The lights that hung overhead in the abandoned subway station had cracked, barely producing any illumination anymore. Vulgar graffiti covered every conceivable surface. There was a putrid smell in the air, a combination of dead rats and cigarette ashes. The air was heavy and uncomfortable, filled with dust. Everything was still, the only noise being the mare's shaky breaths and her hoofsteps.

She was the most beautiful mare he had ever seen. The way her mane flowed, her bright coat, her pursed lips, her breathtaking eyes that glowed in the dimly lit station. Her gaze shifted around uneasily as she moved forward. He could smell the faint traces of alcohol in her scent. That would make things much easier for him.

She didn't know exactly why, but she felt like there was somepony else in the station with her. She felt a pair of eyes on her, watching her every move. They bore deep into the back of her skull. Going down here had been a mistake, but it was too late to fix things now. When she thought she heard something behind her she tensed up. She didn't dare look.

He hid himself behind a pitch-black corner, only peeking out to catch a glimpse of her when he felt it necessary. He moved when she moved, remaining an invisible being in the shadows, always one step behind her. When he heard her breathing pick up slightly, coming more labored than before, his grin became a twisted one.

He decided that now would be the time to start playing with her. The mere possibility of his presence put her on edge, so why not see how she would react when he made her know he was there? It was going to be so much fun.

His hooves lightly scratched against the waste ridden floor, echoing enough to catch the mare's attention. She jumped up when she heard them. At first she thought it was just her imagination, just her anxieties getting the better of her, but when the noises continued her heart started beating faster than ever in her chest.

Her eyes moved to look behind her, but she quickly went back to staring straight ahead. She wanted to turn around, to stare down whoever was following her in the dead of night, but she was too scared to do it. There were too many ways it could end poorly if she did. If she just ignored it, maybe they would go away. She told herself that in an attempt to make it true.

The hoofsteps became louder, a thudding noise that drilled into the mare's skull the closer they got. Her body began to shake as her nerves took over. Her chest tightened as she grew more and more unnerved. She wanted to run, but doing so would undoubtedly make things worse for her. She continued trotting forward, a vice clamping around her neck as she desperately tried to find air.

Fear overcame the mare, and she slowed. She was stuck in an inescapable situation. If she tried to run, they would easily catch her. There was nopony around to help her, just her and whoever was lurking in the shadows, stalking her like predator to it's prey. The already dim light seemed to fade away more as she continued on. Her blood ran cold as she noticed that.

The station seemed to stretch on forever. She had been walking for almost 20 minutes and yet she felt no closer to the exit. The walls felt like they had started coming closer together, trapping her with the pony following her. Her eyes moved around frantically, trying desperately to find any way out. There was no solace for her. The grime covered walls and the rusty tracks were all that surrounded her. She felt like she was suffocating.

The stallion watched her, a twisted grin on his face. He enjoyed watching her get more panicked, the way her body twitched uncomfortably when she moved. Her anxious breathing and whimpering was like music to his ears.

The hoofsteps grew even louder, the constant cacophony making the pit in her stomach grow. The noise overpowered every one of her senses until it was all that she could process. It took everything in her not to scream. Tears began to fill her eyes and she bit her lip as hard as she could, trying to stay quiet. The pounding of her heart mixed with the hoofsteps until it was deafening.

And then the hoofsteps stopped. The world seemed to pause for those moments. The mare felt more afraid than ever. Whoever it was that was doing this, it held her in the palm of their hoof. The tension built up in her chest until she let out a quiet sob.

He felt a rush of joy at that.

"Turn around," came a gravely whisper from behind her. The voice scraped at her lungs, cutting them open and removing the air from them.

She slowly, anxiously, turned around, only to be met by darkness. There was nopony there. All that she could see was pure darkness, blacker than anything she had ever seen before. She remained in place, confusion at the forefront of her mind. Had it all just been her imagination? She placed a hoof on her chest as she tried to calm down.

He'd gotten his enjoyment out of psychologically torturing her, and now was the time for her to meet the same fate as the rest. She had been more enjoyable than the others, but she was no different. She deserved this.

The hoofsteps started up again, immediately trapping her where she stood. All at once, the fear came pouring back in, choked cries escaping as she stared into the dark. Her body shook painfully, her chest heaving as she tried her hardest to move. She had to run.

As soon as she turned and tried to run, she felt herself being yanked back by the tail. She was now completely surrounded by the shadows. Her heart plummeted until she could no longer feel it beating. A figure hovered over her, watching her squirm helplessly on the floor as her tail was held under his hoof.

She didn't see the knife being pulled out by the pony that had been following her, nor did she have time to react before it was plunged into the side of her throat.

Nopony heard her scream except for him. He loved the sound more than anything else in the world.

Author's Note