//------------------------------// // The Woods and the Black Hands // Story: I Don't Know How to Use Doors // by The Real Darkness //------------------------------// Cold stinged my face with a soft pounding of a liquid. A liquid I discerned as rain water when I flashed my eyes awake. I quickly stood, about to run when I saw...trees? I'd never seen this place before, never. I only heard of forests and tall grasses in stories and in books. I heard a growl behind me and looked back to see two glowing yellow eyes. I can think about this later, right now, I need to play a game of tag. I quickly began taking off, whatever the creature was took off with me. I quickly scaled a tree and began to run and climb my way out of the area, losing the wolf after crossing a river, slowing it down to where it failed to keep up with me. I continued to travel this way until I reached the edge of the woods, seeing a...grassy plain. I must have entered a fairy tale, there are ponies...grasslands...and tress everywhere. Yes, ponies...small horses with bright colors of every kind every where on them...and odd marks on their butts as well. I thought about entering but then remembered...I should get sleep soon so I can find food here. If these ponies were residents like actual humans would be, that meant they had things to eat...and...steal. I hopped down from the tree and began a silent quick walk to the first house, farm cottage. I immediately hid behind the side wall, seeing animals and their tender out and about. I looked up and saw an opportunity...first self-declared job today. I reached to my side, just now remembering about the claw and used it, with it's extending rope to climb up to an open window. I quickly hopped on in, smiling jsut a tad and putting on my leather mask from habit. First time stealing here...and in the day. An animal care taker must have some fresh food or expensive supplies. I started with the room, stealing a few gold coins that were laying about before going and checking the drawers and the wardrobe, finding not much jewelry, as expected, but a few supplies that could prove useful. Bandages...matches...other few things. I continued down stairs and there it was...the kitchen. I went over and stole a few fruits and vegetables that were there, but there was one thing that was odd...no meat, but then I remembered, they were ponies. And so I left through the window upstairs that I came through and munched on a loaf of stolen bread. Just so happened that I landed near a chicken that had wandered out...it began panicking the moment I hit the ground behind it. My mind instantly processed places...front door...grassland, hidden down and heading towards town. I sprinted once more, heading to the front door as I heard the care taker's innocent and soft voice coming around the back of the cottage. I got to the front door and opened it before slamming it loudly, once again, taking off to the grassland nearby. "Someone must be in my house!" She screamed, racing inside to stop the 'thief' that was well hidden in the house. I entered the tall grasses, hunched down and began to walk towards the main town. Far too easy. I wonder what these ponies have to steal? When I entered town, I climbed the back side of a building thanks to crates and well placed wood scaffolding for repairing windows. I came to the top of a roof and looked about before noting a library...Library were used only by thinkers and there were rarely any thinkers of this town from what I was observing. Which meant that the attic was free for grabs...a new home. I began making my way to there, staying in empty areas and coming up to the back of it, climbing the branches up to a window and slipping in silently. The interior was indeed wood...almost everything was made of wood. I quickly began observing my surroundings, hearing chatter downstairs. "Fluttershy...calm down. I'm sure it was just one of your animals." The female voice downstairs spoke. "You don't understand, Twilight!" The care taker's soft voice rang out while I went about, collecting loot,"He could be here right now!" Even when she yelled, she was quiet. I peeked down and saw a purple pony, color uniform with her mane, only a pink stripe standing out. She was conversing with the care taker, a cream colored pony with...wings...and a pink mane, long and curled. I slipped silently out of sight when I caught her eye looking at mine...the blue primal prosthetic and the normal brown of mine...she obviously stared at the ocean blue. I looked about, trying to find a place to hide when I came to a closet, slipping in, slats on the door allowed me to see the hall outside. "Fluttershy, you must be seeing things...there is nobody here." I heard the apparent librarian speak. "No...something was up here! I'm sure of it!" The animal lover replied, "I think it's in the closet..." she squeaked out. "Look, there is nothing here..." The purple librarian had opened the closet to which I casually walked out. "Hello, ladies...sorry to intrude, but I am a lover of books." I spoke, standing out in the open before pushing both back, grabbing their heads and sending them the other way as I flew down the hall and jumped down the stairs, dropping a smoke bomb at the top. I quickly opened the door with a slam before returning silently into the home, smoke covering everywhere, dissipating slowly, but fast enough to make me move. I was hidden from view of the ponies outside who almost all ignored the smoke. I had found shelter in the living room, where I hid behind the end table next to the bottom of the stairs. The ponies came down slowly, trying not to fall, they quickly ran to the door, looking out to the streets to find me. I silently walked up the stairs and went into a...Bedroom? Odd for a library. I searched for a feasible hiding spot...to which I noticed a string on the roof. The ponies down stairs would likely be busy trying to find me and so I yanked the cord and out came a ladder to the attic, dust piles went everywhere about the room, hiding their grey color again. I silently set the ladder down before walking up it, pulling the climbing tool back up and sealing the attic. I looked about, mostly boxes and old furniture, among it, I found a lot of...dust. I searched more and uncovered a window, to which I uncovered and moved the small curtain out of the way of the circular window. I began to contemplate shortly on what to do...home seemed impossible unless I found the Primal Stone, which could not be here. I opted to just set up home here, in the abandoned attic. I searched through everything and found some old cleaning tools, which I used to get rid of some of the dust, a small amount, but surely, good enough. I would dispose of it daily, slowly, as to not make myself be caught. I dug through the boxes and found a trunk full of linens, which I promptly used to make a very thick padding on the floor for a bed, making make shift pillows and everything. I set all my stolen goods out on the table that I silently scooted closer to the bed. I began to go through my equipment, making sure I was good, I was going to have to find someone who tinkers so they can make me arrows. I laid on the bed and covered myself, I was missing the ticking of the clock tower and struggled some to sleep.