The Horrible Night

"It was a dark and stormy night" - an overused cliché, but an apt description of the night in question. Lightning illuminated the sky, casting an eerie glow over the small town of Silent Hill. The rain was relentless, a constant drumbeat that made the atmosphere all the more oppressive.

The town was quiet, too quiet. The only sounds were the pitter-patter of raindrops and the distant rumble of thunder. No one was out and about, no one was visible in the windows. It was as if the entire town had suddenly been abandoned.

It had been this way for weeks now, ever since the disappearance of the town's mayor. No one knew what had happened to him, but the rumors had grown increasingly dark and strange. People said they had heard cries in the night, screams that seemed to come from the woods beyond the town.

That night, the screams could be heard again. They seemed to be coming from the woods, but this time they sounded different. Louder. More desperate.

Alice was the only one brave enough to investigate. She had heard the stories, but she didn't believe them. She wanted to see for herself. She grabbed her flashlight and ventured into the woods.

The trees seemed to close in around her, and the darkness felt oppressive. Suddenly, she heard something. It sounded like sobbing. She followed the sound, her heart racing.

The sobbing grew louder, and soon Alice came to a clearing. In the center was a bedraggled figure, hunched over and shaking. Alice moved closer, and the figure looked up.

It was the mayor. He was a mess, his face stained with tears and blood. He sobbed uncontrollably, and when he spoke his voice was barely more than a whisper.

"I was walking in the woods," he said. "I heard a noise, like someone calling my name. I followed it, and I... I saw something. Something horrible."

Alice asked what he had seen, but he wouldn't say. He just kept repeating, "It was horrible. Horrible."

Alice could see he was in shock, so she decided to take him back to town. As they walked, the mayor kept murmuring, "It was horrible. Horrible."

When they arrived back in town, Alice took the mayor to the local church. She asked the priest to look after him, and he agreed. As she left, Alice heard the priest whisper, "The Devil has come to Silent Hill."

Alice shivered at the thought. Could it be true? As she walked home, she glanced nervously over her shoulder. She could feel a presence, something evil lurking in the shadows.

When she arrived home, Alice's mother was waiting for her. She was frantic, her eyes wide with fear. "Alice," she said, "your father didn't come home from work today."

Alice's heart sank. She knew something was wrong. She told her mother what had happened with the mayor, and her mother looked more worried than ever.

"Alice," she said, "you must never go into the woods again. Do you understand?"

Alice nodded, her eyes wide.

The next morning, Alice awoke to find the town in chaos. People were running and screaming, their faces full of terror. Something was after them, something dark and sinister.

Alice watched in horror as the thing chased people through the streets. It was not human, but something much worse. Something evil.

Alice ran, her heart pounding. She knew she had to get away from this place. It was no longer safe.

Alice fled to the woods, and soon she was lost. But she kept running, knowing that if she stopped, the thing would find her.

She ran until she came to a clearing. In the center was a figure, hunched over and shaking. It was the mayor.

Alice moved closer, and the mayor looked up. His eyes were wide with terror, and his face was pale. He pointed to the trees, and his voice was barely more than a whisper.

"It's coming," he said. "The Devil has come to Silent Hill."

Alice turned and saw it. A figure in a dark cloak, its face hidden in shadows. It moved slowly, but with purpose. It was coming for her.

Alice screamed and ran, but the figure kept coming. She could hear its footsteps behind her, and she knew she was going to die.

Suddenly, a light shone through the trees. It was the church, and Alice ran towards it. She heard the figure behind her, but it seemed to be fading. She made it to the church steps and collapsed, exhausted.

The figure vanished, and Alice was safe.

Alice never went back to Silent Hill. The town had been consumed by a darkness, a darkness that seemed to have no end.

But Alice never forgot what she had seen that night. She knew the Devil had come to Silent Hill, and she knew he would be back.