//------------------------------// // Red Lights // Story: Pony Horror Anthology Vol. II // by LoreLove //------------------------------// “Okay, class!” Cheerilee called out above the laughter and yelling. “I’ll let you leave early if you behave!” It was almost instant to hear them clam up and wait. A few of the foals fidgeted in their seats while some others looked nearly ready to lean over and whisper. While she did enjoy teaching them about various topics, the one thing they really needed to learn was listening at times. It sounded as if they were picking it up pretty well too. “Hmm,” the teacher teased, unable to hide her smirk before rolling those emerald green eyes. “Well, guess I can’t object to that. Off you go!” Almost in unison, the various little foals gathered their books or bags as some even stumbled out the door right away. They acted as if the building were haunted. The idea made her snicker a bit as she watched and nodded to some who waved a hoof goodbye. Some of them were very polite and she adored it so much. “Bye, Miss Cheerilee!” Scootaloo said with her two friends repeating the phrase and them hurrying out. “Goodbye, girls. Take care over the weekend!” she called to them and waited for more of the colorful manes and coats to file out of the door. It hardly took long for them to get out of the class. She didn’t blame them though. While they did drag their hooves coming in every morning it was hard to be eager to sit down just to listen to somepony talk. Attention span was something she had to work with for them. Soon enough, the classroom was empty and she was left alone with her thoughts. After closing the door, the magenta color pony walked to her desk and sighed. She still had things to grade from a test and look over anything else. Getting ready for the next week also needed to be planned out. Cheerilee let out a groan as she glanced out the windows and to the bright day. It was already going to get dark sooner than she wished with how the seasons were changing. At least she could walk home without the heat and humidity that summer had. Instead of putting it off, the mare began to pull the stack of papers with various forms of writing on them. She would just plan the next week’s lesson at home. Her eyes studied the first paper while she took a quill and dipped into the red inkwell. One wrong. Two. The kind teacher continued on in her attempt to finish the grading of the tests as fast as she could. Time felt like it had halted for her but the fact the sun was lowering more and more proved otherwise. Her quill moved about only here and there as she tried to work quick. She still wanted to get home before it got too dark. In the back of her mind she cursed herself for making the test take up most of the day. All it did was eat up her time in getting home as it was but they still needed to learn. With holidays coming up soon they would also be more focused on fun rather than the teachings. Her smile returned as she thought of just how excited they all would be around then. The haste she worked was as fast as she could go without making mistakes. The red ink marked only the needed missed answers and the final grade as she moved through the stack. Each one she completed had her feeling more like a tiny bit of a weight was lifted. She’d be free just like them soon enough. Minutes stretched into the hour. One became two. It wasn’t a happy thing when she looked up to see the twilight sky spreading above the land. She was just two papers away from finishing and could finally head out. While the last one may have been sloppy, the mare merely corrected her own mishap and breathed a sigh of relief. There would still be light out if it were spring or summer. She couldn’t fault the seasons for staying behind to grade though. Instead, she pulled her saddlebags up and shoveled the papers inside before latching it shut. A look to the sky revealed the tiny dots of stars sprinkled about. Cheerilee hurried over to the door and stepped out, closing it behind her. She was surprised she could grade the last few tests with how dark it was becoming. Just her eyesight adjusting, she assumed. Another look up as she began her walk home had her think of helping the foals learn more about the stars. She knew plenty of the constellations and it could be a fun thing. Might also help any of them who become lost, though she hoped that never came to be. It would be a nice change of pace as well and work with the longer nights. Her gaze stayed mostly glue to the stars as she tried remembering a few of the patterns in the sky. Hardly any ponies were out so she had plenty of freedom to pay little mind where she was walking. The stars shined bright and kept her attention for most of the way. Each constellation she recalled had her smile since it had been a while really paying attention to them. Then her eyes roamed over a very odd instance. The stars almost looked as if they were trying to be some pattern but it left her clueless as to what. She couldn’t even remember there being any kind of constellation there. Her confusion stayed with her as she slowed her pace to try and figure out what she was looking at. Getting closer to her home and stuck at the pattern in the sky made her let out a light huff. She was sure there wasn’t something there before but it looked like there was an attempt at something trying to be there. Maybe an extra star she didn’t notice? The only reason it bugged her was because she would have to answer questions on it to her students. Her walk stopped once she reached her home. The teacher stood staring at the stars above with her head tilting in thought. Whatever it was she was missing wasn’t giving any clues. She could possibly find a book to figure it out. It took her a few minutes of stargazing before she was about to call it and head inside when one of the pins of light just blinked out. Cheerilee’s eye widened in shock but also fascination. She had never seen something like that happen before. A shooting star left a trail and moved, not just vanish. The curious nature of the event left her more confused than before. It was as if a candle had been blown out. While the missing star made that part of the sky look more familiar, it still looked off to her. Something she couldn’t place entirely. Longer thoughts were spent as she stayed just outside of her home to ponder the strangeness. Her eyes felt like they were betraying her for not showing what else might be wrong. It almost felt like something was hiding and just mimicking what was in the sky to appear proper. The idea was so far fetched that Cheerilee rolled her eyes and finally opened her door. Why she was getting so interested in that one spot was queer at best but she didn’t feel like it deserved as much thought put into it. Stars shine and fade as time goes on. She just simply happened to witness the event before her eyes to some degree. Reasoning done, the mare shut her door and tossed her saddlebags to the side. She was ready to sit back and just relax for a couple of days. Maybe she would just have her students read up on some of the signs in the sky before doing much else. It’d be an easier way to have them introduced to it instead of trying to make them remember the patterns right away. Her legs moved as she paid no mind to anything other than the goal for the night. Ice cream and a good book sounded ideal. The fridge popped open as she grabbed her favorite flavor and looked at the ice block inside the freezer box. It could last another week before she had to get another. The little handle nestled in the grip of her muzzle as she carried it to her living room and went off to fetch her book. While it was some cheesy romance novel it still got her attention. She knew where she left it and quickly hopped to her bedroom to snag it off the nightstand. A small flip and she balanced it atop her head as she thought of what was to come next in her reading. It didn’t take her long to grab a spoon and light some candles as she sat on her sofa to just enjoy a late reading. Something so simply just made her happy. Her hooves opened the literature to her last known spot as she glanced to the frozen treat. Soon enough. The sweet teacher soon found herself lost in the thrilling foray between a mare and her lover. She was such a sucker for it all. Her eyes read off the lines as she made small noises here and there while getting more into her story. Little coos and small ‘awws’ were uttered as she read and occasionally leaned over to grab a spoonful of her treat. Time was utterly meaningless to her. Despite how dark it was outside, she had all the comfort needed. Her body shivered a bit as she glanced to the slowly melting ice cream. Maybe the cold was slowly getting to her. How long she had been reading was oblivious to her. It had possibly been a couple of hours when she noticed something strange. A light was shining outside her home. Not just any kind of light but a red one. Closing the book, Cheerilee got up and moved to a window to get a better look. Shifting the curtains aside had the light almost flood her living room. There wasn’t much of a source that she could spot. While it appeared to be outside and in the street, it didn’t look to be coming from any particular spot. It was just everywhere. The more she studied it the more she began feeling uneasy over it. Red light seemed to stare into all windows it touched as she wondered what it was. It had just randomly spawned a moment before with no flickering or anything. A torch or lantern couldn’t be shining out as much that did. While she never saw anything other than the light, its mere presence felt ominous in a way. Maybe due to how there appeared to be no source of it. The color itself also didn’t feel too friendly to her with the way it tried to take over everything. It was odd but she simply couldn’t understand anything about it. Just when she was about to give up, the light quickly faded. Cheerilee was left staring at the darkness outside and the other homes nearby. Strangely enough, nopony else seemed to be peering out their windows at what had just transpired. Not a single window other than her own had the curtains aside. Not even a door was open to show a pony inspecting the strange happening. A few more minutes passed before she finally pushed herself away. The event was over and she had been the only witness from what she could gather. Why no other ponies even bothered to look out made her confused until she looked for the moon quickly. Oh, how she had let time pass by faster than she meant! It was later than late for her. The magenta pony closed the melting treat as she hurried to stuff it into her ice box once more. Right up against the ice itself to help keep it from melting too much. She made sure to blow out each candle before grabbing her book and nearly stumbling all the way to her bedroom. The strange light was still fresh in her mind but with nothing else to go on she simply let it be. Perhaps the princesses were testing something. A firework had gone off that she couldn’t see. It wasn’t going to bother her so why investigate further? With a yawn, Cheerilee set her book aside and climbed into bed. Her mind was still a bit too active to fully rest but she needed to try. The character in her book and the weird light outside filled her thoughts as she got comfy and curled up beneath the sheets. She was sure to have odd dreams unless Luna intervened in them. The last few moments before she finally got to sleep were particularly strange. She could have sworn she may have seen the light again for just a brief second. ••••• The weekend came and went as it usually did for the kind teacher. No other odd happenings seemed to surface for her and the red light was a mere memory rather quickly. Lessons were planned and quickly underway when she began the next day at school. She had even gone out to grab a few books to help brush up on her own rusty constellation knowledge. A few of the students seemed rather pleased to know some of the tales behind the stars while others simply wanted to sleep. She was honestly surprised they lasted as long as they did without closing their eyes. It was a pleasant experience overall for her. Naming them and telling the foals to try and find any in the sky at night during the week seemed like a good idea for simple homework. At some point, she did stumble across a few patterns that made her pause for a moment. They were nearest ones to the star she had seen vanish. Though there was nothing between them, it made her feel a little off with the fact. There had been nothing there but just her feelings told her otherwise. The page in the book didn’t come off the same way but the memory had her silent. “Miss Cheerilee?” a student asked curiously, holding a hoof high. “Oh, sorry. Yes?” she replied, smiling and forcing away the odd sensation. She was thankful for the quick interruption of her mind so she could stay with the students mentally. The rest of the day went by like many did in the fall. Cold breezes had her closing windows while the colored leaves fell around them. It was a beautiful time. Soon enough, the bell had rung and the numerous foals all rushed to exit the building once again. While she wasn’t sure what to do with the spare time she had for the evening it did make her glad she hadn’t given them more tests that had to be graded. Her own rush to get out of the building almost put that foal-like spirit in her as she giggled to herself and hurried out. The romance novel she had been reading was nearing its end and she was very eager to see where it might lead. Maybe the spare time she had could be reading the rest of it. A good use of the small bit of daylight left, she thought. Those hooves galloped quickly as she tried to head home fast now that she had a goal in mind. Passing various ponies had her greet them as fast as she could before reaching her home. The mare hadn’t felt so excited since she was a filly. It seemed like just the thing for her, just simply having something to look forward to. Her door unlatched as she hit the handle and nudged her way inside before tossing her belongings down and running to fetch her book. It would help distract her from other things. She knew what her mind wanted to poke and prod about but she wouldn’t let it. The missing star was just something else and she had no real desire to seek more information with how the thoughts alone made her feel. Cheesy romance was at the top of her list. Grabbing a blanket, Cheerilee worked her way onto the sofa once again as she opened her book and snuggled herself in as much as possible before opening the book. She was ready to finish her story and see how it all turns out. Maybe the main character would find her prince! Giddy with glee, the excited mare dove straight into her evening reading without a second thought. ••••• That was something. She hadn’t expected the ending she was hoping for but maybe she should have. There were several other sequels to it. To her that just meant she would have to pick up the next one at some point soon. Continuing an epic saga of love was a fun thought. With her candles that were set up part-way into her reading, she knew it would be too late to run out and grab the next volume. Her eyes stared at the cover for a bit before she glanced out her windows. It was clearly too late. Not a single story would be open with the moon as high as it was. Had she really been reading for so long? The time was a flash for her. Those stiff legs stretched out as she rolled into the cushions of her sofa for a moment. While it may have felt as if time flew by her body seemed to complain to the contrary. Muscles ached for a bit as she grunted and finally got up on all hooves. A good bath would have her aches soothe out. The idea sounded all too pleasing as she smiled and hurried on over to the bathroom, bringing in a lantern where she put one of the candles in. The lighting with the tub almost dripped with the cliché romance trope but she would be lying if she said it wasn’t perfect. The water started as she tested it several times to make sure it was just right for her while she waited. Slowly but surely, the bathtub filled to her desire and she was quickly slip right in. Her mane and tail soaked instantly as she cooed in delight. It was beyond relaxing. Cheerilee laid mostly still as she let the water just comfort her in the hold as some lover might someday. She knew it was corny but it made her happy to think such things. Washing took much longer than usual as she let the water roll off her more than trying to scrub. As much focus as she was putting on the bath there was an odd feeling that began to creep up her back. At first, it seemed as if there might have been a draft with how the chill traveled along her so quickly. It wasn’t until she had managed to get out of the draining tub and begin drying off that she saw something else. The light beneath her bathroom door had a reddish glow. The same red from the one night outside. The mare’s ears lowered as she stared and felt all the comforting feelings she had worked up to just deplete. Instead, an irrational fear took place and only seemed to elevate. Why was she afraid of seeing a light? Then it clicked. There was only one way she could see it so close to her bathroom door. The light had to be in her house. Cheerilee bit her lip as she waited and hoped it would fade like last time but it seemed to refuse doing so. If it were somepony inside trying to scare her then good job. She almost called out but decided not to. If it really was some threat as her body told her then maybe she should stay hidden. Why bring something like that closer? Her body shook lightly from the cool air and the mixed dread she was encountering as she waited. What should she do? Curiosity yearned for a source or even a meaning. It was the furthest thing from her mind to do but she eventually reached for the latch and carefully pulled the door open. She was surprised at how quiet it was. Not just the door but everything. It all just felt so quiet before her and made her uncomfortable more than before. If she could just see what was going on then perhaps it would set her mind at ease. Just a look and nothing more. Her head peered around the door frame as she looked for where the light was coming from. The hall looked so foreboding with the skewered shapes and stretches of light mixed with the utter black of shadows. Slowly, the mare took a step out to get a better look. The lantern hanging in her mouth hardly could compete against the red glow overtaking her home. Everything it touched felt like it was painting it. Her heart beat fiercely in her chest as she took another step out. The living room was saturated in the red. While she couldn’t see it all ahead of her, there was no doubt it was coming from there. Whatever was causing it left no noise of a flame or anything. Her mind kept trying to understand what it was and why she should fear it when a shadow moved across a far wall. Her lantern nearly slipped from her muzzle but she bit the ring quickly to keep it from crashing. There was somepony in her house. Another bit of movement against the wall showed strange shapes. Multiple limbs or thin bodies? She couldn’t make it out entirely but they did make a bit of noise. It was a humming of sorts. Something that permeated the air entirely but intermittently. The longer she heard the more she began feeling her head throbbing. A migraine? The pony winced when the sound was uttered as she tried shifting to one side to see further into the room. Still no luck in seeing her invader. The entire room was blanketed in the red light. It practically left nothing untouched in its glow. Cheerilee moved a tiny bit closer, scared out of her mind at what she was doing and hating how curious she had become. Maybe if she turned back right away it would be safer for her. She almost tried to before that sound came again. It wasn’t any hum she had heard before. The pain in her head had her stagger for a second and lightly knock the lantern against the wall she leaned to. The shadows stopped as did the noise. The frightened mare was sure her heart had too with how terrified she felt. Her invaders had noticed her, she was sure of it. There was no mistaking they heard the light clatter. In an instant, the light faded swiftly and the only glow was that of her candles and lantern. The odd feeling of a threat had gone but her fear stayed. For all she knew they had just put the light out. She didn’t want to take any chances by moving on so quickly. It took her a moment before she managed to walk into her living room again. There were no signs anypony had been in there at all. No windows were open or broken and no doors left to invite the wind inside. Nothing. Other than the horrible headache, she had no evidence of anything even happening. Whatever that noise was, that odd hum, it certainly wasn’t friendly with her head. Cheerilee sighed and finally let her guard down. Her ears drooped as she tried to think of any kind of explanation for what happened but came up short. Blowing the candles out, the magenta earth pony decided it would be best to try and get some rest. The headache wouldn’t get better by worrying or staying up any later than she had. It would also help to think clearly in the morning. She had nearly made it down the hall when another sound made her cry out and drop the lantern. The light went out instantly as she panicked and heard the blubbering echoes from her bathroom declare attention. Her tub had just finished emptying. Oh, Celestia, she did not enjoy that scare. Her heart felt more stressed than it had ever been before. Giving a sigh of relief and patting a hoof to her chest, the mare slowly picked up the metal casing for her light and carried it through the dark to her room. Tossing it onto her nightstand, Cheerilee left the lantern unlit and just climbed into bed. Whatever had come into her home was gone and there wasn’t anything she could do about it. She had no spells to use for the mere fact of being an earth pony. It was a light so what good would some magical barrier do anyway? Then there was the invaders. Whatever it or they were. The shadows didn’t help her define anything other than there was something else there. Her body rolled over as she pulled the covers over her head. She hadn’t been this scared ever before. ••••• Cheerilee had a hard time sleeping that night of the incident. She had a hard time sleeping at all since. It had been days since the scary encounter but it didn’t seem to fade from her memory at all. Showing up to class with little to say had plenty of the students asking if things were okay. A mere smile and nod seemed to keep them from prying too much. The worst part was that the headache had lingered for a couple days straight. She had nearly had to ask for a substitute but refused. Seeing the kind eyes of her students was something that she needed. Schoolwork was eased up to the point of her letting classmates talk to one another about the constellations and more. She didn’t bother trying to keep them from chatting about anything else either. With her migraine mostly gone, the mare had found herself wanting to move on from that night. Each thought that slipped in about the terrible light made her feel cold and helpless. It wasn’t a fun experience to keep replaying the ordeal in her head but her mind refused to leave it alone. The tired look about her said plenty on how she wasn’t sleeping well. The idea of reading cheesy romance novels didn’t appeal to her. Frozen treats only made her remember the cold chill she had from the encounter. It was as if her comfort had turned to traumatic reminders of what had scared her so deeply. The bell rang loudly and she jumped, quickly looking around. Thankfully, the students all seemed more interested in leaving than paying her any mind. Her mental state was wearing down from the poor sleeping habit and constant thoughts that played in her head. She wasn’t feeling like she was getting better. Each foal filed out of the classroom, one after the other, until she was left alone once again. Her eyes lingered on the door for a bit as she thought of just simply not going home for once. She didn’t feel safe there anymore yet had nowhere else to turn. If she explained her situation then maybe somepony could help out, or maybe they would think she was crazy. Fighting every urge to just sleep in her classroom, Cheerilee got up and grabbed her bags. The cold air of the autumn evening had her shiver for a moment before she began her walk home. She could only hope that her mind would eventually stop thinking about the whole thing and let her move on. It wasn’t like her to linger on such negative thoughts. The walk itself was slow. With the air so dry and cold it left her almost wanting to get to her house faster, oddly enough. Just to warm up and be quiet. Her pace increased a bit at the thought of a comfy blanket to wrap up in. Her trot was barely graceful as she just did her best to keep going. She hadn’t slept well for a few nights and deserved some proper sleep for once. Nopony else seemed to notice or at least pay any mind to her as she passed. Possibly just a mistake of thinking she had a long day, not a few long days and nights. Arriving at her doorstep, Cheerilee stared at the handle before slowly knocking the door open. Her body bumped the door the rest of the way as she moved inside and closed it gently behind her. A small snack? Warm bath? Some nice candles? Nothing sounded ideal to her. Instead, she moved through her living room and into the hall. The floor creaked lightly beneath her steps as she kept going until reaching her bedroom where she looked almost longingly at her bed. “Just one night? Please?” she said softly to the furniture. “I just want one night of rest. Ease my mind…” She was beginning to talk to inanimate objects. It felt okay. At least it felt like she was attempting to speak to another pony. Even if she wouldn’t get a response back it calmed her nerves just a bit to not feel quite as alone. Her legs kicked up as she moved into the bed and quickly curled up under the sheets. An early night, why not? Maybe it would have her get a bit more rest than usual. Hopefully her mind wouldn’t start acting up again and antagonize the headache that was slowly fleeing. Good thoughts only. Cheerilee’s dull emerald eyes stared at her covered window as she waited for her rest to arrive. Just several hours. That was all she wanted. Her vision blurred as she waited. Right before she slipped into the dreamscape, she almost wondered if she were waiting for rest or the red light. ••••• A small thump stirred Cheerilee back into the waking world. Her ears flicked as her eyes groggily opened. The darkness of the night covered most of her room but one spot. It was until she noticed it that she understood what had woken her. The red light was back. It was beneath her door but not as strong, much like when she last saw it under the bathroom door. With it being another room away, she wasn’t sure if she should risk running out and calling for help in the middle of the night. Another noise as if something had been bumped made her jump lightly before she pulled the covers over her head. She just wanted it to stop. Why did this have to happen to her? Why was she being picked? Whimpering quietly, she waited to see if it would fade while laying in bed. The hum hadn’t started again which she silently thanked Celestia for. Her eyes never left the sliver of light beneath her door. Each second had her hoping it would just stop. She even agreed with herself that after the night ends she would find somepony to help her out. Maybe a simple place to stay. Anything but being in her own house one more night. There had to be somepony out there that would offer a room. More noises though they were more familiar. Steps. Multiple steps. Whatever had invaded her living space again was moving around in search of something. The thought made her tug her covers tighter to her body as she stayed silent. The light beneath to door seemed to grow brighter as the steps sounded like they were coming closer. Cheerilee widened her eyes in horror at the idea as she sat up and looked around. There really was no place to go without making noise. If it heard her then it might come running and her legs might give out in terror. Even if she could run, there was no indication that it couldn’t outrun her easily. The mare felt her breath coming in fast pants as her panic rose. Her eyes continued looking peeking at the door to notice the light creeping inside her room like red water washing itself inside. It was impossible to get out of her home in time. Seconds ticked by as she sat idle. A sudden thought made her leap up from her bed and do her best to quietly hurry across the room. With a quickly pull, her closet opened open with the mare rushing inside. She barely had time to close it with as little noise as possible when she saw the light begin filling her bedroom. The door made only the slightest of noises as she sat in the dark and watched the red glow beneath. It was eerily quiet as she tried to calm her breathing and held a hoof to her chest. Her heart was going a mile a minute while she waited and shook. While she never heard her bedroom door open it seemed as if the light was right inside there. The bright beam beneath her closet door spread across the floor as she inched away from it. It couldn’t find her. It just couldn’t. It would leave and she would run out and find a pony to keep her sane. The door hadn’t opened so it wasn’t in her bedroom yet. The hum started again and her hooves pressed to her ears trying to muffle the noise. It was painful and she felt so vulnerable when hearing it. Her eyes shut tight as she waited for it to end then noticed how bright the light was beneath the closet door. She kept running the thoughts through her head of how it won’t find her and how it wasn’t even in the room. Every second had her in near hysterics as she listened for anything. Aside from the hum there wasn’t anything to listen to. Perhaps it was going away. Shadows appeared, cutting through the glowing light below. She could hear the steps of multiple legs. As much as it sounded like so many steps, it felt as if there were only one entity on the other side of her door. How it had got into her room without her hearing it made her worry as she thought of the time before where she saw no clue of how it had entered or left. The dread was intense as she watched in horror what took place. Those shadows stopped and there was silence again. It hadn’t left as the red light still shined as strong as ever. Her heart thumped against her chest as she panted loudly and her eyes widened, watching the event unfold before her. It didn’t use doors.