The Tormented
Still a work in progress but... feedback would be *greatly* appreciated! (As I devoted way too much time to this...)
*SPOILERS*
Silent Hill : The Tormented - Alessa
"Hope House, an orphanage on the outskirts of Silent Hill. But behind it's false image is a place where children are kidnapped and brainwashed. Hope House is managed by the 'Silent Hill Smile Support Society', a charity organization sometimes called 4S.
It's true that 4S is a well-respected charity that 'takes in poor children without homes and raises them with hope.' But at it's heart it is a heathen organization that teaches its own warped dogma in lieu of good religious values. Mr Smith (temp) who lives near Hope House had this to say: "sometimes at night I can hear their weird prayers and the sounds of the [children] crying. I went there to complain one time, but they ran me right out. Since then it hasn't changed a bit." In fact, this reporter was refused admission when he attempted to take photographs in the facility.
What exactly do the folks at Hope House have to hide? During my investigations I was able to discover, however, a suspicious looking round concrete tower which appears to be part of their facilities.
Unfortunately no one was willing to tell us what the tower was used for. But it seems unlikely that it has anything to do with the business of raising orphans. It may in fact be a prison or a secret place of worship.
The cult religion that operates Hope House is known by the locals simply as 'The Order'.
It's a religion that is deeply interwoven with Silent Hill's history.
But it's worshippers' reverent belief that they are among the elite 'chosen people' has a dark and dangerous side. I intend to continue my investigation of Hope House and the cult behind it.
I've always believed that 'telling the whole truth' and showing the children the true path is our most important duty."
- Teaching Despair - Hope House, Joseph Schreiber SH3
Alessa is by far the most complex character in the Silent Hill series. Her story touched my heart, especially now as a mother.
To know Alessa is to understand pain. Her misery stems from the betrayal of her mother, Dahlia Gillespie. A daughter's bond to her mother is like no other, and when that trust is betrayed there is no other hurt like it.
A sect led by Dahlia, the leader of the Cult of Samael, created Alessa through a magical conjuration. The hidden religion of the town of Silent Hill and the provider of the mind controlling drug "White Claudia". Within this fated child was their 'god' in an embryonic form. The cult wanted to bring their lord Samael to the mortal world. But for the cult to benefit they would have to be able to control Samael. The only way to do this was to summon Samael into an unborn fetus, a child that the cult could raise and teach to control its powers. When the child was born, only half of Samael's dark soul had been summoned into the child, but she in turn, was imbued with powers of her own.
"There's a girl named Alessa in my class. If your memory is any good, you may remember her. She's the one I said they called a witch. Most likely her mother is abusing her. I've never seen her come in without some sort of scrape or bruise. Her expression is pitifully dark for a 6 year old. Something like this may not be so uncommon. Rather than coming up with pointless ideas, it's best just to watch and wait. But isn't there something I can do to help? I'm considering consulting a lawyer, but I do have my reservations. That's why I thought I'd ask you, my friend, for your opinion first."
- K. GORDON'S NOTEBOOK, SH3
Longing for a childhood the Order would never allow, Alessa closed herself off from the world and immersed herself in books and fairy tales. While she believed in what her mother preached, she also feared and resented her 'god'. By the age of seven, she began refusing to use her powers for the benefit of the Order and sought ways to escape it.
But there was no escape. When she went to school, her classmates also abused, alienated, and taunted her, calling her a "witch". When Harry examines her old desk in Midwich Elementary School later, he discovers these words scratched into the surface: "Thief. Go home. Drop dead." It is clear that the world around Alessa, unknowingly or otherwise, aided Dahlia in bringing her suffering and destitution. As a result, she quickly became fearful of all people.
Her only childhood friend seemed to have been Claudia, another child of the cult and later key character in Silent Hill 3.
As reality became intolerable, she found only one suitable solution - to create a new world in her mind. But because of the shame she had endured, Alessa could not imagine a utopian place without fear and dejection. Her deepest wish was to hide, both from reality and from her own tainted memories. She tapped into her unwanted power, and through her fear manifested the only kind of world she could create- a Hellish world.
At this time, Dahlia was waiting for the god to appear, but Alessa resisted. She still had hope and love in her heart. Dahlia's patience eventually grew thin. Finally, she decided to take matters to the extreme. In order to create a hatred for everyone, even herself, she attempted to burn Alessa alive in a house fire ("the ritual of ascension"). In this agony, she should have given birth to the god, for the deity of the cult was to be a manifestation of hatred, fear, and suffering. Dahlia believed that the Mother God's heart must be black with hatred to incubate such a demon, and to this end she displayed the ultimate act of aggression toward her daughter.
Despite all this, Alessa still loved her mother. "Mommy, I just want to be with you..."
And so the god could not be born. Instead, Alessa's essence was divided into two parts. With her power she created an infant and relocated it to the road outside of Silent Hill. Because of this split, the god/Samael/"Incubus" could not achieve full power. The part that of her that forgave Dahlia, Cheryl, was picked up by Harry, and raised with love. Cheryl is a symbol of happiness, while Alessa represents eternal suffering, a lonely soul lost in a world of endless sorrow.
Alessa experienced death time and again, but it did not end her suffering. Her spirit dwindled and the Incubus began to thrive. Faced with her fate of becoming its vessel, a true and final death became her only desire, although her wish was never granted. Instead, she spent the next seven years confined to a forlorn basement in Alchemilia Hospital, trapped in a nightmarish coma.
But hope did come, in the form of a nurse named Lisa Garland. Lisa took care of Alessa the best she could as a slave in the thrall of the cult, who used her drug addiction to force her into submission. ("Still has an unusually high fever... Eyes don't open... getting a pulse. But just barely breathing. Why! What is keeping that child alive?") Lisa's kind and caring nature eventually decided her sad fate. Being close to Alessa all the time, Lisa saw her suffering and was affected by it. She and Alessa developed a kind of psychic link, and Lisa 'absorbed' some part of the girl's pain. After a time, she even started to see her twisted alternate reality through "White Claudia" (also known as PVT), a drug that Dr. Kaufmann was creating and supplying. (Dr. Kaufmann was involved with Dahlia and the cult, and some have even speculated that he is even Alessa's father.) What Lisa saw horrified her:
"The room is filled with insects. Even with the doors and windows shut, they get in to spite me. To the Hospital... Feeling bad. Need to throw up. But nothing comes out. Vomiting only bile. Blood and pus flow from the bathroom faucet. I try to stop it, but it won't turn off. Need drug. Help me..."
- Lisa's Diary, SH
After first seeing the Otherworld, she wanted to leave the hospital, but Kaufmann stopped her. She threatened to reveal the existence of Alessa and Kaufmann 'silenced' her. Her consciousness became trapped in Alessa's world, while her physical body died.
Alessa's body held only half of her soul, so her mental energy wasn't strong enough to bring "Paradise" to the world (or swallow the entire town in darkness), like Dahlia had intended. The other half of her personality, memories, and power was buried in the dark depths of Cheryl's subconscious, held at bay by Harry's love.
Losing all hope, Alessa called out for her other half. But when Cheryl returned to Silent Hill, Alessa began to awaken in her and the two halves of one soul began to merge. This triggered an increase in Alessa's influence and it began to affect more and more people. Alessa wanted Cheryl to return, to allow her to birth god and end the pain, but at the same time Alessa did not want god to enter this world. She did not want Harry to lose his daughter and die himself. She helped Harry because, after the girls' reunited Alessa received all the good memories of Cheryl. She sees what love should be.
Alessa decided to resist 'god' with all her strength. She was well versed in the occult magicks, and knew how to destroy the Incubus by using the Seal of Metatron (or the "Halo Of The Sun"). The Seal of Metatron is the direct opposite of Samael (the 'Incubus'), the highest form of angel. The two were brothers, angel and demon, in the cults scripture forever entangled in battle. Dahlia foresaw this, and used Harry against Alessa by giving him the Flauros, effectively sealing Alessa's power and thus destroying her will to fight. Dahlia reveals to Harry the real Alessa is still comatose, the person who had taken Alessa's form was his beloved Cheryl. Casting a spell, Dahlia reunited the two Alessa's into a singular being, the "Mother of God".
In a fit of jealousy as Dahlia reveals she will not share Samael's power, Kaufmann produces the "Aglaophtis", a ceremonial substance to repel a demonic presence. This causes Alessa to eject the god prematurely. With the Seal of Metatron also spread, Samael was born weakened. Harry Mason managed to defeat her spawn, and the Otherworld starts to crumble. Alessa in the Mother of God form appears once again and gives Harry an infant. A new, reincarnated self. Being another form of his beloved, he names the girl Cheryl.
More to come.... Alessa's role in Silent Hill 3.
*SPOILERS*
Silent Hill : The Tormented - Alessa
"Hope House, an orphanage on the outskirts of Silent Hill. But behind it's false image is a place where children are kidnapped and brainwashed. Hope House is managed by the 'Silent Hill Smile Support Society', a charity organization sometimes called 4S.
It's true that 4S is a well-respected charity that 'takes in poor children without homes and raises them with hope.' But at it's heart it is a heathen organization that teaches its own warped dogma in lieu of good religious values. Mr Smith (temp) who lives near Hope House had this to say: "sometimes at night I can hear their weird prayers and the sounds of the [children] crying. I went there to complain one time, but they ran me right out. Since then it hasn't changed a bit." In fact, this reporter was refused admission when he attempted to take photographs in the facility.
What exactly do the folks at Hope House have to hide? During my investigations I was able to discover, however, a suspicious looking round concrete tower which appears to be part of their facilities.
Unfortunately no one was willing to tell us what the tower was used for. But it seems unlikely that it has anything to do with the business of raising orphans. It may in fact be a prison or a secret place of worship.
The cult religion that operates Hope House is known by the locals simply as 'The Order'.
It's a religion that is deeply interwoven with Silent Hill's history.
But it's worshippers' reverent belief that they are among the elite 'chosen people' has a dark and dangerous side. I intend to continue my investigation of Hope House and the cult behind it.
I've always believed that 'telling the whole truth' and showing the children the true path is our most important duty."
- Teaching Despair - Hope House, Joseph Schreiber SH3
Alessa is by far the most complex character in the Silent Hill series. Her story touched my heart, especially now as a mother.
To know Alessa is to understand pain. Her misery stems from the betrayal of her mother, Dahlia Gillespie. A daughter's bond to her mother is like no other, and when that trust is betrayed there is no other hurt like it.
A sect led by Dahlia, the leader of the Cult of Samael, created Alessa through a magical conjuration. The hidden religion of the town of Silent Hill and the provider of the mind controlling drug "White Claudia". Within this fated child was their 'god' in an embryonic form. The cult wanted to bring their lord Samael to the mortal world. But for the cult to benefit they would have to be able to control Samael. The only way to do this was to summon Samael into an unborn fetus, a child that the cult could raise and teach to control its powers. When the child was born, only half of Samael's dark soul had been summoned into the child, but she in turn, was imbued with powers of her own.
"There's a girl named Alessa in my class. If your memory is any good, you may remember her. She's the one I said they called a witch. Most likely her mother is abusing her. I've never seen her come in without some sort of scrape or bruise. Her expression is pitifully dark for a 6 year old. Something like this may not be so uncommon. Rather than coming up with pointless ideas, it's best just to watch and wait. But isn't there something I can do to help? I'm considering consulting a lawyer, but I do have my reservations. That's why I thought I'd ask you, my friend, for your opinion first."
- K. GORDON'S NOTEBOOK, SH3
Longing for a childhood the Order would never allow, Alessa closed herself off from the world and immersed herself in books and fairy tales. While she believed in what her mother preached, she also feared and resented her 'god'. By the age of seven, she began refusing to use her powers for the benefit of the Order and sought ways to escape it.
But there was no escape. When she went to school, her classmates also abused, alienated, and taunted her, calling her a "witch". When Harry examines her old desk in Midwich Elementary School later, he discovers these words scratched into the surface: "Thief. Go home. Drop dead." It is clear that the world around Alessa, unknowingly or otherwise, aided Dahlia in bringing her suffering and destitution. As a result, she quickly became fearful of all people.
Her only childhood friend seemed to have been Claudia, another child of the cult and later key character in Silent Hill 3.
As reality became intolerable, she found only one suitable solution - to create a new world in her mind. But because of the shame she had endured, Alessa could not imagine a utopian place without fear and dejection. Her deepest wish was to hide, both from reality and from her own tainted memories. She tapped into her unwanted power, and through her fear manifested the only kind of world she could create- a Hellish world.
At this time, Dahlia was waiting for the god to appear, but Alessa resisted. She still had hope and love in her heart. Dahlia's patience eventually grew thin. Finally, she decided to take matters to the extreme. In order to create a hatred for everyone, even herself, she attempted to burn Alessa alive in a house fire ("the ritual of ascension"). In this agony, she should have given birth to the god, for the deity of the cult was to be a manifestation of hatred, fear, and suffering. Dahlia believed that the Mother God's heart must be black with hatred to incubate such a demon, and to this end she displayed the ultimate act of aggression toward her daughter.
Despite all this, Alessa still loved her mother. "Mommy, I just want to be with you..."
And so the god could not be born. Instead, Alessa's essence was divided into two parts. With her power she created an infant and relocated it to the road outside of Silent Hill. Because of this split, the god/Samael/"Incubus" could not achieve full power. The part that of her that forgave Dahlia, Cheryl, was picked up by Harry, and raised with love. Cheryl is a symbol of happiness, while Alessa represents eternal suffering, a lonely soul lost in a world of endless sorrow.
Alessa experienced death time and again, but it did not end her suffering. Her spirit dwindled and the Incubus began to thrive. Faced with her fate of becoming its vessel, a true and final death became her only desire, although her wish was never granted. Instead, she spent the next seven years confined to a forlorn basement in Alchemilia Hospital, trapped in a nightmarish coma.
But hope did come, in the form of a nurse named Lisa Garland. Lisa took care of Alessa the best she could as a slave in the thrall of the cult, who used her drug addiction to force her into submission. ("Still has an unusually high fever... Eyes don't open... getting a pulse. But just barely breathing. Why! What is keeping that child alive?") Lisa's kind and caring nature eventually decided her sad fate. Being close to Alessa all the time, Lisa saw her suffering and was affected by it. She and Alessa developed a kind of psychic link, and Lisa 'absorbed' some part of the girl's pain. After a time, she even started to see her twisted alternate reality through "White Claudia" (also known as PVT), a drug that Dr. Kaufmann was creating and supplying. (Dr. Kaufmann was involved with Dahlia and the cult, and some have even speculated that he is even Alessa's father.) What Lisa saw horrified her:
"The room is filled with insects. Even with the doors and windows shut, they get in to spite me. To the Hospital... Feeling bad. Need to throw up. But nothing comes out. Vomiting only bile. Blood and pus flow from the bathroom faucet. I try to stop it, but it won't turn off. Need drug. Help me..."
- Lisa's Diary, SH
After first seeing the Otherworld, she wanted to leave the hospital, but Kaufmann stopped her. She threatened to reveal the existence of Alessa and Kaufmann 'silenced' her. Her consciousness became trapped in Alessa's world, while her physical body died.
Alessa's body held only half of her soul, so her mental energy wasn't strong enough to bring "Paradise" to the world (or swallow the entire town in darkness), like Dahlia had intended. The other half of her personality, memories, and power was buried in the dark depths of Cheryl's subconscious, held at bay by Harry's love.
Losing all hope, Alessa called out for her other half. But when Cheryl returned to Silent Hill, Alessa began to awaken in her and the two halves of one soul began to merge. This triggered an increase in Alessa's influence and it began to affect more and more people. Alessa wanted Cheryl to return, to allow her to birth god and end the pain, but at the same time Alessa did not want god to enter this world. She did not want Harry to lose his daughter and die himself. She helped Harry because, after the girls' reunited Alessa received all the good memories of Cheryl. She sees what love should be.
Alessa decided to resist 'god' with all her strength. She was well versed in the occult magicks, and knew how to destroy the Incubus by using the Seal of Metatron (or the "Halo Of The Sun"). The Seal of Metatron is the direct opposite of Samael (the 'Incubus'), the highest form of angel. The two were brothers, angel and demon, in the cults scripture forever entangled in battle. Dahlia foresaw this, and used Harry against Alessa by giving him the Flauros, effectively sealing Alessa's power and thus destroying her will to fight. Dahlia reveals to Harry the real Alessa is still comatose, the person who had taken Alessa's form was his beloved Cheryl. Casting a spell, Dahlia reunited the two Alessa's into a singular being, the "Mother of God".
In a fit of jealousy as Dahlia reveals she will not share Samael's power, Kaufmann produces the "Aglaophtis", a ceremonial substance to repel a demonic presence. This causes Alessa to eject the god prematurely. With the Seal of Metatron also spread, Samael was born weakened. Harry Mason managed to defeat her spawn, and the Otherworld starts to crumble. Alessa in the Mother of God form appears once again and gives Harry an infant. A new, reincarnated self. Being another form of his beloved, he names the girl Cheryl.
More to come.... Alessa's role in Silent Hill 3.