So it begins.
Hopefully the new job will pan out far better than the old. Then again, the problem with your old job was never the job itself but rather the incident. But that's behind you now. Now you stand in front of the Grand Hoof Casino in Las Pegasus. It really is a marvel of modern engineering in how the cloud is packed dense enough for earth ponies like yourself to walk on with ease. Controlled air currents allow you to ascend its spire until you reach the slowly rotating disc that the various slot machines and card tables are within. Being a janitor sure isn't glamorous but it's something.
Seems like management is open and inviting. That should certainly help ease your fears. Some of them anyways. Soon you are directed to a unicorn stallion named Mauve Remember that will be showing you the ropes. First was the areas that were off limits to those with low security clearance. Most had doors with no sort of knob or latch, requiring unicorn magic to turn their locks and to open or close them. Next was the emergency exits. Emergency. It was a concept you were all too familiar with. The type of concept that would cause a mind to drift off into daydreams of worry that would soon lead to daydreams of terror. Mauve Remember might have mentioned a nickname but it was lost in the mental haze. After you realize he's staring, snap to attention. Losing this job would be horrible at a time like this. However, he seemed pretty cool headed. There was a offhand comment about never letting the higher ups see such vacant expressions. After all, for all the perfectly good ponies out there, all it took was one successful criminal to ruin the casino. Yet, he himself found most of the introduction boring. The comforting voice was welcome.
The main casino hall is larger than it seemed from the size of the building. Then you realize that a lot of that had to do with the fact that it was empty. With that in mind, it was probably going to get very cramped once the casino was open. The layout is clearly designed to funnel its patrons towards slots and away from the exits. That was probably good for business but a big problem if something actually did go wrong. Should you complain? Rocking the boat might be a bad idea on the first day. Even if they agreed, it would take time and effort to rebuild things. Still, you decide to ask Mauve Remember since he's been rather relaxed so far. He volunteers that there's a box for anonymous suggestions. Management may tend to disagree with most of them but they are read.
After being shown the supplies, you're given a chance to rest up until the big night. Employees are afforded basic rooms in the on-site hotel and the accommodations are quite nice. Comfy beds made of real cloud and luxurious sheets make it easy to drift off to dreams. These dreams should offer solace when the surroundings are taken into account but all they offer are reminders. The previous horrors flash through your mind as ponies flee in futile terror. Sounds that haunt you and may forever stick with you. There's this feeling that you can't escape it no matter how hard you try. Closer and closer it chases until you awake with a gasp. A sudden knock on the door beat back the nightmare. Mauve Remember decided to wake you up early to make sure you got ready on time. It would reflect poorly if you were late your first day. Perhaps the disturbance was for the best. A memory of nightmares won't particularly help you on the job.
Much closer to opening, things got far more lively. What was previously a dull and quite room was filled with ponies that were lively and energetic. The majority were pegasi, carefully checking and rechecking the clouds the casino was made of to make sure it was sturdy enough for the patrons who lacked wings. Things were already rather clean so now it was simply time to prepare and wait.
Ponies soon started arriving in a constant stream of incoming faces. You didn't recognize any faces but you did recognize expressions. There was an air of melancholy that was thick enough to cut with a knife. A choking and suffocating feeling that could cause old fears to crop up. However, time passed and their expressions gave way to joy. Fresh cider and games of chance managed to lift the spirits of everypony that was there. Even the losers seemed to come out winners as there seemed to be no hard feelings from poor slots or a bad hoof of cards. You felt content.
Overall, spills were rather mild and once the morning came a crowd of happy ponies left the casino. The experience was exhilarating. Despite being a lowly janitor, it was great to see so many smiling faces. Mauve Remember congratulated you for staying on task and not slacking off. It might take some work to get used to the new sleep schedule but this felt like a place where you belonged. Food was good and after chatting up your coworkers you were able to go to sleep.
Dreams were much more pleasant than last time. Instead of fear, your mind gave way to peaceful relaxation. All was well until early afternoon. Within the depths of your mind the screams returned. Many had expressions of terror as feelings of danger overwhelmed you. After tossing and turning you awoke to a cold sweat. How could such a good day lead to nightmares that wouldn't cease? In a couple hours it would be time to go to work. Despite the nightmare, you got plenty rest so it was probably best to just stay awake.
Another night came and the hustle and bustle began anew. Ponies came in sad and depressed only to leave joyous and exuberant. Likewise, you started feeling better and better as the night went on. That was until one surly, violet pegasus picked a fight with the slot machine he was at. He wasn't drunk but he angrily accused the machine of cheating. Security quickly escorted him out but the disturbance seemed to set the casino on edge. It took a while but things managed to level out as the crowd returned to what they were doing. Even you managed to relax as the night grew uneventful.
Another slumber and you become peacefully relaxed until another nightmare. It's less vivid than the one from yesterday but it's still jarring. Could this be a side effect of your new sleep cycle or would you be cursed to live like this? A constant and continuous cycle of nightmares would be unpleasant but the rest you received seemed to balance things out.
Over the next several days, the cycle continued with an improved mood, peaceful sleep, and a nightmare but the nightmares started getting shorter and shorter. A few weeks later and the nightmares were nothing more than a barely remembered haze after a peaceful sleep. It felt good to finally reach a state of normalcy.
One day, management accidentally assigned too many employees for your shift and decided to let you have the night off. it was quite a different experience to view the casino as a guest instead of a worker. Your luck was pretty poor at the slots but it was all in good fun. A light purple mare next to you won the jackpot. She was overwhelmed with joy and several nearby congratulated her as a stream of bits flew out. Then, she tried again on a whim and she won the jackpot again. After a third curious success, security stepped in. She was surprised and almost apologetic at both her winnings and their response. They decreed that she would be barred from return to the casino. Several muffled whispers eyed the staff and the air of tension was getting to be a bit much. It had been a long time since you got to sleep at night and awaken in the morning so you might as well take the chance.
Morning was beautiful. No nightmares whatsoever and plenty of rest. Mauve Remember decided to hang out a bit. A pony could still play cards to pass the time, even if no bits were involved. He let you in on a secret. Management was impressed at how well you had been handling yourself and was rating you pretty favorably. It was a welcome bit of information and then something in the air changed. It was as if all the joy in the area simply stopped. Excusing yourself, it seemed to be time to speak with management. Checking the offices, no one seemed to be around. Doing a quick search, you found that one of the restricted access doors was cracked open. That was odd. Looking in, there were several unicorns sleeping. Suddenly, strong hooves wrestle you to the ground. Security glares and drags you to the awaiting members of management. They look annoyed but not outright angry. They then reveal what is going on. The unicorns were casting a field of joy upon the casino at certain hours of the day. It made the clientele a bit more willing to spend while it provided stress relief for staff. They were paid members of staff but never discussed since it could cause scandal to befall the casino if word got out.
This should have been reassuring but it wasn't. You didn't truly escape your fears. Rather, your senses had been dulled. However, was that a bad thing? Peace of mind was a wonderful thing to have. Perhaps it was best to simply enjoy the blessing rather than worry about how it came about.
That night was like any other night. Things went smoothly and ponies were happy. But then there's a nagging in the back of your mind. It's almost as if you heard something unsettling. Then you realized you do hear something that causes your blood to run cold. You think it's just in your head until you see everyone else hears it. Rhythmic chanting that signifies imminent danger. Something is approaching.
Pandemonium breaks out. Ponies push and shove as they struggle to reach the exits. The stampeding makes the casino unsteady. If they keep this up, the casino's spire may topple over or the clouds may become unpacked. A panicked stallion crashes into a slot machine and knocks it onto you. You hear the voice come closer and closer and you realize the depressing truth.
You can't escape it.
You can't escape it.
