July 2009 Story Contest

The Wild One

The Story of a Mustang

Part One

By Keely  & Bicentianel age 13

 

 

 I galloped and galloped trying to get away from the horrid humans chasing me when I finally stopped the humans were miles behind me, my legs where as saplings during a wind storm, my throat was sore and scratchy from lack of water, and  my head was down for I was exhausted more then words could tell.

  Then suddenly a twig cracked sounding as loud as a gunshot, I turned my head swiftly ready to fight for my freedom and life instead of there being the klutzy horses that humans ride there was a graceful, slender, gray almost white Appaloosa mare.

  “Who are you?” I nickered.

  “I am Lake of Melting snow, who are you?” she replied in a sweet neigh.

  “I am Narada. You have a long name.”

  “I have a long name because I belong to people.”

  At that I started back.

   “Do not worry they will not hurt you, they are kind and gentle” she claimed.

   “But humans are cruel and mean” I argued.

   Then a man stepped through the brush.

   “Good job Fiona” he murmured in her ear.

   “You liar! You sure are a good liar no wonder they use horses like you to capture herds of horses!” I angrily cried.

   Then before I could wheel around to escape, I was surrounded by men. I tried to frighten them off by rearing and bucking then a rope sailed over my ears and snagged my nose then tighten around it. I charged that man then another lasso came and tightened around my left hind fetlock. I was crazed with fear then galloped wildly about dragging the two men behind me then suddenly a rope got me around my right fore cannon tripping me, my right shoulder rammed into the ground I gave a piercing scream of pain warning all creatures that “there are humans run, run for your life” I heard the cry being echoed by all types of creatures birds, rabbits, squirrels, mice, deer, elk, conies, and chipmunks.

   Then the humans jumped upon me tying my hind legs together then tying my fore together then they dragged me to a trailer I tried in vain to get away but the bonds where too tight. Then there was a sharp poke in my flank at that I struggled more strongly then I became drowsy then I was engulfed in darkness.

_______

 

When I awoke I was in a pen with seven foot tall fences. On my left there was a path with deep tire tracks, in front of me, behind me, and to my right there were pens like mine with horses in them.

  “Finally! You’re awake” I heard a foal neigh.

  “Huh? What?” I replied sleepily.

  “Marie! I told you not to bother her!” a mare said.

  “But...”

  “Don’t you ‘but’ me young mare.”

  “Yes momma”

  “Good”

 I slowly got to my feet and looked around in one corner there was a blue bucket and in the other a pile of dried grass. I then went around the pen looking for a weak place in the fence but the fence was made of metal so I fought the fence.  I charged it.  I reared up and pounded it with my hooves. The racket brought the humans running they tried to sedate me with a drug but I was moving too much if they tried they might miss, hitting another horse.

   “You need to calm down” the mare in the next pen said.

   “Why?” I replied stubbornly.

  “Because if you don’t they’ll euthanize you”.

  “What does euthanize mean?”

  “Kill”.

  At that I came to a sudden halt and starred at the humans with wide eyes I felt my body shake as I disobeyed everything that my instincts told me to do. I did what my fear told me to do.

   Then suddenly my legs started to wobble, I saw double of everything, I broke into a sweat, my eyelids drooped, I felt my body hit the ground with a heavy thud, and then everything went black (again).

_______________

 

  ”What made her collapse, Doc?” I heard a male human ask.

   “I believe it is Botulism,” another male replied.

   “Botulism?!” the first replied in shock.

   “Do you want her put down?”

   “I know someone willing to take care of her.”

   “Who?”

   “Arabella Railco.”

   “Really?”

  “Would I make it up?”

  “No.”

  “Good.”

_________________

  The next day, I was hooked up to this weird machine that went over my nose and an I.V. in my neck.  I staggered to my feet grunting with the effort. I took a more careful look at my surroundings.  I was in a stall that seemed small to me.

I nickered at the sound of a human walking up to my stall.  I backed up until the wall touched my dock.  The human came in.  I reared up, pulling the thing that went over my nose off. Then suddenly I couldn’t breathe and I collapsed gasping, searching for the oxygen I knew that I needed. The human immediately bent down picked up the thing that had been on my nose and put it back on my nose.  I was able to breathe again!  I took in huge gasps of air then got up and stepped away from the human.  I eyed him warily and snorted in suspicion.

 But still the human came I pawed the straw that made the bedding in my stall but still the human came on.

  “Easy, girl it’s alright I won’t hurt you, I am trying to make you better.” he murmured to me.

    Sure you are, I thought as I shook my head in warning as he stepped closer.

   “Why are you afraid big girl?” he asked.

   Because you humans are rude and mean, I thought back. I backed up then he put a halter on my head.  I shook my head in annoyance as he cross tied me.  He then gave me a sedative and I became drowsy.  I locked my knees and hocks but I was still awake he held up my head and inserted a syringe without a needle and squirted a disgusting liquid down my throat.  I stepped back and shook my head.

   “Now then big girl this is suppose to make you better,” he claimed.

   You mean poison me, I thought venomously.

   He then grabbed a section of skin in front of my shoulder keeping me from kicking out he then called out.

   “Mark, could you come over here and grab the humane twitch?”

   “Coming,” I heard a human call back.

  When the other human came, he had a strange contraption in his hand.  I watched him come closer and once he was close enough I struck out with my hoof hitting him in the shin.

  “OW!” he exclaimed.

  “Are you OK,” asked the other concerned.

  “Yeah, I am Ok, why do we take care of these animals?”

   “Because they need someone to take care of them.”

   “Yeah, I guess.”

   I put my ears back and bared my teeth at Mark.  He started back and looked at me wide eyed in fright.

   “Do not let her think that she is boss, Mark!” the other man said.

   “She is a menace, John! We ought to put her down before she kills someone!” Mark claimed. Kill someone? Never! How dare he even think such a thing of me! I thought indigently.

    “She has never been around humans before this Mark” John said calmly.

    “So! That gives her no excuse for attacking me!” Mark said angrily.

    “In the wild, horses have to protect themselves from predators.  In the wild horse’s mind humans count as predators.”

    “So?”

   “Uh, must I explain everything? You are so like a little kid!” John said.

   “Hey! Take that back! You creep!”

   “No, You take that back!”

   “You started it!”

   “You did!”

   “No, I didn’t!”

   “Yes, you did!”

   “Humans if you keep it up, I am going to separate the two of you,” I neighed.

   “It is your fault the mare has Botulism!” Mark claimed.

   “No, it isn’t!” John denied. I started to feel weak my breathing quickened and then I collapsed.