Don't Look Back
By Harun
"Alright. Thank you." Tails closed his cell phone. Two days separated him from the most romantic night of his life. The preparations were made. He imagined the evening starting at a fancy French restaurant. Then onto a bottle of specially-procured red wine, perfect for lovers. Finally, if the stars were aligned, the two would let their passions carry them into the night.
The streets were filled with busy shoppers, getting chocolates and cards for others. The very air seemed tinged with love. He giggled, imagining the night and all it would contain.
He had held off telling the blue blur for two months. Tails tried to surprise him at Christmas, but the timing just wasn't right. Besides, there was the issue of... Her.
ey-mee rohz... Tails sounded like a child starting to gag when he pushed out the first 'a' sound. As he came to the 'm', vomit made its way up his throat to fight with the bilabial nasal in his mouth. He bent forward, feeling dizzy. His lips parted for the 'e'. They did not stop to give him time to breathe, however. A few passers-by watched a boy vomiting in the gutter; the alveolar 'r' turned (literally) to liquid. Tails took a few deep breaths before wiping his mouth off. The name alone made him cringe.
The vomit seemed to mock him. "You alright, Tails?" He turned to find Amy Rose standing beside him with a concerned look on her face. The bright pink exterior of his vomit matched Amy's hair perfectly.
"Go away!" Tails lurched in the other direction. She tried to follow him, but he ran.
There were a few shops by the South Street bridge, one being the Food Stop. Shelves bustling with worthless vanities and idle trinkets lined the outer walls of the super market. Tails made his way into the back, to the employee area. He found Shadow sitting on a chair, drinking a soda.
"Hey, Shadow." The black hedgehog looked up.
"Man, you look like shit!" He said.
"Thanks... Did you get it?" Tails asked.
"Yeah." Shadow tapped a small cardboard box beside him.
"What do I owe ya?"
"Don't worry about it. You free for a chat at your house?"
"Can't we talk here?"
"No." There was firmness in Shadow's voice. He took the box, watching Shadow finish his soda.
"Ach... Back to work."
"See ya." Tails said.
The low light in the back made for an unpleasant experience when one ventured back into the 'civilization' of the main store. Colors seemed brighter. Adverts seemed to stand out more. No matter. Tails started for the front with his wine in tow. The box was marked with a sticker, allowing him to bypass the wretch who stood with marker in hand at the exit.
Stop one down. He had planned to go out and see Sonic tonight, dropping a few hints to him. However plans, as everyone knew, had a way of changing.
* * *
The weather forecasts looked promising. Tails loved to see the orange halos of light on a very snowy night. They were a marvelous sight to behold.
He unlocked the door. This small apartment was all he needed. There was no annoying family to bother him, and no worries about interruptions while he was working.
He gently set the box down. Duct tape lay across its top. Tails removed a knife from his kitchen drawer to open it. Cardboard came apart as he tried to remove the tape, which seemed the strongest material on the box. A bottle of red wine sat in the center. Tails picked it up to examine the label. He was no connoisseur, but he knew these words would impress his date. The temptation to taste a bit became strong. Tails fought it off, sitting the bottle on top of his fridge.
Beep. Tails looked from the fridge to his answering machine. He walked to the small table near his bed. An empty picture frame by the phone sent his reflection back. He wanted to fill the frame with a picture of his love. Hopefully, in a few days, he could. Tails pressed the flashing 'messages' button.
"Hey, Tails. It's me, Shadow. Listen man, Amy just stopped by. She seemed worried. I... Really need to talk to you, man. Call me back."
What an annoying pest that girl was. Amy might be trying to force Shadow into a date. Tails the Samaritan dialed the phone in an attempt to save his friend from doom.
"Hello, Shadow?"
"Tails! I need to talk to you!"
"What's up? I heard somethin' about..." Tails paused. He did not want to say her name again, for fear of round two.
"Yeah, Amy stopped by the store. She was really worried. She said that she was lookin' for you."
"That's right. I... Said I'd help her with somethin'."
"Anyway, that's not why I called. I need to talk to you. You free tonight?"
"You asked me this already, and I said no. I've gotta study."
"Shit... What about talking tomorrow?"
"...Yeah. Sounds good."
"Alright, man. See ya."
"See ya."
What was that about? If it wasn't about... Her, then what was so important? He decided to invite Shadow along tomorrow morning when he went to get valentines.
The morning came, as it usually did, without regard for anyone. Tails called Shadow to meet at the super market. After they met up, they headed to the mall. "Check this out." Shadow held out a gift card. Tails feigned surprise when he noticed the name of the restaurant. It was the same one he'd made reservations for. "...Awesome!" Tails said.
"What'd you get?"
"Just some chocolates, nothin' much."
"Ooh, good idea! Be right back." Shadow headed to the candies. How awkward.
"So, who're you givin' 'em to?" Tails asked his friend.
"It's a surprise! She doesn't even know!"
"Ugh..." Tails cringed.
"What'd you get?" Shadow looked at him.
"Chocolates, gift card, AND a bottle of wine." Tails smirked, waving his finger.
"So that's who it was for!" Shadow bit his finger.
"Ouch! You prick!" They laughed.
"What's with the book? Gonna read to her til she's bored?"
"This?" Tails looked at the copy of Oedipus Tyrannous in his bag.
"It's nothing."
"You got time after this?" Shadow asked.
"Yeah."
"Good."
The two paid for their things and left the mall.
* * *
"Stomp your feet off!" Tails said. Shadow stomped his feet on the floor, shaking off snow. The apartment was warm. Tails liked the heater on even during the day.
"Yes, mother..." Shadow set his bag on the kitchen counter. He saw the bottle of wine on the fridge.
"So, you wanted to tell me somethin'?" Tails sat down by his dining table.
"Yeah..." Shadow sat beside him.
"You know, we've always been friends, man..." Crud... This was going to be about money, booze, women, or all three.
"Go on."
"It's..." Shadow started to stammer.
"Dude, what's wrong?"
"I... I think I love him, Tails..." This was unexpected. Tails had to be very careful about what he said next. Time for tact.
Both of them knew, yet hated, the 'traditional' coming-out protocol. Parents' hands would fling in the air, their teeth would gnash, the 'accused' would weep and wail like a queen, and another family would be ruined.
"Yeah, so?" Tails broke the silence. Shadow looked with widened eyes at his friend. He saw how the fox grinned at him.
"What, you didn't know that?"
"So... You didn't buy that stuff for a girl?" Shadow asked.
"No, and I'm guessin' neither did you!"
"Alright, alright. On three, we say who we thought the other was buying for. Ready? One, two three."
"Amy!" Tails cringed. Shadow burst into laughter. "I know that's not the only reason you came here, Shadow." The black hedgehog threw his head back, sighing.
"Fine. I need help pickin' somethin' out. I figured you and Knuckles'd know..." Oh no she didn't.
The only thought in Tails' mind was the container of heart pills in his medicine chest.
"...We..." He grimaced.
"...Might know what you're lookin' for." Shadow grasped Tails' hand.
"Does he like earrings?"
"I don't even know who you're talking about."
"Sonic, stupid! Remember the Christmas party?" Tails' face twitched. Double crud.
"...Sonic?"
"Yeah..." Shadow sighed again.
"Ask Knuckles, would you?"
"...Sure thing..." The only thing Tails planned to ask Knuckles tomorrow was how he developed that cottage-cheese physique.
"Anyway, I think I'm gonna tell him tomorrow. It would be the most romantic time, right?" Shadow's cell phone beeped.
"Hey... Yeah I'm with Tails... What's up?" Shadow looked at Tails and shivered.
"Alright, I'll be there. Gimme five minutes."
"Headin' out?"
"Amy just called. Says she's 'got a surprise' for me."
"Maybe she turned into he..."
"I still wouldn't do him... Gotta go, dude. Talk to ya later." Shadow closed the door. Tails looked out of his window to see snow falling from the late-evening sky. The king of Thebes beckoned to him from across the table. Their relationship was cut off during Christmas, and Tails thought it bad manners to not attempt rekindling the old flame.
"Open it, open it!" The pink elephant stood an inch from Sonic, teasing him with an ugly red dress. Tails wanted to protect him. A dress could never be that red... Indeed, she was giving off an odor, but that was due more to her raiding the liquor cabinet twenty minutes ago.
"Why are you reading!?" She stumbled across the living room over to Tails. Amy grabbed the book. She started to fight him for it before Sonic interrupted.
"Ames!" Sonic put his hand on hers.
"That's my book. I'm just letting Tails check it out." She let go, and Tails did likewise. Sonic set it down beside a large red gift.
"Stop fighting or I won't open it." The liquor was doing its work on Amy.
"Fine!" She stomped out of the room. Tails wished there was a bowl of peanuts somewhere, so he could flick a few in her direction.
"Oh shit..." Tails got up.
"I'll be right back." He went over to Cream, who was trying to console Amy.
"Go away, Tails!" Cream said.
"I needa talk to you..." Tails said.
"Why the hell would I wanna talk to you?"
"You got that extra room in the back? I'm feelin' sick."
A bulb busted in the fox's head. Maybe Shadow was lying about going to see Amy. Maybe he was going to confess to Sonic tonight!
* * *
Tails grabbed his coat. He placed the chocolates and wine in his backpack. This could be his only chance. He unlocked his bike and headed for South Street. He peddled down the sidewalk of West Bend, looking for landmarks. The snow was so thick, it was getting hard to see anything.
He cursed himself for not bringing along a flashlight. The street lights helped, but not much. A green light flickered and turned red, telling him he was close to the intersection. It was the only obstacle standing in his way. Simply cross, and he would be able to get to Sonic.
Tails bolted into the intersection. He heard honking. He heard screeching. He heard crashing. Don't look back. Just keep moving. People didn't know how to drive. They shouldn't be out this late in this weather. One block to go. Tails could make out a faint glow in the distance past the super market. Two police cars zoomed by in the other direction, sirens blaring. An ambulance followed. Tails took it as an omen. He threw his bike down and ran to the door, pounding on the knocker. No response. He pounded louder. No response. "SONIC!" He continued wailing on the door. The lights weren't on. Maybe Shadow had gotten to him first. They could be anywhere, doing anything. The piercing scream of a lovestruck fox filled the air. He had failed.
It was getting too sweaty. He reversed his coat, now showing gray on the outside instead of green.
He went to his bike. He'd find Shadow in the morning, and, if chances permitted, beat the shit out of him. There was no point in staying here and freezing to death.
Tails kept riding. He looked up at the street lights. There was at least one beautiful thing tonight, the halo of snow. This was a small bit of paradise, he thought to himself. The snow gave him hope he would find Sonic that night. He needed to let his feelings be known.
Tails noticed other lights in the distance. They weren't the normal red-and-blue of police, but the yellow-and-orange of construction. A section of road was being blocked off. He peddled past the workers, descending from paradise into the real world.
Two automobiles had collided.
Both were caked in snow so he couldn't see detail, but Tails reckoned one to be a new car and the other, an older truck. Red smeared on the doors and windshields. Black where people had been dragged out. A second ambulance pulled out of the area. Taking its place, was a blue van with the words 'county coroner'. Tails turned away. This might be another omen. Get home soon, or be involved in something worse. He caught himself looking at a blotch of snow near the car. Its most distinctive characteristic was its color. Pink. He immediately thought of Amy. Why was he thinking of her so much these past few days?
Tails felt himself descending into hell. He saw the road blocks ahead, keeping the demons out of this realm. God damned news locusts flocked around, hoping to satisfy the blood lust of John Q Public. There was no dignity here, just monsters being held at bay by police. Hell... The hell of self-realization. The hell of not fitting in with the outside world... "I... I love him, Tails." Those words bounced around in his mind. Now that was a hell he could understand. Most of the public did not care for his kind, and saw them as demons from the abyss. An officer stopped Tails. "This area is off limits, sir." Tails produced his wallet.
The officer saw his address, and allowed him through. The officer signaled a few others, to follow him. These men gave Tails a barrier against the locusts.
"Sir! Give us a comment!"
"How many dead?"
"Who's to blame?"
'Who was to blame' indeed... "Go on through, sir." The officers left him. Tails tipped his cap to the Virgils behind him as he hopped on his bike.
* * *
He slammed the door hard. Sleep could wait. He needed to find out where Sonic was.
Beep. The only light in the apartment came from his answering machine. It pulsed like an S-O-S pattern.
The voice he heard on the other end was... Hers. Amy Rose was calling him. This was a different Amy, however. Not one he had ever had contact with before.
"T,t,t,t,Ta!" The voice was sobbing uncontrollably. Between gasps of air, it tried to make words.
"S,s,s,s,Son!" The message cut off. He pushed the 'messages' button again, only to hear the same jumbled hysteria. How did she get his number? What could they possibly have to talk about?
He took the phone and dialed the callback number.
"South Memorial Hospital." A hospital? The only other person who had his number was... Shadow.
"Yes, I'm calling for a Ms. Amy Rose, please..."
"Hold, please." Something had happened to Shadow. But why was Amy calling? Amy didn't care about either Tails or Shadow. The only person that she cared for was.
He heard sobbing on the other end. It was Amy.
"Amy! Where's Sonic!" She tried to speak, but nothing came. Bawling into the phone.
"I'll be right down!"
* * *
Tails arrived at the hospital. Amy found him in the waiting area. "How bad is it?" Silence.
"What about Sonic?" More silence. They entered Room 213.
Beep. Beep. Beep. The blue blur was hooked to life-support. Tails' fists clenched.
"Amy, talk to me. What happened?" "The three of us pooled our money together for a car. He was so happy..." She choked up.
"We went out to celebrate and..."
"When I find who did this, I swear..." He paced the confines of the room, taking brief looks at the remains of his friend.
"Where's Shadow?" If he wasn't in the same room with her, he might be somewhere else. She started sobbing again.
A nurse entered to change out an I.V. drip. She looked at the two kids. She had seen this a thousand times before. Best to keep quiet. Tails looked at Amy. She seemed to know what he was thinking.
"He's... Dead?" There was a grit in Tails' voice.
He spent the remainder of the party locked in a small room. Tears soaked the cheap pillow covers as Tails picked up the sounds in the other room. His best friend, and his worst enemy, were in the heat of passion. Shortly after he locked himself in, Sonic went to comfort Amy. He bit the pillow, trying not to sob. Thud. Thud. Thud. Tails placed a hand on his chest, expecting his heart to fall out. Thud. Thud. Thud. He was alive, he had made a mistake, but he was alive.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Tails looked up. Sonic's life-support was trying to communicate with him.
Beep. Beep. Beep. "I'll get through this..." Beep. Beep. "Don't worry."
Beep. "Be strong."
Silence. Words could not express what actions could. Amy soaked Sonic's shirt with her tears. Tails held his hand. It was coming.
P, Taaa QRS, illl T, Sssss Tears streamed down Tails' face as he broke into sobbing along with Amy.
Screaming. Wailing. Two of the bitterest enemies locked in an embrace. If any one at school were to see this, they would say the world was ending. Indeed, a part of both their worlds was laying motionless right in front of them. Tails wiped his eyes. He looked at the figure holding him. It was not a hideous monster, but a person. A person who had the same feelings he had. A person who loved the same one he did.
Her face was pale, her hands shaking. There was a small washroom beside the entrance. He walked her over and opened the door.
Tails felt sick for not being able to confess at Christmas. He heard vomiting in the washroom. She would be occupied for a few minutes. He leaned down to Sonic's face.
"I love you..." He whispered to his hero. Silence. Another burst of sobs came at him. He collapsed on the ground beside the bed. Tears. Sniffling. The sound of a click. Choking. Sobbing. The feel of a hand.
He looked up. The hand was hers, pressing on his shoulder. He felt disappointed. He didn't want her to be there. He'd rather have a heartless doctor holding him. Then he could find an excuse for distancing himself, for protecting himself, for shielding himself.
The room was suffocating. Tails got off the floor.
"I'm gonna go catch my breath." He said to her. Her tears looked bled in. No amount of water would wash them away. She nodded.
He turned on the faucet in the washroom. If only water could wash misery away. Tails gazed into the mirror. It looked like there was someone else in the reflection, waiting behind him. He gasped and turned around.
Maybe he was just getting too hot. Perhaps shedding the color associated with his dead love would help cheer him up.
As he was unzipping his jacket, he heard a knock at the entrance to the room.
A peculiar facet of humanity is its obsession with revenge. Amy was standing at one side of the bed, holding Sonic's hand. She did not want to let go. She did not want to think about moving on without him. But she had to. A second rapping at the door broke her daze.
"Ma'am?" A sharply dressed officer walked in. It was the same heartless blob who questioned her in the ambulance. Blood rushed to her face. These things didn't have any sort of dignity. To hell with your feelings. You wept on their schedule, you were done when they said so.
"What's your problem!? I told you everything I know!"
"If you've remembered anything since the accident, we could still find this guy tonight." She tried to remember. Anything that would make this blob disappear and leave her alone.
Tails wiped his face off with a towel. "You sure you didn't get a good look at him?" Tails stepped near the door, wanting to hear more.
"He was... He was on a bike." So they were talking about the worthless garbage who ran out in front of them. Tails' breathing quickened. Any info he heard, he could use against this monster.
"What kind of bike?" Why was this idiot concentrating on a bike?
"His coat..."
The sound of water was drowned out by the conversation outside. "His coat?" His eyes slowly made their way down to look at the cloth covering him.
"Yeah... I saw his coat. It was shiny, like that tape." "What color was it?" A hideous laughter.
"Green..." He was fixated on the underside of his coat. The green fabric was laughing at him. Smoke seemed to come out of its mouth. Tails screamed.
Knock. Knock.
"You alright in there, son?" "Fine!" He went to the sink to wash his face. Blood flowed from the faucet. It soaked him. It soaked the sink.
Two figures stood on either side of him in his reflection. One was a blue hedgehog, clad in a green jacket. The other was a black hedgehog, clad in a gray jacket. Their faces were covered in blood.
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" The room was spinning. He wrapped the jacket around his fist and slammed it into the mirror.
"Hey! What're you doing in there?" The knob rattled. He felt pressure on the other side of the door. The blob was trying to get in. He positioned himself by the door, putting one hand on the lock.
The latch clicked open. The blob fell into the washroom. He caught a fist to the stomach. Tails took his backpack and bolted out of the door. "Tails!" Amy started towards him.
"DOCTOR!" A nurse shouted in the hallway.
He ran to the entrance.
"Stop!" Two men holding syringes stood by the entrance. Two others behind him. He was surrounded.
Tails reached into his backpack.
"Watch out! He's got a bottle!"
Tails swung. One of the MAs went down, taking the bottle to his face. Tails kicked the second MA in the stomach. He spun around, swinging the broken remains. MA 3 took a deep cut on his arm. MA 4 could not protect himself, and was cut in the throat. The door was clear. He jumped over the downed figures and sprinted to his bike.
* * *
The dawn would not break for another hour. Just enough time. Tails peddled to the bridge, stopping to see the water beneath. The water was freezing. He took out a small notepad to check his calculations. This would take no longer than five minutes. He picked up a large rock and looked over the edge.
Splash. The rock broke through the ice, leaving a large hole in its wake. Tails took one last look around.
"Happy Valentine's Day..."
0:05 A thousand daggers pricked his body. Air. Crisp air. Breathe in, breathe out, just let it do its thing... 0:15 He saw the ice get closer to eye level. He was sinking.
0:20 Freezing. Ice water seeped into his mouth. He gasped for his final breath.
0:40 Burning. He closed his eyes. The adrenaline in his body tried in vein to produce artificial air.
0:50 Dizziness. His lungs burned. He gasped for whatever the water would give him.
0:55
1:00
1:30
I'm so embarrassed! I think he knows what I got him! He's looking right at me... And he's BLUSHING! I'm sure he'll feign surprise anyway. He looks so cute right now. I wish I could just bury myself in his chest. Here it comes! He's unwrapping it! Ugh, dammit... She's trying to help him! She's going to ruin this Christmas just like she ruined Thanksgiving! Heh heh... Shadow's got her by the arm. Those two look like they're married. Now there's a thought! Shadow gives me the thumbs up.
Everyone in the room is looking at me. But they're not happy. They all look... Sad, no, disappointed with something. He's opened my gift. My heart stops when I see the look on Sonic's face. His eyes are welling up with tears.
"Why'd you do it?"
-THE END