The power inside me [Silver the Hedgehog FF]

~Chapter 18~

The door was ripped open. In front of it was a completely soaked and trembling Silver, who avoided eye contact with his mother and instead looked at the floor.

"Silver!", The female called out relieved and pulled her son into her arms. Carefully, she hugged the trembling hedgehog and immediately felt how cold he was.

"Come in quickly, you're freezing cold!"

As soon as that was said, Lauren pulled him into the house and closed the door behind her. Silver didn't budge.

---

"I'm so sorry, Silver. If only I had known ..." Lauren sat down next to her son on the couch and gently stroked his head. The hedgehog looked up in surprise.

"What...? What do you mean?" He asked in a hoarse voice, that only came from staying out in the cold for so long.

"Silver... you're being bullied? Is that correct?"

"U-uh ... what? N-n-no, of course not! How did you come up with that?!" Silver stared at his mother in disbelief. How did she know? He had never said a word about it. How could she know that now?

"Shadow told me."

The hedgehog sighed. Of course it was one of his friends. It was clear to him that they, and especially Shadow, would not keep quiet for long. Deep down, Silver was grateful to him, because he knew that he would never have dared tell his parents.

"Silver...is that right?" Lauren repeated, this time a little louder, whereupon the younger one just nodded.

The cat gave her son a pitying look before sliding up to him and putting an arm around him. "Why, didn't you tell us about it?" She asked, dismayed.

Silver was silent. He buried his face in the blanket, he was wrapped in, and remained in that position. He didn't move either when Charlene sat down next to him.

"Silvy..." she whispered, but once again there was no reaction.

"You were scared, weren't you?"

Nothing.

"Is that why you're acting so strange? Are you scared? Is the bullying getting worse?"

Silver was silent, but a war was going on inside his head. Should he just lie and say, that the bullying was actually the cause of his strange behavior?

However...his family would notice if he continued to avoid them. No, lying wasn't the answer here. He had to come out with the truth, even if it meant that his family might not accept him anymore.

He just couldn't hold it in anymore. His heart ached from all the lies he'd told. They stressed him so much, that he had the feeling it would burst if he continued.

"Silver, you have to talk to us. It burdens you- .."

"It's not about the bullying!" Silver suddenly shouted and snuggled deeper into the warm blanket.

He couldn't hold it in anymore. Tears glistened visibly in his eyes.

"Don't cry, Silvy!" Charlene cried, startled when she saw the tears and put her arms around the younger boy. Silver snuggled up, crying against his big sister. He buried his face in her shoulder.

"Shh it's okay..." she whispered and slowly stroked her brother's back.

---

"Are you feeling better now?" Whispered the cat, as the sobs gradually ceased and a weeping gray hedgehog turned in her grip.

"Y-yes..." Silver replied and wiped his wet eyes with his sleeve. "I-I'm okay..."

That's when Charlene remembered what her brother had said, before he burst into tears. Quietly, without scaring him, she asked again.