Catoptrophobia

by Chloe The Great

Rating: mature
Tags: Slice of Life, Dark, Sad
Length: 968

Rarity never told her friends, too scared to see them laugh.

Rarity had always had a dreadful fear. She tried hiding it often, too afraid of looking around and seeing it. She never liked herself physically, but that was not what caused her fear to sharply stab her every time she stared off into it. It's what it did to her, it went deep into her and made her tremble. She will never do it, she will never tell. None of them will find out…her reflection will remain hidden.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2014-04-15 04:10:04 UTC

Chapter I

    I felt something cold underneath my body. It was also very hard, and not very comfortable. My head slowly lifted and I saw around me a very lifeless environment. I noticed a small cloud of steam leave my mouth, which wasn't very surprising due to the chilliness that I felt. My body started to tremble and I started to try heating up my blood by walking around a bit.

    This was so odd. A vast and far land that had just a metal floor and endless skies that looked like nothing but a depressing gray. I only hoped this was not all real.

    "Hello?" I called out, and heard a small echo. "Is anypony there?" Of course, nopony answered--but it's not like I was expecting to hear one. I tried a couple of times more, and still...nothing. I sighed and my eyes kept switching from place to place so I could find some sort of a way out.

    Then, I heard it. I heard it before, but I didn't take note or really thought of it that much. It was just a light sound, something like scraping that only agitated my ears once or twice. It became more close though, and I suddenly found myself in bit of a panic. Something wasn't right...

    I saw it from a mile away, and I panicked. It came closer and closer and closer. My ears dropped and I tried running, but every direction I looked it was there. Before I knew it, they were only 10 feet away from me. I cried out, sobbed. I knew I was going to die...and it was going to happen. It now made a box around me, and I felt it above my head landing along with the others.

    Everywhere I looked...it stared at me. I almost died from just the look of it, the way it haunted and gave me bewildered looks. I didn't look at it though, I just felt it. When I finally was forced to look, I saw it. She was staring at me with red eyes and a scared look...one almost like a foal's.

    She looked at me, straight at...me. I turned away and saw another one--very different from the other. Her eyes were ripped out of her socket, she was crying endless rivers of crimson blood. Her jaw was also cut off, and I was repulsed by it. I looked above me, and saw something. I blinked and now it was hanging upside down, in my face. I screamed and kicked out of her grasp.

    "LET ME GO!" I heard four voices scream out, and saw the thing grabbing me do it too.

    I shot up in bed and heard myself bring out a blood-curdling scream. I scared myself and screamed again. Scared to death I ran off my bed and turned on the lights. No mirrors. No purple maned creatures with white rotting flesh tearing at mine. I cried a small, pathetic sob.

    Something in the hallway tumbled closer to my door and I screamed again, sobbing more. The door flung open and I shrunk to the ground.

    "Rarity! It's okay, it's me, Sweetie Belle!" I heard my sister's soft voice coo. I looked at her and felt the draft in my room rub against my eyes and cause me more pain. I practically tackled my little sister and hugged her with safety almost washing over me as I felt her warm fur against mine. She softly rubbed her head against my shoulder and I sobbed.

    "It's getting worse, sis...you need to see somepony," I heard her choked voice. I nodded rapidly and hugged her tighter. Nopony should no about this, never. I spent the hour, sobbing, crying, hugging, and trembling. It wasn't the best night of my life, considering my little sister was her--caring for me when I should be caring for her.

    "Sweetie Belle, you promise me you won't tell your friends about this? Not even my friends, they musn't worry about this," I whispered. She stroked my mane and nodded softly and I sighed with relief.

    "Come on, let's wash your face," Sweetie told me and helped me up. We went to the bathroom, but I waited outside the bathroom...looking away. Sweetie stared at me and I looked at her with pained emotion.

    "Sweetie, I have catoptrophobia," I blurted. I guess I expected to feel a little weight life off my chest, but nothing actually went away. It was still there...now getting heavier as I saw in the corner of my eye the little bit of purple from my mane. It was ragged and had a pale color that didn't look right. I backed into the wall and fell to my flank.

    "What's that?" My sister asked, a little worried of my expression.

    "It's the fear...of mirrors," I swallowed. My breath became shallow as I felt something chill, and I spine went down my spine.

    "Is that what your dreams were about?" Sweetie asked in a hushed tone. I nodded slowly and felt myself flush and I couldn't move. Just one glance at it...and I couldn't breath. I heard the sink run and Sweetie came out a minute later with a soaked cloth.

    She applied it gently to my face and around my eyes. she got another cloth and wiped my face dry. I tried not crying, knowing that it only make Sweetie have to wipe my face more. I don't know where I would be without my sister, but I would still be afraid...afraid of the mirrors that surrounded my boutique.

    "Sweetie, I'm sorry you had to see me like that," I apologized. She hugged my again, and I leaned into her.

    "Don't apologize, Rarity. without you...I don't know what it would be like," I felt her smile against my fur.