(Two Years Later)
Around half past twelve, I wake up. I get up, but find it hard to because I feel a lot heavier than usual. I walk around, trying to find Splash, but I don’t see him. I walk the fence line of the pasture looking for him. I hear him, but I can’t see him. He walks up behind me and nips me on the bottom. I kick out, not intentionally trying to hit him. He just laughs and walks up beside me. We walk the fence line for a while, talking about different things.
I lie down, and let Splash watch over. I feel a sharp pain in my stomach, almost like pins and needles. I don’t think anything of it, until the pain keeps getting worse and worse.
“Splash, get John, now!!”
“What? Why what’s wrong darling, are you okay?!”
“Please don’t ask questions! Just go get him! I’ll tell you once you get him.”
Splash takes off at a mad gallop back to the gate of the pasture. He screams for John, and John comes running out of the house. Splash paces, waiting for John to reach the gate. John comes in, but he doesn’t see me. He hops on Splash bareback and grabs onto Splash’s mane. He takes off through the pasture and comes to an abrupt stop next to me. John gets off and runs over to me, stroking my face, and moves his way down my body. He gets to my stomach, and I cringe in pain. I scream out, letting him know it hurts. Splash backs away, a worried look in his eyes. John reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out his cell phone. He calls Mike, hoping he can get out as quick as he can. John runs back to the barn to get blankets to throw over me. The temperature is dropping fast, and lying on this cold ground could give me hypothermia and make me lethargic.
John comes back, stumbling and tripping on the blankets. I lift my head, but the pain is too severe.
“Splash, I can’t be going into labor yet! It’s too early!”
“Darling, if you are, I’m here for you. Don’t worry, once Mike gets here he will find out. Please stay calm darling, I am right here.”
Splash lies down next to me and rests his head over my neck. Mike pulls in the drive and comes running into the pasture. He brings his bag, and sets it down at my head.
“John, what was the last thing she ate?”
“I gave her the usual feed rations, and hay rations. Nothing has changed.”
Mike talks to me, asking what’s wrong, trying to figure out what’s going on. Like he is going to understand what I say…
My stomach hurts, man. What don’t you understand about that? I’m telling you it hurts, but you don’t listen! I sometimes wonder if you even have a brain. They always say horses don’t have brains that they aren’t smart or they don’t have feelings, well hello?! Excuse me, mare lying in pain here?! We don’t have feelings, what a bunch of crap. We feel it if you hurt us, we feel pain when you verbally abuse us, so you don’t have a right to say we don’t feel anything.
Mike was talking to John, so I lifted my head and reached and nipped at the piece of paper in his back pocket. I grabbed it and strained to get it on my stomach, so he can see what is really wrong. I lay my head back down, and sigh, thankfully my stomach quit hurting for now. Mike, who was still talking to John turned around and noticed the paper on my stomach. He came over and picked it up, and knelt down by my rear, looking at something, I don’t know what though. He calls to John, but his tone is very worried and almost shocking at the same time.
YOU ARE READING
The Black Beauty (Wattys 2015)
WerewolfHave you ever experienced the wind flapping through your mane and forelock as you gallop through vast plains and over rocky slopes? Have you ever known what freedom feels like, knowing that it isn't free? Of course you haven't. You aren...
