The Shining Descent

The Shining Descent

By: The Sentimentalism Brony

Chapter 3

Prism, Oh Prism

Apple strolled through the hallowed halls of the Overlook Hotel. He was in search of anything that might be of particular interest to a colt of his age: Mystery, danger, and most of all, adventure. The process of seeking adventure could be that of a long one. You see, if you look in the same place, you are bound to find nothing. Just the same old, uninteresting emptiness that the rest of the living world offers. But if you were to seek out the unthinkable and most obscure place to find this mystery, danger, or adventure, you are bound to be in luck. And that’s how Apple felt as he roamed the halls. He knew he needed to find somewhere new to experience the unexperienceable. And as he continued down the hall, he began to pass by Room 237. The room he was told he should not go into. By his aunt, and by Mr. Green Hooves. But Apple, alone, was not keen to listening to the wishes of his aunt, nor the intelligible Mr. Green Hooves. So, against the wishes of both Mr. Green Hooves, and Mrs. Tumble, Apple trotted over towards the royal looking double doors, and placed his hoof on the knob. Grasping the knob firmly in his hoof, he attempted to turn the knob some. He was unsuccessful. Instead, the knob stayed still reluctant to budge in either direction he twisted it. Giving up on twisting the seemingly frozen doorknob, he lowered his hoof back to the ground and stared longingly at the wooden obstruction.

Staring in the wood, Apple began to see something. The vision was quick, like lightning. And left the faint of heart, lesser stallions. As it flashed before his eyes, Apple gasped in horror, as he seen the same young filly as before. Except this time, the filly was standing in a long hallway, peering into Apples very soul. The sentiment was sending chills down his spine. Then suddenly, a flash of crimson colored liquid began to flood the hall. The substance surrounding the filly, encasing her in the unparalleled embrace of the liquid. Surrounding her, it began to gush forth down the hall towards Apple.

The fluid, now smashing into Apple, sprung him back to reality, as his vision snapped back to that of the door in front of him. Coming to the realization that he was indeed back in the real world, Apple turned and began to run away from the room, back down the hall in the direction which he had just come. Running past all the doors, he kept taking occasional glances back, trying to see if what he had seen was attempting to follow him, or not. Luckily, it had not, and Apple made his way back to the confines of his comforting bedroom.

2…

With Apple napping soundly, and Big Mac typing away in the gathering hall, Fluttershy was left alone to wander through the Overlook. Wandering through the endless abounds of hallways, Fluttershy figures she should call Applejack and check up on how Angel and her other animals friends have been doing.

Walking into the Telephone room, she notices a large switchboard, strewn with various color coded wires. The wires connected from incoming ports, to the numbers of the rooms the calls would be destined for.

Stepping up to the board, Fluttershy grabs a bright blue wire, and plugs the prod into the port marked: Switchboard Room. She then rose the small headset to her ear, calling out in an attempt to make contact with somepony in the outside world. But all that could be heard through the speaker was static, so Fluttershy proceeded to pick up another wire and try the same thing. Calling out once more, she still received no answer.

“I knew it.” She said to herself. “All that snow must have knocked out the telephone lines.”

Coming to the conclusion that the phone lines must be down, Fluttershy replaces the headset to its previous post, and trots out of the room. Making her way through the long hallway, she comes to the main offices of the hotel. Entering the offices, she walks over to a Ham Radio stationed at a long darkly stained oak dresser. Picking up the receiving end and turning the machine on with a silent click, she began to talk into the microphone.

“Hello. Is anybody there? Over.” The ‘over’ at the end of the statement was a form of telling the recipient of the message that you have finished speaking, allowing them to give input to the conversation.

“Hello. This is Mountain Patrol. May I ask who is speaking? Over.”

“Hello Mountain Patrol, Fluttershy speaking. Over.”

“Well, how do you do Miss Fluttershy? What brings you into the world of radio? Over.”

“Well,” Fluttershy begins to respond with. “We’re up at the Overlook Hotel looking after it for the winter, and I was wondering if the phone lines were out? Over.”

“How you guys doin’ up there, Miss Fluttershy?” There was a slight pause before he continued his statement. “And yes, quite a few of the phone lines are down, due to the heavy snowfall last night. Over.”

“Any chance they will be repaired soon? Over.”

“Well, I wouldn’t be able to say. Most winters they will remain that way until the spring. Over”

Fluttershy fidgeted slightly, her stance faltering as she began to become agitated. “Boy, that storm really was something, wasn’t it?”

“Why yes, it’s one of the worst ones we’ve had in years… Is there anything else we can do for you, Miss Fluttershy? Over.”

Fluttershy readied to lower the microphone back down onto the Ham Radio, but stopped, continuing to speak. “I suppose not. Over.”

“Well if you guys have any problems up there, just give us a call. Oh, and, Mrs. Fluttershy. It might be a good idea to leave your radio on all the time. Over.”

“Okay. We’ll do that. It was real nice talking to you. Bye-bye. Over and out.”

Wrapping up the conversation and placing the microphone back atop the radio, Fluttershy made her way out of the room, and back down to the laundry to finish her previous mundane task.

3…

Apple careened down the halls of the Overlook Hotel, now by the force of his new found toy. A small scooter. He had always wanted his own after meeting Scootaloo and her friends, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. The three were 11 years older than he was, but they got along well, non he less. Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom all had acquired their cutie marks well over 9 years ago. Scootaloo’s being a flaming car tire; Sweetie Belle’s being silver plated Elvis Mic; and Applebloom’s being a blooming Malus Flower.

Taking his second left down the hall, Apple skidded around the corner, causing the carpet to bunch up slightly, making him stop almost instantly. Stopping, he looks down to the wheels of the scooter, groaning in protest as he’d done so. “Stupid carpet’s always in the way.”

Repositioning himself, Apple stands himself firmly on the base of the scooter, ready to take off once again. But he doesn’t. Instead, Apple stares down the hall in perpetual horror. The filly he had once seen in the hallways of his visions before now stood at the end of the hall he looked down. Shocked and bewildered, Apple refrains from moving, even an inch. He just stares hoping this is just some joke his mind was playing on him.

That can’t be the filly I seen earlier, could it? He thought to himself. I must just be hallucinating. Maybe I should go get some rest?

But, before Apple could move and proceed down the hallway to have some rest, a voice catches him off guard. “Hello, Apple.”

As Apple turns back to the figure his eyes shot open wide, pupils reducing to nothing more than pinpricks.

“Come play with me, Apple.” There was an uncanny and foreboding pause, before the filly spoke again. “Come play with me, Apple. Forever…And ever…And ever.”

As the last ‘ever’ pierced through Apple, visions of the accident filled his young, tormented mind once more. Visions of the filly, laid splayed out on the carpeted floor, blood everywhere, leaking out of every buckshot, and axe riddled hole on her small body. Apple flung his hooves over his eyes, trying to block out the mess that lay before him.

Now, convulsing and rocking back and forth on the floor, Apple reopens his eyes, and peers down the open hallway. As his hooves are lowered, he finds the hallway completely empty and void of life.

Lifting himself back onto his hooves, Apple begins to mutter to himself. “Prism…I’m scared.” He then looks up and over to his adjacent right, locking eyes with a figure. The figure, although shaded somehow in the brightly lit hallway, could be seen to have a darkly tinged red coat of fur. The color of his mane was unknown, though.

The figure that Apple was now calling for, began to speak, albeit quietly.

“Remember what Mr. Green Hooves said, Apple.”

The mental images of what Apple and Mr. Green Hooves had talked about played back frantically in his mind.

“‘There’s no need to worry about ‘shining,’ Apple. There are some whom can do it. And there are some who cannot.  But, there is one thing you should know about it. The shining is governed, kind of like a picture book, Apple. It shows you things. Some good. Some bad. But remember, it isn’t real. And it can never, never hurt you.’”

Coming back, Prism began to speak again.

“Remember. He said, “It’s like pictures in a book, Apple. It isn’t real, and it can’t hurt you.”

Looking down from the towering figure, Apple continues to mount his scooter, and boots down the hallway, like greased lightning.

4…

Sitting in the hotel’s small den with his mother, Apple listed to the electronic broadcast of a radio play. While Apple listened to the play, his mother sat contently on an adjacent sofa, reading a small novel titled: Home is where the Apple Is. The book was indeed one of her husbands, and she had just gotten some time to catch up on, and finish it.

As Fluttershy flipped aimlessly through the pages of the book, Apple continued to listen to the radio play. The play was somewhat of romantic drama, about somepony named, Clearwater. And another named, Levi Horseshoes. Apple wasn’t one for the romantic stuff, but he enjoyed hearing other ponies having a good time with one another. Which is how, Clearwater and Levi spent most of the episodes. They would go on escapades together looking for adventure, and wind up finding true love along the way. But along the way there were always displacements, and they did not always end well. This caused the series to have the critical chemical of drama that Apple needed. For without it, the play would be nothing more than a mushy love-fest. And nopony likes that garbage; well, except for Rarity maybe.

…

As the episode came to an end, a commercial oozed through the speakers of the radio. Apples ears fell back, as he always hated when the episodes came to an end.

He then spoke. “Mom. Can I go up to my room and get my Skychariot? I’m getting bored.” Apples attention span was about as large as a mouse.

“Not right now, Hun,” Fluttershy responded. “Daddy’s asleep.”

“But moooom.” The mom was prolonged and exaggerated. “I won’t make any noise. I promise.”

“He only went to bed a few hours ago. Can’t you wait till later? You got other toys down here.”

“I won’t make a sound. I promise I’ll ‘tiptoe.’”

“‘Tiptoe?’” She scoffed. “Fine. But really don’t make a sound. Promise?”

“Yeah, mom. Thanks.”

Apple rose from the floor with renewed gusto, and made his way for the hall. Fluttershy then quickly turned around, attempting to catch Apple before he made his way into the hallway.

“Make sure you come right back. I’ll be making us some lunch soon. Okay?”

She then heard Apple yell, “I will,” from the confines of the hallway he had now entered.

5…

Entering the hall, that lead back to the hotel room, Apple and his family resided in, he was caught off guard by Prism yet again. Prism trotted slowly from around the corner and stood, leaning against the wall, approximately 10 feet from Apple.

Apple, attempting to ignore Prism, continued to walk down the long hall. But, Prism was adamant, and continued an attempt to warn Apple.

“Apple,” Prism began, “you shouldn’t go in there. Your father isn’t well. You should stay away from him, from this place. You…Need…To…Leave.”

Prism’s voice then began to waver off, as Apple made his way down the remaining hall, to the door.

Reaching the door to the room, Apple opened it slowly, attempting to keep from waking his slumbering father. Apple knew not to wake his father when he was sleeping. He knew the consequences would be dire. But to not wake the sleeping giant, one must be as quiet as a mouse. And that’s what Apple was trying to do.

Entering the confines of the apartment, Apple ‘tiptoed’ across the ground.

As he came to the opening of his parent’s bedroom, Apple was stopped by his father. “Apple, come here.” He said in a deep monotone voice.

“I’m only up here for my Skychariot, I’m sorry if I woke you. I’ll leave right now if you want me to?”

Big Mac chuckled softly, albeit deeply. It was almost maniacal. “No. No, it’s fine. Just come here for a minute.”

Reluctantly, Apple slowly approached his father. Something wasn’t right. His father didn’t look so good. His coat was going a shade paler than it usually was, and his hair looked raggedy and greasy. As if it hadn’t been washed in days.

Big Mac pulled Apple into a tight, warm embrace, even a close father and son would find awkward and confusing. Big Macintosh then began to nuzzle into Apples mane, giving him a light kiss as he did so. He followed this by speaking to Apple.

“How’s it going, Apple?” He said this pulling Apple even closer into the hug.

Apple simply responded with an, “Okay.”

To which his father replied with, “You having a good time here?”

Apple, again, replied as simply as he had the first time. “Yes, dad.”

Beginning to nod his head up and down in a rhythmic fashion, Big Mac replied. “Good. That’s good, Apple. I want you to have a good time.”

“I am dad.”

The room then fell silent before Apple continued.

“Dad?”

“Yes.”

“Do you feel bad?”

“Nah, not at all. I’m just a little tired’is all.

Apple began to question the well being of his father. “Then why don’t you just go to sleep.”

“I can’t, Apple. I just can’t… I got too much to do.”

Apple looked up into his father’s emerald green eyes. “Dad, do you like this hotel?” He asked.

Big Macintosh then began to laugh again, shaking so as he did. “I do. I love it… Don’t you love it?”

“I guess so.” Apple replied.

Big Mac now started to shake Apple. “Good. I want you to like it… I wish we could stay here…Forever…And ever…And ever.

There was another Equestria shattering silence.

“Dad?”

“What?”

“You wouldn’t do anything to hurt mommy or me, would you?” The question was flat, straight forward, and to the point. The dagger-like point stinging, mortifying any normal father.

“Now why would you ask me something like that? Did your mother tell you something like that? That I would hurt you?”

“…No, dad. Not at all.”

 “Are you sure she didn’t?”

“Yes, dad.”

Big Mac rose his eyebrows and smiled mechanically. “I love you, Apple.” He paused. “I love you more than anything else…In all of Equestria… And I would never do anything to hurt you… Never, ever.” Big Mac then gritted his teeth in ferocity” You know that, don’t ya’?”

“Yes, dad.”

As Apple said the words, Big Mac began to nod his head up and down in correspondence with the music to his ears.

“Good…”