*Chapter 5: Love Hurts*

Mina and Amy waited for Sally or anyone to return from the forest after the second scream is heard. But, this scream is a man's scream. Was it Knuckles or somebody else? Amy started to worry.

"I have to go after Sally. Mina, stay here." She said putting on her red headband.

"Wait, I'll go first. I saw Sally, so I can find her." Mina said, stopping the pink hedgehog from going. "If anything happens, I'll come back. But, if I do took too long, come get me." Amy nodded a bit and the mongoose ran down to the woods. But Amy couldn't help but to worry. Her friends haven't come back since the screams. The pink hedgehog decided to find her friends herself. Whether it's dangerous or not, Amy is ready to help her friends come back to camp and go straight home.

"I'm coming for you guys!"

Sally is looking around to find Tails or anyone around. The woods is too quiet. No sign of anything. Where is Sonic? Sally calls out for her friends. No reply. Sally was about to go on, until a hand was placed on her shoulder. She quickly turned around and face SonicEXE's bloody face with his black and red eyes that stare back at her. Sally gasped and tripped. SonicEXE chuckled at her.

"Hello, my love..." He said in a low voice. Sally was shaking in fear. SonicEXE slowly walked up to her. "Wanna join me and my friends?"

"Sonic...what...happened to you...?" Sally asked, barely finding her voice.

"Sally!" Mina's voice called. SonicEXE turned his head towards to the mongoose and stuck out his hand with claws. Mina stopped running and her feet was off the ground. Sally gasped as she watches. SonicEXE moves his fingers, and Mina started to scream in agony, like she is in pain right now. The demon laughed at her.

"Girls do love to have fun, don't you agree?" He asked.

"Sonic..." Sally whispered.

"Make it stop!" Mina screamed, tears falling from her eyes. Her body moves around and bones inside her are cracking. Is SonicEXE breaking her bones? Sally reached for Mina. "Help me...!"

"Mina, grab my-" A loud snap was heard. Mina's neck was broken. Her body dropped on the ground, and blood pouring out of her. Sally covered her mouth from throwing up. SonicEXE laughed at the lifeless body.

"Her soul...is in my world now." He said. He turned to Sally. "...Your turn..." He said. Sally screamed and ran away from him. "You can't run, Sally. I can smell your fear."

"Leave me alone!" Sally screamed at him as she continues to run down to the forest. She couldn't believe what she had witnessed. Whatever that is, killed Mina. That hedgehog is not Sonic. Sally found a lake and ran to the shore, but then, something happened. Everything turned dark, and the water is red...like blood. Sally breathed heavily. This is a nightmare. What is happening? Sally hears footsteps, and evil chuckles nearby. She had to keep running in order to live.

"Leave her alone!" Sonic shouted, tears falling from his eyes. "Leave Sally alone, you bastard!" The demon didn't respond to him, but someone else did. Sonic turned to the darkness to see Mina, with a stitched neck and a patch eye that was sewn on. EXE got her too. "Oh no...Mina." Sonic whispered. He ran up to her, grabbing her shoulders. "Mina?"

"...Traitor..." She whispered."

"No. I didn't do this to you!" Sonic exclaimed. "EXE did this to you! Please, you have to believe me!"

"...You will pay for what you have done, Sonic..." Mina said, disappearing. Sonic moved away and hear voices of his friends.

"Why'd you give us to him?" Knuckles' voice asked.

"I didn't!" Sonic screamed. "It did this! The demon killed you all! Not me! You all know who I am!" He wandered around the dark. "It's after Sally now! And...it could after Amy!" He said. "I gotta help them, but...I'm trapped." The blue hedgehog sat on the ground, crying. There's nothing he could do. He tried everything he could to get out of this madness, but...he's trapped in the darkness. There is no light. His friends are trapped in EXE's nightmarish world.

Sally ran towards the cabin that Mina was taking about. Ash must be warned about this. The chipmunk rush up the door and knock on it, loud enough for the male mongoose to hear. The door opened and there is Ash.

"Sally? What're you-" He was cut off when Sally barge in and shut the door and locked it and place the chair against it. "Sally, what the hell are you doing? What's going on?" Ash asked.

"Ash, we have to get out here." Sally said with a serious look. "Mina is dead, and-"

"What?!" Ash cried out. "She's dead?!"

"Listen to me! My friends are in trouble, and...Sonic is..." Sally trailed off and sat by the fireplace, covering her eyes. "Oh god... Sonic...why?"

"What did he do? Did he kill Mina?" Ash asked with an angry look. "Did he kill her?"

"...Yes, but..." Sally spoke. "...The blue hedgehog...is not Sonic."

"...What?"

"I...don't know how to explain it. But, his eyes are...dark. Black and red, and blood coming out of them." Sally said. "Teeth are sharp, and...claws." Ash stood by her. Sally dried her tears after the image of SonicEXE. "That's not Sonic we know and love. Whoever that is...he's not Sonic."

"...What do we do about it? We can't run away from him." Ash said.

"No. He can kill. I saw him kill Mina. He tried to kill me too." Sally replied. "Look, whatever you do, don't confront him." Suddenly, a clawed hand breaks the door open, making Sally and Ash scream. They back away to watch the hand disappear. A face peeks from the hole. Ash gasped in fear to see SonicEXE's face looking at him and Sally. The monster is breathing heavily.

"Heeeeeeerrrrrrrre's Sonic!" SonicEXE said in a now distorted voice. He moved and break the door down, and see the two mobian scatter around the cabin to escape him. Ash ran down the basement with Sally and locked the door. Banging was heard from outside. "You can't run away from me!" The demon said.

"Go to hell!" Ash yelled. Sally breaks the little window open to get out. She climbed on the shelves and about to crawl through the window until SonicEXE appears in front of her.

"Found you!" He sang out. Sally screamed and fell back on the floor, and Ash helped her up. Sonic disappeared outside the window.

"Oh god, he could just appear in here." Ash said. "Oh god, oh god..."

"Ash, calm down. We'll get some help."

"How?! We're trapped with this bastard!" Ash said. "I gotta get out of here! That thing is gonna kill us!"

"Ash, stop! Don't panic!" Sally said, grabbing his shoulder, but the mongoose moves away from her and ran up to the door. "Ash! Come back!" Ash didn't listen to her as he unlocks the door, and then screamed when SonicEXE appears in front of him. The demon pushes him back down the basement stairs. Ash rolled backwards and land on the floor. Sally watched SonicEXE walk down the stairs with a evil smirk. Ash groaned in pain and look up to see SonicEXE coming down to get close to him, but then, Amy came in the doorway with her hammer.

"Hey!" She yelled. SonicEXE turned back up to see her. Amy gasped a but, but kept her hammer up. "Stay away from my friends, you monster!" She said. As SonicEXE turned back to face Ash, instead, he was kicked in the face by Sally.

"You guys, run!" Sally told Ash and Amy. SonicEXE growled at her. Ash acted fast and rush up the stairs to meet Amy. Sally watched them escape and face SonicEXE who breathed angrily. "You wanna play, motherfucker? Let's play!" She said. SonicEXE chuckled at her. His claws are out and stare into her blue eyes.

"Such a shame I would take away your precious eyes..." He says, coming close to her and stroke her cheek. "Sonic will miss you dearly." He instantly launch his claws into her eyes, making her scream in agony. Blood is pouring out of her eyes. She is blind. SonicEXE laughed at her and lick his fingers. "Ahhh...you taste like love..." He said. Sally's body fell on the floor, bleeding her eyes out. "Two victims left. This is a very fun game of killing spree."