Author's Note

This is one of the few times I'll talk before the story. I did mess up on a very minor detail in that the FRONT suspension on the truck should have been broken, not the rear. If you quite frankly don't give a damn about the small stuff like that, go on ahead. If you do, so do I. It's the little things that keep you going. So sorry, and I'm surprised I messed that up considering it's kind of based ona true story so.... I've said too much! On that note, you may be wondering where I'm getting the locations in the stories from. Like I said, kind of based on a true story. These are places I used to live at at one point or another. At this point, I'm not at any of the places I may mention in this story so don't track me down! I don't think I have any stalker fans anyways...

....It's Got A Piercing Quality

Working at the shop is alright. The people who come by are regulars, nice enough. Of course you would be to the guy who's fixing your car at a good price. It's not clean work. I usually need a longer shower than the girls when I get home. I would be working on my truck right now, but I have more important duties. My favorite in fact. When a mother comes in, they usually have their child with them. It's so nice seeing them, innocent in their ways. The five and six year-olds are the best, they still believe in magic. And that's right up my ally.

The kid in-front of me was so far amazed by what I had to offer. Nothing too special, anyone could do it. It kept him entertained though and I was about to show him my best trick. Not so much magic as it was technology. I pulled out the large object from the tool drawers. At first glance, one might think it were a cologne bottle with the sprayer missing and replaced by a metal stem. I however knew that it was a vaporizer. A rather large one at that. The "cologne bottle" was actually a rather large battery. The metal stem is where I drew the vapor from. It was rather old, but still usable.

"This..." I explained to the awe-struck child, "Is something very special. I got it from an old friend. 'Дыхание дракона', Dragon's Breath they call it. I'll show you"

He only stared in wonder at the exotically named item. Now comes the fun part. I line up the spout with my lips before depressing the button on the side of the bottle. A small hissing noise emanates from the heating coils as a take a hit from the vape. The vapor fills my lungs harmlessly, the menthol cooling me, a direct contrast to the cinnamon. I pointed my head to the sky as I shot vapor from my nostrils before expelling it from my mouth, a large white cloud filling the room with icy cinnamon before dispersing. The look on his face is priceless. He must really think I'm a dragon. The amazement written across his face is totally worth it. His mother comes by to thank me and takes her car on her way. By that point a familiar figure is in the doorway of my office.

"Nice magic show" Flitter remarks from the doorway before coming into the office and shutting the door. I take another hit from my vape and exhale and set it down. She's dressed fairly comfortably. Some sweatpants, a tank-top. Simple. Seeing her brings up a few memories, but they're mostly blurred.

"I do my best" I laugh.

"You seem fairly comfortable with kids"

"Oh, he's a good one. He hasn't hit that period where he's rebellious. Every kid has a 'pre-teen' phase, I assure you"

"So.... About last night...." She says, sitting down in a chair.

I sigh and take another hit from the vape, a less extravagant one, hardly producing a cloud. I knew this would come up today.

"Look, I was.... Well, I wasn't thinking if I'm being honest" I look to the desk

"Neither was I and...." She trails off. We sit there for what seems like ages. Neither of us really know what to say.

I look into her eyes and she looks into mine for an answer. She brings up another topic.

"You seem to have a way with children" She smiles

"I try to. I.... Hmmph, It's been forever since my own childhood. And I'm only twenty-five..." I chuckle

"Twenty-five hmm? I never thought you were that old" She tells me

"Really? And just how old are you?"

"Twenty-seven"

I smile at her and she smiles back

".....Would you want to have foals?" She asks me after a long silence

My eyes widen at this. Sure, it's a valid question, by all means. I suppose I've never though about it. Dad always said I was the best thing to happen to him, even if I was usually a mess. Having me was always his biggest dream.

"I......I suppose so....." I tell her, a nervous look crossing my face. "You?"

"Well.....I......It's just, I'm getting older... and all my friends are having foals and...." I silence her with a hug from behind.

"I get it..." I say and she rests her head against me. Again we sit there as a pregnant silence fills the air. After a while I speak up

"Do you want to have foals?" I ask, a question with an answer I don't want to hear

She looks up to me with a smile and tears welling into her eyes. She gets up and embraces me.

"I-I've only known you for a month and you've been so nice to me! N-No other stallion has cared so much!" She cries into my shoulder. I pat her on the back.

"This isn't the smartest idea you know......But if you're sure that this is what you want.... Then...." I hug her to me. "I love you Flitter" I tell her simply.

She starts to cry harder into my shoulder as I just hold her there.

A week or so later

I suppose I'm not really a baby daddy. It's not like I'm sixteen. It doesn't make me feel much better. I had been wondering weather or not I had worn protection that fateful night in the truck. I had not. That was a fun discovery. Still, I haven't been at home for much more than a year and I am now a dad. Let me make it clear that we didn't "do it" after our conversation. No, she got pregnant from our fun in the backseat. So even if she hadn't wanted kids, we would've been screwed. We still kind of are. Oh well. We made a mistake and we have to live with it. I'll stand by her the whole way through.

She was happy enough about it. And...So am I. Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm just as excited to be a dad. I get why my dad was so excited. I have an offspring. I have a legacy. Someone to carry on my name! This is actually really exciting! Knowing that I was a major factor in the creation of a sentient being! My own! My own to love and care for! Along with one of the cutest and nicest women ever. How could I not be happy?

The smile refuses to make it's way off of my face as I sit on the couch with Flitter, her head resting lazily on my lap as we watch a movie. The door is open and the sun light wafts into my humble abode. The autumn air drifts in, feeling perfect on my skin. The air feels so....surreal. As if the essence of life is swirling in the air around me. The exact definition of a lazy sunday. As if nothing could go wrong......and nothing did.

The air was....full. The kind of air that filled your lungs all the way. Cloudchaser joined us for a bit. She was happy to hear the news, if not a bit apprehensive. I guess it was all good. It was a do nothing kind of day. A "I've got time to do this now" day. Hmm. With that motivation, I may as well do a few things I've been meaning to get around. I lean down and kiss her cheek before getting up and heading to our room, eliciting a whine from her, but nothing more than that.

I reach under the bed and pull out dad's old lock-box. Simple, if not a bit rusty, this box probably would have survived a nuclear war. I grab the key off my dresser and slot it into the lock, feeling the notches click into the chamber. I close my eyes and turn the key. The spring loaded lid pops open and I take a breath in anticipation before opening my eyes. Playpony. Playpony mags.

Of course, what else would you have put in here.....Oh hey, it's the last swimsuit issue......

Throwing the mags under the bed for later inspection, I pull out a small USB-C flash-drive, the word "Diary" crudely carved into it. I may look at that later, I may not. Other little trinkets adorn the little box along with photos of our family. He always cared. It didn't matter how stupid our problems were, he cared. I put everything back the way it was and replace the box under the bed. I go back to Flitter as she lies there on the couch. Today is a lazy day.

I'm looking forward to more of these here

I would be, at least, if we weren't being threatened to leave. A few days after Flitter had gotten pregnant, gossip had spread like fire. I was already getting bad looks from the neighbors, and now the local church is on the move. I think it was around the second broken window that I got the message. Things were about to get bad. A small mob was beginning to form at the bottom of the stack, shouting and screaming. I go and get Flitter and Cloudchaser out of bed, though they're already awake, and tell them to pack fast. I start to get my stuff packed, only the things I need. Most of it is dad's stuff. I get it into a pack and carry as much as I can. Once the girls are ready, I grab my gun. I load a shell into the antiquated shotgun and pray I don't need it. I don't need to hurt anyone and if they mob up on me, I only have the one chamber. I won't be able to reload fast enough.

I open the door and nod to the girls. The mob seems to flare up when we step out but quickly quiet down when I make a show of pulling back the hammer and letting my finger rest over the trigger. They get the message as I walk down the stairs, keeping the muzzle in their general direction. Donnie's isn't far. We get there, get in the truck, and get the fuck out of dodge. We make our way down the street, past people who, barring the gun in my hand, would be putting up a fight.

We get to the garage and Donnie's waiting for us. It seems that the mob was a planned attack and he got wind of it. He's got some stuff packed into my truck already and he's making sure everything is alright.

"I put a GPS in your truck. You follow it and you'll be fine, I'm sending you somewhere you can live. I've got you covered for gas and other things. Everything is where it should be, this truck is damn near perfect now" He tells me

I nod to him and start packing my own stuff into the truck, getting the girls comfortable. Cloudchaser takes the back seat after I make it into a makeshift bed. Flitter elects to sit up-front with me.

"I heard about what was happening and I acted. I got you a place to live, a really nice house. Big enough for you and your girls"

I look at him surprised, but his look says it all. He'll be fine. I have a feeling he saved up for an occasion like this. I go over and hug him.

"I'll keep in touch with you and tell you when I get there. Wherever there is" I say

"Don't worry. You're takin' a little road trip to Texas. I hear it's nice there"

I hug him one last time before getting in and starting the truck. It feels good to be driving again.

"One more thing.... Say hi to your Pa when you get there" He says with a smile. I smile back and nod before backing out of the garage and getting onto the road. I follow the prescribed course and take one look back at my home. The place I've felt safe my whole life. Goodbye Kannapolis. Hello Wharton.