The chirping of the birds and the commotion outside is now disturbingly audible, interrupting my peaceful slumber and causing me to groan in dismay. I slowly open my tired eyes and a dull grey ceiling is visible, that ceiling that I am used to seeing. I lift my head, proceeding to sit my body up.
I look around my room; to see its vapid and monochrome properties. Grey walls circle the area, but sorted with a few accessories like my dresser at the right, next to a window, and my drawer just beside my bed.
I groggily got my little body out of bed by kicking out the navy blue blanket off me, rubbing my eyes and yawning at the same time, putting my legs in motion. I continued forward, moving my hooves outside my room towards my destination, the kitchen.
Outside my room is another closed room that was my mom and my dad's before all this started. Found just in front of my door as I continued to walk right to go downstairs. On the walls of the stairs, Photographs hang themselves for display, I took a glance, I’ve never once see myself in those family pictures, like I am erased and disappeared out of sight, never to be seen again.
The sight of a happy family was painted on the hanging frame. A mother, a father, and a Sister are captured with big bright smiles on their faces. The only pony missing was a silver pony with his smile as vivid as it can be.
After seeing those reminders on the wall, I sigh despondently as all the memories were reminiscent in my mind for a brief second. I continue to my destination.
Arriving there, I see an empty kitchen room, right beside an empty Living room. Visions flashed before my eyes, envisioning a once happy family. With a Blue Stallion with Black hair chased a Silver foal around the room playfully, it vanished shortly.
Looking at the kitchen, another passing vision appeared; a family that was eating together, all the smiles and joy is evident and genuine in their visage as they happily spend time together, it transitorily faded to a bland, lonely table.
I walk into the kitchen fridge, looking at the small rations that I have saved up for the past two months, an assortment of fruits like apples and oranges. How I got theses?
I got them from the locals, using my curse to my advantage.
I took a couple of apples to the table and began to dine in. Why I ate a little is no mystery, I don’t want to “borrow” their hard work always, it would make me feel much worse than before. Besides, my appetite has long been gone.
The morning was quiet and the breakfast was quick. I threw the apple cores to the bin. Seeing that everything was settled, I opted to go and take a shower. I turned to walk to the house’s bathroom, seeing it just right by the living room.
Opening the door, I walk along the marble tiles of the bathroom floor until I face the mirror. I checked myself. The reflection of a silver pony greeted me with its miserable sight. My grey mane ruffled with bed head, I tried to correct it with my hooves but it was stubborn and wouldn't do as I command. I generally looked awful. I sighed and made my way to the bathroom.
I slightly and quietly yelped at the cold water contacting my skin. It is getting warmer by the second and I thought that now is good time to clean myself up. Grabbing the soap, I rubbed my silver coat, small bubbles and suds covered my body. Rinsing it off with another shower of water, I grabbed the shampoo and I coated my mane with it.
A few more morning chores and now I’m done preparing for the day. I grabbed my bag and walked to the door. Not before doing what I always do.
"I'll be off!" I called out, loud enough that it can be heard anywhere around a house, like informing a loved one that I am now leaving. But I never hear a reply, well not that I was expecting it anyways. I slowly went out and softly closed the front door.
I had turned to walk, Ponyville is dreary today, and long grey stratus clouds laggardly float with its masses freely, covering the entire town with a melancholic effect and threatening to burst into tears to anypony that's unfortunate.
I slowly, but steadily, trudged towards Ponyville middle school while observing my surroundings, the ponies already preparing their stands and going on with their daily lives. As I passed by two mares, I heard that the pegasi had planned to shower ponyville with light rain soon. I hypothesized that the plants of the sweet apple acres need watering, but here I question why this would affect the town as well.
I didn't worry about getting wet, my school is a little ways from my place, but it wasn't that far. Plus, I have already had a reason for hating it as well. I shook off the thought.
I continue to move forward. Feeling the dry dirt above my hooves and maintain to observe the same thing. Ponies talking with friends, laughing about their stories and keeping each other company, some with smiles and laughter.
The school can now be seen at the distance. Fillies with their friends, colts with their friends can be all heard and seen. All walking towards the school as well, I walked past them all and hurried myself to the campus all the while trying my hardest to not mind them.
I've arrive at the big green entrance gate of the school. A security guard's pony with a white uniform is standing by it diligently, checking the student's I.D before letting them in.
There was always no need for me to wear an I.D anyways. After the guard had checked the I.D of the student in front me; I just pass by him, right behind the colt. The guard didn't even notice my presence and continued to check at the pony's ID behind me. I looked back and sighed. I continued to trudge to my classroom.
It's what you expect in a school campus. It consists of a double door entrance leading to a corridor of green lockers. The second floor and above are classrooms, with doors indicating their respective classes of each student, with a nametag consisting of the Grade and the section right above it.
The cacophony of noise is heard upon entering the vicinity, the corridor of lockers, filled with ponies of every color, race and gender, chatting gleefully with others, opening their lockers, getting their bags to their class with others and the usual. It’s just the normal school environment.
I didn't care; I sluggishly went straight to my classroom. There was nothing to do here anyways. I try my best to avoid the ponies with their chit chat, try my best not to collide with each other and walk up the second floor stairs.
I turned left and came to see a four door corridor. All of them being 5th grade classrooms with different sections. I turn to the first door on my left, Grade 7 – Celestial, my classroom.
Upon entering the door I observed that the classroom was barely filled at this time; except for a couple of classmates chatting about things and whatnot. I didn't really care. I just wanted to settle down and rest.
I found my chair at the very back, beside a window. I proceeded to sit down, placing my small bag at the left side of the table. Resting my head on my right hoof, I look at my left to see some of the townsfolk already buying things in the market, with visible sticks of wrapped cloth called an umbrella on some ponies.
My eyes lazily looked above. A few pegasi from the weather team pushed grey cumulus clouds where pushed to the other team, there they flatten and spread it about, turning them in to a stratus state.
After some time, the noise in the classroom was getting more and more audible, as I inferred that more of my classmates have entered. It came to the point where I stopped looking out the window, and turned to stare at my desk with a blank expression on my face.
After some time, the school bell rang. Signaling pupils to go line up outside and go the school quadrangle to have our flag ceremony, an everyday routine that was the compulsory for every pupil or student to attend
I waited for the last pony to go outside before leaving the classroom myself. A crowd of ponies were already scattered around the small corridor, some talking among themselves, some running around playing their own silly games.
I, in the other hoof, tried to navigate myself to my place in the line. The rowdiness of the ponies forcing me to bump into some in the process, they either just continued without looking at me, or looked at me for millisecond before going their way.
I then found my place at the line and I stood there patiently. Letting the noise sink in, observing my fellow schoolmates and their variety of personalities. A few minutes later, a teacher then arrived, ordering the pupils to settle down and line up.
After sometime, the ponies started to move to the quadrangle in a straight orderly line and a quiet atmosphere, except for the sound of the clip – clop of hooves. Going down the school Staircase, I could see the Quadrangle right in front of us.
But the one that caught my attention was not the overly crowded quadrangle filled with Ponies of different ages, but a small group of ponies with Red shirts with them. I take a look at them with more detail. They were ponies of the three races, Earth, Pegasus and Unicorn. They seemed to be looking out for something.
I also noticed the White Cross on each of their shirt’s breast pockets. That cross is supposed to be symbolizing something that was at the tip of my tongue.
Today was going to be another uneventful day.
~~~~~~~~~~~
I never really attend class. Ever since this curse of mine started to take course I had no reason to ever be present in class. I just stroll around the school grounds doing nothing but to sit and stare at something that catches my interest.
Right now I was sitting at the ledge on the roof of the school, with my legs dangling off the edge, looking down at the ponies going with their lives again. Hearing the sound of the hustle and bustle all around the place and feeling the now slight pang of jealousy. The rainclouds was getting thicker now.
Until I feel a raindrop hit my snout.
More and more have dropped until finally, it rained
I really didn't mind the rain. But now, this reminds me of that day.
I sobbed in silence. In the past, this is the perfect time to vent out my frustrations. Asking why my life is like this, what I ever did to deserve this is the main question I always ask. What can I do to fix this, was there a solution to this problem in the first place. I yelled out to the skies in pure, vehement frustration.
But now, it was much lesser than last time. Am I getting numb? Am I getting used to the curse that has unfortunately affected me? Well, I have to be used to it know. There’s now saving me now, I will be like this until my final breath.
I sighed with a few croaks of pained whimpers as those thoughts pierced me with its truth, tears staining my face. Well, not that it mattered. It was raining and it was disguising the stains perfectly.
Like a pony in the background.
I let the rain continue to soak me with its tears.
~~~~~~~
I opened the door to my house, soaking wet because of the rain. After the school bell rang, I quickly walked all the way towards my house even though the rain was in progress.
"I'm home" I yell out, no response was heard. I step into my abode, dropping my soaking wet, empty bag onto the floor. I didn't even care about it being soaking wet, it'll dry in due time anyways.
I went into the bathroom drawers and grabbed a towel to quickly dry myself, well to the point where the water is no longer dripping, but I'm still very wet and cold.
It is 4 in the afternoon; it is during this time that I go to bed. I mean, what else am I going to do? I have nothing to read, nothing to be with, nopony to talk to, my hobbies have diminished over the months.
I have nothing.
I despondently sighed; it’s been four months now. And nothing changed for me. I guess being optimistic about this entire thing is pointless now that I think about it. But, this annoying plague has taken what made me, me.
There's no more hope for me now, there is no more hope for my condition. Nothing will fix me and I'll be forever alone.
But it’s this annoying feeling that is still persistent in my brain, the feeling of hope that everything will fix itself. If I just had to wait long enough, someopony will see me.
I suppressed those thoughts, and I stuck with the most logical and most factual one. Regarding everything that has happened to me, it would make no sense to think about things with hope.
I slowly went up to my room, slowly climbed up my bed. I lay my navy blue over my little body and rested my head on the pillow.
I stared at the ceiling for some time, thinking about nothing new. Until eventually, I had fallen to the depths of sleep.
Author's Note
Hey guys, Bed here.
Took a long as break and look where my mind took when I did. But I hope you still enjoyed the prologue of this new story. Any feedback will certainly be appreciated.
Have a banana.
Chapter 1 | Nightmares and Fevers
Everything is out of focus; my head throbbing as pain pounded it as hard as it could. I am confused; I have no idea what happened to me, why everything is this way. My breath is shaking, panic relentlessly affecting my system, as I was shaking uncontrollably. Everything is grey, no distinct colors whatsoever, just grey as the eye can see, as little as the tiny crack my eye is showing me.
My sensations slowly showed themselves; Wet, I am soaking wet, and I am cold. The feeling of raindrops running down my broken body proved that.
Broken? Another pain that was other than my head is affecting me. I cannot pinpoint it, but the pain was immensely strong, but I can’t bring myself to care and look. The numbing feeling took hold of me long before the feeling of consciousness gradually fading away.
“Why aren’t ya’ helpin’ him?!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I woke up in a cold sweat; quickly sitting up from my bed to observe my surroundings, my breathing quite ragged and mood panicked with my eyes darting around. My eyes focus to an everyday sight, the same grey room with the same accessories is found in the same places. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, slowly I calmed down, stabilizing my fast breathing, and relaxing my panicked posture.
It was that nightmare again; I thought I have already forgotten about that. Why is it still lingering around my mind, Celestia – damn it!
I calmed down and digressed, but after that moment, the feeling of a small headache began to perch itself into my head. I raise one of my hooves to my head. Thinking about it, it wasn’t that strong to the point of worry. Just like a bump in the head would feel. So I dismissed it as just an occasional, temporary morning headpain.
Thinking that it will soon just diminish, I tiredly stood up, and walked to the kitchen to do the same things, as always.
Walking down the same corridor, down the same staircase, to the same living room and arriving at the same kitchen. Opening the same refrigerator, eating the same meal; a couple of apples, washing myself at the same shower room, drying myself with the same towel, preparing the same things for school and there goes the morning. I look at the specific area where I dropped my bag when I arrived at home.
After seeing my bag, I observed that it is still wet, probably because of yesterday’s rain. I decided to not go to school with it; it would still be a pain to carry around a wet bag there anyways.
Leaving the bag behind, I walked to the front door, reaching the door for the door knob and opened it.
The outside is almost like a copy of yesterday’s conditions, but the clouds are starting to be carried away from the sky. The day is guaranteed to be a sunny one either later or tomorrow. I don’t care either way, if it is going to be a clear day or storm, nothing would change for the better. It would be the same lonely day for me.
“I’m off!” I yell out to nopony in particular and hearing no reply of any sort. Giving the house one last look, I then stepped outside and gently closed the front door.
I begin to walk towards the same school, observing the same things again. With Ponies with their friends and families, putting up their shops and stands, ponies walking around for fresh air and whatnot. I simply walked bypass all of them with a blank expression on my face. Not caring on what’s going on around me.
Something was wrong
Middle way towards my destination, I felt the same headache from this morning, but this time, it got worse. I can actually feel the pain worsen from this particular one, and I started to become slightly dizzy, and sicker than before. I stopped for a moment and raising my right hoof to my head wincing in pain. After sometime, I slowly guided the same hoof to my neck.
Surely enough, I had a fever, what caused this was the rain and my apathy. It wasn’t strong yet, but it was inevitably going to get even harmful.
Because of this, I am given two options. One is continue going to school get all the medicine I need, risking me not going home because of the class hours, rendering the gates to be closed. Being the earth pony I am I cannot escape even if I wanted to.
Two is going home to take rest, going home without any medication of any sort and will progressively worsen my condition.
Logically, I would take the latter choice. One main reason was that I could always “borrow” medicine in there to remedy this ailment, and if I want to know what medicine I needed, I’ll just need to look at some book somewhere in the clinic for it, or I could always take some fever syrup.
Then again, I would lose the energy if I do arrive at school; chances are it would pick up before I would even know what to choose. With this curse with me, I would be in a big disadvantage. If I do passed out because of this, then no pony will come and help me.
After some thinking later, I have conscientiously decided. Without hesitation, I started to walk to Ponyville Middleschool with some slight wobble on a few steps I take.
The school gate was now in the distance, and I feel like I ran for the Running of the leaves. Hurriedly, Dodging the other fillies and colts in my way, I entered the school campus. Feeling the fever getting worse and worse and I needed to hurry to “borrow” the medication sooner.
I quickly walked inside the building, seeing a plethora of ponies in the area; the same scene everyday with pupils and students going through their lockers, mingling with the others. With the minority of being alone, my condition only being in my mind I speed - walked to the school clinic, all the while being careful not to collide with anypony.
While moving, the same ponies from yesterday showed up. Now, there were more in the scene; The Ponies with the red shirts with white crosses on them walked by me. An earth pony, Unicorn and Pegasus talking among each other, something about them really makes me curious onto who they are, and what they do. But my sick mind was really adamant about doing priorities, urging me to go the school clinic as fast as I possibly can, with my wobbly legs and pounding headache. But nonetheless, I ignored them and with a slight struggle, continued to walk.
A little more time later, and I found a brown, windowed door with a name tag above it called “Clinic”. I knew that I arrived at my deserved location. I walked up to it and softly opened the door, poking my head to take a peek inside. Initially, I heard nothing and nopony, just the sound of a vent droning in the back, and the scent of various medicines bombarding my nose. There wasn’t even a nurse stationed here.
I slowly stepped in, with a bit of trepidation on my part and from the sickness on the other, and gently closing the door behind me. I have to make sure that there wasn’t a nurse taking their post, or something. I inferred that they must have something important to attend to.
Well, with nopony watching, I guess it’ll make me feel less guilty about stealing.
I made my way into a room, observing it to have two snow white beds on each side of the area, I noticed a short, white drawer that you usually see in hospitals at the middle, between the beds. I guessed that they placed all their medicine in there since on the top had their apparatuses for treating wounds.
Bandages, Cotton balls, a small bottle of Betadine, Alcohol, Tweezers, napkins in a jar, antibiotics syrup, plastic spoons and more that I didn’t even care describing. I just wanted to get the medicine, and quickly at that.
I opened the top of the drawer, seeing nothing I needed, just random tablets and other things that I don’t know off, this is probably for the adults or somepony older than me.
Closing that first drawer, I proceeded opened the second drawer and given a few seconds scanning of its contents, I found what I was looking for. A bottle of Fever syrup, this was usually for a foal 5 years below my age, but what else do I have to take? I don’t know what any of these are or what I have to take at my age.
This is the only thing I remember taking as medication when I was sick, under the care of my parents.
I sat on my haunches and held the bottle with both hooves. I read on the prescribe dose, 100 ml for every 4 hours. I followed what it said, getting the small cup on top of its lid and opened the bottle; pouring the concoction till its prescribed volume with the help of the measure guide on the side of the cup.
Raising the cup from my hoof to my mouth, I drank the syrup down with one gulp, disgust contort my face, tasting what the medicine’s flavor like, even if it said it was sweet orange flavor.
After that, I turned to walk to what appeared to be a kitchen area, after looking in the place; I proceeded to the sink to clean the same cup I used; the slow running of tap water cleansing the saliva off the object. I returned back to the room, placed the cup on the bottle, and returning the bottle back in its place.
Grabbing a plastic cup just right by the water dispenser, I took a quick sip of cold water to remedy the horrid flavor. I threw it away and started to think on what to do next. I stepped outside the clinic and I meet an empty hallway.
Since the school was closed down because of the classes, I can’t really go home to rest up. And I can’t rest up on the clinic bed, with my condition I will get accidentally crushed by another pony. The only place where I can rest is the classroom seat. It would be uncomfortable, but it would be the only place where I can rest without any disturbance.
With that decided, I start to make my way to my classroom, albeit slowly; The effects of the sickness still impacting me, as the medicine still making its way to cure me. Finding the stairs, I slowly begin to work my way up to the second floor.
To my surprise, I don’t hear anything inside the classrooms from the outside. Normally the voices of the teachers would reach through my ears from the open classroom door. As I reach the classroom, it was empty. No students, No teachers.
I do not know where my classmates and teachers are, and I don’t certainly know the occasion or what was going on to make everyone move somewhere. I was certain that there were ponies in school, before I did go to the clinic.
But I do not care, now that there’s definitely nothing that can disturb me rest for a few hours, I now really was confident that I can rest until I can finally get out of here.
Walking up to my seat, I slowly positioned myself to a resting position, placing my fore hooves to the table and using them as a makeshift pillow to put my head on them.
Slowly, my eyes closed as the depths of sleep took over me.
And then everything went black.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Hey, wake up”
Hearing a teenage female voice with a tinge of a country accent nearby woke me up from a dreamless sleep. After noticing me flinch, I heard a light shuffle.
“So, what are you doin’ here, skipping out the program?” I heard again, I didn’t really mind it. She must be talking to somebody else probably skipping out on their job. I continued to ignore her, and continued to fall asleep.
An audible sigh was heard, and the sound of light hoofsteps going into the room got to me. What was she doing?
It got closer, and closer, until finally it stopped onto what seemed to be right next to me.
Then surprise took over.