//------------------------------// // Blank Files // Story: A Mad Book of Ramblings // by Changeling-Writer //------------------------------// The sound of hooves clicking against the metal floors was all to normal for her. It came with living in a metal world. Everything made noise, the lights let out a dull humming, the doors would grind as they opened and closed. The generator would always be running, and the air purifier would always be pumping air. That's why it was so shocking when all the lights shut of, sound left. The only noise was her own heart hammering in her chest. It made a thousand ideas of how bad this was scramble through her mind. They lived underground, and being underground ment they needed power. Teacher always said no power would mean no water, no air, no life. Sitting up slowly in her bed she looked to where the door should be. To where the ever glowing halls light should slip under her door. Nothing. No light passed through the gap beneath the metal door. Silence was consuming everything. She sat their looking into the nothingness frozen in fear. Fear of the dark. Fear of what might be lurking outside her door in the silent pitch black of the void. She didn't know how true her fear was, for her imaginary monster that stalked the halls was nothing her young mind could have ever believed, not until she could lay eyes on the beast. The silence was broken as the sound of a distant scream fill the air. Her mind turned into stone as thoughts stoped. Her heart leaped into her throat, hammering her ribs do hard she believed it would smash its way free. The small mare tried not to make a noise, yet her raged breath sounded like thunder, the beds squeak a explosion. She needed to run, she had to run. The filly nearly fell out of the bed as the sound of metal grinding filled the black nothingness. She knew this was her chance, with all the strength in her tiny legs she scrambled to the door, the only obstacle. She tried to open it but without power it didn't even move. The button clicking uselessly as the frantic filly slammed it over and over. The sound whimpering echoing in the steel cage she now found herself in. Once a safe haven now kept her locked away. A mouse trapped in a corner. Just waiting for the cat to finally end it's terror. She moved away from the door trying to see anything, and let out a pained hiss as she kicked her tool box. Feeling the cold metal leave a cut as it's hatch edge bit through her skin. She groaned, her hooves reaching out and scrambled for the single latch that kept her from the tools inside. The room was willed with the small clinks as it's contents were opened to the darkness. She reached a shaking hoof into the metal box, her hoof feeling for the one thing that could help her. Heart thundering as the walls groaned again, she could here yelling, muffled by the screaming of metal forced to move. Her small heart began to slow, yelling was good. Old ponies yelled all the time, and that ment that the older ponies were there. They would have light, and they could help her. She didn't have to be alone! With new determination to be free from the oppressive darkness. She didn't need to be quiet, with a huff she nocked over the toolbox. The loud catering made her ears ring. She needed just one tool, a crowbar. She could slowly open the door with time and effort if she could just get the crowbar. She let out a faltering laugh as she felt the hooked head of the crowbar, with both hooves she lifted it from the floor. Hearing the other tools clank against the steel floor. With a small amount of trepidation she made her way back to the door. She leaned down, looking for the small crack that was under very door in her home. Yet it was lost to the all consuming darkness. All the while her focus stopped her from noticing that the yelling became quieter, fewer in numbers. But that didn't matter to the filly as she blindly placed the crowbar an the ground. Sliding it until she felt it grinding between the floor and door. Her trembling gone, her fear fading as an afterthought as she smirked. She was going to prove that she wasn't a filly anymore! That she could take care of herself. That she was smart and new what to do in a pinch. She wasn't a baby, she was a mare who could do whatever she wanted. The door let out a ear raking screech of steel on steel, but no mater the fact, it was opening! The hall was just as dark as her room, making it impossible for her to see anything. Making the filly stop for a moment. Shanking her head she put all of her weight into the one thing keeping her locked away. She was panting as the metal screamed out in protest as it was forced to inch higher and higher. Yet the filly didn't stop until she felt her end hit the ground. It wouldn't be big enough for her to leave yet, but maybe... She stopped, looking around in the darkness that was her room. Ears flicking around as she noticed something. It was quiet, really quiet. The yelling that had given her peace minutes before was gone. It brought fear clawing back into her chest as to took a gasping breath. She worked as quickly as her little legs would let her. Flipping the crowbar and wedging the rounded head under the slowly opening gap. She didn't care about the noise, she had to get out before everypony left her here! She growled pulling and prying the door higher and higher. She could feel the sweat matting her fur, the burning in her hooves and chest as she panted. Until the door let out one last long cry and her tool to freedom slipped out from under. She cried out feeling the twin barbs of cold metal cut into her barrel, ending as her head slammed into the ground. Stars exploding in her vision. The bright flashes making her hiss. She lay there for some time, feeling the cold metal floor against her back, her legs, and her thumping head. Catching her breath as she blinked back the tears that tried to escape. This was not the time to cry. She needed to get out and as grampa always said, "If you didn't put your blood, sweat, and tears into it. Then it ain't done. So it was only with slight trepidation the little filly rolled over, feeling the warm rivers of blood that showed she wasn't going to wait for someone to save her. She moved to the partly opened door. Slowly she put a hoof under, then a leg, and with held breath she pushed her head through the slightly to small gap. She kicked and squirmed her way through the gap fighting to get her shoulders through. She let out a hissing breath as she felt her fur scraping, felt her skin protest as it was pinched against her shoulders. But she didn't stop. Not until they slipped past, allowing her to crawl free. Well as free as some pony who's flank was trapped. She frowned as she used her hooves, pushing against the walls as she forced her flank through. She could feel every inch as the door let out small squeaks of protest. That only made her push harder. She didn't want it to come down and crush her! She let out a yell as she felt her skin rip, then slip free. She couldn't stop her tears now as she felt the stinging in her flank, felt the far to warm rivlets as they ran down her fur. She pulled her hind legs through with little effort, curling up as she took shaking breaths. The smell of blood staining the heavy air. The filly know she couldn't stay there, something was wrong. Really wrong and she needed to be helpful. So climbing onto shaky hooves she took deep breaths. Wincing as she moved her hind legs. She moved hesitantly, her body protesting slightly with every step. Every step took more effort then the last to keep her moving. She moved on slowly, doing her best to keep her breaths even, her side sliding along the wall. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew that going forward was more important then worrying. She could find her way eventually. The sound of something wet hitting the ground mad her stop. Eyes growing wide, no pony had been in the hall before. No pony said anything as she was trotting by, she didn't here hoof steps. Her heart fought with itself as it tried to choose between freezing in terror or running away on its own. She turned her head back, the sound was so close. She wanted to move but her body was stuck. Frozen solid like she was tripped in ice. Cold chills ran up her spine, her body trembled. She saw something move in the black void but once her eyes darted over it was gone. She felt her body trembling as something warm ran down the inside of her legs. Her mind only half registering the sensation. The darkness seemed to grow, the vary air solidifying as it was stolen from the filly's lungs. Her eyes seeing thousands of shapeless tendrils of nothingness reaching out to pull her deeper into it's empty mass. She screamed at her body to move! To run! To do anything but stare in wide eyes horror as they inches closer and closer yet she remained rooted against the spot. A pool of something warm around her hooves lost as shards of ice ran through her soul. Then a pair of eyes glowing in the darkness opened, like the jaws of Tartarus. --X-- She screamed, bulging upright in bed as her body trembled. Cold sweat caking her fur as she felt warmth under her flank and hind legs. Yet she didn't move eyes staring into nothing as they glossed over with fear. Every breath a fight as her lungs cried out for oxygen. She didn't know how long she sat there like that, her heart slowing, her breathing becoming even. She looked around the room slowly. Eyes half seeing as she noticed everything and nothing. Wood, wood everything. And... Fabric, no door just a hole riddled piece of fabric. Slowly she looked down at herself, noticing the sour smell of urine. Shame welled up inside her chest as she moved the blanket away. Reveling to the world the yellow stained sheets that showed the hole world what a grown mare had done. The mare raised a white hoof rubbing away the tear stains that ran down her cheeks. Locks of black mane sitting haphazard on her head as she looked down at her yellow stained bed. Her piss stained bed and saturated tail. Slowly she claimed out of the bed, tossing the blanket to the floor. Eyes downcast and ears pressed against her skull. With slightly trembling hooves she began pulling the sheets. Stripping them away to see the plastic covered mattress. Leaving them crumpled on the floor she trotted away, walking through the curtain head low. The only slightly larger room was a mess, everything crammed into corners. The living area overall anything but the bedroom. But she had eyes for non of it. She passed it by slipping through another curtain and into the only room not made of wood. The bathroom was bright, not helping the fact that it was as cramped as everything else. The shower nothing more then a corner with a small lip and a bare copper pipe. She stopped in front of the mirror, looking up at her reflection. She saw the two milky white eyes that stared back. Black bags under blood shot eyes. A mane that looked unkempt to the point it might me more knots then locks. And the pair of faded rectangular scared that sat just and the brace of her neck. Her eyes lingered over the pair of markings before she turned slightly. She looked over her side noticing first her flank. She looked over the odd looking scar that ran along it's legs before ending right above her cutie mark. Or for better terms, lack there of a cutie mark. She closed her eyes, shaking her head. Turning away and stepping into the shower. It didn't matter, no pony wanted a mare who couldn't stop wetting the bed. No pony wanted a mare with scares, or who couldn't go a week without screaming as she woke up. And most of all no pony wanted anything to do with a twenty year old blank flank.