Strange Happening

I was walking down to the shooting area at my house. It's near the woods and a ways away from the house and any neighbors. I'll be shooting into a hill any way. I work weekends at one of the Pizza Huts near Indianapolis (and for obvious reason I am not going to disclose the location) and this weekend was a stressful one, so I decided to go shooting. Today was Monday and it was a bit humid because its been raining for pretty much the whole weekend and a little bit today but now it was just hot and humid, but regardless I grabbed my Mosin and headed back. I set up a few bottles of tap water and empty cans to shoot and walked back to the shooting table and got everything ready to go.

"Set up targets? Check. Bottle of drinking water? Check. I obviously have the ammo so check. And lastly no animals to get in the way?" I looked around, behind the little barn next to the shooting table and back up to the house. "Check. Ok let's see if still I suck at this." I steadied my aim and fired. "Miss.." again. "Rain shower!." Wash. "Shit, miss." Rinse. "Hit." Repeat. "Last round make it count." I steadied my aim again and concentrated on hitting this target and fired. "That's a hit. Welp three out of five ain't bad, but I can do better. Let's see....thirty-five rounds and six targets left." I loaded the rifle up and shot again. "Four targets left." Again. "Three more." Last time. "All targets down. Hmm....could've gone better, why am I the sniper if the Zombie Apocalypse ever comes? Although I'm grabbin' an AK when I get the chance." I sighed. "I really need to stop talking to myself. Well anyway twenty rounds left and no target.....wait a minute....there's one from last time! You thought you could hide from me huh? Let's see if I can take you down with one shot." I loaded one and fired. "Well that's a big no...might as well make it an even fifteen." I loaded four more and fired at the old bottle. Hitting it with the third round so I shot the dead tree that the bottle was sitting on.

===+===+===

With all the rounds gone and the cans holier the before (LOL) I started to clean up the spent cartridges and the targets. After a few minutes of double checking the ground the sun started going down, I was pretty much done cleaning up, all I had to do now is go back up to the house and throw everything in the trash can. There was a shift in the energy of the woods. This has happened when I first came down here, but this time it was a strong, more noticeable change. The air felt thicker and there was also an odd smell coming from them. I looked into the now almost pitch dark woods to see if I have somehow angered the "thing" that lives in there. These woods are haunted by what I think is a Native American protection spirit but I'm really not sure, the reason I think that is because one of the dogs dug up a mound in the middle of the woods and brought back a human femur bone. Ever since then weird things have been appearing in there at night. That was about maybe seven years ago, and no I'm not bullshitting you. Anyway, after a few seconds of not seeing anything I decided to try and talk to it.

"So...what have I done now?" Nothing but usual sounds of nature. "You know it's getting late and I missed dinner so I'm hungry.....Um....so yeah....bye."

"You can stay..." It said and a echo-y whisper-y voice. It speaks to me telepathically. Yes I am going crazy.

"So you were listening." I said in a half surprised, half sarcastic tone. "No I can't. I'm hungry and it's late, I should get going." I picked up the trash and started to walk away from the woods.

"Wait...we have visitor.

"What do you mean?"

"Follow the trail and be careful not to trip."

"Ok you're giving me a headache." I reluctantly walked the path into the woods, it was so dark I could barely tell where the path was. Luckily I had my phone. "I don't like this, too dark, can barely see two feet in front of me, weird super-natural being in dark woods, watching me. Yeah not one bit." I walked just a little further into a spot that there was still some light. "Ok nothing yet. I'll go a few feet further and then fuck this." I did just that. I thought I saw something on the ground from where I came from but passed it off as a log. "Alright he was just messing with me. Screw this, goodby-" I tripped on it despite trying not to.

"Ugh would it hurt ya to be more careful?! Are ya blind or somthin'?!" Ok maybe not a log, but why is a person here?

"Uh...sorry it's dark but would you tell me what the hell you're doing in my woods?!" I said pointing my rifle where the voice was coming from. No it's not loaded but the last thing I want to deal with is some sketchy seeming person so I reached for the ammo but stopped remembering that I was out. 'Great' I thought.

"Yer woods?!"

"Yeah my woods! Now kindly get the fuck out! Just in case you haven't noticed I have a rifle pointed at your head! Now leave!" I live in the country so the accent didn't seem to out of place seeing how there are some people that sound like that around here.

"Um... what's a rifle?"

I rolled my eyes. "How the hell do you not know what a rifle is?! You not from around here or somethin'?"

"From the sound of it no. Ah...may be a bit lost actually."

"Oh..." I calmed down a little bit and slung the rifle back over my shoulder. "Then I guess you don't know how things work out here huh? I just thought with the accent and all you were from around here. Sorry about that uh..." I thought about how the mystery person sounded. Now settled down I could better tell it is a girl or a woman. "...ma'am. Let's get you out of these woods and see about getting you home."

"No harm done and this is awfully nice of ya."

"Maybe too nice..." I muttered to myself. I waited a bit until she finally got moving. "Good to go?"

"Yep but I think I hurt my leg somehow."

"Perfect..." I said under my breath.

"What was that?"

Oh shit. "N..nothing. Come on, follow me."

"Ok."

We walked down the trail, out of the woods and up the driveway toward the house. It was dark now and it was a new moon so I couldn't see well but it wasn't as dark as the woods and I had the light from my phone. We were half way to the house when the dogs barked. I glanced over in her direction. "Oh yeah, you're not afraid of dogs are you?"

"Nope. Have one myself."

"Good cause we have five, and one comes up to my waist. But he usually just barks."

"Ok?" I figured she shrugged. I didn't look directly at her because I was trying to not step in a puddle or something else.

My dog Dakota and my sister's dog Jade came running out to greet us. I petted them and they ran back inside. "Strange. They didn't seem to notice you. Oh well." I shrugged and opened the door and turned on the light. "I think they all went to bed so try to be quiet. Can you call someone to pick you up?"

"I...I d...don't have a phone."

I noticed her stammering. "You cold?"

"No....just not from around here..."

"I know that already," I looked over at her. "But I don't...see...why.....what the fuck are you?"

+++=+++=+++

I'll admit, I freaked out a little bit and if she was also she was doing a lot better than me at keeping her composure. She had finally seen what I was and I have finally seen what she was. After a while it was like my brain went on auto-pilot while I flipped shit. I watched myself grab a piece of paper and a pen and write to my mom that I was going to sleep out in the picnic area of the woods and that I came up here to grab my sleeping bag and get some food. After I was finished with the note I calmed down and went up to my room, set my rifle and the ammo pouches down and grabbed my sleeping bag. It was a good plan. That way her presence would avoid (well kinda avoid) any surprises. It would be better for them to see her when I'm awake to explain. I grabbed my revolver and what ever ammo was left just in case she tried anything though. With sleeping bag in hand and revolver at my side I went back to her and asked if she wanted to go camping and to grab some food to take back.When she saw the sleeping bag I guess she felt she had no choice. I couldn't help but notice how well she was doing with the situation.

We walked all the way back to the woods but went to the picnic area instead of where I found her which is what she thought I almost bet you. I walked over to the little shelter we built and flicked on the lights. Yeah it has lights and was a milestone for us to get it electricity. I threw some small sticks and pieces of a cut up branch in the fire pit, grabbed some lighter fluid and lit it. It took awhile bit once I got the fire going good enough where I didn't have to watch over it I went over to the what looked like a miniature pony but orange and talks and has two identical ass tattoos.

"So...um....I guess we should start with names?"

"I suppose so."

"Right...um....I'm Zane and you?"

"Applejack."

I stayed silent for a little bit. "Huh, I see." It's a good thing I brought back some food. I like Apple jacks cereal.

"Eeyup. What are you exactly? We don't have any of you from where ah'm from."

"A....human. We don't have any of you here either."

She remained silent for a little while and I went to throw more wood on the fire. 'She must be scared if you're the only human she's seen but she's a fuckin' talking pony for Christ's sake! What else can she do?' I thought. 'Better try to act friendly so she doesn't run off.'

"Hey um...Applejack, you can come over here if you're cold and warm up I wont hurt ya."

"Why don't ah believe you?"

"Wow. Fair enough I guess, maybe not but you know what ever. And if you were wanting an answer. It's because your scared."

"I ain't scared of nopony!"

"Well I'm not a pony, that may very well be the problem. Be honest with yourself, if your scared I understand. If not, cool."

I never took my eyes of the fire the whole conversation and she went back to being silent.

===+===+===

After what seemed like an hour she finally came by the fire but stayed away from me, which was well enough I guess. I tried to talk to her again but it was short lived so I was just standing here thinking of things to say.

"So uh...your a pony, right?"

"Eeyup."

"....."

"....."

"Are ponies....um....nevermind."

She sighed. "Yes ponies are the common species where ah'm from. Is that an issue?"

"No no not an issue, um where is that exactly?"

"Equestria, the finest country there is!" She said enthusiastically

"I see. So you must be either from another world or from an alternate dimension."

"Say what now?"

"There is no country on this world named 'Equestria' and there are no talking ponies on this world so there is no way you from here."

"So what yer sayin' is.....ah'm....alone?" Her ears went flat and I began to see tears form but she blinked them away.

"Um....sorry but yeah....um....seems that way.....but you have me!" I said and smiled in an attempt to cheer her up.

She looked at me and shook her head. "Yeah....lot o'good that'll do me."

Ouch. "Fine be that way. I don't care. Here I am trying to be fucking nice to a god damned alien pony and she's a being a bitch! what ever! I'm out, good luck taking care of the fire with those hooves. Oh yeah and these woods....are haunted so....good luck with that!" She just sat there staring at the fire and I left and went back up to the house. I thought I heard her crying but I just walked faster to get away from the noise.

I entered the house and started towards my room when I felt a pang of guilt hit me. 'She's here all alone and you just left her in the woods by herself? WTF is wrong with you man!' I sighed and turned around but stopped by the fridge and grabbed a few apples for her and a baggie of cherries for me. I looked toward the woods to see that the lights were still on but I couldn't see anything else. I walked down and made it to the picnic area gate and opened it. I was closing the gate when suddenly something hit in the back. I went flying a foot or two and stumbled for balance, I turned around and saw Applejack.

"Serves you right fer leaving a sad, scared pony out here to fend fer herself!"

The pain was agonizing I could hardly remain standing. "My back.....I think you broke my fucking back...." I walked over to where I set my sleeping bag up and laid down on my stomach. "Applejack there are some apples on the ground there, can you bring me one?" she didn't say anything and if she nodded I couldn't see her. I was staring at the fire and then an apple dropped in front of me. "You know I brought these down for you....only three." I threw the apple into the creek. "Well two now and these cherries," I held up the baggie. "are mine."

"That's not fair! Why you rotten no good!!"

"And paralyzing me when I came back for you, with food, IS!!!"

"Well no but y'all shouldn't have left!"

"Your right I shouldn't have. Hence why I fucking came back!"

She was silent for awhile. We were both watching the fire and then she broke the silence. "Um...let me help ya with that sugar-cube." She said with something similar to guilt with a touch of sadness.

"What are you- OUCH! YOU FFFFixed it. I offer thanks but that is all."

"The apples?"

I popped my back, stood up and looked over at her. "Yeah they're yours."

"Thanks." She was silent for a few minutes. "Ah'm sorry about that sugar-cube ah lost my head there."

"You don't say." I dead panned, sitting down on one of the chair we have by the fire pit.

"Uh....yeah mighty sorry."

"Nice hat by the way."

She just looked at me unsure if I was being sarcastic or not. I just smiled while looking at the fire.