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/bootleg/ - Twill (Twilight) by MLHfag

By BlueGem
Created: 2021-01-14 11:11:12
Expiry: Never
twilight sparkle/bootleg/twillartist:mlhfag

  1. (Twilight bootleg) [MLHfag]
  2.  
  3. >You are Anon.
  4. >A poorfag that's never spent money on much more than various items from garage sales, eBay and hand-me-downs.
  5. >You've made some poor decisions, some pricier than others but you still like to think you make due.
  6. >One of those poor decisions was women.
  7. >Faces and arguments that blurred together, you've all but forgotten by now.
  8. >Women have never worked out for you and you found that you were in for a rude awakening.
  9. >You couldn't afford them.
  10. >It used to be that every night you would comb your apartment looking around all the crevices and searching for any loose change.
  11. >You would spend hours doing this, scrounging up the last few coins around your apartment.
  12. >Exhausted, then turning to the Internet to burn away the night oil before crashing.
  13. >Everyone you knew went so far as to call you obsessive over it, even for a poorfag.
  14. >It's been weeks since then, and you've stopped.
  15. >It isn't easy being a neetfag you thought to yourself, returning home from a gas station trip.
  16. >Your rations for the next day.
  17. >Tossing the plastic bag onto what little counter-space you had.
  18. >You reached into your pockets and dug out the remaining change. Mindlessly plunking them into your large coin jar.
  19. >Another night same as the rest.
  20. >Picking up one of the several cans scattered about, taking a drink.
  21. >Only tonight wasn't going to be the same as the rest. It was one of those nights. The ones you hated the most.
  22. >Where you didn't feel like doing anything, where you couldn't shake that old feeling creeping back into your mind.
  23. >It was the old familiar feeling of failure. Failure to be a success, failure to be a human being.
  24. >Your eye's drift towards the coin jar... The words 'RESCUE' sloppily scrawlled across tape in pen, adorned with a couple hearts.
  25. >You can't bring yourself to raise your head and face it, as though the jar was silently judging you.
  26. >Failure as a friend.
  27. >Keeping your head low, you take out your cell phone and nostalgically flipping through old pictures.
  28. >Everything was monotonous going until your thumb freezes up on the 'next'
  29. >You know full well what the next set of pictures would be.
  30. >And there was no way you could take seeing that right now.
  31. >Letting out a sigh and closing it with a click.
  32. >Sometimes it seemed like you would never reach your goal.
  33. >It was one of those nights alright. The ones where you want to forget about anything and everything at all.
  34. >Sinking down into the couch and taking a large gulp of the days old beer.
  35. "Ugh"
  36. >At least this shitty taste took your mind off it.
  37. >You turned on TV and just sat there sulking.
  38. >Apathetic to whatever was airing on the channel at the time.
  39. >An infomircial, the news, the weather...
  40. >It doesn't matter what was on to a channel surfer, and the choices were all the same to you.
  41. >Shit.
  42. >Flicks and flashes of light, barely hearing any more than a blip before you became bored with it.
  43. >Normally you might have gotten onto the Internet to entertain yourself, but moving was too much work.
  44. >Finally settling on something, sometime later after watching another rerun of an old cartoon.
  45. ...
  46. >Awaking hours later in the hazy glow of the TV, you're greeted by a fuzzy MUTE signal in the corner.
  47. >Must have slept on the remote.
  48. >Again.
  49. >You're immediately reminded of another poor decision you've made.
  50. "Shit, forgot to eat."
  51. >Again.
  52. >Returning from the kitchen groggy with a stiff neck.
  53. >You stuffed your mouth with some sugar to get your brain going.
  54. >At least temporarily...
  55. >Passing by the couch out of the corner of your eyes, you catch sight of a small flashing red dot.
  56. >Upon closer inspection it's a blinking LED next to a number displayed on the coin jar lid.
  57. >You standed staring at it, almost in disbelief.
  58. >- $256.17 -
  59. >Is... is it finally happening?
  60. >You needed to check.
  61. >Without thinking you reached for the nearby notebook, accidentally tipping over the left over beer can from the night before.
  62. >It spills onto the hard wooden floor. But you don't even pay it any mind.
  63. >Pushing over a box weighing it down with new found determination, yanking a thin notepad out from under a stack of papers and magazines
  64. >Furiously flipping the pages through to find a yellow bookmark that fell into the middle, wedged between pages.
  65. >There it was...
  66. >Close to a year ago you started doing something wildy out of the ordinary for your daily routine.
  67. >Something you never had much of a reason to do until then.
  68. >You started to save money.
  69. >Money you would never let anyone, even yourself spend easily.
  70. >Day by day you started adding your change into this coin bank.
  71. >Everyone probably has a coin bank at some point, even kids know what a piggy bank is all about.
  72. >But this was for something important, maybe the most important thing you've ever set out for.
  73. >Quickly glazing over the details your eyes dart down to your old notes circled in red sharpie.
  74. >(Estimated cost for Twill's rescue funds ($256.17))
  75. >You feel a surge of energy and grip the flimsy notebook.
  76. "Alright!"
  77. >Leaping up and shouting to nobody other than yourself. You cant help but feel victorious.
  78. >The notebook flies out of your hands in the excitement and crashes into the nearby bookcase
  79. >But it wasn't full of books, instead just various items you've collected and stacks of old movies and TV shows.
  80. >One thing dominoes into another and in only the span of a few minutes since waking up, your floor has become a minefield of odds and ends.
  81. >You could slip on the beer can and have a nice meet up with the floor landing on your face
  82. >Maybe end up with some stitches with a rearranged jaw.
  83. >Or trip and stub your toe on the litter below ending up in crutches.
  84. >Either way your little mission could be abruptly cut short and delayed for a long time on the slightest miss-step.
  85. >Someone else, maybe even anyone else would put the breaks on here.
  86. >You can already here it in your head, "Whoa buddy! You really should clean up the mess before doing anything else."
  87. >But right now you're too excited to care, and that doesn't even cross your thoughts.
  88. >All you can think about right now was the future.
  89. >That feeling that things could turn around, and that you could turn them around.
  90. >A second chance.
  91. >Redemption.
  92. >You're practically tripping over yourself and already out the door.
  93. >And the next second you're scrambling down the stairs and enthusiastically banging on the door of your neighbor.
  94. "Mark!"
  95. >*bang bang bang*
  96. "I need that favor now!"
  97. >No response...
  98. >And nothing within earshot nearby either. Only the electric hum of the apartment's light.
  99. >Pacing and back and forth then returning to the door a few more times.
  100. >It's as unmoving as ever.
  101. >To think that the many trials you've faced now, and all of your lonely nights you've spent in the dark.
  102. >The thing holding back from meeting face to face with Twill again was... just a couple inches of wood!?
  103. >It's practically a mockery! Taunting you.
  104. >Why isn't he answering?
  105. >Is he... avoiding you?
  106. >The thought makes you clench your teeth together.
  107. >Why now!? Why when you needed him the most?
  108. >Sweating, your mouth starts running dry.
  109. >You suddenly felt very small, as if this was a gargauntuan obstical before you.
  110. >A boarded up barricade. Locked tight with many chains and a padlock bigger than your whole body.
  111. >Insurmountable no matter how much you try. This wasn't any appartment door you know of, but the entryway to a fortress!
  112. >How long has it been since you've been here. Or anyone for that matter?
  113. >You can already see the warning sign in your head. 'TURN BACK NOW' spray-painted over it in screaming crimson red.
  114. >The Great Anon: his heroic deed was bested by a hunk of timber.
  115. >Like hell
  116.  
  117. >After another assault your breaths turn hot and ragged. You feel like you were fighting in the middle of a desert
  118. >Every step is like dragging your foot through sand.
  119. >Light headed and clawing at the wood you demanded an answer.
  120. "Was the favor you said I could ask for just a lie?!"
  121. >The silence was deafening after screaming it out.
  122. >But shortly after it was answered back with a guttural >"Shhut the ffffuck UP!"
  123. >It wasn't what you wanted to hear, and it wasn't even Mark. But one of your other neighbors, crude as always.
  124. >"Do you have any idea what time it is!?" came muffled through the ceiling.
  125. >Followed by loud pounding causing the lights to flicker and shake.
  126. >"I'm trying to sleep!"
  127. >Probably best not to piss him off anymore than you did already.
  128. "Sorry!"
  129. >"You will be if you keep me up for a nother fucking goddamn minute!"
  130. >So much for that, he's so full of shit. He's probably just angry that he cant hear his gay ass cookie cutter MMOs with his e-girlfriend
  131. >Spurred on by the threat you cup your hands over your mouth to make your very own human megaphone and bark back.
  132. "Oh do you have Sea World on speed dial, to get a crane over here?!"
  133. >"What's that!? What the fuck did you just fucking say about me, you little bitch?"
  134. >Oh boy... You know where this is going.
  135. >And sure enough, you start to hear a muffled reciting of the navy seals copypasta.
  136. >This faggot must have memorized it by now, or maybe he's just reading it off his cheatoes encrusted laptop to impress his e-gurl.
  137.  
  138. >You cant help but snicker.
  139. >He always falls for the easiest bait.
  140. >He always disgusted you but he was good for one thing, venting. Oh and schadenfreude so I guess that's two.
  141. >The copypasta continued and just became a one way conversation.
  142.  
  143. >Background noise might have been just what you needed.
  144. >After the outburst between you two ended, you had second thoughts.
  145. >You found yourself questioning what you yourself said about Mark.
  146. >It doesn't seem right, Mark was a good guy and he was always...
  147. >You don't really think you're a friend to him, but he was...
  148. >Well for a better lack of a word, tolerable to you. Much more than most people you've met.
  149. >Mark was your go-to guy for a reason, you don't think the rescue plan would work out without him.
  150. >And you werent here to just use him, you liked to think he was your friend too.
  151. >At the very least, he's always been someone trustworthy and someone you could rely on.
  152. >In some kind of way, he's kind of like an older brother you never had.
  153. >Unlike the other one, he was someone you could look up to.
  154. >All of the racket might have put him in a bad mood.
  155. >You try again, a little more considerate this time by knocking.
  156. "Hey Mark, it's Anon. You there man?"
  157. >But still, no answer.
  158. >You must have missed something. Sitting down leaning up against the door to contemplate.
  159. >Frowning, you begin to mull over the details and hash out some possible scenarios.
  160. >One of them jumps out at you. Could he be in trouble?
  161. >...
  162. >That did it, you were on your feet again.
  163.  
  164. >Your face is pressed against the door, flattening your cheek out like a pancake with your ear tuned to the inside noises.
  165. >No matter how much you strain your hearing all you can get is silence, the same as before.
  166. >No TV sounds, no talking from inside or any sign of a scuffle.
  167. >That's good but what if he couldn't actually reach the door to answer?
  168. >Mark might be tied up and gagged from some thug.
  169. >You didn't exactly live deep in the ghetto or a gated community, but these things could happen anywhere.
  170. >Breathing heavy, you reach down and try the handle.
  171. >Locked.
  172. >At least that ruled out a break in, but another paranoid thought just replaced it.
  173. >Always telling you about all sorts of dangers around the house.
  174. >He could be unconscious.
  175. >Frantically rattling away at the door handle, it's become obvious to you that you needed to do something else.
  176. >The whale will have to just get over it, there are lives on the line here!
  177. "Mark! It's Anon! I'm coming in!"
  178. >You slam your body against the door, but it doesn't do much good.
  179. >Stepping back to gain a little ground, you rush the door driving into it with the full force of your shoulder.
  180. >It repels you and you smear against the door, blinking and dazed.
  181. Ohh f-ffuck.
  182. >Was that door made of wood or hard rubber?
  183. >You curse how badly out of shape you are.
  184. >All those hours on the chair really piled up... against you.
  185. >Taking long breaths with your hands on your knees
  186. >At this point, had it been any other day you would have normally given up.
  187. >Maybe you should...
  188. >It would be easy to just walk away like nothing ever happened.
  189. >Back to your apartment, maybe sometime later you would catch the news that Mark had died.
  190. >You could have stopped it, this was the future you chose.
  191. >Why didn't you prevent this?
  192. >No.
  193.  
  194. >If you can't do this, then you can't save Twill either. Maybe you don't even deserve to.
  195. >You can practically hear her encouragement in your head to continue.
  196. >It's not so different right?
  197. >A friend needed help? Then you help them.
  198. >Simple. So simple a child could get it.
  199. >Yet that kind of attitude was lost to most people.
  200. >It had been ingrained into your soul from watching your favorite cartoon.
  201. >You've lost count on the hours, days, months or even years built up total you have spent on that one singular show.
  202.  
  203. >Shaking it off, you eyed your target down with new resolve.
  204. >This was nothing like what you've gone through, your humiliation from your peers and groveling for change like some kind of homeless fag.
  205. >You are no longer that much of a weak faggot. You're a new man now.
  206. >So... What would he do?
  207.  
  208. >*Crack*
  209. >The door swings open freely banging against the wall as splinters fall from the frame.
  210. >You're feeling pretty smug right about now, after successfuly storming the fortress with your own bare hands.
  211. >Err or bare feet.
  212. >Lowering your leg you plant yourself back on the floor.
  213. >Who said the internet was a waste of time? You learned that from one of your online sessions.
  214. >One related video into another, and another. Soon they had nothing to do with eachother.
  215. >Stumbling onto enforcement proceedures, including doors and breaking them down.
  216. >Your brain had done what it always did, file it away in between the cramped space of pastel ponies and shitposts.
  217. >Scratching your head. Or was it something Mark had told you?
  218. >You can't really remember if it's one or the other. Probably a little of both.
  219. >From what you could tell, no lights were on.
  220. >The only illumination was from behind you as your shadow stretches into the apartment.
  221. >Inside was only darkness, a deeper dark than a black watery abyss.
  222. >Who knew what was waiting for you inside?
  223. >If the doorway was a fortress gate, this was like a dungeon crawl into a monster's cave.
  224. >You slowly pull the phone from your shirt pocket.
  225. >A hesitation. You were running on a low battery, and didn't charge it when you fell asleep watching TV.
  226. >You sigh. The flashlight function wouldn't do much good to you here.
  227. >Any good dungeon needed a trusty torch, but it looks like this one will barely pass as embers.
  228. >Then an idea hit you, you would cast a spell! But one only that affected you of course.
  229. >Your thumb hovers over the screen and the camera app but doesn't stop there.
  230. >Having an something entirely different in mind, venturing into the trash-pile of the download backlog.
  231. >'Batpony Vision'
  232. >You've never used it, but now is as good of a time as ever.
  233. >With high anticipation you open it and hold it up in-front of you.
  234. >..Stunned, you're at a loss for words at how much it changes.
  235. >This is...
  236. >Everything is blown out to a bright white in the midst of a grainy storm of green static.
  237. >Complete garbage. No. Even that isn't far enough to describe it.
  238. >It's much more than fucking useless, it's actually hindering your own vision.
  239. >Worst of all, it has these stupid and giant batpony eyes overlaying the whole upper half of the screen.
  240. >And a cheeky Hi Anon! recolor for an icon at the bottom .
  241. >Why did you even download this?
  242. >Who are you kidding, you know the reason.
  243. >When you first found that cartoon you became enthralled with it.
  244. >Even though you were a poorfag, it didn't stop you from filling up your drives with anything pony-related.
  245. >Thankfully you were out of that phase now, you kind of burnt out after binge watching it so many times.
  246.  
  247. >Wait, there's another setting.
  248. >'Opalescence Vision'
  249. >Whatever, can't be any worse than what you have right now.
  250. >Clicking past an annoying advertisement, the screen dims and starts to become very choppy.
  251. >Of course it just switched the overlay to Opal's eyes instead of getting rid of it.
  252. >...But it's still a huge improvement over 'Batpony' mode.
  253. >You were no longer blinding yourself and some green shapes of the apartment emerge, recognizable ones too.
  254. >Finally, now we're back in business.
  255. >Your eyes lock onto a fire-axe near by. He had always kept it within easy access.
  256. >Perfect.
  257. >You stepped in and grab it off the mount. You need something to defend yourself with.
  258. >Just because the door was locked, doesn't mean everything was in the clear.
  259. >You needed to be extra quiet now.
  260. >After that loud entrance, if there was an intruder... you surely alerted them. But you would still get the drop on them, they made a fatal mistake leaving the axe around.
  261.  
  262. >Tip toeing around in the dark you will have to check every room.
  263. >With a vice-like grip on the handle, you were ready to swing at a moments notice at anything that moves.
  264. >*Thump thump* *Thump thump* your own heartbeat overpowers every other sound.
  265. >The whole ordeal has left you feeling pretty silly.
  266. >Actually, that was letting you off the hook too easy and putting it way too lightly.
  267. >You had a one-way conversation with a door.
  268. >Forcing your way in, you'll probably feel it in the morning.
  269. >An empty apartment creep in the dark for no reason.
  270. >And you were embarassed in combat by a small animal.
  271. "I bet I looked... unbeliavably stupid." muttering to yourself.
  272. >But you're at least thankful that nobody's been around to see you this whole time.
  273. >As you make your way out the hallway to the door you pause and yawn with tears in your eyes.
  274. >Your sugar rush from your cinamon bun was wearing off fast
  275. >Now that there's no danger, it's like a plug was pulled on your adrenaline.
  276. >Fully drained now, all you want to do is sleep.
  277. "Tomarrow."
  278. >Tomorrow will be better.
  279. >Tomorrow you will be able to sort things out with Mark.
  280. >You hope...
  281. >Tomorrow you'll get to finally see Twill again.
  282. >Dragging your feet the whole way with your head held low, it's hard to tell if it was out of shame or just exhaustion
  283. >Probably a little of both.
  284.  
  285. >You're in no hurry to get back to your room and don't even notice the unusual sounds at this time of night.
  286. >Slowly you make your way up the stairs until you're finally on your floor.
  287. >With your free one you reach for your door handle.
  288. >Suddenly you're stopped in your tracks with a demanding voice from the stairway.
  289. >"Freeze! On the ground!"
  290. "Wha? But this is my-"
  291. >Turning around you're greeted by a blinding light shined directly into your eyes.
  292. >"Drop the weapon!"
  293. >The axe was now slacked in your hand, how could you forget you were holding it!?
  294. >Oh fuck, You should have left it behind. Why did you take it out of Mark's room?!
  295. >Even among all of the commotion, what catches your attention wasn't the officer's further demands.
  296. >It started suddenly but it was clear an abrupt.
  297. >It's your fat fuck of a neighbor. You could hear it all the way through the door, he was laughing his ass off.
  298. >He didn't.
  299. >Quickly connecting the dots together, you stare across the hallway flabbergasted.
  300. >He did.
  301. >You always had it out for eachother, but this?
  302. >This was a new low, even for him..
  303. >Under your breath glaring wobbly daggers, you started to feel your adrenaline kick back in.
  304. >And your anger.
  305. >Instead of dropping it, your hand tightens further around the axe.
  306. "You mother fu-"
  307. >But before you can finish, a flip of a switch lights up.
  308. >An a regular old Christmas tree, except someone else had come along triping on the lose wiring and spilled liquid all over the socket and the wiring.
  309. >You were now that Christmas tree, now sparking into an electric fire.
  310. >Pain. Burning pain. Pain is all you knew at this moment.
  311. >Your body spasms and shakes.
  312. >You couldnt move. And you can't think.
  313. >Dropping to the ground, the clang of the axe hitting the floor beside you. It's the last thing you can remember.
  314. >You black out.
  315.  
  316. >Between heavy breaths a small voice of reason entered your head as you rounded the first doorway. Maybe this is too far?
  317. >Back against the wall that voice became a little louder and your feet refused to move.
  318. >Were you really ready to die here?
  319. ~
  320. >It's the middle of the night, but you aren't interested in sleep.
  321. >Your apartment room smelled like an entire NFL team's locker room crushed into a singularity.
  322. >But now is not the time for trivial meaningless tasks like washing your clothes, or even yourself.
  323. >You have much more important things to do.
  324. >Smack in the midst of mounting an attack against level 90s Sekai-Dragon Knights, your troops surrounded and outnumbered.
  325. >Your hand whips around and clicks a mile a minute with the accuracy that could rival the best of AI algorithms.
  326. >Finely tuned like a master archer each click finds it's mark as numbers spill out and flash.
  327. >You have faced worse odds and would have easily won this for your race.
  328. >One by one your enemies begin to fall and then.. your hand stops.
  329.  
  330. >You don't even need to look out the window to notice the cool blue bathing your room in the midnight light.
  331. >Your body simply knows instinctively when to wake, and when to act.
  332. >But you look anyways, and purpose fills you at the sight of the bright yellow moon.
  333. >It's that time again. Everything else has to be put on hold.
  334. >The time has come to perform your ritual.
  335. >You're thankful that tonight's sky is clear enough to do it right.
  336. >*Tap tap* into the microphone, you signal for everyone's attention.
  337. "Sorry boys gotta go. She's calling me."
  338. >Flipped to mute, without a moment more you unhook your headset from your shirt.
  339. >The complaints began pouring in from your guild-mates flooding the chat on-screen.
  340. >"wtf."
  341. >"not again".
  342. >"Dude... can't it wait?"
  343. >"wer mdl of a raid! fk u!"
  344. >"get a life lmao"
  345. >"We can't do this without you!"
  346. >"Asshole."
  347. >On and on. You rest your hand over the top and close your laptop, paying it no mind.
  348. >The last message on would hang on the screen before fading black, the next time you opened it back up you would see it again.
  349. >"How did this useless bastard get to be the guild leader?"
  350. >"ikr?"
  351. >It's not your fault that those peasants haven't learned by now the importance of this.
  352. >You warned them many times in advance and simply don't have the time to explain it again.
  353. >They would have to make due without you.
  354.  
  355. >Seconds later your alarm has gone off, you barely have a use for it.
  356. >While all of the normies sleep like a drugged cows, you pay tribute to a Goddess.
  357. >At each crescent moon you have made an offering. And you weren't about to miss one.
  358. >You approached your flowery shrine, already lit and shining with stars that hung above.
  359. >In your younger days you used to lust for her but you have moved on from such ideas.
  360. >You found that the best way to make contact with her wasn't your own eyes, they failed you.
  361. >Sitting before her feet closing your eyes, you began to visualize. . .
  362.  
  363. >Draped in a lilac white gown that fell like layered curtains over her form, she stood waiting for your attentive arrival.
  364. >Tranquil and calming blue eyes and between them on her forehead was her insignia and proof of royalty.
  365. >Adorning the head was sets of pearls with two buns on the side, and from them sprang forth flowing and golden-yellow waterfalls.
  366. >A perfect complexion all the way from top to bottom, the only exposed skin on her neck and arms. Shoulders framed between two white buds that matched her hairstyle.
  367. >She was always smiling and never judging you, even if you were occasionally late.
  368. >You raise your head seeking the grace of your Goddess for a brief second of her beauty in it's fullest.
  369.  
  370. >A dull thumping sound and obnoxious wailing and slithers in like a weed threatening to strangle the garden.
  371. >You try to ignore it, but it's no use and the more you fight against it the more it takes hold.
  372. >Sweating and grimacing your pretty Goddess's face contorts into a crybaby...
  373. >An clear tint of green and finished with ugly black question mark slapped over her where her face used to be.
  374. >Gritting and grinding your teeth.
  375.  
  376. >It's Anon, you just fucking know it.
  377. >The connection with your Goddess was ruined, tainted, lost.
  378. >You wont be able to get him out of your head.
  379. >That furry faggot has always been a thorn in your side.
  380. >You've never caught him directly.. but you're SURE he's been wacking off to animal people.
  381. >There was NO other explanation on why he would reject perfection.
  382. >3DPD was still out of the question, even for him.
  383. >Unless he was gay.
  384. >Actually hes probably both a homo and a furry!
  385. >Yes of course! that explains everything.
  386. >The vision of Anon in a dress must be a revelation from her, your devotion has paid off!
  387. >Internally cackling you remember to give gratitude.
  388. >You wouldn't dare use a commoner's tongue to address her by translation and sully her honor.
  389. >Grinding your face into the carpet floor, tear ran down your face.
  390. "Arigato Usagi Tsukino! I am not worthy!"
  391.  
  392. >The banging returns again, like the irritating sound of a pest rummaging through trash.
  393. >This time he was loud enough to be heard clearly through the cheap floor.
  394. >"Was the favor you said I could ask for just a lie?!"
  395. >Your eyes shoot open and like a boiling teapot it comes out all at once blaring.
  396. "Shhut the ffffuck UP!"
  397. "Do you have any idea what time it is!?"
  398. >The weight of your foot mashes into the floor causing the room to shake under your raging fury.
  399. >You like to think of yourself as like the god Zues and your threatening thunder will quell the mortals below back into obedience.
  400. "I'm trying to sleep!"
  401. >"Sorry!"
  402. "You will be if you keep me up for another fucking goddamn minute!"
  403. >Then the unthinkable happens and as you're in the middle of pounding the floor you hear a *tap*
  404. >You look over and see that she has tipped over from the shaking, now leaned up against the corner wall off balance as the base hangs crooked.
  405. >That didn't just happen.
  406. >"Oh do you have Sea World on speed dial, to get a crane over here?!"
  407. >You hollered back the navy seals pasta but it wasn't going to be enough of a release for you this time.
  408. >After the escalation the room fell back into silence and you sat brooding.
  409. >...
  410. >You needed to do something to teach that bastard a lesson.
  411. >He needed to PAY for this travesty.
  412. >But you cant think right now...
  413. >..on an empty stomach.
  414.  
  415. >Reaching back behind for your phone, tucked in between your bedroom pillow as usual.
  416. >You're going to make a formal complaint.
  417. >Maybe it'll be enough to get him finally kicked out!
  418. >You angrily dialed up the number.
  419. >The landlord didn't really give a crap about much but there had to be a limit.
  420. >No answer, instead you just get a pre-recorded message and... music?
  421. >Tch, you almost forgot... but NOW you remember why you never bother with this.
  422. >He treated his own tenets calls like they were telemarketers or he ran it like some tech-help line from India.
  423. >Rolling your eyes and grunting you would have to endure the wait, sinking into a slouched posture on the side of your bed.
  424. >Several minutes pass with nothing more eventful and you reached down to the side of your bed for your food, popping open a fresh bag of Salt & Onion chips.
  425. >You had all but tuned out the inane audio in your ear, when there was a much louder series of bangs shaking you out of your crushing apathy.
  426. >The crash caused you to lose all interest in what was on the other side of the line.
  427. >It almost sounded like...
  428. >...
  429.  
  430. >Contemplating and turning over what you had just heard.
  431. >Canceling your call you leaned over reach inside for another chip, it quickly disappeared into your mouth with a crunch.
  432. >Licking your lips of the salty snack, a thin but devilish smile crept along your face.
  433. >With the phone still in your hand, you dialed a new number. A growing manic smile.
  434. "This is divine punishment, Anon."
  435. >Still greasy, your fingers punched in the numbers one by one, laughing to yourself.
  436. "You really fucked up this time!"
  437. >The screen lit up with black contrasting numbers
  438. >'9, 1, 1'
  439.  
  440. ~
  441. >After holding up the wall for god knows how long, you finally decide on if you are going to fight or flight.
  442. >Settling on the fact that losing Mark means you might lose Twill. So... you HAVE to do this.
  443. >Entering the kitchen you scanned around holding your phone up as your only means of light.
  444. >Why was Mark's appartment always so fucking dark?
  445. >Well... Everything seems to be in order.
  446. >In the midst of the dark room there was low growl from behind.
  447. >You turned to meet it lowering yourself down to what you think is the countertop.
  448. >In a flash there was a white trace of a demon's eyes blurred across your screen before another grainy shape took shape.
  449. >Too fast for your phone to capture but one thing was for sure...
  450. >It was lunging out towards you.
  451. >Shit!
  452. >Things were happening too fast, all you know is that it was knocked out of your hands and you're completely blind.
  453. >You had night vision and you had a weapon.
  454. >Where is your phone now!?
  455. >This wasnt going smoothly at all. What the fuck happened to all of your advantages?
  456. >Clumsily raising up the axe you swung upwards to meet the miniature demon but were forced back with another attack.
  457. >You stumbled backwards holding your face, arms flailing like you're in some kind of cartoon.
  458. >*hiss*
  459. >Trying to open your eyes you get met with a quick sharp jolt of pain in one of them.
  460. "Ah shit that stings!"
  461. >Whatever got you, got you good.
  462. >It's not unbearable, but you're probably bleeding right about now.
  463. >You could barely see anything before even WITH your phone and now it's even worse being half blind.
  464. >Wincing it shut and cursing under your breath the whole time bumbling around.
  465. >Trying to gauge your surroundings while being completely in the dark sucked ass.
  466. >You're thankful you never had any kind of disability like that and this is just a temporary set-back.
  467. >But this would STILL be hard enough if you were in your own apartment where you had at least some of it memorized.
  468. >You bump a little hard into what you figure is the sink area and start feeling around in front with noticeable clanks and clatters of metal and ceramic.
  469. >Yep must be the sink.
  470. >You turned your attention towards the walls in front of you and reached forward aimlessly.
  471. >Your eyes might have, probably have, would have... adjusted to the dark if you waited a little longer...
  472. >But fuck it.
  473. >Before long there's that old familiar feeling, no not of failure but like an old friend always reliable, and there for you.
  474. >It was good old plastic.
  475. "Ah, thank god"
  476. >You flip it upward and eagerly await the coming change. Your fate hanging in the balance.
  477. "Man it isn't burned out is it?"
  478. >Slowly flickers of light become more rapid and the fluorescent hum basks the area in really. obnoxiously. excessive, bright blue light. And you're staring directly at it
  479. >But not for long as you whiplash away from it like a vampire to the sun.
  480. >Goddammit that was just about the worst thing you could have looked at right about now.
  481. >Blinking doesn't seem to do much good... the halo from the fluorescent bulb was still burned into your retinas
  482. >Back towards you from where you came you heard some clawing at wood and you THINK you saw a trace of a shadowy tendril in the contrasting lights but you cant be sure?
  483. >The door was definitely pried open though, letting the light from the outdoor hallway pool in.
  484. >Not like it mattered now, or did much good. Because right now you already had some light of your own.
  485. >This was probably the biggest failure rescue mission anyones ever attempted in the history of the world.
  486. >Massaging your sweaty fingers into your forehead. Maybe it will help lubricate your stuck gears, but you're hoping to just ward off a nasty headache from all of this crap.
  487. >You take a minute as a breather leaned up against the counter top to collect your thoughts.
  488.  
  489. >Come to think of it, nothing major has happened all said and done it's been pretty uneventful all said and done.
  490. >Now trudging over you swiped up your phone from the cool linoleum floor.
  491. "Still... why wouldn't he answer? Is he asleep?"
  492. >It's been an awful lot to sleep through all of this. The yelling, the pounding and the breaking down the door.
  493. >You don't really know his sleeping habits but your 99% positive that he would have been out here giving you an earful by now.
  494. >Deciding you would CALMY investigate you let your attention wander about while mid thought and walk over to the fridge with a pinned calendar.
  495. ".."
  496. "..."
  497. >Finally the wrench inside your head comes loose with a vengeance and the gears begin to spin again.
  498. >Your mouth widens into a big O, the first syllable to come.
  499. "O-ohhhh right! He works the C shift!"
  500. >In the flurry of events since waking up, you forgot that key detail.
  501. >But it's not like people's work schedules is something you even often THINK about living as a neet.
  502. >Well that's not really true, you used to hound people right after work for change but you hadn't done that in a long time.
  503. >Your memory hasn't always been the best and its easy to just forget stuff like that.
  504. >Stuff that everyone else who's normal would probably make it their first priority which makes you feel a little guilty having forgot.
  505. "Right, right... he's out working."
  506. >Well you miiight have been just running on pure adrenaline not thinking clearly for basically the entire time.
  507. >He's not even home, there was never any danger. No robbers, no hostages, nada.
  508. >No monsters, no dungeon cave, no fortress, no life threatening situation at all.
  509. >Aaaaand what attacked you was probably Mark's cat giving you a swipe, not some deamon.
  510. >You got played like a fiddle, and you played yourself.
  511. >Rubbing your face with both hands trying to bury this shame.
  512. "Sorry Mark.." and a quieter "Sorry Twill..."
  513. >Jesus christ you are such an idiot!
  514. "ugggggrgh"
  515. >You've been wasting your time since you had woken up!
  516. >But now that you're already here, you needed to confirm it.
  517. >To be sure though you're going to check the bedroom.
  518. >If he IS here then you'll be needing to work up a good apalogy.
  519. >You had dropped the axe when the cat swiped at you.
  520. >What an embarassment, so much for being able to fight of an invader if you cant even handle a small animal.
  521. >And if he was here BUT still needed help then this would be the worst time to turn back to your apartment.
  522. >Stuffing the phone down your pants, and pulling the axe off the floor and letting it slack in your arm.
  523.  
  524. >Pulling the kitchen door fully open, you headed out into the hallway once more.
  525. >Still half blind and definitely bleeding.
  526. >You're really tired of wandering around in the dark, so you found the hall way switch and flipped it on as well.
  527. >Cautiously and slowly but with determination you make your way toward's Mark's room.
  528. >If someone had come through the front door, it would have probably looked like you were about to murder Mark with his own fire-axe.
  529. >Good thing there's no windows around you either, or a peeping tom.
  530. >The last thing you wanted to deal with was being caught up in a something out of a movie.
  531. >Like that one with the guy in the wheelchair using binochulars spying on all his neighbors.
  532. >Everyone in the complex should be asleep.
  533. >You should be in the clear.
  534. >You dont know how long you've been in Mark's apartment.
  535. >Just 5 more minutes won't hurt.
  536. >You just need to know.
  537. >If you're were right or if you were wrong.
  538.  
  539. >The door was closed.
  540. >You gave a knock, there was no response. Just as expected.
  541. >You turned the handle with your free hand, finding it was unlocked and let yourself in.
  542. >As the door pushed open, the light from behind slowly illuminated the darkened corners.
  543. >You could see enough even with one eye, without needing to hit the lights.
  544. >It kind of reminded you of your own room, with various clothes and junk strewn about.
  545. >I guess you werent so different from eachother.
  546. >There was no sign of Mark here, but your nose got hit with the obvious sign that he had been here.
  547. >And he was a smoker, a heavy one. There's ashtrays and discarded cigarette buds all over.
  548. >Scrunching up your nose you always hated that smell, and whenever he offered you one you turned him down.
  549. >Scratch that, you are pretty damn different from eachother.
  550.  
  551. >So you were right after all, about being totally wrong that is.
  552. >Before turning around resigning yourself a different light filled the room dimly.
  553. >It was coming from the window, a pulsing and flashing red and blue.
  554. >Anyone who's lived near civilzation knows what those colors are all about.
  555. "Huh, something going on?"
  556. >Pinching your nose you peeked through the shades but couldnt see much more, the angle isnt any good and you're too high up.
  557. >In some irony of your rescue attempt here, it looks like maybe someone DID need the assistance of emergency services.
  558. >You wonder who it could be, where they in this side or the one across from you?
  559. >Well not that it mattered, you've overstayed your welcome here.
  560. >Mark wouldn't be home anytime soon.
  561. >Time to head back.
  562. >The whole ordeal has left you feeling pretty silly.
  563. >Actually, that was letting you off the hook too easy and putting it way too lightly.
  564. >You had a one-way conversation with a door.
  565. >Forcing your way in, you'll probably feel it in the morning.
  566. >An empty apartment creep in the dark for no reason.
  567. >And you were embarassed in combat by a small animal.
  568. "I bet I looked... unbeliavably stupid." muttering to yourself.
  569. >But you're at least thankful that nobody's been around to see you this whole time.
  570. >As you make your way out the hallway to the door you pause and yawn with tears in your eyes.
  571. >Your sugar rush from your cinamon bun was wearing off fast
  572. >Now that there's no danger, it's like a plug was pulled on your adrenaline.
  573. >Fully drained now, all you want to do is sleep.
  574. "Tomarrow."
  575. >Tomorrow will be better.
  576. >Tomorrow you will be able to sort things out with Mark.
  577. >You hope...
  578. >Tomorrow you'll get to finally see Twill again.
  579. >Dragging your feet the whole way with your head held low, it's hard to tell if it was out of shame or just exhaustion
  580. >Probably a little of both.
  581.  
  582. >You're in no hurry to get back to your room and don't even notice the unusual sounds at this time of night.
  583. >Slowly you make your way up the stairs until you're finally on your floor.
  584. >With your free one you reach for your door handle.
  585. >Suddenly you're stopped in your tracks with a demanding voice from the stairway.
  586. >"Freeze! On the ground!"
  587. "Wha? But this is my-"
  588. >Turning around you're greeted by a blinding light shined directly into your eyes.
  589. >"Drop the weapon!"
  590. >The axe was now slacked in your hand, how could you forget you were holding it!?
  591. >Oh fuck, You should have left it behind. Why did you take it out of Mark's room?!
  592. >Even among all of the commotion, what catches your attention wasn't the officer's further demands.
  593. >It started suddenly but it was clear an abrupt.
  594. >It's your fat fuck of a neighbor. You could hear it all the way through the door, he was laughing his ass off.
  595. >He didn't.
  596. >Quickly connecting the dots together, you stare across the hallway flabbergasted.
  597. >He did.
  598. >You always had it out for eachother, but this?
  599. >This was a new low, even for him..
  600. >Under your breath glaring wobbly daggers, you started to feel your adrenaline kick back in.
  601. >And your anger.
  602. >Instead of dropping it, your hand tightens further around the axe.
  603. "You mother fu-"
  604. >But before you can finish, a flip of a switch lights up.
  605. >An a regular old Christmas tree, except someone else had come along triping on the lose wiring and spilled liquid all over the socket and the wiring.
  606. >You were now that Christmas tree, now sparking into an electric fire.
  607. >Pain. Burning pain. Pain is all you knew at this moment.
  608. >Your body spasms and shakes.
  609. >You couldnt move. And you can't think.
  610. >Dropping to the ground, the clang of the axe hitting the floor beside you. It's the last thing you can remember.
  611. >You black out.
  612.  
  613. ==End of Chapter==
  614.  
  615.  
  616. >The place was packed.
  617. >You had been waiting line for what feels like hours, and very well could be.
  618. >An amusement park with friends, a hot meal after sitting in que for a restaurant, or even a premier to a movie that was about to sell out.
  619. >All solid reasons for someone to want to stand in line. With the anticipation and sweet, sweet reward for your patience.
  620. >Ah good times...
  621. >Good times that were the furthest from your mind right now, good times that weren't for you.
  622. >This is nothing like any of that and not something you or anyone of a sane mind could even look forward to.
  623. >You weren't even here because you wanted to be.
  624. >It was out of necessity, and it was a real god damn fucking hassle.
  625.  
  626. >You've barely made more than granny step shuffles for progress between older men and women... but finally you had reached the front of the line.
  627. >Now it's your chance, to speak to the man at his desk behind the plastic glass.
  628. >"Name." he asked dryly, probably seen over a hundred people today.
  629. "Anymf, M'm hrr fr m nmplfmnt" you grumpily muffled through your scarf.
  630. >"..."
  631. >You could tell he wasn't in the mood for your shit, and you're both more annoyed at having to repeat yourself than anything else.
  632. >'Well at least someone else besides me is miserable today'
  633. >Tugging it down, you speak clearly, and clearly annoyed.
  634. "Anonymous, I'm here for my unemployment."
  635. >Without another word needed he handed you a stack of papers and a pen pointing you to the chairs nearby.
  636. >Groaning internally you took it in your gloves hands and went to sit down to fill out the forums.
  637. >All those soulless questions, the kind you would find on any government mandated shit.
  638. >Hunched over, scribbling away in a hurried and barely legible chicken scratch
  639. >Name: Anonymous
  640. >Date of Birth: 10/10/-6
  641. >Sex: Male
  642. >Martial Status: Single
  643. >The rest was a blur, and you finished quickly or so you thought, surely you'd be able to get out of h-
  644. >Of course since you've been filling out the papers it looked like there was even more of a line than before.
  645. >Your eyes darted to the old clock embedded into the wall.
  646. >It couldn't have been that long right? You're sure you were quick.
  647. >20 or more minutes had passed since you last checked the time.
  648. >Hey, not the worst, but not good either.
  649. >But one thing's abundantly clear, you were sick of being here.
  650. >Slowly and one by one you picked up your discarded layers of clothing you had thrown on the chair beside you.
  651. >Standing again, and back in line, now came more waiting.
  652. >It was really starting to wear on you...
  653. >To everyone here you probably looked overdressed and out of place.
  654. >You can practically feel eyes on you right now, even when you close yours
  655. >That guy snickering in the corner reading the newspaper with his leg propped up.
  656. >Was it really about the funny pages or was he laughing at you?
  657. >Just what is so damn funny?
  658. >Who could really blame him when you're looking like some Eskimo faggot about to return to his tiny igloo in the Arctic.
  659. ...
  660. >Pushing open the small wooden door, you had to get on all fours to crawl in.
  661. "I'm home Honey!" You said as you knocked off the the snow from your tennis racket boots.
  662. >"Welcome home dear!" chirped from the other room just out of sight.
  663. >It was your penguin wife who came waddling out, she always made your day.
  664. >"What's for dinner?" you asked with a sincere smile and open your arms for a hug still on the floor.
  665. >Of course you know the answer, but it's always worth it to see her eyes light up when she answers.
  666. >She runs up to embrace your hug and pecks you with kiss. Her beak stabs you a couple times with lovey doveies. "Fish!"
  667. >You rubbed your face, the kisses hurt every time from her beak but it's all worth it to make her happy.
  668. >Yes I said beak.
  669. >It's an actual penguin.
  670. >Did you think it was a metaphor?
  671. >Well it's not.
  672. >Don't be a judgmental judge Judy.
  673. >Her name was Penny the Penguin...
  674. >You had met her out on a skiing trip.
  675. >One accident had landed you away from civilization and your buddies you came with, the next thing you know you were bandaged up under care with a broken body.
  676. >Penny had taken care of you and nursed you back to health the best she could.
  677. >On raw fish of course!
  678. >At first you gagged and horked at the notion of a cold and slimy, floppy, fish being shoved down your gullet...
  679. >But there wasn't much you could do, with having broken every bone in your body, so you resigned yourself and eventually acclimated to it.
  680. >She means well, even if it could probably be classified under a cruel and unusual punishment.
  681. >And she would stay by your side making sure you were OK, and that you swallowed every bit of it.
  682. >Even when you had cried to yourself over your fate of being force-fed by a benevolent penguin.
  683. >She still kept you company until you fell asleep...
  684. >Penny was always chipper and thoughtful, she tried her best to accommodate your human needs.
  685. >After the initial freak out over a talking penguin and cumulative misery under Penny's care...
  686. >First aid was torture being administered from floppy flippers that gave butterfingers a run for their money.
  687. >But it wasn't always bad, and she got better at it over time which was a huge relief.
  688. >She had learned to read of your many twitches and wingeing on what you needed even if you couldn't speak clearly.
  689. >And if you didn't wail in pain then it was a good day which made her happy.
  690. >One day while watching her work it dawned on you that she was the love of your life, and you couldn't do any better than this.
  691. >You already missed your ticket back to your home, and by the time you were on your feet you decided that there was no reason to go back.
  692. >No, this isn't Stockholm syndrome she's too pure and innocent for that.
  693. >And you're pretty sure that she felt the same.
  694. >On a recommendation you decided you would get hitched finding the best walrus preacher around town.
  695. >And before long you decided to build your very own little igloo.
  696. >Penny helped along the way, in between snowball fights and laughter shared between you two.
  697. >It wasn't a spacious, and it wasn't heated.
  698. >But it was home.
  699. >"I missed you!"
  700. >Goosebumps ran down you arm and up your spine she pressed closer dusting off your loose snow.
  701. >You smile with a tiny bit of chattering from your teeth.
  702. "A-and I m-missed you too" you said nervously.
  703. >That was a mistake, her hearing was TOO good. But maybe there was a chance.
  704. >There was a pause, and silent dread ran cool through your veins.
  705. "Penny..?"
  706. >Your heart beat jumped and was increasing a mile a minute.
  707. >No, she had definitely heard.
  708. >She didn't say anything else, she just put her flipper on your face and caressed it softly.
  709. >The small feathers sliding over your skin ever so slowly.
  710. >With a hint of a smile in her voice she whispered into your ear. "Anon~ If you're feeling a little chilly why don't we warm you up?"
  711. >Suddenly she pulled back away from you. And as if by magic, Penny brought out the bandages pulling it tight with an audible snap.
  712. >'What the, where was she hiding that?'
  713. >That would have to wait, something more urgent took your attention.
  714. >You knew what she had in mind... with that look on her face.
  715. ...
  716. >Grimacing and squint eyed you wore the face of looking like you had just sucked 20 lemons or aged 20 years.
  717. >The kind of looks who could scare away children and even beasts with your teeth pulled back in a sneer along with a thousand yard stare.
  718. >The last thing still ringing in your ears "Let me take care of you~"
  719. >You try to push *that* image out of your head as best as you can
  720. >Small shuffles along is all you can really get, and you imagine it only makes you look more ridiculous.
  721. >And... more like a fucking penguin.
  722. "No, no, no, no..." you mumble in pain repeating to yourself over and over, only as low as you can hear.
  723. "I don't want to think about that furshit"
  724. >You slap your hand against your forehead trying to beat back the penguin waifu waiting for you in the back corner of your mind.
  725. >Your runaway imagination sometimes was really your own worst enemy, and today it looked like it wouldn't let up.
  726. >Sweating and bulge-eyed you really need to get out of here... you're starting to go nuts!
  727. >It's your turn now.
  728. >You hate every last person here.
  729. >Whether it's the men, women or children they brought along.
  730. >Why the hell would someone bring their kid in here? This isn't a field trip!
  731. >It's their fault you had to wait this long, and double the amount too!
  732. >The same tired old man in glasses greeted you as before.
  733. >You briefly catch your own flash of reflection in the glass and you can saw yourself.
  734. >And you didn't like what you saw.
  735. >You're not that far off from each other with that fatigue weighing on you.
  736. >Sneering at your own reflection you abruptly slapped down the forums on the hard wooden surface.
  737. "Get this over with so I can get my money."
  738. >It's loud and echoes around you.
  739. >Everyone in the room knows how much of a big asshole you are right now.
  740. >You probably shouldn't have done that.
  741. >You didn't need to, and it was because you saw your reflection, really!
  742. >It was just the whole scenario, it's not him you're angry at!
  743. >It was that fucking bird! She was ruining you!
  744. >But trying to explain yourself now would be a waste of time.
  745. >People would probably treat you like you're insane and you might end up in an asylum if you start going off about a talking penguin out of the blue.
  746.  
  747. >He gives a look of plain disdain, but says nothing as he picks up the paper stack and turns away to his work.
  748. >There's nothing more for you to do except stand waiting as he files your paperwork and goes through the cabinets
  749. >You can just imagine what he's thinking right now.
  750. >'Yes sir, let me get that right away so you can continue to be a leech on society'
  751. >Unwashed, unshaven. Nobody is saying a word, but looking around you can tell everyone knows it.
  752. >All those layers you had on masked your image but when you shed them earlier it was easy to see.
  753. >And you know it the most of all.
  754. >The only thing separating you from a bum out on the street is what the government decides to spare for you.
  755. >And you had no control over it.
  756.  
  757. >In the silence that thought dawned on you and loomed over you, as it sank it's teeth and claws in.
  758. >You don't know, you haven't been paying attention to that, but you haven't herd anyone else say it...
  759. >But you might even be the only one here who's here for unemployment and the odd one out.
  760. >What else would they be here for? Fuck you don't know, you don't work here.
  761. >A loud man's yawn and quiet gripe from another about something something's smell.
  762. >It tipped you over and you went hard into defensive.
  763. >Whipping around at the line you barked at everyone you could see behind you.
  764. "I have needs too! I need to fucking eat and shelter just like everyone else here! What do you want me to do, starve!?"
  765. >Surprised, confused looks. Some with mixed disgust and some boredom, others out of genuine shock.
  766. "Of course you would, I bet you would rather I just end up in some ditch dead!"
  767. >Then came stiffed laughter from a woman holding up her phone and glancing at you from the corner of her eye.
  768. >What a cunt!
  769. >Before you can continue and chew her out your outburst was cut off by a loud clearing of the throat.
  770. >*Ahem*
  771. >"Mr. Anonymous. If you're quite finished..."
  772. >Hunched over you turn back around slowly and saw that he held the envelope, your salvation.
  773. >Of course by now, you had damned yourself so it didn't matter.
  774. >He was lightly tapping it against the desk with one hand, clearly impatient.
  775. >Great, now YOU'RE the one who's holding up the line and the one everyone here will complain about.
  776. >You rudely snatched it away, practically crushing it in the process and shove it inside your coat pocket.
  777. >It will be a crinkled mess by the time you get to the bank to exchange it to something useful, but fuck if you care.
  778. >Right now you would rather be anywhere else than spend another minute here.
  779. >Zipping up your thick over sized coat and pulling the gloves over that you had stuffed in your pocket.
  780. >But you hesitate.
  781. >You probably won't ever see anyone here in your life...
  782. >'I can't just leave it like this.'
  783. >It's different when you have a face and you're not just with other nobodies online.
  784. >Gritting through your teeth you managed a "Thank you.." to save face and retreated into your scarf and tugged your hat down over your face.
  785. >Head down you try to ignore everyone's looks they've been giving you since your outburst.
  786. >And now that one chick is yapping away about you for sure, she's been looking in your direction for a while now.
  787. >Tracing your footsteps and quickly picking up the pace towards the exit.
  788. >Freezing momentarily at a small dark shadow cast in the door window.
  789. >You half-expected it'll be actually be Penny, your penguin wife here to whisk you away back to her frozen nest.
  790. >The deepest Hell you'll end up in.
  791. >Dante's Inferno had missed the whole part where there was be more genuinely sincere smiles and hugs.
  792. "Why not? Just take me you feathered demon." grumbling while shoving at the metal door handle.
  793. >*Clack* after a short resistance a howling cold wind rushed in and chilled the room instantly.
  794. >It was the same wind that has been harassing you and everyone else every time someone opened it.
  795. >At least you were warm with your get up while you were waiting inside every time some assholes came and left.
  796. >That was the only good decision you've made all day.
  797. >With an oomph you forced your way through the door and it flew open, pulled aside as you're met with a flurry of white.
  798. >Little Miss Ice Princess wasnt there, just vacant cars and empty sidewalks.
  799.  
  800. >It was the middle of the winter, and there was a blizzard in town.
  801. >Of course it had to show up right when you needed to get your unemployment checks.
  802. >The world always seemed to have a way to conspire against you.
  803. >And today was no exception...
  804. >The weather has only gotten worse.
  805. >Normally you'd have driven here but the roads were bad enough that they decided to close down large sections town, your road included.
  806. >After arguing over the phone with both the post office and the department they wouldn't even mail it, everything was on icy lock-down for the next couple days.
  807. >So you had to walk.
  808.  
  809. >Not sure what to do with yourself after working up all day, you're still angry.
  810. >You were angry at the people who wouldn't deliver your check.
  811. >Angry at the receptionist, the people inside who judged you.
  812. >And now you're angry Penny your Penquin Waifu *isnt* here after all!
  813. >You kicked the snow off the stairs, ball up your fists and start stomping down the stairs.
  814. >Having already gone a good distance away from the building doorway, even when it's wide open no one seems to care about the raging lunatic outside attacking the scenery.
  815. >Your frenzy was muffled and blotted out by the storm.
  816. >That's fine. You're life is always like this!
  817. >Maybe you were doing it for attention, you dont even know and
  818. >But you know no reaction is worse than being told to fuck off or they'll call the cops.
  819. >You're just some some loser who would never make an impact on anyone or anything.
  820. >Maybe it WOULD really be better if you just died.
  821. >No one would miss you.
  822. >Between strangling sidewalk trees, punching at walls and flailing at the air you've finally tired out.
  823. >Collapsed lying in the snow, just letting the snow storm overtake you with your eyes closed.
  824. >Soon enough you'll be burried in it. This could easily be your grave.
  825. >Nobody would find your body until the snow melted.
  826. >'Anonymous found dead!' the broadcast would read. "Literally who?" they would say.
  827. >Maybe you wouldn't even get a foot note.
  828. >That seems more like it.
  829. >You sit long enough for to feel the cold sting of the wet heavy snow pressed onto your skin in between your clothed armor.
  830. >A reminder to you that frostbite would soon follow if you keep it up.
  831. >Stubbornly and bit by bit you brushed it off, rising out of the snow pile.
  832. >Turns out you didn't actually want to die, at least not like this. Shocking right?
  833. >Now that you got that out of your system you began preparing for the long and painfully empty trek back to your vacant apartment.
  834. >Dejected and wordless, you flipped the fluffy hood over your head once again.
  835. >Glancing up at the sky, daylight now... but soon the light would be fading fast.
  836. >By the time you get to the bus station it will be dark, and cold.
  837. >Cold. Colder than it is right now.
  838. >You're going to need something to make the slog back.
  839. >At this rate there's no way you'll make it home safe, and sane.
  840. >Something to dull your imagination, and your senses...
  841.  
  842. >A drifting and swaying figure made their way through the streets.
  843. >They even had wandered off the sidewalk straight into the roads more than once.
  844. >If it wasn't so god damned cold out they would probably get robbed or hit by a car.
  845. >That figure was you.
  846. >Right now you were blissfully unaware of the encroaching frostbite as you gripped a new treasure in your bare hands.
  847. >The gloves just got in the way, so they had to go.
  848. >A paper bag and inside it was holding a glass bottle.
  849. >Hard liquor.
  850. >You had stopped after the bank and picked it up to drown out your misery.
  851. >Usually you wouldn't or didn't drink like this, at least outside away from your hole but today was an exception.
  852. >Maybe you pissed off and awoke some kind of God recently, your life has been especially shitty lately.
  853. >If whatever God decided to make a special note on its calendar to fuck you over on this day then it's only right in countering it with something of your own!
  854. >Sauntering around for who knows how long, you felt like you were drunk off your ass, and you were loving it.
  855. >The only way for you to tell time in your state was the sun, which would soon drop over the horizon in a dim twilight.
  856.  
  857. >The snow had let up now but the temperature had dropped even further.
  858. >But you didn't care. Nope not like this!
  859. >You were invincible to the cold and whatever else would be thrown at you!
  860. >This is great, you don't have anywhere you need to be.
  861. >You aren't going to go into a club, because fuck that noise.
  862. >Nobody can throw you out of a bar because you're already outside.
  863. >And no one is around to take advantage of you because it's a cold day in hell.
  864. >The only thing you needed to do now is get onto the bus and you'll be home free.
  865. >It's the perfect plan.
  866.  
  867. >Jogging near the side rail of a semi-steep hill, you bobbed and weaved between cars honking their horn at you.
  868. >You were making a game out of it and exchanged middle fingers with the drivers.
  869. >It would be a real waste of time to have to go all the way around the winding road.
  870. >You had a better idea...
  871. >A short-cut!
  872. >To skip all the gridlock now that cars were out on the road again.
  873. >You would slide all the way down like a badass.
  874. >Placing one hand on the rail you made one swift motion and jumped over.
  875. "haha latur bihtchhes!" you called out to the air.
  876. >As soon as you landed your legs crumbled instantly and started rolling down the hill.
  877. >Or more accurately tumbling into a human snowball.
  878. >There's no way to tell which ways up and your brain can barely keep up before crashing into the snow bank nearly avoiding a tree.
  879. >You started to brushed it off and laughing but then that was cut short by a rumbling in your stomache.
  880. "Oughh.. shhhiiit.." You groaned and stilled yourself
  881. >You've drank enough before in school shitty parties to know what was coming.
  882. >Jostling the alchohol all around in your stomache was a terrible, horrible, awful, BAD idea.
  883. >Maybe you could wait it out...
  884. >No, now you felt s-
  885. *huuuuuaark*
  886. >That awful retched rush, the one you wanted to avoid came straight up from your stomache like a suckerpunch filling your cheeks, and forced its way all the way out.
  887. >Laying there breathing hot and heavy in the fridgid air.
  888. >It's hard to get your bearings right now but at least you're finally at the bottom of that hill, you think.
  889. >And you did save some time...
  890. >That vomit would probably freeze solid to your coat and face soon enough.
  891. >Still cognitive enough you sloppily slapped at your mouth with your scarf smeared it away.
  892. >The next stop was to cut through the market.
  893. >You'll beat all the traffic and outsmart em all.
  894. >Maybe even you'll have a whole bus to yourself! heh heh heh you snickered.
  895. >Stopping briefly, you searched for the bottle in the hardened snow.
  896. >It was still intact.
  897. >Good.
  898. "Donchu.. leav me. like that..."
  899. >You scooped it up and went on your way taking another swig.
  900. >You couldn't afford any of the expensive stuff that had any flavor.
  901. >It's way stronger shit than you're used to, but it'll have to do.
  902. >A kind of teeter taunter balancing act between not drunk enough to notice, and too liquored up for your body to handle.
  903. >Gagging again, squinting bitterly at it and scrunching your face.
  904. >You quickly held it away from your nose. Nope!
  905. "Ugghh! Why!? Jus letm haf thsin peesh"
  906. >With blurry and distorted vision you arrived at the market, the only soul in the area.
  907. >The thought didn't occur to you why, but you'd soon find out as your feet sink through layers of snow built up, making your way to the door.
  908. >You had taken to watching the dragging of your own feet, it was less obnoxious than street lights and glaring car lights.
  909. >Thank fuck that it was almost over, and there was barely any of that around to deal with.
  910. >Head down and bobbing you pulled and yanked at the heavy glass door grunting in your still intoxicated state.
  911. >But were prohibited entry.
  912. >It took a minute to register that the main area was locked and closed up tight for the night.
  913. "Ar youu fakin kidan me? Rigt nnow?" peering into the glass past the metal cage a little further inside, and sneering through your teeth you kicked at the metal door frame.
  914. >Boy it sure would be nice to be inside.
  915. >This was turning out to be another middle finger from God or whatever.
  916. "Ugh jusf fucak you"
  917. >Resigned but a little angry you looked down at your bottle, only a quarter left.
  918. >You've drunken a lot of it, but you're sick of that taste.
  919. >The thought crossed your mind to hurl the it right at the glass right then and there.
  920. >Whipping up your hand you made the motion but held it in place.
  921. >Slowly lowering it down...
  922. >It's not the thought of crime and consequence that stops you.
  923. >The only thought that runs through your head is that you'll probably need it again.
  924. >Grumbling you turned and peeled yourself away.
  925. >Heading south, the long way around.
  926. ...
  927. >The plan was to go through and avoid the cold for at least the last stretch before getting to the station.
  928. >That plan had ended in complete failure, like most of your life.
  929. >Something you could have, should have expected by now.
  930. >And now you had more walking out in the cold to do, you hugged yourself through your coat.
  931. >The effects of the alchohol had been slowly wearing off, or at least the positive parts which made you ignore your situation as you had to treck through more snow outside.
  932. >At least a plow had been through the road already and did a halfassed job but better than nothing, so you werent going to use the sidewalk.
  933. >There was hardly any sight of light along the way only amounting to little hazy specks to you.
  934. >Normally the streetlights that automaticly lit sensing any motion were completely dead.
  935. >The only plus was the crystaline air letting the big bright moonlight through the clear sky.
  936. >However it was still an ever prescent reminder...
  937. >It was too freezing out, even for even a single cloud in the area.
  938.  
  939. ...
  940.  
  941. >Casually along the road you observed that it looked like some stores out of the main market were still were tough enough to hold open in an icestorm, but not many.
  942. "Ssstubrn basterds, hah.."
  943. >Suddenly a sharp gust came and took you for a ride, blowing fierce and picking up the frosty dust right into your face.
  944. >Your hood is blown off and your hat is snatched away in the wind, and before you can react and chase after it you're eating snowbank.
  945. >This was the last straw...
  946. Pushing yourself up angry "Oh wahsat you want sometoo jsushht take it! Take it all!" slurring at the wind.
  947. >Furiously gripping at your winter wear in attempts to tear it off in your plastered state.
  948. >Not drunk enough!
  949. >That flare-up now over with, sitting down on the curb you rested your bones for a solid 10 to 20 minutes.
  950. >You shed a tear for your lost hat and wiped it away before it get's frozen to your face, like the alcoholic puke.
  951. >You were tired, tired of walking, and tired of the weather. You were tired of being like this too.
  952. >It wouldn't be so bad if you had someone along to put up with you to ease the journey.
  953. >Tried to imagine someone sitting next to you but couldn't think of what they would say.
  954. "Evn an imaginry one" the words drop out of your mouth, just hanging there in the open, exposed and vulnerable.
  955. "Ohno..."
  956. "Nonono noooo."
  957. >You were starting to get depressed, and it was hitting you hard.
  958. >Who were you kidding, you ARE depressed. Your subconscious mind knew it, and you have been for a while now...
  959.  
  960. >It's no use to fight it, tears started to build up and fall freely from your face.
  961. >As much as your intent to stifle your imagination with booze, being alone sucked. It sucked more than anything.
  962. >You had drummed up a waifu today but you're probably too drunk to even picture her right.
  963. >It was okay to fake it for a while, cooped up online you can just act touch but it stung the most deep down when you were out in the world.
  964. >Maybe being medicated would be better than this, and you could be with somebody.
  965. >There's just something wrong with you.
  966. >No! if it means being a zombie, you might as well be dead!
  967. >Your thoughts trace back to what you said earlier at the department and now you start to put more weight into considering it.
  968. >'I bet you would rather I just end up in some ditch dead!'
  969. >Glancing towards and gripping the neck of the bottle. It would be so easy to smash it open on the curb and bleed out.
  970. >During your inner turmoil you faintly thought you herd your name get softly called in the otherwise silent and empty night.
  971. >You chose to ignore it.
  972. >"anonymous?"
  973. >Now as you were getting back into thoughts of smashing the b-
  974. >"Anonymous, is that you?" again came muted like a whisper in your ear.
  975. >You shivered at that and furrowed your brow but acknowledged it this time.
  976. *sniffling* "Sshhutup leav me alon..."
  977. >Even though those words betrayed you, you wanted someone to be there, you just need to get this over with.
  978. >It would be so easy to smash it open and b-
  979. >And again that same mellow voice came back, but this time with more enthusiasm caught behind a wall "Anonymous!"
  980. >Goddamnit.
  981. >Shouldn't have answered.
  982. "Whoszther!? I-I told yy-ou to shuTup and leaf me alone!" you defensively spit out reaching for the neck of the bottle.
  983. >Not as a way out for yourself, but serving as a blunt weapon.
  984. >Sloppily twisting around you scan the road and your surroundings through squinted eyes but you don't see any sign of a figure, and not even a snowflake falling caught your eye.
  985. >Can't anyone get any peace even when they're trying to think about maybe, surely, possibly-not killing themselves?
  986. >What's the world coming to!?
  987. >The sound of the voice clams up.
  988. >As much as you hated to admit it, there was a certain quality to it like it was a familiar friend.
  989. >But it's not anyone you know. So it must be a ghost.
  990. >Who knows how late it is, and you've certainly heard a few urban legends of haunted stuff around here...
  991. >It would be just your luck to run into that right now.
  992. "Good." you grumble, refocusing your thoughts to yourself breathing out and try to go back to steeling your nerves.
  993. "I don't have time for your problems ghost girl..."
  994. >It would be easier if you weren't such a pussy about this, you closed your eyes and stilled yourself.
  995. >Expecting her to break your thoughts again, like an 'innocent' malicious girl just dropping wrench after wrench into your gears trashing the whole clock and wracking your brain.
  996. >You waited.
  997. >You waited.
  998. >You waited.
  999. >You waited a little longer.
  1000. >Sure enough after a little bit more there was another noise, it wasn't the phantom's blocked whisper but something else intruded instead...
  1001. >A light *Punk Puk Pak* sound. Hard tapping from somewhere... near.
  1002. "Wow.."
  1003. >very r u d e.
  1004. >You knew it just had to be the same ghost-girl, she wasn't going to leave you be.
  1005. >This was outright harassment!
  1006. "Yer a a real sfuking rude ghost, can't even, can't evnn wait until I'm dead!?"
  1007. "Just sjut ging round and calling out to p-people and tapping on shtitt..!!" you yell out.
  1008. >"Ah! I'm sorry!"
  1009. >"...but, um can you come closer?"
  1010. >A rude, but... strangely apologetic and sounded kind of cute ghost?
  1011. >I guess that's not so bad, maybe she just want's to chat.
  1012. >"So I can see you again!"
  1013. >She wants to see you?
  1014. >'Again'?
  1015. >The hairs on your neck stood up, okay that's a little freaky.
  1016. "Closer where?" you lean to one side and then the other gripping your coat around you tight.
  1017. >*Punk Pak* "Here!"
  1018. >Well... whatever it is, it's definitely trying to lure you off the road.
  1019. >And narrowing it down it sounds like it's coming from near one of the buildings, across the small street?
  1020. >One of the pitch black, iced over darkened buildings to be precise.
  1021. >Is this some kind of haunted shit?
  1022. >Probably will go lead you into a dark alley and eat your soul.
  1023. >Fighting yourself up from your seat on the curb, stumbling to your feet.
  1024. >Fuck it why not, but you'll get the jump on it.
  1025. "So, yo-you wan to 'ssSEE' m-me 'AGAIN?'"
  1026. >"Oh yes, please!"
  1027. "Ohh I'll come. closr alr-alright" wobbling off the curb and into the street once again.
  1028. >"Okay!"
  1029. >You are now Anonymous The Ghost Hunter.
  1030. >The Ghost Whisperer sounded good too, but it's probably not going to help you out of your situation right now.
  1031. >Talking to her will only get you further into her trap.
  1032. >Right now you needed to bring the heat on frosty.
  1033. >But you'll keep that n [Plan B] in case violence goes South
  1034. >That's the way to handle this right now, nodding to yourself.
  1035. >You needed some heavy guns, so you are armed with...
  1036. "Uh..." pausing in your shuffling steps.
  1037. You put your plan on hold and hold out your hand "uhh.. jus-just a sec!"
  1038. "I-I nneed to.." frantically searching for something, anything to seem legitimate "tie thes shos! yeah"
  1039. >There's no reply.
  1040. >Leaned over in your one man huddle you try to come up with a [Plan A.]
  1041. >This is bad, if you don't have anything you can fight with then you're as good as dead.
  1042. >You would put on your thinking cap, had it not been blown off your head and stolen away by the night.
  1043. >Sweating, nervous, a bit panicked.
  1044. >What do ghosts fear? What are they weak to? What works against them?
  1045. >Something ghosts fear and are weak to. Your brain just echo's back.
  1046. >Yes but what!?
  1047. >Chewing your lip you run through your options, on whatever content you've consumed before.
  1048. >Your phone is dead, and you have no lighter because you don't smoke and you only have your bottle.
  1049. >Thinking back on something that could apply here and give you power.
  1050. >You have no sword but... maybe..
  1051. "maybe...hholy... watur?"
  1052. >Yes, that will work!
  1053. >Demon's and ghosts are the same shit right... ?
  1054. >Well you don't actually have any of that, but you've got the next best thing.
  1055. >Alcohol and holy water are close enough, there's water in there and it's liquid!
  1056. >Since holy water is based on faith then all you need to do is believe.
  1057. >This is solid reasoning nobody could argue with.
  1058. >Now convinced of yourself you moved forward again and reassured the spirit you're good to go again.
  1059. >Still no response
  1060. >*Gulp* welp.
  1061. >Your adrenaline going overdrive and your heartbeat was blasting in your ears.
  1062. >*Thump**Thump* *Thump**Thump*
  1063. "Are.. y-y-you s-still there?" you nervously squeeze out.
  1064. >No answer, that's the worst part. It's been dead silence since you got off the curb.
  1065. >Inch by inch you went towards it hunched over you made headway.
  1066. >Gunna be real pissed off if this ghost bitch kills you before you can kill yourself.
  1067. >She hasn't made any more sounds since you've decided to play right into her hands.
  1068. >Or so she thinks!
  1069. >It's hard to tell what it is when the whole area is shrouded in shadow but your eyes slowly start to adjust as you creep up to the building.
  1070. >Almost look's like there's something lightly swaying in the window.
  1071. >Some creepy ass possessed doll with hair, no doubt.
  1072. >This is like some shit you would only find in a scary movie.
  1073. >Your eyes dart up to the sign but it's covered in caked on snow and useless to you, who knows what kind of little horror shop this is, or was when it used to be around.
  1074. >Probably condemned years ago...
  1075. >It started again, sounds of muzzled muffled excitement.
  1076. >She was getting giddy.
  1077. >Her voice was something you could take, at least it sounded... human? but that fucking creeped you out.
  1078. >You were having second thoughts about this.
  1079. >The area lit up all at once and your eyes were assaulted from light all around you.
  1080. >There was definitely some THING there close enough to you, with huge saucer-sized eyes that you saw for a glimpse of a second like a flash of a camera going off directly into your retinas.
  1081. >FUCK, GO PLAN A. GO TO PLAN A.
  1082. >Shielding your eyes with one hand "DIE F-FU-CKING EVIL BITCHH." you abandoned all reason and started to charge towards the window, holding your bottle like a sword and swinging it around with your other.
  1083. You scream some out some meaningless words to anyone and pray it helps. "DEUSS VULT!!"
  1084. >By this point you're too far gone and believe the meme gives yourself an edge.
  1085. >Reeling back to fling it at the shop window and scare her off for good, the solid footing and soft packing snow beneath your boots gives out to hard, black-ice.
  1086. >You had no time to react and stable yourself, by the next second your foothold gave out and you were in a world of hurt.
  1087. >*THWAK* You landed straight onto your back and let out a gasp of your breath, all the way getting knocked out of you.
  1088. >"Oh no! Are you okay? .. Oh you didn't hurt yourself did you?" quickly came dampened from behind the glass above.
  1089. >Your eyes were shot open from the shock, just blankly staring up at the starry sky.
  1090. >Laying defeated and breathless. The realization came over you slowly, slinking and constricting on you like a snake moving in on its prey.
  1091. >You were a sitting duck.
  1092. >Swallowing heavy, slowly your blurry and double vision descended to what was in the window, staring out at you.
  1093. >Her voice was anything but threatening but that didn't stop you from thinking about what horrible creature awaited you to eat your soul.
  1094. >The first thing you notice was, it wasn't human...
  1095. >Those shapes didn't line up, it was small, like something or someone else you've been thinking about recently.
  1096. >An animal of some sorts?
  1097. >Swear to god if it's *her* again.
  1098. >No. that's not right, that looks like big ears sticking out, and with the way the limbs were bending it can't be..
  1099. >It was a pony...?
  1100. >At a loss for words, the near empty wine bottle rolled out of your hands as well as all your hopes and dreams of using it.
  1101. >She demanded all your attention, this small pony in front of you was... rambling, right now in this moment.
  1102. >It was a surreal experience. Honestly, you're not sure if you're still alive.
  1103. >"I'm so s o rr y! I just-"
  1104. "..."
  1105. >"I- had to, knew it was-"
  1106. >She had a bright, full yellow coat with a colorful pink mane and from the inside lighting behind her it looked like it was bathed in warmth.
  1107. >It made your heart skip a beat and your mouth to hang open for a minute.
  1108. >Had you been older, you would have probably died right there on the spot.
  1109. >"When I saw you-"
  1110. >"So happy to-"
  1111. >Or if you crossed over to some spirit world like in one of those anime stories.
  1112.  
  1113. >"Anonymous?"
  1114. >Hearing your name get called again brings you back from la-la land.
  1115. >"Can you forgive me? are you-"
  1116. >She stood on her hind legs, pressing her little hooves against the inside of the glass, waiting for your response with a look of worry.
  1117. >Rising with cracks all the way up your spine managed out a groan.
  1118. "FFFfff-fyeah."Slipping a bit around on the ice but stabilizing yourself.
  1119. >She perks up and returned your look from earlier, one of surprise and a bit of awe as you reached your full standing position.
  1120. >*Gasp* "I didn't notice it before when you were so far away, but Anonymous you're.. so.. b-i-g!" her eyes traced you from head to toe, mouth slightly agape.
  1121. >This is a shitty night.
  1122. >But you're still not one to let a meme like that go by unnoticed while you're still breathing.
  1123. You shook off dumb grin smiling and half-drunk "For y- waitaminit."
  1124. >There was a pony here. A TALKING pony.
  1125. >That ain't natural.
  1126. >She lightly clapped her hooves and did a tiny prance. "Take me home!"
  1127. >Doing a little bounce in place "Now you can play with me again!"
  1128. >Your brow furrowed and you dragged your hand all the way down your face.
  1129. >You had a splitting headache, either from the fall or the booze you don't know which and you. don't. care.
  1130. >But you didn't know what this crazy yellow nut was going on about, and she didn't seem like she was going to stop.
  1131. >You get up close to the window and scrutinize what you were seeing, skeptical and analytical as a half-drunk could be.
  1132. "Huuuuh? What the fuk are yo-u talkin' about?"
  1133. >"Why are you looking at me like that?"
  1134. >If she's some kind of possessed toy doll you can't see any sign of stitching seams, wiring was absent and her eyes didn't have that dead-plastic look in them.
  1135. >But they DO kind of look like they have a ghostly pale lavender glow.
  1136. >So it's not off the table she's STILL a ghost!
  1137. >A ghost-pony? Is that... is that a thing?
  1138. >Well it is now because you're dealing with it, as we fucking speak.
  1139. >If there can be dead pet cemetery shit then there can be evil cute-girl-but-still-EVIL ghost ponies too.
  1140. "aaann how ddo you know myname huh, huuuh?. who thfk aru.. WHAT are you.?"
  1141. >She tilts her head like you asked something silly. "Don't you recognize me Anony?~ It's me Sparkie!"
  1142. "Who?!" you jut out your upper lip.
  1143. >"Ssparkie." she spoke a little more timidly and turned her hoof upside down like an open hand gesture. "Your friend..?"
  1144. "pffffT! I don-t know YOU. I don't-"
  1145. >Her smile quivers "C-come on Anony.. you don't mea-"
  1146. >You slap your open palm on the cold window, it's enough to rattle the glass and she jumps.
  1147. "Don interrupt me! Y-you dumb fghost bitch"
  1148. >Heh not so tough now are you? [Plan B] working it's magic.
  1149. "And don't ca-all me 'A n o n y' thatssome FAG's name not mine!"
  1150. "I'm Anon gege-t it? A-N-O-N, not Anony~" you sneer with the sarcasm, dripping venom.
  1151. >Towering over her you continued your verbal assault.
  1152. "I don HAVE ann-y ffrinds, and nevver knew anyon called 'Sparkie'" making quotations in the air.
  1153. "HHome?" rolling your eyes "Play with you again?" "You're out of your damn mind!"
  1154. "Your ssstupid games nearly got my hhead crackd open on the curb!" stomping on the ice.
  1155. "Youu knew what you were doing, and all this is your doing!" Throwing your hands out you motion at the lights.
  1156. >Her face scrunches up and looks around at them but a deep confusion in her eyes comes back, as she looks back and forth to you and the surroundings. "..I-I don't.. understa-"
  1157. "Don't play dumb! You ssaid you were so sowwy for what you did.."
  1158. >"B-but you said you forgave me!?" with a tiny crack in her voice, her hoof raised in submission.
  1159. You point directly at her face, poking the glass hard and cast judgement on the pony witch. "NO. I ssaid I wwass OK, frm the FALL."
  1160. >That seems to hurt her the most out of everything you said so far causing her ears to drop instantly.
  1161. >You turn your back on her and hear a low whisper from behind. "Oh.."
  1162. >From the corner of your eye you see her head hanging low, sulking.
  1163. >"I..."
  1164. >"I. g-guess I got it all wrong..." she said looking away towards the wall, and under her breath "You j-just looked like someone else, that's all... my mistake."
  1165. You didn't hear the last part drift under her breath but the first got through. "You're damn fuking right you did.." and stomped away.
  1166. >A heavy sigh as she fell silent.
  1167. >You went to sit on the curb, away from the haunt and glower at the empty road, throwing your hood over yourself you closed yourself off from the world.
  1168.  
  1169. >Hugging yourself for warmth with crossed arms, you looked for your alchohol and downed the rest.
  1170. "TCH."
  1171. >When is this Hellish night going to end?
  1172. >Well at least you got to vent on that stupid ass pony-spirit.
  1173. >Who does she think she is, trying to be all innocent and pretty?
  1174. >You're not going to fall for it...
  1175. >The purity was a lie.
  1176. "Jus like alwaysss" murmering off.
  1177. >You had nearly fallen asleep, and definitely nodded off once or twice when a pleading request came from over your shoulder shaking you back awake. "Anonym-" "Anon. "Can we-" "Can we start over?"
  1178. >A g a i n. She's as persistent as Penny, that penguin whore!
  1179. >Why don't they know when to stop. Why don't they both leave you alone?
  1180. >You roll over on your side glaring tired eyes, ready to give her another beating on her esteem but stopped when you saw she had picked her head back up and she was wearing a smile again.
  1181. >This made you sit upright.
  1182. >What the fuck, you were sure that was a killing blow last time. She should have been in as bad of a mood as you felt.
  1183. >Why is she in a good mood now? This is just going to put you in bad mood a g a i n.
  1184. >Is there no way to get through to this b-
  1185. >Her mane was a little disshevled but she composed herself sitting upright wearing a smile with full of wishful hope.
  1186. >Raising her little hoof to her chest and then to you as a greeting. She spoke with a cheerful sort of pride. "It's nice to meet you, Hi! I'm Twillght Sparkie!"
  1187. >You had nearly fallen asleep, and definitely nodded off once or twice when a pleading request came from over your shoulder shaking you back awake. "Anonym-" "Anon. "Can we-" "Can we start over?"
  1188. >A g a i n. She's as persistent as Penny, that penguin whore!
  1189. >Why don't they know when to stop. Why don't they both leave you alone?
  1190. >You roll over on your side glaring tired eyes, ready to give her another beating on her esteem but stopped when you saw she had picked her head back up and she was wearing a smile again.
  1191. >This made you sit upright.
  1192. >What the fuck, you were sure that was a killing blow last time. She should have been in as bad of a mood as you felt.
  1193. >Why is she in a good mood now? This is just going to put you in bad mood a g a i n.
  1194. >Is there no way to get through to this b-
  1195. >Her mane was a little disshevled but she composed herself sitting upright wearing a smile with full of wishful hope.
  1196. >Raising her little hoof to her chest and then to you as a greeting. She spoke with a cheerful sort of pride. "It's nice to meet you, Hi! I'm Twillght Sparkie!"
  1197. >"What's wrong with it?" each time she spokes a bit more nervousness showed through.
  1198. "Not eeven in the right spot! Lookss like t's just some tiny partyhat, issit your birthday litle girl? It looks SO stupid!"
  1199. >Twillght didn't have an chirpy answer to reply back.
  1200. >You didnt even notice that she held her head low in silence, as you rolled over on side laughing on the sidewalk.
  1201. ...
  1202.  
  1203. Tapping the glass as if it were a fish tank "Thanks for t-the laugh, g-ghosty. I nneeed-ded that."
  1204. You turned away feeling much better about yourself emotionally, your frozen balls feel like they could fall right off.
  1205. >Shaking out your limbs and rubbing your hands to warm. "W-well I'm out-t of here, going back home. Don't follow me."
  1206. "Or-r would it be 'Don't h-haunt me'?" You mused. "Well what-tver you get the ideea."
  1207. >You dug into your pocket and took out your phone for the time. It was dead.
  1208. >You glance back at her, to see her big ears shoot up but nothing happens. It's almost a let down.
  1209. >The silent treatment? How uneventful after everything that happened tonight. You shrug it off to hop off the curb.
  1210. >"..wait"
  1211.  
  1212. >"Please don't.. "
  1213. >"Dont, don't go"
  1214. You sigh and shake your head. "L-Look girlyghost, there's-ss nothhing you caan say t-to get me to stay."
  1215. >"Don't leave.. not yet."
  1216. >Well, you've been doing all the talking tonight.
  1217. >You'll let her get her final words out, since you won't be seeing her again.
  1218. >And entertain the thought. Maybe you'll give her the cold shoulder when she begs you to keep her company while you freeze to death.
  1219. "OK Why not?"
  1220. >Twillght suddenly blurted out with more emotion but avoided to look you in the eye. "Even if you hate me.."
  1221. >She put together her words with a trembling shakey voice, like trying to piece together broken shards of a precious item.
  1222. >"You're covered i-nn snow. A-and you must be c-cold.."
  1223. >"It's - it's not s-safe out!"
  1224. >"Won't you come inside.. ?"
  1225. >"Please!"
  1226. >"At least f-for a little bit, to warm up."
  1227. >"Then you can go!"
  1228. >"I'm sure the nice man inside won't mind.." "Really!"
  1229. >"And. You.. Y-You ddont even have to talk... to me anymore. If you don't want to.."
  1230. >"I."
  1231. >"I won't bother you anymore.."
  1232.  
  1233. >Stunned.
  1234. >You were taken aback.
  1235. >This wasn't what you were expecting as as her last words.
  1236. >You thought she was going to be something selfish and clingy to keep you around.
  1237. >But even after making fun of her, threatening her and beating her spirits down...
  1238. >Living or dead, this pony still seemed to show genuine concern for your well being and her voice held real signs of worry.
  1239. >She might even care more about you then your own family right now.
  1240. >You don't know how to respond.
  1241. >You're not used to this kind of reaction, or this kind of attention.
  1242. >Chewing your lip, maybe it's better off that you didn't say anything at all.
  1243. >Had she picked up on your teeth chattering?
  1244. >Did she know how much further you would have to walk?
  1245. >Would you even make it?
  1246. >Was she thinking about before? And thinking you would you take a spill on some more ice.
  1247. >A moment of introspection, and staring at the pony behind the glass window.
  1248. >She was turned away, for the first time all night.
  1249. >This isn't about her. It's about you.
  1250. >With your decision your cold hands firmly gripped the freezing metal door handle of the shop. Fresh frost flaked off.
  1251. >You don't even consider that this could be a trap walking into a haunted shop. You don't care about that anymore.
  1252. >The heavy wooden door opened and closed shut behind you.
  1253. >A jingle of the bells over your head announced your entry.
  1254.  
  1255. >You shuffled inside, still coated with snow.
  1256. >Warm air rushed around and assaulted you making your head spin.
  1257. >A tingling and prickling pain ran throughout your body, down your hands and flushed your face.
  1258. >Frostbite.
  1259. >Clearly, but now that you were out of the cold, you ignored it.
  1260. >Even if you were still out there your focus was still only on observing your surroundings.
  1261. >Though it was warmer, it was darker than you expected.
  1262. >Much darker in fact than when you had first saw behind the ghost pony.
  1263. >Where was that warm calming light from before?
  1264. >It was just gone... seemingly as soon as you stepped inside.
  1265. >Replaced by a cool eeriness of ambient moonlight seeping in through the windows and the cracks.
  1266. >Stretched shadows of wired cages or boxes of all shapes, sizes and colors on each side of the room.
  1267. >Though from what you could tell, most looked empty and old.
  1268. >It appeared to be a pet shop, but it was kind of run-down.
  1269. >Huh.
  1270. >Guess it would make sense to find a pony here...
  1271. >Or used to.
  1272. >You stepped out slowly over the hardwood floor and it creaked under your weight.
  1273. >Beady gleaming eyes silently peered out from inside the cages.
  1274. >Shit this was really turning out to be a trip into haunted pet shop.
  1275. >You tried to fight against the creeping feeling of being watched.
  1276. "Helllo-?. A-anybody here?" you said with an uneasy tone.
  1277. >You were more than halfway inside, and there no sign of anything else when a loud crashing metallic sound from somewhere came further inside.

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