Sinister Lenses

by Osper

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

“Goodness! Come in, come in! You both look awful.”

Their hostess had invited them in quickly, hurriedly leading them to a living room where she entertained visitors, few as they were. They were seated on an antique couch as the funeral home owner rushed off and returned not minutes later with a pot of tea and three china cups and saucers.

It was then that the two tired friends finally noticed that their hostess was a giraffe. Her exceptional neck was twice as long as any other pony and her coat was a dark yellow with mottled brown spots. A large key ring about her neck rattled as she moved. Thanks to their unfortunate encounter earlier, this registered far lower than it normally would have on the surprise scale.

“It looks like you two ran into some trouble out there. Are you okay?”

She set the warm cups in their hooves and took a seat across from them on a chair even older looking than the one the girls shared. In fact, most everything in the room looked ancient, as though scavenged from some long-forgotten ruin. Even the books that lined one whole wall showed signs of water damage and over-exposure to the elements.

Scratch nodded at their inquiring hostess, thinking that Finish wasn't really in a condition to hold a conversation and took over.

“You could say that.”

Thinking it best to avoid talk of their unpleasant experience, she went directly to business.

“We're actually here to pay last respects to Silver Salt and pay for burial.”

The giraffe nodded, knowing just what body they meant. She only had the one right now after all.

“But, if it's alright, we'd like to wait until morning. We heard you were only open at night and I know it's asking a lot but if you could let us stay here...”

The giraffe waved her hoof, giving her clients a charming smile. “I understand how much trouble my schedule can cause. You're free to spend the night and I'll wake you up to see him before I close in the morning. The burial will have to be tomorrow night then.”

“That'd be great. Thanks so much for helping us.”

“Can I see him?”

Finish had gotten up the strength to talk, the tea working it's warm healing magic on her mood and pained throat.

“She said we could wait-”

Finish' cup clinked hard on the table, a bit of the contents sloshing out.

“No. I vill see him now. Und zat vill be zat.”

Finish stood but as Scratch was about to follow, the photographer merely shook her head. She'd do this alone.

The giraffe led the way to the back of the large building, past a woodworking shop filled with coffins, an old study filled with even more books than the living room and finally the body preparation room. Taking key in hoof, she unlocked her work room and held it open for Finish to walk through.

“I'll be with your friend when you're done. Then we'll get you settled for the night.”

She softened her look, slipping into her practiced business demeanor.

“I'm sorry for your loss.”

The door clicked softly as Finish was left all alone.

Candles set around the room provided some light, most of the candles burned down quite far and needing replacing. There was a large wooden table in the center of the room and a coffin on that. The lid leaned against the farthest side.

Finish approached, her reluctant steps making no noise.

And there he was.

He was older looking than Finish remembered, obviously, but it was still a surprise. Grey hair peppered his mane, more wrinkles lined his face. Scratches and scars covered his legs, pink skin peeking through his grey coat. It was a hard life he had led. The constant moving and the stress of hunting monsters had taken a heavy toll on his body.

“<I'm here to see you father. Just as I am required to.>”

The candles flickered and cast her wavering shadow onto the wall. For all she knew, his spirit could be right there in the room with her. She'd only have to lift her glasses to check but that would have only made things worse.

“<Mama couldn't be here. She's sick papa.>”

There was another flicker. The usual coldness of spirit proximity wasn't present but it wasn't impossible that he could still be there. Perhaps years of dealing with spirits had given him advanced knowledge of how to be dead.

“<I don't have anything to say papa. You knew I hated you. I knew you didn't really care anything about me. The only things you ever gave me that showed any thought or affection were these glasses and when you taught me to take photos. That's all. In ten years, the only memories of you that don't make me cringe are when you showed me how to use your camera.>”

Finish looked around the room, wondering just what else she needed to say. She'd never been in this situation before and didn't know quite how to proceed.

“<I wanted to say something to you. Something to let you really know how I felt about you but I won't. It wouldn't change anything.>”

Something cold touched her her cheek and she flinched away. It had been a faint stroke, like the brush of a cool feather. Had that been him? The flickering candles, the cool touch, these were all things easily blamed on a drafty home. Excuses she'd heard skeptics give her father during investigations.

“<Goodbye papa.>”

As the door closed behind her it felt as though a great weight had lifted from her. Her greatest secret was out and the shackles it had bound her heart with were loosened, if not gone.

Her father could no longer haunt her with his mere existence. He was dead.

It felt like everything was going to be alright.

Back in the living room the still unnamed giraffe was counting out a pile of bits that Scratch had, to Finish, offered out of her own pocket. But the trail of their trip gave her another idea.

“Vas dat mama?”

Scratch shrugged and nodded, a little sheepish at being caught in the act. Finish only shrugged too. You couldn't stop mama once she had made up her mind.

“Vell,okay. I guess ve should get to bed. Sanks for holding him Miss...?”

“Teetotaler. Most ponies just call me Miss Tea when I have guests.”

She swept the bits back into the envelope and waved her temporary tenants after her. Back through the hallway but taking different turns that led them up some stairs and to a long hallway with several heavy wooden doors on the second floor.

“These will be your rooms.”

She unlocked the two doors, letting them swing open and dust falling from the door frames settling on the floor. Teetotaler lit the oil lamps in each room, brightening them for her guests and laying out some sheets and pillows that were stored in large chests.

“I can't offer you much food so I hope you aren't picky.”

Scratch's stomach growled at the mention of food, her mouth already watering.

“Anything at all is fine Miss Tea. I'm starved!”

“And for you, Miss Finish?”

Her answer was stifled by a yawn wide enough for the others to see her back teeth. She blinked as tiredness tugged at her eyelids.

“I sink I vill just go to bed. Sank you anyvay.”

Teetotaler nodded and headed to her kitchen to make a little something for herself and the DJ.

Finish turned to her room, Scratch tossing her friend's bag by the big fluffy bed.

“Are you going to be able to sleep alone tonight?”

Her friend looked at her, remembering the couple of times she'd had to step in and cradle her to make her feel better. But that was before.

“No...I'm fine Scratch. Better dan ever. See you tomorrow, ya?”

A small smile spread over Scratch's face and she nodded, closing the door but stopping at the last moment to stick her head back in.

“Really?”

“I'm really okay Scratch. Ve'll talk tomorrow.”

She relented her questions and closed it all the way.

Finish climbed into the big fluffy bed and rolled onto her side, staring at the tiny flame of the oil lamp until sleep would come to claim her.

It was true. Everything really was fine for the first time in a long time.

Comments

[Storm Clouds]

I was so happy when I saw there was another chapter posted that I kinda jumped off my chair
So, let's comment !

The hostess is...a giraffe ? Haha ! That's original. And she's actually quite nice, compared to what the two guys in the bar said last chapter.
So, was her dad's spirit there or not ? I believe he was. That's creepy.

"It felt like everything was going to be alright."--> But will it be ? I don't want that story to be over now, so something needs to happen !

I love how Scratch is always hungry XD I'm not sure I could ate anything after the ghost encounter. Also, I couldn't sleep alone in an unknown room either ! I would have been like: "I don't care if you want it or not, I'm not sleeping alone tonight, I'm coming in your room. I'll sleep on the floor." Not that Scratch didn't try. She was cute, poking her head in Photo's room :D

I really love the interactions between Photo and Scratch. They are just...too cute. (Here we go, two times the "cute" word in the same comment. But this is true !)
And I don't know if I said it before, but I also love the fact that you didn't make them out of character. Well, not easy to say for Scratch, since we know almost nothing of her in the show, but you gave her the exact attitude I imagined her to have. And I like a lot what you did with Photo Finish: you gave her a story, and you gave her emotions that she definitely didn't have in the show, but she is still very recognisable: she has some temper, like in her episode. This is really good :)

As always, great chapter