Prompt #262: "The Last Laugh"

“What are you here for?” the pony across the room asked.

The other one looked up, a bit confused.

“Why are you in prison?”

“Oh, that. It’s... kind of a long story, and I don’t have much time to tell it,” she said, looking over at the door to the small cell they had been sharing.

“Why’s that? You on death row or something?” she asked.

In response, the other pony just looked back at her, nodding slightly.

“Geez, I was only kidding...”

“Well as much as I like a good laugh, I won’t be able to soon.”

“So uh... what did you do? I mean, I’ve never heard of anyone being executed around here before,” she said, now leaning forward on the cot.

“I’m a killer. A murderer. At least, that’s what they are calling me, even the ponies who I thought were my friends. I thought they would understand,” she said, nearly crying.

“So you killed a pony, so what? You look like you were sorry for it. I mean, couldn’t they give you a deal? Life without parole? Anything?” she asked.

“No, you don’t understand. It wasn’t just one pony,” she said, looking at the door again, “and I was never sorry about it.” Her face now appeared to be more angry than sad. “When you run out of things to laugh at, you have to find new ways to entertain yourself. Some people take up a new hobby, like a collection or a craft. I took up killing,” she explained, standing up.

“But... why? What made you like taking another life?”

For the first time since they had been in that cell together, for the first time in weeks, she smiled. “Because,” she started, looking at her cellmate, “I couldn’t get enough of it. It was like an addiction. That look in their eyes as the last bit of life drains out of them. That feeling I got when I knew they were gone. That’s why I did it. What better way to remember your friends than to be with them for their last moments.”

“Well damn,” the other said, taking a minute to think about what she had been told.

“What about you? Why is a pony like you in a place like this?”

“Well it’s a long story, but I don’t think you’ve got the time to hear it,” she said with a wink.

“Right,” she said with a laugh, “I forgot.” She looked up at the door, this time keeping her gaze there. A guard was waiting just outside.

“Miss Pinkamena Diane Pie? They’re ready for you now.”