Skeletons in the Closet

Apple Bloom was confined to the farm, apart from going to school. Rarity had been unsurprisingly true to her word and told Applejack about what the Crusaders had done, and in return, Applejack grounded Apple Bloom for two weeks. She had explored nearly every inch of Sweet Apple Acres in that time. She thought she’d been everywhere before, but the two weeks she’d spent at home proved she really hadn’t.

When she wasn’t doing farmwork, homework, or exploring the grounds, she was thinking about what Sweetie Belle saw. Every time she tried to ask Applejack about it, though, her sister brushed off the subject, telling her that “she shouldn’t worry about it,” or that “it was something the adults worry about.” That made Apple Bloom upset. She kicked a pebble down the trodden dirt path next to the cornfield. There was a new scarecrow and it was just as unsettling as the last one. This one was a faded yellow and posed like it was getting ready to run. Apple Bloom looked away from the field where she knew the scarecrow stood. She couldn’t see it from where she was, but just knowing it was there made her uncomfortable.

Apple Bloom knew it was stupid of her to be afraid of a scarecrow, of all things. Every farm had one, and she knew that. But something about the ones her family had was the tiniest bit… unsettling. She always asked Applejack if she could help make it since maybe seeing it be made would help her get over her fear. Her sister always said no, though. It was apparently too difficult to make, but she reassured the filly that in due time, she would be taught how to do it. Frustrated at the memory, Apple Bloom kicked the pebble again and followed it as it hit the side of the doors to the cellar next to the barn.

She looked at it with uncertainty. She was never allowed to go in the cellar. Applejack said that’s where the hard cider was stored and since she was too young to drink it, she was too young to go in. Now that she thought about it, she was too young to do a lot of things according to her sister. Besides, even if she wanted to, she couldn’t. There was a lock keeping her out, and she didn’t have a key. Apple Bloom frowned. If only her cutie mark was for lock-picking…

She sighed and walked away, but took a glance over her shoulder at it. It was strange. It’s not like she never helped make the cider. And she was responsible enough. She knew not to drink it. It smelled really gross anyway, she assumed it wouldn’t taste good. The area around the entrance to the cellar always seemed to smell weird too, which was usually repellent enough for the filly, but now she was increasingly curious. Being stuck at home was only so amusing, after all. She wondered if there was a way to break the lock instead. It was nearly sunset, but she figured that she was fine on the farm. Applejack went out onto the farm at night sometimes, and Granny was impervious to the town’s sense of dread when it came to nighttime. They were just fine, so Apple Bloom figured she was fine too.

Applejack was somewhere in the orchard, Granny was in the house, and Big Mac was off on a long delivery trip. This meant Apple Bloom was basically by herself, which was perfect. She walked into the barn, taking a quick look around the organized chaos. She saw a toolbox and walked over to it, rummaging carefully in it until she found what she needed. Carefully, Apple Bloom picked up a hammer in her mouth and made her way back out of the barn toward the cellar doors.

She set the hammer down and sat down in front of the lock. She picked up the hammer between both hooves, making sure she had a good grip before swinging it down onto the lock with a grunt of effort. She repeated the action, adding more force each time until the lock clicked and fell open. Satisfied, and a bit tired, Apple Bloom set the hammer down, took the lock off of the holder and threw it aside. It didn’t seem to be damaged, so she could easily put it back once she was done looking around.

Apple Bloom pulled one of the doors open. It was a bit heavier than she was expecting, but she was able to get it open. There was a staircase leading down, and suddenly Apple Bloom didn’t feel so sure about her plan. The smell was faint, but it made her stomach churn. It smelled… bad. She wasn’t sure like what it smelled, but it wasn’t pleasant. Regardless, Apple Bloom took a deep breath in through her mouth and descended the staircase. It instantly felt damp and cold. The smell intensified the farther down she went.

Eventually, the staircase ended, but a tunnel took its place. There were no lights, so Apple Bloom kept walking down the declining, darkening tunnel. She reached a point where the smell was so strong, she gagged. Apple Bloom paused, forcing the bile that threatened to rise up her throat back down. She took another step forward and bumped into a wall.

“What the…” Apple Bloom squinted her eyes, trying to make out where she was. In shades of gray, she could barely see a lantern to her right, but she hadn’t brought any matches to light it. She looked to her left and saw some kind of door handle. She put a hoof on it and it clanked. “A metal door?”

She tugged on the handle, and then pushed on the door, but she was too weak to open it. Feeling a mixture of frustration, and relief since she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know what was on the other side of the door, Apple Bloom turned back to leave but squeaked in surprise when she saw the silhouette of another pony. Her sister stood in front of her. Apple Bloom couldn’t quite read her expression, but she definitely wasn’t happy to see her.

“I told ya not to come down here,” Applejack said coldly, her voice low.