Knock. Knock.

by Arreis Of Avalon

.... --- -- .

I stand up, taking a deep breath. Back to hell.

I glance around. Been awhile since I saw this room. It was back when that pony with a box on its head stood behind me to scare me. How… long ago had that been? I had lost all track of time. Odd.

The room looks so familiar. A bedroom. It looks clinical. There are drawings all over the walls, as though a child was here. I shake my head and go into the next room. Twist. Flash. Blink.

A bed appears. Just like… last time? How long ago was it?

I shut off the light behind me and head into the next room, a sense of unease rising in my chest. It seems darker in this room. I quickly turn the light on.

...has to admit the obvious, but he doesn’t know how. It’s beyond him.

Who? Was it the lonely God? Was it S… that peculiar name that began with S that stuck out in my mind? My father? My ancestors? “Who,” I ask to the darkness. Only darkness responds. I huff, frowning. Typical.

I blink and my clock appears. I cling to the time, eager to continue. I want this to end, quickly. I just want it all to stop.

I want to go back home.

Lightning strikes nearby. The winding makes the Old God angry. Well, screw him.

I turn off the light and head to the next room. Twist. Creak. Flash. I blink and nothing substantial appears. Some old scattered pages of some old forgotten book and that fainting couch I now recall.

My memories are returning.

Down a level. Twist, as always. Creak, creak. Flash, blink. My eyes shoot open as I make a connection. “This is all crawling out from the inside. Not crawling in from the outside at all.” That makes perfect sense. I’d been patching up holes and yet they kept getting inside. To stop this, once and for all, to stop the monsters (was that what they were?) from coming inside, I had to stop it, myself. “The horror from the woods is in my house.”

I am the horror.

It starts and ends with me.

My heart steels with determination. I blink and feel it - a breach. The Old God has heard my revelation and wants a word with me. I hear knocking, distantly. There is a ringing in my ears.

I kill the lights and go upstairs.

Blink.

N-----nnnnow I knoow w-w---yyy…

The lights are off when I open them. That had sounded like… Lightning flashes, lighting my way. I ignore the lights.

Upstairs. I turn this single one on to see if this is the room with the Old God.

I open my eyes. A clock, and on the wall, constellations. I don’t recall putting those there.

You picked the wr00--ng house.

I keep winding. Why do they speak to me? What are they trying to do? Help? Hinder? When I touch them, I die - sometimes. If they find me, I start again, I slip deeper into my insanity--

Insanity, a memory! This will be where it gets me, here, in my domain, on my own head be it, where be it as it may, I will control my own destiny.

I wind. Dawn approaches. I will be free. Down.

Play!

“Not now, Pinkie,” I hear someone say. Who was Pinkie? I lick my lips.

To the right and up. I ignore the bed and the eyes that gaze up at me from the floor. The light flashes on and a telescope appears. More constellations and this time faces in the moon. They turn their gaze my direction.

Why?

I gasp - it is beside me. I stumble back, feeling the caress of the forest on my hoof. I shiver. “Forest debris,” I mutter. “Leaves. Earth. Bone.” The light flickers off.

I move to the next room. Twist. Creak.

He watches.

Finally.

I fix the light and he leaves. “NO!” I growl, stamping my hoof down, my candle shaking in my magic. I wanted to know! I needed to know!

No matter. No matter at all, I would - the time would come, when it would be just right.

I wind the clock that appears. Many of these tonight… It does not give me much time. Another breach appears. Would that God not leave me alone? This is another chance, however.

I blink and the door to that area slams shut. The light bursts. Wha…

I stumble back in fright as I see… myself walk through the closed door, mumbling.

… Is that truly what I look like? My fur is grey, my eyes dead. My mane is wild. I look so tired, and in my magic is a laughing, lightless candle. I run from it, uncertain - touching the other monsters caused me death. Would I cause death as well?

I shiver as my Alter passes through me on it’s way to the light. I grow less horrified and more… curious. I follow it. It twists a light on. “I-iii -- inally b-back!” It says this in a poor approximation of my voice.

I continue to follow it, my curiosity keeping the best of me. “Ff-finally I’m home,” it says monotonously. No, this is not my home. I am not that… happy sounding about my predicament. I am not so content.

This is a trick.

I go straight to the door and attempt to open it, ignoring the Alter as it vanishes.

KNOCKAKNOCKKNOCKKNOCK!!!

I scream, gasping as the house shakes. The God sends a clear message. There is a task I must do before I can enter through there.

I glance at the new Alter that has formed.

… I know what the God wants. I gulp and stand, walking to where the Alter stands. It watches me a moment before stepping into the same position I am in.

“And now… I’m home.”

I shiver as it disappears. I look down at my grey fur and sigh. My candle shakes and quivers in my magic. I have played his game now. Time for my part of the bargain.

I walk back and open the door, my head pounding. There is no knocking. It is just me.

Only me home.

I blink after I twist the lights, acting without thinking. A clock appears. I don’t wind it. I keep walking.

Next room. Twist. Blink. Clock.

I don’t wind.

I will wait for it.

… Morning comes. The sun rises. There is no sight of the God. But I know he is there. He is always watching.

I awaken.

Author's Note:

Welcome the guests
Set the table: put the plates and cups on it. In the center, a simple round loaf of bread. You can cover the cups with pieces of paper or dead maple leaves. Don't turn off the light but do close your eyes. Imagine the faces of people that appear at the table, one after the other.
These are your guests.