//------------------------------// // The Pink Tape. // Story: The Lost Tapes : Join Us Apple Bloom // by Sweet Pink //------------------------------// The sound of footsteps from another time or whispers that echo sweet memories on the wind. These are the imprints we leave upon the world around us, a reminder to future generations that we're all connected. Adam Wilson knew this far too well himself. Buying his old friend's abandoned two-story home on 13th Avenue for pennies on the dollar, what it lacked in presence was made up with an otherworldly charm. Hallways were empty for nearly six years and each room was covered in sheets of filthy dust. Cobwebs hung in the corners of each bedroom, the bathroom a pale colored hue which showed no vibrancy of life. A capsule of the past unready to move forward. Trapped in a frozen moment, one which haunted this house for year after year. It waited patiently in search of life it desperately needed to move on, a quick gasp of air to gain sentience. The front door clicked in place with a cold distant echo. Adam needed to add some force to the old splintered frame before it would grant access. The young man in his early twenties stumbled through the threshold, blonde hair a completely frazzled mess and pale blue eyes seemingly glowing the darkness. "Door didn't stick during the Open House!" Adam grumbled angrily, a tiny brown box held under his left arm. The living room had a chill unlike anything he ever knew, Adam exhaled a stream of steam from between his lips. "Must be a draft." He blew warm air into his hands before making his way upstairs in haste. Each step caused a creak to hiss from the old wooden stairs. The top level of the house was engulfed in inky thick darkness, Adam couldn't see anything beyond the cold empty void. "hElLo?" A voice so soft called out from the nothingness that Adam wasn't sure he heard anything at all. A cold chill danced down his spine in a melancholic ballet. Reaching the top of the staircase left him breathless, his eyes unable to adjust to the void. Spotting only one room to the right which drew him close, it seemed to have a warm orange glow that beckoned him to safety. Entering the room he tossed the box to the floor with a loud thud. That one petite box nearly killed him, he couldn't even phantom trying to carry the larger ones inside tonight. His energy drained from deep within, as he felt a numb ache upon his lower back. He wasn't too sure what brought forth such weakness, but this room seemed to be a haven. He felt oddly at home and peaceful here, as if it were vaguely familiar to him from a time long past. The warm light pouring in from the window allowed him to crack a genuine smile. "I should maybe plant a few flowers here," Adam whispered under his breath, brushing away a rotted apple before lifting the window upward allowing a soft gust of wind to enter. Maybe this place was a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life. His apartment was a cramped nightmare on most days, and a nonsensical explosion of noises on most nights. Yet this lonely almost empty neighborhood seemed genuinely at peace, as if a relic from another time. With a huff he glanced towards the empty bed to the right, covered by a dusty old sheet. He lifted it high and dusted the filth away, grateful that his old friend chose not to take any of the furnishings. When he went and chose to travel around the world, or so he heard. The bed was a pale red with soft pillows, this room at one point probably belonged to his friend. Thoughts were broken by the odd formation of black sludge seeping outward from the corner wall. He scrunched his nose taking uneasy steps toward the oozing surface, a foul scent wafted outward as if decayed. Even more curious was the fact the substance seemed to resemble two handprints in shape, not his own but smaller and more feminine. He reached out hesitantly as two fingers pressed into the sludge, it bubbled and moved underneath his touch as if alive."Gross, is this mold!?" Adam pulled away rubbing the goo off on his side. "I knew, I should've had this house inspected before moving in..." His voice grumbled annoyed before he walked back to the bed exhausted. He could finish moving his stuff tomorrow, tonight he just wanted to rest. No, he needed it, he could feel himself unable to keep his eyes open. The room around him was fading away at an alarming rate, he could swear a Auburn-haired girl was watching him from the doorway. It couldn't be. Simply a trick from a tired mind, then all went black. "YoU'lL nEvEr FiNd Me…" “ThE aNsWeRs RiGhT tHeRe…” Adam felt the night race past him in a flash, only able to focus his mind around 4:50 A.M. if only for a moment. Everything soon faded back to the abyss once more. It wasn't until hours later that he'd wake up in a panic around noon. He trembled in a cold sweat upon the sheets struggling to catch his breath. Sunlight poured in through the window, yet brought no sense of life to the room. The once welcoming warmth was replaced with a hollow feeling. “Phst, now I get why you left this place…” Adam snorted aloud as he sprawled out on the bed with a true lack of energy or inspiration. The boxes in the truck would have to wait further. Straining to lift off the bed, he thought maybe a shower would pep him up. Taking out his cell from his jeans he lazily scrolled down to Dasher, ordering a cup of coffee from uptown with sugar. Dragging both feet across the floor he headed towards the bathroom, the floorboards covered in some kind of crust or dirt. Another labor added to a quickly growing list of annoyances. Pushing the bathroom door open, he was hit by a foul stench unlike anything else. He couldn't quite pin down the scent, maybe it was burnt rubber? Or spoiled butter with a wave of decay. Adam shuddered in disgust backing out of the bathroom sick to his stomach. With each step backward he fell off balance, his weight shifting towards the back he found himself tumbling to the floor with a thud. A young girl giggling at the humorous sight, Adam quickly snapped his head behind him. Barely able to catch a shadow of a girl fading into one of the backrooms. He could feel an icy chill trace down his lower back and, his heart racing wildly. “Hello?” Adam cleared his throat as his voice echoed eerily throughout the empty abode. Rising to his feet weakly he stumbled in the direction of faint footsteps. Following the ominous noise towards a broom closet. He could hear giggling once more from within, palms sweating. He reached out to grab the knob giving it a firm twist. As the wooden door creaked slowly, Adam looked within to see a dusty but ultimately empty broom closet. The only thing of note was a pink video tape on the floor, a faded title scribbled across the front in childish font. “Cooking with Sweetie Belle.” Kneeling slowly with curiosity he slowly reached out to grab the tape, a thunderous knocking frenzy from downstairs causing him to squeal in a high-pitched tone. His hand snatching up the tape, he rushed down the crooked stairway towards the insistent pounding of wood. Adam answered the door sweating bullets and frightened, to see a young woman on his doorstep holding a scalding hot coffee. “I got an order for coffee?” She spoke in a bemused tone of voice. “That's me…” Adam's voice squeaked as his thumping heart began to steady, he was quick to clear his throat again. “Uh-huh. Don't hurt yourself.” She smirked, handing over the coffee to Adam. He nodded silently as he watched her walk across his dead lawn, a tape in one hand and the brew in the other. Gathering his nerves he sipped the cup and went back inside, his nose scrunched in disappointment as the door clicked shut. The coffee was overflowing with cinnamon, not sugar. Giving a tiny gag, Adam sighed and placed the cup on an empty shelf to his left. “Sweetie Belle, huh?” He would chuckle as he walked into the disheveled living room. The couches were busted to hell and back, but an ancient box TV was still hooked up in the corner. Crooked rabbit ears sticking out from the top, as a cobweb-covered VCR was laid to rot on top of it. Walking over he clicked on the TV half expecting it to explode, but instead, it flashed on with a blanket of static snow. “Didn't take you for an MLP fan, Seth,” Adam smirked as he blew out the VCR cautiously, and slipped the pink tape inside with an audible click. A few more clicks, and two minutes of buzzing later. The old machine seemed to force itself to come back alive. Adam raised a brow with interest as he went full Criss-cross Applesauce on the dingy old floor. Static lifted from the screen as it strained to focus, an odd-looking logo for Hasbro glitching into view before a crackling pop was heard. The melodic song of innocence suddenly filled the room, and Adam was caught off guard by the surprisingly lush audio. Without missing a beat a young pink-haired girl jumped out in front of the camera smiling cutely, a visibly distraught kitchen in the background covered in dirty dishes and half-baked concoctions. She had purple streaks in her hair, dressed in an adorable white spring dress. “Hello, I'm Sweetie Belle! What's your name!?” She giggled clapping both hands together excitedly. A tan girl her age walks in from the left with a magenta-colored pixie cut. “I've searched everywhere for the recipe, I can't…” She stopped mid-sentence looking towards the screen confused, her baggy black Hoodie coated in flour and eggs. “Hee, this is my friend Scootaloo!” Sweetie quickly pulled her closer into a tight hug. “Uhh, hi?” She spoke in an uneasy tone of voice. Adam chuckled thinking this was pretty cute so far, it must've been some kind of spin-off of Equestria Girls since the characters were human. He wasn't sure though, he secretly had been a closeted Brony in the past. But honestly couldn't believe Seth the jock, had been the same all this time. If he ever got to see him again, he was going to bust his chops over it. “Scoots here thinks that if we're going to bake, we need a dumb Ole recipe!” Sweetie rolled her vibrant green eyes playfully. “No, I mean it would help! You kinda aren't the best cook…” Scootaloo forced a sweet smile as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. Sweetie huffed her tiny arms crossing over her chest in dismay, her rosy cheeks puffed out in anger. “As if! I bake all the time!” She clicked her lips smugly. Scootaloo wincing from those few words, her violet eyes narrowed with uncertainty. “Don't take this the wrong way, but I've seen you burn cereal. “ She delivered her line in a deadpan voice. Adam laughed aloud on the floor as he was reminded of a few episodes of MLP about just that. “Har-har, but jokes on you! With my new friends here, I'm going to bake the most delicious treat ever!” Sweetie gazed towards the screen pointing forward, her sweet smile followed by the cutest of squees. “Sweetie, I don't think this is a good idea…” Scootaloo found herself hushed, as her friend lifted her finger to her lips slyly. “C'mon friends let's bake together!!” Sweetie squealed towards the screen in excitement, as she pushed her friend offscreen and scooped up an oversized dirty pan off the counter behind her. Gazing towards the screen she passed by a multitude of ingredients scattered across the kitchen haphazardly. “So tell me everybody, what are the ingredients for our treat!? If you were paying attention, I bet you already saw them!!” Sweetie flashed an innocent smile to the screen. Adam waited for what seemed like an extended period in silence, confused if maybe the tape had somehow frozen. “What's that!? You don't know? Silly we're making an @##&3 913 !” Adam held to his head as the tape gave a sudden loud screech, while the tape seemed to glitch. Sweetie shrugged as she skipped around the kitchen humming aloud in a childish melody. “Oh well, I bet I'll be able to just guess the ingredients!” She picked up a shoe off the floor tossing it into the pan, drizzling it in milk afterwards, and tossing in a few rotted bananas for good luck. Scootaloo stumbled back into view, just in time to watch her bestie slide an overstuffed pan of junk into the nearby oven.”Sweetie, I'm pretty sure that's not right!” She stomped her feet on the ground worriedly. “Worryloo, just chill! Our new friends know what to do!!” She snorted and looked at the screen with a wink. “So how high should we cook it?” Sweetie tapped her fingernails across the top of the oven for what felt like an eternity. “How about we try to make some Ice cream?” Scootaloo spoke up to break the silence. “That's ok if you don't know. I'll just put it on the max!!” Sweetie giggled with an oblivious voice, slamming the pan inside and twisting the knob until it snapped off. “Ahhh, what did you do!?” Scootaloo screamed in fear as her friend just tossed the knob behind her like it was a joke. Adam laughed again, shaking his head from side to side. “Hahaha, this is crazy!” He relaxed as the oven began to billow black smoke. “I told you silly, I'm baking a…” Suddenly a loud explosion thundered throughout the whole house, Adam fell back genuinely frightened as the oven behind the tweens erupted in a wall of flames. “FIRE!!” Scootaloo screamed in true terror as Sweetie was covered in flames, her screams of agony and pain sending chills over Adam. He watched with mouth agape as the fiery blaze covered Scootaloo who continued to howl in pain, her voice turning to coughs of anguish. The foul scent of human flesh burning wafted from the VCR, as Adam felt his stomach tighten in fear. With a click, the tape ejected itself. An eerie wave of heat suddenly coming from the kitchen, as large clouds of smoke began to pour into the room. Adam froze in fear, unsure what to do as his body felt paralyzed unable to budge. “What the Fu…”