Cotton Tail

Cotton Tail awoke with a pounding headache. She groaned. She moved her hoof to the side of her head and chains clanked. She finally felt the weight of chains on all of her hooves. She stood up on wobbly legs before she slumped back down.

She blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the blackness. Her movements felt slurred and slowed, like walking through jello. She laid her head down on the dirty ground. She closed her eye and a tear rolled down her cheek. She won't see her family again, her friends. If Shadow Bolt ever did return, Cotton Tail wouldn't be there to greet her.

She sighed with shaky breath. She opened here eyes and heard rapid hoofsteps. A hushed excited voice bounced off of invisible walls. A light turned on above Cotton Tail, blinding her. Her left eye was still swollen but it saw the flash as well. Her eyes adjusted and saw that the light only illuminated a small circle around her. The chains glinted in the light. They snaked into the darkness from her hooves.

A mechanical noise filled the room and made fear spread throughout Cotton Tail. She looked around, wide-eyed. The chains started to rise, growing taunt as they are pulled from the invisible, mechanical beast. The chains started to pull on Cotton, lifting her up into the air. She started to hyperventilate. She stopped as soon as she started. Her body got pulled onto an X shape. She felt like her limbs were going to get pulled off. The noise stopped and there were more rapid hoofsteps.

"Who's there?" shouted Cotton Tail. There was giggling, then a maniacal laugh. Cotton gulped, that was not Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon.

"I'm known by two things," said a deep voice. A brown pony with a red mane stepped into the light. His coat was littered with dried blood. He had a crazed smile and his pupils were pinpricks. "I am nicknamed, Stretchy! My name though, is Bloodletter." His ear twitched. Cotton Tail raised an eyebrow.

"Why Stretchy? I can see you being nicknamed Red but not Stretchy," Cotton Tail said. Bloodletter's smile faded and was replaced by a short straight line. His ear twitched twice.

"I don't think I can explain it. I have to do a demonstration," he said. He snickered as he went back into the darkness. There was a click, then light illuminated the entire room. Cotton Tail's eyes widened. There were torture devices. One looked like a medieval stretching device, another was a guillotine. Then there were other bits and bobbles that Cotton couldn't name. In the corners were little machines; her chains were connected to them.

Bloodletter pushed a button on the wall. The machines in the corners whirred to life. They started to slowly pull on her chains. Cotton grimaced at the pain. Bloodletter smiled maniacally and his ear twitched. The pressure on Cotton's limbs grew. Tears welled in her eyes, and spilled over. She felt like screaming, but she didn't. Bloodletter's smile faded.

"You're supposed to be screaming. They all scream," he said. He shuffled over the the other side of the room. He double tapped the wall. His ear twitched and he growled. He took three steps leftward and double tapped the wall. A hidden door popped open. Cotton Tail looked in from where she was. Her eyes widened and she gasped in horror.