The worst thing to happen to me was a horse. A horse, you asked? Yes, a one of a kind, a Belgian Draft talking mare named Elly. I was separated from my platoon after an unexpected firefight when she found me and befriended me against my will. Who was this talking mare and why does she want anything to do with me, a lowly corporal in the U.S. First Infantry Division during America's invasion of Iran? She says she is a friend and needs my help but wouldn't take no for an answer. Nor will she let me out of her sight, even for a moment. Better to stick with her, I reasoned, than take my chances with the locals and roaming militia on the hunt for lone American soldiers like me in the besieged city of Ahvaz in Khuzestan province. When I do finally get back to my platoon the first thing they'll ask is; "Corporal James Smelly, Where the hell have you been? And what are you doing with that horse?"

Elijah x Valerie Short Story Please read at your own risk. Old and unthought 04-2022 ~~ 03-2023

"Mahal mo ba talaga ako o siya pa rin?"