//------------------------------// // If I Stay, I'll Fade Away // Story: Apparition Amphitheater Presents: My Heaven is Your Hell // by Nightmare_0mega //------------------------------// It had been quite the long session. Vinyl stretched and popped her aches from standing at her decks all morning long, mixing and matching to make music, chasing after those perfect sounds. It was the afternoon now, and the DJ had decided it would be good to stroll through town to get some exercise in and limber up for another session later in the night. With headphones on, listening to her favorite tunes that ranged from a variety of non-classical genres, she did just that. It was also definitely not to avoid doing the dishes that she left behind. Absolutely not. Besides, It was just a little stroll, she'd be back soon anyway. A little stroll that took her through the market, around town hall, and past the neighborhood full of kids and parents enjoying the daylight, gently bobbing to the rhythms and melodies fed directly to her ears. She even had the chance to pop into the library, where Twilight Sparkle, the resident librarian, would then lend her a book detailing types of sound distortions that could be synthesized by a variety of means. She knew of some techniques, but the book would easily cover any gaps in her knowledge that she may not have been privy to prior. Vinyl forgot the book was returned in that day, so it was quite the nice surprise and lucky timing when swung by. After that nice walk to clear her senses, and with the perfect book in hoof, she returned to her and Octavia's home that evening. Walking into the dark, silent house, she pulled the headphones down around her neck as she shut the door behind her and locked it, music still gently beating from the stereos. Looking about in the shaded home, she then flipped the switch near the front door and illuminated the entrance near the dining room and kitchen. Vinyl then let her gaze fall upon the table that still had the refuse of breakfast just lying as they were when she first abandoned them. She thought for a moment about cleaning up, but decided that it could still wait. There wasn't any rush to get to the chores with Octavia still being out of town for a while. Instead, she trotted towards her room and shut the door behind her, jumped into her bed and began to lounge for a moment, cracking open the book she brought home. To be quite honest, Vinyl rarely ever read. Sure, she'd read lyric booklets that came with officially released albums from bands and artists she took interest in, or the instruction manuals on the variety of devices she had collected over the years to help her career and hobby, but seldom was it ever a full on book out of interest. In this case, it was a much more comprehensive guide that explained both natural and artificial ways to experiment with sound engineering. Certain methods were quite basic and were ones that she had either executed once prior, or knew of on a conceptual level while she performed more advanced methods. That said, her experience was still on the minuscule end compared to the variety of sound designers, engineers, composers, and other audio artists that mastered their parts of the craft over the years, so there was always enough room to learn. As she flipped through the book, scanning each page and taking mental notes, she soon was sparked with a flash of inspiration. Pawing at her chin with her hoof, she considered the logistics on how it could be done, and gazed to one of her decks. Slipping a card in between the pages and setting the book aside, she bounced off of her bed and moved to one of her sound mixers. Using the attached keyboard, she played a note and set it to be sustained. Then, she started pushing buttons to add filters, tweak nobs to alter tones, properties, and other perimeters, and began gently moving sliders back and forth, all while listening carefully for the smallest of changes. It didn't take as long as she thought, but she ended up with a unique note that could as really bring some personality to her project. Saving the sound, she then played a short, small melody on the keyboard to test it, and got slight chills over how good it sounded. She smiled deeply, feeling accomplished in being able to add to her project. A project she hoped her fans enjoyed. Before she realized anything, however, a quick gaze out of the window told her it was nearing night time. Quick as a flash, she robbed her personal coffers and raced out the door, only to appear back at home moments later with a piping hot pizza in hoof. An artist needed fuel for the creative fire, and she really didn't want to cook anything right now, nor engage in any other chores on top of that. Having her impromptu supper for the night, though still having some slices left over, she jumped back into her project, now armed with knowledge and sustenance, and let her work consume her attention and time. The hours flew by in an instant all through her intense concentration, and she only pulled away from her work when fatigue finally started to set in. Gazing at her clock, she realized how late it was getting, and only then did a small prickle of dread needle at the back of her mind. To be fair, there's a possibility that the bad dream she'd been having for a few weeks now might not happen again tonight. To be fair, she had quite the productive day, though the same could be said about every other day prior. Staring at the bed for a moment, contemplating on whether she should just go for it and get an early rise tomorrow, or try to work through the night and sleep all day, she decided to chance the night once more. Saving her progress before shutting off her devices, she then exited her room and raced to the bathroom, preparing herself for (hopefully) a good night's sleep. Approaching her room again and staring at her bed, intrusive, second thoughts began to worm their way to the front, warning her it could happen again. She wasn't exactly keen on re-living such an experience, but honestly, now that she had gone through the trouble of getting ready to sleep, she was now insistent on seeing it through. So, without further to do, she shut off the lights to her room, removed her shades, setting them on the nightstand nearby, and clambered into bed, tucking herself under the cozy fabrics that swaddled and cradled her as she slowly began to drift off. The calm and the quiet of the night began to take hold as she felt her consciousness slowly slip away and her eyes grew heavier and heavier. The last thing she thought was a calming moment of reassurance, that perhaps this time, she'll get the sleep she's wanted. -o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o- Her eyes suddenly ripped open. Her heart quickened from the sudden shift from her calm state of mind to one of absolute alertness, and the stress rose with it as she stared up into the darkened ceiling of her bedroom. The air was still and quiet, and the only thing she could hear for sure was her own breathing, but something wasn't right. In an attempt to find out what or why, she tried to rise from her bed, but something kept her there. Then she tried again. And again. And again. Panic began to take hold. While not physically restrained, her body was entirely locked up. No matter the attempt or willpower, her body simply wouldn't move. It was the nightmare again, returned to deny her the desire of a peaceful, anxiety free night of sleep, but something was different this time. Previously, while she was totally afraid of her forced circumstance, she was always, bone-chillingly alone. This time, despite not seeing anything or hearing anything, there was something in the air that said there was a presence here. Her eyes, quite literally the only thing she could move at all, darted about, trying desperately to see what it was, as if ancient pony instincts of the fight or flight response kicked in. She soon got her wish, though she almost wished she hadn't. From the very edge of her peripheral vision she saw a strange shadow against the wall near one of her soundboards. It almost blended in with the shade of her stuff, but this particular shadow seemed richer, darker. It was just barely out of sight, but it was there, and her whole body shivered as soon as she was fully aware. Then, it moved. If her eyes could widen more than they already had, they probably would have popped right out of her skull from the shock alone. Did it really move? Why wasn't this dream letting her try to get away? Why is everything so freaking quiet? Then it moved again, coming away from her periphery, but staying low and still hard to see. Soon, it dipped entirely out of sight, and right after she could hear something on the floor shuffling against it, as if something was being moved just below her bed. Her breath quickened as her barrel got tighter and tighter. She wanted so desperately to jump right out of bed and flee, but she was just stuck, paralyzed in place, entirely vulnerable and completely helpless. All of the energy she had during the day simply diminished as this strange nightmare continued, time seemingly standing still. Then, the sound of her door slowly creaking open caused her to jump. Well, it would have if she could move, but the agonizing sensation of wanting to ached all around her body. What opened the door? Was it something or someone from outside, or... She kept her eyes fixated toward the sound of the door, of which she could just see the edge of as it slowly swung further into her room. Then, she heard more shuffling as whatever was moving, or was being moved, sounded like it was leaving her room. The door, as far as she was aware, never made another sound or left the edge of her vision, as the sound of shuffling got further and further away. She laid there, petrified and terrified, waiting for something to happen. Anything. However, there was nothing. So, alone she remained in her bed, eyes trying and failing to see more around her than she was capable of doing, entirely unable to even shift around in bed, and agonizingly immovable, all while having this sense of foreboding dread that something is there. Or, at least WAS there. The silence was absolutely deafening, with the sound of her own breathing and the violent beating of her heart began to fill the void. Tears welled up in her eyes as this nothing drove her up the metaphorical wall. It was frightening, frustrating, and frankly too much to handle, despite being forced to handle it for no discernible reason. She hated it the first day this happened, and hated it just as much now, if not more so, as this continued to happen every single night and seemingly felt so much worse every time. Then, her door creaked again. She couldn't tell how long it had been silent, save for her own breathing and beating heart, but the squeaks of the door hinges shattered the silence quite effectively. Again, she wanted to jump from the sudden change, but she remained entirely stationary, leaving only the denied feeling to once again antagonize her entire body. She shivered, almost as if her own body demanded to move but separately knew it was incapable of it, right up until the click of her door shutting made her want to jump a third time. Was it over? No, she was still stuck in this oppressive, persistent darkness, with only the moon barely peeking into the room and casting a small sliver of its light against the wall. Normally, this would be the point of where she'd suddenly wake up, almost breathless, the next morning, but it seemingly wouldn't be that easy this time. In fact, what happened next made the night so much worse. Out of the peripheral vision, a tall, shadowy form approached the center of her sight, looming over her. It seemed formless, and yet it wasn't. Solid, yet insubstantial. The dark of its shape shifting around slowly, like a bucket of worms squirming, or a pit of snakes writhing. Once again, though, it wasn't that. There was nothing, almost an absence of anything at all in the shape of something. However, either because she couldn't help herself in wanting to know what she was being subjected to, or simply had a pang of curiosity over what was terrifying her, she looked further up the creature. There, she was a pair of yellow... eyes, she wanted to believe. If anything, calling them eyes was incorrect. Whatever was there mimicked the idea of eyes, but even by just a glance, one could tell that something was amiss. The questionably formless thing loomed over her, staring down at her own eyes, as if gazing deep into her soul. It tilted what seemed to be its head to the side slightly, almost as if it were trying to get a better look. Was it trying to judge how scared she appeared? Was this thing trying to terrify her for its own pleasure? Or was there something more sinister involved in this horrible game it was playing? Before any answer could come to her, the thing reached out to her with what looked like a set of claws, getting closer to her own face. It was then, all so suddenly, she managed to gain some semblance of control, intentional or not, and was able to slam her eyes shut, plunging her world into true darkness and blotting out the vision before her, ending the nightmare. -o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o- She woke up with a sudden gasp, ripping away from the bed sheets that once wound her like a cocoon. She hyperventilated for a moment, trying to gain control of herself, feeling the rush of blocked sensations coming back to her all at once. Overstimulated, she sat on the bed, trying to process everything that had happened, feeling utterly exhausted from it all, more so than she ever had before. She looked about the room, and at first glance, everything seemed right. The morning rays peaked out from behind the curtains, tipping the walls with patches of light, giving off a sense of peace and tranquility that she was missing all night long. Her breathing soon slowed and her heart followed suit. Hopping off the bed, she suddenly crouched low to the floor and ripped away the dangling sheets that obscured the underside of her bed to gaze into the darkness beneath. Once again, there was nothing but the inky blackness of shadow, and a few dust bunnies, although they seemed to have moved a little. Probably from whatever push of air that happened from her activity in her room while tending to her project. With a shake of her head, she let go of the sheet and rose back to her full height, giving a stretch to work out the kinks, only to find her unwanted rigor was not going away. Not properly, anyway. Whatever happened in that nightmare had caused her body to actually ache from the stiffness it still had, reflecting how hard she fought just to move in the dream. She gave a shaky sigh, trotted out of her room and entered the bathroom. The dark circles were bolder today, and the redness of her eyes were just as present as ever before. With a quick rinse of her mane and wash of her face, she returned to her room and grabbed her shades. While she wasn't planning on going anywhere today due to how she was feeling, she still found comfort in wearing them. Besides, even though she wasn't in the mood to cook for herself, she still had... A thought hit her like a freight train. She forgot to put the left over pizza away. She glanced around the room, on decks, her bed, shelves, the surface of drawers, and even the floor, but couldn't find the box anywhere. The pizza was gone. Maybe she placed it somewhere else? She ran out of her room and began to search. The living room was clean. The kitchen was clean. The dining room... She froze as she looked at the dining room. The chairs were neatly pushed back into place. All extra condiments were removed and seemingly put away. The fruit bowl was tidied up and sat at the center as if it were untouched. The table was clear of dishes, and wiped spotless. She knew for a fact she left it alone ever since breakfast. Another chill raced down her spine, stronger than it ever had been before. She slowly approached the front door of the house and checked the lock. It was entirely untouched. Then, another thought crossed her mind. Vinyl then returned to the kitchen and opened the icebox. There, the pizza box sat, properly closed and placed inside with care, still with a couple slices remaining. She never moved it there. Her vision was then pulled towards the sink. It was empty, save for signs of use such as residual soap and droplets of water. The dish rack held the clean dishes aloft, drying in the morning air. Then, she heard a creaking noise come from her room. Her heart stopped. Was what she saw last night really all just a dream? She raced back to her room, hurriedly shoving the door open, almost as if she were trying to catch whomever or whatever was here. But, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Even when she checked under the bed a second time, there as nothing but darkness. Rising back up and feeling more frustrated than scared, she noticed something at the corner of her eye. Approaching her deck, she found all of the dials, nobs, and sliders were reset to their proper positions, waiting for the next session. She knew for a fact that she didn't touch them after she finished last night. Something touched them. Something was definitely here in her room. Her heart raced, but not out of fear this time. Sick of the nightmares and sick of feeling helpless, she stormed out of the house, intending to hit up the library to help formulate a plan of attack, and perhaps catch a nap to get some vigor back. Whatever was going on was ending tonight. She would make sure of that.