It was during the second circuit of the field that things started to unravel. She had trotted farther than she had planned, past the halfway mark and then some, and the thoroughbred was getting a little quick.
Close your fingers, sink your weight into your seat, open your body angle, she remembered. Except it wasn’t working. The mare continued to lengthen her stride into a ground-eating trot. Suddenly, a grouse exploded from the long grass beside the trail, and they were off.
Laura clutched wildly at the reins, seesawing frantically and trying to remember what she had been taught about stopping a runaway. The mare had settled into a dead run and was still following the trail in a straight line, so there was little chance of Laura falling off – for now.
The frightened, over-horsed girl was attempting a pulley rein by anchoring one hand against Glory’s neck and pulling up and back with the other rein – to little avail. She was neither strong enough nor aggressive enough to accomplish this desperate act, and they were quickly approaching the turnoff to the barn.
Whooosh!
Something sailed past Laura’s head. It was Flash.
“Stop her!” Laura shrieked.
Flash flew ahead of the mare, blocking her path, then gradually slowed his pace. The mare, ears forward, followed suit until she was back to a bouncy trot. From there, Laura was able to rein her in.
“Are you all right?” Flash asked, concerned. He flitted around Glory’s head. “Bad mare.”
Glory snorted loudly.
“Are you all right?”
This was not an echo, but Mrs. Leeds’ worried shout from the edge of the field. Flash quickly departed to the cover of the nearby trees.
“Meet me at the backpack,” Laura said out of the side of her mouth.
The stable owner was extremely upset about the incident and apologized profusely. “You poor dear, I’m so sorry. I had no idea Glory would bolt like that. She’s usually unflappable.”
“It’s not her fault, really. It was a grouse or pheasant or something that spooked her. I’m okay, for real.” Laura undid her helmet and shook out her hair.
“Funny, I could have sworn I saw a big silver bird flying around you when you stopped. Did you see it?” Mrs. Leeds looked puzzled.
Laura had not realized that the woman had witnessed so much of Flash’s rescue. “Uh…I think it was just a seagull. Funny, huh? Scared by a grouse and saved by a seagull.”
“Yes, very odd indeed,” Mrs. Leeds mused.
True to his word, Flash had made his way back to the barn and was tucked into his backpack by the time Laura was ready to leave. Mrs. Leeds continued offering apologies, which Laura, waiting impatiently for her mother to pick her up, persisted in waving off.
She was anxious to get home. Her parents were hosting one of their famous summer pot-luck barbeques and she wanted to help with the preparations. She liked her parents’ friends. Most were musicians and it was inevitable that an impromptu jam session would break out. Wisely, the neighbours were invited as well, and no one had ever complained about the noise.
Flash was tucked away in Laura’s room with an extra-special dinner of oatmeal cookies and a handful of sweet feed filched from the feed room at the barn. Laura had planted grass seed in a large clay pot on the windowsill so that Flash could nibble on fresh greenery whenever he wanted. She had told her mother it was for the cat. “Maxi really likes it, Mom, except when she eats too much and yaks on the floor.”
Oddly, Maxi and Flash had actually become friends after their initial stormy meeting. Laura would often find them curled up together in the closet on Flash’s baby blanket nest, Maxi purring loudly, Flash snoring.
This night, Laura threw the windows open wide so that Flash could enjoy the sights and sounds of the party. She stroked his neck and ran her fingers along his strong wings. “You did good today, Flash. Thanks.”
Flash bowed his head sheepishly and gave Laura his best “aw, gosh” look.
Friends and neighbours began arriving around seven-thirty and mingled on the Connors’ spacious back deck, which was brightly lit with wonderfully tacky patio lanterns and tall tiki torches. There seemed to be a never-ending parade of food coming from the grill and the kitchen. Hamburgers, steaks, shrimp kabobs and a table laden with every conceivable type of salad greeted the hungry guests.
Krissy, who had just arrived with her parents, eyed the spread greedily and said, “It’s like an all-youcan-eat barf-ay,” as she scooped up a huge handful of taco chips. After making cheerful small talk to all the grownups – “Yes, I’m nearly thirteen now,” and “I love your hair,” and “Your daughter Sarah’s on my soccer team” – Laura and Krissy helped themselves to heaping plates of food. They stole around to the front porch where it was quieter and they could talk freely without being overheard.
Krissy listened with widening eyes while Laura told of her harrowing near-disaster with Glory and Flash’s quick thinking.
“That’s so awesome,” Krissy gushed. “But what about Mrs. Leeds? Didn’t she see him?”
“Well, yes and no,” Laura explained. “I convinced her he was just a seagull.”
The conversation turned to Laura’s birthday, which was now only three days away. As the girls ate and talked, an unwelcome but increasingly familiar figure appeared in the glow of the streetlight across the road. It was Blade, shuffling slowly along with his head down. Even from where the girls sat, they could tell that the boy was dejected. He looked up and stopped.
Laura hesitated only a second. “Hey kid, come over here.”
Krissy looked at her like she’d gone mad.
“It’s okay. I promise I won’t beat you up,” Laura called out again. The boy looked confused and hesitant, but crossed the street and approached the pair slowly.
“What’s up?” It was less of a question than a peace offering.
Laura put her plate down and stood up. “Let’s start over, okay? My name is Laura Connor and this is Krissy Martineau. Your name is actually Todd, right? I know it’s not really Blade, ’cause you were in one of my classes last semester.”
The boy looked decidedly off balance at this sudden change of heart. He had expected a confrontation. It would have been the second one so far that evening. Laura was startled to see a darkening on his left cheek when the light from the streetlamp fell across it. A bruise? She thought so. Something was clearly not right in this boy’s life. Laura felt a twinge of something – concern, or perhaps pity, much to her surprise. Just hours before, she would have gladly clouted him herself, even though it was totally against her nature.
As if reading her mind, Todd/Blade squared his shoulders. “It’s okay. It’s just my dad…let’s just say I’m better off out of his sight and his reach when he’s gettin’ his swerve on.”
Once the meaning set in, Laura was horrified. She could never imagine her own parents raising a hand to her. “Hey,” she said suddenly. “Do you want something to eat? There’s tons of food.” Before Todd could answer, she was through the screen door and running through the house.
She returned a couple of minutes later with a plate heaping with potato salad, barbequed shrimp and a fresh, thick hamburger. “I didn’t know what you wanted on your burger, so I put everything on it. You can pick off what you don’t want.” She handed him a plastic knife and fork.
Todd took the plate after only a moment’s hesitation. He sank down on the step and began to eat slowly, carefully, and then ravenously. Laura wondered how long it had been since he’d last had a decent meal.
The girls picked at their nearly empty plates just to be polite while Todd ate. When he was done, he wiped his mouth on his sleeve. He smiled shyly at Laura, who could not believe how such a simple facial expression could completely change how a person looked. Instead of surly and unfriendly, he actually looked, well, kinda cute.
“Thanks, that was really great. You’re really lucky, you know. To have all this, I mean.” With a wave of his hand, he indicated their modest but comfortable
house with happy sounds coming from the backyard.
He’s right, Laura thought. We may not be rich, but I’m a very lucky girl.
CHAPTER 10
Todd was the first to broach the subject that was hanging like a shroud over the trio on the porch.
“Look, I’m sorry about everything, stealing your Pegasus and all. I promise I won’t try it again, and you’re right, it would be stupid to tell anyone about it, ’cause they’d just think I was high or making it up. It’s just that I’m really into fantasy and stuff, and he’s so cool, you know, I just wanted–”
“Forget it,” Laura interrupted. “Really.”
“I’d really like to talk to him. I mean, he really does talk, right? It wasn’t my imagination?”
Laura smiled widely. “Yeah, he really does talk.
Too much, sometimes.” She briefly explained about the storm and how Flash came to life.
“That’s so wild. Just imagine the stuff he’s seen and the stories he could tell.” Todd was genuinely excited, his eyes shining. “Do you think…would it be possible to meet him sometime?”
After rolling it over in her mind, Laura replied, “I think that’s entirely up to Flash.”
“Absolutely not!” Flash declared vehemently when Laura posed the question several hours later. She and Krissy had retreated upstairs for a moment while the band set up out back.
Todd had left shortly after their truce on the porch, promising to return the next day for the verdict. “If that was okay,” he had quickly added.
Laura had assured him that it was.
Flash, however, was not at all happy about the prospect of another meeting with “that dreadful boy,” as he referred to Todd. “Nothing good will come of it,” he warned, stamping his hoof angrily. “Mark my words.”
Laura did not agree with Flash’s dire predictions. In fact, she was beginning to change her mind about Todd. While on the outside, he appeared to be a dangerous, brooding rebel, she now realized that inside, he was just a lost and lonely boy with a miserable home life.
It took a lot of persuading, but Flash finally gave in. “My fate is in your hands,” he said, bowing dramatically, but his eyes showed no signs of humour.
“Ohhhh,” Krissy groaned, rolling over and squinting against the harsh sunlight streaming through the curtains. “It can’t be morning already.”
“I’m afraid it is, girls,” said Mrs. Connor from the doorway. She looked amazingly fresh considering the music and partying had gone on well into the wee hours. “If you two want breakfast, you’d better think about rising and shining.”
“I might rise, but I’m not too sure about the shining part,” Laura muttered from under the covers.
The smell of bacon wafting up the stairs did the trick. As the girls yawned and stretched, Flash trotted out of his closet haven. He was closely followed by Maxi, who rubbed against his side, nearly knocking him over with her furry bulk. “Cats,” Flash sniffed in mock disgust. “So, when do I get to meet Mr. Personality?”
Laura laughed. “His name is Todd and I think he’s coming over this afternoon.”
As promised, Todd did show up right after lunch. It was a very different boy who stood on the porch on this day. At Laura’s request, his signature black clothes were replaced by a pair of faded jeans and a simple white t-shirt, and his unruly black hair was combed back off his face. Gone was the black eyeliner, although the eyebrow ring was still in place. Laura thought she detected the slightest touch of concealer over the bruised cheek, but it was barely noticeable.
“Hi!” she greeted him lightly. “You look really great.”
Todd looked embarrassed, but grinned shyly.
“You have to meet my mom and dad,” Laura said. “They’re on their way out shopping, but no one is allowed in the house unless they’ve inspected them first.”
The meeting was awkward, as Todd had few social skills to speak of, but he did his best to be polite to her parents. Before they walked out the door, Mrs. Connor pulled her daughter aside. “He’s an odd one. Not like the rest of your friends. Kind of strange and a bit spooky. Are you sure he’s okay? How old is he?”
“I’m positive, Mom. He’s thirteen and he’s just been going through a tough time lately. We’re only going to hang out back for a bit and finish cleaning up from the party, so don’t worry.”
Her mother sighed. “All right then. I have my cell on me if you need to call. For any reason.” She glanced toward Todd, who was pretending to inspect their new garden shed. With a kiss and a wave, she was gone.
Laura retrieved Flash from his upstairs hideaway and carried him out to a secluded part of the backyard. She placed him in the empty bird bath, where he looked up quizzically at the open-mouthed Todd. “Wow,” the astounded boy breathed. “Can I touch him?”
Flash tensed a bit as Todd’s hand caressed his wings and back, but he did not protest.
“Say something.”
Flash looked at Todd. “Oh help, I’ve been stuffed in a smelly bag and kidnapped by a dreadful boy… How’s that?”
“Flash!” Laura admonished. “Don’t be rude.”
“What are you planning to do with him?” Todd asked, unaffected by the snub.
“Do with him? Nothing.” Laura shrugged. “He’s welcome to stay with me as long as he likes. It’s not like I own him or anything. He’s free to leave at any time.”
Flash was a bit hurt by her breezy reply, but at the same time thought it very decent of her not to think of him as property.
Todd was full of questions: “Where did you come from? Are there others like you? Were there monsters? How did they die? What were the battles like?”
Flash answered each as best he could, glancing often at Laura for guidance and assurance. She finally ended the friendly interrogation about an hour later, leaving Flash free to flit about the garden. He plucked a fresh pea pod off the vine and took it to a shady spot, where he munched noisily on its green goodness.
Before Todd left, Laura and Krissy swore him to absolute secrecy. “I typed up an agreement that we all have to sign,” Laura said.
She went up to her room and retrieved the document she had created and printed that morning. She was quite proud of the wording. Thanks to her dictionary and thesaurus it sounded very mature and legal. It read:
We the undersigned agree to never reveal the whereabouts of, nor admit to the existence of, the two-hand-high flying talking Pegasus commonly known as Flash. Failure to obey the terms of this pact will result in expulsion from the group and loss of contact with said Flash, and other possible punishment yet to be decided.
“We need a name for this pact,” Krissy said.
Laura thought for a moment. “We’ll call ourselves the Turtle Creek Triad,” she announced. “I read where a triad was a group of three people with something in common… I think. Anyway, it sounds cool.”
The others agreed. Todd thought they should seal the bond in blood, but the girls thought the old “blood brother” ritual of mashing punctured thumbs together was just too gross. They finally agreed to prick their thumbs with a pin and each leave a fingerprint on the printed pact, which they also signed. As an afterthought, Flash dipped a hoof in the muddy earth under the bird bath and applied his mark to the top of the paper. It all looked very official and powerful – like something not even the darkest magic could destroy.
July 17th dawned grey and gloomy, but Laura didn’t care if it was snowing gerbils. Her thirteenth birthday had finally arrived! She had asked Mrs. Leeds for the day off work, which was met with wholehearted approval. She and Krissy had planned a day of fun which included brunch at her favourite pancake house, a movie and then the rest of the afternoon at the local riverfront beach, weather permitting. Laura had asked her mother if Todd could accompany them. Reluctant at first, her mother had softened when her daughter explained that Todd was struggling with a difficult home life and just needed someone to be nice to him for a change.
“He’s really a good gu
y underneath,” Laura insisted. “Trust me on this one.”
“I trust you, honey,” her mother said, hugging her suddenly. “You always tell the truth.”
Except when I don’t, Laura thought sadly as she hugged her mother back. There is one secret I wish I didn’t have to keep.
The foursome had an excellent day. Laura and her mother were especially pleased to see Todd, normally shy and withdrawn in situations involving adults, blossom into a smiling, appreciative teenager who tucked into his plate of sausages and waffles like it was his last meal and laughed out loud during the comedy they chose to watch at the cineplex. He even withstood the good-natured teasing from the girls about his pasty “chicken legs” while they were at the beach. The dark clouds that had been threatening all day had parted as if on cue during the late afternoon.
“You really could use some sun, son,” Laura giggled, tossing him the sunscreen. “Here, put some of this on or you’re going to look like a lobster tomorrow.”
Back at home, happy and tired, with sand in their shoes and their faces touched with colour, Laura opened her presents. Krissy’s gift to her was a new plush cat bed. “For Maxi,” she explained, nodding at the chubby feline sauntering across the kitchen floor in search of kibbles. Laura knew the present was actually intended for their fabulous feathered equine friend who was currently sleeping on a pile of old blankies.
Laura’s normally frugal parents had outdone themselves as their only child stood eagerly on the threshold of teenage life. The new clothes and CDs were wonderful, but the showstopper was the coveted Breyer Pegasus.
“Oh Mom, it’s fabulous!” Laura cried.
“It is nice,” her mother agreed. “By the way, I haven’t seen your porcelain Pegasus statue around for a while. I hope nothing’s happened to it.”
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