*Chapter 3: Let's Play a Game*

Darkness was around him. Sonic couldn't move from his spot. It felt like he was strapped down. He doesn't know what happened to him. All he remembered was that he went to sleep in the tent, and...he was found here in the dark unknown place.

"Huh? Where am I?" Sonic asked. "I can't move." He heard a demonic voice around him. A dark chuckle. Sonic couldn't see who it was. But, he felt something drip on his peachy stomach. Blood. "What the hell...?"

"Welcome to my world, Sonic the Hedgehog." A voice said.

"Who are you?!"

"I am you. I'm going to play with your little friends. Their souls will be mine soon enough. And then, you are going to be here for eternity, Sonic." A voice replied. Sonic struggled.

"What're you going to do with my friends?! Leave them alone! Let me out of here!" Sonic yelled. "Don't touch my friends!" He heard a demonic laugh around him. The helpless blue hedgehog struggled more.

"Blood on his shoes?" Sally asked. "Are you sure?" Tails nodded at her. Before he could explain more, SonicEXE arrives with more bloodstains. Sally gasped a little. Tails gulped a little. The hedgehog smiled at Sally. He took her hand and kissed it.

"Hello, my dear." He greeted. "May I borrow Tails for a little bit? There's something I want to do with him."

"Sure..." Sally said. "Go ahead. No need to ask." SonicEXE smiled more and wrap his arm around Tails' shoulders. The fox feels uneasy about this. He knew this is not the Sonic he knew. Why is he acting for strange? Why does he have blood on him? They both walk down to the woods. Sally watched in confusion. "Tails wasn't kidding." She said. "Sonic wasn't acting himself all of a sudden. What happened to him?"

"What's going on?" Knuckles asked. "Where are those guys going?"

"Sonic's acting weird, Knuckles. There's blood on his shoes and gloves. I think something happened to him." Sally replied. Knuckles watched SonicEXE and Tails walk down to the woods. Tails looks very uncomfortable. Knuckles can see it. Something isn't right.

"Come on, Tails. We're getting close." SonicEXE said. Tails was behind him, studying the features. But then, he realized that they are in the darkest part of the forest. The trees are blocking the sunlight. SonicEXE spoke. "I have a game. I'm thinking of a number. Can you guess what number?"

"...Uh...I don't know." Tails said.

"Come on, take a guess." SonicEXE said by turning to the fox.

"...I...think...uhhh...7?" Tails asked. He heard the hedgehog chuckle and shake his head at him.

"That's wrong, Tails." He said. "The number I'm thinking of is...666." Tails froze at the spot. What did he say? SonicEXE chuckled at Tails' expression. "Just like that story from last night, huh? Now, I have another game to play. It will be fun for the both of us." Tails gulped a little. He wanted to back away from this hedgehog, but he couldn't turn back. "What's the matter, Tails? Don't you want to play with me?" SonicEXE asked.

"Sonic, what is going on with you?" Tails asked. "You're acting weird and-"

"Let's play hide and seek." SonicEXE said. "You hide, and I will seek." He shuts his eyes and began to count down. "10...9...8...7..." Tails started to run away from the blue hedgehog. He passes the bushes and trees, looking for a place to hide. What is happening? Sonic wasn't acting himself today. With the blood on him... Tails knew that hedgehog is not his best friend. This thing could be a fake.

'What is going on? Where's the Sonic I know?' Tails thought.
SonicEXE finished counting down and revealed his black and red eyes, and blood is falling from his sockets.

"Ready or not, here I come..." He sang out. "Tails...where are you?" He looks around with his red glowing eyes. "I know you're out here somewhere, Tails." He said. He heard a snap. He swiftly turned his head to see Tails under the bush. Tails' eyes grew wide as he looks at the hedgehog's new appearance. Blood on his fur, gloves, shoes, and falling from his eyes. "Ha! I found you." SonicEXE laughed. "You gotta do better than that!"

"...Sonic?" Tails asked. "...What...happened to you?"

"What do you mean, buddy?" SonicEXE asked, chuckling. "You look pale. You look like you've seen a ghost." Tails didn't move from his hiding place. He was shaking.

"...What...are you?" Tails asked. "You're not Sonic..." SonicEXE pulls the fox out of the bushes.

"You're too slow, Tails..." He said. "I'm afraid you're a loser in this game." His claws came out. Tails began to cry. He got out of SonicEXE's grasp and ran down to the woods, crying for help. The fox ran pass the trees, trying to return to the camp grounds to warn his friends. He could fly, but he was too afraid. He's never been this scared before. He can hear a demonic laugh filling up the skies. Tails looked back to see Sonic chasing after him, but not with his feet...he's flying towards him!

"Go away!" Tails screamed.

"I'm gonna get you..." SonicEXE sang out, getting close to Tails. He reaches out to one of the tails. After a grip, Tails tripped. Tears were falling from his eyes. He slowly turned to see nothing. Where did SonicEXE go? He just grabbed his tail, and he just disappeared. A light tap on Tails' shoulder. He slowly turned his head and there is SonicEXE, smiling at him as blood falls from his black and red eyes. Before Tails could move, he felt claws launching in his stomach... Tails let out a bloodcurdling scream. A demonic laughter was heard after.

Sally jerked her head up after hearing a scream in thin air. She looks towards at the woods in concern and worry. Was that Tails screaming? Amy came out of the tent to see Sally standing.

"Sally? Are you okay?"

"Did you hear that?" Sally asked.

"Hear what?" Amy asked. Sally turned to her.

"You didn't hear that scream?" She asked. Amy shook her head.

"I was on my headphones." She said. "You heard a scream? Who screamed?"

"It had to be Tails..." Sally said. "I think he's in serious trouble. Sonic was out there with him." She picked up her blue top and started to head off to the woods, but Amy stopped her.

"Wait! You're going out there alone?" She asked. "Let's wait for Knuckles. He'll check it out as soon as he's back from the lake."

"Amy, I can handle it. Just stay here. If Knuckles comes back, tell him I'm in the woods looking for Sonic and Tails." Sally replied. Amy watches the chipmunk walk in the woods. Something's wrong. She was unaware that the blue hedgehog she likes is not himself.

"I hope he's alright..."