A Purple baby dragon groans in pain, seconds later said groan became a whimper, and he clasped his claws on his cheek hoping to somehow ease the pain.
“Do I have to go to the doctor Twilight?” He whines, not wanting to go out again, but knowing he needs to be checked up by someone if he was going to continue being in the same condition as before he was born.
“Yes Spike, it cannot wait.” Twilight says sternly with her hoof firmly planted on his shoulder. “If you are not feeling well then we can come back tomorrow and do this again, okay?” The lavender unicorn adds a soft smile to him.
He nods his head vigorously, still holding onto his cheeks as tight as he could to prevent the tears from falling again, even though the red eyes were already threatening. He knew that what Twilight had said was true, it really had been two whole days since his tooth had been bugging him.
But now that the pain was starting again, he couldn't just let it continue anymore without getting help. So Twilight has made sure he is taken to see the vet after they’ve finished breakfast.
The lavender unicorn gently drew close patting his head which made him look at her questioningly with his green eyes.
“It will be alright.” Twilight tells him softly, giving him a warm smile. Spike nods his head slowly, looking down at their hooves before he glances away from her and goes back to staring into space. He can feel Twilight’s concerned looks aimed at him every minute or so while she tries to ignore the nagging pain he caused earlier.
Once they entered the building, Twilight had insisted on staying in the seating area until he came out. She was about halfway done with filling in his information when she slumped back in her chair. She hadn’t gotten much sleep the night prior, and she was exhausted. That’s what she gets for staying up late. As Twilight slumped back, she noticed something very peculiar—her head never hit the wall. In fact, it felt like it went in. She got up, quite frightened, and looked at the wall.
Nothing.
Not a single hole, or dent, had been made in the wall by her head.
Twilight reached to touch the wall.
And her hooves went through it.
She recoiled in shock. What in the world was that? She thought, as she backed up from said wall she touched.
Then, suddenly, she lost her balance, tripped on something, and fell directly through the floor. She fell face-first onto some dirty tan carpeting. Upon getting back up, Twilight realized that she was in a completely different room. Well, not really a room, per se— now that she looked at it. More so a set of rooms, all of which connected by openings. The walls were covered in gross tan patterned wallpaper. There was also an overwhelming stench of moist carpet.
She looked up to where she had fallen and tried to jump back through the ceiling. But the poor mare couldn’t reach.
“Oh, I can’t reach it. Now what?” Twilight muttered, looking back into the room. There were no windows, no doors, nothing on the walls— other than the same wallpaper, of course.
She began walking through the rooms trying to find an exit, but to no avail. Negativity formed into a thought as it whispered to her that there may not be a way out. But she wasn’t gonna let them fall into despair. There has to be a way out, there has to be, right?
“Hello?”
She called into the long empty maze-like rooms and received nothing in return. She could hear her own heart beating like an echo in a deep cavern but with no visible walls to carry the sound. She wasn’t sure why but she was compelled to keep moving, putting one hoof in front of the other hoping that by wandering around this place she could find some kind of sign or hint to where she might be.
“Can anypony hear me?”
She tried again, her voice echoing in all directions growing louder rather than softer as moments passed. But no matter where she wandered or how far she went she couldn’t find any-pony. No pony was anywhere. No mares and stallions sitting on benches. No nurses walking beside patients. No doctors. No Spike…
Minutes felt like an eternity and she couldn't find anypony no matter how hard she looked. It didn’t help in the slightest that it was eerily silent. She turned and looked at every corner but she couldn't find anything. It wasn’t long that she almost lost her composure, due to how stressful the situation was for her. She can’t afford to panic. The main thing she needs to do for now is keep a level head and remain calm. Stress and fear will get her nowhere. She needs to think clearly, stay productive, and find out just how the heck she is gonna get out of here.
“I need to keep looking.” She said to herself determined, as the realization dawned on her.
What should I do first?
She started her investigation by looking through each room she passed by and trying to figure out which room held her. It seemed like this was the only way she could survive; exploring this place.
After a few minutes of searching, she found a door that led to another hallway. She walked towards it, lighting up her horn and magically twist the knob. Winding the door open she entered.
She was immediately greeted by a huge room filled with various machines surrounding a large bed. To the left side of the room were multiple chairs and tables, a table littered with tools, bottles, vials, needles, syringes, and a couple of pillows. At the opposite side of the room were four doors. One door led to a bathroom, the next to an operating room, and the last door leads to a small room in the middle of the hallway.
She examined both doors thoroughly before walking further towards the operating room door. A part of her feared opening the doors since she didn’t want to know the consequences. However, she couldn’t leave without finding a solution. She sighed before opening the door which revealed a small room filled with various instruments.
As she entered the room, the smell assaulted her nose instantly. The smell of blood, disinfectant, medicines, medicine, medicine, everything in between. She could hear her heart pounding loudly in her ears, her breathing uneven and shaky. This was too much! Too much to deal with at once! She closed her eyes and took a steadying breath, then opened her eyes once more.
Taking another step inside, she heard something stepping on wood. Turning around to find… nothing. The steps disappeared before she could turn to look.
“Hello? Is anypony there?” She spoke out loud. Hearing nothing again she turned to walk towards the other door on her left, and opening it found the bathroom with an equally small operating room to its left.
Stepping into the room she saw nothing. After checking the entire bathroom she decided that she must have imagined those sounds. They were probably caused by her imagination. So she opened the other door to reveal a small bedroom containing a bed, wardrobe, dressers, and drawers. Twilight turned to look at the walls, getting a chance to read what was written in the hastily scribbled blood:
Beware of its presence
God save you if you hear it.
Don’t move. Stay still.
Stay still. Don't move!
Stay still.
Stay still.
Staying still.
Stay still.
Stay still.
Stay still.
Stay still.
Stay still.
The words sent chills down her back. What did they mean? ‘Stay still. Don’t move?’ the words echoed in her head. Was she supposed to be able to avoid what she couldn’t see? Or did they mean to keep her from going near that door?
‘Stop it. Stop thinking, stop asking questions.’ she told herself sternly before closing her mouth tightly.
She rolls her body around retracing her steps to where she came. Once again checking to make sure none of the rooms had a door she walked inside one that seemed to be slightly less crowded. Inside she found two beds, two beds that are empty and unmade, and a little table.
On that table layed a black book along with three glass bottles filled with a bright blue liquid. She hesitantly approached the table noticing the book had no title. Curious, she picked up the book to flip through the pages until she arrived at a certain page.
it read:
I’m almost losing all hope, I’m writing this to anypony that finds this just so they may know the truth to what happened to me. My name is Lawrence. I don’t know how I got here, the last thing I remember was going to sleep and the next thing I knew I woke up finding myself in a whole other place.
I tried for hours and hours to find a way out but came to a dead end. This place is like a maze; it goes on forever! But there’s something else. There’s something about this place that scares me. I don’t know if it's the fact that I feel something bad here, or if it's because of the way this place smells….but I don’t like it.
These rooms reek of death. Of pain and suffering. And it frightens me. Something is not right here. Something big is going to happen soon. I can feel it.
I’ve tried to escape several times but I always come back to this room. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I’m afraid of what’s behind these doors. Maybe it’s because I’m afraid of what’s waiting for me when I open the final door…I don’t know. All I know is that I feel like I’m being watched and this feeling doesn’t go away.
She flips to the next page.
Let me ask you something. Do you sometimes… ever get that feeling that you’re being watched? It’s not an everyday thing either, you know, and it is very much out of the ordinary that you would have no idea that someone is actually watching your every move and everything that goes on around them. I know it sounds ridiculous at first, but I swear I feel as though someone or something is following me. And when I turn around there’s no one around, so then I go about my business like nothing has happened. But I can't shake this feeling, and I just wish someone would tell me what was really happening.
Twilight stared down at the words in her hoof in disbelief. This was crazy. Almost without thinking she flipped to the next page.
Okay, there’s definitely something following me. I know because…I saw it. Or rather, it saw me before I did. Oh stars, it was big, really big. But that’s not what horrified me—oh no. It was how fast it ran despite its towering height. I managed to escape but it won’t be long until it finds me again.
Twilight placed the book down, feeling uneasy, then glanced at the other room. She noticed a door standing alone in the corner and went to explore it. Stepping in, she was shocked to what’s before her. Tan patterned walls, sets of rooms, and her nose instantly assaulted by the overwhelming stench of moist carpet.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” she grumbled. But the longer she stood there, the clearer it became. It was not her mind playing tricks on her as usual; it was a real and present reality. Her mind is telling her that she is definitely not dreaming, that she is actually standing in a strange room which seems very familiar.
She began pacing back and forth slowly examining each of the rooms to confirm to herself if it was indeed her room that she has been trapped inside since the accident. Each time she opens a different door, her mind gets the same response that follows after. All the rooms are empty except for her.
Twilight continued to venture deeper in the maze-like rooms until she stopped in her tracks. in the distance, she heard footsteps, but not those of a pony. Alongside the footsteps was a gurgling snarl, like that of an angry animal.
Twisting around she caught sight of movement. It trotted out from a corner, its head twitching and turning from the ceiling to the floor. Twilight’s eyes widened, feeling as though her heart could stop at the sight before her.
This creature was nightmarishly tall, she estimated it to be fifteen feet tall. Though it didn’t have eyes, or a face, Twilight knew it was staring directly at her. its body along with their hands were skinny and thin, wrapped with wires in loops. Its arms looked like thin sticks, sticking out in every direction, their tips ending with sharp claws. There were no ears, nor any sign of a nose, but the creature still managed to emit that same guttural growl.
She backed away slowly, her brain struggling to comprehend what she was seeing. Snapped from her paralyzed state Twilight turned on her heels and ran with all her might. The creature let out a roar as it started after her, every stomp of its legs shook the floor under her hooves.
She panted like crazy, rushing air to her lungs. Her heart was pounding out of her rib-cage as she tried her best to run, she almost felt her hooves about to slip from the shaking floor. She looked over her shoulder and felt her heart leapt to her throat when she saw the creature had almost grabbed a hold of her, its claws grabbing nothing but air. It quickly pulled its hand back, letting out an annoyed growl as it began running again.
In an instant, Twilight regained her footing, the terror now replaced by fury. Forcing herself even harder she tried to pick up speed, pushing past her limits as her heart pounded wildly against her chest. In her peripheral vision she could see the creature gaining on her. This thing was fast. Faster than anything she had ever seen!
Twilight’s heart shook when she heard the creature let out a guttural moan, a moan that reached beyond the heavens reverberating and pure hatred and contempt echoed in short waves. She responded in kind by screaming in return, terror flooding through all her veins like shards of ice.
She made a quick turn, noticing the path ended before her. She ran quickly, looking behind her as she saw the creature run past a pillar, letting out an annoyed roar.
It was coming after her again, It was a thing to be feared, it could kill her if she wasn’t careful.
She quickly made the turn around another bend, increasing her distance from the creature.
From the corner of her eye she spotted a large square shaped hole.
A hole that seemed to lead straight into darkness. Without thinking twice she jumped in, the hole closing above her head just as she felt the monster crash into the hole. She fell, falling endlessly downwards without end, the wind whipping around her as the sound of roaring wind filled her ear drums. She screamed and cried, her hooves flailed as she tried to grab something, anything whilst descending into the bottomless darkness.
As she lost consciousness, all she could see and feel was the darkness around her.
“Hey! Are you alright?!” yelled a familiar voice echoing in her mind. She wanted to answer back, but the moment her eyes finally snapped open she gasped in shock. Her surroundings were a blur of dark gray colors and shapes that kept shifting constantly. The only thing that remained constant was the voice that rang in her head.
“Are you okay?!” repeated the voice. The words caused the world to slowly start to come back into focus. The first thing she took note of were her bare legs resting on cold hard ground. She looked down to see her hooves covered in dirt and grass.
“Where am I?” she asked aloud.
“It’s alright sugar-cube, you’re safe.” the voice reassured her.
Twilight let out a groan as she slowly lifted herself up off the ground. She rubbed her head as her eyes opened. She almost wanted to smile as she recognized the ponies before her. Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy gathered around the lavender unicorn. Twilight looked at them, they looked worried and concerned.
But before she could even ask, the remnants of her horrid memories began to play in her head. Twilight stumbled back. Her head kicked back instinctively, wanting to escape from the last remnants of her nightmare of a memory. Twilight falls on her back staring into deep space with wide eyes. She was breathing heavily, frantic and panicked, the rush of all the memories flooded her all at once.
That place was horrific…something out of an unwaking nightmare. The monster that attacked her…the endless sets of maze-like rooms…the writing on the walls…the overwhelming stench...the bellowing moans of that creature...she wanted to scream.
“Twilight?” She wasn’t sure who had spoken. The voice had been faint. Worried. Maybe it had been Applejack. Or Rarity. She didn’t know.
On that day, Twilight had remained quiet. She never told anyone of what happened to her, not her friends, not her teacher, not even Spike. She hoped that maybe she could just forget it and move on with her studies.
Anytime her friends would bring up the topic her face would go pale. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long after that incident that she’d been having restless nights of sleep. She was having nightmares every night, the severity of what they showed were of the same thing.
She was back in the back-rooms…she was chased down by that monster, she was being chased…then she fell…she was getting stabbed repeatedly….a flash of light…darkness…that horrible growl…that awful smell...she couldn’t get out of here...it wouldn’t let her go...she needed to escape...it would eat her alive...she needed to run...get help...
Twilight did her best to shrug it off , she told herself, and tried to convince herself that it wasn’t important. Yet deep inside, she knew better. That beast haunted her dreams, it haunted her thoughts. The monsters that lived in Twilight’s own mind were more terrifying than anything she could possibly imagine.
But the dreams weren’t the only issue.
Twilight was shocked one day when she heard the news of Button Mash’s disappearance. It was after Mrs Mash was calm enough to tell the investigators including Twilight any details at all of the events leading up to her son’s vanishing. Neither her, nor any of the townsfolk wasn't able to recall any strange ponies hanging around or any strange behavior from the little earth pony.
Without any clues or any leads, the case was closed two months later.
Five days after the case’s conclusion, Granny Smith was the next to disappear.
A week passed and Soarin was gone, following in the hooves of the poor elder pony. Vanishing in the void.
Fear grew amongst the ponies. No pony had no clue of what happened to their friends, their loved ones, or family members.
But Twilight knew.
She knew very well.
Author's Note
Well, one thing’s for sure; Twilight ain’t gonna be sleeping alone tonight.
