Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving (if you celebrate it)!

Enjoy the chapter!

|chapter eleven: the shot|

"What is going on?" Amy pleaded, as if Sarah was supposed to have all of the answers.

All Sarah had was the gun in her hands. She took a moment to steady her breathing as they paused on the trail. It was clear that Shadow and Silver had trampled through earlier. That or something else had.

The thought didn't settle Sarah.

She gripped the gun a little tighter and carried on, all while Amy tried to latch herself onto the sage hedgehog. She didn't know how to politely tell Amy to back off, but she figured the high-pitched whining of some animal ahead was the thing freaking her out.

The sounds had just started, and they were nearing the tower.

"What is that? Sarah?"

"It sounds like a coyote," Sarah whispered in response, careful to watch where she stepped as she held the gun in front of her. She was at the ready. She didn't know what she was getting into, but she wasn't about to let her friends go into danger alone.

It seemed like a stupid premise, but at the moment, Sarah didn't have much of a reason to turn back.

And Tikal knows that Amy wouldn't allow her to. Despite being afraid and shaking a little, Amy was just as determined as Sarah was. There was a glimmer of regret every now and then in those green eyes, but the moment Sarah looked away and then back at Amy, the fire was back in her eyes. It seemed the pink hedgehog wasn't going to let Sonic die a horrible death.

The coyote screams were unearthly, but it wasn't the first time Sarah had heard them. Her family had a farm and coyotes were quite common - so she grew up hearing the damned things right outside her window. Granted, hearing one in the middle of the night while she was asleep was downright terrifying. The sound they made was awful. Some sounded like they were laughing.

But the only thing Sarah could keep thinking of while the sounds rattled in their ears was the missing hikers report.

This is exactly what they wrote down. Coyote screams. But it can't be a coyote.

"So, it's just a coyote?" Amy voiced her own thoughts in hopes that she could forget Sarah's crazy "werewolf" theory.

"No. It was too big on the cameras, Amy. Trust me," Sarah responded as they went around another bend, into thicker vegetation. Pine trees hit their heads as they went up a short hill. Sarah brushed the branches aside. "We're almost there."

"So…It's not a coyote?" Her hope was gone. A coyote seemed manageable. This? Amy didn't know what they were walking into. She hadn't seen the picture Sarah spoke about briefly. If anything, Amy had been the least involved with all of this.

"Look, Amy, please. I know what I saw."

"But what you saw is something that doesn't exist," Amy said as she wanted to try and convince the both of them that the idea of something supernatural was absurd. And it was.

"I know," Sarah was eerily calm as she spoke. She brushed more branches aside as finally the trees gave way. Taller bushes were on either side of them still - the same kind of bushes that Sonic and Shadow had spent all week clearing out by the tower. Undoubtedly, the bushes would clear out eventually, and they'd be in the clearing with the tower in sight.

Sarah feared the moment, as did Amy.

Every now and then, the coyote screams would stop. Then they would start again. Then stop. Then start again.

"What's it doing?" Amy asked breathlessly as they pushed some bushes aside.

"Being obnoxious," Sarah found herself saying. Even she was surprised at the lighthearted tone her voice managed. "I mean, I don't know. It's only one, not multiple. So, maybe it's found them."

"Please don't say that."

"Maybe it's toying with them like it did the campers."

"What?"

"Oh. The missing campers you guys went to find. They came back with a report that mentioned this. The coyote hollers. They said they were in their tent, though. It circled them all night, making these godawful coyote screams. They packed up in the morning and got the hell out of there," Sarah debriefed. She felt Amy slow down a little.

"You didn't think something was wrong then?"

"No." Sarah felt bad. "Look, it wasn't my call by any means. Whatever Shadow and Blaze decided, I'm sure they did what they thought was best. They didn't think this thing was a huge problem. I mean, I was the only one making it up in my head as something that isn't real."

"You say that but I know you're convinced that it's not natural," Amy pushed more bush aside. Her nose scrunched a little as she thought she caught a whiff of something awful. It was like how bad Sonic smelled when he came back the second day of work.

"True. We'll see, I guess."

"I don't get it," Amy found herself being a little more calm in Sarah's presence. "How are you so stoic about this? If it is a werewolf - let's just humor you - then shouldn't you be freaking out like a normal person?"

"Look. My mother is a firm believer in a lot of things. She has her own stories that she shared when we were kids - to me and my brothers. But maybe it was just old stories to stop us from wandering out into the woods at night. Still, I never didn't believe her. There were some things that didn't make sense and couldn't be explained. I had a total phase when I was pre-teen about all the supernatural crap. I watched so many ghost hunting shows and Bigfoot documentaries, it was a wonder I had any friends."

"And you believed everything?"

"No. Of course not. Shows are scripted more often than not, but still. Some things from everyday people I ran into that had stories of their own and no reason to lie or make things up for glamor…It just…" Sarah paused to look back at Amy. "It just doesn't explain everything, I guess. There were things that happened that still didn't make sense to me. So, a part of me isn't going to shut out the possibility of the unknown existing. I think it's ignorant to assume we're the only ones out here."

"Are you talking about aliens specifically?" Amy wasn't sure if she was supposed to roll her eyes or stare in disbelief. Then, she thought a little longer about it. "I mean, I guess the aliens part makes sense. I would agree with you there. But c'mon. A werewolf, Sarah?"

"Technically - it's not a werewolf. It's a dogman."

"What?" Amy blinked slowly at her. They continued on their trail at a slower pace. The coyote screams had stopped for the majority of their conversation. It was now oddly quiet to the both of them. "You just said the same thing."

"No. I mean, sort of. But no." Sarah sighed. She knew the tower should be coming up soon - she knew how to at least read maps even if she hadn't been all the way to the tower. The sudden silence irked her, though. "Look, a werewolf is categorized as being the stereotypical man cursed to turn into a wolf beast on every full moon. There isn't a full moon in sight," Sarah motioned to the starry sky that peeked through some of the towering pine trees. "A dogman is just kind of like…a permanent one."

"Okaaaay." Amy didn't know when to stop the conversation. A part of her was curious, though. "So, a dogman never actually was a man?"

"Precisely. Or, at least, that's the thought," Sarah managed to crack a small grin at her. She was certain the rose hedgehog would never speak to her again anyway. If they made it out alive that night, that is. "It's just a permanent, anthropomorphic dog that can stand up like us - on two. It's normally said to be seven to nine feet tall when standing."

"And the photo you have? Is it standing?"

"No. It's hunched over, but not on all fours, I'm sure," Sarah nodded to herself. "It was eye level with one of the posters on the safety board out by the trail at the station. Which is eye level with Silver's height, more or less."

"Okay, but a photo doesn't explain what it is indefinitely."

"No. But Blaze's radio call makes me certain that this isn't a wolf. At least, not a normal one," Sarah reminded Amy of the chilling moment. The howl and then the radio call from Blaze - who was in a sheer panic and yelling that it wasn't a wolf. And if Blaze was saying that but still not describing what the animal actually was, then what was it? Amy had to mull that one over.

Sarah stopped abruptly, frowning. Amy followed suit. "What is it?"

"It's been quiet. Those coyote hollers are gone now."

"Is that good news or bad news in terms of a dogman?" Amy questioned. Whether she was being serious or not, Sarah couldn't tell.

The sage hedgehog merely shrugged and continued onward. "We should be closer to the tower."

"Closer to Shadow and the others, then."

"Yeah."

Amy watched as Sarah started walking again. Their views were absolutely clouded with the tall bush and taller pine overhead. It made it feel like the world was closing in on them. Amy scrunched her nose up again.

There is a smell. Like a skunk…

Suddenly, it was like a wash of fear came over her. Dread filled her. Then, it was like sensing pure evil.

"Sarah," she choked out. This must have been like what Sarah felt right before they heard the howl earlier. Except this emotion felt horrible - it felt like her chest was going to cave in on itself.

"What?" Sarah turned back to look at the hedgehog, giving a questioning look as to why she looked so scared suddenly. But quickly, the sage hedgehog straightened up. Clearly, Amy's instincts were on high alert, and it was probably for good reason.

"We need to go. Now."

Amy felt her feet unglue from the ground as she marched forward and past Sarah. She needed to see the horizon. She needed to get out of the trap they'd walk into. She needed to see anything but the damn bushes.

Well, anything but the supposed dogman.

~.~

"It stopped," Shadow managed out after what felt like five minutes of complete silence.

The coyote screams and the circling and the snapping of branches around them and the bushes moving - all of it played with their minds and eyesight.

Blaze was shaking so bad, she had to hold onto Silver entirely to be able to stand up. She was putting most of her body weight on him, but he was holding onto her in response. Sonic had inched closer and closer to Shadow as the torment had carried on for what felt like ages. But eventually, the sounds had stopped.

"Did it leave?" Sonic shakily whispered, his chin grazing against Shadow's shoulder for a second as he looked around - the four were standing so close.

"I don't know." Shadow didn't know what to do next. If it did leave, why? And could they safely get out of the park and back to the station without another incident? Had it just made a horrible racket to scare them off? "I'm starting to think Blaze was correct in one thing."

"What?" Silver asked.

"That we're in its territory. Nothing went wrong in this park for years. This tower wasn't under working condition for years. And now, we've stirred up quite a hornets nest," Shadow figured out loud. "With whatever the fuck this thing is."

"So, at what point do we move?" Silver glanced at Shadow who met his eye contact. Shadow was a little in front of everyone, so he had to look over his shoulder to see the rest of them, but all their faces looked the same. Everyone looked exhausted and terrified at the same time. "Shadow, what do we do?"

"Well, it's been quiet for a while," Shadow whispered as he turned back around to observe their surroundings. "Anyone see anything? Blaze?" He didn't want to ask much of her, but she did have better eyesight.

"Honey?" Silver asked quietly to her, nudging her a little with his nose.

Amber eyes glossed over the bushes, scanning the leaves and looking for the bright, yellow eyes that would be staring back. But there was nothing. Blaze wished she could sigh in relief, but her whole body was so tense that it hurt. It ached. She had to move her legs with immense strength, and even then, her ankle still hurt.

"Nothing," she managed out weakly.

Silver looked back to Shadow. "You think we go for it?"

"Run for it?" Sonic perked up. He was down for anything at this rate. His muzzle was still tear-stained, as was Blaze's. His body felt like it was going to give out any second.

"No. No running," Shadow told him. "You don't run from this - it might chase."

"It didn't chase when Blaze and I ran here in the first place - "

"It did," Blaze interrupted Sonic's stubbornness. "You couldn't see it, but it was staring. Waiting for us." She stood up a little, but still held onto Silver. She wasn't looking at Sonic, but was looking at Shadow. "That's why I told you to wait here."

Shadow raised an eyebrow a little, but figured she knew who she was talking to. "Okay. Let's collect ourselves as best we can, and head out."

"Now." Sonic pleaded.

"Alright," Shadow gently tried to calm the cadet. He gripped Sonic's forearm, grabbing his flashlight from his belt in the other. He had left it on while getting the two rangers down from the tower in order to have a source of light. Anything after that, he had forgotten about the light merely due to the situation. It was still on, obviously, and still giving them light. But he took it in his hand now in order to point the light at their surroundings.

Just still bushes.

But the stillness of the leaves didn't bother him as much as the sudden silence. After listening to the coyote screams around them, he dared to say that he got used to the sound. But now, it was dead quiet.

Deafening all the same.

He let out a shaky breath. "Okay. Follow."

The black hedgehog didn't really have to order them - they were following closely behind anyway. The snaps of their boots on the twigs from the ground made Blaze and Sonic flinch. The tower faded away into the night after just a few feet. The darkness crept over them despite the flashlight guiding their way back into the bush.

It felt like forever, but it was only a few minutes.

Shadow could see the beginning of the trail back to Half Point. The taller bushes gathered around from the clearing towards the trail.

He stopped short suddenly, Sonic bumping into him.

"Hey," Sonic whispered as Silver and Blaze came to a halt. "What's going on?"

A foul odor wafted up his nose, and Shadow felt a sense of doom wash over him. He let go of Sonic's arm and put it in front of the trio, signaling to get back. He backed up to further make his point clear. They were confused but followed, stepping back until Silver nearly fell over himself.

"Ow, Shadow - what the hell are we doing?" he hissed.

Shadow stopped. Red eyes stared ahead into the bushes as he lowered his flashlight a little.

"I'm gonna be sick," Sonic moaned under his breath. At this point, they all smelled the disgusting odor - they just didn't see a reason to mention it. One look into anyone else's eyes and they knew what they were thinking: pure panic.

Coyote screams could come back any second, and Shadow wanted to stop and walk backwards towards the tower again? They didn't have this kind of time with a predator roaming around and toying with them.

"Back up," Shadow ordered in a hushed voice that they barely heard him. He was so focused on what was ahead of them, that they realized he wasn't even trying to acknowledge them.

Silver tried to see what he was looking at, but there was nothing but the thick vegetation ahead of them. Dark leaves hiding whatever it was that Shadow sensed. He feared the worst overall. "Is it -"

"BACK UP!"

Shadow rushed them backwards a little at a quick pace as something came barreling through the trees, pushing the bushes aside as if the foliage weren't taller than the Mobians. Shadow skidded to a stop quickly in hopes that he didn't look like he was running before whipping back to look and see.

Yellow eyes stared back.

He heard Blaze whimper behind him. Sonic clung onto his arm. Silver was trying to make a sentence but nothing was coming out. Shadow was staring down a creature that looked like a wolf. But it wasn't. It couldn't be. It was taller than them. It towered over them and it stood on two legs.

The creature huffed, as if disappointed that its trap didn't work. Even more disappointed that the four didn't run.

Shadow tried to gather his strength - mentally and physically - but everything that he knew to be true came crashing down like a giant wave. His gun felt heavier in his belt, but he couldn't break eye contact with this…thing.

They didn't speak.

The trio behind him were two feet farther from him. And he was only about three feet from this thing.

He could see its teeth - the grinlike expression it had. The eyes that looked like it were diseased or demonic. The mangled fur that was slightly covered in mud, but a little wet. As if the thing had just run through a creek to wash off the mud. Shadow was reminded of the wet dog smell right before the coyote screams.

He knew both were thanks to this wolf thing in front of him.

The ebony hedgehog tried to remember how to breathe as reality set in.

This thing is real. I'm looking at it. It's looking back. It's breathing. It's really real.

Everything he had known was false. There was so much more in that moment that he didn't know - about the world, about reality, about the woods he spent most of his days in. Because this thing stared at him with a knowledge in its gaze that made Shadow think it wasn't just a wolf.

This thing is intelligent.

He was trying to remember what to do next.

What were their options? Shoot it? He'd have to reach for his gun in time before the beast might attack. But was it going to attack? It was just staring - waiting for him to make a move. A shiver ran through his quills as the wolf's eyes seemed to squint. Like it was saying, 'That's right. Your move.'

"Shadow," Silver broke the silence as cautiously as he could. "Shoot it."

The ranger wasn't even going to try and scare this thing off or fire a warning shot. Tikal knows what sort of trouble they'd be in then. Shadow figured that it toyed with them long enough that it wasn't going to just run away scared. It knew that the group was terrified.

In some ways, it's like it knows it's already won. So, what can we do? How do we get out of this? I need to get them to safety.

Shadow hesitated before reaching for the gun on his belt. The creature merely steadied itself on its two back legs. Its front paws/hands - whatever they were, Shadow didn't know - rested in front of it. It was waiting. Rather patiently.

The hedgehog took a step back to join the others. Blaze and Sonic didn't dare move, but Silver reached for Shadow a little - acting as a kind of guide for the latter to know where he was in terms of the rest. The wolf stared the whole time. Even as Shadow grabbed the gun from his belt and turned the safety off, the wolf just looked at them. Its eyes never moved. It almost looked like a statue, but the breathing coming from it sounded like a man snoring at certain times. It almost sounded sick - or as if its chest was congested.

Shadow didn't know if it was sick, and he didn't really care. If something like this could exist, maybe it breathed like that regularly.

His hand shook. He tried to calm himself as he raised the gun at the wolf. Only when the barrel was facing it completely did the wolf make any movement. It bared its teeth at the four, stretching out its front paws that looked more like hands with fingers. They stretched out to show long, black claws. The teeth were the worst part, though. Visually, that is.

The damn thing already looked like it was smiling when just standing there idly. Now, it was almost like a jester grin.

Blaze choked back a sob as she wanted to look away. But there it was - it wasn't going away. It wasn't fake. It was real. It was standing there and ready to take them down. Oh, she really wished she had stayed in the station. Every inch of her wanted to so selfishly have left Sonic to this thing the more she stared at it and it stared back. It acted as if it could look into her soul, and all she felt from it was pure evil.

"What are you waiting for?" Sonic managed out as he wanted to burrow into the back of Shadow's quills, as if that would protect him from the horror. "Shoot it."

Red eyes never looked away from the beast.

He couldn't.

His hand froze. His head froze. His body froze. Shadow would've guessed his entire being, including his heart, might have frozen on the spot. He was propelled back to the night with Blaze at the station - standing at the door when this thing was on the other side. He would've walked right into its jaws if it hadn't been for Blaze.

And now, at this moment, he again couldn't move.

It wasn't doom that overwhelmed Shadow. It was pure hopelessness. He felt useless suddenly. He willed his hand to move, for his finger to pull the trigger - anything. But it was like the creature had him on lock.

"Shadow. Please." He felt like Sonic had said it, but maybe it was Silver. Or Blaze. He couldn't tell anymore - their voices joined into one as the blood rushed through his ears.

He felt a tighter grip on him, nails sunk into his skin. Was it the wolf? Was he so petrified there that it slowed down time so much and the wolf was already devouring him? No. It still stood there, ready to attack now. It was on the defensive mode. He had to make a choice, but he couldn't make any.

Shadow had never been so paralyzed.

I was wrong.

"Shadow, please!" Silver hissed, near tears. "Shoot it, damn it!"

The wolf let out a low growl that mixed halfway through into another coyote shriek. It was guttural each time it made a sound, which only made the group coil back. Minus Shadow, of course. He was still frozen in a mixture of fear, disbelief, and confusion.

"Shadow!"

He couldn't.

He couldn't.

He couldn't.

He felt his heart beat faster and faster as he saw the wolf put its weight on the back of its legs - getting ready to lunge forward.

It was now or never.

BANG!

With a godawful shriek that rattled their ears, the wolf lurched - arching its back in a twisted manner that looked painful. Its front paws reached around to its sides and back as if searching for the reason for its sudden pain. The smell of iron filled the air along its revolting odor. It writhed about as it got down to all fours, screaming and howling until Blaze felt like her ears were bleeding. The wolf made one last glare to the four in the midst of its panic before shooting towards them to the left and vanishing into the tall brush past the tower.

It all happened within seconds.

They stared with wide eyes at the situation - waiting for the beast to return.

Shadow stared back at the trail, looking at the blood on the forest floor with his flashlight. Everything was still dark, but he could see the puddle that had formed while the creature had tried to regain its balance. It was spattered all along the leaves.

"About time," Sonic let out a long breath - his body aching from how tense it was. The trio couldn't pull away from where the wolf had run off to. They weren't just waiting for it to come back - they expected it to.

"That wasn't my shot." Shadow managed to croak out something at least, as he was the only one looking in the opposite direction.

"What?" Silver broke out of his trance and glanced at the ranger. "What do you mean?" He stopped short of asking again when he saw the two figures in Shadow's flashlight range.

"Sarah."

All eyes were on the added members of their fiasco, but only with eyes of gratitude. Shadow felt himself collapse for a moment. Physically, he was still standing. Mentally, he was gone. For the first time in a long time, his mind went blank. He found it in him to acknowledge Sarah though, "Thank you."

Sarah and Amy stood before them.

The sage hedgehog had lowered her gun the moment the wolf had run. It was a dangerous shot to take, she'd admit. It wasn't safe when she was behind the wolf and Shadow and the others were beyond it. She could have easily shot anyone but the wolf, if it hadn't been so close to them. It was a close range shot, and she took the chance.

No one needed to explain that to her. She understood the risks and so did they.

"You good?" she asked rather calmly - which made Shadow wonder if she'd seen the thing before. Considering Amy looked rattled, he figured no. So, Sarah's calmness on the matter kind of scared him. If she wasn't frightened of that beast, what did she know?

"Fine," was all Shadow could come up with although it was far from the truth.

"Are you kidding me?" Sonic hissed as he pushed past Shadow and towards Amy. "Most certainly not fine. Let's get the hell out of this park."

Amy willingly wrapped the shocked hedgehog in a hug. She was taken aback at his sharpness and even more confused because his eyes showed nothing but fright. His body was shaking as she held it, and his quills shook continuously. He looked like he was about to explode any second.

"Sarah?" she whispered cautiously.

"Yes?" Sarah stood at the ready as Shadow checked on Silver and Blaze. The two clung to one another still, but they were managing by the looks of it. "What is it?"

"Is that…Was that…What you described?"

"Yes."

Shadow made his way to stand beside Sarah. "What are you talking about?"

"I'll explain later. Right now, we need to get out of here." Sarah wasn't going to wait around for Shadow to get his answers and for the dogman to come back. She knew what she saw, and she most certainly knew what she shot. And that it wasn't dead yet - it would be back. The close range shot might have knocked it off balance and took it by surprise for a second, but it would be back just as strong later if they didn't hurry.

Silver pushed past everyone with Blaze in order to keep walking. He had taken out his own flashlight at some point and started down the trail, avoiding the blood. Sonic and Amy followed soon after - sticking to the couple. Amy tried her best to console her best friend, but Sonic was slowly dwindling mentally. He couldn't explain what he saw or what happened - and his mind would fill in the gaps by morning. All he knew was that he was never coming back to this park.

Shadow watched before glancing back at Sarah. She was watching the direction the wolf disappeared. He grabbed her by the forearm. "You two alright?"

"Yes, Shadow. Let's go. Now."

It was better than what he could manage earlier, he figured. Shadow let her walk ahead of him as he got ready to follow and take up the back of the line. Without any hesitation though, she stopped and sharply turned back to look him in the eyes. "If it comes back, I need to know that you won't freeze."

"What?" he didn't know how to respond. Had she been there that long to realize that he wasn't going to shoot? Probably.

"You can't freeze up like that again. Not with this. Next time, Shadow - shoot." Sarah bit her tongue from saying anything else. She marched forward to catch up with the others.

The ebony Mobian followed, despite her words echoing in his mind. He was reeling still, just like the rest of them. He felt light-headed. It was almost like he was having an out-of-body experience. His mind was busy trying to wrap around what he saw.

The events of the night replayed in his mind as they walked. All he could think of was why he couldn't shoot. Those yellow eyes that bore into his soul seemed to mentally tear him apart piece by piece without even trying. It was unnatural and downright malicious.

He halted after a few steps just to look back through the bushes into the clearing - the tower's base now hidden in the dark. There was an eerie feeling that swept over him as he realized the beast's calls had stopped after a certain point. Had it gone far enough that they couldn't hear it? Or had it stopped abruptly and was closer than he realized?

He couldn't remember at what point that silence snuck in.

That was something that never happened. He was always tuned into when things went silent out in the woods. It was like instinct. But now, he forgot, and all that kept him moving along with the others was the feeling - the knowing - that it wasn't over.

There was something out there in those woods that resembled a wolf and stood upright. It felt almost spiritual in some sense that it could probably understand one's every move and thought. That it could look into their souls and make them feel certain emotions. It carried the feeling of impending doom - and the only thing that called it out was a horrible smell that followed it. Everything else remained a mystery. What its limits and real capabilities were, Shadow didn't know.

But he had a sinking feeling that he was about to find out.

~.~

Their tent had seen better days.

Shadow stared at the ripped shreds of fabric as they slowly passed the campsite at Half Point. The campfire had died out a long time ago, but some of the rocks from the circle were moved around. Their bags were torn out from the tent and thrown about the ground. It was violating.

By this time, the group had gotten to Half Point as hastily as possible, but upon seeing the destroyed campsite, they slowed. Silver picked up some of his belongings to look at them, all while Blaze stayed close.

"There's no question what did this," Silver muttered. Any life the outgoing hedgehog had in him before was long gone. The world was so different than how he knew it. There were terrible people, sure. But he never imagined monsters to exist.

"You ran into it?" Shadow questioned Sarah. He had managed to calm his mind on their short walk to Half Point. He still had questions brewing for the sage hedgehog who held his other gun. She had briefly explained to him on the way that she and Amy had never gone back to the station - they had come straight to Half Point because Sarah knew Shadow had both of his guns. She had taken the chance that his spare firearm would be in the tent.

"No. Everything was untouched when we got here," Sarah answered, not liking what the situation looked like.

"So, we barely missed it?" Amy's voice was so quiet compared to her usual tone. Sonic hung around close to her and Sarah. One was for comfort and familiarity, one was for the firearm and protection.

"I don't think so…" Sarah examined the campsite while the other rangers waited patiently, although fear still coursed through them. Surely, if the beast wanted revenge, it would've attacked by now? It'd been a while. Soon, they'd find themselves closer to the station and safe. "The coyote screams started shortly after Amy and I got here and moved out. So, that would've been a narrow window of time for it to rampage here and then beat us to the tower."

"But possible considering it cleared the side of the station in seconds," Shadow considered. "We don't know how fast this thing moves."

"Thing." Blaze kicked one of the rocks from the campfire. She chewed her lip in anger before turning to Sarah and Shadow in a fury. "What the hell is that thing?" There were tears in the feline's eyes again but that was nothing new for the night. She was frustrated and tired of crying, but she couldn't help the undying feeling of terror this monster created. "Someone had better explain."

"How the hell would any of us know?" Silver retorted back. "Everyone's in shock, Blaze. Let's just get out of here."

"No - you're not," the cat hissed a little as she pointed at Sarah. The sage hedgehog remained stoic. "You've been calm this whole time. From the moment you shot it and found us to now, you're still not freaking out. That thing shouldn't exist and yet you're the only one in this group right now that isn't questioning reality as we know it!" her voice strained and cracked a little at the end.

Sarah stared at her amber eyes - so much different than the beasts' yellow, at least. Blaze still showed some sort of humanity in her gaze. Sarah didn't find herself too worried going up against the cat at the moment. She did notice everyone else's contact though. They all looked at her, and Amy was the only one looking with knowing.

"Look," the Mobian put her hands up a little as she tried to think of the words to explain. "I tried to tell Amy - but you guys? I couldn't tell you guys."

"Tell us what?" Shadow felt a growl rumble in his own chest. What did she mean? Did she know this whole time what it was?

"I had…theories. You were all looking on the logical side, obviously. Any normal person would."

"Right," Silver gave her the benefit of the doubt, as she had guessed he would. Blaze, Shadow, and Sonic however only glared. Until she explained herself, it sounded like she knew all along what trampled through the trees and willingly let them all hike through it too.

"I grew up with a very…odd mother. She's distantly related to the Echidna tribes - like your friend, Knuckles," Sarah motioned to Shadow. "The Echidna legends? Has he ever spoken to them about you?"

"No. Any spiritual aspect of our lives was never talked about with one another," Shadow responded gruffly. What the hell was she going on about? "Unless you consider fate."

"This isn't exactly spiritual. Although, some tales do state others' beliefs that these things are tied to a spiritual aspect of the world - good or evil. Some are indifferent, apparently. But it changes between beliefs. There are people that don't think this thing means any harm initially and there are others that believe it primarily feeds off of evil. There's no conclusive answer, though. These things are as childish as believing in monsters under the bed."

"Yes - obviously," Blaze wasn't being friendly whatsoever. "So, what is it?" she spoke bluntly.

"It's…a dogman." Sarah moved her arms in a motion similar to a shrug - as if her answer to their big big big problem was as simple as that and should be accepted as such.

Shadow put his hands on his hips and stared at the ground. Blaze snorted in disbelief while Sonic looked to Amy for confirmation. The rose hedgehog shrugged a little as she stepped in front of the group to stand by Sarah.

"Look, I know it sounds crazy," Amy tried to smooth it over. "That Sarah sounds insane, but so is that thing that's out there. Think werewolf, but not."

"How is that not what you're trying to say this thing is?" Blaze wanted to roll her eyes as she growled a little. "I can't believe you'd be this - "

"It's real, okay!?" Sarah shouted at her in defense. She tried to ignore the brimming tears. "Look, I don't need you to believe it, but that's the fucking answer. You don't have to think of it as that if you don't want to, but don't stand there and say that I'm insane or crazy for believing in something that's been around my entire life. The supernatural side of the world never scared me, truly - my mother raised me alongside it. So, don't you dare stand there and yell at me for this," Sarah hissed back at Blaze.

It was enough to quiet the cat down.

"I'm sorry. It's just…" Blaze tried to hold onto a shaky breath but it made its way out. She looked at the ground. "How?" Her eyes met brown. "How does something like that just appear?"

"How doesn't anything appear to live?" Sarah shrugged. "It just is. They walk among us - where we can and can't see. Some are thought to be Guardians of the world, for something greater. Most of the time, it's just people claiming they're purely dangerous - not on Tikal's side. If you ever asked Knuckles about this thing in particular, I doubt he'd say much about it."

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"It's bad mojo. To utter their names - there are a lot of cryptids with that taboo."

"And you're just out here saying 'dogman' like it's a regular Saturday night?" Silver looked around their surroundings. Everything was still eerily quiet since they left the tower.

"Yeah, it's not the one I'm scared of."

"You're not scared of that?" Silver looked at her as if she were insane. "Did you just see the same thing we did?"

"Well, from the back," Sarah made a poorly timed joke that no one found funny. She apologetically looked at them. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't wanna sound crazy when I first thought about it. I mean, the moment I saw the photo - I knew what I thought. I kept my mouth shut for good reason. Y'all would've thought I was crazy. And even if you did believe me at some point, what good would that have done for anyone's mental health? I mean, c'mon - Blaze and Shadow looked half dead."

"Enough."

Shadow broke their conversation and walked closer to Sarah. He stopped right in front of her. "Everything I've ever known about these woods has just been turned over. Don't talk to me about what my mental health would've been. Next time you have an insane theory, let us know and take the hit. You turn out to be right? At least you get to say 'I told you so' afterwards."

"It's not about that, Shadow. I could've been wrong. I've never seen any of these things before myself. I've only heard about it from my community I grew up in and my mother. Her whole family has stories of this type of thing - not necessarily this particular creature. But I've seen the effects of what an encounter like this can do to someone's mind. That's why I've always given someone the benefit of the doubt when they told me their own story."

The ebony hedgehog paused. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths to control himself. Great Tikal, he hadn't felt this much anger to nothing in particular in years. It was an overwhelming feeling, and he had a notion that it wasn't his own doing. Something was toying with his emotions - he could tell. Once he felt his heart beat slow, he opened his eyes and met Sarah's gaze.

"How do we kill it?"

"What?" she wasn't expecting a turn to the conversation. Not one like that. "We can't."

"What do you mean? It bled. You shot it and it bleeds. If it bleeds, that means it can be bled out." Shadow didn't want to mess around with this one. He wanted to get himself back - and he felt like this creature had taken parts of soul away from him. It was a weird sensation that he wouldn't recommend to even his worst enemy. Except maybe the supposed dogman.

"Well…there's ideas. But there's nothing concrete. No one has tried to kill one before that I'm aware of," Sarah tried to think back to every online post she'd ever read and any person she'd ever talked to.

"Werewolf? What about silver?" Silver himself suggested, just accepting of the idea that the beast was of the supernatural sort. He wasn't about to judge Sarah, and he wasn't about to try and dissuade anyone of the idea that it might be a dogman. He knew little about wolves. He certainly didn't know anything about dogmen. But he knew that what he saw and what a wolf actually is were completely different. That and Sarah's tone in her voice when she explained herself to them was enough to buy him in.

"Not a werewolf," Sarah shook her head. "Dogman. There's a difference. Werewolves were once like us - cursed into a wolf form. Full moon shit. Dogmen were never normal like us. They were always that. They always will be like that."

"Whatever," Silver waved it off. "Will silver work?"

"No idea. You got any on you?"

"No. Just guns," he motioned to her and Shadow. "That won't do the trick though? A shot to the heart or something?"

"Maybe. Guys, I don't know."

"Then we keep moving," Shadow ordered. "And if it comes back, we'll make do with what we have."

"Just don't freeze," Sarah reminded him.

Red eyes narrowed a little at the hedgehog so much shorter than him. "I won't."

~.~

Coming down from Half Point was a lot steeper. Sonic found himself stumbling a few times as he wasn't used to the trail.

Shadow caught his arm a couple of times. He wasn't sure if the hedgehog was still in shock or if he was about to collapse and pass out. After the fourth time he tripped over a rock, Sonic ripped his arm away from Shadow's grip. "I'm fine."

The ebony hedgehog didn't have the strength to yell at the cadet anymore. He didn't care, to be completely truthful. Sonic could moan and gripe the whole way to the station - they were alive and that's what mattered most. Maybe, if he found the care, he'd reprimand Sonic tomorrow.

The thought dawned upon him.

Tomorrow? What happens after this?

Could he really continue working here when he knew what walked in those woods? That thing didn't just disappear in the sunlight. It was out and about all day and all night. He knew for sure that the wolf-beast-dogman - whatever the hell it was - had been the thing watching him and Sonic the first day at the tower. That conclusion had already hit him a while ago. But now the reality was sinking in that he wasn't sure what happened after this. Did he just go on with life as if it didn't happen? Did he call Richwells and explain the situation without being sent to an asylum? Did he call authorities to handle the problem?

…

Did he quit?

The idea depressed him. Fuck this. I wish this fucking didn't happen. He thought with anger still.

If this hadn't happened, he could continue on with his job like every other normal day. But it did happen. This happened. They couldn't just pretend the creature didn't exist.

As if knowing his thoughts, Blaze trudged a little closer to him, keeping in front of Silver who took up the back. "What now, Shadow?"

"What do you mean?" it wasn't really a question. They knew what she had meant. Hell, he'd just been thinking it, but he wasn't sure how to respond to her.

"You know."

"Right." Shadow couldn't think of the words. "I…I don't know."

Silver's boots crunched on the twigs behind them. It was all Shadow could hear for a moment as he thought of the scenarios. "I guess. We could call someone?"

"No one would care or believe you," Sarah noted from the front of the line. Amy and Sonic were behind her.

"Richwells?" Silver offered, though he figured it was pointless.

"Wouldn't believe you," she repeated.

"Police then?" Sonic cleared his throat a little, trying not to step on Amy's heels. They weren't moving fast enough for him. Not with the knowledge that the "dogman" was out there probably watching them.

Sarah let out an exasperated sigh. "You really think they'd care, either?"

"Well, then what do we do?" Silver's mind raced. "Are we just supposed to sleep this off - go back to work tomorrow? Pretend like everything is okay? What about the other campers out there right now? Hikers? There are people sleeping over at the other campsites with no idea that this wolf is walking around."

"It's because we're in its territory," Blaze explained through an exhausted mind. "I knew it. Shadow, I knew it."

"Yes. It appears you were probably correct. The tower might have been its territory. The moment I walked into its territory is the moment anything started happening. It's been following me since." Shadow went to catch Sonic's arm again as the cadet stepped on Amy's shoe and went catapulting downwards the steep hill.

Amy yelped. "Sonic!"

Sarah turned a little too late and collided with Amy. She caught her balance and Amy by the arms while Shadow gripped onto Sonic. The blue hedgehog grunted and straightened himself out. "Sorry - this sucks."

"Doesn't help when you can't keep your feet under you," Shadow retorted and got a small glare from Sonic.

Amy and Sarah corrected themselves and they continued on the trail.

The pink hedgehog had been rather silent the entire time - which worried everyone there. Silver knew the cadet was a chatterbox just from the first day. Blaze had mentored her and knew her habits. Sarah was grateful for the silence at first, but even now it was unnerving for her. Sonic knew her best, so he also knew that this wasn't normal for Amy. Shadow wished she would speak - maybe her voice was just calming, but the rose Mobian remained quiet.

"Ames?" Sonic whispered a little, nudging her arm with his as they walked. "You okay?"

She thought about her response for a minute. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

He let out a shaky breath. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

He knew what was coming. "If I had listened to you at the house…we wouldn't be here right now."

"No. You're right. We would have been on the lake and then back home with your parents and siblings - we would have had a nice dinner. Watched a movie. Picked on your brother while your sister talked solely about her boy toy. Your mother would have made those cookies that we all really love," her voice choked a little but the other remained silent. "Your dad would have fallen asleep on the couch and he'd be snoring and we'd video it. And everything would have been fine."

"I know." It came out as a whisper that they all barely heard. Sonic's ears flipped back against his head in shame. "But you didn't have to come. You snuck into my car without my knowing - "

"Yeah. To prevent my best friend from doing something stupid because he wouldn't listen to reason in the first place," Amy stopped short and twisted around to glare at him. Tears streaked her face. It appeared her emotions had been held in long enough. "Because you couldn't let it go that it wasn't about you. That you needed to be the center of attention again. That you needed to feel good and be a helper."

"They were hiding something!" he tried to defend himself.

"And maybe for good reason!" Amy babbled out as she burst into tears. "Clearly. You can't try and turn this on me, you big jerk!" She shoved him a little into Shadow. "I was scared for you. The moment we heard it howl and then the screams - I was worried about you and you've been nothing but distant and a jerk!"

She hit him again.

Again.

And again.

Sonic let her hits land on his chest. "I know. I know. I'm sorry," he kept the words on repeat as she took her frustration and fear out on him.

"Jerk, jerk, jerk - you jerk!" Amy wailed as each hit got weaker.

"Amy," Shadow reached past Sonic and grabbed her arms. "Amy, Amy. Stop. Please."

She stared into his soft gaze as she hiccupped. It was surprising to him and the other experienced rangers that Amy had lasted this long mentally.

Blaze sincerely thought that Amy would have been a mess sooner - but perhaps preparing with Sarah had made her mental guard stronger. She knew what to expect - kind of. Her fear was mostly placed in the fact that she didn't know if the group would be alive or not when they found them - especially Sonic, who she had grown up with. Blaze didn't have a childhood friend like that, but she couldn't place herself in Amy's shoes even with Silver as the one she worried about. The relationship Amy and Sonic had was for a longer time period. Losing a friend like that would feel like losing a part of herself, Blaze was sure.

Shadow waited for Amy to breathe easier. "I know you're upset with him. You have a right to be. Everyone is confused right now, though. We need to stick together and be on each others' sides. This can wait until tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." Amy croaked as she looked off to the left in a poor attempt to roll her eyes. "Will any of this even matter by tomorrow? Will we make it to tomorrow?"

"Don't be sinister, Amy," Blaze chided. It was like when she and Amy had searched for the hikers. Amy's comment about their possible demise had been rude, but Blaze could see now that despite Amy being more optimistic in most circumstances, she was also the most dramatic. "We'll be okay."

"How can you be sure of that? It's still out there."

"Which is a perfectly good reason," Sarah called from the front, a few feet away from them, "to keep moving."

"Sarah's right," Shadow said as he let go of Amy. "You two can hash it out later. We can think about this when we get somewhere safer. Let's go."

"But she shot it," Silver motioned to Sarah. "It looked pretty bad to me."

"I think it was a back shoulder shot," Sarah explained as she shook her head slightly. "I don't think the shot hurt it much. These things are stronger than you think, if stories hold any truth. A single shot from a gun that would normally kill a bear at close range wouldn't probably do much to it."

"So, you think it's not dead?"

"I'd bet my salary on it," Sarah snorted and they began to walk again.

"Well…that's comforting," Silver sighed from the back.

Amy turned around and ignored Sonic's gaze and Shadow's sympathetic look. She decided that Shadow was right - yelling at Sonic could wait if it was even worth it. At this point, Sarah was more comforting than anyone. The calmness that leadership from her was enough to keep Amy on board and not running for the hills by now.

Of course, any courage that any of them had was easily extinguished like a fire the moment a somber howl traveled through the night.

And it was close.