the Story of the Horses

Chapter One

Echo, a few other horses and I stood in our stalls. It had been a normal day for the most part, a little extra training today, nothing out of the ordinary. As Natalie came into the stable to pour oats into the horses' troughs, Gigi, the palomino horse, stamped her hoof nervously. None of us knew why, this being such a normal day. As Natalie approached, Gigi reared up on her hind legs and bolted. Then I saw why. A snake was curled around Natalie's neck; it raised its head and hissed sleepily. Tom had brought this snake here before, it had spooked us all, especially Gigi. Why did Natalie bring it after out last experience? The thought of Gigi bolting from her stall scared me; Gigi was a strong, brave horse. She never ran. All the while my terrified emotions took effect on my body. I bolted, kicking the door of my stall open furiously. I ran until my limbs were tired, then I slowed and looked behind me. Star was there, obviously afraid for me. I could tell she had no desire to run, Echo was the strongest and bravest of all us horses. But we were best friends, and we were concerned for one another when times got bad.
We both stood there, unsure what to say. Suddenly a sound like one thousand tin cans being crashed against the sky shook my senses. I reared on my hind legs, but stayed put. Thunder rolled across the sky again, and a flash of white lightning landed nearby. Rain pelted down, soaking anything and everything. I started at the lightning being so close, and I could tell we were in danger. A spear of light struck the forest a few miles ahead of Echo and I, the forest where Gigi was hidden. Fire suddenly lit up, the rain not enough to quench the flames that licked at the sky. A terrified whinny, Gigi's whinny, sharpened my senses and despair at her situation kept me frozen in place.
"Come on!" I shouted to Echo. Echo stayed put, mumbling something about: "It's hopeless."
"NO NO NO It can't be! COME ON!!!" My neigh was frantic and troubled.
"Penelope, it's no use. Look at those flames, they're-" Echo cut off short when I sprinted towards the forest. Nothing could make me believe that-that- that Gigi was gone.

Chapter Two

As I fled to the trees, I grew more and more terrified. The flames licking at the sky seemed to grow 10 times their size per second, but maybe that was my imagination. Now the orange-red trees were yards away, and it was all I could to stop from racing away. The flames snarled and danced in front of my eyes, leaping and growling at the sky and forest. A spark flew from the treetops and landed at my hooves, but I rushed forward, and the flames devoured the light.

I started back, fear enveloping me. The trees were tree stumps now, their ashes spiraling in the damp air. The rain that fell was instantly turned to steam, heating the wind that battled the fire, somehow making it stronger rather than weaker.
Then I realized it. Gigi was..... gone now.
A sudden pain ̶̶̶ physical pain, not emotional ̶̶̶ snapped me back to reality. A gust of wind blew towards me, sweeping overwhelming flames into my eyes. I felt nothing ̶̶̶ and all I could see was white. Then the pain overtook me, and white faded into blackness.