Storymakers: Hope

Storymakers: Hope

By Cadence
Sixth Grade
Key Peninsula Middle School
Lakebay, WA

I was born to the fate of captivity. Every night I dreamt of being a wild horse; my mother told me not to be so foolish. I was to become a young boy's horse, which was a job I did not desire. Having no choice in my destiny, I still held onto my hope to be free.

One summer night my master let me out to graze, something I enjoyed very much because this was the closest I had to being free. An ideal flitted through my head as I nibbled on grass. What if I escaped? What if I escaped right now, right here? I lifted my head to see if anyone watched. There was no one. I took a deep breath and bolted. My spirit felt great knowing that as soon as I reached open land that I would be loose!

Planning my first moments as a free horse, a thought crossed my mind. What if the front gate wasn't open? No, I thought it just had to be. I was sure that this was my destiny; but as I reached the gate it was bolted tightly shut! My freedom was just outside of this gate and yet I couldn't sprint to meet it. Hope began to fade.

I returned to the stables, a cloud of despair hanging over my head. My mother delivered the same scolding she always does when I speak of being free. I didn't even mind it this time. "Don't give up," I reminded myself as I drifted to sleep.

The next morning I began planning another daring escape. I decided to try to jump the fence while my mother wasn't looking. All day I spied on her trying to find the right moment. "Now!" I told myself over and over. But just as I started to move she glanced at me. Then a mare came to talk to her; the only chance I would have was now!

Gazing at the fence, I began my running start; there was a four-stride distance. I could do this. Beginning the jump, I was confident. As my body began to relax I grazed to the top of the fence with my hoof; I gasped and fell to the ground. My mother galloped over to me. "Bad girl!" she scolded me. Hope abandoned me.

The next morning I was a wreck. In every muscle and bone there was a constant stabbing pain. As I strode out into the blazing sun I noticed a pair of wild horses standing on the other side of the fence staring at me. "Hello!" I called to them.

"Hi!" replied who I guessed to be a mare.

"That was a great effort you made jumping," the horse scoffed. I looked at the ground.

"If you ever make it out of there will you join our herd?" the mare asked.

"Sure," I replied absent-mindedly. They seemed in no hurry to leave so I wandered closer to them. "Who are you?" I asked quietly. "I am May and this is my mate, Oliver!" said the mare enthusiastically. Hope seemed to befriend me again.

Until lunch I sat by the fence listening to them recite stories about the wild. I was amazed by how they could do whatever they wanted!

After we ate they wanted to know more about me. I am not very interesting compared to them; but they both looked enthralled as I spoke of saddles and bridles. Each of them had a million questions about these subjects, such as: Does the bit hurt in your mouth? How many people can fit in a saddle? Of course they had no real reason to ask any of these questions, I think. Finally they remembered to ask me my name, "I'm Scamper!" I said proudly.

"Sweet!" Oliver said scrutinizing me.

Telling my friends good night I charged into my stables, straight to my stall, and fell asleep quickly. I dreamt that I was running beside Oliver with the wind in my mane blowing it around wildly. In my reverie we had reached the edge of a stream when a strange scent filled my nostrils. Smoke, that was what I was smelling! Waking up I leapt to my feet, "Mother, Father wake up!" I screamed.

I turned to look at their stalls and saw them empty. I fought through the burning stall and screeched their names again. The humans had taken them. Surveying the other stalls I found no other horses! I galloped through the isle and searched to pasture, no horses.

"Scamper! Where are you?" yelled a familiar voice. It was Oliver; he had run through the burning barn to save me.

"I'm here!" I screamed back to him. As he rounded the corner I could see his tail ablaze, sparks flying from it! I have never seen something so magnificent looking. "Come on!" he yelled to me. I stayed rooted where I was; he yanked on my tail and flanks. I floundered for something to say. When I opened my mouth to tell him to give me a second nothing came out. Finally, when I remembered how to speak I told him to wait a minute.

"We don't have a minute!" he yelled. My body sprang to life in the attempt to save itself. I ran after him trying to keep his fiery tail from my smoke-filled eyes. As we left the barn I saw what was left of this place, a pile of burning rubble. That was what was left of my life, nothing.

"You're alive!" May rejoiced when we returned. I tried to make my smile convincing. I guess it didn't work. "What's the matter?" she asked Oliver.

He motioned sadly at the remains of his tail. "It caught on fire," he grumbled.

I looked around happily. I finally had my dream. Not in the exact way I would have imagined it, but it was great all the same. Hope gathered in its favorite spot; my heart.

Storymakers: A Creative Challenge for Young Writers, is a program inviting students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades living in Washington State and British Columbia, Canada, to submit their own original creative writing pieces.