Under the dim, shaky light that stung my eyelids, I cracked open an eye. My face was practically pasted to the desk. Sweat gluing the papers and pictures to my flushed skin. And I groaned, feeling the tell-tale signs of a impending hangover.

Guess I didn't make it back to the employee dorms... It must have been Spencer's fault. I couldn't exactly remember what I was doing earlier today but that only proves that it was him.

Me and Spencer, my best friend since we were small, must of gotten wasted last night and somehow made it back before the whole resort place went on lock-down. Man, I had to get out of here before any of the night staff caught me. I wasn't in the mood to get written up again. The last time that happened, I got 'suspended' for ten whole days. Working 'under the books' to re-earn the right to earn 'money' and keep my bunk. But let's not get into all the kinds of illegal that company L.O.R.E and its supervising management has been getting up to.

I'm not getting paid to think about that.

If I wasn't just enjoying my easy money and hanging out with my friends during our summer break, I would have quit a long time ago. But that's just me talking fluff. I can't really quit, I have a contract...

Sitting up, I found myself in one of those rickety office chairs with wheels. I took a quick glance around the small room. The high-tech security system and the weird set of switches on either side of the door-less room caught my eye. This place looked like one of those security guard stations and my hands gravitated to the weird tablet just waiting to be messed with. It was a weird camera system that showed fixed angles of the other rooms excluding this one.

Skimming through the feed, I realized that I haven't been to this restaurant. The place seemed empty of workers at the moment. They must be doing the switch between staff outside then. That's good news? I have time to figure out how to sneak past them whenever they showed up. Obviously, I'm part of the day staff of Ponytopia's Pretty Parlor in Ponytopia's Pony Paradise resort aka as a underpaid greeter, cook, waiter, janitor and whatever else the upper management needed to keep the visiting kids, parents and enthusiasts happy... And I don't have the 'clearance to be allowed on company property beyond the designated area' and blah blah...

I'm not actually surprised that I don't recognize this place. Blame it on all the redundant rules and micro-management of us temporary workers. But my friend Spencer is a security guard so I've seen his workplace. I don't remember it having buttons on the walls or such a expensive looking cam system. It was a touch-screen for goodness' sake. The upper management didn't trust us that much, being either college kids or cheap, desperate labor and all. I could probably make more money pawning the tablet than I could working overtime for two weeks...

This restaurant might be something I really didn't want to be caught in. The tablet was too rich, too tempting... How the heck could I explain myself out of that, supposing I did get caught? I just happened to be in the security room during the changing of the shifts and I just happened to have no intention in stealing their fancy equipment. Yeah right. They'd fire me and throw me right out on my ass.

Using my legs to push the chair slightly, I brought my attention two square shaped buttons on my left side. One green and the other clear. Pressing the clear one, I saw the light outside the left entrance flicker on briefly before turning off. Then tried the green one and a gray metal door slammed down, sending a sharp gust of air in the room and making dusty. Coughing, I clicked the green button again and the door slid back to its place above. The buttons probably work the same on the other side and with everything figured out, I got up. Ready to make my escape.

Walking to the left door-less entrance, I stuck my head out as I looked down the darken hallway with only bouts of glittery streamers twinkling down the walls showing me where to go. The moment I stuck a foot out into the corridor, I heard a phone ring through the speakers. Yes... I heard it through the speakers about my head. Shit, I've been caught! That can't be right. Darting back into the room, I glanced around for the phone because there's no way I've been caught that fast. I am not going through suspension again! But there wasn't one on the two desk on either side of the room or on the file cabinet.

The phone rang once, twice and then I heard a long dial tone before a voice message machine clicked on.

“One saved message: Hey... Hey... Loomis, it's me... Spencer.” The voice paused and I could taste the guilt in his tone. He did something stupid, that's all I knew and needed to know. Spencer can act sad all he wants... Just wait until I get my hands on him. Getting me caught up in this shit without giving a damn about how I feel. He always does this.

“Look, don't be mad but I... uh... volunteered you for night watch. It's not that bad. All you got to do is watch those ponies. You like those ponies, right? You've gotten real good with those ponies. Not a big deal. For you.” Spencer sighed and I dragged my hand through hair, already feeling an ache in my head.

I don't know what this is for but Spencer must of thought it was a great idea for us to 'bond'. We see each other everyday, goddamn it! I don't need a big brother-type hounding me for 'fun times' that a boring stiff like me could have avoided. Who knows how many brain cells I've lost drinking whatever he puts in front of my face but now he wants to drag me into more work? For kicks? Fuck work.

Didn't Spencer know that Management was already watching me closely! Jeeze! This is exactly what they've been looking for.

An excuse to fire my ass and Spencer just handed it to them!

I groaned, grabbing my face with my hands as I dropped to my knees. “Damn it, Spencer!” I said out loud, my voice turning bitter. “You always do something like this. I bet you got me drunk and dropped me off here to make sure I couldn't refuse.”

I can't afford to take any more work on my shifts. I'm already hustling between four Pretty Parlors a day thanks to Management.  I mean, come on! I'm not a night person! That's Spencer's deal. Does he want to wear me out or something?!

“This is how it has to be. You can handle this. The ponies here look just like the ones in Pretty Parlor, the six ponies from that show, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Err... Twilight... Rainbow Dash and uh... Fluttershy... and Pinkie Pie... And Rarity... I can't remember the last one. It's not important.

“Just like the ponies in Pretty Parlor, these animatronic ponies have a free-roaming mode so they'll be up and about sometimes. They'll even come up and check on you. It's... uh... to die for... how cute they are. The ponies here are experimental new models so they can act a little quirky as their programming works out their bugs. Don't get scared and try to stay in the room. It's against the rules to leave that room. All you have to do is wait for them to come to you, give them what they want and your job is over. It will end. You can't mess that up, Loomis. Just let them come to you.”

I stiffened. That was a weird, out of place, conversation coming from party-hard, I-don't-need-liver, Spencer of all people. Was he trying to prank me? He's trying way too hard, that's for sure. In fact, does he even know how to spell quirky? That's some strong language coming from a hick like him. I bet he's reading from a script. Spencer is really trying too hard. Calling me Loomis is a red flag if actually wanted me to believe him. Since we got here, he has never stopped calling me Riff or Riffy or the ultimate Riffmaster of Riffigton because boy, his farts smell bad! Which, by the way, isn't true...

“I didn't want to do it.” Spencer whispered over and over as something in the background shifted. Straining my ears, I heard something bang and bang and a weaker voice still sounding like Spencer but different, talking. “But I had to... There's something wrong... And I had to secure the area... And... they were after you so I...” The phone call began to break up. “They did something... To the others... Tom, he was the first... There's a lottery...” Random numbers were chanted in between the rearing of the static on the line. “... 2... I haven't seen... Surprise!! Why didn't you... beep beep... Tell me about your new birthday... 8... I didn't know... Donna... I think she... 5... Help... But they... 23... Fixed.. It ain't right... The hole she made... I was hungry... The job... 0... I couldn't but I did...”

The phone call flat-lined into a shrill dial tone before redialing.

Two saved messages. Message Two: Hey... Hey... Loomis. Here's a fun and interesting fact.” Spencer stated, his voice slipping into a eerie monotone. “The average height from a non-special edition pony is around the same height of a grown adult's waist. However, if you bend the human body, snap the legs and smash the head in... You could successfully stuff a grown man inside of an animatronic pony with little damage to either corpse. But that's something I've learned recently. You already knew that, didn't you...?”

The phone call ended and I stood there, blinking and cleaning my ears for a whole five minutes before I decided to make a break for it. The moment I ran to the left door-less threshold, the security door slid down, blocking my exit. I turned to the right, picking as much speed I could to push myself through that threshold before the security door appeared. I wasn’t fast enough. I collided into the metal door and pulled myself away, switching my attention to the green button. I must've of jammed my finger into the button dozens of times but the door refused to yield.

Eventually, I stepped from the threshold to the center of the room and both door retreated. This can't be happening. I took hold of the office chair and slowly pushed the chair through the right entrance. The chair rolled as if it was amused to be moved. You could hear in the terrible squeaking of the wheels as it rolled into the hallway. No doors popped down. I flailed my hand between the space of the door and just a few inches outside. No security doors. I stretched out and pulled my chair back in and tried to walk out myself. The doors dropped right down. Could these doors have heat signature locks or something?

Whirling back to the security station, there was nothing I could hide under or use a weapon. Maybe, the fan but how could that stand up against a metal pony on the fritz? Fuck! What do I do?! I walked in a circle for a while, using every word, slur and swear that I could remember. Why did Spencer... Oh god, what am I going to do...

I grabbed at my forehead and felt bandages on my scalp. My fingers as if entranced wandered to the back of my neck, confirming even more to be there. This isn't my night. How hurt was I? I looked down at my clothed arms and pulled up the sleeves. My bare arms were haphazardly swaddled in fresh bandages and gauze. Unbuttoning my shirt, my lower waist was also covered in thicker bandages and there were even some half healed stitches on my chest.

I don't... I don't remember going to the hospital to get fixed up or where I even got these from... I...

My fingers wandered to that fat compress splayed across my rib cage. This one was of a colorful print of small boxers with wings. I knew where the stupid looking band-aid came from. This was from a gag gift I got Spencer for his birthday two months ago. Did Spencer patch me up and leave me here? Why? How did I survive this, I questioned as I peeled the band-aid off, revealing a mostly healed scar. It looked like I got impaled on a cone... Or a unicorn's horn...

I just don't understand... Why can't I remember?

“You're not supposed to mess with your wounds!?” Some voice giggled beyond the darkness of the hallway. “How can you get better if you keep on picking with your bandages? But don't worry, I know the cure. We need to open those sores and get that yucky, red stuff out. After all, it's supposed to be black. Like motor oil. Like Twilight told me.”

I stumbled to the door, my hand ready to press the door switch but what if...

I wanted to hear the rest of what she had to say. This can't be right. I don't... remember... I...

Instead, I clicked the light switch and saw a mechanical monster, tittering and shuttering as black vines writhed visibly inside of her furry coat. Her colors were wrong. The mane was mostly torn off. But I could recognize Fluttershy because of that delighted, gentle smile she gave me when she noticed I was looking at her.

“Oh my,” she gasped, jumping back slightly. “You're naked! Why did you take off your skin? Don't you worry. I can fit you right into a spare one in the back, alright? I promise to be gentle. I can do it just as good as Rarity, don't you know?”

She reached for me and I pressed the green button. The door slammed shut and I heard Fluttershy cry through the door. I turned to the file cabinet and tried to drag it, to make some sort of a barricade but it was nailed to the ground. I shook it. I kicked it. But it refused to budge. Couldn't I move the desks at the very least? I gripped the side of the desk with the fan on it and heaved with all my might. All that happened was more dust spreading around the whole place. Damn it.

Suddenly, the light in the room turned off, the door I forgot about abandoned me and I hid under the desk, head buried in knees. I heard footsteps coming closer and closer, echoing everywhere. I could almost hear a broken, hellish tune approaching and I whispered, begging Spencer to stop whatever this was.

I saw a purple glass horn glowing in the darkness as the pony came closer. Even though I couldn't see the pony properly, she was dancing to the tune growing louder and louder. Her light dancing along with her illuminated everything I didn't notice before. The blood on the floor. The dried hand and footprints of other victims being dragged left or right. She kept on dancing until the last, insane note before straightening herself out. Her horn grew brighter. I saw half of her face scarred and melted in places. Mostly around her sealed right eye.

“Twilight, don't do this!” I stuttered... I'm not scared. I'm not scared. She's not going to hurt me... “I know that you are a different model but I was friends with the Twilight at my job... So... This isn't right. The Twilight I know wouldn't do what you are about to do to me! Don't you want to talk books or something...”

She only giggled and-

Out of nowhere, both doors slid shut and the lights turned back on. Random automated children cheered and screamed through the speakers as Twilight pounded against the door. But I couldn't relax. I knew that someone, somewhere had just saved me. There has to be another camera in here. There's no way that this could have been a coincidence.

“Thank you! Thank you, whoever you are!” I shouted. “Please help me get out!” I stood up, my eyes darting around for some sign proving that this wasn't a death trap meant for me. And that Spencer didn't... “My name is Jarith Loomis and I work for-” I sputtered out before the room began to fill with this mysterious white mist. Every time, I took a breath, my view got fuzzier and fuzzier. My eyes rolled to the back of my head as I gagged, leaning against the desk.

The sound of my body collapsing onto the floor... It sounded... It felt familiar but the last time this happened... I was bleeding out, right? I remembered...

“See you tomorrow!” The ponies said. It had to be the ponies or Spencer or the children. Their voices chiming in. Blurring together into absolute madness right before everything went numb. Next Chapter: For I Am Courageous... Estimated time remaining: 33 Minutes