Chapter 5 – Help is Good

I woke up with a rush, I hate nightmares, brining back memories that are better off being forgotten. When I sat up I saw that the fire had burnt down and that everyone was fast asleep near the fire pit. Taking a better look I found nothing out of the ordinary. I was surprised that I did not fall off of the bench. I did not want to take that chance so I moved to the ground. Before I sat down a hand came over my face. It was cold, as cold as mettle. A piece of cloth was tied over my mouth and rope was tied to my hands and legs and I was placed into a bag. When I tried to struggle I was held down, when I tried to scream I was silenced. Once I was in the bag I took this chance to get help. Before we got to far I screamed through the fabric on my face.

"SONIC!" With a jolt he woke up and saw that I was missing and that there was Eggman's robots with a moving sack. In my struggling I felt the fabric move from the mouth to my neck. I couldn't tell what was happing. I felt my self hit the ground and the I was poured out of the bag. I was in the sitting position. My hands where behind my back I was using them as a support to keep me sitting up.

"You look you had a good nights sleep" he commented as he untied my feet.

"Oh great, I was sleeping like a baby." I said. He laughed and untied my wrist. Once they where free I rubbed them and got up. I was scared, That is the seconded time since I got here.

"I don't think that this person is going to give up." I said to my self, but I guess I said it loud so that Sonic and the others could here as well.

"No, knowing him, him won't" Said Tails I closed my eyes and sighed.

"I am too much of a problem, I don't want to put you in harms way." I said

"You know that if you think you are in the way then Sonic did something wrong," Said a voice that seemed to come from the sky. I looked up it was Knuckles.

"No they did not do anything wrong, I just don't want to put them in harms way." I said I turned around, I saw All eyes staring at me. I felt a gut feeling that something was wrong. I looked around. "Something is wrong," I thought I counted the people that where there, the number came up to 3 other than me. I confused look came across my face. "Sonic, Tails, Knuckles" I listed in my head

"Where is Amy?" I asked out loud. I got every one to look over there shoulder. My eyes drifted to the table where I saw something that I did not recognize. With my mind set on the table I walked strait for it. Sonic saw that I saw some thing so he waited. It was a piece of paper, it was a note.

"What is that?" asked Tails I looked at the note and I decided to read it out loud.

"Sonic,

If you are reading this you have noticed that Amy is gone.

If you ever want to see Amy Alive and unharmed turn over Maria to me.

I do not care if you bring the whole group, I want Maria and I am sure that you want Amy

Yours Truly,

Dr. Eggman"

As I read I felt my eyes fill up with tears. I think that tails picked up on this and walked to my side. Sonic came over as well and took the note out of my hand. I sat down one the bench of the table.

"What are we going to do now?" Sonic asked.

"What do you think we will do Sonic? I am going to go and turn myself in. I knew I was a problem." I said trying to hold the tears back.

"Maria you are not a problem" Tails said

"No you are not" Ordered Sonic

"Than what am I?" I asked

"A tool, that can help us" Said Knuckles.

"How so?" Asked Sonic "We don't even know why Eggman wants her to begin with" Sonic and Knuckles started to bicker when I looked up in attempt to stop the tear flow. When I did I saw that black and read hedgehog again. When I did I breathed in hard. This got Tails attention; He looked up as well and saw him.

"Maria, Have you been seeing him?" Tails asked.

"Only once before. When I was down by the River without anyone else there. He came out of the bushes." I said. Sonic and Knuckles where still talking Back and for the so they did not hear that.

"Do you know who he is?" Tails asked. I shock my head "His name is Shadow, and if you have seen him before than some thing has to be up." As soon as he said that Knuckles and Tails stopped their convocation and was listing to mine.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"It could mean a lot of things, so we need to go with the worst." Said Sonic.