Bridges

Bridges

The Seventh Bridge

Octavia woke up.

She opened her eyes slowly, letting the soft rays of the morning sun warm her up. Ad altare Celestiae! Rise and shine! Chop chop! Oh, but she was warm already. Because she had Vinyl. The cellist buried her nose in her mare's chest, soft, warm, cotton...

Octavia's eyes snapped wide open. For a few seconds, she stared dumbly at the blanket that was still carrying her marefriend's - not yet! - scent and heat. For a moment, a thick, greasely fear commander her. Vinyl wasn't there! She wasn't with her! She left! Why? But then she calmed herself. Vinyl was probably in the bathroom. Or something. Maybe she had gone off to the store to buy groceries? Or some sex-shop attire.

Giggling to herself, Octavia got up and walked to the kitchen, past the bookshelves that held so many books - she'd never taken Vinyl for a reading type. No. No, actually, she had. And she did. The cellist took a book. The Potrait of the Artist As a Young Colt. Octavia nodded and took another book. Finneighans Wake. Yes, apparently, Vinyl was a fan of modernist literature. The cellist took yet another book. Doctor Whooves and the Virgin Licker. The grey mare blushed. And a fan of clopfiction, apparently. Octavia lingered for a moment, book in hoof, but decided to take it with her for... scientific purposes.

She walked past the music room, warm memories filling her up from the inside. Memories. Yesterday - and it was already a memory. A thousand memories is all I take with me. I need no other luggage to take with me. Nanana. The steaming in the air is a screaming dream of yesterday. Nanananana. Psh. Psh.

Octavia entered the little kitchen and, humming and dancing on her hooves, took a mug. The rays of the morning sun graced her with their bright, radiant warmth and she smiled, basking in the glory of the celestial body. The cellist placed a spoonful of coffee in the white, clean mug - Vinyl did not have a coffee machine; they'd have to invest in one... Wait. She... They weren't living together. Octavia's face faded. If anything, they weren't even officially dating. She had to ask Vinyl out. Or, maybe... Maybe Vinyl has gone off to buy some flowers and... ask me out?

The cellist smiled warmly as she poured hot water into the mug, putting the steaming coffee on the table. Suddenly, she saw a piece of paper on the table. A note. From... Vinyl? Octavia froze. No, no, of course not. Vinyl just wrote her something... "I'll be back", maybe? Or something of the kind? The cellist took a scared, anxious look.

I love you, Octavia.

Octavia sighed in content. She took the paper and kissed it, pressing it close to heart. Vinyl said it. Well, technically, she wrote it, but... Octavia turned the paper. Her face faded. No. No, of course not. No, a stupid joke. Very, very stupid. Vinyl was up for some serious spanking. This... this was an act. Vinyl was a good actress and-

No. Vinyl was a bad actress. A good actress would've left an elaborate, powerful note. Or no note at all. But this... This... This... This. This was no act. But... NO!

For a moment, Octavia saw herself, running out, jostling through the busy street. She blinked. Vinyl! She rushed off, the note falling onto the table:

Today, I'm going to issue a death penalty to Vinyl Scratch, for the crimes she's committed against herself.

~Vinyl

***

Vinyl walked down the street.

Her knees were weak and her legs moved only on this automatic motion that kept her moving. That keeps all of us moving. Cigarette after cigarette, her pack was empty, and she could only regret not having a bottle. Or something to eat: her stomach and guts were retching. And leaving Octavia. Yes, also that. So much that.

Vinyl walked past the grimy pavements and the pristine windows, the red-brick houses and the glossy skyscrapers, the well-dressed, slutty businessmares and honest, suffering travellers because we all travel somewhere, no?, and the dust bins - drop the pack there we don't want litter in the street right - and past the lampposts and on towards the morning sun. To the bridge.

Remembrance? Where was it? Where was life rushing through her head, before her eyes as a sign of inner transcendence that we all hold or, maybe, held as foals but then were ripped off of it, it had to be there right now she was afraid it wouldn't happen but then how could she die without it could she even? She needed to do it now, think think think not the usual thoughts but no no not yet at least just remember not think wrong word mistake remember.

The karate suit the nightmare night costume the books the bed her mother reading them her father he left right eh right thats all she can say because so insignificant there was no promise or was there it doesnt even belong here like a needy needless second layer sleeping with them calming her down when nightmares the door leaving the lifts were so huge it seemed they led to the outside so big so unwavering she didnt even know what that means the kindergarten she ran away they took her away yes she was happy the arguments the breakup what goes with it the symphony the concert hall many many of them ballet she fell asleep right with her father her head leaning on his shoulder school two different schools she had to move the fear of the sheep jumping through the door two of them book of celestia the fat no not scary the skinny ones are the scary they eat the fat ones she was so scared and then it was holy but no the green elephant toy the one she didnt remember they told her about it and dogs woo wo o wo w wo wo wo wo w wwwoowooof like that it bit her scary and the needles the shivering no high school yes he asked her out they kissed they dated it wasnt the same because she knew all the time but its only for adults but heeey if adults thats cool she was an adult no no remember college and uni dropping out spinning disks the memories becoming muddled replaced wholesale-

neon the friend from the sandbox she hit him with a little plastic shovel just like the real deal hehe playing with them and harpo joined later hehe they always elseways elsewhere always were the two of them were yes say yes yet yes the two of them were closer they were friends and she was with the two of them as support maybe the sane in the insanity but what was she now no thats not remembrance but how could she remember what remember how she played doctor with neon sweet celestia he had a fucking long dick so what they knew they both knew all of them knew the three of them and brain moving moving mo- to the pas- pre- how could she remember when-

that mid-night midnight feeling when you havent slept for a while and you like want to sleep but you dont and then this sugar this rush this fountain what do they call it avalanche no thats not the word its a fall a freefall a waterfall a sugarfall you want to laugh suddenly and happy no just want to laugh and smile and you smile because you know everything because you havent slept because insomnia real insomnia not the disease but the religion this religion building a church the steeple the stable stability its a gift of endless mind the black book the garant of power hehe im smiling look how im smiling right now grinning because i know what im gonna do yes yes i know what im doing hehehehe thats crazy im crazy or was that insane i know that now to just get to bridge octavia wont understand but i spent the night with her of course shell remember that and maybe this terrible horrible thought since you cant be mine youll be noponys and nopony will ever touch you of course they will and you will because sanity is hard and you have to keep up going and maybe moving on no no moving on just living your life building those relationships ah but theyre never gonna touch you like i did like i do no no did use the past tense be a good filly like going to school the filly no no filly now im gonna end this all so no thoughts now please these arent thoughts right i gotta keep telling myself that hehe its all gonna end as an act a statement what hehe an act like an actress my dream your dream her dream hehe every dream everlasting like make a huge statement right thats right but octavia wont be there to see me i know i want her to why why i am hoping for that yes right hope is good you gotta have hope but things like that how can you take your own life well see too broken to even have thoughts no no thats of course not thats not the reasons thoughts still remain hehe but they wont because im gonna end this like a madpony yes hehe why am i doing this no no stop hehe turn back hehe im not really gonna do this no no no stop im not possessed right not no no theres no possession no cases no cheese hehe im doing it myself but why because theres no other vinyl sure but theres much more inside this vinyl yes like the prosecutor ill shoot him so hard hell get his death penalty and she she she she she she she she she she she she she she she she she will LEAVE ME ALONE.

The bridge.

(The bridge on Green Dolphin Street. Ponies are roaming about the place. Cabs are passing by lazily. Vinyl Scratch is standing at the edge of the bridge, staring down at the ferocious water. Some passers-by are standing near and looking at the attraction.)

The preacher:

Rejoice!

Passer-by #1 (pointing at Vinyl Scratch):

She's gonna jump!

Passer-by #2:

She's gonna die! It's too high!

The preacher:

Rejoice!

The prosecutor:

Death penalty!

(Passers-by are closing their foals' eyes. Vinyl Scratch takes a step even closer to the brink. The sun is shining beautifully. The sound of the morning city can be heard: the claxon shrieks, the shouts, phone calls, lounge music coming from cafes.)

Vinyl Scratch:

It's all in my head! Get it? I end it now, I end it all.

The preacher:

Rejoice!

Judge #1:

Don't do it! Stop!

Judge #2:

We won't bring the filly ever again! You can forget about her! We let you! You let yourself!

Judge #1:

You can live with Octavia and be happy!

The preacher:

Rejoice!

The prosecutor:

Death penalty!

Passer-by #3:

She's talking! What is she saying?

Vinyl Scratch (laughing):

I don't need to forget. I raped that filly! Woo! I did it! What? What? I was thirteen, you fuckers!

The prosecutor:

Death penalty!

Passer-by #4:

What is she talking about?

Vinyl Scratch (calming down):

Tell Octavia that I love her. Time to wrap this up. (in a whisper): No more thoughts.

The prosecutor:

Death penalty!

The preacher:

Rejoice!

The conductor:

Soft pipes!

Vinyl Scratch (ready to jump):

Don't you get it? If I die, you die too.

The prosecutor:

Uh?

Vinyl Scratch (smiling):

Guess what? Death penalty.

Vinyl Scratch takes a bow and jumps off the bridge. The passers-by carry on with their lives. The actors leave the stage. The city returns to its daily routine.

The curtain falls.

Finita la comedia!