Clubhouse of Horror VI

by Grenazers

Chapter 3 - The Murder Mask

The mood in the camp is filled with fear and excitement. The audience enjoyed the previous two stories from the Crusaders and now await for the final story for the night.

Applebloom took to the stage as everypony quieted down to listen in to the little yellow filly’s tale.

“My story is about a mare named, Passion Heart. A cold blooded killer who is quite infamous for her expressionless reaction whenever she kills someone, earning herself that kind of reputation.”

“However, Passion Heart wasn’t always like this. No, before the mare became the killer that she is today, she used to be a meek pony that wouldn’t hurt anyone. That was until she was given a mask that allowed her to kill without remorse, but comes with a terrible cost.”

“So sit back and listen to my tale of Passion Heart’s transformation from meek to killer, all due to …”

THE MURDER MASK

It was a dark and rainy night when Passion Heart left her house. The pink earth mare brought a rain coat with her as she made her way to the seedy part of the town. Never being in this area before, it took Passion almost hours before she found the location, a dilapidated house.

Instead of going towards the house, Passion took the time to ready herself for what she was about to do. This was no easy task, since it requires her to do something she never though she would do in her life, murdering somepony.

Now the story behind how she found herself in this situation can be summarize like so. Passion Heart has always been a meek pony. From childhood to all the way to adulthood, the mare didn’t have easy life.

Because of her personality, the mare always get short end of the stick in life. She lives in a lousy house, works at a terrible job and having a lousy life.

Recently Passion lost her job and in desperation, turns to the local crime boss for money. He of course gave her the money, but now she is in their debt.

A month later he came to her and gave her a job to do. She is to go to this pony’s house and end their life.

To say the mare was horrified would’ve been an understatement. She freak over the thought of murdering another pony. But, she was more afraid of what the crime boss would do to her if she refused to do the job.

Before the mare left though, she was met by an elderly unicorn stallion.

The old stallion knew of the mare’s plight and wishes to help. So he offers her something that can help her on the job. He gave her a plastic monster mask.

Passion was confused as to why this cheap looking Nightmare Night Mask would help her. Instead of giving her a direct answer, the old stallion explains that once she puts on the mask, everything would smooth sailing from there.

So now back to the present, Passion took out the mask and look at it. At first glance it looked like a monster, but upon a closer look, it looks more like a deformed pony face.

Remembering what that old stallion said, the mare put on the mask. Nothing, Passion felt nothing at all when she the put the mask on. Believing that the old stallion was just screwing with her, the mare felt depressed.

Nevertheless, she had a job to do and she headed straight for the house. Since it was dilapidated it was quite easy for her break in.

Once inside she looks around to see any sign of her target. She found signs of somepony living in here, but no sign of the stallion. Then out of nowhere she was suddenly struck with a bat, causing her fall down.

While on the ground, she heard her attack demanding who she was. Passion attempted to stand up, but her attacker struck her with his bat again.

The mare is then flip over on her back. From her new position, she got a good look at her target. He is scruffy, dirty looking brown stallion. His white hair was long and dirty and he had that look of a pony who you didn’t want to make eye contact with.

The stallion ask who she was, threatening to beat her with his bat is she doesn’t answer.

Passion Heart though about answering, but she was too terrified to respond so she instead tried to crawl away.

The stallion reacts by smashing the window above her, shattering the glass so the pieces fall down onto her. The glass shards didn’t her, but the loud sounds of shattering glass froze her in place. She is then lifted up by the stallion that then proceeds to smash her against the wall.

The stallion then gave out a list of ponies she didn’t know, demanding to know if any of these ponies have sent her to kill him.

Terrified at this point, Passion fought back by punching him the neck. This result proves quite well as the stallion reel back from the pain. The mare was amaze by herself; she honestly didn’t think she was that strong.

However, upon looking back she sees that the stallion was not in pain from her punch, but rather from the piece of glass shard she stabbed him with. Passion Heart was surprise by this, she didn’t remember picking up a glass shard when he lifted her up.

While the stallion was in pain, he still wasn’t out and charge right at her.

Then almost by instinct, Passion quickly picks up the fallen bat and smashes him right in his face. She swears she heard the sounds of bones breaking as her bat connected with his face.

Oh, but the mare was done yet. She still had a job to do and so she raises the bat up and starting beating on him repeatedly.

---

Passion didn’t know how she was doing this for, but she eventually stopped once her arms got tired. Looking down, the stallion was already dead. She wasn’t sure if he died during the beating or even before she started, the important thing is that he was dead.

Now normally most ponies would’ve been horrified or at least shocked at the aspect of murdering somepony. But, for Passion Heart, the mare felt a surge of excitement and joy from beating this stallion to death.

This euphoria quickly faded away though as the whole reality of the situation finally sunk into the mare. Passion realized she actually took joy in this brutal murder of a pony.

At first she didn’t know why she felt like this, until she notices the mask on her face. This was no coincident and if what the old stallion said is true, then this mask is the cause of her newfound sadism.

---

Weeks passed by and things only got worse. Turns out one hit weren’t enough to pay off her debt and she is called in to do more assassination jobs. She reluctantly continues doing them out of fear for her own life, but in doing so damning herself with the mask.

She needed to wear the mask while doing these missions. She didn’t like it, but the mask helps her complete her jobs. It gives her the drive and aggression to take out her targets and anypony that comes in between.

It really sickens her that she was actually enjoying the killing and is more than glad to take the mask off once she was done. But, while her sadistic nature is gone, the memories remain. Memories of all those ponies she killed.

Then came the day when she finally decided she had enough. She no longer wishes to continue anymore and wanted out. However, the crime boss won’t allow it so the mare knew she had one more pony to kill before she can end it all.

---

Getting into Crime Boss’s building was easy. All the guards knew her and assume she was called in for another job so they allowed her in. Passion wore the mask she dons on her missions and got some reactions from the guards.

Passion found secluded place and snuck into the vents. She crawls along the narrow passage way, searching for the Crime Boss’s room. It took her a while, but the mare eventually did find his room and what luck too, he was there all alone.

Breaking the vent door open she descends down to a surprise Crime Boss. Before he could do anything, Passion silences the pegasus stallion by shoving her hoof in his mouth, preventing him from calling for help. Then with her other hoof, she pulled out a pocket knife and repeatedly stabbed him in the stomach.

It was on the fourth stab when the Crime Boss fought back by biting into Passion’s hoof. She felt the immense pain from the stallion’s teeth and pulled her hoof back, but before swinging the knife into his neck.

The Crime Boss felt the blade pierce his neck and felt the blood spewing out. The Crime Boss swatted Passion away and fell down on the ground. He was dying, he has already loss too much blood and he can feel his life fading away.

Passion looks down at the dying stallion that enslaved her and smiled, glad to see this scumbag suffering.

Suddenly she heard the sound of hoofsteps coming from behind. She quickly turns around ready to fight, only to see it was the old unicorn stallion, the same pony a while back that gave her the mask.

She asked him if he was here to avenge his boss. The old stallion chuckled and said he doesn’t work for the Crime Boss. Instead he was here to check up on her. He remark about how much Passion changed in the last couple of weeks, from a meek pony to a cold blooded killer.

Passion mention how it was his mask that changed her, to which he retorts by saying the mask, had nothing do with it. He reveals that the mask was in a fact a cheap Nightmare Night Mask. He then continues on by saying it was in her along. She killed those ponies on her own volition, not because the mask influenced her.

Passion could not believe what she was hearing. If what this old stallion saying is true, then this whole time she really is a murderer.

The horrified mare accuses him of being a liar and refuses to believe she killed those ponies on her volition.

The old stallion then said it really doesn’t matter if she believes him or not. He has said what he wanted to said and left. Leaving the mare to reflex on everything she has learned.

---

Sometime has passed since that day and things are looking up for Passion Heart. She got herself a new job that actually pays well and with the new money, she moved into a better apartment building.

Yes, things were indeed going well for the mare. But, the stuff with the old stallion really had her thinking and after some soul searching she finally came to a conclusion with herself.

Passion Heart is killer. There’s no denying it, she killed those ponies and she enjoyed every second of it. However, she decided that she won’t go after everypony, she’ll only target the worse of them all.

Whether they be murders, slave traffickers or drug dealers they were all her targets and soon she’ll be coming for each of them one by one.

THE END

Comments

[Fluttercheer]

This was a nice read. Nice, classical stories. And the last one even had a little twist that I didn't expect.^^ I only wish there would be an epilogue, like in the previous parts of the series. It ends a little sudden that way and makes it feel that something is missing.
Will you ever return to this series and write new stories for it?