Fluttershy's Love

Story: Fluttershy's Love

Chapter 1: Breaking Point

Author: Zachedwrad94
Co-Author: DropDeadThenDance
Word Count: 5,314

WARNING: Torture, Gore, Dismemberment, Sexual Themes, Cannibalism, and Rape

It was a fine day in Ponyville. All the little ponies were tending to their daily duties, and the Pegasi were preparing the sky for a huge storm that was scheduled later that day… Well, all except Fluttershy who was off in the park, taking care of all the wood land creatures who relied on her. She was thinking of the glorious time she would have with Big Mac later that evening.

Fluttershy was so happy she could hardly contain herself, her thoughts bubbling with her joy and raw excitement. She never imagined that Big Mac would ever notice her, let alone have feelings for her, but he came to Fluttershy just the day before and asked her to go to the Hearts and Hooves Day Ball with him. Her heart nearly burst just thinking of the Ball, her mind drifting back to Big Mac asking her, and how the only thing she could say was a small, embarrassed squeak of a yes.

After a long day’s work, Fluttershy had finished securing the last bird’s nest. All the tiny critters living in the park would now be safe from the storm, and Fluttershy could go home and start preparing for the ball, but as she began prancing along the cobblestone path she paused. She spotted Big Mac up ahead and quickly dived into a nearby bush. She questioned herself for a moment, wondering why she was avoiding him. Her thoughts ran short as she watched him from the confines of the bush, her mind drifting over the glimmer of his red coat, and she couldn’t help but observe the stallion as he trotted through the park.

She regained her confidence as he passed by her, not noticing her hiding in the brush, but she stopped herself again when she noticed Big Mac walking towards another pony. Cheerilee smiled at Big Mac, her purple coat glittering in the sunlight, and Fluttershy felt an odd, boiling feeling in her heart. She watched, feeling helpless, as Big Mac and Cheerilee walked to a clearing in the park and sat down together on a lovely little blanket. Cheerilee produced a basket and the two began talking as the purple pony set up a picnic lunch.

Despite her best efforts, Fluttershy couldn’t make out a single word the two were exchanging, which worried her some as she watched their friendly teasing. ‘What could he possibly doing with Cheerilee?’ Fluttershy questioned herself silently as she creeped behind a tree in hopes of getting a better look. She watched as Big Mac would offer a brief word, earning a giggle or smile from Cheerilee, and then continue talking to the purple pony. It bothered Fluttershy that he spoke so much to Cheerilee, where as he barely offered her a word, but as the afternoon wore on she began to think her suspicion was misplaced.

After watching the pair for more than an hour Fluttershy let a small, relieved sigh escape her lips. ‘They’re just having a friendly lunch together, she decided, a small, bashful smile dancing across her lips. She was about to turn away and head home, her mind retreating to thoughts of the wonderful evening her and Big Mac would have together, but then suddenly Big Mac leaned over and kissed Cheerilee.

Her heart stopped for a moment, her eyes widening in shock, as Big Mac and Cheerilee began to kiss each other more deeply. Her mind dangled on the edge for a moment as the scene unfolded before her eyes, and she wondered why Big Mac would do such a thing to her. After all, hadn’t he asked her to the Hearts and Hooves day Ball? She felt tears well up in her pretty blue eyes as she rushed from the scene, her wings picking her up from the ground, and she flew towards home as quickly as her wings would carry her.

Her hooves landed delicately on her front lawn and she ran to the front door, tears sliding down her cheeks as she pushed open the cottage door, and slammed it harshly behind her. She carried herself slowly to her room, small sobs escaping her lips as she stepped through the doorframe. She closed the curtains, blocking out the sun, and crawled under the covers without another sound.

Several days went by and no one had heard from Fluttershy, and everyone had expected to see her at the Hearts and Hooves Day Ball. In her absence, the animals around Ponyville had started to encroach with grumbling bellies. They were so accustomed to Fluttershy’s tender, loving care that they could barely function without her, so with her locked up at home, they were stealing food from the residents of Ponyville. Everypony started to complain about the critters making a mess in town, and eventually Twilight Sparkle just couldn’t handle the ranting and raving anymore.

She marched herself down to Fluttershy’s cottage, intent on finding out what was wrong with her friend. She wonder if Fluttershy had maybe come down with a cold, which would explain her absence, but even a cold wouldn’t stop the kind pony from helping the woodland creatures from finding their supper. It was so unlike her to abandon little animals in need so, naturally, Twilight began to worry more and more as she wondered what was going on.

When she at last arrived at fluttershy’s home she first tested the door, assuming it would be unlocked, but was surprised when the door didn’t budge. She glanced around the property briefly, surprised that she didn’t see a single bunny, bird, or chipmunk. Her concern growing, Twilight rapped her hoof against the door a few times, waited, but received no answer. She tried again, a bit more urgently, and called out to her friend. “Fluttershy?” she called. “Are you here?” her voice carried into the house softly, causing life to stir inside the dark house. “Everypony is really worried about you, and the animals are starting to cause trouble,” Twilight said through the door, hoping fluttershy would hear her.

“Come on, Fluttershy. Please tell me what’s wrong,” she said as she waited for the door to open.

The lock clicked softly and then slid open slowly, allowing Fluttershy to peek out. Her eyes were red and puffy, her face dirty and matted from crying, and she had a few small smudges around her eyes from rubbing away the tears. Fluttershy’s expression portrayed a pony who had cried so much that she could no longer cry, but small, sad whimpers still escaped her lips as she stared at Twilight. “What’s wrong Flutterfly?” Twilight asked with as it of shock, having never seen her friend in such a state of depression.

Fluttershy blinked a few tears free and then shook her head, retreating into the house as more sobs began to escape her. She sat down on the couch, her house almost completely dark with all the curtains drawn. “Big Mac doesn’t like me anymore!” she cried into a pillow on the arm of the sofa, her voice muffled and pathetic.

“Is that what this has all been about?” Twilight asked a bit harshly, a confused look crossing her face for a moment.

Fluttershy looked up, a look so pathetic on her face that Twilight cringed, feeling a bit guilty. The creamy colored pony wiped at her eyes uselessly as she inhaled a shaky breath. “Yes… And he hasn’t even told me he doesn’t care anymore,” she whimpered. “Oh Twilight, I don’t think he ever really cared about me!” she sobbed and then buried her face in the pillow again.

Twilight gently nudged Fluttershy with her nose, feeling sorry for her dear friend. “It’ll be alright, Fluttershy,” she offered gently. “Why do you think he doesn’t like you anymore?” she questioned gingerly, trying to tread lightly around Fluttershy’s shattered feelings.

“Because he wants to be with Cheerilee! He was with her just last week, before the storm, and I saw them kiss!” Fluttershy frantically cried as she brought herself up from the pillow, eyes filled with fresh tears. “Oh Twilight, he wants to be with Cheerilee,” she sobbed and then rested her head on the other pony’s shoulder.

Inexperienced in relationships, Twilight barely knew what to do for the wounded pony, but she gently patted Fluttershy’s mane and offered the only advice she could think of. “I know it hurts now, Fluttershy, but sometimes you just have to forget about stallions who cheat,” she offered lightly.

“But I love him!” Fluttershy shouted, though it echoed in the room like a weak, defeated scream. “I don’t know what to do Twilight,” she sobbed and then buried her face into the dark pony’s coat.

Feeling sorry for her friend, Twilight wondered what she should say to make the situation better. “Fluttershy, sometimes you just have to face ponies who hurt you and put your hooves down, you have to be firm, and don’t let them push you down,” she said sternly. Fluttershy brought her head up and stared at Twilight for a moment, her eyes wide and oddly blank. Twilight felt like she was staring into a mirror as Fluttershy seemed to shut off. She seemed doll like, fixed in a trance, and for a moment, Twilight wondered if the softly colored pony would shatter into a million pieces.

“Fluttershy,” Twilight said a bit more softly. “I hope everything works out,” she said then inhaled slowly through her nose, her nerves growing tense from the strange look in Fluttershy’s eyes. “So please, come back and start taking care of the animals again,” she felt her work was done with her advice in Fluttershy’s ears, but she still felt uneasy as she made her way to the door. Quickly, she glanced back and saw Fluttershy still staring off into space, and she wondered if she should stay. The glassy look in those pretty, sea blue eyes made her worry, and she felt that there was nothing else she could do. With a heavy sigh, Twilight closed the door sharply behind her.

The sound rocked Fluttershy’s whole body and she snapped back to reality, her mind dancing back and forth over everything that had happened, and suddenly all was clear to her. Fluttershy slowly rose to her feet, letting her soft, pink mane fall down against her shoulder, and she stared at nothing in particular. “Twilight’s right,” she murmured slowly. “I have to put my hooves down,” her voice began to get lower, her eyes narrowing into a sharp, little scowl. “I’ll show him how it is… And he will love me,” she said and slowly turned towards the door, her wings perked slightly with the notion of flight. “He’ll love me, or love no one.”

With her words ringing gently within the empty cottage, the door slammed shut behind her. Fluttershy’s wings brought her upward, carrying her into the air, and she returned to Ponyville. It seemed like everything would go back to normal as Fluttershy started taking care of the animals again, and for a while, everything danced by in complete normalcy…

A week and a half after the Hearts and Hooves Day incident, there was a perfect summer day; the sun shining, the sky a soft, cheery blue, and the only thing in the air was the soft whistling of a few, tiny birds. Fluttershy hovered along with them, humming along with their darling little tune as they made their way to Sweet Apple Acres. The birds danced through the air for Fluttershy and then disappeared into the trees, leaving only their song behind, and the pony smiled a bit to herself. “Goodbye little ones,” she said gently and then gave a small, satisfied nod before she turned and was about to fly home.

“Hey, wait up Fluttershy!” a voice called. Fluttershy glanced back, seeing the emerald green eyes of one of her good friends. “Howdy,” Applejack said, lacking her usual gusto. Something was obviously putting a bit of a damper on her spirits, and it she wasn’t doing a good job hiding it. “Gosh, I really hate to bother you Fluttershy, but have you seen my brother, Big Mac?” she asked curiously and Fluttershy offered only a small, confused tilt of her head.

“No, I haven’t seen him at all lately,” Fluttershy said softly, looking a bit disappointed. “Maybe he’s with Cheerilee? They seem to spend a lot of time together,” she said slowly, her voice trailing off a bit towards the end of her statement.

Applejack gave her friend an odd, confused look. “Hey now, I thought you two were going out,” she said a bit sharply, a look of annoyance coming to her usually perky face.

“No… No, we haven’t been together for a while now,” Fluttershy murmured softly, her eyes closed. For a moment, Applejack thought she might cry, but Fluttershy opened her eyes again and shook her head. “I’m so sorry I can’t really help look for him, I’m so busy with my animals,” she told Applejack, and the blonde pony just gave a little shrug.

“Nah, it’s nothin’ much to worry about,” she said with a big smile rolling across her face. “But darn that brother of mine… Seems like not a pony in Ponyville can stay off ‘em, and he don’t mind it one bit… Can’t keep his hooves to just one pony,” she murmured a bit more sourly, eyes narrowing slightly as she glanced off into nowhere land. She coughed suddenly. “Anyway, I surely hope everything works out for you, and I bet Big Mac’ll figure out what he’s missin’ with you,” Applejack offered in a cheery voice.

Fluttershy smiled at her blonde friend as the apple bottomed pony walked away. “Don’t worry, he will soon,” she whispered under her breath. With that, she picked herself up off the ground, her wings flapping gently, and then flew off to her home. She had a lot of work to do and was excited to get her project started.

She landed almost silently outside her tiny cottage and then trotted delicately towards the door, humming the same tune the birds had been singing. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her, locking it, and then going around the room and making sure all of the windows were sealed and locked. After checking everything she went to the sofa and placed her hooves against the arm, pushing the couch aside. Under the oversized piece of furniture, there was a small trap door with a large, silver lock on it. Fluttershy undid the lock slowly and then opened the door, humming again as she made her way down the stairs hidden under the heavy wooden door and, as she descended, flicked on a light.

The wine cellar hadn’t been used in years; in fact, old barrels of the stuff from when her granponies lived in the house were still stacked up to the ceiling in the dark, cave like room. The only light in the cellar was an old, rickety fixture with a single working slot for a light bulb, so visibility was always at a minimum. The walls were made of random chunks of stone picked up from a nearby field, and the floor was simply soil with a few, thick planks placed over top when Fluttershy was just a Philly.

Once in the basement, Fluttershy lit a large, torch like lamp that illuminated the rest of the cellar. On the far side of the room there was a pony tied to one of the old barrels. He was losing weight, having not eaten in days, and his once lustrous coat was fading into a dull brown from the lack of sunlight. Fluttershy to a row of hooks hanging from the wall and the stallion lifted his head a bit as he fully realized she was present; Big Mac stared at Fluttershy, a vague look of disbelief in his eyes.

Fluttershy pulled down a torn up old, white dress from one of the hooks and slipped it onto her body. It rested gently against her flank and the hem just barely passed her tail. “How do you like it?” she asked gently, her soft voice dancing about in Big Mac’s ears. In a strange, horrific way, she looked quite lovely but then again, Fluttershy always did. Even in the darkness of the cellar, her pretty sea blue eyes were somehow bright with some new, intense emotion. “It was my grandmother’s,” she whispered gently as she walked almost shyly towards Big Mac. “She married in this dress, but sadly, she also died in it,” she continued. “I had to go and dig it up, but I think it was worth it, don’t you?” she asked, leaning forward just a bit.

Big Mac wasn’t totally there as she spoke, more focused on her eyes than anything else. He hadn’t eaten during his stay in the cellar, and he’d barely been able to sleep because of Fluttershy’s frantic raving coming through the floorboards. He didn’t even register the look of disappointment on Fluttershy’s pouting face. “Honey,” she said as she slowly walked towards a nearby table. “You should really pay attention when your bride is talking,” she said as she slipped her hoof under a knife. She turned sharply and slammed the knife into Big Mac’s lower leg, just below his knee, and there was a slight look of satisfaction on her normally docile face as he let out a sharp, agonized cry.

Suddenly alive like a wire, Big Mac fully came to, and realized where he was and who he was staring at. “Sweetie,” Fluttershy said softly. “I don’t want to hurt you, but you hurt me when you ignore me,” she said with a sad little frown. “I just can’t take it,” she murmured a bit more harshly and Big Mac felt the knife turn inside his leg, causing him to grind his teeth to keep down the screaming. “if you don’t pay attention to me, I’ll just have to put my hoof down…”

Big Mac thought quickly, unsure of what to really say in the situation. He opened his mouth a bit, but the pain in his leg caused him to snap it shut again, allowing him a moment to really think. “Of course,” he murmured slowly, talking through the haze of pain. “I’ll give ya all the attention you’ll ever need, but I’d really like somethin’ to eat… Dear,” he said slowly, calmly, and without choking on his own agony.

Fluttershy’s eyes fixed on him, wide and unblinking, and he felt like he might be sucked into her deranged fantasy, but then her cute, little smile spread across her lips without warning. “I’d love to make something for you, sweetie pie,” she said in a soft, childish sort of way that gave the twisted image of innocent love. Fluttershy reached down and jerked the knife free from Big Mac’s leg, tossing it aside, and didn’t seem to notice the stallion slam his head against the barrel as the pain rolled up his spine.

She glanced back at him, smiling, then leaned forward and touched her nose affectionately to Big Mac’s. “I’ll be just a little a while,” she said then pulled away and trotted up the stairs, humming again.

The red stallion twisted in the ropes a bit, wondering what had happened to the sweet, wonderful little Fluttershy he had known just a few days ago. He sat in relative darkness for a long time, and he guessed it had been about an hour since Fluttershy had carried herself up the stairs. He didn’t really understand what was going on, but he knew if he could get lose, he could over power Fluttershy and get the hell out of her house. He struggled for the majority of the hour, hoping to get free before the deranged little pony came back, but when he heard the creak of the hinges and the slam of the door he leaned back and stopped fighting with the loosened ropes.

The light flickered back on and Fluttershy reappeared with a softly colored cake, her white dress decorated with a few frosting stains and some odd, red splatters across the front. The cake was dotted in little frosting apples and butterflies, and overall looked fairly delicious, but something about it made Big Mac worry. He watched as Fluttershy set the cake down on the table and scooped up the still bloody knife she had stabbed Big Mac with not long ago. “This is my special ‘Angel’ food cake,” she said with a little wink as she cut into the cake with the knife. The stallion watched as she pulled the large piece away from the cake, seeing odd, reddish chunks inside of it, along with red smears where the knife had tainted the otherwise lightly colored cake.

“Ya don’t mean… You didn’t put Angel in that cake, did ya?” he asked with shock evident in his tone. Fluttershy had been friends with all the little animals of Ponyville, and he’d never thought she could ever harm a single one of them, especially not Angel, her cute little bunny that she was so fond of. Was this pony really that Fluttershy everyone knew and love?

“He was such a little brat,” she murmured slowly, a dark look rolling across her face for just a moment. “And besides,” she said in her small, shy voice. “I don’t need that stupid bunny anymore, I have you, and you’re all the company I’ll ever need,” she said fondly and Big Mac saw her visibly twitch as the words left her mouth. After cutting the cake up, she pushed a chair in front of Big Mac and set the piece of cake down on top of it, then produced a fork. In an almost loving fashion, Fluttershy cut a piece of the cut off with the fork, and then tenderly fed it to Big Mac. He was disgusted by the chewy chunks of rabbit meat he found in the cake, and even more sickened by the fact that they still tasted raw even though they had been baked. Each bite was tainted by the thought of the bunny, the taste of his own blood from the knife, and the pleasant smile painted across Fluttershy’s face as she continued to feed him.

Just before Fluttershy gave Big Mac the last bite of cake, a soft knock came from the door upstairs. The creamy colored pony’s eyes narrowed into fine slits, and angry look on her face. She sighed suddenly and then turned to Big Mac. “I’ll be right back, dear,” she said gently, and then touched her nose to his again. She quickly disposed of the dress, tossing it carelessly aside, as she made her way up the stairs. She was a bit upset that someone had to come along and interrupt her special time with her lover, and figured they best be taught a lesson. It wasn’t nice to barge in on someone spending time with a loved one.

As soon as she was gone and the door was closed, Big Mac began to struggle with the restraints again, shocked that he couldn’t break them. He knew he had loosened them while Fluttershy was making her awful ‘Angel’ food cake, but he couldn’t seem to get himself free. Distracted by his own thoughts, he didn’t realize that the door had opened again, and he yanked one hoof free at last just as a shape came tumbling down the stairs. Fluttershy pranced down after the body but paused when she saw the freed leg of her stallion and frowned. “Sweetie,” she said in a gentle tone, walking over slowly as the body of the other pony twitched in pain. “I thought you Wanted to spend time with me?” she said slowly, stressing the word ‘want’ as she walked towards him. She picked up a large, metal pipe and held it up to the burning lamp, watching it slowly turn red. She scooped up a hammer from the table and then approached the red stallion. “If you’re going to keep trying to leave me… Well, I’m just going to have to make you stay until you realize how much you love me,” she said and then slammed the hot iron into Big Mac’s leg.

She slammed the hammer into the pole repeatedly, the hallow rod slowly and agonizingly cutting through Big Mac’s flesh until it met one of the barrels on the other side of his leg. The pole slammed into the full barrel of ancient wine and it began to spill out like a faucet and onto the unconscious pony on the floor, staining her pink mane a dark purple, and making an ominous looking pool around the body. The pain in Big Mac’s arm, and the searing burning from the hot rod, caused him to fade in and out until he finally just fell into unconsciousness.

Fluttershy, now no longer distracted by her pesky lover, set to work on the pony who had so rudely interrupted their time together. Although, despite her annoyance, she couldn’t say she was completely unsatisfied with who had shown up on her front door. It didn’t take her much time to tie a rope around the other pony’s legs, holding them opening as she tied the rope around the pole. Fluttershy smiled a bit as she pulled the other Pony’s legs up above her head, leaving her hind legs, belly, and chest exposed to any abuse Fluttershy might think up.

Moments later Big Mac reawakened and blinked the world back into focus. He hadn’t noticed the old bread oven across the room, but now that it was lit, it added more light to room, and showed a bit more of Fluttershy’s ever growing insanity. She leaned over to him while he was distracted and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Did you have a nice nap?” she asked as she rubbed her nose against his. “I hope so because we have a guest. Say hello, darling,” she said as she stepped aside so Big Mac could see who was tied up across from him. He was shocked to see Cheerilee, her mane stained from the wine, and purple splotches decorated her coat from where she had been lying in the alcohol.

“Cheerilee was kind enough to bring by a new outfit for me, since mine was ruined while I was making your cake,” Fluttershy said as she pranced over to Cheerilee who was sobbing quietly, too shocked and confused to say much of anything. “All I have to do is take it off its stand,” Fluttershy said as an evil little grin played on her lips. She walked over to the table where she had been leaving most of her toys and scooped up a shiny new knife with a thin blade. Fluttershy began to hum as she walked back over to Cheerilee and the purple pony began to scream in protest as the knife touched her skin.

Fluttershy ran the knife down from Cheerilee’s collar bone, all the way to her pelvis, then slid the knife under the skin. She delicately began to cut the skin away from the muscle and Cheerilee screamed out in agony as Fluttershy began to skin her alive. The knife slid smoothly under the skin, moving swiftly from point to point, and as it began to loosen, more and more blood poured out onto Fluttershy’s hooves and face. She didn’t mind it as she grabbed the skin and pulled it aside a bit, exposing the raw muscle. Fluttershy observed her work for a moment, the skin from Cheerilee’s stomach all the way up to her neck and then down to her thigh had been most peeled away, but she was losing a lot of blood. “I don’t want you bleeding to death,” she said as she pulled the knife away from the partially removed skin.

Big Mac watched helplessly as Fluttershy produced a red hot, metal rod from the bread oven. She walked back over to Cheerilee and placed it against the raw muscle and seemed to relish in the tormented screams and cries coming from the other pony. She had to jerk the hot iron lose a few times when it got stuck to the muscle, but it slowly sealed the exposed meat shut so Cheerilee wouldn’t bleed to death. Cheerilee was barely conscious as Fluttershy replaced the rod back in the oven, reeking of burnt flesh, and the pretty yellow devil trotted back over to her lover. “Well dear, the whore is barely awake,” she said with a small smile. “I think I better make sure you can’t get away from me,” she said and then reached up and yanked the metal rod from Big Mac’s leg. Where the rod had been there was now a large hole, mostly seared shut. Fluttershy could look straight through the whole and she scooped up some rope from the floor.

Humming her nameless tune again, Fluttershy fed the rope through the hole in Big Mac’s arm and then yanked it tight behind him, wrapping it behind another support beam behind the barrel he was tied to. The stallion choked down his cries of agony as the rope dug into the tender, burnt skin, and his leg was bent in ways it wouldn’t naturally go on its own. Fluttershy, satisfied with Big Mac’s new bindings, picked up the metal rod and tossed it in the bread oven to heat up with the other rod, the chunk of flesh inside the hallow pipe starting to cook and smell rancid. With nothing better to do, Fluttershy scooped up the burning pole and shoved it against Big Mac’s shoulder, watching steam rise from it, and then slammed the hammer into it again until the pole broke through into the barrel, just like before, and wine spill out onto the floor.

The pain was becoming too much for Big Mac and, finally, he passed out again. Fluttershy kissed him gently on the forehead before she pulled away and sighed. “Darling, you really shouldn’t fall asleep every time we spend time together,” she said in a soft, soothing voice, before she back away and went towards the stairs.

Hours later, Big Mac and Cheerilee awoke. “Oh, Big Mac,” the mare began to sob as she stared down at the flat sheet of her skin hanging dangling uselessly from the rest of her body. “Why is she doing this? What happened to Fluttershy?” she begged answers that the red stallion couldn’t give.

“I don’know,” he murmured slowly, unsure of what else he could say. “See, I’ve been jus’playin’ along with her cus’ it seems like if I didn’t, she’d kill me for sure,” he said in what was possibly his longest set of lines, on screen, ever. Cheerilee stared at him, eyes wide, as she realized she was probably going to die in that cellar. “Pretend you’re asleep,” Big Mac said softly as he heard footsteps above their heads. “She’s seems’ta leave you alone while you’re sleepin’.”

The door clicked and Cheerilee closed her eyes tightly at first, inhaled slowly through the mouth, and then let her eyelids relax so it seemed like she was still unconscious. Fluttershy appeared at the bottom of the stairs, pretty and clean as she observed her two captives. “How are you two doing?” she asked in a polite tone. “Awake yet?” she continued, her voice carrying an undertone of impatience. There was no response and Fluttershy frowned a bit, eyes narrowed, and then walked over to the table and picked up the thin bladed knife. “You two seem pretty exhausted,” she murmured. “But it has been a few hours, so you really should be waking up now…”

She walked towards Cheerilee, eyes glimmering despite the darkness, and she produced her knife once again…