Author's note: Oh Em Gee!!! I FINALLY UPDATED!!!

Again, I took sooooooo long, even though I said that the update was going to be soon. Can't say how sorry I am. I've been under a lot of stress, especially because it's my last in high school. AHHHHHHH! I HATE EXAMS!!!! DX

Anyways, this chapter really turned out good. I hope it is all to your liking. Remember: this is still Mike's testimony. This sidestory plays an important role in the main story. You'll see later why.

So, happy read!!

PS: I know it's late... BUT I WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! XD


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Sonic the Hedgehog: the True Power of Music

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Chapter Sixteen

"I plunged headfirst into the water, and swam my way up to regain my breath. The others were already far away, but their laughter could still reach my ears as I tried swim for my life. And as I drifted further away, to my most dislike, the currents multiplied and increased in strength as a result of the storm, and they kept dragging me in different senses. It was a struggle, but I was able to keep my head over the water's surface. That was just plain luck, since there were a lot of occasions where the streams could've pulled me underwater and drowned me. I can't tell you how long this river-trip had lasted, but I knew it was long enough to have me dead. But I miraculously survived.

And speaking of miracles, I remember during the dangerous journey, I saw a large boulder from the corner of my eye as I drifted backwards. I spun myself around in a swim stroke, watching that large stone nearing me, and braced myself for impact. My chest collided fiercely against the rock, forcing me into fits of coughs that weren't easily spared by waves that tried to silence me. But I cling onto the boulder despite that, and once I had regained my composure, my panicked and desperation-filled mind conquered by tiredness, I pulled myself onto the rock, feet paddling in the water. Safe and out of the water's reach, I lay on top of it, breathing in a steady rhythm. I wasn't in the water anymore, but I sank into my thoughts. Every little thing I was thinking about was transformed itself into feelings of rage. I was duped by the gang. They had planned to make me do something so reckless for their own entertainment, until the fun was over. And like any blind idiot would do, I fell into their trap.

But like a beast, I took a broken piece of the boulder and jumped to my legs, roaring as I threw the stone with all my might as far as possible, cursing at the gang to have played me for a fool. I cried out with so much brutality that, in the end, I was left with no power to keep myself up on my feet. I dropped to the ground, understanding without denial the helplessness that the reality presented. I had one good look around me to know that I was alone out here, cast far off into the wilderness. There was nothing but forestial grounds on the riverbanks, and it spread out more than any eye could see. From where I was, there was not much I could see anyways. I could only conclude that I had drifted far away from home, since all of this was completely new to me. And I couldn't count on anyone to hear my rage or to calm me down.

I was hoping the days couldn't get any worse, but you know the deal. Nothing ever goes the way you want it to.

So, as you might've guessed, the weather worsened. The river rose higher, it rained harder, and the skies were cloaked by dark clouds and sometimes menaced the grounds with thunder and lightning. To be alone out there could be frightening on days like these. So to escape from this captivity, I tried several times to call out for help, but not once did anybody answer back. Those who were nearest would have to be the gang, but even if they did hear me, who said that they would care?

And so, for the past hours, I sat on that rock, my body quavering at the wind's chill and the rain's attack like a miserable homeless guy. It's funny and ironic, if I do say so myself. Funny, because that guy on the boulder was homeless, and ironic, because he who thought he had nothing had everything, and he knew now that he had lost it all. I was all alone out here, and I knew that I had to rely on myself on that late evening. How late it was, I could never tell. The whole day was as dull and dark as night. I had given up on calling after a while, because, let's face it, no one would want to go outside on a day like this, not even to get some fresh air. I had clutched tightly onto my knees; it was the only way to keep me warm, or so I had convinced myself. There was another way to forget the harming cold, and that would be by thinking. And like any other teenaged kid, I thought of my family. My parents, Maylee... I wondered if they were worried about me and if they were out there looking for me. But with the attitude I had towards them, I wasn't expecting any help at all.

I would call out again for help at random moments whenever some thoughts were too burdening. Or on other occasions, I would roar out in pure rage whenever I thought of the gang. I would still hear them laughing at me and my humiliation. If the voice wouldn't suffice, I would use my hands to slam them against the ground or take any rock and throw them as far as I could, just like I had done before. I had to find a way to numb and deafen these thoughts. Desperation was clearly getting to me, twisting into limitless insanity.

And sometime later, I couldn't stand waiting anymore. My mind and body urged me to do something about this situation. I rose up from that pitiful position and walked towards the boulder' edge. I was thinking of trying to swim over to the river's shore, but I quickly crossed that out when I thought of the experience I had in the water. There was still some of that reasoning conscience in my mind to point out that it would've never worked. There was nothing left to do.

However, that thought had unexpectedly triggered a side-effect, nourished by desperation and madness. When I peered into the river, it had become all of a sudden so alluring instead of being a threat. The attractiveness awoke new thoughts. Suicidal thoughts, such as 'What difference it would make if I wasn't there? I'm a useless guy who dreams about becoming the world's greatest. But so far, I've messed everything up. I'm not worth anything.'

But the silence broke when a voice resounded in this valley. Struck by hope, I turned around and headed for the edge of the rock on the opposite side, eyes darting along the shores. No one was there, but I didn't let go of the feeling that someone was nearby. Unsure of where the call had come from, I replied back with an outcry for help. My voice wasn't as loud as all other times, and it broke when I tried increasing the volume of my yell. When my echo had ended, it was quiet again. Nothing. I realized that I had drowned myself into false hope, and that my desperation had played tricks on me. That was the last straw.

I lowered my head and looked down into the water's surface. It almost seemed like some images of my life were playing like a filmstrip on that surface, and like the turn of a page, the images would always change whenever a wave overflowed it. The only connection it had with the other flashbacks was the smile expressed on each of my close one's face, including mine. I didn't really understand at the moment why I was seeing this, but those times were over. Paradise in all its heavenly senses was bound to disappear.

I took a step forward into the open. I was going to end it all and let the waves pull me deep underwater. Yes, let the pressure force all that unbearable breath that kept me alive out of my lungs. And I fell.

I was instantly dragged underneath the waves, deeper into the river, like I had expected. So far beneath the surface, pulled in all direction… But there was a beauty that I couldn't help but admire. The bluish color, the pearl-shaped bubbles floating towards the surface, the deafened sound of rushing waves…

But then I heard this plunging noise. Something grabbed the back of my collar and jerked me out of the water. From this shock and that huge amount of adrenaline rush, I must have passed out for a short time. I just remember now that I had felt a weight crushing against my lungs, and that when I came to, I was coughing up all the water contained in my lungs. I was lying on my back, shivering as I began to feel the cold air eating at my flesh. I was momentarily mesmerized by the dark sky and its tears pouring down on me. One of the raindrops splashed on my eye-ball and my back jolted upright as my left hand went for stinging eye. I hissed furiously, caught in my frustration that I hadn't noticed a presence.

'It's about time you woke up. You know, if you had waited a bit more, all of this could've been easily avoided.'

Once I could focus on who was standing right beside me, I don't think it's necessary to say how surprised I was. Of course, I began to wonder if both of my eyes hadn't been affected by the river's dirt. An illusion, that's what I thought it was. I rubbed my eyes harder, which only made my eye-sight blearier. No matter what options I chose to do to triumph over the unreal, the results were the same. I could still see that blue, spiky silhouette. 'Wha…? Sonic the Hedgehog?'

Just as the fuzziness completely faded away, I caught him flashing me a large, sparkling grin. 'In the flesh.'

I couldn't believe it. It wasn't possible. Here I was, talking to some fictional game character. I thought I was going insane, but I denied that thought at all cost. I knew how reasonably sane I was. That guy in front me was some prankster who wanted to get the better of me by exploiting my cherished childhood memories. And he nearly had me.

I could hear myself growl as my hands rolled into knuckles. Yes, I was overwhelmed by anger. How dare he make me look like a childish idiot into believing what I'm seeing in a moment where I'm on the verge of desperation? How DARE he make fun of me after what I've gone through?

I immediately hurled myself up and threw myself at this impostor. He was a nimble one: I had never seen someone step so rapidly aside in a short moment. And as I couldn't control the push of my feet and the hands couldn't grasp onto anything, I was leaping onto the edge of the rock. I don't need to mention that I would've been back in the water if a hand hadn't pulled me by the arm and thrust me back to the ground.

'Hey, what's the big idea?!' he yelled, casting a skeptical stare at me.

I pulled myself back up and attempted to use violence against such mockery. Fail. I could've sworn that he always found a way to unexplainably avoid my thrown fists and disappear from my sight. That faker found himself a couple of feet to my left and stared at me with bewildered eyes. 'Hey, chill down! What's wrong with you?!'

'I've just had about enough of things that keep screwing up!' I bellowed, this time trying to grab my opponent. A first failed attempt never kept me down, especially when I was provoked by this masquerade. 'I don't need you to top that all off!'

Again, my arms failed at grabbing my opponent. I slid to the edge of the boulder, growing ever more furious. How could I not catch him?

'Oh, so that's the thanks I get for saving your life?'

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I jumped to my feet and watched him pull an exasperated frown.

'You saved me from nothin'!' I replied with aggressive gestures.

'I saved you from drowning!' he snapped back, 'Twice, for that matter!'

This show had gone far enough already. I pulled off my leather jacket and tossed it to the ground, and brought my fists up to my shoulders. 'Okay, costume-freak. Playtime's over. Who's underneath the mask? Let me guess: Dave? No no no, I'm sure it's you, Rick. Thought you couldn't get much of a laughter when pushing me off the board, huh?! Pull off that mask already and let's get this over with!'

His frown had softened, but utter confusion spread throughout his face. I was getting more stressed, because every facial expression, from smirking to twitching an eye-brow, looked convincingly more realistic than anything I've ever seen for a mask. 'Costume-fre…?' he stopped, and his eyes widened as he understood what was going on. 'Oh, that again? Seriously, why is it so hard for you people to understand what you're seeing? Hello, I'm the real thing! I AM Sonic the Hedgehog!'

'Yeah, and my name's Arnold Schwarzenegger!'

'Really? Nice to meet you, Arnold.' He replied back in a more friendlier manner.

I stared at him incredulously. I began to wonder how gullible someone like him could be. 'Hey! Are you that stupid? My name's not Arnold!'

'What? But you just said so!' he averred in perplexity, 'Why are you people so confusing?!'

'I should be asking you that! Think you're funny when you put up this clown's costume? Get a life, man.'

Now, this was an awkward moment. I was surprised to see his frown turning upside down, and to see him having gained a playful, poised stance. 'So, you still don't believe me? You're a lot more stubborn than the other people I've met.'

He stated that as if he seemed to be enjoying the situation. 'Then how would you explain this?'

It took me a while, but I realized he had vanished. Poof, just gone. I spun my head to all directions, trying to understand what had happened. And here comes the typical question: had I been dreaming?

'Over here!'

I turned myself to the opposite direction, towards the shore. He was leaning against a tree trunk, enjoying his siesta while I was out here on the rock.

This is not possible. He couldn't have crossed that river so quickly! It just wasn't possible. I was a hard person to convince, after all.

I saw him getting up, and he saluted me with a wave of his hand. 'I'd love to stick around, but if you only want to beat me up, then I guess I have no reason to stay here at all.'

As soon as I saw him turning his back on me, I was so outraged that I burst out. 'Where do you think you're going? Don't you dare leave me here!'

He turned his head slightly around. 'What's that? You're still upset? Fine, I'll see you later!'

I wasn't given any other choice, so I had to repress the negative thoughts. It proved to be a lot more difficult than I had expected, since it made my whole body shake. 'Wait, all right! Just help me out of this!'

As soon as it was said, a strong current of wind drove me to step back. He was there again, arms on top of the other, and he gazed at me with his strong, emerald eyes. 'Now do you believe me? Or do I have to run off to prove my point?'

'Okay, okay, I got it!' I exclaimed, frustration bursting from my throat. I composed myself after the outburst. 'I guess you're real…'

'You guess or are you sure?'

I had to take a long look at him, but I still couldn't convince myself that much, despite that performance he had made. I reached out a finger and poked at one of his quills, until I used every other finger to caress it. The soft pelage was as real as his every single blue hair standing atop his head. 'You look very real, and you act very real… So, normally, you are real.'

That had to be one of the dumbest phrases I had ever formed, but it was sufficient for the hedgehog, and probably efficient enough to erase my doubts.

'Finally…' he sighed as he dropped himself to the ground. He placed his hands on top of his stretched-out, thin legs. 'Well, now that you know who I am, why don't you tell me your name?'

'Mike.'

'Short for Michael, huh? Cool. Nice to meet you.'

With a quick shove, he stretched his hand to me and shook my hand before I could do the action myself. It seemed a bit awkward, if not embarrassing, to shake his hand so unpredictably. And it wasn't easy to hold back all the excitement I had in me. We're talking about a child's idol, and I suppose that inner child of mine never fully faded away like I had expected. I had to look at him again. Emerald green eyes, blue, smooth fur, red and white sneakers, glove on each hand, a body three quarters of my actual size…It was him. He was no illusion. If he were, how could his shadow cast on the ground by lightning be explained? Or how could the tears of rain splash on his body and roll down his chest until they reached the floor? Or how could the little pebbles, these little remains of the large rock we were on, move whenever he shifted his legs around to make himself comfortable? And if it were a costume, how could it make all these expressions or tighten the muscles of his body?

Well, I hid all that excitement and made this situation look as natural as possible. It wasn't easy, though. Talking to a blue hedgehog, let alone a fictional one, was beyond natural. 'So, how'd you know I was here?' I asked, showing no sign of interest of his presence.

He chuckled at first, and then lay on his back, using his hands as a pillow. 'Easy, really. I ran along the river, until I heard someone scream for help. Well, now that I'm here, let's get to the bottom of this. Talk.'

'The only help I need is to get to the shore, nothing more.' I replied back bitterly.

'Oh really? So a suicidal person like you surely doesn't need more than getting onto the shore.' He said in a sarcastic tone.

'I'm not suicidal!' I shouted down at him. My anger didn't seem to matter to him, since he didn't flinch. He only stared toward the river.

'You made it look like it.'

I refused the idea of getting beat by someone I hardly knew, or at least his behavior. 'I was trying to get to the shore.'

He glanced at me incredulously. 'You're quite a bad lair. If you wanted to, you could've jumped to the other side and risked your life for that cause, but instead, you walked on the edge of the rock, staring at the water that headed downstream, and you just let yourself go. That's the behavior of a suicidal person. You can't fool me that easily.'

It's true that my lies were always flawed. I scoffed and looked aside. 'All right, so I tried to end my life. So what? I've got no more reasons to live.'

'That's what you think. You sure make a big thing out of it when your parents and your friend are worried about you.'

I was shortly taken aback by what he had said. But before I could answer, he carried on with his talk. 'And what's with the joining-a-gang idea?'

'Well, why's that so important to you?'

'Because I want to help. I'm the only one who can, since Maylee's not here.'

I was surprised to hear him mention her name. I was curious, but tried to hide it. 'How do you know her?'

'I actually don't.' he said indifferently, 'I passed by your house when I saw your parents talking to her. She told them that she did all the best she could, but that didn't stop you from running off.'

All of a sudden, I felt my stomach churn and twist. I was thinking of them, and my attitude. I was slowly realizing my actions, and guilt was slowly eating my insides. 'You've been running away, Mike, more than you should. So why don't you take a break and tell me your story.' He said.

It wasn't a question he was asking, but an obligation. I was left with no other options than to tell him about everything if I wanted to get off this boulder. So, I walked towards the edge of the rock, and told him what had happened. I went to every possible detail, and he just lay there, listening to what I had to tell. I think it was the best way to tell a story, since I didn't like facing people in this case. I started from the fight at home till I ended up here.

'I was nearby when I heard a gang talking about you.' Sonic told me, 'They thought you were quite the entertainer.'

Anger rose up in me. The gang… It all started with them. I could still hear their laughter as they mocked me. 'Well, once I'm in a gang, I'll show them not to mess with me.'

I was contemplating. I wanted them to suffer for they did to me, and I wanted them to remember that revenge of mine once it's been fulfilled. That is what they merited. But as I tried to formulate a plan that would result in the gang's humiliation, the voice of the hedgehog interrupted my thoughts.

'That's something I don't understand.' Sonic said in a curious, yet confused tone, 'What's so great about being part of a gang?'

I had to think a while before coming up with my answer. It didn't take me too long though, because I knew most of the benefits. 'Simple. You get a lot of power. Your position's strengthened by that kind of reputation. I want in, because I want the respect that I deserve.'

In my seriousness, I wasn't expecting any merry mirth. But hedgehog next to me found himself laughing, his body shaking head to toe. I turned over to him, and glared. I disliked not being taken serious. 'What's so funny?'

'So that's what's going on? You think you can a great reputation like that?'

After enjoying his moments of snickering, he calmed himself down and resumed, taking a serious aspect in spite of his present smile. 'You may get all attention, admiration and respect, but that's all what people will see. It's all superficial, and that'll never be satisfying. You'll be showing an image that isn't even really you.'

Hearing him talk began to frustrate me, because he hadn't made his point. 'Then how will I get that respect?!' I barked ferociously, 'How in the bloody heck will people respect me?!'

'Hoh, definitely not like that.' He answered with a more defined seriousness in his tone, 'You have to earn it, and I don't mean by getting angry or making people fear you. If you were to deserve respect and admiration, then it would be through treating others with respect and admiration. Still, I can't believe how selfish you are.'

With such a straight remark, I rolled my knuckles tightly into fists. I hadn't realized how enraged I had become, and I'd almost say he was intentionally fueling my spirit with fury than appeasing it with compassion. I was barely able to hold myself back from attacking him. 'What's that supposed to mean, huh?!'

His eyes looked away from mine, but they displayed annoyance. 'See what I mean? You're acting like a selfish jerk. You're making this whole situation look like the end of the world when it's just a small thing. If anyone deserves respect, it wouldn't have to be you, but Maylee. She's still willing to help you, even after the way you mistreated her when you ran away.'

I underwent a momentary shock. In my shame, I lowered my head and stared at my feet. How could I forget and bury that memory? Was my anger more important than this friendship?

'You saw that?' I asked, but with a more inaudible, shameful tone.

Sonic was very attentive. 'Of course I did. She's the one who deserves all the love and respect that you crave for, because she's loyal to the end, like any friend would be. But you bash all of your problems in her face, and make it look like it's all her fault. That's a low move, even for you.'

I watched as Sonic placed his leg atop his knee, staring at his shoe. 'You don't even deserve help.' He stated, and then stared into my eyes, 'But that doesn't mean that I won't help you if you're willing to do something about this mess.'

I would have never imagined getting a lecture from my childhood's icon. His was as honest as he could be when pointing to my faults and tough when I denied them. It rocked inside me, crumbling the conviction of being always right. I accepted the judgment given to me.

'Okay, I know I messed up badly.' I confessed in frustration, 'But I don't know what to do… I can't face them, after what I've done.'

He gave off a scoff, and chuckled. 'I can get you off this rock and bring you back to your home, but I can't deal with your problem. Although, if I were in your situation, I'd go and apologize to your parents and your friend.'

'Well, I could apologize to Maylee and to my Mom, but my father's out of the question. Not after the way he treated me…'

The hedgehog sighed as he sat up, and knocked his soles against the ground. 'Did you ever think about the reason why he got so worked up? He wasn't only angry about your tone, but also about your recklessness. He tried to knock some senses into you, literally. But before you even gave him time to explain, you ran away.'

I tucked my hands into my jacket-pockets, not knowing what to do with those. I was becoming more and more aware of the stupidity that I had done, all pushed by my selfishness and arrogance. 'Maybe I should have heard him out… But now, it's too late. It's all too late.'

There was a quietness that ensued, weighed by the thoughts that led to suicidal actions. Yeah, that could've been unconsciously one of the many reasons that would've forced me to end my life. I didn't know what else to say. I was dumbfounded.

I heard the hedgehog let out a loud sigh. 'Well, luckily I was around to prevent you from making the big mistake of ending your life. It's never too late. Life is filled with the mistakes that you make, and you can't avoid it. You can't undo them, either. It's impossible. But you'll learn from them, for the better, hopefully. They make you grow strong, fearless and careful. So don't waste your life when you haven't even seen the full of it. Besides, you should know that family and friends are forgiving, no matter what happens.'

Sonic had jumped up to his feet, and massaged the back of his neck. 'So, do you still wanna stay here and end your life, or go home and do what's right?'

This question was obviously easy to answer, but it had given my conscience, the commander of all reasoning, a good wake-up call. I noticed then that it had stopped raining, and I looked up above to see the stars that gleamed in the velvet sky. I was invaded by a new, refreshing feeling. Hope for happiness was always around, waiting for its moment to shine through the mists of when situations looked frail and distorted. And now that I knew, my face gave away a warm smile. 'After all that I've been through this day, I'd really want to avoid a mistake that is so obvious.' I stated as lowered my head and looked at him, 'Let's go home.'

The hedgehog smirked when my decision was firm. He rubbed his nose, and turned his back on me. With his thumb, pointed at his back. 'C'mon, grab onto me.'

I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around his chest. It was awkward at first, because at that age, I wasn't really open to hugs. Well, I forced myself to think that it was my only way out.

'Hold on tight! This'll be the ride of your life!'

I wasn't as prepared as I thought I would be when he said 'the ride of your life', because when he kicked those legs, he wasn't 'just' running. He became the wind itself and swayed so rapidly and swiftly across the area. I looked from the back of his shoulder, witnessing what would define his name, Sonic, or Sonic boom. It was too incredible to be realistic when everything just flashed by in a blur. The adrenaline rush made all of this look like a dream, but the wind's constant slap in my face proved that this was all as real as it got.

And too quickly, the hedgehog halted. I was dazed, finding it hard to come back to reality, because all images that I'd seen finally reached my mind, and I can only say… Wow. I mean really, wow. I had seen so many things in a short time. I felt… so alive, and reborn into a new self.

'Hey, we're here.'

When I was finally capable to move, I released my grip on him. It wasn't easy. I was under the impression that my hands were glued together. But when my senses came back together, piece by piece like a puzzle, I was sorely disappointed when I discovered that the ride was already over. I don't even think it was a minute, or even thirty seconds. But there I was, standing in front of the door of my home. I was momentarily consumed by doubts, and hesitated to go in. I almost thought of running away again. But Sonic was behind me, and patted me on the back.

'Go on in. They're waiting for you.' He insisted with a chuckling grin.

His little push made walked towards the door, and when I turned the doorknob and walked in, I was immediately embraced by my mother's warm arms. My old man was in the hallway, with a phone on his hand, and hung up when he saw me arriving. He had called his buddies from the police force, and they were all on the lookout for me. Least to say, I was moved. Of course, he called them off. He came to me, and gave me a good rub on my shoulder, telling me how glad he was to see me all right.

What I also didn't expect was Maylee. She was in the living room, sitting on the couch with tissues in her hands. I thought for an instant that she was crying about what I had said to her. But when she came to me and hugged me, I was completely wrong. She had been worried about me all this time, and never mentioned the insults. Sonic's argument had hit me, and I realized how right he was.

When Maylee had let go of me(which took a long time, mind you), I instantly apologized to everyone for my behavior over the last few months. I think my apology made my mother cry, but with tears of joy, and Maylee was smiling happily. She said how good it was to have me back.

My dad also made a smile. A warm smile that I hadn't seen in a long time. And when everything settled down, Maylee had to leave. It was around nine o'clock, and she had to get home, so she left after giving me another hug.

Soon after that, my mom went to bed, because, when women cry all day, they get easily tired and fall asleep. There was only me and my dad, and we used this moment to sit at the small kitchen table and have a frantic talk while sipping at our teas.

My old man was the first to talk, and apologized for the aggression from earlier. He confessed that he did it for my sake. He had heard evil rumors of the gang, such as vandalism and theft, and he only wanted to protect me from their harm. Yes, he was overprotective, and acted rashly. He didn't want me to get influenced by their misdeeds, and become outlaws like them who don't respect anything but themselves.

'I did this because… I love you, my son. Like any father would. I don't want to see the greatness that you have wasted on such mindless hangouts that lead to criminal activity.'

I saw and felt the difficulty for him to admit this phrase, but sometimes, it was so important that any teenager would desire to hear it. And I was more than joyful when words came out of his mouth.

That night, we really had a good talk, and I had understood my father better than ever. From that night on, it was sure that future arguments could be resolved with reasonable and calm talks.

My father joined my mom and hit the hay soon after. I retired to my room, after having eaten a bowl of cereal to replenish myself from the little adventure I had. I lay on my bed, once again caught up in my thoughts. My life had a sudden change to it, and it looked more appealing than it was before. And I had to thank a fictional game-character for that.

Speaking of who, I got up and walked to my window. I was hoping that the blue hedgehog would be around when I opened the window, but as I inspected the whole street, I knew he was long gone. I was missing him already, up to the point where I felt moisture in my eyes.

I shouted out his name, thanking him for all he'd done for me. I had wished that he could've heard my call, and to make him believe that I was sincerely grateful. The only replies I got were the angry shouts from the neighborhood and my parents' room. I was disappointed that he hadn't appeared or answered, but he was a runner. Sitting around or waiting just wouldn't be him, now would it?

With weariness gaining on me, I shut the window and dropped myself to my bed. I was that tired that I hadn't even changed clothes. In all my honesty, Christine, I have to say that I have never longed for my bed as I did that night."

-

So, you know the gig: review with nice comment or useful criticism. If not... Then I'll just ignore them. :P

Other than that, if you detect any grammatical errors, anything of the sort, I want to be informed. I've looked through this chapter, edited it so many times that I've lost count. So please tell me if I did something wrong.

See you soon, and stay tuned! And all the best! :D