The young woman froze in her tracks, staring ahead of her in fear. There it was â the Red Godâs altar. She had walked past it before, but never actually understood what it truly was â not until she joined with Miriam and her âfamilyâ.
She would have preferred to be on her own but strength was in numbers, especially here in Silent Hill. Her chances of survival would increase dramatically if she accepted being part of a survivor group. The reason why she had been so hesitant to leave behind her solitary lifestyle was because the vast majority of the few people still living in this cursed town were religious nutcases...and the group she was now part of was no exception. It didnât take long for Emily to realize that the Red God they were worshiping was none other than the very being she feared the most: Pyramid Head. It seems life had played a very cruel joke on her. The terrifying monster whose existence haunted her even in her dreams was now someone she was expected to serve and worship alongside her new âfamilyâ.
They were certainly far better than the bloodthirsty madmen from the Order, but not by much. She didnât want to be here, she didnât want to partake in any of their twisted rituals, prayers and ceremonies, but having to fight endlessly for her survival was exhausting and maddening. She had been trying to find a way out of Silent Hill for weeks on end, but all the doors and gates were either locked or sealed and the few roads that would take her out of town were cut off. And even if she did manage to leave, all that awaited her were miles and miles of dangerous, unpredictable wilderness with nothing but creepy woods on all sides. A potentially deadly experience for anyone who wasnât prepared for such a journey. She was trapped here for the rest of her life, just like any other unfortunate soul in Silent Hill.
Emily continued to sit there, unmoving with her eyes fixed on the altar. The stains of both fresh and old blood on it only served to intensify her dread. It was her turn to bring offerings to Him. Everyone in the group was tasked to come to the altar bearing offering once a week, but since she was still new, her turn had been postponed for over two months. But eventually, her time came and seeing Miriam approach her with the red basket made Emilyâs blood freeze in fear. She knew exactly what that meant and the worst of all â she couldnât refuse. If she did, she would either be cast out or, worse, she would become part of the offering. So the young woman accepted the task and listened carefully to the directions and instructions given to her.
With trembling arms, she approached the altar and began unloading the basketâs contents: meat, apples, mint tea and candles to be lit in the Red Godâs honor. The sooner she would be done with it, the sooner she could return to the sanctuary and decrease the risk of bumping into Him. She prayed and prayed again that He wouldnât decide to come here while she was still present.
