Tales of Gloomsdale #5: The Gallop from Beyond

Chapter Eleven

My scream got swept up by the wind as I fell, my stomach dropping along with my body. Just as I began to panic, I caught sight of something else hanging from the air. I instinctively reached out to grab it. At the same time, the root I was gripping became completely loose and started to fall. I let out a scream as I let go, not about to plummet down as well. I watched as my only source of stability fell past me to the ground.

I was even more terrified now that I was clinging to something that was much thinner and smaller. It was also colder and smoother than the rough tree roots, which thankfully didn't hurt my hand as much. It felt familiar, but I couldn't figure out why. I tried to glance up, but I couldn't stop looking down, even though I told myself not to. My heart raced as I realized how close and far away the ground was at the same time.

I tried to reach my other hand up, desperate for something to cling to. It was the only thing keeping me from falling now. At the same time, I felt myself being pulled up. I froze, clinging until my hand ached just as much as before. I was being pulled slowly, but I was higher above the ground now. When I tried to reach my hand up, I jumped as I felt my palm connect with the rough edge of the mountain. It was further away now that a good chunk had collapsed, so I only just managed to graze it. But as I felt myself being pulled further up, I reached my hand out and managed to hold on tightly. I also felt the edge of my hand brush against something soft and leathery.

As I raised my head, I almost let go in surprise when I saw what I was holding onto. It was the saddle, the one I had left lying around on the ground. I was clinging tightly to the stirrup while the saddle was being pulled up. I knew there had to be somebody on the other side. It couldn't pull me up by myself.

I had a good feeling who that was even before I swung my leg onto the cliff and pushed myself up. I was so weak at that point, I almost collapsed to the ground and fell off again. Before I even had the chance to process what had happened, I felt myself being dragged across the mountain as I continued to crouch there, clinging to the saddle. Relief washed over me the further I got from the edge. I collapsed to the ground once I was far enough away, shaking all over.

As the relief faded away, my entire body ached and my head spun. For a moment, all I could hear was my frantic, terrified heartbeat. Then I heard the familiar low, soft whinny.

I raised my head, not at all surprised to see Midnight standing there. He was a good distance away from me near where the trail to the mountain started, staring straight at me with those icy eyes. I just stared at him, not sure what to think or say for a moment. Then I cried out in joy and relief.

"Midnight, you... you saved my life!" I cried. I felt the urge to throw my arms around him, but managed not to. "I... I can't believe it..."

I wasn't sure what to say as I started rambling, but Midnight just stared at me. He took a step closer, and I didn't back away this time. I stared into his silvery eyes, feeling the same awe I had when I first met him. The closer he got to me, the fainter he got, until I could see through him. I blinked as I found myself staring through what seemed like a thin, floating layer of mist at the trail I had hurried up. Then I remembered it was Midnight. Maybe he was fading away, making himself invisible like he probably did most of the time when riders came to the trail.

The next moment, I jumped in shock at the familiar loud cracking as something fell from the sky. I froze in terror, wondering how there could be lightning when it wasn't raining, but I didn't have time to dwell on that. I couldn't take my eyes away from the horse, which the bolt had landed right on top of. Instead of injuring him, it seemed to briefly illuminate him... as a real, living horse. For just a split second, I could see the black stallion right in front of me, and even the white patch on his forehead. The revered, beautiful horse he had been in his life, before his tragic death inches away from where I was standing.

I didn't have time to admire him. Just as I saw his true form, he vanished. Just like that. One moment, I was staring at the black horse, and the next, he was gone. There wasn't even a wisp of the ghostly mist left. I was staring blankly at the trail again, blinking in confusion as I struggled to process what I had witnessed.

I stumbled forward, almost falling to the ground before I managed to get a hold of myself. As I glanced down, I jumped as I realized the saddle was torn into two pieces. I reached over to pick up both of them, wincing at the rough, worn feeling. The stirrup was smoother than the tree roots, but the rest of the saddle was almost as rough. I realized that thing had been responsible for saving my life as well. After it had showed me how Abigail had died in the same way.

I suddenly leapt forward while tightly gripping the saddle, realizing I needed to get off the mountain as quickly as possible. The last thing I wanted was to hang around in this place. I shot down the trail as quickly as my shaking legs could take me, as far away from the mountain as I could. Just as I was near the bottom, my legs gave out and I stumbled forward like I had before. The saddle fell from my hands as I sprawled out on the ground again, but this time, I was relieved to be away from the cliff. I watched as the saddle rolled away and tumbled down as well, wondering if I should bring it with me. Mom would probably ask me how it was broken, and it might cause another memory even if Midnight was gone. But I still liked having something that belonged to Abigail.

Midnight... I closed my eyes, trying to understand what I had seen. One moment, he was there, and the next, he was gone. I wasn't sure where he had gone, but somehow, I wasn't scared or worried for him. I knew he'd be happier than he was being forced to wander the place he had for so many years after his death. I realized he was probably being punished for causing Abigail's death. The lightning had taken him, the opposite of how it had narrowly missed him all those years ago.

Somehow, I knew I'd never see him again. I felt slightly sad, but I knew that as happy as he probably was to see me, he was much more pained with being reminded of her death every minute. I realized that by saving me from a similar fate, he was no longer cursed to wander this place. He could move on while letting go of the guilt.

And so could I. I dropped the pieces of the saddle and ran out of the trail, both saddened and relieved by what I had discovered. I told myself I'd never return again, just like Midnight wouldn't.