(no subject)

[stop_the_rain]

History: After losing his parents to a car crash when he was too small to remember, Murphy Pendleton was raised in a Catholic orphanage in Boston. He considered the nuns and other children there his family, and had an uneventful - if sometimes lonely - childhood. He bonded with one particular older nun, and considered her his mother. When he reached teenage years, however, things started to change. Murphy fell in with a bit of a bad crowd, and got mixed up in petty crimes. Underage drinking, joyriding, minor shop lifting, trashcan fires and cherry bombs…nothing that ever landed on a permanent record, and his punishments tended to be no worse than a few switches, the denial of supper and a night of solitary prayer. Confused and angry, Murphy was simply lashing out and looking for attention.

Then he met Carol. It was love at first sight, as far as he was concerned. She was the most beautiful girl Murphy had ever seen. They met at church and Murphy mended his ways and cleaned up his act in order to woo her. For the most part. He won her friendship, affection and love; as well as a hastily arranged wedding at the age of 19. Their son Charlie was born six months following.

Despite landing as a family man so young, it wasn't that strange or out of place for a young, inner-city Irish Catholic couple. And already this was more than Murphy had ever thought he'd have - a family of his own. They were his entire world. Carol was everything he'd ever dreamed a woman could be and Charlie was like the completion of a puzzle. Everything fit. Murphy managed to get a good job as a mechanic, enough to move them from a small apartment in a bad neighborhood to a Victorian duplex in a better area. More families, better schools, that sort of thing. Murphy wanted Charlie to have a better childhood than he did.

From the moment he was born on, everything revolved around Charlie. Murphy shared everything with him, and spent all his free time with his family. He taught Charlie everything he knew, built models and toys with him, took him to the park every chance he got. When Charlie started school, it was Murphy who met with teachers and handled whatever needed to be handled. Carol had told him, before they were married, that all she wanted from his was to be a good father to their son, and he took it to heart.

Unfortunately, there were factors in place that Murphy never could have accounted for. Factors which led to tragedy when Charlie was 8 years old. One Saturday, while at the park flying a new kite the father and son had built, Charlie ran off beyond Murphy's line of sight. Charlie was only out of his sight for a few minutes, but it was enough for the boy to disappear. Later that day, his body was found in the lake, wrapped in a burlap sack.

It may as well have been the end for Murphy. His life began to spiral out of control. He and Carol began seeing a marriage counselor, but it didn't help much. Carol blamed Murphy for Charlie's death, and Murphy began to believe her. A few months after Charlie's mysterious death - no suspects were looked at, other than Murphy himself and no one was ever brought in - the Pendleton's next door neighbor, a 40 year old man named Napier, was arrested. Murphy, curious and being eaten inside by Charlie's death, did some investigating.

Patrick Napier was arrested for the abduction, molestation and murder of an eight year old local boy. Who attended the same elementary school that Charlie had. It didn't take Murphy long to connect the dots and realize that Napier had been the one who abducted Charlie. He followed the news story closely, even as he fell into heavy drinking and the collapse of his marriage. By the time Napier was sentenced to Ryell Correctional, Murphy was in the midst of a divorce and could think of nothing but revenge. With Napier in jail, he had one course of action.

Murphy hot-wired a parked police cruiser and proceeded to lead the police on a chase all the way up to Maine and back, finally allowing himself to be apprehended in Ashfield. Due to the non-violent nature of his crime and the fact that he had a clean record - all juvenile mishaps being expunged when he turned 18 - Murphy was sentenced to eight years in Ryell.

In prison, Murphy kept his head down and his mouth shut. Napier was a sequestered prisoner, and he had no access. But Murphy was considered a model prisoner, and a kind CO took a specific liking to him. Frank Coleridge had been working in law enforcement for most of his life, and couldn't understand what had happened to make a law-abiding civilian suddenly snap one day. Murphy himself never bothered to explain, saying only 'maybe he just needed to get away'. Still, Frank went out of his way to help Murphy, ensuring he was cleared for a work release program and petitioning for his parole.

He also caught the eye of another CO, George Sewell. Sewell was a snake, had figured out exactly why Murphy was in prison. And Sewell offered Murphy a deal. Access. Full, private access, and the promise of a clean up after the job was done. Murphy would just have to owe Sewell a little favor down the line. But what was a favor in the name of justice? Murphy, finally given the opportunity he'd been waiting for, at first balked at the idea. But Sewell reminded him that there had been no justice for Charlie, and now his killer got to live it up in a private facility. Convinced, Murphy agreed.

Sewell arranged for Murphy to be in the showers when Napier was brought in. He let Murphy in on a way to block the cameras - turning on every shower head to hot - and waiting. He even left a bat and shank for Murphy. And when the time came, when he was confronted with the sick son of a bitch who had done those horrible things to Charlie…Murphy didn't hesitate. He beat Napier with the bat until it broke, stabbed the man until he dropped the knife, and then beat the pedophile to death with his bare hands.

Sewell was good on his word. No one knew what Murphy had done, and Napier was dead and gone. Murphy found himself approved for parole after only five years. But then Sewell called in his favor. Another shower situation. Another bastard who needed it. Just like last time, he'd set it all up and take care of the cleanup. Murphy agreed, more than willing to keep his end of the bargain. He'd made a deal and Sewell had come through. Only when he made his way to the showers in the midst of a violent riot, he found Frank Coleridge. Sewell arrived shortly after, urging Murphy to make good on their deal - Frank was sniffing around in Sewell's business, and needed to be taken care of. But Murphy couldn't do it. Frank was a good man, an innocent man. Frank told him to run as Sewell decided to take over the job himself.

This time, Sewell didn't follow through just as promised. Murphy found himself under suspicion, his parole revoked, and he was fast tracked to a transfer to a maximum security facility: Wayside. He had no power to deny the accusations or convince anyone of the truth. It was a COs word against his, and the prison system was so corrupt that it didn't even matter - Sewell made sure the 'dangerous' prisoner was sedated or sequestered anyway. Not that it mattered much to Murphy at this point: he'd done what he felt he needed to do.

But fate had a different idea for Murphy. While in transit to Wayside, under the care of CO Anne Cunningham, the road suddenly fell away and the bus crashed into a valley. Murphy seemed to be the only survivor, and soon found himself on the edge of a little town called Silent Hill - a town known for invading the mind of various visitors and subjecting them to nightmares born of their own subconscious. Things were strange. The only person he met was a mailman who seemed unconcerned the town was empty, or strange sights seemed to be appearing in windows. Desperate to find his way out of town, Murphy found himself descending into an increasingly more disturbing world. After putting out a gas leak in an abandoned diner, Murphy found himself in a nightmare world where a formless void pursued him through mazes and labyrinths of monsters and death. He saw visions of his past, twisted and almost unfamiliar too him. He barely made it through alive.

Once away from that horror, it was Anne Cunningham who pursued him. Determined to catch the 'filthy monster' who had escaped her care, Cunningham was willing to risk her very life, edging across a narrow ledge over an abyss known as Devil's Pit, despite Murphy promising to meet her at the bottom. In her haste, she slipped, and despite Murphy's attempt to save her, fell into the abyss. Murphy continued on, through a devil-ridden mine, meeting a man named JP who commits suicide in front of him. Burdened by the guilt of causing the deaths of dozens of children - on the job drinking led to a crash of the train JP operated - drove him to take his own life. Again, there was nothing Murphy could do even though he tried.

Frustrated and frightened, and seeing more and more glimpses of some horrific form in a wheelchair in windows and alleyways and on tv screens, Murphy finally reached the town proper, changed out of his prison garb, encountered his first monsters when witnessing the grisly death of a fellow escaped prisoner and set out…only to be greeted with Anne Cunningham! She had no explanation for what happened after her fall, and was only intent on apprehending Murphy. She spoke on personal terms, as though she knew him well. Murphy had never seen her before his transfer. She searched him, and found a mourning badge in the pockets of the jeans Murphy had found. She reacted strongly to this, crying and threatening to shoot Murphy. But she collapsed in tears instead and told Murphy to just go away.

Confused as to why she won't just work with him to escape this nightmare, Murphy continued on. He was assuaged by monsters now, their frequency and strength increasing as the intensity of the storm the covers Silent Hill did. He began to hear radio dedications and announcements, a mysterious DJ both taunting and helping him in riddle and rhyme, and occasionally begging him to come help. With no other leads, Murphy headed to the radio station to meet this DJ Ricks who kept reaching out to him.

On his way he met Howard, the mailman again. He seemed unconcerned regarding any strange happenings, and directed Murphy to the Centennial Building. The radio station is at the top floor.

At the Centennial Building, things started getting much, much weirder. Murphy began finding notes and memos regarding himself, from Ryell prison. The world changed from regular to nightmare as he ascended the building, more monsters and horrors and hints from his past assaulting him. Finally he made it to the top floor and entered Ricks' booth…only for the man to deny all knowledge of him. Murphy protested, demanding that Ricks explain what the hell is going on. Ricks shushed him, and explained they have to be careful, they're being 'listened to'. There were 'rules'. Ricks claimed to have a boat in the marina that they can use to escape, but the keys had been stolen - Ricks has been there 'so long' in his words. The phone rang while they were talking, and suddenly Ricks became terrified. He claimed 'they're coming', but it's Cunningham who bursts in. She tried to use the phone, finds it disconnected, and then monsters break in and abduct her and Ricks.

Yet again, Murphy is forced to flee the void. He found himself sliding down a tunnel and then out onto the clock face at the top of the building. His life flashes before his eyes before he falls….

Only to wake up on a park bench with Howard the mailman delivering him a letter from the nearby monastery and orphanage, St. Maria's. Despite protesting, Murphy was told that what he wants doesn't matter. With no other choice, Murphy headed to the monastery where he was met by an aging Nun. She told him they've been waiting, and he's the only family they could locate. She let him in and told him to look around, and disregard the disrepair. She'll be in the morgue when he's ready.

While wandering the badly damaged monastery - it looks like an earthquake has ravaged it - Murphy met a young boy who reminded him of Charlie. The boy was behind a locked door, and told Murphy he can't let him in. He's been told Murphy is the boogeyman, and unless Murphy can recite a certain rhyme to send the boogeyman away, he won't believe otherwise. Murphy explored the monastery, meeting more horrors and allusions to his past, and found himself often trailing a mysterious little girl. After finally gathering all the parts of the rhyme, Murphy returned to the boy. Only to find the true boogeyman approaching - a towering man in a miner's slicker and gas mask, wielding a cinderblock hammer. Murphy struggled to recite the rhyme in time, but was unable to remember the words properly. The boogeyman killed the boy in front of Murphy, placed a finger to its lips warning silence, and left. The little girl appeared immediately and accused Murphy of killing the boy. She fled as the nightmare world came on, and Murphy chased her through the darkness. He came upon her at last in a strange attic-like room, with the creature in the wheelchair. He tried to get to her, but the floor fell out and he found himself in the normal monastery. He woke up on a morgue slab, and the nun entered shortly after. She told him he may claim his son's body, and Murphy protested. He approached the covered body she presented, and when he pulled off the sheet he saw the boogeyman. He raged against the assertion that the thing was his son, and the nun began attempting to lead him through the sinner's prayer, warning him he has left the path of God and may not be able to return to it if he allowed himself to be taken over by revenge. He intended to leave…but saw the keys to Ricks' boat around the monster's neck. The nun said 'they're yours if you claim his as you're own'. Murphy ripped the chain from the creature's neck and it grabbed him. The world went black, and suddenly he was in a backyard. He heard Charlie calling him and began running until he found himself at the edge of a lake. The boogeyman rose from it, and Murphy killed it finally with its own hammer. He found himself back in the morgue, the face beneath the monster's hood switching from Napier's to his own. Charlie stepped out from the shadows and congratulated Murphy on killing the boogeyman. Murphy protested that it made no difference: his life is ruined and Charlie is still dead. Revenge is pointless, and a cycle that only brings more pain. This is the lesson Silent Hill had for Murphy, and one he realizes without hesitation when confronted with it.

With the keys to the boat and hopefully freedom, Murphy headed to the docks. He founds the boat and was about to leave when he is stopped once more by Cunningham. He flat out told her that this is stupid, they need to leave, and he's not going back to prison. Anne protested that they need to finish what they started 'what you started!' before the town will let them go. She told him it 'knows her, showed her things'. He told her he knew that, and all she can do is shoot him because he's done, and so she did.

Murphy woke up yet again, this time in an orange prison jumpsuit and in the Silent Hill prison, the Overlook. The horrific wheeled creature sat outside his cell before wheeling away, and leaving Murphy to try and escape. In the prison he was confronted again and again with his own past, until he found himself in the showers. There he discovered police evidence markers: a shank, a mourning badge, a bag of clothes. Blood began filling the shower and he saw a wrapped body in the center of the room that hadn't been there at first. He approached and was pulled into the nightmare one final time. Murphy fled the sucking void and was finally confronted with a giant, horrific version of the wheelchair creature. It was gutted, its insides nothing but tubes and machinery. Unable to even approach it, Murphy must slowly end the thing's life by pulling out the tubes that seemed to keep it alive. When he had completed this, Anne was there once more. She screamed at him for what he's done, and Murphy protests that he had to kill the monster…

Except the body lying to the side was that of Frank Coleridge, not a monster. Frank who was Anne's father, who wasn't killed in Sewell's attack immediately, but forced to live in a vegetative state, unable to think or speak or care for himself. And Anne cared for him, but over time as she looked at him all she could see was the monster who had done it. The monster named Murphy. Murphy tried to explain what really happened, but as *she* talked over him, explaining the sick things and depraved favors she had to call in to get Murphy under her care, Murphy began to transform. Soon he was the boogeyman, and Anne fled from him, shooting and begging him to die. Armed with the monster's massive hammer, Murphy couldn't bring himself to fight back. Anne was an innocent, and he couldn't kill an innocent person, even to save himself.

Endings vary at this point, but I tend to play from the Good+ ending.



Personality: Murphy is a man with honor and morals…that he can twist with personal justifications when he needs to act outside of them. He is a good man at heart - every horrible thing he does he does because he believes he is avenging his son or helping someone - but his morals are maleable. He commits many petty crimes around Silent Hill, and always justifies the doing of it. 'There's plenty of money here, they won't miss a couple of dollars.', 'stealing from a thief isn't stealing', 'I need this a lot more than you', etc etc. Every time he takes something, he justifies why it's okay to do so. He believes strongly in justice and right or wrong, but always that kids are off limits. When he meets JP, the train operator responsible for the deaths of a dozen children, JP confronts Murphy with 'and you've got no secrets? You've never done anything horrible?' to which Murphy vehemently replies 'I only hurt people who deserve it, and *never* kids! I'd never be able to live with myself'.

He is all about kids. He tries to help the children he encounters in SH, and reacts most strongly to any death in the game to the death of the boy at the orphanage. When he discovers the little girl in the orphanage (a memory of Anne as a child) he is consumed with protecting her, even ignoring his owns after to chase her through the Otherworld. An optional side-quest involves discovering a missing girl was actually murdered by her mother, and again Murphy reacts strongest to this than his discoveries of adults meeting horrible fates. Children are basically the most important thing to Murphy, and he will do anything to help and protect them. And if someone tries to hurt a kid in front of him/he finds out…pity the bastard because Murphy won't sit idly by.

He has a short temper, and will snap pretty quickly when things aren't going his way. While he tries to be reasonable and calm and rational, he loses that easily when he's being told things he doesn't want to hear. His patience runs short with Howard, Ricks', the nun…every time he is presented with things he doesn't want to hear, he lets his temper slip.

Being raised Irish Catholic has left Murphy with mixed feelings, religiously. He carries a lot of guilt, even for things he has been absolved of, and at times wonders if he has strayed so far from God's path that he can never return to it again. He takes responsibility for things that happen around him, such as Anne's first fall, JP's suicide, Ricks' abduction and probable death, the death of the boy in the orphanage…even though he wasn't to blame for any of these and in most cases tried to help. But because he couldn't he carries the guilt. He doesn't believe he's a *bad* person, he just often feels helpless and this translates into deep guilt. He also wrestles with his ability to compromise his morals so quickly when he feels he needs it, and carries the guilt from that.

And while he'd very much like to deny it…he is a violent man. He represses it and struggles with it (The Void is a manifestation of his guilt and violence, two things he is eternally trying to escape but are always just on his heels, threatening to consume him) but when given the opportunity Murphy's violent rage is brutal and terrifying. As mentioned, when he broke both weapons, he proceeded to beat Patrick Napier (an unarmed, overweight, naked man who was crying and soiling himself in terror) to death with his bare fists.

He tends to talk to himself, and will sometimes just start verbalizing over nothing actually relevant, more like he's narrating. This developed in prison, where he had no cellmate and was often alone.