Hope by Katherine Carison (red white royal blue .txt) 📕

Let me tell you of the horse that changed my life….
It all started when I found that old barn behind my own group of barns and animals. I was taking a walk through the dense woods behind my house. It was just starting to get dark, the trees looming thickly over my head. Suddenly I spotted a small gray barn in the distance. I blinked. I had lived in these woods ever since I was a baby. But this was something I had never explored before. Shoving my hands in my pockets I walked towards it. When I reached the side of it I looked around. There was a medium sized pasture in the front and a tiny, square corral beside it. But there was no house, no vehicles, no sign of anyone living around here. I took another step forward. A twig snapped under my weight. Suddenly I saw flash of black moving in the corral. I ducked behind a rusty barrel. When there was no more sound I slowly, cautiously looked around the barrel and what I saw in the corral took my breath away. A black mare was stood looking around. She was so skinny I could count her ribs. Her hips jutted out and the skin above her eyes was sunken in. She swished flies away with her short tail in the summer heat. Suddenly she noticed me. She pricked her ears toward me and flared her nostrils, breathing in my scent. I slowly walked out from behind the barrel and made my way to the corral. Before I could even get within ten feet she backed away. I stopped moving. Silently I promised myself that I would slowly gain her trust…eventually. I decided to leave before it got too dark. I turned around and walked back into the woods. Before I left the little clearing I turned and stared into the black horse’s dark eyes. Your name will be Hope.

I visited Hope every day, bringing her carrots and apples. Every time I went to see her she came a little bit closer to eating straight from my hand. But every time I just ended up having to leave the treats on the ground. All the time I kept wondering who was feeding this poor horse. Sometimes when I visited her I would find her munching on a few hand-fulls of hay. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months and she soon let me be by her side in the corral with her. One day I went to visit Hope, carrying my usual bucket-full of treats containing three carrots, an apple, and a sugar cube. Hope greeted me with a soft nicker as I appeared with her treats. I smiled at her as she walked confidently up to the fence and nuzzled me. I planted a kiss on her nose and slipped through the bars of the corral. I patted her back and set my bucket down, giving the apple to her first as it was her favorite. I scratched her ears and sat at her feet, listening to her happily munch her treat. Suddenly I heard a truck drive up. I leapt to my feet and looked around. There were no trees near enough for me to take cover in time. I did the only thing I could do - I ducked behind Hope and placed my feet jut line with hers so I would not be seen from the other side. I heard someone step out of the vehicle and slam the door shut. I could hear their footsteps lead toward the barn. There was silence. I peeked around, hoping to see they had disappeared for good. But before I could grab my bucket and run, a man reappeared carrying a flake of hay. I whipped back behind Hope again. I heard the hay fall to the ground inside the corral. Hope glanced at it and started to walks towards it. My heart beating furiously, I grabbed her mane and pulled her back. Confused, she stopped and looked at me. I watched her in silence as I listened to the truck driving away. I took a deep breath and let Hope go eat after the sound of the truck disappeared completely. I had almost been caught trespassing! I shivered at the thought of him coming back and spotting me so I grabbed my bucket and dumped the remaining treats on top of the hay and, after giving Hope a hug and a quick “Thank you,” I dashed off towards home. After that I went to see her every once in a while but I had learned to not be so at-home on somebody else’s property. But I also learned anything is possible when you have someone’s trust. :)

Text: Me!
Publication Date: 02-09-2012

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