A Dark Horse (Part 2)

I sighed with relief as I watched that boy walk away. I twisted my ears forward and leaned toward the girl rubbing my nose. Her touch was soft. Kind. She smelled good. Safe.

The boy turned the corner around the doors to the outside of the arena. I took a timid step forward, closer to the girl. She started to stroke my neck and whispered to me. I liked her voice. I let my ears twist and move to better pick up on the gentle tones.

“What should we do now?”

I snuffled lightly and dropped my head a little toward the ground. She picked up the dragging lead rope still attached to my halter, and I followed her to my stall.

****

The next day, the girl came by my stall again. She rubbed my nose when I greeted her, hanging my head over the stall door.

“Hi, Boy! What are you still doing in this stall?” She started to move her hand toward the latch, while grabbing the halter and lead from the hanger. Just then Kip walked up on us.

“What do you think you’re doing?” He snarled at the girl.

“I’m turning him out.”

“Leave him. Dumb, disrespectful hose. I talked to the owner last night. They don’t want no rank horse. They’re sending him to auction.”

“No!” The girl gasped. “They can’t do that!”

“They want a better horse. Now leave that colt be, like I said.”

I pinned my ears back in anger. I couldn’t understand the words, but I didn’t like the sound of the boy’s voice, or how he felt to me.

I watched as the girl turned and walked away then. I felt confused and sad and pawed at the door of my stall, banging and rattling the wood.

The boy raised his hand in a gesture to hit me. “Stop it, you stupid mutt-horse!” He shouted, then left, too.

I paced, alone then in the dirty space. My legs were restless, carrying me in frantic circles.

***

The next day, the girl came back to my door. She was smiling. I greeted her with a low whinny and pricked my ears. She gave me a treat and a pat to my forehead. Then she put my halter on and led me from the stall!

“Come on, Horse. Let’s go outside and get some fresh air.”

“Outside?” I thought excitedly and gave her a little shove and began to rush for the door. “Outside! Outside!”

The girl stood still, holding the end of the lead and giggled.

“I know you’ve been stuck in here for too long, but you really need to relax and be nice, then we can get there.” She spoke kindly and patted my neck. I stopped pulling and tried to slow down, but my feet wouldn’t stop prancing. I needed to get out that door! “Come on, come on!” I thought, with a toss of my black mane. “Let’s go!” My hooves danced a staccato on the concrete floor.

Just then Kip tuned the corner. “What are you doing?” He yelled at the girl.

I snorted, stopped moving and shook my head again, this time in anger at his presence, afraid he would force me back into that dark stall. I kicked out, hitting the empty stall behind me, making the wood rattle.

“Let me get this horse turned out, then I’ll tell you.” The girl still beamed as the angry boy looked on, following slowly, but doing nothing to stop her. Or help. We proceeded out the door to the corral, where the girl set me loose. In the cool, fresh air.

The girl watched as I bucked and galloped around and kicked my heels at the sky. She just laughed at the show, then Kip joined her at the rail. Immediately, I stopped my joyful, coltish display and trotted to the far side of the corral, turning back to face him with a loud snort. The boy couldn’t reach me, but I could well hear their conversation. My own ears flicked back and forth to catch their words.

The sound of the boy’s voice felt unpleasant, making me pin my ears and raise my head. The sound of the girl’s voice caused me to feel just the opposite.

***

“What are you doing with this disrespectful animal? He’s dangerous and needs to learn a lesson!” Kip insisted.

“Well, he’s mine now. Not your problem anymore, Kip.”

“What do you mean?” The boy nearly growled, his eyes narrowed.

“I mean, I spoke with his owners last night and worked out a plan with them to buy the colt. They are eager to get rid of him so they can buy a different horse. They are coming by here today to get the first payment.”

“Oh,” Kip replied in almost a response of uncertainty and an undertone of betrayal. “Good luck, then. He’s nasty! And ugly, too.”

Just then, the previous owners of the colt turned down the drive to the stable. Kip and the girl both headed toward the warm barn. Kip hurried up in the lead; the girl walked more slowly behind, pausing to take another look at the colt, who was still watching her with a look of curiosity as his breath puffed in long, white streams from his nostrils in the wintery air. He was most definitely not ugly. She winked at him, thinking to herself, ‘we’ll show them, my beautiful boy!’

***

“Be back soon, Boy,” were the words she said. I didn’t understand, but I liked the sound of her saying it.

She was still smiling when she left. I took a few steps forward and nodded my head up and down a bit, feeling happy and playful. She sounded happy, and that made me hopeful. I watched until she disappeared through the barn door, then looked around, content in the brightness.

Alone and free in the turn-out, I shook my head toward the snowy ground, pawed at the white fluff, and munched some hay beneath the sunshine.