"He's going to be big and strong, just like his daddy."
Rough Sketch jolted awake, inadvertently knocking aside a cup of pencils, sending papers flying everywhere. He gasped and rubbed his face with his hooves hard enough to hurt while fighting back a sob. Sleep had become a chore at this point and whenever he did sleep, he usually dreamt of her. The framed picture of a coral-red earth pony mare smiled up at Rough Sketch, her dark blue eyes shimmering with joy. He automatically ran the tip of his hoof across the glass, pretending that, for a single moment, it was the mare's face and that he'd give anything to be able to touch her again. The pegasus' vision was clouded by tears but he didn't care. After all, he was in mourning.
"Rowan..."
He stared down at the drawing utensils on the floor and soon found a pencil tightly gripped in one hoof. Images flashed before Rough Sketch's eyes, memories of a happier time: taking Rowan to the movies, a walk in the park, his ham-hoofed attempt at proposing and her agreement to it. He remembered their wedding and the subsequent honeymoon to Neighagra Falls. Soon after, they were blessed with the most incredible news a married couple could ever hear and raced to get the baby's room prepared for their little one's arrival. The pencil's point gently began to dig into his wrist, the graphite tip piercing the skin as the thought of sweet relief entered his mind...
Ding-dong!
Rough Sketch practically leapt out of his skin but quickly recovered, giving himself a minute to let his heart calm down before he trotted down the stairs, doing his best to ignore the pictures hanging on the walls but was unable to avoid giving them all passing glances. Ever since Rowan's death, the small brick house had become less like a home and more like a tomb, filling Rough Sketch with an ever-increasing sense of gloom and sorrow. Opening the door, he found a familiar unicorn stallion waiting for him. Scribble Inkpot had a purple and black mane and wore a dark gray blazer over his golden-brown coat. Combined with his gold wire-frame glasses, he resembled a hip young college professor rather than an art manager.
"Hey Rough Sketch," Scribble smiled and gently gave the pegasus a hug. Rough Sketch returned the embrace a little harder than he meant to and eased his grip on his friend, just elated to see him again in the flesh. He barely saw anypony after the funeral and while aware of his isolation, he felt it was better to try to deal with his grief alone. "It's great to see you, buddy. For a second there, I was afraid you weren't still breathing."
Rough Sketch stepped back and wiped at his eyes. "It's great to see you too, Scribs. I was trying my hoof at drawing again but then I ended up falling asleep." There was a brief pause. "So, um, what's up?"
Scribble readjusted his glasses and sighed, "I was worried about you, bro. You don't call, you haven't been up to the office and you haven't turned in a single drawing or painting. Hell, you barely even leave the house."
"I'm in a dark place, Scribs. I just...need more time."
The unicorn nodded and placed a hoof on Rough's shoulder. "Look, I'll admit, I have absolutely no idea what you're going through and I know that you don't want to hear it but somepony's going to have to say it. You need to get out of the house." Rough Sketch stayed silent so Scribble took this as a sign to keep going. "If you stay cooped up in here, you'll go crazy. Why not go somewhere to clear your head? I hear that Seaward Shoals is nice this time of year."
Rough crossed his forelegs. "I'm not going on a vacation."
"It wouldn't be a vacation. Think of it as...a temporary respite. Face it, you need a break."
Rough pondered it for a moment. "I could go to Sasamare Lake. It's supposed to be lovely this time of year."
Scribble patted Rough's shoulder. "That's the spirit! Go somewhere nice and mildly isolated and just enjoy yourself!"
"Mildly isolated"...yes... "You know what? I think I will," Rough Sketch said softly, barely hearing Scribble's next words. He and Rowan were planning to visit Vanhoover sometime and it might as well be where he ended up next. Sasamare Lake...there are less prettier places to visit.
*****************************
Drowning. That the first thing that Sassie remembered. The feeling of helplessness as you flailed around in the cold darkness, screaming soundlessly as you fought for rapidly-depleting air. She couldn't recall what life she lived before but she knew that her place was in the lake. Alone.
Oh sure, she knew the legend: the kelpie, the demonic water horse that drowned anypony foolish enough to travel the lake alone at night. After all, that's what she was but in her defense, she only killed miscreants that nopony would miss in her one-hundred-and-eight-years. Common harlots, sex-crazed frat colts, druggies. If anything, she did the world a favor.
Silently paddling through the water, Sassie carefully broke the surface under the shade of a nearby tree and watched a young earth pony couple in a speed boat. They appeared so happy, so full of life. And she resented them for it. Here she was, a lonely creature with no name or past reduced to hiding beneath her namesake while ponies could enjoy themselves in the sun with nary a care in the world. What had she done to deserve such a fate? Was she so terrible in life that death had deemed it necessary to confine her solely to the lake and its surrounding area?
Giving the blissfully happy couple one more ire-filled glare, Sassie slid once more below the blue-green surface of Sasamare Lake, letting the water consume her lithe form as the anger and misery filled her heart.