ZOHMYWHAT2

by cloudedguardian

Darkness

The screen went brilliant white with a ringing hum that echoed throughout the room. It blinked to the game screen for a second before going a pitch black that left the room in darkness. Then, from the speakers came a soft sad voice that spoke aloud the words of the introduction.

I’ve always felt alone my whole life, for as long as I can remember. I don’t know if I like it… Or if I’m just used to it, but I do know this;

Being lonely does things to you, and feeling shit and bitter and angry all the time just… Eats away at you…

“Well somepony needs a hug.”

“Rainbow, shhhh!”

The words faded from the screen to play the intro cut-scene. Fluttershy carefully wiggled forward to sit beside Rarity, who blinked at her for a second before looking back at the screen.

“Kitty!”

“Yes Pinkie, we see the kitty.”

“What were you saying about being quiet, Twilight?”

“That was Rarity!”

“You two sound alike when you’re whispering, did you know that?”

“Will the two of you pipe down already? Ah’m trying to hear!”

“Sorry.”

The storm outside rumbled gently, and the speakers echoed it with far greater venom as the words “Cry of Fear” lit the screen in sharp white letters, and between the two Fluttershy was beginning to duck behind Rarity’s mane.

“C’mon Fluttershy, don’t chicken out already,” Rainbow teased lightly, “the game hasn’t even started yet.”

“I am not chickening out,” Fluttershy corrected sternly, “I just have a bad feeling…”

Another peal of thunder echoed out, this time from outside, and Fluttershy ducked behind her wings slightly.

“And I don’t like thunder…”

“That’s quite alright Fluttershy dear, I’m a bit creeped out as well.” Rarity smiled gently, before turning to glare at Rainbow Dash. “Lay off.”

“Relax Rarity, it’s all part of the fun… Or have you two forgotten your hysterical laughing fit that you had at my expense after that stupid grunt scared me the other night?”

Pinkie Pie obviously hadn’t, as she quickly burst into laughter. “Ooh ooh! I remember that! You were all like “I ain’t scared!” and then you opened the door and Mr. Face was all like “GRRRR!” and then you were all like “GAH!” and you flew all the way up to Twilight’s room to hide under the bed and-“

Pinkie’s tirade was cut short by the appearance of RD’s hoof in her mouth. “Yes Pinkie. I’m sure we all remember it quite clearly.”

As Rarity and Fluttershy’s growing giggles increased Rainbow’s embarrassment, Applejack’s ear twitched in visible irritation.

“Ah hate to interrupt your little party sugarcubes, but the game’s starting.”

Silence fell as attention returned to the computer screen, the game’s cutscene quickly changing from scenic to increasingly disturbing as it turned from a lovely train ride in the moonlight to murder both attempted and witnessed. A bloody “Wake up” sprawled across a wall was all the warning they got before a flash of something gruesome flickered in and out of sight.

“What was that?!” Fluttershy squeaked.

Another bloodied message was all they were given before being rather suddenly tossed into game play. The character stood in a simple bedroom, the only door opening up to a black abyss before them, a single white “X” hovering a few feet away in the inky gloom ahead.

Twilight looked at the empty computer chair, and then back at her friends. “So…”

“I-I’ll go first…” Rarity said weakly, as she got to her hooves.

Dead silence, only broken by the wind and rain outside, hung in the air as Rarity slowly walked over to the computer chair and sat down. Their character stirred, and then stepped forward to look about the room. It was a small room, simply decorated. The only sign of the room having been lived in was papers spilled and scattered across the floor, and video game posters upon the wall and door.

“I guess the only way to go is forward…” Rarity offered meekly, and their character obediently turned towards the darkness again.

As she stepped towards the white ‘X’ she accidentally bumped the camera button, causing the ‘X’ to disappear in place of a door in the flash of the camera.

“So now we know what the camera’s for…” Twilight said softly as she scooted forward to see the screen better.

Rarity nodded gently, and carefully moved through the door to see three more ‘X’s before her. Picking one at random, the camera flashed, for the words “I hate you” to appear in blood. An audible gulp ran around the room, and Rarity swallowed dryly twice before trying again. The second ‘X’ she picked revealed a new door.

The next one was farther away this time. A flash revealed another door behind it, and she stepped through obediently. This time there were four new crosses, and she wasn’t looking forward to whatever unpleasant surprise awaited under a wrong choice. Two flashes at the ones on the walls only brought further darkness to the abyss, and her final choice a trap-door. Part of her wanted to know what lay beneath the final ‘X’, the rest of her happily hopped through the door to leave it behind.

Click, a new door. Click, greater darkness. Rarity had to search to find the other two ‘X’s in the room.

“L-left or right?”

“Huh?” Rainbow Dash looked up at Rarity with a hint of confusion, who was eyeing the screen with a hint of terror.

“I’ve got a bad feeling, so just pick, left or right?”

“Um… Right.”

Rarity turned and faced the ‘X’ on her right. With a slight gulp, she pressed the button, and the white cross vanished in the flash of the camera… To reveal a mutilated corpse hanging a foot away.

The white unicorn let out a slightly strangled noise as the body vanished into the gloom around her.

“Oops… I guess Left…” Rainbow said awkwardly. The chill that had shot down her spine had yet to leave fully, and the fur along her back was still ruffled and on end.

Another flash continued the path through a shattering window, from which a door was only a foot away. She continued forward, and found a mirror. Her reflection shattered it angrily, and glass fell around her character as it descended to the next path. The fur around her neck was beginning to stand on end, and she was already looking forward to the moment when she could hand the controls to one of her other friends and hide behind one of the plump floor pillows that were scattered around.

Her first guess at the next path was thankfully accurate, and the door swung open obediently to allow her to move forward unharassed. Aside from an extremely warped scream that echoed from the speakers anyway… Through the next door, however, was only darkness, and for the first time Rarity was feeling rather lost.

“Uh, where am I supposed to go?”

“There’s a reeaallly tiny white dot over there…” Pinkie offered. “Maybe that?”

“Alright, that seems logical enough…”

Steps echoed out from the speaker as the character made her way forward to the small glowing dot ahead. As she got closer, she could see that it was in fact a ‘X’ and therefore where she needed to go. Her relief was cut short as the speakers were filled with a horrid and terrifying noise, an accompanying gruesome face covering the screen with its gaping maw and bulging eyes.

The girls all squealed, Rarity’s terrified scream beating all, and the computer chair hit the floor with an echoing bang that only increased the racket as she scrambled out of it in sheer panic. Spike stuck his head into the living room with more than a little worry.

“Rarity? Twilight? Are you guys all okay? You sound like you’re getting tortured.”

With Spike’s eyes wide with obvious concern, glowing softly in the darkness as dragon eyes do, along with the now silence from the computer as it peacefully loaded the next area, the girls suddenly realized all at once how silly everything was, and joined in in the best part of playing scary games; laughing hysterically over what scared you.

“Did you see that thing?! It was so gross,” Rainbow snorted, “It looked like its eyes were going to pop right out of its head!”

“And it was all like “GARGHFLARBABLARG!!!” and we are all like, “EEK!” and it’s just so-“ Pinkie cut herself off with a renewed giggle fit, and she practically fell onto Rarity’s lap as she clutched her sides with laughter.

Rarity, cheeks slightly red at her earlier panic, could only shake her head at her friend. “I have to admit that thing just scared me half-to-death! My heart is still pounding! I’m sorry girls, but I don’t think I’ll be playing anymore tonight… I’ll just be… Right here.”

“That’s alright Rarity… And yes Spike, we’re all just fine.” Twilight assured quickly, suppressing her own giggles with a hoof as she paused the game before it could play the next cutscene without them.

“Yeah, this is pretty much what happens every night… This is just the first time you’re here,you know, during.” Rainbow said, her devilish grin quick to return.

Spike chuckled. “OK. I’ll just be in the kitchen then, reading my comics. Call me if you need me.”

The girls waited until everypony had their composure back, at which point the big question was asked.

“So… Who’s next?”

Comments

[Duffman18]

What game is this?

[cloudedguardian]

1544161
I remembered to put it up in the description this time!
So why does everyone keep asking me? XD

[Duffman18]

1544172
My bad. Thanks

[ChainReaction]

“GARGHFLARBABLARG!!!” It's freaking awesome so far. Looking forward to how they deal with the horrible combat mechanics of the game.

[The outcast]

ah yes... the test.... muhahahahahahaha