BurningRod

Chapter 1

Jackson breathed the fresh air while he rode his bike down the nature path. The sun was shining and in the shade of the trees, the weather was perfect. The sound of the rushing water in the small river ahead was peaceful, and also told him he was close to home. His legs hurt some, because he had wore shorts instead of long jeans and his legs rubbed on his too-small bike. Though, he thought it was worth it to be able to feel comfortable on the summer day than to sweat and be miserable. Jackson's T-shirt was blue and white striped. His hair was short and brown, along with brown eyes.

As he came across the bridge, he noticed an unusual sound. It sounded like animal, an animal that was screeching for help or something. It was piercing. The horror in it was unexplainable. He also heard splashes in the water. Something was definitely struggling down there.

He pulled his bike over to the side of the path and put up the kick-stand. Then, he peered over the side of the bridge. He could barley see what was screeching because of all the splashing. He hurried down the steep hill to the river, holding onto trees as he went so he didn't fall. When he got the the bank, Jackson got a better look, still not clear, but a better look at what was there. The small black head of a horse with a white stripe was just above the water and he was squirming with great effort to get out. It seemed that maybe the horse was caught on something in the water.

Though he really wanted to just forget it and leave, he knew he couldn't live with the guilt later. So, he made the decision quickly to get the horse out and then continue on his way home.

He nodded to himself and got as close to the animal as possible before getting in the water. Then, he waded out until he could reach the horse by sticking out his hand. It kicked his back leg rapidly, revealing that it was stuck in something. Jackson gabbed the defenseless horse's leg and tried to untangle it, but it kept pulling the knot of the vine wrapped around the leg tight again.

Once he finally got it untangled, Jackson backed away quickly, still clutching the vine in his hand. He clapped his hands together once, dropped the vine, and was about to storm back up the hill until he noticed that the splashing hadn't stopped. He looked back with a sigh to find that the horse was now drowning in the current of the river.

Again, he gathered up the rope-like vine and tied a quick slip-knot. This time, instead of wading slowly out until the water got only to his waist, he leaped in and swam to get the the animal. He clamped his fingers on its muzzle, pulled its head down, and threw the rope around its neck. Jackson thought he had done it, until he realized that he too was stuck in the strong current of the river. He found the quickest way out of the situation. As they floated under the bridge. he latched his hand onto on of the supports under it. Then, he rapped the rope-like vine once around it to keep him and the horse from drowning. From there, he pulled himself to safety.

Jackson reached the shallows and began to pull to horse out too. It looked weak and tired. His nose flared with wide nostrils and his chest pumped in and out heavily. As the creature neared the bank, not only did his back appear, but two enormous, feathered wings. Wings. Jackson could hardly believe it. Maybe he was dreaming or got knocked out by the river. Could his eyes be playing with him. No, they were there, connected to his back and his powerful muscles. The stallion was all black except for his white stripe on his face and his mane and tail were thick and long. Long strands of fur covered his feet, making the sight that much more amazing. His eyes were almost red, like a blazing fire as he reared up with his ears back. But Jackson didn't move. He was beautiful, but beautiful in the way fire was beautiful.