//------------------------------// // Video Tape Evidence: (Part 1) // Story: Sanctuary: An Interview of a Changeling // by CrackedInkWell //------------------------------// (Security Camera of room 324 of River Side Hospital: 2:14 PM.) In a warm, cream-colored room lying on a folded bed with both forelegs strapped down was a bored Changeling, looking upward towards the ceiling. In a green paper hospital gown, Resto groaned as he tried to shift his hind legs to sit up straight. Looking at the thin tube in his left foreleg, he followed it towards the almost empty bag of water. He shifted his glance over to the other arm where he was wired up to a device measuring his vitals. His ears picked up at the sound of a door was opening and closing. Resto’s eyes stared at the curtain until a stallion came into view, a few feet from his bed. “Good afternoon there,” an aged stallion said. The camera showed him to be an orange unicorn stallion with a brown mane. In his aura was a clipboard, with a pair of saddlebags hung over his flank. “How are you so far?” “Bored out of my mind,” he said. “Couldn’t you ponies play one of those records or something?” “Ah, I think I can bring a phonograph from my office. It isn’t too far away, but before I get it, do you have a preference?” “I don’t care really, anything will do.” The stallion said that he would be right back. A few minutes later, the unicorn returned with a record and a phonograph in which he placed it out of the camera’s view. Soon, there was the sound of piano music playing. “So, what are you here for?” Resto asked. “An excellent question,” the stallion finally reappeared, walking towards the deflated water bag. “I’m here to ask you two important questions. For starters, do you know me?” The changeling tilted his head. “I don’t think so… should I?” The stallion smiled. “And also, are you happy?” Resto blinked. “Happy… how?” “Just at this moment, now that you’re away from the scene of the crime and here in safety, are you happy right now?” He sighed. “As long as I’m not there, oh yes, I am quite happy.” The stallion grinned. “Wonderful. Now since I’m here, I might as well introduce myself.” He lit up his horn to replace the hanging empty bag with one that was full. Once that was done, his horn remained glowing as a click sound of the door being locked was heard. “Good afternoon, my name is Doctor Lovejoy, and I’m going to take very good care of you today.” (Helmet camera from Officer Thunderclap, Sanctuary Mental Hospital, 3:14 PM.) A decaying hallway with millions of old medical papers scattered on the floor, rusted hospital beds and wheelchairs dotted here and there. Sunbeams leaking through the tiny windows were the only source of light, along with the flashlights that beamed in front of the camera. “Something’s not right,” a muffled voice said. The camera turned to the detective in a gas mask. “Detective Print?” A stallion’s voice inquired from further away. “I’m thinking back on the Changeling’s story, and there are several things that don’t add up.” The gray pony stopped. “Hold on, let me catch my breath.” The camera shook until it settled, looking straight at the Detective. “The bug’s story? What’s wrong with it?” “I didn’t think of it at the time, but during our interview, everything Resto said felt off. For somepony that’s been tortured, he sounded a little too mentally clean to be telling me about it. Sure, he broke down every so often, but… he didn’t have much difficulty telling me about it all.” “Are you suspecting that he might have lied?” “Maybe. Like for instance, he said that he was operated on without an anesthetic, yet he was able to get off the operating table and move around? I mean sure, there was a scar on him and even he wondered if it was self-inflicted but… how could he fool even the vocal lie detector?” “Who’s to say that machine works on changelings?” “There’s something else too,” the detective added. “There’s one detail that really sticks out of my mind.” “What’s that?” “He said that one of the victims, Book Binder, had taken pictures of him and the place, but the family confirmed that she was interested in cinematography, not photography. In fact, her mother said that she had taken a video camera with her before she disappeared.” “Wait a minute, has anypony found that camera?” “No, not yet,” the stallion straightened up. “I don’t think any of the other teams have even found a smashed one at that. If we’re really lucky, that camera might still be somewhere in this place.” “You think that would answer what’s going on?” “Camera’s don’t lie, and neither do they hallucinate on toxic mold.” The camera turned down towards the hallway. “How much further in this place did you want to go?” There were sounds of paper shifting as the pony stood up and walked into view of the camera. “Let’s go for another fifteen minutes or so and check to see if any of these rooms have anything.” The officer’s camera moved forward, bobbing as he, along with the lens, peered from room to room. “I can’t believe this place was a hospital,” he commented. “It looks like an old prison.” “When you’re dealing with ponies that aren’t right in the head,” the detective replied, “what else could you do – especially when pills for some types of insanity weren’t invented yet?” “Good point, but still...” The camera looked into another room with another rusty bed frame. “I would really hate being in this place after dark. There’s enough nightmare fuel in this place to last for a lifetime.” “You can say that again. At least this wing isn’t nearly as creepy as the basement. You know, the place where the mare was found.” “Hold on,” the camera paused, getting the detective’s attention. “What?” “You guys said that this place has been abandoned for years, right?” Hoof Print raised an eyebrow. “Yeah…? And?” “All electric power should have been cut a long time ago when it was closed. So how did Book Binder fry in a place where there’s no electricity?”