Taking a break from college to write sounded like a good idea, so here it is. Inspired by the creepiest month of the year, October, along with the unluckiest day of the year, Friday the 13th (double whammy!), this is for all you fans of freaks, chills, and nights of frights! Room 173…aka: Frightday 13th II:

"Another calendar day marked……Four days to go……"

Monday 9th 5:00pm:

The weather in Station Square was making a rapid change for its citizens. The temperature slowly grew cooler, and the scent of moisture from fresh fallen rain made it evident: it was officially Fall. But more than the weather changed. So did the sunlight. The sun began setting earlier than in summer, making October the start of darker evenings. While most went with the changes normally like rolling with the punches, it didn't seem to appeal to some.

In the heart of Station Square, on the top floor of one of the city's tallest skyscrapers, sat the penthouse of Amy Rose and most of her friends. Living together was not only enjoyable, but also comforting to know they can look after each other more closely. It was just the start of dusk when Amy had returned from her day out. She headed toward the living room, where she quickly glanced at Knuckles and Tikal, who was visiting for a short while.

"Hi Amy," he called to her. "How was your day?"

Amy answered while still walking through. "Fine…just fine…" She passed through the room and disappeared into her room without stopping.

Tikal was curious. "Is Amy ok?" she asked Knuckles.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "Ever since the sun started setting earlier, whenever she got home, she just goes and locks herself in her room."

"That's odd," Tikal thought. "Is she afraid of the dark or something?"

Knuckles shrugged. "I don't know what her deal is."

"I do"

The two echidnas turned to the other side of the room as Sonic stepped in.

"Do you remember what day it is this week, Knux?"

Taking a moment to think, he soon realized.

"Of course. Friday 13th" he said.

"I don't understand" Tikal admitted.

Sonic decided to explain to her:

"Everyone knows that Friday 13th is the unluckiest day of the year. Now normally Amy has always been slightly superstitious and doesn't enjoy such a day. But the last Friday 13th, she suffered quite a horrifying experience. A bunch of thieves on the internet scared her into thinking an urban legendary murderer was coming after her. We were all able to help her take them down, but she still hasn't lived the whole thing down. Now that it's coming again this week, she wants to stay indoors when dark as much has possible."

"I see," Tikal said amazed. "Well, I guess now I can understand."

Sonic didn't seem too convinced. "Yeah, but I don't think she can stay scared forever. At least, not while I'm around."

Knuckles gave him a suspicious glare. "Sonic, you're not thinking what I think your thinking, are you?"

Sonic just looked back at him and raised his eyebrow.

"Yep. You're thinking it, alright." Knuckles sweat dropped.

5:30pm:

Amy lay on her bed flipping through her newly purchased magazines, hoping to pass the time until dinner, or better, bedtime.

"Just four more days, then no more hiding from anything possibly freaky. If I don't go insane from boredom of hiding first!"

She heard a knock on her door. "Come in."

Sonic stepped into the room.

"Enjoying your cowering from the dark, Amy?" he teased.

"Hey, shut up!" she snapped. "I have a right to be scared of this Friday. YOU remember what happened last time!"

"But it's unhealthy to be locked in your room every night" he insisted. "And besides, we all need to hunt for Halloween costumes soon anyway."

Amy wasn't moved. "I'm sure you all can do fine without me for a week. Sorry I won't be out when the sun goes down."

"That's it!"

Amy silently gasped as Sonic set his face just inches from her own with a stern gaze.

"Amy…it's time to exorcise that demon within you."

"Say what?"

Before he answered her, Amy found herself suddenly lifted from her bed and in Sonic's arms.

"And I know just the place to do it!"

Amy began to squirm. "Hey! Knock it off! Put me down!"

'Wow, this is quite an opposite…' Sonic thought.

Knuckles and Tikal felt a strong breeze as Sonic dashed out of the penthouse holding Amy with him.

"Ok, what's he up too?" Tikal wondered.

Knuckles just looked outside as the sun disappeared under the horizon of the sea outside the city. "Most likely, something that ought to be interesting…

6:15pm:

The sunlight had vanished from the sky at this time, and a pitch-black darkness hung high over the city lights. The entire metropolis glowed in an illuminating radiance from all the buildings. All the buildings, except for one…

The darkest area of the city was the industrial area. The factories and twisted steel of industry sat quiet and dimly lit by only a few path lighting bulbs outside. In the center of the industry sat a large empty lot with what appeared to be a really old and aged building in the middle. It didn't even have lights on outside, showing it was most likely abandoned.

Sonic and Amy stood outside the building's main entrance starting at the tall, dark ruin. Amy seemed rather annoyed.

"Alright, big shot. What's the big idea?"

Sonic turned to face her. "I'm helping you face the darkness inside you, girl."

"Who said I ever wanted to?" she shouted.

"I did! And that's good enough for me" he grinned.

Amy found it pointless to argue. "Just tell me why we're here, ok?"

Sonic looked back at the building and began to tell her:

"This building is said to be the most superstitious location in all the city. People say it's haunted, possessed by an evil force, maybe even a gate to the underworld itself. Lot's of people are too freaked to set foot in there. However, it's said that whatever dark forces within come from only one spot in the whole building."

Amy's interest slightly rose up. "What spot is that?"

Sonic paused. "Room 173. Apparently an unspeakable evil that dwells within is able to unwittingly draw whoever enters right toward that room, and lead them to a frightening fate. That's why we're her."

"Come again?" Amy asked nervously.

"To face your fear of evil things that dwell in the dark, you are going to go inside, and wander around for fifteen minutes without leaving!"

Amy was startled. "No way! You ain't forcing me into that dead zone! You can't make me!"

Sonic tried his best to convince her. "C'mon, Amy! I know you're still a bit shook up by what happened last Friday 13th, but don't you remember how it ended up? The Reaper Man was fake! Nothing but a hoax to scare you."

"And they did a pretty good job!" she argued.

Sonic suddenly got an idea. "Alright, fine. You can be a chicken forever. Spend every week of Friday 13th stuck in your room cowering about something you know deep down isn't really there. Never just wise up and take it with a grain of salt, or-"

Sonic was cut off by Amy's hand suddenly closing his mouth shut, looking more annoyed than earlier.

"If I do this, will you promise to SHUT UP about me being a chicken, and leave me alone about my fears for now on?"

Sonic felt satisfied enough just hearing her say that. But he wouldn't let her know that.

"Alright, I promise. Fifteen minutes in there, and I'll drop it forever!"

Amy finally showed a smirk on her face. "Good. Watch me make YOU eat your words for once."

Sonic stepped back as he watched Amy stepped forward without stopping, and disappeared within the darkness of the building's entrance. Looking up at the entire dark structure; it's black, broken windows, decayed brick walls, and eerie silence. He noticed it actually did make him slightly uncomfortable.

"Guess I really did pick a creepy enough place…"

Amy slowly stepped into the main hall of the structure, and took a look around. It pretty much resembled you run-of-the-mil old, abandoned building. Quiet, dark, and overly dirty and rusty. She smirked and was rather unimpressed.

"Hmph! Fifteen minutes in here? No problem. Too easy."

Amy took off down the first corridor to her right, feeling her way through the inky darkness. She proceeded to wander until five minutes passed.

"Only ten to go, and so far no……"

She stopped herself. Something caught her eye; something that seemed a little off. At the end of the hallway in front of her, a dim light seemed to be coming from around the corner.

"I thought there was no power in here."

Her curiosity got the better of her. She trekked down the hall to see where the light was coming from. Reaching the corner, she gulped as she peeked around the other side. Her eyes grew wider at the sight before them. The hallway's walls were glowing with multiple lights. On both sides of the path, a door sat underneath each light.

"Ok…this is unexpected."

But no matter how unexpected, she felt the urge to take a closer look of the area. She slowly crept down the hall looking at the lights and the doors under them. Although out of what she expected of an abandoned building, they too looked quite aged. Looking closer, Amy saw all the doors had numbers on them, like a warehouse or storage center would. She was just about to leave and walk out the rest of her minutes, when she stopped again.

She noticed that one of the doors on the left side actually was different. The light above it flashed on and off like it was busted, and the number labeled was overly aged and dusty. With Amy's curiosity growing stronger, she cleared off the dust to reveal the number labeled:

173

To be continued, fans! What possible terror lies ahead? More to come…