Blue in the Land of Doom: A Sonic the Hedgehog Fanfiction

Chapter Five: Sonic

I emerged from the tunnel to see an enormous, large, mysterious cave stretch out before me. My eyes adjusted to the even deeper darkness. Ahead of me, in its eerie depths, I saw skeletons. Endless skeletons. Big skeletons. Small skeletons. Too many skeletons. Strewn everywhere. The sight of them chilled my bones and made my spine tingle and my quills ripple.

Again I had to climb something. I was already tired from when I had climbed the giant skeleton. I looked down the cliff. It looked like there were many places to put my hands and feet, but they were all extremely small. I reached down and took off my shoes and dropped them down the cliff. Then I did the same with my gloves. Then I began to climb down the dust-coated cliff. Everywhere I felt pain, but I had to ignore it. I had to find a way out of this place.

I soon reached the bottom and leapt to the ground. The coldest of rock floors met my feet. I grabbed my shoes and put them on, and then did the same with my gloves. Then I continued.

I passed many pillars of jagged rock and even more haunting skeletons. Some of them were covered with blood, while others shone an eerie alabaster. There seemed to be a path through them, as if someone had pushed them out of the way so it was easier to travel.

As I walked, my ribs ached, and I had to wrap my arms around them. My body was still trembling, and it felt like any second I might fall because my legs were so weak, but I did not stop. I had to keep going.

Occasionally I thought I heard a shuffle or a soft flapping or dancing whispers from the shadows, but I thought it was possibly the eerie wind that blew across the cave. The cold wind sent quivers down my spine, but still, it felt as if unseen eyes were watching my every move. The combination of quiet and echoes filled the air, amplifying the haunting feeling that this bone-filled land gave me, telling me that life was fragile, and this very day - or night, I did not know - it would be my life's turn to break.

Then I saw something ahead of me. It was a scaly green creature, and it appeared to be struggling to breathe. I picked up my pace, even though my body protested. I knelt beside this toling creature.

His scales were dull and rough. His somber blue eyes stared up sadly at me. There were spines on the back of his head. He was sprawled beside a large rib that had been separated from the rest of its skeleton, and his long claws were flexed with agony.

I didn't know how I expected to help this creature, but it seemed wrong to just walk past it. I just knelt there, watching it, and it watched me. We stayed there for a long time.

Then I heard a shuffle behind me. I looked back. I'm sure that something moved there.

''The vichres,'' said a raspy voice. It had come from the scaly creature. ''They're waiting for me to die.''

I looked back at him, surprised that he had spoken.

''Why do they want you to die?'' I said.
''They want to eat me,'' said the scaly creature. ''Just like they've eaten everyone else.''

I looked at the bones around us. So that was how they all died!

I wished I could do something to help this creature, but I knew I couldn't. I sighed sadly. I would have to worry about myself then.

''Do you know if there's a way out of here?'' I said.

It took a while for the creature to respond.

''If I knew of one, I wouldn't be here anymore,'' he said. ''Still, you should leave this place. After they eat me, you'll be next.''

''Wait, but why do they want to eat me?'' I said fearfully. ''I'm not dying.''

''You're weakened,'' said the scaly creature. ''That's close enough to dying for them. They'll kill if you don't leave. Go now!''