Sonic.EX3 Chapter 2

It's still impossible. I almost died because I was too busy focusing on a game I shouldn't even be playing. Yet this game keeps making me try to play it again and again. I can't even move the character on the screen for the life of me. At least it's better than ending up instantly dead like the others.

Yet I think this game … actually tried to save me? That's crazy. Yet I'm still standing here because that game caused me to stop in my tracks with one loud noise. This doesn't make sense for a game meant to KILL people to actually save my life. Maybe this is some sort of different game from the rumors. The rumors from what the cultists of that Sonic.EXE game was something different. 'Sonic.EXE was a computer game.' If it was a computer game then why is there a Sega Game Gear of it?

I can't ask more questions than this while I'm looking up information on the internet. Lucky for me – information is always available so readily. That and people don't stop gossiping about big events like Sonic.EXE. I've ended up studying enough to learn that each victim was found with the same descriptions. Mouth agape – eyes glazed or empty looking – Brain functions brought down to near zero …

This was, honestly, creepily detailed. Guess some things really AREN'T secretive on the internet... I think this was enough for me to work with for now though. I can only give quiet pause at what was going on with me to begin with. First, there were murders happening under the connection of Sonic.EXE. Second, there was that group of Sonic.EXE worshipers wanting to spread word about it. Finally, I end up with a cursed Sega Game Gear with the cartridge game Sonic.EX3.

At first I thought it was bad writing when it popped up out of nowhere. Then I thought it was going to kill me if I played it. Now I'm not so sure. The thing was playing itself and it was using my movements as part of it. But why Charmy? I can't imagine any reason that my depiction would be the bumbling bee sidekick.

Yet the one thing that catches my eye was the screen on the Hand-Held as it flashes. I hurry to grab at it, worrying if it might signal my demise yet, only to see it was flashing in a given direction on the screen. The direction on the screen seemed to change its course whenever I moved it around. I manage to single out the direction being … oh god.

From where it's flashing, it's pointing at Kyle's home abode next door. To be honest, I REALLY wish it was pointing somewhere else than there. I really didn't want to end up having to go there just to run into something worse. But this game wouldn't shut up unless I did. God it's worse than a nagging Navi.

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It took me about an hour to muster up the courage for this. When I did, I went up to the family's front door to knock away at it a bit. I manage to get by saying I was one of Kyle's friends wanting to pick up a game. Problem was the mother looking quite dead where she stood. Considering she lost her one and only son 3 to 4 months ago … I can't blame her. I'd probably break down myself if – Oohhhh no I am NOT making the same mistake again saying 'if it happened to me'. Saying that last time got me stuck with a haunted Sega System.

But I think she must've been too distraught over his death to really think hard on that excuse I used. No sign of his dad either – if he has one – to speak of. But I might consider myself lucky somehow for this predicament. All I know is that I had to check out that room. I walked along each step; My feet felt the floorboards creak underneath me. The door to Kyle's room was right there in front of me to enter. My hand quivered as I lifted it to the knob on the door. Just one small turn and I'd be inside as a first step to solving this insanity.

I pull my hand away slightly, slowly, as I take a step back. I couldn't risk even taking a breath at this point. However, I took a look at my Game Gear to see Charmy standing in front of a cavern like background. The silent white noise of wind in the game system echoing with a foreboding sense of danger. But much as I didn't want to go in … I had to.

My hand reached to the knob in grasping it – turning it – and I entered the room.

The room itself was quite sparse for a kid my age who played video games. Then again, his mother must have given away his things to try and get over her son's passing. Though I do still see the broken computer that was left behind. Must have been the only thing the police wouldn't let her get rid of. Considering it's evidence, I'm rather confused why it was still here in this room.

I didn't have much time to ask myself more questions at the moment. I took a gaze to the Game Gear in hand to notice the scenery represented a dank tomb like cavern. There were small white etchings in pixels on the walls around it. But the one etching that was red pointed to a strange gem at an altar.

I took a look at the computer again. I couldn't believe it but I had to try. I went over to the broken screen, tapping it here and there. I then try to look at where the CD slot was to see if I can pull anything out. Sadly, I don't think there might be anything inside. The police might have already taken the CD inside of it. But then I notice that something was still there.

The game made a flashing motion to get my attention. I pulled the Game Gear up to look on at the screen again. The screen started to glow as I held it up towards the computer. I could see Charmy reaching to the gem, rubbing at it, and grabbing what was there before the glow faded. When I looked up to the computer, I almost fell back in shock.

The computer had vanished.

It was then that the room felt as bare as I would've expected. The bed barely used, the walls still bare, and the computer was the only thing that kept this room decorated. Now that the computer vanished, there wasn't anything left to relate to Kyle. The game seemed to act normal from here, following my movements as I head out of the room and down the stairs.

I thank his mother for letting me check out his room and computer. But the look on her face was of confusion. I tried to explain again why I was here … but what she said after that was what gave me goosebumps.

'That can't be right... the police confiscated everything at the time of investigation last year …'

I started to go slightly pale at that. All of it confiscated? Even the computer I thought I saw?

But then … what was it that I was looking at to begin with?

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I manage to get back home and spend a few days away from playing that god damn game. I've been worrying about falling behind in my academics and I managed to keep up. With how exhausting everything has been, I was able to finish write-up on some homework for the day. Though there were times where that damn Game Gear appeared on me in my backpack at school giving off its noises. Though it seems to only do so whenever something similar to a Badnik comes around in the screen. When it did, I got adjusted to comparing in game movements to real life movements.

Again … this game didn't end up killing me yet or getting me killed. I can't get rid of it – no matter what I try – so I was forced to keep it around me at times. Much to my dismay, some of my friends ended up getting curious. One of them, Rick, nabbed at it once before I had to yank it back. A female friend, Annie, slapped it out of my hand once at the lunch room. She's always been the attention grabbing type but she didn't have to hit so hard …

It was then that I saw the games graphics slightly change. Instead of small animals, I ended up noticing two new characters. One of them was Amy rose. The other looked like Ray the Squirrel.

Can't say that wasn't a surprise. But I'm stuck wondering what these characters represent. There was a menu that appeared later as it highlights itself. I take a moment to fiddle with the controls until I saw that I could actually interact. I take a moment to see the character select screen; thus showing three characters available. I had to sate this stupid curiosity somehow...

When I selected Amy rose, I saw she was in a backdrop similar to a blend of scrap brain and casino zone. The makeshift backdrop sprites looking like a room or something as she moved about.

The other character, Ray, looked like he was in the greenhill zone with a leafy wood background blend. He was hiking through the woods by himself; obviously I can't control either of these characters. But I started to make another connection.

These characters weren't part of this game before. They suddenly appeared when Rick and Annie touched the game itself.

I felt my heart sink only slightly, but pull myself together when I compare this to what's happened before. This game ended up watching and reading my movements. Then it depicted them through charmy. Was the game telling me that Annie and Rick are going to be involved somehow?

That's impossible is all I thought. Yet what was happening so far wasn't impossible to believe anymore. I had to test something out when I went back to amy rose's character. I then look in my cell phone for Annie's number. When the character on the screen moved to the right, it made a posture like she had picked something up to her ear.

At that time, Annie picked up her phone. I started in some conversation with her.

???: “Annie? You there?”

Annie: “Huh? What're you calling for? I was busy fixing up my room.”

???: “Just wondering. You mind moving to the left a bit?”

Annie: “what?”

???: “Just asking.”

Annie: “... are you okay? This is just really weird to ask.”

???: “Sorry. Just... Just humor me if you can.”

Annie: “...”

Obviously the character of Amy on the screen started to tap her foot with the idle animation showing annoyance. But she ended up moving to the left.

Annie: “there. So... was there something about this?”

The conversation was rather quiet as I stare at the screen with Amy's movements. Her sprite animations emulating Annie's mindset quite surprisingly...

Annie: “Hello?”

???: “Sorry I gotta go!”

After hanging up, I notice the sprite animation of Amy looking quite put off before marching off to the left off screen. I took that as a sign to switch to Rick and test again...

Rick was easier to work with when I tried this on him. I switch to Ray to notice him still out at the woodland greenhill area. If I had a hunch … I'd compare this to the park at the south of here in town.

Obviously, the Ray animation took pause with a ringing noise akin to a beeper. The character sprite doing an idle animation of confusion before Rick answered.

Rick: “Hey what's going on?”

???: “Hey rick... just checking up on you a bit. I'm still working on my algebra right now.”

Rick: “Eh I hear ya. Can't seem to keep my mind on homework so I took a walk.”

???: “You're at constable park right?”

Rick: “Huh?”

The animation on Ray made a surprise look before facing right.

Rick: “...Hey bro are you spying on me?”

I had to hang up then and there as the Ray animation made the same shocked expression. His sprite ended up going around as if checking out the background before it made another idle animation.

My phone ringing was enough to make me shiver as I drop the game and phone at the same time.

...Things just got seriously worse …