*Chapter 2: A Scary Tale*

The fire is lit of the night with the mobian friends around it, roasting marshmallows. Tails blew his out to cool off and ate in silence. He couldn't stop thinking about what the old man had told him. The silence was broken when Knuckles spoke.

"Okay. Since night came, it's time for me to tell you all a story. A scary story." He said. Everyone place their sticks down and listen to the red echidna. Knuckles took a breath. "It's a urban legend." He said. "About a legendary demon who can wander around to take anyone's place. All it needs is a soul, and use it to fool others."

"Get to the point, knucklehead." Sonic said, already bored.

"You need to know every single detail of this being, Sonic." Knuckles said. "Anyway, once it chooses a victim, the victim is trapped in the darkness. No one wants to remember it, no one wants to remember its name."

"What's its name?" Amy asked.

"...EXE." He said. No one said a word. They have never heard that name. Ever. Knuckles continued. "EXE was a monster. It was from hell, and it can be around this world, waiting to be remembered. But, for those who do remember it, their souls weren't worth its time. It wants a strong soul."

"Do you know who encountered this EXE?" Sally asked. "Was there...missing victims?"

"Some say they are missing, most say they are killed." Knuckles replied. "EXE only wants to play games with people. The games are impossible to win. It makes the rules. If it wins, you are gone..." Tails gulped a bit. Knuckles stood up, looking at the fire. "You will be part of its horrible world of death. No light, no escape. It has its favorite number. But...it is not normal. It likes...666."

"Like...the anti-christ?" Amy asked. Knuckles nodded at her.

"Back in 2006, EXE was born. June 6th, 2006. Three 6s. It is the most terrifying being that the devil has ever created." He said. "Who knows where it is now. All it wants is a soul that is strong enough for it to catch prey." Sally and Amy were spooked, even Tails, but Sonic didn't seem to be effected by it.

"Wow." Sonic said, unimpressed. "I think I'm going to have nightmares tonight." Knuckles turned to the hedgehog.

"It's true, Sonic! EXE is a real thing!"

"Yeah sure. Well, I'd love to sit around, but I think I should hit the hay." Sonic got up from the log and went in the blue tent. Knuckles rolled his eyes. Tails took a bite of his marshmallow and follow Sonic in the tent. Sonic places his pillow down and turn to his best friend. "You going to bed too?" He asked.

"In a little bit. But, what do you really think, Sonic?" Tails asked.

"What? I get tired and-"

"No. I mean, about EXE? Do you think it's real?" Tails asked. Sonic patted his friend's shoulder.

"Tails, it's just a story. No way that thing is real. Knuckles was trying to scare us, but...this time he didn't. Why? You think it's real?"

"Well...I don't know." Tails said. "That sounds similar what the old man said long time ago. A creature was around here. And...that could be-"

"Tails, it's fake. Make believe." Sonic told the fox. "Remember the time that Knuckles told us the scary story about the Slender Man? That's fake. People wanted to scare you for laughs. Don't believe what you hear. The EXE thing is just a story. Knuckles may say that it's a urban legend, but...it's not. He didn't say that he or anyone we knew seen it." Tails looks up at Sonic with a small smile.

"I guess you're right." He said.

"Atta boy." Sonic said. "Well, I'm off to sleep. Don't stay up late out there." Tails left the tent to join Knuckles and the girls. Sonic settles in the sleeping bag and wrap his body with blankets. As he rests his head on the pillow, a silhouette appeared behind the tent.
The shadow reaches up and silently claw the tent to rip it. The mysterious figure walked inside the tent as the blue hedgehog is sleeping peacefully. A evil smile crept on the figure's face as it watches Sonic. It places its hand over Sonic's forehead, and it disappeared. Sonic woke up instantly and look around himself inside the tent. He felt something, but...there is no one around but his friends outside by the fire, talking. Sonic shrugged a bit and lay back down.

Tails woke up one morning and found out that Knuckles is still sleeping, but Sonic was nowhere in the tent. The fox got out of the tent, and no blue hedgehog was sighted.

"Where's Sonic?" Tails wondered. He turned to the red tent and unzip the entrance to see Amy and Sally now waking up. "Sonic's gone." Tails told them.

"Maybe he went out for a run." Sally said.

"Yeah." Amy said. "He sometimes go for runs in mornings."

"...I guess." Tails said. "Well, I'll get to breakfast." He turned to start the fire and equipment to cook, but then, he heard a noise. Tails looked around. There's nothing. "Hmm. Might be a squirrel or something." He said. But again, there's a noise, it's loud this time. Amy came out fully dressed, brushing her short hair.

"What was that?" She asked.

"I don't know. I'm gonna go check it out." Tails said by getting up to walk down the dirt road. He heard Amy telling him to be careful. The fox walks down the path, listening for sounds. "Sonic? You out here?" Tails called. No reply. Turning back, there is Sonic right there. Tails gasped in shock. "Oh. There you are. How long have you been there? I was looking for you." Tails asked. Sonic forms a friendly smile. But didn't say a word to him. Tails waved his hand in front of Sonic's face. "Uh, Sonic? You okay? Why are you quiet?" Sonic tilted his head to the side.

"I feel fine, Tails." He said. His voice was smooth and...unusual.

"Sonic?"

"Go back to the camp, buddy. I'll be with you shortly." Sonic said. He patted Tails' head and walk down the path, leaving Tails confused. Something's not right. Sonic was acting weird. Tails then spotted something else. Bloodstains on Sonic's shoes.

"What the...?" Tails wondered, until Sonic's head turned back with a grin.

"What was that, Tails?" He asked.

"Nothing." Tails quickly said and took off to return to the camp grounds. Sonic's eye lids lower a little.

"Hehehe..." He chuckled, forming a evil smile, and razor sharp teeth. His eyes glow red. "It's time to play... Their souls will be mine." A little bunny hop down the grass, until SonicEXE caught it, and began to devour it. Blood drips to the ground. A demonic laugh was heard...