Silver Lake

Deputy Turner was in his truck, the air conditioner blasting as the heat of the summer sun bore down all across Evergreen County. It had been a couple days since the ponies on their friendship mission had gone back to Canterlot or wherever it is they were from.

Turner hadn’t been able to reign in his thoughts on what might be going on behind his back, and for the first time he was starting to become a little suspicious of some of the ponies in Silver Lake. He’d placed that day’s newspaper in the seat beside him, so far looking through them had turned up nothing but some pictures of the Pony Princesses and some weird looking building that looked vaguely like a schoolhouse. He didn’t have time to go more in depth as he was on the clock.

The truck hit a bump, knocking the man out of his thoughts and putting his focus back on the road ahead. Going with the mares had helped him accomplish some of his work, as he had been able to check in on some of the families out in the basin that hadn’t been coming in as often. That said, he still had to finish one stretch of road, which also happened to be the longest. It ran south, following the path of the Switchback River. Most of the families down this way were a tad more cosmopolitan in nature, which was a nice way of saying ‘Outsiders that moved in from out of town’. Turner hadn’t dealt with them all that much in the past, but if he was going to be law enforcement he would very well have to get used to it, perhaps that was why Long Wire had put him on this assignment in the first place.

The houses down this way were much bigger than the ranches and farms north, they were also far closer to one another. There were swingsets and other oddities out in their backyards, stuff that just seemed out of place in the Basin, but it was their house and Turner wasn’t much of an interior or exterior decorator. Turner came to a stop at the next house on his list, pulling up the driveway and parking near the front door. He killed the engine and got out of the truck, adjusting his hat as he walked towards the house. There was loud electronic music blasting inside, loud enough that he could feel the bass in his chest. That was just one of the perks of living way out in the middle of the Basin. No noise complaints.

The house was bigger than most, with a stucco exterior and big windows that faced east and west to let in the sun. It was two stories tall, which was also an oddity for houses out in the Basin. Whoever lived here had to have some serious money in order to afford something like that. There wasn’t a porch, but the steps to the front door were made of what looked like river stone of some kind. The door itself was big and made of sturdy looking oak, Turner could see there were at least three deadbolt locks installed in it.

“Sheriff’s Department! Performing a wellness check!” He came to a stop at the front door and knocked on it loudly, hopefully loud enough to be heard over the music. There was no response, so he knocked on the door again, this time far louder.

“Turn down that racket, there’s someone at the door!” A mare’s voice shouted from inside, the music cut out abruptly and Turner could hear someone walking towards the door. “Who is it?”

“Sheriff’s Department.” Turner replied, there was a brief hushed argument behind the door before a resounding chorus of locks being undone. The door swung inward to reveal two mares, a grey earth pony and a white unicorn. The earth pony had a tastefully done black mane while the unicorn, well… If her hair was anymore electric blue it might’ve been a crime. “Afternoon, ma’am. Sheriff’s got me out performing wellness checks on a couple families out here that haven’t been seen in town for a while, you were on the list.” The mares were staring at him for a very long time, as if unsure of what they were looking at. “Uh… I just needed to make sure you all were okay…”

“We’re fine…” The Earth Pony mare spoke up, leaning a little closer to read Turner’s name tag. “Deputy Turner. You’re right, we aren’t in town often… This is our vacation home. Thank you for checking on us, but we’re quite fine.” Turner nodded and took his notepad from his shirt pocket, then opened it to a specific page.

“And just to confirm, y’all are Octagon and Vine Scotch?” The man paused for a moment. “Oh, sorry, Octavia and Vinyl Scratch. I apologize, sometimes my handwriting’s so bad even I can’t read it.”

“Yes, that’s us. You needn’t be concerned though, we’ll be going back home in about a week or so.” Octavia replied, Turner nodded again and jotted some things down in his notebook, then took a moment to look around and admire the house.

“Alright, I’ll pass that along…” Turner closed his notebook and tipped his hat to the mares. “If you happen to hear or see anything out of the ordinary don’t hesitate to call, or… Whatever it is you guys do.” With that Turner walked down the steps back towards his truck, he heard the door close behind him, as well as the beginnings of a conversation from beyond it. No wonder the music had been so loud outside, the walls must’ve been thin as paper.

“There’s another one?” One voice said in what was supposed to be a hushed tone, but before he could hear anymore Turner had already gotten into his truck and started the engine. He guessed they just weren’t used to seeing anyone other than Deputy Buckeye or the Sheriff himself. Turner took off down the driveway and pulled back onto the main road heading south, his eyes once again glued to the road. He had been at this for around four hours, so far nothing had been out of the ordinary. In fact, if he remembered correctly there was only one more family to check on.

This far south there was little more than grasslands in all directions, the basin had leveled out and the wind passed in waves over the fields of tall grass and wheat. Only the occasional tree sprouted up out of the ground, but for the most part it seemed the rolling hills stretched out as far as the sky itself. The road became less and less used, with more grass growing up out of the soil than usual. Turner could see the house he was looking for a couple miles ahead, resting on a tall hill with a tree outfront. It was smaller than all the others, more like a cabin. The old brown logs that made up the walls had seen more than their fair share of years, and the roof looked like it had been patched several dozen times. As the truck came up the driveway he was surprised to see the grass was starting to reclaim the structure. Like so many other homes in the county an old rocking chair was resting out on the porch.

Turner turned off the engine and hopped out, listening intently as the wind blew over the land. The tree groaned slightly as it’s branches swayed back and forth, the soft echoing tones of wind chimes greeted the Deputy from their place hanging on the roof out on the porch. Something about this place felt off, but Turner had a job to do. Quietly he walked towards the cabin, the screen door of which was wide open and occasionally smacking against the doorframe in the breeze.

“Sheriff’s Department!” Turner called out as he stopped at the front door, he knocked on the side of the house a couple times as the screen door seemed to be the only way of entering the home. There was no answer, and the door was wide open… It wouldn’t have been much of a wellness check if he didn’t actually go in and check on the occupant’s wellness. “Door’s open, I’m gonna come in!”

Once again there was no response, Turner quietly drew his spellgun from it’s holster just as the Sheriff had trained him to do when securing a house. The inside of this cabin was small, the living room was full of pictures of ponies on the wall, some young, some old. A fireplace, some more chairs, and what looked like an old timey radio in the corner. There was a kitchen that also served as a dining room off in the back as well. Both the living area and the kitchen were clear, though the smell of rotting food alerted Turner that things here hadn’t been touched in a long time. Turner approached the bedroom last, cautiously he turned the handle and pushed the door inward. When he did he was instantly hit by a wave of stench, a stench he had smelled before when dealing with dead animals back home.

“Fuck…” Turner said under his breath as he looked in the room, sure enough there were flies circling the bed and an unmoving lump. He moved towards the bed and examined the lump more closely, it was an older looking stallion. From the look of things and the smell, he’d been out here for a week or so, though an actual autopsy would be needed to determine the actual time of death. His eyes were closed, his dentures still in a glass beside his bed. Turner followed where he would be looking and found he was facing a window, staring out at the wide open spaces and the grasslands that seemed to go on forever.

The Deputy finished clearing the house before he walked out to his truck and grabbed his radio, thanks to magical spells the range on these things was extended vastly.

“Sheriff, it’s Turner…” The man said as he rubbed his forehead. “Out here at the last house on the South Basin. Uh, there’s a body here. Looks like natural causes but won’t know for sure until I get him back to town… How do you want me to proceed, over?”

”Cover him with a sheet if you can find one, I’ll send Doc Meadowbrook down with Buckeye so she can take custody. Sit tight until they get there.” Long Wire replied, Turner gave a quick ‘Ten four’ before putting the radio back on his belt. As instructed he went back inside and took a sheet from the linen closet, then gently draped the cloth over the dead stallion. This was a first for him, Turner knew that ponies were like people, they got old and died… But it had never seemed like it really happened, at least, until now. Turner removed his hat while inside, as he looked over the room for any signs that could be foul play he did so with the utmost respect.

No sign of forced entry, no broken glass, no sign of a struggle, most importantly no ID. Turner concluded that it was still looking like natural causes, but that was up to Doc Meadowbrook to decide. Someone would also need to find out who the stallion was, as he didn’t have much in the way of identification. The Deputy made his way back outside and leaned against his truck, staring at the ground as he processed what was going on in his head. He was glad the Sheriff was sending Meadowbrook, she was one of the ponies that had helped him during his early days in Silver Lake. Like him, she too was apparently not used to Equestria. She hadn’t explained why, but she did seem to get his situation and that had always endeared her to him. Maybe she’d be able to make sense of all the thoughts racing through his head later.

The deputy sat down under the tree in front of the house, staring out across that rolling green sea as the waves of wind raced across the tops of the grass and the clouds above cast their various shadowy patterns onto the ground. It was one of the most beautiful sights Turner had ever seen, if he could he would move way out here and settle down in a little house near the river. Someplace he could fish, or go hunting, or just hang his hat and say ‘I’m home.’. A small smile formed on his face, his eyes glancing briefly over at the cabin. Whoever that stallion was, he had the right idea. Even if this wasn’t Earth, Turner couldn’t help but see this as ‘God’s country’. He couldn’t imagine a more peaceful place to go than right here.

For a couple hours Turner had nothing but time to himself, sitting there under that tree, watching the day roll by. The sound of the wind chimes continued to fill his ears, and for a time it almost felt like he was on Earth again. After around an hour something occurred to the man, who stood up again and made his way back into the cabin. This time he was searching through the closets, within he found a strong box which was unlocked, and in the far back corner he also found an old looking Spellrifle.

Turner, in his search of the local news papers, had started to learn more of the written language. Not enough to read through the documents he found in the strong box, but enough to know they were government related… An ID might be made possible through them. He secured both the strong box and the spellrifle in his truck, then went back to his seat beneath the tree. He had another hour or so before he could expect the Doctor and Deputy Buckeye, most of that time was spent in quiet contemplation, the feeling of the cool wind on his skin was something that always served to comfort him.

The man perked up when he heard the telltale sound of coach wheels coming down the road, then stood up and brushed himself off before walking towards the truck. Turner saw Buckeye and the Doc were pulling up in a carriage marked ‘Sheriff’s Department’ in a fashion similar to his truck. Buckeye was pulling the carriage while the Doctor was riding in back, thanks to the magical enchantments on the carriage it was very simple to pull and quicker than it normally would be. If it weren’t for that Turner would likely have been waiting a day or so.

“Glad you found it okay.” Turner said as he walked towards the two of them, Buckeye unhooked herself and shook her mane loose while Doc Meadowbrook hopped down from her seat. Her crimson mane was done up in its usual beehive and she was wearing her usual apron. She also was carrying an old leather Doctor’s bag. “Buckeye, you mind taking a look at some of his documents? They’re in my truck. Might help with an ID.”

“Sure, I’ll take a look.” Buckeye said with a nod, walking towards the truck. When she arrived she spotted the spellgun and the documents, mostly bank statements that identified the stallion as Post Haste… A retired postal worker. Her attention was also drawn to that days newspaper, it couldn’t have been the dead stallion’s. Quickly she grabbed it and tucked it into her uniform when Turner wasn’t looking.

“Could you come give me a hand, dear?” Doc Meadowbrook said as she started walking towards the house, Turner nodded and followed her. The two of them passed through the doorway, Turner moved to a window and pushed it open to hopefully flush out some of the smell that had built up. “This has always been one of the worst parts of my job, you know?” Turner looked at her with a raised eyebrow as she examined a couple of the photographs before she gestured towards the bedroom. “In here?”

“Yeah, he’s uh… He’s been there for a while, my money’s on a week at least.” Turner replied, following the mare into the bedroom. She approached the bed and quietly pulled back the sheet that had been placed over the corpse. “This is, well… My first time finding someone like this.”

“It’s an unfortunate part of both our jobs, Paige.” Meadowbrook said while pulling the blankets down off the dead stallion to get a better look at him while Turner walked towards the window and looked outside. “I came to Silver Lake not long before you arrived, since then I’ve done a dozen or so of these. You won’t get over it, but you’ll learn to cope in your own way.” The mare withdrew a thermometer from her doctor’s bag and began her examination. “Could you come here? I need you to help me flip him over.” Turner looked at her, after a couple moments he reluctantly nodded.

The examination went on for an hour and a half, there wasn’t exactly a morgue to take the stallion back to, the closest hospital was a days ride away by train. A check of public records revealed that Post Haste didn’t have a next of kin, his only daughter had passed away around twenty years prior. Hardly anyone had even remembered he was out here, but Sheriff Long Wire did. It was as expected, the stallion had died peacefully in his sleep. His will was among the items in the Strongbox. Turner and Meadowbrook had moved the body into the bed of the truck, afterwards Buckeye read the will aloud.

“I don’t want no big funeral. Y’all can bury my ashes in a coffee can for all I care.” Buckeye said, reading word for word off the crumpled up old piece of paper. “I ain’t got no family to take my stuff, so it’s better off just taking it to the dump, unless someone wants something of mine. In that case, give it to ‘em. Weren’t much for sentiment, but if ain’t too much trouble see about naming somethin’ after me, just a little marker to say ‘I was here.’. After all, that’s all we can really hope for in this world of ours, someone or something to remember us when we’re gone...” Buckeye closed the note and looked towards the house, unsure of what would happen to it now that the owner had gone. It wasn’t exactly in the most convenient of places, the land was likely to be left alone for a long time.

“Well, that’s it then…” Turner said, putting his hands on his hips. He looked at the cabin quietly, the door had been sealed and a sign declaring it off limits had been posted beside it, not that anyone would be out this far to see it. “Seems a shame to leave this place like this to rot, looks like he put a lot of work in maintaining it.”

“Well, he did say he was leaving his stuff to whoever wanted it.” Buckeye replied, tucking the will back into the strong box. Turner looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “I know it seems morbid considering how fresh it is in our minds right now, but you’re right, it doesn’t seem fair that a place like this get rundown. You could take it.”

“What? No!" Turner quickly objected, Buckeye gave him a flat expression. "Look, I’ll think about it, okay?” Turner said with a bit of an uncertain tone. “Now, can we just get going?” Buckeye and Meadowbrook nodded. “Do you want to hook the carriage up to the truck? I can pull you guys back to town way quicker, and it’s getting dark.”

“Sounds like a good plan… Buckeye, do you mind if I ride with Deputy Turner?” Meadowbrook said, Buckeye shrugged and began to hook up the carriage to the truck while Turner and Meadowbrook made their way to the front of the truck. “I think you’re right to wait, Paige. Don’t go making a big decision like moving so soon after this.” The two of them climbed in the truck, though Meadowbrook had to scrunch her hair down a little bit so that it would fit. Turner meanwhile was looking at the spellgun that he’d secured earlier, it was a lever action in beautiful condition despite looking like it was at least forty years old. Meticulously cared for, it appeared it had all its original parts as well.

“I might take the dearly departed up on part of his offer though.” Turner said, removing his hat and placing it on the dashboard. “For now though, I ain't gonna even think about this place…” The man quietly looked around the cab of the truck for something. “Did you see a newspaper? I had bought an edition today, trying to learn your language... Finally.”

“No, can’t say I did…” Meadowbrook replied, Turner shrugged to himself. He might’ve misplaced it while securing the rifle. Buckeye gave the signal that the carriage was ready to go, prompting Turner to put the truck in gear. He pulled ahead and made a wide circle through the grassland in order to turn around. The clouds that had been present before were getting darker, in the distance Turner could see the occasional flash of lightning. “What’s your interest all of a sudden?”

“I dunno, might be nothin’... Hope that’s the case.” Turner replied as he began driving along the bumpy road. “Something just seemed a little off to me, and call me crazy, but I think there might be something going on that people aren’t telling me.” Turner flicked on the headlights as large drops of rain began to fall from the sky, thudding against the windshield. “Huh, storm came outta nowhere…” Meadowbrook quietly bit her lip for a couple moments before she turned to look at Turner once more.

“Paige…” She said, the man nodded slightly. The mare looked briefly out the window at the falling rain, then back at the Deputy. He tended to follow her advice, if she told him to drop his search he likely would... “Stop by my house sometime, I’ll do my best to help you learn to read.”

“I appreciate that, Doc… The truth’ll set you free, right?” Turner said with a questioning tone, Meadowbrook nodded and smiled back. Quietly the mare turned and looked out the window, watching the lightning flash in the distance as the rain continued to pour down. With a quiet sigh she closed her eyes, it would be a long ride back to town…