tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28059490879276937042012-12-31T08:39:12.537-08:00Joe's Short StoriesJoe Rivashttps://plus.google.com/107419829204616689431noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2805949087927693704.post-74654169619296134442012-12-27T15:48:00.001-08:002012-12-28T11:53:58.909-08:002012-12-28T11:53:58.909-08:00Willow and the Lost Elf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xYTzMTz-SFA/UNzdoRYE6sI/AAAAAAAAAIY/X0DZuy0A7_g/s1600/willow%2Bthe%2Bunicorn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="205" width="246" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xYTzMTz-SFA/UNzdoRYE6sI/AAAAAAAAAIY/X0DZuy0A7_g/s320/willow%2Bthe%2Bunicorn.jpg" /></a></div>
There comes a time when a unicorn must face his own nemesis to protect the land. The land of Noal is very peaceful with its warm weather, colorful forests of red flowers and assorted plants and trees, and clear running streams and water falls. I, Willow, a yellow unicorn enjoy eating the red and blue berries that grow hidden with the other wild plants. It is just after dawn in the forest of Noal. Onkyia, my wife, and I have spent the night in our new cave that was once occupied by my parents. Unicorns often gain the cave of our past relatives. My parents were now deceased. Onkyia and I were looking for a place to start our own family. The cave is well-built with a lot of straw for warmth and comfort, near a stream of fresh water and a large waterfall, and it is covered with wild flowers and trees for protection from the red Devlins. Onkyia and I love to stand near the stream and listen to waterfall. Sometimes the suns rays will hit the falling water and produce several rainbows with assorted bright colors shining throughout the stream. During these days, we lie on the peaceful warm ground and dream about the after-life. We love to dream about running wild in green fields with other unicorns where there are no red Devlins or other creatures trying to hunt and kill us. I had hoped that today was going to one of those days, but I could tell by the sounds of hooves in the distance that this day would lead to a new adventure. It would be a quest for the protection of the land that has been the home of unicorns and other creatures for millions of years.
Onkyia and I ran back to our cave. There, we were met by two unicorns (Dacky and Lackia), a centaur (Dane), and two elves (Flowie and Floria). Centaurs are bihuman creatures with an upper body of man and the lower body of a unicorn. There were two races of centaur, the rounded ears that were kind to all creatures, and the pointed eared centaurs that hated all life. Centaurs of both races carried bows and swords for weapons. The female centaurs all have long wavy hair of assorted colors. They are equally strong, and they are not afraid to fight with their male counterparts. Dane was the leader of the Molas, the centaurs that respected all creatures. Dane was strong and fast with weapons. He stood very stern like a soldier on guard ready to fight in a battle. He was very direct in his words with others with strong arms, short black hair, and eyes that could turn water into fire. We waited in the cave as Dacky was the first to speak to me.
“She is gone. He took her away to his cave. We think he is preparing for the big conjunction”, Dacky hurriedly said. “Who did he take?” I asked. “Our child!” Flowie responded. “But he needs a human child to fulfill the legend”, Onkyia added. “The legend of everlasting life from the conjunction of the two suns and the crescent moon has been believed for millions of years. There has not been a conjunction for over five thousand years. Do we know when the next conjunction will be?” I asked. “I spoke to Ballou two days ago, and she explained that the year of the conjunction will occur in three days”, Dane explained. “How’s he going to get a human child?” I asked. “Boui has stolen the black stone from Ballou’s cave, he is going to open a portal and lure a child from the other world”, Flowie answered. I turn to look away. “Boui, where have you been for all these years”, I thought. I thought, or rather had hoped, that Boui had died years ago. Boui was a black unicorn that had become the outcast of all unicorns. He was strong with long black mane and stern body. We were close, almost like best friends as young unicorns, but he become jealous of Onkyia. She chose me as her mate, and when she rejected him, he tried to kill me by leading a group of red Devlins to take me out. I fought with Boui. I left him wounded in the east forest. I had not seen or heard from Boui since our last fight. I escaped from the red Devlins because of my speed. I now knew that I must join the group. I turned back around as Onkyia warned me not want to leave the cave. “Are you strong enough to go up against Boui again?” she sadly asked. “I don’t know, but I must go with the group”, I responded. “But why? Why? Must you go!” she slowly rubbed her nose with mine. “Because I am the only one that knows Boui tricks”, I replied. Onkyia looked away into the distance. She knew that I was right. I was the group’s only hope at rescuing the children. There was no way that I could stay home. “Be safe, and come home soon”, she said while bowing her head low. “I… I will… I promise”, I replied while running towards the group.
Meanwhile, Boui is preparing to lure a child from earth into the land of Noal. “If I place the stones in this area of the forest into a square, then maybe the portal will open. I’ll just wait and pretend that I’m eating berries, and let’s see what happens”. Boui waited and watched liked a hawk watches its prey. The wind began to blow wildly, and a bright light flickered as an image of a young girl lying on her bed appeared in the centered of the portal. She wore a bright blue dress with a yellow belt around the waist and matching shoes. The girl appeared to be crying with her face buried between her folded arms. Boui could see the array of pretty dolls on her night stand and the many photos and posters hanging on the wall. She looked like a well brought-up child from a nice family. She lifted her face as the bright light startled her. She quickly arose from the bed to see Boui eating berries in the forest. She slowly walked towards the portal as if not knowing to express fear or curiosity. “I will lure her in by bobbing my head up and down. She will not be able to ignore my beauty as she crosses through the portal”. She slowly moved closer and closer until her feet walked onto the bare ground, then suddenly, the portal quickly closed. Boui slowly walked closer to her. She looked around at all the colorful plants and flowers, and then her eyes shifted on Boui. She slowly reached out to Boui’s nose. “I must earn her trust if I am to take her before him”, thought Boui. “Hello, little girl, what is your name?” said Boui. “My name is Cathy”, she replied by voice. “I’m Boui the unicorn”, Boui replied. “How come I can hear you speak, but your mouth does not move, and where am I?” Cathy asked. “You’re in the land of Noal. You can hear my outer thoughts, but not my inner thoughts, and that’s how we communicate in this land”, replied Boui. “How did I get here?” Cathy asked. But Boui was not going to tell her the truth. “I don’t know. I was just standing here eating my berries when you appeared out of nowhere”, responded Boui. “Is there a way to get back? I must return and apologies to my parents for picking on my neighbor’s kids”, she added. “I don’t know, but I think I know someone that might”, Boui replied while looking off into the distance to a mountain of forestry. “Who?” she asked while petting Boui’s nose. “My master!” Boui replied as a sound of rumbling dirt and leaves rang out in the opposite direction. He probably knew that there might be enemies opposing his plans for terror, so he had to the girl to his beastly master. “Quick! Climb on my back. There is danger in that direction. Hold on to my mane. I hope you can ride a unicorn”, he added as the sounds drew closer. Cathy climb onto Boui’s back and they ran off towards the mountain.
“I see Boui running ahead, and I think I see a child with long yellow hair on his back. I am going after him!” I said while galloping ahead of the group. “Faster! Must faster!” I thought, but age and weak muscles were slowly detoriating my body. I was not as young as my younger friends. I ran as fast as I could, but old man distance was getting the best of me. I suddenly stopped to take a breath. I could feel my heart pounding as I struggled to take in air. I was beaten on this battle, but I was only warming up for the war. “I could not catch him, but I know where he is going. He has a female child with him”, I said as the group caught up with me. “Willow, we cannot let Boui reach the mountain”, ordered Dane. “Yes, if Dag unites the child’s blood with our child’s blood and drinks it during the conjunction, then he not only regain his youth, but he’ll live forever”, Florie explained. “Don’t worry; Boui is a little older than me. He won’t get too far ahead of us before needing to rest. We’ll catch him”, I encouraged everyone. “The Bolas are on Dag’s side, but we, Molas, are ready to do battle with them”, Dane added turning to face the group. “The Bolas wants the power of everlasting life, just like the red Devlins. They believe that with Dag being their leader, they can hunt all young creatures and live an everlasting life”, added floria. “We must kill Dag before the conjunct because the land of Noal, its creatures, and all the unicorns will surely die”, I added while staring back at the group. “We will camp here for the night. We can pick up Boui’s trail in the morning”, said Dane. The rest of the group slept in the night, while I watch towards the mountain at the smoky horizon. I kept my eyes and eyes open to watch for, not only the Red Develins, but for any signs of my mortal enemy. I knew that Boui had gotten the dragon flies to build a fire for the child. Unicorns were always great at developing trust with kind creatures. I was sure that Boui would do all that he could to keep the child quiet and calm.
In the morning, Flowie and Floria packed-up their bags and climb onto Dacky’s and Lackia’s backs. The morning air is warm, but smoky. Dane also picked-up his weapons and bag to prepare for the journey. I could smell Boui’s scent as well as the smoke from the night’s fire. I was sure the Boui had gained the child’s trust, so it was going to be difficult for us to lure her away from him. Boui was a master at telling lies. I was sure that he might have told her lies about me. I am sure that Boui told her about how we once close (very close) and that I stole his mate. I sometimes remember playing games with him and running races in warm fields, but after he became jealous of me, he took to trying to get his revenge. Unicorns do not normally have enemies. I was one of the few to get such luxury. It is a terrible thing to have an enemy. I must look behind to see if he out there trying to hurt my spouse, me, or others around me. I just want to be free from him. I just want to feel the peaceful land of Noal without the need to look back at an enemy’s and decide whether to fight or flee.
My only chance at drawing her attention away from him was to play the sweet innocent unicorn that Boui played. I had to find a way to hide my scent while being quiet enough to get close to her without alarming him. My plan is to paint my body with the Sopia flower. This flower grew on every tree. It is a wide peddle flower of multi-colors with a powerful scent that could mask any smell. We sometimes rub against the flower to hide from the red Devlins. The scent is confusing because of the multitude of flowers on the trees, and it is difficult to distinguish from the flower’s odor and a masked scent. The second part of the plan was to use Lackia as decoy to draw away from the child. Lackia was a female unicorn, so Boui will be blinded by his desires to find a mate. I just needed a few minutes to lure the child away. Dane approved of my plan, so he walked behind the group as we headed towards the mountain. I think he had other plans with the centaurs.
By mid-afternoon, I began to see signs of the legend. The two suns and the crescent moon could be seen high in the sky in a triangular position. We don’t know why a conjunction occurs every five hundred years, or so. I guess it is a part of the cosmic world or a part of the after world’s plan. I see it as a beautiful event. The stars around the three conjoining planets burned bright as to shine many colors on the forest. I even saw a few shooting stars in the distant sky as it turned bright yellow and orange among some light clouds. I could feel Boui’s presence as we drew closer to the mountain. I knew Boui and the child were not going to go in a different direction since he had to deliver the child to Dag to complete the sacrificial ceremony. The winds were now blowing away from the mountain. Flowie and Floria mixed the Sopia flower with dirt and water to produce a thick paste. They then covered the smelly paste on my neck, back, and back hips. I could smell the scent as it filled my nose to almost sicken my stomach, but I endured the strong odor to save the children and our land.
I walked carefully up wind around Boui’s camp. Lackia traveled the opposite direction. She planned to casually trot up to the camp and pretend to be lost. Boui and the child seemed to be resting as my eyes caught a glimpse of their bodies within the deep forest. Shadows from the tall trees, plants, and large leaves made the child almost invisible. I watched from a distance in some thick brushes and trees. I could see Lackia slowly making her way to the camp. It did not take Boui long to sense her presence as she slowly trotted like a unicorn trying to attract its mate. Boui slowly walked to meet her. Boui always was easily attracted to female unicorns. I think this is why other female unicorn felt threaten by his approach. No female unicorn likes to be aggressively pursued. Female unicorns prefer that their male counterpart be subtle and humble in their mating rituals. I watched Boui and Lackia meet, as I slowly made my way towards the child. The child finally spotted me with my head downward as though I was eating berries. “Hello!” she said while extending her hand to pet my nose. “I’m Willow. You are in danger young child. Boui isn’t taking to meet a wise master. He is leading to be killed by a terrible dragon”, I thought a loud. She screamed in horror, just as Boui’s head lunged at me causing my legs to stumble. “You must trust me my child if you want to get home!” I added while standing again. But by then, Boui had threatened Lackia by pressing his sharp horn against her neck. “Get on my back young child or I will kill this female unicorn! You don’t want to be responsible for the death of such a beautiful unicorn, do you?” he angrily said. The child slowly walked towards Boui’s and sadly climbed on to his back. “You stupid Willow! Did you think I was going to fall for that old trick? I could smell you from far away. I just wanted to see if you would jeopardize the child’s life while trying to rescue her!” Boui added while jogging away. “Let her go! You can’t live forever with Dag, and rule this land. Besides, it’s me that you want, not everlasting life”, I loudly added. “I will take the child to Dag, and he and I will live forever. The Bolas, Dag, and I will rule the land of Noal, and all the creatures, including the unicorns, will be in-slaved by our reign of terror!” he added while running deeper towards the mountain. The forest became silent, but in the distance I heard a faint voice yell, “Willow! Please save me!”
With the wind blowing stronger and the conjunction of the two suns and crescent moon drawing near, I knew that the battle for the land of Noal would soon begin. Dane, Flowie, Floria, Dacky caught up with Lackia and me. It was now time to rush the cave where Dag and Boui held the human and elf child. We could see the glowing fire from inside the cave. We also saw several red Devlins guarding the entrance with their spears at hand for battle. In the distance I heard the sounds of the river’s waters running against the rocks. Above, the two suns and crescent moon were joining together. Upon our arrival near the cave, Flowie and Floria took out their sling-shots and twirled their rocks to strike the red Devlins on their heads. They quietly fell to the ground. Dag, Boui, and two more red Devlins drugged out the two children with the bodies tied to wooden slabs. The battle was now beginning as the sounds of thunder echoed just beyond the other side of the river.
“Boui, let them go!” I said as the bank of the other side of the river began to fill with an army of red Devlins and Bolas. I estimated to be about a few hundred of red Devlins and Bolas preparing for battle. It was clearly a match for beyond the abilities of two unicorns, two elves, and one centaur. “Silly brother! Did you think that I would go into battle with you without bringing Dag’s loyal arm”, said Boui as he guarded the children. Suddenly, the beast dragon blew his smelly, fiery breath towards us, but the flames only pushed us back a few steps. Within a few moments I heard more thundery foot-steps, but only, these were heading from our direction. I looked high upon the mountain. I heard a welcoming sound of a blow-horn. It was Ballou the witch with her blow-horn sounding the alarms of battle. I looked behind me. I saw Molas’ carrying elves on their backs gathering on the bank of the river. Soon we had an army of Molas’ and elves ready for battle. This was now an equal match for war. We prepared to strike at Dag and Boui. The suns and crescent moon were ever so close that the light reflected against the sky dark orange, yellows, blues, and blacks. On one side, it is a quest for peace and harmony. On the other side, it is a fight for oppression, slavery, and domination. It was now time for me to use all my fighting skills to take out my only brother. It was also time to rescue the children and save the land of Noal from terror and destruction.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fP0Aq5z_2Z0/UNzd747Rm3I/AAAAAAAAAIk/IOANvH4U8Fk/s1600/willow%2Band%2Bboui.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="198" width="255" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fP0Aq5z_2Z0/UNzd747Rm3I/AAAAAAAAAIk/IOANvH4U8Fk/s320/willow%2Band%2Bboui.jpg" /></a></div>
I lunged forward to take on Boui. Dag spread his wings and took flight high above the mountain. He wagged his long tail in the sky and blew his fire in the wind. Dane, Flowie, and Floria take marched with the other centaurs and elves in the battle with the red Devlins and Bolas centaurs. Ballou used her staff to shoot lighting-bolts at Dag, but he flew so fast, that she missed several times. I fought Boui with horns sparking at every collision. Backward, forward, side-to-side, we moved against one another. I could not lose this fight. I could hear sword clashing, rocks hurling through the air, and spears whizzing in the wind as elves fought red Devlins, and the Molas’ battled the Bolas. I could sometimes hear the faint screams of death as the roar of war raged on. “Come brother, let’s see who’s the stronger of the two brothers”, said Boui as more sparks few when our horns collided. I could feel my body weakening, but I was not ready to quit. Our heads pushed backwards when we butted together. “You were always jealous of me, my brother, but to take sides with Dag and the Bolas, goes well beyond jealousy”, I added while strategically moving side way. “Come and get me, my brother”, Boui replied while doing the same. Meanwhile, Lackia and Dacky made their attempt to rescue the child. They bit and pulled on the ropes until the older child was free. The child helped rescue the baby elf, then the two unicorns took turns guarding the children as the older child held the infant elf in her arms. Ballou still threw lighting-bolts at Dag as he swooped up, down, and all around. With her long shawl blowing in the wind and her long staff summoning lighting-bolts from the clear sky, she finally hit the giant reptile in the neck. The dragon fell to the ground, but not quite dead yet, Dag roar and blew his fire around the battle field. Several Molas used their bows and arrows and swords to attack the now wounded Dag. The dragon gallantly jumped and roared as the wounded beast struggled to breathe air. Suddenly, Dag took one last flight at Ballou. The mighty dragon rose higher and higher above the mountain; Ballou shot one last lightning-bolt at him. The dragon, Dag the almighty, fell to his death as he plummets on top of the mountain. The shock of Dag’s decent to the mountain on Boui gave me enough time to stab him in the heart. With my heart bounding and my lungs trying to regain air, I watched Boui slowly fall to the ground. Boui was now dead, but not without sorrow. Boui was my brother, and I was saddened by taking his life. Unicorns are keepers of life. We do not fight other creatures for self-absorbed desires. We are simple and humble creatures that respect all life, so I will carry Boui’s death with me for the rest of my life. With Dag and Boui dead, the Bolas’ and red Devlins began fleeing into the dark forest. The conjunction of the two suns and the crescent moon left the sky bright red for a few minutes until the two suns settle down into the horizon. The war was over, but not without casualties.
In the thickness of the dark, I spotted Dacky lying on the ground with several spears in his side. Dacky has passed into the shadow of death along with the many elves and centaurs of both races. The human child carrying the lost infant elf and Lackia stood beside him. I knew that this was the dark work of the red Devlins. Lackia stood above him with tears in her eyes. I believed that Dacky and Lackia were mates, but after the death of Dacky, I discovered that they were brother and sister. This made the lost a bit more difficult because I had also loss a brother in the battle. Unicorns take death especially hard because we hold all life sacred. “Did he say anything before he died?” I sadly asked while moving closer to Dacky. “He asked that we watch over his newborn”, Lackia softly replied. “What is the newborn’s name?” I asked. “Unich!” she replied. Just then, Flowie and Floria came to pick up the lost elf. It was nice to see a bit of joy in the mist of sadness. They held the infant ever so tightly as we gathered to enjoy the reunion. Ballou also joined the group for celebration and mourning of life of death. “What’s the newborn’s name?” she asked. “Snor”, Floria replied with gleams in her eyes. We all knew each other’s name, but not the name of the human child. “What’s your name young child?” I asked while approaching her. “Cathy, my name is Cathy”, she softly said while brushing her gentle hands on my face. “Nice to meet you, young Cathy”, I responded. “We must get you home, young Cathy”, Ballou added as she put her arm around the child. The group gathered their belongings and prepared for the journey home. I took one more look at the sea of death. Both the Molas and Bolas had retreated back to their homes. I will never return to the valley of death. My energy comes from the living, not the dead. I am eager to return home to rest, for the years and the battle are beginning to wear down my body. I will return to enjoy the comforts of home and the beauty of the land of Noal.
Joe Rivashttps://plus.google.com/107419829204616689431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2805949087927693704.post-87772989323143169732012-12-04T17:08:00.001-08:002012-12-12T09:07:21.346-08:002012-12-12T09:07:21.346-08:00Unich the Unicorn (A Christmas Tale)Unich the Unicorn (A Christmas Tale)
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zICyi5mLk2c/UL6ikd30LhI/AAAAAAAAAH8/8Lw2yHh9U-c/s1600/Unich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zICyi5mLk2c/UL6ikd30LhI/AAAAAAAAAH8/8Lw2yHh9U-c/s320/Unich.jpg" /></a></div>
Unich the Unicorn
(A Christmas Tale)
It was a clear, warm day in the land of Noal. The suns burned bright in the clear skies. The first sun was larger than the second sun. The second sun always appeared more like a bright star. I guess that is why we never felt the cold chill of the winter air. We knew of rain and warm breezes, but not the bitter cold of ice storms or snowy days. Our lands were filled with bright red, blue, and yellow flowers, plants, and trees. The larger the plants, the deeper the colors. We, the race of unicorns, lived off of berries and green leaves that grew on tall trees. The unicorns were slowly becoming extinct because of the ghastly, nasty, evil red Devlins. The red Devlins were tall men-like creatures with long legs and arms. They had long pointed ears and three red eyes over their short noses. Their wide mouths protruded out of their red thick scaly skin. The red Devlins ran fast like the wind and they used sharp pointy spears to hunt unicorns. These creatures could hit even the smallest of the critters that crawled on trees with great accuracy. We relied on our sense of smell and sound to defend ourselves from the red Devlins. Our sense of smell could detect a red Devlin from yards away. Their rustling of the leaves would warn us when they were in the area. I was eating my favorite yellow berries when I began to sense a red Delvin coming towards me. I waited, while eating my berries, and I relied on my sense of smell and hearing to locate which direction the red Devlin was coming from. Was it Dappy, the head Devlin or was it another one? I did not know, but I was not going to wait and find out as I leaped from the trees and ran fast away from the direction of the smell and sound.
The red Devlins were fast, but I was faster. I could feel the wind in my long white mane as I felt the plants and flowers brush past my strong white muscly body. I was the strongest of all the unicorns, and the fastest. I learned to rely on my speed and the strength of my legs to escape from the Devlins. I guess it was because my parents were both killed by the red Devlins during my early youth. My mentor, Willow, was the wisest of all the unicorns. He was both old and wise and had yellow skin. He lived in the caves of the high mountains. Willow could no longer run fast. This was so for all the elder unicorns. So they moved to the high grounds protected by the elves. The elves were small, furry creatures with long beards and hair from head to toe. They live in holes in the ground with their wives and kids. The elves were very good at using their natural surroundings for weapons. Their favorite weapons have always been the sling-shot and the boomerang. They could knock the tiniest creatures from a tree branch while running and jumping through deep forests. Because elves were shy and quiet around other creatures, I only met one elf in my life time. Snor was the main elf that guarded Willow. He often visited Willow during my younger years, and I might add that elf was very witty for a fur ball. As I ran through the forest, I knew that I had to get as close to the cave as I could because Devlins were fearful of elves. So the closer I got to the cave, the safer I was. Soon I was near the cave and I could no long smell or hear the rumblings of the Devlin. I was safe again, but not entirely alone in my forest.
Beyond the distance, I saw a very bright light. This was the brightest light that I have ever seen, even brighter than the first sunlight. “What could it be?” I thought. As I hid in the bushes and trees, I saw two small creatures emerge from the light. These were creatures that resembled the red Devlins, but with pale white skin and shorter bodies. Their skins were covered strangely, but they seemed gentle. I watched intently as the bright light vanished in thin air, leaving the two creatures behind. “Where are we, John? I heard one of the creatures say. “I don’t know, Katie”, the second creature replied. Even though I could not speak, I intuitively could sense the meaning of their words. I watched immensely as the two creatures wandered around the land of Noal. They looked around the land, smelling the flowers and touching the trees. I could tell that they were not of this world. But what were they? I decided to slowly introduce myself. I gave myself away by making some rustling noises and then getting within sight of the creatures. “Look, Katie, is that what I think it is?” John asked. “No, it can’t be! It looks like a unicorn”, the second creature responded. I slowly moved backward and then forward while bobbing my head up and down. “Come on!” the creatures said as they reached out with their little hands. I did not sense any hostility in them, nor did I see any weapons with them. I could feel a gentle side to the creatures. Slowly, slowly, I moved towards the two creatures until their hands touch my nose and chin. They crested and stroked my neck. Their hands felt like soft leaves brushing against my body. At that moment one of the creatures spoke to me, “What’s your name?” The creature said out loud. “Unich”, my mind said, for my mouth could not form the words in my head. “Unich!” the gentle voice replied in amazement. I nodded, yes. The second creature said, “You can hear his thoughts, Katie?” “Yes, but I don’t know how”, she replied. “I can too”, the second creature added. “I’m Katie, and this is my brother, John. We’re from earth”, she said. Suddenly, a noise startled me. I knew what it was, but I also knew that the creatures were going to be defenseless against them. I quickly commanded them, “quickly, jump on my back and hold on to my long white mane. The two creatures jumped onto my back and we ran through the forest like the wind. I heard two spears hit on two trees as they barely missed us. Yet we managed to escape.
“Where are we, Unich?” the female creature asked. “You are in the land of Noal”, I replied. “But how did we get here?” John asked. By now, I was able to call the two creatures by their given names. “I don’t know, do you remember?” “We were sitting and playing in my room and talking about Christmas when a bright light appeared out of nowhere. We saw the beautiful plants and flowers, so we went into the light. When we went through the light, it disappeared”, said John. “So how do we get back?” Katie asked as she sat on the ground. “We are going to miss Christmas in three days if we can’t get back”, Katie began to lay her face in her hands and cry. “Why do you cry?” I asked. “Because we are supposed to celebrate Christmas with our family, and now we won’t be there with our parents”, Katie added. “What is Christmas?” I asked. John explained, “Christmas is a time when we celebrate the birth of a king that lived a long time ago, and we also give gifts to each other to show love for that king. It’s a time for love, peace, and joy in one another.” “It sounds like a great time”, I said. “We love it because it’s a peaceful time in our world”, John added. “Now we may never get back there!” Katie said while tears rolled down her cheeks. I knew then about the children’s heart break, so I decided to seek the counsel of Willow, my mentor. “Hop on! I will take you to my mentor, Willow, the wisest of all the unicorns. He will know how to get you home”. I ran through the forest with the little ones on my back. I was just hoping Willow could show me the path way towards getting the children back home, in time for Christmas.
Nearing the cave, the wind blew ever so gentle as I saw Willow lying in the warm hay. Willow was bright yellow, but much older. “Hello, Master, Willow”, my eyes gazed on his large body. “Unich, what brings you to see me, and where did you find those children?” he rose to meet my head. “Their names are Katie and John”, I replied. “They are not of this land, are they?” Willow asked. “How…. How did you know?” I replied. “I know about children from an adventure I had a long time ago, before you were born”, he said. “They entered this land from a portal created by the two suns joining together. The portal happens when and where ever its wants to appear”, he added. “Master, is there a way to get them back?” I asked. “Yes, there is only one way, but the journey is long and hard. You must take the children to Ballou, an old but wise witch that lives on the edge of our land. She has some black stones that can reopen the portal at the same place and time as when they came”, he explained. “Will she still be there and will she help us?” I asked. “Yes, she is kind to unicorns, but she is fearful of other creatures, so you must approach her with caution”, he added. “Then we must leave immediately”, I said. “Travel with caution, my son, make sure the children stay fed and alive. Be careful of the red Devlins and their beasts”, he added as he turned to rest his body in the hay. I gathered the children onto my back and slowly jogged away from the cave.
Upon jogging for a few hours, we came to rest near a shallow river. The water was as clear as crystal and it swirled around the jagged rocks. I could see the fishes swimming in the water, and hear the sound of a waterfall in the distance. The children took turns eating the pink berries that grew on the bushes just on the edge of the river. I slowly drank my fill of water as I carefully kept my ears open for signs of danger.
As I slowly drank the water, I heard a strange sound just beyond some trees. It was not the sound of danger. It was more the sound of sweetness from another unicorn. I watched with eagerness as a well-built black unicorn raced from the trees. This was not a horned unicorn, because only males have horns. This was a fine looking female unicorn; with a long black mane, broad shoulders, and a spot where the horn might have grown, if she had been born a male. I was bewildered as to why she was in this area alone because female unicorns are particularly frightened by Devlins. I did not know of any female unicorns that lived in this land because the area was heavily populated by red Devlins. She was a bit shy around me as I slowly approached her. The children, especially Katie, tried to coach her towards us. Slowly, slowly, she inched herself closer to us. Katie must have made the first connection with her because she was the first to touch her. She was very intriguing, captivating, and beautiful to me. I took in the array of beauty that beloved my eyes. “What is your name?” I softly asked. She stared back at me like a wild flower waiting for its bee. “I’m Ulassus”, she quietly responded as our noses slowly touched for the first time. “What are you doing here?” I asked. “I always come here to drink the water. Why are you here and what are those creatures sitting near the water?” she asked. “They are children from another land, and I’m trying to get them home. The female is called Katie, and the male is known as, John”, I replied. Just then a spear flew between our heads and landed in the water. John jumped on my back, and Ulassus allowed Katie to jump on her back, and away we all ran out of sight.
Ulassus suddenly stopped near a patch of bare forest. She looked around and bent her head downward. I went to meet her, for we knew what had happened in this lonely part of our land. It did not take us long to find it. There he lay with a spear in his neck and no horn on the nose. We somberly lowered our heads as Katie and John jumped to the ground. “What happened, Unich?” Katie softly asked. “A red Devlin killed this unicorn for his horn”, I replied. “Why?” John asked. “Unicorn horns have magical powers that can make life longer”, I explained as I touched the dead unicorn on its nose. “The red Devlins use the horns to cure their ailments, and then they burn the used horn. A horn only has magical powers when it is connected to a live unicorn. Once the unicorn dies, the horn’s powers will die, that is why red Devlins continue to hunt unicorns”, I added. “So why is everything around the unicorn also dead?” John asked. “Because when a unicorn dies, all living plants around the unicorn will also die”, I explained. Just then, the once beautiful brown unicorn, turned into dust as the wind blew it away. All that remained was the bare, dead ground. “So this ground will remain dead?” John asked. “Yes, well, just until a new unicorn is born then the plants will be reborn. This is all a part of the magic of life in the land of Noal”, I said. The children shed some tears as they climbed onto our backs, and we slowly walked away to continue on the journey.
The second day was going dim. I could tell that the children were once again getting tired. I had John gather up some wood for a fire. Every insect in the forest knew what to do, including the dragon flies. The wood was piled on the ground. The dragon flies all took turns blowing their tiny breaths of fires onto it until a blaze of red flames grew high in the sky. The lighting bugs also spread their wings and lit their lights as they flew around the forest. It was as though, all the creature did their part in watching over the children. Sometimes the lighting bugs were so numerous that we could not tell the difference between lighting bugs and falling stars. The children giggled as the lighting bugs flew in and out of their noses. I guess the lighting bugs would tickle their noses, in order to make the children laugh.
As the flames blew wildly, I needed to find out why the children walked through the portal when it appeared. So I asked, “John, why did you and Katie walk through the portal?” I got no answer. I asked the same question, but John looked away as he began to speak. “I’m almost ten years old, and it’s time for me to grow up and stop believing in fairy tales”, he said. “What do you mean?” I asked. “Some kids from school were saying that Santa Claus was not real, and that, my mom and dad just bought our gifts and put them under the tree on Christmas Eve”, he added. “Who is Santa Claus?” I asked. “Santa Claus is a man dressed in red clothes with black boots. He rides on a big slay and brings gifts to all the good little children”, Katie added. “I told my dad that I no longer believe in Santa, and that he can just stop lying about where our gifts came from because Santa is a fake”, he angrily added. “Dad sent him to our room, I then went to my room to talk to John about why he didn’t believe in Santa any more”, Katie added. “And that’s when the portal appeared. When I said that I wished that I could get away from my dad”, said John. “And that is why you and Katie walked through the portal?” I asked. “Yes, it looked so beautiful on the other side that I grabbed Katie’s hand and walked through”, John answered. “So, John, do you believe in this land and believe in unicorns?” I asked. “Well, yes, because I’m here”, he replied. “But before you came here, did you believe in unicorns?” I again asked. “Well, no!” he responded. “Just because you can’t see something or some place, it doesn’t mean it’s not real”, I added. I could see tears in John’s eye as he lowered his head, and cried. “Do you believe in unicorns now?” I asked. “Yes”, he replied. “Then you must believe in Santa Claus, too!” I said. “Yes, I do, Unich, you must get us home. I need to tell dad that I’m sorry!” John responded while crying in his hands. “John look at me”, I said. John’s eyes fell upon me. “We will get you two home, I promise!” I sternly said. I could somehow feel John’s emptiness in his heart. It’s like wanting to make amends to a wrong, but being unable to fill the hole due to a disconnection of emotional bonds. I sometimes miss my parents, but I keep their memories in my heart. I knew then that I had to keep my promise to get them home. Soon after that, John and Katie lay down near the fire and fell into a deep sleep as we watched over them throughout the night.
Just before dawn, something unusual happened. I heard Ulassus cry out in distress. As I looked towards her direction, I saw a large net covering her body. I watched Ulassus jump and gallop wildly as a net then covered me. Dappy had somehow snuck up upon us without being detected by our senses. It took several red Devlins to hold us down, and by now, the children had awakened to kicking and screaming as they tried to run away. Dappy had two red Devlins hold down the children. Dappy, for some reason, wanted to children more than us. I watched as John and Katie were taken deeper into the forest. Soon after the children were long gone, I managed to kick a red Devlin in the face. I also heard the swirling wind of sling-shots and rocks being hurled at the other red Devlins. I saw a group of elves running towards us, with Snor and Willow following behind them. The nets were quickly removed as Willow approached me. “I thought you might need some help”, said Willow. “The children, why would Dappy take the children?” I asked Willow. “The children carry the fountain of youth in their blood. If Dappy drinks their blood, then he will be forever young and strong”, added Willow. “How does he know that?” I asked. “It has been a legend for millions of years. Dappy was there when the children passed through the port-hole”, Willow replied. “What must I do to save the children, master Willow?” I asked. “Go find the witch, Ballou. She can help find the children. Go quickly, you have only a few hours to find her and rescue them. Dappy will drink the children’s blood only at night. So Run… Run quickly”, he added. Ulassus and I took off like a wild thunderbolt to the edge of Noal. With the children in the hands of Dappy, we were able to run faster than ever.
“Run! Run!” I said to Ulassus as we raced across the forest. With leaves, flowers, and branches brushing against our bodies, we ran like the wind to a place never seen by my eyes. Were we going in the right direction? I did not know. All we had was our sense of hearing and smell to guide us. After running for about an hour, it was time to catch our breaths. I heard the sound of water in the near distance very near a foggy cliff. So Ulassus and I headed in that direction. The water felt cool to our throats as we drank, but my heart burned with thoughts of the children. I knew what it was like to be held captive. The helpless feeling of being held down without being able to move. The hopeful feeling that someone will come to rescue you, but not knowing when or if help will show up. I knew that we were doing all we could to rescue the children, but these same feelings of helplessness and despair resonated within me. We knew that we had to drink the water and move on. This was the only way to save John and Katie. As we drank the water and prepared to move forward, we heard noises in the distance. It was the same sounds the children made as they spoke to us. I saw a hidden cave buried in bushes at the end of the stream. Could this be Ballou, the witch? How would she react to two unicorns invading her home? I slowly approach the cave with Ulassus next to me. I saw a strange hooded figure dancing around a fire. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I knew time was becoming short. I needed to find out if the hooded figure was friend or foe.
“Hello, Unich and Ulassus. Come in! Come… Come… Don’t be afraid”, the frail voice gently said as she stirred her food in the pot on the fire pit. My eyes looked upon her with caution as she walk towards us. She did not seem very old. She had greyish hair with brownish skin and eyes. Her body was slender, and her face still had some features of youth. She seemed to be quite gentle, but very straight forward with her words. I watched closely as she began rubbing our noses and necks. “How did you know our names?” I thought. “Hoo! I know all about you. I have been watching you two since the children entered the portal”, she said as her coverings swayed in the warm breeze. “But how have you been watching us?” Ulassus stepped forward to ask. “My wall of visions. It lets me know everything that goes on in our lands”, she said while pointing to a wall on the cave. The wall showed us random images of the forest as we spoke to one another. “Yes, I can see anything with my wall, even where the children are now”, she added. Then the image changed to show the children tied to a tree, crying out for help. “We must hurry, and rescue the children”, I frantically said! “Yes, it’s time to go and rescue the children! Are you strong enough to carry me, my new friend?” she asked. She then adding more coverings to her back and picked up a long staff and a bag to be hung around my neck. “Yes”, I replied. “Then let’s ride like the wind my new friends!” she shouted as she climbed upon my back. “Now hurry… Hurry! We don’t have much time. The suns are setting and Dappy is preparing to harvest the children for their blood!”, she said while adjusting herself and grabbing a firm hold of my mane. We did not waste any time on food or water. Blair knew right where the children were, so we ran faster than ever. We ran to save the lives of two children.
Dappy had the children tied to a tree. He was close, but I could not spot his tracks or smell. He must have learned to cover his scent and mask his sounds. The children stood a few feet away as we searched for Dappy. I forced Ulassus and Blair to stay near the trees then I hurriedly, but cautiously approached the children to try and set them free. I used my mouth to bite away the ropes. It seemed like a slow process, but finally, my strong teeth was able to brake the rope. I managed to release John and we both tried to release Katie. Just as the ropes fell off Katie’s hands, I felt a sharp spear pierce my side. It was a pain like no other, as I moaned loudly and jumped around. Dappy lunged towards me with great anger. I lowered my head to spear Dappy near his heart. He stumbled backward, and howled in pain. Katie and John ran towards Ulassus as I heard elves springing up from the ground cover with their sling shots. Round and round and round the sling shots shot their rocks directly in Dappy’s direction. Dappy threw his spears back at the elves, but he hit nothing. The rocks were so numerous that Dappy did not have the chance to escape. Rocks came from every direction and a few struck his head until he fell down into death. Dappy was now dead, but not without sacrifice. I fell down with a spear stuck in my side. An elf removed the spear, but the damage was done. I was dying.
The land in the area was slowly dying as I lay on the ground. I could feel my heart slowing down with every breath. The spear from Dappy was not only taking my body, but my spirit as well. I could hear John and Katie sobbing as I felt their tears fall on my face. Katie sat next to my neck as her hand rubbed away the pain from the spear. Ulassus, Ballou, Willow, Snor, with all the other elves gathered around me with heads hung low. I could feel their sadness in the air as my life began to slip into the wind. “Willow, thank you for being my master. I will miss our long conversations about my parents and your adventures with them. Ulassus, your love has filled my heart with joy” I said with tears in my eyes. I never felt death before, but it was a calming feeling as my mind returned to the younger years of running in green fields and colorful forests. I was dying, but my spirit still wanted to live. Was this the end? How would John and Katie get home for Christmas? For now, I knew love, hate, anger, and now death. I knew about the precious joys of life, and the coldness of death. I was not ready to be beaten by Dappy, but he was dead, and I did not want to share the same fate as him. Suddenly, new sounds rose from the trees. It was the sound of hope, love, and life.
Yes, from beyond the trees sprung one unicorn, then another one, then two more unicorns to rescue me from death. I found myself surrounded by unicorns with a variety of colors. Four unicorns gathered around me. I felt their horns touch one another as they touched my horn. A blinding light shinned brighter than all the suns in the world. I felt my wombs healing and my heart beating again as the air once more filled my lungs. Life was once again coming back into my body. With a light touch of Willow’s nose on my face, I heard him say, “Unich, rise from the shadow of death and live again”. The dead flowers and plants began to regain their colors and scents. The children’s sorrows began to ring out songs of joy. My lifeless body now had life again, and my spirit grew stronger and stronger as I sprang onto my four legs. Death was no longer in me as I reached for Ulassus with love. I was back for good and ready to fulfill my destiny. It was time to get the children home so that Ulassus and I could become free unicorns in the land of Noal.
After my revival into life, we traveled back to the same land where the portal first appeared. Ballou, the witch, placed the four black stones upon the ground. She stomped her staff three times on the ground and uttered the words, “Great suns of Noal, bring fourth the portal, and open once again for the children to pass through to return home”. The wind wildly blew as the portal slowly appeared like a bright sun. “You will only have few minutes before the hole closes again”, Ballou said. I could feel the children’s sadness about leaving me and the land of Noal, but it was time for them to go home. Katie was the first to hug and kiss my cheeks as she shed a few more tears. John followed behind her as they both hung on my neck and stroked my nose with their warm hands. “We love you, Unich, and we will always remember you and Ulassus”, Katie said softly. “Yes, we would have never made it home without you all”, John added. “I will always remember you two as well. You brought Ulassus and I together. Because of you two we now know the miracle of Christmas and love”, I replied. The children turned and held hands. I pushed them forward with my nose as they walked through the portal. “Remember John and Katie, just because you never see something, it does not mean it doesn’t exist. Sometimes we must walk in faith to believe in something to guide our lives”, I added with a wink in my eye. I turned to run towards Ulassus. We stopped to look back at the portal. We saw the children waving goodbye with smiles on their faces, as the portal quickly closed for good. I never thought that I, Unich the unicorn, would have had such a fantastic adventure with two human children and found love with a female unicorn. I can’t help to think about the children as they open their gifts for Christmas. Whatever Christmas may be? I hope their Christmas is filled with love, joy, and peace. Ulassus and I ran into the sunsets with our mane’s blowing in the warm breeze, our bodies touching on the run, and our nose rubbing together. We were now free to live in the land of Noal.
Joe Rivashttps://plus.google.com/107419829204616689431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2805949087927693704.post-66600133801470095812011-03-26T16:06:00.000-07:002012-05-16T17:33:47.972-07:002012-05-16T17:33:47.972-07:00"Wild Thunderbolt"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tEgW5iRW_T4/T7RHQvQLugI/AAAAAAAAAG0/s3UaFv20s8s/s1600/white%2Bhorse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="249" width="203" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tEgW5iRW_T4/T7RHQvQLugI/AAAAAAAAAG0/s3UaFv20s8s/s400/white%2Bhorse.jpg" /></a></div>
Animals are often used for physical and emotional therapies when it comes to children with disabilities, so I wasn’t surprised when Wild Thunderbolt came to Skylar Ranch, he would give my new husband a new set of legs for walking. Jack Foster was only twelve years old when I first met him. He was the son of an overprotective mother and a father that was labeled as a work-a-holic. Jack was only eleven years old when he was struck by a man driving drunk in his home town. The man received several years in jail, while Jack was placed in the hospital for a spinal cord injury. There are two kinds of spinal injuries, complete or incomplete break. In most cases of a complete break of the spinal cord, the patient never regains the use of the limbs, but in an incomplete break, the patient has a fairly good chance of a full recovery. In Jack’s case, his injury was an incomplete break around the Lumbar 4 (L4) area, which meant that he could make a full recovery with physical therapy. Jack, probably because of his age, was not interested in physical therapy. He was a video game junky that only knew the joys of pressing buttons on his hand controls in front of flat screen TV. I, on the other hand, was a recipient of known condition of Spina Bifida. My mother died giving birth to me, and my father was also a work-a-holic in the ranching business. My father, because of his financial resources, used his money to build Skylar Ranch, a ranch for children with disabilities. He hired countless numbers of physical therapists, horse trainers, and ranch handlers to promote and run the facility seven days a week, while he was out looking for new business deals. My life was filled with personal lived-in caregivers that home schooled by day, and I helped care for the horses in the evening.
Wild Thunderbolt came to Skylar Ranch during the early spring in 1991. I was one of the first to see him as the ranch handlers lured the ten year horse into his stall. He was a tall white horse with broad shoulders and stout legs. Wild Thunderbolt had been a racing horse with two triple-crown races and one Kentucky Derby championship under its belt. Wild thunderbolt was sold to my father at a fraction of the amount for a regular horse in order to save it from the local slaughter house. I think Wild Thunderbolt had run his races, and so he had nothing else to prove to his owner and jockey. I also believe the horse wanted new challenges that involved interacting with people. Whatever the case, Wild Thunderbolt had come to the ranch to be trained to give children with disabilities rides. Horseback riding helps to give children with disabilities muscle control and body balance in the form of riding therapy. I was, and still am, living proof of the therapeutic benefits of horseback riding. This is where Jack and my story begins in the early summer of 1991. I never would have believed that one single horse with the heart of a champion could bring us together.
I met Jack during a bright sunny Monday afternoon in May of 1991. I was in the stables feeding the horses, as I’ve done every afternoon for the past five years. The ranch handlers were out gathering feed, cleaning stables, and tending other horses. The therapists were walking the other horses, which carried children with a variety of disabilities. I was a scrawny teenaged girl with dark brown hair that I kept in pony-tail. I wore cowboy shirts with baggy jeans; they had to be baggy to hide the braces from my waist to my feet. I didn’t like to wear dresses because I wanted to hide my braces and legs, which were very skinny due to lack of muscle definition. Spina Bifida, which often the case, leaves the body with disproportionate features of a normal upper body with abnormal smaller legs. I can still walk some, but only in short distances and with crutches. The rest of the time I use a light-weight manual wheelchair. The wheelchair and crutches do allow me to gain upper body strength, which is useful when carrying small buckets of feed for the horses. I always like feeding horses because it gives me time to myself, and I don’t need caregivers to gather the food.
As I was feeding one of the horses in the stall, Cindy (a hippotherapist) approached me to discuss a new client of hers. She described him as a quiet boy with a stubborn personality. She also said that Jack was a product of an overprotective mother with a father who was constantly working. This story sounded, with the exception of the overprotective mom, all too familiar to me. I think Cindy new that we had similar backgrounds with regards to overworking fathers, which is maybe why she asked me to meet Jack. I was also not a typical teenage girl. I did not know the latest fashion in outfits and facial make-up that consumed other girls. I didn’t listen to pop teen singer such as Debbie Gibson or Tiffany, nor did I watch MTV or the so call VH1. I was a country girl with the animals as my friends, so when Cindy asked me to meet Jack, I was taken by surprise.
Cindy brought Jack to me, his mother pushing his wheelchair. Jack was a nice looking boy with short blond hair and blue eyes. He seemed to have a normal-size body with high-priced running shoes that looked like they were used to play baseball. Jack’s voice was very quiet, almost timid, when he spoke. It was as if he didn’t want to speak to anyone, especially adults. I held out my hand when Cindy introduced us. I said, “Hello, my name is Jessica, Jess for short.” Jack replied, “Hey, what’s up,” as he continued to press the buttons of his game boy that played annoying music that echoed throughout the stable. The game boy seemed to be a ploy to tune out the rest of the world, especially nagging parents. Cindy took the mother on a tour of the ranch. This gave me the opportunity to better gain Jack’s attention. As I continued to speak to Jack, I noticed that the game boy was his only attraction so I grabbed the device, turned it off, and put it in my front shirt pocket. “Look here! I like people to look at me when I speak to them,” I firmly said. Jack became startled as his eyes suddenly focused on me, “I’m sorry.” he replied. “You’d never been to a ranch, have you?” I asked. He nodded no as we began to stroll through the stable.
As we began to stroll through the stable, I introduced Jack to the horses. I walked with my crutches as Jack wheeled himself and I said, “this is Lucy from the Peanuts gang, she is quiet, but likes to wonder around. In the next stable is Sponge Bob, he likes to lie in the grass and soak up the sun. And in the next stall we have Wild Thunderbolt, he fast but very smart. He was once a race horse, but he got too old, and now he lives here with us. Lastly, we have Little Miss Piggy, she likes to hog up people’s attention. I think Wild Thunderbolt and her have a thing going on.” Jack turned to me and asked, “So why do all the other horses have cartoon characters names, except Wild Thunderbolt?” “Well, because children relate better to the horses if they have cartoon names,” I answered. “Oh, I understand,” jack replied back as Wild thunderbolt poked his white head out and nudged Jack’s own head. I laughed as Jack tried to push the horses head back. “I think he likes you,” I said. “I’m not big on animals,” Jack responded. “So what do you do when you’re not in school?” I asked. “I play video games all day,” he answered. “Doesn’t that get boring?” I asked while stroking Wild Thunderbolt’s head. “No, because I can tune out the rest of the world,” he replied. “Or maybe your mother?” I sarcastically asked, but more as a statement rather than a question. “I guess,” he replied in a sarcastic response. “Well there are no video games here. Here, you’ll get to ride horses and get physical therapy,” I added. “Great!” he quietly replied. I said, “Don’t worry, you’ll have fun, and I’ll be with you the whole time.” Soon after that, Cindy and Jack’s mother returned to the stable. Jack’s mother seemed eager for her son to begin the therapy, but Jack was much less enthusiastic about the ranch. They both said their goodbyes to us. After they left the ranch, I forgot to give Jack back his game boy, so I laid it on my night stand.
The next week, I think it was a Monday, was Jack’s official full day at the ranch. He came dressed in jeans and a t-shirt (pants are required for horseback riding), well prepared to begin. Jack’s mother dropped him off for therapy, but I think she also needed a break from Jack. Parents often leave their children at the ranch to rejuvenate from being a full-time caregiver. Jack didn’t seem too eager to get started, but Cindy led him into the physical therapy for some stretching exercises. It is always good for the children to begin hippo therapy with stretching exercises to gain a foundation for goals to achieve. Hippo therapy, which comes from a Greek word—hippos (horse), was formerly transformed into a discipline in the early 60’s in other countries. Now this form of physical therapy is used in American culture to help patients regain neuromuscular strength, speech, and emotional stability. In Jack’s case, his goals were to regain the feelings in his legs, feet, and toes. Once those sensations returned to his lower body, then he would begin to use his leg muscles for walking.
I watched while Cindy moved Jack’s bare legs and feet up and down, sideways, in and out, and bending them at the knees. I found it interesting to watch her handle his legs and feet like he was a Barbie doll. It was as if she was an adult playing with an over-sized male doll. I watched as Jack seemed bored out of his mind. I said to him, trying to keep his mind occupied, “Played any new video games, lately?” He replied, “No, just the same ones.” It was hard to get his attention as Cindy continued her physical therapy for the hour, but I was determined to break down the wall. Later, Cindy helped jack back into his wheelchair, and we all went to the mounting ramp. A mounting ramp is an incline that leads to a platform about the height of a standard horse. This was Jack’s first horse ride, so I was eager to see his reaction to the experience.
Jack and Cindy waited on the platform as a ranch handler brought Wild Thunderbolt to the stand. I watch from a distance as Cindy lifted Jack onto the horse. “Put your weight on the right leg, and I’ll lift your left leg over Wild Thunderbolt,” Cindy said. Soon, Jack was sitting straight on the horse as Wild Thunderbolt rocked a little to gain his stability. Cindy placed a helmet on Jack’s head as two other male volunteers entered the preparation warm-up walk. Wild Thunderbolt was slowly led away from the mounting platform one trot at a time. I found it very enjoyable to watch Jack ride Wild Thunderbolt. I can’t remember my first horse ride. I guess I must have been too small to sit on a horse because I have several photos of riding horses with my dad and other personal caregivers. “You’re doing great!” I shouted as the horse trotted around the stable track. Clunk! Clunk! The horse slowly walked with adult handlers walking along side. Jack’s face seemed unsure about the horse riding experience. I think he wanted to enjoy riding the horse, but he may have been scared of falling off. This was Jack’s first ride, so I expected him to be resistant to horseback riding, but I also think it was about not wanting to do physical therapy. Jack did not believe in himself, and so he projected his dissatisfactions onto other adults. It might have been that Jack had not resolved his feeling about becoming disabled. I believe that his perceived laziness towards life was actually resentment towards becoming a disabled child. This was my opportunity to change his heart towards life. I, with my gentle sternness, could get him to see his full potential. I could see opportunities in Jack that he might not have, and I was going to use my kindness to give him a new chance at a full life.
“What did you think about the ride?” I asked. “I thought it was kinda boring,” Jack replied as Cindy wheeled him to me. I sat on a bench just outside the stable with my crutches in both hands. “You can do this!” I demanded while rising on my legs. “How do you know?” he sternly asked. “Because Cindy told me how your spinal cord is just bruised, and how with a few months of physical therapy, you be walking again,” I said. “It’s never helped you!” he angrily replied. “I have a whole different disability. My muscles can’t fully develop, and you’re wrong about how horseback riding hasn’t helped me, because it has helped me maintain my balance while giving me some muscle strength,” I said. I could tell by Jack’s eyes that he was searching for excuses like a typical pre-teen boy, but I wasn’t buying it. “Well, I can’t do it,” he said. “Can’t never could unless he tried,” I replied. “What if I fail, and I get hurt?” he asked. “Everybody gets hurt. You just have to get up and try again. Jack, you have an opportunity at a normal life, that’s something only I and many other children here wish for. Don’t throw it away because you’re afraid to get hurt.” I said. “I don’t know, Jess. What if mom doesn’t let me try?” he asked. “Are going to live your life for her or for yourself?” I asked. “I’m scared!” Jack turned to look at Wild Thunderbolt. “Don’t worry Wild Thunderbolt and I will be with you all the way,” I said. “Ok, I’ll try,” he calmly replied. “Come on, let’s go say goodbye to Wild Thunderbolt. I see your mom driving up to the stable,” I smiled as we headed towards the horse.
Within a few days, maybe a week or so, I began to notice a change in Jack’s behaviors. It was as though he was happier, but I didn’t know why? Jack was becoming eager to do physical therapy and ride Wild Thunderbolt. In my eyes, Jack was forming an attachment to Wild Thunderbolt, which was normal, but at the same time, the horse was also bonding with him, and that was unusual. Horses do not normally bond with children riders, but I think Wild Thunderbolt saw something in Jack that no other person or animal could see. What that was, I would find out as Jack actively participated in his physical activities. It is often easy to spot motivation in children because of their behaviors. Children that actively participate in their therapies tend to be happy and extremely sociable, whereas kids that are not engaged tend to be withdrawn and less friendly. Those children that participate less are least likely to benefit from their therapies. Jack was grinning from ear to ear as he trotted with Wild Thunderbolt. Later, after the session had ended I asked, “Why are grinning so much?” “You want to know why?” he asked. “Well, duh!” I eagerly said. He quietly whispered, “I can now feel and move my toes.” I shouted, “Yeah!” The news excited me as we stood petting Wild Thunderbolt’s nose. “You see, we can do this!” I said. Jack’s mother soon came to pick him up. I could tell she knew the news because Jack and she seemed to be happier together as they left for the day. I was happy for Jack because I knew that something special was happening between us. “We’re going to get him walking yet, aren’t we Wild Thunderbolt,” I said while kissing him between the eyes.
The next couple weeks, Jack began to slowly progress. Cindy and I made sure that Wild Thunderbolt was available for Jack to ride. In normal children, the therapists try to rotate the horses so that a child does not become too dependent on a particular horse. But in Jack’s case, therapists felt that trust was a key element to his rehabilitation. I think the bonding relationship between Jack and Wild Thunderbolt did boost Jack’s confidence. I really enjoyed watching Jack ride Wild Thunderbolt. I guess, in my own heart, it was like watching my knight in shining armor developed into a normal young man. I somehow saw Jack as my prince, but I had to keep it secret. As Cindy and the other ranch handlers trotted Jack and Wild Thunderbolt around the track, I imagined myself as the helpless princess on a far-away land waiting for my prince to rescue me. Could Jack be my prince? I did not know for sure, but being around him, made me bloom like a bright yellow sun-flower. I could feel my heart jump with every meeting with him. His eyes were deep blue, and I could see a long-lasting relationship with him.
The summer got hotter as the weeks moved on. Jack was beginning to regain feeling in his legs and feet. It was nice watching him come to the ranch five days a week to ride Wild Thunderbolt, but I wanted to change the routine. I asked Jack to bring his swim-suit for the next session. It wasn’t hard to convince Cindy and some other volunteers to lets us go swimming in our fairly-sizable pool. Swimming, as anyone knows, consists of kicking the legs and feet and upper arm movements. This was the precise kind of activity that could cause nerve stimulation. I still, to this day, use swimming as a way of maintaining my muscle tension in all for limbs. I was always a good swimmer, but Jack needed more one-to-one guidance from Cindy. Splash! Splash! Kick! Kick! I dove in head first like a fish being thrown back into a lake. Cindy and another male volunteer, whose name I can’t recall, eased Jack into the pool. I could tell that Jack, even before the accident, had little or no experience in a pool. “Kick your legs and feet, and keep your mouth closed so you don’t swallow water,” said Cindy. Jack wasn’t able to kick very well, but he could move his feet a little. Splash! Splash! Slap! Slap! Slap! I jokingly slap the water towards Jack. Slap! Slap! He returned the playful slap of the water. Within an hour or two, I had Jack swimming without Cindy’s help. We swam for a few hours, and this was the first time I saw Jack really have fun. I think Jack forgot, at least for a little while, that he had a disability. I also forgot that we had disabilities. I believe the water gave us a sense of normalcy. Later, we vowed to swim twice a week. I guess laughter and cool water on a hot summer day is the best physical therapy the body can get.
The summer was going great that year, but life on a ranch isn’t always happy and peaceful. It was about late June when tragedy occurred. A ranch handler took Wild Thunderbolt for a walk on our hundred acre property. This was a common walk for all horses for extra exercise. The handler walked through trees and shady wooded area. Wild Thunderbolt and the handler took rest under a large tree with several old dead hollow tree stumps. The handler moved one of the tree stumps when the sound of a rattlesnake appeared under it. Wild Thunderbolt jumped back and neighed loudly. The snake took one bite of Wild Thunderbolt’s hind leg as he jumped harder back. Snap! Thump! Wild Thunderbolt fell to the ground like a small hurricane with his hind leg broken. The ranch handler pulled his pistol and shot the snake dead. Wild Thunderbolt quietly lay on the ground in pain. The ranch handler sat on the ground sobbing because Wild Thunderbolt was forever gone. He knew that the horse could not be saved, so he slowly pulled out his rifle and shot Wild Thunderbolt.
It was a sad day for all of us. Dad took off of work to tell me the news. This was the one time that my father showed me how much he loved me. Sometimes we lose horses and other pets, but Wild Thunderbolt was loved by all the children. He had become a part of our family, and it was extremely difficult for me to lose him because he, Jack, and I had bonded. “How am I going to tell Jack,” I said with tears in my eyes and my arms around dad. “Well, honey, you just have tell him that Wild Thunderbolt lived a great life, and accidents happen. It’s no one’s fault! It just happened!” my dad said. “I don’t know if I can,” I replied. “You can. It will be hard, but I think it should come from you. And remember, I do love you, honey, and I’ll be with you,” he said while looking in my eyes and kissing me on the cheek. I cried hard as my dad held me in his arms. I have never been so heart-broken the way I was that day. I knew then that it was going to be equally as hard on Jack, and I didn’t know how to break the news.
The next week Cindy, because of her professional relationship with Jack’s mother, called his mom to prepare her for the bad news. I had an unsettling feeling about how Jack might take the news, but Cindy still believed that the news should come from me. I still wasn’t sure how to tell him because I never had to give someone bad news, especially someone that was a close friend. Cindy and I waited in the parking lot as Jack and his mother pulled in. I had to hold back the tears as my heart beat hard against my chest. I had to play the bubbly young teenage girl as Jack wheeled over to me. I think that was the longest wait of my life as Jack’s mom walked behind him. “Hey, Mrs. Foster, thank you for coming. I need to discuss a few things with you. Can I have a word with you?” asked Cindy. “Sure,” replied Mrs. Foster as she and Cindy went into the main therapy offices. Jack and I slowly made our way to the stables where one stall remained empty. It didn’t take Jack long to notice the empty stall where Wild Thunderbolt once occupied. “Where’s Wild Thunderbolt?” Jack asked. “Ummmmm! Well jack, I’m sorry, but there was an accident,” I sadly answered. “What kind of accident?” Jack worriedly asked. “One of the ranch handlers took Wild Thunderbolt for a walk and they encountered a rattlesnake. Wild Thunderbolt jumped back; the snake bit him on the back leg. Wild Thunderbolt again jumped back and broke the same leg. There was nothing the ranch handler could do, but to put him down,” I said sadly as tears filled my eyes and ran down my cheeks. “NO! You’re lying, why are you lying?” Jack screamed as tears began to fill his eyes. “I’m not lying, Jack. There was nothing the ranch handler could do. Wild Thunderbolt was in too much pain and too old to save. I’m so so so sorry, Jack!” I said while crying and trying to hug him. Jack pulled back and yelled, “Where’s Wild Thunderbolt? I have to ride Wild Thunderbolt!” “I’m so sorry, but Wild Thunderbolt is gone,” I answered. Jack turned to find Cindy and Mrs. Foster standing in the doorway. “I’m so so sorry Jack,” said Cindy. Jack wheeled himself towards the car. “I want to go home! I want to go home!” Jack said while crying all the way to the car. Mrs. Foster said nothing as she followed Jack to the car. As soon as Jack’s mom loaded him in the car, they drove out of sight. I tried to follow Jack, but Cindy grabbed my arm and nodded, no. I watched the car drive-off in the distance as tears flowed down my cheeks. I thought I had forever lost my friend as Cindy held me in her arms. It was like a knife was being stabbed in my heart, as this was clearly the worse day of my life.
Time passes so slowly when tragedy occurs; days become heavy and tiresome and the night become long. I sat in my room hoping for a phone call from Jack, but our answering machine had no messages. I tried to call Jack, but I never got a response. I sat in my room on my chair in front of the night stand mirror just brushing my long brown hair. The hot summer air blew the curtains as they swayed with every burst of night-time wind. I could see the night full moon shinning in on the floor as my thoughts focused on Jack’s well-being. I fumbled though my jewelry to find a hair pin to pull back my long hair, but all I found was Jack’s pocket video game still hidden under my mangled necklaces. I turned the game on, even though I knew nothing about video games. The game was “Pac-man” which had something to do with eating small, yellow pellets and colored ghost. I tried franticly to push the right buttons as the game made a series of loud beeps, as the mouth ran through the maze dodging ghosts and eating dumb pellets. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I was beginning to understand Jack’s fascination, or rather obsession, with the stupid and obnoxious game.
In the midst of playing the Pac-man game for hours, I knew why Jack played video games so much. Games gave him distractions to tune-out the rest of the world. This was kind of the same technique I used when I rode horses. When I rode a horse, I was in my own world where nobody could enter. It was just me and the horse as we trotted around the ranch. Or course, my favorite time to ride a horse was just before the sunset. I would ride out to a field where the tall green grass would sway in the warm air, and I could see the bright orange sun set in the distant horizon. My horse and I would stand there until the top-edge of the sun would settle down behind the grass. I guess jack’s indoor video game playing and my horse riding activity gave us solitude from the outside world, but for me, I could come back to the real world. Jack tried to stay in his world when tragedy occurred. This was something that needed to be popped like a bubble floating in the wind, as I threw the Gameboy back onto the night stand and went to sleep.
The next morning I asked Cindy to drive me to Jack’s home. I knew what I needed to do. I was going to be the one to burst his bubble. Jack may be a quitter, but I’m not. I knew that Jack could have opportunities that I would never have. He just needed a good kick in the butt to get him moving again. We found Jack in front of the TV with his hand on a game controller and noises from the game blaring in the speakers. Jack’s house seemed normal with photos hanging on the wall, plants in planters or on tables, and shelves full of VHS movies and video games. I think there were more video games than movies, but I wasn’t too much of a video junky, so anything over ten was far too much in my opinion. Jack’s mother stayed in the kitchen talking with Cindy as the scent of coffee and Vanilla-scented candles filled my nose. I sat myself down next to Jack as he stared at the TV shooting bad or good guys on the screen. I’d never seen or heard so many explosions from a video game. I knew that Jack was trying to avoid me as he continued to press the multitude buttons on the controller.
“Hey, Jack,” I quietly said while watching him play the video game. “Hey,” he returned the greeting, but not the eye contact. He didn’t miss a single shot as the noisy game played on with every pressed button. “I heard that you weren’t coming back to the ranch?” I asked. “Nope!” he replied while taking another shot. “Why not?” I asked. “I think you know why!” he said. “Look, just because Wild Thunderbolt is gone doesn’t mean you have to give up! I shouted while I stared at him. “I don’t want to ride your dumb horses!” he replied. “You’re not the only one that lost a friend. I lost two friends in Wild Thunderbolt’s death. I lost a good horse and you!” I shouted back. “Well, I’m not coming back, and that’s my final word,” he added. “Quit, that’s all you can do, is quit. I wish that I had never met you Jack Foster. Because all you know is how to play these stupid video games and quit,” I said while reaching into my pocket and pulling out his Pac-man game. “Goodbye, Jack. I hope you live a happy life starring at your TV and playing video games,” I threw the game onto the coffee table next to the other video games. Cindy and I left the house. I was sad about losing Wild Thunderbolt, but to lose two friends, my heart sank in the pit of my stomach as I cried all the way home.
Life on a ranch consists of routines. My routine was getting up in the morning, getting help with dressing myself, eating breakfast, and helping to get the horses ready for riding. I liked brushing the horses because I imagined myself being brushed, which helped me to relax. With the big wooden brown-handle brush in my hand, I stroked the horses’ mane from top to bottom. I couldn’t always reach the top of each horse, but I did my best to get all the sides. Sometimes I would even help bathe the horses, which usually took about two ranch handlers per horse. This day was different, for I got a little surprise to cheer me up.
As I brushed Miss Piggy, which gave her some joy during her sadness over the loss of Wild Thunderbolt, a car pulled into the parking lot. The car resembled the same color vehicle as Jack’s mother. I watch intensely as Jack’s mom got out of the car. She walked around the car to the passenger’s back door, and opened it. I wait for a wheelchair to be pulled out of the back seat, but Mrs. Foster pulled out a pair of brown under-the-arm wooden crutches, like mine. I began walking towards the car, as Cindy did the same. Suddenly, the right front passenger door opened, and two legs with brown braces popped out. It was Jack. He had learned to walk with crutches. Jack and I met at the mid-point between the car and the stable. This was the first time Jack and I eyes met in a standing position. Jack and I were at the same height until he grew older. I smile joyfully as Jack said, “the doctor thinks I should keep riding horses and doing physical therapy,” as he stared at the ground. Cindy and I looked at each other and smiled. We both knew that we had Jack back. I smiled and said, “come on, I think you can ride Miss Piggy.”
Throughout the years, Jack and I remained close friends. By the end of that summer, Jack began to use the crutches less and less. We did all kind of things together. By the following year, Jack did not need hippotherapy or physical therapy any more. He was now coming to the ranch to see me and to help out with the horses. Jack even taught me how to play a few video games, but he was no longer a video game junky. By high school, my father had given Jack a full-time job as a ranch handler. Jack even asked my father if he could take me to the senior prom. This was the first time Jack had seen me in a formal dress and facial make-up. My father knew that we were inseparable, and throughout the years Jack never dated any other girl. Jack now had the body and face that could catch any girl’s eyes, but he never loved anyone, but me. Jack waited until after college to propose to me, but I think, he and dad had discussed it way before then. On the day he proposed to me, he took me to the stall where Wild Thunderbolt had once occupied. He decorated the stall with brightly colored flowers of yellow and blue with red rose pedals on the ground. He bent down with one knee on the ground and held my hand, and gently said, “Jessica, will you marry me?” With tears of joy running down my face, I quietly said, “Yes, I will marry you.”
Now today we stand here before the alter of the Lord on the grave site where Wild Thunderbolt is buried. In front of a multitude of guests and family members, Jack and I make our vowels to each other on a warm sunny day in May. With flowers all around us, we prepare to profess our love to each other and to the minister. Cindy and father are standing to the left of me, Cindy with her beautiful purple bridesmaid dress, and father with his black bow-tie tuxedo, I could not have a more wonderful day. As I look into Jack’s lovely blue eyes, he recites, “Jessica, from the moment we met, you have pushed me into believing in myself. Now, I believe in you and our relationship. With this ring that I place on your finger I know that our love will last forever.” I now look into his eyes and say, “Jack, from the moment we met I have loved you. We were brought together by Wild Thunderbolt’s love for us, and now, I will always carry that love for you. Let our love for each other forever be unbroken.” As I slip the ring on Jack’s finger and we kiss in holy matrimony, we hear Wild Thunderbolt neighing in the wind and his strong galloping footsteps running in the distant track. For the horse that once beat other horses in races and helped bring love to two unlikely adults, we will always remember the name Wild Thunderbolt, the horse with the big heart.Joe Rivashttps://plus.google.com/107419829204616689431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2805949087927693704.post-86511622191882879882011-01-31T07:39:00.000-08:002011-02-16T17:55:01.874-08:002011-02-16T17:55:01.874-08:00"Amigo"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lU8ZjgQLa3s/TVx_5s3D7jI/AAAAAAAAAFk/hHa-z5RnvDk/s1600/bw%2Bgerman%2Bshepard%2Bpic.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 259px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lU8ZjgQLa3s/TVx_5s3D7jI/AAAAAAAAAFk/hHa-z5RnvDk/s320/bw%2Bgerman%2Bshepard%2Bpic.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574471068049206834" /></a><br /><br /> I never thought I would survive when all other humans had died. My neighborhood, which is part of a small town in a large state, was struck by a very unusual plague. I don’t know how the plague could strike so quickly, and leave no survivors, except me. I have no idea who or what brought the plague to our town, but how could I be the only survivor when everyone else has died. It wasn’t like any novel or film, where there are zombies running wild or cannibals eating people. Silence is my terror because of the constant reminders of children playing in the streets, women gossiping on the sidewalks, and men doing yard work. Most of my family and friends were killed by the symptoms of extreme vomiting, diarrhea, high fever, and intense headaches. I, for some reason, remained asymptomatic through the few weeks that the plagues hit the town. The media reported no cures for the flu-like illness. My wife was the last to die, and my two children died in the hospital one week earlier. All my other family members and friends died trying to escape the plague or each other, but I was left in my house with only my old Amigo scooter to get me around. Scooters are not as fast as mopeds, but they can travel for about five to ten miles on a single over-night battery charge. I may be now the only crippled man alive; I just hope there are other good people somewhere else. I cannot bear the extreme sadness in my heart and the anger towards life that left me alone in this world. I’m frightened by the thoughts of dying alone. What if I fall on my back, and hurt myself? I will be like a turtle on its back shell without any help to turn over. I’ll die for sure if this happens to me.<br />I am not the kind of person to give up. I need to believe that there are others out there. How close or far off? I do not know. There is nothing here for me. My wife lies dead under a blanket in our room where we made love and produced two beautiful children. The foods, although still fresh, have no flavor for consumption. Smells from my wife’s clothes and the children’s toys no longer bring joy to my heart. Flowers in the patio window, even though still alive, are now dead. I cannot stay here, the pictures on the wall and all the household decorations, give me bad memories. I can either let myself die by suicide or I can die fighting for new a life. Death by suicide or from natural causes is still death. Right or wrong, it’s in my blood to fight. This is a true battle for life. <br />I have hoped the CDC, the military, or some government agency might come to rescue me, but I have not seen anyone for the last two days. There is no news on any TV channels and nothing on the radio. I have even checked many local websites, but they remain inactive. All I have is a strange dream telling me to go south. I don’t know if I can make it, but my plan is to stay as close as possible to buildings because I have no idea how long the power will stay on. I know the risks of leaving my house, but after using my Amigo scooter for years, I can safely predict a breakdown. I will leave my sad home in search for new life. For if I lived through this plague, then there should be others.<br /> Now it is the first morning of my journey on a clear and sunny day. My scooter is fully charged, yet I do not know how the electricity is still on, or if the power is on around the town. TVs, electronics, and other expensive items lie in every yard and in vehicles where people have attempted to loot. They are of no use to anyone now. Items that I would have wanted in the past, no longer have meaning to me. They are as useless as the plastic that wraps their wires, batteries, and circuit boards. I have checked all communication resources, but no live activity occurs on any media. Now, I set out on my journey with food in my belly, a flash light, a milk jug with water, a roll of toilet paper, and a warm blanket for the cool nights. I also place a sharp knife under my seat cushion and a red grill lighter in my front basket. I dare not know where I’m going or who I will meet, but I’ll take my chances in the wilderness rather than to die like a stiff crippled corpse.<br /> As I drive my scooter further outside my front door, the scent of rotting meat in the air hits me like a strong wave of bad filth that turns my stomach. The sounds of trees swaying and a few singing birds in the distance, tells me that life is not totally lost. I see a few dogs down the sidewalks, but only one dog didn’t seem afraid of me. It’s a black and white German Shepard with bright brown eye and perky ears. As I stroll down the road, I get a sense that the dog is following me. I ponder to myself, why is this big dog following me? Does it want to eat me? Surely not because dogs normally growl at their victims, I say to myself. I never owned a dog. My parents weren’t animal lovers, and so I learned to reject most four-legged creatures. My kids always wanted a dog or a cat, but I was too pig-headed to let them get one. I used to say that animals smell bad and they require so much work. This was the same excuse that my parents gave me.<br />It didn’t take me long to realize that my perceptions of animals were wrong. I entered a gas station store where the door had been propped open with a newspaper stand. I was hungry so I drove up and down the aisles to see what foods left there that I could eat. Behind the counter I see a young woman hunch-over with her head laying in some bloody vomit. I quickly turn away in hopes that it is a hallucination. I do not dare to look again because my mind will play tricks on me, and I will imagine her in a zombie state that might come towards me to eat my head off. I stay focused on the soft drinks that were hot, but drinkable. The chips were fresh and so were the beef sticks. I could see the dog in the next isle following me around. I think it was testing me to see if I was a nice person or guarding me in times of trouble. I did not know which one was true, but it was soothing to have a companion. As I was fumbling through the chips, a bag fell on the floor. I bent down to grab the bag, but I felt a warm breath on my hand as I reached for the chips. The dog had grabbed the bag with his teeth and he snatched them away from me. As I reach for another bag of chips from the rack, I felt a gentle mouth on my lap with the bag being let go by the dog as it ran backwards in its own defense. “Oh, you’re a smart dog,” I calmly said. I knew then that I had a friend for life. As the dog again slowly approached me, I hold out my hand to let him smell it. “Come on boy, it’s alright.” The dog finally put his two paws in my lap as he licked my face in joy. “I will call you, Amigo for you are my new friend, and I will depend on you the way I rely on my scooter with the same name.” Off we went for our long road trip to a hopeful place of salvation.<br /> I am thankful to all the construction workers that had built sidewalks and curb-cuts because I can sometimes use the sidewalks or roads to guide my way towards the smooth paths. We travel for hours when I reach a main overpass just crossing a major highway. As I sit in the middle of the bridge and look out in the distance, all I see is never ending roads of stopped cars. The sight is like a bad image of a world of life that has gone dead. I look down off the bridge, and I see myself jumping off. The only thing that keeps me from ending my life is that if I was spared a horrific death, then I owe it to the dead to go on living. Was this a plan from God? If it was, then I must fulfill his plan. I must drive my scooter until I find others like me. I cannot believe that I am the only soul that survived this deadly disease. I must travel with Amigo by my side until I find someone out there. Although there are many assorted vehicles in my path, I hesitate to look in the windows of these cars. I do not want to see the rotting corpses with gray pale skin, bloody red eyes, dry mouth, and black-pus sores on their faces in the car seats, all trying to escape the path of the plague. After a few hours of traveling with Amigo, I see heavy clouds in the distance. With my battery starting to get low, we make our way into a deserted large grocery store parking lot.<br /> Amigo and I enter the store through the shopping-carts storage entrance because all other doors seemed to be dead. The store is still well lit, but the smell of foul odors fills the air as I see rotting foods and decaying bodies. With the sounds of thunder fast approaching, I gather soft bedding to one corner of the store. I try to stay away from all food areas, restrooms, and medical isles because those are the areas with decaying human remains. I do bring over a bag of dog food and cut it open with my knife for Amigo. My trusted companion eats his food and drinks some water as I plug in my scooter for the night. As I sit on my make shift palate, I look around the store at the wasted items that are not wanted, nor needed. Where did we go wrong? I don’t know, but thoughts on my past life haunt my very soul as I cry myself to sleep. During the night, I hear strange noises throughout the stores. They are like moaning cries from the dead. I pull my blanket over my head and get closer to Amigo. I do all I can to ignore the haunting sounds of the night because if I listen to them, I’ll go mad.<br /> In the morning, Amigo and I awake to a sunny day. I get up to pee in a small corner of the store. I think to myself, is it right to urinate on public property? Hell, it doesn’t matter anymore. There’s nobody around to complain. Hell, I wish that I could hear the sweet sound of a complainer, if only for a second. All I have left is my companion, my scooter, and my dreams of being a devoted father and husband. I really missed the kids yelling in their rooms, my wife nagging on my day off from work, and the daily noise of flying airplanes and honking car horns. I was even starting to miss the annoying hustle and bustle of cell phones ringing, people typing on computers, and bosses telling us to get our reports by the daily deadlines. Now there is nothing around but empty stores, cars with rotting bodies, and the frozen memories of lost time.<br /> “Time to go, Amigo,” I quietly say as the dog arises on all four legs. The smell of rotting meat becomes stronger with the high humidity from the fallen rains. I gather a few items, eat some trail-mix that I took (because money is useless now) from the snack isle, drink a bottle of orange soda, and head back out the shopping-cart entrance. At least there are no moving vehicles to hit me or Amigo as we again begin our journey south. I don’t know why we are going south, but I guess any direction is better than none. Within a few hours, five or six I guess (I don’t really know or care), we reach our next resting area. To me, time does not have any meaning any more. There are no second or third hands, no digital number to count down my life. There’s only sun up and sun down. Eat and drink when we get hungry or thirsty, pee or shit where ever we are, and take naps when we get tired. I now know how it feels to be an animal. At least animals have themselves for social comfort. My broken memories of the past are a source for solace. This is why I keep a little transistor radio in my basket in case someone makes their way to a broadcasting station. I would love to hear real voices again.<br /> We stop at a famous fast-food joint; at least I think this is what it is. All small restaurants look alike now. Red, yellow, blue, or white, I don’t place colors on restaurants like I used to. The golden arches aren’t so golden any more, especially when there are dead people with their heads in their own food and rotting kids in baby carriages. They are just buildings to spread my blanket on the floor, feed my face, and sleep through the night so I can wake up to a charged scooter and head south to somewhere or nowhere. I am a scrounger by day and a hermit at night. After a few hours of sleep, I can see the dark sky turn blue with a tint of orange in the horizon. I never would have imagined myself sleeping in a fast-food restaurant. I keep hoping that it’s all just a bad dream, but I keep waking up in the same place that I fell asleep. I don’t even know what a shower or bath feels like, and my body odors are just as ripe as the closes corpse. “Time to set-out again, Amigo,” I softly say to him as he stands up.<br /> This day is somehow different, though I don’t know how or why. I leave the restaurant, pat Amigo on the head, and set-out on down the road. It wasn’t until a few hours later that I heard a faint sound from a long distance. Apparently, I was not going crazy because Amigo began to get excited as he pointed his eyes and ears towards the sounds. Could it be a live voice, I wondered. The sound got louder and louder as we dodge every crack and big rock on the road ahead. It sounded like a high-pitch female voice on some kind of loud speaker. Was it real? How far off? Would I find it before it stops calling? God, I hope so. “Please! Please! Just be fucking real!” I say out loud. Amigo and I begin to go faster and faster as the voice becomes identifiable in saying, “Hello! Is there anyone out there? Come over here!” The voice also seemed to be singing random songs in an almost crazy, but very sad, tone. Am I saved? Are there others? I wanted to know so badly. “Go faster, go faster scooter,” I say with my finger on the throttle switch all the way down. Amigo is running along-side of me as he pants with every breath. As we get closer and closer to the voice, I notice that the bars on my battery scale begin to move downward to the empty symbol. Will I make it to the sound or not? With my heart pounding and my blood pressure rising, I race towards the sound of new life. Is this the beginning of new hope or just a whisper in the wind by a recorded message?Joe Rivashttps://plus.google.com/107419829204616689431noreply@blogger.com2