Play this song for ambiance as you read if you want.
Ring Ring Ring Nimbus was startled awake to a familiar sound. Ring Ring Ring Where did he know this sound from. He jumped up and ran over to his mate. Checking that she was still ok. She was asleep but rousing to the sound as well. Her foals were suckling on her teats again.
Ring Ring Ring That was strange. He thought she ran out of milkies. Ring Ring Ring A glimmer of hope returned. Did mummah come back and feed them? A quick glance at the feeder bowls confirmed this wasnât the case. Ring Ring Ring Where had he heard this before?
âWut am noiwse?â Maybell asked groggily. âNuu am knuuâŚâ He took inventory of his foals. The alicorn was missing and he saw boo boo juice dried on Maybellâs face. He felt something wrong in his gut for a moment but was quickly distracted. Ring Ring Ring It was coming from outside the safe room. He walked to the gate with genuine curiosity.
The past month of monotony and suffering had all blended together. Ring Ring Ring The noise was the most unexpected and exciting thing they had experienced. In fact. It was the first real noise the foals had heard besides their parents voice or the occasional noise of footsteps upstairs.
beeeeeeeeeeep It all came back to him, The Fluffmart had one of these, it was in the back room and Miss Anna would always talk on it. Then a familiar voice filled the house. âYouâve reached Elizabeth! If you can hear this, Iâm not home. Leave a message!â
The sound of Mummahâs voice alerted Maybell, she jumped up scattering her foals as she ran to the gate, desperately shaking on it. âMummah bahk!! Mummah Bahk!!! Pwease Mummah! Need Wubs an Huggies!â She was crying hard, ugly crying, snot poured from her face as she kicked against the gate. Nimbus looked over at her pitifully. She didnât know it wasnât mummah. Still, he knew that you could somehow make talkies with people that were far away.
Elizabeth only gave away her cell for work. The home phone was unlisted and used as an emergency backup. It only ended up on contact forms. As a result, this phone never rang, and she had never bothered to explain it to Maybell.
Another familiar voice took over as the long beep ended. âHi! This is Anna from the Fluffmart. We havenât seen you in a few weeks. We normally do a three month follow up on adoptions anyway, so I am calling to follow up on Nimbus.â
At the sound of his name, he realized who was speaking. He began to bang on the gate frantically. âMiss Annuh! Pwease sabe Nimbuhs! Suu Hungwee! Bebbehs neeâ bestes nummies! Nee nummies fow bestest speshiaw fwen an wowstes tummeh huwties! Pwease!â He cried out.
He knew that miss Anna and mister John would shush him when they spoke on the talkie box so the far away people could hear fluffies too. She didnât respond to his pleas and continued her scripted message talking over him. âWe wanted to make sure everyone has settled in ok! If you can, please give us a call back. Thanks, bye!â The line clicked and another long beep and went silent.
They sat there for a long time waiting for Elizabeth or Anna to start speaking again. âHewwooo?â Nimbus called. No reply. He started sobbing. âHuhuhuhu. Wan mummah!â He felt a small head nuzzle into his legs. Looking down he saw his tears raining down onto his little yellow filly.
A few of their foals had stumbled over to investigate what had interested their parents so much. âNu make sad wawas daddeh! Bebbeh gib huggies an make ebwyding beddah!â She wrapped herself around his legs. The silver and purpled ones tried to hug his flank.
âWho am dat makin speakies?â The silver colt asked. Nimbus sniffed up his snot âWizbeff am Nimbuhs an maybeww mummah. Miss Annuh am⌠am huu am daddehs owd mummah. Nimbuhs am miss Annuh suu much!â
âWewe am Mummah anâ Anna wady?â Maybell asked. Nimbus explained to the best of his ability what a talkie box was with some effort but was confused by why miss Anna couldnât hear them, maybe it was broken somehow. She was sad again as the reality of their plight returned.
Maybell and Nimbus led their foals back to the big fluffnest bed as their surge of adrenaline wore off and exhaustion took its place. They went to lay down as their foals drank perhaps their last milkies as they all made a fluffpile.
Nimbus laid down with Maybell, he had used up all his energy earlier in his excitement and felt so cold inside now. He was certain he would go forever sleepies now. It was selfish of him to die right next to them but he needed their warmth against his fluff to make his heart hurties go away.
His bestest foals nuzzled up against him. His ribs felt strange to them, but he still smelled like daddeh and that was all that mattered to them. Nimbus knew his special friend, her tummy bebbehs, and their foals would soon join him in sgettiland. At least they should all be together in the end.
Tears leaked from the corners of his dry crusty eyes as he looked at them all sleeping peacefully, knowing what waited for them. His heart hurties only got bigger and bigger. They would never taste skettis, or go to the park, or get huggies and love from mummah, or grow up and have their own babies. All the things a fluffy was supposed to experience.
he hugged them all tightly knowing this would be the last hug he ever gave. This was how he silently said goodbye.
He remembered the bestest bestest as the last of his energy waned and he drifted off. He wanted to find out where she went but was too tired to speak. He would ask Maybell if he ever woke up again. Their bestest should be with mummah when she goes forever sleepies too.
Next Week: TBD
Will you survive?