The old mare slowly made her rounds in the large bedroom, tucking in the younger colts and fillies. She gave each of them a small nuzzle and smile as they lay their little heads on their pillows. Care Taker had watched over so many colts and fillies in her many years as the keeper of this orphanage.
Coming to the last filly's bed, her smile grew a bit downcast. Silver Light was very young when she was first brought here, but Care Taker had taken the littel unicorn filly under her old wings as she had with all the others. Right now, the young filly wasn't climbing into her sheets, but instead was sitting on her bed, hind legs curled into her chest, holding them tightly with her front hooves. Care Taker gently plopped down beside the bed, giving the filly a warm smile. "There's nothing to be afraid of, Silver Light. You know there are no such things as ghosts."
The little filly looked up at her with wide eyes. "But...it's not a dream! It's always here! Every night!" A wisp of her white mane fell into her eyes.
Care Taker brushed Silver's mane back, gently stroking the filly's grey coat. "Hush now, little one. Come on, let's get you settled into bed. There's a good filly." She soothed the filly, tucking her in. Silver Light sleepily blinked up at her, watching as she made her way to the bedroom door. "Good night, my little ponies." She called softly as she flicked the light switch off.
Silver Light snuggled down into her sheets, pulling them up to her muzzle. She could hear the others: a few were still whispering, but most were already slipping into the quiet of sleep. As the others fell quiet, she began to feel her own eyelids beginning to fall. She blinked. No. No, she mustn't fall asleep. She had to stay awake as long as possible. She fought off sleep as she had learned to do ever since she first had The Dream. Care Taker had at first insisted that it was just a nightmare (not that the old mare had said so, but Silver knew the old mare simply thought it was from the trauma of her parent's accident), but after days of the same dream, she had called brought in a doctor to see her. Of course, there was nothing wrong with her. She was in the best of physical health. A yawn escaped her. No! Must stay awake! Her thoughts became fuzzier and fuzzier. The world went black, and the clock struck three am.
Wake up!
The small unicorn filly stirred and rolled over.
Wake up!
She moaned and stirred again.
Silver Light! WAKE! UP!
The little filly jolted upright in bed, snapping her head back and forth. Something was wrong. She could feel the wrongness in the air like a taint. A sickly, oily presence in the air.
To the window! Now!
Her legs began moving before she understood what she was hearing. Care Taker had left it open, to let the cool summer breeze in while they slept.
Jump!
She hesitated, blinking sleepily. "Wha...?"
You must jump! Now!
She gathered all her strength into her hind legs and leapt out the window. A writhing mass of shadow burst out behind her, like tentacles reaching out for her. She hit the ground beneath her, tumbling head over heel. Panic gripped her mind, causing her to ignore the pain shooting through her left hindleg as her feet pounded across the ground. An earth-shattering boom behind her blew her off her feet. Stumbling to right herself, her hooves couldn't find purchase as she went tumbling down into the ditch. Dragging herself upright, she turned and fled into the night.