Here we are with Chapter 1O as promised!
I can't believe I'm on Chapter 1O . . . in the old version, by Chapter 1O all the drama was over!
As for the end of the story, I'm going to try to get the final chapter up Christmas Eve. So soon, yet so far away! I have lots of chapters to still write!
Though I have the next four chapters planned out. I'm itching to write them!
Leave me a review on how you like (or don't like?) the story so far. Thanks! :]
Amy's P.O.V, 2:00 a.m.
What was happening . . . she was half conscious, half unconscious . . . she was warm at least . . . she remembered being freezing earlier. How much earlier? What time was it? Where was she? Who was she with?
Maybe this was just a dream.
A really really lousy dream.
Wait . . .
That felt good . . .
Maybe it's not so bad . . .
Who was next to her? He was a pinkish color . . . no orange . . . red! He was red . . .
Knuckles?
Maybe Knuckles was carrying her . . . saving her from the cold . . .
From the sadness . . .
From this no good, mother effing headache . . .
Her vision came into focus for a second, and then vanished as quickly as it came leaving her even more confused.
Where was she? She'd never been here before. .
And it smelled . . . like cheese . . .
She hated cheese . . .
She wasn't comfortable either . . . why couldn't Knuckles be more comfortable?
With those big hands of his, he could at least consider the fact that her back hurt.
And a little information wouldn't hurt, either.
Rouge's P.O.V, 2:13 a.m.
She roamed the streets blindly. She didn't know where to go.
She was helpless.
Hopeless.
She walked past house after house. She could see a bright, shimmering Christmas tree in each window. That was the only light at this hour, but she could imagine what the houses had been like hours before. Happy families watching a Christmas classic, or maybe have a few rounds of the favorite family board game. Perhaps they shared their day over dinner. Everyone was smiling.
Her heart ached. She was in her twenties, didn't have a steady boyfriend, close family, reliable job, or even a promising future . . . She was all about the party.
Was that what she really wanted?
Sex? Drinks? Parties?
Yes.
Well, no. All those things were nice, but she knew that soon she'd be too old to go clubbing and she'd need to do something . . . but what?
She shook her head. It was two a.m., not time to be planning her future.
She teetered in her heels as she walked over a patch of ice. She tried to regain her balance by whipping her arms around and around, but she slid even more and crashed on her butt.
God, she thought, picking herself up of the ice, I'm so exhausted. I should just give up.
But no, she couldn't. Not yet. It had only been an hour of searching. She lifted herself up and strode on, the cold wind whipping her eyes. They filled with tears from the frigid air, and she wiped the tears away.
She walked down one of the poorer side of town's sidewalk. She glanced up at the faded green street sign. She was on Hemmingway St. When had she been the last time she was here? It had been ages.
I have an idea, she filled with hope. Connie works at the motel! I'll drop by, say hi, and think of what to do next.
She raced towards the unattractive grey building. It was two stories, and had about twenty rooms or so. She pulled the dark brown door open, and savored the heat that wafted towards her.
"Cahlose the door sugah, ya lettin' the heat 'scape," A attractive young cat called over from a desk.
"Connie," Rouge said, shutting the door, "It's Rouge."
"Rooooge, is that really youh? It's ben forevah!" Connie walked around the desk and gave Rouge a hug. Rouge admired her old friend, for such a crummy job she looked good. Rouge smiled, smelling Connie's familiar fruity gum.
"Yeah it's me. I just wanted to say hi."
"Well, hiya! Are youh lookin' for a place to stay the night?" Connie walked back to the desk and opened a large binder. Behind her was a rack with keys, and next to that, a ginormous flower pot, minus the flower.
She hadn't thought of it before, but finding somewhere to stay the night sounded very very appealing now. If she couldn't even find Sonic, Tails, Cream, or Knuckles, how could she find Amy?
"Sure," She said walking over, "How much is it for a night?"
"Well a singal room is fortee. Unless youh have anotha guy with ya?" She asked looking at Rouge.
"Nah, it's just me," She shifted from one foot to another uncomfortably.
Connie turned around and selected the third key from the right.
"Here ya are, room numba eighteen," She smiled at Rouge, "Let meh know if ya need anythin'. Oh, and by the way, it's ben nice to see ya, Rouge."
"It's been nice to see you too, Connie," Rouge took the key from Connie and headed down the hall. Eighteen was upstairs, so she crept up the stairs quietly, hoping not to disturb anyone. She passed a couple rooms and found the hall silent. Maybe there's no one here.
However, when she passed room number sixteen, she heard a shower running. So I'm not alone in this creepy place, she smiled. When she was about to continue walking ahead she heard a muffled scream.
She stopped dead in her tracks. Was someone hurt? Was it the T.V, or was it a scream of pleasure?
Should she go in there? Maybe someone slipped in the shower and cracked their head open. She knew someone who did that once.
She took a step closer to the door and pressed her ear against the door. She waited a few minutes but didn't hear anything.
This didn't reassure her. She stepped back and looked around nervous. What to do, what to do?
Tail's P.O.V, 2:36 a.m.
"Where should we go?" Tails asked Cream. She was taking the lead of the four, and he wondered where she was heading.
"We're going to the motel," She said, quickening her pace.
"Why? Why are we going to the motel?" He wrinkled his nose. He and Sonic stayed there once, and it was dirty and definitely not likeable.
"I saw Rouge go in there, I wonder what she's up too."
He wanted to argue that they were looking for Amy not Rouge, but didn't debate the subject.
They reached the building and hurried into it without a word. Tails looked around the "lobby" or whatever it was. What was Rouge doing here?
"Hello sugahs, what can I getcha'?" A blonde cat snapped her gum and smiled.
Ugh, Tails thought, a country accent. THAT is going to get old real fast. Plus, this is a motel, not McDonalds . . .
"Um, one room please," Cream told the cat.
"Well honey, what size are ya thinkin' of?" She pulled a large brown binder from underneath the desk and opened it. "Small, medium or large?"
Seriously, are we ordering fry's or a room?
"Er, small, please." The cat took a key off the rack and handed it over. Cream paid for the room and took the key.
When they reached the stairs, Knuckles asked, "Well now what? How are we supposed to know where she is now?"
"Easy," Sonic said, "There were two other keys gone. 18 and 16. Just count the empty hooks."
They ran up the stairs to the second floor, even dingier than the lower floor. Was that cheese he smelled?
The hallway was empty except for a small painting at the end of the hall. The carpet was muddy and the wall looked as if it hadn't been painted in years.
They were about to give up searching the area when a crash echoed the walls from one of the rooms. With Tail's heart pounding, he turned around to face the room. He stopped breathing.
Were they overreacting from a little sound, or was it something worse?
Well? What do you think?
Do you think Rouge went into Tyler and Brick's room?
Or maybe Brick made the noise 'cause he was mad that Tyler didn't wait?
Perhaps Amy's trying to escape with the alcohol finally wearing off?
Maybe it was none of those. Could someone else is in the hotel?