She woke up at the foot of a live oak tree. It was arguably the biggest tree in the forest, its massive trunk at least six feet around, its leaves forming a translucent canopy that made it nearly impossible for anything to grow around it. Yet here she was, lying on a soft bed of moss.
Her first desire was to know where she was. She looked around, trying to make sense of her surroundings. But the more she looked, the more lost she became. Her breath quickened, and as she began to panic she felt like an invisible hand was pressing on her chest.
Calm down, she thought to herself. She closed her eyes and made a conscious effort to slow her breathing. Slowly her heart began to slow down and her breathing steadied. Finally she opened her eyes again. With her panic gone, she began to realize just how hungry and thirsty she was. Picking herself up, she tried to remember how long it had been since she had last eaten.
She found a path from the small clearing and walked down it, looking back every so often so she wouldn't forget where she was. As luck would have it, her path led straight to a stream. A small pool of water was off to the side, and she kneeled down to drink. As she did, she caught her reflection in the water.
She was a hedgehog with wild grey quills that went in almost every direction. The fur on most of her body was a dark grey, and her chest and muzzle were a lighter grey. Even her eyes were devoid of color, choosing a grey somewhere in the middle.
"So that's what I look like," she said softly. Immediately she put her hand over her mouth, amazed at hearing the quiet sound of her own voice. Next, she reached down slowly and touched her reflection.
The cool feeling of the water surprised her, and she reflexively snapped her hand back. The resulting ripples destroyed her reflection, and she turned her attention to the water. Slowly, unsure of herself, she put her hand into the water. Since this stream was fed by a spring, its water was icy cold and fresh. She played around for a little while with just her hand in the water, excited at this new feeling she had discovered.
In all her splashing, a few drops chanced to land on her face. She decided she liked it and reached both hands into the water to splash more onto her. As it covered her head, she remembered her original purpose: she was thirsty. Quickly she cupped her hands and lifted the cool water to her muzzle. She sighed in content as she felt the fresh water slide down her dry throat. The feeling was almost addicting, and suddenly she couldn't drink fast enough to satisfy herself.
When she had drunk her fill, she got up to go back to her tree. But as she took one last look at the stream, she stopped. Slowly she walked toward the stream, waiting with pure excitement for the moment her toes touched the water. When they did, she shivered slightly, but kept on going, wading until she reached the stream's deepest point where the water was up to her ankles, letting the it flow over her bare feet. Still awed by this new feeling, she sat down in the middle of the stream and finally lay down completely on her back.
She laughed out loud and closed her eyes, not bothering to think or to survive. She was simply alive, and that was more than enough for her. She didn't fall asleep, but she let the flowing water dull her senses and lull her into a sort of trance. She couldn't feel anything except the water and the smooth stones on the stream bed. She couldn't hear anything except the gentle babble of the water flowing over the rocks. She could smell the fresh air of the forest and almost taste the water around her. This was all she needed.
- - -
Sonic was, to put it simply, worried. It was just not like Sally to stand someone up, especially when it was lunch with her boyfriend.