Change Upon Daybreak

by Delany Dianne

  A ways down, I heard noise off to my left. Deciding to investigate, I pushed into the woods. I could make out a fence with pasture behind it. It was an old wooden fence that at one point had been painted, but now was flaking dull gray strips. Most of the boards were cracked and weathered. The pasture was overgrown with weeds and unkept. It’s probably not in use anymore. I grabbed a hold of the top board; it creaked under the light pressure of my hand. I was about to slid through the top two boards when I caught the sound of pounding feet.

  Standing back up, I looked down the fence. A few horses or so raced pass. Their ears pinned in anger as they chased one away. The horses were scraggly, their manes dreadlocked, and dirt covering them from head to hoof. They looked small like wild horses. These are probably the horse’s his brother catches. Smiling, I knew I was in the right area. Deciding not to get in a pen with wild horses that would kick the tar out of me, I walked up towards what looked like a building. Getting closer, I saw more horses hanging around a sagging shed. Looking around, I headed the way I thought the house would probably be.

  A whinny rang out behind me. I whipped around; I knew that whinny. Sandy was walking out from the far side of the shed. Running up to the fence, I reached out and waited for her to come up to me. Her ears were perked forwards as she trotted towards me.

  “Good girl.” I whispered stroking her face. She hadn’t been brushed and was starting to look skinny like the rest of the horses in the field. Sandy was also wearing a halter. What’s going on here? Why do you have a halter on girl? I started down towards the gate. Hearing a truck coming, I slipped away from the fence and crouched down.

  A truck and trailer bounced on the uneven dirt up to the gate. Pulling around the driver brought the back of the trailer close to the gate. I heard doors open and slam. Two figures, a man and a boy, walked up to the gait.

  “This isn’t right. We should give the horse back.” The boy said, his back towards me.

  “Quit your whining. If I take this horse back, they’ll send me to jail and you to foster care. We need the money, quit complaining.” The man snapped at the boy as he started to unlatch the gait.

  “Go open the trailer door, and grab the rope. We’re going to have to fight her to get her back in that trailer again.”

  The boy turned to do as he had been told. I caught a side glance of his face, but that was all I needed.  As Aaron opened the door to the horse trailer, I also saw the license plate. It read half a six 19. I now knew what had happened to my horse. I have got to go tell Dad. I quietly slipped into the woods running only when I reached a safe distance from the scene.

  She’s here! I whinnied out to my owner. She’s such a sight for sore eyes. I hurried over to her. I knew she would come back for me! I just knew it! She strokes my face and neck. Oh, that feels so good. Patting my head she turns and walks down the fence. I follow in step beside her. I’m not going to let her out of my sight. The loud noise of the contraption that brought me here starts in the background. My owner steps away and hides in the brush. It pulls up to the gate. The two males come around the trailer. The bigger one is yelling and the smaller one is anxious; they are both worried. The young one seems sad. He turns and opens the awful door to the noisy contraption while the man opens the gate. My owner slips away into the woods. She’s running; she’s leaving me!

  I whinny for her to come back but she keeps going. I can see the man coming after me; he has rope.

  I don’t think so. You’re not getting your hands on me again. I pin my ears at his approach and take off down the fence. He bolts after me trying to cut me off. I don’t have a choice. I’m not going to let him get me. Narrowing my eyes I bolt towards the fence. It’s coming up too fast for me to stop. I breathe in and spring into the air like the first time. I clipped the top board but managed to make a better landing than my first time. I take off in the direction my owner ran. Behind me, I see the man grabbing the top rail and coming after me. Running a few feet I see movement in the woods to my left. I take off towards it.

  I hope it’s my owner. I think to myself. 

  Chapter 8

  Running for My Life

  I tore through the woods, looping back towards where I had stashed my bike. Crap, what a day to loose your phone! I gritted my teeth. Please let her still be here, when I get back. I had made it several yards almost to the dirt track that led to the road when I heard something behind crashing through the brush towards me. I took a quick glance behind me. It was too big to be a person, taking another look; I could tell it was Sandy plowing through behind me. I stopped and grabbed a hold of the halter on her face.

  “Easy, girl.” I tried to get her calmed down. She was dancing around me, her eyes wild and nostrils big from snorting. As I moved with Sandy trying to clam her, I caught a glance of a taller figure coming through the woods. Crap! There was no way I could out run him. Just get to the road! And flag down a car. I looked at Sandy.

  “You’re going to have to work with me here girl.” I said and took off with my flighty mare mostly pulling me off my feet as we ran.

  Breaking out onto the trail, Sandy sped up. I was doing my best to keep up, but I knew it was just a matter of time before I would run out of luck and have to let her go or get hurt. Thankfully, I saw the road up ahead. Please, Please, let there be some traffic! I glanced behind us, no sign of Aaron's brother.

  As we came closer to the road, I started to pull Sandy out of her crazy run and down into a trot. Once she was under control, I looked over my shoulder again, still no sign of our hunter. Not daring to slow down, we trotted next to the road towards home. I’ll come back for my bike later. As I remembered, I had left it behind.

  The rumble of a car coming up the road, made me a little nervous. My nerves calmed down as a little car approached and passed. We’re almost home, were fine. I thought, letting it pass without flagging it down.

  We made it! I thought trotting down the driveway. Hannah must have been watching for me cause the whole family was rushing out of the house. I slowed Sandy to a walk and patted her neck

  “Good girl, you did great.”

  “I knew it!” A shrill voice said as we approached. Dad had a lead in his hand and clipped it to the halter once he could reach her head. He handed the lead to Mom. I pulled my hand out of the halter and tried to massage some blood flow back into it.

  “You found her!” Mom said. “Where was she?”

  “I was going through the woods and she came running up to me.” I said giving Hannah a look. Hannah pressed her lips together but didn’t say anything.

  “Well, she doesn’t look like she’s in too bad of shape. She’s lost some weight and has a few wounds, but other than that she looks good.” Dad said running his hand along her side.

  “Must have been loose with some other horses. Go put her into her stall and give her some feed.” Mom said handing the lead to me.

  “I’m going to go call the police and tell them that we found her.” Dad said as he walked back to the house.

  I led Sandy to the barn, Hannah followed. Once we were in the barn, I turned to her.

  “Let’s just keep Aaron’s family out of this. I think they are in enough trouble already.” I said.

  “But they stole Sandy!”

  “I’m not upset, she’s safe and back home.”

  “You need to tell Dad.” She left it at that and climbed into the loft to grab some hay.

  “I’ll tell him later.” I yelled after her.

  I put Sandy in her stall, pulling off the halter. I gave her face a good scratching. Once Hannah had dropped the hay down the shoot, Sandy turned and started chowing down. Turning on her water bucket, I walked out and closed her stall door.

  “I’ll be back out tomorrow girl, so get nice and rested. We have a lot of work to get started on” I smiled and walked out of the barn with Hannah.

  Chapter 9

  Mounting Trouble

  I have to catch that horse. I thought as I jumped the fence. Gritting
my teeth together I pounded after the mare. If she gets away, it’s over. I need that money. I had stolen the horse to pay back some debts I had racked up from a loan shark. He was a very powerful person who would stop at nothing to get his money out of me.

  Trying my best to keep quiet, so as not to spook the horse anymore than she already was, I followed off to the side of her. She had stopped a few yards ahead. I need to scare her back towards the pen. My chances of catching her were dwindling by the second.

  The mare was off again. She was running towards someone. It was a girl. She turned around to see what the noise was. Who would be out here in the woods this late in the evening? No other person fit other than the owner of the horse. She must not have trusted Aaron.

  She grabbed a hold of the horse’s halter. As she did so, we locked eyes. You have to leave Now! Not waiting to see what she would do I crashed through the underbrush, heading back towards the truck. I startled Aaron who was leaning up against the trailer.

  “Pack up, we’re leaving.” I snapped at Aaron. Running past him, I stopped in front of the gate fumbling with the chain and latch and swung the gate open figuring the horses would find their way out.

  Scrambling back through the woods. I darted into the shack where we lived. Grabbing a trash bag I quickly and carelessly threw all I could into it. Grabbing another I filled it also. Aaron did the same, filling a few bags himself.

  “Let’s go.” I growled grabbing what I had collected.

  “What’s wrong?” Aaron stuttered, he was looking away from where I was hastily tying my bags. We hurried down the path from the house to the corral.

  “Your little friend was out in the woods. She has the horse. We have to go now.” I let the anger come out in my voice.

  “Okay.” Aaron said.

  I thrusted the bags I was carrying to him and went to unhitch the trailer. Aaron threw the bags into the bed of the truck and jumped into the cab. Quickly raising the trailer off the truck, I unchained it, jumped into the cab, started the truck and shot out of the driveway. The girl was nowhere to be seen. I’ll bet she’s already home, and the cops are on their way. I jammed the pedal to the floor. Got to get out of this state.

  Chapter 10

  A Finishing Decision

  Two weeks later, I tacked up one of the family horses and met up with Kayla for a evening ride.

  “So where did you find her?” Kayla asked after we had been riding for a bit.

  “She was at Aaron’s, his brother stole her.”

  “Really! Did you call the cops?”

  “Not to worry. I went back yesterday with my Dad, and they’ve abandoned their place. It was a mess, looked like they had left in a hurry. His school books were left behind too. They had his name in the front of them.” That was all I had needed to know. “The trailer they had used was still there, and thankfully the gate had been left open and all the horses were gone.

  “Well, I’m glad that she’s safe.” She said with a smile. We continued in silence for a ways. I heard Kayla chuckling behind me.

  “What?” I asked looking back at her.

  “What happened? I thought you weren’t into horses anymore?” Kayla teased.

  “Well, actually I wasn’t that into boys. I was just afraid of doing to Sandy what I did to Bell.” The smile left her face. I thought about that for a bit. Looking back at her, I smiled.

  “I’ve made some mistakes in the past. But, beating myself up and giving up something that means so much to me isn’t the right answer either. Horses are definitely my thing! Horses forever! Boy’s Whatever!”

  “Weeeell, that new boy is kinda cute.” Kayla said.

  I shot her a nasty look, until I noticed Kayla cracking a grin. We both joined in a good laugh. Grinning mischievously, I squeezed my horse into a run. Kayla following suite, we raced back home.

  ###

  Dedication

  To my family and friend’s: who encouraged me and helped me push though.

  To my mom: for all her help, absolutely without a doubt with out you this would have never happened. Literally!

  To my amazing beau: thanks for being there for me through thick and thin. Your encouragement means more to me than you know.

  To my friend’s: thanks for all of your input and help. It gave me the hutzpah to get this done.

  And finally to Sharon, my adopted grandma: Even though you didn’t get to see this finished, I know you would be proud. Love you and don’t have too much fun in heaven without us!

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