Maybelle: Untamable Wild

Onto Something

                        (Approx. 3 Weeks Later)

                       So far, it's been a glum and dull life for the herd on the Outerbridge farm. The days floated past me, and it's hard to believe that three weeks have passed since the first day of training me. But they would never tame me.

                        Really, everything traced by the herd's need for freedom seemed lost. Until one day.

                       I remember it five days ago, as I was lounging around in the pasture. The last of the afternoon was dispersing from the horizon and I was rather tired and moody. Bold colors lit up the sky and there was some light left but I had laid my head down.

                       A flight of birds called. I glazed my eyes into the sunlight, in my own little world of where the wild things called. The birds were going to rest and soon fly with no boundaries', while every mare, stallion, and foal repeated each day of the ranch life. I was bored already.

                       Then, an owl corralled by the pen and it's wings caught my attention. I followed the animal's movement in the air until it perched  contently on the railing. His back was to me, feathers all speckled against gray.

                       "Watching the sunset?" I queried him. I must have startled him, I didn't mean to. 

                      His head corkscrewed around and I caught his huge yellow spectacles. They were dazzling, enough to see through the dark as was rumored. What really mesmerized me was the degree of his head.

                      I shied for a moment. "Sorry-was I being a nuisance?"

                      "Oh-no!" The aging owl excused me. "You weren't, dear. Was I in your way?" He pardoned, shuffling a bit to the right.

                     "Naw. Only bored. Tired of the average day in and out." I slugged, ears wavered.

                     He hesitated. "Is that so? Does a mare like you really find no interest in settlement?"

                     "What do you mean?"

                     "Forget that. Us owls always like to brag about the places our wings take us. But you horses might be no different." He added, and continued, "What is a elegant mare like you stuck in this enclosure for?"

                    Here was a subject I was willing to talk about. "I'm Maybelle. The horses you see behind me are my herd-we were all caught and rounded!"

                   "Sounds terrible, Maybelle! But your all together-so what's the uncertainty about?"

                   "It sounds pathetic but I'm the full-expressed leader of this herd." I wept. "Now here we are on this rugged ranch place of all things! I tried to keep us out of the line of danger!"

                   He looked sorrowful. "If it makes you feel any better...there might be enough time of an escape plan."

                   "Any ideas?" I tottered to the fence.

                  "Familiar with the contest? The mounts-the plowing-the--"

                  I frantically nodded up and down. "Yes-oh yes! The contest, you know of it!"