Disclaimer: Sonic and co. © Sega
How Fast is Death?
Death
The one thing that everyone has to face sooner or later in their life. How about me? Can I outrun it? If death is knocking at my door, can I just run away before it can touch me? I don't know whether I should run from death or confront it like a man. Which would be smarter? Which would be safer?
Question were the only thing I could come up with as I sat atop a breezy cliff overlooking Station Square. I shouldn't think about death so soon, I should just live up life to the fullest. A smile creased onto my face as another cool breezy flew threw my cobalt blue quills. The sun shined down upon me, with no clouds surrounding its beautiful radiance. Birds tweeted in the trees they took shelter in and no obese scientist launched an attack. What a beautiful day.
Next to me was my best friend, my adopted brother. I looked to my side to find a happy fox sitting next to me, the same content smile on his face. He was young, but smart and his intelligence had saved me too many times to count. I always thanked him for that with all of my heart. Without him I don't know where I would be. Maybe in a grave, rotting with the wooden coffin that housed me. What was that? Why had those thoughts entered my head? A look of worry washed onto my face as I looked at the city. Why am I so fixated on death today?
"What's wrong Sonic?" asked the young fox besides me.
I turned my head to face him, a curious look on the fox's face. He had noticed my worried look and wanted to know what was on my mind. For a split second I wondered if he ever thought about death. What would happen if I were to fail, leaving him alone to fend for himself? Would he be able to fly away from his own death? Stop that! Stop thinking about death!
A chuckle escaped my lips. "Nothing Tails, I'm just wondering when Eggman's going to attack, 'cuz I'm getting bored." I said nonchalantly, before leaning back on the grass and looking up at the beautiful blue sky.
Of course I had to lie to him. I couldn't just ask Tails if he thought about death from time to time. He would probably think I'm crazy. He was innocent, a child couldn't grasp his mind around the concept of death, but with his intelligence maybe he could. Tails leaned back and joined me in my cloud gazing and the both of us soaked up the gorgeous day before some random Eggman attack. Clouds were scattered around the sky and they floated around carelessly with the wind without blocking the sun's rays. Another cool breeze flew by, rustling the trees' branches behind him. What a beautiful day. Too bad I have to die.
Why did I just think that?
A loud blood curdling scream rose into the air, making both Tails and I jump to our feet. In the distance I could see a large plume of smoke rise up from the center of Station Square. More screams rose up, making a hideous cacophony. I saw Tails take a step forward, he wanted to help.
"Come on Sonic." He said heroically before jumping off of the cliff.
As if on cue, both of his twin tails started to swirl around, allowing him to hover fifty stories. He still kept his eyes on the city, a serious look on his face. I wanted to go with him, I wanted to save the day, but my body wouldn't move. Tails looked back at me, finding my stiff unmoving figure.
"What are you waiting for? Come on!" he called before zooming toward the city.
Still I couldn't move a single muscle. I opened my mouth, trying to call Tails, but no sound came out of my lips. Why won't I move?
Because you don't want to die.
I closed my eyes, a frustrated look on my face. These thoughts aren't mine at all. I'm Sonic the hedgehog, I can't die, I'm too fast for that. Right?
Finally, I got one foot to go forward, then the other. In a matter of seconds I was following Tails. Those weird thoughts were pushed into the back of my head now. There was no time to think about death before a battle. My blue streak followed behind me as I raced through the city. Every turn was a sharp turn and every street was covered in a matter of seconds. As I got closer to the source, the sounds of screaming started to rise. The smell of blood and charred wood filled my nostrils and for some odd reason I could tell that this wasn't Eggman's doing.
After rounding around another turn, I found myself face to face with some hideous monstrosity. It had no face and I could see no body, all I could see were large, black tentacles the size of trucks with spikes coming out of them like a roses stem. They were flailing around, grabbing people and ripping them apart as easily as a man ripping up pieces of paper. To me, the tentacles were long, the body out of sight, but that didn't matter. What is this thing?
Death
The thought hit me like a ton of bricks and I stood there in fear. Even though the creature was merely spiked tentacles, an ominous feeling radiated from them. One tentacle slammed down on a car before flailing left to right, killing innocent people trying to escape. That same feeling took over my body and I couldn't move. It wasn't the time for that, if I didn't move then I would die. I tried to move left, nothing, I tried right, still nothing. My soul felt trapped in a box as I stood there looking at the horrible tentacles rip people asunder.
A single drop of sweat formed on my forehead as I watched, my body still frozen in place. Once all of the civilians were killed, the tentacles seemed to look at me, their tips acting like their heads as they pointed at me evilly. Move damnit! Move!
All of the tentacles then shot at me simultaneously and I closed my eyes in preparation for the pain. Instead of feeling the sting of five tentacles burrowing into his body, I heard a bloody squelch, before being drizzled with some unknown substance. I opened my eyes to look at my savior, my brother.
Tails had dived in front of me to take the shot and now the tips of five ugly tentacles stuck out of his body. I looked into his eyes and I could see the life slowly being taken away from them. Even with that I still couldn't move, I couldn't even move my lips to say goodbye. Slowly, but shakily, Tails raised his arm, as if to touch me, but he was a couple inches away. I really wanted to grab his hand and tell him that everything was going to be alright, but my body wouldn't let me. Then all of the tentacles drew back, and ripped Tails apart with ease. Tiny droplets of his blood showered me and I finally gained control of my body.
The tentacles then set their sights on me once again. One tentacle dove forward, but I jumped to the side, another tentacle tried to slam down on top f me, but instead of dodging, I ran. My fear was fuelling my legs as I ran away from the scene. I thought I had gotten away, but when I looked behind me, I found that the tentacles were following me. Faster! I raised my speed until everything around me was just a blur of colors, but still the tentacles were behind me. Faster! I kept on willing myself to go on, amplifying my speed until everything was just a shade of gray. They still followed, almost matching my speed every time. Faster!
For the first time I was reaching my limit. Never before have I been forced to run like that in my entire life. I looked behind me and to my horror they still followed. My feet were starting to ache and my vision was starting to blur from the exhaustion. I couldn't stop though, if I did that meant death. Faster and faster I went, trying to beat my own limit to stay alive, but the tentacles still followed. In a matter of seconds I felt as though my legs weren't moving anymore. I looked around, nothing but a placid gray all around me. My whole body was shaking though. Why?
I looked down to find my legs still in front of me. I wasn't moving at all. It then hit me. I was somehow locked in some bubble, hurdling toward earth. How'd I get in here? Then, a clearing appeared in the bubble and below me I could see Mobius. There was something wrong with it though. The planet was slowly being devoured by the same black tentacles he was running from before. I smashed my hands against the bubble's walls, knowing that this thing was going to smash into the planet's surface.
The bubble shook as it entered the planet's atmosphere, engulfing the bubble in flames as it continued to barrel toward the planet. No! Don't crash! I'm going to die! My life flashed before my eyes but for some odd reason, I didn't cry.
I felt the bubble crash into the planet, the upper part of the bubble shattering on impact except for the part that was under me. The glass from the bubble cut into my skin and the impact made me feel as though all of my bones were broken. I was on my knees, hands in front of me as my wounds bleed freely. I was tired, I wanted to go home, I wanted to survive. The bubble had landed in some shallow pool of water and the sky around me was gray with clouds. Behind me, I could feel the presence of the tentacles grow stronger. The black tentacles rose up into the air, ready to deal the final blow. I couldn't move with my wounds, but I dearly wanted to.
I'm Sonic the hedgehog, I can't die. I'm too fast for that. Right?
Wrong
The tentacles dove forward but this time I didn't care. I was ready for death. I was ready for the thing I thought I was too fast for.
Then I woke up.
Sweat was streaming profusely down from my forehead and the liquid coated the pillow I was sleeping on. I looked outside to find the sun high in the sky and the sounds of children playing. It was all a dream thankfully. But the dream did leave a good message engraved into my mind. Something that I would remember for the rest of my life.
I'm Sonic the hedgehog and I can die, no matter how fast I am.
I got the idea from a piece of Sonic fan art. If you want to see the original artwork, go to my profile to find the link at the bottom.
Please Review, tell me what you think and I might do more.