A day's work - AJ

    “Huuurrshoooo!” The sound of my own sneeze startled me as I awoke. Still feeling dazed and sleepy, I looked around me. I spotted a yellow filly with a bright red mane. It took me awhile to figure out she was my sister, Applebloom, and I’d overslept. I yawned and stepped out of my bed. Applebloom seemed happy to see me, but I ignored her. I just wanted to go back the sleep, but my brother Big Macintosh and Granny Smith were probably already outside waiting for me.

    I walked down the stairs but stumbled a few times. I helped myself to a couple of apples and went outside to do some chores. Before I could step out the door of the bright red farmhouse, I felt a tickle working its way up into my nose. I sniffled sharply, but regretted it quickly. The farmhouse hadn’t been dusted in a couple of weeks and the sweet smell of flower and pollen from the spring air soon filled my nose. I rubbed my snout a few times, but all it did was make it worse.

“Hehhhshhooo! GEHHchhooo!” I sneezed twice. It felt good to finally let the sneeze out, but I wasn’t sure what Granny Smith and Big Mac would think if they saw me in this shape. I tried brushing my mane, but it remained fritzy, even more than when I finished a long day’s work. My snout was partially red and my eyes were bloodshot. I hesitated, but decided that I couldn’t let my family down just because of a stupid cold. Or was I sick? I tried to think of how I caught this cold. Then it hit me. Last week me and my sister and her friends went to Appleloosa to help the annual rodeo. My cousin Braeburn hurt his hoof so he suggested I enter to take his place. But before the rodeo, it rained, hard. My sister and her friends wandered into the forest, and I had to find them, fast. When I got back, I was soaking wet. I didn’t feel so good the whole week after.

“Gehh-AhhCHOO!” I sneezed a final time. I walked threw the large wooden door of the house. I half expected Big Mac already bucking trees without me. But he was waiting for me, along with Granny Smith. And from the looks on their faces, this wasn’t gonna be a pretty conversation. And just my luck, my nose already tickled again even after I had sneezed thrice.

“Young mare, you oughta be ashamed of yerself,” Granny Smith said sternly.

“Eeyup,” replied Big Mac.

“Lettin’ down yer’ family by sleepin’ in! Why, when ah was a filly, ah’d wake up at 7 sharp each mornin’!” continued Granny.

“Ah’m awfully s-sorry Granny Smith, it’s just that ah… ah...” I tried to apologized, but didn’t get to finish my sentence.

“Ah’ll let it slip this time, Applejack. But let this be a reminder to you. Now, get to work!” interrupted Granny Smith.

Phew. I was glad that was over.

I headed my way to the orchard, just remembering the remaining tickle in my nose. I rubbed it twice, but it hardly seemed to do anything. Big Mac was right next to me, and I didn’t want to take any chances. I faced my back towards the tree and kicked. But I couldn’t concentrate when I needed to release so bad. I kicked again, but nothing happened. This time, I bucked with all of my strength, but I missed the tree. I turned a little red in the face due to embarrassment, although I was pretty sure nopony saw me.

When Big Mac turned to drop off the apples he had bucked, I figured it would be my chance to finally release my sneeze without anyone thinking something was up. I sniffled loudly. By breath hitched, and I was ready to release.

“Huhh… GeeAHH… HUHHSCHOOOO! GAHH-EHHTCHOOO! GehhhCHOOO!” I bellowed. Mucus sprayed everywhere, including on the apple baskets. Oh well. I guess I would have to trade in the baskets for some clean ones. I looked down at the farm to see if anypony heard me. It didn’t look like it. Surprisingly, my nose still tickled after that. But I couldn’t sneeze now… Big Mac already made it back into the orchard. I tried to think of a plan, but all my mind was focused on was to maintain the monster of a tickle inside my nose, which was already a bright red hue.

I excused myself to the restroom. It was the only plan I could think of. Now the only tricky part was to get past Granny Smith.  I walked my way down to the farm, sniffling and rubbing my nose. I sneezed a few times, but I was so desperate to get to the restroom I didn’t care.  I trotted my way down the hill, breathing through my mouth to avoid any pollen getting in my nose.

I saw Granny Smith in a rocking chair reading a book. I didn’t know what it was, though, but it only took me a bit to figure out that Granny was reading it upside down. I tiphoofed my way around her, trying to be as quiet as I could be. Suddenly, startled, I tripped and fell in a small pile of hay. Shoot. I didn’t have any allergy to pollen, unless you count hay. And sure enough, my nose started to feel like it was on fire the second it got near the yellow straw.

“Huh?” Granny, confused, looked around her. I tried to burry my face in the hay, but I could only manage so much with the small amount of straw and besides, my nose already tickled fiercely being even near the hay. Suddenly Granny Smith spotted me.

“Applejack! What do you think yer’ doin’ in a pile of hay, wastin’ time like this?”

“Um… Ah was j-just… uh… goin’ to a… uh… bathroom b-break… Yeah, a bathroom break!” It was hard enough trying to talk when I was half buried in a pile of hay, rubbing my nose raw and trying not to sneeze. But under this much pressure, I thought I was going to snap like a twig!

“Hmm,” Granny Smith hesitated. I wished she hadn’t, because in that time, I accidentally sniffled, sending a huge amount of pollen and dust into my already helpless nose.

“Okey dokey! Just be back in a minute or two,” she finally said. Whew. I got out of the hay and started walking towards the farmhouse. But not before the tickle in my nose was too much to handle, and it wasn’t until the bright morning sun caught my eyes that I finally gave in. My nostrils flared and my eyes began to water. I decided to try to stifle, maybe Granny wouldn’t hear me.

“HahhhEHHXCHHH! Huhh-GEHH-EEEHHSSSCHHHH!” I stifled twice. It wasn’t a very good attempt, but at least Granny didn’t seem to notice. A string of mucus hung from my nose and I wiped it off quickly with my forehoof. I didn’t make the mistake of sniffling again, I’d learned my lesson.

When I finally got into the restroom, I relaxed. I let my sneezes fly, not caring if anypony was watching, which I highly doubt anyway. I took a few strips of toilet paper and held them to my nose, which was twitching like crazy. I drew in long shaky breaths, my head tilting backwards. My eyes squeezed shut as I prepared to sneeze. This was going to be a big one.

“Huhh… Gehh… EHHH! GAHH! HAAHH-AHH! GIIIHH-AHHSSCHOOOOO!” I screamed out my sneeze, but my nose still wasn’t done. I still needed to sneeze, and badly.

“Hehh… Hehh-EHH! HEHHEHHCHOOO! HAARRRIIIHH-CHOOOOO!” My head burst forward almost hitting the mirror, which was soaked in wet mucus from my sneezes. The toilet paper shredded to pieces, wet with the mucus as well.

I sniffled, and that was enough to send me into another never-ending sneezing fit. My jaw went slack and my eyes shut tightly. My nose was already raw from sneezing so much, and almost completely red as well. My breath hitched for what seemed like forever, but finally approached an end. My neck bent forward rapidly.

“Guhhh… GUUHHHTIIIISHHOOOO! HHHAAAARRRRIIIIISSSHHHHEEEEEW!” I sneezed an ear-splitting double. My nose still tickled, and I rubbed it now furiously. But despite my effort, the tickle only grew larger and larger.

“Huhh… Hahh… GEEHHH!” I began. “HUUUURRRRRRRIIIIISSSHHHOOOOOOOOOO!” I bellowed. It felt good to let the sneeze out, but there was still a tiny tingle in my nose. I sniffled and rubbed at it, ignoring the mucus slowly sliding down onto my hoof. The tingle slowly disappeared, and the urge to sneeze faded as well. I gathered up another wad of toilet paper and wiped the mucus from my nose and hoof. I slowly walked to the exit, trying to avoid the slippery wet puddles of mucus on the floor. When I finally got to the door and opened it, I had a shocking surprise waiting for me outside...