Destiny

Chapter 12

    I awake with a jolt. Something is wrong, terribly wrong. I can feel it. I look to the window. Its still dark and the moon is high in the sky. Morning will be here in a few hours.

     I lift my head off of Destiny's barrel. I don't remember falling asleep like that. Destiny is stretched out in the hay and I get a sinking feeling that something is wrong with her.

   I check her pulse and breathing but its all normal. Destiny awakens and lifts her head to look at me almost is saying, what's wrong?

    I hear a loud thump and someone cursing from down the aisle. My blood goes cold. I recgonize that voice but I can't place it at the moment.

   A loud crash and more cursing. I hunch closer to Destiny and shake in terror. We have never had something like this happen.

   I let go of Destiny as she rises to her feet. I Stand up as well and peer over the stall door. Whoever is here has a lantern and is looking in each stall almost as if he's looking for something like maybe....

   It hits me. It's the same guy from the other night. A new wave of terror goes through me as I sink back down in the straw.

   Destiny walks over and nudges my arm with her nose and I start to pet her again but she nudges me harder until I stand up.

    She pushes me over towards her back and I stand there dumbfounded, still not getting what she wanted me to do. She stomps her hoof and it dawns on me. She wants me to get on her back.

    The light is getting closer and I'm running out of time. As soundlessly as possible, I swing my leg over Destiny, and lie as flat as I can on her back while wrapping her mane around my fingers.

    "Oh please don't let him find us" I pray as the light is closer. Now he's only two stalls away. Destiny is rigid. She also knows this man.

   The light floods the stall and I cling closer to Destiny like she could make me disappear.

    "There you are" I hear the man growl. He yanks the stall door open and jerks his hand towards Destiny.

    Destiny shudders and I think, he's going to find us both. I just finished the thought when I felt Destiny's muscles tense. She burst through the stall door and knocks the man off his feet.

     The man starts yelling as Destiny dashes towards the half open barn doors. I tense up as I wait for the sound of horse hitting wood. Destiny hits the door with her shoulder and it swings open.

     The cool night air hits me full force and I suck in a breath of air. Destiny doesn't even pause for a second. She gallops on and I can't tell if it's out of fear or determination.

      The man chases us on foot and I can hear his yells. I don't look back but instead focus on staying hunched over Destiny's back and staying on Destiny's back.

      We enter the trees and branches smack me in the face as the brush blurs past us.

      We disappear into the night with the man and the ranch left far behind us.