Knock. Knock.

by Arreis Of Avalon

...

I stand up, moving my hooves over the side of the bed. I go ahead and put on my slippers - they will keep my hooves somewhat warmer. My home did not used to be this cold.

I sigh. “In general, it’s best for the psyche to sleep soundly in the predawn hours. But lately, I’ve been awake and restless. So I decided to spend these hours checking on my house,” I say to the nothingness around me. There is nothing now, and there always will be nothing. “Let’s see if all the rooms are still where they should be.”

I walk with my nothingness. It will remain with me always, here. My magic quivers, the candle in its grasp shaking. I am so exhausted.

I walk into my telescope room. It is dark. I contemplate the telescope. “This house is an observatory. It’s an old science station. I’ve lived here since I was born.” I remember it in great detail; my father, living in… a large city. No. I live near a forest here. He liked the forest as there was little light pollution. My mother… I have trouble remembering. My mind is blank. I suppose it doesn’t matter.

I realize I still have yet to change the light. I stand on my hind hooves and begin to fix it.

KNO-CKNO-CKNOCK

The pounding comes, frantically. It sounds as though they are running, and this is the only safe haven. What could they be running from?

The light comes on. My skulls look fine. Everything is right, although I still fear for my sanity in these insomnia filled hours. I shrug off that fear and move to the next room. It is the hall. “I am a world-ologist,” I mutter. “That is my profession. I inherited it.” I have no idea if that’s true. It sounds right. “We, the world-ologists, watch the world. Study what it’s made of.”

“We write down these findings and analyze them,” I say, looking to the darkness around me. I continue to fill the silence it provides. “And at some point, these notes could be used for scientific research.”

I begin to change the light. Darkness makes poor company. I breathe an internal sigh of relief as the light flickers on. Nothing is here. All is well.

I walk upstairs. I am in a study. “My father worked here before I did. Before him - my grandfather, and so on. Each one of my predecessors added something to this house. But the past is not a very valuable legacy. Which is why many rooms are locked. I never look in there.”

I change the light. It creaks lightly, but that is all. It is an easy night, it seems. The room lights up, knick knacks strewn over the tables. A skull, some insects, what is hopefully a mannequin under that cloth. I continue to the next room.

It is already lit. I do not ask why. There is a clock. I smile; tonight will be over quickly. I begin to wind.

KNOCKNOCKNOCK.

Pounding. So much pounding. They do not want dawn. It soon stops. I sigh as my clock disappears. “Thank goodness. The morning is getting nearer.”

I walk to the study. The door creaks open - did it? Did it really? Perhaps I should go check. I was sure I had locked it.

I go to the hallway. There are no pictures hanging here - no memories. “I don’t want to remember. It’s so repetitive anyway. My state of mind suits me just fine - the way it is right now.”

I walk to my open door. “... I didn’t open this door. No one is alive out there who could have snuck in, and no one whose mind could have called me outside.” I think for a moment. “The only path here is the one that goes around my house. Right now, I can go check that there aren’t any new ones.”

I contemplate my possibilities and nod. Outside it is then.

I am deep in the woods. I do not know how I got here so quickly.

As I walk, I think. I ponder the falling leaves. The laughing trees. I hear an owl coo, calling my name to me from the darkness. I pay it no heed. I simply want to go home. The falling leaves and cooing animals and broken trees mean nothing. A broken tree will never mean anything ever again.

I keep walking, ignoring the tears rolling down my cheeks. I have not cried in years. I don’t know why I do now. Perhaps allergies.

The crickets are deafening. I keep thinking I hear something over their cacophony, but nothing makes its way to my ears. Nothing, that is, until a loud, long, creak.

Perhaps it was a croak? Just a toad? It sounded just like my house, though. Was I near my house? I just wanted to be home. I just wanted to be away from this terrifying place and back in my own home.

I trot a little faster.

Clop clop. Clop clop.

The world creaks again. I cry harder, my house nowhere in sight. I’m a lost little filly, looking for her father and mother. Do I even have those anymore? Lost in these woods, I don’t know anymore. There are too many broken branches.

Clop clop clop clop.

I dart through the trees, running faster. I just want to be home! Why aren’t I there yet?!

I hear a groan; something is following me.

Clopclopclopclop!

It sounds like laughing, but darker. Like the sound a grin makes. The sound is mocking my tears. I run faster; I think I see my home.

Clipclopclipclopclipclopclipclop!

I dart inside. I still cry as I lock the door.

At least I am home.

I awaken with a gasp to the sound of creaking.

Comments

[Valsion]

Curious what the story will be like. I played Knock Knock myself. Only criticism I have is, that sometimes the enemies literally appear right in front of you, without giving the player a chance to flee. Luckily, you can exploit that you are immune to them while climbing a ladder, so you can just go up and down one until morning comes.

[Arreis Of Avalon]

6011914 Interesting hack! :) This story's based off of Markiplier's play through of it, I suggest you check it out~