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Holiday Creep
Teenage Diamond Tiara, former spoiled brat, tolerated working at her father's store "Barnyard Bargains". At the insistence of her father, Diamond started a couple of years ago. She worked her way up and had many different tasks that she was responsible for, though the work was not hard for the pony. The young mare understood that some day, this store and the others like it would be all hers to run. Still, this didn't make her mood any better.
Next week was Nightmare Night and Diamond Tiara was looking forward to hoofing out candy to the colts and fillies at the store. She would never admit to liking children to her family and friends. Diamond thought there was this expectation for her to become a business mare. The teenager didn't want to disappoint her father. Her excuse was that it would bring potential business to the store, but she just really liked children.
Speaking of children, a young filly named Luster Dawn came up to Diamond Tiara as the older mare was clocking into work.
Luster asked “Where are the Nightmare Night Holiday decorations?”
“They should be in aisle thirteen with the seasonal candy,” answered Diamond Tiara.
“There isn't any Nightmare stuff there. It's... uhm...”
Diamond smiled “It's what sweetie? Do you mean the decorations aren't there?”
“Well, come and see!” Luster beckoned the older one to follow.
As the two mares trotted into the seasonal section, Diamond Tiara eyes started to twitch. Just yesterday the aisle was filled with dapper pumpkins, cheap candy and spooky decorations. Now it was all Hearth's Warming products. Smiling snow-ponies, candy canes and colorful lights stacked the shelves. Diamond was more peeved than confused by what she saw looking around.
“This is totally messed up. I bet it's those two idiots, Snips and Snails, that set this up after I was gone last night. I told those two to make sure this section was ready for 'this' season. But I guess they wanted to fool around instead,” Diamond Tiara spat out.
“Where can I get a fluffy spider now?” Luster asked softly.
“I'll like, get one from storage for you. Stay here and I'll be back.”
Diamond Tiara marched into the back room and hit the light switch. No lights came on. She cursed as she grabbed a flashlight, switched that on with her mouth and she trotted deep into the darkness. Shelves lined both sides of her as she turned a corner, where she found the filly's desired prize. Spinning around she faced two unicorn shaped sheets in front of her. Her flashlight dropped from her grip. The two figures started to moan menacingly.
Instead of screaming, the mare used her earth pony strength and bucked them into the floor.
“Bite me Snips and Snails! Like, I am so sick of you two. Going to totally hella thrash you both! Not for trying to scare me, but you know that I'm sick, so sick of the holiday creep. You creeps!” Diamond yelled in self righteous rage.
The lights came on and two unicorn stallions came into view with Luster Dawn following them. Diamond Tiara did a double take and didn't understand what was going on.
“Wait. You two aren't under those sheets?” Diamond asked.
Luster laughed, "What? We heard you shouting from the front."
“Err no. We were looking for you. Some-creature messed with Nightmare stuff and replaced it with Hearth's Warming stuff,” Snails answered.
“Yeah. One moment the aisle was normal, and the next it was all changed!” Snips added.
The four of them look at the moaning figures on the floor. Quickly, Diamond Tiara removed the sheets and gasped.
The filly screamed. Underneath were zombie unicorns. Before they could rise again, Diamond Tiara along with Snips and Snails beat-down the moving corpses until they stopped moving.
After the beat-down, Luster Dawn asked, “Is it all over?”
Diamond Tiara answered, “It should be. Good grief, these pests keep popping out of their graves sooner and sooner every year.”
Next week was Nightmare Night and Diamond Tiara was looking forward to hoofing out candy to the colts and fillies at the store. She would never admit to liking children to her family and friends. Diamond thought there was this expectation for her to become a business mare. The teenager didn't want to disappoint her father. Her excuse was that it would bring potential business to the store, but she just really liked children.
Speaking of children, a young filly named Luster Dawn came up to Diamond Tiara as the older mare was clocking into work.
Luster asked “Where are the Nightmare Night Holiday decorations?”
“They should be in aisle thirteen with the seasonal candy,” answered Diamond Tiara.
“There isn't any Nightmare stuff there. It's... uhm...”
Diamond smiled “It's what sweetie? Do you mean the decorations aren't there?”
“Well, come and see!” Luster beckoned the older one to follow.
As the two mares trotted into the seasonal section, Diamond Tiara eyes started to twitch. Just yesterday the aisle was filled with dapper pumpkins, cheap candy and spooky decorations. Now it was all Hearth's Warming products. Smiling snow-ponies, candy canes and colorful lights stacked the shelves. Diamond was more peeved than confused by what she saw looking around.
“This is totally messed up. I bet it's those two idiots, Snips and Snails, that set this up after I was gone last night. I told those two to make sure this section was ready for 'this' season. But I guess they wanted to fool around instead,” Diamond Tiara spat out.
“Where can I get a fluffy spider now?” Luster asked softly.
“I'll like, get one from storage for you. Stay here and I'll be back.”
Diamond Tiara marched into the back room and hit the light switch. No lights came on. She cursed as she grabbed a flashlight, switched that on with her mouth and she trotted deep into the darkness. Shelves lined both sides of her as she turned a corner, where she found the filly's desired prize. Spinning around she faced two unicorn shaped sheets in front of her. Her flashlight dropped from her grip. The two figures started to moan menacingly.
Instead of screaming, the mare used her earth pony strength and bucked them into the floor.
“Bite me Snips and Snails! Like, I am so sick of you two. Going to totally hella thrash you both! Not for trying to scare me, but you know that I'm sick, so sick of the holiday creep. You creeps!” Diamond yelled in self righteous rage.
The lights came on and two unicorn stallions came into view with Luster Dawn following them. Diamond Tiara did a double take and didn't understand what was going on.
“Wait. You two aren't under those sheets?” Diamond asked.
Luster laughed, "What? We heard you shouting from the front."
“Err no. We were looking for you. Some-creature messed with Nightmare stuff and replaced it with Hearth's Warming stuff,” Snails answered.
“Yeah. One moment the aisle was normal, and the next it was all changed!” Snips added.
The four of them look at the moaning figures on the floor. Quickly, Diamond Tiara removed the sheets and gasped.
The filly screamed. Underneath were zombie unicorns. Before they could rise again, Diamond Tiara along with Snips and Snails beat-down the moving corpses until they stopped moving.
After the beat-down, Luster Dawn asked, “Is it all over?”
Diamond Tiara answered, “It should be. Good grief, these pests keep popping out of their graves sooner and sooner every year.”
Pics
This starts as a funny piece about the insidious creep of Christmas marketing, but I think the addition of the zombies cheapens the commentary.
Especially because the piece starts describing the inner conflict that Diamond feels knowing that she has to run this store someday, which she doesn't seem to have a choice in. The piece would work much better if it stayed on that topic, and showed Diamond struggling with the reality of capitalism that she's inherited -- Holiday Creep happens because it makes money, and her job is to make more money now, so fuck off Luster Dawn, you don't get to have a fluffy spider.
Especially because the piece starts describing the inner conflict that Diamond feels knowing that she has to run this store someday, which she doesn't seem to have a choice in. The piece would work much better if it stayed on that topic, and showed Diamond struggling with the reality of capitalism that she's inherited -- Holiday Creep happens because it makes money, and her job is to make more money now, so fuck off Luster Dawn, you don't get to have a fluffy spider.
>>Dubs_Rewatcher Yeah... you right. Should have stuck with one theme or the other. Bit off my than I could chew here trying cram this story into 666 words for my own shits and giggles. Wanted to stay with the serious message of fucking Christmas coming sooner and sooner ever year. Mean, I start my shopping in September after my birthday because I want to avoid the rush, getting ripped off, not waiting to the last second and I rather not wade though ice and snow with my hips.
Then I got into a discussion about not pushing a message that week and on the day of the writing, I was interrupted quite a bit from my writing. So... yeah. Need to work on my focus along with everything else.
Then I got into a discussion about not pushing a message that week and on the day of the writing, I was interrupted quite a bit from my writing. So... yeah. Need to work on my focus along with everything else.