Closet Pony

by DouglasTrotter

March 25th

Heh, a weather pendulum. That has to be the most asinine word combination. Though it's crazy, the word fits since the rain would first let up, and then come back down almost non-stop. Bizarre couldn't begin to describe the situation. Several days ago, the weather forecast had everything stated to be a 0% chance for the entire week. Even when I woke up earlier this morning at 6 am to catch the news, it still stated the rain chance to be 0%. Of course, it's the weather forecast, so what do people expect. I'd be able to pay off a college student's debt if someone gave me a penny for every time those idiots got it wrong.

The rain is just one issue among many. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were finally letting up from their exhaustive escapade of refusing to leave the bed. They had everything planned out. A little assistance given from a dry-erase board and some colored markers, the three fillies had their little layout drawn up for the secret, "satellite" club house for the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It'd give them a little slice of home away from home. Figures that life wouldn't do them any favors.

"Is it still on 'back-order?'" a voice asked.

"Sorry Apple Bloom, the website is saying the delivery will be another two or three days." I said. If the supplies came today, they still couldn't build. I wouldn't let them. Last thing I want to happen them is one, two, or all three of them catching pneumonia or something. "You guys want to do something today?"

"Go back home...." Apple Bloom's ears lowered before she meandered towards the family room, sat on the bed, and sighed.

Apple Bloom, in my heart, I want you to go back. I want you, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to head back to this "Equestria" place. As an expert on the matter, I'm sad to say life isn't easy, nor is life ever fair.

---End Entry---

"Wanna talk about it?" She said. I shook my head. Apple Bloom continued to stare at me. Her hoof touched my right arm in the gentlest manner. "Do you cry a lot?"

"I'd rather not answer." I said.

"Sure ya'll are ok?" Apple Bloom said. She just looked at me with the most text-book, melacholic expression. With one final look given, the filly made her way towards the family room with her heads, the trio sitting near the TV.

Things must be getting to me, again. I woke up a little over 3hrs ago, and then I just -- in my heart, in my deepest wishes after seeing these three magical equines, I wish magic were real, really real. I wish such a force existed in our world to help deal with the unacceptable things that happen to good people, good people who don't deserve it.

I know they say being near someone is the best thing you can do for them. No matter how hard I try to rationalize it, I feel like there should have been more, more that I could have done.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

---End Entry---

After laying down for another nap, I'm thankful I didn't wake up with tears in my eyes. It must be my subconscious, knowing the date was coming up.

"¿Qué es ese olor?" Sweetie Belle said.

And a quick search says..., great. "Umm, el taco es olor..."

"The taco odor?" Apple Bloom said, coming towards the computer. She tilted her head at me, Sweetie Belle cocking her head to the opposite side as Apple Bloom. The two kept on staring. "Seriously, what taco odor? Did you mean to say taco order? Are we having tacos tonight?"

"We can if you want. I'm sorry, but I meant to say I have no idea what Sweetie Belle is talking about since she asked about some odor. I don't smell anything." I said. Every little sound, each bright light out of the corner of the eye, all of it sets us off. These three are antsy to get home, and I want to make sure that happens. When those two left, though I felt that sigh of relief come, the relief wasn't welcomed. To quote a riddle someone once asked me, "Though I am the hardest to build, I am also the easiest to break. What am I?"

I'm sad to say I know all too well what Sweetie Belle is talking about. That, that "odor" we both detected permeated my bedroom. When I opened the closet door, the odor grew a little stronger, though not by much. The situation had an ambivalent feeling, to say the least, when that closet door slid open to reveal no new guests.

There are two things that add to the oddity. First, what makes matters weird is the fact there's no cologne in my room, all the perfume from the other room was tossed away years ago, and my deodorant is non-scented. Second is the smell having a bit of femininity to it. Well, perhaps there's one more thing. To top it all off, the smell has a bit of... "nostalgia," no, maybe it'd be better say familiarity. Yea, there's something familiar about the smell.

Whatever. Right now, I can't get myself hung up on some weird smell, nor can I get the hopes up of these three fillies. They can't deal with another let down. We already have one individual with depressive tendencies, "influenced by past experiences," and blah, blah, blah, living in this house. Last thing to do is breed more minds like mine. There's a horrible thought. More like-minded individual like myself running around would indeed be a nightmare.

I'm probably on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I swear, once this ordeal is over, once these three go back home, I'll need a lot of therapy and Xanax.

---End Entry---

The three fillies seem on edge since they saw me in bed, crying. It's not unexpected. Even a child gets unnerved when they see the one they turn towards getting upset. I digress though as a small bit of good-news came, two bits of good-news to be exact. First, the rain let up. Second, the lumber and supplies came.

"Sorry about the delivery here. Computers, go figure." The driver said after giving a quick shrug.

Yea, I know about computers. I know there's a bit of human intervention for things to get screwed up when it's not 100% automated. Now that I look at the order form, here at my desk, I know exactly what happened where some idiot put a 0 instead of a 4. This is the last time "Beams and Teams" gets any business from me for my "building" needs and whatnot. I'm not going to gripe about things, not going to gripe. I'll just be thankful for small favors since the materials arrived, intact.

There were several 2x4's, some 4x4's, 3/4 inch plywood sheets, paint, nails, and all the extra bits.

"Can we build it now," Apple Bloom said while her two cohorts stood behind her, puppy-dog-eyed expression at the ready.

"Apple Bloom, I'm sorry but it's getting late. The wood will still be there tomorrow." I said

A collective sigh railed against my ears, however, I had to put my foot down. The wood "will" still be there tomorrow and we can build it in secret if we're cautious. Ever since those nosey little snots came to this city and installed themselves in their positions, they've made it their mission to turn this area into their personal slice of heaven. Five families were forced out of here because of code violations. Those families had two options where they either paid the fines and fixed the issue -- to the tune of 1/4 the value of their homes -- and dealt with the myriad of other issues, or they move out cause they can't afford to fix the homes. Everyone here knows those thieves scooped up the homes at barely a third of what they were worth, put five grand into them, and re-sold those houses for triple the price before trying to repeat their little stunt. I'm just glad someone had the guts to leak their dealings to the press.

Still, I digress in my notes, again. It can't be helped. The stupidity of this world causes my sanity to wane on a daily basis. Even now people would tell me to turn off the news, and then, two days later, chastise me for not being up-to-date on things that are happening. Maybe, maybe it's the hypocrites that are getting to me right now. Say one thing and do the other, text books examples everywhere.

"Ya'll ok there?" Apple Bloom said. She poked me in the side. "It's gettin' near 6:30. We gonna eat here soon?"

"Yea, let me just finish this entry." I said. Well, I'm finished, for now. "Tacos?"

---End Entry---

"Some people come in your life as blessings. Some come in your life as lessons." -Mother Teresa

Now more than ever, I have to ask myself, "What do I do?"

---End Entry---