The Nightmare Factory

by ZedarShadow

Ch 2: Home Sweet Home

Running, running; all I can do is run!

Why?! Why aren't I getting away?! My legs are just moving in place!

The dark! It's surrounding me! I have to get away; it's starting to wrap around my neck. No, please no!

Mommy! Daddy! I shout, but I gain no response; only the low hum of the cold around me returns to my ears.

Lightheaded.

I'm looking at my small, helpless body from far now. Stopped, motionless.

I can feel the icy, burning, pressure on my body, my head, my throat.

Please help, somepony! I shout, but the sound is only in my mind.

Then a flash, a high pitch shriek, breaks the world around me. The darkness fracturing and moving away from the small, helpless creature.

I'm back in my body. I'm surrounded by a glaring light. A figure slowly blurs into my sight.

Mo.....mommy?

Instantly, the shards of darkness come down. Tearing the shape into a blur.

No! I shout pointlessly. No, no, no, no!

****

“No!” Remmi jolts awake, shaking and sweating, the world around him in a fuzz.

A high pitch sound fills his ears and, and he looks around panicked.

"Mister?" a tiny voice asks. "Are you okay?"

Remmi looks down to find a young colt, a worried expression plastered on his orange face.

"Did you lose your mommy?" the little colt asked. The question stabbed Remmi in more ways than the young colt could understand.

"Uh..." Remmi let out, his surroundings now clear to him; he was on a train. “I-it's nothing. Just a bad dream. "

"Oh, I don't like those kind of dreams," the colt frowned and shook his head. "But I hate Nightmares more..."

Before Remmi could respond, a mare’s voice rang out. "Oh, there you are!"

She came over, standing next to the little one, solidifying her as his mother. "Sorry if he troubled you, sir."

"No, it's fine, really,” Remmi said back. Hoping she didn't connect his own distress with her son by mistake.

As the pair moved back to their seats, Remmi noticed that the train had stopped. He tried to remember what had happened.

There was his class, then his surprise encounter with Easel. After that? Oh, yes, Raindrop bursting out of his office. Next was him going home, hurriedly preparing a briefcase and a bag, failing to get any rest at night, then heading to the train station; obviously he fell asleep sometime after boarding the train.

Now calmed, Remmi forgot most of his dream. Except for two details; he had been a colt, and it had been about her; his mother.

He looked out the window and noticed that they were stopping at a station. He didn't know the town, but a clock hung on a post showed that he had been asleep for 5 hours out of the 6 hours it took to get to Neighbelheim; enough for a few more stops.

With all that time, Remmi figured he might as well keep himself awake.

He headed to the restrooms, and once there, he splashed some water on his face, and looked at himself in the mirror.

He was tired, that much was obvious; if the bags under his eyes didn't give it away, the pink glare in his eyes surly did. He even noticed some stubble on his yellow fur as he dried off; he'd have to remember to shave later.

Which reminded him, where was he going to stay? Easel's visit hadn't given him much time to set up anything at all. Remmi tried to think of what he'd do once he'd arrive at Neighbelheim.

He basically had three options right away: one, head to an inn....for which he brought no bits, perfect. Second, he could stay with Easel herself; she should give him that much, considering she gave him no time for anything else.

Lastly, his father. He wasn't too sure on that option; him coming home all of a sudden, after so many years without so much as a letter might not bode well for him.

Returning to his seat, Remmi sighed. He jumped as the horn blared out again and the train started moving.

He moved in his seat, trying to find some comfort, as he looked out the window.

Everything seemed so familiar, even though it had been so long ago that he had left using this exact route.

Signs of settlement had become ridiculously scarce. Now the approaching, rough, mountainside dominated the terrain, nature its partner in crime, magnificent trees and other flora covered the land in an almost artistic manner.

It was beautiful, that was obvious. Many ponies liked to come around this area for picnics, hikes, camping. Although, the popular Neighagra Falls being on the other side of the mountain range didn't exactly diminish tourist traffic. Remmi thought that a blur they passed had been a small set of tents, but it was too distant to really see if it was.

Memories came to Remmi, blurred and distant, but quick. A campfire. Roasting marshmallows. Laughter. His mother.

He stopped, shaking his head.

Damnit Remmi, calm down, he thought to himself. Just stop. Don't think about her.

But you can't forget. The thought popped up.

I don't want to remember. Remmi answered.

Remmi had enough, he wasn't going to toy with his own mind, especially not with the impending issues he'd have to deal with at Neighbelheim.

He tried to numb his mind. Focusing and pinpointing the green blurs that were trees outside the window.

Remmi didn't even notice the remaining stations go by, or Neighbelheim's station for that matter.

Not until the conductor shouted out. "Next stop! Neighbelheim! "

Once the train halted, Remmi started for the door, lifting his bags onto his back. Exiting, Remmi noticed that the station seemed fairly run down; which made sense, considering it was almost brand new when he left.

Looking around, he noticed almost nothing. Everything was just as it was when he left it.

The town was structured in a semi-circle from the train tracks. The first layer consisted mostly of shops and local businesses, which weren't too vast in this small town. The next, and biggest, was the residential areas, where every pony in Neighbelheim lived. The last area contained buildings like the library, a small hospital, the school for the colts and fillies, local parks, and in the center: town hall. Town hall was the hardest to miss, considering there was nothing blocking the view of the towering building, and that a clear path connected the station to it.

Remmi remembered everything as it was. Sure, a few of the buildings had either been replaced, repainted, or repaired; but everything was still the same.

Too much so. Faded memories still hung around everywhere. Weekend afternoons spent in the pastry shop, mother speaking to her old friend over some tea and treats. Being walked to school, jokes said about his morning grumpiness. Grocery shopping. Buying clothes for the winter months.

This time, Remmi didn't try to quell the thoughts. He let the sadness into his heart. He allowed the memories to flood his mind. Only when the memory of her death started to emerge did he force himself to stop.

"Yeah," somepony spoke. "Home, sweet home, right?" Easel stood there, looking at him with a heaviness in her eyes.

Remmi sighed and cleared his throat. "Yes, but it seems too normal, considering...." He trailed off.

Easel shook her head. "No. It really has been a while for you. I'm sorry, but this place is dead. "

Remmi had a puzzled look, glancing back at the town. They were small details, but they were there; grass growing too long, shop windows too dusty, signs and simple advertising dated weeks before.

"There are only a handful of shops still open, and even less places still active," Easel told him, "The mayor's office, for example. The train station too, and even the school is still running, assuming the remaining families haven't left."

"What about the hospital?" Remmi asked, remembering the small clinic his mother took him to when he sprained his tail.

Easel sighed. "Yeah, it's still running, but the doctors can't do anything to help anypony," she let out a pained laugh. "At this point it's just being used to keep most of the town's kids; all of them stuck in their Nightmares."

Remmi took a deep breath as he shook his head. "It's almost like last time," he said.

"Worse," Easel chimed back. "Last time it took about 4 months to get this bad. It's only been a few weeks. "

"Well, I'm here now. What was it that you wanted me here for?" Remmi asked her. He wanted to leave here as soon as possible, but he also wanted to help, whether he admitted it to himself or not.

Easel let out a slight sigh, some tension leaving her figure. "First, I'd like to offer you a spot at my house, since I'm sure that you haven't already gone to your dad."

Remmi smiled, I thought so, he said to himself.

"Thank you," he responded.

"Second thing," Easel continued,” Is that I'd like you to meet someone. A doctor. I believe you know him."

This surprised Remmi. He hadn't told any colleagues about Neighbelheim, had he? He wondered who it could be, who could possibly be interested in an outbreak of such manner.

He stopped himself. Of course they would all be interested in this. It was a chance to study a rare phenomenon that had never been recorded. Regardless of it being burned into the minds of the ponies who lived here and suffered through it.

This was something that bothered Remmi. Never once in his career with the pony mind and its dangerous dreams had he seen any evidence or heard anything that mentioned the incident at Neighbelheim. For a while, Remmi tried to reason with himself that it was only mass hysteria. That didn't last too long. All he had to do was remember all of the ponies who had gone to live difficult and painful lives as a result of what had happened.

"Fine," Remmi agreed. "But as soon as I do, I might as well start helping ponies. Or, at the very least, try to. "

Easel nodded. "Yeah, sure," Then took a deep breath, mumbling. "And third, I'd like to apologize."

"What? Apologize? What for?" Remmi looked at her warily.

Easel laughed nervously. "I'll explain why once you deal with number two."

Remmi tried to calm his temper, thinking to himself, Wonderful. So this Doctor must be either a total quack or some buffoon who thinks he knows more than I do. He let out a chuckle, But really, what's the difference?

Easel didn't seem to notice Remmi's amusement. "Here, let me help with those."

A glowing mist of cobalt blue surrounded Remmi's bags. As Easel's horn glowed alike, Remmi looked into her eyes as she spoke, her own shade of cobalt blue illuminated by her magic.

"Least I can do," she said.

Neither of them said much more as they followed a well-worn path that was altogether familiar and entirely alien through the semi-deserted town.

Remmi was slightly amused to find that Easel was staying in the very same house she grew up in. The same one their mothers spent hours talking in, while the two of them ran amuck, almost two lifetimes ago.

Easel saw the glimmer of a joke in Remmi's eyes, saying, "Yes. It's the exact same house."

"But, why?" Remmi had to ask.

Easel looked at the structure, the wood weathered by wind, water, snow, and sunlight. The beige paint chipping ever so slightly all over. The two story building wasn't a work of architectural art, but it was comfortable and wasn't necessarily an eyesore.

A smile creeped onto Easel's lips. "Long story short; it was for sale when I came here a few years back. The previous owner, the same pony who bought it when my family and I moved out, kept it in pretty nice condition. It feels like home."

"By all means, it is," responded Remmi. "I'm glad to know that your career in art gives you enough income for a house,"

Luckily, she got the joke. "Hmm, yeah, and I'm sure your cramped apartment is much better."

Remmi laughed at her rebuttal, shrugging slightly. "Manehattan is a cramped city, my apartment is a luxury if anything, but please, for my sake, let’s leave that ludicrously tiny space out of any further conversations."

They both just laughed. That familiar laugh that happens with close friends. The light sense of air rushing to your chest while your throat roughly clenches. Eyes burning with tears. It was a few minutes before either of them realized they were still just standing outside the house.

"We should, uh... go inside," Easel spoke, trying to regain her breath.

Remmi nodded, stepping through the door.

To his surprise, the living room was a mess. There were blank and half-finished canvases scattered all over, some easels were folded up in a corner or laid flat on the floor. Numerous tubes and cans of paint were thrown about, used paintbrushes accompanied them.

"It's not this bad throughout the rest of the house," Easel reassured Remmi. "Just a little bit of controlled chaos."

"Right," Remmi said back. "It's not that you never liked to clean after your 'creative outlets' in the first place."

Easel giggled and shrugged, continuing to walk through the living room, into a hallway with the kitchen on the left and stairs leading up to two bedrooms and what Remmi knew to be the only bathroom in the house.

"I've cleaned the guest room and changed the sheets already," Easel informed Remmi as they stopped at a door to their right.

"I take it to mean that you've cleaned it as best as you could and that I shouldn't be surprised if I find dust somewhere?" Remmi asked.

Easel nodded and answered, "Bingo," She opened the door with her magic and levitated his bags unto the almost barren room. There was just the sole bed, a bedside drawer with a lonely lamp, and a dresser with a surprisingly clean mirror gleaming the pair's reflections back at them.

"We've come a long way, haven't we Remmi?" Easel said.

Remmi looked at their glass doppelgangers. At his rough and saddened demeanor, standing next to Easel's slightly shorter, but all the more weary stature, some strands of her blue mane sticking out at odd angles.

Before he could give her an answer, she spoke again. "I remember, on my seventh birthday, we were in here, trying to get ready for my party."

He knew the story. He remembered being brought along by his mother, who was helping Easel's mother prepare for the party. They had left the two of them to their own chaos.

Easel shook her head as laughter came from her lips. "You looked good in my mother’s heels and jewelry.”

Remmi shook his own head now. "Well your dads suit and tie made you look quite handsome yourself, if you remember correctly.”

"Okay, okay," she shrugged. “I'm leaving now. I'll be back in about an hour so we can head to dinner with our Doctor friend."

"Your Doctor friend," Remmi corrected her.

He didn't see Easel roll her eyes as she closed the door behind her.