Phase Shift

by redtau

Night 1: Four walls do not a prison make

Notes on a new world Day 1 continued

While the hospitality of the indigenous species is not perfect, it is still better than might be expected. A strange creature wandering out of the forest and into a barn might otherwise have been met with fear or violence. I suspect that I have been met with more caution and curiosity. It is with some sadness that I woke this morning to find myself locked in a cage.

---

I put away the notebook and pen light and turned my attention back to the combination lock that had frustrated me for the past two hours. The light of the moon was strong, but it still made it difficult to see the symbols on the lock. I had to work by feel as much as sight, and with no clue as to what the combination might be I was forced to try every single one.

Each of the four tumblers had sixteen symbols on them, giving it a staggering number of combinations. At best guess I had tried slightly more than half of them, though I was starting to worry I had missed a turn somewhere. It was going to be light soon and I wanted to be out before then.

"<Hello?>"

I froze, looking over to the barn door. There was a silhouette, a small pony. I realized that while I could see it in the moonlight it couldn't see me. A moment or two passed and I shuffled back under the covers, pretending to sleep.

A warm glow of light sprang to life, and I rolled over to see the small pony had found a lantern. He was young, and didn't seem to have any markings upon his flank. He also had a big red bowtie around his neck. I recognized the same colt I saw with the other two ponies earlier.

"<Ya must be tha creature Mac 'n AJ caught,>" it said, walking closer. "<Ya don't look dangerous. I wonder why they have ya inna cage.>"

As he came closer I sat up. It was odd how he was able to carry the lantern and walk on just three legs. I had to wonder if physics in this world were just a little off.

Might as well try to comunicate.

"Hello. I'm Justin, who are you?"

"<It sounds like yer talkin', but Ah don't understand ya none.>"

"Yeah, didn't think you'd understand me. Any chance I could get a non drugged apple?" I pointed to a barrel of apples nearby.

"<What's that, boy? Ya want an apple?>" The little one went over and pulled one out, rolling it to me through the bars. I rolled it back to him. "<What's tha matter?>"

I mimed picking up and eating the apple.

"<That's right, ya eat 'em,>" he said, rolling the apple back to me.

I rolled it back and pointed at him, then mimicked the eating again.

"<Ya want me ta take a bite?>" He seemed confused but after a moment he bent down and took a bite of the apple. "<See? It's good.>"

I nodded, then made beckoning motions to get the bitten apple back. The young colt tossed it to me, and I ate with abandon. Now that we had this protocol sorted, three more apples came in rapid succession, each with a small bite.

"<Ah wonder if that's a custom where ya come from? Ta share a meal with the host or somethin'. Dusk will know, and he'll come see ya in tha mornin'.>" The colt lifted the lantern and went to leave.

"Hey!" I cried, getting him to turn around. I pointed to the lantern and made a begging motion.

"<Ya can't eat this,>" he said with a laugh. "<At least, Ah don't think ya can. Ya'd have ta be a pretty scary monster ta eat fire.>"

I couldn't make out what he was saying, so I just mimed putting the lantern on the ground while I lay back down under my blanket.

"<Oh, a night light! Ah getcha! Yeah, it must be pretty scary if yer far from home. OK, Ah'll leave it for ya, but Ah'll have ta turn it down so it'll burn longer.>"

He put the lantern down a good ways from the cage, turned a knob on the side so the flame became dimmer, then left.

---

I woke to the orange stallion banging a spoon against my cage and yelling.

"<BREAKFAST!>"

"What? Huh? I'm up, I'm up!"

"<Come on, Ah's gotta git ya ta Dusk's house, an' Ah don't want ya causin' any trouble on the way,>" it said, rolling me an apple.

I rolled it back. If he seriously thought I was going to fall for the same trick twice, he had another thing coming. I'd run through all the possible combinations the night before, only to discover that the lock had a keyhole as well at the end of the tumblers. The security was annoying, but I couldn't just pick the lock.

He rolled it back to me. I rolled it back to him and pointed at the barrel of apples nearby.

"<Consarn it, ya can't have none a those. Ah need ya ta eat this one. It don't have near the drugs the other one did, just enough ta relax ya.>" He rolled the apple back, then took an apple from the barrel and held it up, showing he was going to take a bite. Something sailed past his head and out of the barn.

"<Darn it!>" he said, dropping his apple and turning to look for the thrown one. "<Don't just go throwin'-">

There was a soft tap against his hooves, and he looked down. Now there were two apples in front of him. He looked up at me, and I just tossed up and caught another rock I'd pulled through the bottom of the cage.

"<Think yer so smart do ya? Fine, we can play it yer way.>" He picked up both apples and walked over close to the cage, holding both up.

After a moment's hesitation, I picked the apple on the left, reaching out for it. He pulled it back and tossed me the one on the right, munching down on the left apple quickly.

"<That's all the breakfast yer gonna get, so eat.>"

I glared at him and threatened to throw the apple, but he just glared back at me. With a sigh I ate it down and then curled back up under my blanket.

"<There, just rest a bit and Mac and I will git ya loaded up.>"