Nightmare Night Special; Lost Forever
My Little Pony; Friendship is Magic
Luna’s moon was big, casting a dark gold light on the ground below. It reminded me of the harvest moon that would show up in late September.
“A bit for your thought?” My thoughts turned back to reality a lavender winged unicorn, correction, Alicorn.
“Hay Twilight, just thinking about home that’s all.” I answered her. It was strange, there was so many things that were similar but differences like, talking rainbow colored ponies, magic and godlike Princess. “It sounds like the town is really jumpin tonight.”
“Well, that’s why I suggested we have a camping trip tonight. I don’t think a big holiday like Nightmare Night would be easy for you to handle.”
Twilight and her friends had been the first to extend their hooves in friendship and even now they kept an eye on me. “Thank you, that means a lot that you girls were thinking of me. Twilight I don’t know what to say.”
“Your welcome, you are a friend after all.” She said cheerfully and turned back to a camp fire. “Rainbow Dash is telling the story about The Headless Horse.”
“I’ll be a moment.” I told her before returning to my thoughts. Right it was a holiday they call Nightmare Night, their version of Halloween, not much difference but a single origin story.
The other five mares that had become my friend as well. They were around the rustic fire. The cyan blue rainbow mane Pegasus was zooming around the fire. With a dark tone to her voice she finished her tale. “And he was never heard from AGAIN! Whahaha!”
A butter yellow Pegasus with long pink main made a distressed. “Meep.” Sound and dove behind a strongly built for protection. The bronze, orange work pony with a blond mane just smiled and tilted her stinson hat towards her friend. “Hold up there little d'arnell it’s just a story.” She assured her.
The shivering mass of Pegasus squeaked. “Sorry, Applejack.” .
“No worry Flutter Shy.” Applejack stroked her friends flowing mane
Taking my seat I picked up a tin mug of tea. “I’ve got a story if you would like to hear it but it’s not really a...unm... Nightmare Night one but it is a ghost story.” Taking a sip from the mug I waited for the answer.
“Well of course darling we all have a chance.” A marshmallow mare with a well styled violet mane answered. She used her magic to fluff a pillow from her finely crafted sofa before resting her violet main back on it. “You may proceed.”
“Rarity’s right we’re all here to have fun.” A Pink mare with a pink cotton candy main cheered. Like a cartoon character on Red Bull she sprang around the fire place. “And telling stories around the campfire is fun. Right, right, right.”
“Thanks Pinkie Pie.” Taking a deep breath and ready to begin my tale.
It was in the winter and I was in charge of clear the trails for the snowmobiles to use. While in my half-track I thought I heard some one crying out. “Luu-cy, Luu-cy.” I dismissed it as my imagination just the sound of the engine. It was cold and I didn’t want to leave the warm cabin if I did not have to.
“Whait what is a Snowmobile, or a half-track for that matter?” Rainbow Dash asked me.
I stopped and thought for a moment on how to answer that. “Well, you girls once told me about an engine that two unicorn brothers had well thanks of that to start with.
A snowmobile is a sled that has a small engine that helps move a grooved treadmill belt, called a track in the back. This allows the snowmobile to travel over the snow covered ground at high speed.”
“Yah AJ,” Rainbow Dash called to the farm pony. “I bet your sister would have ranked of another concussion with a sled like that. How many has she got so far? 6-7?”
“4 and you know it!” AppleJack snapped back.
“I’m just surprised that your sister hasn’t built on yet. Out three The Cutie Mark Crusaders she would be the one to build one.” Rarity said.
“A half-track is like a carriage that has it’s front wheels covered with rubber that has croves in it and has the same type of treads for the back wheels.”
“Why were you not using a snowmobile it sounds like it would be easier to move through the terran then something as big as a carriage.” Twilight asked.
“Well as snowmobile is good for exploring or racing. A half-track may be big but it has an enclosed cabin and a places to carry all the tools I needed and I could keep warmer. Besides I was just trying to fix trails that existed for the snowmobiles.” With the explanation done I went back to the story.
“Luu-cy, Luu-cy” I heard again, this time I stopped and got out of my half-track. I tried to look around and find the voice, I didn’t hear anything. So, I started to clear some of the overhanging branches away from the trail. That’s when I heard it again. “Luu-cy! Luu-cy!” It louder this time, it was a woman’s voice.
“Hello!” I called in to the forest.
“Luu-cy! Luu-cuy!” Was her only replied.
I looked for the voice’s owner, that’s when I dared to step off the trail and into the tree line. “Luu-cy! Luu-cy!” The voice called from still deeper in the woods. With flashlight and a knife to aide me, I went deeper into the forest. “Luu-cy! Luu-cy!” Her voice called.
The cold didn’t bother me much, but the snow started to fall. I had been in those woods many times before but if it starting to snow my most obvious trail marks would be gone. So I hesitantly decided to turn back.
“Luu-cy! Luu-cy!” The woman’s voice called again this time it was echoing throughout the woods.
The wind start to pick up “Luu-cy! Luu-cy!” Her voice urged, daring me to come after it. I was no one’s fool, I kept moving towards my half track that’s when I caught something caught my eyes. Fresh tracks in the snow and they weren’t mine they were of a child’s hesitantly I followed the tracks.
“Luu-cy! Luu-cy!” The woman’s voice called out again.
I tightened my coat around my neck and face to protect me against the wind and snow. The light snow and harsh winds made it hard to make out the figure that was in front of me. It was a little girl with dirty blond hair and she was wearing an old fashion white dress. She was still too far ahead of me.
“Hey, come back here the weather’s getting bad we’ve got to get out of here.” I shouted but she did not respond. The wind whipped at my snow suit as it was getting harder to move through the woods so I had to get back to my half-track.
“What about the… the poor woman out in the cold?” Fluttershy meeped at me, cutting into the story.
The others shot me a look as well. “I am getting to that part don’t worry and NO, I wasn’t being a big Meany pants Pinkie.” I cut off the party mare before she could say anything. I cleared my throat and started again.
Later on I talked to one of the other workers about what I saw and he told me the tale of Lucy Keyes, Lost Forever. It’s an old ghost story, you see Robert Keyes and Tilly Littlejohn were having a dispute. The dispute was over the amount of land Robert Keyes had Tilly Littlejohn was jealous and would become quite angry at Robert’s good fortune. Now that is the important part so keep that in mind won't you.
Robert had a wife named Martha, as well as three daughter, Anna, Patty and the youngest was Lucy.
In the spring of 1755 Martha had her older daughters, Anna and Patty were sent to pick up fine sand that was used to scour the floor. Though Martha told her youngest to stay home she did not listen to her and she followed her sisters. She never came home again and the Keyes looked frantically for her even Tilly Littlejohn looked for her. Martha called for her daughter Luu-cy but she never came. Every night at dusk Martha would roam the forest looking of her lost daughter. In 1786 she died never knowing what happened to her daughter. Locals say that you can hear Martha calling for her daughter.
As for Lucy to this day no knows whether her body was ever found or what exactly or what ever truly happened to her. It was said that you could see her wandering through the woods trying to find her family again.
Stopping my story telling to finish my tea off, I wondered what my companies were thinking.
“Poor Lucy.” Flutter Shy moaned.
“Right shame.” Applejack shook her head sadly.
Rarity dabbed her eyes slightly. “Kind of sad really, more than scary.”
I shrugged. “It was scary when it was happening to me.”
Twilight shook her head. “I’m just sorry that her disappearance was never solved.”
“Funny you should mention that Twilight, it sort of was.” The girls looked at me puzzled. “You see remember how I told you Tilly Little John and Robert Keyes were having a dispute over land?”
They all nodded.
“Well after Lucy disappeared he left the area and there the dispute entirely. On August 12, 1815 on his deathbed Tilly Littlejohn call his housekeeper to his bedside and confessed. He confessed that on April 14, 1755, he was walking through the woods when he found l Lucy Keyes lost and wandering into his property. Blinded by rage he grabbed a rock and killed the poor girl, then he buried her body under an uprooted tree.”
They all gasped and they were quiet. “Lucy and her mother’s tragic tale became a be part of Local folklore and are the source of many ghost stories, like mine. It was even in made into a movie 1988 by a man named John Stimpson. But I guess it is a bad story at heart.” I shrugged.
“Well fork tales come in many forms and often start with a current of truth. But if it folk lore then how do you know the Exact dates.” Twilight broke the silence.
“ Yah, seems more like something a egg head might now.” Rainbow Dash stated.
“You would be right but I know the surviving Keyes family so it’s really apart of their family history. Plus, Tilly LittleJohn had no family so the Keyes can’t even seek restitution for what happed.”
“Makes sense.” Twilight said with her hoof to her chin.
“Thanks, Twilight is it OK we turn in?” I asked as I stretched out.
“Yes that would be best.” She answered.
“Well goodnight everypony, co’me on Flutter Shy you can stay with me tonight. If’n you're scared.” Applejack told her friend.
Flutter shy nodded, to her cowpony friend.
“Happy Nightmare Night pleasant dream. Whoa, ha ha!” Rainbow Dash laughed.
“Nighty, Night everypony.” Cheered Pinkie.
“Luu-cy! Luu-cy!” I had been sleeping for a few hours when a sound caught my ear. I stepped out of my tent. The campfire had gone out and the other girls were still asleep I heard it coming from the woods.
“Luu-cy! Luu-cy!” A woman's voice called out from the forest.
I didn’t know what to think. “How could...” I started to walk towards the forest.
“Luu-cy! Luu-cy!” The woman’s voice called yet again.
“Not this again.” I breathed.
“Luu-cy. Luu-cy.” The voice was closer to me, in fact be hind me.
I spun around to find Twilight with smile on her face. “Sorry, Rainbow Dash talked me into it. It’s just a little Nightmare Night prank.” Twilight offered.
“No, No, it was a good one.” I shook my head with a laugh. “Thanks”
“Luu-cy. Luu-cy.” A faint woman’s voice called from the forest.
“Twilight that’s enough.” I snapped.
“Luu-cy. Luu-cy.” The voice was even faint and fading.
Twilight looked surprised and shook her head. “That wasn’t me. I stopped the spell a long time a go.”
“Luu-cy. Luu-cy.” I could barely hear the voice this time. .
“You don't think?”
Twilight looked at me trying to figure out what was happening. “I guess an old ghost story just got a new twist and an new ghost got added to Ponyville.”