Silence in Silent Hill
When Comfort Becomes a Prison
The Archive has been endlessly searching for answers.
In Maine lies a small mining town named Silent Hill. In the 1960s, the town was known for its tourism. Below is a vintage pamphlet from the Silent Hill Historical Society, showcasing the appeal of the scenic area:
However, The Archive has yet to find any other information on the town beyond this website. It seems as if any historical evidence of the town’s existence falls flat past the local historical society.
Because of this roadblock, The Archive is forced to rely on forums, rumors, and folklore.
From our research, it seems as if the town of Silent Hill had a troublesome history from the start. From its early days as a colony to its development stages in the 1800s, the town held a great deal of suffering.
The town was built upon land that the natives believed held spiritual significance. The Archive has reason to believe this may be true.
Forums also mention a cult known as the Order—which traces back to the early 20th century—that haunt the town’s memory. However, no official records of this cult have been found.
Our records indicate that there is some kind of resistance within the town.
I. Come Visit Us in Silent Hill
Silent Hill’s history is no different than the rest of the United States. Like anything else, it’s built upon a weak foundation.
The town has been plagued with tragedies from the start. From illnesses, strange phenomena, and its origins of stolen land, Silent Hill is no stranger to pain.
The 1700s came with an epidemic throughout the area, killing most of the population and, thus, causing the abandonment of the early settlement.
Years after resettlement in 1819, the first incident surrounding the tourism of the area happened. Silent Hill was known for its boat rides on Toluca Lake, with the most infamous ship being named the Little Baroness.
The ship mysteriously disappeared without trace. None of the passengers on board were ever found.
Interestingly enough, this is the same year the naval ship, USS Cyclops, also vanished without any trace. It is unknown if these two events were correlated in any way.
In 1890, another tragedy struck in the form of multiple citizens vanishing without any evidence of their whereabouts.
Despite its history, Silent Hill still markets itself as a quaint Hallmark-charmed town full of beautiful scenery.
This all feels familiar. Some of our historians couldn’t help but bring up the similarities of Silent Hill to other American tragedies.
The first was USS Cyclops, as already mentioned. The crew on that ship was also never found, with plenty of theories surrounding its mystery. Some speculate simple engine and structural failure, heavy storms, or even an attack. Others believe its disappearance was caused by a supernatural event, such as going through a portal, alien abduction, or even a sea monster.
As strange as these may sound, it is still unknown as to what caused the ship’s disappearance.
The second comparison draws to the vanishing of the Roanoke Colony in 1857. Not only did the original Silent Hill settlement get abandoned due to sickness (much like the theories of Roanoke), but Silent Hill has felt like a vague dream in a similar sense.
Silent Hill has had strange disappearances just as Roanoke did, with no traces as to why.
And just like Roanoke, Silent Hill’s truths were also buried. The concerning events were explained away by whataboutisms and loose narratives.
Neither Roanoke’s vanishing or Silent Hill’s phenomena have been solved, despite the numerous theories. Silent Hill has no answers as to what happened to any of the people that have gone missing. There is no evidence that an investigation ever took place.
The Archive must then ask: Why is there neglect in truth? Why do we risk evolution for comfort?
Because the core of all of this stems from not knowing—where our brains are forced to rationalize with what little we do know.
II. Book a Room at The Lakeview Hotel
“He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.”
Perhaps The Archive misreads the situation.
Maybe it isn’t that people refuse to find answers about Silent Hill because of neglect, but because there is a fear of what they will find on the other side.
Forums indicate paranormal occurrences. People say the place is haunted, permanently lost to a fog full of shadows. Things exist there that shouldn’t.
Many online have said they have had dreams—neigh, nightmares—about Silent Hill. It is where you go when you are lost yet alert. It is a place full of your deepest anxieties. Others have reported feeling challenged rather than afraid, as if they were meant to go there. But why? Why are people dreaming about this place?
Some of you may be asking why it’s so important. If the town is as dangerous as it seems, why do we need to dig deeper? Perhaps the town just needs to be left alone. Maybe, even, it’s better off left to decay so it can be forgotten.
And to that, The Archive must raise you this…
A luxury room of comfort is still a prison if it has bars on the window.
If we force ourselves to stay comfortable, to stay ignorant, what do we gain in return? The same questions that run through our heads?
What if, what if, what if…
What if what?
But… but… but…
But what?
None of these excuses equate to the reality of the situation. Why fear the other side? Why fear any of it?
Silent Hill is not something to be afraid of. It is a challenge.
Because if we fail to even find the truth about a small town in Maine, then we fail to look forward.
We fail to see what happens right in front of us.
Instead, we choose comfort over risk. We choose familiarity over unknown.
We choose survival over living.
III. Silence in Silent Hill
When you let things fester for so long, the infection only gets worse. Ignoring the familiar pain never solves the issue, but rather postpones the inevitable.
Maybe it’s true that Silent Hill is a spiritual place. Perhaps these stories come from Silent Hill itself, forcing people to correct themselves through horrific unexplainable monstrosities.
Years of silence must be maddening when correction must take place. Did it ring through these folkloric creatures’ ears like tinnitus? Did it awaken them like an alarm clock?
Did the fog roll in to blur the lines between reality and falsehoods? Do the ashes of a town forgotten, burned in history, permeate the sky as a sign of refusal?
People say they have heard foghorns go off in Silent Hill. It doesn’t matter if they heard them in their dreams or while they were awake. Something is warning us.
Some reported the siren happening just before the darkness overcame the town in their dreams.
Some say the sound rang in their eardrums even after they woke up.
Unfortunately, The Archive isn’t sure what all this means. We are no closer to an answer than we were before we started this investigation.
INTERNAL MEMORANDUM
To: Slasher Archive Staff
From: Head of Archival Records
SUBJECT: Field Presence Required — Silent Hill
Many of you are aware that our recent investigation into the town of Silent Hill has been difficult in obtaining records outside of the Silent Hill Historical Society. This has caused our research department to rely heavily on folklore and internet say-so, which may damage our reputation as an archival unit.
In such case, we are escalating to field operations. We will be conducting a series of internal interviews soon for who will be assigned the task of investigating Silent Hill in-person.
We have also heard whispers in office about the hesitancy of researching Silent Hill due to the rumors surrounding it, in which we assure to you that there is no apparent danger.
Personnel interested in this assignment may contact operations@slasherarchive. Please also see the list of requirements before sending an inquiry:
Must actively be in therapy (we will ask for medical records)
Must be taking psych medication if prescribed
Must be in a stable environment
Must be physically active (fast running is a plus)
Please do not apply if you are recently dealing with the loss of a loved one or pet.
Further details will be provided if necessary.
— [REDACTED], Head of Archival Records
Just played the remake, that bullshit hill was actually quite noisy. Refunded