You Wish It Was

It was a new day in Knothole village.

The birds sang and the trees leaned in the wind.

Somewhere, concealed by beauty, a tyrant sat, waiting.

Smog marked his coming.

Machines marked his residence.

And his exit would be marked with pain and blood.

Until that day

Live in hope.

Die in despair.

Knowledge is power,

but ignorance is bliss.

When the birds stop singing and nothing grows,

when the planet stops spinning and the stars wink out,

when all is silent and darkness is thy only company,

only one sound shall be heard.

Laughter.

Until that day…

**********

White.

Nothing but white.

Pearly and heavenly.

Indescribable white, blinding, yet comforting in a way. Was the sun shining in her eyes? What was so bright and so brilliant that it hurt to look at it? Did heaven hurt to view? Had she died?

NO. YOU ARE NOT DEAD.

She didn’t like this. She wanted to close her eyes again and drift. Silent and still. She wanted the dark and not the light. Even though.

So she let herself slip away again. Or rather, she forced herself. Somehow, she knew that if she opened her eyes she would never ever be able to return.

Down into darkness.

**********

Sally woke up, and it was the one time she wished she truly hadn’t. It was one of those mornings that one wished had never arrived. A dreadful day that she wished would never come, and well, it did. And it was time to go.

She got up and walked to her closet, where her clothes were. Or rather, her one article of clothing, which was her combat vest. In one movement she slipped it on. For a brief second Sally thought about slipping on her boots…

Her eyes fell to them, sitting under her bed. Still there. Still probably flecked with red and smelling like blood.

A wash of memories came, but she silenced them with a small grunt. Outside, her friends and family, the only ones she had ever known, were waiting for her.

Sally, still tired from a restless night of sleep, attempted to remember what she had dreamt about, but nothing came up. Maybe later she would remember. Shrugging it all off, she walked to the door and opened it, stepping out into the morning sun.

“You’re late, Sal.” Immediately the accusing gaze of Sonic floated ahead and blocked everything else out. He seemed still angry about what had been happening to him.

“Sorry, my alarm didn’t go off,” Sally replied without thinking.

“Right. Sure. Whatever, I believe you, Sal,” Sonic said in one of his sarcastic, bravado voices. He was acting very strangely.

Sally was still tired, and not in the mood for any of this. She just wanted this entire operation over with. She wasn’t nervous or anything, as she should have been.

“Okay. Everyone know their parts?”

The entire crowd nodded at the same time. They all seemed tired too, no excitement or anticipation for the following battle. In fact, they all had the same expression on their faces. They all seemed dead.

“Good.”

“Let’s get this done then,” she said, and she jumped off the porch, computer not strapped to her belt. Everyone shuffled the various items they had attached to themselves. To their destination they went.

Everyone left the village, over the wooden bridge and into the thicket. Through the forest they walked. Nobody spoke for the longest time. Not even birds sang or twigs cracked in their wake, although…

Many times, some of the Freedom Fighters thought they heard something.

A rustling.

Movement.

Unsure of what, but possibly a mechanical whir.

SWATbots.

Naw. Couldn’t be.

Nobody approached. The plan was supposedly going on without a hitch. They walked, they trudged, and they stepped over logs. They couldn’t stop because they would miss their deadline. Sonic was supposed to be at the front lines soon, and the window of opportunity to sabotage the factories was strict and very confined.

Sally looked to her sides, constantly on the lookout. Many times she thought she saw someone standing in the distance, in a white wedding gown…

No.

Focus.

Can’t be.

This was the plan.

This was the case. This was the now. Control the now or you control nothing. Something learned from the many years of fighting. Sally hadn’t had a good night’s rest since she was five. She was in desperate need for it all to be over. This was the plan.

Project Downfall.

But soon, concentration was lost and the dream faded away. Back to the grim reality of it all…

**********

Sally opened her eyes.

And at first she thought she staring into a mirror, because the only thing she saw were eyes staring directly back at her. But she noticed right away that they were not her color. They were green instead of dark blue. And when she blinked, the eyes just stared back at her.

Sally brought he hand in front of her face and reached out to the eyes. Instead of hitting the solid structure of glass, her hand hit the soft, jelly substance of an eyeball. So real and so gooey. Immediately, she shut herself in again, hoping it would all go away…

**********

“Lunch time!”

The call rang out from the center of the village. Had she slept that long? Was she that tired, every single morning?

She’d better quit it. Project Downfall was in a couple of days.

They walked, they all walked down to theSTOPITmess hall to eat the food that was being cooked. A strange, familiar smell crept from out of the large dining hall roof. The air was filled with the clamor of excited voices.

Bunnie, sparkling gray eyes, exclaimed, “Ah love it when he cooks!”

“Who? Not Tails or Rotor.”

“No, Sally girl. Sonic!”

Her heart skipped a beat. Was this a good thing?

Probably not.

“STOP! EVERYONE! IT’S A TRICK! HE WANTS YOU IN THERE!” They all just laughed, and kept walking in. The sky turned dark blue. Sally followed everyone in. The smell was so good.

Sonic opened the doors, shouted welcome, donning a chef’s hat and a stained robe, colored reddish brown.

No. Stop.

They all walked in, sheep, helpless sheep into a herd, to the trough, to stuff themselves full. Later, they will be sheared. And cut.

WHAT THE FUCKSonic smiled, small bits of red around his blue face. “Hope you’re hungry, Sal,” and suddenly she was at the tableI COULDN’T GET UP!and a plate was shoved in front of me, steaming. She picked up a forkI’M NOT A SLUT, NOT A SLUT, NOT Aand she stuck it in Sonic’s eye.

He only grinned back at her. “Sonic, who did you cook?! Not another one for your fucking chili dogs!” The small, wet dripping hotdog drowning in chili, stared at her with sad, dead eyes. It was someone she knew. “Who was it?!”

He grinned, and laughed. “My little buddy.” Gleaming his red eyes.

But it isn’t real.

It’s all fake.

It’s all fake

It’s all fake

It’s not real. He was laughing hysterically with the entire village, and they all ate Tails for dinner.

It’s all a dream, ALL A DREAM!!

WAKE THE FUCK UP!!!!

Wake up.

**********

“Wha… what?! What’s wrong, Sal?!” Sonic sprang up in bed as well, worried and on edge. Inside her hut it was pitch dark besides the moonlight coming in through the windows. She had been screaming so loudly that the crickets near the window had become frightened and ran off. Silent now was outside, also citizens of destroyed Mobotropolis were no doubt awake, wondering what horrible fate was to befall them.

She stirred, rubbing her eyes and groaning. “Nothing… bad dream,” she whispered, despite that everyone was probably awake. No use trying to spare everyone’s feelings now. Wrapping her arms around herself, she shivered, seeking comfort.

Sonic grumbled. He fell back to the mattress and wrapped the pillow around his head. It’s been like this for awhile. “Go back to sleep!” He mumbled. She frowned. He didn’t even want to know that it was about him. Now, just as quick and ready as he had sprang up, he was back down under, unconscious. Sleeping, his soft breathing echoing in the darkness of the hut. Soon, the crickets came back again. Soon, the whole world was asleep again…

He doesn’t even care.

Was it? Does he?

It was. She’d always fall asleep unsatisfied. Empty, cold, and detached. He’d always make her feel like this.

It’s true. He always seemed to enjoy the “company” more than she did.

But, despite loving and loathing Sonic at the same time, she took his advice anyway and tried to sleep, hoping for once, like always, that she would be rested in the morning. The dream, or rather, it felt like she experienced two, or even three separate dreams during the night, were all frightening in some odd way. A foreboding sense rose once again up her spine, and she shivered, fell back against the mattress softly, so not to disturb her companion. She closed her eyes, and eventually, she went back under.

Her sleep was restless, because of the vast amounts of confusion grasping at the reeds of her mind.

**********

Hours later, awake again, still lying in bed.

Sally didn’t need to open her eyes or roll over to know that Sonic still wasn’t there with her. He always did this too, left before anyone else in the village could wake up. Almost like he didn’t want anyone else to know about the infidelities, the “sharing.” All of the words used by fables and story tellers that hid the grim reality that it was just escaping reality for a little while. Oh well.

But it was strange. Everyone already thought they were a couple, or at least wanted them to be. And Sally thought of themselves as one, hell, even wished it could be true. But it probably wasn’t. She wasn’t exactly experienced at this sort of thing. Why did he always want to hurt her like this?

Sally couldn’t help but feel that something was wrong. Does he hurt her? Or does she hurt him? Everything seems so wrong now, as if it happened all of a sudden. Was it always like this?

She felt his side of the bed. It was sticky and cold. He left awhile ago. And looking out the window, she could tell that nobody was up and it was still early. Birds were waking up and starting their annoying calls for attention. It was times like this she wish she had a gun.

Irritation, the first sign of a long day ahead.

So, Sally reached for NICOLE and set her alarm for one hour. And she went back to sleep.

**********

Morning. The bustle and hustle of Knothole village, many days before Project Downfall was supposed to take place. About a week, and preparations are a must for an operation with such importance as this.

It was Friday. In a week and one day the end would come. Sally wanted to have a meeting.

Walking outside her hut, catching a few looks from people, she immediately announced to everyone to meet in the Mission Hut. It was highly unusual to do so, since it was so small, so she would have to move a lot of the equipment around inside.

The prospect of it frightened her. Touching all the metal. No clue what she was doing. But sadly it had to be done.

In two hours a space had been cleared and everyone, survivors of the tragedy that was their lives, altogether eggs in one basket, talked about how the end would come.

Sally just spoke her mind, as she did all the time, but was unrestrained this time.

“Show of hands… how many people just want him dead?”

There was a slight hesitation as everyone just looked around at each other, waiting to see what the majority was to say. The children in the crowd looked at the adults with big circles in their eyes, not entirely grasping the seriousness of the question. Babies in their mothers’ arms were quiet as well, not with sleep but with wonder.

Corrupted. All of them, never to be innocent again.

Everyone raised their hand. Sally too.

“No prisoners,” she said, catching a look from Sonic, who then quickly looked away. She could tell that he liked her. Obvious. She’ll tease him for a bit, lead him on…

WHAT THE FUCK?!

“Okay, so we all agree that the only way that we’ll get everything back to normal is to kill him. If he lives, we’ll never be safe again.”

As if it were possible to kill evil.

“No struggle with morality will solve anything. Either it’s death or it’s death. Ours or his. Nothing in-between.”

The All-or-none Law. Contraction or rest. Impulse or not.

“Snively dies too.”

Silence usually is the default for no objection. Too scared to say anything, so inaction leads to continuation.

HERE IS WHERE IT REALLY GETS CONFUSING . . . . . .

Suggestions were taken. Plans were run through, and sooner than she expected Sally learned that the plan on the final day was riddled with holes. Bleeding and dying from its wounds, actually. Yes, that bad.

“We need more information. We’ve been successful in intelligence gathering before. If we assemble the usual team of people, we can find all we need to win.”

Aw great, here we go again, is what most of the people were thinking. Already, mostly the males, were leaning against the wall and muttering. None of them would be going now. Always, on most all the missions, only the top people were selected to go. Sonic, Sally, Bunnie, Antoine, Dulcy, Rotor. By now, everyone was itching for violence.

So, the main people raised their hands. Dulcy, the only one not inside, sticking her head in from the window, couldn’t get her arm in and sighed in frustration, sticking her tongue into the air instead.

Sally looked around, smiling.

“First, I will be going on the mission.” More angry stares from the males. They all wanted her. “I will choose two others to help.”

Sonic and Antoine glared at each other. The three others, not really important, raised expectantly.

**********

It was after the meeting, after the preparations and the plan was made, that Sally allowed herself to cry away from prying eyes, in the forest. It was so green and so lovely that in the midst of her tears she almost forgot that she had a job to do.

Instead, she thought about how used she felt, how she had inspired countless debates and fights over her, and it wasn’t even her fault. She didn’t even see herself as that attractive.

Sonic.

Knuckles.

Antoine.

St. John.

Maybe Rotor.

Maybe more.

Her gasping sobs did not disturb the animals by the river, where she had wandered. In fact, birds and fish flocked to her, to comfort her.

She smiled despite the moisture running down her face. Cute animals. Sweat, innocent animals. Nature one could always find solace in. It was not their enemy. It never was.

Eventually, she calmed herself down, and jumped into the river.

Lying on her back, she let herself float. Not letting herself remember where the river led, Sally hoped that her troubles never followed or caught up with her, that wherever she ended up she would be happy, and her eventual husband and children grew up without fear or cold or death.

It was nice.

But her head went under and she drowned.

**********

Project Downfall. Sunday. This was the end. The beginning of it anyway.

The walk through the forest was long and tedious, two hours at least, to Robotropolis, at a steady pace. The group was slowed because of the cautious unease that everyone seemed to possess. The green forest should have been a sharp contrast to anything gleaming metal, and a loud humming that accompanied HoverUnits could be heard long before they were sighted. So, gradually, these facts in mind, an hour into the journey, everyone started to relax. The tension released.

Sally had been daydreaming, lost in worlds that didn’t exist anymore, when they came.

Bees.

Not Buzzbombers, not mechanical, but natural, real bees.

Thousands of them.

No warning, none whatsoever. Just spontaneously came up and attacked.

Nature had never been their enemy. Only the destruction of Man. Only evil power. Nature was not evil, only what it was. But the bees came up without warning and suddenly, they were gone, and half of their party was missing.

“Unfortunate.” Indeed. Short and well put.

Suddenly, the ground started shaking, and all the trees were swallowed up, all the green was gone, yet the area was still thick with dead brush, like a very thick desert.

Still, the group trudged on.

Not slowing down.

Not stopping.

**********

A loud buzzing woke Sally up from her slumber, and she became agitated again before remembering that she set the alarm.

Reaching for NICOLE, and looking at the second timer, it was very plain to see that only ten seconds had passed since the alarm was set.

“What the… ?”

Frustrated, she hit the snooze button and plopped back down on the pillow.

**********

The group left the meeting hall. Everyone was numb from the shock. The announcement that Sally made was completely unexpected.

She chose Antoine.

Over Sonic.

How could she? He seemed so crushed, so angry and so confused when she didn’t choose him. Antoine looked like he was gonna faint, but in a good way.

Now, walking along the shoreline, Sally smiled to herself, marveled at her own excellence. Men were so easy to manipulate.

Of course, she was just trying to make Sonic jealous, to make him want her more.

WHAT THE_______FUCK?______________!

She danced around the trees, playfully, like a child. Everything was so perfect. Her life, her relationships, her popularity. Everything.

Sally was too entranced with herself to notice the man in white standing in front of her. She ran into him, enveloped suddenly inside what seemed to be a wedding dress. Loudly, Sally let out a scream.

His face was so fucking familiar…

Then all was enveloped by white.

**********

Sally was coming up again…

It was so bright, so FUCKING bright that it hurt to squint or move or anything. It was no longer comforting or brilliant or intriguing but it was the enemy.

And you fight the enemy.

Till death or death.

**********

Poke.

Poke.

Squish.

The eyeball sunk in. There was no doubt that this was real.

I’m sure of it.

She’s

**********

After the forth or fifth “Sally-girl” was when she finally snapped out of it.

They were sitting on her porch, apparently, and Bunnie was nudging her shoulder gently.

“What?” Sally said. There was something wrong.

“Sally girl, you okay?” her friend asked, concerned.

This was after the little parade in the forest, the dancing and the singing, the elation and the realization. Only now did Sally remember that she walked back and sat down next to Bunnie, to talk. That’s the way it happened right?

“Yeah, I’m okay. Just… how did Antoine get like that?”

“Like what?”

Picking up from where they left off, they both stared at the fox/whatever with his top uniformed shirt off, chopping wood, grunting angrily.

“Who… where did he get all of those scars?”

Somehow showing through the fur, angry and red.

Bunnie went bug eyed for a second. “You don’t know?”

“Nope. What happened?” She asked, all of a sudden very concerned.

“Sonic and him got into a fight. Needless to say, Ant lost. Bad.”

Sally stared, then smiled. Then laughed. “You’re joking right?” Bunnie shook her head, very seriously. “But… they’re best friends. They’d never fight over anything…”

“What are on aboutSALLY ACORN? YOU KNOWthey fight all the time. Always over the same thing, it seems.”

“Oh yeah, and what’s that?”

**********

The alarm was ringing again.

FUCKINg shit,” she cursed, picking up NICOLE angrily.

As Sally was about to ask what was wrong, she saw the message that was scrolling across the computer’s screen.

In white letters…

**********

“Oh, I just don’t know who to pick,” Sally said in a very teasing voice, enjoying the little back and forth display between Antoine and Sonic.

“She’s MINE,” she heard Sonic say just before he stood up.

Uh oh.

“Not so!” Antoine declared, also standing.

Oh no.

THIS WASN’T fun ANYmore.

And then the fight started.

Antoine laid a right cross on Sonic cheek, causing blood and teeth to fly EVERYWHERE. It was almost like it was raining.

The people around them became a blur as Sally watched the two main competitors for her duke it out.

A blow to the face.

A knee to the genitals.

A blood splatter across her face.

Everything became awash in a sea of red and white. Antoine and Sonic glared each other down, landing blow after blow on each other. The room starting spinning. Sonic’s head snapped back.

And still Sally stood still, witnessing ALL THE CARNAGe that was taking place.

Only now…

This isn’t right.

This isn’t right…

THIS ISN’T Righ_______________________________t?

On the floor now, Sonic and Antoine, growling and snarling, eyelids torn off, teeth bared, clawing and spitting, they looked like caged animals, fighting over a piece of meat.

That’s what it was, DON’T DENY IT. Ever since, YOU I’VE felt trapped.

Strangely, Sally thought of her father, and how gone he was, as well as her mother. Both now, she was alone with no one. Maybe this was why she always overcompensated. It was like air, like oxygen debt after a ten mile jog. It must be repaid and soon… OR THE BODY WILL DIE.

The entire point of existence it seemed was to finish on top. Why else would Robotnik be doing all of the shit he did. You choose the path of least resistance to you. Essentially we’re all tapeworms in a hexagonal maze being poked to turn left each time.

If that makes any sense.

IJUSTSTOODTHERE.

Sally just stood there.

THEWHITEDRESS. REMEMBER?

The fight went on, and soon both of the boys weren’t recognizable anymore. Antoine’s suit was no longer clean, Sonic was no longer blue. Both were bathing in each other. It seemed so red and so white.

How the fuck were they supposed to go on the mission now?!

WHOEVER WINS.

Shit.

Immediately, the crowd came back, and they were egging on the fighters, all seemed to be cheering on Sonic the Hedgehog…

Who was losing!!!

Antoine put his strength up like never before. Scratching and clawing at Sonic’s back and biting and kicking. The blue one raised his arms defensively. No help whatsoever, because Antoine reached up, grabbed Sonic by the sides of his heads and twisted, the snap echoing.

Still sounding.

SNAP!

Rotor came up, sneering, and announced “The Winner,” triumphantly, as if everyone in the room had always liked Antoine. A cheer rose up. Tails, walking from nowhere, came up to Sonic’s mutilated, dead corpse and spit on it, then kicked it.

“Fucking bastard…”

Then Sally left, slightly disappointed that she would now have to go on a mission with that stuttering idiot.

To the forest she went.

**********

IT’S ABOUT ME, ALWAYSabout you, Sally-girl. Guys can’t help but like you. How blind can you be?”

Sally still didn’t believe it. Staring at the scars on Sonic’s back, it all seemed like all one big dream…

Oh.

OH.

OH FUCK IT IS!!!

Then the headache and the white came again. It was so clear, so clear now…

**********

It was a white wedding.

Sally gripped her head and moaned, squinting her eyes, yet again, daring not to open them. She somehow knew that if she did it would all be horrible.

Then she heard a voice.

“Sal?”

Sonic!

She opened them. Immediately. She saw Sonic standing in the doorway, his eyelids closed tightly.

“You okay in here?” He asked, slowly making his way into the room, feeling around. He was wearing a tightly tucked tuxedo. He looked so awkward.

Sally looked down at herself. She was sitting in a folding chair on green grass, wearing a wedding dress.

Oh my God.

“It’ll be bad luck if we see each other,” he said, still walking cautiously. “Say something, please. So I can find you.”

Could it be?

Standing up in the sewn together tent, she finally answered, also not looking directly at him.

“I’m here.” Voice full of worry.

She remembered now. Why she was so worried. It was the wedding, the entire idea of it. It was very straining. For the past couple of days she had been hallucinating, about “Project Downfall,” something that didn’t exist.

Now, the day had come, and she was ready, finally.

“Having second thoughts?” he asked.

“Not a chance,” she answered, smiling, her voice full of the love she intended to give him.

He never looked happier.

“I had to talk to you. I’m so nervous,” his voice shaking at the very words of it.

“Me too.”

“Let’s hurry. Before I faint or something,” his usual bravado gone.

“My thoughts exactly,” she looked up at him to find that he already had his eyes open too.

“I have all the luck I need,” he said, holding his hands in hers. “I’m already the luckiest guy on Mobius.”

And it had begun.

The new view of Mobius.

The ceremony went on without a hitch and with one. Everyone present shed tears of joy when they were wed. It seemed to symbolize hope and a new beginning for everyone, that one day, evil would be vanquished and triumph was in reach.

Sally immediately thought of her parents, how much she missed them, and wished that they were here

Smiling, as the priest read the vows, Sally whispered to Sonic right next to her, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

And long before the vows were finished, they shared a deep, passionate kiss.

The crowd cheered.

And everything was right as rain.

_______________________YEAH______________________________RIGHT.

YOU FUCKING WISH.

**********

Back to the scars.

Antoine stopped chopping wood and turned, angrily to see Sonic, who had started kicking dirt at him. After some verbal exchanges, they started fighting again.

Sally snapped out of it just in time to catch it.

“What_____?”

She was confused and so very tired. Why was she thinking about her parents endlessly? They weren’t gone, they were somewhere, right?

No. One is stuck in the Void, the other is stuck in a void. What? Yes. Dead, and dead.

Holy SHIT.

Wasn’t I just at a wedding?

Antoine had grabbed a large piece of wood and was hitting Sonic over and over again in the head. Brains went everywhere. Nobody seemed to mind.

Bunnie and Sally both watched intently. As Sonic was killed over and over again, his screams of pain went through the village unheard.

Nobody ever liked him anyway.

Then the fight stopped, they both disappeared again, and she heard the dinner bell ringing.

The same exact bell from the fucking dream!!!!!!! It was lunch time, and Tails was nowhere to be seen.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENing?” Sally looked at Bunnie sitting next to her, desperately wanting an answer. Something was so fucking wrong.

“What? Sally-girl, are you losing it again?” Bunnie’s face morphed and flew, stretched and came apart at the seams. She fell in a pool in her own liquid.

Suddenly, the entire village of Knothole erupted in flames. Charred bodies replaced the living ones and instead of day it was night. The darkest night ever known.

HIS EXIT WOULD BE MARKED WITH PAIN. ANd blood.

**********

Finally, everything was clear for her, yet it was still very much messed up.

She knew it was a dream that she somehow can’t get out of. There is a mystery to this, but there is also an answer.

Somewhere.

As she was thinking this, the moments were frozen, and Sally was grateful for it. For the time to think.

But the more she thought about it, the more her past seemed to be a lie. The past sixteen years of her life… all seemed so fake. Like plastic, and it was melting right before her eyes.

“How long have I been dreaming?”

And this obsession with the color white. It was all like one big walking waking fever dream.

Tiresome. But not weakening. It was like one big headache, caused by repeatedly slamming one’s head into a brick wall and then expecting to do math problems.

TOO________________much

Suddenly everything was washed away, like in a giant rain of black. The texture of the world around her was no longer palatable, and Sally was floating, felt herself fall apart. Separate. It hurt so bad, SO FUCKING BAD that scream appeared in big white letters and Sonic was suddenly forcing a large piece of Antoine’s head into his own throat HELP ME, NOW, WAKE UP OR SOMETHING, I NEED OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!! The cries echoed endlessly but at least the world began to take shape again, into the visions of parents, the scene at first being pleasant and a nice change of paceYOUFUCKINGWISH!and Sally’s head was being forced back into her mother, reversing birth.

I KILLed her.

I killed my own mother. It’s my fault.

And my Daddy went back into the same hole, my fault too, I could have stopped it but I didn’t.

“Enough!” she screamed when the scene changed again, this time back in the desert forest. Everyone was gone, save for Bunnie and Antoine, who were traveling with her to Robotropolis.

There was no bees, ever. That was all bullshit. Psychological condition.

This time, she couldn’t control herself. This meant it was a memory. Unable to help but watch, Sally watched them go into the city. She watched herself set some charges. She watched herself use NICOLE to hack into the computer system.

She watched herself watch Antoine and Bunnie get caught.

THEN she wanted to go help them OUT

NO. I DON’T WANT TO REMEMBER THIS!!!!

Then, as sudden as ever, a flush of more images came.

Antoine started pounding the fuck out of Tails as Rotor licked Sonic across a bone bruised arm, Bunnie smiled while eating a bird.

Sally’s head swelled and burst.

“STOP THIS, FUCKING STOP THIS, I CAN‘T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!!”

THEN WAKE UP.

Back to the hut, back to the alarm that wouldn’t stop ringing, EVER!

NICOLE’s image screen said: It’s all a dream. I want you to snap out of it. It’s okay. It’ll all be better.

Finally.

Sally opened her eyes for real.

**********

“Do you realize that you’ve been telling me this story in the third person?”

“Yes.”

“You’ve been in a coma most of your life. Your parents had been very upset, you realize that? They’ve been visiting you, reading to you, never giving up, always harboring the hope that you would come out of it.”

I looked around the hospital room, realizing it. For the first time.

The white walls.

They were so blinding. I didn’t want to come here. My life was so comforting before. But it all wasn’t real. This felt so right, I mean, I can taste antiseptic in my throat. My feet are cold, like the floor.

“Of all the stories they read to you in your state, you seemed to respond the most to one entitled “Knothole”, a short story about a group of rebels’ struggle against a tyrant.”

“I remember. Sonic, Tails, Rotor, Antoine, Bunnie, Dulcy…”

“All characters in the book, all not real.”

“Robotnik, Snively…”

The Doctor looked up from his notepad, his long nose and balding head giving a very questioning gaze. He looked familiar. “They all weren’t real. It was all a hallucination, don’t you see? Your brain made these situations to keep itself occupied. Without it being resolved, you stayed under.”

“All of them gone…”

The Doctor got up, holding a small computer in his hand. He held it out to me.

“About one hour ago, I read the final chapter of the story. The conflict was resolved.”

“NICOLE…” The computer looked so much like it.

“You began to come out of it, each time coming closer and closer. I watched on the view screen your thoughts, so chaotic and confusing. It’s amazing you maintained sanity.”

No. It’s not true. It can’t be. All my friends…

He kneeled down next to me, concerned. He took his computer back from me.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “But this is reality.”

“It was so real,” I said to him, breaking down and crying. “Knothole, I remember it so clearly. I can recite names, faces, people, places, even directions! I can tell you where it is, for God’s sake!”

“Sally…”

“Sonic’s middle name is Maurice! Tales’ real name is Miles! Bunnie is afraid of water! How… how is this even possible, that I know so much that’s fake? Knothole’s co-ordinates are 37.475 by 89.364 on the GPS! Chilidogs smell awful! I know these things, Doctor. It isn’t my mind that made them.”

“Look,” he said, become instantly serious and forceful. “All the conflicts, all the fighting and all the stupid, flaming little battles were issues you needed to work out. A lover, a fighter. Remember? You seemed so much happier angry and letting those guys fight over you. You killed yourself in the lake when you weren’t like that. All the book provided was background. The wedding was a chance for you to be happy for a bit. Near the end your mind just wanted to experience as much as it could…”

My god.

It’s… there’s no denying it.

“I…” and I sobbed.

For the longest time, the Doctor comforted me, holding me. It felt good to finally rest. There was no conflict, no never-ending battle, just me. Mobotropolis was real and still built. Nothing but possible bliss awaited me. My life was what I could make it.

I smiled.

I withdrew from the doctor.

“Is… are my parents here?”

It was his turn to smile.

“Waiting outside. I called them as soon as you exhibited positive signs. I’ll bring them in,” and with that he turned his lanky body to the door, opened and closed it with a click.

Still grinning, I waited for about two minutes before I became suspicious.

Still grinning, I noticed that he left his computer on the table. I decided to return it to him, picking it up, familiar in my hands and I walked to the door, to find it was locked.

Grinning, I saw the computer screen, only a display on the typing program. I closed it, to find out that NICOLE worked just as well even after all these years.

And even when I went unconscious, I was still grinning.

*__________******_________***

The ground seemed saturated in death, and in the midst of all the destruction, Sally stood. Watching the sheer magnitude of it all, and her mind snapped. She left Bunnie on the ground where she was, her eyes gleaming the different color of hers, her metal parts rusted and torn in half. Inside, she was charred and dead like the rest of them.

Death or death was the answer. The problem solved, then there was nothing left.

So she walked. She left her troubles behind, because she had found a way to. Sally never looked back. She left this world behind. Always grinning… but not happy…

After it all went away and the birds stopped singing…

The only thing left…

was her.

Me________________________________________