There are rumours circulating. Stories about something lurking in the darkness. Something hiding in the unlit corners of rooms and hallways. Something waiting in the shadow. But they're just rumors. Just fiction. There's nothing to be afraid of. There's nothing there at all.
An entry into the A Thousand Words contest, under the "Grim" and "Experimental" categories.
Prereading and cover art edit courtesy of Reviewfilly.
Live reading by The Mystery Fluttershy Fan.
Vaguely inspired by a series that doesn't exist.
Chapters (1)
I know you're the guy to read for Teen-rated mindf
, but even by those standards... 
Boy, it sure is reassuring to know that there very definitely isn't anything to worry about!
Great buildup to the cognitohazardous reveal. Definitely one of the more effective creepy entries. Thank you for it and best of luck in the judging.
phew, that's good to know! it would be very scary if there were
hehe, lines like this are always fun
how can anything but "nothing" detected by an absence? makes you think!
ooh, love this worldbuilding bit! rooting the origins of this "nothing" in the canon (or really, giving it a good reason for being at all) does make it resonate more
oh no, anything but that!
ooh, love this ending! of course, the story would have worked just as well with the entire "there is no" motif merely being an ironic way to narrate the (possible) existence of this dreaded nightmare being, but this both retroactively makes all of those "there is no"s literally true while also describing what really does exist within the confines of your mind, and will harm you in all the ways described. and throughout, the themes of this creature existing in the negative spaces, detectable only by absences and lacks, all of it comes together so beautifully.
excellent stuff!
Perfect bedtime light reading. Really need to be voiced by someone!
Hello! Have a review. This one really grew on me. For a while I was unsure about the level of repetition of the negatives, but the narrative then got inside my head and wormed around. It wouldn't go away. The second-person voice was unexpected but it worked much better than 2p often does. Clever ending, too. Liked and faved! Congrats on the Silver Medal, too.
I like the story, but Nightmare Moon was one of the most pathetic villains to ever appear on the show (and considering the competition, that’s really saying something), so why should I be scared of her? Why would anybody, especially if they’ve seen Black Lagoon?
Are... are you sure? :( Can you check again? Maybe there's one in the back.