Some People Change (Currently Editing)

Chapter Nineteen

When I got to the stables the next day, Ed wasn’t there like he said he would be. Maybe he was coming later in the day. I hoped he was.

I entered the barn with Freddy and Emma by my side. Zaltana’s stall was the first one on the left, but she wasn’t in it. And her stall gate was open. My heart began to beat faster.

Jason came out of his office. He looked exhausted.

“Jason, what hap-”

“She broke out of her stall this morning.”

“What?” I said. “We have to find her! How far could she have gone?”

“Ed and Taylor are out looking for her on the roads. But, I already have Mayhem tacked up, and I need you to look for her in the woods. They’re at the very back of the property. There’s a fence that separates the woods and here. I don’t know if Zaltana can jump or not, so there’s a chance she might’ve gone over the fence.”

I nodded, and then I climbed onto Mayhem with the help of the mounting block.

“I’ll do my best to find her.”

“Be careful. It’s easy to get lost in the woods.” Jason said. “If you go past the tree you were at the other day, there’s a gate that’ll lead you to the main trail in the woods. If you can’t find her in an hour come straight back.”

“Okay.”

“Good luck, sweetheart. Just stay calm. She’s out there somewhere.”

I leaned forward, and Mayhem took off at a fast canter. I went past the tree like Jason said, and then I came to a big, white fence. Part of it was broken and it lay on the ground. Zaltana must’ve broken through the fence.

“Come on, Mayhem,” I said as I opened up the small gate.

I jogged him forward down the path straight ahead. I kept on that path for awhile, but there was no sign of Zaltana until about fifteen minutes later. I saw a trail of hoof prints veering off to a path on the right. Even though it was risky, I decided to take that path.

And then there I found Zaltana. Untouched and unharmed. She was grazing on a patch of grass and I breathed out a sigh of relief. Zaltana looked up at me for a second, and then she went back to eating. 

Unfortunately, all Zaltana had on was a halter. I knew it would be too difficult trying to control Mayhem with one hand and Zaltana with the other. Especially because Zaltana was so unpredictable, and I didn’t know how she would react when I tried to get her back to the stables.

I jumped off Mayhem, and then pulled him over to Zaltana. Again, she looked up at me, and I took that opportunity to grab her halter. Then, I began to lead both of the horses out of the woods.

The path I had taken to get to Zaltana seemed ten times longer now that I had to walk it. And I didn’t even want to imagine how long the main path would take me. I hoped Jason had patience because this was going to take me way more than an hour.

Finally, after getting lost several times, I spotted the fence. I smiled at Mayhem and Zaltana, and then I made my way to the gate and unlatched it. I pulled Mayhem through it first, and then I had a little bit of trouble with Zaltana. She kept doing small rears, and simply refused to go through the gate. I knew it was because she didn’t want to return to the barn. She was scared of it for some reason.

“It’s okay, girl. Please. Trust me. Just give Jason a chance. He’ll take care of you.” I said gently, petting Zaltana for reassurance. She reluctantly came through the gate. “Good girl, Zaltana!”

I continued on back to the stables with Zaltana and Mayhem by my sides. Zaltana had been surprisingly calm the whole way. 

When I had passed the tree, I saw Jason, Ed, Freddy, Emma, and Taylor outside. Each of them had a relieved expression on their face. Jason was the first one to come up to me. He took Mayhem, and then smiled at me.