The Corner of (Our) Eyes
Prologue
Few things are more terrifying than the unknown. It’s an old cliche’, yes. One that’s been beaten to death. But what you don’t hear very often are what exactly those few things are. Well, I can’t tell you all of them, sadly, but I do know of a couple.
The first that comes to mind is the fear of the partially known. Those little half-truths or pieces of an image that only give you a glimpse into what the true, horrible entirety is. The things that let you fill in the blanks all by yourself. And let me tell you: your imagination is not your friend. It will do things to you. Lie to you. Or, if it feels especially cruel, it will do its best at guessing the real face of the thing
(if it has a face oh god where is its face)
and that’s always, somehow, worse. Just knowing a little bit about a thing can be much worse than knowing nothing. Because when you know nothing, you fill in the blanks all by yourself. Your mind reaches out for what it knows, and paints a picture based on your own primal fears. But when you know the truth? Or at least, part of it? You realize that the facts are so much worse than any fiction you could have drummed up on your own.
The other thing that comes to mind, the worse, much more horrible thing, is the fear of presence. It’s not enough to know that there’s something to be afraid of. To know that that... thing is with you all the time, that it follows you, or rather, never truly leaves you... that kind of oppressive persistence does things to a pony. You don’t sleep
(please no I don’t want to sleep what if it comes when I’m asleep is that it over there)
and it slowly destroys you. Reality and fantasy and all the little things in between blend together. And those little things? Murder on four
(no two no wait is that a fifth oh my lord what even IS that)
legs. Tiny little hells on Equuis. But you don’t see them until you can’t not see them. There are those, I think, who must live with this every day. How they do it I don’t know. How they live, eat, sleep
(no don’t sleep you can’t make me)
even breathe with their own personal devil lingering over their shoulder is beyond me.
I’ve been doing it for a while now, I suppose. So I guess it is possible. But it gets... not really harder. I mean yes, it’s hard to begin with, but that doesn’t change. I guess you just grow weaker with it. That’s what it waits for, in the end. Weakness. Goddess knows what it wants. Or they. I’m not really sure how many of them there are, now. If there is
(are was will be)
more than one of them
(it him is it a him is it HIM they he she maybe both)
or if it’s all just me.
Wouldn’t that be the scariest thing of all? If everything you were afraid of was just you? No less dangerous, no less deadly or terrifying or full of rows of shiny pointed teeth at the edge of your bed or right behind your ear, but just... you?
How do you run from yourself?
I guess you don’t.
Well, there’s something else more terrifying than the unknown: not being able to run.
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It should have been an ordinary day. In fact, for the most part it was. It even started off just like all my other days. I got out of bed, a small little four-poster I moved to the very middle of the room. I like to keep flowers around the edges of my room, or if not flowers, gardening tools. The other flower mares may have their own special talents for leafy greens and whites and yellows, but roses require a special touch. And a certain amount of respect.
I mean, there aren’t a lot of ponies who say their special talent is something with thorns that you put in your mouth.
Or maybe there are. I try not to think about that.
Like I said, I woke up in bed that morning. Which is something of note, as I have a tendency to fall asleep talking to my flowers or working on my garden. It’s not that I spend every waking hour working on my plants. I do have friends and a social life, other obligations and family that I visit or visits me. But it’s easier to sleep with my flowers nearby. It’s safer. Even now, I think it’s safer.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. We haven’t gotten to now yet.
First, (or second, I have been on and on for a bit), let me introduce myself. My name is Roseluck. There’s more to it than that, but everypony just calls me Roseluck. So that’s who I am. Anyway, you may have heard of me, or seen me around. The yellow mare with the red mane and tail, splash of pink in my hair. I’m usually in the middle of town. It’s where I live.
And where I woke up that morning. That wasn’t anything of note, though. I rarely wake up anywhere but my own house (unlike some mares I know). So I climbed out of bed, and started my morning ritual of saying hello to all my flowers, and watering them. There wasn’t really much to do that day, aside from watering. It was kind of a day off, I guess you could say. There are some days where I have to clean out my garden, or plant new flowers, or pick some to sell at market. But it was a few days to market yet, and my morning rounds gave me the all-clear to go and do what I wanted, today.
At least, until I heard Daisy scream.
Oh, don’t worry. It’s not that big a deal. Daisy has this... tendency to lose her head at rather little things. Like butterflies, for instance. I guess I can understand that one, because honestly, have you seen the things up close? Hell no. Plus, I don’t like cleaning their cocoons or the caterpillars out of my rose gardens. And she grows flowers, too. So maybe butterflies is a bad example.
But cereal. I swear to Celestia the girl has screamed out loud because she ran out of milk. And she sulked the rest of the day. So I could only imagine what the hell she was screaming about now.
I said goodbye to my flowers, all at once, and locked my door. Daisy doesn’t live very far away, but in a town with the Cutie Mark Crusaders and the Elements of Harmony, locking your door is second nature. First is checking to see if the world is still there when you wake up in the morning.
Seeing no impending disasters, I trotted over to Daisy’s house, and knocked on her door. I didn’t hear anything for a little while, until I heard a whole bunch of soft thumps, and one really big oomf. Then, silence. I was tempted to let myself in to make sure she was ok, but then I heard soft hoofsteps, and the door opened. And there stood Daisy, half-covered in her blanket. Already I could guess what happened.
“Let me guess, Daisy, you woke up wrapped in your blanket and screamed cause it was dark,” I posited. She nodded sheepishly, and gave me a small smile half-hidden by the blanket.
It’s a good thing she’s cute. Not that I’m that kind of mare. I’m just saying. It helps.
“Yeah, kind of. Do you wanna come in? I could make us some breakfast,” she offered.
“Do you have plenty of milk this time?” I gave her a wry smile as she pouted at me.
She was about to retort when I heard another scream. One that worried me quite a bit more than Daisy’s.
It’s long, loud, and rather close by.
And there’s not a lot of things that make Twilight Sparkle scream like that.
I'm shivering. Bring moar...
It's a nice concept, and I'm liking the style so far, but...
You've told us who/what it's about without actually giving us that story. I'm intrigued: please write more.
Creepy. I want Mowr!!!!!!!!!!
I am certainly intrigued at how this story will unfold.
My Lovecolt senses are tingling... I can feel the energies of Poe and Lovecraft coursing through the veins of this story, just as non-Euclidian geometry runs through the underwater city of R'yleh.
I haven't even BEGAN to read it, but that premise sends shivers down my spine... MY spine.... That is the first time this has happened in... well, since I was a kid and thought the boogieman was out to get me....
I wasn't going to read this, but the idea interested me. Now that I have read the first chapter, though, I've decided to give you a follow.
Now that is a well written story description. I am looking forward to more of this
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The random phrases in parentheses remind of Stephen King.(my favorite author.)
I am totally watching this!
(thoughts before reading this) oh! this looks intresting..... maybe its about those shadows im seeing in the corners of my vision because i stayed up to late today..... class starts in 3 hours, got plenty of time to read!
(thoughts after prologue) started to remind me of "The Rake"...... not all that creepy...... yet
4033073 my life is the same as yours!
That's a deliciously crunchy cliff hanger.
for those wondering where he got the ideas for Lily
I was reading that prologue in Dave's voice from John Dies at the End.
That only bodes good things for this story.
I'm most intrigued.
Certes, for within this dream
shall there be a lingering fear always.
For yet has the Harmony to fully quench the subtlety of darkness
and the undefined horror;
Within this dream,
indeed, will the wavering reality come to shatter
where the fear lurks in wait...
We shall read on.
Oh... Oh man this is brilliant.
Bloody brilliant!
~Skeeter The Lurker
All the lines before the first break break break? They were perfect Man, now I got to read this and freak myself out, thanks
I haven't read a dark pony fic in a while, why not. So far it seems quite alluring.
Good start, good start.
MOAR!
The scary part is. I think Season 8 of Who pulled ideas from this story with episode 4: Listen.
So much is similar, even the tone.
This, is how you do horror. If you want to do horror keep your reader guessing. Congratz you have my approval(not that you needed it nobody knows who i am. I could be motherfucking Yahtzee and no one would know.)
The description itself was awesome, so looking forward to more.
Constantly seeing things out of the corner of your eyes, I know how you feel Ditzy.
We stop looking for monsters under the bed when we realize they’re inside of us
*sighs* This has a bit of personal touch for me, since I know what the actual things you see in the corner of your eyes are. Unfortunately they're nothing like described in this chapter, and most of them are harmless other than startling you if you see them. In fact it's impossible to catch a glimpse of them for more than one second. And that's if you're skilled.
They can often look a bit grotesque, but so far none of them have been really powerful or able to interact with me except one. And all it could do was breath down the back of my neck and make the bed creak. It may depend on where you live though, so I suggest being careful when you see them.
Just whatever you do, don't talk about the ones you've seen or provoke them. Unless you're prepared to face the consequences. Just... try to get to sleep fast.
5106521 Well, that sounds like imma go buy myself a self destruct system.
I might die, but no moar 2Spooks.
FEAR OF THE DARK
FEAR OF THE DARK
I HAVE A PHOBIA THAT SOMEONE'S ALWAYS THERE
5106521
That's good advice, because the last thing, the VERY last thing you want to do is give those things attention.
Listened to the Goofy Goober theme song while reading.
Still freaked out.
Sooooo.... Diglett?
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7398793 DEAR LORD ALMIGHTY!!!!!!! Ok, not that scary. Dig it up, soak it in gasoline, and watch it BUUUUUUUUUUUURN!!!!!!!!!!! maybe pplz should be scared of meh??
Very creepy so far.
It's not easy, but it's doable.
And it also requires a psychic break, several hours of isolation, clinical depression, and some medical depressants along with a few anti-psychotics.
As well as no self esteem.
This story was so great, it genuinly kept me on edge.
Nice job establishing the setting and mood, you got me going there for a second with Daisy.
7724291
Or ego deletion...
WITH SHROOMS!
This is amazing already. Horror isn't always written so well.
I hallucinate. Audibly, and visibly. The visual hallucinations only seem to 'imprint' themselves over the top of something else.
Except crinkled pages and late book returns, yes?
SCP-372 Confirmed
372 where are yoooou? hiding, stalking, its annoying, but thats what it wants to do
10246612
Ah, a man of culture i see.
8603366
Don't forget about ladybugs!