The Green Room

by Toodle Flip

Water

Light spilled from a hole in the canopy. It moved towards the sleeping filly, who had gotten her silence in the night, and in her dreams. The light had reached her eye, and when Ginger opened it, light flooded her pupil. The filly licks her lips, feeling that they are dry. The next step is water… Now, where could I find water that isn’t surrounded by scary monsters or manticores? It can’t be a pond, or a lake for that matter. Wait… Isn’t there a river that flows in the Everfree? I don’t think it leaves the forest though, but it is a large source of water, and that is the important part.

Moving away from her destroyed shelter, she sets about looking for a river or stream to drink from. The forest seemed brighter and friendlier since it was morning, but Ginger was still on edge. Even if it looks nice or might help me… it always seems to want something back. Something I am not willing to give up.

Moving deeper through the forest, there almost seemed to be music playing. Barely audible, but it could be heard through the forest. A slow beat, being the very forest. It feels… caring… almost like it is a heartbeat. It doesn’t seem familiar, but it feels alive. The melody is the rustling of the leaves, and the chirping of the occasional bird. Ginger smiled as the music continued, but once the vocals came in Ginger halted.

Something was singing. Something. What is that? I don’t think it is a pony, because it is way too loud.

Ginger moved cautiously, moving towards the voice. I have learned from my past mistakes, and am going to see if it is friendly first before confronting it. If it is friendly, maybe it can show me the way home!

Ginger smiles at the thought. She creeps towards the singing, which seems to be different from the song she hears in the forest. What is it singing? Something about a mustache? What is with this world and mustaches? First, there was Spike, then Snips and Snails going on about it and finally Pinkie! Ugh! I was stuck with a mustache for a week after that prank. I am liking this thing a lot less now.

She begins to hear the roar of a large river, increasing in strength like the Friendship express as it comes closer. This is a pretty fast river. Not many things will want to be near it, for fear of falling in… Ginger licks her lips again, only to find they are even dryer, and have begun cracking. I need to get a drink soon because this is pretty uncomfortable. It seems like thins being uncomfortable are worse than being in pain. The bruises don’t even hurt anymore… whereas my lips are in agony!

She peers out of the tree-line, and sees a white-water river. This reminds me of the time those three fillies went white-water rafting. They sure avoided extreme sports after that. Of course, they didn’t crash… they were stopped by the store owner, who refused to give them the equipment… Ms. Cheerilee wasn’t happy when they decided to use desks instead.

Thinking of Ms. Cheerilee caused Ginger to shudder. I will never look at her the same way again… Or the rest of the class for that matter.

Turning her head from left to right, she fails to spot the source of the singing. Feeling safe, seeing nothing along the edge of the river, she moves closer to the roiling water. She looks closer, and begins to drink, when something catches her eye.

It is difficult to see in this river when water keeps splashing my eyes! Although, that strange shadow… Oh no… What could possibly live here, in this kind of water?

Ginger peers closer into the river, trying to discern what it is. I have to know. I must know if I can come back here. It will be difficult to find another place to get a drink. If only I could reach a little closer…

Ginger leans farther forward, and unceremoniously falls in the water. Ginger begins to sink into the water. Ginger forcibly shivers, as the water begins to steal her heat, and she resists the urge to scream, which would surely drown her.

So this is how it ends… I drown in a river. After accomplishing so much, after surviving so much, I drown… No! I won’t end like this! I have so much to do! So much to live for!

Ginger struggles to reach the surface, her vision slowly going black from drowning. She hits a large rock, and is tossed from the river to the top of it. Ginger begins coughing, spurting up water, and trying to breathe. Well, I got the view I wanted… Now I need to find that thing.

Ginger looks around the river, trying to spot where the purple monster had gone. She doesn’t notice it slithering up behind her, exiting the water and looking down on her.

The water serpent speaks, “Why hello there! I’m Steven Magnate, and what are you doing in my river? You know, you are so cute I could just gobble you up.”

Ginger turns around, and looks at Steven. Hearing the word gobble, her eyes grow extremely wide, and she decides the river is a better chance of survival than Steven. Nope, nope nope nope! I do not want to deal with this. The water seems much nicer, because at least in there, I won't get eaten, and have a smaller chance of surviving. I don't think it can look for me in there anyway.

The river seemed warmer than last time, as she struggled to reach the shore. The river was strong, but Ginger’s will was stronger, and despite being pushed down river, she eventually made it to shore.

She turns around, and sees that ‘Steven’ is still looking around the river for her calling for her to say where she is.

Ginger looks at her soaking body, and begins to shake herself, trying to get dry. Feeling satisfied with her work now that she was a little warmer, she looks around, trying to figure out where she is. Well this is pointless since everything looks the same here…

All that is left now is one step. One final step to solving my problems. I need to find food. From what I can tell, this may be the one that gets me home… or on something’s dinner plate.

After entering the forest, Steven says, “I wonder if that was the filly making all that ruckus about the forest… a shame that she drowned though. I know some of the ponies would have liked to know that a filly was wandering around the Everfree. After all, there are far worse things than timber wolves and manticores around the forest…”

Comments

[Toodle Flip]

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Now that I look back, I have done that a couple times... But I usually fixed it before publishing... Usually...