RINGRINGRINGRING
I awaken with a groan, blearily opening my blue eyes. Rolling over, I hit the alarm clock with a cherry blossom hoof, smashing the disturber of my rest.
“Huh,” I start, no emotion evident in my voice as I examine my slightly bloodstained hoof, “That used to hurt.”
Shrugging slightly, I climbed out of bed, paying no heed to the small trickle of blood from my hoof, and trotted towards the cupboard where we keep the broom. Opening it with magic, I took the broom back with me to my bedroom and sweept up the remains of the alarm clock into a nearby bin. I replaced the broom and meandered through the kitchen, picking up an apple on the way out the door to the library. On my way there, I passed very few ponies, even less than I usually do this early in the morning. Those that I do see all appear to still be in shock from the horrible news that spread through Equestria barely weeks ago, though they felt like years: that the Element of Generosity was a serial killer. Their hushed whispers barely make it into my ears, so I ignore them.
I remember the day I heard the news. A guard knocked on the door and informed me that my sister, Silly Idea, was one of the many that she had taken from us. He was so... formal about the whole thing, and there was a hint of routine in his words as if my sister's death didn't matter. Or it could be that this wasn't the only time he had done this. Maybe it wasn't. Morning, my roommate, was there as well, and he held me while I cried on his shoulder. He didn't say anything. He didn't really need to. Heck he probably couldn't based on everything that had happened.
Blinking, I stopped looking back on memories to find that I had already begun working and had somehow placed the Daring Do books in the ‘Non-Fiction’ section. Sighing in an exacerbated manner, I lifted the books off the shelf and trotted through the large library to place them back in the ‘Fiction’ section.
There, back where they belong, I thought, the lack of emotion carrying over. Just like Silly should be. Like everypony that… that monster killed should be.
The thought of that monster and what she did to those ponies, to my sister, coupled with images of my nightmares returning whenever I closed my eyes. I saw Silly being butchered, crying out for somepony to help her while laughter echoed around the dark room. It concocted a dangerous brew in my head, igniting a flame inside of me that I thought had died long ago. I had hoped that it would stop after the bullying stopped back when I was a colt. Feeling extreme frustration for the first time, I lashed out on the bookshelf behind me, bucking it with all of my strength. The heavy bookshelves crashed to the ground; the noise reverberating through the previously tranquil library.
Leaping out of the way at the last moment, I narrowly avoided being crushed by a large wooden bookcase. It made a large puff of dust to disperse around the room, something that the other bookcases had done in the few seconds prior. Coughing and sputtering, I turned to see Dewey Decimal, the owner of the Trottingham Library and my boss, approaching the fallout of my fit of rage. He was taking careful steps so as not trod on any books.
He stares down at the mess and sighs. “I’m going to guess that this,” he gestures a hoof to the toppled circle of bookcases, “Has something to do with what happened to your sister, doesn’t it?” I flinched slightly when he mentions Silly, but it was enough for him to notice. He sighed again and continued, placing a hoof over my shoulders, “Honestly, Unusual, I think you need a break from all these dusty, old books.”
My eyes widened in shock and my jaw hung limp for a moment before words start pouring out. “But, Dewey, I-”
“No buts, Unusual. Take the next week off. You need it,” I go to say something else, but he keeps talking over the top of me. “Don’t worry about this mess. This library has been passed down the Decimal line for generations, so cleaning it should be a breeze, even for a kooky old fool like me,” He finished with his trademark grin, which would’ve normally elicited a small chuckle from me. Today... I just didn’t feel it.
I sighed and pushed myself up. “Okay, Dewey,” I started with a sniff, lowering my head and folding my ears flat. I trotted towards the door that leads outside. “See you next week.”
A number of hours had passed while I was in the library. As soon as I got outside, there were lots more ponies wandering the streets; though it was still a pitiful amount compared to the crowds of old. A number of them were talking to each other in the same hushed voices; occasionally glancing towards somepony else. Others walked the streets in a silent depression. Most of them were unaware that they would run into something until it hit them right in the muzzle.
THUD-CLINK
Snapping out of my reverie, I looked down to see a pair of milk bottles next to the door with a note attached to one of them. Picking up the note, I read it and a small frown formed on my face.
Hoping things start to look up soon.
M.W.
Shrugging slightly, I picked up the milk bottles; reattaching the note to one of them. I pushed the door open and trudged into the kitchen. I placed them upon the table and returned the apple to where I found it. Retreating to my room, I flopped onto my bed. I made a small fwhump sound upon impact and slammed the door behind me with my magic.
“Ow,” I heard Morning’s muffled voice say. The door opens a few moments later. “Hey, dude, you okay?”
“No,” I replied in my smallest voice, the sound of which is further muffled by the pillow covering my muzzle.
“Come on,” Morning pleaded, walking right up next to me, “What happened?”
“I trashed the library and Dewey said I should take a week off.” I reluctantly respond. I buried my head further under a pillow only for Morning to pull it out.
“That’s what’s got you in here moping?" Morning scoffed. "Your boss gave you a week off?” I lightly nodded. “I don’t know about you, but I can’t see anything wrong with a week off, ‘specially after-”
“They’re back,” I said quietly, interrupting Morning’s monologue.
“What are? The nightmares?” I feel Morning's hoof touch my back as I barely manage a tiny nod. My eyes are welling up with tears and my ears are flat against my head. I'm even avoiding eye contact with the pony that I trust the most, second only to my parents. I gasped when Morning pulled me in for a long comforting hug, “Come on, babe, you know they can’t hurt you,” he continued, exploiting the fact that I like it when somepony calls me something like that, while I cried on his shoulder, “Just let it all out. I’m here for you.”
“They started again a few days ago, but they keep getting worse,” I cry into Morning’s shoulder, sniffling every so often. “And now, whenever I close my eyes, I can see that... that thing doing Celestia-didn’t-even-know-what to my sister, and she’s... she’s crying, screaming out. She's screaming for somepony to help her but nopony does! I just…” I whimper and tighten my hug around Morning. "They didn't even give us a body. We couldn't even bury her because whatever she did to my sister meant that there was nothing left. My parents and I didn't have anything to bury and..." I trail off, unable to form coherent words around my sobbing. My body was convulsing from the sheer force of them, though I could feel something wet on my shoulder.
“Don’t worry,” Morning soothed, “Everything’s going to start getting better. It's going to be okay. Somehow it'll be okay.”