//-------------------------------------------------------//
                     The Eldritch Mare                     
                     -by FlyOnTheWall-                     
//-------------------------------------------------------//
//-------------------------------------------------------//
                         Chapter 1                         
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Chapter 1
Inspector Lenol Spring sighed heavily as he looked at the mug between his hoofs. He had had a hard day, what with the apparent murder-kidnapping that had gone down at the Carlston residence hours ago. Forced out of his warm bed in the middle of the night to help with the investigation, Spring was looking forward to finally being relieved by the grunts. There was just one problem.
He still had to tell Mr. and Mrs. Carlston that their children were dead. Taking another sip of his cider, Spring looked over at his assistant. Officer Cheryl Sprite, who was sitting in the corner with Darla and Joe Carlston, trying to keep them calm while he worked out a plan for breaking the news of telling them they would never see their little fillies again. Why did it have to be him that broke the news to the family? Why couldn’t it ever be Tyle or one of the other officers in the Crime Scene Unit? Why out did it always come down to him when it came to breaking bad news?
Spring sighed again. Well it was now or never. Putting down the mug, he slowly walked over to the three in the corner. Darla was the first to look up, her eyes full of tears. She didn’t know what was going on, but she could guess something wasn’t right. No training could ever overcome a mother’s instincts.
Grabbing a chair, Spring pulled it in front of the couple. It was now or never. Giving his most neutral face, Spring opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again, only to close it again.
After four more times of this Darla finally broke down and started crying.
“Would you just spill it out already? Can’t you see she’s on edge?” Mr. Carlston shouted, putting his arms around his hysterical wife.
Spring nodded. “I...There’s no easy way to say this. Your children. They have all been-”
But before he could start, one of the street officers suddenly walked into the room and swiftly walked over to them. He looked like he had seen a ghost.
"Inspector Spring. I...we need you."
“What? Why?” Spring asked, relieved for the interruption.
“We found him sir.”
“Him?” Spring repeated.
Darla and Joe jumped up behind them. Darla whispered, her voice heavy with fear, "Him? What do you mean, him?"
"Inspector," the officer’s voice was heavy. "Come with me."
Nodding, Spring silently followed the officer to the front of the police station and out the door. There were five officers huddled around someone on the ground. It was a young stallion, with a short brown mane and hollow grey eyes. As they got closer, Spring noticed that the stallion  was shivering quite violently, and that his eyes kept darting back and forth like he was looking for something in the shadows. He also noticed that the colt was handcuffed.
“Dex?” Joe whispered as he and his wife came out of the door.
"Dex!" Darla rushed over to the colt, throwing her hooves around his neck.
Dex looked at her, his eyes out of focus like he wasn’t really there. "The horror. So many...can’t go to sleep. She said she’d come for me."
“Dex?” His mother cried looking him in the face. “Dex, it’s me. Are you all right?”
“She...Shimmer Rose.”
“Shimmer Rose?” Joe asked. “What happened to her? Son, what happened?”
Suddenly Dex screamed. “I SAW HER! I REALLY DID! SHE’S THE ONE WHO KILLED THEM! NOT ME!”
“Saw who?” Spring asked, kneeling beside them.
Dex looked him in the eyes, his full of terror. “They don’t believe me. None of them do. But I did. I really saw her.”
“See who?” Spring repeated, pulling out a recorder.
“That freaking nightmare! She’s the one who killed everyone! She...no it. It did this.”
“She? Can you describe what you saw?”
“There was no way that...thing was a pony. Not with the way it went through the wall like it was nothing. Oh Celestia! What did I see!”
“Ponies going through walls? Sounds like someone’s had too much cider at the party.” Someone scoffed.
“Keep going.” Spring said, ignoring the comment. “What else did you see?”
“She was the size of a normal pony. But it wasn’t a normal pony. S-she couldn’t be. Everywhere she went there was this mist. That freaking mist!”
“Mist?” Officer Sprite asked.
“She said she’d come for me. Come back to finish me.”
“Who did? Who said it?” Spring pushed. “What was her name?”
“She didn’t say it. She didn’t say anything. But I saw it. I saw it in the way she looked at me. With her dark, cold purple eyes. She’s going to come for me.”
“Calm down. No one’s coming for you.” Another officer said. “We got-”
“Shut up!” Dex screamed. “You don’t know anything! No one can stop her! No one!”
“Now, calm down-” Spring started.
“Don’t tell me what to do! She’s going to get me! I know what I saw! I know what she did! She’s going to come back for me!”
“Dex.” Mrs. Carlston whispered.
“Calm down, Dex. I don’t want to do anything that I’ll regret.”
In one deft movement, Dex stood up and head-butted Spring in the nose, knocking the older pony to the ground.
“What the heck? Someone restrain him!”
“Stay away from me! Stay away!” Dex screamed, wrapping his hoofs around Sprite’s neck.
“Now calm down. There’s no need-”
“Shut up!” Dex shouted.
“Dex. Don’t do this.” Mr. Carlston said.
“I said stay back! Don’t get any closer!” Dex started backing away. “I-”
Suddenly, Spring was back on his feet with a taser. Being behind him, Dex didn't see the taser as it slammed into his neck.
“Ahh!” Dex cried out, releasing Sprite.
Instantly, three officers jumped on top of Dex knocking him to the ground.
“Why are you doing this too me?” Dex sobbed from the ground. “Are you all with her too?”
“No, son. We just want what’s best.” Spring said putting away the taser. “We just want what’s best.”
Within the hour Dex Carlston was admitted to Equestria Mental Institution’s Maximum Security Wing. Since being admitted he hasn’t willingly talked to anyone be it family or public servant. When forced to talk, all he would just repeat the same words. “She’s coming for me. She’s coming for me.”
The bodies of the missing fillies were never found and everyone called it a close case. Saying it was just another instance of the strange things that happened in Equestria.