Categories > Games > Sonic the Hedgehog > Hope for a Better life
Sonic and Sonia made themselves a snack in the kitchen.
Sonic glanced toward his room when he heard music coming from his and Manic’s room. “He knows he’s not allowed to play it loud.”
“Dad won’t be home for a while.” Sonia said. “Let him have fun.”
Sonic and Sonia flinched as the front door slammed shut.
“Hide.” Sonic whispered.
Sonic and Sonia ducked down and hid under the table.
Brenden stalked through the kitchen and headed toward Manic and Sonic’s room. “I told him to keep that racket down.”
Sonic and Sonia crawled out from under the kitchen table.
“That was my birthday present!” Manic cried.
Brenden stormed out of the room.
Sonic waited until his dad went outside to mow the lawn before running to his room.
Manic was sitting on the bed and crying.
“Bro?” Sonic asked. He sat down beside Manic. “What happened?”
Sonia walked in.
Manic showed Sonic a couple of broken cds and cd cases. “He broke my favorite Skillet cds.”
Sonic hugged Manic. “I’m sorry, bro.”
“We’ll try to get you new cds.” Sonia said, hugging Manic. “Maybe we can take you to a concert one day and we’ll get them to sign it.”
Sonic nodded.
Manic smiled weakly. “Thanks.”
*
Manic, Sonia, and Sonic followed Aleena to Shadow’s house for the Robotnik’s garage sale.
Aleena started looking for clothes for the kids while Manic made a beeline for the stack of CDS.
Manic grabbed a few cds and ran over to Aleena. “Ma, Shadow’s selling his cds!”
“Put those back.” Aleena said. “We need clothes, not cds.”
“But you promised that you’d replace my Awake and Comatose cds.” Manic protested. “I don’t have the Fight the Fury cd either.”
Aleena huffed. “Manic. Not now. Put those back.”
Manic glared at Aleena. “You promised!”
Gerald and Shadow walked over to Aleena.
Aleena looked over at Gerald and Shadow. “Oh, he knows we weren’t buying anything but clothes.” She said, “I don’t know why he’s crying about it.”
Manic groaned. “You promised to replace my CDs after Dad broke them.”
“Why did he break Manic’s CDs?” Gerald asked.
“It was an accident.” Aleena replied. “Manic leaves them laying around.”
Shadow shook his head. “He does not, Grandpa.”
“Manic, put it back.” Aleena said.
Manic shuffled over to the table to put the cds back.
Gerald followed Manic. “Manic?”
“Yeah?” Manic asked.
“I’ll hold those CDs for you if you can do chores around the house to pay for them.” Gerald replied.
Manic smiled. “I will.” He said, hugging Gerald. “Thank you so much.”
Aleena, holding a small stack of clothes, walked over with Sonic and Sonia.
“Aleena, I told Manic that, if really wants the CDs, he can do chores here to pay for them.” Gerald said. “We could use the extra help with Maria being sick.”
“That’s fine if he wants to do it.” Aleena replied. “If you all ever need help with Maria, let me know.”
Gerald nodded. “Of course.”
Shadow huffed.
“Not now, Shadow.” Gerald said, patting him on the back.
*
Manic and Sonic were in their room, laying on their beds and reading comic books. They heard their parents yelling.
Manic sighed. “What now?”
Sonic sat up. “Where’s Sonia?”
Manic’s eyes widened. “Should we check on her?”
Sonia hurried into the boys’ room and huddled into the corner as their parents continued their screaming match.
Sonic and Manic got up and sat on either side of Sonia.
Aleena had apparently thrown something made of glass because they heard something breaking.
“Please, please make it stop.” Sonia whimpered. She hugged her brothers.
“Can we call someone?” Manic asked.
“The phone is out there.” Sonic replied. He noticed Sonia’s black eye. “Why did he hit you?”
“Because he said I was being too formal and because I said Mother needed help.” Sonia said, trying not to cry.
Manic handed her his jacket that had fallen on the floor. “Try to be quiet.” He whispered. “They’ll freak out if they hear you.”
*
Sonic, Sonia, and Manic walked over to Shadow’s house to get something to eat for the umpteenth time.
Shadow was sweeping the cut grass off the porch.
“Hey, Shadow.” Sonia said.
Shadow looked up. “What happened to your eye, Sonia?”
“Roughhousing.” Sonia said, looking away from Shadow.
The triplets walked up the steps.
“That excuse would work for Sonic and Manic, but not you.” Shadow replied. He propped the broom against the side of the house. “You all come over here starving and you occasionally have injuries. Your mom reeks of alcohol every time I see her. What is going on?”
Sonic, Sonia, and Manic looked away.
Sonia rubbed her arm.
“Is she an alcoholic that beats you?” Shadow asked. “Is that why you don’t have any food? She spends it all on booze, is that it?”
“Mother never hit us.” Sonia protested.
“But she does drink.” Shadow replied. “You didn’t deny that. So your dad hits you.”
“You can’t say anything.” Manic said, hyperventilating. “He’ll kill us.”
Sonic grabbed Manic by his shoulders and shook him. “Manic, what were you thinking?!”
Manic started crying. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He cried. “Let me go. Please let me go!”
Sonic let Manic go. “I’m sorry, bro. I’m sorry.”
Manic drew a shaky breath.
“You need to call someone.” Shadow said. “Or I will.”
“They’ll split us up.” Sonia replied. “As bad as it is, we don’t want to be separated.”
“He could kill you, Sonia.” Shadow said. “Neither of you look healthy. I’d swear you only eat at school or here.”
Manic wiped his eyes. “I don’t wanna die, sis.”
“He won’t kill us, Manic.” Sonia said, touching Manic’s back. “We’ll be fine.”
“I could talk to Gerald about taking you in.” Shadow said. “Unless you have family who’ll take you in.”
“We heard we have an Uncle Chuck and Aunt Rachel.” Sonic replied. “But Mom and Dad have nothing to do with them.”
“Probably because of the situation.” Shadow said. “Try talking to them. If you don’t call the police or whoever about this in the next few days, I’ll call.”
Sonia nodded. “We’ll try, Shadow.”
Manic sniffled. “Okay.”
“Fine.” Sonic muttered.
*
The deadline Shadow set came and went, however no one showed up to deal with the triplets’ parents.
“Something’s not right.” Sonia said. “Shadow never goes back on his word or threats.”
“Maybe we should go over there.” Manic replied.
Sonic shook his head. “I’m not reminding Shadow so Dad can kill us.”
“No one said to ask him about it, we’re checking on them.” Sonia said. “Oh, I hope Maria is okay.”
The triplets left their house and saw an ambulance outside of the Robotnik family home.
Sonic picked up his siblings and raced over to the house.
Gerald was crying as Maria was being carried out on a stretcher.
Shadow, who was standing beside Gerald, was in complete shock. He was wrapped in a blanket and staring off into space. His eyes filled with tears.
“Oh, no.” Sonia said, voice breaking. “What happened?”
“She passed away in her sleep.” Gerald said, wiping his eyes. “Shadow was going to wake her up from her nap, but….”
The triplets started crying.
The ambulance drove away.
Gerald picked up Shadow. “Come on, we have to make some calls.” He said. He looked at the triplets. “You three can come in and talk with Shadow. I have to call the funeral home.”
The triplets followed Gerald and Shadow inside.
“If you three are hungry, you can make some sandwiches.” Gerald said, setting Shadow down. “Keep an eye on Shadow, please.”
“Okay.” Sonia replied. “Thanks, Gerald. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to eat.”
Gerald stepped over to the phone. “I know, but I know you all seem hungry.” He said, dialing the number.
Sonia walked Shadow into the kitchen.
Sonic and Manic followed them.
“We’ll make sandwiches, you can talk with Shads, Sonia.” Manic said.
Sonia helped Shadow sit down and helped Shadow sit down.
Manic and Sonic began to make roast beef sandwiches.
“Shadow?” Sonia asked.
“I can’t believe she’s gone.” Shadow said. “Why?”
Sonia hugged Shadow. “I’m sure she’s in a better place now, Shadow.” She said softly.
Shadow drew some shaky breaths.
“You can cry, Shadow.” Sonia whispered. “The boys won’t laugh.”
Shadow kept his face buried in Sonia’s shoulders and cried softly.
Manic and Sonic quietly made lunch and set the plates out.
“We’re sorry, Shads.” Manic said. “Maria was like a big sister to us.”
Sonic glanced toward his room when he heard music coming from his and Manic’s room. “He knows he’s not allowed to play it loud.”
“Dad won’t be home for a while.” Sonia said. “Let him have fun.”
Sonic and Sonia flinched as the front door slammed shut.
“Hide.” Sonic whispered.
Sonic and Sonia ducked down and hid under the table.
Brenden stalked through the kitchen and headed toward Manic and Sonic’s room. “I told him to keep that racket down.”
Sonic and Sonia crawled out from under the kitchen table.
“That was my birthday present!” Manic cried.
Brenden stormed out of the room.
Sonic waited until his dad went outside to mow the lawn before running to his room.
Manic was sitting on the bed and crying.
“Bro?” Sonic asked. He sat down beside Manic. “What happened?”
Sonia walked in.
Manic showed Sonic a couple of broken cds and cd cases. “He broke my favorite Skillet cds.”
Sonic hugged Manic. “I’m sorry, bro.”
“We’ll try to get you new cds.” Sonia said, hugging Manic. “Maybe we can take you to a concert one day and we’ll get them to sign it.”
Sonic nodded.
Manic smiled weakly. “Thanks.”
*
Manic, Sonia, and Sonic followed Aleena to Shadow’s house for the Robotnik’s garage sale.
Aleena started looking for clothes for the kids while Manic made a beeline for the stack of CDS.
Manic grabbed a few cds and ran over to Aleena. “Ma, Shadow’s selling his cds!”
“Put those back.” Aleena said. “We need clothes, not cds.”
“But you promised that you’d replace my Awake and Comatose cds.” Manic protested. “I don’t have the Fight the Fury cd either.”
Aleena huffed. “Manic. Not now. Put those back.”
Manic glared at Aleena. “You promised!”
Gerald and Shadow walked over to Aleena.
Aleena looked over at Gerald and Shadow. “Oh, he knows we weren’t buying anything but clothes.” She said, “I don’t know why he’s crying about it.”
Manic groaned. “You promised to replace my CDs after Dad broke them.”
“Why did he break Manic’s CDs?” Gerald asked.
“It was an accident.” Aleena replied. “Manic leaves them laying around.”
Shadow shook his head. “He does not, Grandpa.”
“Manic, put it back.” Aleena said.
Manic shuffled over to the table to put the cds back.
Gerald followed Manic. “Manic?”
“Yeah?” Manic asked.
“I’ll hold those CDs for you if you can do chores around the house to pay for them.” Gerald replied.
Manic smiled. “I will.” He said, hugging Gerald. “Thank you so much.”
Aleena, holding a small stack of clothes, walked over with Sonic and Sonia.
“Aleena, I told Manic that, if really wants the CDs, he can do chores here to pay for them.” Gerald said. “We could use the extra help with Maria being sick.”
“That’s fine if he wants to do it.” Aleena replied. “If you all ever need help with Maria, let me know.”
Gerald nodded. “Of course.”
Shadow huffed.
“Not now, Shadow.” Gerald said, patting him on the back.
*
Manic and Sonic were in their room, laying on their beds and reading comic books. They heard their parents yelling.
Manic sighed. “What now?”
Sonic sat up. “Where’s Sonia?”
Manic’s eyes widened. “Should we check on her?”
Sonia hurried into the boys’ room and huddled into the corner as their parents continued their screaming match.
Sonic and Manic got up and sat on either side of Sonia.
Aleena had apparently thrown something made of glass because they heard something breaking.
“Please, please make it stop.” Sonia whimpered. She hugged her brothers.
“Can we call someone?” Manic asked.
“The phone is out there.” Sonic replied. He noticed Sonia’s black eye. “Why did he hit you?”
“Because he said I was being too formal and because I said Mother needed help.” Sonia said, trying not to cry.
Manic handed her his jacket that had fallen on the floor. “Try to be quiet.” He whispered. “They’ll freak out if they hear you.”
*
Sonic, Sonia, and Manic walked over to Shadow’s house to get something to eat for the umpteenth time.
Shadow was sweeping the cut grass off the porch.
“Hey, Shadow.” Sonia said.
Shadow looked up. “What happened to your eye, Sonia?”
“Roughhousing.” Sonia said, looking away from Shadow.
The triplets walked up the steps.
“That excuse would work for Sonic and Manic, but not you.” Shadow replied. He propped the broom against the side of the house. “You all come over here starving and you occasionally have injuries. Your mom reeks of alcohol every time I see her. What is going on?”
Sonic, Sonia, and Manic looked away.
Sonia rubbed her arm.
“Is she an alcoholic that beats you?” Shadow asked. “Is that why you don’t have any food? She spends it all on booze, is that it?”
“Mother never hit us.” Sonia protested.
“But she does drink.” Shadow replied. “You didn’t deny that. So your dad hits you.”
“You can’t say anything.” Manic said, hyperventilating. “He’ll kill us.”
Sonic grabbed Manic by his shoulders and shook him. “Manic, what were you thinking?!”
Manic started crying. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He cried. “Let me go. Please let me go!”
Sonic let Manic go. “I’m sorry, bro. I’m sorry.”
Manic drew a shaky breath.
“You need to call someone.” Shadow said. “Or I will.”
“They’ll split us up.” Sonia replied. “As bad as it is, we don’t want to be separated.”
“He could kill you, Sonia.” Shadow said. “Neither of you look healthy. I’d swear you only eat at school or here.”
Manic wiped his eyes. “I don’t wanna die, sis.”
“He won’t kill us, Manic.” Sonia said, touching Manic’s back. “We’ll be fine.”
“I could talk to Gerald about taking you in.” Shadow said. “Unless you have family who’ll take you in.”
“We heard we have an Uncle Chuck and Aunt Rachel.” Sonic replied. “But Mom and Dad have nothing to do with them.”
“Probably because of the situation.” Shadow said. “Try talking to them. If you don’t call the police or whoever about this in the next few days, I’ll call.”
Sonia nodded. “We’ll try, Shadow.”
Manic sniffled. “Okay.”
“Fine.” Sonic muttered.
*
The deadline Shadow set came and went, however no one showed up to deal with the triplets’ parents.
“Something’s not right.” Sonia said. “Shadow never goes back on his word or threats.”
“Maybe we should go over there.” Manic replied.
Sonic shook his head. “I’m not reminding Shadow so Dad can kill us.”
“No one said to ask him about it, we’re checking on them.” Sonia said. “Oh, I hope Maria is okay.”
The triplets left their house and saw an ambulance outside of the Robotnik family home.
Sonic picked up his siblings and raced over to the house.
Gerald was crying as Maria was being carried out on a stretcher.
Shadow, who was standing beside Gerald, was in complete shock. He was wrapped in a blanket and staring off into space. His eyes filled with tears.
“Oh, no.” Sonia said, voice breaking. “What happened?”
“She passed away in her sleep.” Gerald said, wiping his eyes. “Shadow was going to wake her up from her nap, but….”
The triplets started crying.
The ambulance drove away.
Gerald picked up Shadow. “Come on, we have to make some calls.” He said. He looked at the triplets. “You three can come in and talk with Shadow. I have to call the funeral home.”
The triplets followed Gerald and Shadow inside.
“If you three are hungry, you can make some sandwiches.” Gerald said, setting Shadow down. “Keep an eye on Shadow, please.”
“Okay.” Sonia replied. “Thanks, Gerald. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to eat.”
Gerald stepped over to the phone. “I know, but I know you all seem hungry.” He said, dialing the number.
Sonia walked Shadow into the kitchen.
Sonic and Manic followed them.
“We’ll make sandwiches, you can talk with Shads, Sonia.” Manic said.
Sonia helped Shadow sit down and helped Shadow sit down.
Manic and Sonic began to make roast beef sandwiches.
“Shadow?” Sonia asked.
“I can’t believe she’s gone.” Shadow said. “Why?”
Sonia hugged Shadow. “I’m sure she’s in a better place now, Shadow.” She said softly.
Shadow drew some shaky breaths.
“You can cry, Shadow.” Sonia whispered. “The boys won’t laugh.”
Shadow kept his face buried in Sonia’s shoulders and cried softly.
Manic and Sonic quietly made lunch and set the plates out.
“We’re sorry, Shads.” Manic said. “Maria was like a big sister to us.”
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