Chapter 4: Sonic World
Sonic was just leaving the pet store with the necessary supplies needed to take care of a cat.
Cat brush, claw clippers, litter box, kitty litter, litter scooper, cat carrier for trips, and new toys and treats. He also purchased flea and tick shampoo and a flea collar for just in case.
After all, Wilfred was a stray.
As he was leaving the pet store, he got a call on his cell phone.
"Hello?" He answered the phone.
"Sonic, it's Tails."
"Hey little buddy. What's up?"
"Are you on your way back?"
"Yeah, I just finished shopping. I'm on my way back now."
"Good, cause Shadow's package is here and the guy says he needs someone to sign for it."
"Shoot." Sonic hissed. "Alright, I'm on my way. I'll be there in a flash."
"Alright, I'll let him know." And with that, Tails hung up.
Sonic hung up as well and began running back to the Dark house. It only took him a couple minutes to reach it, but when he did he sighed in relief to see that the delivery truck was still there. He slowed down to a walk and went up to the man with Shadow's package.
"Excuse me?"
"Ah, Sonic the Hedgehog." The mailman turned around and nodded at him. "I have a package for Shadow the Hedgehog right here."
"Yes, he informed me that he had a package coming in." Sonic nodded. "He's not here right now, but he entrusted me to sign for it."
"That's fine by me as long as it's a young adult or older." The man pulled out a clipboard and pen and held it out. "Just sign right at the bottom."
Sonic took the pen and signed his name at the bottom of the clipboard. He then gave it back to the man, who took it and gave him a small rectangular package. "Have a nice day."
"You too sir." Sonic nodded and went into the house as the delivery truck drove away. "Thanks for stalling him, Tails."
"No problem." Tails said from the new cat door as he held a collar up to it, testing the lock. "What is it, anyway?"
"I don't know. Shadow didn't tell me. And he doesn't want me to open it either." Sonic shrugged, then looked at the cat door and smiled. "Done with them already?"
"Yeah, it was pretty easy. Child's play, even." Tails chuckled as he stood up and went to Sonic, handing him the collar. "The cat door is collar operated, just like you suggested. Wilfred should be able to come and go as he please. I also put a tag on it with his name and Rouge's contact information."
"Thanks Tails." The hedgehog said as he took the collar. "I owe you buddy."
"Heh, don't thank me yet until he actually comes in." Tails smirked. "I'm gonna head out now. I'll see you later, Sonic."
"See yah buddy." Sonic waved as Tails left the house. "Now to get this stuff set up."
After putting Shadow's package on his desk like he asked, Sonic went around the house and set up the new cat stuff. After he did so, he looked outside, but Wilfred was nowhere to be found.
"Huh, guess he ran off." He said to himself, shrugging his shoulders as he closed the doors again. "Oh well, I'll try again when he comes back."
He went to the kitchen and made himself some lunch. As he was eating, he pulled his book back out and started reading it.
'Asylum.' He thought. 'Hard to believe the pictures in here are real.'
He quickly finished his food and cleaned the kitchen up a bit before he went back to Shadow's bedroom and laid on the bed to keep reading. Two and a half hours later, he didn't realize that he was reaching the end until he did.
"Aw man, it's over." He grumbled to himself as he closed the book. "Man, I wish I had Sanctum."
He set the book down and laid there on Shadow's bed, wondering what to do now. He could go for a run, but he honestly didn't want to in case Wilfred came back, or if someone tried to break in. He could watch some tv, but he gets bored of it easily. He's looked through the books Shadow has before, but none of them seemed to really catch his interest. And of course, he wasn't allowed in Rouge's room, he most likely wouldn't find anything interesting in it anyway.
He sighed and turned to lay on his side. As he did so, his attention was caught on the package on Shadow's desk. He was extremely curious to look inside. It was small and rectangular. Tape held the box closed at the top. There wasn't much else besides the address with Shadow's name on it.
"Maybe just one little peek wouldn't hurt." He decided, his curiosity getting the better of him again.
He got up from the bed and went over to the small box. He picked it up and lightly shook it against his ear. Whatever was inside sounded heavy, but light at the same time. He could hear something else shifting around inside, like a piece of paper of some sorts. He took the box over to the bed and sat down, nervously picking at the tape before carefully peeling it off, being careful not to rip the tape or the cardboard. Once he had it off enough, he opened the flaps and peeked inside.
The first thing he saw was the piece of paper, a receipt by the looks of it. Curious, he grabbed the paper and pulled it out, looking at it carefully.
Purchase: Lethal
Price: $15.00
Total cost: $15.00
Area of Purchase: Lulu, self-publishing
'Self-publishing?' Sonic thought before looking back in the box.
In the box was a book. A rather thick hardcover book. The cover had a picture of a boat, docked by a foggy environment, with a bloody handprint running down the side. The title was written over the boat in faded letters spelling LETHAL. At the top, plain as day in big brown letters, Shadow's name was written as the author.
'Shadow wrote a book?'
His curiosity growing, Sonic carefully pulled the book out of the box and flipped it over, reading the summary.
When her four year old daughter informs her a sick man is in their yard, Azul Spinner rushes out to help him. But that "sick" man turns out to be Umbra Kintobor, the man accused of murdering seven people the night before. Dangerous, desperate, and armed, he promises Azul that she and her daughter won't be hurt as long as she does everything he asks. She has no choice but to accept him at his word.
Umbra claims that her beloved late husband possessed something extremely valuable: a treasure that places Azul and her daughter in grave danger. He's there to retrieve it at any cost.
Azul soon discovers that even her friends can't be trusted. From the FBI offices of Washington, D.C. to a rundown shrimp boat in coastal Louisiana, Umbra and Azul run for their lives from the very people sworn to protect them, and unravel a web of corruption and depravity that threatens to destroy them . . . and the fabric of society.
"This sounds… interesting." Sonic smiled, wagging his tail a bit. He looked back at the book he left on the bedside table, finished with it, then back at the book in his hands, brand new with untouched pages.
An enthusiastic reader, Sonic's curiosity wanted him to read what his ebony crush had written, but he knew that if he tampered anymore with the book, Shadow would know that he had been in it.
"Maybe… maybe just one chapter." He decided, going over to the bed and opening the book to the first chapter.
