Once again this is a long story, so please be patient. It has a lot of plot twists and a lot of things are gonna happen. And Mr. Masters, I will try to make chapters longer, but if they dont meet your standards then i am sorry.

Dry your tears chapter 20

No p.o.v

Shoving her hands in her pockets, Amy ran across a lone dirt road. She was on her way to her Aunt's home. She needed answers right away. If she were correct, she still remembered the way. She grunted after tripping on a branch sticking out of the ground. She ignored her now bleeding, scraped knee.

"Please be home... Please...remember me..."

Amy's ear twitched as she heard the distant sound of dogs barking. Turning around, she finally realised the noise was getting louder. Letting out a little scream, she ran from three snapping, drooling dogs. One managed to catch up with her and took a chunk out of her calf. Amy screamed in pain and fell to the ground. The other two dogs made their attacks. She kicked with all of her might and got an advantage to the dogs. Amy huffed and ran the first chance she got. She ran and ran and ran, not stopping for a breath. The stars were starting to appear, and the temperature was dropping like crazy.

Amy's breath soon became thins wisps of smoke. She searched rapidly for her Aunt's home. The dogs who were close behind eventually gave up and turned away. Not noticing, or either not caring, Amy trudged onward. One house at the end of the long dirt road was lit up. This had to be it. At least she hoped so. When she made it to the door step she took no hesitation in knocking.

"Come on, come on..."

Amy's p.o.v

My feet shuffled in anxiety as I heard footsteps approaching the door. This had to be the house...I just know it. Whether she remembers me is the question. How could she not. I am her sister's daughter after all...My eyes opened wide as the door opened. Sure enough it was Aunt Jackie. Her once short burgundy quills were now long, and she had a few strands of grey. She's not old...maybe stress gave her the grey. She looked at me with equal surprise. The tea cup she was holding in her hand suddenly dropped and shattered on the porch. I jumped back in surprise, yet she kept staring at me. I found whatever little courage I had to speak up.

"Hello...auntie..."

She was dead silent. I was officially uncomfortable now. Did I do something wrong? Then again there was the fact that she hasn't seen me in years.

"I-It's me...Amy..."

Aunt Jackie lifted a trembling, gloved hand over her mouth. "Amy...it's been...almost ten years..."

I nodded in agreement. I shivered a bit as she leaned down to touch my face. Her hand went through my hair, along my cheeks, down my arms...almost as if she didn't believe I was really standing before her. She then snapped back to reality and backed up into the door frame of her home.

"What is it that you want...why are you here?"

"Well you see-"

"Oh please don't say you need a place to stay. Heaven knows that-"

"No no! It's not that..I just need something."

Aunt Jackie looked me up and down once more. "Well...Come inside then; it's freezing."

I stepped in and took a seat after she gestured me to her small couch. I looked around with the little dim light that was available. It was exactly how I remembered it. Not one thing had changed, nor was one thing out of place. It was a bit eerie. I looked up as Aunt Jackie came back with a first aid kit. She must have saw my messy leg. I relaxed as she began treating my knee first. She then awkwardly tried to make conversation.

"So how have your old folks been treating you? Have you been doing well?"

Hesitating to tell the truth, I fiddled with my fingers nervously. "Y-Yeah...they're something else that's for sure..."

"Well I should hope so. I chose the best home I could find after all."

Was that the truth...a home full of drugs, alcohol, bad influence...that was the best? Or perhaps they seemed good on the outside. She'd never have put me there if she knew what they were like..would she? They only wanted me because they knew the government would send a monthly check to help take care of me. At least that what I've assumed...none of that money went towards me anyway. That may explain how they got all of those drugs...I shook my head clear of these thoughts as Aunt Jackie began to speak once more.

"I'm sure your mother would have been happy with my choice. Your father too."

"W-Well that brings a question to kind that I've always pondered on. Why exactly...could I not have stayed with you..."

"...even If I decided to let you stay with me, your mother wouldn't have wanted it that way anyway." Aunt Jackie took a seat after wrapping up my leg. "Now then, what is it that you came here for?"

"Well there's this person... And out of respect I'm choosing not to say their name, but they told me that you hold all of my mother's belongings. And this person is very...important. And I wanna know why they're apart of my life right now..."

"Amy..what you're saying makes no sense whatsoever. What do I have of your mother's that you could possibly need?"

"Well one of the things is her personal journal and-"

"Did Cream tell you something?!"

"W-What? N-No! What does she have to do with-"

Aunt Jackie rubbed her forehead in frustration. "Nothing. As long as she didn't say anything. Speaking of her, how is she doing?"

"Okay I guess. She's been in the hospital for quite some time now."

"Of course. Please send her my apologies. I believe you should be on your way now."

"But wait...I wanted my mom's-"

"Nothing of your mother's belongings are leaving this house. Nothing. Now please..you should certainly be on your way." Aunt Jackie picked up her dress from trailing on the floor and made her way to the front door. What's with her? Its almost like she's hiding something.

"Aunt Jackie please. I need that journal. There's so much I wanna know, so much I want to learn!"

Like a switch was flipped, Aunt Jackie suddenly turned sour. "I said nothing is leaving this house. Now you will behave like a young lady and get out of my home right this instance!"

I stood up in a bit of fear. "Okay they don't have to leave the house, but if I could just step back there and read-"

"NO!" Aunt Jackie held her throat with her hand. "I do hate yelling...but you leave me no choice. I want you to leave now."

"Okay, but its a long ways back home. Do you have any clothes I can maybe change into?"

Aunt Jackie nodded. "I believe I may have something from my younger years. I'll be right back."

I watched carefully as Aunt Jackie left the living room. Now was my chance. Tip toeing across the floor, I slipped into a long hallway. There's a closet somewhere around here. Its where she keeps important files. I remember because she used to tell me to stay out of it when I was younger. I pulled the knob softly, opening the door without a sound. I regret snooping around, but I have to know who this man is...

Alicia's p.o.v

I sat against the floor as Cream layed in her bed hooked up to a machine. The doctor said her heart just gave out and if we were any further from the hospital that she probably wouldn't have made it. Why did I have to agree to getting her out...this is my fault. She could have died...

Krise paced in front of me. She was trying to get a clue of where Amy could have been. She sat next to me and talked in a whisper.

"I got nothing. Do you think Cream will be ok?"

"I'm sure she will. If anyone can pull through this it's her. I just wish Amy hadn't run off. If she didn't then none of this would have happened."

Krise grunted and layer her head on the wall. "You're right. This is Amy's fau-"

"Krise, no. I'm not saying we should blame her."

"I bet if she knew her only friend almost died today she would feel just as bad."

"I know, I know, but we have no place to say-"

"All I'm saying is that Amy plays a major roll in this. Can you agree to that much?"

"You're still blaming her Krise. I don't wanna comment on it. The important thing is to find her, and also that Cream is gonna be alright. I don't know how I would have told Amy if something happened to Cream."

Krise huffed in irritation. "You can't get close enough to say hello! If something happened to Cream then she'd find out on her own because she doesn't let too many get the chance to even speak to her. Why can't she understand that not everyone is against her?!"

I rested a hand on Krise's shoulder. "Krise, we have no idea what she's been through. They way you're talking now doesn't make you any better than the people she is afraid of. Because right now you're judging her."

Krise sighed. "We'll try again if she shows up at school tomorrow."

"And maybe we can try a softer approach this time."

"How so?"

"Well rather than you charging her with your notepad and pen, I have an idea..."

"Lay it on me."

Amy's p.o.v

My heart began to beat faster and faster. What if she has the clothes by now?! I gotta find something of my mom's. Anything! My heart skipped a beat after I passed over a paper that read "Cause of death". Just before reaching it, a hand grabbed a lock full of my hair. I gasped as Aunt Jackie pulled me to my feet.

"What do you think you're doing?! You...you EVIL child!"

"Let me go!"

Aunt Jackie through me to the ground, knocking the breath out of my chest. She then began dragging me to the door. I screamed and clawed at the floor. "No no no! I need something of my mother's! Anything! Please!" I began to cry hard.

Aunt Jackie tossed me out onto the dirt road. "You want something of your mother's?! Well you already have it! The evil within her soul!" Aunt Jackie kicked dirt at me and spat on my face. I covered my now wet face with my hands.

"Don't you ever show your face around here again!" I cried hard as I sat up and dusted myself off. I came all this way for absolutely nothing. My wound opened up once more and began leaking blood. I took my jacket off and wrapped it around the wound to stop the bleeding. All that was left for me to do was walk back to town. A horn suddenly sounded behind me and I jumped out of the road as as big truck pulled up. I looked up as the window rolled down slowly.

For once in a while I was actually glad to see the old man again. Ace was in the back of the truck wagging his tail. He gave a friendly 'woof' as I got in the truck. I rested my head on the window as the truck pulled off. The old man handed me a blanket and I covered myself up. Ace leaned over and licked my face. The old man chuckled a bit. "I swear that dog likes you. Say..you didn't used to have a dog like him did you?"

I remained silent for a good thirty seconds then finally spoke. "I brought home a puppy about five or six years ago. Foster dad, Xander, shot it and threw it in a dumpster. Never saw him again. I named him Ace...just like the one you have."

The old man nodded and pet Ace on the head. "Umhm." That's all he could say. My eyes got droopy, so I closed them for what seemed to be just five minutes. When I opened my eyes we were already driving by the frozen pond. The truck slowly pulled to a stop. I looked at the old man curiously. "I don't live here..."

"I know, but this is a place where a lot of things will occur. Plus..I think you'll meet someone here. Just a feelin."

"O...Kay..." I got out of the truck and closed the door with a bit of force. The apartment isn't too far from here. I guess I can walk. The moon was now shining brightly. A silhouette passed over the light as soon as I looked away. I looked up quickly, but saw nothing. Hm...

"Please don't tell me your here again to jump in a frozen lake. I don't like jumping into cold water much."

I jumped as a gruff voice sounded behind me. Swinging around, I saw the same hedgehog from earlier. I sighed and relaxed more.

"Shadow..right?"

Shadow gave a short nod and looked me up and down. I looked down at my shoes and shuffled them a little. "Why are you here?"

"I guess you can say I live around here. Why are you here?"

"I was just on my way home. I'm sorry for bothering your peace-" My faced turned a deep red as he rushed in front of me. What was he doing?! What did he want?!

"Go to school tomorrow."

"Well what about you? Shouldn't you be there too?"

"Guys like me don't exactly need education."

"Why are you so worried about me going to school anyway?"

"So you can stop getting yourself into trouble. That's why."

"You don't seem like one to care..."

"Oh trust me, I don't."

"Then why-"

"Just go to school."

And with that, he was gone. My hair blew back a bit from the wind he stirred after running off. I've only seen one streak go that fast and it was blue if I can remember. Shrugging it off, I kicked a stone and started my track back to the run down apartment complex. I have so much to figure out...so much.