Applejack's Halloween

Applebloom and Pinky were busy counting the money while Applejack, Big Mac and Stan cleaned up. A stiff wind was blowing in a storm so they hurried to clean up as much as they could.

Applebloom walked to the edge of the garage and called out: “We’re through!”

The five of them gathered round to hear the night’s tally. Applebloom cleared her throat:

“Well, like Pinkie was sayin’, it takes money to make money, and we had a lot more people show up than we were countin’ on so we had to spend more on food. In total we spent two hundred dollars on decorations and the stereo, and three hundred fifty dollars on food.”

Applejack and Big Mac (Big Mac especially) looked very anxious at hearing that.

“BUT we had somethin’ like two or three hundred people show up, and our total money made was two thousand twenty-four dollars!

Applejack blinked. “W-What?”

“Uhhh-huh?” Big Mac echoed.

Pinkie rocked back and forth on her feet excitedly. “I TOLD you it would work!”

“So that’s, like, fifteen hundred dollars?” Applejack sputtered.

“It might not ‘save the farm’,” Pinkie continued, “but at least you’ll be better off for winter.”

“What about Pinkie Pie?” Stan objected.

Pinkie stopped rocking, and all eyes turned his way.

“What d’ y’ mean?” Applejack asked.

“Pinkie Pie helped a lot; she should get a cut.”

“Oh, no, I-“

Big Mac sniffed. “How much?”

“I’d say fifty.”

Big Mac opened his mouth to say something, but Applebloom spoke first.

“And how much do you want?

“Heh! I don’t need yer money. But I might take that story-telling cake you swindled everyone out of, though.”

Applejack frowned. “Hey, wadda you mean ‘swindled’?”

“Oh, come on. You think I can’t tell Big Mac wearing an ape mask from a giant simian?”

“What? Big Mac would never-” Applejack turned to look at her compatriots.

Big Mac (and Pinkie and Applebloom) guiltily avoid Applejack’s glare.

“Ahem- in ANY case, it’s late. You can worry about money tomorrow, right now we should all finish cleaning up.”

“Yeah!” Applebloom cheered.

“Not this one,” Applejack said. “It’s time for you t’ go t’ bed.”

“What?! Aw, I can help clean up!”

Applejack jerked her head toward the house.

”Git!”

“Awww!” she moaned.

“See you, Applebloom!” Pinkie called.

“See y’all!”

Applebloom headed to the house with the money box while the others looked between each other. Applejack looked at the mess around them:

“We better get at it.”

“I’ll go get started in the kitchen,” Pinkie said, stretching as she walked out the open bay.

“I’ll finish up outside; you two start in here,” Big Mac said. He gave Applejack a look as he left.

Applejack and Stan were left staring at each other. Applejack gulped. Stan smiled, congenially, then grabbed a broom from the corner and started sweeping the debris into a pile.

After watching Stan sweep for several seconds Applejack took a breath and walked up to him.

“P-p-partner?”

“Huh?”

“Stan, stop.”

Stan blinked several times then stopped sweeping.

“Ah really do want to thank you for everythin’ y’ did today. Spreadin’ that rumor around school, and helpin’ out and callin’ off that huntin’ party. Y’know as far as Applebloom and Big Mac and… and me ‘r concerned yer pretty much a member of the family around here.”

Applejack stepped closer. Stan edged back.

“Oh brother, I-”

“Now don’t interrupt. Things have been hard ever since… well, almost forever, for the us here, and that two thousand dollars is pennies from heaven. I reckon we might even be able to buy food next month.”

As Applejack stepped even closer, Stan edged further away until he bumped into something. He took a look; his back was literally to the wall.

He turned back. “W-where’ve you been getting food?”

“Well… We’ve sort of been borrowin’… from the school.”

Stan’s pupils narrowed, and his grip tightened on the broom handle. He didn’t want to know that.

Applejack looked ashamed.

“It’s just the food they ‘re gonna throw out is all. A lot of people turn a blind eye when they hear how hard up we are. But you… you don’t seem to let it get to y’ or nothin’. You don’t mind that… that we’re so poor?”

Applejack was very close now, almost leaning on hm. She looked up and blinked.

“Of course not. Until my uncle found me I used to be even poorer than you are now.”

“I don’t think that’s possible.”

The muscles in his jaw unintentionally tightened. “I’ll have to tell you about it sometime.”

“But we need help. Big Mac thinks he kin turn the farm around with some labor, but we can’t afford no labor. Do you think y’-”

Applejack put her hands, in nervous little fists, on his chest, and her glance turned downward. Then she looked up again, hopeful.

“Do y’ think y’ could help out around the farm? Not a lot, just a little; and we couldn’t pay y’ just yet, but maybe… just maybe there’d be… something else you’d take…?”

She paused, slightly, as they gazed into each eyes; then Applejack’s eyes narrowed as she moved in for the kill.

Big Mac strode in through the side door:

“Outside’s don- oh!”

His eyes went wide as they turned his way. Stan straightened up and Applejack backed off, scrunching her shoulders and blushing horribly.

“Big Mac!” Stan said.

“Huh?”

“Uh- Applejack was just telling me, uh, h-how you needed some help! Around the farm! Is that true?”

Big Mac and Applejack looked at each other. One sad look and a slight nod from Applejack said it all. Big Mac, ever proud, tried to hold his chin up, bravely, but he ended up bowing his head, and nodding.

“Well why didn’t you just say so? I can’t help out a lot, but I can put in a few hours here and there. Don’t worry big guy we’ll turn this place around.”

Big Mac looked up. Applejack smiled.

“Y’… Y’ think so?”

“I know so!”

“Well, tarnation!” he boomed. “I wish I’d’ve asked sooner-”

There was a low grunt at the window. They turned to look. In the window was… The Thing!

Now for just an instant Stan thought Big Mac was playing tricks again, but somehow he knew that couldn’t be. Firstly, Big Mac was standing right there. Secondly, the window frame was at least six feet tall, maybe seven, and that thing, that… CREATURE, was clearly bending down just to peek inside.

A giant hand pressed against the window pane.

“AAAAAAAHHHHH!” they shouted, bolting out of the garage and tearing for the house.

Stan got there first and held open the door as he waved them inside.

“Go! Go! Go!”

As soon as they were inside he slammed the door and they ran to the side windows to peek out through the blinds.

Pinkie Pie with a dish rag and Applebloom with a toothbrush in her mouth appeared.

“What’s going on?” Pinkie asked.

“It’s outside,” Applejack said. “HE is!”

“Bigfoot!” Applebloom shouted, racing to the window. Pinkie’s eyes went wide as she followed.

They searched for several seconds, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Applejack heaved a sigh of relief. “He’s gone.”

“Whew-wee!” Big Mac called out. “That was a close one!”

“I figure we’re done cleanin’ up outside ‘til mornin’. Big Mac, give Pinkie and Stan a ride home in the truck.”

Big Mac grunted and went to get the keys.

“I can help out a bit more,” Pinkie said.

“Aw, you’ve helped enough for one day. We’ll finish up around here.”

“Did y’ get a picture?” Applebloom asked.

“Sure didn’t.”

“You don’t think he’s been eating your apples, do you?” Stan asked.

“All the time.”

“And he’s really loud too,” Applebloom eagerly added. “Late at night, when the window’s open, y’ can hear a snackin’ and a munchin’ out in the orchard. I feel like shoutin’ out: Eat quietly! And chew with yer mouth closed. Ain’t Bigfoot got no manners!”

“Fascinating,” Stan said.

“Wait, so you- you really saw him?” Pinkie asked Stan.

“Boy howdy,” Stan confirmed.

“Now ‘re y’ gonna believe us?” Applebloom asked Pinkie.

Pinkie furrowed her brow, and peeked through the blinds again.

Big Mac appeared at the door. “All right, y’ ready?”

“Kin I come?”

“You’ve got school in the morning, and ah’m gonna to go finish up in the kitchen. Hurry back, and be safe.”

Big Mac nodded. Pinkie gave Applebloom and Applejack a hug - and Stan a mean look.

“I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

“Thanks fer helpin’ out ‘cuz.”

“Yeah, thanks Pinkie,” Applebloom said, as she resumed brushing her teeth.

“Yeah, thanks Pinkie,” Stan echoed, as they walked out to the hall.

“Shut up.”

They made their way to the front door and slowly opened it.

“Coasts clear,” Stan said. He held the door open for Big Mac and Pinkie, but Applejack called from the hall before he followed:

“Stan?” He looked back. “Just… think about what we talked about. Okay?”

He made a sly look. “Don’t worry, I will.”

She smiled as he waved goodbye, closing the door and hurrying after the other two.

In the truck Big Mac was driving, Stan rode shotgun and Pinkie sat between then, nervously wringing her hands and clearing her throat. They sat like that for a quarter mile before Stan spoke up:

“How many apples does he eat?”

“Can’t really tell, he eats ‘em whole. But a lot, that’s for sure.”

“But you really did see him this time? Not just hear him?”

“We saw ‘im Pinkie Pie.”

“What did he look like?”

“Well… like Bigfoot, I guess.”

“He looked like an ape,” Stan said, “like you’d see at a zoo; but he was taller, way taller, and thin. He looked like an eight and a half foot tall lanky ape.”

“And the feller had huge hands.”

“Really?” Pinkie gasped.

“Yep. Put ‘em up on the window and everything. Freaked us the (heck) out.”

“Wow.”

“That was definitely a close one,” Stan said, as Big Mac pulled over.

Stan’s small apartment building, which was a twenty minute walk from the homestead, made for a two minute drive in the middle of the night, and was on the way to the Delphina farm, so he was up first. He opened the door and hopped out.

“Bye Big Mac, bye Pinkie.”

“Eeeyup!”

Pinkie inclined her nose, and looked slightly away with a small feminine grunt.

Stan sized her up, then lifted his hand. In a flash he pinched Pinkie on the outer thigh.

She recoiled: “Ack!”

“I said goodbye Pinkie.”

“Okay, goodbye, whatever,” she said, stifling a smile.

Stan closed the door as a chuckling Big Mac drove off.

As soon as he was gone Stan pulled out his phone and made a call.

Someone answered.

“Tell me you got Bigfoot on camera.”

Later that morning, Applejack sat at a small desk in her room, writing in her diary. She sighed. She wanted to write down everything that happened so she’d never forget.

She sighed again as she closed the diary, then turned off her light and threw herself on the bed. She looked out the window at the night sky then rolled on her side and hugged her pillow. With all that money in the lockbox it felt like a great weight was off her shoulders. She could finally rest easy - for a while. But as she drifted off to sleep she tried to remember everything that happened, and just hoped she’d never forget.

Never forget….

END