January Story Contest

Comet

By Microphone & Black Dawn

Age 11

 

           I walked outside to see that my horse, Comet, was waiting for me. I gave him a sugar cube and put him into his stall. I did my regular check of the pasture to make sure there were no poisonous plants. I pulled up some Ragwort and continued on, not finding anything else. I turned Comet out again and then went inside to dinner. "Hmmm... Pork chops!" I said, lifting my nose in the air, the better to smell. "Yes dear, and potatoes." My Mom was busily spooning huge spoonfuls of mashed potatoes on my plate. "I made extra gravy for you dear," She said, ladling that out too. My plate was soon swimming in gravy, just the way I liked it. "Yum!" I said, sticking a piece of pork chop into my mouth.

When I had finished I put my plate in the dishwasher and went to put Comet in his stall -
but he wasn't there. Comet was gone! "Mom! DAD! COMET'S GONE!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. My parents came rushing out. I was still staring in horror at the empty paddock and barn. "Oh my God! Peter, call the police and the humane society!" My mom told my older brother, Peter. I started to cry. "Don't worry dear, we'll find him, I promise!" My mother hugged me tight.

Two weeks later we got a call from the police. "Mrs. Triston?" "Uh, no, this is Lily Triston. Is this about Comet?" "Yes, actually. We've found him." "Oh my God! You did?!" "Yes. In the Baker's old barn. You need to see him." "Be right there!" I slammed the phone down and scribbled a note. 'Dear Mom and Dad, I am going to the old Baker place. The police found Comet. Should be back with him around 4:30. If not, come to the Baker place. Bye, Lily'

I then rushed outside, grabbed my bike and peddled away towards the Baker place. When I got there it was a hive of activity. Policemen and women were everywhere, searching the grounds for people. "Ah, hello. You must be Lily, the one on the phone." A policeman with a black mustache welcomed me. "Yes. Where's Comet?" "In here, being treated by a vet." "WHAT?!" I almost screamed. "He's hurt?!" "Badly." The policeman said, real sadness in his eyes.

 

I ran to where the vet was checking my beautiful chestnut Comet. "Comet!" I yelled. He lifted his gaze to me, but didn't snort. He returned his gaze to staring blankly at the ground. "What's wrong with him?" I yelled at the vet. "He's - he's been in that barn ever since he was stolen, and he was whipped and kicked every day. And he didn't have any food, and hardly any water at all. About a drop per-" "Stop it! I don't want to hear what happened to Comet!!!!" I started to sob, "Will he be okay??!?" "He'll live, but he probably won't ever be able to be ridden again. I'm very sorry Lily." I started to cry. Comet - unrideable. And I had been training him for my school horse show. Now my chances, and my entire life was down the drain. I hugged Comet tightly, not caring that a cut was making a big red splotch on my shirt.

I was able to take Comet home, but he was so bad it took hours, an I met my parents coming to find me. "Oh no," My mother hugged me tightly. My dad took Comet and led him home while I sobbed into my mother.

Two weeks passed and Comet was better. It was my birthday, and unlike other birthdays, I was sitting, staring out my window at Comet. "Honey, present time." My mother came in. "Okay." I sighed, pulling on a sweatshirt. My mother led me to the kitchen. I noticed a small pile of presents. "Wait, aren't they right here?" I asked suspiciously. "There's one we couldn't bring inside." She led me outside. A small, cute, black Welsh Pony was standing in front of me. "She's a mare. We were thinking that once Comet's better, we could breed her to him, since he's welsh." I stared angrily at the black mare. "No," I said simply. The anger in my voice was real. "I don't want another horse. Even if it means I never get to ride again, I'm not using Comet as a breeding horse! He's my horse, and I'm not going to breed him!" I turned away from the black mare, and back into the house. I sat back down at the window and watched as Comet stiffly walked around the pasture, eating his grass. Scars covered his body, and his chestnut coat was rough and patchy. He was skinny, and every rib showed. Yesterday had been my riding school's show. I had spent the day grooming and stroking Comet. "Lily, do you want to open your presents?" For the first time in my life, I felt dejected, and weary. "I guess," I sighed, and continued staring at Comet. My beautiful Comet. My parents didn't realize it, but he was dying. Yes, outwardly he was getting better, but inside, his spirit had died, and slowly, the rest of his body was dying as well. And this thought, more than anything that had happened in the last two weeks, made salty tears run down my tanned cheeks. "Honey, are you okay?" I started. I wiped my tears away and said, "Yeah, I'm fine," "I brought you your presents." I took the parcels from her and began unwrapping a squishy one that felt like clothes. Once the bright, Happy Birthday wrapping paper had been torn away, I realized that it was a horse blanket. I unfolded it. Suddenly I saw, emblazoned on the side, in black letters, the word 'COMET' popped out at me. I began to cry. "What's wrong? Don't you like it?" My mother said worriedly. "Oh mom! Comet's – he's – he's d-dying!" My tears turned to sobs. "No honey, he's getting better," "No he's not! He's dying! Ask the vet!" My mother squeezed me tightly.

 

           A month later, I went to Comet's barn to feed him his breakfast. The vet had confirmed that he truly was dying inside. Tears trickled down my cheeks as I mixed his bran and oat mash. I gave him a quick brush over. "I've gotta go to school Comet. I'll be back later," I said, and left, grabbing my backpack. As I clambered onto the bus, I had no idea what would happen while I was gone. If I had, I would never have gone to school. But I didn't, and I endured the jeers at school. "Oh look, her eyes are all puffy and red! Must be because she didn't take good enough of her horse and now she feels guilty!" "Shut up Janice," I mumbled. "Not very nice!" Janice jeered.

 

           I finally returned home. I jumped off the bus, and, eager to see Comet, dumped my bag and ran to the stable. But as I entered the barn, I knew immediately that something was wrong. I couldn't see Comet's chestnut head peering over his stall door, and it was unnaturally quiet. "Comet?" I whispered. There was no response. I ran to his stall. There he was, lying there, not moving, eyes glassy and staring blankly at nothing. "No! COMET!" I screamed! I opened his stall and touched his neck. It was stiff. "No," I whispered. "No! Comet! Please, come back!" I screamed, stroking his chestnut head. It was still elegant, even in death. Handsome, though dead. And I began to cry like I had never cried before... His forelock draped onto the straw bedding of his stall. His mane did also, like it was being blown in the wind. Tears plopped onto his orange hide, staining it dark. My mother came rushing in – she must have heard me scream. She saw Comet and hugged me tightly. "Oh Lily, I'm so sorry," She said, and kissed me. I cried into her chest. Even though I knew he had been dying, the reality still came as a shock.

 

           The next day I woke up, and stomped downstairs, yawning. "Good morning Lily. How are you?" I thought this was an unusual question. Did I look sick? "I'm fine Mom," I said, slumping down to eat my cereal. Once I had finished I started pulling on my shoes. "I'm going to see Comet," I said, opening the door onto the bright October sunshine. I walked to the barn, still sleepy. As I entered, I felt worried, and bewildered. Comet wasn't in his stall. A black mare was. My mother had followed me out. "Where's Comet?" I asked. "Honey, Comet – he died. Yesterday," I stared at her. "No, where is he?" "He's dead, Lily. He died yesterday." Tears started swelling in my eyes as I suddenly remembered the events of the night before. My mother embraced me and I cried again.

 

           Two days passed and both days I visited Comet's grave. He was buried in his pasture, under his favorite apple tree. I still didn't want the black mare that now occupied Comet's stall. Every morning, I would look out the window, hoping to see Comet in the pasture, but then remembering that he was dead, and I would never see him again. I called the black mare Dragon. She would follow me to Comet's grave. I didn’t spend much time with her; just fed her, groomed her and let her to pasture. "I don't want you Dragon. I don't want any horse," The girls at school were worse than ever.

 

"Hey, Lily! How's that orange horse of yours? Is he d-e-a-d?" After this comment from Janice, I turned 'round and snapped, "How would you like it if your best friend died?" She went, "Uh! I wouldn't care!" However, her 'best friend' Hannah Roberts, had come round the corner. "You wouldn't care if I died?" She said, sounding rather hurt. Then she turned and ran away.

 

           Over the next two months I spent the bare minimum with Dragon. Dragon wasn't my horse. She wasn't Comet. I wanted Comet back, but instead I had an ugly black mare! "Lily?" I started. I had been staring angrily at Dragon and hadn't heard my mother come in. "Lily, um, we have something to give you." I followed resentfully after my mother. There was a trailer inside the driveway. "I'm not getting another horse!" I yelled. "Just hang on a moment Lily," But I had turned and run, sobbing, into the house. I flopped on my bed, and cried myself to sleep.

 

           The next day, I woke up, and looked at the picture of the chestnut horse I had owned for ten years. I flopped out of bed, and stomped downstairs. "Good morning Lily – pancakes?" "Not hungry," I said, shoving passed her and heading for the barn. I pushed open the door, and saw, not just Dragon, but also an orangey colored horse, but not quite chestnut. I turned around and saw my mother waiting. "Lily – he's – he's Comet's son. We thought you'd like him – I mean, if you don't..." But she never finished, because I ran to her and hugged her. I cried and cried, and when I was done, I ran over to Comet's son's stall and embraced him too. The nameplate on it said, "Mitten". And I repeated it to myself one hundred times. To ensure I never forgot his name.

 

THE END

 

______________________________