Itchy Scratchy (pony Horror)


                                            "I can't believe this! How?! How did so much money and effort get so wasted in such a short amount of time??"

                                            >You take your coffee mug off your desk and throw it across the room, shattering it upon the wall just a few inches away from the front entrance to the room.

                                            >The head office of Fertile Fields inc.

                                            >More accurately, /your/ office. Being president and CEO of such a company gave many responsibilities.

                                            >And with that comes stress. A lot of it.

                                            >"Sir, we still need to take into account the employees lost as well, some of our best technicians and floral engineers were in the lab when the accident happened."

                                            "Don't remind me Pedal hoof, if theres anything I'm /not/ in the mood for its having the obvious pointed out too me!"

                                            >The office chair lets out a small squeak as you lean back and take a deep breath. Regaining your composure from your outburst just a moment ago.

                                            >You let out a deep and frustrated sigh adjusting your tie and business coat. This incident would not only do irrefutable damage to your reputation as a business pony, but may even bankrupt you as well...

                                            >The office door opens, and in walks another executive. Holding a small book on his back.

                                            >"Mr. Soil, sir? Is now a bad time?"

                                            "No Tiller, what is it?" You say in an annoyed tone, rubbing your temples with your hooves.

                                            >Tiller adjusts his glasses and clears his throat as he walks to the front of your desk. He was sweating bullets and couldn't stop scratching parts of his neck and shoulder.

                                            "You feeling okay? What are you so nervous about?" You ask, noticing the beads of sweat going down his face.

                                            >"Y-yes sir, I think I just got  a cold or something from one of the employees that was part of the recovery team." He replies, wiping the sweat from his brow and scratching his shoulder.

                                            "Whatever, just show me what you've got."

                                            >"Well sir, the recovery team we sent out to the lab managed to bring back a diary of one of the employees working there during the time of the incident."

                                            "Ohh good, a diary!" You lean forward up in your chair, raising your tone and venting your frustration, "That will surely save us all from the unemployment office in the coming months!"

                                            >Tiller gets flustered by your sudden outburst, almost dropping the diary from his back and re-adjusts his glasses.

                                            >"W-well sir," He says taking the book from his back and hiding behind it, "th-the owner of this diary documented her day-to-day duties while she was there, and it gives clues as to what happened. If word of this gets out, not only will we be unemployed, we might go to jail!"

                                            >Pedal gives the nervous earth pony a curious look.

                                            >"What do you mean jail??" He asks in a panicky tone, almost leaping from his chair, "I-it was just a gas explosion! F-from a faulty pipe!"

                                            >"Yeah I know, but its what happens to everypony as described in this /after/ that that could ruin us!"

                                            "Both of you calm down!" You say banging on your desk. "Word of this won't get out!Whatever it is, we can handle it!"

                                            >You take a moment to fix your mane, all this stress was getting it's normal "business tidy" look out of shape.

                                            "None of the media outlets have gotten word of this yet, and before that happens were in cover-up mode."

                                            >You shoot a glance to both of your executives as you speak.

                                            "As far as the public is concerned, as of right now, this incident hasn't even happened. And as for the families of the employees lost at the lab; they will know that a gas explosion took place, and thats all."

                                            >"B-but the boo--" Tiller says.

                                            "But nothing!" You cut him off, making him jump and drop the book on your desk, "Now, both of you get out, I have thinking to do..."

                                            >The two earth ponies glance toward each other and nod in compliance, exiting the room and leaving you alone with your thoughts.

                                            "Ughh Celestia..." You say in a whispered tone, "What a mess."

                                            >You notice the out-of-place book sitting at the front edge of your desk.

                                            >Your curiosity aroused, you pick up the book and look over the cover.

                                            >It had been frayed and there were scratch marks embedded into it's hardback surface.

                                            >The brown leathery texture had spots of reddish yellow on it, giving small sections of it's surface a sort of rough feel.

                                            >What happened to this thing? Had it always been like this? Where did this scratch come from? Were these red spots...blood? And most importantly, if it was a gas leak that killed everypony there, why wasn't it destroyed?

                                            >Opening up the diary, you see a message on the front, partially obscured by spots of red and black, reading:


                                            To Bell Blossom,

                                            We are proud of you! Your father and I can't wait too hear about the things you acco         during your time working for such a prestigious com      you can document what happens while y         there.

                                            Sincerely, your mom, Lilly.


                                            >You turn the page and read on, seeing that most of the pages are still legible.


                                            Day 1:

                                            I can't wait to start my work here! Even though I'm only going to be taking care of other employee's pets and doing upkeep. Mostly janitor type stuff. I'm still glad for the opportunity. This will look great on a future resume when I'm done here. There aren't many others working here, curiously. Mostly sciency type ponies consisting of unicorns and some other younger ponies like myself also to do janitor type stuff. One of the unicorns in particular though, seems almost too enthusiastic about the work they're gonna be doing. Supposedly its for a special crop that can withstand all forms of bad weather, either way its not that important to me! So long as I get a good reference from this...


                                            Day 2:

                                            Fed the dogs today, didn't know the ponies from the company would bring only dogs when I volunteered, they're all kept up in a pin just outside the side entrance to the facility. And might I add, the view from here is great! When they told me it was gonna be in the mountains close to Neighagra Falls, it made me assume it'd have a good view but this is just awesome! I can see so much from being so high. Still though, I wish it wasn't so secluded. The nearest building to this place is like an hour and a half walk away.


                                            Day 3:

                                            Caught a small glimpse of what the scientists have been working on today while taking the trash bins from the lab. They have all kinds of flowers here, most of which I have no idea what they are save for some of the more common ones like roses and what not. I even got up close to one of them which prompted a quick "chewing out" session from one of the scientists. Saying something along the lines of "don't get near this, its company secrets, its above your pay grade, blah blah blah." Still though, the head scientist that works here, Dr. Herbaceous, was nowhere in there. Come to think of it, I've only seen him a few times since we got here. And anytime I do see him, hes always talking to his plants... Oh well, as long as I don't get fired before whatever they're working on is done I don't care how mysterious or secretive they are.


                                            Day 7:

                                            What is it that Dr. Herbaceous is researching all the time? He has this really weird interest in these flowers. Interest...? It seems like love at times... Rumor going around some of the volunteer ponies like myself is that theres something dangerous about those flowers.  The scientists are always keeping them, or us, completely separate. I'm not even allowed down in the lab anymore unless I'm accompanied by one of them... I dared Silvermane to touch one for a couple bits. He chickened out of course, why are stallions so superstitious sometimes?


                                            Day 10:

                                            Played cards with some of the other volunteers today, even one of the scientists. She said he was tired of being cooped up in the lab all the time and wanted to just mingle for awhile. Her name was Rafflesia, kind of an oddball but, if I dedicated all my life to studying something I'd be weird too. Nopony asked any questions about what they were working on though. I assume everpony was too nervous about losing our jobs here...


                                            Day 14:

                                            I guess its true about those plants being dangerous. The other day, the only Pegasus among the volunteers, Gustywinds, touched one and got ill with a fever. We haven't seen her since it happened. Its been 2 days and shes been in the medical ward. The only word we keep getting on her is thats shes sick because she liked to fly around the falls during off time and caught a cold. But no way, I saw her touching one of the flowers while her escort wasn't looking. Whats up with those flowers anyway... I thought they were making crops?


                                            Day 16:

                                            Silvermane woke me up in the middle of the night, scared the shit out of me, too. He was wearing some kind of protective suit and gave me one and said to put it on. When I asked what happened he said there was an accident in the lab. A small gas leak caused an explosion and made some of the, what they called, "Floral specimens" leak into the air. I guess that explains the bang I heard earlier in the night. I just assumed it was the scientists working, those bastards never sleep! Even on holiday!


                                            Day 17:

                                            I've been wearing this dumb suit since yesterday. My skin and fur feel grimy and itchy all over. The damn dogs are looking at me funny now also, so I decided not to feed them today, screw'em.


                                            Day 18:

                                            Went to the infirmary today because by back is all swollen and feels itchy. One of the scientists put a big bandage on my back and told me I didn't have to wear the suit anymore. I was relieved at first but they told me I wasn't allowed to leave the infirmary... Weird thing is, I haven't seen Gust in here or anywhere... I'm starting to get a little scared.


                                            Day 20:

                                            I've managed to keep my diary hidden these last two days. Hidden from the "scientists" so I could keep documenting whats been happening. And again today... I could hear those awful moans and screams from the other room beyond the door. Please, don't be what I think it is... Come to think of it, the voice faintly sounds like Gust's, what could they be doing to her in there?  How sick could she really be? When I get out of here, I'm gonna expose whats been happening!


                                            Day 21:

                                            Silvermane ended up in the infirmary with me too, he has the same symptoms as me, only he looked a little worse then I did. He also said that a couple of days ago, one of the other volunteer workers had tried to leave and go home, saying that he quit because he didn't want to die here. The next morning, all his stuff was still in his room but he was nowhere to be found. I'm really starting to worry now... What could he have meant when he said he didn't want to die here? I shouldn't have taken this damn job!


                                            Day 22:

                                            My skin and coat feels hot and itchy all over, and I'm sweating all the time now. Last night before going to sleep on the infirmary cots they gave us, I noticed a big sore on my forehoof. It was all red and swollen, and it leaked with puss whenever I scratched it. Now my cot is all stained with this yellowy puss. Makes me stay awake at night. I feel so tired... All I wanna do is sleep.


                                            Day 23:

                                            They still haven't found my diary, thank Celestia for that. But when I woke up, the blister on my forehoof was completely numb. The puss and blood had dried up and clotted all around it, leaving only a big reddish black bulge. When I rubbed it, a clump of fur and rotten flesh just fell right off, exposing muscle and a little bit of bone too...  My hoof doesn't even hurt from it. What the hell is happening to me? I just wanna go home... Mom, Dad, I miss you so much.


                                            Day 25:

                                            Wake up and fever gone but still itchy. Scientist all gone so look fr food. Found doggie food. eat. I no want end up like Silver... that poor bastard scratching and scratching. make me itch jost watch him.


                                            Day 26:

                                            Itchy itchy Silver came ugly face so killed him.


                                            //4/ must who but go /

                                            silver gone I go hunger/

                                            Help.

                                            Mom.


                                            >The last pages are stained with what you can confirm is blood, and are mostly illegible.

                                            >You lean back in your chair, staring at the bloodstained pages.

                                            >You place the book down and take a deep breath. What the hell happened up there? They were supposed to be working on crops! Not flowers! Dr. Herbaceous was in charge of oversight there. You'll have his flank for this!

                                            >You take another deep breath and open the bottom cabinet in your desk, taking out a bottle of apple whiskey and a shot glass.

                                            >You poor a glass and take a shot. Then another. Feeling it burn going down, just sitting there for a minute thinking of what you've read.

                                            >If word of this gets out, you would indeed be done for. Not to mention Dr. Herbaceous is still out there somewhere.

                                            >What else could he have done? Or even what more could he do?

                                            >This was much more serious then you could've imagined. And theres no telling if anypony from the recovery team couldn't have gotten the same sickness from that place!

                                            >They must all be quarantined. This must be contained, whatever it is. With any luck, this won't spread beyond the boundaries of that lab...