//------------------------------//
// The Eyes 
// Story: Stories of Nightmare Night 
// by RulerOfIce 
//------------------------------//

The following is an excerpt from a journal found from a journalist pony's belongings. 





It can be so creepy at night. Especially when it's a stormy night. I ran as fast as I could, hoping to find some shelter. I was just trying to take photos of the unique landscape for the newspaper I worked for when the storm surprised me. Lightning struck loudly, making me run faster despite the fact that the rain was hitting my eyes hard.. I was beginning to lose hope when I noticed something in the distance. A building. I wasn't sure, but I immediately began to run towards it. Eventually I was right next to it and I noticed it was a small hotel. Out in the middle of nowhere. It also looked old, dilapidated. Still, it was better than nothing and so I went in.

The hotel didn't look any better on the inside. I could swear some of the furnitures I saw were about to turn into dust. I could hear the storm just as clearly as I could outside. I saw the reception desk in front of me and went there. Seeing nopony around, I rang the bell. Slowly a stallion with a coat of the darkest hue of blue rose from behind the desk.

"How may I help you, young mare?" The stallion asked.

"I would like a room for the night, please." I said. There was something odd about this stallion. I couldn't put my hoof on it, though. Maybe I was very exhausted from all that running? I actually couldn't care less. The stallion slowly went and got a key from a shelf.

"Room 113." He simply said.

"Thank you." I said as I took the key and began to walk towards a hallway.

Looking around, I noticed how dark this place seemed. There were only a few almost burned out candles lighting the hallway. I could barely see the room numbers. The storm kept raging outside and yet the only sound I seemed to hear was the creaking of the worn out wooden floor. I didn't care. 

I eventually arrived at the room 113. I used my key to open it, but immediately stopped as the sound of a lock opening echoed throughout the hallway. I looked left and right, but I only saw the reception area, now seemingly far away down the hallway. It was so quiet and yet I felt nervous right then and there. I finally opened the door and went inside my room.

The room was pretty much what I expected after seeing the hotel's interior. It was small with only one bed, one table, one chair and one candle lighting the whole room. I would complain, but I was so exhausted. There was also one window, but all I saw was darkness. A lightning struck outside, lighting the room for less than a second. I was just glad to have a roof on top of my head and so I put my saddlebag down and laid down on the bed. Had I been any more tired than at that moment, I wouldn't know if I was awake or asleep. The candlelight flickered and died out. Just as well.

No sooner had complete darkness surrounded me when I began to feel dread. Something felt off. I didn't hear or see anything. Nothing. Then I saw them. A pair of red eyes glowing in the dark. They seemed to be far away. I tried to say something, yet I couldn't say anything. Did they come closer? How close were they? All I could do was just look at them, unable to move, terrified. What were they? I could hear my heartbeat intensify. To actually try to beat out of my chest. I could swear those eyes were staring right at me, right next to me.

I closed my eyes shut, too afraid to do anything else. I could hear another lightning strike. After that... nothing. I willed my eyes to stay close. For Celestia's sake, I was so afraid. I didn't know if I could ever fall asleep again.

But at some point I did and when I woke up I was outside. Confused, I looked around, but there was nothing around me except the landscape I was sent to photograph. My camera and my backpack were next to me. Was it a dream? Did I just have a nightmare? I checked myself. My coat was dry and there were no injuries. I checked my backpack. Also dry. It was like it had never gotten wet.

I managed to get to the nearest town. I'm writing this whole thing on this journal of mine right now. I don't know what happened to me or if I did experience all of that. Maybe, if somepony else finds that strange hotel and takes a room in it, they too would see those eyes. Those blood red, hungry eyes...





The pony in question was just admitted to a mental institute.