"So let me get this straight: you’re saying, that your friend was hit oleh some kind of carriage that moved on its own?” the stallion with the large mustache inquires.
“Yes, Sheriff Copperhooves! That’s the best I can describe it!” the purple earth pony replies. She’s still shocked.
“Uh-huh…” the Sheriff sighs resignedly. “Berry… how much did anda drink?”
“It has nothing to do with the booze!!! This… thing came out of nowhere, ran over Carrot Top, then came back and did it again and again and again…” Berry stammers with tears in her eyes.
“Yeah, right. Listen, why don’t anda two go halaman awal and get some rest? Let’s forget this silly tale about this… carriage, huh?” Copperhooves suggests.
“I’m telling the truth, I swear to Celestia!” Berry cries.
“She’s right Sheriff!” karamel throws in “This is no joke!!! That carriage is REAL!!! It spotted Carry, played with her and then killed her, anda have to believe us!!!”
“Yes, yes, fine. I can smell alcohol on anda two from a mile off… Berry makes some strong stuff, ain’t she? Now… go home, get some rest and I’m sure you’ll find your friend tomorrow. Maybe she just went home, atau stayed behind soemwhere, atau something.”
“Come with us, and we’ll tampil anda where it happened!” Berry says.
“Nope, I’m not going on this wild angsa chase in this time of the night! GO HOME, I won’t say it again! You’re drunk!” the Sheriff yells.
“Come on, Berry, this guy’s not going to help us…” karamel sighs.
The door of the PPD (Ponyville Police Department) closes behind them. The two ponies walk slowly. The mare moves closer to the stallion. She looks around nervously in every ten seconds.
“Can I… stay with anda for the night? I don’t want to be alone right now…” Berry asks.
“Of course. My place is only a few blocks away.” karamel agrees.
*** ***
Come on, big girl! Let’s go for a spin!
It’s her voice… Christine’s… Hours disappear in the haze… The ivory steering wheel feels good in her hands. Feels… natural. Yes, her fingers are back.
Lyra feels good. Just a little joyride…
The radio plays good songs, like “Running Blind” oleh LunaSmack, “Bohemian Rhapsody” oleh Queen, atau “Sultans of Swing” oleh Dire Straits. The mile counter keeps spinning backwards: 086641.
The landscape around Christine is a blur. Lyra spreads her arms and legs. She feels veeeery good. She’s almost lying on the crimson leather seat. She feels like her bones turned into liquid.
“Man, there’s no finer feeling than this…” the turquoise unicorn murmurs bemusedly.
The deep regal voice giggles.
Hihihi, I’m glad anda like it… Although, I do know something even BETTER!
“What?” Lyra asks. She acts like she’s been smoking weed.
I’ll tampil you…
Christine accelerates.
80... 90… 100…
Lyra just holds the steering wheel firmly. But she does not realize she’s not in control. The radio plays “Imagination” oleh Sequential One. Ooold song. The pony knows the lyrics from somewhere. She ponders over the pertanyaan how could she live without Christine before?
She’s the best friend anypony could ever want. She doesn’t complain, it doesn’t matter to her how anda look, what anda wear, what anda eat... what anda drink… She just goes ahead… She’s always there, when anda need her… It’s always cozy warmness inside. Infinite calmness... And sometimes those strange smells, like rotting meet…
Nah, who cares? She’s old… maybe that’s thie reason. Hours fade away, when Lyra’s driving Christine. No memorable events occur, until…
There – an earth pony, right in the middle of the road! Lyra can see the silhouette oleh the Moonlight. Christine accelerates. A detik before the impact, she turns on the headlights. Lyra sees the fear in the pony’s eyes. Everything slows down. Her senses become sharp. Lyra sees the certainty of doom. The pony knows it’s over. She freezes. Christine knows it too… but this time, Christine plays a little game. She’s like a cat. She has her fun for a bit. She enjoys it. Even Lyra enjoys it.
Her satisfied grin is the grin of the filly who found daddy’s hidden permen stash. She does not even comprehend what Christine does. She only knows she’s never felt such a thrill.
Everything’s fine, Christine knows what she’s doing… Hours fade away… Swallowed oleh the rush…
*** ***
Nightmares. She can’t get the crimson apparition out of her head. It infiltrates her dreams. She comes for her. Somehow, Berry meninju, pukulan knows, the demon is a she.
In her dreams, the car idles in front of Caramel’s place. It’s raining. The windshield wipers go back and forth. Monotone sound. There’s nopony behind the steering wheel. Berry peeks out the window. Christine honks her horn twice. The rain muffles the short, strange sounds. It’s like a reminder…
I did not forget about you…
The V8 comes alive. The car backs away slooowly, then disappears in the selanjutnya corner. Berry wakes up. She suppresses a scream. Her head is splitting. She doesn’t know where she is. Smaller rooms. bir cans and bottles on the table. A leftover from dinner. Posters on the walls. An electric gitar in the corner. Typical bachelor flat. She remembers. It’s Caramel’s place. The stallion snores in the other room. She can hear it. The purple pony thinks about her dream. The mare still cannot believe that what happened to them really happened. It seems so... surreal...
That thing… that metal beast…
Berry tries to brush away the negative thought and sleep back. She already feels the need for a drink… and something else... the demon took her friend away... Revenge...
*** ***
Bon-Bon hears her friend enter the house. It’s almost dawn again. They don’t speak. The earth pony pretends she’s sleeping. She knows something is wrong with Lyra. She’s so distant… preoccupied, tight lipped. This is the detik night she goes out. When she returns she’s like a zombie. She either goes to tempat tidur immediately atau just sits and gazes at her hooves for minutes.
Something is wrong. Terribly wrong. Bon-Bon knows the car has to do something with Lyra’s odd behavior. Ever since she mentioned it, she’s not the same. Not herself. The earth pony glances at the alarm clock. It’s 4:26 AM. She sighs resentfully and turns over. There are still a few hours till work.
But Bon-Bon has decided: she’ll find out lebih about Lyra’s obsession. Little did she know, that curiosity is a deadly thing when it comes to Christine…
The red one.
