Was it Morello or Chelan?
Once
Cherries
Whisper
By PacifistDoodl3r
“I still think you should've reached out after that fiasco. An element of harmony... you were crushed on by an element of harmony... ain't that something.” Flash Sentry leaned further over the table, extending a hoof. “Hit.” A griffon, wearing a red bow and a chef hat gave him a card.
“Hey, I didn't know at the time. And if I did, it wouldn't matter if who I adored was one of them or not- I base anypony off of their character and actions.” Trenderhoof motioned over for a card, nearly stretching the fabric of his dark blue sweater with silver trims. “Hit- thank you.”
“Hints from mares are hard to understand, I get that. But, still! Trender. Trender, Trender, Trender, my poor... oblivious friend... you may never meet somepony attracted to you again. Scary thought.”
The house flipped his card over, causing the other two heavy ears. “I ’Vin again. How about another round?” The Griffon shuffled the cards, preparing to sort them out in an orderly manner.
“Does this train car have any other games, Gustave?” Flash asked, resting his face on a prompted foreleg.
“I second that, actually. We've been playing this one for well over half an hour.” Trenderhoof pressed up his glasses, staring at the clock.
“You know what? Forget passing the time, this train has to stop or else I'm jumping out of the window.” Flash sentry turned his head to peer outside, viewing all of the dry dirt and shades of brown. “I'm so hungry.”
“Ve have freshly baked cherry bread? Ve have cherry fizzled water! My oh my you would luv the cherry fizzled water!” The Griffon got up excitedly, clasping his claws together.
“No thank you,” Flash coughed a few times, “regular water would do if you have it.”
“Yes ve do! I'll get that for you.” He got up and left, scattering the playing cards all over the table.
“I would've gotten a cherry fizz soda to regulate my blood sugar.” Trender hoof wrote something down in his notebook, scanning it slowly.
“It's, uh, soda. Wouldn't that make your levels high? Wait- you have insulin resistance? Diabetes?” Flash Sentry gave Trender a worried look. “I thought you were just being rude earlier...”
“You wouldn't know from just looking at me... being pretty thin and everything.” Trenderhoof placed down his book, smiling at Flash afterwards. “I'm trying to wrap my head around the fact you came all the way from the Crystal Empire. Why?”
“Princess Cadence randomly selected a few guards to travel all this way for the job. Your work must be pretty important, huh?” Flash eyed the Griffon who gave a water, soon leaving the pair shortly after.
“Yes, I suppose I can't share what it is I'm writing about but you'll eventually see this place for yourself soon enough.” Trender pointed a hoof, motioning over to the bright town lights between jagged orange rocks and dusty hills.
“Dodge Junction looks so small... do you have any idea what happened here?” Flash took a closer look, sighing as the train approached the station. “Not that I care or anything. It's all just the same job to me.”
Trender hoof stared at Flash longingly, unable to open his mouth to speak.
“It... doesn't matter— our time together has ended anyway... enjoy your research, here or whatever.” Flash sat back down, waving a hoof goodbye.
“Come with me.”
“What?”
Trender lowered his voice, “Something is happening here and I'd feel safer with a body guard. Please, come with me.” Through droopy blond hair, a worried eye pleaded with Flash.
“Oh? Alright, should I get the others?” Flash looked outside to the town, attempting to catch glimpses of other inhabitants there.
Trender shook his head as a reply. “I only trust you. Do you think your absence can be excused later?”
“Sure? Maybe? I'll come but you have to let me in on whatever you're researching here.”
“Fair enough. We'll have to keep our lips sealed when speaking to anypony else here... like I said... something shady or illegal is tied here. At the very least, disappearances are tied here.”
“You never mentioned anything illegal... err— disappearances? What do you mean by that?” Flash hopped off the train steps with Trenderhoof, glancing back to make sure the other guards didn't notice his departure.
“Apologies for giving you a heads up now— I just didn't know the best time to disclose such a thing.”
“We had the entire train ride, although to be fair, I never asked about your work until now.” Flash Sentry dusted himself off, silently gasping once he saw his helmet on a table inside of the train.
It began to chug and crawl on the rusty tracks, wheezing out an old cackle from the whistle.
The sky was a mute purple that bled grey with few spills of white puffiness. Mountains stretched North, contrasting against the orange and brown which gripped on to a region of Equestria’s land. Wooden houses in many colours populated the town. A few cherry shops were busy with small lines of customers and a nearby marketplace contained a few ponies which idly stood around too. Some were purchasing cherries, carrying cute little bags to hold them.
With a cobblestone path that lead multiple directions, Flash followed Trenderhoof as the journalist walked towards a light orange stallion who sat on a stagecoach. The stallion smiled at them,slowly turning his head right as the pair approached him.
“Excuse me, sir,” Trenderhoof began, “do you know where the main place is? Where... one named Cherry Jubilee lives?”
The stagecoach stallion opened his mouth, gliding a dry tongue across his lower lip, pressing against the cracks in his maw. “Yes. Yes. Yes. The greenest of eyes, reddest of hair, the leader of us. Head west of here and east of a dark and weak tree. On the greenest of hills you will see.” After saying this, the stallion leaned his head back... smiling openly with visible green teeth. Something moved and squirmed between his blackened gums
“Welp, we have our location... it would be best to just... go? Trender, we're going.” Flash nudged him after saying this, making his way towards the cobblestone road.
“Yeah... I'm coming... I don't think I want to talk to anypony else here.” Trenderhoof matched his pace with Flash, peeling curious eyes away from the stallion behind them.
“Those directions make no sense... wouldn't east of this tree lead us back the way we came?” He questioned, making himself small from all of the onlookers that viewed the two.
“Let's just hope we can see the house from here. I think we overstayed our welcome. I'm coming back here with a crew. I was wrong— you should've flagged your buddies.” Trenderhoof clutched his notebook, squinting at even more ponies looking at them.
Everypony gave a short smile, onlooking the two merrily as they stopped whatever activity they were doing. None of them said hello or anything— it was just a curious greeting from afar. A dozen more appeared from behind buildings, smiling from the shadows and inside store windows. Is this how they treat every newcomer or visitor? The two stallions slowly took in just how many eyes were gazing upon them. It seemed as if everypony studied the two, twitching pupils left and right... scanning higher or lower as if discovering a new specimen. Thirty? No... fifty or twenty? Maybe more... something around that number of ponies smiled quietly as the sun waved lines of moving air in the distance.
“Leave!? After just getting here? I guess I agree. It’s too late now to get back-up, let's just find Cherry Jubilee.” Flash lowered his voice, anxiously watching as the populace turned their heads in place while the two walked. “They're watching us for some reason, Trender.”
“Ignore it. Maybe they don't have anybody visit here as often? But that doesn't explain the ponies who... Ok... I can't deny the discomfort I am feeling right now.”
“The stagecoach dude... have you felt anything off with him? He also smelt so rancid and just— nothing feels right about this place.” Flash quickly turned his head away from staring at another pony as they passed by them, briefly shutting his eyes after the interaction. “They keep staring at us, Trender! And they're... smiling? Let's not smile back, at this point— they'll know we'd be faking it. Hello? Are you even listening?”
Trenderhoof tapped Flash Sentry on the shoulder, “Here's the tree.” Was all he said. The geekily dressed stallion pressed up his glasses, returning his gaze towards elsewhere.
“Is something wrong?” Flash pressed on, putting a hoof to his chin to scratch an invisible beard. “Please, tell me. We both could use some normal pony contact after this... nobody here feels alright.”
“Sentry, I can see the green hills from here if you look a bit over... there. And that rock formation over there is above a cave entrance. I bet a mile or so outwards, there's a ravine or at the very least, a cliff.”
“Have you been listening to a single word I said?” Flash cranked an eyebrow, biting his lip in frustration.
“Asking Cherry some questions and leaving this place has been fogging up my thoughts, honestly. No, I haven't been listening, good sir.”
“I was talking about how everpony is staring at us... this isn't right.” Flash pointed a hoof towards a saloon where a yellow mare with orange hair smiled with an empty aura. Her eye twitched with a mouth that struggled to stay closed. ”Do you see-” he raised his voice but murmured to himself immediately, “something is definitely going on here. Why Cherry Jubilee? I'm assuming she's the mayor or something?”
“Precisely. As a travel writer, I took note of who took charge of what town just in case I revisit them. Cherry used to only be the cherry farmer here, owning the barn... which, we're getting closer to...” The road turned from cobble to dirt, finally changing the scenery to an Earthy green with shades of pink and white. “Eventually, they had to have somebody take charge of the town after it gained attention. And then it grew and stopped growing.”
“Stopped growing? Did one of the deadly plagues hit this town or something?”
“No. This town went dark. Those who visited or tried to gain information about this place disappeared without a trace. Or so they say...” Trenderhoof raised an eyebrow at the huge red house in front of them. “I can't tell her all of this. She'll just laugh and joke about it... or avoid questions.”
A dark shadow emerged over them, painting the bright grass dark. Crows squawked piercingly, taking off right as the stallions made their way towards the fencing of the property. They stepped on a few squishy dirt mounds, sharing a hole inside of their stomachs. It grew and stubbornly stayed right as— were they being watched? It was either a trick of the lighting or a pony crouched and crept away, smiling at the trio. Smiling at the... duo.
Creaking. Dripping. Rustling. Angry winds howling, it was a tomb here. Everything felt lively and normal, greeting Flash Sentry and Trenderhoof like welcomed guests! It all seemed very enticing to those who like the rural feel of flowers and nature. However, something slumbered with its eyes wide open, counting the seconds down until it can assist with pushing up daisies. It wasn't there with them. Tis but the look of happiness that swept across a watchful face behind the curtains, shifting meat and oozing fluid merrily. It smiled too.
The door knob rattled, followed by Cherry Jubilee waving hello to them. “Well, I'll be darned!” She exclaimed, shutting the door behind her. “Welcome to Dodge Junction! My, we haven't had any visitors in a hot minute.”
“Hey, yeah, I'm here to understand why— well— let's talk somewhere a little more private?” Trenderhoof went up to Cherry’s front porch once she nodded in agreement.
“Yes, we should!” She started, stepping back to let him inside, “And what about him?” She rose a hoof in Flash Sentry’s direction. “Is Flash staying outside?” The mare adjusted a silver chain necklace on her with a silver box hooked to it.
Trenderhoof gave Flash a worried look. “Do you want to wait out here?”
“Sure. I'm gonna have a look around town— I'll come back if nopony... sparks any conversation?” Flash scratched his neck, giving a sheepish smile.
“Well, that'd be just dandy. I'll bake you some nice cherry fritters, Trender.” Cherry Jubilee spoke up, facing away from the two, helping Trenderhoof inside.
Flash began to slowly walk away from them, giving a questioning look. “How'd she know our names?” He said to himself, shifting his gaze to a rustling bush within the cherry tree forest.
Pink from as far as the eye can see scorched the area across every which way. It was an abrupt wall of nature, contrasting against a vast desolate desert in the distance. White and pink petals twirled and twisted with the wind, brushing past Flash. Then he heard it, a stallion's loud laugh coming from the woods. It sounded forced... as if someone or something was either tickling him so hard or he told himself a terrible joke.
“Hello!?” Flash called out, running in what he thought was the direction of the laughter.
It continued after some silence, causing Flash to perk up his right ear. The Crystal Guard galloped and dodged trees in front of him, drilling a pain from his stomach. Eventually he walked, rubbing the affected area under the golden armour.
”Hello!?” He cried out with a quickened breath just as the laughter came to a close. It was silent. And that silence prompted Flash to stop in his tracks. “Anyone there?”
More rustling was heard, followed by sounds of chewing and tearing. It sounded like eating and crunching. Something was sloppily enjoying a meal. Flash cautiously made his way to the sound of the eating, moving through puddles of... some liquid or other, retching once a hot smell of dampness met his nose, provoking a scrunch. He gagged at the immediate sight of bloody clothes and fat flies, buzzing madly away from each hoofstep. Plants were a dark brown, some had tints of red on them, decaying rapidly. Such is death.
Nothing was getting prettier as Flash noticed the red bark on thicker trees which appear to be oak or some sort. They had smears of red streaks and scratches. The stallion trekked on, making the mistake of looking down. He nearly screamed at the sight of small animal bones, scattered through the brush. Not only that... but he was walking through dark red blood, fading into a messy brown with blackness.
He gulped, repressing a cough from Celestia-knows-what source of fumes entered his throat. Flash’s eyes teared up, tainting a pink colour. He soon covered his muzzle with a hoof as the stench built even fatter flies in the area, darting in every direction like scribbles on a sketch.
“h-H-hi! Come’ere!” A scratchy voice whispered with a boom. A thud was after this request with a sound of something fluttering it's wings.
Flash felt his insides twist. A voice in his head told him to run as his vision blurred the second he got a glimpse of who asked him for their company.
A mangy light grey pony chewed on the arm of a stallion who silently smiled and giggled, staring dead in the eyes at Flash. The grey pony wasn't focused on Flash, instead, she proceeded to eat.
“A-a-are YoU one of dem?” She asked, only moving her bright sunset eyes for a split second at Flash.
He was frozen. Flash looked at the metal collar around her neck, then at the two chains which wrapped tightly around trees behind him. Flash was about to bolt but his mind hammered his legs to the blood soaked ground.
“N-no mINd me, dear. Only feeds on da turned. The turned!” She threw down the arm, sniffing the air as her eyes met with his. “Me is naMeD Twitchy! Tell ME yours?” She used a wing to adjust her black hair. Her hair was dyed with red. And the wing... her wing was pointed and curved like a bat’s. In fact, she had two prominently pointed fangs that bit her lower lip.
“Guhh— uhh— Flash Sentry. I- I- my name is Flash.” Beads of sweat dribbled off of the side of his face. His blood was cold.
The pony used a small bone to clean one of her fangs, using the skull of a rat to clean the other. She titled her head at him soon after. “y-YOUS-s smell scared. Me doesn't mean to make shivers. H-hi Flash.”
“Celestia watch over me... What are you!? I mean— I- I haven't seen any pony or something like... whatever you are!” His heart raced faster.
“m-Me, Twitchy! Hi!” She got up, limping her way over to Flash. “Will mama feeds me now?”
“Mama? What... who's your mom?”
“b-Blood mane, a sILLy speaks style. She feeds me those who tURNed!” Twitchy pawed at the ground, giving Flash a fillyish look. “y-yOU not one of dem?” She asked, unpredictably blinking. Eyes widened with each quick shut. She took a step towards Flash, soon, a frantic hoof struggled to place anywhere on the ground as her arm waved like caged bird who slowly froze to death. The pony heaved breaths of used air, tea kettling as her eyes rolled back in pain. Moments later, her wings sprawled and desperately fanned as she used her hooves to press up the collar.
Flash looked up at the chains, held in mid air by a dark red magic. He traced the chains behind him and high up on the two trees. It was as if a unicorn pulled back the restraints to purposely harmed the pony creature. She wheezed and panted breaths, retching her tongue away as it dried inside of a mouth that poured out foamed saliva. It stopped almost as soon as it happened, dropping the pony harshly as the red mist above disappeared. Flash was now able to part his lips. He stared longingly at the pony laying on her side below him who drooled and coughed more saliva. He eased himself once the pony creature moved her bright orange pupils to the treeline, seemingly viewing the pink and orange clouds.
The stallion could only watch, mustering up the strength needed to regain control of his thoughts. Those thoughts, turned into concerned words. "A-are you... I- who... who could've done this? Twitchy? TWITCHY!?"
"m-Me is s-sorry mama. o-Ouchie.... ouchie..." She continued lying on the ground, taking in the grime and vile contents. Alas, her mouth was dried, but her eyes weren't. It lasted only but a second. Crying. Yet, her fur was stained with a darker grey down across her cheeks. "f-Flash?" The pony tried to smile. "Hi!"
"I'm getting you out of this." He spat, getting in close to examine her metal collar. There was a keyhole. It looked unpickable, having a strange cryptic design for the key to be inserted in.
"s-StOP!" She fought out a breath from weakened lungs. "You go aND... escape. Not tURned yet. Mama anGRY AT THAT!"
"No. This isn't right— you're a prisoner! I can't let them do this to you, Twitchy. I can help you and then leave with my friend, Trend... oh... no." He got up, turning around towards the way he came. "Oh... oh geez."
“Is friEND in reD cave? Mwuahh ah ha ha, save dem from mama.” Twitchy was on her hooves, she drew shaky breaths and peeled her gaze upwards, showing her red veins with heavy eyelids. “m-Might be! Might be another whO tURNED!”
Flash Sentry was hit with another empty mind once that was brought up again. “Turned? What do you mean by that? Is that the reason ponies are smiling? Please, tell me.”
Twitchy opened her mouth, allowing her fangs to reflect the drowning sun. With silently chopped breaths, labored and cold, the pony creature dragged herself to a stallion who was propped up against a nearby tree. Was he always there? Who's to say. Whose corpse is that? Who's to say. Twitchy chomped down on the dead pony, causing Flash to shut his eyes and look away. Once the noises of such a thing subsided, he glanced and focused his attention back on to the corpse. There was nothing to do other than gasp and say a prayer.
“Me, feASTS on these! Cherries! Meat sTILL thERE. b-BONES still there. Blood TOO! They not INSide, me knOWS that... it gets dem. It gETS dem and dey FEEL! e-EVERTHING! s-Save yOUR friEND, Flash.” Twitchy bit down on the corpse some more, covering most of it with her body and hooves to Flash’s relief.
He shifted his eyes away, wincing at the sound of eating that continued behind him. Twitchy's meal laughed until the laughter turned in a cough. The look on his face was as if he begged to be slowly eaten as small cherries sprouted and fell out of his inner bodily cavities, melting on the red stained ground with smoke and hisses. What used to be his blood formed into bubbles. These bubbles formed into cherries, casually bubbling up and melting off more tiny balls that shaped to mold more cherries. They melted, painting small puddles blood red. Some delayed the inevitable, inflating a few other cherries to start the process all over again. Flash didn't stay to say goodbye to Twitchy, he kicked up dirt and small rocks, reentering the cherry tree forest.
Gone was the hot temperature and dry air, now everything felt dreary. Skies were grey, muting whatever surrounded him. It was etiolated filth that pretended to be trees. Lurid and lifeless, the leaves stared at Flash. So did the shadows. And so did the dark silhouetted faces behind him.
His heart ticked quick, tightening as if it was about to give out. Flash squeezed his eyes shut, running dead ahead, barely dodging trees that dormantly rested. One sturdy tan rock was all it took too knock his front legs back and flip the stallion over head first.
There was no time to access injuries. That was made clear from the way he bolted immediately after falling. Soon, the dark red house peeked from above the hill, bringing sunlight with it.
Painful breaths, stabbing grooves and loose wads of fleshy organs which glued onto melting innards. It bit him from the red abyss inside a cage, humming along a tune that only whimpers of exhaustion can adore. Steps from stone legs carried Flash towards the front porch. An arm lifted to knock on the door but bones popped, aching a weakened body even more. Thuds banged consecutively on the old creaking door. Less and less eyes were on him. That doesn't mean they've forgotten his scent.
“Why, come inside! I reckon the town got boring after meeting most of the town folk, you outgoing charmer!” Cherry Jubilee smiled, opening the door for him.
Something told him to leave. He didn't meet with her eyes, only giving a nod. The interior of the house looked like a regular countryside home. It was painted a dark white, leaving lines of paint slashes and dried wetness. Something about this dark brown carpet didn't feel right to Flash Sentry. Perhaps it was the even darker brown splatters across it? Or maybe it was the smell. A aroma similar to the one inside of the deep woods.
Then, the smaller details appeared. Two drinks were on top of the rustic coffee table but one was empty. Trenderhoof’s vest had been folded neatly on a couch cushion. The strangest detail of all was the lack of windows. There's a few small ones but probably for ventilation purposes. Actually, there was one window, Flash noticed it was upstairs but besides that, no natural lighting would be able to visit inside.
A stairway was there, of course, he had his eyes admire the candles that burned up each step underneath the railing.
“Hey.” He finally said, alluding to Trenderhoof’s vest.
“Hmm?” Was Cherry Jubilee’s reply as she straightened portraits of herself and landscape paintings. A small box around her neck refracted multicoloured light, getting Flash’s attention for a moment.
“Where did he go?”
“Into town not long after you left. Came looking for you, he did.” She smiled warmly which then sharpened after Flash started to head towards the door. “Ooh, before you leave, do you want a glass of water, dear?”
“No thanks... I... I already had a glass. Somebody offered it to me just before I got back here.” Flash Sentry heard something faint from the mare behind the closed door.
“That's not right.”
Blinding orange and yellow hit his face, squinting from a ruthless sun. Heat came and went, being replaced by the familiar molding vile of life again. Earlier he passed by mounds of dirt and mud. Flash scared off a coyote who attempted to dig on top of a mound. He watched it run into the pink cherry tree area until it disappeared.
In the close but distant town, he saw that ponies were walking around. ”Odd,” he thought curiously. ”And here I began to think we were some sort of celebrities.” Flash’s eyes widened, “Trender. My memory was blanking there for sec.”
Downhill felt way less cumbersome than walking uphill. Although, it was still a pretty steep walk at that. Flash Sentry didn't want to run in fear he'd roll over and break something like a tailbone. If that were to happen, another thing would be downhill.
The townsfolk didn't stare at Flash, they minded their own business and some even talked to each other. This did not take away any unsettling feeling he had. In fact, the sudden change in tone added to his concern.
“Carrot dogs! Get your carrot dogs! Two for three bits!” A carrot dog vendor yelled out to any potential customers
”No, what's the catch.” Flash’s mind was getting tired and bored.
“Cherry breaded carrot dogs HEREEE!” The carrot dog vendor called out as he waved over some random ponies.
“There it is.” He sighed, sticking to the side of a building on the sidewalk. Due to the floor capturing the film in his eyes, Flash awkwardly stopped to let two ponies pass by him.
“Excuse me.” One said, giving him an annoyed side glance.
“Don't mind her! We just blown all of our money here at the gift store. Cool armor, dude!” The other called out to Flash, rounding a building’s corner.
”And now nobody is staring at me or smiling? Both. They were definitely staring and smiling. I don't like this.” He thought to himself, glancing at the townsponies going through the motions of life.
It wasn't long before an oddity came into view. A pony calmly walked, dripping what seemed to be blood from their nose and ears. They closed their eyes and smirked, clicking worn down hooves against cobblestone. It evaporated seconds after dripping and leaving a trail.
Torrential on a micro level that Flash gawked at in a disgusted awe, thudding with no purpose, this redness rained. Now that it was being focused on, it reigned. The Earth pony looked back at Flash with milky white eyes, treading forth and onwards. That feeling of unease and discomfort buzzed inside of his intestines, forming up and around a dried throat. Thirst. Flash was dehydrated, thinking back at his filled cup of water that was left on the train. The... train.
How else would he be able to leave this place? Any hope of running or traveling anywhere else is little to none. The stallion doesn't know a single thing about surviving out in the wilderness. Speaking of wilderness, all the buildings around him were empty. It looked that way. Maybe it was that way. A few stores were visibly filled and customers visited. But it appeared as if no houses existed in Dodge Junction. A motel had worn neon lights, controlling multiple explosions of colour across each and every word. Nopony cared to visit. He watched closely from down the street, waiting for a client. The only clientele was ghosts of those who enjoyed their stay.
Twas a visage of something that was no more. What used to be drifted in time, and Flash finally started to get a sense of what was going on around these parts. He just didn't know what.
A creaking door quickly opened and closed, grabbing the orange stallion and shoving him inside the building he was standing next to. A single window had wooden planks nailed on it, obscuring the outside but inviting tiny needles and dots of lights.
Shadows and snippets of ponies crept outside, appearing as dark grey figures— maybe that's just the lighting. They all passed by but what was with the influx of them on this street all of a sudden? Maybe it was a trick of perspective that soon waned on Flash once he moved his eyes up to a disgruntled stallion who leaned an ear up against the door.
“What are you— hey are you alright, dude? I haven't seen you in a hot minute.” Flash took a few steps closer, being careful as to not step on the broken glass and tacks of nails resting below him.
In the darkness, the stallion spoke. “Flash, I'd advise you to stay back. I— oh... I think I'm... turning. Something is seriously wrong with this town. You must leave!” He hushed his scream placing a hoof over a muzzle which started to drip red liquid.
“Trender, you're bleeding! But... that's not blood, is it?” A concern look and an eye watching the sizzling red fed a weight inside his growing illness. An outsider would've thought he were dead.
“DON'T!” He raced his eyes around the room, ducking his head. “Do not come any closer. I don't want to infect you. You don't want to turn.” Quietly, the stallion backed away from the door, still keeping some distance between them. “Now, my teeth,” he revealed his teeth that were half sharp and half bloody— if that was even blood, “they're falling out. Getting whitened. Seeing red.” He came into the light, staring milky eyes into Flash’s soul.
“H-how? I mean— why? I don't want to know what the Tartarus is going on here!” Flash backed up into a wall, hitting his flank against a sharp object. A sickle.
“But you must know.” He coughed and gagged, “You must know. After you left I felt thirsty and that— the queen— no... I meant to say the mayor... Cherry Jubilee gave me water.”
“Water? Is there something in the water that turns you into this... or...” Flash trailed off, hoping to be wrong.
“Everything. It's how it got to me. I—” He coughed some more, spitting out the red liquid. “I felt heat inside me like no other. Like volcanic flames from the dragon lands. Then I started to turn. You must...” The stallion looked over at the window. Its light was being obscured by whatever waited outside. “Leave. You have to leave!”
Flash felt his stomach grumble, turning away from the one who spoke to him. “And if I... if I don't? Ponies must know about this awful place. It's cursed or something. Gotta be.”
“Once you start hearing them... once the cherries start whispering and you feel a... you feel a fiery pit inside that takes away your will to leave... that's when staying is the only option. Go. I don't know how but... please, go!”
He shook his head. “Do you know what's in the forest?”
“It definitely isn't a way out of here. You'll starve before finding somewhere safe. Stay away from cities and everybody.”
“Trender, I found somethi— somepony unaffected by any of this.” Flash started to notice the lack of light, squinting at the stallion in front of him. “We spoke— sort of.”
“They'll turn too. Plants and animals taste like cherries. Water and food... tastes like cherries. Oh, but you don't. You lucky— you lucky little ducky.”
“I don't? How do you... how can you tell? I am so confused right now.”
“We look at something and the taste of cherries... it swells and melts inside. Whatever doesn't, we smile or laugh or both.” The stallion almost laughed, returning a hoof to his mouth. A tooth fell on the floor, causing more of that red stuff to appear.
“Well, the pony I met... she seems normal... well— normal in a scavenger sense? A type of pony creature that eats other ponies but not... she only eats the turned.” Flash was taken aback by the suddenness of a hunched over stallion springing towards him.
“The bat! Oh, ah, ha, ha, it'll be killed and a new one will be there. I saw the upstairs! Whole skull mounts and framed wings.” He coughed ferociously, this time, the red liquid was thicker and the smell of cherries dispersed. “She chooses her favorite guest, waits for them to turn, then performs a ritual. A ritual over their body’s husk to revive them. That's how... that is how one of the reporters before me ended up. Found out but it was too late... I— I'm a goner.”
“There's really nothing I can do to help you? We can wait for the... the train isn't coming back. I wonder if the other guards are ok.” Flash sat down, dusting off the ground with his tail. “I'm going to at least try to save her from getting... a premature exit. Oh, if you've seen the things I saw...”
“What? The bat? I'm surprised you even talked to her without losing your face! Oh, ah, ah, ah, help her! Escape! Flash... it's getting worse... there- there's two of me inside of me...” His face looked gaunt and tired, worsening his white eyes. Redness dripped and hissed just as an abundance of it came like a gushing fountain, sweetly smelling like a wonderfully baked dessert. “g-guh, b-buh.”
One last shadow covered the only source of light inside, thankfully hiding the sizzling mess that had become. It sounded like pittering rain drops, gently skipping across a lake. After a crashing noise, something behind him thrashed. It convulsed into what can only be described as... shifting meat. Flash Sentry felt and prodded on walls for another exit. Whatever was happening in the darkness got more intense by the second.
Wet puddles slithered towards Flash, making him jump away. He bumped into the same object from earlier, grabbing it just in time before it fell. Flash ran dead ahead, spotting a small line of light that shone from beneath what could've only been a door. Without much thought, he ran up to it and gave it one hefty shoulder bash.
It refused to open!
He felt for anything around the wall. A knob. A doorknob, in fact. So it was a door? But why didn't it open? Wooden planks were boarded up, nailed down tightly to the outline of the door. He wound up his arm, striking the boards with the sickle. A few swipes and still no luck. Boisterous laughter echoed inside of the building, carrying the wet scraping noise of something crawling on the cement floor.
Whatever lurked behind him, stretched out multiple limbs! Each, jabbing the ground with shots of sharpened insect-like legs into the ground. It made a guttural clicking noise, shaking something inside of it like a rattlesnake’s tail. Flash tried to swipe the sickle again, hoping it would grab ahold of a board. It kept on sliding off of it.
It began to stand and hobble over to the stallion. What sounded like its mouth snorted, sucking in air. Flash felt the warm breath of it reach the fur of his neck, causing each strand of fur to stand stiff. Was the creature chuckling? It doesn't matter, Flash Sentry finally found a strong grip on one of the boards. With a pull, it came loose. Flash had thrown it behind him, aiming at whatever welded together to make a creature. Only the noise of wood snapping was heard.
Silence. A voice... a whisper... told him it was still coming.
He swung down at the second board, feeling an immense sense of luck this time as a grip was quickly felt. As he tugged and pulled, nails dropped like specs of loud glass. Suddenly, he bucked the door wide open, embracing a flashing glimmer from light violet and orange rays. The stallion looked back to see Trenderhoof smiling, slowly waving to him as the door shut shortly after.
A breath. Another. His breathing caused smoke of chill vapor to leave a drying mouth.
“Hey, mista’, you're bleeding quite bad on your leg there! Want a bandage? The gauze has this amazing cherry aloe on it! Should patch you right up— no charge!” The vendor was a small colt with freckles. He made Flash... scared. Being light orange with light blue hair caused the stallion to choke on a breath. And then he noticed the colt’s scarf.
“No... no thanks, but this should do just nicely.” Flash gently yoinked the scarf from around the foal’s neck, wrapping it around his bleeding leg. ”Please don't start to disappear— oh, please don't! Not now!” The trail of blood wasn't going away. It turned dark brown and black but that was all. He sighed in relief.
From behind the building, his destination was in sight. Flash scowled at her palace, sitting on top of the hill, looking down at everypony. He grabbed, the sickle on the floor, lazily carrying it on his back with a gripped hoof. A stroll across town was in tow.
Ambled and hastily, he took it in stride, grunting from the throbbing pain from a squeezing scarf. Flash closed his eyes, imagining the astonishing streets of The Crystal Empire. How he longed to relax in those jacuzzis with sparkly water and perfect temperatures. He was thinking about home. Serving his Princess obediently while befriending guards just like him. Going back there was all he wanted but glimpses of a helpless creature being choked by chains, gasping for air broke this safe reality in his head.
Ponies stared at him, smiling. They were closer this time. Some even offered hoof bumps and free hugs, welcoming the Crystal Guard with open arms— literally. He smirked, nodding at those who made eye contact. It was as if the entire town stopped what they were doing to watch Flash. Counting them all would take forever so it would be safe to assume the entire town was watching him!
An uphill climb proved difficult but doable. His legs felt like jelly. It helped to think of anything but this being a confrontation. Flash Sentry forced that feeling of restlessness out by thinking back to a time he felt happy. Ah, yes, the jacuzzi. Unfortunately, dread revived itself as soon as he saw Cherry Jubilee, leaning against her porch’s railing. She smiled expectedly.
“Howdy, Flash! Ya’ look like a pigsty! Enjoying your stay?” An excited glare ignited in her eyes, grinning wider the closer he got.
”Cherry Jubilee!” He screamed, slamming the sickle down and off of him. ”I— I got questions!”
“Yes?” She asked, giving off a more intensely gleeful expression.
“How was your day? Must be hard... watching over this town and all.” Flash took a few steps closer, looking at the above window. He circled dirt with a hoof, awaiting a response.
It took a moment, but Cherry Jubilee eventually settled on an appropriate demeanor. “It was eventful! Spending my time watching the animals outside play and act cute... it's... nature!”
Like a concentrated cat, Flash took note of the window, the distance between where he was standing, the height between where the roof and ground is, and most importantly; the loose roof tiles which briefly leaked the red liquid. Drip... drip... drip. Drip. Drip.
Her emerald eyes pierced through his soul, they were daggers dripped in a cold venom. Twisted icicles jabbed his brain like an unrelenting perma-frost, causing a chill run down an already chilled spine. Pink and violet skies with bumpy clouds lit the dark red house in a purple hue.
“Would you like to come inside?” She asked, offering a helping hoof to assist him walking indoors. “Call me a featherless cuckoo bird to say it's chilly out. Don't you agree?”
“Sure! Thanks for the invitation.” Flash watched as she flicked on the light switch, warming the room up with lamps that all consecutively lit in a single wave of brightness. “I mean— I been here before but it feels nice to be welcomed twice!”
“Can you leave that... tool inside? Might cut the furniture.” Cherry comments, heading inside of the house.
Before Flash complied, he hooked a wooden bend on the roof, being careful as not to drop one of the roof tiles. He placed the sickle upright, balancing against the railing.
Fire caught his attention. Tiny, baby, teensy fire from the candles on wooden steps that led upstairs. His expression graved once the vest belonging to Trenderhoof lay neatly folded on top of the coffee table. Flash shifted his head towards a jug of vegetable oil near the steps. It was going to be heavy but maybe he can flip it over and onto its side. On the kitchen bar counter, a sugar bag slumped over.
”This is the first time I ever formulated a plan... not bad, me.” He thought to himself, sitting down and on the couch. ”I'm making this up as it goes... again, not bad.”
“You must be thirsty, can I offer you a glass of water?” Cherry Jubilee leaned over the couch, smiling.
“Can I make myself some lemonade if you have any lemons?” Flash got up, rubbing a sore throat.
“Oh, sure. Pfft, forgot stallions always want to do things themselves. It's in the bottom area in the cold box!”
”The fridge.” He found a bunch of lemons inside where she said they'd be. After grabbing one, flash poured himself some water.
When she wasn't looking, he threw a cloth towel on the floor, then peeled open the bottom of the sugar bag. It poured quietly, creating white smoke which poured across the kitchen floor. Next, the vegetable oil.
“Actually, I've changed my mind, the thirst— I— I guess it just came and went?” Flash placed the lemon and cup on the counter.
“Don't you mind with that, I'll go put them away right now! You best make yourself comfortable.” Cherry Jubilee passed him right as Flash stepped towards the stairs.
He overheard her give an annoyed snort at the sugar pool. His heart was pounding quicker, jumping inside of him as the heavy jar of vegetable oil made a loud banging racket after tipping it over. It glugged, pushing out a light yellow substance. He grabbed Trender’s vest and wrapped it around the stairway rail. Black smoke appeared from this. He steadily rushed upstairs once Cherry Jubilee crept her way closer to him. With heavy hoofsteps, her weight shifted, taking turns on what side of her body leaned more from gravity. Her smile was short and perfect, almost as she wanted this.
“Do you want me to make the lemonade? Where are you going? You're a guest!” She laughed trailing Flash. The locked door between them did not make him feel any safer.
Nor did the room. Trenderhoof’s description was spot on. Except— it looked a lot worse now that he was seeing the viscera in front of him, breathing in rotten smells from multiple sources around him. Even though the room was cluttered and difficult to walk through without stepping on something resting or dead... the window was a straight shot in front of him.
“S-stay back, you witch! I know about the missing ponies who disappeared here! And your rituals... and your method of making anyone join your cult against their will! If I can figure all of this out in one afternoon... so can the next unlucky souls after me.” He covered his muzzle, fruitlessly attempting to block and stench from inside the room.
”Ha! Y-you ponies are so... ha, ha, ha!” She opened the locked door using the doorknob as if it was never locked. “That's your conclusion? Oh, you poor naive— ha, ha! No. It doesn't matter anyway, I'm glad to have a cute little guy like you join us.” She grinned ear to ear. Her tongue grew longer, presenting a small cherry to Flash. ”Take it. My gift, to you! To make it go faster!” Her voice etched itself through red eye slits, morphing flesh against fur, still maintaining a smile.
“I— Wh-what are...” He couldn't understand what he was looking at. Flash blinked away but returned to share a stare with Cherry Jubilee. But suddenly, the fire began to spread.
The pony in front of him screeched once it caught sight of the flames quickly spreading on her. It was too late for her to run. Flash grabbed Cherry Jubilee by the forelegs, biting off the chain box necklace. A vision of blackness shot him, having Flash regain consciousness just as Cherry Jubilee started to rise. She was burnt, peeling off flesh that boiled from every direction on her. Tiny cherries poured out of her, creating that hissing red liquid. Whatever remained of Cherry Jubilee was a creature that stitched itself together like melted wax. It never once lost that grin, sharpening two rows of white jagged knives at Flash.
”You are really proving yourself to be a valued member of my family! Love to see it! This is the most fun I ever had!”
“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! You killed my friend!” Flash yelled, seeing red. It was whispering to him.
”Dear, I would do no such thing. You need a buddy so you can learn the ropes of this new life together, don't you agree?”
“—Never asked for this! We've never asked for this! Once Celestia, Luna, Discord— my bucking Princess find your town. It's over!” He punched the pillar that held up the porch’s roof.
”That's very kind of you to remind me of such strong, magical creatures. I found them first. Something else gave me the heads up before you.” She gave a little chuckle, mending back damaged fur.
“No.” A tear rolled off of his cheek. “This is a heads up.” Flash smiled to himself, feeling one last ounce of hope left. He had waited for Cherry Jubilee to move inside of the circle he had drawn earlier. “Heads up!” He punched the pillar again, giving a falling tile one strong kick in her direction.
She dodged it, laughing wickedly with her eyes closed. ”Ha! Ha! That was a close one but—HURKK-ackhh-” He pulled the sickle out of her, hearing many sizzling noises. “W-wha... ‘ah... where... am...” Cherry Jubilee was still.
Dark grey figures were staring from afar. Their eyes, a burning dark red that shone with reflective lighting. Flash approached the burning building, spotting a buried piece of silver underneath warm dirt. Scooping it out, a weight was lifted now that he had the key. Magenta light leveled itself inside the forest, rising up like steps until darkness remained past cherry trees and plant life.
He looked up at crows who had beady red eyes, turning their heads in Flash’s direction. The coyote from earlier was shambling back towards the house, dripping with hissing red liquid. Cherries. It smelled like cherries and so did one of the dirt mounds, oozing with said red liquid as the coyote bit into it. Flash ran. He galloped until splintered legs jabbed and ached, tightening skin until it reached his fetlocks. Pulsing pain came in droves that irritated his leg hocks. Flash was about to stop running but made it to where Twitchy was being kept.
Teeth gripped onto the key, giving a feeling of numbness. It felt like something squirmed and wiggled inside of his gums, stinging any base of a tooth in the process. He started to gag, unable to remain breathing from solely just his nose. The air was thick, fogging up cognition and train of thought. In the centre of a decaying mind, Flash only wanted to save them.
There, hanging upside down on a tree branch, so high and up above... she slept. The collar around her neck bore downwards as it caused struggling breaths of air. A muzzle crinkled, pushed back, and opened hungry bright orange eyes. Flash watched in awe as an angelic creature opened its wings to glide after twisting upright in a corkscrew. She was an arrow that shot through air made out of butter. Twitchy flown directly to Flash, snapping fangs and sharp teeth at him. The stallion stood determined, maintaining fixed eye contact. Steel chains bolted backwards, causing her to halt. He smiled.
He spat out the key, onto a hoof, “I'm here to save you, Twitchy.”
“No! y-YOu aRE ONE! t-t-tURNED!” She screamed, hopping back and quickly scampering against a tree. “f-Flash! Me... me cANT CONTROL— hunGER!”
“Oh, I don't give a flying feather if you end up eating me... you need to get out of here and fly away! You're a prisoner... it's no way to live.” Flash walked up to Twitchy as she punched her jaw and slammed her head against the tree, wrestling with something that wanted to feast.
Twitchy pinned herself against the tree, looking up at Flash. She choked on saliva, retching with muscle spasms from a throat that wanted the taste of cherries. He grabbed her collar, locating the uniquely shaped keyhole. Without any hesitation, the key was plunged inside. Once the collar sunk into the muddy ground, Twitchy rubbed her neck. Eyebrows from the bat pony turned upwards, admiring the vast purple ocean of clouds above them.
Flash slowly backed away, wincing at thoughts of foreboding danger. He looked up after a few moments of croaked breaths. The bat pony retracted a hoof, then lunged at him.
She hugged the crystal guard in her own way, placing one hoof on his chest and one around his neck. A whimpered cry was let out, refusing to let go of him.
“Me... I... thanks, f-Flash.” Twitchy stumbled backwards, the mare nearly tripped over her wings. The bat pony turned away not a second later, racing up a tree and shooting herself outwards and into the sky.
The tired stallion didn't watch her departure, instead, he took off the makeshift, bandage. It smelled like cherries. “Cherry scented scarf... ain't that something.” He said to himself, closing his eyes. The sound of hissing red liquid whispered.
“Flash? Is that you?” Trenderhoof appeared from the dark shade of green that coated the forest. “I was looking all over! So much for being my body guard— that was in fact a B minus effort.”
“Hm? Yeah? I was always more of a door watcher.” Flash chuckled, coughing into a laugh.
“Door watcher? You strike up any interesting conversations about the best looking hooves to ever twist their knobs?” Trender smiled.
“All the time, dude.” He smiled back, sharing a laugh with Trender. Flash began to cough some more, clearing up congestion due to the red liquid. “Do you have... do you have any wa—”
“Water? Of course! I got a bottle right here for you. Want to play some cards later?” Trender gave Flash a bottle of water to which the crystal guard pony gladly took.
“Sure thing, at least one of us would win this time. Thanks for the water, I'm so parched.” Flash twisted the bottle cap, staring longingly into the water. He licked his dehydrated lips, drinking it.
Author's Note
I'm 4 days late. This was meant for Halloween but life happened and I got too overwhelmed with responsibility to write. This is my entry for the SPOOK! Contest. Happy Halloween! (it's not Halloween anymore but pretend this was published on time)
