Fading Shadows

Chapter VII

A Nightmare

Once I was asleep, I had a nightmare. I was having peaceful rest. It was something I greatly desired, and it was briefly upon me, only to be interrupted by my greatest foes; Fear and Loneliness. The dream I was in left me feeling dazed and distant, apart from the reality in which I wished to be. I was standing in a void of solid white. It was as if I was trapped within an extremely dense fog, for every which way my eyes gazed, they were welcomed by nothing but white. I took a step forward, and my shoe tapped against the invisible ground. A tap of my step sounded through the air, and it echoed again in a repeating chorus. I heard a third tap, and then a fourth. Each tap was softer and duller than the one previous to itself. The fading murmur left by the step I had taken was welcomed by eerie silence.

I could hear nothing at all. I could not hear my own breath, nor could I hear the soft thumping of my heartbeat. I reluctantly spoke as I realized how impossibly alone I felt. I sought someone, or something to encounter other than the profound silence, this nothingness. "Is anyone there?" I was frightened when I heard my voice repeat itself. "Is anyone there?" Who was that!? I glanced around in fear as I tried to find who was talking, in time realizing that it was me. "Is anyone there?" "Is anyone there?" "Is anyone there?" "Is any... ere...?" My question was engulfed by hostile silence.

The echoes provided by my endless prison worsened my anxiety. I started to run. I have to get out! Run! With hesitation I picked a direction and sprinted forward. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. I could hear my calm and steady breathing and wind whistled between my ears. Within moments, I had reached a quick comfortable pace and continued running. Get out of here. I need to get away. Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap. The clicking sounds of my steps echoed throughout the vast and pale surroundings, returning to me as a chaotic clatter without any sort of rhythm or tempo. Ta-ta-ta-tap-tap-ap-ap-ap. My mind filled with anxiety when I realized in my dreaming state something that is rather obvious and reasonable to presume when in an endless void; I was going nowhere!

Knowing now that I was stuck here, I slowed to a stop. What will I do now? I am trapped! A sharp sigh pushed through my nostrils as I looked down at my feet in discouragement. I had an impulse to call out into the emptiness again. "Is someone out there?" Silence. "Is someone out there? Is someone out there? Is someone out there? Is someone out there? Is... one... ou... ere..." My echoed statement was swallowed by the ominous silence. The quiet was frightening, burdensome, and hostile. I sighed once again.

"Is anyone out there?!" A longer barrage of echoes reached my ears as I felt completely isolated and alone. My heart sank slightly as I remained silent and did what I could do; wait. And so I did wait. And wait. And wait. And wait... I soon lost my perception of time, for it seemed to be irrelevant in the great prison that had no limits, no boundaries, and no walls. The lack of boundaries of my trap meant that it actually had one irrevocable limit in itself. It cannot be left behind. It was ironic, really. I was trapped and there was literally nothing to trap me...

As my heart was sinking deeper into despair, something eventually broke through the bouts of hysteria and rage that flowed within my body. The isolation was driving me mad. I was on the brink of tears when finally something was heard in the vast space. Reluctantly, slowly, I looked up from the spot I was sitting, allowing my eyes to fall upon the site of a certain blue hedgehog.

I stood up and ran forward, ready to leave the isolation within my heart behind me, but Sonic did not notice me. I called out in hope. "Sonic! Sonic?" The hero turned around and started to walk away, enticing me to sprint fervently after him. "Wait! Please!" In another moment, I had collided with my target, sending us both into the air and landing on the ground.

"Shadow! Augh! What are you doing, are you nuts? Watch where you are heading next time!" The anger in his voice shocked me as I stared back at him. With a growl of annoyance, he stood back up and looked away from me. He was standing back up and I was still on the ground, surprised by the anger that flowed out through the tone in his voice.

"But Sonic-" Green eyes flashed with anger, glaring back into my frightened crimson orbs like daggers. "But what? I gotta go, Shadow. Later!" With that said, he was gone, and I was alone... again. "Don't leave me here!!!" I yelled in panic. "Don't leave me here!! Don't leave me here! Don't leave me here. Don't leave me here. Don't leave me here. Don't leave me here. Don't leave me here..."

My fearful plea was engulfed by the same haunting, mocking silence. I sank down against the ground and clenched my fists. NO!! All alone... A tear slowly formed on my eye as I expelled a deep sigh from my chest. "Shadow?" My heart throbbed in surprise as my eyes rapidly glanced around to find who had called me. "Don't leave me," I softly spoke to the voice. "I will stay with you, Shadow. Don't worry."

Bright green eyes appeared in my face, and I jumped back in a startled reaction, causing me to fall over. After I had landed, a sense of security washed the anxiety out of my mind, and my heartbeat slowed to a smoother pace. The person was none other than Amy, the one friend that I had found in this harsh world. For a moment my tears of pain and hurt became tears of hope. "Amy, please don't leave me here. I am so lonely out here, just look at where we are."

The rose female looked around us, noticing the vacant cage that had no end. "I won't, Shadow." My heart slowed even more and my once rapid panting had slowed to a steady breathing. "Thank you or waiting here with me, Amy," I stated gently as I smiled for the first time in the entire dream. "You are welcome, Shadow. Why are you out here, anyway?" I sighed, and Amy noticed. "What is wrong?" I looked up into her lovely eyes.

"I am lost. I want to escape from here, but I do not know how to do that and leave this empty space behind," I replied honestly. "I tried to run out, but there is no end in sight out here," I answered her sadly. "Look!" Amy's voice rose with excitement. Frantically, I glanced at her to determine where she was looking, and then I looked there myself. Sonic was back. "Sonic! I am over here!" Amy got up and chased her blue hero, and distance was quickly growing between the others and where I stood.

The feeling of loneliness was back with a vengeance, sinking my heart down into my stomach and burdening my efforts to breathe. "Wait!" I started to chase after them. "Wait!! Please!!" I, unfortunately, crashed into Amy, and we were sent sprawling on the ground. "Shadow! What is wrong with you? You scared Sonic away!" The gentle voice held a note of annoyance and anger. I was dumbstruck. "What? But I just saw him!" I protested.

"You scared him away, Shadow! Now my life is ruined!!" Amy's voice trembled as she finished her accusation. "Go away, Shadow! I do not ever want to see you again!" The girl screamed. I winced as my heart ached with pain. "But Amy!" The person I was speaking to turned around and glared at me with rage. "But nothing, Shadow! You ruined my chance! My life is over! I hate you! I never want to see you again!" A single sob ripped through my chest as tears burned my eyes. Within an instant, Amy was gone. "Amy! Please listen to me! I am sorry!" I pleaded. A cascade of tears dripped out of my crimson eyes. "I hate you! I never want to see you again!" Amy's voice echoed, mashing my soft heart harder into the solid ground. "I hate you. I never want to see you again. I hate you. I never want to see you again. I hate you. I never want to see you again..."

The white background darkened, and soon I could not see anything at all, not even my own hand if it was inches in front of my eyes. The loneliness swallowed my frail heart and I started to sob in fear. "Amy!!! Don't leave me!!!" A tear fell from my eye. "Amy!! Don't leave me!! Amy! Don't leave me! Amy, don't leave me." The echoes returned without relent. "Don't leave me!!!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Don't leave me!!!!! Don't leave me!!!! Don't leave me!!! Don't leave me!! Don't leave me! Don't leave me. Don't leave me." No... I am destined to be alone. I sobbed again as the thought crossed my mind, causing more tears to leave my eyes. I gave into the gloom surrounding me. It swallowed me whole, grinding my heart in its jaws, slicing my heart between its dagger teeth like I was its favorite snack. I vanished, becoming lost forever in the endless depths of darkness...

A.N. Writing spells tend to come to me in waves. I will get on chapter 8 soon.