Chapter 5: The Captivity
Everything was dark. Ditzy could feel herself floating aimlessly though oblivion for hours, or at least that was how it seemed, time had become foreign to her. She couldn’t move her body, nor could she talk or open her eyes. Her body had completely shut off.
Am I dead? She wondered. For all she knew, her body could have disappeared, or left behind even. Last night felt fuzzy, but she did remember seeing Jackle turn into something…unpleasant. She had no idea what to do. She couldn't stand being all alone. She wanted to cry, to call for help, to beg for a friend…but even if she could, it would’ve been useless.
After a while, she began to hear whispering in the distance. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, but she recognized their voices. A familiar sense of unease returned when she realized the ghosts from earlier were back, but this time, she couldn’t do anything about it. The whispers came in closer, and she started to understand them.
“Don’t be afraid young one,” The Mare’s voice cooed. “You aren’t quite dead yet”
Although Ditzy couldn’t see or feel the ghost, her voice was still enough to frighten her. Not quite dead? What is that supposed to mean?
“You will wake up soon,” another voice responded, the colt she assumed. “Although, you may have some trouble.”
It took a moment for Ditzy to realize that they could hear her thoughts. She knew that now was the time to get some answers.
Who are you? Ditzy asked.
She heard the mare give a short laugh. “You’ll find out soon enough.
What do you want with me?
“Nothing specifically from you… I don’t want to see Jackle hurt. I want to see him happy.”
I don’t want him hurt either, but… I can’t stay here forever.
“You don’t have to.” Ditzy felt a cold hoof touch her shoulder. The feeling both reassured her that she still had her body, but still gave her chills. “I want you to break the spell”
Break the spell? Ditzy remembered the poem Jackle told her, but she had no idea what it meant or how to use it. How do I do that?
The mare sighed. “Your eyes are as lost as his. It’s no wonder you can’t escape.”
But, his eyes look fine.
The colt chuckled. “Not like that, silly!”
Huh?
“Only when your hearts become true will the spell break,” The mare answered.
Ditzy was becoming frustrated. That doesn't make any sense! How can I trust you if you won’t tell me anything helpful?
“I’ll let you decide that on your own,” She responded stubbornly.
Please! Ditzy plead desperately. I need to know what to do!
There was no response. She could feel their presence leaving her.
No! Please come back! She begged, but it was no use. They were gone, and Ditzy was once again left to drift alone in the darkness.
Ditzy woke to the sound of a grandfather clock, which rang twelve times before she was fully aware of where she was.
Ditzy was in a bedroom similar to the one she was in before, but without a cupboard or jewelry box. A lone candle lit the room, a dim, hopeful light within darkness of despair. She had been lain on the bed by someone, but her clothes were still on. She didn't feel that bad until she realized there was a thick, heavy chain attached to her torso.
One end of the chain was firmly attached to the front-left bedpost, and was just long enough to allow Ditzy to walk around most of the room. She tried to get out of bed, but her legs shivered and wobbled too much for her to stand. She instead sat down and tried to remember what was going on. She remembered Jackle, as well as his...transformation. She also remembered how Jackle said he was stuck in this manor, and how desperately he wanted her to stay...
The reality of her situation set in. Her heart thumped wildly, her breaths became gasps, and her hooves were shaky and sweaty. This couldn't be happening to her! If Jackle was going to be how he was like at dinner, she was going to be trapped here, maybe for the rest of her life if she didn't do anything!
She screamed desperately for help, she couldn’t help it. The frantic calls echoed through the empty house for as long as they could before disappearing in the shadows. For several minutes, the screams continued before they were cut off but something in her throat.
Cries turned to coughs, and Ditzy turned to lean off the side of the bed. Her throat burned as she sprayed the floor with a hideous black sludge. The coughing quickly turned into a violent fit that nearly suffocated her. The pain was unbearable, but she couldn’t stop. The tears in her eyes were her only response to this immense suffering.
After a while, however, she did manage to stop, but her throat was left raw, and her stomach felt as if it had been beaten from the inside. There was now a puddle of sludge on the floor under her head, much like sludge that was in her cup before she passed out. The thought of drinking all that wine now made her feel terrible.
“That monster poisoned me…” she rasped, but her deep, gravelly voice startled her. She didn’t sound like herself at all. She sounded older…darker…
…scarier
She laid her head down on the mattress for a while and tried to calm down. She later found the strength to pick herself up and climbed out of bed. Walking, however, was much harder. Her legs wobbled terribly as she stumbled her way over to the nearby mirror dresser. She began to gasp for air once again when she did reach it, but it was hardly because of the journey. This pony staring back at her…it didn’t look like her…
Her coat and mane had dulled, and now sagged underneath the clothing and jewelry. Dark shadows had formed around her colorless eyes, as if she hadn’t slept at all. There were still some black droplets around her mouth, and when she opened her mouth, she discovered her tongue was completely black.
The image shook her immensely. That alone nearly caused her to pass out, but she only stumbled to the side. What….what did he do to me…..? She wondered.
Ditzy spent the next several minutes stumbling back to bed, the pain in her stomach worsening. She knew she had to lie down. She wrapped her frail body with the old blankets in an attempt to gain the slightest bit of comfort. Before she knew it, murky black tears were staining her cheeks. What am I going to do?
She stayed there for quite a while, and nearly fell asleep before she was awoken at the sound of a door opening. Ditzy’s head shot up to see Jackle standing at the door, wearing his top hat and ripped cape. He looked normal, but his eyes seemed somewhat brighter.
Ditzy’s fur stood on edge. She prepared to defend herself, despite her objecting stomach. Jackle noticed this and raised a hoof and replied calmly.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you.” He came forward slowly, as if approaching a stray animal. “I do apologize for my actions earlier, I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
Ditzy wouldn't budge. She kept her eyes trained on his, her hooves at the ready. A silent minute passed before she spoke up.
“What did you do to me?” She croaked.
“What do you mean?”
“The wine….What was in it?”
“Oh, that,” Jackle was at the bed by now, but he was wise enough to keep his distance. “I assure you, nothing harmful was in there.”
“Nothing harmful?!” An intense, uncontrollable rage erupted from within Ditzy all of a sudden. “I passed out! I’m sick, I can’t walk, I’m coughing up black slime for Celestia’s sake! How the Hell can you tell me I’m not being harmed?!”
Jackle lowered his head, his face serious. “What I gave you is not harming you on it’s own. You’re bringing this harm upon yourself.”
“What?!” Ditzy screamed. “Don’t give me that bullshit. You poisoned me, and you know it!”
“You don’t understand…” Jackle sighed.
“What don’t I understand?” She demanded. “Why are you doing this to me?”
He paused for a moment, then came forward and put his hoof over her’s. Ditzy would have attacked, but something in the other pony’s eyes made her sit still. He showed no fear, no anger, no hate… instead, sincerity and love overtook his face.
“Ditzy, I’m doing this because I love you, and I don’t want you to have to go back to such an unforgiving life.” He cooed. “I don’t want you to leave.”
A few hours ago, Ditzy would've fallen for such a romantic act. Now, however, she only hardened her heart. She scrunched her face with disgust and turned away. “I will never love you as long as you keep me prisoner,” she spat. “Now let me be.”
“But…”
”LEAVE ME ALONE!”
An iron curtain had fallen between them. Jackle stepped back, his face painted with pain. He remained for a little while before he lowered his head and drifted to the door with a heavy heart. Ditzy felt no remorse for him. She kept her chin up and a sneer on her face as she watched him leave.
Jackle closed the door behind him. With a crushing sigh, he put his back to the wall and slid down to the floor. What was he going to do? He loved Ditzy too much to let her go, but what good would it be to keep her here if she hated him? He couldn’t let this opportunity pass him up. It’s been forever since he’d seen someone so lovely. She was the closest he could get to…
Jackle shook his head. This would not be the end. He must her. He picked himself up and began down the hallway.
“I will get that mare's heart…” he muttered. “...at any cost…”