Wheels of Evil – Part 5


Lyra comes home late. Or early. It depends on the point of view. Bon-Bon waits for her. She's sitting in the armchair. Lyra tries to sneak inside. She’s evading the objects carefully in the dark. Bon-Bon turns on the light. The unicorn winces and twinkles. Shields her eyes with her hoof.

“Where were you?” Bon-Bon asks coldly. She pierces her sky blue eyes into Lyra’s.

The turquoise pony looks back at her. Doesn’t give an answer. Her coat is bristled up. She doesn’t look like herself.

“I was just… joyriding…” Lyra finally speaks. Her voice is distant. There’s an odd flame flickering in her opalescent golden eyes.

“What?” Bon-Bon raises a brow.

“You know… joyride…” she mutters dazedly. “I’m tired…”

Lyra walks up like a zombie. Bon-Bon is speechless. Her friend is outcold. Bon-Bon leaves early for work. The unicorn wakes up several hours later. She gazes at her hooves. Cannot decide if it was just a dream or not. She looks out the window. It’s dusk. The last rays of the setting sun die out.

Lyra’s thoughts are whirling. Last night’s a blur. She cannot recall where she was or what did she do. Lyra stays at home. Turns on the TV. She has a headache. She feels somepony’s waiting for her. She doesn’t remember who. The unicorn feels tired. Exhausted. Yet, she feels an overwhelming urge. To meet her. Again.

Pitch black, starless night. The Moon hides behind thick, massive clouds. Three silhouettes pad on the dirt road. Their saddlebags are full of bottles.

“Hold on guys… I… I’ll be right back…” a purple earth pony stutters. She speaks slowly and discursively.

She walks up to a trench beside the road. Her footing is instable. She falls in. The other two trots over to her. Their steps are unsure as well.

“Berry Punch! Are you okay?!” the peach colored earth pony asks. She hicks.

“Need any help?” the orange stallion adds, then snorts.

“What does it look, like, numbskull?! Gosh darn it… I broke two bottles!” Berry Punch complains. The others stare at her, fighting to hold their laughter in.

“Don’t just stand there! Give me a hoof already!!!” Berry demands, her hooves kicking the air. She’s lying on her back. Struggles.

“Don’t look at me… you’re the stallion, Caramel!” the peach colored earth pony says.

“Fine... I’ll take care of it…” Caramel agrees, but as he tries to help Berry out of the trench he falls in too. They all laugh.

“Don’t party alone up there, Carrot Top! Come here, sugarcube!” Berry exclaims loudly and grabs her friend’s hoof.

With the help of Caramel they drag Carrot Top into the trench as well. They all laugh. They all lie on their backs. In the trench. The cool earth feels good. The black clouds dissolve. The Moon comes out. Berry rummages in her saddlebag and takes out a bottle of red wine.

“Our battle is not over yet!!!” Berry yells, and flails with the bottle. “We might as well just vanquish this beast! And maybe a few of his minions!”

“Berry, you’re drunk…” Caramel says and hicks.

“Says who?!” the purple pony exclaims as she opens the bottle. “FOR EQUESTRIA!!!” she empties a quarter of the bottle at a draught.

“Hey, leave me some…” Caramel requests and tries to snatch the bottle. Berry holds it firmly.

“Nah… This kind of swill is not for such splendid colts like you *hic* you might grow worms in your stomach if your drink this…”

“Spare me the speech and give me the booze already!” Carrot Top says and grabs the bottle.

The wine goes around until the bottle’s empty. Then another “minion” comes.

“Alcohol is a lethal poison, so I destroy it anyway I can!” Berry yells and drinks heavily.

“Ssshhh! You hear that?” Carrot Top asks.

“What?” Caramel says.

“Listen!” Carrot requests.

They all stay quiet. Then they hear it. Some kind of murmur. It’s getting louder.

“What is this?” Berry asks perplexedly.

“I’ll check it out…” Carrot replies and climbs out of the trench before the others could react. She's the most sober one.

The noise grows louder by every second. Carrot Top takes a few steps ahead. She’s in the middle of the dirt road. There’s no movement. Just darkness. And that weird noise. It’s veeery close now.

“I think I see something…” Carrot Top whispers. She narrows her eyes.

Caramel’s about to climb out of the trench as well. His muzzle appears at the edge.

“Carry, come down the road before…”

Four reflectors flash at once, the cruel, white light suffuses everything. A metallic snarl. Carrot Top’s eyes widen. She lets out a ghoulish scream, before the impact. She has no chance. A loud bang. Nasty, repulsive sound. The vermillion apparition stops with jarring tires. Idles. This was the source of the murmur. The V8 rattles. The puffs of smoke from the exhaust turn red in the circle of the taillights.
Caramel peeks out.

“Carry!” he whispers. “Carry!”

Carrot Top opens her eyes. Blood covers her face and fur everywhere. Her body is in an unnatural pose. Caramel reaches out. Carrot Top tries moving closer as well. Their hooves almost touch. They breathe in dust. The smell of gasoline, blood and sweat fills the air. The apparition still idles. The taillights shoot evil red rays of light. Crimson smoke. Metal. Rattle. Caramel almost reaches Carrot Top. Just a few more inches…

The gearshift clicks into “REVERSE”. Christine backs up. Her rear tires scratch the ground, sending a cloud of dust up in the air. She turns a bit right. She heads toward Carrot Top.

“Get down!” Berry whispers, snatching Caramel’s hind leg.

“I’ve… almost… got her…” Caramel replies as he struggles. The car gets bigger and bigger in his peripheral sight.

“No, No, No!!!”

Christine’s rear towers over them. Berry forces Caramel down to the bottom of the trench. They cower. After a while, the Plymouth goes forward. Then she backs up. Then goes forward. And backs up again. She does this several times. Then she storms out. The echoes of her engine slowly fade as Christine gets farther.

She does not go fast. A blown tire. Three broken headlights. A lost muffler. Deformed grille, hood and trunk. There’s blood everywhere. The radio plays “Blooddrunk” by Children of Bodom.

The mile counter spins backwards: 087006. The hole in the tire shrinks and disappears. Air fills up the rubber. Metallic pops and cracks. The three reflectors light up again. The hood and the grille regain their normal shape, such as the trunk. The eerie, loud rumble of the engine becomes a smooth murmur as the lost muffler reforms. 087000.

The blood slowly coils toward the joints on the car’s body. It’s like a reel played backwards. The blood disappears in the different gaps. Just a quick stop at Lyra’s house. The Plymouth returns to the Everfree. She parks in her space. The ignition turns and the V8 stops running. Christine lurks in the darkness. The keys swing back and forth in the ignition. The movement stops after a while. Only the popping sound of cooling metal disturbs the quietness. The grille looks like a sneer. She lurks. Christine has claimed another soul.