Chapter 10 – Running, a Let Down and a Shock
Amy read the screen again, shocked. She'd always hoped for Sonic to send her a text message but night time on Valentine's Day wasn't quite how she'd imagined it.
'I'm sorry about earlier. Please meet me at our clearing in silver valley in half an hour. Sonic.'
Her eyes immediately narrowed. If this was a prank, she'd go round there and rip his head clean off. But she did consider that even Sonic wasn't one to bother with tricks at this time. In fact, he'd usually be asleep. Maybe he really did care…
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She brushed the thought away. Thinking like that wasn't going to help her. She'd already made a decision, earlier on that night. She couldn't carry on like this. But… he seemed sincere. She felt a pleasant flutter of happiness at the fact that he'd called it their clearing. It was difficult for most to find; as it was often camouflaged behind the branches of the willow tree. It was their private space, something that they could share.
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Amy heaved herself up from her chair. The only option was to go there and give him a chance.
Things could end up working out after all. Who knows, this might be the Valentine's Day I've always dreamed of. She grabbed her coat and hurried outside. As she made her way to the forest, she couldn't help but feel hopeful. Once she'd accepted her anticipation to see him, it was contagious. She ran faster; just thinking of him gave her a new energy. The thought of him waiting for her, open-armed…an excited smile spread across her mouth.
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The forest was extremely dark and any normal person would've been fearful. But Amy's enthusiasm had gotten the better of her as she raced down through the trees. Her eyes soon grew accustomed to the shadows as her boots continued to pound on the carpet of leaves that crunched as she ran. Her pulse was buzzing. Her mind began to conjure images of Sonic, his entrancing eyes, the way he'd tackle every situation with incredible confidence. His dazzling smile: the smile that could so easily make her melt. As she imagined his cheeky grin, she found herself smiling too. She carried on smiling all the way to the willow tree.
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She paused, raising the tension even further. Her shaking hands gingerly brushed the leaves aside and she stepped forward. It had always been a beautiful view, but tonight it seemed to become even more magical, if that was possible. The valley below was filled with tiny squares of light, from the couples still enjoying what was left of Valentine's Day. The town was still very much alive, even after dark. Amy sighed with content, before glancing around. Sonic wasn't there. Her smile wavered and turned downwards. It wasn't like him to be late. She groaned as the memory of their 'first date' plagued her mind. Still, that was the only time that he'd ever been late. He was probably doing it for the effect, she decided. A voice in the back of her head said otherwise but she ignored it.
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The minutes ticked onwards, and she sat on a nearby boulder. After fifteen minutes, she was still waiting patiently, listening for the slightest crack of a twig. Her ears twitched as an owl hooted in the distance. Her will to stay was running low but she tried to reason with herself.
Maybe Eggman's causing trouble again, she guessed, trails of worry lacing her thoughts. Her emerald orbs were illuminated by the moon, as she turned her head towards the night sky. The stars were scattered everywhere, forming glittering patterns in the darkness. The forms that they portrayed were usually unreadable, making no sense to someone without astronomy experience. But Amy could've sworn that every where she looked, the stars created only one face. They seemed to shape him perfectly, every feature glistening in the twilight.
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She breathed an exasperated sigh. Her faith was fading. Another twenty minutes slowly crawled passed, by which point Amy had literally been drained of enthusiasm. Almost midnight, she mused. Not long before I've spent yet another Valentine's Day on my own. She wearily got to her feet, fighting the tear that threatened to escape her eye. She wiped it furiously, annoyed at herself. She'd just turned back to the willow tree when her phone rumbled in her pocket. She pulled it out and gasped at the screen. So now he sends me a message? She viewed the text, realising that there were only two words. Her eyes scanned over each individual letter, slowly swallowing the information. It said: 'Look up.'
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She stared in bewilderment, and gradually raised her head to face the velvet night, bubbles of anticipation in her gut. Her ears were drowned by silence, as she strained them whilst focusing on the blackness. Suddenly, a shrill whistling filled the air. It grew higher and fainter as it played on, and Amy instantly recognised it. The loud crackle that fizzed with colours soon confirmed her suspicion. The miniature explosions animated the jet black sky, as the whizzing sounds excited her hearing senses. Her eyes lit up with happiness as they always did when fireworks were in her view. It felt so good to rest her gaze on them, allowing herself to be caught in their enchantment.
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An unexpected wave of awareness washed over her as she realised that Sonic had planned it. He'd actually planned this. He'd remembered her love for the exploding rockets of colour and had set them up especially for her. A stupefied grin spread across her muzzle as she basked in the idea. The fireworks persisted in flying upwards, leaving a permanent sparkled stain on the obsidian blanket of air. The tiny embers remained in the sky, clinging together in small masses.
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A second jolt of consciousness hit her, as she noticed the little glows forming the letter 'I'.
They're spelling out something, she thought in wonder. She was captivated by the display, unable to move as the words continued to materialise before her. Her mind was probably the only thing working, piecing together the letters, and she mentally recited each symbol as it was revealed. 'I… L… O… V…" Her pulse skipped a beat, leaving her to inhale sharply. Her heart was practically hammering out of her chest. She was glued to the spot, her eyes locked on the sky, her mind preconceiving the rest of the glittering statement. The whistling streams of sparks soared into the air, completing the sentence. Her eyes widened, overwhelmed with the information that met them.