//------------------------------// // That Fateful Day // Story: Terror Begins at Twilight // by maxxxxxx //------------------------------// 'An eery silence fell as she she ran, the sounds of her hoof beats echoed through the empty house. She could feel it, it felt as close as the darkness that surrounded her. The smell of blood reeked all around her, she knew, it was from more than the seeping wound on her side, the acrid smell of stale blood that permeated the air, that was it's scent, that's how she knew, it was close. In the smell, she could almost tell that the splash of essence, the vital fluid that drenched it, that covered it from hoof to ear, she could smell each individual pony who used to live by that blood. A childhood friend, a stranger she met just that morning, a protective stepfather and, her lover. She could smell it, their blood was almost screaming at her, that it was close. 'Oh God no! I have to get out of here! I have to-' Suddenly, the floor creaked, the wood betraying an entity close by, only, to her horror, the sound came from in front of her. Annabelle froze, her blood chilled as she came to a dead stop. Her heart raced in her ears and in the near perfect darkness, her sight was useless, shadowy figures moved all around her but the air was still and the house devoid of sound, all sound but one: Her heartbeat. 'No, please no... I don't want to die. It, it can't see me, if I stay still maybe it wont...' Her thought derailed as she listened around her, something was off. It was still quiet, but her heartbeat, something about it... Thump. Thump. Thum-thump. Fear flooded her mind and body as the horror gripped her entire being, the deadly revelation dawned on her: there were two heartbeats! Slowly, Annabelle turned her head, the other pulse, it was beating right into her ear. 'I- It's r-right beside me...' Her body trembled, shaking uncontrollably. She tired, with every last drop of strength she had, to keep her body still, praying that, it hadn't found her yet. Looking slowly from the corner of her eye, all she could see was the same pitch blackness. Summoning up the little courage she had, Annabelle turned her head, little by little, fighting the paralysis of horror that held her hooves to the floor. Every muscle below her neck felt disconnected from her, like she was attached to a lifeless doll submerged in cement. She wanted to run, every fiber of her being told her to run, to scream as loud as she could, tears rolled effortlessly down her face as she begged her body to move even as the scent of blood grew as think as blood it's self, her body would not respond. 'I have to get out! I-if I stay here, I'll end up like them, like everypony else...' “H- Help me...” A weak, choked voice echoed through the house. She couldn't tell, where it came from, it almost felt as though the house it's self were begging, pleading for help as the voice seeped out of every wall. “Help... me.” 'No, that voice... I-it can't be. No! He- he's dead, it's not him! It's a trap! I- I have to, I have to-” “Annabelle... help... me.” The voice whispered, it's words gargled as though it talked through fluid filled lungs. Her heart skipped a beat, she couldn't deny it, the voice that was begging for her help, was Leo. Suddenly, the floor beside her moaned under a moving mass, right where the heartbeat was only moments ago. The sound of light hoof steps trotted away, growing fainter and fainter until they were swallowed by the darkness. She felt the grip of mortal fear relax and the scent of blood fade back into the hint of death the filled the air in the entire dammed house. “Annabelle... h-help me. ” The voice spoke, the sound coming from every direction, all around her. Still, it was unmistakable. She knew that voice, the voice of the stallion she loved, the voice of the fiance she left for dead, running away as the life drained out of him on the floor of bathroom, his lungs filling with his own blood, sputtering, gasping his last pleas for help as he died. “Leo...” Her body froze as the words slipped out as a whisper past her lips. A creak from the floor above chilled her to her bones. Suddenly, without warning the scent of blood came back stronger than ever, filling her nostrils with such intensity she felt she might drown in it. Her heart raced and her mouth went dry. A deathly cold wisp of air caressed her ear.. it was a breath. 'No... no..' A sharp claw, warmed by the blood of her friends slid smoothly over her wound, it was so sharp, it barely hurt as the bloo1d began dripping freely to the flood. A soft, gentle voice spoke, right into her ear: “ Annab- Twilight!” ********************************************************* “Ahhh!” Twilight's wings flourished as she shot up, dropping the book she was engrossed in as her fur stood on end. A burst or raucous laughter quickly followed as Rainbow Dash fell to the floor in an uncontrollable giggle fit as Twilight spun around to face her. “Hahaha, oh wow! That scream! Y-you should have see the look on your face!” “Rainbow Dash! It's not funny! You could have given me a heart attack!” Twilight reprimanded while trying to calm her racing heart and regain her composure and tucking her wings. “Oh relax Twi,” Rainbow dash said as she stifled her giggles. “I've been sitting here for like an hour and it's getting late, I had to do something to tear you out of that book.” “You mean you've just been waiting? Watching me read?” Twilight questioned dubiously. “Yeah? Why is that weird? I kind of like watching you really get into a book, I can see it's like when I fly, it's your zone.” “And scaring me to death was supposed to help?” Twilight cocked her brow before turning from her desk to join Rainbow Dash. “Well, like I said, I know how you get when you're into a book, and it'll start getting dark soon. As fun as night flying is, it's not exactly what we planned for our date. I mean, Spike's got a picnic basket all ready and stuff, so...” Rainbow trailed off, her tail gliding back and forth over the wooden floor as her gaze drifted down in uncertainty. I didn't make her that mad did I? She's usually a good sport about pranks but she probably doesn't think it's so funny when it tears her away from a good book... Twilight watched as her marefriend's confidence began to crumble away. Her eyes softened as she gave a lighthearted sigh. Smiling, she shook her head before rubbing her cheek against Dash's. “You're right, beside, around this time of year the nights are getting pretty cold. I wouldn't be surprised if it started snowing soon.” She watched as Rainbow's eyes lit up with energy and warmth, pleasantly surprised by a light blush that glowed on her cheeks. “Yeah, it's going to be cold this year! That's why you and I should enjoy this time of year, pretty soon it'll be too cold to go out without jackets and scarves and I'll be busy with weather duties.” “Yeah, but maybe then I'll be able to finish books in peace.” Twilight smirked. “Yeah whatever, I know you have way more fun with me than some dusty old papers!” Rainbow retorted, bumping Twilight we her shoulder. “Maybe, but at least those dusty old papers don't try to scare me into a heart attack... or at least, most of them don't.” Twilight looked back wearily at the novel that now lay splayed on her desk, the page she was on bent and folded from the impact. “What is it Twi?” Dash asked, following her gaze to the book. “It's a novel I got in the mail today, I figured since Nightmare Night is the day after tomorrow, I should get some new horror stories in the Library...” “Awesome, guessing by your reaction it must be a pretty scary story, we should read it together on Nightmare Night, after we pass out the candy, I'm always up for a good scare.” Rainbow puffed her chest out, her face lit up with her cocksure smile. “Actually, that does sound good, it's a date.” Twilight smiled back. Rainbow couldn't help it, her body relaxed and her smiled softened in kind with Twilight's. Rainbow didn't know why, but that smile of her could always disarm her. “I can't wait.” I've been looking to find something else to read until the next Daring Do comes out and scary stories sound awesome, on top of that, Twilight looked totally scared even before I surprised her, I bet she doesn't want to read it alone. “Um, Rainbow? Is something wrong? You look like you're spacing out,” Twilight said, jarring Rainbow from her thoughts. “Uh what? No, I'm fine.” Dash shook her head, dispelling her thoughts. “We should get going, White Tail woods looks awesome right now, most of the leaves are still there and nopony should be out there, we'll have the place all to ourselves.” She turned from Twilight to the door and started walking. “Sounds romantic.” Twilight giggled as she caught up, the two of them together, side by side left the room. Twilight horn lighting up, flicking the light switch, drowning the room in darkness as they closed the door behind them.