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Title: Gravity
Chapter: 10 (Two Children Threatened by a Nightingale)
Author:
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phantastusFandom: Silent Hill
Rating: R (see the Disclaimers/Warnings section for more info)
Genre: Horror
Main Characters: Angela Orosco, James Sunderland, Laura
Summary: Despite all roadblocks, dead ends and breakdowns, the journey continues. Even with monsters at their heels.
Notes:
Well, folks. This is it. Not the end of the story, but the end of part one, at least. With the completion of this chapter, Gravity has reached a length of 202,045 words (200k!! Holy shit!) and over 600 pages in printed book format. As much as that can be attributed towards me being an insufferable windbag who can't edit myself worth a damn, that's still pretty wild!
That said, given not only the significance of this milestone but also recent events, there's a couple of things I want to talk about. Namely, the subject matter of the story as it relates to the current state of affairs we're all dealing with. I'll get right to it— this year has been awful for everyone, and especially in the past couple of months (you all know what I'm talking about), it's looking very bleak. A lot of us, myself included, have a tendency to turn to fiction when the real world gets too scary and stressful, and that's so important. I can't count the ways that being able to fall back on the worlds and characters I love (including Silent Hill) has literally saved my life.
But this part of the story is not hopeful. It is not comforting.
It's a sad coincidence that the arrival of THIS chapter (which has been in more or less a state of completion since last year, just in serious need of polishing) happens to coincide with one of the most politically terrifying moments in the history of my country, right when all of us need a little extra hope. But that's how it goes.
In fact, as disappointing as it may sound, I'm going to go ahead and say that if you're coming to read this in a state of active stress and vulnerability, you should wait until you're feeling better to come back to it— and I promise, things will get better. Both for us, and the Gravity gang. This has always been a story about people battling trauma and mental illness, and there will always be times when that battle seems unwinnable. But that doesn't mean that it's over. Hang in there. I love you.
Depressing subject matter aside, this has been waiting in the wings for years, and I'm so excited to finally share it with everyone. Thank you all so much for your patience and support. I hope it was worth the wait.
Disclaimers/Warnings: In keeping with the source material, this fanfic depicts situations and events that may be considered violent or cruel. If you are triggered by anything in the Silent Hill series, this story may not be for you. This chapter deals with VERY DISTURBING CONCEPTS including but not limited to:
-self-harm, discussion of suicide
-intense PTSD episodes, trauma-induced flashbacks and hallucinations
-pedophilia and incest (father-daughter grooming and physical/sexual abuse)
-general focus on living and coping with mental illness
-there's a flashback to the Brookhaven cockroach room, so bugphobes beware
-Angela continues to misandry it up— she can't be stopped, she's too powerful.
-a Very Special Guest Appearance!
Please read at your own risk.
Additional Disclaimer: Again, in light of What's Currently Going On, something occurred to me that might warrant a statement— nobody's gotten this impression so far, but just in case, I wanted to mention it. In writing Angela (and by extension, her family) as Latinx, I had no intent whatsoever to evoke certain negative stereotypes about Mexican people, specifically Mexican immigrants, that have recently been normalized by the president-elect. Unfortunately, I can't change the facts of canon, and it's a little too late in the story (not to mention gross and whitewash-y) to go back and make Angela white in order to avoid her traumatic backstory being problematic by association, but I will say this: the character of Thomas Orosco, at least when it comes to the treatment of his daughter, has far more in common with Donald Trump himself than any person of Mexican heritage that I've ever met or known.
I hope that I have handled the subject matter sensitively enough to avoid making it seem like Angela's trauma and abuse are in any way connected to her race, and of course, if anyone sees places where I can improve, I welcome the help!
Recommended Listening:
-Abraham's Song (Bibio Remix)
-Little Baby (tw)
-Woodsman Wolf
-Ye Olde Hope
-The Demon God
-Everything Burns
-Civilian
Current Location: In the barn
Current Music: "Abraham's Song (Bibio Remix)", DM Stith
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nauseated
tired
accomplished
optimistic
nostalgic
blah
scared