DISCLAIMER - I DON'T OWN THE CHARACTERS OR THE CAMERA OBSCURA

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Sonic stared at the floor where Shadow had stood only seconds ago and thought about what Shadow had told him to do, use the camera against him, but Sonic didn't want to cause him pain. But he also said that if Sonic got through this, they'd be back together again…

Back together, it was strange to think that, that they were once together, but such a long time ago. He sighed. After finishing his drink he made his way back to the living room, he needed to give those photos a closer look, he needed all the help he could get to try figure this out. On his way past the window, he noticed it was still dark and looked at the clock. Midday. That was strange; it was as dark as though it was the dead of night.

He looked out through the pitch black sky and saw the droplets of rain falling through the sky. It was raining heavily, and every now and again a flash would illuminate the sky, lighting up to reveal the woodland scenery round Sonic's house. He could hear the thunder rumbling in the distance, the storm wasn't close yet, but it would be soon. Suddenly, another light lit up outside, and Sonic saw a figure through the window through the corner of his eye.

"What?" He leaned closer, and another flash of lightning lit up the sky. Sonic cried out as jumped back as a figure well against the window, pressed up against the glass, then disappearing again. Sonic was up on his feet like a shot, and after going to the living room to pick up the camera, rushed outside into the torrential rain. It was so dark he could hardly see his hand in front of his face, but a small outside light made it possible to make his way round the side of the house without falling.

He kept his hand on the wall, edging his way along the outside wall of his house, the rain falling heavily on him and drenching his fur a dark navy. He squinted through the dark, looking round expectantly, waiting for something to jump out at him. He carried on, clutching the camera in his shaking hand as he made his way through the freezing cold. He a few windows before coming to the one he recognised as the one he'd been looking out at earlier.

A flash lit the sky, but Sonic didn't see the figure coming up behind him. He didn't even know it was there until he heard the chilling plea.

"Pl..e..a..sse, help…m..e…" His eyes went wide and he didn't dare move. He forced himself to turn his head round, to see a man standing right behind him, a man he'd fought before. With a surprised cry he blindly raised his camera and took a shot, missing the ghost by several feet. The ghost lunged at him, grabbing his foot as it did before. Sonic panicked and frantically tried to shake it off, before giving it a good hard kick, surprised when his foot actually connected with the transparent being.

Taking his chance he backed away as fast as he could, quickly raising the camera and focusing at the ghost. To his shock though, the spirit disappeared. He brought the camera around and turned every which-way, searching desperately for the ghost. He felt a cold on his back, and he twisted round, taking a blind shot at the air behind him. Luckily, he hit the ghost and it stumbled backwards, crying out in pain.

Another flash lit up the body of the spirit in more clarity, Sonic gasped when he saw that it had no legs, its body just ended where they should be, and he dragged himself along the floor, pulling himself by his arms. Once again he gave a heart-wrenching plea.

"Please, he..lp..mee.." Sonic couldn't stand to see anyone if so much pain, but what could he do? The answer was clear, put him out if his pain. He raised the camera.

"I'm sorry." He pressed the button, getting a direct hit. The ghost slumped to the floor screaming in pain and moments later, it was gone. Sonic stood alone in the cold dark, shaking like a leaf. Another flash of light brought his attention to a small notebook laying on the floor by the window, reflection the light on its shiny surface. He picked it up, when he opened it he saw most pages were ripped out, leaving only a few with little written on them.

'Why didn't Sakio listen to me? I told him that Shadow was dangerous, and when Sonic began to turn down any company except his, I knew there was something going on. Sonic was always quiet, but he grew increasingly so, until he shunned contact from everyone apart from Shadow, who he would spend hours with, talking and laughing. They both seemed like their old selves, like before it happened…

Such things shouldn't be spoken of, but something equally as unspeakable is happening, people are disappearing, then being found dead, appearing to have died the most gruesome deaths. I have no doubt that Shadow is responsible.

Sonic disagrees.

He and Shadow have both been talking about seeing a hedgehog similar to Sonic in appearance around the mansion, the thought it unnerving. Everyone in the mansion has grown uneasy, and there's a feeling of being watched lingering in every hallway and room.

Then we saw him, Shadow covered in blood, shivering in the middle of a room, surrounded by the bodies of those he had killed. I knew he had done it, Sonic still refuses to believe, and stopped me from being able to punish Shadow, but he can't protect him for long, I will avenge those who Shadow killed.

I have to watch my back, who knows, Shadow may come after me next.'

Sonic dropped the notebook to the floor, shaking violently, eyes unfocused in the darkness. 'No, Shadow would never do that, never, but, if he could do that to Gun, who knows…no! He had a reason for that, it wasn't an excuse, but Shadow doesn't go around killing people for no reason. But what if it's true? I don't know what to think'
Suddenly he heard a noise behind him. It was hundreds of voices, all crushed together, voices screaming in agony and begging for mercy. But there was one voice above them all.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He turned to see Shadow behind him. Their eyes met. There was a moment as Sonic stared into Shadow's ruby eyes.

Then he ran.

He ran through the darkness to his front door. 'I've got to get away, there's something wrong with Shadow, gotta run away.' He reached his door. He tried to open it, but it wouldn't open. He tried again harder, but no matter how he tried, the door was stuck fast. He banged his fists on the door, he could hear Shadow getting closer.

"I didn't mean to, I'm sorry…" Sonic tried again desperately to get through the door, but it was in vain. 'No, no no no no no no NO!' Then he heard Shadow's cold breath on his neck. 'But the dead don't breath.' Sonic didn't know why this was what he was thinking as he heard Shadow's almost silent words, but it was the last thought that filled his head before he collapsed unconscious.

"Sonic, please forgive me!"

Then all was black.

Images played across Sonic's mind, people were running, Shadow followed, some were trying to escape, but the doors wouldn't open, there were dead bodies everyone, Shadow sat shivering in the middle, Sonic stood to the side of the room looking at the dead bodies of Makito and Sakio.

"Shadow, what have you done?"

The images stopped.

"Sonic, I'm sorry…"

Sonic woke up in a large room. He was lying on the dusty floor, camera by his side. He jolted upright, looking round. He was in the mansion again, surrounded by its wrecked and rundown walls. He was in the room he was in last when he last visited the mansion. He buried his head in his hands.

"Shadow, it's true, why?" He looked up again sadly, looking at the falling apart remains of the mansion. "How could you do this?"

Suddenly a draft blew through the room, and there was a light bang as the cloth hanging on the wall hit the wall, blown around slightly by the wind. Sonic looked at it, last time, he never got a chance to see it properly.

He got up off the floor, making sure to take the camera with him. As he approached the picture, he felt a sense of being watched. He looked behind him, there was no-one there. But he didn't see the figure looking down at him from the balcony at the top of the stairs. The figure turned and sadly walked away.

"I'm sorry…" Sonic heard the whisper. He looked up quickly and scanned the room, there was no-one there.

His attention turned back to the picture. He leaned in and looked carefully, trying to depict the picture. From what it could see, it appeared to be two hedgehogs, one black, one white, facing each other. He looked at it in confusion, what did it mean?

Suddenly he heard a noise. He turned to see a folding screen set up by a wall. There was a figure silhouetted through the paper, kneeling down, burying its face in its hands.

"Why did you do it Shadow? Why didn't you wait? Why didn't you let me help you?" He approached the screen. Breathing beginning to quicken slightly, holding the camera tightly. He reached the screen. He crept round it, then looked behind it. There was no-one there. He looked back from the other side, the figure didn't disappear, the voice continued repeating the same phrases again and again.

Then, the image disappeared.

There was silence for a moment. Then, a scream echoed through the room as the screen lifted itself up and smashed against the wall.

It barely missed Sonic, who luckily had stepped back, trying to look for the source of the scream. Once again, there was no-one there to be seen, he was just greeted by another silence. He looked at the screen, then noticed the blue hedgehog standing next to him. He gasped and backed away, only to have the identical hedgehog grasp his arm, preventing him from getting away.

Emerald eyes met his in a sad gaze.

"I tried to help him, but he couldn't take it, it wasn't his fault, he tried." He hung his head. "He really did." Suddenly there was a bang. The younger Sonic looked frightened. He handed his older self a key. "You must leave, you're not ready, use this to open the door upstairs, and lock the door behind you, go, now!" Sonic didn't need to be told twice, he rushed upstairs. Seconds later the door was slammed behind him and he heard a voice downstairs.

"Who's here Sonic?"

"Nobody." He heard a younger voice reply.

"Well, be off then, Shadow is waiting for you in the atrium." He heard footsteps, then the voices were gone. He sighed in relief and looked round the room.

"What now?"

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Woo, that was quite a long chapter, for me anyway, please review!