July Story Contest

The Horse of Her Dreams
By: Alyssa
Age: 11

Chapter One

Twelve-year-old Alicia Drew sat bareback on the back of a galloping coal-black stallion. She rocked gently with the horse, and the wind blew back her hair and the stallion's flowing mane and tail.
Suddenly a shout brought Allie back to reality.
Her dad, Rob Drew, was on the phone, and since the two rooms of their apartment were quite small, Allie could easily hear what her dad was saying.
“I'll pay you for the rent as soon as I can, okay! Give me a few more weeks and I'll have the money!” He sounded desperate.
Oh no! Thought Allie. Not again!

Ever since her mother had died in a car crash two years ago, money had been tight in their family. Her dad worked long hours at work just to buy food for himself and Allie. Not to mention the rent for their apartment.
Allie never got any Christmas or birthday gifts, but knowing how hard her dad was working, she never asked for anything.
Now, talking to her dad on the phone was John Henry, the apartment owner. Her dad was in debt for three months worth of rent, and didn't have the money. Allie hated to think what might happen when John ran out of patience.

Ever since she was six, Allie had been horse crazy.
She dreamed about having her own horse and owning a stable when she was grown up. But most of all, jumping a cross-country course.
Living in the big city of Vancouver, Allie rode at Springfield Stables, one of the local riding stables, on a spirited bay gelding named Firefly. On Firefly, Allie had learned to walk, trot, canter, and jump.
The stable was very small and cramped, with limited space for the horses and no trails or paddocks.
There wasn't nearly enough room for a cross-country course, but Allie hadn't given up her dreams.

Since her dad couldn't pay for her riding lessons, Allie had to muck out stalls and groom the horses at the stable to earn money to pay for her lessons at the stable.

Just as Allie finished her sandwich, her dad came into the room, looking tired and upset. He sat down on the chair and let out a sigh.
Allie looked up. “What's the matter, Dad?” she asked.
“Oh, that was John,” her dad mumbled. 
“Of course. He's always calling us at least two times a day and butting into our business,” she mumbled under her breath.
“He says I owe him for three months rent for this apartment, and has only given me one week to get the money to him. I don't know how I'm going to manage to get the money in time.” He heaved a sigh.
Allie didn't know what to say to that.

“I'm going over to Springfield,” she told her father.
He didn't even look up as he nodded.
Allie put on her brown leather paddock boots (a present from her mother) and jeans. Then she went out the door of their apartment and towards Springfield.

The walk from their apartment to Springfield was about three kilometers, but Allie didn't mind. She was used to the routine and didn't mind walking. After all, she was going to get to ride horses when she got to the stable!
On the way there, Allie stopped at the grocery store and bought a carrot for Firefly with the spare change in her pocket.
Allie arrived at the stable in fifteen minutes and walked happily down the aisle to Firefly's stall.

Chapter Two

Allie stopped short at Firefly's stall. The gelding was groaning loudly and rolling on the ground, and even tried to kick his own stomach.
Allie gasped. He had colic!
She ran down the aisle and into the stable owner, Lisa's office. Lisa was nowhere to be seen.
Allie scrambled around on Lisa's desk for a while and then found the phone number of the local vet, Sam Jansen.
She grabbed the phone and quickly dialed the number.

After five rings, Sam answered. “Hello?” he said.
“I'm Alicia Drew, I'm twelve years old, and I'm calling from Springfield Stables. When I arrived, Firefly, the horse I ride in my lessons had colic. Lisa isn't around and I don't know what to do,” Allie said in a rush.
“Calm down,” said Sam soothingly. “I'll be there as soon as I can. Try to get Firefly up on his feet and walk him around.”

Allie hung up and ran back to Firefly's stall.
She grabbed his halter from the hook on the wall and went inside.
Firefly was lying on the ground, very still. At first Allie thought he was dead, but as she came closer she saw his body moving up and down.
She slipped the halter around his head and spoke softly, trying to calm him.
“Firefly, I know you're in pain, but you just need to get up,” Allie told him as she gave gentle tugs on the lead rope.
Firefly groaned and didn't make any attempt to get up.

“He doesn't look good, does he?” said a male voice.
Allie jumped and whirled around. She saw Sam standing behind her.
“You have to help Firefly!” Allie pleaded. “He can't just die!”
“I'll do all I can,” said Sam. He let himself into Firefly's stall and examined him.
Then he pulled out a needle from his black leather handbag and injected it into Firefly.

“It's painkiller,” he explained to Allie. “But I think we've caught this colic too late. He's in a lot of pain right now. The kindest thing to do would be to put him down.”
“No!” Allie cried. She knelt down in the straw and stroked Firefly's neck.
Then she looked up at Sam. “You've got to save him!”
“It's the kindest thing to do, Alicia,” Sam said grimly. “Would you like a moment alone with Firefly?”
Allie nodded. “Yes.”
Sam quietly slipped away.

Tears spilled out of Allie's eyes like a leaky faucet. She buried her face in Firefly's thick black mane.
“I love you, Firefly,” she choked out. “You're the best horse in the world. I'll never forget you.”

In less than second memories of Firefly rushed throughout her head.
How he had taught her to ride when she was scared of horses.
How he obeyed everything she asked of him.
How he listened to her problems when she was feeling down.
How his gentle nicker had always made her feel better.

Firefly's ears twitched a little and he looked at Allie with eyes that had pain in them.
He seemed to be saying, 'I'm in pain. Please help me.'
“I guess the kindest thing to do would be to put you to sleep,” she whispered.

Sam walked up quietly and put a hand on Allie's shoulder. “Are you done?” he asked softly.
Allie nodded and let herself out of the stall, wiping her tears as she did so.

She walked along the barn aisle, dragging her feet on the floor as she walked.
Just then a young women hurried up to Allie. It was Lisa.
“Sorry I'm late for your lesson, Allie,” said Lisa. “I had to go to a dentist appointment. I left you a note on my desk, but I don't know if you found it.”
Then she caught sight of Allie's tear stained face. “What's wrong?”

Just then Sam came up to them. “One of your school horses, Firefly, had colic,” he explained. “As soon as Alicia arrived for her lesson, she saw that Firefly had colic and phoned me. I came as quickly as possible, but we caught the colic too late. I just finished putting him to sleep.”
“Oh,” said Lisa. “I'm sorry, Allie.” She reached out to hug Allie.

Allie couldn't take it anymore. She ran out of the stable and onto the street, sobbing at the same time.
People stared at her as she ran, but she didn't care.
Now, the only horse she loved had died of colic.
Allie hated death, and she had already experienced it when her mother passed away. It was just too much.

Chapter Three

Allie reached their apartment and thudded up the stairs and into their room.
She ran into her tiny bedroom and threw herself down on her bed.
All the memories of Firefly and how much he had taught her flashed through Allie's mind.
She buried her face in her pillow and sobbed.

After 20 minutes, Allie got up and read a book about a girl her age being in a plane crash and surviving in the wild eating berries.
Her dad came home at about six o'clock, and sat down at the table with Allie.
She told him all about Firefly and his colic and him having to be put down.

“That's too bad,” he said sympathetically. “I have some bad news as well. John came into my work today. He yelled at me and said that because I didn't have the money, he is going to take away our apartment.”
“Oh, no!” Allie exclaimed. “What are we going to do?”

“Well, actually, there's something I haven't told you yet,” her father continued. “I really don't want this to happen, but it has to.
I can't afford to pay for the two of us, so I've talked it over, and I'm going to send you to live with your Uncle Mark and Aunt Kylie Marshall on Vancouver Island in a town called Mayfield.
They have a whole stable full of horses, and I figured it would be the best place for you.”

Allie sat there, stunned.
She had never met her aunt and uncle who lived on Vancouver Island.
She was surprised her dad would even think of sending her someplace else.
But Allie knew he couldn't pay the bills for the two of them, so she had to leave.
None of her friends would miss her, because they had all moved away to different towns.
And her aunt and uncle sounded like nice people, owning a stable and all.

But then, unexpectedly, tears welled up in Allie's eyes and streamed down her face.
Her dad leaned over and gave her the biggest hug in the world.
“It'll be okay, honey,” he said, patting Allie on the back. “We can always write letters and talk to each other on the phone, and I'll try and visit when I have enough money.”
 Allie sniffed and nodded. She would miss her father so much!

“Tomorrow, Aunt Kylie and Uncle Mark have payed for you to take the bus to the ferry launch, and then they have booked a spot for you on the nine o'clock ferry.
You'll have to get up around six-thirty to catch the bus. It's a two-hour ride from the ferry launch to Vancouver Island.
Once the ferry gets to the island, you'll get off and Aunt Kylie and Uncle Mark will pick you up and drive to their home.”

“Oh.” Allie got up and gave her dad a bear hug and a kiss. “I'll miss you,” she said. “I guess I should start packing.”
“That's my girl,” said her dad, ruffling Allie's hair. “You'll be okay. It'll all be okay.”

Allie walked into her bedroom and sat down on her bed.
She found a duffel bag packed away deep in her closet and began her clothes into it.
After that was done, Allie still had three quarters of room left in the bag, since she only had a small amount of clothes.
She took her model horse collection and put that in, and found her sketchpad hidden under her bed and packed that, too.
Allie took the picture of herself, her mom, and her dad off the shelf by her window and stuck that in, and also stuck her riding clothes.
Lastly, she took the two horse posters she had off her wall and put them in.

Then Allie zipped up the bag and put it next to the door.
She looked at the kitchen clock. It said it was eight o'clock p.m.
Allie sighed. She might as well go to bed. After all, it was going to be a busy day tomorrow and she needed her rest.

Ten minutes later, Allie lay in her bed, her mind replaying what had all happened that day.
The main things that had happened were Firefly having to be put to sleep and her dad telling her that she was going to live with her Aunt Kylie and Uncle Mark.
All of a sudden, doubts filled Allie's mind.
What if her aunt and uncle didn't like her? What if they made her sleep on the floor?
Allie rolled over in bed and pulled the covers over her head. What would tomorrow bring?

Chapter Four

The next morning Allie awoke to the loud ringing of her alarm clock.
She groaned and rolled over to see what time it was.
Sure enough, it said six-thirty a.m. Time to get up.
With much difficulty, Allie forced herself out of bed. She sorted through her duffel bag where her clothes were packed.

She picked out a sky-blue T-shirt with some navy shorts.
They were the best clothes Allie had, and she thought they would go well with her shoulder-length blonde hair and deep blue eyes.
It was always best to look nice to make a good first impression.

After washing up, Allie headed to the kitchen and made herself a bowl of cereal, using the last of the Cheerios.
Her dad was already at the table, and greeted her with a big hug.
He stood back to admire her. “You look wonderful, sweetheart,” he said.
“Thanks Dad,” Allie replied, giving him a hug in return. “I'm going to miss you so much.”
“I will, too,” said her dad.

Ten minutes later, Allie and her dad made their way out of the apartment.
Her dad led her to the bus stop just outside the apartment.
He gave her a big kiss and hug. “I'll miss you so much, sweetie,” he said. “Be good for your aunt and uncle, and have the best time possible living with them.”
Allie smothered her dad with kisses and hugs. “I will, Dad, don't you worry. I'll miss you a lot. I love you.”

Tears began to form in Allie's eyes as she drew away from her father.
She looked and saw tears in his eyes, too.
Just then the bus roared to a stop beside them. The driver opened the doors to let Allie on.
She gave her dad one last kiss, picked up her duffel bag, and boarded the bus.
She found a seat and waved madly to her father until he and the apartment disappeared out of sight.

Allie sighed and sat down.
Just then an elderly woman came up to her. “Can I sit here?” she asked politely.
“Oh, sure.” Allie quickly moved over to make room for the newcomer.
Then she turned her thoughts back to her dad. Oh, how much she was going to miss him!

Just thinking about him made tears well up in Allie's eyes. Soon they were streaming down her face.
She tried to hastily wipe them away, but they kept on coming.
The woman beside her looked at her, alarmed. “What's wrong?” she asked. “Are you alright?”
“I'm fine,” Allie said quickly, though it was clear she wasn't. She could feel her face turning red. It was so embarrassing to cry in public, especially when you were a teenager.
Allie tried not to think about her dad, and looked out the window at the scenery passing by so quickly.

A while later, the bus boarded the ferry. It parked inside the vehicle deck for the
two-hour ride from the mainland to Vancouver Island.
Allie left her bag inside the bus for the time being. She got out of the bus and went up onto the main level of the ferry.
The smell of food was strong on the main level of the ferry, and Allie's stomach growled.
She bought a blueberry muffin with the change in her pocket and went up to the upper deck.

Up on the upper deck, the sun was shining brightly across the Pacific Ocean, reflecting on the water that had gentle waves.
In the distance, Allie saw a dolphin jump into the air and back into the water.
A gentle breeze blew back her hair. Allie sat down and leaned back on a chair and closed her eyes.
The sun warmed her body, and it felt so good!

Suddenly Allie jumped out of her chair, the loud ferry horn blowing in her ears, waking her from the deep sleep she had fallen into.
Allie looked ahead and saw Vancouver Island, coming closer and closer.

Allie ran down the stairs to the main level and saw people gathering their luggage.
The loudspeaker crackled, announcing that the ship was arriving at the island.
She went down some more stairs to where the bus was parked. The driver and a few other passengers were already on.
Allie found her seat and watched as one by one, the cars went down the ramp leading to the island.

Finally, the bus drove down the ramp and into the sunlight.
Allie had to cover her eyes because it was so bright.
The bus drove a few hundred meters and stopped at the nearest bus stop to let off some passengers.
Allie gathered her stuff and got off the bus. She found herself looking at a sea of cars.
Just then a horrible thought entered her mind.
She didn't know what her aunt and uncle's car looked like!

Chapter Five

Just as Allie began to get worried, she saw a young couple holding a sign that said:
'Alicia Drew, if you are reading this sign, please come here.'
Allie let out a sigh of relief and walked over to the people.
“Hi, are you Alicia?” said Aunt Kylie.
“Yes,” said Allie. “But you can call me Allie.
“Okay Allie. I'm your Aunt Kylie and this is your Uncle Mark. Welcome to Vancouver Island!”

“Thanks,” said Allie. “I'm glad to see you.”
She glanced around at everyone.
Her aunt Kylie had shoulder length dark brown hair with blonde streaks that was in a pony tail at the moment, and hazel eyes. She was short and had a dark tan, and looked exactly like Allie's mother.
Uncle Mark had brown hair, brown eyes, and a beard.

 “Well, we better get going so you can unpack, and I'm sure you want to see the horses,” said Uncle Mark.
“Oh, yes!” exclaimed Allie. She followed her aunt and uncle over to a black pickup truck and climbed in.
Uncle Mark started the engine and then they were off.
They drove on the highway for a little while and then they turned off onto a country road.
As they sped by, Allie stared with awe at all the open space and lush green pastures. It was nothing like the big city of Vancouver!

Allie watched with interest as Uncle Mark turned off onto a dirt path and drove under a sign that said: 'Skylark Farm'.
She was amazed. She saw a large barn, outdoor riding ring, parking lot by the barn, four small paddocks with shelters, a corral, and a large field with a small pond and some apple trees.
The dirt path separated, going in opposite directions, each leading to a home.
One was a cottage, and the other was a fancy newly built house.

Uncle Mark drove up one of the paths and parked in front of the fancy house.
“Well, here we are,” he said. “Skylark Farm, and our home.”
Allie, Uncle Mark, and Aunt Kylie got out.
She stopped to examine the house before going inside. There were two steps leading up to the porch and door. On one side of the door was a flowerbed and on the other side was a towering oak tree.
The whole house was a dark tan color and the door and window frames were painted black, giving the house a look of royal elegance.

Chapter Six

“Come on into the house, Allie,” called Aunt Kylie from inside.
Allie carried her duffel bag into the house.
She looked around.
As it turned out, the house was just as magnificent on the inside as it was on the outside. There was a large entryway and the floor was made of hardwood.
To Allie's right was a bathroom, and then at the end of a hallway was the utility room. To her left was a closet and a doorway leading to the living room.
Directly in front of her was a large archway leading to the kitchen, and beside that was a winding staircase leading to the upper level.
Hanging from the ceiling was a crystal chandelier.
She stood there, open-mouthed.

“Amazing, isn't it?” said Aunt Kylie.
“Oh, yes!” exclaimed Allie. “I've never seen anything like it before!”
Aunt Kylie smiled. “I'm glad you like our house. Come on, I'll show you to your room.”
Allie followed Aunt Kylie up the winding staircase to the upper level.
Aunt Kylie stopped at a closed door. “This will be your room,” she said. “Make yourself comfortable and come downstairs when you're done.”
Then she went back downstairs.

Allie pushed open the door and looked around what was now her bedroom.
There was a single bed and nightstand beside a large window with a breathtaking view of the pasture below.
The bedspread was of horses galloping.
There also was a desk with a single lamp on it, and a chair. A bookshelf filled with horse books was beside the door and there was a large closet. The floor was a soft carpet.

“Wow!” she said aloud.
She couldn't believe this was going to be her bedroom!
Allie began unpacking her things.
The photo of her, her mom, and her dad she put on the nightstand.
She stuck her two horse posters onto the wall and arranged her model horse collection on the window ledge.
She hid her sketchpad under the bed and began putting away the clothes from her bag into the closet.
When Allie was finished, she had used up not even a quarter of the space in her closet.
“Oh, well,” she said. Then she went downstairs.

Allie walked under the archway and into the kitchen where Aunt Kylie was preparing dinner.
“Hi Allie,” she greeted her. “Ready for a barn tour?”
Allie nodded.
Aunt Kylie left the supper to bake in the oven and she and Allie walked down the dirt path and soon arrived at the barn.
Uncle Mark was waiting for them there.
Together they walked into the barn.
The barn dog, Max, a male black and white Boarder Collie was asleep in a spare stall.
There were people scattered here and there doing stuff.
“Remember, barn closes in five minutes,” said Uncle Mark to the people they passed.
“We have twenty box stalls,” he explained, “and we only have six horses, so we have riders come and board their horses here and they get to use the facilities, but they are only allowed to come here from nine o'clock to six o'clock.”

“Oh,” said Allie. “Can you introduce me to your horses?”
“Sure thing,” said Aunt Kylie. “But first, let us introduce you to Keith and Jenny Howard. Keith is the barn manager here.”
Just then they were approached by a tall man with red hair and a women with long black hair.
“Keith, Jenny, this is Allie. She's staying with us. Allie, this is Keith and Jenny Howard.”
“Hello,” said Allie shyly.
“Hi Allie,” said Keith. “We're very pleased to meet you.”
“Sorry we don't have much time to talk,” apologized Jenny. “We're meeting some friend at the Pizza Palace and we can't be late.”
They gave a friendly wave and then walked out of the barn.

Allie looked around as they made their way down the aisle.
There were box stalls on both sides of the barn aisle, and most of them had horses in them.
The hay was tucked neatly away in the hayloft and the concrete floor of the barn aisle had rubber matting.
There was five sets of crossties, and two wash stalls.
The stalls were extra large and had a window in every one, and the top of the front door was open with no iron bars so the horse inside could stick its head out.

As they walked down the aisle, the horses curiously stuck their heads out to get a look of the people.
Soon they came to the stall of a stunning chestnut stallion.
“This is Phoenix,” said Uncle Mark. “He's my horse that I ride in shows. He's 4 years old and 16.2 hh.”
Phoenix nicked and Allie giggled as he snuffled into her hair.

The next horse was Galaxy, a 5 year old bay mare. She was 14.2 hh and was Aunt Kylie's horse. Allie wasn't surprised, since she was already as tall as Aunt Kylie.
Next came Cassie, a 12 year old dapple gray mare. She was 15 hh, and the oldest and most reliable horse they had.
After Cassie was Dawson, a 7 year old 15.2 hh skewbald gelding.
The second last horse was Tia, a 2 year old chestnut filly with white socks on both her front legs. Uncle Mark and Aunt Kylie bred her themselves. Her dam was Cassie and her sire was Phoenix.

The very last horse was a breathtaking 6 year old black coal-black stallion. He was 16 hh and had a white star on his forehead.
Right away Allie could feel that this was the horse she would like to ride.
“What's his name?” asked Allie.
“Well, his show name is Midnight Mystery, but we call him Mystery,” said Uncle Mark.
“Mystery. I like that,” said Allie softly.
“We bought him as an orphan colt and have had him ever since,” he continued.
Allie was only half listening. She was too busy making a fuss over Mystery.
She patted his neck and scratched his withers.
Right away Allie knew she had found Mystery's favorite spot, because he leaned into her and nodded his head, urging her to keep doing it.
All Allie could think was, I really, really want this horse. He's perfect.

Chapter Seven

Later that night at the dinner table Aunt Kylie brought up the subject of their horses.
“You know Allie,” she said. “Since you're staying here with us for a while, how would you like to own one of our horses?”
“Can I?” asked Allie, her eyes shining with excitement.
Maybe, just maybe, Mystery would be her very own horse!
“Sure,” said Uncle Mark. “Now let's find a horse that would be suitable for you. Galaxy is Kylie's horse, and Phoenix is mine, Dawson belongs to a boy named Dylan -”
Allie cut him off. “Dylan?” she questioned.
“Yeah. Dylan is your age, and he's the son of our barn manager, Keith Howard and his wife Jenny. They live in the cottage beside us. You'll probably meet him tomorrow.

Now, Mystery would be too much of a horse for you to handle, so that leaves Cassie or Tia. Tia you wouldn't be able to ride just yet, so that probably means Cassie. What do you think?”
Allie's heart sank. “Can't I have Mystery?”
“We were going to get him gelded, but he was too gentle,” Kylie reminded her husband. “But still, you should probably stick to a horse more reliable.”
Then she saw Allie's disappointed face.
“I'll tell you what. If you don't want to ride Cassie, I'll let you ride Galaxy. She'll still be my horse, though.”
“Okay,” said Allie. “I'll ride Galaxy.”

She sighed, excused herself from the table, put her dirty dishes in the sink, and went upstairs into her new room.
She stared out the big picture window that overlooked the large field and saw Mystery galloping like the wind.
His flowing mane and tail made him look elegant.
Galaxy would probably be nice enough, but she wanted Mystery so bad!
He was  exactly like her dream horse!
But her aunt and uncle didn't think she could handle him. She sighed again.

The next day Allie awoke bright and early.
She had a quick shower and pulled on some jeans and a purple T-shirt.
Then she down the winding staircase and into the kitchen, where Aunt Kylie was making French toast.
“Morning,” she said. “Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes. Your Uncle Mark is in the barn feeding the horses with Keith. He'll be back soon. And after breakfast, how would you like it if I took you shopping and we bought some more clothes for you?”
“I'd like that a lot,” said Allie.

The breakfast was delicious, and after they were finished Allie and Aunt Kylie got into the truck and drove to the mall.
Allie had lots of fun going to the different stores and picking out clothes, especially since she didn't have to worry about how much everything cost anymore.
Her favorite thing that they bought was a white fluffy nightgown that was super soft.

After they arrived back at Skylark Farm, Allie walked down to the barn.
Max greeted her with a big lick. Allie stopped for a moment to pet him.
“Hey, you're Allie, right?” said a voice.
Allie looked up and saw a cute boy with blonde hair and gray eyes watching her.
“Yeah,” she said. “Who are you?”
“I'm Dylan Howard,” said the boy. “We live in the cottage beside your aunt and uncle's house. I heard you just moved in. Do you like it here?”
“Yeah,” said Allie. “It's nothing like I've ever seen before. Before I came here I rode at a stable in Vancouver, but it was really small and cramped and there were no trails and barely any room to ride. This place is so big!”
“I know,” said Dylan. “Speaking of trails, do you want to take a trail ride with me right now? I'll show you around the place.”
“Sure,” said Allie. “I'll ask Aunt Kylie if it's okay.”

She found Aunt Kylie in the office getting ready for the beginners lesson she was teaching.
“Aunt Kylie,” began Allie. “Dylan offered to take me on some of the trails. Can I ride Galaxy?”
“Okay,” said Kylie. “Her tack is in the tack room under her name.”
Allie quickly ran and told Dylan it was okay and went over to Galaxy's stall.
The mare was taking a doze in the sunlight.

“Hey, pretty girl,” said Allie. “I'm taking you for a ride now.”
After Galaxy woke up, Allie led her to out of the stall and fastened the crossties to her halter.
She got the grooming kit and began by picking Galaxy's feet.
Next she went over her with a dandy brush and then a body brush.
Then Allie went to the tack room and put on Galaxy's saddle and bridle.
She was surprised at how easily Galaxy took the bit and how she didn't puff up when her girth was tightened.
Uncle Mark and Aunt Kylie have really well trained horses, she thought.
Allie put on her helmet and led Galaxy out to the mounting block.
Dylan was already there with Dawson.

Chapter Eight

Allie mounted Galaxy. “So, you're riding Dawson?”
“Yeah, he's practically my horse. Your aunt and uncle are still his legal owners, but no one else is allowed to ride him unless I say so.”
“That's cool,” said Allie. “So where are we riding?”
“I think I'll show you Maple Grove. It's the most popular place to ride.”
“Okay,” said Allie. “You be the leader.”
Dylan tapped Dawson with his heels and they began walking. Allie followed on Galaxy.

As soon as they were past the large pasture, they trotted.
Allie tapped Galaxy and she went into a spirited trot. She immediately began posting to the bouncy gait.
Allie glanced around.
The path was well worn down by the many horses that had been ridden on it.
The little bits of sky showing through the trees was a bright blue, and birds chirped.
Allie was exhilarated.
Soon they turned right onto a different trail and it soon ended at a clearing.
Dylan stopped Dawson. “Well, here we are,” he said. “Maple Grove.”

Allie gasped. It was beautiful!
There was a beautiful sparkling pond, surrounded by lush green grass.
A crystal clear waterfall pounded down into the pond, making little waves.
To one side of the pond, there was a campfire pit and a bunch of picnic tables.
On the other side was a post for tying up horses and right by the waterfall was a stunning flower garden with every kind of flower you could think of.

“Pretty, isn't it,” said Dylan, grinning.
“No, not pretty,” said Allie. “Beautiful! I've never seen anything like it in my life!”
“Come on,” said Dylan. “Let's tie up these horses and have a rock skipping contest!”

Allie tied Galaxy up next to Dawson and followed Dylan to the edge of the pond, where there was a variety of rocks.
She picked out a smooth flat rock and threw it. It skipped twice and then sank.
Dylan picked up a rock and threw it. It bounced three times.
He stuck out his tongue at Allie.
In the end, Dylan won by one point. “I beat you!” he cried happily.
“You only won because you saved the flattest rock for your last turn,” said Allie. “What time is it anyway?”
Dylan checked his watch. “4:30. We better head back.”

Allie untied Galaxy and mounted up.
They walked their horses until the trail widened.
“Are you up for a race?” asked Dylan. “First one to the barn wins.”
They lined up their horses.

“On your mark, get set, go!” shouted Dylan.
Allie kicked Galaxy and they were off galloping down the trail. They were ahead.
Allie looked behind and saw Dylan kick Dawson, a determined look on his face.
Dawson put on an extra burst of speed and passed Galaxy.
“Come on!” shouted Allie.
They rounded the corner and Allie saw the barn coming up.
She felt Galaxy put on an extra burst of speed and the past Dylan, beating him by a foot.
Allie stopped Galaxy and laughed at Dylan's disappointed face.
“I beat you!” she shouted.
“This time,” said Dylan.

Chapter Nine

Just then Uncle Mark and Aunt Kylie came running up to Allie, a sorrowful look on their faces.
“Allie, we have some bad news,” said Aunt Kylie, tears glistening in her eyes.
“Yes,” said Uncle Mark. “I don't want to tell you, but you should know. Your dad died from a heart attack this afternoon.”
Allie felt tears welling up in her eyes.
“I'm very sorry, Allie,” said Uncle Mark.

Allie couldn't take it any longer.
She thrust Galaxy's reins into Uncle Mark's hands and ran up the path to the house, sobbing loudly.
After she'd had so much fun, now this had to happen. First, her mother had died in the car crash, then Firefly had died of colic, and now her father, the only one left, had died from a heart attack.
She cried even more.

Allie reached the house and ran up the stairs.
She stopped at a closed door.
Very carefully, she opened the door and saw a set of stairs leading up to the attic.
She walked up the stairs and entered the attic.
It was full of boxes and old things, and to her right was the biggest window she had seen, overlooking the whole farm.
Allie could see Uncle Mark, Aunt Kylie, and Dylan talking by the barn.
She made her way over to a rocking chair, covered by an old worn out quilt. She sat down on the chair and rocked.

The chair looked just like the wooden rocking chair her father had built before her mother had died.
Just thinking about that started up the tears again.
She, Alicia Drew, was now an orphan. She had no parents, no one to kiss her and hug her and tuck her into bed at night.
She buried her face in the old quilt and cried.

An hour or so later, Allie's tears were all gone and she felt a little bit better.
She tried to think good things.
At least she would probably get to stay here at Skylark Farm.
Allie went into the upstairs bathroom and looked at her face in the mirror.
Her eyes were all puffy and her whole face was red from crying.
She got a wet cloth and wiped it over her face. It made some of the redness go away, but not all.

Allie walked downstairs and sat down at the dinner table, where her aunt and uncle had just started eating.
“Are you feeling better?” asked Aunt Kylie.
Allie sniffed and nodded. “A little.”
“Well, we have some news that will probably make you feel even more better.”
“What?” asked Allie.
“We've decided that you can have Mystery as your own horse.”
Allie was stunned. Then she shook her head. “No thanks. I don't want him.”
She got up from the table. “I'm going to bed.”
The truth was, deep down inside, Allie did really want Mystery. But was feeling so downhearted at the time that she didn't want anything.

Chapter Ten

The next morning Allie woke up feeling refreshed and a whole lot better.
During the night she had changed her mind about having Mystery.
She quickly got dressed and ran downstairs.
When she got to the kitchen no one was there.
Allie grabbed a muffin from the fridge and ran out to the barn.

Aunt Kylie and Uncle Mark were in the office.
“I've changed my mind!” she said. “I do want Mystery! Can I still have him?”
Uncle Mark smiled. “Of course, Allie.”
She ran down the aisle to Mystery's stall.
“You're mine boy,” she said as she hugged him.

Dad would have been happy to see me with my own horse, she thought.
Just thinking about her dad made tears well up in her eyes.
She sat down in the straw and buried her face in Mystery's mane.
“I'm sorry about your dad,” said a voice.
Allie turned and saw Dylan standing by the stall. She blushed. It was so embarrassing when boys saw you cry.
“It's okay,” said Dylan. “I understand. I'm an orphan too.”
Allie stopped and stared at him. “Really?”
“Yeah. My parents died when I was nine and I was put in foster care. I was a foster kid here when Jenny and Keith adopted me.
There will always be sadness, but you get over it eventually. You'll still miss your parents, but you won't be as sad.”
“I guess you're right,” said Allie, wiping her tears away. “Do you want to go on a ride?”
“Sure,” said Dylan. “Let's meet at the mounting block in fifteen minutes.”

Allie groomed Mystery until his coat shined and tacked him up.
She put on her helmet and met Dylan and Dawson by the mounting block.
She mounted up. 
“Do you know of any other trails that are fun?” she asked Dylan, making sure her helmet strap was tight enough.
“There's a trail called The Woodland,” said Dylan. “It's really wide and there's lots of hills and there's even a creek to cross through. How about that one?”
“Okay,” said Allie. “You be the leader. But as soon as I know the trails I'll get to be the leader.”

Dylan told Dawson to walk on and Allie and Mystery followed.
Allie was surprised at how responsive Mystery was to her signals.
When she rode Firefly she usually had to jab him in the sides just to get him to trot.
When they reach The Woodland, Dylan turned in the saddle to face Allie.
“Do you want to canter?” he asked. “It's really fun going up the hills, and there's fallen logs on the beginning of the trail, so we can jump them.”
“Okay,” said Allie.

She urged Mystery into a canter and he immediately went into the smooth rocking gait.
Allie rose up into her two-point and followed Dylan and Dawson.
Very soon after cantering up a small hill, Allie spotted the first jump: a fallen log about one foot high.
She and Mystery cleared in with lots of room to spare.
The second log was higher, about two feet.
She felt Mystery gather his energy to clear the jump. She saw Dylan and Dawson waiting for them on the other side.
Just as Mystery lifted his front legs for the jump, a wild rabbit darted across the trail and under his feet.
Mystery spooked. First he reared, and when he touched down he gave a big buck and took off down the trail.
Allie had survived the rear, but the buck was too much.
She flew off and landed on her left leg.

Chapter Eleven

Allie grimaced and sat up.
Where were Dylan, Dawson, and Mystery?
Just as Allie was beginning to get worried, Dylan appeared, leading Mystery while riding Dawson.
“Are you okay?” His face showed deep concern.
“I'm fine,” said Allie, standing up. “But I'm not going to ride Mystery anymore. The first time I get on him I get bucked off. Aunt Kylie and Uncle Mark were right. He's too much of a horse for me to handle. I bet you've never fallen off Dawson.”

“Are you kidding?” said Dylan. “Even the best rider in the world has probably fallen off at least a thousand times.” Then he began to laugh.
“I remember when I took Dawson for a ride on the side of the road. We were going fine until this little kid came along riding a battery-powered scooter. Dawson spooked and ran full speed back to the barn, and then slammed to a stop, and I went over his head and landed right at your Uncle Mark's feet!”
Tears were now streaming down his face. “It was so embarrassing!”
Allie began to laugh as well. “I guess that is pretty funny,” she said. “Can we go back now, though? I'm pretty sore right now on my leg.”
“Okay,” said Dylan.
Allie mounted up and they rode back to Skylark.

Chapter Twelve

The next day Allie got up early and went over to Mystery's stall.
The stallion nickered when he saw her.
“How would you like to go for an early morning ride, boy?” she asked.
Mystery nodded his head.
Allie quickly groomed him and put on his bridle.
“I'm riding you bareback today,” she said.

Snapping her helmet onto her head, Allie led Mystery to the mounting block and mounted him bareback.
Then she walked him over to the large grassy field, which wasn't fenced in.
Allie tapped Mystery with her heels and he broke in to a smooth, rocking canter.
Allie rocked gently back and forth with him.
The grass was dewy and the morning air was cool and fresh. The sun was just rising over the mountaintops.
Mystery snorted and his breath came out in puffs of steam.
His coal-black coat glistened as the sun rose up over the mountaintops and shone light on the valley.
Allie hugged Mystery tight.
Even though she had been through a tough time, now she was happy.
Mystery was the best horse ever, and he was, in fact, the horse of her dreams!