Tails's First Scary Movie
-9:30 P.M.-
Tails turned off the lamp next to his bed and buried himself under the blankets. He was now ten years old, and he no longer needed nor wanted someone to read him a story every night: he considered himself too old for that sort of thing. But on occasion, he would pull out one of his own books and read himself to sleep, as do many people.
He would have slipped into dreamland, had he not been awakened by a familiar voice.
"Hey, Tails! Wake up!" Tails's eyes jerked open. Sonic, a blue hedgehog that served as his surrogate older brother, was sitting on the edge of the bed, a goofy grin on his face. "Wanna watch a movie?"
Tails was instantly alert. Whenever Sonic wanted to watch a movie, especially at this hour, it was usually something they both enjoyed very much and something Sally deemed "not age-appropriate." Of course, neither Sonic nor Tails could have cared less: the week before, they had watched every Terminator movie back-to-back from dusk 'til dawn. And by "they," it was really just Sonic: Tails had fallen asleep halfway through Terminator 2. "Sure, bro," Tails said with a yawn. "What are we watching tonight?"
Sonic's grin became bigger. "It's that dinosaur movie Sally said was too scary for you, but I think she's wrong. You're a big boy, right?" He held up the DVD case: an image of a reptilian jaw surrounding a red emblem of a tyrannosaur skeleton was printed on it. Below the emblem was the film's title: Jurassic Park.
Tails's grin, in defiance of all logic, grew bigger than Sonic's. He loved dinosaurs as much as he loved mechanics: there was something about them that fascinated him in a way he could not explain. Their titanic size, their unique designs, and fearsome reputationall of it seemed to captivate his imagination. "Alright!" He hopped out of bed and tip-toed to the hut's living room with Sonic.
Sonic popped the DVD into the player and sat on the couch. Tails snuggled up next to him, his eyes glued to the screen. "Let the show begin, little bro."
-11:00 P.M.-
Tails's eyes were like saucers by the time the credits began to roll. Maybe Sal was right, Sonic thought as he turned off the T.V. "Did you like it, Tails?"
The petrified kitsune managed a nod. "Y-yeah. I liked it."
"Want me to sleep with you tonight?"
Tails shook his head. "I-I'll be fine, th-thanks."
Sonic's brow furrowed in concern. "You sure?"
"Yeah."
Sonic yawned. "Well, suit yourself. I'm going to bed. Goodnight."
"'Night," Tails said quietly as he walked down the hall to his room.
I sure hope he doesn't have any night terrors tonight, Sonic thought.
Out of primeval instinct, Tails dashed down the hallway to his room, flung the door open, closed it as quietly as possible, and then dove under the covers of his bed. Sally was right: that was much too scary for him. The panicked fox could still hear the velociraptors' eerie cacophony of hisses, grunts, and purrs. Oh, how he dreaded that sound now, the half-whispered purr of a predator stalking him, its belly demanding young, tender fleshhis flesh.
And those eyes: those cold, merciless, calculating jade orbs were now etched into his mind. The slitted pupils of darkness seemed to be staring into his soul, like a demon from the bowels of Hell sent to take his soul.
Tails could not sleep: every minute creak of the floorboards, every single tap against the window caused by inattentive insects nearly gave him a heart attack. He stared at the door, wishing that Sonic was there to comfort him, but too scared to get up from the relative safety of his nice, warm bed.
Tails was about to fall asleep when the door opened. He was now trembling with terror, remembering that the raptors were perfectly capable of opening doors. His eyes were fixated on the figure that entered.
"Hey, Tails?" a familiar voice whispered. Tails visibly deflated. It was just Sonic.
"Yeah, Sonic?"
"What's going on?" Sonic turned the lamp on and sat on the bed. "I could hear you whimpering from the other side of the house."
Was I really that loud? Tails thought. "Sorry, bro; I had a bad dream."
Sonic lied down next to Tails on the bed and hugged him. "Don't worry, Tails. Those things aren't coming to get you; God is always watching over you. Besides, those things have been dead for a few thousand years now: you'll never see one around Knothole, that's for sure!"
Tails returned the hug and held it, falling asleep in his brother's protective embrace.
-9:30 P.M.-
Tails turned off the lamp next to his bed and buried himself under the blankets. He was now ten years old, and he no longer needed nor wanted someone to read him a story every night: he considered himself too old for that sort of thing. But on occasion, he would pull out one of his own books and read himself to sleep, as do many people.
He would have slipped into dreamland, had he not been awakened by a familiar voice.
"Hey, Tails! Wake up!" Tails's eyes jerked open. Sonic, a blue hedgehog that served as his surrogate older brother, was sitting on the edge of the bed, a goofy grin on his face. "Wanna watch a movie?"
Tails was instantly alert. Whenever Sonic wanted to watch a movie, especially at this hour, it was usually something they both enjoyed very much and something Sally deemed "not age-appropriate." Of course, neither Sonic nor Tails could have cared less: the week before, they had watched every Terminator movie back-to-back from dusk 'til dawn. And by "they," it was really just Sonic: Tails had fallen asleep halfway through Terminator 2. "Sure, bro," Tails said with a yawn. "What are we watching tonight?"
Sonic's grin became bigger. "It's that dinosaur movie Sally said was too scary for you, but I think she's wrong. You're a big boy, right?" He held up the DVD case: an image of a reptilian jaw surrounding a red emblem of a tyrannosaur skeleton was printed on it. Below the emblem was the film's title: Jurassic Park.
Tails's grin, in defiance of all logic, grew bigger than Sonic's. He loved dinosaurs as much as he loved mechanics: there was something about them that fascinated him in a way he could not explain. Their titanic size, their unique designs, and fearsome reputationall of it seemed to captivate his imagination. "Alright!" He hopped out of bed and tip-toed to the hut's living room with Sonic.
Sonic popped the DVD into the player and sat on the couch. Tails snuggled up next to him, his eyes glued to the screen. "Let the show begin, little bro."
-11:00 P.M.-
Tails's eyes were like saucers by the time the credits began to roll. Maybe Sal was right, Sonic thought as he turned off the T.V. "Did you like it, Tails?"
The petrified kitsune managed a nod. "Y-yeah. I liked it."
"Want me to sleep with you tonight?"
Tails shook his head. "I-I'll be fine, th-thanks."
Sonic's brow furrowed in concern. "You sure?"
"Yeah."
Sonic yawned. "Well, suit yourself. I'm going to bed. Goodnight."
"'Night," Tails said quietly as he walked down the hall to his room.
I sure hope he doesn't have any night terrors tonight, Sonic thought.
Out of primeval instinct, Tails dashed down the hallway to his room, flung the door open, closed it as quietly as possible, and then dove under the covers of his bed. Sally was right: that was much too scary for him. The panicked fox could still hear the velociraptors' eerie cacophony of hisses, grunts, and purrs. Oh, how he dreaded that sound now, the half-whispered purr of a predator stalking him, its belly demanding young, tender fleshhis flesh.
And those eyes: those cold, merciless, calculating jade orbs were now etched into his mind. The slitted pupils of darkness seemed to be staring into his soul, like a demon from the bowels of Hell sent to take his soul.
Tails could not sleep: every minute creak of the floorboards, every single tap against the window caused by inattentive insects nearly gave him a heart attack. He stared at the door, wishing that Sonic was there to comfort him, but too scared to get up from the relative safety of his nice, warm bed.
Tails was about to fall asleep when the door opened. He was now trembling with terror, remembering that the raptors were perfectly capable of opening doors. His eyes were fixated on the figure that entered.
"Hey, Tails?" a familiar voice whispered. Tails visibly deflated. It was just Sonic.
"Yeah, Sonic?"
"What's going on?" Sonic turned the lamp on and sat on the bed. "I could hear you whimpering from the other side of the house."
Was I really that loud? Tails thought. "Sorry, bro; I had a bad dream."
Sonic lied down next to Tails on the bed and hugged him. "Don't worry, Tails. Those things aren't coming to get you; God is always watching over you. Besides, those things have been dead for a few thousand years now: you'll never see one around Knothole, that's for sure!"
Tails returned the hug and held it, falling asleep in his brother's protective embrace.
