Oh my gosh... I've made it to Chapter 10!
Yeah! This calls for a celebration!
No, I'm not eating a whole container of frosting again... I had the worst stomach ache for days...
Okay, how about we make a whole batch of cookie dough, and-
No. I threw up, remember?
Oh yeah. Well, what about the annoying distraction?
She's still mad about the whole tennis racket incident. I'd get a shield if I were you.
Yikes. Hey, shouldn't someone say the disclaimer?
Shouldn't we NOT be babbling on about things that make me sick?
Touche. We don't own Sonic the Hedgehog.
Technically, he's not even in this, but you know what we mean.
Oh, I got it! How about-
No. Just no.
Memoirs of a Forgotten Family
Chapter X: Fear
Midnight was not a pleasant time for Shadow. Usually he was either sleeping or on a mission -for which he slept beforehand- at this time. Even Maia waking him up in the middle of the night with her screams for food when she was younger couldn't fully rouse him; he was half-asleep as he fed her the bottle of warmed milk.
Which was why the small creaking of the door annoyed immensely. Half-asleep, he barely remembered that the only people living here were himself and Maia. In annoyance, he called, "What? Whataya want?"
"D-daddy?" Maia whispered, "Are you awake?"
"Now I am," He muttered into his pillow.
She opened the shades, frowning at the dark clouds gathering, "Daddy, it's gonna rain! It's gonna rain and thunder!"
So tired was he, Shadow missed the high pitched decimal of her voice as Maia had said 'thunder'. He groaned, "Maia, go back to sleep. It's-" He glanced at the clock, "Twelve o' five."
"But-"
"No buts, Maia. Go to bed. Now," She sighed, but went back to her room as Shadow had requested. The hedgehog closed his eyes, but sleep didn't come back to him. He groaned. So much for getting a good night's sleep...
Three minutes later, Maia's prediction had come true. Thunder and lightning clashed in the skies, and rain poured down on the roof of the old house. Shadow groaned and turned over, burying his face into his pillow.
A slight whimper from the next room made his ear perk up.
Shadow lifted his head up, straining to hear. The small whimpering didn't sound pained... but you never know. Shadow, a little reluctantly, got up and walked, with his feet dragging, to the room next door. He knocked on the door.
"Maia?" No response, "Maia, it's me. Can I come in?" When there was again no response, Shadow began to grow worried, "That's it, I'm coming in."
The door wasn't locked, lucky for Shadow. He opened it and peeped his head in, noticing the small bundle shivering under the covers of her crib. The hedgehog walked over and shook her gently, "Maia, it's me. Are you alright?" The little fox cub pulled herself out from under the blankets. Tears were staining her face, and her eyes had a red tinge. Shadow's heart ached upon seeing this.
"Maia?" She looked up at him, "Are you hurt?" The cub shook her head. Shadow frowned, "What's wrong, then?"
Another flash of light entered the room through the windows, followed by a loud clash. The window flew open from the sheer force of the wind, making Shadow go and close it. This time, though, he locked it with a little latch to make sure it wouldn't fly open again. When his gaze returned to the crib, Maia was once again hiding under her covers, shaking and whimpering all the while.
It clicked.
He gently scooped up his daughter, making sure not to startle her. When she looked up out of her blanket, she saw a gentle gaze comforting her. Without any prompting, Shadow drew her close and hugged her tightly.
Maia shivered as more lightning and thunder sounded. But it wasn't anything to worry about; she knew she'd be safe with her daddy's arms wrapped around her. Eventually, her heavy eyelids and the slight pounding in her head got the best of her. She closed her eyes, her breathing evening out...
A gentle smile plastered itself on Shadow's face as Maia fell to sleep in his arms. It went without saying, what happened tonight. These things were to be expected; Shadow didn't thing the job of fatherhood would come without perks and privileges of it's own. Briefly, he wondered which one this is, before writing off the notion completely.
With Maia safely in his arms, Shadow laid himself out on the small couch in the room. Maia lying next to him, one of his arms wrapped around her, a sense of contentment enveloped itself in him. Shadow gently brushed the bangs out of her face. He smiled in his drowsy state, relishing the feeling in his heart, before giving into his own exhaustion, and shutting his ruby eyes.
The last thing he heard that night was Maia's sleepy yet content sigh.
The next morning, Shadow awoke with a sort of empty feeling. Maia had crawled out of his arms sometime before he woke up, and the door was open. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and went downstairs to make breakfast.
When he arrived, Maia was already sitting at the table. She smiled, showing off her growing baby teeth, and handed him a piece of paper. He looked at it with curiosity, "What's this?"
On the paper was a drawing; not the best one he'd seen, but the identity of the artist made it worth much more than that. A portrait of him, to the best of the one year old girl's abilities. Without thinking twice about it, he hung it on the refrigerator with a magnet. Maia beamed with pride at seeing this.
All throughout the morning, Shadow would make an occasional glimpse at the picture, that same feeling of contentment wrapping itself around his heart.
Well that was a corny ending.
Shut up! (Punches the muse) I'd like to see you do better!
I'm the one who gave you the idea for this!
Yeah, one stomach full of sugar later! All that candy made me sick!
Oh yeah... hey, look, a dancing moose playing the fiddle while riding a unicycle.
(Sweating) Must...not...look...(turns around and looks; sees nothing) DARN IT! (Turns and sees the muse running) GET BACK HERE!
Nah! Nah! You can't catch me- (Slams into a tree)
Serves you right! Now, nicely ask the readers to review.
Please...review...or she won't help me...
Why is it so amusing to torture you?
...You're starting to sound like the Distraction...
Wow, capital D. Midnight Bell got promoted!
...yeah...now help me!
(Sighs) I'll get the first-aid kit...