The Trotsburg Files

[Timestamp: November 6, 6:13 PM]

“Any cool finds?” Rivet looks at the camera. He is seen sitting in the waiting room, munching away at a small snack with the journal held tightly to his side by his other hoof.

“Other than those creepy pictures, I didn’t do a whole lot of looking. Have you seen Clyde?”

“No. Haven’t you?” Rivet asks, cocking his head and taking another bite of his snack. “Last I checked,” he swallows, “He was headed down to the second basement with the map. He said something about the Dressmaker legend.”

“Think he found something?”

“I dunno.”

“Did you?”

“I found some history on this place. I crossed the files, the legends and the journal together and saw where they fit together.”

“Any conclusions, professor?” Swift stresses sarcasm on the last word.

“A lot of the facts from the legends are straight. I found a few that might match the Dressmaker, and I found the Night Watch Staff files.”

“You have to show me those later.”

“I will.” Rivet grins.

Loud hoofsteps are heard coming down the hall, “Guys!”

“Is that Clyde?” Swift asks, turning the camera to the hall.

Clyde stops in the room, his face a mix of surprise and excitement.

Rivet turns and faces him, “What is it?”

“I found a body!” He states.

“What?” Rivet jumps up. “Where?”

[Timestamp: November 6, 6:20 PM]

“Damn.” Swift mutters. The camera is focused on the pearly bones of the unicorn mare in the morgue. The body is the same as it was before when Clyde found it.

Rivet has a quizzical look on his face as he reaches down to something on the floor. He holds a small white piece up to his face.

“What is that?” The camera swings to focus and zoom in on the object in Rivet’s hand.

“It’s…” Rivet takes a deep breath. “It’s part of the horn.” He gulps and places the bone piece next to the body and steps back.

“Swift.” Clyde begins, “Do you think it’s the Dressmaker?”

“I… I don’t know what to think. I wasn’t expecting to find a body.”

“What do we do with it?” Clyde looks around. “We can’t just leave her here.”

“Short of burying her ourselves, there’s not much to do.” Rivet walks around to the door. “Let’s put her back. I know it doesn’t seem fair, but she’s been here for years, and no one has come searching for her yet. I think it’s safe to assume it won’t hurt.”

Swift agrees, “I guess…”

Clyde and Rivet take the handle of the door and push it back towards the wall, the screaming metal moving slower than it came out. It is more than likely that the rollers seized from being in the same position for years. As the bones slowly sink back into the wall, the shrieking subsides and the room falls dead silent.

“I guess the legends got something right.” Swift mutters, jostling the camera.

[Timestamp: November 6, 9:01 PM]

Darkness fills the screen.

“Can we actually get to sleep tonight?”

“What do you mean?”

“Last night, after all the adventuring in the dark, I just couldn’t fall asleep last night.”

“Me either.”

“Same. Lets just play some cards or something and get some sleep. It’s been a weird day.”

“Hold on. The camera’s not showing anything. Swift? What’s up with that?”

“Lens cap?”

“No, it’s off.”

“It must just be too dark in here for it to pick up anything. Hit the little switch on the front of it. That’ll turn on the IR light.”

“The other cameras just do it automatically.”

“Well, this one isn’t that fancy.”

The waiting room is bathed in green light as a faint click is heard. Rivet and Swift are seen sitting on their sleeping bags, looking tired from the day of hiking through the hospital.

“Maybe we could try pitching the tent tonight?” Swift looks at the other two.

“Why bother?” Clyde asks, shifting his position on his own sleeping bag, “We stayed in here last night, and nothing weird happened, right? I think we’re okay to stay inside.”

“But what about that mare the other day?” Swift notes, “She said we shouldn’t sleep indoors. What if there are wild animals living in here?”

“Look, Swift,” Rivet explains, “We’re in a room with doors on all sides. Nothing gets in or out of here without turning a knob or pushing a crash bar. Unless raccoons and rats have learned how to open doors with their little paws, I’d say we’re good.” He pauses to think. “Unless, that is, you’re scared to sleep in here after today.”

“I’m not scared.”

“I would completely understand it. A body in the basement is a bit of a turn-off for me too.” Rivet grisn weakly.

“I’m fine.” Swift nods sternly.

“I think we’re fine here. Besides, I think a night in the dark woods would be a little more dangerous than an uncomfortable night in the asylum.” Clyde agrees.

Rivet nods, “True.”

[Timestamp: November 6, 10:12 PM]

“Triple Kings.” Rivet states as he drops three cards on the ground in between the three of them. A lantern is sitting next to Swift, lighting the room enough to make the Infrared light unnecessary, and giving the room a macabre glow.

“Triple Aces.” Swift raises his eyebrows and drops the cards on top of Rivet’s.

Clyde shakes his head, causing his mane to fall into his face. “Nothing. You’re an ass.”

“No. You’re the Ass.” Rivet notes.

“My play, then?” Swift looks around before sliding the cards off to the side. “One Three.”

“I’ll burn it.” Rivet drops a card. “And I’ll drop a pair of tens.”

“I’ll lay two jacks.” Clyde states.

“Your mom…” Rivet coughs.

“What was that?” Clyde stares daggers at Rivet.

“Hmm?” Rivet looks up in the air, eyes wide. “Nothing.”

“What the hell did you say?” Clyde lays his cards down.

“I…” Rivet swallows. “I’m…”

“What about my mother?”

“Look.” Rivet calms his voice. “I completely forgot. I’m sorry. It’s a habit.”

“Damn right you’re sorry.” Clyde eases back.

“Maybe we should get some rest.” Swift gathers up the cards.

“Yeah…” Rivet nods.

Swift puts the cards away and blows out the candle.

[Timestamp: November 6, 11:21 PM]

The shot is of a hallway in the hospital, the tile floor reflects the IR light, looking like small stars twinkling on the floor.

“I just couldn’t sleep.” Swift’s voice drifts from behind the camera. “So I’m going back to check on the room. Maybe I’ll hear it again.”

[Timestamp: November 6, 11:28 PM]

Swift places the camera on the floor, stuffing something under it to elevate it, giving it a full view of the room behind him while he sits at the box.

“Maybe I just need to go through the box again.” Swift nods and opens the chest.

He starts, page by page, removing pictures and looking them over. Taking a painstaking amount of time, he removes them one by one.

What looks like a wet spot starts in the top left corner of the frame.

“I was just hearing things.”

It begins to grow.

The pile of pictures is getting smaller by the second.

It’s a quarter of the frame and still growing.

Swift shakes his head to clear any tiredness away and accidentally knocks over the pictures he has already been through. He slowly adjusts them back into a neat pile before getting back to the rest of them.

Darkness covers over a third of the frame behind Swift.

Swift has four pictures left in his hands.

The shadow is half of the frame, and a sound of static can be heard.

Three.

The static becomes louder.

Two.

Almost sounding like wind blowing straight into the microphone. Swift does not seem to hear it.

One.

A shrill tone, starting low, quickly overcomes the static in volume, almost unbearable to listen to.

Zero.

Silence.

The video skips a frame, and the shadow is gone.

Swift pauses for a moment, and then takes up the final picture again. “Who are these ponies?”

The shrill tone and static noise return, louder than before. But quickly, they are replaced with the sound of laughter on the wind. Swift’s eyes widen as he hears the noise. His head looking quickly around the room.

“Do you like them?”

Swift grabs the camera frantically and stands up. “Where are you!?”

The view darts around the room swiftly and erratically. He holds the picture he was holding before up to the lens to give it a clear look at it. The mare and stallion holding the foal. He slides the picture out of the frame.

“Do you like it?”

A mare with a straight mane in a hospital gown stands in the middle of the room. She stares at him curiously.

Swift begins to pant, almost falling backwards.

“Please tell me you like them…”

Swift stammers.

“I made them myself.”

Swift says nothing, his breath heavy and burdened.

Without another word, the mare’s face turns exceptionally depressed. Her eyes drop to the floor, and her hair drifts slowly down to her face. Suddenly, her focus shoots over to the door. The mare becomes panicked.

"No!"

No other sound can be heard and Swift searches the room for what scared the mare, aiming the camera in all directions.

"You can't make me! I won't wear the halo again!"

Reaching down, she picks up something from the floor, but nothing is seen in her hoof. The mare throws the unseen object through the broken window, and the faint sound of glass shattering, like an echo, drifts through the room.

She steps up on the ledge of the window, looking back over her shoulder at the door.

“Don’t jump!” Swift shouts, finding his voice and his courage.

The mare’s robe drifts slightly in the breeze, her hair cascading over her shoulder. Her pupils have shrunk, giving her a frenzied look as she stares into the dark abyss below her.

“Don’t!”

“I’m coming, angel!” She screams as she leaps out through the window, her shriek splitting the night.

“No!” Swift shouts, running to the window and aiming the camera out. A branch obscures the view of the ground. Swift cannot see where she fell. His breathing becomes heavy again, and frantic as he looks for her.

Loud hoofsteps are heard charging down the hall outside of the room.

“Swift!” Rivet is heard shouting. “Don’t jump!”

“Get away from the window!” Clyde can be heard running into the room. The camera shakes as Swift is grabbed from behind and pulled away from the window.

“What were you thinking?” Clyde stares Swift in the eyes.

Swift is dead silent, most likely from the shock.

“What happened?” Rivet asks.

Swift remains silent, his breath heavy and quick. It becomes irregular and his eyes flutter shut. As they do, his breathing returns to normal.

“Swift? Swift?”

“Let’s get him back to the waiting room.”