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Running 1,242 words
Sneak Peak27 words

Running

Carrot Top ran as fast as she could, screeches and screams reverberating behind her. They had attacked.

Those dreadful creatures had attacked, and now they were hunting her. And all she could do was run. She tried to double her running speed, her hooves almost flying over the grass. She could see the forest edge; she was almost there. Many had said the Everfree Forest was a danger, but at this point, it was better than being in town.

She hit the forest brush at breakneck speed. The trees and bristly plants scratched against her fur and slapped against her face. After going through the brush, she came to halt, looking around at the dark and horrifying forest. She glanced up at the trees that stretched out far in the air. Finally able to catch her breath, she listened, listened for the horrible shrieks and the sounds of their approach.

Nothing. Not so much as a bird call could be heard. The only thing to greet her was the darkness that seemed to be dancing along the ground, in a battle with the small patches of sun that managed to sneak through the canopy.

She walked over and sat down at the base of a large tree, pausing to regain her breath and look over her situation, thinking back to what brought her here in the first place.

The Royal guard had been sent across all of the town to warn of the oncoming danger, to take the foals out, and then they said they would come back for the rest of them. However, by then, they were too late.

She had begun the day like any other, watering her garden and talking to the few of her friends left in town including the Cakes. I hope they got out safely, she thought for a moment. While they were in town, she and her friends were hoping they would get out in time.

But then she had heard the screeches and the cries of ponies all over town, and she knew it was too late.

She trotted as fast as her legs could carry her, but one of those beasts must have caught her, and chased her into the forest. Carrot Top just wanted it to end, hoping it would be just a dream. Nothing like this ever happened in Equestria, ever. Surely, this was some sort of nightmare.

She began thinking, Where could I go? Who lives in th- Wait! I heard the zebra called Zecora lives here. Maybe she could help me, Carrot Top thought, a spark of hope in her. She tried to get her bearings, attempting to spot land marks that could point her in the right direction. She was a gardener, not a explorer; she was not used to or prepared for any sort of situation like this. She didn't even know which way Zecora's home was!

After a moment, she chose a random direction. Looking back and forth, she decided to go more to the right, where it didn't look as covered in thicket and thistles as the other directions.

Taking a breath, she began her walk down the path that seemed to be getting darker with every cautious step she took. She began to flinch at every sound or shadow. She was getting nervous. She didn't know what was wrong with her; her paranoia had increased with each second. Unbeknownst to her, three sets of eyes were watching her every move, waiting...

An entire hour went by, and Carrot Top had been walking with no idea where she was going. For the whole hour, she wandered, feeling like she made a wrong move. She thought she would have been at Zecora's by now. By that time, the forest seemed to have gotten used to her, and the birds and animals now continued to make their calls out to each other. They seemed to have accepted her into the forest community. It was beautiful, now that she wasn't completely scared out of her wits.

Perhaps this is why the timid Pegasus, Fluttershy, spent so much time here. Too bad I had to come here under these circumstances, she thought bitterly. But something caught her attention.

Do I smell smoke?

Looking up, she scanned what she barely saw of the sky for the source of the smell. She could barely make out a small smoke stack rising out from the forest about a mile off to her left. Now that has to be Zecora's! she thought, becoming simultaneously excited and relieved. All of her survival instincts that the adrenaline resulted in seemed to have disappeared with the hope of another's company. She broke into a run, ignoring the branches and thorns that smacked her as she galloped into and or by them. She just wanted to know she wasn't alone in this ominous forest.

It took a few minutes, but soon, she came crashing out of the dense trees into a clear area, in the middle a nice, humble hut. Lanterns hung across the edges, and posts with masks spread out. She had no doubt it was Zecora's house; who else did anypony know that lived in these woods?

Running up to the door, she knocked loudly, shouting, "Zecora! I need your help. Ponyville has been attacked and-"

She stopped when the door slowly creaked open. Stepping in, she immediately felt something was off. She froze, every limb in her body shivering at the same time as she knew her worries were confirmed.

Walking on blood soaked floor, a pair of blood red eyes stared out from the darkness.

________________________________________________________________________________

“Come on, Lyra!” Bon-Bon called out as they ran through the forest at full speed.

“We really should exercise more!” Lyra said, panting, obviously beginning to tire as sweat ran down her face.

“Well, maybe if you would quit sitting on the park benches all the time, we could!" Bon-Bon said. She, too, was beginning to tire, though she still had her sense of humor, even when being chased by flesh eating creatures.

Lyra glared at her, her look reading, This isn't the time. She looked back to where they were running.

During the attack, they had gotten separated from a few of the others, including the Cakes. Several of these creatures broke off from their group to chase them. They both hoped the others made it, because it looked like this would not end well.

A loud, blood-curdling scream that echoed out from their left made them stop in their tracks. It was then cut off, followed by a even more terrifying screech. They were about to take off, when a chorus of screeches sounded from all around them. They were surrounded.

In front of them, a creature stepped out into their view. They faltered, almost becoming petrified with terror.

The creature was pitch black, with blood red eyes. It stood about the size of the Princesses. Its mouth was four folds of flesh that, when they opened up, revealed multiple sharp teeth. Its claws looked like they could cut through dragon skin. The creature tilted it head, its eyes almost reading them while they were so busy staring at this abomination of nature.

So distracted were they with this beast, that they did not realize the two other coming from the sides. Before they could even realize this, it was too late.....

Author's Note:

Myself: Well it is done!
Me:.........
Myself: What is it?
Me: You are so cruel
Myself: Hey I just wrote it to leave some things open and close some other things up.
Me: Like what?
Myself:......
Me: Thats what I thought!
;p