//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: Mannequins 
// by FearlessJinyx 
//------------------------------//

,~Mannequins~,
As Wonkid ran, his mind raced with the events that had just unfolded. He was running from "It",no, oh no, not "It", them. Taking a hard left, he ran into the nearest room and creaked the door closed. He shuttered cowering behind the old beatup door, hyperventalating from the panic that consumed him. He listened, but in the darkness, he could only hear the sound of his own heart. He closed his eyes,hoped, prayed this was all some mistake. Some foolish phillys nightmare. "It's just a dream, oh please Celestia let it be a horrible, horrible dream" He chanted only to reassure himself of his dwelling fate.But as he listened, he heard it. The only thing that whisped in his ears, was the rythmic beating of his own heart. As he stood, back against door, he heard what plagued his ears to the point of pure terror, another rythmic beating, joining his, consuming his. He opened his eyes, but in the danky old house of Mrs Rainy, he could see nothing of the room before him. But he knew, "They" were watching him. And the heartbeats grew, into a sympathy of the souless.

,~3 Weeks earlier~,
Like any normal day, Wonkid woke to his alarm clock. Buzzing its annoying little hum, endlessly until he got up to turn it off. Wonkid was a stallion born in Ponyville. He was only 19 years old, but his life seemed so boring that he must have lived decades more in his head. His coat was a plain light gray, and his mane a dark brown. He was subjected to much torment as a young colt because of his depressing colors. He often wished to be a Pegasus, to fly like a bird, see the world from a better viewpoint, sulk in the clouds when he was depressed. Being a simple earthpony was saddening for him to think of, so he rarely let his mind trail off to that topic. He brushed his teeth, got his lunch ready (He never did had time for breakfast) and left for work. Like any normal day, he walked past Sugar Cube corner, and down the street towards Mrs Rainys store. Wonkid hated his job, all he did day after day was sit behind the cash register of Mrs Rainys clothing store. Mrs Rainy was an old mare, the oldest in ponyville. Wonkid could describe her as weak, frail, an old bat. She needed a respirator to breath. Wonkid didnt even see her anymore. All she did was sit in here room on the upstairs floor (As the shop also served as her house). When payday came, Wonkid would find the envelope of money on the counter waiting for him as he opened shop. He hadnt cared to wonder why she didn't hand it to him in person, as he thought she was just old and loony. Wonkid could hear her on the days when there were no customers (which were many due to the horrible selection of clothing in the store) talking to somepony in her room. He just thought it was her age and dimensia causing her to believe somepony was there with her. She had no family left, all had either died or left Ponyville. She never had any young to call her own, she might not have even ever dated, as she always kept to herself. He remembered her once saying "Come here sweety, let mom-" but she was cut off as a pony entered the shop. "She thinks she has kids?" he thought to himself, walking home from the shop later that day. "What a weird old hag."