Crimson Vision
Chapter 7: The Message
The enemy, his magic, the message.
I stand alone in darkness.
Does he want to destroy me or is this just a puzzle?
I am alone in darkness.
He's concealing something from me I know it, something dire and grim, something only I must find out.
I live alone in darkness.
I know no one yet everyone knows me.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Slowly my eyes open to a blurred vision of darkness with specks of light here and there. The daylight hours have come. I sat up and looked around. The mysterious room I heard a faint angry voice in my head and got up and exited as quickly as I could. As I walked down the dark stairwell I could hear arguing voices shouting from the main floor. One of them belonged to Amy. I approached the top of the stairway and the light from outside nearly blinded me. Luckily I had my shades with me and covered my eyes with them. Getting a better view I could see Amy with a bandage holding up her left arm and the being she was arguing with; Sonic. I groaned in disgust and took a few steps down the stairway getting the two hedgehogs attention. I stopped just a few steps above where the light was and remained shrouded in darkness.
"Shadow." Sonic hissed at me.
I remained silent.
"Shadow I want an answer right now!" he shouted. "What were you thinking taking Amy out to the graveyard last night!? I saw the mess you left behind there so something went on."
Still I was silent. He had no business knowing about my whereabouts last night and what I was doing with Amy.
"Sonic just leave him alone he's had a rough night." Amy stepped in between us.
Sonic pushed her aside and took a few steps towards the stairs.
"If you're just gonna be silent then hear this: I want you to stay away from Amy. I'm not letting her end up like Tails who's almost on his deathbed! So if I ever catch you around Amy at night you're going down and if I can't do it, then I'll make sure this town knows about you." Sonic's threat was not idle and he meant every word of it.
He then grabbed onto Amy's uninjured hand but she pulled away.
"Sonic, why can't you just give Shadow another chance? He's changed, he isn't the same anymore." Amy explained to her friend.
"He's turned into that monster twice ever since we've got here and you've been injured both times. Plus there have been reports of people being murdered here by a monster and Shadow's the main and only suspect. So how can you be sure that he's changed for good?" Sonic asked her.
Amy was silent and lowered her head. Sonic just left silently and Amy looked up at me with sorrow and then left closing the door behind her. When night came I decided to take a chance and go out into the town. I was starving and couldn't take it anymore. As I went about I heard stories about a mess of dark liquid being found over in the graveyard. There were also a few about a roaring monster that disappeared just as the police arrived. Ironic how the strangest things happen on my rough nights.
I was forced into an alley because of the patrolling cars. There I took a few seconds to rest and to think up a strategy of how to go about unnoticed. I walked down the dark alley brainstorming. Just as I was exiting out the other end I looked up to see the hospital. My thoughts wandered over to Sonic and his story about Tails.
"Might as well see how the kid's doing." I spoke.
Another car went by before I dashed across the street and up the fire escape of a neighboring building. I remember what room Tails was in from Amy's last visit.
"There are two tails in the window." she explained.
Soon I found the window containing the tails and jumped across onto the ledge. Pushing my shades closer to my eyes I could make out Sonic and Amy standing by the bed where Tails lay. The fox was covered with bandages around his head and torso. He was hooked up to machines and listening carefully I could hear their muffled beeping. Sonic and Amy both had worried looks on their faces. Their lips began to move but I couldn't hear their words. Then Sonic left leaving Amy alone. I tapped on the window lightly getting Amy's attention. Seeing me she approached the window and cracked it open.
"Shadow, what are you doing here?" she asked.
"The streets are crawling with police cars. I should've stayed at home." I explained.
"You shouldn't be here either. Sonic may return any second now."
Her words were unheard as I was gazing over at Tails. The fox's fur looked a bit faded and he was a bit thinner than the last time I saw him. His body lying still on the bed was unsettling for me. I now realized why Sonic was so caught up in this. Tails was nearly helpless in his state. I quickly looked away.
"It's sad isn't it." Amy spoke. "He was fine a few days ago and then he just… fell out of it."
"What do you mean?" I asked turning back to Amy.
"The doctor's said that there was some kind of poison or virus in Tails. They have no idea where it came from and there seems to be no antidote for it."
I was about to speak when I heard the door opening. Amy spun around to see who it was while I swiftly left the scene. I didn't get too far into the housing development because of the police cars roaming about so I went into whatever house was near me and got what I needed. The taste of blood was almost new to me after so long.
On my way back home I was spotted by the police. They chased me down into an alley where I got away and escaped to my turf unnoticed.
"Damn police." I muttered. "If this keeps up then I'll have to move to another place. One that isn't so obvious as this."
As I entered into the yard of my residence a slithering sound was heard.
"Not again." I thought.
The serpent appeared out of the bushes again; a white scar circled around its neck and another white scar was on his tail. I glared at the snake as it approached me.
"So you're moving away? No matter, it will be easier killing you elsewhere than here." the serpent hissed.
How stupid is that idiot? Thinking that it can kill me? That serpent oblivious to the fact that I have more power than it. I scoffed and continued on to the front door; the serpent followed me. As I entered the house and took off my shades the creature seeped out of the floor.
"Why do you bother me?" I ask it.
"You and I both know the reason. Therefore you must die." the serpent replied.
I took off my trench coat and set it on the rack. I walked past the snake towards the dining room when suddenly it jumped at me from behind. I grabbed it in mid-air and held onto its throat firmly.
"I have enough problems already. Just leave me alone." With that I dropped the snake and went towards the dining room again.
"Fine then, but you and I both know that you must die before it's too late." the snake said harshly.
I spun around but the snake had disappeared. Its tone of voice was ominous and seemed like a warning of some sort. I wasn't sure whether to take it as a premonition or a riddle to solve. I now realized that it was hiding something from me. Something that would lead to my death. But should I take heed of his word or just throw it aside for later? Bah! Forget it. Too much is going on for me to worry about a fragile serpents words. But I know that there's more to that snake than just magic and mind games.
Chapter 7: The Message
The enemy, his magic, the message.
I stand alone in darkness.
Does he want to destroy me or is this just a puzzle?
I am alone in darkness.
He's concealing something from me I know it, something dire and grim, something only I must find out.
I live alone in darkness.
I know no one yet everyone knows me.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Slowly my eyes open to a blurred vision of darkness with specks of light here and there. The daylight hours have come. I sat up and looked around. The mysterious room I heard a faint angry voice in my head and got up and exited as quickly as I could. As I walked down the dark stairwell I could hear arguing voices shouting from the main floor. One of them belonged to Amy. I approached the top of the stairway and the light from outside nearly blinded me. Luckily I had my shades with me and covered my eyes with them. Getting a better view I could see Amy with a bandage holding up her left arm and the being she was arguing with; Sonic. I groaned in disgust and took a few steps down the stairway getting the two hedgehogs attention. I stopped just a few steps above where the light was and remained shrouded in darkness.
"Shadow." Sonic hissed at me.
I remained silent.
"Shadow I want an answer right now!" he shouted. "What were you thinking taking Amy out to the graveyard last night!? I saw the mess you left behind there so something went on."
Still I was silent. He had no business knowing about my whereabouts last night and what I was doing with Amy.
"Sonic just leave him alone he's had a rough night." Amy stepped in between us.
Sonic pushed her aside and took a few steps towards the stairs.
"If you're just gonna be silent then hear this: I want you to stay away from Amy. I'm not letting her end up like Tails who's almost on his deathbed! So if I ever catch you around Amy at night you're going down and if I can't do it, then I'll make sure this town knows about you." Sonic's threat was not idle and he meant every word of it.
He then grabbed onto Amy's uninjured hand but she pulled away.
"Sonic, why can't you just give Shadow another chance? He's changed, he isn't the same anymore." Amy explained to her friend.
"He's turned into that monster twice ever since we've got here and you've been injured both times. Plus there have been reports of people being murdered here by a monster and Shadow's the main and only suspect. So how can you be sure that he's changed for good?" Sonic asked her.
Amy was silent and lowered her head. Sonic just left silently and Amy looked up at me with sorrow and then left closing the door behind her. When night came I decided to take a chance and go out into the town. I was starving and couldn't take it anymore. As I went about I heard stories about a mess of dark liquid being found over in the graveyard. There were also a few about a roaring monster that disappeared just as the police arrived. Ironic how the strangest things happen on my rough nights.
I was forced into an alley because of the patrolling cars. There I took a few seconds to rest and to think up a strategy of how to go about unnoticed. I walked down the dark alley brainstorming. Just as I was exiting out the other end I looked up to see the hospital. My thoughts wandered over to Sonic and his story about Tails.
"Might as well see how the kid's doing." I spoke.
Another car went by before I dashed across the street and up the fire escape of a neighboring building. I remember what room Tails was in from Amy's last visit.
"There are two tails in the window." she explained.
Soon I found the window containing the tails and jumped across onto the ledge. Pushing my shades closer to my eyes I could make out Sonic and Amy standing by the bed where Tails lay. The fox was covered with bandages around his head and torso. He was hooked up to machines and listening carefully I could hear their muffled beeping. Sonic and Amy both had worried looks on their faces. Their lips began to move but I couldn't hear their words. Then Sonic left leaving Amy alone. I tapped on the window lightly getting Amy's attention. Seeing me she approached the window and cracked it open.
"Shadow, what are you doing here?" she asked.
"The streets are crawling with police cars. I should've stayed at home." I explained.
"You shouldn't be here either. Sonic may return any second now."
Her words were unheard as I was gazing over at Tails. The fox's fur looked a bit faded and he was a bit thinner than the last time I saw him. His body lying still on the bed was unsettling for me. I now realized why Sonic was so caught up in this. Tails was nearly helpless in his state. I quickly looked away.
"It's sad isn't it." Amy spoke. "He was fine a few days ago and then he just… fell out of it."
"What do you mean?" I asked turning back to Amy.
"The doctor's said that there was some kind of poison or virus in Tails. They have no idea where it came from and there seems to be no antidote for it."
I was about to speak when I heard the door opening. Amy spun around to see who it was while I swiftly left the scene. I didn't get too far into the housing development because of the police cars roaming about so I went into whatever house was near me and got what I needed. The taste of blood was almost new to me after so long.
On my way back home I was spotted by the police. They chased me down into an alley where I got away and escaped to my turf unnoticed.
"Damn police." I muttered. "If this keeps up then I'll have to move to another place. One that isn't so obvious as this."
As I entered into the yard of my residence a slithering sound was heard.
"Not again." I thought.
The serpent appeared out of the bushes again; a white scar circled around its neck and another white scar was on his tail. I glared at the snake as it approached me.
"So you're moving away? No matter, it will be easier killing you elsewhere than here." the serpent hissed.
How stupid is that idiot? Thinking that it can kill me? That serpent oblivious to the fact that I have more power than it. I scoffed and continued on to the front door; the serpent followed me. As I entered the house and took off my shades the creature seeped out of the floor.
"Why do you bother me?" I ask it.
"You and I both know the reason. Therefore you must die." the serpent replied.
I took off my trench coat and set it on the rack. I walked past the snake towards the dining room when suddenly it jumped at me from behind. I grabbed it in mid-air and held onto its throat firmly.
"I have enough problems already. Just leave me alone." With that I dropped the snake and went towards the dining room again.
"Fine then, but you and I both know that you must die before it's too late." the snake said harshly.
I spun around but the snake had disappeared. Its tone of voice was ominous and seemed like a warning of some sort. I wasn't sure whether to take it as a premonition or a riddle to solve. I now realized that it was hiding something from me. Something that would lead to my death. But should I take heed of his word or just throw it aside for later? Bah! Forget it. Too much is going on for me to worry about a fragile serpents words. But I know that there's more to that snake than just magic and mind games.