I was terrified.
The scary mare was coming for me; I knew it. I could hear her hooves clopping across the street, making small echoes off the enclosed walls. I didn't think any pony else was here, that I was alone in this deserted piece of city. It was just an alley between two stores, filled with boxes and crates of old things. It echoed my voice when I talked, but that was it. Nothing special about it. At least, not to most ponies.
I used to love this alley. Mommy or Daddy would bring me here often, and I'd start making strange noises, just so the alley would make them back. They came back all funny, like some pony was trying to copy me. I always laughed at it. Maybe I would have laughed at the mare making echoes when she walked.
Not anymore though, now I just want it to stop.
My eyes looked up, and saw the boxes I was hiding behind. Well, it was really more a bunch of stacks. But maybe that was worse, I couldn't peak over them and see who was after me. They were to close together for me to look in between.
I didn't know if she brought anything, or even what she wanted. I might not have found out anyway, but It would still make me feel better to know where she was. The echoes made everything confusing, and I only knew she was there. And that she wouldn't go away.
I shivered and hugged myself tighter, it wasn't usually this cold.
"Please..." I whispered.
The scary mare stopped, she'd heard me. I shut my mouth, to scared to say anything else. I hope I didn't make it worse, mommy always said that if I tell every pony please and thank you, it makes them happy.
Is that what the mare wanted me to do? If I made her happy, maybe she would do want I wanted. All I wanted was for her to go away, she was scaring me and I didn't like it.
I counted all the boxes in front of me, waiting for her to say something, anything. It was hard to forget how scary she was, especially when the alley was so dark and cold. Everything seemed creepy, and even if I didn't hear anything all night I think she would still be there, waiting for the right moment to strike. I didn't stop straining my ears for noise. Not until she spoke up.
"Why don't you come out?" She asked. Her voice sounded sweet, like she was trying too hard to be nice.
I didn't answer.
"..."
She spoke again, this time her voice sounded angry and mean. "You don't want to make me come look for you."
Oh no... I'd made her mad. I didn't want her to be mad at me.
Whimpers escaped my throat as I huddled closer to the corner I'd tucked myself in. If I hadn't spoken out, it would take her longer to find me. But I knew that wasn't any use; eventually she'd just look behind the boxes and see me. There was no way I could sneak out unnoticed. She knew I was in this alley because she followed me in here. I don't know why, maybe I didn't want to. The answer wouldn't change anything.
My eyes were getting blurry. Silent tears ran down my cheeks as I waited for her to come. The only thing I could really do was stay quiet, and even though it seemed impossible, I tried my best anyway. Maybe she would go away if she thought she couldn't find me.
But then the echoes began again, and I started sobbing.
"There, there..." she cooed, her voice once again full of its forced sweetness. "I promise I won't hurt you."
My only response was to sob harder.
She gave an angry grunt, and I heard some trash cans falling over not far from my hiding place. Some of the garbage fell out, and came rolling over to the boxes. She would follow it soon, I didn't want to find out what would happen when she did. Small pieces trash bumped into me, and despite myself, I glanced down.
It was frozen.
I curled up as small as I could and shut my eyes.
--SMASH--
The stacks in front of me all crashed to the ground.
My hooves flew over my head in a feeble attempt to shield myself from the barrage of flying wood. I protected my eyes, but I felt it cut against the rest of my skin, covering my body in scratches from head to hoof. It hurt really bad, I don't think all of it was paper cuts.
The echoes came to a stop...
Right in front of me.
Slowly, I looked up.
There, in front of me, what the mare I'd been hiding from. Fear washed over me, and I started shivering. It felt like the temperature had dropped from cold to freezing. I wanted to take my eyes away from her, but I couldn't. Something wouldn't let me.
Her head was tilted down, she looked evil and unforgiving. Her mane was long and black, almost going past her midsection. It was straight, but uneven on the bottom, like some pony did a hack-job cutting it. Her coat had a dark blue sheen, the same color as the night sky. It was almost like she had a dark aura, I felt a sense of foreboding just being this close. The air surrounding us was turning more frigid by the second; I could already see my breath.
The mare took a step forward, lifted her head, and met my gaze.
Her eyes... They...
They were nothing.
In their place where two empty black holes, darker than anything I'd ever seen. They were infinite, but contained no soul. It was like looking in a bottomless pit. They held me trapped, unable to move. I couldn't have screamed if I tried.
She grinned, and spoke my name.
"Poison."
I froze.
There's one they say you can't defeat,
A mare whose heart is frozen.
Whose justice lies with blind deceit,
The mare whose known as poison...