The Wrath of the Shadow Wraith
A chill ran up and down Octavia Melody’s spine as she approaches the house. She swallows. I’ve never seen something quite as eerie as… this… she thinks.
Octavia walks up to the door remembering what Gong had told her:
“There be nothin’ quite as weird as this House on Tombstone Hill… Aye… There be the sperits of the ‘venturers of the house.”
Octavia remembers asking Gong, “Wait. Gong. Who were the adventurers of the house?” remembering that Vinyl Scratch had been missing for the past few hours, not to be found anywhere.
Gong said:
“Keh heh heh… Tavi… I always thought ah ya as the cute’un. I just don’ wanna upset ya…”
She draws two breaths and twists the doorknob. The door opens with a blood-curdling squeak. Octavia steps through.
“The torches on the wall are all extinguished” she thinks aloud.
Octavia then steps into a puddle of warm liquid. She lifts a hoof. Blood. She screams. Wait! It’s warm! She thinks. Something must’ve taken place not long ago.
Octavia follows a trail of it. She tries to feel safe, but can’t. A horrid thought pops into her mind:
"Could this be Vinyl?”
She tries to push the thought out of her mind.
The trail leads around a corner of the creepy old house.
“Welcome, Octavia Melody…” an unnaturally scary, yet calm and smooth low voice says. “I know who you seek … Vinyl Scratch …”
Octavia freezes.
“How would you know?” she says, frozen and horrified. “And … How do you know me?”
The voice laughs a deep and horrifying laugh.
“Who are you?!” demands Octavia.
It laughs again.
“I am What Lurks Beyond the Guillotine,” it says.
“You m-mean the… S-Shadow Lurker?!” she says, cowering.
It laughs again.
“You are a smart pony, aren’t you? Geh heh heh,” It says. “Well… This is the place you’d find your friend…”
“Vinyl!” Octavia seethes. “Give her back… NOW!”
“It’s too late, Octavia. All that’s left of her is what you’re standing on! Geh heh heh heh heh!” It says.
Octavia bursts into tears.
“How could you take her away from me?” she cries.
“She … stumbled upon me by accident … Too distracted by her music…” says Shadow Lurker.
Shadow Lurker walks out of the shadows like a black ghost.
“It wasn’t me who murdered her… something larger…”
Octavia whirls around in fear.
A dead-looking, yet masculine-smelling and handsome, black pony with a mane resembling the changeling queen and glowing poison green eyes.
"Y-you are t-the S-shadow Lurker?” she squeaks
“Geh heh heh… Yeah… I’m the Shadow Lurker…” says the Shadow Lurker. “No need to tremble, my dear…”
“You’re not going to hurt me?” squeaks Octavia.
“No, no, no… Never… I’m here to help you…” says Shadow Lurker.
“We can find her?” says Octavia, brightening up.
Shadow Lurker smiles. “We might can do that.”
Octavia hugs Shadow Lurker, smelling his cologne.
I wonder what cologne he’s wearing.
“Follow me, Ms. Octavia… I’ll show you the way…” says Shadow Lurker.
+++
Vinyl Scratch wakes up on an operating table in a room with no other light than a single candle that, despite it being a light source, barely does any good. She hears whispers about killing, a 4/4 drum beat, rattling chains, and clanging metal.
Where am I? she thinks.
“My dear… What is your name?” asks a low zombie-like voice, its source out of view.
Vinyl looks around for the source
“I’ll ask you once more… ‘What is your name’?!” it demands.
A white, flabby, almost tumourous, mass with what looks like blood stains, a long neck, a human-like face, black expressionless eyes, armed with massive teeth and a huge jaw wriggles out from the shadows.
Ugh… That thing is ugly… Vinyl thinks.
“ANSWER ME!” it yells.
“Vinyl Scratch” says Vinyl in her gravelly hoarse voice. “My name is Vinyl Scratch…”
“ANSWER ME!” it roars in Vinyl’s face.
He really needs to brush his teeth… Ugh… Vinyl thinks
“My name is Vinyl Scratch… Or you can call me DJP0N-3… It’s your choice…” she says, smiling slightly.
“Enough messing around, Vinyl Scratch! Anyway… I’m Dead Hand,” says Dead Hand, clearing its throat. “And you are my meal!”
Vinyl swallows hard, though not able to see it, but can hear it in his voice: bloodlust.
+++
Octavia and Shadow Lurker dash through the shadowy halls of the seemingly endless haunted mansion.
“One more right, then two lefts, then straight,” mumbles Shadow Lurker.
The duo performs that manoeuver and arrive at a creepy old door.
Octavia knocks and jumps back.
A voice whispers, “Was ist it das you seek?”
Octavia steps forward and swallows.
“Do you know the whereabouts of a mare named Vinyl Scratch?” she asks the door.
“No!” seethes the voice. “I mean, no. I have never heard that name…”
“Let us in, Hallow,” growls Shadow Lurker.
“Oh! Yes sir, Lord Shadow… At your command!” says the voice, embarrassed.
The door opens.
“Lord Shadow?” asks Octavia.
“I have a high ranking in this mansion. They think of me as something like a leader… These undead spirits,” says Shadow Lurker.
+++
“I’m hungry, Vinyl. I haven’t eaten in decades… Sad story, actually… I’m glad I stumbled upon you…” says Dead Hand. “I’ve never had pony before… Gwrok Gwrok Gwrok…”
Vinyl breaks into a sweat.
I’m sorry Octavia. I never knew I’d end this way… she thinks.
“Go ahead… I’m ready… But one thing I want you to know before you eat me… My friend is coming for me…” says Vinyl Scratch.
“I’m surprised you’re giving in like this…” says Dead Hand in a horrifyingly happy tone.
“I am too…” says Vinyl.
“I did not want a response from you!” snaps Dead Hand
Oh well… she thinks
“Any last words… Vinyl Scratch…?” says Dead Hand, enjoying every moment of Vinyl’s fear.
“Yes…” says Vinyl with tears in her eyes. “Make it as painless as possible…”
“Gwrokok Gwrok Gwrok… I don’t believe in painless, Vinyl… I like watching beings… Suffer and die slowly…” snarls Dead Hand, voice thick with bloodlust.
Suddenly, the locked door smashes to bits and splinters.
Dead Hand…” snarls Shadow Lurker.
“Courier… I never thought you’d be the hero… But you are… With a beautiful pony like-” Dead Hand wriggles up to Octavia. A long gangly arm comes up out of the ground and props up Octavia’s chin. “This one… Gwrok Gwrok Gwrok…” he laughs.
Octavia slaps the arm with her hoof.
“Gwrok Gwrok Gwrok… We got a feisty one here…” says Dead Hand as the arm sinks back into the ground.
Vinyl smiles.
+++
Vinyl Scratch uses her magic to tug a flap of… Whatever Dead Hand has covering his body and possibly a skeleton and insides.
His neck makes full 180 degree arc and his head does an 180 degree spin so his face is upright.
Vinyl lets out a short scream in horror and disgust.
“What do you want, Vinyl Scratch?!” Dead Hand demands.
“You mess with my friends, you mess with- AAAAAAAAAAAAGH!”
Vinyl screams as a long gangly arm (like the one that touched Octavia’s) claws rip into Vinyl’s flesh. Blood pours out of the wound.
Vinyl moans, eyes tearing up.
No! No! NO! This isn’t happening! He’s actually going to eat- Vinyl’s thoughts got interrupted by another tear into her flesh, this time the base of her neck.
“Do you like it, Vinyl Scratch…? Gwrok Gwrok Gwrok… I do…” laughs Dead Hand.
Shadow Lurker steps forward.
“We’ve been searching for hours in my own house for Vinyl Scratch… And I’m surprised I forgot you were down here…” says Shadow Lurker with a bit of shame in his voice.
“Good… But if that mare with too much hair didn’t come to the house then I would have had my first meal in 100 years!” snarls Dead Hand.
Octavia blushes.
“Not only that, but this pony here cooperates too much, so I think I’ll kill her right now,” he continues.
Dead Hand’s head arcs 180 degrees in the other direction so it’s upside down to Vinyl’s perspective and arcs 90 degrees so his neck is straight up.
He turns 180 degrees so his… belly (?) is facing Vinyl.
Vinyl coughs blood.
“Don’t hurt me…” says Vinyl, blood pouring from her mouth. “Can’t you see what you’re doing to me?”
“Gwrok Gwrok Gwrok… I. Don’t. Care…” says Dead Hand as he wriggles towards Vinyl Scratch. “One more tear… Make it hurt!”
The arm air-salutes Dead Hand. It runs its fingers through her coat from her chest to her stomach. Vinyl sighs, but the arm rips out a huge chunk of skin and Vinyl Scratch screams.
Dead Hand wriggles up to Vinyl. Just as he lowers his head, Octavia strikes Dead Hand in the back where the base of his neck meets his… shoulders (?). He roars. Shadow Lurker impales his back with his gnarled horn. His roar turns to a screech.
He turns, bile-coloured blood streaking in an arc behind him from the wound.
Some gets on Vinyl.
She gasps.
“Gwrok Gwrok Gwrok… Shadow… You think you can kill me?” snarls the ugly beast. “THINK AGAIN!”
Dead Hand roars a roar that shakes the ground. He then summons many arms that rip off more and more flesh from Vinyl Scratch.
“NO!!! STOP!!! I’ll do ANYHING,” screams Octavia through tears and horror.
Dead Hand thinks it over.
“Anything, you say?” says Dead Hand slyly.
“Shadow Lurker! Help her!”
“I’m sorry, Octavia…” sighs Shadow Lurker. “There’s nothing I can do…”
Octavia cries harder as the hands keep ripping.
No… I… I can’t think straight! Why can’t I think straight?! I-OUCH! Right above my heart… Nice job TRYING TO KILL ME! She snarls in her mind
Vinyl hears something crack… No… She feels something crack.
They’re pulling out my ribs… Hrggph… I… Hrggph… will not… Hrggph… Allow this to… Hrggph! They’ve made it through! She thinks.
Vinyl starts to tear up.
An arm wipes away a tear, and Vinyl bites it.
Dead Hand approaches Vinyl.
“Gwrok Gwrok Gwrok… It’s time, Vinyl Scra- Ohhhhhrghh…”
Dead Hand lets out a dying groan and flops over with its bile-coloured blood leaking out of a large slit in his back and neck.
Shadow Lurker steps over Dead Hand’s flabby form, heals Vinyl and lets her down.
As the trio reaches the doorway, an arm rises up from the ground lightning fast and impales Shadow Lurker. Shadow Lurker lets out a short cry making the two mares turn.
The arm “keyholes” Shadow Lurker, recedes to the ground, then impales him again. The two mares scream at the sight of an already bloodstained arm now, even bloodier, holding Shadow Lurker’s heart in its palm.
“Run… Go… Please… J-just… Leave me…” Shadow Lurker forces out, coughing blood. “Go… J-just always r-remember… M-me…”
Shadow draws one final breath then falls limp on the arm impaling him, blood pouring over his slick and beautiful coat and out of his mouth.
Vinyl cries softly and tears form in Octavia’s eyes.
J-just always r-remember… M-me…
Shadow Lurker’s final words echo in Octavia’s head.
“I will…” whispers Octavia as if he could still hear her words. “Always…”
Soon Octavia weeps.
