The birds chirp. The nocturnal insects slowly begin to cease their music and the smell of the early morning dew upon the trees, grass, and flowers is made clear. All of this was like a symphony blowing in on the breeze through an open window and any pony who rose with the sun would be delighted to partake it is attentive song that is nature. To be caught up in the splendedness of it all while waiting for the cresendo of the rising sun and to feel the rays of its warmth. Such is any pony who woke merely to experience this waltz or those with occupations that commanded them to wake early. Unless you were Miss Cherilee.
The mare would wake not by the sounds of nature through an open window or sunshine, but by an alarm clock intent on causing enough noise one could easily mistake it for a fire alarm. The little brass bells continued to ring and chime but all the mare would do is stir within the confines of her blanket. For a while she would try to play oblivious to the noise until patience wore thin and she grew irritated. A hoof rushed out from the covers to make contact, the clock being propelled across the small bedroom. The object now lay upon the floor as its parts lay strewn over the the worn surface. "Drat... That makes three in two weeks..." A tired, muffled voice mused from a pillow pressed to her face. After a near eternity of silence Cherilee finally gave out a stifled yawn before the pillow was tossed aside. Tired eyes staring to the grey ceiling and in time she managed to force her body into motion and slipped from the cushioned bed.
Hooves dragged across the old floor towards the bedroom window where a single blackout curtain was pulled aside. The horizon was losing its steel grey colour while the hues of blue, orange and yellow were beginning to tint the sky. The mare narrowed a single eye in annoyance at the spectacle before turning to cross the room to where the alarm clock met its demise. Cherilee peered down to the glassless face of the device and what she saw only caused her second eye to narrow to match the first. The clock was running fast therefore waking her earlier than usual. Something she did not want to deal with. Ever. A sigh of frustration escaped as the mare returned to the window. The sun was just beginning to make itself known in the distance as a multitude of colores began to paint the sky. Colors blending in perfect harmony that only an artist could produce on canvas with spectacular results.
"It looks so phony..." Cherilee spoke in a flat tone before jerking the curtain shut. As she began to cross the floor once again the mare peered down to where the clock resided then to the wall behind it. Grey paint had been chipped away in places and small indentions were noticable and all within the same area. If smacking a clock across the room and trying to hit rougly within the same spot without looking was a sport she would have taken the gold medal. A small shrug was the only response to the sight as Cherilee continued through the doorway "I'll deal with it later. Or tomorrow." Giving out another yawn the mare made an immediate left to enter a bathing room. Light filtered through thick white curtains stretched across a small window near the door.
Cherilee spent a majority of the time standing near a mirror and checking her features. Tongue, eyelids, and teeth. The whole works all the while hot water ran in the shower. The mare inhaled the steamy air as a smile spread stretched out upon her features "It shouldn't be bad. It's Friday after all." The sound of held air being released in one quick groan filled sigh nearly drowned out the sound of the running water. What was once a brief smile was now a frown "Pop quiz. How is a Friday drifferent than any of the other six days? Wrong. Answer: It's not. It. Is. The. Same." Cherilee rolled her eyes before the mirror and scowling within its reflective surface before turning to finally enter the shower for another routine of bathing as she has always done. Quick, straight to business, and getting it over with.
Nearly fifteen minutes to sit before a mirror and talk to yourself and five or less to actually shower. Fifteen minutes of running the water merely for the sake of the sound. Cheriliee had finally exited the room with a towel draped over her damp mane as she made the short walk down a bare hallway and emereged within the main room. The paint was just the same as it was in the bedroom. More or less the entire house was all painted the same color. The larger windows were even covered in the same blackout curtains even though the windows actually had shutters.
And yes, they too were shut just as tight. At least most of the time. The room contained but a single chair and coffee table. Along one wall stood a large bookcase partially filled with its leather bound reading material. Other than that the room was pratically bare save for the fireplace. No pictures even though a few nails protruded from the wall to give hint that something once hung there. The mare merely passed through the space without much thought as if it never existed in the first place.
Within moments Cherilee found herself within the confines of the kitchen. By this point the sleeps spell had been broken whether she wanted it to or not. Hooves quickly jerked open the cutains on the only window. Soft light found its way into the room due in part that the window was on the west side of the home. Cherilee's eyes squinted at the sudden rush of light as she peered out through the glass. Trees and houses were beginning to take on more color as the sun began to make its way over the horizon. The pony watched as the birds were becoming more active in the skies and before long a pair of bunnies had made themselves known in the damp grass.
A few minutes passed as she watched the creatures and the ever increasing sunlight. Tired of the scenery, Cherilee turned to rummage through various cabinets within the kitchen. A kettle of water was placed upon the stove while a plate was set atop a small table near the window followed by an empty mug. Once set the mare began to look over the items within a cabnet before closing it and moving on to the next "What will it be. That oat cluster cereal or maybe..." Cherilee stopped in the middle of her search as her eyes drifted to the ceiling for the briefest of moments before slamming the doors shut and rushing to the fridge "Even better. I still have that muffin." The fridge door was opened and two hooves retrieved her prize. A bran muffin. Satisfied that it was still in one piece Cherilee gave a nod of her head before placing the object upon the plate she had set out.
Before long Cherilee had settled into the table near the window. It was the same routine every morning. Monday through Friday. Find breakfast, make coffee, and settle into the table while she awaited to leave for work. Between taking bites from the muffin or a long sip from the coffee mug she was usually grading papers and reports from her students. An entire corner of the table had said papers stacked in a heap just waiting to be read intently and with care and devotio- *Crumple.*
"Do they really not pay attention to the world around them? Ignorance is bliss I suppose. Or is that what they call youth? No matter. 'D' Minus it is." Cherilee tossed the now crushed and balled parchment towards a trash bin across the kitchen. The paper ball landed upon a stack of reports that have met a similar fate over the year. The waste bin could hardly been seen due to the amount that had accumulated over time. Exhaling deeply the mare took another bite from her breakfast before using a hoof to drag over the next paper before her to read. Green eyes began to scan over the scribbled writing before finally stopping in the middle of the first few sentences.
'When I grow up I want to become a princess just like Celestia and Lun-'*Crickle crumple* "Say what now?" Cherilee spoke out loud once more as she began to wad the paper between her hooves "If it was that easy every pony could be such a thing. Low grades and high prospects and princess does not make. Then again, high grades and high prospects will not get one anywhere either. Look at my job for inspiration." The teacher took the coffee mug into her hooves and in one motion had drained the object of its hot liquid contents and sighed. It was as if the strong and hot bitter liquid had provided some sort of comfort or tranquility "That feels better. 'B' minus it is then." And another paper was added to the waste pile.
Ten minutes. Twenty minutes. Thirty minutes. Time seemed to pass by and so did the coffee. So much to the point the mare took the time to boil a second kettle of water for a second pot of the bitter-sweet morning juice. Cherilee sat and sipped upon a fresh mug as she scanned over two papers at once. Within moments the reports met the same fate as the others that came before them. The light just beyond the kitchen window began to brighten more as the sun's rays began to warm the dew upon the grass and plants. The scent of the damp flora began to make it's way through the window over the coffee as Cherilee dragged another paper before her. Her nose scrunched at the scent causing her to sniffle as she read.
'When I become an adult I want to create video games and gaming syste-'*crickle crUmPle crickle'*
"All well and good but if you want to do that you will first have to pull your nose out of said games for, I dont know, the next few years until you graduate?" Cherilee tossed the paper ball behind her into the kitchen sink "At this rate though you will end up getting the training and skills from a school on how to make games only to end up harvesting apples at sweet apple acres for a living and feeling sad because it was not the career you wanted. Then what is the degree of a course completion good for? A damn good fire starter in winter!"
The mare wailed as a hoof slammed down upon the table causing the coffee mug to jump and spill some of its contents upon the wooden surface "Alright! 'C' minus! Your mother won't be too happy to see that I am sure..." Cherilee exhaled deeply as a few papers were roughly dragged before her eyes. Brown splotches stained the white material as a result of her last outburst.
"A Canterlot royal guard? Decent pay for practically doing nothing all day. Congratulations, you get to make more bits than me while I make less and put up with you all year until you graduate. AND you will be unproductive like, what, ninety-five percent of the time with that job?"
Another mug of coffee had come and gone as more papers were read and tossed. At this point she no longer made an effort to aim for the monster of a pile across the kitchen. Crumpled papers lay strewn across the floor. Cherilee scratched the side of her head with a hoof as she brought forth the next victim.
'When I grow up I want to be a teacher just like you miss cheri-'*RrrIIiippp* The paper sat before her now in two pieces. A single eye began to twitch as her gaze moved up to look across the table "Yeah. Perfect. Better start saving your bits early for coffee and alarm clocks. I mean, do you know how much I spend a year on clock repairs and replacement? And with inflation today and the potential for it to rise by the time you are old enough. Astronomical! What? Did you want to be the teacher I am now or the teacher that I wanted to be? Maybe if I marry the clockmaker I can get a discount on the damn things! GAH!" Cherilee's shouts were drowned out by a loud 'crack'. The sound of her head slamming Into the table.
The mare left her head pressed against the hard surface in silence before jolting upright and inhaling deeply. A hoof began to rub at her forehead as she turned to peer out through the window. The light had grown brighter since the last she looked. Cherilee sucked in a deep breath through her teeth as she broke away from the table and papers "Oh my! Nearly cutting it close this time around. Only the heavens know what those kids will do to the classroom if left alone too long."
A shudder ran through the mares body at the very thought. Every morning she usually wondered if the classroom would be tidy and neat when she arrived or take on the look of an apocalyptic wasteland. With a deep sigh and a shake of the head to erase the images Cherilee rushed to the main room and threw open the door "Alright children. We have got alot of learning to do today." The teacher muttered out loud. A smile spread across her features as she stepped out into the warm light of the sun followed by a door slam loud enough to wake the dead.
