July 2009 Story Contest

The Missing Best Friend    by Catstem & Pally age 8

    Beeeeeeep! My alarm clock awoke me. Beeeeeeeep! "Okay, I'm up!" I said, pressing the button that said "Alarm off". Birds sang and I knew it would be a great day. I got up and ready and went outside. I went into my horse Starlight's stall and gave her some love and affection, then I left on a walk.On my walk I ran into a girl. "Hello!  What's your name?" I asked. "Shawiea," she answered. "I'm Abby," I told her. We told each other about our horses and made a plan to go wash them together. We walked until we arrived at the stable. "Oh, and by the way, you can call me Showi," said Shawiea. I grabbed the hose and the groom kit and Showi got the soap bucket and sponge. We tied our horses and I picked up the hose when Showi wasn't looking! Then, I squirted her with the hose and she grabbed it and squirted me back. We laughed and laughed. I soaked the wash towel with the hose and began rubbing. I handed Showi the hose and she did the same. She rubbed and I rubbed. Then I picked up the hose and put down the wash towel. I sprayed Starlight down gently and easily and sang the pretty song Mom sings me.  When I was done Showi did that to her horse Riverfire. Then I took the sponge and soaped Starlight and Showi soaped Riverfire. Then we washed off the soap and dried them. We groomed and picked their hooves until we were done. Our horses were walked into stalls. Showi had her horse here because she couldn't keep one at home. The sun touched the grassy mountains and the sky turned orange, pink, blue, and purple. "It's getting late Showi. You should go. Meet you here tomorrow," I said. "I promise I'll meet you here," Showi answered.
                                                        THE NEXT DAY...   
     I woke up early remembering Shawiea's promise. I turned off my alarm clock and got ready. I called Showi, and she said she would be here by 8:30. It was 7:30 now so in an hour. I rode Starlight for a while and when I got back it was 8:30. Showi' is probably here! I thought. It took me ten minutes before I got up to where we would meet. As I was walking up (Showi was not in view quite yet) I said, "Sorry I'm late I --." I stopped speaking when I saw that Showi wasn't here. I sat and waited for half an hour and she never came. It was 9:10 and she wasn't here. I went out on Starlight to search for her. I reached her house and asked her parents if they had seen her. "She has been gone all morning. When we woke up she wasn't here," her mom told me. I was out searching when accidentally we went down an unfamiliar path. Once I had realized it, I hopped off. A net fell on Starlight and she was grabbed up, hanging there. "Star--," I tried to shout Starlight but something was covering my mouth. I grabbed the thing that was preventing me from speaking and kicked and screamed but I still couldn't talk. I tried with all my might to say help but I couldn't. I felt myself being wrapped up in a sack and thrown into a truck. The truck started down the dark trail until I knew I'd never see anything again. Soon I had fainted. I woke up to an unfamiliar voice. I was laying on a wood floor and a bright light was shining down onto my pale face. I closed my eyes tightly and pinched myself, but I wasn't dreaming. I sat up and looked around. I was in an empty room. My face turned to normal color as the handle of the door moved. Someone was unlocking it! I laid back down and closed my eyes. I heard a click! and the door opened. "There," I heard someone say. Everything was then quiet, and I knew something would happen, something bad. Everything turned dark. I heard a booming sound and the ground beneath me vibrated. I heard a slam and the lights turned on. I got up and looked on the ground next to me. Showi was tied up. I began untying her, not noticing the open door behind me. I heard a footstep and then some more. Next thing I knew I couldn't see anything. I fell out of a bag and onto a cliff's edge. Now I was the one tied up. I tried to keep balanced but I fell off the cliff! I heard Showi screaming and screaming. She got quieter as I fell lower. I fell to the ground and had fainted once more.
 
                                                            WHAT HAD HAPPENED...    
    I woke up and my mom was looking down on me. I was in a hospital bed. I looked around the blank white room. "She's awake!" my mom said. I heard beeping and looked at the chart next to me. Zigzags went across the screen. The doctors did an X-ray on me and I heard one say,"Just a couple broken bones." I twitched my arm and it hurt very badly. I began to cry and the pain faded off. They put a cast around my arm and the opposite leg. "She can ride but she must walk with these crutches," said Doctor Maple. I smiled at that. My mom and I drove home and I was put in bed. As the lights turned off, I fell fast asleep. I woke up at 6:00 in the morning. "Wow I slept 18 hours!" I said. I brushed my straight orange hair and went searching for Showi again. The same thing happened. I was falling off the cliff again. I was screaming and screaming and so was Showi. I sat up in bed. It was 1:00 PM. I heard my sister screaming. I walked into the bathroom and my sister Nautia was screaming into the shower. I looked into the bathtub and sure enough, there was a teeny tiny frog. "I turned the shower on and a frog came out so I turned it off," said Nautia. Water had come out too. I picked up the frog and threw it outside. I washed my hands and turned on the shower. No more frogs. I left the bathroom and closed the door. I reached the kitchen and my mom was bringing her Chicken Supreme dish into the living room. I grabbed a bite of soy beans and followed my mother. I put my crutches against the wall and sat down on the couch. "Want a bite, Abby?" asked my mom. "Yes," I said, grabbing some Chicken Supreme. "Mommy, I had the strangest dream. I dreamed that all that had happened yesterday happened again. The screaming I heard was Nautia in the bathroom. She found a frog," I told my mom. "Ew, really?" my mom asked. "Really," I answered. My mom shook and laid back. "Your foot and arm are okay?" she asked. "Yeah," I answered. I got up and my mom started reading again. She put her book down and said,"Oh, and honey." "I turned around. My mom's eyes sparkled under the lense of her glasses. "Yes," I said.
"Be careful," my mom answered, staring at my arm and leg. I went off and searched for Showi. I rode bareback and without a bridle. I let Starlight guide me to see where we'd end up.
                                                          
                                                               NEXT THING...
      I held Starlight's neck as she glided with the wind. I felt as if we were flying. Starlight's beautiful silver-white mane flowed gracefully with the wind. My hair blew and next thing you know I open my eyes to Showi, sitting in the grass by a glossy-leaved plant. I tied Starlight to a tree in a rush and Showi got up. I turned around and hugged her and squeezed her so tightly it was if I'd never let her go. The wind blew across her face and I couldn't help smiling. I noticed that she had been crying and knew the reason why. "Abby I thought you were gone for good when you fell off that cliff!" she said. "I thought so too," I said. We went to get Riverfire so we could ride together. That's the story of when my friend disappeared.
                                                               The End