Sunnie's Spooktacular Spookoween Story

Pepper Panclaire hummed happily as she pushed her cart along, her study books piled on top. The chubby kirin brushed her auburn mane out of her eyes and yawned. She’d been up almost all night studying, and was looking forward to her morning coffee, with one cream. She deserved a treat after this week’s madness. Pepper carefully scanned the shelf, before finding the last book she needed. With a smile, she plopped the book on her pile, then turned on a hoof and trotted happily out of the Classical section. Others found the basement of the library creepy, but Pepper found it a nice, quiet place, full of the smell of historical volumes and the low humming of the lights, always warm and cozy no matter what season it was. Despite the persisting rumors of ghosts that haunted the halls of the library (rumors that Pepper had always laughed at), in all her time she’d spent studying and researching in the basement, she’d never experienced anything paranormal. Sometimes, odd things would happen, but they could easily be explained away as forgetfulness, or a somepony just being careless. Definitely not a ghost. Pepper giggled a little bit at the memory of a librarian running out of the basement, screaming that there was ‘something’ down there that tried to get her.

The kirin yawned again, and then looked around, a little confused. Preoccupied with her thoughts, she’d somehow wandered deeper into the basement and into the Occult section. This area of the basement was in dire need of a renovation, something she thought that the Central Library could certainly afford. Lights flickered and buzzed, and the bookshelves were chewed and battered. Pepper shrugged, and started walking back towards the small study room by the stairs, her cart rattling quietly, a little annoyed. She wasn’t that tired, was she? A strange feeling crept up her back, like someone was right behind her. She whirled around, but only saw an empty aisle. The feeling persisted, and she quickened her pace, a little frightened. The study room wasn’t far, she just needed her coffee, and this… strangeness would all go away. A row of books toppled off the shelf in front of her. She froze, and another row flew off and thumped to the floor. She heard hoofsteps in the next aisle over.

“Hello? Who’s there?” She called out. The hoofsteps stopped. “You could be damaging these books. If you’re trying to scare me, it’s not working, and it’s not funny.” The lights at the end of the aisle exploded. Glass patted onto the carpet. Pepper let out a shrill scream. The bulbs in the aisle started popping, one by one, getting close and closer to her. Panic rose up in her throat, and she ran, screaming, away from whatever was stalking her, leaving her cart behind. She sprinted through the shelves, books scattering everywhere in front of and behind her. A bookshelf collapsed, and she careened into another aisle to avoid being crushed.

She had to make it to the study room!

Her wide eyes finally saw the sign, and she smashed the door open, slamming it closed behind her and locking it. She leaned against the counter and wiped her sweaty brow. Pepper originally despised the newly renovated study room, the modern look of it felt out of place in such an old and historic library, but now it was a refuge for her. She was safe. With trembling hooves she started the percolator. “Just need some coffee… that’s all…” she murmured to herself. “Coffee with cream… two creams… yes.” She opened the locked staff fridge, one of her librarian friends lent her a key, to grab both the cream, and something to eat to settle her nerves.

An eerie blue-white light exploded out, and Pepper fell back, unable to make a sound as the light approached. It drew nearer, and she was able to make out a face, and forelegs, but whatever it was had no lower body. She found her voice then, and screamed, long and loud, as the blue light enveloped her, and a voice echoed over her cries.

“Hungry?”

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