I want to thank you guys once again for your support. I've reread my first and second chapters of this story and i have to say how poorly i did. It looks like i rushed through it when i had no intention to. The following chapters will be more detailed and I'll try to value moments rather than speed them up. I've also decided to write chapters after this one in third-person point of view. I just think it seems blunt only knowing what Amy's doing rather than Shadow or some other character. BUT, it' your choice. Comment if your in favor of this change, or if you like it the way it is and feel it'll take the spotlight away from Amy if i do otherwise, PLEASE tell me before i make the sudden change. Also! Another author's notice below vvvv. Deals with your oc's. Enjoy chapter 3!
Chapter 3
My legs take me down a foggy hallway, which appears to take place in an ancient castle. It's not what I would call home, but I feel welcomed. I familiarize myself with the tower as my hand gently brushes along the rough stone walls. I breathe in the warm aroma coming from candlelights; the only light source in here. On the walls there are beautiful golden frames. It's too hard to make out who's in the picture though. I get closer to get a better view when suddenly; a desperate cry for help is heard down the hallway! I turn my head quickly with wide opened eyes. The yell echoes in an ear-piercing screech and rings louder each time; it frightens me. "I'm coming!" I hear. I look back to see where it came from. A little girl runs and passes my way holding a wooden torch. She's wearing a hazel colored dress with dark maple ribbons. "I'll save you!" she hollers again. I should probably help too and get the girl out of harm's way, but I only gawk at her appearance. Light pink and soft skin. She could be my younger sister. I watch the girl sprint until I see her no more. I snap myself out of it and try to run to her, but find my feet are unable to move. I attempt to yell something at the girl, but nothing comes out. I grab one leg with both hands and struggle as I try to make it move. It won't budge. Just then, a blue figure comes to sight. I squint my eyes and make the figure out to be a teal colored hedgehog. He's wearing a brown tunic and he's screaming something. I can't speak, but I mouth out the words "what?" A flame grows into background and I open my mouth in shock. A blaze spreading like wildfire! Everyone motions slowly. I look back at the hedgehog and he has the toddler enveloped in his arms. He yells once more to me, "RUN!" I widen my eyes still astounded by the flame. He runs past me and I cover myself with my own body. I jump up in fright and wake from my slumber.
I shoot my eyelids open and pant. I try to catch my breath and try to calm down. It was only a dream I remind myself. I'm back where I was yesterday. I take a glimpse around the room and I remember. My heart's now beating at a normal pace and I feel good. I've had a tough night, but it's over now. I'm well rested, I'm alive and that's all that really matters. There's a rough blanket covering my aching body. I remember my injury and shift my eyes to my arm. My fingers gently stroke the bandage cloth. It's not as bloody. Maybe it was replaced with a new one.
Chirping birds signal the start of a new day. I should get going. I slowly drag myself up and fold the blanket, placing it on top of the couch. I could return it to the owner myself and thank him for the night, but I've already disturbed him enough. With that I take off.
"Where will you go?" a whisper asks freezing me in place. I turn around to see him. The man whom I've encountered just yesterday. He's not just a man and nor the monster I imagined him to be. In fact, he's one of my own. A hedgehog. I glare at his features. Dark spiny quills with red streaks that uniform on his arms too. He looks strong and firm, but also weary. It seems I wasn't the only battle he's encountered. He was sitting in a dark corner where a table was located.
"I um..," I stumble for words. "I'm not so sure yet," I answer.
"Why are you leaving?" he questions further. I look to the ground. "Are you seeking attention?" he asks in his blunt voice.
"I don't want to trouble you," I blurt out.
"You wouldn't be the first," he responds quickly. I give him a questioning look, not following what he meant. "I don't want to trouble you," I tell him once more.
He stands up from his chair and walks over to me. I back up a little. He sees this and stays put, respecting my personal space. "Where are you from?" he asks in a soft but accusing manner.
I only keep staring back. He might think it's because I'm scared, but it's really because I can't answer. I could say I'm from the forest, but then I'd have to be more specific on how I got there. It involves a history which I have yet to remember. I drop down the gaze, and look the other way.
"I wish I knew," I silently whisper. He doesn't hear this.
"There's a river nearby," he starts. "You'll get their under ten minutes and if you run into trouble..." he walks over to a drawer and pulls out a silver handgun "...you use this."
I take the weapon carefully in my hands. "What's so important about the river?" I ask. He looks at me from head to toe and I get the message. "I'll be on my way then."
"Head north from this camp and try not to draw attention," he reminds me. I look at him and nod gently. There's a ladder now, and I climb up out of the burrow.
I squint my eyes at the harsh sun brightening over me. I lay a palm over my forehead to give me shade and I walk off. As I make my way into the forest, I think about him. What's he doing living in a place like this? Does he not get lonely? Maybe so, but it's his business and I have my own. Like…where's my family? My heart sinks at this next question. Have they forgotten me? Or simply they just didn't care. This subject of mine isn't comforting so I shrug it off and think of him again. Much rather than question his personal life, why not think about what I do know? There isn't much. He's just a guy isolating himself in the middle of a forest. It's creepy actually when I put it that way.
Unaware of how quick the travel was, I start to hear running water. I follow the sound and quickly find out it was hidden, or meant to be anyways. Bushes and trees coil around the water habitat like a fortress. I push away the bushes and plants as I make my way through it. There I see something I didn't expect. Beautiful clear water surrounded by exotic plants and fresh green grass. It looked untouched and it may be the only admirable place out here. I'd hate to ruin it by bathing myself in it, but I'm here now.
I set aside the gun and take off my shoes. I turn my head in disgust as an awful stench puffs onto my face. Both my shoes make its way into the water. I tug off my pants and shirt and then throw them in too without a second guess.
My foot dips in the river, and then my whole body follows soon after that. The water feels so alive. It swirls around my body and gently kisses my bruises. I dive in with my head under water removing all blood and dirt. I come up for air and I feel brand new. I begin to wash my clothes thoroughly, leaving it to dry out in the sun as I continue to bath. The river feels luxurious and I sigh in bliss. There's a reflection on the water, not knowing for a second who it is until I realize that girl is me. She's much prettier than the girl I saw just a day ago. Glistening green eyes, creamy skin and straight even hair that had a shimmery pink tone of color. This is how I look? I ask myself as I put both hands on my cheeks. I'm interrupted with the sound of chattering. I quickly turn around to see where it came from, but find nothing. I come out of the water and dress myself. I can't help but wonder where it's coming from, but I then remember what the man said about not drawing attention. Instead I grab my weapon and silently scatter off back to his house.
I find my way back and slide down the ladder and I find him sitting on the couch concentrating hard on something. I open my mouth to tell him about what I heard on my trip to the river but he holds up a hand to silence me. Some kind of strange muffled noise is coming out of the radios I saw the first day I arrived here. We can't hear the words, but it sounds like a man. The black hedgehog turns off the radio.
"What was that about?" I ask as I lay the weapon on the table.
"Men nearby using radios to contact others in the area. It's unfortunate mine doesn't pick up so well," he pats one of his handheld transmitters.
"So that's what I heard then," I whisper to myself. He raises an eyebrow, but is clearly caught up in fixing his device.
"It's just I thought I heard something while I was at the river. That must have been it."
"You didn't…," he starts.
"No, I promise. I did as you said and I left back home unnoticed," I interrupt.
He nods his head. "That's fine."
Are we hiding from them? I think to myself. And if so, we should get going shouldn't we? They might find this place just like I have, but I trust he knows what to do if the situation ever does happen.
I take a seat next to the hedgehog who's trying to repair the radios with no luck. I glance at him out of the corner of my eye. He has a thin, brown jacket on with pockets all around. He's also wearing a heavy leather belt with knives attached. I'm sure he also has a gun hidden under there somewhere. It surprises me though, that I've never noticed how handsome and stunning he looked. He wasn't old either, probably around my age. Despite that, he's always had that same cold expression I've seen on him since I've met him. He looks like he's lost hope. Maybe bent so much that he just no longer wishes to live. I give him a sympathetic look and turn away. He notices this.
"So tell me. What's your name?" he turns, finally taking a first look at me since my arrival from the river. His mouth slightly agape at the sight of me. He clenched his mouth together and harshened up his stare, looking away. I look down as if I've been accused.
He waits for an answer as he continues to toy with the radio. Should I tell him the truth? He won't believe me; it sounds unbelievable. I'll take thing slow.
I sigh."I don't know," I gently tell him.
"You don't know?" he asks still not looking at me.
"No. I don't," I try to sound convincing.
"And why is that?" he asks, not buying it. I don't even know how to explain this, I think to myself.
I swallow hard. It's worth a shot. "I…I think I've lost my memory," I tell him with a questionable look.
He softens up his face, not sure what to make of this. "Is that so?" he asks.
"At least, that's what I think," I nod in agreement. "I woke up in the middle of the forest with no remembrance of anything."
"That's something," he says. I look at him apologetically. Hoping he'd believe me and know I'm not making this up. "In any case…," I start."…you can call me what you wish," I say to settle the manner. He only carries on with what he's doing and seems to ignore this. I stretch out a hand in front me and see light pink flesh. "What about blush?" I ask. "Or something like that, since I'm pink," I shrug. He still seems to ignore this. I stay quiet for a few minutes as I acknowledge how bothersome I'm being. I silently speak again, this time in a gloomy manner "I guess may be peach or …"
"…Rose," he answers. A soft smile forms on my face. "Like the flower," I add. "It sounds lovely." I stare at him for a while to get him to tell me his name.
He picks up quickly on my visual language. "Shadow," he tells me. "My name is Shadow."
I look and smile at him in reply. He looks like he could be a shadow. It fits him perfectly.
"You don't remember a thing." I can't tell if it's a question. "This means you don't know what's happened or what's happening," he says to himself.
"No," I shake my head. He nods as if to say okay to me and places one hand under his chin. There's something he's not telling me.
"It's probably best if I knew what it is that's 'happening'" I tell him. He stays silent and quite frankly, this is starting to pick at my nerves. As I begin to tell him something else, his radio suddenly starts up and this time we hear a little clearer. A man with an accent is heard in distress on the other line.
*Pssh Ksssh* is anyone out there? *Zzzst* Please.. *crack* Help us*shhh**click*
The transmission is cut off. Shadow hits a button on his device trying to make it work once more. "Hello?" he shouts in an angry tone. He smacks the device with both hands.
"Shadow," I call as I try to calm him down. He doesn't listen to me as he smacks it again on the table. I lower my eyes knowing he's only damaging it even more. I sigh, but to my surprise the transmission starts up again.I hear an old lady whimpering in terror. I place a hand over my mouth as I hear a baby crying alongside with her. "Shadow!" I nudge his shoulder trying to make him do something.
"Where are you?" Shadow yells. There's no response. The crying and whimpering continues in the background. "Can you hear me!?" He yells as loud as he can, but is quickly interrupted by a large boom! It sounded like an explosion and I drop to the ground in fright. I start to breath heavily and gasp for air.
"Dang it!" he mutters and throws the device across the room, smashing as it hits the wall. He notices I'm taking this rather hard and kneels down to my side.
"What was that? On the radio." I ask through my panting.
He tries to give a sympathetic look and turns his head. "There was little we could do to help." I start to shake. "Let's go find them. Let's go find everyone else, where are they?" I ask anxiously.
"They're not with us"
I very much enjoyed writing this chapter! I had it all written out last week, but i scrapped it knowing it would lead no where, so i had a better idea and that's kind of how this was created. Again! I enjoy your reviews! Lovely audience you are ^_^ thank you! Now onto other things
-Authors note: I was particularly worried about this one thing while making this story. (This is also a response to a reviewer too. Also thank you for reviewing *thumbs up*) -I've never had an oc myself. Many people are fond of it while others are left "huh?" I know where your coming from. It's a unique contribution to the story BUT since readers don't know the character to begin with, it's just gonna be all asdnasd heeby jeeby since they know not what they do or anything about them for that matter. I guess i could describe them but it'd only take time and the spotlight out of amy or any other leading character.
I COULD add an oc, but then it would have a minor part. It means NO powers. Why? Well because it's completely unnecessary. I find sonic and company having these super powers rather 'unique'. If everyone has them, there's nothing excite-able. Not saying ofcourse your oc can't have super powers. It can! But we'll just keep it hidden in here.
Also, i will NOT list a hundred facts about this one character. At the most part, i will state their name, briefly describe their appearance and if you allow me to play with their personality, i'll do that too. I'll also credit you for the design.
Special thanks to twilighthewolf. I'm flattered someone would want me to introduce their oc in here. ^^ Til' next time