July Story Contest

The Midnight Ride
By: Princess777
Age: 11

11 year old Jenna Parker listened to the sounds of her mom and dad fighting downstairs. "I can't believe this", Jenna thought angrily. "They are always fighting these days".
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "Come in", Jenna called. Her mom walked in. "Jenna", she said gently. "Yes", Jenna answered, fearing the worst.
"Your father and I have decided to get divorced." Her mother's words rang in Jenna's mind. "Jenna?", her mom called.
"What do you mean getting divorced", Jenna said, feeling very confused.
"I mean your father and I are splitting up".
"Splitting up, SPLITTING UP, GETTING DIVORCED", Jenna said angrily.
"Calm down, Jenna", Mrs. Parker said gently. "You will  be able to see your father once he moves out."
"Dad is moving out?" Jenna said, now very confused.
"Yes, your father is moving out", Mrs. Parker replied.
"Now, I am going to get dinner started. I will call you when it is ready."

Jenna thought angrily. "I am going to run away tonight, and no one is going to stop me." Jenna went down stairs, ate her dinner quickly, and went back upstairs to pack.
 It was 12:00 midnight. Everyone except Jenna was asleep. She sneaked down the stairs to the kitchen, and got as much food as she could carry. Then she went into her father's office, took off the picture from the wall where her father's safe was. Mr. Parker had told her the combination. Jenna quickly opened it and took most of the money out. She packed the money into her bag, and headed out of the office. She sneaked out the front door and onto the road. It was 12:30 when she reached the stables her 5 year old mare Snowbelle was boarded. Snowbelle was asleep when Jenna reached her stall. Snowbelle woke up and stood up. Jenna quickly brushed her and tacked her up. She mounted up and walked Snowbelle out of the stables.
   It was about 2:00 when Jenna and Snowbelle reached an abandoned stables. The stables was very big. It had two stories, and 8 stalls. Jenna led Snowbelle into an empty stall and quickly untacked and brushed her. She smelled the hay and made sure that it wasn't moldy before giving it to Snowbelle. While Snowbelle ate the hay, Jenna decided to look around. There was an office, and in that office was a bed. On the bed there was no pillows or bed sheets. It was a good thing that she brought some. She made the bed, laid down, and fell fast asleep.

When Jenna woke up, she realized where she was. She quickly got up to check on Snowbelle. Snowbelle had her head over the stall door and nickered when she saw Jenna. "At least I have you," Jenna said to Snowbelle. She looked around and found a tack room and put all her tack in it. Jenna also found a feed room, with storage bins full of grain, still fresh. I guess the people just moved out of here. Jenna went outside and saw an indoor arena. Behind it were green paddocks. "Wow," Jenna said. "This place is perfect for Snowbelle and I." She then took Snowbelle out to graze in the paddock, while she went inside to brush her teeth. She found the bathroom to find that there was no running water. She went outside and saw that there was a water trough with a hose beside it. Jenna brushed her teeth with the water from the hose and went inside to eat an apple. Once she was finished, she went to muck out Snowbelle's stall.
When she was finished, Jenna realized how hungry she was she knew she couldn't live on the food that she had brought. She then counted the money that she had taken from her father. All together it was $30,000. Jenna was so shocked. She didn't know what to think, until her stomach growled. She stood up and took $70. she walked to the nearest store. She bought cereal, fruits, seeds, vegetables, granola bars, drinks, a cooler, and ice.

Four months went by. A year went by. Two more years went by. Four more years went by. Seven years in all. Now 18  years old, and still living in the stables with Snowbelle. The only thing Jenna thought about was herself and Snowbelle. She soon forgot about her parents. One day, when she was going to bed, she decided to search the office. She looked through a drawer and found a dusty black book. As she read the pages it all started coming back to her, her family, her old life. She immediately packed all her things, and went to tack up Snowbelle. She mounted up and walked Snowbelle through a hidden trail.
 It was two hours before she reached the stables. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at Jenna and Snowbelle. Jenna's best friend, Chelsea, immediately raced toward her. Jenna dismounted and hugged Chelsea. "Everyone thought you were dead" Chelsea cried. "Your parents didn't divorce after all."
" I have to go home," Jenna said quickly.
"Will you take care of Snowbelle?" Chelsea nodded and led Snowbelle away.

Jenna ran all the way home. When she got to the big house she rang the doorbell and waited until her mother opened the door. Once Mrs. Parker looked at Jenna's face, she started crying. She hugged Jenna and brought her inside. She called Mr. Parker, who was also overjoyed to see his daughter. He hugged her very hard and held her tight. Jenna cried in his arms. She heard someone crying upstairs. She walked up the stairs with her mom and dad following behind. Her bedroom was completely changed. Half of the room was pink, and the other was blue. There were two cribs in the room. In the cribs were a baby girl and a baby boy: twins.
"Meet your baby brother and sister, Aaron and Abigail. They are both 1 year old." Mrs. Parker said happily. Jenna with tears in her eyes picked up Aaron and Abigail.
"Snowbelle and I are safely home, seeing my parents again, and seeing my baby brother and sister." Jenna hugged her mom and dad with tears in her eyes. "We will have a party on Sunday for our daughter coming home", Mrs. Parker said.
The party at church was amazing. Everybody had fun. Jenna grew up and went to college. She became an equine vet and got married.