The night sky was alight with twinkling stars and wispy clouds, the actors against a dark sea blue backdrop. I was shouting into the trees. "Winona! Winona!" The damn dog had ran in and hadn't come back, she was loyal as anything, for her not to come out was odd. "Winona! Winona!" I shouted in again, nothing came in response.
I never would of went in without a lantern or candle but the dog was either in trouble or being plain stupid, so I did. I walked into the forest.
"Winona, where are you?" I blindly shouted into the darkness, hoping for anything to follow on. No response, I walked on.
"Winona, please!" I blindly shouted into the dark again, again hoping but less. No response, I walked on.
"Winona! Winona! Come on!" I shouted to the dark again, I hoped less as, again, no response, I walked on.
Then a crunch, not like one of a paw, claw or hoof; it was like stone being placed on a pile of leaves.
"Hello?" I called to where the noise had came from; the darkness. No response, I took a small step towards the noise.
"Hello? Somepony?" I called to the darkness again; to where the crunch had come from. A slight breeze was the response I got, so I took a bigger step forward.
"Hello? Anypony?" I bawled into the dark for a third time. A slightly larger breeze was the reply I got from the darkness, so I took another step forward. As I did, I came upon a clearing, the moon's light shone off of something as if trying to blind me. When I walked into the clearing, I saw it was a marble headstone as new as the morning dew.
In respect, I took of my stetson and rested it against my chest. I bent down to read the name out of honor for the dead. Over the tombstone, it read;
Hello AJ, long time, no see.
I recoiled, shut my eyes and shook my head. No, impossible. I told myself, opening my eyes again. The headstone was gone.
Though the tombstone was gone, the words left me unsettled and scared. The carving was shaky but apart from that it was perfect, almost new by the look of it but I kept walking on, shaking while I did. Long time, no see? Long time, no see? What does it mean? I've seen everyone I know in the span of a week, just about.
A bark came from somewhere in the woods, echoing through the black. It removed all thoughts of the tombstone from my mind and replaced it with thoughts of the good times with Winona, so I ran. I ran as fast as I possibly could, right towards where I thought the noise came from.
But then I stopped again, there in front of me was another clearing, almost exactly like the one early. I walked into it, there was the tombstone.
Then some thing took over my body, it made me remove my stetson and rest it against my chest, against my will and bend down to read the tombstone. I tried not to read it but it was different this time, so out of curiosity I read it;
Stop running, you know it's hopeless to get away from me.
Suddenly, I got control again, I took a step back and kicked the tombstone down. Jumping over it, I ran on, guessing where the bark came from. Stop running, you know it's hopeless to get away the words bounced around my mind and thoughts. I shook my head while I ran, trying to rattle the thoughts from my mind, a failed attempt.
I ran on, jumped over tree root after tree root. Bush after bush, fallen tree after fallen tree. I kept going, kept sprinting. I jumped more obstacles, abandoned cart after abandoned cart. I didn't bother to check them, they were so rickety, they would collapse at any weight, they were always there anyway, some were even from before Ponyville.
Another bark echoed through the trees, from a different direction. I turned to my right and continued to sprint as fast as possible.
Then another clearing, another damn clearing! It was as if it was moving in front of my beloved pet. Again, something took over my body. My actions not my own, I walked into the clearing, took off my stetson and rested it on my chest, bent down and read the tombstone;
Don't make me turn off your little light.
In the marble of the tombstone, a crude arrow pointed to the moon.
I got my life back and tried to shake off the little threat as impossible but in the back of my mind, something was yelling, screaming at the loudest it could possibly go; it's real! It can turn out the moon! If it can make tombstones appear it can make the moon go out!
I tried to shake these thoughts from my head but couldn't. it's real! It can turn out the moon! If it can make tombstones appear it can make the moon go out!
But I kept running, running towards my Winona, my beloved dog.
But immediately, another clearing. Another tombstone, another set of actions. Off with my stetson, it was put on my chest, I bend down and read the tombstone;
Say 'goodbye' to your little light.
"Uh?" They were the only words, if words, I could manage before the trees' branches grew and leaves shifted, creating a shield from the moonlight.
Like promised, it took away my little light.
unlike promised, I kept running, I didn't care if it said it was pointless, I kept running, running as quick as possible. Winona barked again, I focused, trying to figure out where the noise came from. It was right in front of me, right in front of me. I got tackled and a friendly lick on the face.
"Winona!" I said, hugging my dog. "Winona!" I said, letting a single tear out of my eye lid. I pushed her off and came in for another hug. I had my eyes closed but I wish I never opened them, as when I did, over my dog's shoulder. There was another gravestone, it read;
Say goodbye to your little family.
