A Light in the Dark: The moon

Chapter 2: A light in the dark

The sun shone on Etta's face, as she was released from the gentle grip of sleep's unfolding arms. Deep inside her, she felt a warmth that swept through her body. The feeling lingered as she got up and ready for school.

Two weeks had passed since the announcement of the field trip, and it was finally time for day one of helping out in the horse auction. Etta was exited. Even though it was clear she could not ride, she still loved horses a lot.

-"Ok, children, can we lower our tone to an inside voice?" Asked Mrs Harvard.

The classes of grade 4 to 6 went quiet, as Mrs Harvard, Mme Rose, Hansengrove, Mr Hodgkins, Mr McGillis and Mrs Vermont, the principal of the school, counted the students by the road where the bus was supposed to pick them up. Etta shivered, and pulled her coat tighter around her. It was late fall, and the air was beginning to get chilly. Soon, the gentle purr of the bus engin could be heard.

After a bumpy ride, the classes arrived at the auction.

-"Welcome to Calgary auction house!" Said the man sitting on a fence. He was supposed to be the guide for the week of helping out.

-"Our job here as workers is to take care of these horses that nobody wanted, and try to give them good homes. Most of these horses have been neglected or mistreated. We are going to give them their vaccinations, nurse them back to health, and then start the auction. We can only find so many homes for these horses, so, it is your job to help us find homes for as many as we can. We will need them to be cleaned, look appealing to the buyer" He said, "Now, as I said, a lot of these horses were mistreated, so I would like for everyone to be very careful around them, as they could hurt you. You mostly will not be around any dangerous horses, but regardless, please be cautious." He warned.

The students were split into 5 groups, each with a guide and a teacher.

Etta was placed in a group with Anne, Tamer and Mrs Rose, while to Etta's disappointment, Maddy was placed in another group with Hansengrove. They were two students she knew, Anne being in her class, and Tamer, also in her class. They were to hose down the horses, but only the ones who were safe to be around. After an hour of washing horse after horse, Etta was beginning to feel very bored. One of the extra guides went to see her.

-"Tired of cleaning horses?" She asked as Etta stood a ways away from the others, taking a snack break.

She nodded.

-"Hey, why don't you come with me, I will need some help feeding the horses," she said.

-"Sure," said Etta.

She motioned to the guid of the group.

-"Will, I'm gonna take this one to help me feed the horses," she called to him.

Will nodded and carried on with the hosing of a big bay gelding.

-"Ok, here is a bucket of feed, I will need you to take it to the horses on this side of the barn. Be careful, the horses can get agitated. I will be watching you from here." She said.

Etta made her way along the boxes of horses, reading their name plates as she went.

Boxer, Saffron, Candy-Gall, Hot-Rod, Daisy, Mojito, Milk-toast. She reached the last stall. The name was left blank. Etta looked into the stall. She was a huge mare, so crusted in mud that the girl could not see her actual coat colour. Her mane was matted and chunks of mud hung from the dreadlocks. The mare turned to look at her with one single bright blue eye, the other half brown one shrouded in shadows.

-"Oh! Be extra careful with that one! She is aggressive!" Called the guide from the feed room.

As Etta looked at the mare, she did not seem mean, or aggressive for that matter. She looked as if she needed a friend. Nonetheless, as instructed, she was extra careful as she put down the feed bucket. She petted the mare, who looked thinner than the others, and uninterested in her food. Suddenly, the moment her finger tips touched the crusty muddy nose, an electric warmth spread from the hand she had touched the mare with, to the rest of her body. She jerked her hand back, expecting for her fingers to be burned for some reason but when she pushed on her fingertips, they didn't hurt. Chills crawled over her like waves, she must have touched an electric fence, she thought, but when she looked, there was none. Despite her pitiful condition, the mare's bright eyes were wild, full of energy, yet gentle and kind. She decided to try petting her again, and when her fingers met the mare's muddy nose again, nothing happened. She stayed awhile, petting the mare, and attempting to get some food into her, until the guide called for her again.