No doubt Claudia had made some type of agreement with the Red god in exchange for his services. Never mind that the god was using her for its own ends, Claudia was likely convinced that it was her plans that were going ahead on schedule. Whatever those were, she knew they couldn't be good.

Claudia, what happened to you?

She wondered what the woman had planned. It couldn't possibly be anything to do with "God", could it? Only a few people ever knew of Dahlia's plan. Those were all dead, save for Alessa herself. There was no way Claudia should be able to know the where, how and why's of that ordeal. While she did mention "Paradise", Alessa refused to accept that it was anything more than the Order's beliefs shining through. The alternative was unacceptable.

If Claudia wanted to use her to ‘resurrect' "God", then she was sorely mistaken. There was nothing of that monster left in her body, save for the hate it inspired in her. If Claudia thought she was going to bring it back in any shape or fashion, she was in for a rude awakening.

"Claudia?"

"Yeah, Claudia. Claudia Wolf. You know her or something?"

Alessa sighed. "I did, once."

"So what happened?"

"...It's not important," Alessa answered.

"So what's going on?" Douglas stressed again, this time sounding a bit annoyed with her...and still very much confused.

Alessa stared at the old detective, at his completely befuddled expression..."You don't know," she breathed, disbelief clearly evident. "You really don't know what I'm talking about, do you?"

"No, that's what I've been trying to tell you," Douglas shook his head.

"Why did you follow me then?"

"Claudia hired me to find you," Douglas said. "That's it. I don't have a clue about anything else."

Alessa couldn't sense any duplicity in the statement. Neither did he give off the sense that she usually got when someone was lying. Unless he was very good at mental shielding, Douglas was telling the truth.

The young woman sighed. So much for that lead.

"Wait. Where are you going?" Douglas asked when she started walking away.

Alessa didn't respond. Hopefully once she got away from this place, and this hired lackey intent on stalking her, things would go back to normal. Not very likely, but a person could hope, couldn't they?

Unfortunately, there was another problem to deal with.

"Shit! It's locked." The exit doors didn't budge, no matter how hard she pushed.



"I know. Why else you think I was still hanging around here?" Douglas told her.

"Damn it," Alessa swore, smashing her fist against the glass. That meant there was no way to reach her car in the parking lot. How was she supposed to get home now?

The stairs adjacent to where she'd come from caught her eye. Oh well. Public transportation wasn't something she was used to utilizing, but it would have to do. She dug around in her pocket, making sure she still had some money on her. Thankfully she did. One less thing to worry about, at least.

With no other choice, Alessa decided that braving the subway was an acceptable risk. It was better than staying here; Douglas couldn't interrogate her if she got out of here fast enough. Not to mention, she'd also feel better getting away from him. She still wasn't convinced he wasn't a threat. Clueless though he may be, there was no telling what kind of person he was, or how he reacted under pressure. His track record certainly didn't bode well. Anyone who would take a job from those nutcases at the Order had to be a little shady. Alessa descended the stairs into the subway, keeping an eye out for any sign of approach from her ‘companion'.

"Where are you going?" Douglas asked.

"I'm taking the subway home," Alessa responded.

"Wait, what about Claudia? Won't you tell me what's going on?" Douglas shouted across the lobby.

"Figure it out yourself," Alessa called back.

She disappeared into the stairway below.

~

* Some dialogue is borrowed from Silent Hill 3.