Fears

by Short Stories


3.1) Lickety Split!

Apple Bloom felt something wet licking her face; something strangely rough yet smooth at the same time. It was the strangest sensation that reminded her of her dog--Applejack's dog--the family's dog, Winona.

She opened her eyes, expecting to see Winona wagging her tail as the morning sunlight trickled in. What she saw was somepony licking her face. She was unable to move-to push them away-due to the fact that she had been hog-tied so tight it seemed like her eyeballs would pop out at any second. She was also up-side down, her head pounding form all the blood rushing too it; she figured she had been hanging upside down for quite a while.

No, correction: everypony in Ponyville was scrambling to lick her face. It was a huge and difficult effort just to ask what was going on.

"Sugar cube, don't mind them." Applejack responded, "were just gonna eat y'all up fer supper, is all."

Apple Bloom screamed as soon as her big sister's words set in. Somepony's tongue got inside her mouth; she almost puked. This has to be a nightmare, Bloom thought, mah sister would never let others eat me alive.

A nervous smile set across Bloom's wet face; the ponies licking didn't seem to notice. I'm ready to wake up now! She thought urgently. She figured she shouldn't open her mouth again, she didn't want any extra tongues in there. C'mon, Bloom, wake up!! The tongues continued to caress her face.

This wasn't possible, she was a light sleeper and could easily wake up if she knew she was having a nightmare. She could easily wake up if she told herself in the dream to wake up. She was also a scream-sleeper, if she screamed in her dream, she screamed in real life, and that sound usually woke her up if nothing else did.

But nothing worked.

She didn't know how this was happening, but she did know one thing for sure: She wanted this to be over. Now. She also knew that whoever was doing this was going to get a buck to the face, courtesy of Applejack.

Ignoring the tongues, she opened her mouth to scream yet again.