|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Message thread at CPP
<< Back to previous page
***I ¢¾ Writing Club*** i
a club about writing. We could type stories we are writing and let other people look over them and give us more ideas. Hoof beats as loud as thunder and a whinny carried by the wind woke me up. I sat up and stared into the darkness of my plain, clammy room. It was a muggy July morning that I will never forget.
What was that noise? I thought.
Pulling my shirt off my sweaty back, I slid out of my bed with cold and bare feet (why didn’t I were socks to bed like I usually do?) and rushed down the stairs.
As quiet as possible I slinked down to the window only to drop down dead on the floor again, thank goodness it was carpet (what a thump it would have made on the hardwood).
There, sitting on the ground, mesmerized by the full silver moon I gasped.
Because standing in the middle of the yard beneath the moon was a horse.
It was a beautiful gray mare with a flowing black mane, big round eyes and a dark ebony star on her delicate forehead, her smoky complexion was regal and proud. She must have been a mare judging by her size of about sixteen hands; not a mustang but a thin Thoroughbred was more like it.
She raised her head gracefully and stared at me. I felt like she was digging deep into my soul and filling all my sad moments with the hope that I felt burning in my stomach.
She came with no saddle; no evidence just her in plain starlight, and moonlight, plain moonlight. But she herself was not plain, not plain at all.
My first thought was to run out and feed her something (she was so skinny) but I took a second thought and darted up the stairs wondering what to tell my parents.
What is a horse doing in the city? I thought.
With a deep gulp of air and a short gathering of courage I stepped into the grand bedroom in which my parents slept, unlike mine it was big, clean, comfortable and beautiful. Jade. My mom moaned still half asleep, Why are you up, it is.she glanced at the clock, Six o’clock!
There is a horse in the yard. I frowned.
Yes of course there is sweetie, go to sleep. She said sarcastically.
The Morgan’s whinny sounded with perfect timing, as if she just wanted to be found. My parents jumped up with I-believe-you-now looks on their faces.
See! I smirked triumphantly, Come on!
I rushed downstairs with my dumbfound parents following me, as if in a trance, to the front windows and for what seemed like forever all I heard was gasps until my little five year old sister Aurora’s voice piped in,
Where did that horse come from? We all turned our heads. I knew it wouldn’t be long before my other sister Silvia would come down to all that growing noise.
My dad was the first to speak, First of all what is a horse doing in the city and what are we going to do with it? Then all of their heads turned to me. I blushed, I don’t know!!! I thought for a second, Could we...? NO! Shouted my parents; the daze had ended. I knew they would never let me keep her.
She stood there so humbly nibbling on the lawn (I figured my dad wasn’t to thrilled about that).
Well, I thought, what now?
What! Piped a shrill voice.
Silvia. boomed my father, Go to bed, Aurora you too.
But! they moaned. If looks could kill they’d be dead. And so up they went leaving my mother, my fiery father, the horse and me, alone.
Now. My mother sighed; she had been speechless for quite a while, Maybe he came from Distant Oak. I breathed, thinking of the local horse stadium, After all, all they have there is horses. My parents exchanged glances, We will call after breakfast, Jade. My dad glared at me as if it was my fault.
It was long after breakfast while we still hadn’t called the local horse-jumping stadium, Distant Oak.
When I was done eating my breakfast, I darted out to the yard to the small weed-filled area that I had cleared out for the mare.
I brought a blanket, and an apple for her to chomp and I sat down beside her and thought, I could ride her a bit; I did take those riding lessons I stood up and set myself on her broad, velvety back. We walked out and moved into a smooth paced trot around the yard, I never rode bareback before; it was pretty cool.
Her big sturdy hooves thudded lightly against the soft grassy ground with a gentle whinny and a light flick of her high-held silky black tail we trotted in small circles around the yard.
Even when I squeezed to tight with the fear of falling off she would keep pace, I imagined being in a horse competition swirling in circles I slowed down.
She must be a star. I thought to the beat of her heart and the munching she made on the lawn. My riding lessons must have paid off because satisfied with myself I lead her into the horse stable, swung myself off and dusted my hands only to turn to see Aurora, my five year old sister staring in awe at me from the middle of the yard. I shrugged, Hi. And walked past her to watch TV with my other pest-of-a-sister: Silvia the great.
When my dad arrived the first thing he spat at me was How is IT.
What? I asked. The HORSE! the way he spat Horse made me jump, like he hated its taste on his tongue Fine! I hissed back.
Why are you asking? my sweet mom piped in from the kitchen, shoving her blond hair behind her cheeks.
I searched the internet at work.
And your boss was okay with it? my mom frowned, knitting her eyebrows together.
We will talk about that later, Her owner lost it a week ago, I called him, he doesn’t want her back. My dad said.
Who? Silvia walked in.
THE HORSE! my dad growled but my mom calmed him down.
Now don’t get the wrong idea, my dad is real great and sweet but he is having uh lets say troubles at work, he works some electricity place.
His work has been tough for quite a while and he has been looking for a new job ever since, since well the problem .
It was a dark and gloomy day in misery land when oops wrong story, it starts like this: once upon a time my dad told his boss that he was done this presentation project so his boss presented it to the board of electricity, it turned out that my dad meant that it was better than a week ago so he sent complaints on my sweet dad getting him in trouble, it was not good.
Later that day after dinner my sisters asked to see the horse, sadly (but only slightly) I agreed on one condition: they calm down.
The horse whinnied at the sight of me; I caressed her. This is the horse. I said, realizing that we had not named her yet. Want to name her? I asked, smiling.
Yea! Aurora bounced.
Silvia snorted as she walked away into the house, looking jealous.
I sighed and turned to Aurora, How about Cloudy? I mused.
No, too sad for a name. She frowned. I knew she was right, what a smart five year old.
Moonlight. I whispered and she nodded with unspoken agreement.
The next day I rode Moonlight a lot more, left her with an ice-cold drink and promised to bring lots of snacks. After dinner I stuffed my pockets with sugar cubes, crept out into the evening to feed Moony. We stayed up until eleven o’clock riding.
I thought I would sleep in late; I was wrong, my sisters had other plans, I woke up at seven to screams of, Get up get up! from my sisters the horse!
That triggered me. Moonlight was hurt? Then it hit me, actually I hit my self – hard – on my head; I overworked her, overfed her and then she got sick! I remembered my riding instructor’s warnings, not to give a horse cold water after a riding session. I ran down to the stable . She was laying down on the dust with sweat running down her back.
Colic. I breathed, realizing what she had, How do you treat colic mom?
This is a horse, I don’t know! she cried.
I bit my lip, I will get the phone book.
So I rushed off scene to call the vet.
Down, down, down, ah here we go; vets: domestic, zoo, ah here we go rural vet; Author Charles I muttered,
I have the number.
My father rushed in with horse sweat on his hands, (later on I asked my sisters how to describe it, all I got was yuck )
Call him. That was all he said before turning his head out the door.
I grabbed the phone with shaky hands and dialed the number with shaky fingers (it was hard because they were crossed).
Hello, you must want to talk to Arthur, hello, are you here? a nice-sounding lady answered.
Oh sorry, yes I would like to speak to Arthur, uh Arthur Charles the vet.I mumbled.
Here you go sweetie. She said.
Then a new voice popped on,
Hello this is Arthur, who is this?
This is Jade Collins, my-a horse is sick at my house with uh, I think she has colic
Colic, right, right away, you keep it down, give her water, not too much.
Got it covered, you better get a pen, I will tell you my address
Arthur arrived an hour later, he was older than he sounded, and his sandy colored hair looked like a rat’s nest but his face was kind. Where is the horse? He asked.
In the back yard over there.
You were right girlie, colic. You could be a wonderful veterinarian someday. Arthur smiled.
I said something really intelligent like, uh, sure. blushing. Looking around to make sure he was talking to me.
But remember, the best remedy is time.
And that pretty much ended our cheerful conversation, which was like saying I can’t help you, good luck!
Over the next week we gave Moonlight expert treatment and finally she was cured. That was the good news; the bad news was she HAD to go. For my dad this extra work was a disaster, if he didn’t get a new job soon we would all have to go work at McDonald’s. I didn’t know about my family but that was not my first job choice. What would we do, how do you convince your whole family to leave home and find a farm to live on?
Moony was cured I could only find peace from chores and the commotion at home on my short but sweet walks back and fourth from the mailbox.
One day as I observed the envelopes and kicked stones down the road I noticed my name on one. I ran into the house and dropped the rest on the table and ran up the stairs and flopped onto my bed. I tore open the seal and examined the strangely perfect red cursive, it read:
Dear Jade,
I hear you found my daughter’s horse, I am sorry but I cannot allow you to give it to me, you may keep it, but if you do decide to sell it you must give the money to me. Please make the decision soon. Good-bye.
Alem
I put down the letter, sighed and closed my eyes in thought.
So many problems, Moony has to be sold but if I do Alem gets the money, but dad needs it for work I can’t lie to Alem but I can’t sell my horse.
My eyes fluttered open; Ms. Smith.
I hadn’t seen my old riding teacher in ages. I walked over to my dresser and pulled out a browned sheet of paper. I was glad I still had it. It was Ms. Smith’s phone number.
I dashed down stairs for the umpteenth time that day.
Mom! I said, Can I call Ms. Smith?
Sure Jade. She smiled.
So I grabbed my mom’s cell and went up the stairs.
Hello Jade! Ms. Smith answered, How are you?
I, I oh Ms. Smith! I started to bawl at the sound of her voice,
I found her in the front yard and rode her and she got colic and the vet said she would be good and she is but Dad won’t let me keep her and Alem wants the money but dad needs it but I don’t want to sell her but dad might get fired any day and we would have to work at McDonalds and we would be so poor and she would get so sick and hurt and she would die
Whoa Jade. Who, what, why and where. Ms. Smith said slowly
A horse and me and a guy with red cursive.
Okay? Now, what.
The horse got sick and the guy with red cursive wants money from me if I sell him and I want to keep the horse. I bawled.
Uh huh? Where?
Here
You have a horse? Ms. Smith gaped.
Not for long. I sighed.
Then we have work to do. I could have sworn she was smiling through the phone.
Sunday, a red car pulled up on the driveway, memories flooded back to me; my first official hunter/jumper horse; Africa, the beautiful tan thoroughbred. I remembered my first jump and Ms. Smith beaming as I cleared it.
I traced a horse’s silhouette onto the dusty car door as Mrs. Smith stepped out and pushed her white hair behind her ears,
Where is this horse that you have been talking about?
Down here. I whispered, leading her to my yard.
Mrs. Smith gasped, She is beautiful! even after a mere glance at Moonlight. She told me her plan that she had surprisingly developed the night before without even meeting Moony.
Distant Oak annual young riders completion! I raved as Mrs. Smith held out the entry slip,
I am not prepared for that! I don’t even have a horse! than I gasped when I realized who she wanted me to ride on.
Moonlight nickered innocently from her makeshift stall as if she was trying to prove she had nothing to do with it.
I would have to train, and I don’t even have the money for that! I cried.
Every day at four. Mrs. Smith winked as she stepped into her car and drove away. Leaving me dumbfounded on the cement.
My mom reluctantly agreed to drive me to training for the big riding competition every single day at four o’clock.
But my parents still didn’t know that there was a reward of 1000$ if I won first place, I thought that was best kept secret.
This is how my first training session went:
1) Horsemanship lecture
2) Saddle up my training horse, Africa
3) Warm up
4) Jumps
5) Cool down
6) Put Africa’s saddle on that rack
7) Home!!!
I only knocked down one rail in jumping, and Mrs. Smith only told me to keep my heels down once. I came home as happy as a lottery winner but my mood was quickly spoiled by soup, a mushy green concoction of string beans, onions and peppers.
On top of that I woke up that night from a nightmare about Moonlight.
This is how my dream went. We trotted to a brick wall and as we jumped her back legs hit the rail, we tumbled onto the rocky ground and I stood there looking at Moonlight’s still body, promising myself never to jump cross-country again.
please tell me how to improve!
| 
user no longer exists & --- | | 2012-07-11 02:18:38 | | | Thats great | 
Starwalker123 & Star | | 2012-07-12 00:00:22 | | | I really like it! :) | 
MAC1023 & King | | 2012-07-12 00:05:52 | | | Hello, everyone! May I join the club? I'm crazy about writing stories! ☺ In fact, I'm writing a novel right now! It's called The Key to Naraloris. I'm currently on page #153! | 
Tendarah & Rainflower | | 2012-07-28 01:18:37 | | | were are you guys |
Starwalker123 & Star | | 2012-08-15 23:23:50 | | Yes of course you can join!
|
pp2 & Finnigan | | 2012-08-15 23:24:17 | | | hi pp2 |
Starwalker123 & Star | | 2012-08-16 01:48:42 | | | Hi |
pp2 & Finnigan | | 2012-08-24 22:52:24 | | | I have see you on in some time i missed you |
Starwalker123 & Star | | 2012-08-25 20:53:42 | | | I'm busy with horses |
Starwalker123 & Star | | 2012-09-24 22:50:57 | |
|
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
