The Shining Descent

The Shining Descent

By: The Sentimentalism Brony

Chapter 7

Snapped Transistors

“Mr. Charming,” Big Mac questioned quizzically. “Didn’t you used to be the caretaker here? You took care of it during one of its down seasons.”

“No, sir, why I don’t believe so,” Charming Tail responded.

“Are you a married stallion, Mr. Charming, sir?” Big Mac prodded for answers to what he was seeing with his own two eyes. For what he seen was peculiar and out of the ordinary, and if this really was Mr. Charming, hewas the caretaker of the Overlook. But it was impossible. Impossible, yet it still insisted to exist, and bludgeon his mind with wave after wave of precocious afterthought.

“Yes, sir I am,” Charming Tail finally responded. “I have a wife and little filly.”

Big Mac’s eyes frantically shifted into various alternating directions, unable to pick whether to look at Charming or the blood red walls. “And…” Big Mac began. “…Where are they now.”

“There somewhere around here,” Charming motioned lifting his hoof and waving it in a circular motion passively. “I’m not quite too sure where they are at the moment, though.”

Charming then continued to clean off Big Mac’s jacket, before lifting one of his hooves up and beginning ministrations into his bright red coat.

Big Mac stopped him and took the cloth in which Charming used to clean his jacket.

“You were the caretaker here. I remember you from a Ponyville, Equestrian history book...” Big Mac paused. “…And…You, uh, shot your wife and filly… Before chopping them into little bits, then ended your own life.”

Big Mac tossed the spent washcloth onto the rim of the basin, as Charming looked into his razor-sharp gaze, contemplating whether or not to come clean about the whole affair. But telling the truth was so passé.

“No, I don’t have any recollection of that.”

Big Mac smiled a wide toothy smile before he spoke. “Mr. Charming… You were the caretaker here.”

Charming shook his head dismissively, his short black mane waving side to side as he did so. “Sorry, but I beg to differ with you, sir.” Charming raised his left hoof, and placed it on Big Mac shoulder. He then leaned into his figure slightly, attempting to whisper into his ear. “You are the caretaker, Mr. Macintosh… You’ve always been the caretaker.” Charming placed his hoof back onto the floor with an insignificant clack, before he began to circle around Big Mac. His smile faltering before he continued to speak. “I should know, sir. I’ve always been here.” Big Mac’s features stressed into a smile before fading almost instantly, once more. “Did you know, Mr. Macintosh –“Charming continued “– That you son is trying to bring a third party into our little predicament here? Did you know this?” Charming’s voice was starting to sound more and more hostile.

Big Mac shook his head, before quickly responding, “No.”

“He is, sir.”

“Who?” Was all Big Mac could muster up to question.

“A sheer, Mr. Macintosh.”

“A sheer?” He questioned

“A sheer…Cook.”

“How? How can he be doing that?”

“Your son…” Mr. Charming began to explain. “…Has a very great talent. And I’m not quite too sure if you realize just how great it is.” He looked Big Mac dead in the eyes once more, his pupils penetrating Big Mac’s manly demeanor, turning him into a lesser stallion. “He, right now, is using that very talent against your will.”

“Well,” Big Mac stated. His anger could be felt from a mile away. “He is a very willful colt.”

“That he is, Mr. Macintosh. That he is… A very wilful colt. A very naughty colt, if I may be so bold, Mr. Macintosh.”

“It’s his mother,” Big Mac stated as he began to laugh.” She’s…Interfering.”

Charming placed his hoof back on Macintosh's shoulder. “Maybe…Maybe they need a good talking-to… If I may speak freely, sir.” He then whispered again into Big Mac’s ear. “Perhaps…A bit more.” There was an agonizing cloud of silence, before Charming continued to speak. “You see, sir, my filly didn’t really like the Overlook at first. She even tried to burn the place down. And when my wife tried to stop me from doing my duty, from taking care of the building…I…Corrected her.”

Big Mac, now in a state of frivolous thought, began to smile. The smile continued to grow larger and larger, until he finally was able to speak. And what he said would have caused any other sane pony to become concerned, terribly concerned. “Perhaps they do need a good talkin’-to.”