3
As he slipped into the woods behind the doctor lady's house he hoped she would be able to read his note, he's worried he may have misspelled something. He was never the best speller or reader but that was fine, Maria usually did both of those things for him. Now she was gone, and he had to do it himself. Thinking of her still hurt but he'll learn to get over it. Not her death but the pain of losing her.
Arriving back at the vet clinic where he saw the lady set up a fort and supplies out, he climbed inside and curled himself in a ball after making sure it wasn't a trap.
His stomach growled, bringing him out if his thoughts, and he looked around as he sat back up. There was a small bowl of fresh water and a bag, upon opening the bag he found a pack of miniature cookies, a granola bar, a clear baggie of small brown bean looking things, and a container of strawberries. He knew he liked strawberries because Maria always gave him hers when she was given them with her meals.
He opened the contaier and ate one of the strawberries whole. He missed this, being able to eat real food even if he technically didn't need it, it felt good to act normal. The berries were good, they weren't mushy or too sour, the perfect mixture between sweet but not super sweet and a subtle sour. Befor he knew it the strawberries were gone and he realized if he wanted to keep this food he needed to ration it, not eat it all right now.
After putting all the food back in the bag, he put the bag away and picked up the bowl, lifting up to his mouth and taking a few small drinks. After putting the bowl back down gently he curled back into his previous ball and attempted falling asleep. It took a while but eventually he fell asleep, dreaming of Maria and the nice lady.
_
"Goodnight guys" sonic yawned as he climbed into bed.
"Goodnight" Tails and knuckles responded, even though neither were gonna go to bed. Tails planned in finishing working on Maddie's car tonight and knuckles was gonna 'keep watch'.
Sonic's eyes fluttered shut, the gentle hum of the night wrapping around him like a warm blanket. In his dreams, he wandered through a lush, vibrant landscape, filled with colors that felt both familiar and foreign. He raced through the fields, feeling the wind rush past him. Suddenly he saw Shadow but when he reached for the other hedgehog, his image slipped away like sand through his fingers—he didn’t know why, but it felt like he was searching for something he had lost. But wait, he did lose Shadow didn't he?
Meanwhile, Tails was hunched over the hood of Maddie’s car, his brow furrowed in concentration. The soft whir of his tools filled the garage as he worked diligently, determined to get the vehicle running smoothly. He glanced at Knuckles, who was pacing near the entrance, keeping an eye on the shadows that flickered in the corners of the dimly lit space.
"Hey, Knux, you sure you want to stand guard all night? I can handle things here," Tails offered, not wanting his friend to tire himself out.
Knuckles shook his head, his eyes narrowed. "Nah, I’ve got this. You focus on the car. Besides, you never know when trouble might come knocking."
Tails smiled, appreciating Knuckles' protective nature. "Alright, just don’t fall asleep on me, okay?"
As the hours ticked by, Tails made steady progress, the engine responding well to his careful adjustments. Outside, the moon shone brightly, casting an eerie glow over the landscape. Suddenly, a rustle in the bushes caught Knuckles' attention. He straightened up, fists clenched, ready to spring into action.
"Did you hear that?" Knuckles whispered, his instincts kicking in.
Tails paused, looking up from his work. "Yeah, I did. It’s probably just a raccoon or something."
But Knuckles wasn’t convinced. "Let’s check it out. It could be something more."
Reluctantly, Tails nodded, setting his tools down. Together, they stepped outside, scanning the darkness for any signs of movement. As they ventured closer to the noise, a shadow darted across their path, sending a jolt of adrenaline through Knuckles.
"Stay close," he instructed, his voice low and steady.
Tails nodded, feeling a mix of excitement and fear. Whatever it was, they were ready to face it together. As they approached the bushes, the rustling intensified, and then, with a sudden burst, a small creature leaped into view—a scruffy little dog, wagging its tail furiously.
"Aw, look at this little guy!" Tails exclaimed, kneeling down to pet the dog. "He must’ve gotten lost."
Knuckles relaxed, a smile breaking through his earlier tension. "Seems like he could use a friend."
"What should we do with the little guy?" Tails asked knuckles, looking up at him.
Before knuckles could answer a lady neither of them had ever met came from the same direction as the dog, looking disheveled and out of breath.
"Poe! Quit runnin' boy!"
The woman froze as she looked up and saw her dog wagging it's tail by the two kids. " Oh, uh. I'm sorry, Poe just likes to run off sometimes." She smiled nervously at them.
"What's your name? I don't think i've seen you around." Tails eyed her sceptically, but his words seemed to make her light up.
" Oh well I just moved here and I thought I would take Poe for a walk on our first night here, he can get a bit excited in new places. I'm Joline, it's nice to meet you two!" She smiled and held her hand out to shake.
"Oh, well it's nice to meet you Joline! I'm Tails and this is my brother Knuckles." tails shook her hand before Knuckles.
"Do you mind me asking why you have moved to the place of Green Hills?" Tails may trust this lady but Knuckles was still sceptical about her.
" I moved her with my sister after my wife passed away," she started sadly " She always said she wanted me to follow my dream to be a baker so I moved her cause it looked nice and im gonna start opening my own bakery. My brother in law in gonna come down too, so he can be with my sister. Such a sweet pair I tell ya." joline had a sad smile on her face as she explained the reason she moved and her sister's relationship
" I'm so sorry for your loss, I hope your bakery is successful. I'm sure everyone in town will love and welcome you" Tails gave her a sad smile in return as she picked up her dog and waved them goodbye.
"A bakery sounds nice."
"Does a bakery have grapes?"
"Um, i'm not sure, a bakery is kinda like the cafe but more food and less drinks im pretty sure."