It was a hot Summer's day, with the blaring sun shining it's harsh rays down on a rural neighborhood of large, multi-acre lots. In the neighborhood was a respectable plot of land, within it's gnarled wooden fencing, was a small farm. It consisted of two stables on horse property, a crowded little coop of laying hens, and a pen of goats.
"Time for work!" shouted a voice, the stout little Fjord mare in the stable awoke with a start. Her head shot up and her ears twitched, and she slowly peered her head over the stable's gate. She groggily squinted, with her eyes still bleary, at the blur that slowly approached her. She fluttered open her heavy eyelids and jumped slightly at the sight of the farmer standing at the gate. One would think, after the year and a half that she had worked here, that she would've been acquainted with the routinely yard work and the farmer's constant orders. But it seemed that the more she gave of herself, the more he wanted from her.
She stepped out gingerly from the gate, and he immediately carted over the plowing contraption to attach it to her saddle. He slipped her reins and her halter on, and furrowed as he saw her stopping to yawn. "Don't just stand there, Bell! Go!" he ordered, pointing his finger ahead. She stifled the last of her yawn and and carefully plodded onward, leaving uniform rows trailing behind her. "Come on, Bell! I haven't got all day!" he shouted, taking her by the reins and pulling her. She breathed a silent sigh, and wearily, her hooves fell forward. Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop. The sound of her seemingly heavy hooves pounding the ground throbbed in her head.
Little did they know, they were being watched the entire time; behind the fence was a young girl. She had seen too much already. She saw how poorly the mare was being treated; the horse was no more than a slave to that man. Something needed to be done.
"Good." the farmer praised the mare unenthusiastically as she finished the task. "Now, let's go get some lumber." he said, detaching the plow, replacing it instead with a trailor of sorts, and pulling the mare by her reins toward the forest. Just as he was leading her to the forest, he was stopped by the calling of his wife. "Breakfast time, honey!" she loudly shouted. He abruptly stopped in his tracks and turned to see his wife standing at the back door. "The food is getting cold!" she exclaimed, beckoning an arm. He glanced from the mare to his wife. She shot him an intent glance from the distance before she walked back into the house. The farmer didn't know what to do. He couldn't turn back now, he already had the mare prepared for getting the lumber. So he rushed his decision and tied her reins to a low, overhanging branch. "Now, you stay here, Bell." he said to her rhetorically, waggling a finger at her like a troublesome child. She stood her ground as he departed from her side and left for the little house.
A chill of regret and worry surged throughout the farmer as he walked into the kitchen and sat down at the creaking, chipped cherry-wood table. "Is everything all right, dear?" asked his wife as she set the steaming stack of pancakes on the table, the cube of butter melting over it like a fountain. "Everything's fine," he answered, faking a smile as he picked up his fork. Inside he reassured himself all would be well, or so he wanted to think.
"I'm going to get you out of here," whispered a voice in the forest, Bella reared and whinnied out of fear. "Shhh!" comforted the girl, "I'm not going to hurt you." she said calmly, gingerly approaching the mare. Bella paced backward nervously, her eyes widened. The girl simply reached her hand to the mares head, and Bella shivered at the strangers touch. Expecting the very worst, she squeezed her eyes shut. There you go, said the girl, lifting her hands from Bellas face. She felt a strange relief of her tension, and fluttered her eyes open before hurriedly inspecting herself for wounds. Her eyes happened to pass over the ground, and she saw something strange. Her reins and her halter were laying on the dusty ground at her hooves. She lifted her head to look rather bemusedly at the girl, cocking her head slightly.
Go! Run free! the girl said, pointing her finger for the denser wilderness. Bella knew what it meant when the humans pointed their finger; it meant to go. But Bella was so confused. She took a step forward and looked back at the girl for reassurance. The girl smiled broadly and nodded. Bella turned to face the labyrinth of greenery, its tantalizing, mystery-shrouded depths were so tempting. Their whispering boughs and rattling leaves seemed to call her name. Bella looked back one last time at her old home before walking forward, mere ambition made every step less and less difficult, and she felt her legs rolling first into a slow trot, and finally into a swift ambling, a broad smile plastered upon her face. Her short mane flew back as the refreshing breeze blew into her face.
The girl waved before she disappeared into the shadows, kneeling to stay hidden as she deftly slipped through her gate and back into her own yard. Her smile was ambivalent as she closed the gate, at the same time she was happy for Bella, but she felt a sense of guilt.
The trees eventually faded to grassland, and the land opened up. Ahead, it was beautiful. She stood on a hill, where it poured into a valley. She could see other figures in the distance. Curiosity got the better of her, and she went onward to explore the lush field.
"Time for work!" shouted a voice, the stout little Fjord mare in the stable awoke with a start. Her head shot up and her ears twitched, and she slowly peered her head over the stable's gate. She groggily squinted, with her eyes still bleary, at the blur that slowly approached her. She fluttered open her heavy eyelids and jumped slightly at the sight of the farmer standing at the gate. One would think, after the year and a half that she had worked here, that she would've been acquainted with the routinely yard work and the farmer's constant orders. But it seemed that the more she gave of herself, the more he wanted from her.
She stepped out gingerly from the gate, and he immediately carted over the plowing contraption to attach it to her saddle. He slipped her reins and her halter on, and furrowed as he saw her stopping to yawn. "Don't just stand there, Bell! Go!" he ordered, pointing his finger ahead. She stifled the last of her yawn and and carefully plodded onward, leaving uniform rows trailing behind her. "Come on, Bell! I haven't got all day!" he shouted, taking her by the reins and pulling her. She breathed a silent sigh, and wearily, her hooves fell forward. Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop. The sound of her seemingly heavy hooves pounding the ground throbbed in her head.
Little did they know, they were being watched the entire time; behind the fence was a young girl. She had seen too much already. She saw how poorly the mare was being treated; the horse was no more than a slave to that man. Something needed to be done.
"Good." the farmer praised the mare unenthusiastically as she finished the task. "Now, let's go get some lumber." he said, detaching the plow, replacing it instead with a trailor of sorts, and pulling the mare by her reins toward the forest. Just as he was leading her to the forest, he was stopped by the calling of his wife. "Breakfast time, honey!" she loudly shouted. He abruptly stopped in his tracks and turned to see his wife standing at the back door. "The food is getting cold!" she exclaimed, beckoning an arm. He glanced from the mare to his wife. She shot him an intent glance from the distance before she walked back into the house. The farmer didn't know what to do. He couldn't turn back now, he already had the mare prepared for getting the lumber. So he rushed his decision and tied her reins to a low, overhanging branch. "Now, you stay here, Bell." he said to her rhetorically, waggling a finger at her like a troublesome child. She stood her ground as he departed from her side and left for the little house.
A chill of regret and worry surged throughout the farmer as he walked into the kitchen and sat down at the creaking, chipped cherry-wood table. "Is everything all right, dear?" asked his wife as she set the steaming stack of pancakes on the table, the cube of butter melting over it like a fountain. "Everything's fine," he answered, faking a smile as he picked up his fork. Inside he reassured himself all would be well, or so he wanted to think.
"I'm going to get you out of here," whispered a voice in the forest, Bella reared and whinnied out of fear. "Shhh!" comforted the girl, "I'm not going to hurt you." she said calmly, gingerly approaching the mare. Bella paced backward nervously, her eyes widened. The girl simply reached her hand to the mares head, and Bella shivered at the strangers touch. Expecting the very worst, she squeezed her eyes shut. There you go, said the girl, lifting her hands from Bellas face. She felt a strange relief of her tension, and fluttered her eyes open before hurriedly inspecting herself for wounds. Her eyes happened to pass over the ground, and she saw something strange. Her reins and her halter were laying on the dusty ground at her hooves. She lifted her head to look rather bemusedly at the girl, cocking her head slightly.
Go! Run free! the girl said, pointing her finger for the denser wilderness. Bella knew what it meant when the humans pointed their finger; it meant to go. But Bella was so confused. She took a step forward and looked back at the girl for reassurance. The girl smiled broadly and nodded. Bella turned to face the labyrinth of greenery, its tantalizing, mystery-shrouded depths were so tempting. Their whispering boughs and rattling leaves seemed to call her name. Bella looked back one last time at her old home before walking forward, mere ambition made every step less and less difficult, and she felt her legs rolling first into a slow trot, and finally into a swift ambling, a broad smile plastered upon her face. Her short mane flew back as the refreshing breeze blew into her face.
The girl waved before she disappeared into the shadows, kneeling to stay hidden as she deftly slipped through her gate and back into her own yard. Her smile was ambivalent as she closed the gate, at the same time she was happy for Bella, but she felt a sense of guilt.
The trees eventually faded to grassland, and the land opened up. Ahead, it was beautiful. She stood on a hill, where it poured into a valley. She could see other figures in the distance. Curiosity got the better of her, and she went onward to explore the lush field.
