Canterlotby SouthernGhost1865ChaptersHer New HomeThis Town is CursedHer First DayHer New HomeAuthor's Note I know this seems like I'm just publishing and not finishing, but I'm burned out on trying to write war stuff. So I'm gonna try my hand at some horror and see how y'all like it. Her New Home November 3rd "Here we are," her father called out as the van halted, Twilight looked out the window at the sight before her. It was a nice single-story ranch house, it had a strange purple exterior, covered in green moss, and it looked as if it had been abandoned for some time. The small porch was concrete, wettened by what she assumed was the previous day's rain, and running over to the single-car garage, surrounding the house was a thick wood line on the southern and eastern sides, a large overgrown field surrounded by barbwire on the west with a near ancient wooden barn at the far end. Twilight slid the van's door open and placed her nearly brand new purple converse sneakers into a cold mud puddle. The violet-haired girl winced as the cold water met her feet, so far, she didn't like it here. It was very much different from her old place, a nice house in suburbia where what couple of friends she had could meet to hang out. Now, she had no friends and no way to easily get to them, she couldn't drive as she had yet to even pass her test, the accident she had last time really set her back. And, she doubted anyone would wanna come this far out to hang out with a girl they barely knew. She stepped out of the puddle only to be splashed by the cold water when her dog spike hopped out. "Dang it Spike!" she quietly said in her bookish voice, wiping the water off of her glasses with the dry part of her long sleeve shirt. The now damp green dog looked up at her with a playful yip, she smiled and picked up the small damp dog, hugging him tightly. "Grab what ya can," said her dad, a thin bearded man who held two cardboard boxes in his hands. "I already got my hands full," she responded, a gleaming smile on her face. He smiled and rolled his eyes before continuing up the porch steps, and into the now opened door. She followed suit, making her way inside, once inside she was blown away by the house's interior. It was nice, far nicer than the home's exterior would let on, its floors were a mix of shag carpeting and deep brown hardwood, looking freshly polished, and the walls were a simple wood paneling, harkening back to the seventies. It was small with a couch against the front window and an empty bookshelf against the west wall and next to the narrow hallway, all lined with simple wood paneling. Ahead of them were two doorways, one to a small dining room and another to the larger kitchen. Her father sat his cargo on the shag floor. "Why don't ya check out your room?" he said to Twilight. Twilight turned down a short hallway and into a room across from the small bathroom. It was small in size with a window on the northern wall above her futon. The room was already decorated with the stuff from her old house, her parents had taken the liberty of pre-decorating her room with her posters and other things, before her arrival. Spike hopped out of her arms and ran up onto the futon and curled up atop the maroon blankets. Twilight let out a light chuckle and left him there so she could help her parents in unloading the last bit of luggage. Scooting past her mom in the doorway she stepped out onto the porch and was met with a rumble coming from down the road that drew ever closer. From around the curve where her house was nestled appeared a black ninety-something GMC step side on a short lift kit. Behind it was a short bumper pull trailer hauling a red four-wheeler, the truck pulled just past their mailbox at the end of the driveway and pulled off of the road, shutting down. The door swung open with a creak and out stepped a tall bearded man smoking a cigarette, his eyes protected from the sun by a pair of aviator shades and the visor of a gray GMC ballcap. He dropped the half-smoked cigarette into the water-filled ditch and approached the house, splashing his dirty work boots in the hole. "Afternoon," his voice was deep and slow with a thick southern accent. A tobacco-stained smile formed on his face. "Good afternoon," said Twilight somewhat timidly, the man towered over her, even at a distance. "Hello there!" called her father from behind her, startling Twilight, he approached the man smiling. Twilight's father Night Light was a very outgoing man, he had to be since he was a Social Studies teacher. The man stood at least half a foot over her father and had to be twice as wide too. He reached out his lanky hand to meet the man, the man gripped Night's with his meaty large hand, causing Night to wince in discomfort. "Nice to meet ya," The man began "Ah'm Aaron, Aaron Thatcher, I live back down the road a ways in that house with the two chimneys," he seemed pretty excited to tell Night this "That's nice," said Night with extreme discomfort as the large man continued to shake his hand. Aaron released Night and he continued "So what brings ya by here?" "Well," he slowly began "Ah's goin' t' check on some duck blinds with my buddies. And ah just so happened to be passin' by, so I thought ah'd welcome y'all to the neighborhood," he looked around at the thick woods and empty pasture around the house. "Whatever neighborhood there is here," chuckled Aaron, he glanced back at the old barn, and then across the road at another pasture where an equally dilapidated barn stood. "So y'all bought the old Webster place?" "Yes sir," Night responded proudly. "Hmm, I remember ole John Webster Senior," Aaron said, putting hooking his thumbs in his belt. "That's the fella we talked to isn't it?" Night asked his wife Twilight Velvet who had come outside too. "We did talk to a Mister Webster," she said "It wouldn't uh been him, it was probably John Junior or Clay y'all was talkin' to," "Well then, what happened to Mister Webster Senior?" asked Twilight from behind the group. Aaron looked past her parents, it was easy with his height. "Well..." Aaron began with a smile "Folks don't really know, the cops couldn't even figure it out... They say one night, he just up and disappeared or was killed or somethin'," Aaron paused for dramatic effect. "All they ever did find was a trail of blood leadin' out the front door, a bunch of bloody prints inside the shower and tub full of bloody water," "You mean?" "He died, was it murder? Who the heck knows, he coulda just slipped in the tub and bashed his head open, but that doesn't explain the blood on the floor or nothin'. Besides, the man was about eighty at the time, his youngest son's like sixty somethin'," He paused and looked at the distraught faces before him "That's nothin' to dwell over though, that was back around ninety-seven I wanna say... I will tell ya this though," he turned and pointed to the barn across the road "Stay away from that place, you can go into Webster's barn, last I heard it was just an old tractor or somethin' in there. But, that barn across the road is dangerous," "W-why?" Twilight was unnerved, even for a bookworm and huge fan of logic and reason, she was still somehow unnerved. "Cause that's where the methheads like t' shoot up," He let out a loud hearty laugh that evolved into a heavy smoker's cough. "Aw hell! most o' that's just stories from around here, but for real though. Ole Webster did go missin' and his kids went crazy over it. As a matter o' fact, John Junior was shootin' at folks comin' on the property for years," "Well," Night began in a rather unnerved manner, "It's been nice meeting you," "It was a mighty fine pleasure meetin' you too Mister..." "Night Light," "Gotcha," Aaron started off toward his truck and Twilight's family started back to the house "Wait a minute!" Everyone stopped and looked at Aaron as he turned around with a pack of Newport Reds and a silver Zippo lighter in his hand "Why don't y'all come by my house t'morrow evenin'? I just bagged some good rabbits and Celestia's been wantin' t' cook em up for a couple days now," He snapped his fingers as if an epiphany just hit "She's the principal at the high school, maybe she can get your daughter set up with a tour o' the place," "Well that sounds nice," said Twilight Velvet as she watched Aaron put a cigarette in his mouth "What time's good for you?" Aaron pulled the unlit cigarette from his mouth. "I ain't got work t'morrow, but I'm probably gonna be helpin' my brother with his truck most o' the day... So six-thirty in the evenin' ought to be good," "Sounds great," "Good, I'll see ya then," Aaron waved and put the cigarette back in his mouth, sparking it up as he went back to his truck, slamming the door shut and turning it on with an eight-cylinder straight pipe rumble as he drove off away from their home. Both of Twilight's parents went back inside, leaving the young Twilight outside, looking at the barn across the road. Even though what Mister Thatcher had been saying was told off as some sort of a joke, it stuck with Twilight. Twilight couldn't wrap her head around why it made her feel so unnerved. She turned to look at the house and a chill ran up her spine like she was looking at a ghost, something about this house had changed. In a mere moment, the quaint little home in the woods had turned to something else. Like a monster hiding under the bed ready to pounce, she shakily walked back inside. This Town is CursedNovember 4th Night Light pulled the van into the short gravel driveway running beside the house, parking it beneath a night lamp suspended over the barn-style door of Aaron's shop. Twilight and her family stepped out into the cool autumn air, their only light being the one over their car and the one on the concrete porch of the house. They walked across the dark yard and onto the carport, stepping onto the porch and passing a couple of rocking chairs. Twilight looked into a window overlooking the porch, finding it blocked by many little trinkets and utensils, with only the light inside visible. Her dad opened the screen door with a springy creak and knocked on the old wooden door. "Coming!" called a woman's voice from inside, followed by footsteps approaching the front door. The door opened to reveal a tall woman in house clothes with pale multicolored hair. "Oh, it's you," she said in a somewhat more proper voice, lacking the thick accent that her husband had. "Please, won't you come in," she moved away from the door and let the trio into the comforting warmth of the house. The inside of the house was far more open than Twilight's, the dining room and living room bled together with a matching floor, separated only by a tan couch, with a long table behind it with six chairs around it. Inside the living room was a black fireplace surrounded by dark bricks, a mantle above sporting numerous photos of the residents. Including hunting trips, one with a deer on the ground being held by a younger Aaron, and one where several dead ducks sat on the bed of an old pickup, Celestia next to it holding a shotgun. There was also a black and white wedding photo of the two, and one with the two and a young girl at the center. Hanging above the mantle was the mounted head of a deer, its ten imposing antlers jutting out like knives, its glassy eyes staring down at the four in the room. At the front of the living room were several large windows being blocked by an old boxy big screen TV displaying an episode of M.A.S.H, and a recliner nearby. Celestia returned to the kitchen where she stood over a tall silver pot. "Aaron's not here yet," She began "He called and said Luke's truck was takin' a bit longer than he thought it would," "That's alright, we can wait," said Night Light, looking at his watch. Just then, Aaron's truck pulled up the driveway in front of the carport, his light visible through the door's window. A moment later Aaron opened the door, the chimes jingling as he did, and entered the house humming an old country song. "Evenin'," he said, greeting the trio in his living room, his hands were turned black by grime. He continued into the house, going down the narrow hallway between the dining room and kitchen. Twilight and her family sat down at the table, her parents sharing the same side whilst she sat right across from them, facing away from the living room. Aaron came back, his hands clean of any grime. He leaned up on the end of the counter and let out a groan. "How was Luke, hun?” Celestia asked Aaron as she clicked the gas stove off and backed away “Oh ya know, same as usual,” he responded looking down with drowsiness. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” she said in response to which Aaron chuckled “We did, at least we think we did, find out what was wrong with his truck,” “What was it?” “We think it might’ve been the starter motor, his son was there,” Aaron chuckled “he kept tryna tell us it was the carburetor, no matter how many times we told him the truck didn’t have one o’ them, he wouldn’t stop sayin’ it,” Celestia just started chuckling with him “Aaron bent backward, cracking his back on the counter “shit,” he murmured, “is supper ready?” “Yes sir, Celestia” responded diligently “Seared wild rabbit with green beans, mac and cheese, and cornbread,” "Aw heck yeah," He stood straight up "Aight everyone, help yourself," He gestured to the pots and trays sitting on the bar separating the living room and kitchen. Everyone got up and went over to the kitchen, grabbing a paper plate and piling it with the food, it wasn't until they were all seated that Aaron and Celestia got their plates and sat down. Aaron sat at the end closest to the sliding glass door on the east wall behind the couch, and Celestia sat at the opposite end. "Before we begin, I'd like to say grace," Aaron bowed his head, as did the others "Our father who art in heaven, thank you for the meal you have put before us, thank you for providing us the with which to make this meal. Let this meal be nourishment to our bodies, in your name we pray, Amen," "Amen," the rest said in unison before digging in. "So," Began Aaron as he looked to Night, "What brings ya to our cursed part of Mississippi," "We were lookin' for something new, tryin' to get away from the hustle and bustle of suburban life," "You're workin' for Canterlot ain't ya?" Aaron asked, Night nodded at him with a mouthful of macaroni "Ah work for the county," Said Aaron before cutting a big piece of seared rabbit and eating it. He gave his wife a thumbs up from across the table and continued "I work up at the bus barn," "Really?" said Night "Yes siree, I've worked there since uhh... Ninety-five, yep," he took another bite of his meal and washed it down with a glass of sweet tea "I have personally worked on every single bus this county owns. Most at least, the county's still got a few o' them ole seventy-sixes, just sittin' around all over the place," "Say," began Night "What types are y'all runnin'?" "We's runnin' the ninety-ones to the fourteens, we need some new ones," he peered at his wife as if trying to elicit a response from her. "I can't control when the county gets buses," she said annoyed. "I know, ah just wanna know if ya have any info on when we might be gettin' some," "So far there's nothing," "Figures, the damn county can't spare a dime towards anythin' 'cept the bossman's pocket," Aaron looked at Night "The newest ones we got are four o' them flat nose buses, an' they ain't worth a shit. Hell, I'd push them over to the far side of the lot with the others if that place didn't creep me out," The statement got the attention of Twilight, who had just been quietly eating away. "Why?" Questioned Twilight curiously. "Well, it’s cause o’ the fire back in ninety-eight, it was one o' them seventy-sixes that caught fire. They say it was on account of it havin' a gasoline engine. Gas engines weren't allowed in buses, but the county couldn't get new ones, then when they did they still didn't get rid o' those clunkers. It wasn't till that bus caught fire and killed everyone on board that they got rid of 'em. Hell, they got rid o' all of the ones between seventy-six and ninety, and a couple o' weeks later we got a shiny fleet of brand new ninety-eight model buses," Aaron laughed "They ended up puttin' the remains o' the bus out in the woods behind the barn, old folks say it cursed the place. Hell, the whole town's cursed," "What do you mean," Twilight interjected "Well..." Aaron began "There're the big stories, like the ole Sanders' Glass Factory," "What's that?" "The ole Sanders' Glass Factory, it sits just outside o' Wallaceville on Highway six goin' t' Tennessee," He had returned to eating his food now and everyone else had seemingly moved away from the previous discussion "All yer gonna see is part of the wall with an old window on it if you can spot it, it's so overgrown with vines and trees it's near invisible. The only thing that'll really give it away is if they got some boxcars or somethin' parked in the spur, it's right by the railroad ya see," Aaron leaned back in his chair "It was built back around nineteen-o-somethin', I think when Vardaman was governor," He rubbed his bearded chin "It went fine for about fifty odd years, until October 5th, 1958. Two o' the old furnaces inside blew up and took out a good chunk o' the buildin' and killed about a hundred workers," "How is that cursed?" Twilight asked "I ain't finished yet," Said Aaron annoyed "They kept the place shut down for near about two years, then some fella bought the place and rebuilt it with all new furnaces and such," He took a bite of his now cold macaroni "They hired back a bunch o' the ole workers and a bunch o' new ones too. But, then they started reportin' things ya see," Aaron leaned forward and toward Twilight. "At first it was small, things movin' by themself, voices in the dark. It wasn't till the night guards started reportin' the ghosts o' the ole workers that things really started happenin'. They said they was goin' about their day like a worker usually would, but they was all sorts o' messed up. There was folks charred black, missin' limbs, missin' heads, missin' chunks o' their body and they was walkin' 'round like nothin'," Aaron paused for suspense as he looked into her nervous eyes "Then it began t' happen in the day too, it got so bad that folks was quittin'. An' then it gets even crazier too, ya see that factory sent glass all the way to Nashville and down to Biloxi, and folks started reportin' they was seein' ghosts in their homes when they got glass from Sanders. Things got so bad, folks was quittin' and refusin' to buy from 'em, they ended up shuttin' down in seventy-somethin'," "W-what happened after that," "The place sat abandoned," Said Aaron leaning back in his seat "Every now an' then there'd be a kid or two goin' in there, and every now and then a kid would go missin' in there. Eventually, ten kids went missing' in there, and all the deputies and cops refused to go in there, so they sealed the place off in eighty-somethin'. But, that's enough o' those ole ghost stories," he turned to look at Night "I hear you're a social studies teacher, ain't that kinda like history or somethin'," Twilight ignored the ensuing conversation, as she dwelled upon the previous story. It's nothing more than a ghost story to scare me. she thought to herself, Twilight preferred to think logically, she didn't resign herself to believing things were just paranormal without evidence. But, she still felt uneasy, perhaps it was the way he spoke that made the stories more unnerving, the seriousness he displayed in his voice. Twilight was jolted from her thoughts by her mother tapping on her arm from across the table. She gestured to Mrs. Celestia. "I don't think I'll be able to give you a tour tomorrow," She began "But, I do know someone who can, her name's Sunset Shimmer, I'll be getting her to meet you in the foyer tomorrow morning after you get to school," "That sounds great," Twilight said before standing up "Where's the bathroom?" "Down the hall, hang a left when you get to the old door at the end of the hall," Twilight left the room, going down the hallway. It was cramped, to her right were hooks lined with coats and hats. To her left were photos lining the wood panel wall, many were of the same young girl, there were softball pictures, cheerleader pictures, and one of her with four others wearing olive drab flight suits in front of a large gray aircraft. Past this tight squeeze were two doors, the one to her left was closed, decorated with tanks and planes and guns, a metal plate reading Amber Rose Thatcher at the top. Across the hall was an open door with light spilling into the dimly lit hallway, the voices of her father and Mister Thatcher could be heard inside. She continued on for a couple more feet until she reached what looked like a doorframe that seemed to separate the hallway from an older section of the house. The walls were wood instead of panel, painted white, there were two doors, both were white and looked a similar age, one having holes drilled at the base. Twilight turned and entered the bathroom, it was all white, made with the same wood as the exterior with a white counter and countertop where a white sink sat across from a seldom used white shower. The only thing that stuck out was the brown wood light board above the long rectangular mirror and the rolls of pink toilet paper on the countertop. Twilight quickly did her business before washing her hands with a bottle of fancy red soap on the counter. She left the bathroom and was greeted with a dark hallway, she paid this no attention, assuming someone had just turned it off. She stepped up to the doorframe and looked down the dark hallway, she was horrified to find that the hallway had seemingly grown in length, being far longer than it was before. The walls were no longer the brown paneling she had seen walking up, they were instead the same wood that made up the old end of the house, there were no photos, no coats, and no doors, just an endless tunnel of splintering wood. Anxiety racked the teenage girl as she stood frozen in fear, the only thing jolting her from this state being the heavy thud from behind her. Slowly she turned her head to see the door behind her. It was no longer painted white, it was now a dull brown color with paint that seemed to split away from the body. The door began to shake as if someone were pulling it from behind. Twilight began to run, dashing down the ancient hallway as fast as her skinny legs could carry her. She ran and ran, her chest burning with every breath she took, her legs aching with every step, yet she was no closer to the end. Still, she kept on, she ran for what felt like hours until she finally found a small light ahead of her. She charge forward, running faster than she had been running, no matter how her legs burned, she dashed into the light and fell to the dark hardwood floor. She had tripped at the end of the hallway, out of breath and in pain she curled up on the floor. "TWILIGHT!" her mother shouted running over and kneeling next to her daughter. Mrs. Celestia stood over her as well, and soon her father came, Mr. Thatcher close behind with a gun in his hand. Twilight sat up, holding her head as she did. "T-the hallway, i-its... Th-there's," she stammered out "It's okay," Her mother said, rubbing her back "The hallway, it... it..." she looked down the hallway, it was back to normal, the dimmed light of the bathroom and the light of the master bedroom giving it light. "It went d-dark, a-and it..." "It's okay," her mother reassured her yet again. "There was knocking, a-and the light was out," "It was probably just the heater," interjected Aaron, the old rifle he held resting on the ground, he picked it up and walked back to the bedroom, pounding the light switch by the bedroom door, causing the light to flicker on. Aaron returned a moment later empty-handed, the light turning off yet again, he pounded it again and it flickered for a moment before turning off again. "I'm gonna have to call Bobby tomorrow," he said looking at the small chandelier, he returned to the group "Well," he began, hands in his pockets "It was a pleasure meetin' ya," he shook Night's hand, and the Twilight Velvet's hand, Celestia did so as well "It's a shame it ended this way," "Yeah we're sorry," Night said, helping his daughter off the floor. "Oh don't be," Aaron said swatting his hand "And let's get you a container of food to go, or Tia can carry y'all some tomorrow," Night looked to his still shaking daughter. "I think it's best she brings it, we need to be gettin' home," Responded Night. Aaron checked his watch "Yeah, I gotta get to work tomorrow," He looked back at the two "Well, I'll be seein' ya," the trio left with a couple of waves and got back into their van headed home. Later That Night... "I just don't understand," Twilight's mother said, she listened to her muffled voice intently "Why now? It's been six years since she's had those attacks. "It's probably just the anxiety of moving," Her father began "It's only once, so it's probably not a big deal," "But, it's just been so long," The concerned voice of her mother said in response "I mean... Should we send her to school tomorrow? I mean if just meeting the new neighbors caused one of these hallucinations, what could happen at school," "Well, Mr. Thatcher's story didn't exactly help," "I know... He seems alright, but that's besides the point. Even if we don't send her to school tomorrow, where will she go? We have to go to work tomorrow, so we can't stay with her," Twilight tuned out the rest of the conversation, lying in her bed, glasses off and hair pulled back, Spike lying on the floor next to her. She stared at the ceiling, the horror of the night's events still fresh on her mind, as the full moonlight filtered itself through her blinds, she rolled over facing the door, clenching the covers tight, and finally closed her eyes, drifting into slumber. Her First DayAuthor's Note In this world Sunset was never a bully. Her First Day November 5th Twilight bolted upright in her bed, breathing heavily as she did. Her eyes darted around the room, her blurred vision showing nothing out of the ordinary. All she could see was her room, illuminated by the rising sun that passed through her blinds. She slowed her breathing, drawing in long deep breaths until calm. For the whole of the night, she had the same nightmare. She was in the hallway again, running the same as before, her legs and chest burned the same as she remembered them. Something was chasing her, she knew this because whenever she stopped, something would catch her. She knew this because she felt something grab her neck, causing her to wake. The first time she screamed, sending her parents into the room with concern. The same dream came back as she fell asleep, this time she tripped and face-planted, again waking up stifling, her scream and replacing it with a quiet sob. The alarm clock next to her rung with a metal clanging, causing the girl to jump in shock. She silenced the alarm and jumped out of bed, going about her morning ritual. She left her room and into the living room, Spike following behind her, she swung the door open and let the dog out. She spun around and slammed face first into a wall, she had forgotten her glasses, how she had made it to the front door in the first place was a mystery as bad as her eyes were. She felt her way to the bedroom and grabbed her glasses, taking them off almost immediately when she entered the bathroom for her shower. After a quick shower and brushing her teeth, she returned to her room and threw on a purple and white sweater with jeans. She left her room, grabbed her backpack off the couch, and threw her shoes on before finally letting Spike back in and locking the door knob. She went and stood beside the black mailbox at the end of the driveway. It wasn't long before her bus, an old International, pulled around the curved coming southwest and stopped before her house with a hiss. The near seventy-year-old driver opened the door with a low groan. "Mornin'," He said in a raspy voice, Twilight nodded and boarded the bus, settling on one of the faded brown leather seats near the front. She rested her head against the window and closed her eyes, hoping to get some sleep before school. The bus set off, and even as her head bounced against the school bus window, she managed to get maybe an hour of sleep. She stayed in a half awake half asleep state until she felt the bus stop for a final time, the engine silencing. She opened her eyes and stretched, finding the bus in a parking lot filled with other yellow buses, some newer and some older. Twilight joined the mass of kids leaving the bus and exited the parking lot behind numerous spaces for cars ahead of the bus lot. They sat across the road from the school, an imposing red brick building lined with tall winds, a blue-domed bell tower atop the roof. It looked like a town hall rather than a high school. She crossed the street between lines of waiting cars and other buses to the grassy courtyard where the statue of a rearing horse stood. Past that were the metal doors leading into the school's foyer, hanging open by chains. The foyer was crowded with students as they made their way to the hallways. Twilight plopped down on one of the chairs next to the office door, as she was told by her mother. A moment later, Principal Celestia stepped out of the office to greet her: "Good morning Twilight," She said with a warm smile "I hope you slept well," "Not really, unfortunately," Twilight responded yawning "Nightmares, ya know," "Well, I'm sorry to hear that, I'm assuming you're waiting for Sunset, Yes? She'll meet up with you after the first bell so that you can tour the school with more ease," "That sounds great," Replied Twilight with enthusiasm. Celestia returned to her office and a moment later the first bell rang. All of the students that had been crowding near the foyer cleared out. A minute later, Twilight felt a tapping on her shoulder, she turned and found herself facing a fiery-haired girl in a leather jacket standing next to her. "I assume you're Twilight," She greeted with a smile. "Yeah," She replied nervously. "Good, let's begin the tour," the two got up and left, walking down a hallway lined with lockers. "Sorry about the mess," Sunset said as they passed by a ladder and stacks of equipment "The school's undergoing some renovations right now," they continued on through the school, looking around at the many rooms that were all squeezed into the one building until they finally reached the library on the school's second floor. "And this is the library," Sunset said opening the door. Twilight was blown away at the size of the rotund library. Amid all of the ladders and equipment in use by hardhat-wearing contractors were shelf upon shelf of books, many more in stacked boxes. At the center of the library were old desktop computers, and sitting at one of these was a short girl with long pink hair. "Hey Fluttershy," Sunset said, to which the girl jumped in her seat, the girl turned to face Sunset and said meekly: "Oh... Hi Sunset," she looked at Twilight "W-who's this?" "This," he gestured to Twilight "Is Twilight Sparkle, she's the newest student at CHS," Twilight stuck out her hand to shake Fluttershy's, to which she lurched back "Fluttershy... Isn't too fond of folks," "Oh, sorry," Twilight said blushing with embarrassment. "I-it's fine," Fluttershy said with a meek smile, shaking Twilight's hand. "So what are ya workin' on?" asked Sunset "I'm trying to finish my Psychology paper," "That sounds rough, where's everyone else?" "I think Applejack and Pinkie Pie are in the gym, and Rainbow Dash is late again, and I don't know where Rarity is," "Typical Rainbow Dash," Sunset replied "C'mon, let's go meet the others," She said to Twilight. "I'll come with you," Fluttershy said as she closed the computer down. A few minutes later, the trio found themselves in the basketball gym, a simple one with a court and bleachers, with a stage at one end lined with all sorts of junk. The gym wasn't empty, there were tables piled with boxes of some kind of supplies. There was also a ladder with more equipment below it in the center of the court. Nearby were two girls, one being a tall blonde-haired girl wearing a brown Stetson hat, standing before her was a shorter girl with pink poofy hair. The two were discussing something important. “I dunno Pinkie, ah think there might be such a thing as too many streamers,” the blonde girl said in a thick southern accent, to which the poofy-haired girl responded with: “Are you kidding? You can NEVER have too many streamers!” In a hyperactive tone of voice. She then drew in a huge gasp, spotting Twilight with Sunset and Fluttershy. She charged Twilight and began bombarding her with questions. “What’s your name? What’s your favorite color, where’d you come from? Who’s your favorite player in the Dallas Cowboys? Why’d you come here?” Eventually, Sunset managed to stop the bouncing girl. "This is Pinkie Pie," She began "She gets very hyper... Most of the time," "And Ah'm Applejack," The blonde girl said, facing the group. "And you're?" She asked gesturing to Twilight. "Twilight," she said nervously. "Well, it's a pleasure t' meet ya Twilight," “It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Applejack,”. Applejack was about to continue when the side door leading outside of the gym swung up with a loud metal clang and screech. Stepping in through the glare of the morning light was a tall and thin teenage girl with mint green hair, her face molded into one of worry. She crossed the gym, almost bumping into the ladder. She reached the group out of breath and asked: “Have… any of you… Seen Bon Bon?” “N-no Lyra, we haven’t seen her today,” Fluttershy replied “Why? Is something wrong?” “She hasn’t been answering my calls, we had a bit of a fight yesterday and I’ve been trying to apologize to her. She’s usually in here practicing in the mornings so I thought I’d check here,” “She’s not here,” Applejack said “Ah don’t even think her car’s here,” The girl let out a dejected sigh. “Okay…” She left with haste, nearly bumping into a rainbow-haired girl in a blue and gold letterman jacket as she entered from the hallway, hastily she asked “Rainbow Dash, have you seen Bon Bon?” “N-no I haven’t…. She’s probably still at home,” she responded apologetically. Lyra nodded and dashed down the hallway. The short-haired girl crossed the gym and gathered with the others. “What’s her problem?” “She and Bon Bon had a fight, and she’s worried cause she won’t answer her calls,” Sunset responded. “Oh, who’s this?” she asked in her rough voice, gesturing to Twilight. “This is Twilight, she’s new here, Twilight, this is Rainbow Dash” Sunset placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ooooooooh," Responded Rainbow Dash "Well it's nice t' meet ya," The two shook hands. "So why're you late today?" Applejack asked the rainbow-haired girl tauntingly, it seemed this was a normal occurrence. "Well... My car wouldn't start this morning... And my dad couldn't get it to work, so I had to drive his truck... His old truck..." She seemed embarrassed. Applejack just bent over laughing "It's not funny," Rainbow Dash said through gritted teeth, growing red in her blue face. The door to the gym opened again and in strode a girl with flowing deep blue hair, dressed in warm autumn colors. She halted before the girls and looked right at Twilight, almost immediately criticizing her clothing: "Hmm... These colors aren't really in season," "What are you talking about?" Twilight responded. "It's..." She gestured to her whole body "The colors, violet isn't really an 'autumn color'," "Rarity," Interjected Sunset, "This is Twilight, I think it'd be best that you know her before you criticize her fashion taste," "Oh..." Rarity politely extended her hand "It's great to meet you, darling," The two shook hands. "I guess that's everyone," Sunset said, slapping her hands together, the muffled sound of the clanging school bell erupted from the hall outside, "I guess it's time for class," Sunset declared, and they all left the gym in a group. Later in The Evening Twilight's day had been a good one, she had stayed with her new friends for most of the day, she had been to basketball practice with Rainbow Dash, she spent a good chunk of time in the extensive library, and had even spent some time with Applejack after school, helping her around her family's large apple farm. Indeed, it had not been a boring day for the nerdy girl. Twilight was now in the large den connected to her home's kitchen. It had one large sectional and a single recliner next to it, surrounding a round coffee table. Behind the sectional on the eastern wall was an ancient dusty piano. Behind the other part of the sectional, mounted into the south wall, was a painted-over and blocked-off closet door. Ahead of the section and into the northwest corner of the room was a flat-screen TV, which Twilight was watching, curled up on her couch in a blanket with a plate of cookies on the table before her. Her parents had yet to hook up the satellite or internet to their TV, so right now, she watched one of the many local channels. "Hello and welcome to Black County Number 6," said the brown-haired man on the TV, he sat before a white wall with a box to his left, "Your nightly schedule is M.A.S.H from 7:30 to 8:00, 8:00 to 8:30, 8:30 to 9:00, and 9:00 to 9:30, after that will be our nightly showing of True Grit, featuring John Wayne at 9:45," the box next to him portrayed what he had read, "But, before we show you that, now it's time for the nightly reports from Marvin Champ," The screen switched to handsome young blonde man "Tonight's top story is: A teenage girl from Wallaceville Mississippi has been reported missing as of 10:30 AM Central Time," The image of a young girl with pink and blue hair flashed onto the screen, she was shown in a selfie with the minty haired girl Twilight had met earlier in the day, "She stands at five feet seven inches tall and at around one hundred and fifteen pounds, her hair is a mix of pink and blue and her has a fairer complexion," He was reading off of a list "She was last seen at Wallaceville Grocery on November 4th, 2020 at 7:35 PM Central Time," The blurred monochrome image of a convenience store flashed on the screen, where she is seen standing at a checkout counter "She was last known to be wearing a blue Canterlot Wondercolts hoody, blue jeans, and white basketball shoes. She was known to be driving a 2009 red Dodge Avenger. If you have any information, please call the Canterlot County Sherriff's Office at 515-443-2229," Twilight clicked off the TV, her face had turned to one that could only be described as one of worry and shock. She didn't say anything, she simply got up and headed off to bed.
Her New HomeAuthor's Note I know this seems like I'm just publishing and not finishing, but I'm burned out on trying to write war stuff. So I'm gonna try my hand at some horror and see how y'all like it. Her New Home November 3rd "Here we are," her father called out as the van halted, Twilight looked out the window at the sight before her. It was a nice single-story ranch house, it had a strange purple exterior, covered in green moss, and it looked as if it had been abandoned for some time. The small porch was concrete, wettened by what she assumed was the previous day's rain, and running over to the single-car garage, surrounding the house was a thick wood line on the southern and eastern sides, a large overgrown field surrounded by barbwire on the west with a near ancient wooden barn at the far end. Twilight slid the van's door open and placed her nearly brand new purple converse sneakers into a cold mud puddle. The violet-haired girl winced as the cold water met her feet, so far, she didn't like it here. It was very much different from her old place, a nice house in suburbia where what couple of friends she had could meet to hang out. Now, she had no friends and no way to easily get to them, she couldn't drive as she had yet to even pass her test, the accident she had last time really set her back. And, she doubted anyone would wanna come this far out to hang out with a girl they barely knew. She stepped out of the puddle only to be splashed by the cold water when her dog spike hopped out. "Dang it Spike!" she quietly said in her bookish voice, wiping the water off of her glasses with the dry part of her long sleeve shirt. The now damp green dog looked up at her with a playful yip, she smiled and picked up the small damp dog, hugging him tightly. "Grab what ya can," said her dad, a thin bearded man who held two cardboard boxes in his hands. "I already got my hands full," she responded, a gleaming smile on her face. He smiled and rolled his eyes before continuing up the porch steps, and into the now opened door. She followed suit, making her way inside, once inside she was blown away by the house's interior. It was nice, far nicer than the home's exterior would let on, its floors were a mix of shag carpeting and deep brown hardwood, looking freshly polished, and the walls were a simple wood paneling, harkening back to the seventies. It was small with a couch against the front window and an empty bookshelf against the west wall and next to the narrow hallway, all lined with simple wood paneling. Ahead of them were two doorways, one to a small dining room and another to the larger kitchen. Her father sat his cargo on the shag floor. "Why don't ya check out your room?" he said to Twilight. Twilight turned down a short hallway and into a room across from the small bathroom. It was small in size with a window on the northern wall above her futon. The room was already decorated with the stuff from her old house, her parents had taken the liberty of pre-decorating her room with her posters and other things, before her arrival. Spike hopped out of her arms and ran up onto the futon and curled up atop the maroon blankets. Twilight let out a light chuckle and left him there so she could help her parents in unloading the last bit of luggage. Scooting past her mom in the doorway she stepped out onto the porch and was met with a rumble coming from down the road that drew ever closer. From around the curve where her house was nestled appeared a black ninety-something GMC step side on a short lift kit. Behind it was a short bumper pull trailer hauling a red four-wheeler, the truck pulled just past their mailbox at the end of the driveway and pulled off of the road, shutting down. The door swung open with a creak and out stepped a tall bearded man smoking a cigarette, his eyes protected from the sun by a pair of aviator shades and the visor of a gray GMC ballcap. He dropped the half-smoked cigarette into the water-filled ditch and approached the house, splashing his dirty work boots in the hole. "Afternoon," his voice was deep and slow with a thick southern accent. A tobacco-stained smile formed on his face. "Good afternoon," said Twilight somewhat timidly, the man towered over her, even at a distance. "Hello there!" called her father from behind her, startling Twilight, he approached the man smiling. Twilight's father Night Light was a very outgoing man, he had to be since he was a Social Studies teacher. The man stood at least half a foot over her father and had to be twice as wide too. He reached out his lanky hand to meet the man, the man gripped Night's with his meaty large hand, causing Night to wince in discomfort. "Nice to meet ya," The man began "Ah'm Aaron, Aaron Thatcher, I live back down the road a ways in that house with the two chimneys," he seemed pretty excited to tell Night this "That's nice," said Night with extreme discomfort as the large man continued to shake his hand. Aaron released Night and he continued "So what brings ya by here?" "Well," he slowly began "Ah's goin' t' check on some duck blinds with my buddies. And ah just so happened to be passin' by, so I thought ah'd welcome y'all to the neighborhood," he looked around at the thick woods and empty pasture around the house. "Whatever neighborhood there is here," chuckled Aaron, he glanced back at the old barn, and then across the road at another pasture where an equally dilapidated barn stood. "So y'all bought the old Webster place?" "Yes sir," Night responded proudly. "Hmm, I remember ole John Webster Senior," Aaron said, putting hooking his thumbs in his belt. "That's the fella we talked to isn't it?" Night asked his wife Twilight Velvet who had come outside too. "We did talk to a Mister Webster," she said "It wouldn't uh been him, it was probably John Junior or Clay y'all was talkin' to," "Well then, what happened to Mister Webster Senior?" asked Twilight from behind the group. Aaron looked past her parents, it was easy with his height. "Well..." Aaron began with a smile "Folks don't really know, the cops couldn't even figure it out... They say one night, he just up and disappeared or was killed or somethin'," Aaron paused for dramatic effect. "All they ever did find was a trail of blood leadin' out the front door, a bunch of bloody prints inside the shower and tub full of bloody water," "You mean?" "He died, was it murder? Who the heck knows, he coulda just slipped in the tub and bashed his head open, but that doesn't explain the blood on the floor or nothin'. Besides, the man was about eighty at the time, his youngest son's like sixty somethin'," He paused and looked at the distraught faces before him "That's nothin' to dwell over though, that was back around ninety-seven I wanna say... I will tell ya this though," he turned and pointed to the barn across the road "Stay away from that place, you can go into Webster's barn, last I heard it was just an old tractor or somethin' in there. But, that barn across the road is dangerous," "W-why?" Twilight was unnerved, even for a bookworm and huge fan of logic and reason, she was still somehow unnerved. "Cause that's where the methheads like t' shoot up," He let out a loud hearty laugh that evolved into a heavy smoker's cough. "Aw hell! most o' that's just stories from around here, but for real though. Ole Webster did go missin' and his kids went crazy over it. As a matter o' fact, John Junior was shootin' at folks comin' on the property for years," "Well," Night began in a rather unnerved manner, "It's been nice meeting you," "It was a mighty fine pleasure meetin' you too Mister..." "Night Light," "Gotcha," Aaron started off toward his truck and Twilight's family started back to the house "Wait a minute!" Everyone stopped and looked at Aaron as he turned around with a pack of Newport Reds and a silver Zippo lighter in his hand "Why don't y'all come by my house t'morrow evenin'? I just bagged some good rabbits and Celestia's been wantin' t' cook em up for a couple days now," He snapped his fingers as if an epiphany just hit "She's the principal at the high school, maybe she can get your daughter set up with a tour o' the place," "Well that sounds nice," said Twilight Velvet as she watched Aaron put a cigarette in his mouth "What time's good for you?" Aaron pulled the unlit cigarette from his mouth. "I ain't got work t'morrow, but I'm probably gonna be helpin' my brother with his truck most o' the day... So six-thirty in the evenin' ought to be good," "Sounds great," "Good, I'll see ya then," Aaron waved and put the cigarette back in his mouth, sparking it up as he went back to his truck, slamming the door shut and turning it on with an eight-cylinder straight pipe rumble as he drove off away from their home. Both of Twilight's parents went back inside, leaving the young Twilight outside, looking at the barn across the road. Even though what Mister Thatcher had been saying was told off as some sort of a joke, it stuck with Twilight. Twilight couldn't wrap her head around why it made her feel so unnerved. She turned to look at the house and a chill ran up her spine like she was looking at a ghost, something about this house had changed. In a mere moment, the quaint little home in the woods had turned to something else. Like a monster hiding under the bed ready to pounce, she shakily walked back inside.
This Town is CursedNovember 4th Night Light pulled the van into the short gravel driveway running beside the house, parking it beneath a night lamp suspended over the barn-style door of Aaron's shop. Twilight and her family stepped out into the cool autumn air, their only light being the one over their car and the one on the concrete porch of the house. They walked across the dark yard and onto the carport, stepping onto the porch and passing a couple of rocking chairs. Twilight looked into a window overlooking the porch, finding it blocked by many little trinkets and utensils, with only the light inside visible. Her dad opened the screen door with a springy creak and knocked on the old wooden door. "Coming!" called a woman's voice from inside, followed by footsteps approaching the front door. The door opened to reveal a tall woman in house clothes with pale multicolored hair. "Oh, it's you," she said in a somewhat more proper voice, lacking the thick accent that her husband had. "Please, won't you come in," she moved away from the door and let the trio into the comforting warmth of the house. The inside of the house was far more open than Twilight's, the dining room and living room bled together with a matching floor, separated only by a tan couch, with a long table behind it with six chairs around it. Inside the living room was a black fireplace surrounded by dark bricks, a mantle above sporting numerous photos of the residents. Including hunting trips, one with a deer on the ground being held by a younger Aaron, and one where several dead ducks sat on the bed of an old pickup, Celestia next to it holding a shotgun. There was also a black and white wedding photo of the two, and one with the two and a young girl at the center. Hanging above the mantle was the mounted head of a deer, its ten imposing antlers jutting out like knives, its glassy eyes staring down at the four in the room. At the front of the living room were several large windows being blocked by an old boxy big screen TV displaying an episode of M.A.S.H, and a recliner nearby. Celestia returned to the kitchen where she stood over a tall silver pot. "Aaron's not here yet," She began "He called and said Luke's truck was takin' a bit longer than he thought it would," "That's alright, we can wait," said Night Light, looking at his watch. Just then, Aaron's truck pulled up the driveway in front of the carport, his light visible through the door's window. A moment later Aaron opened the door, the chimes jingling as he did, and entered the house humming an old country song. "Evenin'," he said, greeting the trio in his living room, his hands were turned black by grime. He continued into the house, going down the narrow hallway between the dining room and kitchen. Twilight and her family sat down at the table, her parents sharing the same side whilst she sat right across from them, facing away from the living room. Aaron came back, his hands clean of any grime. He leaned up on the end of the counter and let out a groan. "How was Luke, hun?” Celestia asked Aaron as she clicked the gas stove off and backed away “Oh ya know, same as usual,” he responded looking down with drowsiness. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” she said in response to which Aaron chuckled “We did, at least we think we did, find out what was wrong with his truck,” “What was it?” “We think it might’ve been the starter motor, his son was there,” Aaron chuckled “he kept tryna tell us it was the carburetor, no matter how many times we told him the truck didn’t have one o’ them, he wouldn’t stop sayin’ it,” Celestia just started chuckling with him “Aaron bent backward, cracking his back on the counter “shit,” he murmured, “is supper ready?” “Yes sir, Celestia” responded diligently “Seared wild rabbit with green beans, mac and cheese, and cornbread,” "Aw heck yeah," He stood straight up "Aight everyone, help yourself," He gestured to the pots and trays sitting on the bar separating the living room and kitchen. Everyone got up and went over to the kitchen, grabbing a paper plate and piling it with the food, it wasn't until they were all seated that Aaron and Celestia got their plates and sat down. Aaron sat at the end closest to the sliding glass door on the east wall behind the couch, and Celestia sat at the opposite end. "Before we begin, I'd like to say grace," Aaron bowed his head, as did the others "Our father who art in heaven, thank you for the meal you have put before us, thank you for providing us the with which to make this meal. Let this meal be nourishment to our bodies, in your name we pray, Amen," "Amen," the rest said in unison before digging in. "So," Began Aaron as he looked to Night, "What brings ya to our cursed part of Mississippi," "We were lookin' for something new, tryin' to get away from the hustle and bustle of suburban life," "You're workin' for Canterlot ain't ya?" Aaron asked, Night nodded at him with a mouthful of macaroni "Ah work for the county," Said Aaron before cutting a big piece of seared rabbit and eating it. He gave his wife a thumbs up from across the table and continued "I work up at the bus barn," "Really?" said Night "Yes siree, I've worked there since uhh... Ninety-five, yep," he took another bite of his meal and washed it down with a glass of sweet tea "I have personally worked on every single bus this county owns. Most at least, the county's still got a few o' them ole seventy-sixes, just sittin' around all over the place," "Say," began Night "What types are y'all runnin'?" "We's runnin' the ninety-ones to the fourteens, we need some new ones," he peered at his wife as if trying to elicit a response from her. "I can't control when the county gets buses," she said annoyed. "I know, ah just wanna know if ya have any info on when we might be gettin' some," "So far there's nothing," "Figures, the damn county can't spare a dime towards anythin' 'cept the bossman's pocket," Aaron looked at Night "The newest ones we got are four o' them flat nose buses, an' they ain't worth a shit. Hell, I'd push them over to the far side of the lot with the others if that place didn't creep me out," The statement got the attention of Twilight, who had just been quietly eating away. "Why?" Questioned Twilight curiously. "Well, it’s cause o’ the fire back in ninety-eight, it was one o' them seventy-sixes that caught fire. They say it was on account of it havin' a gasoline engine. Gas engines weren't allowed in buses, but the county couldn't get new ones, then when they did they still didn't get rid o' those clunkers. It wasn't till that bus caught fire and killed everyone on board that they got rid of 'em. Hell, they got rid o' all of the ones between seventy-six and ninety, and a couple o' weeks later we got a shiny fleet of brand new ninety-eight model buses," Aaron laughed "They ended up puttin' the remains o' the bus out in the woods behind the barn, old folks say it cursed the place. Hell, the whole town's cursed," "What do you mean," Twilight interjected "Well..." Aaron began "There're the big stories, like the ole Sanders' Glass Factory," "What's that?" "The ole Sanders' Glass Factory, it sits just outside o' Wallaceville on Highway six goin' t' Tennessee," He had returned to eating his food now and everyone else had seemingly moved away from the previous discussion "All yer gonna see is part of the wall with an old window on it if you can spot it, it's so overgrown with vines and trees it's near invisible. The only thing that'll really give it away is if they got some boxcars or somethin' parked in the spur, it's right by the railroad ya see," Aaron leaned back in his chair "It was built back around nineteen-o-somethin', I think when Vardaman was governor," He rubbed his bearded chin "It went fine for about fifty odd years, until October 5th, 1958. Two o' the old furnaces inside blew up and took out a good chunk o' the buildin' and killed about a hundred workers," "How is that cursed?" Twilight asked "I ain't finished yet," Said Aaron annoyed "They kept the place shut down for near about two years, then some fella bought the place and rebuilt it with all new furnaces and such," He took a bite of his now cold macaroni "They hired back a bunch o' the ole workers and a bunch o' new ones too. But, then they started reportin' things ya see," Aaron leaned forward and toward Twilight. "At first it was small, things movin' by themself, voices in the dark. It wasn't till the night guards started reportin' the ghosts o' the ole workers that things really started happenin'. They said they was goin' about their day like a worker usually would, but they was all sorts o' messed up. There was folks charred black, missin' limbs, missin' heads, missin' chunks o' their body and they was walkin' 'round like nothin'," Aaron paused for suspense as he looked into her nervous eyes "Then it began t' happen in the day too, it got so bad that folks was quittin'. An' then it gets even crazier too, ya see that factory sent glass all the way to Nashville and down to Biloxi, and folks started reportin' they was seein' ghosts in their homes when they got glass from Sanders. Things got so bad, folks was quittin' and refusin' to buy from 'em, they ended up shuttin' down in seventy-somethin'," "W-what happened after that," "The place sat abandoned," Said Aaron leaning back in his seat "Every now an' then there'd be a kid or two goin' in there, and every now and then a kid would go missin' in there. Eventually, ten kids went missing' in there, and all the deputies and cops refused to go in there, so they sealed the place off in eighty-somethin'. But, that's enough o' those ole ghost stories," he turned to look at Night "I hear you're a social studies teacher, ain't that kinda like history or somethin'," Twilight ignored the ensuing conversation, as she dwelled upon the previous story. It's nothing more than a ghost story to scare me. she thought to herself, Twilight preferred to think logically, she didn't resign herself to believing things were just paranormal without evidence. But, she still felt uneasy, perhaps it was the way he spoke that made the stories more unnerving, the seriousness he displayed in his voice. Twilight was jolted from her thoughts by her mother tapping on her arm from across the table. She gestured to Mrs. Celestia. "I don't think I'll be able to give you a tour tomorrow," She began "But, I do know someone who can, her name's Sunset Shimmer, I'll be getting her to meet you in the foyer tomorrow morning after you get to school," "That sounds great," Twilight said before standing up "Where's the bathroom?" "Down the hall, hang a left when you get to the old door at the end of the hall," Twilight left the room, going down the hallway. It was cramped, to her right were hooks lined with coats and hats. To her left were photos lining the wood panel wall, many were of the same young girl, there were softball pictures, cheerleader pictures, and one of her with four others wearing olive drab flight suits in front of a large gray aircraft. Past this tight squeeze were two doors, the one to her left was closed, decorated with tanks and planes and guns, a metal plate reading Amber Rose Thatcher at the top. Across the hall was an open door with light spilling into the dimly lit hallway, the voices of her father and Mister Thatcher could be heard inside. She continued on for a couple more feet until she reached what looked like a doorframe that seemed to separate the hallway from an older section of the house. The walls were wood instead of panel, painted white, there were two doors, both were white and looked a similar age, one having holes drilled at the base. Twilight turned and entered the bathroom, it was all white, made with the same wood as the exterior with a white counter and countertop where a white sink sat across from a seldom used white shower. The only thing that stuck out was the brown wood light board above the long rectangular mirror and the rolls of pink toilet paper on the countertop. Twilight quickly did her business before washing her hands with a bottle of fancy red soap on the counter. She left the bathroom and was greeted with a dark hallway, she paid this no attention, assuming someone had just turned it off. She stepped up to the doorframe and looked down the dark hallway, she was horrified to find that the hallway had seemingly grown in length, being far longer than it was before. The walls were no longer the brown paneling she had seen walking up, they were instead the same wood that made up the old end of the house, there were no photos, no coats, and no doors, just an endless tunnel of splintering wood. Anxiety racked the teenage girl as she stood frozen in fear, the only thing jolting her from this state being the heavy thud from behind her. Slowly she turned her head to see the door behind her. It was no longer painted white, it was now a dull brown color with paint that seemed to split away from the body. The door began to shake as if someone were pulling it from behind. Twilight began to run, dashing down the ancient hallway as fast as her skinny legs could carry her. She ran and ran, her chest burning with every breath she took, her legs aching with every step, yet she was no closer to the end. Still, she kept on, she ran for what felt like hours until she finally found a small light ahead of her. She charge forward, running faster than she had been running, no matter how her legs burned, she dashed into the light and fell to the dark hardwood floor. She had tripped at the end of the hallway, out of breath and in pain she curled up on the floor. "TWILIGHT!" her mother shouted running over and kneeling next to her daughter. Mrs. Celestia stood over her as well, and soon her father came, Mr. Thatcher close behind with a gun in his hand. Twilight sat up, holding her head as she did. "T-the hallway, i-its... Th-there's," she stammered out "It's okay," Her mother said, rubbing her back "The hallway, it... it..." she looked down the hallway, it was back to normal, the dimmed light of the bathroom and the light of the master bedroom giving it light. "It went d-dark, a-and it..." "It's okay," her mother reassured her yet again. "There was knocking, a-and the light was out," "It was probably just the heater," interjected Aaron, the old rifle he held resting on the ground, he picked it up and walked back to the bedroom, pounding the light switch by the bedroom door, causing the light to flicker on. Aaron returned a moment later empty-handed, the light turning off yet again, he pounded it again and it flickered for a moment before turning off again. "I'm gonna have to call Bobby tomorrow," he said looking at the small chandelier, he returned to the group "Well," he began, hands in his pockets "It was a pleasure meetin' ya," he shook Night's hand, and the Twilight Velvet's hand, Celestia did so as well "It's a shame it ended this way," "Yeah we're sorry," Night said, helping his daughter off the floor. "Oh don't be," Aaron said swatting his hand "And let's get you a container of food to go, or Tia can carry y'all some tomorrow," Night looked to his still shaking daughter. "I think it's best she brings it, we need to be gettin' home," Responded Night. Aaron checked his watch "Yeah, I gotta get to work tomorrow," He looked back at the two "Well, I'll be seein' ya," the trio left with a couple of waves and got back into their van headed home. Later That Night... "I just don't understand," Twilight's mother said, she listened to her muffled voice intently "Why now? It's been six years since she's had those attacks. "It's probably just the anxiety of moving," Her father began "It's only once, so it's probably not a big deal," "But, it's just been so long," The concerned voice of her mother said in response "I mean... Should we send her to school tomorrow? I mean if just meeting the new neighbors caused one of these hallucinations, what could happen at school," "Well, Mr. Thatcher's story didn't exactly help," "I know... He seems alright, but that's besides the point. Even if we don't send her to school tomorrow, where will she go? We have to go to work tomorrow, so we can't stay with her," Twilight tuned out the rest of the conversation, lying in her bed, glasses off and hair pulled back, Spike lying on the floor next to her. She stared at the ceiling, the horror of the night's events still fresh on her mind, as the full moonlight filtered itself through her blinds, she rolled over facing the door, clenching the covers tight, and finally closed her eyes, drifting into slumber.
Her First DayAuthor's Note In this world Sunset was never a bully. Her First Day November 5th Twilight bolted upright in her bed, breathing heavily as she did. Her eyes darted around the room, her blurred vision showing nothing out of the ordinary. All she could see was her room, illuminated by the rising sun that passed through her blinds. She slowed her breathing, drawing in long deep breaths until calm. For the whole of the night, she had the same nightmare. She was in the hallway again, running the same as before, her legs and chest burned the same as she remembered them. Something was chasing her, she knew this because whenever she stopped, something would catch her. She knew this because she felt something grab her neck, causing her to wake. The first time she screamed, sending her parents into the room with concern. The same dream came back as she fell asleep, this time she tripped and face-planted, again waking up stifling, her scream and replacing it with a quiet sob. The alarm clock next to her rung with a metal clanging, causing the girl to jump in shock. She silenced the alarm and jumped out of bed, going about her morning ritual. She left her room and into the living room, Spike following behind her, she swung the door open and let the dog out. She spun around and slammed face first into a wall, she had forgotten her glasses, how she had made it to the front door in the first place was a mystery as bad as her eyes were. She felt her way to the bedroom and grabbed her glasses, taking them off almost immediately when she entered the bathroom for her shower. After a quick shower and brushing her teeth, she returned to her room and threw on a purple and white sweater with jeans. She left her room, grabbed her backpack off the couch, and threw her shoes on before finally letting Spike back in and locking the door knob. She went and stood beside the black mailbox at the end of the driveway. It wasn't long before her bus, an old International, pulled around the curved coming southwest and stopped before her house with a hiss. The near seventy-year-old driver opened the door with a low groan. "Mornin'," He said in a raspy voice, Twilight nodded and boarded the bus, settling on one of the faded brown leather seats near the front. She rested her head against the window and closed her eyes, hoping to get some sleep before school. The bus set off, and even as her head bounced against the school bus window, she managed to get maybe an hour of sleep. She stayed in a half awake half asleep state until she felt the bus stop for a final time, the engine silencing. She opened her eyes and stretched, finding the bus in a parking lot filled with other yellow buses, some newer and some older. Twilight joined the mass of kids leaving the bus and exited the parking lot behind numerous spaces for cars ahead of the bus lot. They sat across the road from the school, an imposing red brick building lined with tall winds, a blue-domed bell tower atop the roof. It looked like a town hall rather than a high school. She crossed the street between lines of waiting cars and other buses to the grassy courtyard where the statue of a rearing horse stood. Past that were the metal doors leading into the school's foyer, hanging open by chains. The foyer was crowded with students as they made their way to the hallways. Twilight plopped down on one of the chairs next to the office door, as she was told by her mother. A moment later, Principal Celestia stepped out of the office to greet her: "Good morning Twilight," She said with a warm smile "I hope you slept well," "Not really, unfortunately," Twilight responded yawning "Nightmares, ya know," "Well, I'm sorry to hear that, I'm assuming you're waiting for Sunset, Yes? She'll meet up with you after the first bell so that you can tour the school with more ease," "That sounds great," Replied Twilight with enthusiasm. Celestia returned to her office and a moment later the first bell rang. All of the students that had been crowding near the foyer cleared out. A minute later, Twilight felt a tapping on her shoulder, she turned and found herself facing a fiery-haired girl in a leather jacket standing next to her. "I assume you're Twilight," She greeted with a smile. "Yeah," She replied nervously. "Good, let's begin the tour," the two got up and left, walking down a hallway lined with lockers. "Sorry about the mess," Sunset said as they passed by a ladder and stacks of equipment "The school's undergoing some renovations right now," they continued on through the school, looking around at the many rooms that were all squeezed into the one building until they finally reached the library on the school's second floor. "And this is the library," Sunset said opening the door. Twilight was blown away at the size of the rotund library. Amid all of the ladders and equipment in use by hardhat-wearing contractors were shelf upon shelf of books, many more in stacked boxes. At the center of the library were old desktop computers, and sitting at one of these was a short girl with long pink hair. "Hey Fluttershy," Sunset said, to which the girl jumped in her seat, the girl turned to face Sunset and said meekly: "Oh... Hi Sunset," she looked at Twilight "W-who's this?" "This," he gestured to Twilight "Is Twilight Sparkle, she's the newest student at CHS," Twilight stuck out her hand to shake Fluttershy's, to which she lurched back "Fluttershy... Isn't too fond of folks," "Oh, sorry," Twilight said blushing with embarrassment. "I-it's fine," Fluttershy said with a meek smile, shaking Twilight's hand. "So what are ya workin' on?" asked Sunset "I'm trying to finish my Psychology paper," "That sounds rough, where's everyone else?" "I think Applejack and Pinkie Pie are in the gym, and Rainbow Dash is late again, and I don't know where Rarity is," "Typical Rainbow Dash," Sunset replied "C'mon, let's go meet the others," She said to Twilight. "I'll come with you," Fluttershy said as she closed the computer down. A few minutes later, the trio found themselves in the basketball gym, a simple one with a court and bleachers, with a stage at one end lined with all sorts of junk. The gym wasn't empty, there were tables piled with boxes of some kind of supplies. There was also a ladder with more equipment below it in the center of the court. Nearby were two girls, one being a tall blonde-haired girl wearing a brown Stetson hat, standing before her was a shorter girl with pink poofy hair. The two were discussing something important. “I dunno Pinkie, ah think there might be such a thing as too many streamers,” the blonde girl said in a thick southern accent, to which the poofy-haired girl responded with: “Are you kidding? You can NEVER have too many streamers!” In a hyperactive tone of voice. She then drew in a huge gasp, spotting Twilight with Sunset and Fluttershy. She charged Twilight and began bombarding her with questions. “What’s your name? What’s your favorite color, where’d you come from? Who’s your favorite player in the Dallas Cowboys? Why’d you come here?” Eventually, Sunset managed to stop the bouncing girl. "This is Pinkie Pie," She began "She gets very hyper... Most of the time," "And Ah'm Applejack," The blonde girl said, facing the group. "And you're?" She asked gesturing to Twilight. "Twilight," she said nervously. "Well, it's a pleasure t' meet ya Twilight," “It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Applejack,”. Applejack was about to continue when the side door leading outside of the gym swung up with a loud metal clang and screech. Stepping in through the glare of the morning light was a tall and thin teenage girl with mint green hair, her face molded into one of worry. She crossed the gym, almost bumping into the ladder. She reached the group out of breath and asked: “Have… any of you… Seen Bon Bon?” “N-no Lyra, we haven’t seen her today,” Fluttershy replied “Why? Is something wrong?” “She hasn’t been answering my calls, we had a bit of a fight yesterday and I’ve been trying to apologize to her. She’s usually in here practicing in the mornings so I thought I’d check here,” “She’s not here,” Applejack said “Ah don’t even think her car’s here,” The girl let out a dejected sigh. “Okay…” She left with haste, nearly bumping into a rainbow-haired girl in a blue and gold letterman jacket as she entered from the hallway, hastily she asked “Rainbow Dash, have you seen Bon Bon?” “N-no I haven’t…. She’s probably still at home,” she responded apologetically. Lyra nodded and dashed down the hallway. The short-haired girl crossed the gym and gathered with the others. “What’s her problem?” “She and Bon Bon had a fight, and she’s worried cause she won’t answer her calls,” Sunset responded. “Oh, who’s this?” she asked in her rough voice, gesturing to Twilight. “This is Twilight, she’s new here, Twilight, this is Rainbow Dash” Sunset placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ooooooooh," Responded Rainbow Dash "Well it's nice t' meet ya," The two shook hands. "So why're you late today?" Applejack asked the rainbow-haired girl tauntingly, it seemed this was a normal occurrence. "Well... My car wouldn't start this morning... And my dad couldn't get it to work, so I had to drive his truck... His old truck..." She seemed embarrassed. Applejack just bent over laughing "It's not funny," Rainbow Dash said through gritted teeth, growing red in her blue face. The door to the gym opened again and in strode a girl with flowing deep blue hair, dressed in warm autumn colors. She halted before the girls and looked right at Twilight, almost immediately criticizing her clothing: "Hmm... These colors aren't really in season," "What are you talking about?" Twilight responded. "It's..." She gestured to her whole body "The colors, violet isn't really an 'autumn color'," "Rarity," Interjected Sunset, "This is Twilight, I think it'd be best that you know her before you criticize her fashion taste," "Oh..." Rarity politely extended her hand "It's great to meet you, darling," The two shook hands. "I guess that's everyone," Sunset said, slapping her hands together, the muffled sound of the clanging school bell erupted from the hall outside, "I guess it's time for class," Sunset declared, and they all left the gym in a group. Later in The Evening Twilight's day had been a good one, she had stayed with her new friends for most of the day, she had been to basketball practice with Rainbow Dash, she spent a good chunk of time in the extensive library, and had even spent some time with Applejack after school, helping her around her family's large apple farm. Indeed, it had not been a boring day for the nerdy girl. Twilight was now in the large den connected to her home's kitchen. It had one large sectional and a single recliner next to it, surrounding a round coffee table. Behind the sectional on the eastern wall was an ancient dusty piano. Behind the other part of the sectional, mounted into the south wall, was a painted-over and blocked-off closet door. Ahead of the section and into the northwest corner of the room was a flat-screen TV, which Twilight was watching, curled up on her couch in a blanket with a plate of cookies on the table before her. Her parents had yet to hook up the satellite or internet to their TV, so right now, she watched one of the many local channels. "Hello and welcome to Black County Number 6," said the brown-haired man on the TV, he sat before a white wall with a box to his left, "Your nightly schedule is M.A.S.H from 7:30 to 8:00, 8:00 to 8:30, 8:30 to 9:00, and 9:00 to 9:30, after that will be our nightly showing of True Grit, featuring John Wayne at 9:45," the box next to him portrayed what he had read, "But, before we show you that, now it's time for the nightly reports from Marvin Champ," The screen switched to handsome young blonde man "Tonight's top story is: A teenage girl from Wallaceville Mississippi has been reported missing as of 10:30 AM Central Time," The image of a young girl with pink and blue hair flashed onto the screen, she was shown in a selfie with the minty haired girl Twilight had met earlier in the day, "She stands at five feet seven inches tall and at around one hundred and fifteen pounds, her hair is a mix of pink and blue and her has a fairer complexion," He was reading off of a list "She was last seen at Wallaceville Grocery on November 4th, 2020 at 7:35 PM Central Time," The blurred monochrome image of a convenience store flashed on the screen, where she is seen standing at a checkout counter "She was last known to be wearing a blue Canterlot Wondercolts hoody, blue jeans, and white basketball shoes. She was known to be driving a 2009 red Dodge Avenger. If you have any information, please call the Canterlot County Sherriff's Office at 515-443-2229," Twilight clicked off the TV, her face had turned to one that could only be described as one of worry and shock. She didn't say anything, she simply got up and headed off to bed.
