May Story Contest
Night Shade
By: Microphone
Age: 11I glared angrily at Ben. How could he be smiling after what had happened? I turned my gaze away. Let him be happy. I wouldn’t be. Not after Sparkle died. I could never be happy after Sparkle died.
“Hey! Chelsea! Over here!” It was Ben. I stopped, dumped my bag onto the dirt and stomped over. “What’s put you in a grump, Chel?”
“Don’t call me that!” I snapped. “What’d you want?”
“Look in the barn,” He nodded towards the big white stable. ‘Better not be another horse,’ I thought bitterly. It was.
I stepped into the brightly lit aisle. There was a handsome bay in Sparkle’s old stall. The nameplate had been changed – so soon?
“Do you like him?” Ben had come up behind me.
“No,” I snapped again. “I can’t like any horse after Sparkle.” I stormed out of the stable, grabbed my school bag from where I’d dumped it, and crashed into the house. I greeted Jett and Katie (my dogs) and threw my bag in my bedroom.
I flopped on the bed. ‘I’d better do my chores. But how can I with that bay’ sitting where – where, Sparkle used to be?’ I sat up. I’d bear it for an hour. I had to take care of Pegasus, Rose, Goldie, Sandy, Windy, Mountain and General. Ben could take care of Nameless. I wouldn’t touch him.
I screamed with frustration! Ben had left early, and my brother was sick, so I had to take care of Nameless. I fell back on my bed, shut off my bedside lamp and tried to sleep.
At one o’ clock in the morning, Jett was getting restless. Jett and Katie slept in my room, so I groggily got up and flopped to the front door to let them out for a break. Since I was up I decided to have something to eat. I quickly got some cereal and sat at the kitchen table. Katie started whining at the door, so I let the dogs in and finished my breakfast.
It was too early to feed the horses so I settled down to watch a movie.
Ben arrived at 6, as usual, and I went out to help him with the horses. But I refused to touch Nameless.
“Chelsea, come on – he’s a nice horse.”
“NO!” I furiously brushed Windy’s gray mane. “You know I will never like him.”
“Fine. I’ll take him for a ride today. Wanna come?”
“No. I’m riding with Rosa and Nicki today,”
“As usual,”
I stuck my tongue out at him and finished grooming Windy. “I’m riding Windy now.”
“And Rosa’s riding Goldie and Nicki’s riding General.”
“Yep,”
Rosa and Nicki arrived early, thank God, and I was able to leave Ben with Mountain, Nameless and Pegasus to finish.
“So – how are you? Still getting over it?” Rosa asked gently once we were on the trails.
“Yeah – I guess. In my mind I still think she’ll be there every morning, waiting, but…” I trailed off. I shook my head, red braids flying. “Never mind,”
The next day Ben put Nameless into the paddock. It was spring time and he wanted to let him enjoy the sunshine. Windy, Goldie, Sandy and Rose were released into the big pasture together, and the stallions and geldings were left inside.
Rosa and Nicki came by.
“Guess what!” I said excitedly.
“What?” They asked in unison.
“We’re getting another mare! And she’s in-foal!”
“How cool!”
“Will you get to train the foal?”
“Yes and yes! Her name’s Indy and she’s a paint.”
“Cool!”
We tacked up and rode out.
“Have you named the bay yet?”
“His name is Nameless.”
“You can’t call him that Chels! He’s got to be named properly!”
“Ben can name him then.”
“But Chels,”
“NO!”
A week later Indy arrived. She was really fat, and she was sort of a chocolaty brown with white and black.
I led her into her big stall. It was perfect for foaling, as well as regular confinement.
Then one day, something happened.
Ben left early, and my parents were away on a meeting. My brother was away with his friends. Nameless was in the paddock, as usual, grazing near the fence. The mares were in the pasture; all except Indy of course. I watched Nameless, trying to think of a good name, despite myself. Nothing came to me except things like, Unwanted, Worthless, Rascal. No matter how much I hated him, I couldn’t name him something like that. Suddenly I noticed a change in Nameless’s movement. He was sick! I ran to the barn, grabbed a rope and charged into the paddock. I had to get him to a stall as soon as I could, before calling the vet. I tied the rope into a makeshift halter and led him into the barn. Then I tied him to keep him from lying down, and called the vet.
“Dr. Ronald speaking,”
“Dr. Ronald! I need your help! Nameless is sick! He is moving all slow and he’s looking real bad!”
“Alright – I’ll be over right away Chelsea,”
Five minutes later I heard Dr. Ronald’s car on the drive, and awaited him anxiously.
“What’s wrong with him Ron?” I asked tentatively, after the vet had checked Nameless over.
“Good thing you tied him up. He’s ingested night shade, and it has given him a really bad stomach ache – worse even than colic.”
“What can we do?”
“I’ll give him a shot. It’s should ease his pain and hopefully help his stomach.”
I remember nursing him for days. I sat with him, stroked him, told him he would be okay. I remember crying for him, hoping he wouldn’t die. I couldn’t bear it if he did.
After a week, I lost all hope. He still didn’t show any signs of getting better. Dr. Ron checked him everyday. And everyday he shook his head and said, “It’s a wonder he’s still alive,”
And everyday I petted him and cried over him.
One day I woke up and he was standing, shakily, in his stall, drinking from his bucket.
“You survived night shade!” I said excitedly.
And then it struck me. His name; Night Shade.
Soon there will be another story about Night Shade and Chelsea. Look for it soon!