//------------------------------// // Can Dreams Become Reality? // Story: The Demons Within Us All // by WinterSkiesVA //------------------------------// My vision becomes less dilated and more clear. I stare at my surroundings. I was now sitting up in someone’s arms, practically being cradled in the unknown human’s arms. I'm in a bathroom, my friends seem to be huddled around me with a look of concern on each of their faces, some even more so than others. I look up towards the person holding me. I could tell by the way her structure looked and her clothing style who she was in an instant. Applejack, with her long, luscious blond hair and elegant light green eyes that gazed down at me with skepticism, was the one cradling me. She seemed to be the first to notice my lively, observant eyes. ”She’s wakin’ up y'all!” I heard her shout as she looked at the rest of the girls to alert them of my consciousness. They all stare at me with broad, worried eyes. ”Sunset, are you alright?” a familiar shy voice called. Her voice sounded meeker than usual, almost as if she had been crying. I stared at her for a few moments. I wanted to respond, but I felt like I couldn't move or speak. It was like my body had just shut down completely and was trying to wake up. From what I could remember, all I did was faint, so why was she so upset? Why were they all upset? I sit there for a few minutes, trying to calm down and get comfortable, which is when I realize my arms feel slightly tight. It was as if they had been tightly wrapped in something soft, yet stable and thick. ”what…i-is...that…?” I stutter, my jaw trembling hysterically, as I stare down at my arm. ”What is what, darling?” Rarity questions, her tone as concerned as her eyes. She sounded as if she were talking to a child that had just done something wrong. I gulp down my saliva before I speak, trying to make my voice clearer and more stable. ”What’s...o-on my...a-arm…?” I question once more, my head lifting to face Rarity. I see Rarity give Fluttershy a nervous glance after I ask my question. ”Well, we may have found some of your scars.”, Fluttershy looks down to face the floor. It was as if she was ashamed or she’d done something wrong. I stare at her. Well, now they understand why I wear jackets all day, every day. “We also found this.”, Applejack says in a stern voice as she lifts a long, familiar-looking paper in front of me. I stare at it, trying to make out the words on the page. It was my ’mile-long grocery list’ that includes all of the goods I needed, but couldn’t afford. ”Sunset, if ya’ need help ya’ could just ask us! We’re always here if ya’ need help.”, Applejack exclaimed, her tone becoming less stern and more concerned. I stare at the floor. Did they pat me down after I fainted or something? They would've had to if they found my grocery list and my cuts. What else did they find? I feel someone's hand running through my tangled hair. I look up at the person caressing my hair. Applejack stares down at me, a tiny smile on her face. It felt so good. I didn't want to get up or leave, but I knew that I needed to. However, I couldn't. I hadn't been held like this for so long and I know that I needed someone there for me. I start to lean on her, but something stops me. I suddenly feel uncomfortable and sickly. ”P-Please...p-put me...d-down…”, I say, trying to push her away. “Why?” Applejack asks, holding me tighter. What did she think she was doing, holding me against my will like that? I continued trying to escape her arms, but I couldn’t since she was much stronger than me. ”Let me go!” I yell, fighting her grasp. “No, Sunset! Ya’ need help!” AJ holds me tighter, her nails digging slightly into my stomach. I feel something inside of me burst, almost as if an organ had just exploded inside of me. “I said put me down!” I yell, my voice rising to its highest level. I clearly startle everyone in the room. I see Fluttershy hide behind Rainbow Dash, her eyes full of concern and fear. Rarity backs away from me, and Applejack slowly, but surely, puts me down. Without thinking, I quickly storm out of the bathroom, running to the nearest water fountain and collapsing by it. Tears run down my cheeks as I stare at my discolored reflection in the metal fountain. Even though the color wasn’t quite clear, I could still see the dark bags under my eyes and the fresh tears that now stained my cheeks. What came over me? I just got so filled with rage that I screamed. I wanted to go back, but I just couldn't. However, as I stare at my reflection in the shiny metal, I see a familiar figure run across the hall. I quickly look in the direction of the figure’s appearance. “Twilight?” I say under my breath. It couldn't be. Could it? I get up and slowly start walking down the hall, sounds of her sweet giggles echoing through the hall. As I continue walking I begin to see a dark figure rather than my friend. The figure was clearly the source of the laughter. I continue walking, unable to resist. However, once I get close to the creature and reach my arm out to touch its shoulder, I hear the teeth-clenching noise of bones cracking. The neck of the creature cracks and breaks to turn and face me. Red, glowing eyes stare at me. My heart starts to beat faster, my face struck with fear. I wanted to move, but my legs wouldn’t let me. My conscience screams at me to run and keep running until I escape this place, but I couldn't. My whole body starts shaking in fear as I stare at the figure. Its whole body appeared to be a melted, pitch-black candle that had finally burned out. Its eyes looked as if hell itself lived in them. It stares at me, its bones had stopped cracking and crunching. It had stopped moving completely. However, as I finally get the courage to take a step back, its whole body turns and twists to face me. Its legs straighten out fully and it stares down at me. It was at least eight feet tall and I was only 5,6. However, as I stare at the creature a while longer, I notice a dark red, rope-looking object around its neck. A noose maybe? I watch in panic as it grabs a hold of the loose part of the rope that hung below its neck and lifts it above its head. It sits there for a minute, but in only an instant, it yanks the rope sideways, yanking its neck with it, its neck crunching and cracking as the bone cracks in half. My eyes widen as I stare, my hand cupping my mouth. This creature looked so familiar, but from what? I couldn't think straight at all. What was happening? Was I dreaming? I had to be, monsters and mythical creatures weren’t real. Wake up, Sunset! Wake up! Tears well up in my eyes, fear eating at my heart. The creature stares at me for a minute before aggressively slamming itself against the lockers behind it, and before I could take a steady breath, the creature was gone. My eyes dart around the hallway, my heart racing. I start to have a full-on breakdown and fall to the floor. I lean back against a locker and pull my knees against my chest, my arms wrapping around them. I bury my face in my knees as I continue crying. I walk inside my house and throw my keys onto the couch as well as my jacket. I plop down onto my couch and take out my phone. 12:15, already. I wish I didn't have to work two jobs just to make a living. I never wanted Twilight to help me and lend me money when I needed it, but now that she's gone, I realize how much I truly needed it. I work at the mall in the afternoon after school for three hours, then I work at a bar for the rest of the night. I’m not allowed to drink anything because I’m underaged, but that doesn’t stop me. As I'm laying on my couch I start to think about the thing I saw in the hall today. Was it real or was it a hallucination of some sort? It had to be real, but why did it sound like Twilight and why was it so familiar? As I lay there, I get lost in my thoughts, my eyelids getting heavier and heavier, the clock slowly ticking. 12:15 to 12:24 to 12:36, but by then I’d already drifted off to sleep. I look around. I was in a dark room, the only thing in front of me was a white vanity. It looked similar to something that used to be in Twilight’s room before her passing. I look into the mirror and I start to see a blurry image of Twilight, the girls, and me all hanging out and having fun after school. The sight warms my heart, a small smile on my face. However, the scene starts changing. Beginning to turn to scenes of Twilight in her room, silently reading a book. I watch closely. The room she was in looked dark, but I could still see her. Her eyes looked glossy, tears slowly ran down her cheeks. I watch as she gets up and walks over to her desk and opens the drawer. She pulls out a long noose. ”Twilight, don't!” I yell, banging on the mirror. I knew what she was doing, anyone would know what she was planning to do as soon as they saw the pain in her eyes. I watch as she walks over to her closet and pulls out a stool. Fresh tears run down my cheeks as I watch her. Before I even knew it, she was standing on that chair with the rope around the neck. As she stepped off the chair, she looked straight at me, as if she could see me. ”You did this to me…”, She mutters, her voice rough and horrific. ”No, I didn't...I tried to help!” I yell, grabbing onto my arm with my hand. ”You knew how I felt about you and about my depression, but you got too focused on school and yourself and forgot about me. I loved you, Sunset and you knew I did, but you wanted to hurt me. You wanted me to suffer!” ”No! I wanted to help you!” tears continue to run down my cheeks, my voice cracking and trembling. ”And look where that got you. You only care about yourself, Sunset. You always have. I tried to talk to you about things, but every time you blew me off. I wanted you to come over to be with me on the day I committed suicide, but you were too busy with Flash Sentury!” ”N-No! I was just busy that day! I’m sorry, I just-” ”You just what, Sunset!? Didn’t have enough time for your ’best friend’!? Were you just that busy to the point you forgot about me?” ”No, I-," I start, but get cut off mid-sentence. ”It doesn't matter anyway.”, her voice becomes less satanic and horrific, becoming normal. I simply stare at her, unsure what I should say. ”It’s over now…and I'm never coming back.”, she says before she takes one step off the chair, her body being pulled upwards, being hanged. The vanity’s mirror shatters into pieces on the ground. I step back and trip, beginning to fall. My eyes widen as I open my mouth to scream, but nothing comes out. I keep falling, the tunnel getting darker and darker as I fall deeper and deeper down the tunnel. Before I hit the ground, everything stops. I wake up in a cold sweat, my heart pounding frantically. My breaths are heavy and hasty. I look around the room, my eyes swiftly darting in different directions around the area. I’d fallen asleep on the couch in my clothes from the day before. My body shakes in fear, and from the slight bit of coldness in the atmosphere. I wrap my arms around myself and start to cry. I back up into the corner of my couch and pull my legs against me. Why won’t the nightmares stop? What did I do to deserve this? I look around the room once more, the tears in my eyes along with the darkness of the room blocking out my vision almost completely. I see my jacket sitting on the table in front of the couch and I pick it up. I hug my jacket tightly and continue crying into the jacket, my slick tears trickling down the hard leather of the jacket. As I stare at the leather coat, memories flood back to me. I remember when I first got my jacket. I picture me, an eight-year-old little girl staring at her father, anxious about what her promised surprise was. “Daddy?” She says in a sweet, innocent voice as she pulls on her Father’s coat. “What’s the surprise?” She asks, looking up at him with innocent eyes. “You’ll see, Sunset.”, he laughs, ruffling her hair. “I wanna see now!” She whines, hugging his arm. “Sunset, you’ll have to wait, honey. Some things take time.”, he says as he kneels down in front of her. He places his hand on her cheek, “You’ll get it soon. You just have to be patient.”, he says as he embraces the girl in a warm hug. She clings to her father tightly, never wanting to let go. “Alright.”, he stands back up after patting her on the head, “I gotta get some work done and then…”, he makes a small drum noise on the counter next to them, “It’s time for your surprise.”, he smiles at her. She gives him a huge smile back. “Okay, Daddy!” she giggles, giving him another big hug before he leaves the room. She runs back to her room and plays with her toys until she knows her Father is done with his work. Once she puts her toys away, she leaves her room and runs to his office where he was working. “Daddy, are you done yet?” she asks, looking at him with desperate eyes. He laughs. “Yes, Sunset. I am done. Are you ready for your surprise, honey?”, he asks, smiling at her. She nods frantically, getting more and more excited as the second’s pass. She watches as her father gets up and walks over to a cardboard box, picking it up and setting it on his desk. “You got me a box?” she asks, her head tilting in confusion. “No, honey.”, he laughs. “Your surprise is in the box.”, he opens the box and takes out a black, leather jacket. “You got me a coat?” she asks, tilting her head in confusion once more. He laughs. “Yeah, but it’s more than just a coat. It’s something for you to have and to remember me by once I’m gone. It won’t fit you as of now, but you’ll grow into it.”, he says as he gives the jacket to her. She hugs the jacket tightly, smiling at him. “I love you, daddy.” “I love you too, honey.," he says, hugging her...one last time. The memory fades to black and I drift back into reality once more. I sigh and lay back down on the couch, draping my jacket over myself, curling up under it. “I want you back, Daddy...please come back…," I say under my breath. If my nightmares can become reality, why can’t my dreams become reality too?