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 Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 11:36 pm
Far beyond the friendly grasses of the many pastures dotting the land, there was a broken down, forgotten carnival.
No pony could remember why, exactly, it was there. Or why it hadn't been repaired and reopened for ponies to enjoy. But the rides were rusty and in ill-repair. The foliage was left to overgrow where ever it pleased. And the attractions, games, food stands -- all of it was covered in chipped paint, rotting wood, and thick layers of dust.
The large wrought iron gates encircling the park stood strong, however. And the main entrance was left open just wide enough for a pony (or two) to get inside. And while it might have seemed completely desolate, it was very possible that there was a... jester of sorts holed up inside. Not there to fix all the broken amusements, but feeling very at home amongst the merry-go-round and the haunted house...
(( For a little ambiance...
..And even more ambiance! ))
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Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 11:43 pm
 Practically giggling in delight, Maksim paced back and forth in front of the building. He wasn't waiting for anything or anyone in particular, but he was anxious all the same. It was run down, falling apart, and faded from countless summer suns beating down on it -- but to him, it was amazing.
He couldn't quite place a hoof on it, but he felt at home inside the carnival's gates more than he did in the pasture that was supposed to be his home. There were other ponies to play with in his pasture, but he was drawn to this place inexplicably. It was where he felt he belonged.
And he certainly looked the part, too! Like a clown, without a circus to perform with. But he hoped that, once he bent and pushed an old, crusted lever with his nose, that all this would attract some attention.
With the lever pressed, gears moved. And with gears moving, the building came alive. Parts aching for oil protested, but finally gave in, and calliope music filled the air around him. Lights flashed in the dimming sunlight. And the building in front of him, with it's scary ghost face above the entrance way, all but cackled down at him.
Amazing, yes.... that parts this old still worked! But it did work, worked better than expected, and Maks was giddy on the inside.
Surely, another pony would hear it and come for a walk through the haunted house with him?
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Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 11:55 pm
 Following Maksim, she knew he would be up to something when she saw him sneaking away the past couple of nights and she was right.
What had he stumbled upon? Was this always here? Sanguine didn't really care, but she was curious none the less. If he thought he was going to keep this place all to himself, he had another thing coming.
She trotted quietly to stand behind him while he was distracted by the blinking lights and carnival music, breathing in deeply before yelling out loudly. "What are you doing here Maks?!?!?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 12:07 am
The voice made him jump inside his pelt. Not because of who it was, Maksim was rather fond of Sanguine, but because it had come out of nowhere!
"You should really stop sneaking up on ponies, beautiful."
Turning his head slowly to the side, Maks cast his gaze over onto the dark mare. The end of his muzzle gleamed with a wry smile and he moved over, smoothly sidling up against her side.
"What's it look like I'm doing?" he asked, honestly, and gestured with a nod towards the aging building. "It's a haunted house." His eyes lit up and flashed every time the eerie green bulbs inside the ghost above the open maw of a door twinkled. "Isn't it wonderful?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 12:22 am
She eyed the haunted house lazily, paying no attention to his advances, she was used to them by now. Her tail twitched back and forth and a slow smile crossed her lips and she was almost cooing.
"Has anyone died in there?" Her eyes were bright with excitement, stepping forward a few feet to closer inspect the building, blowing a few webs away that were hanging on the corner of the entrance door. "Did you make this yourself? Is that why you've been sneaking off without me?"
She turned to look at him, pouting slightly.
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Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 12:31 am
Wanting very much to take credit for it even if it wasn't his own creation, Maks thought through his response carefully as he walked up to stand beside Sanguine once more.
"I found it," he said after a pause, turning his head to draw his nose along the door frame. "And I fixed it so this building works." Everything else inside the carnival, however, he hadn't paid much attention to.
"I don't know if anyone has died inside." Cocking his head a bit, Maksim leaned in closer to the black mare. His eyes glinted with a devious light and he shook his head just enough to let the bells on his hat jingle. "I've not been in yet. Would you care to join me?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 12:42 am
Her smile widened and she nodded quickly. "You don't have to ask me twice.."
Bouncing on her hooves slightly, she moved forward to nudge at the door, listening to it as it creaked loudly while it opened. Moving forward to stick her head through the entrance, she looked left and right before walking in the rest of the way.
"Nothing dead.." She let out a disappointed sigh, turning her head to peek back at him. "Are you expecting anyone else to show up?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 12:49 am
Pressing the side of his muzzle against the door to push it further open, Maksim stepped inside behind Sanguine. The room smelled... stale. Musty. Like the air he was breathing in was the same air stuck inside the building since the last time the door was closed. Little particles of dust flew around his hooves in thick clouds with his movements, dancing around him in the green glare of the ghost's eyes outside the door.
It was better than he could have even possibly imagined!
There was a wooden coffin just large enough to fit a pony inside standing against the wall furthest from the door. Cobwebs were dangling from every possible inch of the ceiling. An untouched, wooden piano sat in the corner opposite from the coffin, half covered with a dingy white sheet. And there was nothing else inside the room -- save for another doorway that led into a pitch black hall.
"Nothing dead yet," he corrected. "We haven't seen it all, Sanguine."
Moving in to clear the entrance, Maks' eyes squinted in the dim lighting. "That's the whole point. I was hoping another pony would come by and play."
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Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 1:00 am
"I'm not sure I want anyone else to come.. I kinda like having you all to myself." She smiled, brushing up against his side as she made her way past him to look around the room.
She leaned in to poke a few keys of the piano with the tip of her muzzle, making a few sounds that were definitely out of tune. A few particles of dust tickled her nose, causing her to sneeze and the sound alarmed a few stray bats as they flew out of the building.
"Sorry guys.." She smirked slightly as she watched them fly away. "I wonder how many rooms are in here." She sauntered over to stare down a dimly lit hallway that led deeper into the building.
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Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 1:21 am
Grinning again, Maks traced Sanguine's movements with his muzzle. Tilting his head this way and that, following her with the tip of his snout as she crept by him. What she said certainly pleased him, and the rub against his side pleased him even more, but he knew she was teasing.
So he teased her right back.
"What's the fun in that?" he asked, though he visibly winced when she pressed down on the piano keys. With the creepy calliope music playing from somewhere inside the building, the off-key notes sounded much harsher. He ignored the bats, as long as they stayed away from him, and he all but slithered across the dusty floor as he moved in closer.
"I can't play games with you, my dear. You know all my tricks." His grin pulled one notch wider. "Besides, you aren't even frightened." And while he enjoyed Sanguine's company, another mare glued to his side in fright sounded like a much more... entertaining way to walk through the house.
Then he followed her gaze, peering over towards the hallway. "Let's go see. ...Ladies first."
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Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 1:28 am
She smiled wide, walking forward slowly with her gaze to the ground, making sure there was nothing she would trip over. "Sorry to destroy your hopes and dreams Maks.."
Stopping at the end of the hallway, two large, red arrows were painted on the wall in front of them, one pointing to the left and the other pointing to the right.
"Which way do you suppose we should go?" She raised a brow, taking a few steps forward to look down each hallway, both dark and gloomy looking, which made her smile wider. The anticipation of what could be waiting in either of the two paths had her almost bouncing with excitement.
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Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 1:34 am
Stopping behind Sanguine at the arrows, Maks blinked a few times. Perhaps it was like a maze inside, a choose your own fate sort of haunted house. ...Maybe it wasn't so far-fetched to think they'd find some poor creature's skeleton rotting away in one of the rooms.
He stepped carefully around to come up beside Sanguine and he swished his tail back and forth -- accidentally (on purpose) brushing it against the dark mare's on each pass. "Hnn... to the left," he said. Picking that direction solely so he could duck his head and press his muzzle to the female's neck, nudging her over that way.
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Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 10:39 am
 Betty was already having a horrible day. She was a new pony and as everyone could tell she was very different then all the other "perfect" ponies in her pasture. She wandered away from the pasture, not knowing where she was going. The sun light was dimming. The night would soon set in. That didn't scare Betty. The night gave her comfort.
She thought about the other ponies in her pasture. She wished they would just try to get to know her. She wasn't the monster that everyone thought she was. "For their safety, I guess it's better that they do stay away from a Zombie pony, like myself." she thought out loud kicking rocks as she walked.
She wandered through the woods until they parted, there she found a wide trail. It looked very old and unused. Looking back, she thought "I have never been down this far! I wonder if anyone has missed me?! Probably not!!" she gave out a little chuckle. She was going to wander back to the pasture, when she heard some music. Music she had never heard before. Kind of creepy music, like on one of those things, oh what was the name. She didn't have a very good memory.
"Hmm, I wonder....." she said quietly, turning towards the music. As she got closer she noticed, a glow of lights shining through the trees and a little farther she saw something strange. A large wrought iron fence, encircling something. She walked closer to the fence and peered inside. It looked like a carnival, an old carnival. There was no one inside. She didn't understand, why the lights were on and the music was playing, if no one was inside. "Maybe it's haunted!!" she shouted to herself. Looking around, she couldn't deny, that she felt a little excitement. "I wonder..." she thought, walking closer to the gate. It was just big enough for a pony to go through. It was an old rusty gate. She walked passed the gate. A little chill went through her.
Inside, she could tell that this was an old carnival. She looked around. She started to walk in further.
"Hello!" she yelled. "Hello, is anyone here?" Not really hoping that anyone would respond. She moved a little closer to what seemed to be a fun house of some kind. Or maybe it was a haunted house. It looked curious.
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Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 11:39 am
 Music.
Zephaniah was out on a walk- nothing unusual- when she heard it.
Music...
She had walked this path so many times she could walk it with her eyes closed, but she had never heard that slightly off key, hollow music before. It creeped over her mane, assaulted her ears and made her pulse quicken in fear, excitement and curiosity.
She remained silent as she followed the music. She followed, but it felt more like the music had wrapped around her in a noose and dragged her towards the... carnival?
Zephaniah's eyes lit up immediately upon seeing it. Old. Rundown. Rotting. Faded... But it... Was wonderful.
Her feet seemed to move of their own accord and she let them, exploring the creepy carnival- saving the source of the music for last. She wandered through the old concessions and poked and prodded at things left behind.
It was as if, instead of moving the carnival, everybody had just disappeared.
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Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 4:57 pm
And as soon as he gave Sanguine another nudge with his muzzle, he stopped completely and stood very still. Though the music was muffled, he had to strain to hear over top of it.
He thought he heard that first Hello!, but when he listened hard enough he had definitely heard the question following it. And there was no doubt about it -- the voice he heard was decidedly female.
"You go on ahead, love," he said, rather hurriedly, towards Sanguine. Giving her neck a playful n**, Maks turned right around and started off back down the darkened hallway. "I thought I heard something, I'll catch up!"
Then he was off like a shot, charging (as carefully as he could!) through the dust-laden building towards the ghostly entrance. And once he was past the door way, his eyes immediately settled on the source of the voice.
"Why hello there," he said in a smooth greeting, cocking his head as his hooves carried him past the building's door. The mare in front of him was.... was... beaten? Or maybe she was a fighter. She looked covered in blood, but. Well. Maks was never one to judge.
"I'm Maksim." Introducing himself, he bent one of his front legs and bowed slightly, shaking his head a little bit to jingle the bells on his hat. Then his muzzle broke out in a wide grin and as he stood straight, he spoke again. "But please call me Maks. And you are..?"
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xxx
xxx
