The Life Of A Horse

Chapter 10

No, no, no. I can't have the feelings now. I can't reveal my secret to everyone. I close my eyes picturing the horse me-Dakota. The cracklings sound comes and I squeeze my eyes shut as hard as I can and I see me as a horse so vividly I think it's real life for a second.

I open my eyes and look down but what I see surprises me more than anything. Horse legs. Did I control that or did it just happen that I didn't turn?

I look ahead and see a few big barns and huge pastures. Is this where I'm staying? We keep walking and they lead me to a barn on the right and Magic to a barn on the left.

We get in the barn and I hesitate. There is no way I am going in a little stall. I rear up and try to turn around. It's too bad I can't bite my ropes right now. They get me under control and are pushing my hind legs forcing me forward little by little.

I buck and my hooves hit something. I hear someone cuss loudly. I hurt him badly. They finally get a shot and put it in me. I relax and go to sleep.

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When I wake up I am in the stall. I stand up and look out. They blocked my back window so I look out into the corridor. I hear two people walking down toward me. One says, "You will like this new one. She is a beauty." Are they talking about me?

They come in view and they stop at my stall, "Here she is." "Wow she is.." The guy I'm guessing must be the boss around here stops to look for the right words. "...Magnificent." I whinny in agreement. "What's a good name for her?" They sit in silence staring at me. "What about Beauty? And her full name can be Dark Beauty." The boss answers, "I like it." I turn around facing the back window and hit it with my forehead trying to get it open. They laugh and open it for me.

They then leave talking about new horses and they tell someone else to get a nameplate with the name "Dark Beauty" on it and put it on my stall. He nods and leaves. I turn around and look out the back window. All the horses have their own mini pasture out back. I see mine and wish they would open the door so I could go out. But at least they opened the window.

I sigh and lay down thinking about Magic. I soon find myself drifting off to sleep dreaming about Magic, the herd, and how I could possibly escape.

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I wake up probably half an hour later. I notice three people standing at my stall watching me so I stand up. They are putting my nameplate on my stall. I surprise them by walking over and putting my head over the stall. They reach up to pet me but I don't trust them that much. I walk backwards and look out the back window and keep kicking the door to give them the hint that I want it open.

One person gets the hint. He laughs and says, "Don't worry Beauty, you can go outside into the mustang pasture tomorrow." Mustang pasture? They look at me and then leave. It's getting dark so they close my back window.

This is irritating. I'm cooped up in this stall with nothing to even look at. There isn't even a horse across from me. I sigh and pace around my stall several laps before eating my hay. Later someone shuts the front window so I just give up and try to go to sleep. But I'm not tired. I just stand there trying to go to sleep but I'm really thinking about Sunstruck, Magic, Ashley, and the herd. I fall asleep also looking forward to tomorrow.