//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Strange Dreams // by BronyWriterCentral //------------------------------// I turned the doorknob and walked through the front door and into the living room, noticing the blanket that was strewn on the floor due to me waking up a little too frantically. Sighing I walked into the kitchen sat down at the table, grabbing the newspaper which I hadn’t yet fully read. My eyes focused on a particular article halfway through where I left off. The article was about me, surrounded by various things such as politics and advertisements. “Hm, der still taking about me” I chuckled, grinning slightly. I read through some more of the newspaper before checking the clock in the living room. Eight o’clock. Hoofsteps started to emanate from above, making their way to the stairs. Night Glider walked into the kitchen and looked at me with a smile, her eyes bagged with lack of energy. “Oh hey David” she greeted, walking over to the chair next to me and jumping up to sit on it. “Morning” I greeted back, looking at her messed up and fuzzed up hair. “Why are you up so early?” Night Glider lazily asked. “Why are you up in de state you’re in?” I answered with a question. “I couldn’t get any sleep last night, just thinking about things” she said. “Like what?” I asked, starting to think about what could’ve kept her up. “Oh just things” Night Glider said, rubbing her eyes. I decided not to push her further. “Alright den, hey quick question” I started. Night Glider looked at me, her eyelids drooped. She must be very tired. “Yeah” she responded. “Do you have any plans dis afternoon?” I asked nervously. “Not really, why?” Night Glider said. “Oh I was just eh, wondering if you wanted to maybe go out to grab something to eat or maybe something to drink” I said whilst rubbing the back of my neck with my hand, placing the newspaper back down on the table. “You mean a date?” Night Glider grinned. “Yeah, if you say it like dat” I said. “What time’s good for you?” “Um, maybe tonight. Does seven sound about good to you?” Night Glider asked. “Well I ain’t got anything to do so, yeah sure” I agreed. “Okay then, I have a shopping day today with Octavia so that’ll take up all day” Night Glider explained, reminding me of our talk earlier this morning. “Okay den” I said. “Where do you want to go?” “There’s a nice diner not far from here. Forgot the name but it’s supposed to have good drinks there” Night Glider explained, starting to look less like her earlier tired self. “Well I’ll see what dey got when I’m der” I said, excitement showing itself through the grin on my face and on her face. “Oh I can’t wait” Night Glider exclaimed with a newfound burst of energy as she bounced in her seat. “What are you going to do today until then?” It rubbed my chin with my hand, feeling the little prickles of my unshaven beard tickle my fingers. “I’ve been thinking about some things to buy lately” “Like what?” Night Glider asked, hopping off the seat to fix herself some breakfast. “Oh I don’t know. I’ll just have to look around and see what I fancy” I explained, having a mental casino at what I should have a look at buying. “Well alright then. I still can’t believe that you’ve finally asked me out” Night Glider giggled. “Yeah yeah enjoy it while it lasts” I joked. “It’s going to last a long time” Night Glider laughed, stumbling on the floor while she prepared her meal. I sighed and rubbed my eyes before chuckling at her comment. It’s going to be a fun night tonight. I pushed the solid glass door open and walked inside the store that I’d seen while walking down random street. The store had the label ‘Smokey’s Cigar Shop’ above the door and was written with dark, cherry red letters on a wooden background. The nicely dressed stallion behind the counter, whose name I guessed was probably Smokey, looked at me with a moment of confusion, eyeing me up and down. “Well” He started, a low but warm voice making its way to my ears. “You’re a different kind of customer” I removed my aviator shades and greeted him with a smile. Thinking of all the times I’ve gotten that comment. It wasn’t offensive but kind of funny in a way. It might be the way they look at me with confusion and amazement before putting on a smile and welcoming me into a kind conversation. “Hey, I’m still a customer am I?” I asked sarcastically, not dickish but in a friendly sort of way. “Rightly so. So what are you looking for today? Anything specific?” he started to ask. I made my way to the counter where he was situated and leant my elbows on the glass surface. “Well actually” I started. “I’m looking for some cigars. Would you have any of those?” I’d seen some of the upper class ponies around smoking cigars so I thought that I would try them out to see if they were any different than back home. The stallion chuckled and nodded his head. “Of course I do. They’re right under the counter you’re leaning on” He pointed, making me lift my elbows and look underneath them. Sure enough, rows of brown coloured cigars were sitting beyond the glass. “What sort of flavour or smell are you looking for?” he asked, scratching behind his ear. I looked over the rows and noticed the slight variation in the shades of brown. “There’s more to your left, and the lighters are to your right” the stallion pointed, physically with his hoof. “Okay” I nodded, signalling to thank him for his directions when I could’ve just rotated my head. I walked over to the counter, the stallion following me, to the left and saw many darker shades of red, green and blue coloured cigars. Different emblems shining in gold could be seen near the end of them. Presumably the logo of the shop I’m currently in. “I like dat one der” I pointed with my index finger at the dark red one. “What flavour is it?” “That isss” the stallion trailed as he leant over to examine it more closely, his eyes looking over it like he was trying to remember which one it was. “Dark cherry” he finished, pushing himself back up to look at me. ‘I do like the taste of cherry’ I thought to myself. “I’ll take it, about ten of dem, is dat alright?” “Of course of course let me just go get them for you. Do you want to have a look at the lighters over there?” He asked, moving to a dark brown door. “Yeah sure, I’ll take a look” I said, walking back to the other counter shelving the lighters. I looked by all of them and focused on one that caught me. Golden and engraved with a rose pattern on the side of it. This one I liked. Just as I thought that, the stallion nudged open the door with a box in one hoof. “Here you go” he grunted the box was placed on the counter. “Can I get dis lighter as well?” I asked, pointing to the gold, engraved lighter under the clear glass. “Sure” he said as he walked over to the glass counter and slid open a little door to which he reached his hoof in and grabbed the lighter. I’m still amazed at the dexterity these ponies’ hooves have. “All up, around about two hundred bits” I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my wallet, digging inside to find the right amount of coins. I dropped them onto the counter, hearing the clang as they collided with the glass, and watched the stallion round them all up and count them. He took about two and handed them back, presumably spare change. “Thanks sir, your payment is appreciated” he said, placing the lighter and cigars into a velvet bag with a logo printed on the side. He held the bag above the counter towards me. “You’re welcome” I smiled, taking the bag from his hoof and turning to walk out the door. “Come back again if you need anything else” the stallion called as I pushed the door open, feeling the temperature change as cold wind gently caressed my face. “I will, thanks” I called back, reaching inside my jacket pocket where my shades were. Placing them in front of my eyes to block out the glare of the sun. “Hey David!” the cream coloured pony behind the counter called. Grabbing my attention. Everyone’s been calling my name lately. I turned my head in the direction of the voice and saw one of the first ponies that greeted me when I came here. Bon Bon. “Oh hey Bonny” I called back, walking inside her store still holding the bag of cigars and a lighter. “How are you going?” Bon Bon asked, placing her head in her hooves on the counter and flicking her blue and pink hair back. “Really good, thanks for asking” I said, leaning on the counter with my arm. “Why do you keep asking dough?” “Well hey, it’s good to be friendly and welcoming” Bon Bon grinned. “Well I’ve been excellent. I’m actually going out with Night Glider tonight” I explained. Her eyes widened at the statement, “No way! Really? That’s such a good move” “Yeah well I decided to make dat move after staying in de the same house with her for about a week or so” I said, softening the shock of telling her. “Well where are you two going tonight? A diner maybe” Bon Bon said, twisting one of her forelocks with her hoof. “Actually no. We’re going to de bar to have some dinner and maybe a few drinks” I said, scratching my arm at the new found itchy spot that housed itself there. “Hm, are you going to the bar where Berry Punch works at?” Bon Bon asked, shifting her head slightly. “Who’s dat?” I asked. “Berry Punch? Oh she makes the best drinks in town. Don’t worry though, you won’t remember anything after them” Bon Bon said with a smile. “I will den” I said, smiling back. “Well I’ll start heading back. But hey, where does Berry Punch work?” “She’s just down the street from here, you see down there” Bon Bon said as she pointed her hoof at a small building built into the wall of a larger one. “Alright den, thanks Bonny” I waved, back as I walked out onto the street and back in the direction of Night Glider’s house. “See you, hope tonight goes good!” Bon Bon called, waving a hoof back at me before attending to a customer that had just moved forward to buy something. I pushed open the front door to Night Glider’s house and walked inside, placing the bag on the couch and unzipping my jacket to throw along with it. “Hey Night, I’m home” I called out. No response. I looked at the clock on the wall and saw the time, one thirty, of course she wouldn't be home yet. “Women take der goddamn time” I muttered to myself, pulling my jeans up slightly. I walked into the kitchen and grabbed the newspaper on the table, I was nearly done reading it so I figured that I’d pass some time by reading through the rest of it. I walked back out into the living room and flopped myself on the couch, opening up the newspaper about three quarters of the way through and began to read. “Hm, young mare murdered inside her home by a gang of some sort” I read, my eyes widening slightly as they continued to read the article. “The severed head of the mare was found inside one of the cupboards in her kitchen” My heart started to beat faster as I slowly put the newspaper down and got up off the lounge. Making my way to the kitchen, I looked at the drawers and started to open. Luckily all I found was general things that you would find inside a cupboard. I wiped the sweat off of my brow and breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank God” I said to myself. I walked back to the couch in the living room and decided to just have a sleep until Night Glider came home. I did just that and flopped back again on the couch, sinking into the cushions and allowing my eyes to close themselves shut.