The DJ That Scratched my Life

I’ve never been much of a great man. One can just perceive me as just another face in the crowd...if they’ve noticed me at all that is. Much like the rest of the dwindling population in my sappy little town, I’ve been caught in the net of a set schedule which repeats itself every day. Nothing unusual happens, nothing interesting. I wake up, I eat, sit around doing nothing until I have to work at nine at night. I come home at four in the morning, and salvage whatever sleep my insomnia will allow me.

As of now, I’m sitting at the counter at the Kwik Trip in which I work. I’ve got my head propped up on an arm, waiting for any customers to come through, but who’s going to come a mile out from town to get a Monster or a box of Glazers? On an average night I get about twelve customers who, of course, come for gas. Sometimes they’ll come in and grab a thing or two, but are usually gone in a fairly good order.

The soundless t.v above is my only means of entertainment, watching the news. By soundless, I mean the speakers don’t work. A storm the other night caused the power to go out, and when I got everything up and running, the t.v just wouldn’t produce any sound. So now, I just sit in silence, watching the captions go by to hopefully keep track of what they’re saying. I watched Donald Trump’s speech about being elected as the new U.S president, which was rather boring to say in the least, but I’m just grateful the t.v still puts out the video.

Every now and again I’ll glance at the clock next to the t.v hanging from the ceiling, watching the red needle move with each tick. I take a sip of my black coffee, its warmth courses through my veins and nips at my tongue from the heat. My free hand taps to the beat of Free Bird playing on the intercoms above.

No wonder my girlfriend, Cassidy left me.

I’m a broken man with little income and a rickety old house to live in.

No wonder she took Alyssa, my daughter, too.

Memories begin to fill my head. Good ones. Enjoyable ones. Ones I wish weren’t just memories anymore. I remember when I took her camping. She was only four at the time, still learning to talk. I took her fishing…

“Daddy, daddy! I got a fishy, daddy!” Alyssa cheered with joy as she fumbled with her fishing pole to reel in her prize.

“Oh, that’s great, sweeties! Let me help you!” I smiled at her as I set my own rod down allowing my fish to get away.

I took my little girl into my lap, a wide smile spread across her rosy cheeks, her long brown hair blowing in the gently breeze. I placed my hands over hers and together, we reeled in a foot long salmon. It’s bright red color shining under the morning summer sun, our legs dangling off the edge of the dock. It was a beautiful day.

“It’s so pretty, can we keep it, daddy?” she gazed up at me with the most beautiful blue eyes I’d ever seen. They were just like her mother’s.

“Of course we can.” I smiled at her and she smiled back. I kiss her forehead softly.

Her smile grew wider, her pearly whites began to show.

“I love you, daddy,” she said softly as we placed the fish in the container full of water between us.

Alyssa beamed at her new pet, a fat fish it was.

“I’ll name you Pudgy!” she giggled, reaching in to stroke the fish, and surprisingly it just sat there and allowed her to touch it. “Thank you, daddy,” she smiled at me and began to hug my arm, a bit tighter than I would have liked, but at least I knew she was happy.

She was happy. I did everything I could to be a good father. I played dolls with her, even joined her uninvited on her tea parties with her stuffed dolls which consisted of characters from her favorite t.v show: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

Heck, I learned everything there was to be known about the show with how much she talked about it! I even began to watch it with her and soon, I found myself taking my little girl to Bronycon for an early birthday gift. That was when we had good money. That was when we were all happy. We had a two thousand square foot house to ourselves to rent, and Cassidy, then, was telling me how great of a man I was.

But then I got fired. Thrown in prison for a crime I didn’t commit. I worked as an architect, designing blueprints for buildings and houses - even went to the site where my first plan was actually being built. But, one of my co-workers, who hated me for unknowingly taking their allegedly owned parking space, somehow found out my login and password on Facebook and made a post saying she’s blow up the building.

As cliche as it sounds, it happened. Nobody believed me when I tried to defend myself.

I got twenty years.

Luckily I only served two of them since that co-worker snapped I guess and confessed, but Cassidy seem to think she felt bad for me and took the blame so she thinks I was the one who made that post.

I lost everything. She took it all.

That’s how I’ve come to where I am today.

Back to reality, I sighed as I looked a a photo of the three of us on Alyssa’s third birthday. Cassidy demands I give it to her, but I just claim to have lost it. It’s all I have left of my baby girl. I glanced up at the clock, noticing I had been staring out to space for a good twenty minutes. Fifteen minutes till my shift is to end.

I got up from the chair in which I sat and set to work, closing up the shop. I had to sweep, count the earnings, check the stock and a few other things which took a good half hour, but it was a relief I could finally go home! During that time, I came to notice it was raining outside. Great, wet roads and a sleepy driver.

Thank you nature!

I left the store and locked the doors, but not before throwing my clown mask on. NO I am not one of those creepy killer clowns, but I wear a mask just to “blend in.”

So, I made my way over to my car - an old, red Pontiac Fiero. Thing took a T-bone from a truck and the door still opens and closes as if nothing happened. So, I got in, buckled up and prayed it would start. I swear this car has come to its final days of living as it took a good eight attempts to get it to even sputter. Another four tries later it rumbles to life, the flip up headlights come up, but only the right one turns on. It screeches as i put it in reverse and I pull out into the road, switching it into drive and I made my way for home.

A straight, unpopulated, two mile long road awaited me. The pitter-patter of rain against the car only increased my lust for sleep, the one operating headlight triggering my OCD and the squeaking of the rusty car over the bumps called for one long, annoying drive. My tiredness was also getting the better of me as I began to doze off as usual, but the same major bump in the road always wakes me. He same major bump in the road this time also makes my car die.

A good five minutes later, I was outside my car in the pouring rain, the car receiving a few more good dents from my angered kicking. Not to mention my pointless insults to an inanimate object. I was about to throw another kick and/or insult, but a twig snapping from the woods that line the road put me at attention.

“Who’s there!?” I called into the trees.

There was high pitched “Eep,” followed by a scuffling of leaves and light whimpering as if a child were crying. Knowing now there’s no clown - or at least I hoped, I made my way into the trees.

“Who’s there?” I asked again, but in a much softer tone as to not scare whatever was there.

The whimpering continued and slowly I took step after step into the near pitch black forest and thunder rolled above. Within the thick trees, I didn’t feel as much rain landing on me, so at least there was that.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” I said in an even softer tone. Heck, I couldn’t even if I wanted to. My gun and bat are in the trunk of the car.

The whimpers and soft cries came again. This time it sounded as if I couldn’t take a step in any direction without stepping on whatever it was. Then, under a flash of lightning, I saw the silhouette of a small figure backed up against a tree. Obviously nothing that’s going to hurt me, but, why does this animal sound like a child? Either way, it obviously needs help, so my questions as of now have no relevance.

Slowly, I reached down for the critter.

It noticed this and in a scare, it got up and tried to flee, only to trip over a tree root.

Gently, I scooped up the rain soaked critter and lifted it into my arms.

“It’s okay, I got you, little one.” I smile down at it, whatever it is.

At first it fought to escape my grasp, but in this cold weather, my body heat must have calmed it down enough to not want to squirm. Softly I sighed as I made my way back to the car. The flashes of lightning made just enough light to see to the road. Once there, I pulled open the passenger side door and placed the little thing down on the seat. In back there was a blanket which I grabbed and wrapped it gently around the critter who was still whimpering. Finally I buckled it in and shut the door.

Poor whatever you are.

I then made my way over to the other side of the car and got into the driver’s seat and buckled myself in. So, basically, I just picked up some sort of animal, probably a fox since they make all sorts of noises, but nothing like a child’s crying.

I then attempted to turn on the car.

“Thank you!” I said to nobody as the car actually rumbled to life.

The drive home was boring to say the least, a slight fear down within me that this creature that I’ve taken into my vehicle wasn’t hostile. Normally you’d think a small, little, crying creature would be harmless, but the witches from “Left 4 Dead” have taught me otherwise. Damn things piss me off. I hate them more than tanks, which of course I only kill with moltolves for the sake of getting the achievement each time. But other than that, the whimpering from the creature has at least stopped, so there’s that.

I exit the car once I pull into my driveway with the creature who I came to find had fallen asleep during the drive in my arms. It was completely hidden in the blankets, but the soft snoring told me it was asleep. I then head up the creaky porch steps, to the door and after unlocking, I enter my home, shutting the door behind me.

I turn on the light as I step into the living room, the single light on the ceiling brightens the room. The walls are brown, the ceiling white and the floor is a tan carpeting over creaky wood flooring. The grey couch sits against the wall with the large window and end tables to each side, face the t.v on the other side of the room, a coffee table in the middle with random junk spewed on top. Sounds okay at first, but random stains dot the carpet and the couch smells like dogs.

I can feel the critter start to stirr in my arms, and comes to poke its...her...head out.

There was nothing anybody could do to prepare me for what I saw.

A white furry face, with a cute, round little muzzle, large magenta eyes, a horn on the forehead and two pointy ears sticking out of a messy, two toned, electric blue mane.

I only could stare, not even having any kind of a significant reaction, my eyes pleading to tell me that what I’m seeing is NOT what I’m really seeing. In my very arms...MY arms, I hold…

A filly…

Vinyl Scratch...

My heart skipped a beat as she gazed up at me, her eyes filled with curiosity and wonder, her mouth forming a little o. She is, without a doubt, the most adorable thing I have ever seen. My inner fanboy then decided to kick in, making me want to scream and shout, but holy damn, she’s REAL! My legs became wobbly and my hands shook.

Ever since I began watching the show with Alyssa, I had come to enjoy it and I became one of those people who couldn’t wait for the next Saturday to come, bringing us another new episode. Vinyl...always was my favorite. With little screen time, no dialogue and particularly no big role in the “Slice of Life” episode, one would normally go for another background character like Derpy Hooves, but Vinyl stole the spotlight.

Now, here I am holding her...the one and only DJ-PON-3 and…

Sniff

And she reeks!

My mind was too wrapped up in the fact she’s real to notice the twig and leaves in her messy mane and above all, the stench! Ever smell wet pony? No? Keep it that way. Right there, my instincts swapped roles and suddenly I’m heading up the stairs and down the hall to the bathroom - I didn’t even turn the hall light on! The bathroom light, I did, though, once I got inside.

I hate bathrooms. Everything is white.

I sat Vinyl down on the counter and pulled her out of her warm blanket and surprisingly with no fuss as she made random babling baby sounds. I got to work removing the twigs and leaves from her mane, tail and fur which were soaked with rain water. Luckily the blanket I put her in kept me from sharing her wetness. She continued to wonder her eyes about the room, obviously curious of everything she sees. Her eyes then fell upon a rubber duck on the other side of the sink. I could tell she wanted it, just by the way her eyes widened slightly.

“You want it?” I asked her and took the toy in my hand.

Much to my surprise, she nodded and held her little hooves out to it.

“Duckah!” she whimpered. “Duckah!” She repeated.

I couldn’t help but laugh a little and I gave her the duck, which she took, and the first thing she did...was stuff the head in her mouth, making it squeak as she nommed happily on it. While she did, I took a look at myself in the mirror.

A tall and lanky guy with a slight beard and short brown hair stared back at me with his blue eyes. He wore a red hoodie that read aeropstale across the chest. An honest man who did everything he could to better himself for the people around him...now people avoid him.

I sighed heavily and turned my attention back to Vinyl who is playing happily with her “duckah.”

“At least you’re not crying.” I smiled at her as I crossed the bathroom and to the tub with her in my arms..

I turned the faucet on and made sure the water wasn’t too hot or cold for the filly.

“Baffies!” Vinyl squees joyfully, but resulted in her ducky to tumble to the floor.

She began to cry.

“No, don’t cry! I’ll get it!” I held her close as I bent over to pick up the ducky, and soon it was back in her little hooves.

Luckily her cries ended quickly and she merely sniffled, hugging her precious duck.

I smiled at her some more as I placed her in the tub. I watched as she got up from the sitting position I placed her in and she slowly approached the stream of water. Cautiously she poked the stream with a hoof, then giggles as she then sat against the wall of the tub, directly under the water.

“Well...aren’t you a smart little filly?” I rub her mane gently so which she purrs and leans into my hand as I lightly scratch her scalp.

Words cannot possibly express how I feel right now. Questions began flooding my head and fears and doubts. A multitude of feelings now as she nuzzles the palm of my hand. How she got here, I don’t know...but I know I won’t have her forever. My Little Dashie has given me that assumption. Maybe that guy wasn’t just writing a heart wrenching story? Or the guy who raised Chrysalis? Maybe the story about the guy who took in Rarity after she was left behind when they took Dashie?

I have no clue what’ll happen, but I have an idea of what to expect. Vinyl Scratch for sure is real. I mean...I’m giving her a bath after finding her out in a storm! The poor thing must have been so scared! Great...I’m pretty much a father now. Yeah my first night taking her in and I’m saying that, but after reading so many MLD related fics...it became cliche and each time, the character grew to refer to the protagonist as their Daddy.

I stick the plug in the drain and the tub then begins to fill as Vinyl purred, chewing on my forefinger with her toothless gums. Maybe she’s teething is why she’s chewing so much? I’m guessing she’s like a year old?

I ran my fingers gently through her mane, using my other hand while she chews on my finger as a substitute pacifier. Her tail sways joyfully in the water while she babbled random sounds.

“It’s okay, Vinyl.” I smile softly at her and she looks up at me. “I’ll take care of you.”

She giggles, nuzzling my hand again.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, okay?”

Vinyl nodded and gave off a cute, tiny, little yawn.

I grabbed the conditioner lotion from the other end of the tub and squeezed some into my hand while Vinyl watched curiously.

After getting her all covered in soaps and suds and bubbles, I turned on the water again and switched it to the shower setting. I then stood a bit and reached up for the shower head, taking the cool aluminum piece into my hand. It vibrated ever so slightly from the water flowing inside of it as I pulled it down and I began to rinse out Vinyl’s mane and fur. I couldn’t help but chuckle a little while she giggled as I sprayed her with the warm water.

All the while, my brain has been trying to tell me she isn’t here and I’m just seeing things - hallucinating. But I know I’m not hallucinating! I can feel, hear and see her! Vinyl is here...and she’s a lonely little filly and she needs my help!

A low sigh escaped my lips as I shut off the water and unplugged the drain and as the water went down, Vinyl began to shiver, even whimpered a little. I grabbed the towel hanging from the curtain rod and wrapped it snugly around her and picked her up out of the water, holding her to my chest.

Slowly, her whimpers and puffy lip were replaced with purring and a slight smile as my body heat warmed her.

“You h-hungry, little one?” I asked, fighting back a yawn.

Little Vinyl frowned again, just as her little tummy rumbled.

“Okay, let’s get you something to eat, okay?”

Keeping her wrapped in her warm cocoon, I carried her out to the kitchen where I removed her from the towel which I threw near the basement door and I set Vinyl down on the black marble counter top by the fridge. By black marble top, I mean wood just with a thin material designed to look like marble glued on top.

“Stay there while I look for something to feed you, okay, Vinyl?”

She stared up at me with a tilt of her head.

“Stay there,” I repeated again, but in the same soft tone as I pulled open the fridge. “Do you like apples?” I asked as I pulled open the drawer at the bottom which contained fruits and veggies - most are probably spoiled.

“Appah! Appah, Appah!” Vinyl cheered. She even began to bounce up and down in place.

I grabbed an apple and closed the fridge. “You can never stop being adorable, can you?”

Vinyl blushed from this and watched as I grabbed a knife from a container on top of the fridge and I began to cut out the core and slice off the skin. Once that was done, I grabbed a plate from the above cupboard next to the fridge and i set the apple down, cut it in half and cut that half into slices.

“Here you go, Vinyl.”

I moved the plate close to her and she giggled as she took the first slice in her little hooves. I watched tiredly as she began to nibble on her apple slice, cute babling noises of pleasure escaping her stuby muzzle. Her tail swished back and forth across the counter while she stared up at me as she ate. Those large, magenta colored orbs hypnotizing me.

My right hand, on it’s own accord, moved towards Vinyl’s head. It hesitated as i tried to retake control over it, but her cuteness was winning. My hand was right above her head.

She looked up at it for a short moment, then she set her third apple slice back down onto the plate.

What she did next made my heart skip yet another beat.

Starting to purr again, she moved her head up into my hand and smiled, closing her eyes as she cooed happily.

“J-jeeze, Vinyl...you’re going to kill me.” I chuckled a little as I ruffled her mane.

Vinyl giggled as this and she yawned yet again, me following soon after her.

“Guess it’s time for bed, huh?” I asked, pulling Vinyl into my arms yet again.

To my surprise, she nodded a yes and as I left the kitchen, she was already snoring.

As I climbed into bed after shutting out the lights, I couldn’t help but stare at the little furball asleep in the crook of my arm. This isn’t any old cat or dog I adopted, this is no ordinary stray animal I took in. This...this little filly, no normal filly has a name. She’s something I thought to only exist in cartoons, yet here she is in the flesh and blood, snuggled against my chest as she sleeps.

Vinyl Scratch...is real.