Conspiracy: Off the Record

“Good night sweetie,” the white mare said.  She leaned in and delicately kissed the young filly on his forehead.

She slowly made her way to the door on the other side of the room, until a weak whine stopped her in her tracks.  “You forgot the night light,” he whimpered.  She smiled and flicked the little light on.  Satisfied that the darkness wouldn’t get him, he snuggled into his covers.  Storm Runner heard the door creek shut, leaving him alone in his room.

Storm Runner refused sleep’s gentle embrace and stared around his room.  He focused on the poster that hung on the wall by the foot of his bed.  The golden armored pony stood unwavering, saluting an unseen officer.  DUTY, HONOR, COURAGE were written across the bottom.  “Courage,” he whispered silently to himself as he closed his eyes.

The foal shivered as the warmth drained out of his room.  The stalwart night light began to blink weakly.  Storm Runner’s  watched in horror as the darkness began to swallow the room.  The wind howled and the windows rattled as the gnarled branches scratched and clawed at them, trying to force their way in.  Storm Runner fidgeted in his bed.  His eyes kept darting between the demonic shadows that appeared when the night light flickered to life, laughing at the poor colt’s terror.

"Mom!" he screamed.  His ears perked up as he listened for her familiar hoofsteps rushing down the hall.  He knew whenever he screamed for his mom, she would come rushing in to soothe his mind and chase away his fears.  He could smell the lilacs and vanilla of her favorite perfume.  Seconds ticked by and minutes ticked on, but she never came.

Confused by her absence, Storm Runner frantically kicked off his blanket and rolled to the floor.  He rushed to the half open door, refusing to look at  the jovial shadows.  He flung open the door and ran into the hall.  Feeling no safer than he did in his room,  he stared into the dark hallway.  His teeth were chattering and his knees were shaking.  He gulped and began his journey through the halls.

He walked towards the door at the end of the hall.  Careful not to make much noise, he slowly pushed open the door.  The room was darker than his, but he found comfort knowing his parents were with him.  Storm Runner got onto all fours and gingerly crawled into the room.  He felt the soft carpet radiate through his skin like  a warm hug, dwindling the power that fear held over him.

He passed his mom's vanity, taking moment to inhale the sweet perfumes that kissed the air.  After taking in his fill, he continued to the far wall and his parent's bed was.  A wet spot made him pause in the darkness.  He touched it again, feeling the warmth that the mysterious pools held.  He focused on the blots and noticed the path they made to his parent's bed.  Storm Runner followed them to an odd shape resting at the foot of the bed.

He poked at the familiar object, confused at what it was.  Several rays of light projected themselves from the ceiling.  They swirled around the room in abstract patterns, before centering themselves onto the mass that the curious filly was poking.  Storm Runner felt his stomach lurch.  The odd mass was staring blankly back at him.  "Dad?" he said, quivering uncontrollably.

His ears perked up at a strange noise coming from the bed, but he was unwilling to divert his gaze from his father's corpse.  As if a stage manager had given a cue, the spotlight hurriedly focused on the bed, Storm Runner, as if lead by an invisible hoof,  followed.

The noise had been the springs of the bed creaking from the weight of the two ponies jerking back and forth on the soft mattress.  A hooded figure was moving back and forth on top of another pony.  "Mom!" he screamed.

The hooded figure paused and stared at the colt.  His face was completely covered in darkness.  The only thing that could be seen were two glowing orbs where his eyes would be.  His mouth twisted into a fanged smile.  "Looks like we have an audience," he hissed.  He resumed his motions atop the colt’s mom.

Her head twisted to where Storm Runner was staring.  "Look away honey," she pleaded.

The hooded figure snapped her head away from the frightened colt.  "If you look away, I'll kill her," he threatened.  "I want you to see how much of a slut your mother is."

Storm Runner, unable to turn away, watched as his mother was abused like a piece of meat.  The hooded psycho quickened his pace, thrusting himself violently into the colt’s helpless mother with unnatural dexterity.   Storm Runner curled his ears back in an attempt to block out his mother’s screams of agony. “Please stop,” pleaded the white mare, “I can’t take it anymore.”

The stallion in the black cloak chortled.  “Why would I stop,’ he said mockingly, “I’m almost done with you slut.  He felt something hot splatter against his groin.  His smiled widened when he saw it was her blood gushing out of her.  Taking pleasure in her pain, he started to thrust even faster.  Time seemed to slow as he grunted one last time and got off his mom.  She whimpered and Storm Runner could see the tears welling up in her eyes.  Making sure that the filly was still watching, the stallion produced a curved dagger and slit his mother's throat.  He felt hot liquid spray all over his coat.  With tears in his eyes, he ran towards the open door.  The door mysteriously slammed shut.

"Where do you think you're going," said the evil pony.  "I'm not done with you."  He laughed maniacally as the ray of light split off into several beams.  They shot off in different directions, revealing the laughing shadows from Storm Runner's room.  They jerked and twisted while continuing their demented laughter.  The hooded figure had disappeared, but his laughter melded with the rest of them, mocking the young colt’s terror.

"Stop laughing!" he commanded.  The shadows did as they were told and stared at the colt, as if noticing him for the first time.  Their formless bodies shifted in the dim light, stalking their prey like a timber wolves hunting an injured rabbit.  The hooded figure's laugh was still cutting through the darkness, laughing at Storm Runner's terror.

Tentacles of pure darkness stretched out from the shadows, reaching out for the disembodied head of his father.  They slithered into its still open mouth and out of its neck, twisting into a mutilated version of his old body.  Storm Runner’s father’s eyes glowed red with hellfire.  It let out an unearthly howl and charged at the young filly.

 Storm Runner screamed.  He ran for the closed door again, only to find that it had vanished, leaving a solid wall covered in shadows.  The abomination pinned him against the wall.  “Coward!” it hissed  “Your punishment will be eternal!”  It let out one more howl before the shadows spewed from it’s open mouth.  They entangled the young pegusus' legs, as they slowly slid up his trembling body.  His screams grew louder as he felt their icy embrace begin to climb up his neck.  His screams were muted by the tentacles sliding into his throat, but he refused to stop.  He kept screaming, even as he woke up.