Hey guys! Here's (a very long) chapter 14! I was originally going to write the entries in individual chapters but I felt that this was too complicated so I've combined the entries all in one chapter! Enjoy!
A/N - Themes explored in this chapter are Religious Cults, attitudes and the 2012 'prophecy'. Elizabeth, Joseph, Katherine, Zachary, Leah and Liz and other miscellaneous characters are OCs. 'The Color Purple' is owned by Alice Walker.
*'Rayans' - reference to the Mayans of the 2012 'prophecy'
~Xoxomtmodnarxoxo
Dear Diary,
From time to time we can judge people by how they come across others in our modern-day society: If a male Mobian speaks in a camp voice or has more female friends than male friends, other Mobians would automatically assume that they would be gay. If a Mobian is a different species of animal, they would experience prejudice from other species of animals. And, of course, if one small religious group begins to grow in a community, they would experience harsh criticism by the public simply for having different beliefs and having different living standards. In the end, it's all about attitudes.
And if I'm being plainly honest, that was my impression when I attended one of the Church of Spiritual Souls's meetings at the community hall. I was a bit wary at first when I noticed rows of chairs and a large projector screen in front of the chairs set out in the hall but when I saw Blaze behind a table serving tea smiling at me, I suddenly felt reassured.
"Amy!", she exclaimed, "Hello! It's so lovely to see you here!"
"I'd thought I'd just drop by and see how everybody's doing", I lied. I was really there to find out the reason why I had seen Mom in my 'vision' and if I was really an exceptionally gifted person. I didn't tell Shadow or Cream or anybody else that I had attended the meeting tonight because I knew they would do anything to stop me from going. They all believe that the Church Of Spiritual Souls are dangerous people. But I don't need their opinions. I know what I'm doing.
Anyway, Blaze at the very least believed me and nodded nicely, "That's lovely!", she exclaimed, "You can help serve the tea at the meantime if you want?"
So I did. And it wasn't too bad; the people who were there were nice and were all happy to see me and gratefully took their cups of tea. I recognised a few of them from the get-together the night before and nodded at them. Many of the Mobians who were already members of the group greeted each other wistfully as though they hadn't seen each other for years. The majority of the members were adults however there were also children with them. They all stuck out from the crowds because they all wore sky blue shirts and black trousers (black knee-length skirts for the females) and matching black ties. They looked so poised, suddenly so significant from everybody else in the community hall that it made me shiver slightly whenever I caught sight of them.
When everybody had arrived, Silver welcomed us all and asked us all to take a seat. So we did. Silver then introduced us all to the other members and then gave us a brief history of the Church Of Spiritual Souls, emphasising how the group was created and what accomplishments were made by the founder of the group. Silver then explained the prophecies that the group believed, and even told us that the group had originally predicted the Apocalypse that is suppose to happen in 2012. We all nodded and commented except for one middle-aged male echidna. He frowned and put his hand up.
"I'm afraid you're mistaken", he commented loudly, "You've just told us that your members from hundreds of years ago were originally Rayans*. But the Rayans didn't predict the end of Mobius, and Modern-day Rayans have concluded that the end of their calendar will not bring about the Apocalypse. The Doomsday theory was only brought about by the Western continents. Scientists have already proven that the predicted 'Apocalypse' is a hoax. Also, the Rayan civilisation became extinct hundreds of years ago. How could your group have survived at all if they had all died years ago?"
There was a terrible silence in the hall. I couldn't deny it, the Mobian had made a very good point. Silver's cheeks grew to a faint red colour and I actually saw his hands curled into fists. Oh dear, how was Silver going to contradict the Mobian's point…?
But the Silver breathed out briefly and gave the Mobian a firm smile.
"It is what we believe", he answered, "You see, this is what happens when scientific theories are compared with our beliefs: there are debates that contradicts the predictions our God. Everybody knows that we, the Church Of Spiritual Souls, are always accurate with our predictions"
"But the Space organisation-", the Mobian began before he was rudely interrupted.
"If you don't agree with our beliefs then why don't you just leave?", Silver asked and folded his arms firmly. The Mobian grew quite red and left the hall with an eerie silence. When he left, Silver breathed out and smile reassuringly at the rest of us, "Would anybody else like to join our fox friend?"
Everybody froze. Nobody dared to put up their hands. Silver smiled and nodded triumphantly. He then continued with the history of the religious group, showing us pictures of previous members on the projector screen. The group members in the pictures were the exact same pictures from the leaflet that I was given, however the 'lifeless' looks that the young Mobians once had, in my opinion, in the pictures suddenly seemed insignificant. They really did look happy all of a sudden. Maybe I was being overdramatic when I originally believed that the Church Of Spiritual Souls was a cult. They're just a group of Mobians who have a different perspective about God and the afterlife.
Then Silver finished his presentation and Blaze joined him and explained the application requirements. Those who want to join the group have to pay a application fee of $650 - that's right, $650! - and attend a day out in the countryside that will be organised by the group within the next fortnight, where applying Mobians must contribute in activities, mainly sports, in order for group members to analyse our attitudes and performances. If you want to join, then you are expected to pay the fees and attend the get-together in the countryside. Otherwise you will not be allowed to gain membership and would have to wait for a year until you can apply for a place. But the main point that's worrying me is the application fee -I simply can't afford it! I don't have that kind of money at all! And what If I'm not able to attend the event in the countryside? What if I end up with severe appendicitis or come down with swine flu the day before the day out in the countryside? Would Silver and Blaze automatically reject my application if certain circumstances interfere in my social plans? I certainly wished that they were more understanding and had announced that they would make exceptions for certain excuses as not to attend the get-together. But they didn't. I suppose that's a subtle hint that you must attend or else.
When the meeting finally finished, I couldn't help myself and got up and sidled over to Silver whilst everyone else began to depart from the hall. Silver noticed me approaching and smiled.
"Ah!", he smiled, "Amy Rose! How can I help you?"
"It's about the application fee", I admitted, "I'm sorry, Silver, but I just can't afford it at all!"
Silver looked wounded.
"That's a shame", he sighed, "I thought that you'd make a terrific member in our group but I'm afraid we don't make exceptions for those who can't afford to pay our fees. I'm sorry, Amy, I feel as if we've wasted your time"
"Oh, but you haven't!", I protested, "Your group and beliefs are very interesting! If only there was some way that I can pay for the fees, but I don't know how!"
"Garage sale?", Silver suggested, "Charity runs?"
"Mm", I answered, "I could try getting a job-"
"That's all very well, Amy", Silver answered, "But please bear in mind that you are expected to pay the fee within a fortnight"
I sighed. I was getting nowhere.
"Do you offer any special scholarships of any kind?", I dared to ask. Silver shook his head.
"Sorry", Silver replied, "Our requirements are very strict. If we begin offering free scholarships then those who are already members will begin to question about why they were expected to pay the fees rather than being offered scholarships, too. Do you understand what I'm talking about?"
I had to understand.
"Okay", I answered back shakily, "Don't worry, I'll find a way to get the money"
Silver smiled at me.
"I know you will", he answered back fondly.
… Only I can't find a way to collect $650 within two weeks! It seems to unreal: I can't take out a loan from a bank because then I'll have to pay them back at some point (and how on Mobius am I going to do that if I'll be too busy participating in group activities and therefore not earning for a living?) and no doubt somebody would contact Liz and then we would have one of those discussions in her office. I don't dare ask for a loan from a church organisation because who would possibly borrow $650 from a church in order to join another church? It's almost like stealing from a church! I'm not allowed to touch the money that I received from Mom. I inherited $1000 from Mom according to her will but I'm not allowed to gain access to it until I'm 21 years old so I'm pretty screwed there. And I certainly don't dare to ask Tails or Shadow or Vanilla for financial support because that would be so rude to do so.
Unless… yes, that's it! My small house has got a deposit of $500 so if I sell my house somehow then all I would have to do is sell a few bits of furniture to raise the remaining $150, then I would be able to join!
Right, I'll need to get started! First I'll need to polish the floorboards and then clean the windows and then paint the… oh, what am I doing still scribbling away? I must do my work!
Yours,
Amy
Dear Diary,
I managed to sell my house and receive my deposit. The landlord didn't look too happy when he inspected my house and tutted and shook his head at the flaky paintwork and the faded carpet in my bedroom and the dent in the wall in the hallway (which came across when I was once angry with Sonic and therefore kicked the wall with infuriation) but nonetheless he reluctantly gave me the $500. In addition, I had to sell the majority of my furniture (which weren't worth a lot) in my garage sale. The customers were a bit stingy at first since I was trying to sell basic furniture at high prices, but a few gave in and bought some pieces of my furniture, well, enough to raise $250.
Anyway, once I had received my money I went straight down to the community hall to pay fees. Just as well since tomorrow is the deadline for the payment of fees, and as predicted by myself the community hall was crowded with Mobians who were desperate to join the Church Of Spiritual Souls. The poor volunteers who were there confirming our payments were nearly losing the will to live! It was barbaric: I was shoved, nudged, bruised, and scratched by Mobians who were trying to get past me to have their fees paid. But eventually I managed to get to the table at the front. The volunteer serving me smiled at me sympathetically.
"Congratulations!", she remarked, "You've just survived the chaos!"
I chuckled darkly even though I wasn't in the mood to fool around.
"Only just", I answered back and handed over my envelope containing my money, "Here it is! The full payment!"
"You're in the money!", the volunteer joked and chuckled as she collected my money, "Still we're happy to have you join our society! We hope you didn't go to too much trouble collecting the money for the fees"
"Oh, you won't believe the trouble I went through to get this money!", I commented, "I even had to sell my house in order to afford the fees!"
The volunteer stopped counting the notes in her hand and stared at me with disbelief.
"So… where are you living now?", she asked anxiously. I dithered. I hadn't really thought about where I was going to stay. It felt that all of a sudden my $650 payment was a very, very big mistake. I couldn't go back now. Or could I? I could have easily taken my money away from the volunteer and went back home. I dithered even more. What home? I couldn't go back now because there was going to be a family moving into my house within a few days time. It felt as if I had deliberately made myself homeless.
I felt tears forming in my eyes. The volunteer noticed this. She then quickly counted my money and smiled at me anxiously.
"Well the good news is that not only have you fully paid our fees but you are now a member of our society", she informed me.
"But what about the day out in the countryside?", I asked.
"Oh, don't worry about that. They just say that to scare you into behaving sensibly", she smiled, "As long as you don't drink, smoke, swear or make an embarrassing scene, you'll make a very good impression"
"But what if I screw up?", I asked further. I blushed at the word 'screwed'.
"If you royally mess things up then you don't have to worry", the volunteer informed me, "You'll be asked to attend tutorials and group sessions to help improve yourself in order to be part of the society"
"Well, that's…", I paused, "… That's okay, really"
"One thing we don't do is turn our backs on you now that you've paid the fees. You're now family. And you're in luck because we have halls of residence for members who can't afford their own place. In fact, hold on…", the volunteer knelt down behind the table and rummaged in a drawer. She then produced a key and then brought out a lone sheet of paper from a separate folder, "Here's the key to your room and here's a contract for the room and to confirm your membership"
I nervously took the key and signed the contract. The volunteer glanced at my signature and smiled at me warmly.
"Welcome to the Church Of Spiritual Souls, Sister Amy", she announced.
Later: I have now moved into my room. And in all honesty, the room is cramped. It's not much bigger than a box room and I'll do my best to describe the room to you, my dear diary: When you enter my room through the front door, you go through a brief narrow hallway and once you've went through that on your right there is my bed that is situated right beside the small window. Beside the bed is a bedside table that has a lamp and a copy of our bible placed on top if the table. Directly in front of you is a small wardrobe and then to your left there is a toilet and a sink. There is also a lone armchair right beside you when you enter the room, and on the ceiling there is a light bulb to provide the room with light (which sounds quite obvious when you write it out on paper). And that's it. That's my room. My residence. My new home.
When I noticed how cramped it was, I took a step backwards, and then another, and then another until I was actually standing outside in the main hallway of the building. I thought I was alone until I heard a voice behind me.
"Mama!", cried a small voice, "That lady looks strange!"
I spun around to find two small hedgehogs, the brown male hedgehog looked about three years old and the orange female hedgehog looked only about two years old. They were both wearing the regulated uniforms of the Church. The little boy curiously reached out and touched my boot with fascination whilst the little girl plonked herself down on the floor and blinked at me, wondering whether to cry or not.
"Joseph!", his mother, an orange female hedgehog, called out behind him, "Manners!", she looked at me apologetically, "I'm so sorry, Joseph isn't quite used to new neighbours"
"That's quite alright", I answered, "And you are?"
"I'm Sister Elizabeth", she answered and shook my hand fondly, "And this Joseph and Katherine. Welcome to the group! And what's your name?"
"I'm Sister Amy", I replied fondly and looked at Brother Joseph and Sister Katherine, "Hello… Brother Joseph and Sister Katherine?", I announced with a hint of uncertainty in my voice. Sister Elizabeth laughed.
"You don't have to worry about formally addressing children, that only happens when they officially convert to the religion at the age of ten", Sister Elizabeth told me.
"Oh!", I exclaimed, "I'm so sorry, I-I didn't know"
"Not to worry", she smiled, "It's quite obvious that you're a new member. So… what do you think about your new home?"
"It's quite cramped if I'm plainly honest", I confided in her. Sister Elizabeth laughed.
"Enjoy it while you can!", she exclaimed, "We have to cope with five Mobians in our room. I've got my youngest sleeping in the room just now so that's why we're outside so that we can give him a bit of piece and quiet"
"Oh, my!", I exclaimed.
"Yeah, we're waiting for a place of our own but my husband's working overtime in the classes. He's one of our lecturers, you see. It's ridiculous pay but we have enough for our weekly rent", Sister Elizabeth was interrupted by the sound of an infant crying inside her room, "Excuse me", she whispered and went inside. I dithered on the spot, wondering what to say next to my neighbours. Sister Elizabeth reappeared with a baby brown hedgehog who was crying abruptly. He stopped immediately when he saw me. I dared put on a smile and held out a hand to gently pat his cheek. The baby dodged my touch and continued to cry, butting his head against Sister Elizabeth's shoulder. She tutted.
"Take no notice, Sister Amy", she reassured me, "He's just hungry", and with that, Sister Elizabeth unbuttoned her blouse halfway and began to nurse the baby. I glanced away nervously. I have no idea why, but I find it strangely embarrassing when I see a female breastfeed a child in public. Sister Elizabeth seemed to notice this and kindly unravelled her neckerchief and placed it gently over her baby's head, disguising her somewhat shame.
"What's his name?", I asked politely.
"Zachary", she answered proudly, "He's only six months old but he's so big for his age!"
"Wow", was my only answer.
"And what about you?", Sister Elizabeth asked politely, "Children?"
"Oh, no!", I exclaimed, "I'm only twelve!"
"Oh, that's nothing!", she answered, "I had Joseph when I was only fourteen!"
The truth shocked me to the core.
"You… you can't be serious!", I answered back.
"I am", Sister Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at me, "Didn't you know that females in the Church Of The Spiritual Souls marry young?"
"Why… no", I replied. I honestly didn't.
"Well, we do!", she answered nicely, "If you're interested, I know somebody's cousin who works on the fields who's single and he's such a sweetheart! Would you like me to go and talk to him for you?"
"Er, well, I-", I stammered. Sister Elizabeth suddenly looked ashamed as she gently placed Zachary against her shoulder and began to wind him.
"Guess he wasn't very hungry", she commented, "I'm so sorry that I'm pestering you when you've only just joined the group, Sister Amy"
"It's not a problem", I reassured her, "After all, I'm just getting used to things around here"
"Well, you're right there. Enjoy your peace while you can", Sister Elizabeth informed me significantly, "The minute you get married you don't get a minute's peace", she paused and focussed on Joseph who was randomly tugging at Katherine's quills, "Joseph! That's enough!", she exclaimed.
I'm so, so glad that my life is at the very least peaceful and not like Sister Elizabeth's.
Dear Diary,
Today was the organisation that was held in the countryside. Every member travelled by coach and on the way we sang songs about our God and our religion. In a strange sense, the songs didn't seem indoctrinating but they were rather catchy and they all had particular meaning. The organisation was well-put together where there many different frame tents filled with different tables and chairs and objects. There were also sport activities carefully displayed in the fields, for example, there were goal posts, plastic bases for baseball, potato sacks obviously being used for sack races and even a portable climbing wall! The tents varied of different activities, for example, arts and crafts, bake sales, raffles… there was everything you could imagine! I must admit, I felt a bit wary when I first stepped onto the fields because I didn't know where I fitted in; there were families, males setting up picnic tables, children running about on the fields, and women standing in groups who were bickering over ready-made food brought with them. I looked for Sister Elizabeth but I couldn't find her anywhere. I dithered on my spot for a few minutes when a female red cat saw me.
"Hello, dearie", she called, "Are you lost?"
"I'm not lost!", I protested, "I just don't know where to go or what to do…"
"Wait", she answered, "Are you the nice new girl Sister Elizabeth told me about? Sister Amelia?"
"Amy", I corrected her.
"Well, lovely to meet you, Sister Amy!", she exclaimed, "Now, you don't have to worry about wondering what to do, you've to help us with the bake sale"
"Really?", I asked, bewildered.
"Yep", she answered, "You're part of the bakery duty today. We have our own rota throughout the entire day!", she produced a small list and examined it, "Uh-huh… yes, you're to help us out with the cakes and then you've to supervise the children whilst they play a game of baseball in the afternoon"
"Oh", I pondered slightly, "But I'd thought I'd be evaluated for my performance?"
"You will be evaluated whilst you do your duties", the red cat told me, "But don't worry, dear, I'm sure you'll do fine"
And so I did. And the bake sale actually wasn't too bad. Some cupcakes had turned out bad so I investigated the cakes.
"You're problem was that you kept opening the oven door too many times", I reported as I studied the sodden lumps in the paper cases, "You need to close the door as much as possible to get the best result"
"How brilliant!", one female echidna, Sister Kitty, exclaimed, "You must be a natural when it comes to cookery!"
"I want to open my own bakery one day", I confided to the other women, "Maybe one day you'd like to work with me?"
"Mm", Sister Kitty answered uncertainly, "Would you like to work in our own kitchen instead? You get access to the main kitchens and cook for as long as you want"
"I'll think about it", I answered back.
"Oh, I know what you mean", another member exclaimed, "I can't even find the time to help clean the halls because I have to look after my children most of the time"
"You're lucky!", another female member chipped in, "Sister Leah who lives just down the hallway from me was diagnosed with breast cancer last year and she's been terribly exhausted because of the chemotherapy. She's been so ill that she mostly sleeps nowadays. I honestly don't think she'll get any better"
"I thought we didn't allow contact with non-believers to take place?", I enquired curiously, "What if the doctor she saw was blasphemous?"
Wow… where did that question come from?
"The rules are you're not allowed to speak to non-believers, but if there is a serious problem where you need to seek professional help, then we make exceptions", Sister Kitty told me.
"Ah", I answered.
"Anyway, Sister Leah has been terribly unwell and she's had four children to look after", the female continued, "Her husband is barely around, so I've tried my best to help her out in any way but I feel that she can no longer cope. The poor dear, it's obvious that she doesn't have much longer to…"
"Where is she now?", I asked nervously.
"She's back at the halls with her sister-in-law", she answered, "She couldn't cope with coming out today…"
As the other females gossiped, I turned my back on them as I carefully displayed the cakes on the tables, realising how close the community in the Church of Spiritual Souls actually were. It was clear that the cancer-stricken sister Leah had a group of friends and neighbours who were happy to help out. It made me wonder what had gone wrong in the society I used to live in where there were murders, rape, assaults, attacks… In a sense, I felt very relieved that I had chosen to join the Church.
The morning had raced by and before I knew it, it was afternoon. I was very nervous by this point because I knew that the children I had to supervise were hyperactive after eating sugary cakes. When I saw them jumping about and shouting excitedly, I knew that I was in for a Hellish time. The children were slightly peculiar. They took the baseball game very seriously and actually became quite aggressive when the other team supposedly cheated. At one stage they began to fight one another and one little hedgehog was shoved to the ground and grazed his knees. He began to cry but I had managed to take him over to the first-aid tent and put anti-bacterial cream on his cuts. When he was eventually bandaged and feeling better, he smiled at me, thanked me and ran back to his friends. As I watched him wander away, I sensed Brother Silver approaching me.
"I'm very impressed, Sister Amy!", he exclaimed, "We've had feedback on your contribution in the bake sale and everyone there has said that you're a joy to have with them. Also the children seem to love you! We're all very happy that you've settled in well in our community"
"Thanks", I smiled. Brother Silver smiled back but I could tell something was on his mind.
"It's great that you're joining but there's one thing that you still need to sort out", he informed me.
"What's that?", I asked curiously. What had I done to make my new friends think that I still needed to improve my standards…?
"Uniform", was Brother Silver's reply. At first I thought that I didn't hear him properly until I saw the look on his face, then I realised he was being deadly serious.
"What's wrong with my own clothes?", I asked. Brother Silver shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Sister Amy", he told me, "But our uniform is part of our regulations in the Church. If you want to join in, you have to wear the clothing"
"But I only have $100", I argued, "I'm being very frugal with my savings; I simply can't afford to buy new clothing. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to wear my own clothing for now"
"Hmm", Brother Silver replied, "I didn't realise your predicament… I'll see what I can do"
I don't know why, but I suddenly feel frightened by his statement. What did he mean by 'I'll see what I can do'…?
Later: I know now! After the day out in the countryside, we all travelled back to our halls of residence to relax for the rest of the evening. As I was brushing my quills there was a knock on my door. However, when I answered it, there was nobody to be seen except for a lone package right in front of me. Fingers trembling, I carefully unwrapped the packaging and found two blouses, a knee-length black skirt, a black knitted jumper, black sandals and a tie. There was also a small note, telling me where to have my clothing laundered and where to get more clothing if needed. Underneath that was a small notebook, indicating how my quills should be kept. Apparently I'm not allowed to have my quills styled in the latest fashion or have a perm; it's not appropriate styles for young women. So, I must do what I can and design a suitable hairstyle in order to be accepted…
Later: I'm exhausted. I've spent the last two hours restyling my quills. It was awful! I had to re-wash my quills because I had ran my fingers through them so much that they became greasy. Then I tried tying my quills into a bun only to realise too late that my quills are too short for that hairstyle. I became so frustrated that I very nearly threw my brush at my mirror! But eventually after I had washed my quills and pinned them in heating curlers (with help from Sister Elizabeth), I had created a smooth and wavy (and very pretty, if I do say so myself) hairstyle, with a few hairclips keeping them out of my face . I look like somebody from the 1940s, but in a sense, I actually suit the style.
Oh, I can't wait to show off my quills tomorrow along with my new uniform! Then I'll be truly accepted by the community!
Ciao for now,
Amy.
Dear Diary,
Today was disastrous! I was helping out the other female members with the laundry when I head the most awful explosion outside the halls. I ran out to see what had happened… only to see Dr. Eggman hovering in the sky in his machine! There was also a building on our land that was on fire, and several Mobians spilling out of it, screaming in fear. I felt my body twitch with anger.
"EGGMAN!", I roared at him. Dr. Eggman stopped tormenting my poor friends and turned to me and peered at me.
"Who the Hell are you?", he asked impatiently and shook his head crossly, "I have no time for a game of 'Guess Who' - I have some money to take!"
"It's me, you asshole!", I shouted and then clamped my hand over my mouth. No doubt I would be shunned for swearing later on. Dr. Eggman peered at me again and raised his eyebrows in a mocking fashion.
"Amy?", he asked and then burst out laughing, "Oh, this is too good! First I come here to take all of your money and then I find out that the loonies have converted you!"
"Where's a camera when I need one?", Decoe asked as he and Bocoe randomly appeared beside Dr. Eggman, joining him in his laughter. I felt my face going very red.
"They have not converted me!", I screamed back, "Now get lost before I give you something to cry about!"
"Ooh!", Dr. Eggman answered, "And what are you going to do to me? Bash me with bibles? Send the spirits to attack me? Sing a song?", he snorted, "Per-lease! Stop wasting my time and hand me all of your money and I'll consider sparing your life"
"Over my dead body!", I shouted and as I reached for my Piko-Piko hammer, the obvious dawned on me: I no longer had my Piko-Piko hammer!
Oh, God, what was I meant to do? I obviously couldn't fight Dr. Eggman, but I couldn't risk the lives of any members, either. I peered around desperately, but there was no inspiration to help me change into battle-mode. I felt the tears prick in my eyes. I felt helpless. But I vowed that I wouldn't cry, wouldn't cry, wouldn't cry…
"Aw!", Dr. Eggman sneered, "She's crying! Listen, Peaches, you obviously can't win against someone as smart and devious as myself, so do me a favour and stop trying to intervene!"
"Up yours!", I screamed and picked up a rock and threw it at his hovercraft. The rock smacked against it with a *CLUNK* and had made an impressive dent. Dr. Eggman peered at my vandalism and growled. He narrowed his eyes at me.
"Think you're so smart, don't you, Amy?", he snarled and aimed his machinery at me, "You won't think that any longer when I'm done with you!"
He aimed. I ducked, closed my eyes and screamed loudly, preparing for the worst. But the bullets didn't hit my body. I gingerly re-opened my eyes and found a blue hedgehog standing defensively in front of me, stopping any bullets from hitting me.
"I thought you'd have known better, Eggman", Sonic exclaimed humorously, "But obviously you don't know the true meaning of charity!"
"Charity begins at home, you runt!", Dr. Eggman snarled, "Now stand still so that I can destroy you right here and now!"
"Huh!", Sonic smirked, "I'd like to see you try!"
And with a quick blue flash, Dr. Eggman's hovercraft was completely destroyed. Dr. Eggman fell down towards the ground and landed in a heap with Decoe and Bocoe following close behind. When Dr. Eggman sat up and found all of the Church members crowding around him, glaring at him. He smirked nervously and ran his right hand through his moustache.
"I think, uh, I should go!", he announced and got up and ran away. Decoe and Bocoe followed him, shouting after him, leaving an awful silence behind them.
I breathed out and noticed several injured members emerging from safe areas. They called after me, demanding that I had to help them. I could actually feel them glaring at me for using inappropriate language. I stumbled to my feet and Sonic turned around to look at me.
"You okay?", he asked, concerned, "You're not hurt in… Amy? Is that you?"
"Hi Sonic", I whispered. Great, I had broken yet another rule: No communication with non-believers. Sonic stared at my uniform and my hair and eventually croaked, "This is a joke, right?"
"What joke?", I muttered as I bent over and brushed the dust off of my skirt. One of the clips in my quills fell out in the process, dislodging my wavy curls. Sonic attempted to be helpful by picking it up for me. When we were at the same height level whilst bent over I whispered furiously at him, "I'm not allowed to say anything, I'm not even allowed to talk to you! What are you doing here?"
"I saw Dr. Eggman causing chaos so I was just doing my thing", he chuckled and then stopped, "Please tell me this is an early Halloween costume you're wearing"
"No, it's my uniform", I whispered, "Please go!"
"No wait", he stood up properly and whispered, "I want to know what's going here. Don't tell me you've actually joined these… people?"
"What's wrong with it?", I hissed. The other members were becoming impatient as they awaited my help.
"What's right with it?", Sonic hissed back, "Amy, this is a cult! You need to get out of this before you get yourself hurt!"
"I'm happy! Why can't you accept that?"
"I don't want to see you get hurt, that's all! I know what these people are like!"
I sighed and stood up properly to look Sonic in the eye.
"These people have been very kind to me and have given me the support that I needed"
"And what have they done for you?", Sonic argued and crossed his arms, his facial expression stern.
"They provided me with a place to stay, emotional support, and… and…", I struggled, "… a sense of being"
"What?", Sonic couldn't help but smirk, "That's ridiculous!"
"Look, I'm serious", I muttered darkly, "Get out now, or I'll get into serious trouble"
"Sister Amy!", somebody called to me impatiently.
"What did they just call you?", Sonic asked, bewildered.
"Never mind", I answered, "Look, I've got to go now"
"Sister Amy!", the member called again. It was obvious that I was infuriating them.
"Seriously, I need to go now", I informed him and began to walk away.
"I'll be back, Amy", Sonic called after me, "Don't worry, I'll get help"
When I eventually reached the others, they were furious.
"What do you think you were doing, talking to that non-believer?", a male fox demanded. It was infuriating the fact that he didn't even know me properly and yet he was telling me off, as if I was his daughter.
"I-it was somebody I knew", I told him truthfully, "But he's nothing to worry about. He's not dangerous in any way"
"But he's not a member", Sister Elizabeth argued.
"But he saved your money from being stolen by Dr. Eggman!", I protested, "He's really a good guy once you get to know him!"
"Sister Amy", Brother Silver had appeared out of nowhere and approached me in an intimidating manner, "That hedgehog is not a member of our society. If we ever catch you talking to him again, then we will throw you out of the Church. Our regulations are very strict"
"I won't talk to him again", I reassured him, "I promise"
"Be sure that you don't", was my warning and then I was sent back into the laundry room. The other women didn't speak to me for the remainder of the day. I have now realised my punishment: If I break one of the rules, then I'll be treated like an outcast. I certainly don't want to experience the same thing again.
Yours,
Amy.
Dear Diary,
I am forgiven. Today was the official ceremony that confirmed my membership into the Church. New members, including myself, had to participate in a march through downtown and then towards the Green Hills. When we arrived there, we had to recite the Church Of Spiritual Souls Law. This performance is considered very significant, and participation is compulsory. If you stepped out of line, you ruined the entire sequence. That's why I felt so nervous whilst I stood in line with the rest of the other members in my white dress and flower crown and gold sandals. Apparently my ceremonial outfit highlighted my purity and faith to my religion. I looked okay. Other members reassured me that I looked lovely. But I felt awkward, as though I was making the biggest mistake of my life.
But I couldn't back out. Before I knew it we began to march down the streets, regardless of the other Mobians staring at our display. Along the way, we chanted traditional songs about faith, our God, and happiness. Somehow, it felt great that I was a part of something special and not one of the 'ordinary' Mobians who stood and stared at us as we marched past. But what scared me the most that I saw Sonic and Tails standing amongst the crowds. Sonic muttered something to Tails and then they both stared at me despairingly. However, that didn't stop me. I kept marching towards the Green Hills. When we arrived we gathered in a huge circle around a well-built bonfire. There in front of the bonfire were official leaders of different communities from around Mobius, accepting new members from their own areas. Our official leader was a echidna with a fierce facial expression who looked as if he would automatically hit you if you made the smallest mistake. Once everybody had gathered in a circle, we all had to recite a prayer simultaneously and then the new members formed into a line in front of their leaders, where they would speak to the leader individually.
When it was my turn to approach the leader, he eyed me up and down and frowned. I stared at him innocently, my heart beating rapidly.
"Do you, Amy Rose, agree to the requirements of the Church Of The Spiritual Souls?", he demanded loudly.
"I do", I answered.
"And do you agree to sacrifice your life and your freedom to the Church Of The Spiritual Souls?", he continued.
"I do", I answered. The leader nodded and produced a small bowl and dipped his fingers into what looked like red powder. He then reached out and brushed the red powder onto my cheeks, gently tracing circular designs onto my face.
"Welcome to the Church, my child", he informed me and then dismissed me. I bowed respectfully and slowly walked away. I saw Sister Blaze and Sister Elizabeth together waving at me excitedly, smiling. I nodded at them and then returned to my space in the circle. The confirmation was a very long process, but eventually all of the new members were fully accepted into their individual groups and manoeuvred themselves back into the huge circle around the bonfire. The leaders put up their hands. One of them spoke loudly and clearly into a microphone.
"The Confirmation is complete", they announced to us all, "Go forth, our children, spread our good will to our lost brothers and sisters, and multiply!"
And with that we all bowed respectfully, and then the event was over. I breathed out and ran over to Sister Blaze and Sister Elizabeth. They cheered when I ran over to them.
"Oh, Sister Amy, we're so happy for you!", Sister Blaze exclaimed. Whilst she said this a frail female cat wearing a headscarf approached me. She patted my shoulder with trembling fingers.
"Well done, my dear", she congratulated me.
"Sister Amy, this is Sister Leah we were telling you about", Sister Elizabeth told me.
"You mean the woman with the… oh", I replied anxiously as I stared at Sister Leah's pale complexion, dark smudges under her eyes, and her headscarf. She looked at me anxiously.
"I'm sorry", I blurted, "I didn't realise you were so…"
"Sick?", she helped me, "I know, it's pretty frightening, but I'm doing my best to stick around for as long as I can"
"It's lovely to meet you", I told her, "If you need any help, please let me know"
"That's lovely, dear", Sister Leah smiled, "I have such a wonderful support group!"
"Oh, Sister Amy, are you seeing anybody just now?", Sister Blaze asked me curiously.
"No, why?", I asked. She nodded at a male brown hedgehog glancing in our direction.
"I think you may have a secret admirer", she giggled.
As they gossiped about men, I shook my head fondly at them. But it felt great that I had officially become a member because now I felt like I was a member of a huge family. Because in the Church Of The Spiritual Souls we looked out for one another. Because we are the superior religion. The superior race.
We are.
Amen.
Yours,
Amy.
Dear Diary,
What I've noticed during my stay in the community halls is that there seems to be a strange segregation between our members regarding gender. The men work in the fields growing vegetables, teach classes to the children, or preach in the main streets downtown whilst the women plant flowers in our gardens, cook, clean the halls, and mother our children. It seems easy and heavenly for women but it is very hard work! I had to attend several workshops where I'm taught how to make clothes, how to repair shoes, how to perform first-aid, make beds, clean and in addition our Church Of Spiritual Souls ideology… In all honesty, I feel as if this is training me to become a practical mother in the distant future. With that idea in my mind, I'm slightly scared over what plans my fellow members may have for me in the near future, but in other ways the classes are actually quite helpful if I'm on my own with very little money to my name.
Today I learned how to make dresses. It was quite fun when we were allowed to model our new dresses to the other members. But it was a terrible burden making the dresses, now that I have plasters all over my fingers! Tomorrow, I'll be helping to clean the dining room after breakfast.
I'd love to write more but I'm completely exhausted!
Amy.
Dear Diary,
I'm so happy because I earned my badge for dress-making! It feels wonderful to be awarded for my hard work! I can't write now because I now have to go and help look after Sister Leah's children whilst she rests.
Amen.
Yours,
Amy.
Dear Diary,
I had visitors today. I was busy scrubbing the floors around the tables (honestly, who on Mobius would give hyperactive children scrambled eggs to eat for breakfast?) when I saw Brother Silver walk past the halls to go to an office. I scrambled (pardon the pun) on my feet and scattered towards him desperately.
"Hi, Brother Silver", I called out, "I was just wondering when we will be doing that exercise where we try to contact our deceased loved ones again? I'd love to try and get in contact with my Mom again"
"Soon", was my reply, "I'm too busy with paperwork just now, so bear with me"
And with that Brother Silver walked away, leaving me on my own. I sighed and sloped back into the main dining room. Nowadays I feel as if my requests are going unanswered, as though I'm not actually special in any way. Nowadays, I actually feel more like a maid than part of a society…
Anyway, before I could go back to scrubbing, Silver reappeared once again, his facial expression solemn.
"You have visitors", was all he told me in a stern tone of voice, and so I ran to the main entrance to see who my visitors were. But just imagine how horrified I felt when I found Sonic, Tails, Shadow, Cream, Vanilla, Liz, and even Knuckles standing at the main entrance of the halls waiting for me to arrive. They all smiled at me awkwardly.
"Hello, Amy", Vanilla said. The others nodded. I stared at them, confused.
"Guys…", I whispered, "What are you doing here?"
"We thought we'd come over and… and have a little chat with you", Liz told me.
"I don't understand", I said, "Why do you need to…", and then the obvious dawned on me. This was an intervention. Honestly, why didn't Sonic take the hint and stay away? Didn't they see that I was happy? At least, I think I'm happy…
"Amy, this is crazy", Sonic jumped in, "Can't you see that you're being fed a bunch of lies?"
"Oh, be quiet, Sonic!", I snapped, "It's not lies! I am one of the true members of the group! How dare you try to intervene!"
"Faker is right", Shadow added, "These people are dangerous. I was once involved with them, and they treat you like slaves. They never actually promise to bring your deceased ones back. Amy, listen - and listen hard - your Mom is never coming back"
"But-but if I contribute hard enough then I'll be able to-"
"Nothing you can contribute will make any difference", Shadow stated, "Just pack your things and get out of here. We can help you get back on your feet again"
"It's not as simple as that", Liz chipped in, "Amy might have been indoctrinated into believing that her Mom will come back. We will need gentle encouragement and help from psychologists in order for Amy to fully recover back to her old self"
"How dare you!", I shouted, "I've not been indoctrinated into anything!"
"Oh yeah?", Knuckles demanded, "What crazy promises have you made to these people?"
"They're not crazy!", I shouted, "Only that I'd sacrifice my freedom and my life for my leader"
They all groaned at me, indicating that I had done something stupid.
"Oh, Amy, what have you done?", Sonic demanded. My cheeks flamed and I clenched my fists.
"I don't need your opinions!", I stated, "I'm happy just the way I am! You're just jealous because you're not a part of our superior race! You're all just filthy scum!", and with that I spat at them. I think some of my spit had hit Cream ever so slightly because she was very close to tears. That's when I felt quite ashamed. Now that I think about it, since when had I become so aggressive?
"Amy?", she whispered, "Please, don't… we all love you"
"Then if you guys love me so much, why won't you just leave me alone?", I demanded.
"Because we want to protect you from being hurt!", Vanilla protested, "We don't want you to do anything drastic!"
"I'm not going to do anything stupid!", I argued, "Please, get out and leave me be!"
"But how can we trust you?", Tails asked. That was the last straw.
"You can trust me!", I snapped, "What do you take me for, an idiot? If I choose to join this Church then that's my business! I don't nag at Tails to stop his ridiculous inventing or moan at Knuckles about his temper, so the least you can do for me is to leave me be and let me contribute to my religion"
There was an awkward silence.
"What did you say about my in-", Tails began before he was cut off.
"Amy's got a point", Shadow chipped in, "If she doesn't need out help then she doesn't need it, and that's that. So, if that's the case, she won't need our help when she realises her 'religion' is all a lie and has nowhere else to go… come on guys, lets leave her for the last time", and with that Shadow turned and slowly left the building. Everybody else paused and glanced at me.
"Goodbye Amy", Vanilla whispered, "I hope you find happiness in what you're doing"
"We'll come back to visit… if that's okay", Cream told me in a weary voice, as though she was trying very had not to cry. Vanilla and Cream then left the building together. Tails gave me a small package.
"We got you a gift", he told me and then turned to Knuckles, "Come on, let's go"
Sonic was the only one left with me. He watched Tails and Knuckles leave together and then looked at me.
"Please, Amy", he asked nicely, "I know deep down you know that this is all a hoax. I want to help you. I'm willing to put our differences behind us if you please leave this place and get professional help. Don't do it for Vanilla or Shadow or me… do it for yourself, Amy", he held both of my hands desperately, looking anxious, "Please, please come back to us…?"
I stared at him. Sonic really did care. In fact, they all did. But they were wrong. They were blasphemous towards my religion. I couldn't let that slide by.
"I'm sorry", I whispered. Sonic stared at me. He then nodded, let go of my hands and silently left the building, not giving me a second glance. I stood aimlessly on my spot with the package tucked under my arm. I reluctantly took hold of it and opened it. It was a book called 'The Color Purple' by Alice Walker.
"What's that?", Brother Silver suddenly appeared behind me. I showed him the book.
"It's called 'The Color Purple'. It's a gift from my friends", I informed him. Brother Silver looked at it and then took it from me. He peered at a page or two. He then nodded… and then raised the book and struck the top of my head with it fiercely. I fell back, clutching my throbbing head, peering at him, confused.
"Not only did you speak to non-believers yet again, but you accepted an offensive piece of literature from them! Well, shame on you, you filthy sinner! I'm assigning you on laundry duty all week and I'll make sure you'll receive no help whatsoever from your friends or neighbours as part of your punishment, do I make myself clear?", he thundered. I nodded fearfully.
"Then get back in there and clean those floorboards!", he ordered, "And don't you even think about requiring help because you don't deserve it, you disgusting backstabber! Get to work!"
I scrambled away fearfully, tears pouring down my face. As I slumped down to the floor to scrub them again, I stared at my reflection on the polished floor.
"I'm not stupid", I muttered madly, "I'm not a backstabber. I'm not a sinner. I'm perfectly normal. It's all Sonic's fault because he stuck his nose in on my business. His fault. Their fault! They shouldn't have intervened in what I was doing. I hate them all. I hate them! They're stupid. Stupid Mobians. But they'll be sorry when they all die a horrible death in 2012 whilst I will survive the horrors of the apocalypse. Because I am a true member. A true child of God. I am! They'll all be sorry…"
I have full trust in our Lord.
Amen.
Yours,
Amy.