//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: Their Eyes were Watching the Apple Family 
// by DoctorBartender 
//------------------------------//

	
Chapter 1



I was at home alone in my junky apartment in Chicago like I usually am when I come home from work. I work at a family-owned grocery store owned by a gentleman called Dullwin. So because of my job, you can guess I live in a shit-hole. But to be honest, I don’t mind since I like to live frugally anyway. I play videogames and watch My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic on my computer that happens to be on my kitchen table. That’s right, you heard me: I eat where I play Unreal Tournament. I don’t really care what you think though, so keep your opinions to yourself.

Anyway, so I was home alone watching the second season premiere of MLP on my computer enjoying a nice toasted bagel with strawberry jelly when a knock came at my door. Disgruntled, I got up and went to see who could want to visit me at such a late hour. Who could it be other than Mr. Dullwin telling me I got a demerit for being late that morning. I acted very humble and apologized for my iniquity of that morning and told him I would improve. He ranted some more and finally left me to my “I don’t give a fuck what you think” thoughts and, of course, ponies. 

Unfortunately I had forgotten to stop the show and I had to rewind a good four minutes and thirty seconds. But while I was watching this particular episode it got me thinking: Discord is very similar to Loki, god of tricks and chaos in Norse mythology. So a background character is a god and the Mane 6 ponies are just mere mortals? Such a thing didn’t make sense but I decided to ignore it and pretend it was just another one of my crazy ideas that probably wasn’t true. I finished the episode then turned in for the night to get some rest for my wonderful job in the morning.
I awoke the next morning to my Alex Day alarm clock singing “Forever Yours” in my ear again. Honestly, I don’t know why I made it play that song, but who cares. So I’m on my way to work that morning and while I’m turning an all-too-familiar corner, I spot something I’d never seen before. Across the street a new store had opened; but this store looked anything but new in design. The architecture was, without a doubt, at least 1400’s with dark curtains draped over the two exterior display windows, and a strange sign with lettering I couldn’t make out. As I approached the lettering became clear and said:
Mrs. Delicious’ Organic Seeds and Flowers

We lived in the middle of the city; why would a garden shop open here? Ever since the smog effect kicked in because of carbon emissions the sky was gray 24/7 and the only flowers that grew were in the South West and Europe now. I had 10 minutes before my shift started so I decided to go in, but I remembered about being late the previous morning. Instead, I went to work early to earn some trust points with Mr. Dullwin, and then go to the shop after my shift.

At the end of the day, I went to the mysterious flower shop like I promised myself that very morning. When I stepped in the door, almost immediately I felt at peace, because there were meditation candles all over the room. They smelled like Monterey Jack cheese and something else I couldn’t decipher. A small, round lady walked in from the back and tore me out of my trance. “Can I help you with anything, dear?” she asked in a strong South Carolina accent. “I saw your shop earlier this morning, and wanted to come in after my shift at work to see what it was like.” I replied, “After all, the designs on the front of your store are very different from the norm.” The lady smiled and replied, “They should be, I believe I am the only storeowner in town with Gothic 1400’s architecture, and I hope it stays that way.” Bingo, I told you earlier: 1400’s architecture. I will occasionally do segments like this where I tell you what I think about a situation at hand or what someone is talking about; much like the paused scenes with the Duke boys when they jump off a ramp with the General Lee. Anyway, back to the conversation with this weird lady. “That’s very interesting Mrs. ……?” “Oh how rude of me, my name is Mrs. Delicious’ could you not read the sign outside?” “Actually,” I replied, “the sign’s lettering is very weathered and I couldn’t I’m afraid but nice to meet you all the same.” Hahaha don’t belittle me just because I bullshitted an old lady; I mean I’m sure you all would have done the same. “The weathering is actually supposed to be there, but it’s called Dark Ages Stone.” She replied. At this time, I was desperate to change the conversation and I did. “So what is it you sell here exactly, Mrs. Delicious’?” “I sell a wide variety of flowers and seeds for growing your own garden or orchard, dearie.” “But why would you set up shop here in the middle of the city where nothing can be grown anyway?”

“Glad you asked dearie because I can explain that away.” She replied. “Basically, while the city itself does seem at first glance a tough place to grow flowers, and it is, it still isn’t impossible. Once flowers take bloom and begin to grow under my artificial sunlight lamps I have in the back room, I can grow a whole bunch of flowers people can keep in their homes!” “Wow that’s amazing Mrs. Delicious’ but tell me what else is in the back room that I can see? I might consider shopping here once in a while for a flower or two to brighten up my home a bit.” As soon as I said that, she backed defensively up against a door which I assumed led to the “back room”. “Dearie,” she said, “you are never to go in this room because what I have in here is not to be seen with eyes other than my own; do you understand?” I was stunned by how she said those words: very raspy and not at all like the sweet voice of the old lady I heard when I entered the store! But I simply nodded to say I understood and immediately left the shop. 

At home that night, I skipped watching some MLP because of the strange events that evening. I simple went to bed but I thought about what could be in that room that was such a secret. I created my own little conspiracy theories about it since it was something I didn’t know the truth to. I hypothesized that she kept a large elephant back there whose dung was used to fertilize her plants, but I dismissed it as unlikely and fell asleep. 

The next day I went to work a different route than normal so I could avoid going past the flower store. I immediately knew my day was going to be bad when I saw the old lady herself out by the deserted playground collecting dried grass in a basket. I hurried past her, turned a corner, and entered the grocery store. Punched in, I went to my assigned aisle group, 1-5, and began to sweep the floors. I dropped 4 cans of ravioli and 2 of them busted open. Moaning, I grabbed a mop and began cleaning. By the end of the day, I had dropped 15 more cans and popped a chip bag! I felt depressed and just walked home the usual way, forgetting the old lady and her shop until I came on it.

I stopped and stared at the shop thinking about that door, until finally my curiosity got the better of me and I went inside. The old lady was nowhere to be seen, so I crept up to the door and waited for a sign of Mrs. Delicious, but didn’t hear her. I slowly turned the knob on the door and entered the back room, which was very unlit and dank. I couldn’t find a match so I just walked slowly, groping the walls for support. I finally found another door at the end of the hallway which was ajar just ever so slightly with a small light coming from inside.

I heard a voice, a voice I thought sounded like a little girl. But as I snuck into the room it wasn’t talking I heard, but sleep talking. And it wasn’t a little girl either; the voice I heard belonged to the one and only, Applejack of Equestria.