Death and Ponies (1k+ words)

[Annisha 0]

Death and Ponies

- Alexis and Annisha

 

Alexis sat in her bed watching Annisha prance around in her nightgown. She was waiting to hear if there was any more news feeds from that planet. It was annoying at first, since it woke her up, but they did get pretty interesting later. “Is that a silk nightgown you’re wearing?” Alexis reached out and touched Annisha’s nightgown. Felt like silk, she thought, but it could have been another weird Romulan fabric of some sort. “So soft…” she said, voice trailing.

 

Annisha stopped. "It's something Jylliene's mother got me when I visited Trill. I was out of it since they removed that thing from my neck." She looked Alexis in the eye, knowing she had stories to make her friend's hair curl. She ran and jumped on Alexis' bed then sat cross-legged with the headboard to her back. "Come over and look, I still have the scar." She turned and lifted her hair with her hand. "Do you see it?"

 

Alexis moved closer to examine Annisha’s scar. Given that she was half-Betazed, Alexis could feel that Annisha went through a lot in her short life, which made her feel bad. “That’s a pretty big scar there” replied Alexis.

 

She nodded. "Yep, I thought I found new parents and they took me to a new place to live, but I knew something was up." Annisha turned to her friend. She placed her hands on her knees. "They locked me in a room with only a tiny window. They drugged my food. T-then they must have..." She stopped for a moment. "They must have done it when I was sleeping, because I woke up groggy."

 

Alexis frowned. “Sorry to hear that” she said of her friend. “I can’t imagine how it was like,” she replied. Alexis was unaccustomed to such things, having lived sheltered from such awful events. She admired Annisha’s bravey and was only on Aegis because she complained of Andoria.

 

Annisha brushed her bangs out of her face. "They put in a control device. It shocked me."

 

FLASH: Annisha remembers reeling at the first trigger of the device. Her entire body jerked upward, the implant taking random control of her muscles. She only knew pain.

 

She looked less chipper than moments ago, staring into the air. "I...could not control myself. I peed all over myself. My teeth all hurt really bad, like they were being pulled out of my head. it burnt my eyes. I think I vomited. I know I did because they made me clean it up." Her eyes started to water, her head began to shake. "I wasn't strong enough to stop it."

 

Alexis crawled towards Annisha. She felt sad for her friend. “Wow, gosh. I’m sorry you had to go through all that at your age. I wouldn’t be as brave as you” Alexis said and hugged Annisha. “But, at least you are in a safe place now” she said, trying to be as reassuring as possible, knowing she wouldn’t last that long, if she were in Annisha’s shoes.

 

Tears flowed as Annisha hugged Alexis with vigor. "I thought I would die out there. They had me pick stupid rocks!" She was breaking down, having put on a face of strength for her father and others. "I s-started to get u-used to the pain, or so I thought." She began to stutter. "I-I tried to disobey, but the pain. It's from the inside out. A lot of time passed. Then I saw my opening." Annisha gripped her friend with her fists in repressed anger.

 

Alexis continued holding Annisha, not saying anything; just listening. She couldn’t comprehend the contrast in their childhoods so far. So much in common, yet so different. Alexis winced as Annisha began squeezing her. “Ow…. uhh… it’s okay… It’s all over now. What opening was that?” Alexis asked, with a grimace, her curiosity still evident despite the growing pain.

 

"To escape." She released her hug and instead held her friend's shoulders firm. "All those shuttles were running. I knew could get it off the ground. So I ran, a-and grabbed a gun. He was in my way. I never held a gun before, but I had no time. I just pointed and..."

 

“You killed him?” Alexis asked, relieved Annisha stopped squeezing her.

 

Annisha nodded sheepishly, looking at Alexis with her big hazel eyes.

 

“Wow” exclaimed Alexis. “You had to do what you had to do, I guess. You’re very brave to be able to do that. I never knew.”

 

"Yeah, but enough about me, how about those ponies?" She asked, pointing at Alexis' pajamas. "Do you own one?"

 

The sudden shift of topic threw Alexis off guard, but Annisha’s experience unsettling her. A welcome change. “These ponies?” she asked. “I don’t own any ponies, but one of my uncles has some horses on his farm in Montana. I’ve ridden some before”

 

"Ohhh, there's a bird on Romulus one could almost ride if it didn't want to claw you. These horses sound safer." She moved to the left side of the bed and laid down. The pillow was exceedingly soft, much more so than hers. She looked up at the ceiling, still talking of horses. "I heard a story of horsemen coming to Earth bringing death and things. I hope your horses aren't those."

 

“I’d like to ride a bird, but if you aren’t careful, some horses could kick you, which would really hurt” Alexis replied. She looked at Annisha then pondered. “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? I think that’s what it’s called? I remember reading about that somewhere.. probably in school or something” Alexis shrugged. “ And yes, I think that was the story. I hope my uncle’s horses aren’t like that, but they are very friendly, especially if you give them carrots or apples to eat, so I doubt that.” Annisha grabbed her hand, urging her to stare at the ceiling with her.

 

"Perhaps I can visit Earth and see these horses. Like ch'Rihan was to the Romulans, so is Earth to the Federation. I'd like to see a world spared of something like the Great Fire. Can you ask next time you go if a little Rihan can tag along?"

 

Alexis smiled and looked at the ceiling, wondering what they were staring at, perhaps that light bulb that looked like it was going to flicker out. “I’d love to show you around Earth. I’m sure Dacia would be happy to take you along, if your parents are okay with it. There’s not much to see in my hometown, but there’s lots to do in London where Dacia lives and my uncle likes having visitors at his farm, so you could ride the ponies there if you want. Though I don’t know the next time we go to Earth.”

 

Annisha's eyes started to close. "I'd like that a lot."