The Curse Of True Love's Kiss

3

I walk into the kitchen to find all my family eating at the table. They had already started without me. But I didn't mind. At least I was getting something to eat.

I sit down on the empty chair, where I usually sit, across from Mark. My mother sets the table different to everyone else which I think is odd. I don't know whether she's trying to be posh or what, but it's different to how everyone else does it.

We have an oval shaped table that we sit at which is quite big, enough for six people to dine at maximum. Since there's only me, Mark, mother and father, my mum sets the seats far apart.  Instead of two at the opposite side so we can dine more like a family, my mother puts one to each of the four sides, like we're royalty. It's strange, really.

"You're late," mother says to me.

"I am?" I ask her, rather confused.

"Just let her be, woman," dad interrupts, before taking a big bite of a chicken leg.

"Where were you anyway?" mother asks me, trying to ignore what father had said previously.

"I was trying to calm Giles down because someone got him very excited." I snap, looking directly in front of me at my brother, who frowned back at me.

"Hey! Don't blame me!" he shouts.

"Aw, I guess Giles got excited to go for a ride in the woods himself then?"

"Children, children, stop it," father says, trying to break up the argument.

"Yes, not at the table, please," mother replies.

There was a moment of silence before father added, "really, was it you Mark?".

"Oh really, Steven," mother frowned at father.

I suddenly felt a wave of sorrow wash over me. I felt sorry for father. Mother was always getting on at him whenever he made a comment that she didn't agree with.

"What are you getting on at me for now?" Father sighed.

I ducked my head down closer to the table and quickly ate my food in silence.

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I quietly snuck out of my room when no one was around and crept downstairs. I headed for the door, one foot at a time.

"What are you doing?"

I jumped right out of my skin and turned around.

Mother was sitting on her chair in the living room. She must have heard me.

"I'm just going to take Giles for a ride." I told the honest truth. I wanted to lie but I knew there would be no point. She would find out sooner or later.

"Alright," she replies.

"Really?"

"Yeah. But don't be too long. I need you to help me with something."

"Thank you and no I won't."

"Ok, you better get going then."

"Yes. Yes, of course," I say, quickly heading out the door.

I let out a huge sigh after I close the front door shut. I run over to Giles. He was eating away at the leftover carrots that I gave him a few hours ago.

"Hello Giles," I greet him. "It's time for your walk."

Giles stops eating and looks up at me.

"Yes," I giggle.

I jump up on him and signal for him to go forward. He stands up on his back legs and neighs. Then he lands on the ground with four hooves and rides off.

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Once we're in the woods I signal for him to go faster. When he finally reached the speed that I wanted him to go at, I look up and take my hands off him and hold them out wide. I start cheering and laughing loud. I never felt more free in my life.

But then I hear a noise that wasn't coming from either me or Giles. I put my head back and put my hands on the halter. I slow Giles down until he comes to a stop. I hop off him and look around.

Giles must hear something that I don't because he stands on his back legs and starts neighing like crazy. I hold on tight to his halter so he won't go away.

"Calm down, Giles," I tell him. "Easy boy, easy, easy."

I look him right in the eye and gently hold onto his nose. He suddenly calms down and there's another noise behind us. I gasp and my head jolts around. Giles stays still like he's a statue of some sort.

"Who's there?" I shout into the air. I sensed my words fly away with the wind.

I saw something light up in the distance. It looked a green colour. "Giles," I whisper. "Giles, come with me."

I take Giles to a thin tree and take out strong, thick rope. I tie the rope round the thin tree and around a part of Giles's equipment.

"Stay here, ok?" I ask him.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath before I slowly go over and investigate.

Every second that went past I was getting closer to the strange object.

Then, I finally realised what it was. What was scaring me and Giles. What the green colour was and what the strange noises was.

It was.....