Twilight has a migraine.
Migraines can be quite bad.
Weird experimental piece that took third place in Seer's Spookfest - a Quills and Sofas speedwriting contest that took place over a year ago. It was originally written in 75 minutes, and this version has a new ending ;)
Thanks very much to the lovely folks who read and commented during my first ever speedwrite: Mousse, The Legendary Bill Cipher, applezombi, Vis-a-Viscera, Seer, rice, Red, Equus, Novelle Tale, Silent Whisper, Buttery Biscuit, Emotion Nexus, Sweet Banana, Zontan, Hat Man, and Flashgen. I'm so glad I met you all!!
Chapters (1)
I absolutely loved this story. To say it has been influential is an understatement. The disorienting plot is expertly executed, never once being confusing but always disconcerting. There is an underlying horror here that is its own unique form, one I can only hope to crudely replicate in my own writing. Bravo, Mushroom!
Woah. Sure am glad I don't get these now.
11021383
I'm flattered more than I can say. We'll have to collaborate on some horror one of these days - really give this site a scare ;)
Thank you so much, Aurora!! That means the world coming from you, a massive influence in my own horror and grimdark writing
I remember when you entered this in the contest. Definitely one of the strangest and strangely terrifying stories I've read in Q&S. Great to see it published!
Hi, migraine sufferer here, WHAT THE BUCK?
This was so unsettling and I loved it! Hopefully I never turn people into dolls while having one.
I get the slight horror elements, especially at the end, but this is overall just really relatable.
Migraines? Twilight dear, that's called a dissociative episode.
Can confirm. Migraines suck the anal glands of a dickweasel.
The description sounds like Twilight was suffering a very mild seizure(I know that migraines technically qualify as a seizure, but this seemed a bit more serious, something akin to a petite mal seizure).
......i don't get it.
11022005
My guess is, in her migraine-compromised state, Twilight wound up losing control of her magic just like she did at her entrance exam, and turned a good portion of the town into different creatures/things. And now she has to go around town and undo what she did.
11021622
Where'd you learn that? I've been to two different doctors and my wife has epilepsy, they've never told us of a connection
Looked like a stroke to me, I thought she was dead in the end there xD
11022079
I dated a guy for a while who got pretty bad and frequent migraines. One day he didn't seem to respond to anything thing and I freaked out and called 911. The ER doc said that migraines are very mild non-epileptic seizures and that I did the right thing by calling an ambulance as that migraine he was suffering was bad enough to potentially trigger a more serious seizure. Also the anti-manic medication I'm on for the treatment of bipolar disorder is also used to treat migraines and non-epileptic seizures. The doctor who prescribes the meds for me told me that migraines are a very mild non-epileptic seizure that can under the right circumstances, trigger a much more serious seizure.
11022367
Welp...I've got a new fear! :D (seriously tho, thanks for the info, I won't be totally losing it if that ever happens to me.
This was excellent as a speedwrite and excellent now!
I really love how the gradual, decaying wrongness suffuses everything until it's gone from normal to grotesque in the blink of an eye.
i.imgflip.com/5rc52w.jpg
I love the implications of the ending so much.
Very experimental and trippy, and wonderfully horrifying because of it.
God it's been a while since I read this - I'm glad it got published. You do such a great job of just describing it, with all the "almosts" and the ever-shifting, often opposing sensations and descriptions. Great job, mushroom.
I'm glad I've never experienced a migraine befor, and I feel sorry for anyone who does.
11022040
The worst part of this theory is that Twilight has apparently had this happen multiple times, and still kept denying that there was a problem.
yo what the fuck I'm loving how grotesque this is and how absolutely right of a sense you have on how to write that
11022040
Ah, okay then.
Took me a moment to realise the implications of the outcome. And just… Jesus…
Well done.
Howdy, Hi!
This was a super fun horror read. Well, "fun" for a given definition. I love the imagery and sense of dread that permeates the entire text. I find that in horror vivid writing of a scene and the senses of the character is always the way to go since it heightens the sense of terror of the piece. I was really drawn in by the descriptions and thought processes of Twilight through the fic.
That ending too. It implies so many different things. An entire essay could be written about solely that ending and even then I don't think everything could be possibly understood about it. The vagueness and strangeness of the entire piece just lent to such a wonderful horr experience.
Absolutely excellent read, thank you kindly~!
ooh, that is a disquieting line! love the way it echoes throughout the fic, too.
this does make me think of how writers tend to overuse "darling" for Rarity compared to her canon self. commentary!
well this is just great. what is an "almost-hat" even going to be like? especially since anything worn on the head could be thought of as a "hat". so much unease with just the addition of a single modifier.
oof, and what a fantastic line to end on. the implication that all this has happened before , and would happen again, and her friends and Ponyville would never be any wiser. your vivid imagery and similes really work in this story's favor here, with so many little details being off in ways that makes me think i understand just what was there before Twilight's migraine magic changed it, but also not sure. excellent work here, Mushroom! exactly the kind of horror i enjoy reading
To say this was well written would be an understatement.
To say this was an excellent read would also be another understatement.
In just two thousand words, you managed to fit an almost perfect horror story.
That ending...it really could mean a lot of things, couldn't it? So much things to unpack in this story, and so much things to note. The fact that Twilight has had this problem before and refused to ask for help is intruiging. I really liked the story, and what it portrayed. Thanks for writing!
The implication that this has happened before and is reversible provides some comfort. The implication that for an entire day, any surviving ponies across town found their loved ones replaced with things that "almost" resemble ponies — not so comforting.
i really like a fic that can just smack me in the face, all wet and visceral
that's always been my favorite feature of your fics; they're so tactile
they are stories i can almost feel
I do not quite understand what happened, but it was very interesting.