The Death of Me

Chapter 5

I started noticing more animals, lots of stray, dogs and cats running wild. I also noticed a lot more wildlife, such as deer and a fox or two. Once I even noticed a coyote, searching through an abandoned car. We drove on and I noticed a lot of signs, then I saw a sign that read " Halo Horse Stables" I couldn't resist. I turned in and drove up to the large gate that guarded the massive estate. I got out and tried to open the gate, but then something occurred to me. So I hopped into the truck, backed up a bit, and rammed into the fence, hard. The gate swung open gladly. I smirked, destroying things was fun.

I then drove into the area and parked the truck in front of 4 large and extremely fancy stables. They were spit shined and glossy, full of the nicest horses I'd ever seen. I kept Patches inside the trailer this time, he didn't know these horses and I didn't want him to get into any fights. I walked in to find it was full of Friesian stallions. I gasped, they were all stunningly beautiful. They had thick wavy manes and tails and were built like no other. Each seemed more handsome than the last. They all seemed thrilled to see a human, I went by, getting stares through bars and I returned the gazes, watching them with a stunned expression. The stalls were beautiful as well, and they seemed like something worthy of a king. The roof above was glass windows, and the doors made from mahogany. The rest of the building was made from spotless wood fixtures and pure class. It seemed like they were waiting for me, and I felt like before I'd walked into that barn I'd known what I should do. I walked through the stables now and unlatched all the doors, they swung open on their spotless hinges. A few of the horses were timid, and walked out cautiously. Others bolted out and knocked the gate open before it was done opening itself. I turned the corner, and released another, who bolted away as if I was something it had never seen before. They were all so strong and large, ready for anything it seemed. They all seemed to head to the large pond that was in front of the stables, all thirsty no doubt.

I released another and then another, then walked towards one who took my breath away. He was a pure white stallion, huge and magnificent. He had blue eyes, and blinked at me gently. I smiled at his curiosity. I swung open his gate and he simply stood there, gazing at me. I moved on to the next stallion and the white one peered out of his stall door to watch me set them free. He walked out and began following me as Patches would do. I giggled at him. There were only so many red or brown stallions in the barn, it seemed this estate bred their horses to be dark. It seemed like forever before all the horses were out causing trouble on the estate. I sighed and walked out of the barn, still being accompanied by the white stallion. I peered over and gave a second sigh. There were still three unattended to barns. I walked into the second one. More Friesians. Yet, these were all mares, mares and foals. I wiped the sweat off my brow and continued running about in the heat, releasing horses. There were a lot of pregnant mares, and mares with foals. Yet there was one every now and then that was just there. I released them all and the white stallion was under constant surveillance by the protective mothers. They would pin their ears at him and he would keep his distance respectfully. The foals were very beautiful and curious. There were one or two white foals and I wondered if perhaps they were the spawn of this friendly stallion that followed me.

Again, it took forever to empty out all the stables, but it felt good to help them. It felt right to see the stallions and mares and foals romp and eat the slightly over grown grass and drink from the pond out in the front. I walked out of the stable, my new friend still tagged along with me. Two stables left. I walked up to the next stables, expecting to find yearlings or perhaps retired mares and stallions, but when I walked in I found neither. I just found more beautiful horses, but these one were Arabians. I gasped again, they were so beautiful. This was all like some wonderful dream. The horses whinnied excitedly, they all looked extra frail and small compared to the giant horses I had recently released. They all frolicked away as if they were weightless.Their colors were a lot different, and more mixed about. There were paints, and flea-bitten grays. As well as beautifully red browns and roans. They were very elegant and lovely. I moved to the next barn and that one was full of Arabian mares that were pregnant or with foals. The foals were so cute and tawny, just like their parents. After all the horses were lose and running around wildly. They bucked and romped around with each other, some meeting for the first time, some greeted one another as if they were old friends.

When I went back to Patches, white stallion still tagging along, Patches snorted and kicked his trailer. I opened the door and he pinned his ears at the giant white stallion fearlessly. I got scared that they might fight, but the white stallion stepped back timidly as Patches came to my side. I had to laughed, Patches was practically an old man and here was this giant white stallion in his prime, backing away from him fearfully. I patted Patches on the nose, and found some tack in the trailer seeing how the white stallion would react to it. When the stallion seemed indifferent, I tacked him and  decided to see how he would ride. He was a little hard to control, and went faster than I would have liked  him to, but he didn't buck or completely take off with me. He also had an extremely nice gait and seemed to enjoy the excuse to run around. We ran and made the other horses give us a wide birth, most of the horses didn't seem to like humans and would run when we came near. Yet the mothers would charge if we got too close and we had to be careful around them.

After running around and taking my own personal break my stomach started to growl, so I decided to let the white stallion lose with the others. I went to the trailer and loaded up Patches, the white stallion seemed like he was waiting for me to tell him to join. I sighed "Would you like to join us, big guy?" I said, stroking his forehead, he nickered lightly and I pulled on his halter to get him into the trailer. He loaded easily. Also there was more than enough room in the huge trailer for him and Patches both. I looked at him for a moment and sighed. "Hmm, I read a book once about a white stallion named Phantom." I spoke to the horses, yet it seemed more to myself. "So I suppose that's what we'll call you." I smiled and closed the trailer door, then walked over and got in the truck. I drove off the property, honking at horses that got in my way. The horses seemed to follow the truck though, and I led them off the huge estate. I drove off and looked in the rear-view mirror at the beautiful freed animals. I felt happy now. For the first time since things went wrong. I was happy.