the monster under the bed
the demon in the closet
the cookie crumbs in your bedsheets

"You really think so?" Tails sniffed.

"Yeah really." Knuckles confirmed. "If I was hiding from G.U.N, I wouldn't do it by standing in public."

Knuckles had a point. Tails's droopy ears perked up slightly. Even if Knuckles wasn't very good at comforting people, he was really good at pointing out the obvious. And that was exactly what the fox needed to hear.

"Thank you Knuckles." Tails mumbled gratefully. Amy patted him on the head.

"We'll find him soon enough! I'll follow my gut!" She chirped, jumping off the bench. The hedgehog turned and waved for her friends to follow. The boys slid off after her.

"My gut says to go this way!" The pink hedgehog announced, turning to the right and pointing off into the distance. Tails looked to Knuckles. The echidna merely shrugged and followed her down the street.

Walking amongst the humans was easier this time, mostly because the group decided to stay close to the walls of the buildings. Amy wandered this way and that, stopping occasionally to examine a brick or pick a little dandelion that poked out between the cracks in the pavement. Sometimes she would venture out into the crowd a bit, pushing her way past knees and bags. The boys just went with it. Amy's steady meandering was all they had at the moment. A little wandering here and there never hurt.

A few more minutes passed, and they still didn't find Sonic. Where in the heck is he?

Amy stopped. Abruptly. Tails ran into her, nearly knocking her over in his absent mindedness. Knuckles stopped short. Just in time too; if he had run into the younger kids he would have knocked them all clean over.

"I feel something, it's stronger over here." She whispered. Knuckles looked around.

"I think you're following your stomach, Amy." He groaned, pointing to the building in front of them.

The three had arrived in front of a bakery. A very pleasant smelling one too. Just standing outside made the kids feel little rumbles inside. Tails huffed. He looked over to Amy and then back at the bakery.

"Well… a little food never hurt anyone." He sighed. He waved for the two to follow him as he entered the pastry shop.

Inside was very nice. Knuckles was especially fond of all the plants that hung around the ceiling. Amy really liked the vibrant pink and white paint that decorated the place. Tails was most excited about the food. This place was loaded. All types of baked goods the trio could ever imagine sat snugly in the display case next to the cash register. The three could hardly wait to taste some. After quickly falling into line with the others, Tails began to think.

If I was a Sonic, where would I go? Where would I hide? What would I do?

"Hello! What can I get for you guys?" A sweet voice asked. Tails looked up. He hadn't even noticed he had arrived at the counter.

"I'd like a grape muffin, please." Knuckles ordered, sliding 10 rings onto the counter. The barista happily complied, pulling a steaming muffin out from behind the glass. She placed it into a bag and handed it down to the echidna.

"Have a nice day!" She smiled.

"I'd like a red velvet chocolate chip cookie please!" Amy chirped, placing 5 rings on the counter. The cheerful barista took the rings, and quickly handed the hedgehog her bagged cookie.

"Enjoy your food!"

Now it was Miles' turn.

"I uh...uhh.." Tails stammered. He looked left and right to see what would satisfy his tastes.

"Um...I'd like a slice of mint chocolate cake, please." He requested politely. The barista smiled. She pulled a knife out from under the counter and disappeared into the back. After about a minute, she returned with a slice of the fluffiest, softest, most appetizing cake that Miles had ever seen. It made the fox drool. She placed it into a styrofoam container and placed it onto the counter.

"That will be 15 rings." She announced. Tails handed her the currency and received his dessert.

"Thank you! And have a wonderful day!" She piped.

"Wait, I have a question for you!" Tails interjected. The barista looked back down at him. She hummed for him to continue.

"I'm looking for someone, about as tall as my friend here, have you seen him?" He asked urgently. "He's a hedgehog - blue with green eyes."

The barista stopped for a moment, eyes going blank as she thought back. Her eyes widened as she seemed to remember something.

"Yes! Yes I did! He came here with his father." She announced. "Blue fur, green eyes, red shoes, and white gloves right?"

"Yes! that's him!" Amy cried, shaking Knuckles slightly in her excitement.

"Father?" The echidna asked, nervously looking over to Tails.

"That wasn't his father?" The barista asked, a concerned and surprised look crossing her face. "He certainly looked like he was."

"Looked like his father?" Knuckles asked, standing tip-toe to look the woman better in the eyes.

"The kid definitely had his mother's fur and eyes, but the face and ears were unmistakably similar." She said, worry beginning to line her eyes. "Were they not related?"

"Sonic's parents left him a long time ago, he hasn't seen either of them for at least four years." Tails mumbled to himself. Amy began to nervously eat her cookie.

"That wasn't his dad, can you tell me what he looked like?" The fox asked, floating himself up to the barista's height. She nodded urgently.

"Black fur, red stripes, around three feet tall." She described. Tails nearly fainted. He had seen that hedgehog in the crowd. Sonic was definitely nearby, and it sounded like he found a friend.

"Most remarkable were his eyes…" The barista continued. The three mobian looked back up to her.

"Stunning red - never seen anything like it." She sighed. "I would have said they were contacts, but it looked too real."

"Thank you so much for your help!" Amy chriped. "It will help us out a lot!"

"My pleasure! If you want to catch up to them, they left that direction not too long ago, if you hurry you might find them." She said, pointing out the door and down the street. Tails thanked her again and bolted out the door.

"Do you think Sonic found a grown-up to help him?" Amy asked, chasing after the fox. Tails didn't respond. He just kept running.

"It's not like Sonic to ask for help." Knuckles pointed out, following the others on their path.

"Do you think he's in trouble?" Amy worriedly inquired.

"I don't think so, but it'd be good to find out." The echidna responded.

Tails just kept running. He had to find them. He looked in between legs, over briefcases and under purses. He jumped over cracks and ducked under strollers. Find Sonic find Sonic find Sonic. The young fox's mind raced. He had to be close. Sonic had someone with him, why? Why would he ask for help? Why a questionable adult? Miles felt a hand reach out and grab him. It yanked him backwards, nearly pulling him onto the ground. It was a rough grasp, hardened and strong. It held him with a fierce grip. Tails looked up to see who could have touched him…

"You gotta watch where you're going man." Knuckles sighed, releasing his fox friend. Tails looked where he nearly ended up. A wall. Tails almost ran face first, head on, full speed into a wall. He muttered his thanks to the echidna, out of breath from running so hard.

"I don't see him anywhere." He panted, smoothing down his fluffed fur. Static from all the clothes around them made all of their fur kind of poofy.

"Let's just go sit down and breath for a second." Knuckles soothed, taking his friend's arm gently and leading him over towards a bench. Amy followed suit, albeit nervously.

"Guys...I feel something." She anxiously announced, looking around a bit.

"Something's not right."

That was when they heard it. The sound.

"Did you hear that?" Knuckles asked. All three of their heads turned simultaneously in the direction it came from.

"I think it came from-"

Crash

Another noise. What in the world could it possibly be? Amy opened her mouth to speak again when they heard a new sound.

"Let her go!"

The words were very faint, but unmistakably familiar. All three of the mobian kids had the exact same thought. They turned towards the direction and ran. They had to. It was Sonic.

Rounding a corner revealed a street less crowded than the last few, with no hedgehog in sight. Where was he? Green blue and purple eyes darted around the scene. Where was he?

"Please! She didn't mean it!"

The sound was coming from a nearby alleyway. They had to act fast.

Tails led the group towards the dark place. He screeched to a halt and peered around the corner. Knuckles ran straight into the open, allowing his shadow to cast itself across the environment. Amy was next to follow. Tails ran up next to his friends and stood defensively in front of them. All three were absolutely shocked by what they were witnessing.

There, in the alleyway, was Sonic. It was the...thing with him that shook the kids.

It was what could only be described as a shadow, a form of pure darkness hidden by the light. It's cold claws were wrapped around the neck of a young girl, who was kicking and struggling for air. Sonic swung on its black arm, trying to pull it off of the poor victim with little to no success. It's stance was that of pure malice and ill intent, fading into the black alleyway behind it. All they could see was its eyes. Horrid red eyes that glowed in the dark, contrasting harshly against the black substance that was its body.

Amy gasped and Knuckles growled.