Case 4-1: Performance Confrontation

Frank stepped out into the park with Applejack by his side. His sight was blinded for a moment before adjusting to the sunlight. As he heard the door slam shut behind him, he and Applejack began to walk away. He looked down to see her using a single hoof to wipe the ceremonial paint from her face and crouched down to lend a hand, but… paused and found himself staring off into space…he couldn't help but feel something clawing at the back of his head though he couldn't put his finger on it.

“Frank…?” He heard Applejack ask as he continued to stare off, “What is it..?”

Frank found no words to reply as he quickly reached into his coat pocket while standing up. He pulled out the walkie talkie, quickly turning it on and bringing it up to his face.

“Otis, can you hear me?”

There was no immediate response, however, Frank was greeted with the sound of static combined with what sounded like rushing wind and gears rapidly turning, erupting from the speaker.

“Frank! I’m in the wonderland plaza.” Otis’s voice exclaimed from the speaker as Frank heard him let out a grunt, “..damn…the coaster’s speeding out of control…you gotta hurry…Greg’s getting worse…”

As Otis’s voice cut out, Frank clenched the walkie talkie in his hand and immediately took off towards the food court with Applejack not far behind. Before he had even covered several feet of ground, the sound of muffled gun shots crept into his ears. He came to a stop in his tracks and turned to look back towards the Paradise plaza. Frank bought the walkie talkie up as another ray of shots rang out… all in rapid succession…

JACK! NOOOOO!

Frank clenched the walkie talkie tighter, his knuckles starting to go white as he started to walk forward. He quickly shoved the device into his pocket before reaching for his camera; he brought it up to his face and zoomed in on the windows. He saw nothing but the zombies...and a lone figure making its way through the crowds. The split second the figure was in frame Frank snapped a picture in reflex before he moved to keep the figure in view. However, he lost it quickly as he saw it.

“Frank….?” He heard Applejack ask as another round of shots was heard, “…is it him?”

Frank continued to stare at the plaza as he slowly lowered his camera. He only gave a silent nod to Applejack as he began to walk forward while the situation began to settle in...

“Frank...” Otis’s voice exclaimed from the speaker drawing Frank’s attention back as he stopped walking, “…be careful…Adam’s guarding the controls…”

There was another beep and Otis’s voice was gone. Frank immediately pressed the button the on the walkie talkie as he brought it to his face.

“Who? Otis, who..”

His mind now racing for a decision, the sound of another round of muffled shots caught his attention as his finger came off the button. That’s when he heard it…a high pitched laugh erupted from the speaker and faded just as soon as it had started. Frank felt a chill run through his body…

He turned and looked towards the far off windows of the Wonderland Plaza and then back to the Paradise Plaza windows... back and forth....back and forth as his gut violently tightened before lowering his gaze back to the walkie talkie in his hand.

“I’ll go get him,”

Frank looked up only to stare back at Applejack whom had a determined look on her face. He quickly found the urge to argue as his gut began to tear between...

“Be careful, Applejack,” He said giving her a nod as his gut feeling was still present.

He saw her return the nod before immediately taking off. He stood there and watched her run off towards the Wonderland Plaza while taking one more look at its windows. Catching a far glimpse of something moving quickly into view before quickly going out, Frank turned back to the Paradise Plaza while drawing in a breath and began to run.

He weaved and shoved his way through the crowd of zombies as he came up on the doors to the plaza and swung a single one open. He slammed the door shut at the same time another round of shots rang out and drowned out the noise. Frank quickly crouched behind a small jut up filled with flowers as the shots faded from his ears. He took hold of his camera and peaked around the corner. Looking through the view finder he saw…the man from the roof welding a gun with multiple zombies on the ground. They were all motionless while the rest continued to converge on him as he…swiped at the air with a glass jar…

“What the…” Frank whispered under his breath lowering the camera for a moment..

Frank ducked behind cover once again and saw the few straggling zombies now had their attention on him. He peaked around the corner seeing the man still concerned with the other zombies but still had his back to Frank. Frank looked back towards the straggling zombies and saw they were getting closer. He waited for another round, but it never came. He quickly peaked around the corner to see the man fidgeting with the jar…with the gun now holster on his shoulder and barely any zombies close by. Quickly judging the distance, he drew in a breath and began to rise from the ground, just as a single zombie was upon him.

As he rose from cover, Frank shot out his hands and gripped the zombie by the torso and shoved it away before quickly transitioning into a run. Giving it his all, he kept his eyes locked on the man as he threw caution to the wind.

“REEAAAAAH!”

He bent down, curling his right arm across his chest just as the man began to turn around. He slammed violently into the back of the man and swung his arm, pushing the man further and throwing him off. Frank quickly reached out and secured a grip on the holstered gun as he heard the sound of glass shattering. He pulled at the gun causing the man’s arm to be pulled, but Frank saw the man turn with the pull and kick out a leg. Frank felt a foot make contact with his stomach as his fingers slipped from the gun before stumbling backwards.

He quickly regained his balance and noticed the man was beginning to un-holster the gun. Frank lunged forward, spreading his arms out and managed to wrap them around the man’s mid-section. Frank heard the man let out a ‘gah’ before the two fell onto the ground. He looked up and saw the gun was now free of the man’s shoulder and lying near them. He quickly let go and reached towards the gun, but felt the man grip his jacket by the sleeve and pull. Frank kept trying to reach forward, but then slammed his elbow back making contact with the man’s face. He threw his arm forward but found the man’s hold on his sleeve still present. Frank tried with his elbow again but found no contact this time before giving his all into reaching forward. His body was racing with adrenaline as his next attempt fell short. Clenching his teeth together, he felt his other hand begin to curl up.

Frank pulled his reaching hand back, but turned his body with it and saw the man’s face in clear sight. He raised his clenched fist and instantly brought it down, socking the man right in the side of the face. Frank brought his fist up and brought it back down several times before pausing as the man's face contorted in pain.

“Now, you’re going to tell me, what you know,”

The man's eyes shot open as his eyebrows lowered in rage. Frank raised his fist up higher, threatening to bring it down once more. Suddenly, Frank saw the man thrust his arms out and grab him by the collar. Immediately, Frank tried to bring his fist down but felt his collar be pulled violently. He found his forehead make clear contact with the man's and the pain immediately engulfed it.

Then, in a split second, he felt a cool rush of air on the back of his neck before it was suddenly engulfed in excruciating pain. Instinctively, he opened his mouth to let out a scream before his throat fell short of voice, as he moved his gripping hand to his neck. He had only managed to feel a small bump, before he felt something push him away. He found himself falling onto his back, letting out a ‘ga-’ as the back of his neck continued to burn. Frank tried leaning up but only managed to curl up his body as he let out another incomplete ‘gah’. He tried looking around but found eyesight going hazy as he turned over to his front as he heard the man picking up something…

In single moment, Frank saw, through his hazy vision, scatter points of reflecting light nearby, before feeling all his muscles go completely numb as he found himself falling down into darkness…

Applejack quickly made her way up a flight of stairs towards the upper level of the area with the childish like center. While ascending, she took notice to the speeding object suspended by a metal rail towards the center of the area. She picked up the speed as she reached the top of the stairs, seeing the metal rail was attached to a blue hollowed out structure. As she approached, she took notice to the lack of zombies on her way towards the structure, but dismissed the thought as she went up another small set of stairs. She paused for a moment as she felt a hoof brush by something on the ground. Looking down she saw…a blood covered plush doll of sorts lying discard on the ground. She looked back to the structure and drew in another breath before continuing on her way. The object came soaring by, creating a rush of air that hit Applejack as she entered the structure.

“Otis!?”

She waited for a response as she looked around the area seeing not a single soul present. She turned back in time to see the object soar by once more..

“THE LEeeeveeer”

Recognizing the fading voice, Applejack watched helplessly as the object soared by once again before she began to search around. Her eyes settled on a small stand right next to where the object had soared past. She upon further hurrying over to it, she noticed the distinct lever on top. She moved her front legs up onto the stand, keeping balance on her back ones, as she reached single hoof towards the lever. Wrapping part of her hoof around it, she gave it a good pull and it slammed into the down position as her ears were greeted with the sound of metal grinding and the release of air.

“AHAHAaahahahaahahHAAaaaa!”

Applejack immediately backed away from the stand as the laugh faded and turned to be greeted with…a large human in clown makeup, wielding what appeared to be sharp metal blades with moving pieces on the edge, as she took notice to the noise emitting from the blades. She just stared back into the imprinted smiling face, not saying a word.

“Children! You have to keep track of your toys!” The clown yelled while turning to face away from Applejack, “Like I say. Clean up after yourselves!”

The clown let out another manic laugh while turning back around now juggling the blades expertly. Applejack watched the clown turn around completely just as she heard another rattle of metal like a train pulling into a station. Applejack turned to see Otis and another human sitting in the stationary object, but she quickly noticed the straps around their bodies.

“huuuuUUUUUUHHHH, NOOOOOO!”

Applejack turned back to see the clown had dropped the spinning blades and was coming right at her. She ready for confrontation and once the clown was upon her, she saw him reach out towards her. She quickly jumped backwards and to the right just out of grabbing range, but the clown was quickly trying once more. Applejack dodged again, going to the left this time, but immediately felt her side bump into the stand nearby. She looked and saw the clown just within reach, but ducked down at the last second. However, she felt something forcefully grab her mane and pull. Her eyes slammed shut as she felt each hair pull at the base of her head as she felt herself being lift up and flung away with great force. Applejack could feel herself in air until she violently slammed into solid cold metal before falling down, letting out a ‘gah’ as she hit the floor.

“Nononono! No! No! NOOO!” She heard the clown’s voice scream as she felt her body ach.

She finally looked up to see the clown by the stand and saw him slam the lever into the up position as the rattling metal came again. She saw the object was starting to take off as the clown franticly looked around…with a look of fright on his face.

“No, come back!” The clown shouted before heading to the entrance of the structure, the look of freight turning to one of sorrow “Children! The zombies will go away! Come back!

Applejack quickly got to her hooves and looked towards the stand once more while trying to shake the pain away.

“Wait…”

She darted her sight to her left and saw the clown…staring directly at her. She watched him stifle a minor sniffle before frowning against his smile.

“yoooouuu…..”

Applejack watched as the clown reached down and retrieved one of the spinning blades. Suddenly, the clown charged forward, letting out a high pitched shriek. Applejack lunged forward as the clown swung at her, feeling the blade pass over her as she exited harm’s way.

“No stopping! No zombies!” The clown yelled, while drawing in a breath after each shout as Applejack found herself on the stairs to the structure, “I won’t let you scare the children off!”

Applejack saw the clown pick up the remaining spinning blade before raising them over his head as the rumbling noise escalated quickly to blaring drone. She drew in a breath as the clown charged at her, pointing both blades forward like a raging bull. As the clown was mere inches from her, she quickly leapt away back down the stairs only to stumble once her hooves made contact with the ground. She fell to the ground but quickly moved to get back up. She ran as she heard the clown let out another high pitched yell as the blaring noise was getting closer. She pushed herself back towards the balcony level of the area as she heard something strike the ground behind her, followed by a manic laugh, then… rhythmic humming…

“…thought twas all in fun,” She head the clown recite to the tune of his previous humming as she ran down the way she had come.

As she was running, Applejack heard something fly right by her and the shattering of glass.

“POP GOES THE PONY!”

Applejack looked back towards the clown with his head thrown back in a laughing fit, but also noticed…he had set the blades down once again. Lowering her eye brows and clenching her teeth, she stopped, sliding on the floor a bit, before quickly turning around and charging forward. Letting out a yell as she ran, Applejack leaped forward, turning to her left and driving her side into the clown’s stomach, she found her hooves on the ground once more as she heard the clown begin to fall. She backed away, only to see the clown, expertly go into a backwards roll and end up standing once again before reaching for something.

Applejack watched as the clown let out another laugh before producing a knife and quickly throwing it. She pulled her head back at the last second, seeing the knife for a split second pass by her head. She followed the knife and saw it drop onto the ground with a clang before sliding across the floor. Her attention was drawn back as she heard the clown, exiting his laughing fit, start to yell. Applejack looked back to see the clown charging straight her. She quickly turned tail and ran, keeping her sights on the knife. As soon as she was upon it, she quickly leaned down and scooped the handle into her mouth. Applejack saw what looked like the glare of a blade out of the corner of her eye and leaped forward back into her run. She looked back, seeing the clown now holding both blades once again, before focusing on the interior of one of the stores on her right. She saw what appeared to be shelves stacked with various boxes behind several counters.

With an idea forming in her head, Applejack turned sharply into the store opening. She ran past the counters and went down the first aisle she came to, still hearing the clown in pursuit. She came to a fork in the aisle and took a right, coming to a stop against the shelf. She kept her breathing quiet before lightly peaking around the corner. That’s when she heard it…a light chuckle from the front of the store.

“Come out, come out, where ever you are,” The clown’s voice announced, coming from the front of the store, “The children want to play!”

Applejack pulled back into cover, right as she heard a gasp… She turned to see a pair of humans cowering near where the shelves of boxes made a corner. One had bandages wrapped around its upper body and were stained with blood… Both were looking right at her with wide eyes.

Applejack slowly put a hoof close to her mouth and gave shushing them both through her teeth clenched around the knife, just as she heard steps against the ground. She peaked slightly around the corner once more, expecting to see the clown coming down the aisle. However, she was greeted with an empty aisle, but the sound of steps on the floor continued, occasionally stopping for a short moment before starting up again.

Author's Note

I owe you guys a big apology and an explanation. Simply put, I was making progress, but something wasn't flowing. As I was trying to make it work, the file (i assume) corrupted. I tried rewriting but it wasn't coming out well since I was trying to recreate the first go through. However, by a stroke of luck I found another copy of the original file.

Besides that, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and are enjoying the story so far. Please leave your feedback in the comments below and as always. Have a great day everyone.