August Story Contest

Shadowy Figures: Shadow's Escapee Plan
By: Britnie
Age: 12

 Shadow sank his hooves firmly into the hard dirt. In front, on the side, and behind him, were the beasts Mustangs feared most: man. The men who round up herds of horses, taking their family. They were atop his kind, equines. Shadow was once domesticated, since he was a Welsh Cob. But he was free now. Or he was supposed to be. The men held rough, hard rope that were all slung around Shadow's neck. The itchy thread ate slowly at his skin. Shadow leaned all his weight on his hindquarters. perhaps he could escape if he tugged hard enough....then, a hiss through the air, and a pain stung his rump. One of the men behind Shadow had laid one of the leather reins across Shadow's rump.

Shadow lunged out, forgetting that that was what the men would want him to do: To continue forward. Some fury had suddenly got into Shadow's brain, and he slammed on the brakes, then veered to the side, tugging the ropes hard. But the men kept good hold. Shadow pulled and pulled, trying to break free, but all he was doing, was pulling the men with him. The ropes kept very tight around his neck, and choked him slightly; then another hiss through the air, and once again, and rein slapped him across his rump. Shadow, like any horse would do, hopped forward.

Lowering his head with sadness, Shadow sighed deeply, and walked forward reluctantly; wasting his energy on trying to break free was apparently not working. Going back into his memories, Shadow recalled watching as his herd galloped away into the shadows of the trees, to safety. Annie, the lead mare, would take care of them. The event had happened three hours and fifteen minutes ago; Shadow had slowed down the progress through his tugging. His herd, he hoped, would continue their route to Alaska; they were going there to escape humans. Shadow had figured it'd be easier to make refuge in the still freezing cold land. It was mid-Spring at the moment. Shadow had hoped to arrive in Alaska around the middle of Summer; he didn't know if his plan would work now.

Looking around, Shadow noticed something very fuzzy in the distance; as it came into closer view, he recognized it as a building and corral; and then the wind blew toward him, and the scent of horses brushed into his nostrils. Nickering lightly, Shadow noticed that the horses were showing the whites of their eyes in terror; Shadow was not, for since he had been domesticated once, he knew to try and stay relaxed and alert.

-two weeks later-

 Shadow squealed with outrage, and reared up; he was wild now, and he would never wear a saddle again. The men around him grunted, trying to keep the bay stallion's four legs all on the ground. One of the men said, "Easy boy, it's okay, we're just going to tame you down."
"He don't look like a Mustang. Acts like one, but isn't one." Another man commented. "I know. Which means someone has let him out into the wild; dang it, don't they know we're trying to keep the horse population down?" One on the other side of Shadow spat. None replied as they struggled to hold Shadow down; of course, Shadow kept leaping to the side, rearing up, kicking out with both front and back legs, and striking out like a snake with his teeth. The man with the saddle sighed, and said, "Try again tomorrow."

With that, the other men pulled Shadow into the small, high-fenced paddock. They took all the ropes off, then left; locking the gate behind them. Shadow watched them disappear, than walked over to the gate; it was high enough to wear he had to raise his head as high as possible to barely show his muzzle over it. Leaning up against the gate, the wood did not budge; Shadow leaned more, but nothing; he kicked it, but nothing. Frustrated, he wandered over to the other side of the paddock, and slammed his hind hooves into it; the middle plank, which was two feet wide, and the third of the six other planks, broke in half from Shadow's blow; Shadow turned around, and investigated it; he was pleased at his success. Turning his hind it around, he push against the top planks, and they creaked under his weight; but they did not give. Shadow pressed harder, but nothing; he whipped around, and reared up, landing his front hooves against the plank above the one he broke; it, like the other one, broke with a crack. Shadow repeated the process, and soon, all the planks between the bottom and top planks were broke; some took several kicks, others took only one.

Shadow stepped through the gap, and shot off toward home; he was sad to see all the other horses that were still in paddocks, but Shadow kept on going; he powered forward, not stopping for anything; for many minutes, he galloped like there was no tomorrow, and in forty two minutes, he slowed to a walk; he smelt the old scent of his herd; he followed the scent like a hound, and pushing through brush, arrived in front of a cave; and in it, his herd stood, awaiting his arrival. Shadow half-reared, and squealed with delight, and bounded forward; all the horses nickered, neighed, squealed, reared, and did many other welcomings; Shadow couldn't see his lead mare though. Flicking his ears about, he soon caught sight of her, and whinnied lowly to her; Annie, the black mare that was the lead mare, perked her ears forward, and neighed back, and then the two leaders reunited.

And so, Shadow's adventure ends here as he has escaped from the hands of man; he now dwells, in the real role play herd "Shadowy Figures" close to Alaska, so join in, all you have to do is fill a form; just ask for the ranks, and I'll give you a page of all the ranks available!!!