Silent Darkness

It was a vacation. Just for one, short week. Five days. That's all. It would never happen. They would never get there. Well, five of them would, at least.

It happened too quickly. There they were: enjoying a relaxing plane ride. Suddenly, a loud sound. Smoke. Fire. Panic. Decent. Crash. Unbelievable pain. And then, darkness.

Sonic awoke oblivious to how long he's been out. He struggled to stand, but a metal slate pressed him down into the rubble. With a moment's rest, he was able to shove it to the side, giving himself room to stand. Oh, the pain. His right shoulder was burning; a tingling sensation was all he felt. His legs gave way as he stepped forward. Unable to drag himself from the fiery bowels of the plane, he lay there. Thinking. Just…Thinking. Not about his life. Not about his future. He wondered where he was. He thought about everyone else. He hoped they were unharmed. He closed his eyes, too weary and terrified to watch his own death. The feeling of flight overcame him. As if he was drenching his burnt fur in the caressing mist of a soft cloud.

He awoke once more. He was no longer hurting. He was no longer gasping for fresh air. The plane sat beside him, flames still alit. He shakily stood to his feet, using a rail that protected tourists from the dark abyss below. He looked around. On one side of the road, mountains stretched far above. On the other side, a cliff. There was a thick fog gathering around him. He could barely see his own hands. But, he made out footprints in the snow.

Was it snow? He looked up, catching a flake in his hand. It soaked into his glove, leaving a black stain. No, not snow. Ash. Ashes from the plane, yes.

Not now. He couldn't think now. A voice in the distance was calling him. Come closer, it said. Come to me…Sonic. Giving into the siren, he cautiously stepped forward. Follow ussss. Why didn't he run? He was the fastest thing alive. Was it fear? Or, was it something else?

The footprints were far too rounded to be a human's, and they were too misshapen to be an anthropomorphic creature. Regardless, he followed them. When they ended, he was standing at the beginning of a small town. Pale ash covered it completely. It wasn't from the plane. Something wasn't right about this part of Mobius. He felt tension surrounding him as he walked toward the voices. It sent a shiver down his spine. No, there definitely was something going on here.

He called out Tails' name. Nothing. He feared his friends were dead by now. Not wanting to believe his own thoughts, he darted forward and tripped over himself. His speed. It was gone. It didn't exist here. He frantically scrambled to his feet and tried again. He couldn't run even a few feet without getting tired. He still has his abilities. He was just weary. Yes. A quick nap and he'll feel better. Renewed, for lack of better words.

It was getting harder to breathe. A sharp, ringing sound plagued him as he repeatedly shook his head. Make it stop. Make it all stop. The fog became thicker the further in he traveled. Soon enough, he began to feel weak. He fell to his knees, arms propping him up. He gasped for air. His vision became blurry. This was it. This was the end. No more adventures. No more friends. No more Amy. He rolled onto his back. He stared up at the sky. Ash fluttered down around him, landing cold on his muzzle.

It wasn't ash. It was water. Someone had dragged him from the rubble of the plane. Someone had brought him here. Someone had saved his life. He coughed, spitting out excess water. An albino echidna was his savior. He wore a long, black cape that had what looked like a star printed in the middle. Sonic's hearing returned to him, and he could hear a voice.

"Are you alright? Didn't the church teach you anything about the radiation pockets?" Huh? Radiation? Church? The hedgehog's ears perked up. He knew where they were. He must know where the others are. "You don't look like you're from around here… What's your name?"

"Sonic the Hedgehog." He stood, using a street post to support his shaky knees. "I…I don't know where I am… But, our plane crashed about a mile out that way," He pointed and the echidna turned, as if he could see beyond the thick, gray atmosphere. "Please. There were five more on the plane. I don't know where any of them are."

"Calm down. We'll go to the church to see if anyone else has found them." Using the strange echidna as a crutch, Sonic limped in the direction of this supposed building. "What were the names of your friends?"

"Miles Prower was the pilot. We call him Tails. Amy Rose was another. Rouge the Bat and Knuckles the Echidna. Shadow was with us too." He nodded, seemingly acknowledging Sonic's answer. "If you don't mind me asking, what's your name?"

"Where are my manners? I am Doctor Finitevus. Also titled 'The Good Doctor'." The hedgehog tilted his head. He felt insecure and yet relieved at the same time. He was unnerved by the echidna, but thankful that life existed in a remote town like this.

After a while of awkward silence, the hedgehog was able to stand on his own and followed the Doctor until they reached a tall building. It was the church. It certainly didn't look like one. The windows were dark, hazy, dirty. The steps were cracked from baking in the sun…or from immense pressure. The heavy iron doors swung open as they stepped in. Inside the building was even quieter that outside. The furries, less than twenty, stared at him, curious. He felt uncomfortable under their gazes. He felt helpless.

The albino echidna walked forward. He placed his hands on the altar and leaned forward, speaking to a strange woman behind it. He nodded his head a few times and looked back to the hedgehog. "Come. She wishes to speak with you." Obeying, Sonic walked forward.

The gazes he received were disturbing. Unnatural. He felt as if mannequins were staring. Beckoning. Demanding that he submit to their will. He shivered, cold from the icy glares.

The woman behind the altar was a vixen. She was pretty, elegant, and apparently high atop the hierarchy of whatever religion these sick people worshipped. "Your name?" She demanded. He answered. "Where are you from?" He froze, mouth slightly hung open. Sonic couldn't recall the place of his birth. In fact, he was beginning to forget how he ended up here. But, their names bore a mark on his mind. He would find them, even if he couldn't figure out who they were. She laughed, interrupting his thoughts. "I see the radiation has already taken its affect. The Doctor will take care of you." She gave him a sly look before waving the two away with her hand.

Hatred, self-pity, disgust. So many emotions flowed through him as he turned from the vixen. Why was he forgetting everything? Before his thoughts could begin to form an answer, the Doctor yanked on his arm, dragging him down the stairs and into darkness.

A light flickered on, revealing a laboratory. The echidna led him over to a table littered with needles and test tubes. The syringes were rather large, and made his stomach churn at the thought of being injected with any one of the colorful chemicals. The hedgehog's fear quickly became reality as the Doctor mentioned him over. Sonic clenched his teeth and turned his head away, unable to witness the procedure. He felt a warm liquid mix with his blood. The injection was over.

"This serum will protect you from the radiation for a short period of time. Since you weren't here before the Devastation, I doubt it'll last you for more than a week. Eight days tops." How many days? Sonic had eight days to rescue his friends? Or what? His memory will become lost with the wind? "After the serum wears off," A pause accompanied by a slight grin. "You belong to it."

"What do you mean?"

She was pulled from the rubble, red dress tattered in various places. "Amy!" She opened her eyes to meet the unemotional gaze of an obsidian hedgehog. He helped her stand and returned to digging through the flaming plane debris. A two tailed fox led her over to the rail, worried.

"Are you okay?" She nodded, holding her head. "I have no idea what happened!" He looked around. "Everything thing just shut down. For no reason." He let out a sigh, breath cooling and creating a mist as it made contact with the cold air.

"What happened to Sonic?" Shadow looked up, ears perked. "Wha-Where is he?"

Tails shook his head. "I'm sorry Amy… We haven't found him yet." He turned his head, gazing down the abyss below. A fog began to gather around them.

A red echidna ran up to them, followed by a bat in leather. "Tails!" Knuckles held out a radio. Its antenna was broken and half of it had turned black from the flames.

Rouge landed, crossing her arms and facing the ruined plane. "There is a small town about a mile north of here. But, it's completely empty."

The ebony hedgehog snatched the radio. He turned it on. Static. He glanced at the fox. "This is Sonic's. Show us where you found it."

Amy ran off, desperate to find her love. Tails followed, trying to call her back. The echidna scoffed. "Stay here in case he comes back."

The she-bat placed her hand on Shadow's shoulder. "I know you're worried." He shrugged, brushing her hand off. "Shadow…something isn't right about this part of Mobius."

"It lies dormant in the middle of the city. Beneath the fires of Hell. It is the darkness that once before plagued us. It no longer does. We feed it." The echidna grinned, wiping off the bacteria and dust from a chisel. "Don't go near it. It'll draw you in. It will try to protect you." From what? The more he delved into the topic, the more removed Sonic felt. "Don't let it protect you.

"Now then. You have twelve hours to find your friends and make your escape. When time runs out…we can no longer help you." He stumbled backwards. No! He had eight days! Since when was eight days reduced into hours?! It would be impossible. Especially without the gift of his speed. "Hurry now," The Doctor mocked, laughing. "You're running out of time."

Bursting out the doors of the church, Sonic sped down the street leading to his left. He stopped after a moment to catch his breath. He was weak. He was weakening. Ignoring his fatigue, he continued to run, looking down every alley and into the windows of every home. Nothing. No people. No sign of life. The fog was beginning to lift.

"Amy, wait!" She didn't hear them. She called out Sonic's name. No answer. "Please, stop!" She did. In front of a school building. Paint was peeling off the walls. Windows were blackened from dirt and dust. He had to be in there. He just had to.

Panting heavily, he leaned against a post. Just a short break. Just to stop and think for a moment. He turned to walk in a different direction, but his foot became caught in the chain of a misshapen bike. He fell, landing hard on the cold concrete. He hissed and looked back. It was an elementary school. A big school indeed. Perhaps they sought refuge in a large building such as this. In any case, it wouldn't hurt to have a look around.

He carefully eased the door open. The air was thick with dust and the scent of aged wood. It was cold. Without light coming in from the windows, everything had become dark and damp. He needed a light. Something to guide him. A map. And a flashlight. Where would a school keep those things? The main office. He trotted up the steps. To his right was his destination. He pushed open the door and blindly stepped in. He dug through the papers on the desk, shaking his head. He opened various drawers, finding nothing of interest. In the bottom most one he discovered a flashlight. Just what he needed. Accompanied with it was a gun. A pistol. .45 maybe. He refused to take it.

"Come on. Come on." He repeatedly smacked the device against his palm until it sparked on. Finally able to see, he looked around. A typewriter sat in the corner. On the other side was a bulletin board. He walked over to it, tripping over a stool. The board had a map of the first floor tacked to it. He took it. There was a message scrawled on a piece of paper. The date was without a year. It read:

The students have become restless. They are tortured by darkness and hallucinations. Parents are beginning to keep their children home. If this continues, the school will be closed. This has nothing to do with the failed food inspection last week. It is because the children's faith has been taken from them. We need to restore it.

It ended there. Another slip of paper caught his attention. The numbers four, sixteen, and twenty-one were written on it with pink ink. Unbeknownst as to why, he folded it up and kept it. He jogged out of the office and continued down the hall to his left.

Amy dashed into the main office. "Sonic?"

Tails grabbed her arm. "Stop it! You need to stay with us!" He huffed. "We can't afford to lose you too, Amy." He gave her a concerned look, even though she ignored him. "Please Amy. We will find him. Just calm down."

"He was here." She pointed to an open drawer. "He was here! He still is!" She pushed the fox out of her way. "Sonic!"

He froze and whirled around. Someone had called his name. The light washed over the lockers and a bench. Nothing. "Wh-Who's there?" He stepped back. No, forget it. No one was there. You're just hearing things. Drawing in a shaky breath, he shook the voice from his mind and continued scanning the first floor.

The map had a room circled. Three hundred nineteen. That was where he was headed. He traveled down the hall, to the left, to the right. He couldn't find it. He looked back down at the paper. It was clearly circled. There, between the cafeteria and another classroom. He cast the light on the wall, where the room should be. On his right, the lunchroom, to his left, a room covered with historic posters. Before him, a solid wall. On the map, a room. He rapped his fingers against the wall. It sounded hollow. The door must be hidden behind it. Who did this? Why? He needed an axe.

Amy sat down in the cafeteria, crying. "I-I heard him! I know I did!" Knuckles rubbed her back to calm her, but she snapped at him. "Get off of me!" Shocked, he stepped back. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

"He's going to be okay, Amy." Tails tired to reassure her, but she didn't seem to care. He sighed and turned his back to her, glancing at the wall. Posters covered it, advertising God and healthy food. He noticed a fire extinguisher and an axe. Knuckles tapped his shoulder to gain attention.

"I'm going to see if I can use the phone." He pointed to a phone mounted on a wall opposite to where they were. "We need the authorities." Tails nodded in agreement. He turned back to the wall. The axe had disappeared.

The blade dug into the plaster. With just one strike, Sonic could see a door behind it. He continued to use the axe to knock the wall down. Once he made a hole big enough for him to fit through, he tossed the weapon off to the side and turned the handle. Damn. It was locked. He jiggled it. He kicked it. He cursed it. Nothing. Using his flashlight to guide the way, he retraced his steps back to the main office.

He fumbled through the papers again, tossing anything he didn't need onto the floor. A file with the name 'Finitevus' caught his eye. He was hesitant to peruse, but ignored it. Underneath it was a set of keys. Just what he was looking for.

Back at the discovered room, he began to insert various keys. For a while, none seemed to work. He paused when he heard a female crying. She sounded familiar, and yet distant. He peeked into the cafeteria, light scanning the area. No one was here, but he still heard her voice. Freaked out, he frantically tried to open the door. Finally, one slipped in and clicked, allowing access. He stepped over the rubble and walked into an empty classroom. No desks, no chairs, nothing. Just a large, empty room.

He coughed as his lungs became filled with dust. Small beams of light came through the dirt covered windows, but the flashlight was still needed. He found nothing of interest. That is, until he stepped on a crumbled piece of paper. It made him jump at first. The sound was unexpected and sudden. He unfolded it. Theater. It was strange. Part of him didn't know what it meant. But, the subconscious part of him did. Go to the theater, Sonic. Go.

Amy calmed herself within moments. Knuckles grew angry at the phone and slammed the receiver down. Tails shivered at the sight of the axe being on the floor of the hall when it was clearly mounted next to the extinguisher.

Realizing nothing was here, the trio left. Shadow contacted them on their radio. He questioned their status. No one gave a direct answer. "We're still looking. We'll tell you if we find him." Tails' voice was small and uncertain. "Shadow…something isn't right about this town.

"Rouge said that too. Stay where you are. I'm coming to get you."

"No! Help us look! It'll be quicker if we cover more ground."

"Very well." In the outskirts of town, the ebony hedgehog and the she-bat decided to leave the safety of the plane in order to track Sonic down. Once there, they agreed to search the large buildings first. The nearest one was the theater.

Time flew by so fast. Three hours had already been wasted. Desperate, he darted down the road, using his instinct to guide him. He eventually reached the theater, breathless. He leaned against the ticket booth, panting. His chest was burning. His throat was sore from lack of water. His legs hurt. He fell to his knees. He wasn't going to find them. He would be lost here forever.

He screamed, engulfing his mind in an emotional breakdown. Tears slipped from his eyes. He's never felt so hopeless. He cried out again, asking for someone to end it all. Just kill him. He should've been killed in the plane. But, he was spared. No, he didn't want that. Not if it ended up like this. Yet, there he was: a pitiful creature, lying on its back and shouting at the sky.

"Why? No! Why!?" He rolled onto his side and sobbed. Coughing, he covered his mouth with his hand, muffling his screams. "Please," He mumbled. "Have mercy." He stayed there for a moment, his mind becoming calm. Sighing, he found the strength to drag himself up to his feet and into the theater. It was quiet. It was dark. Darker than the school. Too dark. The flashlight lit up with no problem now. It flickered every now and then, but remained functional.

He sat on a bench near the entrance of the stage. He looked down at his hands. His gloves were beyond dirty by now. They were covered with dust, dirt, and ash. He took them off and tossed them near the door. He ran a hand through his messy quills, smoothing them out. Sighing again, he leaned his head back. Just a five minute break. He deserved it.

The door to the theater was stuck. The rust on its hinges made it difficult to open. After struggling with it, Shadow finally decided to kick it down. Light flooded into the room, scaring the cockroaches away. Rouge jumped at the sight of the bugs and at the sudden sound from the radio.

Sonic's radio, dubbed broken and worthless by Tails, was emitting static for no reason. They entered the building, and the sound became louder. Rouge covered her ears, backing away. It was extremely unpleasant to someone with her type of hearing. So, she chose to wait by the door. Shadow on the other hand, held out the device, trying to figure out what was making the sound.

Sonic's head shot up. He heard something coming toward him. Static. He waved the flashlight around, but saw nothing. His body began to shake. He lost his grip on the handle. The flashlight slipped out of his hands. The light went out. His breathing became short and uneven. He stood and scrambled into a corner.

Shadow followed the blue hedgehog's nonexistent figure. He noticed that it moved. He tried following it. When he was closet, the static was loud. When he was far away, the static sounded faded. This radio was reacting to something that wasn't there. If only he knew what it was. Perhaps it could help them find Sonic? Not likely. Within moments, the static was gone. The radio never worked again, no matter where they went in the theater.

Terrified, he blindly ran toward the stage, nearly tripping over his feet. He pulled himself up on the platform. He lay on his back, breathing heavily. Suddenly, a spotlight clicked on. It startled him. He shielded his face with his arms. Someone yanked him up to his feet. He screamed, begging to be forgiven. He was slapped across the face. Stunned, he met the angered gaze of the Doctor.

"What are you doing in here?" He led the hedgehog out of the sinful building. "I told you to stay away from the darkness! Why are you listening to it?" Sonic could no longer answer. Sanity was slipping from him. He was beginning to think he was in Hell. "Answer me, boy!"

"Insanity…"

"What?"

"Sanitarium…" The echidna struggled to maintain his grip on him, but he was too unnerved. "Let me go!" He pushed the Doctor away and ran off.

"Very well, Sonic. Your time shall run out sooner than you think." The Doctor chuckled to himself as he watched the figure of the hedgehog disappear into the returning fog.

He panted as he ran; occasionally looking behind him to assure himself that the echidna wasn't following him. Take a left on this street. Go forward. No, don't stop. You don't need a map. Keep going. Right. Right. Left. Right. "Oh!" He stopped himself. Before him was a bottomless chasm. His breath became uneven and shaky as he looked down. He lost his footing. Fearful of falling into the pit, he landed on his side, barely on the edge. He gasped for air, shock making it hard for him to respond to anything. He looked up. On the other side of the gorge was a road. No, the road he came from. Yes, the road where the plane is. Odd. He traveled across that road to get here...right? Did he? What if it wasn't this road? What has reality become?

He stood. He stumbled backwards and fell back down. He struggled to get up again. "Didn't I tell you?" He turned, locking eyes with the Doctor. "Do not listen to it. It merely wants to devour you. It's doing a good job as far as I'm concerned." He grinned. Sonic's body began to shiver. "You're getting weak. Why don't you…come back to the church with me? We'll get you something to eat." He firmly took hold of the hedgehog's arm, showing no mercy.

"No! Get off!" He struggled, trying to break free. The Doctor was just trying to help. Why was he refusing? "Let go!" His body had lost all of its strength by now, and it was hard for him to hold himself up, let alone escape the grip of an echidna.

"Why so worried? I'm just trying to help." Sonic screamed. It was the only thing he could do. He couldn't get free, but he couldn't become submissive either. He had to make his way to the sanitarium. He knew that much.

A gunshot cut through the cold air. The Doctor flinched and released Sonic. The hedgehog fell backwards, unable to keep himself standing. "Shadow?" Yes, he could clearly make out the figure amongst the fog. He had found one of the five he was searching for. He smiled, thankful. However, the Doctor was not as happy. He stormed off with a huff, cloak flowing behind him.

Finally gaining the strength to stand, he pulled himself upright. But, when he looked around for his rival, he was gone. Without a trace. No bullet. No gunpowder. No gun. Nothing. His heart sunk. Again, he was alone. Alone is good. Now he had a chance to check out the sanitarium in peace.

Following the road to his left, he came upon a large building. Probably the largest hospital he'd ever seen. He tried to open the door, but it was welded shut. He pushed it. He pulled the handle. He kicked it. It didn't even budge. That was it, then. He sat down, back against the door. He gave up. He'd just die here. He didn't care anymore. He leaned his head on the door, trying to relax. As he did, the hinges snapped, and the welded door slowly fell into the building with a loud creak. Sonic went with it. It took him a moment to realize he was moving, but reacted quickly when he noticed. He jumped up and watched as a child inside the building cowered in fear at the sight of him.

"What the fuck…?" Its body shivered from malnutrition, fear, and neglect. The room was dark and small. The rest of the hospital had been closed off in order to isolate the child here. This was what they sacrificed in order to protect themselves? The bastards! How dare they torture something as innocent as a child? Was the Doctor aware of this? Of course. What a stupid question. But, then…why hadn't they told him? It was time to visit the church again and confront that vixen. Hurry, before time runs out.

With a strange spark of intense strength, Sonic made his way back to the church building. He pulled the doors open. They stared at him still, but flinched when he glared. The Doctor was there, beside the vixen. "You've returned."

"I saw what you did to that child." The fox laughed. She tossed her head back, voice bellowing throughout the building. "What have you done to that thing? Is that what keeps the 'darkness' at bay? Sucking the life out of an innocent child?"

She gave him a toothy grin. "Yes. Unfortunately, that child's time is running out. We need someone to replace him." Sonic gulped. "Someone outside of this world." He began to shiver again, strength leaving him. "Someone completely oblivious to the darkness around him. Someone lacking faith." She paused as her servants stood from their respectful places on the benches. "Tell me…Sonic… Do you believe?"

He ran. He could think of nothing else. He didn't know where he was going. Back to the plane? Yes, back to the plane. He would be safe there. Maybe Shadow was there, waiting for him. Amy too. Just waiting to give him a big hug. No. The chasm was still there. As deep as ever. He stopped and fell to his knees. He couldn't leave. The darkness wanted him here. It wanted him here. It called him here. It fed his madness. And now… It has taken over. He would take the place of that tortured child. He would be feeding it. No. Death was better than this. Why didn't he die? What happened to his friends? He thought about throwing himself over the cliff, but paused when he felt something. A warm gust of wind. It carried a familiar scent with it. Tears filled his eyes. Why did it have to end like this?

It was no use. He'd given up long ago. He decided to submit to fate. He decided to endure this torture. Only because he knew they were alive. Somewhere. And, it was his duty to find them.

Who are they? He'd forgotten. The serum had worn off. The ringing sound returned to him. He could feel the presence of the church members behind him. He could feel his conscious state slipping from his grasp.

"Amy!" He screamed. He coughed between his uneven sobbing. "Don't leave me here! Come back! Please! Amy!"

She stopped, looking over her shoulder. "Come on, Amy," Tails said, tugging on her arm to encourage her. "The police are here. We have to go now." He sighed and was the first to climb into one of the vehicles. Knuckles and Rouge followed.

"Come on Amy." Shadow tapped her shoulder. "He's not here. We've looked everywhere. We have to go home now."

"I heard him. He's still there." She silently whispered to herself. He overheard her.

"No Amy. He's not."

"Your time has run out, hedgehog."

End

All references to Silent Hill belong to Konami.
All references to The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas belong to Ursula K LeGuin.
Sonic and Co. belong to SEGA/Sonic Team.
Doctor Finitevus belongs to Archie.

Sorry if it was a bit confusing. It was my first try at a oneshot. XD