Fourteen steps from the top of the stairs to the exit of the apartment Monica lived in. There were fourteen steps she had counted over and over again in the numerous times she had entered and exited the building. Fourteen steps to the outside world. Fourteen steps was all it took.
Monica stood there quietly staring at each one. Staring at the glass door just a couple of feet away from the very last step that led to the world beyond her home. Leading to the street and from there to the park across the apartment complex where all her friends were playing at right now. Even from where she was standing Monica could see them and tell they were having a lot of fun.
She caught glimpses of her friend Rhonda screaming at the top of her lungs while chasing Tyeshia around the trees in a game of tag while her other friends Steven, Derek and Maria sat huddled on the unused basketball court. Their faces furrowed with concentration as they stared at their Nintendo Switches completely lost to the world around them. Monica was willing to bet they were playing Super Smash Brothers as it was the only game the three ever talked about besides Pokemon.
Off to the other side Diane and Cynthia had brought their dolls with them from what she could tell. Constantly passing them back and forth to each other. Cradling them as if they were made of china. Fragile, breakable.
It was such a nice day out and Monica wanted so badly to join them. Already she could hear the whisper of untold adventures waiting for her to join. To enjoy the day as best a child could with her many friends. Maybe grab an ice-cream cone later in the day when she got hungry as her parents had left her a few dollars to treat herself for getting all A’s on her last report card.
If only Rainbow Dash wasn’t hiding underneath the stairs waiting to eat her if she tries to head down and join her friends.
She couldn’t remember when it all had started. When that nightmarish thing had arrived. Patiently watching and waiting for the perfect opportunity to get her. The feeling. This forbidden unconscious knowledge that something was very wrong with her world had been growing more and more insistent for the past few days. Informing her of something beyond her comprehension was waiting to devour Monica under steps of carpeted wood. Waiting in the darkness for little children like her to come bounding down step by step into its waiting maw barley hiding sharpened teeth designed solely for the cutting and rending of flesh and bone. Specifically the flesh of young children.
Fourteen steps from where she stood to the doorway. Leading to another world where children played unafraid of the shadowy things always watching from dark places that did not care about some unwritten sacred rules of how the world should be run. How only bad things happen only to bad people. Not good little girls like her that always did their homework. Never came to school late. Said their “please” and “thank you” all the time. Good little girls like Monica weren’t supposed to be afraid of the world around them.
“Monica? Oh Mmoonniiccaa,” the whisper under the stairs sang, “Why aren't you out there playing with all the other kids? Why aren’t you running around with them and screaming like a maniac? They look like they are having so much fun you know. The time of their lives,” The voice teased, “You should be out there too Monica. Why are you just standing there? I bet I know the answer.” the voice continued, “Your bored aren’t you Mmoonniicaa.” said the voice, “That just isn’t fun for you any more amiright? Well let me tell you about a very special place I know. A place made for special children. Where there are no grown-ups, no rules and no bad times. A place of forever smiles. I know a land where we can play forever and ever. Made for children just like you. A place where me and my friends are waiting to meet cool kids just like you Mmoonniiccaaa. A place made from the power of friendship. A magical land called Equestria where anything is possible. Doesn’t that sound like a lot of fun?”
The words caressed Monica’s ears working their way deep into her often overactive imagination. Planting seeds of a place beyond the realm of what grownups understood and called reality. A land where only good little girls like her could reach as it was made just for them and only them. For as everyone knew only children could see the worlds behind our world. See beyond the beyond.
“I bet you would love to race me,” the voice spoke. Its words dripping venom sweeter than any honey, “Or maybe have Pinkie make you one of her famous cupcakes. Wouldn’t that be a treat? You would love to meet Twilight Sparkle. I know she would let you live in her library wearing that special dress Rarity made you just for you.
The words like the voice worked its way deeper into the child. Taking hold of her imagination to create the fantastic with bright colors and happy sounds that awaited her. Already she could feel the drool dripping from the side of her mouth while her nostrils flooded with the scents of delicious sweets begging for her to taste. Feeling the wind sweeping over her while riding a certain blue colored pegasus with rainbow colored hair across the sky.
And yet…
And yet even she could feel the hunger behind the delightful images. Feel the sharpened teeth underneath the pretty words that spoke of grand adventures and strange places known only to those of a select few. Even Monica knew of the price it cost to go there. Even Monica could see the trap for what it was.
“C'mon MMoonniiccaa don’t be such a chicken. You don’t wanna be a chicken do you?” The voice spoke on. Still singing her name, “Just come down to me and I’ll show you their is nothing to fear. I promise we will have the bestest of time. Just take a little peek and you’ll see. I Pinkie-Pie promise. Just a peek”
Fourteen steps was all it took to get to this magical world. Fourteen steps was all it took to get to the land of happiness and sunshine. Monica could feel the pull dragging her to this land beyond feeling herself being swept away deeper and deeper into this strange new world of magic and friendship.
“Hey kid,” cried the voice behind her. Dragging her back to the living and away from this place of brightly colored monsters with razor sharp teeth, “Ya gonna move or what?”
It took a few moments for Monica to have the world snap back to normal. Realizing she had already taken four steps down the staircase before the girl yelled at her. Although she had lived in the apartment for a few years now it was obvious she never noticed her. And yet Monica did in fact know of the girl. Her name was Theresa. She lived a floor up from Monica and she was way older. Monica guessed she was around sixteen or seventeen years old wearing a tight pair of shirt and jeans that left nothing to the imagination. Making her feel slightly jealous knowing that she would never have a body like that when she got older.
“Kid your gonna go or am I going to move you myself?” Theresa snorted. Absently glancing at her cellphone, “I’m not going to climb over you.”
Quietly Monica shuffled her way back up the stairs. Back to where she had been before. Still trying to ignore the excited whispering continuing to tease and taunt her.
“Monica? Oh Mmoonniiccaaaaa,” sang the voice in her head, “Don’t you like me Monica? Don’t you want to come and visit? Don’t you like games? Oh Mmoonniiccaaa come play. Come play with me. Play with all of us.”
On and on the voice mocked. Growing louder and hungrier in her head. Teasing, taunting no longer trying to hide its desire to feast on the flesh of a child. Knowing that its prey was caught and sooner or later it would have her.
“Mon-i-ca ,Mon-i-ca, Mon-i-ca, Mon-i-ca,Mon-i-ca, Mon-i-ca,” chanted the voice in her head.
“Look I gotta go so just move,” Theresa said. Gently shoving Monica away from the stairs, “Sorry kid,” she said with a backward glance.
“MonicaMonicaMonicaMonicaMonicaMonica,” The voice in her head grew faster with Monica knowing what she needed to do.
It was so easy. Never did she think it would be this easy. Scooting behind Theresa to let her go down the stairs before her.
So easy with her hands pressed against Theresa’s back. Hardly any work as all it took was just a gentle shove to send the girl off balance. Flying face first into the steps.
CRUNCH! Came the loud sickening sound of her head hitting the stairs followed shortly by a loud thumping with the rest of her body following her down. Each step did the older girl hit on her way to the bottom. Each collision brought another horrible noise of some other part of the girl’s body breaking and twisting from the fall. Misting the walls and floor with a small spray of blood when she finally landed at the bottom with her head sticking at what Monica thought was a very strange angle. Seconds? Minutes? Hours? Monica was never sure how long she had stood there as time seemed to have stopped. Watching, staring, waiting. Mind a blank. Waiting for something to happen. Just waiting.
It was so quiet for the longest time before Monica started to wonder if she was even alive when a soft painful groan turning into a quiet weep emerged from Theresa’s crumpled form. She could see a hand move. A leg jerked awkwardly. She was hurting. Hurting real bad.
Slowly it came from under the stairs. The sky blue colored slightly fuzzy limb. Appearing almost cartoonish bright against the drab eggshell white walls of the hallway. Like a caterpillar exploring its new world the thing prodded along the cheap wood tiled floor. Caressing the bare foot that lost its sandal on the way down the limb worked its way upwards to the ankle. Monica watched the limb wrap itself around Theresa’s leg and pull the still living girl back towards the steps until she disappeared behind wood and cement. Leaving small blood streaks that ended at the start of the stairs.
No sound. No words. Monica’s world was quiet. The voice didn’t taunt her. Didn’t call to her. The voice was satisfied with its offering. Monica knew that Rainbow Dash was letting her go out and play with her friend.
Already down three steps when came the loud thumping sound of someone running down the hallway. Monica didn’t know his name but knew he was Theresa’s boyfriend or something like that. He looked a little older than her. Sporting the start of a beard she thought didn't look as good as he felt it did on him. They must have had a fight Monica noted his expression flipping between worried, sad and angry.
“Hey,” said the guy. Almost embarrassed having to ask a kid, “Have you seen Theresa?”
Instantly she could feel the eyes of Rainbow Dash on her. Knowing what she had to do.
“She went down there,” said Monica pointing at the door while scooting away to let him pass. Rainbow Dash would let her go out and hang with her friends. But she still needed to get back inside.