Rumour Has It

by daOtterGuy

Journal Entry 6

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Dear, Mum

Our situation just keeps getting worse. Lost more ponies today, and space. We lost the kitchen first. A few ponies had been prepping food for the group when Henny had galloped out of there screaming at the top of her lungs. The monster had grabbed her back leg with a beak lined with sharp teeth and dragged her back into the darkness. She had pawed at the floor and cried for help, but none of us could get ourselves moving. Cowards, all of us. But, to be fair, it had been so shocking at the time that we’d been frozen in place. Even if we could get ourselves unfroze, what were we supposed to do? What could we even do?

A solemn comfort as I continue to see Henny’s crying face in my mind.

We shored up against the room by closing the door and doubling up the lanterns at the threshold hoping it would serve as a barricade against the monster, but I’m not holding out hope for that. If it hadn’t had much trouble taking the kitchen, I doubt it would be much bothered taking more.

This statement was proven true, when not a few hours (days?) later when the monster had taken over the dining room. We’d heard Clove wailing up a storm and had all rushed to see what had happened. Clove was standing on the table, the shadows surrounding him, as he begged for Jam to come and save him. With the shadows hanging around the edges of the room, none of us could get in there to pull him into the light. We watched helplessly as the monster’s maw slowly rose from the floor underneath Clove and snapped shut around both the table and the pony. Poor guy. I never liked him, but he didn’t deserve that kind of fate.

Jam hadn’t been the same since then. Had been proactive on our escape plan before, contributing lots of different ideas, but now she just stares listlessly into space. When the beast had taken the foyer sometime later, she’d stood up and walked willingly into the monster’s open beak. No one had tried to stop her. We all figured that if she wanted to give up, we had no right to intervene.

Things have settled down, but we’re only twelve strong now, and none of us are in good shape.

Spit and I are the only ones still thinking up a solution. Some sort of escape from this unending nightmare. But we’re both coming up blank. The others are so hopeless, they just seem to be waiting for the inevitable. If I’m being honest, I’m getting to that point too, but I refuse to give up! You didn’t raise a quitter, and I’ll be fighting until the very last moment. At least Spit is still with me, still has spirit in him. I’m really thankful for that since having him around makes things a lot more manageable. Can always lean against him if I ever feel overwhelmed and he never seems to mind.

I’m going to get back to figuring out an escape plan now. Wish me luck. Good night, mum.

Love, Cross

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