Lullaby for a vampire
Streams of hot tears poured out from the mare's swollen eyes. Her long, matted pink hair was caught in her hot sobs. She was running. Running from something. Was she in the Everfree? No. The ground was misty and had rocky shards peeking out from the ground. The trees were twisty and bare. The only action programmed in her mind was to run.
She felt she had wandered so far and aimlessly that she thought the bones in her hooves would break off. She panted uncontrollably, drawing, heavy breaths into her fragile chest. The crows cawed at the helpless creature. They stared down at her lifelessly from the bare branches, their beady and demonic eyes following her. She stumbled over a shard in the dirt and fell straight down, squriming and screaming in pain. Lifting her hoof she found the shard where it pierced deep into her skin, blood streaming out.
Panicking, she began to pick at it with her teeth only causing it to crumble in her gums. She tried to get up but her body felt paralyzed. The swarm's flapping echoes bounced off the trees. The sound grew louder, at this point she let her head drop. The massive swarm covered her body with the winged animals. Some whizzed past scratching and ripping skin, most toppled over her. The biting started on her hips, legs, neck and face. The fangs began to sink deeper inside her. She was finished. Blood gushed out the bites and ripped skin. The birds flew down to pick at the flesh.
****
Fluttershy woke up. Her bunny Angel had heard Fluttershy's screams and rushed to her side to comfort her. Fluttershy then dove her head into her quilted comforter, mortified and whimpering in terror. Angel gently stroked his friend's tear-drenched mane.
"Oh... Angel, i-it was...horrifying I-I...," she forced as she wiped her eyelids.
Angel felt sorry for his only friend, he had never seen her so terrified.Suddenly a cheerful grin graced his face. He had an idea. Angel hopped off the bed, and he went all the way to the other side of the bedroom. Curious to see what this mischievous bunny was doing, Fluttershy peaked out from her sheets. Angel struggled to open an old drawer and let out a high-pitched cough as the dust filled the air.
He groaned as he dragged an object across the floor. The room was dark, after all, and it was hard for Fluttershy to make out what it was. She lifted it with her hooves. Angel sighed as he dramatically collapsed on the floor.
"Huh?" Fluttershy said as she cocked her eyebrow at this thing.
It was an old music box with its faded colors and chipped wood at the sides. She had it locked in storage for as long as she could remember. She never thought of getting rid of it.
She opened the lid with her muzzle and, to her surprise, it still worked after all that time. The music was being played halfway through its melody. The music sounded somber and yet it had some innocence to it. Her eyes became heavy as she yawned carelessly away to its pretty tune. Soon she drifted into a dreamless and peaceful sleep. She had never slept so well for many nights.
****
Fluttershy woke up, clutching on her pillow, with the box still in hoof. A puddle of drool sat on the pillow case. She rubbed her eyes open and stretched her hind legs across the bed. She got up and placed the music box on her nightstand and went off to start her morning with some breakfast. She had fallen asleep so suddenly that she forgot all about her nightmare. All her critters were already up waiting for their meal to be served.
"Alright, my little friends; time to eat!" Fluttershy exclaimed happily.
Now all the other animals grew really anxious as Fluttershy poured the food into assorted bowls. All of them bunched up against each other at the rims of the bowls. She then set a bowl for herself next to the other animals and poured some oatmeal in it. Still pouring, her eyes wandered out the window at a ripe, red and juicy-looking apple, just hanging there all by itself on its branch. Fluttershy's eyes grew wide. She licked her lips with a sudden desire to just sink her teeth in the apple's sweet, delicious core. She yearned to suck the apple dry of every drop inside as saliva dripped from her mouth.
Fluttershy shook her head hard until it started to spin. She looked back at her bowl piled high with oatmeal, then she looked back at the other animals to see if any of them had noticed. They were too busy with their stomachs to fill.
"I'm uh...Just gonna check the...um mail," she hesitated, "I'll be right back..." she closed the door behind her.
Cautiously, Fluttershy trotted over to her mailbox. She opened it and found a letter inside. It was from AppleJack. She ripped the envelope and read the message aloud.
"Fluttershy, I was wondering if you and the others could head on over to Sweet Apple Acres this afternoon. When the harvest is great a time 'round, the Apple family celebrates with taking half the crop for 'Apple Fest'. This festival usually happens once every few years. I need some help preparing for it and I need as much help as I can get. Getting everything ready will take a few days time though. But with all of us working together I know that we can get it done.
~ AppleJack,"
Fluttershy was torn; she had no idea what to do. She was terrified that, if she went, her old 'symptoms' would kick in while surrounded by all the apples in the orchard. But if she didn't go she feared she would end up disappointing everypony. Especially AJ, who worked so hard for a perfect harvest all year. She felt her heart racing again. What would she do now? ...