Tableau

Tableau


The hallway was dark and shadowy, stained with mold, reeking of water damage and the ashes of a long-ago fire. It seemed interminable almost, stretching an impossibly long distance. But it was the memories that captured James’ attention. He heard the voices, taunting him with the remembrance of his misdeeds. He knew what he was going to face, when he emerged from this miserably wrecked shell of the past.

The stairway was a winding one, stretching all the way to the roof. He thought it fitting somehow that the final showdown take place on the roof, as if he could somehow rise above his sins merely by elevating himself above the ground. The winding staircase seemed almost as interminable as the hallway, as if stretching out his judgment for the purpose of his suffering. The water fell on his face in raindrops, coating him in the tears that exploded from his soul every time he thought of her. It was a wet, dreary atmosphere, perfect for the confrontation that was about to take place. The mist swirled around him in droves, reminding him of the supernatural presence that permeated every inch of this place.

He had no idea how he found himself outside the hotel, with the design of the structure still burned into his mind. But here he was, at the base of a colossal staircase, surrounded by water and mist, with a far-off platform awaiting him at the top.

He shuddered to think of what he might find up there. And yet, there was a part of him that wanted it to be Mary; that he could still find her forgiveness for what he did to her. It was a foolish dream perhaps, but it was all he had left. The other option was to die. Because he was not leaving town without her forgiveness. If his sins were too great for her to forgive, then he had no purpose left to live for.

The winding staircase was enormous its height, and amidst the fog that shrouded the town, it seemed almost endless. He climbed the staircase in a continuous job, taking few breaks on his way to the top, until he reached the top floor of whatever awaited him.
Just as he expected, something was waiting for him. He saw a woman standing near a bed, staring out a window wearing a very familiar outfit. One he would recognize almost anywhere.

It was Mary.

James stood silent as he realized the moment had come. Once, he had dreamed of this moment, deluding himself into believing that Mary was alive. Only now did he realize how foolish it really was. Yes, he was searching for her, but never once did he acknowledge the truth of why he was searching for her. Until the video tape.

He could no longer pretend that he was searching for Mary mainly out of love and devotion. The town had stripped away all his defenses, leaving him with the bitter realization of what he’d done. He didn’t know how he had blocked it out in the first place, but perhaps his mind collapsed. He had heard of that happening to people. Ironically, he never thought it would actually be happening to him. He had no idea what to say to her. What did one say to someone they had murdered? He wanted to reach out and grab her in his arms, and yet, he had the idea such an action would be fiercely unwelcome.

Finally, he decided to just say the most straightforward thing possible. He had to answer for his crimes, and the first step to obtaining her forgiveness was to acknowledge her.

“Mary?”

“James?”

The woman turned around with a cold look, and yet, her face seemed to light up when she saw him, for the briefest of flickers. James allowed himself a small bit of hope.

“Mary.”

Neither of them said anything. James struggled to find something relevant. The tension was palpable in the open air. Why did it have to be so chilly up here? He felt the wind chill biting across his face, almost judging him for what he’d done. Finally, James said the only thing he could think in response to this daunting environment.

“I knew I’d find you here.”

That was true. He’d known he’d find her here somehow. He just didn’t know in what form. And now the power of this place had allowed her to visit him, even though she was dead. He knew this wasn’t a manifestation of his guilt, or whatever those things that roamed the town were. The radio wasn’t working. That strange sense of dread he felt whenever the monsters were around wasn’t present. This was real.

“Really? That’s pretty interesting, considering you killed me,” Mary bit off, raising an eyebrow. Her husband squirmed under the biting sarcasm.

“Mary, I’m sorry. I know I did a terrible thing to you,” James began. “I had no right to take your life the way I did. What I did was horrible and selfish, and I have suffered for it more than I ever could have expected. More than anything I could have ever put myself through.”

For an uncomfortable moment, Mary looked contrite over what she said. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that,” she said, avoiding his glance.

“No, you’re right,” James said to her. “I did kill you. I have to acknowledge my crimes, and pay the price for them. This town has shown me that. I never meant to hurt you,” he said, knowing how weak and ridiculous that sounded. “I just wanted a way out. I wanted my life back. I know now that I was wrong, that I did a hideous, evil thing. But I still love you. It’s been hell without you, Mary. I know I can’t have you back, and I don’t deserve to. But, I’ve changed. Please, I’m asking for your forgiveness,” he said honestly, sounding as genuine as he could. “I’m sorry for what I did. You don’t know what I’ve gone through these past couple days, and it’s showed me the dark, ugly truth about myself that I was afraid to admit. Mary, I’m sorry. More than you can ever imagine.”

“Well, you sure have a lousy way of showing it,” another voice intruded into the fray.

Maria sauntered out from out of nowhere, carrying her usual smile and striding with visible confidence.

James stood astounded beyond words. No, it couldn’t be. But it was. Maria had returned from the dead, again, and here she was before him. Only now, she was fully aware of what was going on. He could hear it in her voice.

“Maria? How is this possible?” he asked, befuddled.

“Oh please. You’d think by now you’d know us better than that,” Maria scoffed, wagging her finger in a scolding manner.

“Us?” James questioned, wondering whom she was referring to.

“The gods of Silent Hill aren’t bound by your petty rules and understanding. They do what they want, regardless of what you think. After all, she’s here,” Maria said, nodding at Mary. “If they wanted to, she would have never gotten in here if they didn’t allow it.”

If James expected Maria to elaborate, he was sorely disappointed. Instead she switched gears, moving onto a topic that struck him like an ice pick to the temple.

“Are you still fantasizing about fucking her, James?” Maria asked, hands on her hips. “Do you want me to leave so you can throw her on that bed and show her what you’ve missed about her for the past three years?”

“What?” James exclaimed, outraged. “That’s enough. You have no right to say something like that about her,” he stated, barely restraining his fury as he held his shotgun.

“Why not?” Maria shrugged, nonchalant about the whole thing. “That’s why you came to find her, isn’t it?”

“I came here to beg for her forgiveness for my sins,” James exclaimed.

“You came here to find her,” Maria retorted. “And what were you going to do with her when you found her? Take her home, heal all her pain?” she said, using the words James had so painfully heard from Angela earlier. “Take out all your sexual frustrations on her? Were you going to choke her, punishing her for depriving you of sex?”

“Stop it,” James muttered, gripping his shotgun tightly. Maria slinked her way closer to him.

“Were you going to frighten her, fucking her until she was crying for you to stop?” Maria demanded with a devilish smirk.

“Stop it!” James gripped the shotgun with trembling hands. Maria sauntered close to him, almost pressing a hand against his chest. James backed up, ready to push it out of the way if necessary. But she didn’t back off, instead turning around and twirling to give James a knowing and suddenly sultry look. “Oh James, you’re so easy to arouse. You wouldn’t think you were capable of choking someone, usually when one looks at you. But when I see you like this, I know. You can do it easily, just as you did that night when you held the pillow across her face. All those things Pyramid did to those mannequins and monsters…you could easily do that to anyone, couldn’t you?” She smiled, the full pink lips pulled upwards looking out-of-place with the words she was saying.

She ignored the smoldering glance he was throwing her way.

“You want to kill me, don’t you? Or worse. And you want to do it in front of Mary, without any thought as to her mental health,” Maria said knowingly. “I should’ve known. You’re still after one thing, and it’s not the love and the companionship she offered you.”

“Stop it!” Mary suddenly spoke up, her eyes blazing with fury at the remarks coming from Maria’s mouth.

James was shaken by the outburst. Maria looked surprise at Mary speaking, as if she hadn’t expected her to speak out at all.

“Well, you have a mouth on you after all,” Maria said, amused. “I thought you were going to be meek little Mary throughout all this.” She sauntered over to her with a purposeful motion, almost intimidating in her stance. Mary stood nervously before her double, trembling subtly but noticeably.

“You don’t have to intimidate me,” Mary said defiantly. “I know what you are, and I know that there isn’t anything you can do to hurt me.” There was a tremor to her voice on the last words, as if she wasn’t entirely sure of that herself. Her double surely picked up on it.

“Really?” Maria asked, arching her eyebrows. “You have no idea what I’m capable of,” she smiled deviously. Maria stretched a hand to Mary’s arm, causing Mary to flinch noticeably. And suddenly, she kissed her.

From his vantage point, James nearly dropped his shotgun in astonishment. What the hell was going on? What was she playing at? He wanted to rush to help her, but he felt compelled to stand and watch what happened. He still wasn’t sure this wasn’t all one big trap by the town, even if it was Mary who was here with him.

He expected Mary to shrug her off; Mary wasn’t even remotely interested in women. But Mary only offered a moment of flinching. And then it was like something eased her into the kiss, urging her to cooperate with Maria’s ‘affection’. She relaxed into the double’s grasp, doing nothing as Maria kissed her sensually on the lips. And suddenly it was like she had been placed under a spell. Was Maria doing this to her in some fashion?

James was astounded at the remarks he was witnessing from Maria, so blatantly offensive in their assessment of Mary. What happened to the Maria he met in the beginning at Rosewater Park? What had she turned into? And yet, he felt he was seeing the real Maria for the first time. Either she was warped by the town, or else this was her real personality. Either way, this was who she was – a cold, manipulative, deceiving bitch. There was no going back to the innocent victim playing at begging him to protect her.

And yet, the sight of the two women wrestling over his life was one of the most erotic things he had ever seen. It sparked something in him; something dark and meaningful, that he had only experienced several months before this. Or was that days? He could barely tell anymore. But he knew there was something seriously not right with this. The two women continued to kiss, and James almost got the sense that Mary was enjoying it, as though the arguing between them was just a spat for his benefit, and they were actually pretty accepting of each other’s role. Were they actually enjoying kissing each other? This couldn’t be happening. It just couldn’t.

James knew this wasn’t real; this was only an illusion. The town was tempting him, trying to make him give in to his base urges. But he wouldn’t let it. Or so he believed.

That all changed when he saw what happened next. Maria let go of Mary, steering a sensual look in his direction. “Come on, James. Isn’t this what you wanted?” Maria asked him, wagging her fingers playfully, urging him to come forward.

James was taken aback. Were they inviting him to…? Was she…? He couldn’t believe they would want him to…join in, in…whatever this was. Mary offered no resistance. Was she interested in exploring what he would do? Or was she merely another mindless automaton under the control of the town? He didn’t know. And he was beginning not to care. A familiar urging started rising inside him, a feeling he had not known since Mary was sick. Seeing Maria in this manner, seeing her do these things with his wife – or a creation that resembled his wife, was too much. And before he knew it, he was following her blatant direction.

James dropped the shotgun to the floor. He slowly made his way to the bed. He felt as if he were in a trance, his eyes never leaving Maria.

He sat timidly on the bed. Maria sauntered towards him with that sensual gait of hers. She slid smoothly onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He stared timidly at her as she pressed her warm body against his. He was nervous, something that was uncharacteristic of him in this situation. She felt so good on his lap. He knew his hands had to be clammy with sweat. He felt like his heart was beating at 50 miles per hour in his chest, ready to burst from the excitement and fear of the situation.

“James, you know you want this. I know you can’t hurt her,” she said, smiling. “So take out your frustrations on me. Show her what you wanted to do to her all those years.”

James looked to Mary, but her face was stone, her eyes set in steel. He would get no help from her. Was this a test of some sort? Some trial he had to go through before he faced his final judgment? He didn’t know, but it was becoming harder to resist the temptation. He felt a tightness in his pants as he grew hard from Maria’s warm touch. He hadn’t had a woman in a long time, and it showed. “So go ahead. Take me,” she said to him. And before he knew what he was doing, he was kissing her.

It started slow at first. He kissed her deeply and passionately, rolling her down onto the bed. They delighted in the feel of warm flesh-on-flesh contact, giving each other the attention both had been starved for. But soon the kisses grew more frenzied. James kissed her neck, her chest, her shoulders…every inch he could frantically. He ripped open her blouse and took one dusky nipple into his mouth. She wasn’t wearing a bra surprisingly, or not surprisingly, given what she really was. Maria moaned as he ravished every inch of her skin He worked his mouth hard on her breast, sucking it and tasting it and almost biting it with intensity. He had been starving for this. Two years without affection, without frequent lovemaking…it took its toll on a guy. The first year hadn’t been that bad, but after Mary fell deeper into her illness, things really began to become nightmarish in their marriage. And now he finally had a way to work that out. He had suffered enough; didn’t he deserve a chance to be happy just for a while? He wasn’t going to pass it up, no matter what it did to him.

Maria panted as he worked on her other breast, ripping the blouse off her arms. She was now naked from the waist up, save for the pendant around her neck. He took full advantage of that, gripping her tightly against him as he kissed hard the side of her neck. He pulled off his shirt and discarded it along with his jacket. Settling over her, he grabbed her breasts roughly as he kissed her. Maria moaned upon the contact of his rough, calloused hands with her breasts. Gradually his hand snaked downwards. His left digits settled over her crotch. He didn’t waste any time readying her; Maria was already aroused enough, and this was no ordinary coupling they were involved in. He began to stroke her sex through her panties, his hand busying itself underneath her skirt. He stroked her hard with his fingers, pleasuring her in the same pattern he did Mary every time he wanted to get his wife off hard, with no breaks to allow her respite. Maria gasped and grunted on the bed, obviously lost in her pleasure. She squirmed and writhed underneath his touch, James fucking the woman ruthlessly with his hand, until Maria uttered a foul swear word as she spasmed in climatic release. She grunted hard and groaned as the climax overtook her, almost growling in pleasure until she fell back spent.

James looked in satisfaction at his handiwork. So many times he just wanted to fuck the hell out of Mary and make her come like that without her giving her permission. It would have brought her satisfaction removed from her illness and done him a huge favor, but he always respected her wishes to be left alone. But James wasn’t done yet.

He unzipped his pants and pulled down the garment. His erect penis was painfully hard from their activities. Maria was dazed from the formidable orgasm, and so she offered little protest when he took the next course of action. Without hesitating, James gripped her by the hair and pushed her onto his erect cock. Maria choked momentarily on the organ, but she went to work right away, sucking and licking him as if she knew exactly what she had to do to pleasure him. Maybe she did. Maybe she could read his every thought, and knew all the nasty thoughts floating around in his brain right now.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Mary standing near. He had forgotten about her, a part of his mind relegating her to the status of a doppelganger of his wife and not the real thing. No way would his Mary allow him to do this. Then again, no way could a town exist that allowed the dead to rise and confront you, so perhaps things were a bit skewed with his perception in this matter. Mary approached the bed gradually, and to his surprise, she began to undress. Soon she was naked, and her body was painfully familiar to his eyes: smallish breasts, beautiful skin, and dark curls between her thighs. The same as Maria’s, give or take a few details. He didn’t know what Maria had under her skirt, but he would find that out soon. She settled down on the bed, and to his surprise, she began to stroke Maria’s skin beneath her knees. While it was difficult to see what she was doing and savor the pleasurable sensations of Maria’s mouth, he managed to keep his concentration. She seemed to be seeking some kind of connection with her double, or one to him through the other woman. Whether this was Mary or not, it was obvious there was more to her than just an illusion. Maria seemed to sense it too. She extricated her mouth from James’ cock. James didn’t mind; he would get his later. He wanted to see what she would do.

An unspoken moment of communication seemed to pass through the two women. There was a pause. Maria approached her double, and then, she enveloped Mary in a kiss. They came together in an embrace skin-on-skin, bare breasts and limbs clashing against one another in a meeting of warm flesh against flesh. Despite the animosity that should have existed there, they seemed closer than two women representing two extreme ends of the emotional spectrum could possibly be together.

This hardly went unnoticed by James, who had been stroking himself throughout the entire display. He was losing it; he could tell – the rational thoughts driving his conscience quickly being overcome by lust and unrestrained emotions. He couldn’t even tell who they were anymore. They seemed to have the same features, with no distinguishing marks. Through the haze of lust and disappearing rationality, he saw the same hair, the same face, and the same warming presence he could only associate with his Mary. And he had had enough of waiting.

He grabbed the nearest one, turning her onto her back. And without warning, he thrust into her. Maria, Mary; it made no difference. They were one and the same.

His hands gripped onto her neck, from the back, and began to squeeze. And yet, she rode his body harder, as though excited by the prospect. He sensed the other woman’s shock, and yet, there was no real surprise at the action, like she was surprised that he would do it openly more than by the action itself. She never ceased her ministrations either, stroking the other woman’s body as he fucked her, running a hand silkily over her shin. Was it Maria or Mary? He didn’t remember his Mary, and yet, she wouldn’t be the type to stand by idly while he was choking someone either.

The woman rocked her body against his, encouraging him to fuck her harder with every ounce of drive he had. James lost himself in the sensations, all too content to cater fully to her desire. His hands only got tighter, as though they were recreating some scene out of a murder suspect’s darkest desires. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew one woman must be horrified at what was going on, but he couldn’t have cared less. Maria (or was it Mary?) stiffened against him, and he knew she was about to come. He bucked his hips against her, driving himself deep into her core, until she cried out in a burst of shattering pleasure. And soon after he released himself, giving himself over to the tide of urgings and lust that overtook any semblance of his rational desires.

As he lay back, James pondered what had just taken place. This was something he had never expected, and quite frankly something he was not at all prepared for. One questioned loomed above all others in his mind. What had he done? Had he proven Maria correct in that he was merely a beast longing for the comfort of Mary’s body and not her consciousness? Or was he just working out years of tension that had eroded away at his consciousness, until he could do something as abominable as suffocating the life out of his wife? He wanted to believe that it was the latter, that his darkest and most depraved fantasy wasn’t to punish Mary for what she had done to him, after bringing her back to life.

When he sat up, the two doppelgangers were gone. He was fully clothed, though he didn’t know how; he hadn’t dressed himself. And standing before him was a monster. The creature rose into the air like a caged box on metallic wings, with a person strung up in the center, hanging upside down in a grotesque parody of a crucifix. It resembled Maria, or Mary. He didn’t know. And neither did he care. Now he knew what he had to do.

This had to end.

Jumping off the bed, James picked up his shotgun.