My Broken Family
Chapter 1: Black and White
Hi there, my name is Matt, Matt Barson. Right now I'm (small laugh) kind of indisposed of, can't really be there to meet you in person. But I just thought maybe if you had a moment of free time, you'd maybe……maybe like to hear my story. I must warn you it's not real pretty and it's got some rough parts, but……you might find it to be quite enlightening. I hope you all enjoy my story, the story of how a drunken old fool got to be lucky.
More Luckier then even the richest man in the world can ever imagine. We begin on a strange world……far, far away……in a place unlike any other…
The blue skies shine breathlessly beautiful white clouds along the horizon. Luscious green trees and plants breathe in the fresh clean air, free of oil and smoke choking off of fowl chunks of melted machinery. It had been so very long since the lush green planet of Mobius had been freed from the mechanical tyranny of Dr. Robotnik. So many souls had become enslaved to this mad man's robotic armies, forced to mechanize every living creature.
But after more then 10 long, hard years, the valiant Freedom Fighters lead by Princess Sally Acorn and Sonic the hedgehog, the evil of Dr. Robotnik was finally over. The time for war was over and the time to heal has begun. A blue blur suddenly screamed across the grassy plains, blades of grass were shredded into the air by the force of the super sonic blur. Blue quills, red sneakers, and a sparkling smile flashed on that super speeding blue blur.
"Sonic the hedgehog you wait up right this INSTANT" a female voice shouted.
Screeching red shoes suddenly reached a sizzling stop, Sonic blinked his green eyes as a panting Sally Acorn came into view. The beautiful squirrel princess was beyond the definition of physical attraction. Baby blue eyes, luscious dark red hair, a blue vest, blue boots, and a face that could charm the coldest of hearts.
"It's about time" Sally panted softly.
Sonic chuckled "Awe come on Sal, we came up here to relax, sit back, and have fun, why go and spoil mine huh?".
Sally sighed "Running after YOU of all people just to get you to sit down and relax is not what I call fun".
Indeed, Sonic and Sally had decided to take a much long needed break from battling, royal duties, and bot bashing for a little R&R. King and Queen Acorn ran Knothole while their daughter relaxed with her future husband.
Sally smiled as she finally laid out the plaid blanket, watching Sonic's speedy white gloves dish out the food for their picnic.
"This was a way past cool idea Sal, I can't remember the last time I was able to actually sit back and just chill" Sonic said.
The kingdom of Knothole was being expanded now with Robotropolis vaporized thanks to Robotnik's nuclear factories.
Sally smiled "I agree Sonic, plus for once we finally get some privacy.
After all, a girl's gotta get along with her husband sooner or later".
A sweet soft kiss was planted on Sonic's bare cheek; he blushed and chuckled a bit. Just a few weeks ago the King and Queen approved of Sonic's proposal to marry Sally and one day become King of Knothole. Sonic's mouth suddenly drooled at the sight of fresh, spicy, delicious looking.
Sonic grinned "Chili dogs MMM".
The beautiful princess sighed as Sonic stuffed his mouth full of chili sauce.
"Always the romantic eh Sonic?" Sally said.
She watched Sonic gulped down the half munched bun into his mouth.
Sonic smirked "Can't argue with hunger pains. But seriously Sal, I really meant what I said about marrying you. We've been best buds since we were running around saving the day in our diapers. I spent my whole life fighting to stop Robotnik".
Sally sighed a bit "Oh don't remind me Sonic, that bastard's taken too much of our lives away. So much time has been lost, so much pain and suffering, that's why I wanted to have this picnic with you Sonic. I just want to enjoy these little things, these little moments that we never could do or enjoy during the war. Thank you Sonic, thank you so".
Sally stopped half way; Sonic was wiggling his white gloved finger in his ear.
"Huh? You say something Sal?" Sonic asked.
Sally shoved her face right into Sonic's replying "Just kiss Sonic, kiss me".
The princess and speedy hedgehog suddenly locked lips before they could even let a touch of air slip from their lips. Sweet passionate kissing locked the beautiful Sally, and the quick witted Sonic into a lover's entanglement of love, trust, and heavenly bliss. Rosy blushes filtered on Sally's brown cheeks and Sonic's face their hearts beating at super sonic unison.
"HEY SONIC, SALLY" a voice called out, the 2 lovers gulped and broke apart.
The rest of Sonic's Freedom Fighting friends were waving as they quickly approached the picnic site. Tails, Bunnie, Rotor, and even Antoine sat down circling Sonic and Sally admits the picnic blanket.
"Y'all didn't think you could get together and forget about old us now did ya sugar hog?" Bunnie asked.
The lovely rabbit cyborg said with a sweet smile on her young face, her southern accent thick with sweetness in her cowgirl like appearance.
Tails landed from his twin tail hovering, licking his chops at the bounty of sandwiches before his young fox eyes.
"Mmmm PB and J, my favorite" Tails exclaimed.
The purple walrus Rotor sat down beside Sonic blinking behind his glasses.
Rotor smiled "Sorry to run in you like this old buddy. But we figured a reunion was in order I mean after all, were finally free of old Robuttnik".
Sonic pleasantly laughed "No problemo guys, come on and dig in buds".
Meanwhile as the fearless Freedom Fighters indulge in a long deserved vacation from battling robots, mad machines, and techno tyrants, off somewhere else in another dimension, life was not so good. In fact, life was dreadful, miserable, and down right unpleasant. Dark seedy shadows flicker under the dim, dull light of a poorly lit warehouse. Inside that warehouse a man groans as he stresses his aching muscles to life a massive sized crate.
Tattered strands of black cloth hang loosely over the man's raggedy black coat, the coat seemed to be degrading more and more as time passed. Sweat dribbled off the black arches of the man's ruffled and dirtied hair. The clicking tick tock of a clock banged heavily into the man's brain, quitting time was finally here, 9 PM. Ripped and torn shoes clicked along the floor, held tightly together by strands of black electric tape. This was Matt Barson.
Matt worked hours on end at a local sweatshop warehouse, lugging, carrying, and stacking crates of countless contents into shipping trucks, luggage carts, and storage facilities. Hours were long and heavy, the pay was just enough to pay his bills at home. Funny thing is Matt thought to himself, he had shown up every day on time, worked the toughest jobs, and still was paid like a mouse getting crumbs from day old cheese. It was exhausting.
The greasy barely shaved chin of Matt's boss Larry Lamario, he squeezed his ugly head into view with those beady dull green eyes and black hair. Lamario had short stringy strands of black hair kept in a slick, sloppy image of mixed grease and hair gel. Matt groaned as he walked his sore old legs over to Lamario for his "paycheck" if one would call it that.
"All 36 crates loaded and shipped (pant) sir, I hope I did a good job" Matt said to Lamario.
The ignorantly rude Italian looking man simply rolled his eyes and slapped the paycheck into Matt's hand.
Lamario grunted "Just take the money and get the hell out".
Matt gulped and winced, feeling his hand ache as the check was slapped in. All the days he'd been working here, his body has gotten weaker and weaker. Slowly Matt started to head on out, worn old grey pants following his weak leg movements as he examined the check.
"Um sir?" Matt said.
Lamario groaned, wiping the irritated grease and grime from his already frustrated and flustered face.
"Something's wrong, it looks like 8 percent of my check has been removed" Matt said.
The manager angrily turned to his lowly employee and snorted "There's nothing wrong, I simply penalized you for slacking off".
Matt gasped with bewildered anger at such a statement, "WHAT? What slacking off? I busted my ass working those dam crates. I only took one break; I started here at 9 am for Christ's sake".
Lamario screamed "Shut the hell up you low life son of a bitch, yesterday you got 48 crates up and out the dam door, today it was 36, get the picture? You're lucky I didn't take the pay out of your own hide".
Suddenly all the aching pain was replaced by boundless rage, Matt walked right up to confront his black hearted boss.
"That tears it you UGH" Matt cried out.
The powerful smashing of Lamario's knuckles jamming into Matt's jaw bone easily silenced the man. The 30 year old man dropped to the ground with a screaming cry of pain echoing from his bleeding lips. A thick boot crashed onto Matt's check and ground the paper into tiny bits under its heel.
Lamario frowned "Who gave you permission to even look at me you piece of shit? HUH? My business, my job, my work, I do what I WANT get it? Is this sinking in yet you drunken heap of trash? I must have been out of my mind to help a stupid ass, loser like you. You're a no body, a washed up piece of trash, you got no talents, no skills, no life, and now no job, YOUR FIRED! Now take your sorry ass back to the gutter where it belongs".
Fired, well it's not like it's nothing new to poor old Matt. Ever since he learned how to walk he's been learning the meaning of pain all too well. Preschool, junior high, High school, even college before he flunked out, all filled with painful memories of teasing, humiliation, and physical abuse. Climbing into his rusty green colored ford Contour, Matt sighed as he slowly started the coughing engine into a wheezing start. Matt drove home.
How many times he wondered? How many more times must god keep punishing him for existing? How long will it be before this endless cycle of torture and torment must Matt endure? The man's suffered so much grief he's starting to wonder if perhaps……perhaps god made a mistake giving him life. The lowly road home was lined with darkness coated runaways, street lamps blinking on and off, and a highway that lead to nothingness.
"MM this is SO good, man Sonic your uncle really does make the best chili dogs" Tail said cheerfully wiping chili sauce from his furry chin.
But Tails true blue buddy however was a bit preoccupied with something else. Beautiful blue eyes of Sally Acorn blinked at Sonic.
Sally asked "Sonic? Hello Mobius to Sonic……what's the matter?".
Small chunks of half munched wet bread dripped from Sonic's opening lips, green eyes reflecting a hole in the sky.
Rotor gasped "Holy schnikes! That looks like a transdimensional poly matrix super solarium worm hole tear in the fabric of time and space".
Sonic sweat dropped "Say what?".
Sally replied "A really big hole to another dimension".
Indeed swirling from the once true blue Mobian sky was a circling cyclone of aqua green. Like a tornado slowly taking shape and shattering through the ground below it, the vortex was heading for Sonic. Bunnie cried out as she barely was able to hold onto her southern belle leather hat, screaming high winds shrieked all around the Freedom Fighters.
"Whoa Nelly! That old girl is spinning faster then a sister twister during a Kansas corn catching contest" Bunnie shouted. Tree branches suddenly snapped off from the hurricane winds, thunder bolts infused their energy into the cyclone.
Immediately Sonic commanded "Everyone, get out NOW".
Not even wanting to think of what might happen if that titan sized tornado got near them, Sonic and his friends quickly started to evacuate. Storm clouds were rapidly sucked into the dark, demonic growing energy cyclone. The speedy blue hedgehog faced his friends with a stern face and a firmer voice.
Sonic said "I got my speed but Tails, you and Bunnie need to use your flying. Pick up Sally and Rotor and fly them out of here as fast as you possibly can. I'll follow you guys on foot, got it?".
Everyone nodded and quickly got into position, Rotor gulped a bit nervously feeling Bunnie's mechanical arm wrap around his purple bulky body. Rotor gulped "Just go easy in the air Bunnie, I get air sick easy".
The sweet hearted bionic Bunnie laughed "Don't worry bout nothing sugar, I'll be gentle as a new born lamb".
Tails twirling twin tails started to hover the fox upwards, arms cupped under Sally's armpits. Red shoes started off the super speedy dash of Sonic the hedgehog, his body becoming a super sonic blur in mere seconds. Both Tails and Bunnie had taken flight, Sally and Rotor being hauled up into the stormy skies as well. SHRAKKABOOM! Tails and Bunnie screamed as they were both struck by a massively large bolt of lighting.
Electricity easily short circuited Bunnie's mechanical body parts, causing both her and Rotor to drop like pile of rocks. Sally quickly flipped her blue boots into action and performed an air dive. Tails groaned as he dropped to the ground, fox fur totally fried and burnt a crispy shade of black.
"HEY guys what's the HUGH OW……hold up" Sonic groaned, face slammed directly into a chunk of churned rock.
Somehow a large tremor had unearthed a powerful chunk of the ground in front of Sonic's path. The hedgehog groaned, peeling himself off the chunk.
Now the Freedom Fighters were stranded with no way out from the deadly energy vortex. Frantically Rotor adjusted his glasses, yellow cap fluttering wildly in the high screaming winds.
Rotor gulped, "B-b-b-but that's impossible. Even a storm of such unnatural creation and full of such unstable energy, can't cause weather patterns to change the same time we try to escape. I mean, it's almost like something doesn't want us to leave".
Wiping his face clean of dirt specks, pebbles, and blades of grass, the speedy Sonic refused to give up.
"Yeah well no second rate storm is gonna hog tie this hedgehog down, SUPER SPEED" Sonic said.
Sonic leapt off his red sneakers, using his speed to perform a super sonic, air born dash. ZAP! A second powerful blast of super charged electricity sliced into a tree, blasting off the tree's largest branch and hurling it right into Sonic. Sonic felt the colossal chunk of wood slamming into his gut and crashing him down back with the rest of the frightened Freedom Fighters.
Sally quickly came to Sonic's aid, "Oh god Sonic are you all right? Sonic please tell me are you okay?".
Groaning Sonic coughed and replied an annoyed response, "Ow".
The green energy cyclone suddenly struck them. The furry friends closed their eyes and screamed, screamed for the final end.
To be continued……