Chapter 16- Presence 

Sotsu felt a sharp jerk at his body. Something leathery held him with a strong grip. He couldn’t lift his heavy eyelids. He felt something sharp pressed against his neck. He could feel the warm flow of his own blood. He winced as the stinging pain came on that much stronger as the long sharp needle-type object drew lightly along his neck.

He finally managed to open his eyes a little. The light flooded in. All he could see was some crimson-type blob. His vision was hazy and weary. He was confused. He couldn’t make out what the thing was… he couldn’t even tell if he was still in the mall.

"What… are you doing?" Sotsu managed out as he gasped a little from the pain.


A hollow laughter answered him back. No sense of humor or happiness held in the laughter. It was cold, painful and full of death and dread.

"What… what is it!?" he heard a voice shout. It sounded like Mighty’s.

"Get away from him!" he heard another voice shout.


Sotsu felt himself being tossed though the air. Then he hit something and passed out.

He awoke to find himself in the hospital. He looked around wearily as he tried to set himself upright. He found that his torso was sore enough to keep him lying down. The view outside the window told him it was a little into the evening.

"Where am I?" Sotsu mumbled to himself. He tried to rub his throat were it had been cut. Though his right arm was restricted by an I.V. While his left arm was too sore to lift.

"Doctor he’s awake?" one of the nurses shouted, the sound echoed through Sotsu’s ears. He could still feel the effects of having been buried under mounds of rubble.

A light took up over Sotsu. It was the doctor holding a light into Sotsu’s eyes. Sotsu was too weak to get the doctor to get the irritating light out of his eyes to he merely squinted a little.

"Hmmm. Can you hear me?" the doctor said, once again the voice bounced around and echoed in Sotsu’s head.

"A… little. I still feel horrible," Sotsu replied.

"Alright well then you can rest," the doctor said as he finally turned off the light.

Sotsu lay in the bed. He starred up at the ceiling wondering what was happening before he passed out the second time. What was… that thing? It looked like it might have been a huge dark-colored echidna. But it couldn’t have been that because there was something else to it’s shape. Sotsu couldn’t get a vivid picture in his mind, not only because he still felt a little faint, but because he never got a good view of what it was.

He tried to picture Eggman there… but still… there was something to the shape of the figure that didn’t seem right. It seemed… wide for some reason. It must have either been holding something or perhaps it had wings, maybe there was someone standing behind it on both sides.

Maybe it was a giant bird. But when he felt himself being pulled from the wreckage of the place that certainly didn’t feel like a hand covered with feathers. It felt like leather perhaps. Very tough in texture, certainly not something most animals would have. Perhaps an elephant then? But why would it be crimson in color?

"Who are you?" Sotsu whispered to himself as he closed his eyes a little more.

"Is it… is it him?" Sotsu said as his eyes shot open. His gold eyes shined brightly in the light. Fear crossed his face… no it wasn’t just fear… it was the look of absolute terror. 


"Wait… no it’s probably not," Sotsu said as he relaxed again.

"Hmm this is like my seventh birth day. Now if I turn on the television, I’d better not have to watch some dang Sonic cartoon," Sotsu mumbled as he grabbed the remote that sat on the nightstand next to his bed.

He flipped on the t.v. that came to life and faded in with a picture of the mall. In front of the wreckage stood a female echidna dressed in a blue dress. She was holding a microphone labeled C4.EN. It was a news channel. Behind her worked the Echidna Fire-crew and Rescue Crews.

"Here we see the horror of a terrorist attack that took place sometime this morning at the Echidnaopolis Mall. Luckily we have confirmed only property damage. One wounded person had been reported but that’s all. The police had begun tracking the possible origins of this attack. Most fingers pointing to the newly accounted Dark Legion. As there had been two previous Dark Legion attacks accounted recently. The most recent was that of Dark Legion Leader Kragok, kidnapping the Guardian and one of the Chaotix. Lucky for them, the rest of the Chaotix were there to rescue them. Well this is Carrie-Lu signing out from the Echidnaopolis Mall saying goodbye."

With that the screen switched back to the news desk of the station. 

"And on other news… someone reported a strange sighting…" the anchorman began, but Sotsu turned off the t.v. uninterested.

"Ag t.v. sucks," Sotsu moaned in boredom.

"Well he doesn’t seem to have taken much brain damage," the doctor said at the main desk, as was watched Sotsu through one of the monitors.

"What do you mean by ‘much’?" the nurse next to him asked.

"He keeps talking to himself but that’s all," the doctor replied as he scribbled down something on his clipboard.


Sotsu eventually got to sleep, but even there he wasn’t a peace. He had horrible nightmares of a monstrous leathery creature chasing him about. Sotsu could never outrun the creature, it always felt as if someone was forcing him backwards. Once the creature was in striking distance it lashed out with long thin talons that ripped into him without mercy. Every time it ended the same. He fell to a horrible and bloody death at the feet of demon-beast.

One time though there was something different. Instead of running Sotsu looked onto the beast. He could not make out any true details of the beast. The place they were in held a thick fog that hindered his vision. But this one time he tried to look upon the beast he didn’t quite see a horrible visage of some demon. It was instead, the outline of an echidna. Something familiar about it to.

Sotsu tried to walk forward to get a better few. But just as he did the demon lunged out of the echidna visage as if it were an illusion. Sotsu woke up by an abrupt slam. Sotsu bolted up to see a nurse lifting a monitoring device off the ground where it fell.

"Damnit," she cursed silently as she then realized her patient was awake.

"I’m sorry for waking you up. Well since I’m here did you need anything?" the nurse asked politely, as she straightened her outfit.

"No I’m okay," Sotsu said in a rather quiet voice. He was in partial shock at the recurring nightmare. Aside from that his throat was a little parched, he had a habit of sleeping with his mouth open. 

Perhaps… in some strange and twisted matter. It was more then a dream… but if it was Sotsu really didn’t see any relative potential of being so.

Sotsu starred back up at the ceiling, thinking about the shape of the creature that had been hurting him before. 

"I must be getting nightmares from that," Sotsu mumbled to himself. 

"That’s silly. It’s not like that was a big monster or something. Ah… I really must be loosing it," Sotsu shook his head a little to clear up his light-headedness. He looked to his nightstand to see a glass of water had been set there, along with that a box of tissues.

He took a few swallows from the ice water. He was refreshed some. He set the glass back on the table and sat up in the bed. He conjured a book and opened it… the pages had no writing on it.

"Figures this would happen. Well of course I wouldn’t remember the words for it," Sotsu gave a sneer then let the book disappear.

Sotsu just sat back and relaxed for the time being. Thoughts of the possibilities of his new life ran though his mind. Thoughts of being able to actually become a social person, to have something outside of home. To know that he was someone and worth something. He smiled at the idea of him being able to have a good time now... to be able to let go of all the horrible things of his previous life.

Then again… the friends that weren’t here he’d probably never see again, including his family. But he was sure he’d find a way back eventually. Within time there’d be a way. Robotnik had managed to get him here so there had to be a way back. But once again the question crossed his mind: if I went back there’s a chance I wouldn’t be able to come back here, would it be worth the sacrifice? 

But that was to worry about for another time. For the time being he was worried about what that thing was back in the mall and who is after him… or what is after him. He was very vulnerable right now, if they were to attack they would most likely succeed in finishing him off. 

Sotsu reacted instinctively as he quickly shot a glance toward the window on the far wall. Of course no one was there. 

"Damnit," Sotsu cursed to himself realizing how stupid he was acting. 

He saw a book over on the desk near the opposite wall from where he presently sat. He focused on the small blue book until it moved a little. Sotsu gave a quick boost of energy and sent the book flying at him.

He put out his arms to the best of his ability in a pathetic attempt to catch the book. Instead though it flew right into his nose. He shot feel backward with a loud cry. 

He straightened himself and rubbed his nose with his bare arm. He’s nose was bleeding.

"Stupid flying book of doom thingie," Sotsu said flicking the book off of the bed.


He reached over to the tissue box on the nightstand and took one of the tissues up into his hand and stuffed it inside his bleeding nostril.

"Hmmm you suck," he whined in a pinched voice as he picked up the book.

He looked at the cover. Cat in the Hat…. Cat in Hat? I got a bloody nose from Cat in the Hat!


Sotsu gave the book at meaningful glare then dropped the book back onto the floor. 

"I thought children’s book’s where suppose to be safe. Due to them being large and having a thicker hard cover there more sufficient as a projectile based weapon. This is the last time I mock a children’s book," Sotsu grumbled as he checked if the bleeding had stopped.


Sotsu checked his bare arm. Then he realized that he was wearing a hospital gown. 

"Eh… I don’t like this. Where are my clothes?" Sotsu said as he looked about the room.


He spotted a closet door, it could be in there. Sotsu slowly got to his feet. The cold tiles of the hospital floor where not comfortable as his feet ached. He grabbed the I.V. unit and slowly dragged it with him. After about five minutes he finally made it to the wooden closet door. He had been moving at the pace of a very old man. He could hardly believe how much he ached all over as well. He was too lazy at the time to use his psychic powers as well.

He opened the closet and to his luck the clothes hung there. They were nicely pressed and set. Then he realized the horrifying reality of it all. He couldn’t put on his clothes because of the I.V. and because the hospital personal wouldn’t allow it.

Sotsu slowly closed the door with a resentful feeling of having to do the long journey back to his bed with no achievements at hand. So he began the long trek back, in another five minutes he finally was settled back in. 

The doctor walked in as soon as Sotsu made it back into the bed. The red echidna brought up his glasses and looked onto his clipboard in hand. He silently read off a few things, none of which Sotsu caught.

"Well… Sotsu," the doctor began as he looked over his glasses at the patient. He raised an eyebrow as he noticed the piece of tissue paper sticking from one nostril.

"Um… yes?" the black echidna replied in a rather nasal voice.

"You… sustained some damage from the event at the mall. You should heal fine in a few days. You had no broken bones, but you had a lot of wounds. Now… if you need anything we’ll be at hand. Also we want you to take a urine sample whenever you can okay?" the doctor produced a small plastic cup from his coat and placed it on the nightstand.

"Okay?" the doctor repeated looking over his glasses in an almost degrading manner.

"Yeah…" Sotsu replied hesitantly.

"Okay then… well were here if you need us," the doctor said as he exited the room.

Sotsu starred at the cup for a few minutes. He didn’t like having to walk to the closet… let alone the bathroom that resided next to it.

"Ah God. I have to get out of here," Sotsu whined as he lay back in bed.


Well at least there are no robots out to get me here. Well not yet anyway. Sotsu looked over his shoulder at the window again. Then he shook his head and closed his eyes. He still couldn’t find rest in his sleep. He had the same nightmare again. Except this time he was restricted by the I.V. unit. The ever present existence of that stupid chunk of metal the he had to drag around. Time and time again he was chased around in a comical fashion… it wasn’t that as much as the beast made it comical. 

The creature mocked him from the safety of the layer of fog. Making strange sounds and loud roaring noises. Sotsu couldn’t keep track of the beast as it some times popped out and thumped him in the head then went back to running around him. Sotsu figured that he tricked himself into thinking that this is what was there in the mall and the thought of such a horrible thing existing had manifested itself into a minor phobia.

A few times though Sotsu would see the figure of the echidna again. The same one… but he caught the glimpse of something that held a familiarity. Something that Sotsu was attracted to in some fashion. 

He remembered in the mall… that one day. There was something strange. Perhaps is was just a figment of his imagination, that so often caused him these notions. But still… it was a plausible thought. Something that might have been held in his subconscious that he didn’t realize. 

But something of the echidna was familiar… and whatever it was he recognized it from the mall. Like searching for a certain star in the sky he tried and tried and strained to remember what it was. But to no avail. The reality of life and consciousness found him before he could find the answer. 

He was awoken by his loud friend, Vector. Sotsu awoke slowly to find that he had slept the night. It was now almost noon the next day. The Chaotix decided to stop by to visit Sotsu. 

"Hey how’s it goin’?" Vector said in his usual obnoxious voice. 

"Fine. I’m fine," Sotsu said as he scratched his head with his left hand that now felt fine.

"Catching up on some reading?" Mighty said as he picked up a blue book off of the floor.

"No I decided to hit myself with it and give myself a bloody nose because I was bored," Sotsu replied sarcastically, as he discarded the tissue he had used for his nose.

"Now why’d you go and do that?" Vector asked. He was answered by everyone’s glare.

"What?" the croc asked.

"I was visiting to be nice. You were acting like a jerk before… least I could get is a thanks," Vector grumbled as he crossed his arms loosely in front of his chest.

"Hey where’s Knuckles and Julie-Su?" Sotsu asked while stretching his arms a little.

"They couldn’t make it. They had to check out some strange things going on. Oh well," Espio said as he took a seat on a chair next to the right side of the bed.

"Well at least we got to come," Mighty said cheerfully.

"Yeah thanks guys. I was beginning to wonder if I’d die from boredom," Sotsu replied.

"Well actually we can’t stay here for long… it’s only about time before one of the doctors figured out we snuck inside here. The visiting hours don’t start for another hour. So y’know," Espio said.

"I think they went in here!" they heard from the hallway.

"And on time as always," Espio said disgustedly.

A doctor entered the room with a stern face. 

"You guys! Out now!" the doctor said pointing a blue pen at them.

The Chaotix left grumbling and disgusted after a few short seconds of having to listen to the doctor complain.

"Sorry for the disturbance," the doctor said to Sotsu then headed after the Chaotix to make sure of their departure.

"Yeah no problem," Sotsu replied. 


He looked over at the bathroom. He was going to have to walk over there, dragging the I.V. with him. So Sotsu began to long trek to the bathroom. Dragging the unit with him. The object felt like an iron weight, the line from his arm being the chain, the hospital being the prisoner and him as a prisoner.

-Nicholas D. Wolfwood-