Chapter 2

He quickly picked her up, being careful not to over due it on his right arm, and drug her off into some trees nearby.

When he was safely under their cover he set the girl down and quickly gahered up some wood.

It a few minutes he had a fire going.

He looked back at the girl.

Still unconcious.

I can wait, he thought, she's bound to wake up sooner or later.

He waited.

A while later Helen began to stir slightly.

She felt a weight on her chest and slowly opened her eyes. She saw a blurry face staring down at her. She wasn't sure who it was. She only hoped it wasn't Dr. Eggman or his two robots.

Eventaully her vision cleared some and she could see who was staring at her a little better.

It looked like a black hedgehog with red streekes in his quills. His red eyes were locked with her blue ones.

She had no idea who he was.

"Who are you?" she asked quietly, still feeling tired.

The hedgehog didn't answer her question. He only put up his hand and brushed some hair out of her face.

Helen noticed a long cut running down his right arm. She wanted to ask where he'd gotten it, but was too tired.

Her eyes slowly closed again as she fell back to sleep having a feeling that this hedgehog wasn't going to hurt her. She felt safe with him there and that was a very comforting feeling.

Chaos. Utter chaos. Running. Running. Screaming. Panting. Yelling.........

There was that dream again. The same dream Helen had been having for awhile now.

.....A gun shot. Pain. Fear. A hand in hers. Comforting, reasuring eyes........

It was telling her something. It just had to. Why else would she be having it?

.......A room. a lever...

More again....Stumbling...Falling....Breathing... Dying.... Darkness........

Helen rolled over and felt something sharp dig into her right side. Her eyes opened.

They focused on a dark figure sitting in front of a burning fire.

Something about him seemed fermiler. She wasn't sure why.

Then it came to her. Is that Sonic? she wondered.

Suddenly he began to move. It seemed as if he sensed she was awake. He turned to face her. His red eyes locked with hers.

It's no Sonic after all, she said to herself, but, if it isn't Sonic, who is it?

"Are you awake?" the hedgehog asked.

Helen didn't speak. She nodded a yes.

The black hedgehog crawled over to her. She once again noticed the large cut on his right arm and the slight limp in his leg even though he wasn't walking. He looked slightly dirty and bruised, as if he'd been beaten up or fallen from a great height.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

He didn't answer her question. When he was close enough he sat on his legs and stared into her face, saying nothing.

She began to feel nervous. Those red eyes were piercing.

Before she could ask him why he was staring he put a hand on her cheek and said in a uncertain voice. "Maria?"

"Maria?" Helen asked with the same uncertainty.

"No you're not Maria. But you look just like her," he said corresing her cheek, "if I didn't know Maria was dead I'd think you were her."
"Uh, my name's Helen," the girl replied hesitently, "Who's Maria?"

The hedgehog looked away, suddenly sad and far away. "A friend," he said shortly.

"Oh," she said with understanding. (She had a feeling he didn't want to talk about Maria.), "I'm sorry."

"That's all right," he said shaking his head. "it's not your fault you look and remind me of her."

Helen knew she had to ask. "Uh, what's your name?"

"Shadow," he replied with slight hesitation, "Shadow the hedgehog."

Helen gasped. She'd heard about him from Chris. "But I thought you were dead."

Shadow shook his head. "No, I am not," he said, "I'm the ultimate life form I cannot die."

"Oh," she said not knowing how to reply to that.

Then she remembered something else.

"Where's my wheelchair?" she asked looking around.

"Over there," Shadow replied gestering to his right.

Helen turned her head in the direction he'd indicated. She saw the chair sitting next to some rocks so it wouldn't roll away. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For getting my wheelchair."

"It was really no big deal."

"It it to me. I can't walk."

"Oh."

Shadow looked up at the sky, thus ending the conversaion. For a few minutes it was totally quiet. Then. "Ohmigosh!"

"What?" he asked looking at her.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"I dunno, about one in the morning maybe."

"I have to go home!"

"You can't!"

"I have to!"

"Why?"

"My parents will worried about me."

Shadow said nothing. He hadn't even thought that the girl had parents!

He glanced back at her. She seemed so worried, so careing about others and not herself. Just like Maria, he thought.

"You're parents are important to you aren't they?' he asked slowly.

Helen nodded.

That simple piece of body language depressed him. He didn't want her to leave. He wanted to at least get to know her somehow. Suddenly he felt he was being selfish.

Try thinking about how she probably feels for once, a voice in his head said, Maybe you should give her a good look. Just to see what kind of problems she has to deal with.

He spotted her wheelchair. There it was. The problem. Plain and simple. He couldn't deny it. It was right there in front of his face. Taunting and mocking him.

"They're that important to you?" he asked again to be sure.

Helen nodded. "Yes, they are and like I said they'll be worried. I don't like people worrying about me."

Shadow was silent. He was battling with his emotions. Should he do the right thing and take her home or do what he wanted and keep her with him? It was a hard decition. He thought it over for a few minutes.

Finally he made up his mind. "Ma- Helen," he began.

Helen looked at him.

"I........ Uh," he stammered.

"Yes?" she asked looking at him curiously.

Shadow sighed and took a deep breath. This would be harder then he thought. He tried again. "I, uh......... I decided I'll take you home," he blurted.

Helen slowly smiled. "Really?" she asked, making sure.

He nodded slowly and hesitently.

"Oh, thank you!" she said hugging him.

Shadow didn't say anything. He had a sudden feeling he was going to lose Maria again. There was a short silence. He let Helen hug him for a few minutes.

Finally he broke off the embrace. "I'll take you home tomarrow," he promised, backing away, "but for now I think we should get some rest. It's late."

Helen agreed and lay back down.

Shadow turned back to the fire.

"Shadow," Helen said.

Shadow stopped and looked over his shoulder. The blond girl was looking at him. "I'm sorry about Maria," she said.

"Don't worry about it," he said reassuringly, "it wasn't your fault she's gone. It's nobody's really."

Helen nodded. She knew he was right.

She closed her eyes and within minutes she was asleep.

Shadow watched her sleep. She looks so much like Maria it scares me, he thought.

A cool breeze blew in and caused her to shiver.

Shadow didn't want her to be cold. He crawled over to her and lay down beside her. He put and arm around her warming her. He stared at her sleeping face and smiled. Good night, Maria, sleep tight.

He grew tired. When he did he caught a scent from her.

She even smells like Maria.................