Chapter 4
Badlands
She crept out quietly and made her way along the rooms tiptoeing hoping the crunching sound of her boots under the popcorn and gritty gravel dirt would not raise came close to the center ring but then ducked behind the corner as the light in the last room turned on. It was Mr Snively's room. She had to sneak past his room which the door was wide open to to get was no way around it. She got down on her hands and knee's and slowly crawled along the wall towards the door and listened to his voice. He was talking to someone.
" Yes sir, this girl seems to know alot about you " he said in a shaky voice.
" Oh really now? What is her name...? " the voice asked in a charismatic tone with a metallic echo to it that seemed familiar.
" Send her to me. Who knows, perhaps I could find a better use for her than you! " the voice snarled.
Mr Snively squealed in fear and shrank. " S-s-sorry sir...I do try my best! "
" You try? You are supposed to capture mobians and send them over to me not have a circus party with them you dolt!"
" B-b-but I thought you said that what I do is ok...? " he shuddered.
" Oh I don't mind you playing with them, dear boy. Just remember I only need you to scrounge up the hard to reach ones. Thats all. You are utterly worthless otherwise you little mutant! "
Sally quickly jumped by the door to the other side. Her shadow caught his attention and he rose from his seat.
" What was that?! " he said.
" Well.. I suggest you use that pointy head of yours and find out! " said the voice and then it was heard no more. Sally knew he saw her and felt him coming her was the big ring so she had nowhere to hide. She pressed herself against the wall and waited for him to pop his head out. Sure enough he did just that and she tightened up her right fist and hammer fisted him in the side of the nose and sacked him hard in the groin and bolted. She heard his screams and cursing's rise.
" I'LL KILL YOU!!! " he shouted picking himself up sorely holding his crotch, staggering from the pain.
Up ahead of her the gate was open a crack. The clowns were gatekeepers who were supposed to keep it shut but they fell asleep guarding the door unaware of the tiny crack.
" Get her!! Get her!! " he shouted at the clowns. The smaller one, Boink awoke first and let out a unholy hiss and came running at her. Sally had no time for them and dodged it and kept running with Mr Snively and the clown behind her.
Up ahead was the last one, Roosevelt. He was ready to get her and stood directly in front of the door drooling hungrily for a chunk of her. Sally grabbed a rock on the ground and flinged it at its face hitting it in the eye. It made no sign of pain or response but grinned wider as she neared it. She stopped in front of it. It just stood there like a statue in front of her only means of escape. She felt Mr Snively's clammy claws starting wrap around her throat but she bolted underneath its legs and squeezed herself through the crack of the open gate and took off.
Mr Snively tried to get out too but the stupid fat clown accidentally fell backwards when he tried shoving him aside and shut the gate accidentally locking it. This was her chance to make clean tracks and not get followed. She kept ducking behind large rocks that could hide her. The air was cool and the stars could be seen through the clear sky. But as she ran she just realized, where to look for Tails? The area was vast it could take days to find him plus she could freeze to death out here or starve. She decided not to think and to just get as much distance as she could from the circus. She kept running in a zig zag line until the big bright tent disappeared on the horizon behind her and she now felt safe that she would not be followed. Then the thought dawned on her nothing weird has happened yet but then shrugged, assuming that they're in a desert and nothing living could be out here. But she soon found herself corrected as when she was walking she saw a distant mountain with a devilish face carved onto the side. It was grinning at her. Almost resembled Naugus' face she thought quietly to herself.
As she was walking she felt a rush of wind and a shadow swoop overtop of her. When she looked up there was nothing. She felt like she was being watched suddenly but there was nothing around her. Her senses rose and her heart beat quickened. When she looked back at the strange mountain with the face its eyes were now looking at her and the mouth was open as if to laugh showing rows of jagged shark like teeth. Sally's heart raced in fear and she began running lost in the desert.
But then, a giant raven swooped down in front of her. It was twice as big as her, a little taller than a full grown man. Its feathers were a deep black that one could get lost in. Its eyes were like giant saucers staring at her. Its talons anchored to the ground.
" WEEP " it spoke. Its voice was harsh and deep that sounded the static of white noise from a television channel that had gone down.
" W-what...? " Sally said afraid it was going to eat her.
" WEEP " it repeated.
Sally had never seen a giant talking raven before. But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only, that one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour. Nothing further then he uttered. She blinked and asked it a question.
" You can speak...do you know where Tails is? "
" WEEP " it said once again in that staticy distant voice.
She raised her eyebrow at it. It was useless to talk to it but would it let her pass? Before she could make up her mind suddenly the raven bird screamed in pain. It flew up into the air squawking making horrible blood curdling screams. Sally shivvered upon hearing them and watched itself tear at its skin and rip out chunks of feathers and skin until it went limp and came crashing to the earth. Sally almost screamed but cupped her mouth. She stepped back and watched a film spread over its glassy eye. A sickening crunch and sloshing sound was heard from the corpse. Out from its back slithered a long giant snake covered in dark blood and sticky goop as it rose from within the bird. It slithered over the corpse flicking its tongue tasting her fear in the air glaring at her with its big yellow eyes. She was caught in the glare of the snake and felt helpless. But just when she thought it was going to spring it relaxed and rolled into a ball as if to go to sleep. It shut its eyes and its tongue went back into its mouth. Then, something began to break out of the snake as it did with the bird. In the very same fashion a new figure emerged from the snake covered in its intestinal skin and digestive fluids and blood. Sally gasped. It was another one of those eerie clones that chased her almost a day ago. Its hair was hung over the face so she couldn't she the expression but she knew it was going to kill her.
" You...w-what do you want? "
" Be mad with us..." said the copycat as she pulled up her hair showing her two beady snake eyes. Sally's eyes widened as she saw where a jaw should be on her lookalike it was torn off. The remaining portion of her mouth was wider than normal. It was like a great gaping hole of darkness. Inside, dozens of long slithery tongues slapping and twisting around in a frenzy reaching for her. They all pushed back inside the mouth revealing a set of inner jaws where the throat opens up snapping.
" It feels so good...you and I were made for eachother " said the thing.
" Stay away from me..." she said. " Or I swear I will do to you what I did to Snively! " she threatened.
" Would you hurt your own flesh and blood? "
" You are not me! " she protested.
The thing laughed. " Then you are nobody. You don't exist! You are mad! "
Sally had enough her talking and went to strike but one of her tongues shot out grabbing her tilted her head and more shot out grabbing her other arm and legs and lifted her up into the air like she was rest of her tongues slithered out wrapping around her body licking her. It felt horrible and cold and wet against her touch. She gave the doppleganger a disgusted and hateful glare. It only grinned and let her tongues slide up her thighs to her womanhood, probing at her kicked and screamed but the more she fought the tighter they got until she couldn't move at all.
" Please don't... " she pleaded.
It didn't answer, it's eyes hungry with anticipation as its tongues began to pierce deep into her. Sally screamed at the top of her lungs, in terror feeling herself being invaded. " SOMEONE....PLEASE...HELP MEEEEE " she screamed, writhing and squirming against its grip. More and more of its long tongues shoved themselves inside her, feeling something tear inside her. The pain was paralyzing, feeling her body suddenly go stiff from the shock. She couldn't even scream anymore. She could only watch with a disconected sense of helplessness as it raped her. She felt her breasts being groped and squeezed till they hurt, feeling a small shivver of pleasure from that along with shame following. The how and the why of this creature seemed to just fizzle away, giving up trying to comprehend its humanity. It was just pure sadism. It was doing this not for its pleasure but her pain. She had promised herself nothing would touch that sacred area of hers save for one, and felt that right being torn away from her.
" Do you understand? I am the you that you have been running away from " it said. " I am the you that exists in this world. I am the darkness of your heart that you shut out, trying to bury me alive. I am the deep lust you crave when you stare at the rabbits tits and the blue hedgehogs ass " it hissed, giving another harsh grope making her gasp.
" Y-you...are not...me " she squeaked, showing defiance.
" Only you would say that " it sneered. " Mad with fear, mad with lust. A perfect union I'd say. "
Sally mustered the strength once more to let out a cry of help. " SOMEONE, WHOEVER IS OUT THERE. PLEASE, HELP ME!!! " It laughed at her. " Pathetic, you just don't get it. We are in a desert. There is nothing out here except us...and the dead. " It stopped smiling and it's hand morphed into a long spike, flipping her over onto her stomach.
" What...are you.. "
" So ripe and rich...I will enjoy this " it said, lifting up her tail for easy access.
This it it. This is how it all was going to end. Dying a horrible and humiliating death by a creature that wore her own face. A worse death could not have been imagined. She closed her eyes, letting a tear fall from her face waiting for the pain to come and death to take her. But suddenly, a small little fox sprang out from a rock from behind rushing to her aid. He had a large jagged piece of glass in his hand that he struck the creature at the axis of its spine. It shuddered, giving a slight twitch and dropped to the ground releasing her. Sally slowly got to her feet wiping the drool from her body feeling circulation go back into her hands. She burst into tears feeling so ashamed of herself and angry. She screamed in fury stomping on the creatures head, it's skull cracking and giving way to her boot. She furiously kicked its skull in splattering brain matter and blood all over the ground.
" AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!! YOU WILL NEVER EVER COME BACK EVER EVER!!! I AM NOT YOU. DO YOU HEAR ME? DO YOU!? " she screamed in hysteria.
After defacing the body some more followed by her angry screams she collapsed beside it, sobbing quietly. The little fox came close to her,wrapping his arms around her giving her a hug. She looked up, realizing she had forgotten all about her savior in her moment of mental breakdown. It was Tails who had rescued her. The one she wanted to save ended up being the one to save her. His fur was dark brown and very ratty looking. His eyes were pale and bloodshot with bags under his eyes with old scars. He had charcoal looking eyes staring at her innocently. He wore only some tiny little black boots with torn white gloves. His two tails were tied tightly in a braid with barb wire and a rose was oddly growing out of his head.
" Are you ok now? " he asked her in his innocent child voice.
" I think... you" she said.
" Who are you?" he asked.
Sally was stunned. Rosie didn't know who she was and now Tails didn't. How come they weren't remembering her? She got down on one knee to his level.
" It's me Tails! Sally! Remember? I'm your Aunt Sally! You used to call me that back in Knothole Village. "
" Aunt Sally... " he said as if trying to recall a long lost memory. " Aunt Sally... " he repeated again straining to remember but he couldn't. He shook his head again slowly.
" Sorry...I don't know you. "
Sally felt heart broken. Tails gave her a questionable look. " So um...were you looking for me? "
" Yes I was! I was so worried about you! " she said hugging him tightly pressing her warm against his cold body.
He smiled and accepted her kindness. He was still the same little kid as she remembered him to be. He gave her a light smile and wrapped his arms around her and sighed happily enjoying this motherly act of affection. It was a rare moment of release from his pain. Tails did not remember his mother or any of his family but he did know their love and the way Sally was hugging him reminded him of a mother or possibly an aunt. Then the words of him not remembering her crept back into her mind and suddenly she remembered the paper she had of her friends the other day. She parted and digged into her jacket for it hoping it wasn't lost. It was the only connection she had to her world besides the memories. When she took it out her heart sank from a sense of giddiness to despair. She stared at the photo and Tails face was warped and distorted in a really creepy way. It was as if something was trying to erase his identity. The rest of the picture was fine. Everyone else's faces were apparently normal. Tails looked at her questionably.
" Whassat? "
He grabbed the picture and looked at it. He tilted his head to the side looking at himself but not recognizing it. " Cool pic but that one persons face is weird " he said.
Sally looked at the picture again with heavy eyes and then put it back into her inner jacket pocket. Tails smiled and grabbed her hand.
" Come on! I wanna show you where I go and play! " he said excitedly tugging on her arm leading her on before she could protest or say another word. He pulled her along many miles with a seemingly unlimited amount of peppy energy to him. But at last they came to a dirty and rusty looking playground out in the middle of nowhere. In the middle was a rusted swing set for three. A broken teeder todder to the side and a sandbox on the far side.
" I like this place! Its neat. I get to talk to the ghosts! " Tails said.
" G-ghosts...? " Sally asked hesitantly.
" Yeah! They like to play with me but they have no faces. " A chill ran down Sally's spine when he said that.
" We shouldn't be here, Tails. I don't think its safe. "
" Er...alright then " he said, a bit disappointed.
Sally looked at him and just noticed that his two tails were wrapped together and tied with barb wire. She could see some blood stains in his fur. " Tails, your tails! " she said.
He looked at them with abit of sadness. "The bad man tied them up so I couldn't fly away. But I ran away heheh!" he said looking clever.
Sally kneeled down and tended to his appendages. They were done up extremely tight. She would need a pair of pliers to cut them off but she didn't and she was his only hope at the moment. She tugged on the outer wire and felt her flesh on the tips of her fingers tear. She looked at her bleeding fingers oozing red blood out. They were very sharp. Like broken glass. She looked around ignoring the stinging pain squeezing her fists together looking for something; anything that could help cut. As she looked around something caught her eye. A large spike was sticking up from out of the ground a few feet away. Oddly, it was stained with blood at the peak but there was nothing around that could have caused that. She guided Tails over to it and took his tied tails and rubbed it against the sharp tips of it. At first it did not do much but after rubbing it continuously, the wires began to weaken and two snapped time passed and eventually, they were all off. Tails was very glad to have them off but he still couldn't fly with them. They still needed time to heal and that Mr Snively busted them once before.
" Thank you " he said.
" Your welcome. "
But then a small tremor shook the ground around them. The earth grew and began to split underneath them. Sally grabbed Tails hand and began to run. Just behind them a great serpent creature busted out of the ground awoken from a deep slumber splitting the dry and brittle ground around them. That spike was one of its feelers on the top of its head. It slithered high up into the sky filling up its lungs with fresh air expanding its mouth letting out a horrible shriek. Sally turned towards the monster. It had layers upon layers of teeth that traveled into the tunnel of its throat and deeper to rip food apart and help push it down into its stomach if it was still alive. It snarled gnashing its great jaws at her when it caught scent of fresh meat. Sally and Tails froze in spot as its head slithered over towards them with its ear to the ground, listening.
Listening for any echo of sound along the floor of the earth. Tails was going to scream but Sally covered his mouth. It jerked its head to the side hearing a small gasp escape their breath. A long black leathery tongue oozed out of its mouth traveling along the ground searching for them. It could not find them with its eyes for it had none and had very poor smell. It had to use its ears or touching. If they moved an inch they would be dead but if it found where they were standing they would still be dead. It was a trap. But then an idea dawned on Sally's head. She slowly kneeled down careful not to grind the soil underneath her and picked up a stone and threw it away. It heard the stone hit and chased after it.
Tails did the same and threw a rock in the other direction and like a flash it broke open the ground where the pebble fell. For a moment it thought it had already swallowed its victim but growled deeply as it let the sand pour out of its mouth. It took to the sky again and pushed its head past the spell of black clouds sucking up light from the sun; drinking and feeding off of its solar energy it was giving. Then, the worm creatures body shuddered and the spikes around its body began to expand outward and its skin turned black and then thousands of all seeing eyes opened up all over its body. It slowly descended forming a smug grin on its blank face
" Oh shit! " Sally said as her and Tails went to run.
It stabbed its lower body into the earth like a spoon piercing pudding and its tail raised in front of their path. The tip tail split in half revealing a second mouth with even more furious jaws. A gurgling choking sound came from the mouth and snapped like an angry hound, spearing itself at them. They rolled out of the way avoiding the tail spear them as it busted the ground where they stood. The worm became agitated and lifted the rest of its body buried in the earth knocking its prey on their backs. Sally took a stick on the ground and slammed it into one of its eyes. As it went in she felt the eye had a squishy jelly pasty texture to it as black blood gushed out spraying her. She didn't let up as she quickly drove it out and stabbed another one. The beast howled and vomited up a wave of super strong acid its stomach made. This was a defense mechanism that when in trouble,would take down large prey or could not escape. It would use this organic fluid to help tunnel through super strong rocks deep within the earth to move freely through whatever mineral of earth was in the way. The thick liquid made a small canyon where it splashed. Tails was busy running from its tail. It knew it was wearing its prey down. They could not evade it forever. They would slow down from exhaustion or trip and that would be that. ' This creature has to have a weakness' Sally thought.
It's eyes seemed the only thing that she could harm but pecking the eyes out would only piss it off. There had to be a way to bring down this beast. She knew she couldn't hide from it merely by being quiet or hiding. It had to die. It ripped apart the playground like child's play. But when that happened something unexpected happened in return. A blast of an icy wind blew around them like a typhoon. The creature stopped it's onslaught and sensed something was happening. Around them the wind formed into a incense looking fog and the fog formed into the shapes of ghosts. They were all ghosts with no faces but angry and bearing sharp teeth. They looked mobian but rotten like a corpse. At least a hundred gathered around the creature and them. They didn't speak. They didn't need to. Sally's eyes widened and was panic stricken but Tails just smiled.
" These are my friends that have no faces! " he said grinning.
They drifted past them and formed a black smog cloud around the creature. It screamed and writhed around in pain as its eyes popped like grapes. It tried to escape into the earth but they did not let it. It's skin began to burn off, dropping in chunks making sickkening wet noises when hitting the ground. It's meat was snatched from its bones. Then its great two hearts kept inside its skull were torn from its chamber and burst into flames upon their wrath. The cloud disappeared and the worm beast dropped dead only with a few organs and bones intact. Sally finally fainted from all this.
When she came to it was still night time. She moaned realizing the bitter sweet truth that she was still long was she out? Since the sun hasn't come up not that long. But she found herself in a cave. Must have been taken there by Tails. She looked for the fox but found no sign of him. She felt worried that something might have happened to him. But when she walked out of the cave she found large footprints. Clown footprints soaked in blood leading back to the camp.
" No... "
