//------------------------------// // Chapter 22: American Psycho // Story: Hatred of the Anti-Brony // by Angrywritingskills //------------------------------// My first morning in the homeless shelter and I was off to a great start. I woke up pretty early and got straight to business. I ate some breakfast which was more than what I expected to be served. If I knew that there were homeless shelters I would never have been an anarchist. Heck, I probably wouldn’t have traveled the American Midwest if I knew I could live in a place like this. This is truly the way I should have been living my life. It makes me wonder about things; if all those years of travel were for nothing. Five years ago, when I ran away, I always thought it was just me from then on out. I had to do everything myself. The little money I made from pawning stuff and working quick odd jobs barely got me what I needed to survive on. I’ve shoveled shit and cleaned bathrooms in places that seemed like the rest of civilization had forgotten. And now I’m learning that all I had to do to move away from that was ask and there were people to help me. Wait, now I remember why I’ve never expected help. Help was being offered by ponies back where I came from. I can recall all those programs that people like me could enter to get a better life. I know better and it’s obvious they are pony brainwashing facilities. The whole ‘find your cutie mark’ thing I’ve heard about once or twice seems to be some kind of way to put us through their indoctrination. Again those ponies ruined me by trying to deceive me. I hate them so much. Well that life is behind me for the most part. I will still have the scars but I can start anew. Although technically not anew since I’m going down a dark path that started with the death of Fluttershy but at least I’m doing better than ever. And on the brighter side I’m making new acquaintances to make it easier to live here. New friends mean new opportunities. And sure Twilight is probably gunna kill them like she did Darius and the anarchists, but they’ll keep me company for now. Don’t wanna talk to myself all day, that shit is just creepy. “So it’s not a good idea to be a crack dealer?” I asked again for clarification. “Correct.” My new friend, Rodney said. He’s a drug dealer and he’s my newest friend. “If you do it would be bad for everyone.” “I still don’t see why.” “Alright how about I explain because Rod is being a pussy.” Said Rodney’s friend, Derek. I’m not really friends with him since even with my brief talk he’s kind of an asshat. But Rod is okay. “Alright I’m listening.” I said. “If you try and deal anything illegal in this town.” Derek explained. “We’re gunna kill you; you stupid honky.” “Yeah what he said, honky.” Rodney said with a nod. “Rod. You too?” I said shying back. “Yeah man.” Rod nodded. “It’s just not a smart business move. We own these corners right now and we’re trying to expand. It’s just business you know?” “JIM!” I heard Jess suddenly yell from across the café. “What are you doing?” “I’m making friends!” I yelled back. “Don’t make friends with them!” Jess shouted. “They’re idiots!” “I don’t know! They’re pretty cool to me!” Jess just waved her hand. “Hey.” Derek reached across the table and grabbed me. “Jess is kind of hot right? I mean just look at her ass. Look quickly, she’s turning around.” Derek turned my head and I got a pretty nice view of ass. “Yeah take a good look.” Derek hissed. “Because you’re never gunna get it.” He threw me back and I sat back in my seat across from him. “You think because she’s talking to you that she’s interested? No way man! As soon as some other bum walks in here, bam, you’re replace.” “Uh, Jesus Christ, you’re going on about this again.” Rodney shook his head. “Look new guy. Jim is it? Don’t go falling in love with her. Sure she’s acting nice but she does that with everyone. Derek here made that mistake and while it was hilarious, I guess it pissed him off.” Derek scrounged his face and pouted. “Gee, well look guys. I have no intention of getting into a relationship.” I explained. “There’s no way some girl will wanna date me. Come on I’m a bum off the street with no cash. What am I gunna do; take her to a movie?” Rodney laid back. “You got a point there. You’re alright I suppose. Got your head in the right spot. Unlike some people I know.” Rodney gave Derek a little slap on the back of the head. “Whatever white boy.” Derek responded. “Just don’t push drugs around our street and we won’t have to stomp ya.” “Actually don’t push drugs at all.” Rodney said. “Just a word of advice. Buddy of ours got hauled off. Took em all the way to a North Carolina prison.” “That’s right I forgot they bring humans to prisons on Earth.” I said. “They sure as hell don’t want us here. Funny how at first they were all welcoming. I still remember the tourist commercials.” My comment seemed to hit something in Derek because he lightened up. “I know right.” He replied enthusiastically. “Fucking brats. If we humans all dropped dead one day, them ponies would not bat one eye.” “Oh I know.” I shook my head. “Ponies are man’s number one enemy.” “Do both of you really believe that?” Rodney asked. “Look I know it seems that they aren’t helping us but they’re not hurting us. At least not intentionally.” “Huh yeah right!” I stood up. “Do you know what they’ve done already? Ask them about what happened to 8-Set. I was fucking there. I was driving the car he got shot in. I was” But before I could finish my sentence I was cut off when my hand twisted in a way it wasn’t supposed to. I squawked in pain before something pushed my head into the table. “Hey Jim. Can I talk with you for a second?” Jess sounded pissed. I nodded in pain and she took me away. When we were behind place they served food at, away from everyone else, she let me go. “So uh, that sure is a grip you got there.” I commented rubbing my sore wrist. Why does everyone seem to like twisting this thing? “Thank you.” Jess smiled. “You learn to keep a tight grip on people here.” Her smile faded. “Which is what I wanted to talk to you about; the people here. Listen punk. Don’t go around spreading your hateful messages. These people don’t need it. Lot of them are misguided enough. Some are drunkies and some are just wack jobs. Bottom line is nobody needs to be inspired to do something dumb.” “You know I’m confused Jess.” I said while still rubbing my wrist. “I’ve been spending time talking to people here. Got to know few names. There this German guy named Erik that I talked to and this marine veteran named Jones.” “Yeah I know them.” Jess said. “Your point?” “Well from talking with them I learned some things. I learned that all of them aren’t very fond of ponies.” “Well congrats Jim.” Jess hissed. “You’re now caught up with everyone else. You learn that life in Equestria doesn’t really shimmer?” “Well actually I knew that.” I informed her. “I just didn’t think that anyone else knew. I’ve always been surrounded by bronies. You know, people that fantasize about the taste of Twilight Sparkle’s asshole.” “Yeah no one does that here I hope.” Jess sounded a bit disgusted. “Point is you’re wrong about our relations with the horses. They aren’t fond of us as well. But they kind of got an excuse with some wacko sniping them.” “If they didn’t want us then why let us into their country?” “I don’t know Jim!” Jess raised her voice. “Listen, things are confusing these days. But all I know is that I’m helping people and that’s all that matters. Now you know that this place closes in a few minutes.” Jess picked up a purse next to her and retrieved some car keys from it. “Hope you have something to do. Don’t hang out in front of the shelter either. If I find out you did that then you can sleep in the alleyway for a night. This isn’t your hideout. There’s a no loitering sign you know!” “Alright I won’t.” I complied. Actually I have no idea what to do today. Only thing that was really on my agenda was to meet people, and the only reason I did that was because Jess told me to. Now I really have nothing to do. I could get a job but that seems stupid since some of the people I’ve talked to haven’t had a job in months. They just live here basically. Which is what I plan to do but I can’t tell that to her. “Actually I think I’m gunna just walk around town.” I told Jess. “Good Jim.” Jess said. “Find a job somewhere. Lots of businesses accept walk-ins these days.” Alright bullshit. If they did then I would have been employed in my stay here. I’ve checked most of them want you to register. It ain’t like Earth where you could walk in and get paid under the table. Prissy ass ponies need their documentation. Bunch of bureaucratic cunts in ya ask me. I left the shelter at around ten. I was probably one of the first out. Out on the streets again I got a bit nervous. Police are technically still looking for a murder and I have no idea what they know. The only thing that really makes me less tense is I’m not wearing that jumpsuit of mine. Gave it to Jess for laundry so I’m just wearing the clothes that Darius gave me. Sneakers, sweatpants, and a t-shirt shouldn’t be too suspicious. Making my way downtown, walking quickly down the sidewalk I was on the lookout for something to do. The sky was clear and the sun was shining so it was a beautiful day even if it isn’t supposed to be this way. Middle of autumn and it felt like a mild July. Lots of people were traversing and they seemed to have a place to go. I felt strange being in a new place but it was a normal feeling I felt every time I go somewhere new. Manehattan reminds me a lot of when I lived in Las Pegasus. Like Las Pegasus there were cops regularly scene at most street corners which unnerved me. Seems that martial law is also in Manhattan. At least this is for an understandable reason since there were two murders here. Still I’m scared of all of them just patrolling around. It’s a mystery how Darius’s killers and I could get away with our deeds without getting immediately chased. Guess it shows how effective these cops are. Eventually I must have hit the market district because it looked like it was the nice part of town. I’ve been here with Darius but I don’t really know the area. So I went exploring. Not really sure why I’m here but I guess it probably has something to do with Jess telling me to get a job. Don’t think I’m getting one but this may be a fun place to hang. Or maybe it won’t since I’m flat broke. I believe I left all my money with Darius and it’s not like I can go back and get it. All I know is, I have no money but that’s okay since I’ve gone without it fine in the past. I guess it just means I can look but not touch. Still this does limit my options of what to do. It’s not like I can walk around all day. I can walk to clear my head but my head is pretty clear right now. Oddly, in a weird twist of fate, I found myself walking in the direction of the hotel that Darius and I stayed at. It was like there was a gravitational pull on it and I found myself going through the doors to the front lobby. It was just chance that I found it but a supernatural force that brought me inside. I was reminded of how classy this hotel was as my shoes clacked against the marble floors. There were pillars that showed class and everything just glowed with glamour. Around me people and ponies were dressed sharply which made me feel out of place in my sweatpants and everything. I just look like some dirty guy off the street. Surprised they haven’t called the cops on me. Darius was really living the high life before he got shot. It’s really inspiring that someone that grew up with nothing can get to a place like this through hard work and luck. I’m so glad that he made it without me. I felt so guilty leaving him all those years after I made a promise. But I guess I made the right choice. And now, I must avenge him. I decided suddenly that I wanted to explore this place. Since I’ve never been in a real expensive hotel before, it might be a cool place to see. So I enter an elevator with this other business man looking guy. I briefly stared at the man and he gave me a brief nod. I grinned with glee. Not because I liked the guy but because he acknowledged me. When we got off he jumped out and made his way rather quickly down the hall. I watched him and I noticed that he met up with a bunch of other men in suits. Then they all entered a single room. I passed by the room and realized that it was the room that Darius and I were in. Those men must have been police men. Scared out of my mind I bounded as far away from that place as possible. I know the saying goes that criminals always return to the scene of the crime but that doesn’t mean I’m gunna get caught. I went to another floor I was so scared. As I got off on the tenth floor I passed by a pony. We were all alone and this made me go into a flashback. It was of the junkie I killed. Like this situation we were all alone and I felt like a predator. Could I do it? It seems easy enough. Just grab its mouth so it can’t scream and suffocate it with a garbage bag from a trash can down the hall. It’s that simple. But I let the pony walk since it was obvious that if I attacked it then I would be screwed. So I watched it walk away kicking myself for being a coward. If I want to avenge Darius or whatever it is I want, then I need to start but getting active. That’s when I got the idea to kill again. It was a liberating idea and I loved it. Only problem is how I will do it. Unlike last time I have no weapon and then there’s how I will escape. Can’t escape into the night this time. Logic tells me that this is stupid. Actually fuck logic right now. Logic is for pussies and it’s only held me back. I walked down the hall and as luck would have it I found an open door. Nobody was in the room as far as I could tell. A devious idea hopped into my head. What if I just waited for whoever was in there to come home and then I killed them? The idea was so scary it gave me goose bumps. Looking both ways down the hall I saw no one looking so I tip toed into the room. I walked past the bathroom and noted that a human housekeeper was cleaning. She was bent over the toilet so she couldn’t see me yet. That would change if I stayed out in the open so I quickly looked for cover. I found it in the form of the closet that all these rooms seem to have. The closets are pretty deep and I could fit in there easily. So I snuck in and to my relief the door slid open and closed without a squeak. Now the waiting game occurs. Now the only thing I can count on is luck. I’m gunna be lucking if that housekeeper doesn’t check this closet and even more lucky if I can pull this off. My plan is to just clonk the pony to death like last time. Maybe nobody will listen to the screams and sounds of struggle. I just hope a pony is occupying this room. Eventually the housekeeper left but by that time a bad thought had entered my mind. What if this person was human? I don’t want to kill a human. Not only will that be tough for me but it is also something I am unwilling to do. So I pray that whoever is in this room is a four legged equine. A buzz was running up my neck that I couldn’t really explain. I reached back to my neck and decided that I should sit so I wouldn’t be tired when the moment comes. As I sat back something hard hit my back. But by the feel of it I knew it wasn’t the wall. It must have been some article of clothing but I soon discovered it wasn’t; it moved. Instantaneous shock went up my body and before I knew it I had two long arms around me. A hand covered my face and legs wrapped around my own legs stopping me from moving. A tight grip and I was pretty immobilized with fear was sinking in. The only thing keeping me from freaking out was at least this person was human. But other than that I realized that I was not alone. Seems that I’m not the only one with a psychotic killer mind. I felt their head shift to my ear. “Be very quiet.” A man’s voice whispered. “I’m not going to hurt you so I need your cooperation.” He put his wrist in front of my face. An LED light shone the time. “It’s eleven. At any moment the owner will show up. Don’t make a noise. Barely breathe.” We sat together in silence. My mind raced with fear and the want to just run away. But whoever has me has a tight grip. Even if I tried to escape I’m too afraid of what will happen. There’s no doubt that he might have some kind of weapon on him. And if he’s telling me the truth, then I may not want to move less I startle the owner. The identity of this man is unknown. He’s wearing regular clothes and he’s tall; that’s all I can gather. What else is he is gripping me pretty tightly. This is just fantastic. I’m being held hostage by another killer. I was supposed to be doing this to the victim. After a few minutes he talked again. “Alright I’m gunna let you go. Don’t move. For the love of God don’t move.” He slowly let me go and I did as he told me. This guy must have been a professional or something because he moved so smoothly and quietly. It reminded me of water almost how his body contorted to squeeze past me. Then there was how his feet hit the floor without a sound. Looking at him I wonder how successful I would have been if I had tried it. After about another minute I was going to shift to a crouching position when there was a creaking noise. I looked through the closet door and saw a figure walking by with bags. To my relief it was a pony, a stallion to be exact, that came. This was good since it meant I didn’t come here for nothing. But now I wonder what will happen next. Who is this guy and what is he doing here? Obviously it’s the same purpose as what I was planning to do but what is he gunna do about me? If he turns on me then I’ll be screwed. No way I’m gunna be able to out run a guy this tall. He’ll be on top of me before I can exist the door. My question was answered soon. When the pony’s back was turned, the man slowly slid open the closet door. As soon as there was enough room he leapt out and what happened next blew my mind. Immediately, I saw through the blinds, the man grabbed the pony’s head and back legs. He then picked it up and held it sideways and forcefully brought its back onto his leg. I believe that’s a wrestling move called the backbreaker. I felt a rush of excitement; the same rush I felt when I was doing that murder. I too exited the closet to get closer look. The man had the pony dazed and with a burst of strength he slammed it on the bed and climbed on top of it. Still having his hand over its mouth, he had it at his mercy. I was in shock and awe. Here I was witnessing a murder attempt and I loved it. It felt so right to see this creature be brought down and to have it experience fear. What made it better was it was a human doing it. I want to be like this guy. Suddenly the man began beckoning me. “Watch how this is done.” He kind of ordered. I watched as he pulled out a knife from his back pocket. It looked small but I’m guessing it’ll get the job done. He placed the knife on the tip of the pony’s nose. “What are you gunna do?” I asked. The man turned to me. His expression said it all. There was this look of sadistic joy as he smiled and brought the knife to the pony’s throat. “This.” He grinned before carefully laying the knife on the pony’s throat and slicing it open. There was this frightening gurgle and a spurt of blood and then the carnage began. He began stabbing and slicing at the body. The chest, the neck, and he even went through one of the eyes. It was so gruesome and yet I couldn’t take my eyes away. He seemed to love it as the pony looked more mangled with each stab. This is something out of a horror film. This guy is like Michael Myers or something. He’s so deranged yet so careful in what he’s doing. I can see there is a pattern he’s performing. It goes stab, then slice, then stab, then slice. The pony’s eyes were rolled back in its skull. It looks dead and I’ve seen my share of the dead. Its limbs were curled up and its mouth hung open. The man on top of the pony stood up and got off. He hobbled over to the opposite bed and sat down on it. There was a tremendous amount of sweat on his face as he seemed to take a moment for himself. This man looked late twenties at most. What shocked me was how lanky and tall he was. Should’ve been a basketball player instead of a murderer. “Aaaaaaaaah.” He moaned deeply with a hint of passion. “That was different.” He looked at me. “Name’s Drake, sweetie.” “Alright, my name’s Jim.” I replied holding out my hand. He didn’t take it. “Sorry but I’m kind of drenched don’t ya think?” He said slyly. I quickly took back my hand. He was covered in blood I noticed. It speckled his face and soaked his shirt. It smeared his hands and had dripped on his pants. Drake stood up. “I’m just gunna take a quick shower.” “Alright.” I nodded. “But what about the blood on your clothes?” Drake frowned and leaned into the closet we were hiding in. He brought out a plastic bag. “Brought a change of clothes just in case I got too crazy.” He stepped into the bathroom but poked his head out the door. “Feel free to check what this pony has. His shit is ours.” He disappeared and I heard the shower turn on. He poked his head out again. “Oh and no peeking. I know you want to.” “I won’t.” I said just sitting there. The fuck does he mean by that? While I was waiting I decided to do what he said. I first checked out the bags that the pony had brought in. There were mostly clothes which were completely useless to me. I can’t wear pony clothes so the bags were a waste. The rest of the room didn’t have much either save for the pony’s wallet. Seeing nothing else I decided to just watch so TV. I turned it on and flipped through the channels. Maybe there are some cartoons on or something. Instead I found what seemed to be a public address from the senate. Again it was Twilight Sparkle that was on the podium. “Citizens of Equestria.” She began. “For the past couple of years, Equestria has been under the dark veil of a corrupt and violent conspiracy.” She continued on but I wasn’t listening. It was all just jibber jabber to me and I could care less what that purple bitch had to say. I flicked the TV off unsatisfied. Drake walked out from the bathroom with a smirk on his face. He sat down next to me and was silent for a second. It was almost awkward. “So is this your first time or?” he asked. “My first like this.” I said. “I killed a pony about two days ago, maybe? That was my first time.” “Ah, I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve done this.” Drake replied. “So you’re a serial killer right?” I asked. “I really don’t like to call it that.” Drake seemed a bit nervous. “But yes I am.” “Thought so.” I said standing up and walking around a bit. “You seem like a professional. How you move and everything.” “Yeah just some skills I learned doing this for a while.” Drake shrugged. “This was gunna be different though. My plan was to kill the house cleaner and then dump both bodies in the bin the cleaners push around. But then you just had to come and mess everything up.” That plan sounds solid. I wouldn’t know but this guy seems to know what he’s saying. “Sorry that I messed up your plan then.” “Oh it doesn’t really matter. At least you’re cute.” He grinned. I got uncomfortable. “Uh anyways.” I looked the other way. “So what are you gunna do now? No one’s gunna find out. I don’t wanna go to jail.” “Whoa, whoa, calm down there Jimmy.” Drake moved to me. “We’re gunna be fine. Trust me.” He began to gently rub my arm. I yanked it away and took a step back. “Uh I think we should be going.” “Oh we should. Not safe to stay in one place for long. Especially with those guys checking out that rapper’s room.” Drake ran over to the pony. It was now starting to look dead and the color was draining from it. Blood just coated the top bed sheet. It was confined to the bed but there was a lot of it. I wonder how Drake was gunna cover this up. He approached the bed from one side and flipped the top sheet over the pony. After wrapping the body up like a mummy he continued to pick it up and walk towards the closet. “Good thing these comforters absorb blood so well. We’d be fucked if the blood got anywhere else.” Drake said walking over to the closet. He opened the closet door. “This is a common way you can hide a body. Just throw it in the closet like a dead hooker.” Drake smiled sadistically as he closed the closet door. “Is that it?” I asked. “Yep pretty much all we can do. I mean we just walk out from here on out.” “No that can’t be it.” I said. “We need to cover our faces, wipe this place down, and properly dispose of the body. What’s gunna happen when they come looking for this guy? There’s gunna find us. I’m not going to prison. We need to use logic. We need to disappear.” “You know you really need to relax.” Drake said soothingly. “Listen you’re new to this so I can understand the stress. I was just like you. But now that I know what I’m doing this is like second nature to me. We’ll be fine if you do as I say. Got that?” “Yeah alright.” I exhaled. “Let’s get out of here.” Drake and I proceeded to leave the hotel. Against my reasoning we went out the front door past the entire lobby. That was the moment I thought we would be caught but to my surprise we were fine. We even rode the elevator with those men that I saw go into Darius’ room. In the end we got out and were walking down the street like nothing had ever happened. This Drake character has some balls. I mean I haven’t met anyone who could just kill something with the knowledge that they could get in trouble and just walk away. It was inspiring to see him just walk right out of the hotel with not as much as a sweat. He’s brave but there’s something off about him. It’s not that he’s a serial killer it’s the way he does things. He seems kind of fruity to me. I mean he was calling me shit like sweetheart and saying I was cute. It’s probably nothing but he’s been trying to get awfully close to me. “Sooooo Jimmy.” Drake said playfully. “Uh, just Jim.” I corrected him. “Ah that’s no fun. We’re partners now buddy.” I don’t like the way he called us partners. “Alright.” I said sweating. “Um where are we going?” “Well it is noon.” Drake answered. “Let’s eat!” “You got money?” I asked. Drake reached into his pockets and took out a wallet. It was the same wallet the pony had. He took out the money and threw the wallet down a storm drain. “Looting is the best idea ever thought of.” He grinned. “See this.” He held a note of currency in front of me. It looked like a Euro but with a picture of Celestia’s face on it. God I hate that bitch. “That pony was loaded which is partly why I killed him.” Drake waved the dollar in front of me. “Heh, remember when they used to have gold coins as currency? Then they changed it to this flimsy dollar.” I’ve never ever seen Equestrian currency before. Yeah I’ve been using my American dollar so far since it works here like most currency from the world. From what I remember Equestrian was an economic disaster due to it being hard to adjust to the vast sums of the Earth’s per capita. The bit had to go, that was unanimous, but what would replace it was the troubling part. I guess a bill makes sense. “Yeah I’ve never seen a bit before in my life.” I said as Drake put the Equestrian dollar away. “I bet those bits are being hoarded somewhere I bet.” Drake said. “Hey let’s go there!” He pointed to a fast food restaurant. He leaned in next to me. “Us serial killers need to blend in. Trust me when I say no one looks for killers at Wendy’s.” “Why?” “I don’t know?” Drake responded. “Probably because they wouldn’t expect us in places that are so regularly commuted.” We sat down and got to eating. We talked and did the normal stuff that people do. I guess he’s technically my friend now. You kill together I guess you’re friends. We shared out lives. Well he did mostly I only gave a few things and the rest was made up. I told him how I’m from the states and how I ran away from home at eighteen. Didn’t say why or that I had mutilated a kid but I left it as I was unhappy. Told him about how I traveled around and eventually came to Equestria seeking a way to make up for lost time. I left out the part about the anarchists, Discord, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Danny, and Darius. So basically all the interesting parts of my life. I did tell him about my little murder of the pony junkie; he thought that was cool. He told me about his life too. Actually Drake has a really interesting life. Turns out he came to Equestria to escape a spree of killings he had done back home. He’s twenty seven but apparently he had started at twenty and couldn’t stop. He killed humans and some ponies before coming here. He got in legally, unlike me, and eventually even became an Equestrian citizen. From then on it’s been blood and guts. He’s learned to stalk and prey on ponies that he finds vulnerable. With his experience he hasn’t been caught. He’s been focusing mostly on ponies now since he’s grown a soft spot for humans here. I asked him how come he hasn’t been capture. He replied with a smirk and told me apparently that crime solving is a broken practice here. There aren’t too many skilled and ambitious detectives that are looking around. Nobody really pays attention to crime in Equestria. Then I was introduced to a grim reality. Why doesn’t anyone care about these heinous acts? It’s a simple answer. People don’t wanna hear it. In a country so filled with “love” and “friendship” people will turn a blind eye to the bad. I guess it’s a bread and circuses kind of thing like the Romans did. I don’t believe people are that ignorant though; ponies maybe but not us humans. It’s probably that the ponies are hiding things from us. With that interesting conversation fresh in my mind we set off to walk some more. I think I’ll stick with him for a while; got nothing better to do. But I’m beginning to see things differently. I used to think that bronies and their new ideology turned the world evil but maybe it’s always been this way. It’s like Zayn used to tell me; I just hate society. Too bad I know Zayn is wrong about everything. I know better than to be a pessimist. I just have to stick with my simple goal of killing ponies. At least I can ruin some pony’s family with a depressing death. We were walking again when we noticed something. “Hey what time is it?” I asked. “Oh it’s,” Drake reached into his pocket and retrieved a watch that he probably took from one of his victims. I say that because it was speckled with blood. “It’s four.” “Oh cool.” That means I can go back to the shelter. The hours there are ten to four so I’m definitely welcomed back there. “Hey, good news is I haven’t seen any cops for a while so I think we’re in the clear for now.” Drake said. “Congratulations you’re the only witness to another murder in Equestria.” He held out his hand and I shook it. “That’s cool.” He leaned in close to me. “If you ever tell anyone I’ll bite out your tongue.” He smiled strangely. “You’re not that tough.” I grinned back. “I just killed a pony!” “So did I and I didn’t have to use a knife.” I smirked. “Anyways I’m gunna spilt.” “Where you going?” He asked me. “Well you know I’m homeless.” I had told him earlier. “So I’m going to a shelter.” “Wow man so am I!” Drake lit up. “No way. You know Jess?” “Man she’s my home girl.” Drake jumped up. “Well then what are we waiting for? Man, why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Both of us ran to the shelter. It was has just recently opened so there weren’t anybody in there. We busted through the front door. When we got there Jess was setting here things down. “Hey Jess.” Drake ran over to her. “Oh Drake how great to see you.” Jess hugged him. “How are you? I didn’t see you come in last night.” “Yeah I was just doing some stuff.” He said. “You didn’t sleep on the street did you? You know you have a bed here.” “I know and I was fine. I even met a new friend.” He pointed to me. “Oh hey Jim.” Jess said noticing me. “You have any luck finding a job?” “Um no.” I said kind of embarrassed. “I kind of got distracted. Then I hung around with Drake.” “Oh really, and what were you guys doing?” Jess crossed her arms. “Oh just the usually.” Drake grinned. “And what would that be?” Jess questioned. There was a distinct suspicious tone in her voice. Almost immediately I get nervous and I saw Drake shift around a little bit. “Just what I normally do, except this time Jim tagged along.” Drake explained. “I know what you normally do.” Jess had her hands on her hips. “Well then you know I don’t do anything.” Drake was rubbing his hands together. “Liar.” Jess looked at me. “What exactly were you guys doing?” “Uuuuuh.” I just stared at her. Drake turned to look at me with this expression that told me to just make something up. He had this freaking out desperate face on. “We, we.” I struggled to come up with something. “We were getting some flowers.” Jess raised an eyebrow while Drake nodded his head; he seemed to want me to continue. “Yeah we were getting flowers for you.” I smiled. “Just wanted to show our appreciation for everything you’ve done.” Jess laughed. It sounded really sarcastic. “That’s horseshit. One, nobody here appreciates what I do and two; there is no way I’m going to believe that, Drake. I know how fucking messed up you are. How you go on these hunts. I’m just disappointed that you’ve decided to drag someone else into your mess.” “Actually he found me.” Drake held his hands up. “He stumbled onto the same target and watched. He’s just as responsible as me.” “Oh really?” Jess eyed me. “Jim I’m ashamed of you. I thought you’d be better than that.” “Oh he’s no saint.” Drake grinned. “He killed a pony the night before he came to the shelter. At least that’s what he told me.” “Drake God damn it!” I growled. “That was supposed to be a secret.” “Woops.” Drake smirked. “Alright both of you sit down.” Jess ordered. She sounded angry and by the way Drake hurried to seat himself I figured it would be a good idea to not object. “Now Jim.” She spoke to me first. “I’ve had to deal with this guy for a couple months now. I know all about his little escapades. I’ve had to hide him from time to time so he doesn’t get taken away.” “Really? Why?” I asked. “Do you support what he does?” “Of course not!” Jess stated. “But he’s a good guy. Just a bit disturbed. Besides he hasn’t really hurt anyone important. Actually the real reason is I know I couldn’t stop him if I wanted to. The point is he’s one of mine. As for you.” She pointed at me. “Drake went down a dark path. He’s addicted to killing just look at him.” I looked at Drake who instantly put on a dopey expression. “He doesn’t want a job, doesn’t want a partner, and doesn’t want anything but to kill. Is that the type of life you want?” I looked away. Even if she couldn’t tell she was asking something I was too afraid to answer. I thought about answering yes but it seems like I’ve already gone down this path that she described. It would be so hard to do anything else other than exact my revenge on pony kind if I just stopped now. My whole vengeance scheme is my life. It’s the reason I left my family and any chance of a successful life. And now I’m gaining the chance to try and make up for lost time. But if I continue on the path I’m heading then I’m throwing away this opportunity to no longer be this skill less loser I’ve become. It’s all too much at this moment. I just can’t make a decision. “Hey Jim.” Drake waved his hand in front of my face. “You okay? You seem a bit out of it.” “Sorry I was just thinking.” I replied snapping out of my trance. “Listen Jim I know we talked about all about you and I being partners. But now that I think about it, don’t follow in my footsteps. You could be so much more.” “I’ll consider that Drake.” I said. “Consider this.” Jess said still watching us. “Unless you want to be a gay homeless serial killer then I would start being more productive with your time.” “I will.” I assured her. Then it hit me. “Wait you’re gay?” I looked at Drake. “Yeah why?” “I didn’t know that!” I exclaimed. “Oh for Pete’s sake Jim.” Jess groaned. “He’s wearing a gay pride shirt." Drake pointed to his shirt to show the picture of a rainbow flag. I was shocked. “Well this explains a lot.” “We were cuddling in the dark.” Drake giggled to Jess. “Jim you said you weren’t gay.” Jess laughed . “I ain’t.” I retorted. “Really? Because you didn’t really struggle when I was holding you tight in that closet.” Drake purred. “I was afraid you were gunna slit my throat.” I tried to explain. “Sure you were. Buddy.” Drake put his arm around me. I took it off and scooted over a bit. By around six the shelter was pretty full. Most of the homeless had gathered back after doing whatever they had obligations to. I was still seated with Drake but this time I had more company. My two drug dealing friends, Rodney and Derek, had joined us. There was also my buddy Jones, the marine, and Erik the German. I had talked to those two briefly in the morning before talking to Rod and Derek. Apparently everyone loosely knew each other. “So if you joined us then we could have another street corner covered and we’ll just split the profits evenly.” Rodney said to Drake. “Well I appreciate the offer.” Drake replied. “But I’m not being a drug dealer. It just seems too boring. Maybe if there was more excitement. Because come on, I’m not gunna get shot at by some rival drug dealer now am I? Now that would be fun!” “It’s not about fun. It’s about the cash.” Derek explained. “Think about it. All the shit you could buy with a steady salary.” “I get by with what I acquire.” Drake said. “You’d be surprised what actively killing can get you.” “Can I just say that it’s fucked up that you would let him become a drug dealer and not me?” I stepped into the conversation. “Well that’s because you don’t look the part.” Derek sneered. “Yeah nobody would take you serious like they would him.” Rodney pointed to Drake. “He’s tall and mean. You’re kind of short and clean.” “Hell even Jones here would be a better dealer than you.”Derek said. “Too bad he’s too big of a wimp to do it.” “I just don’t wanna end up in jail like you two idiots because that’s what’s gunna happen eventually.” Jones responded. “Hey Erik you wanna be a dealer?” Derek asked. “Nobody will ever expect a tiny European like yourself to be dope dealing.” “Fuck you.” Erik sneered. “I don’t know. I think Jim would be a good dealer.” Drake spoke up. “No no.” Rodney shook his head. “See you really need to be vicious in this industry. Man you can’t be a pushover. Jim here looks like a bitch. No offense.” “Jim’s killed before.” Drake said laid back. “What are you talking about man?” I asked. “I’m talking about how you hit a pony to death with only a brick.” Drake stated with a grin. I leaned over to whisper something to him. “Hey how about you not tell people about that.” I whispered. Drake scowled at me before standing up. “Hey this guy’s a murderer!” He yelled so the whole café could hear. “He killed some pony!” He sat back down and smirked. “See no one cares.” I groaned. Suddenly, without any warning, something crashed through a window at the front of the café. Everyone stood up wondering what was going on. Outside there was what sounded like a bunch of people. It was an angry sound like an ocean hitting cliffs. Everyone rushed to the windows to see what was happening. I stay backed with Drake and Jones. They were the only ones to not go. Alright I was startled. “What’s happening?” I asked. “Well it seems like they’re back.” Drake sighed. “Just like they said they would.” “I’ll get Jess.” Jones said standing up and walking off. I walked to one of the less crowded windows and struggled to get a glimpse of what was happening. After pushing myself I looked out. What I saw was something out of a movie. There must be a thousand or so people out there. They were chanting and protesting. Some of them had signs that they waved back and forth. All of them were shouting and looked furious. What struck me was there were mostly ponies in the crowd. There were humans mixed in but seventy percent or so were ponies. This was unbelievable I never thought I’d see a crowd of ponies act like this. Usually they were portrayed as being a peaceful species. But here they were screaming and holding up signs that could only be described as hate messages. What could cause a stir like this? I back away, partly in shock, and made my way to a wall to lean against. It was so chaotic out there and I was scared. Right now I honestly think that maybe there’s gunna kill us. Unlikely I know but from the energy in that crowd, anything is possible. I wouldn’t be surprised if they stormed in here and hung us all. They’re acting like a damn lynch mob. I saw Jess come out from the hallway with all the bed rooms. She looked pissed. Jones walked up to her probably to inform her of what’s going on. “I know, I know, I can hear them.” She said quickly walking towards the door. I walked to her. “Jess, what’s happening?” I asked. “Not now Jim.” She said taking out a key from her pocket. “Right now I need to make sure everyone is safe. I can’t believe they threw brick through the window.” She stood against the door and looked to the people in the shelter. “Everyone just sit down and stay calm. We’ve all been through this before.” She began to slowly open the door. I peered out the forming opening to get another look. “Jim get out of here.” Jess ordered. My instinct to disobey kicked in. I’m curious; I want to know what I going on. “No.” I said defiantly. “I wanna see what’s happening.” Jess groaned as I tried to exit the door. She stopped me. “Drake!” She called to the lanky man. He bounded over. “Drake grab Jim, make sure he doesn’t leave.” “Why should I?” Drake put on this mischievous grin. “Let the newbie see how our kind are treated here.” “Drake this is no time to argue with me?” Jess growled. “Please!” I pleaded. “I’ll be fine. I can handle myself. I’ve killed a pony before you know.” “Damn it fine!” Jess began opening the door. “But be careful.” She said before I could exit. “I ain’t gunna protect you and these ponies, Jim. These ponies will kill you. Do not mention you’re homeless and don’t mention you came from here. I’m gunna go talk to the person who is coordinating this and see if I can get him to lay off. If not I’m calling the cops. Drake.” She turned to him. “Can you keep everyone under control like last time?” “Yeah everything should be fine.” Drake replied. “Go get em girl. And Jim, beat another one over the head for me.” I smiled. Jess didn’t. “Don’t do as he says.” She pushed me out the door. I turned to face the crowd that was amassed just about twenty yards away from the front staircase. Jess turned around and locked the front door. We were on our own from here on out.