Twilight was not a fan of the Everfree Woods. Sure she had been inside it more than once now but that did not mean that she enjoyed the trip by any means. The forest always appeared darker and more dangerous every time she came through. Twilight slowed herself. Just now noticing the fact that she had just been jogging. The reason for her jogging was unknown to her, though nerves might have something to do with it. A moment ago she was sure she was walking, but it seemed that she had let her nerves get the best of her without realizing it.
A twig snapped causing Twilight to nearly jump into the air. It was soon followed by a low moan. Twilight frantically searched in all directions but could not find where the sound had come from. Twilight was not usually one to run from danger, but perhaps getting to her destination quicker was not such a bad idea either. Twilight’s mind wondered back to the matter at hoof. “What am I doing out here?” Twilight thought out load to herself though the answer was quick and to the point; going to Zacora for some help with something. Twilight shook her head. A small headache seemed to come out of nowhere. “Why is it so important that I am out here?” Twilight shook her head again. It seemed that she had forgotten what that was. “Great,” Twilight muttered under her breath, “I come all the way out here only to forget the reason in the first place.” Twilight smacked her head with her hoof. “Hopefully my brain will remember when I get there.”
Getting to Zecora’s place should have gotten a lot easier over time, yet somehow this time it seemed to take longer and longer. Twilight glanced up at the sky but she could not see it. It appeared as though if the forest were slowly surrounding her; ready to eat her whole. Twilight quickened her paced again. It did not really matter though. Because at this point it was becoming more and more obvious: Twilight was lost. Well, lost wasn’t the right word, she was just trying out a new way to get to Zacora’s place. The long and creepy way… “Yeah, that’s what I am doing!” Twilight mentally slapped herself for her own bit of senseless sarcasm.
Twilight suddenly stopped where she was. A weird feeling seemed to come over her out of nowhere. She was sure that she was being watched.
Twilight looked in every direction possible. But no other pony or creature was out there. Now that Twilight was paying attention however, she noticed that the forest had gone strangely quiet. Twilight could feel an uneasiness growing inside her. Twilight resumed walking while trying to ignore the fact that every fiber in her being was telling her to turn back. But she was afraid that she would only be more lost then before if she did that. Twilight felt a small breeze against the back of her neck. Twilight was about to pass it off and think nothing of it when she realized something; the breeze ONLY hit the back of her neck. Twilight frantically lit her horn and turned around.
But just like before, there was nothing there. The forest remained quiet and still, as if it was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. Twilight slowly turned around and began walking again, keeping her ears open for any sounds. Her eyes glanced back and forth searching for any movement that caught her eyes. She kept all sights on every direction, except forward.
Unfortunately, that meant that Twilight didn't even see the steep hill in front of her until she was already falling down it. Twilight cried out in suprise as her body tumbled end over end. Her legs getting cut by thorns and low branches and her body receive bruise after bruise until finally she came to a stop at the bottom, right into a small bush. Twilight lay where she was breathing hard, her body felt like she had just gotten into a big fight with Big Mac and lost. She groaned not wanting to get up but knew that she could not stay there long.
Eventually after catching her breath, Twilight carefully checked herself for broken bones. She found none, though she knew that she was going to need to find a doctor just to be sure; or at least a first aid kit. Twilight slowly got to her hooves and groaned again as pain shot through her body. She glanced around and noticed the trees thinned out ahead of her. She knew she was nowhere near Ponyville but perhaps there was someone else living in these woods besides Zacora. Hopefully some-pony friendly. Twilight slowly staggered in that direction.
Light began to return to the forest as Twilight got closer, though it still seemed dim. Twilight looked up and noticed it was cloudy out yet she was sure it was blue sky when she had left home. Slowly fog began to surround her as she made her way forward.
Twilight soon found herself lost in a thick white haze. She squinted as she tried to get her bearings but soon began to feel more lost then before. She felt the ground change; it had gone from uneven dirt, to a nice smooth road. Twilight stared at the now even road in curiosity. When she looked up she realized that the fog was starting to thin out. She could start to make out small shops packed tightly together. The fog then seemed to open up as Twilight realized she was in some small town.
Twilight’s eyes glanced around her as she noticed signs in the windows of the shops saying closed. The street was completely empty aside from her. Not even the sound of a small animal could be heard. Twilight’s eyes fell upon a small pub. She slowly began walking towards it. From what Twilight could understand, the town seemed abandoned. It became all the more apparent as she passed some of the shops. Cobwebs lined the windows, the street seemed under kept, and there wasn’t a soul around despite the fact that it was mid after-noon.
Twilight peeked in the pub through the small window. She could see a table in front of the window and a bar lined with stools. Twilight pressed her face up against the window to try and get a better look, only for her view to be obstructed by a glass being set right in front of her. Twilight gasped in surprise and stepped back. She then quickly rushed through the old door that lead into the pub.
Dust and muggy air was all that was there to greet her. Twilight glanced around; the place looked like it hadn’t been used in years. The counter was practically gray, even though Twilight was sure that it was brown. Her face fell as she realized that her imagination had gotten the best of her. The door slowly closed behind her causing the air to become stale again. Twilight sighed and turned around to leave however something caught her eye. Something that caused her heart to nearly stop mid beat.
Sitting on the table near the window she was looking through, sat a tall glass of water, with ice still sitting in the glass. Twilight stared at the glass in shock. That should not be possible yet, here it was, staring right at her. Twilight slowly took a step forward and examined the glass. She dipped her tongue in the water to see if it was real and sure enough, it was cold and wet. Twilight felt her heart begin to beat faster. There had to be some logical explanation but none came to her. Twilight quickly exited the pub, deciding it would be best to move on.
Her eyes glanced back and forth as she scanned around for some kind of doctor’s office or small hospital. Eventually her eyes fell on a small office tucked just between a small candy store and a gift shop. It had a red cross painted right above. Twilight decided that might be it and headed over to it.
Just as she was about to reach the door, something ran across the street just out of her line of vision. Twilight quickly turned around but saw no sign of anypony around. Not even a trace, but she was sure she had heard something. Twilight shook her head, “Stop jumping at shadows Twilight. Sure this town may be creepy and there may be some un-explainable stuff, but that doesn’t mean you need to be on edge… Right?” Twilight decided the sooner she got out of this town the better.
After, of course, she got some much needed aid. She could no longer feel her injuries and that could be either a bad sign or a good one, depending on the injuries. Twilight took a deep breath, and walked in. It looked like a small doctor’s office. A small room with a desk and few chairs lined the walls. A door with a red cross and a name no longer legible was printed on the door. Twilight quickly took in her surroundings. Nothing moved. Twilight let out a sigh of relief. She went through the door with a cross on it.
It appeared to be like a normal check-up room. There was a table, an examining chair, some cupboards, a desk and a few drawers. She then began to rummage through the old drawers and cupboards; everywhere she looked she came up empty. Unlike most other places, this one seemed to be cleaned out. Sure the furniture and some office supplies still lay around, but from what Twilight could tell, there wasn’t even a small box of band aids to be seen. Twilight sighed in annoyance. Just as she was about to leave, her hoof kicked something across the room she hadn’t noticed before. It was a small unmarked box.
Twilight carefully opened it and to her surprise, inside was a vial of alcohol and a few bandage wraps. Twilight sighed in relief and quickly ran back out into the foyer. She grabbed one of the cushions off one of the chairs. After shaking some of the dust off, she stuck it in her mouth and began to pour the alcohol on her open wounds. Twilight bit hard into the cushion as a strong burning sensation overwhelmed her injuries.
Once the sensation had passed, Twilight then began to wrap up her worst cuts with the bandages. Once that was done, Twilight gave another sigh of relief. She had found what she needed; now she could finally leave this crazy place. Twilight walked out through the door and back into the foyer. Twilight then casually went through the next one and found herself back on the street. That’s when Twilight saw something she did not expect to see; a strange creature as standing just across the street, staring at her.
It’s appearance however, made Twilights blood run cold. The creature stood on two legs that seem to stretch out towards her but had no arms. It didn't seem to need them since it had red tentacles coming out of its back. Its body was grey with the exception of the face which was white. It had a grin with sharp teeth that sent shivers down Twilights spine. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. This creature, as far as Twilight could tell had no eyes. Or at least it did, but where the eyes should be, were just empty sockets. Yet the creature seemed to stare at her all the same. Twilight felt her blood turn to ice as she continued to stare at it. The creature tilted it head slightly as it stared back at her in silence.
Then Twilight blinked, and the creature was gone. Twilight blinked again in surprise. “What in the name of Equestria was that?” Twilight asked herself out loud. “Was I just seeing things again? Maybe I hit my head at some point during the fall and don’t remember it.” Twilight glanced around to make sure that she was indeed alone. “Ok, I REALLY think it is time to get out of her now.” Twilight quickly turned around and went back the way she came, all the while looking around in every direction, including forward this time, to make sure she wasn't surprised again by what she had saw. Very quickly however, she soon found herself at the edge of the town.
Twilight released a breath she just realized she was holding. Taking off in a quick jog, Twilight took off to get as far away from the town as she could. The fog was so thick she could hardly see her mane in front of her face but that did not matter to her, so long as she got away. Relief began to flood through Twilight as the fog began to thin out. But then Twilight felt her stress levels build again as she began to notice something. The ground under her had not changed. It was still roadway and not grass or dirt.
Then the fog seemed to lift for a moment, giving Twilight a full view of her surroundings. Twilight felt her heart nearly give out at what she saw; she was right back where she had started. The shops stood vacant around her and clouds above her still looked like they had yet to move. Twilight turned around, “But that’s impossible! I ran straight forward. I didn't turn around once in that fog!”
Now desperate, Twilight lit up her horn, ready to teleport the heck out of there. There was loud pop and she disappeared… And reappeared right out in the middle of the street. She didn’t even move an inch. Twilight stuttered, “But, but that’s… this can’t be happening!” Twilight felt her heart race. She was trapped. The town was not letting her go. What's worse, Twilight felt a shiver down her back. Twilight didn't even have to turn around to know that something was behind her.
But she turned around anyways, standing just a few inches away from her, the creature had returned. It quickly reached out with one of its tentacles and quickly wrapped it around Twilight's neck. It continued to grin while Twilight's pupils shrank into pinpricks. Her neck becoming tighter with each passing second. Twilight did the only thing she could think of in a time like this. She screamed.
Author's Note
My first time tackling a horror story. Let me know what you think.
