Spirit | Teen Ink

Spirit

January 14, 2011
By MountEverest GOLD, Fort Worth, Texas
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MountEverest GOLD, Fort Worth, Texas
17 articles 2 photos 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Why rather, sleep, liest thou in smoky cribs
...
Than in the perfumed chambers of the great,
Under the canopies of costly state,
And lulled with sound of sweetest melody?" By William Shakespeare


Author's note: I love horses and i can't stand to see all the horses out there being abused or neglected or mistreated so i wrote this tory to inspire people to treat horses better

The morning came and a foal was born. My mother whispered my name in the morning mist “Spirit....” She nuzzled a shiny black foal with her nose. That was me, Spirit. My mother urged me to stand yet my sick legs didn't let me for my bones needed a few more hours. All of a sudden they led her away and they left me alone. I cryed for her to come back untill i was helpless and i grew hungry. I struggled to stand up but fell the first time, by the time i succeed the night had fallen. I looked around this odd place and cryed once again for my mother. Nobody answered. I threw back my head and tossed my growing mane back as i reared. My hoof hit the door and made a sound that made my ears prickle. I reared again and succeeded in toppling over the other side. I hit my head but to my dismay it did not burn. I struggled up and looked around. Where am I? Doors, doors and more doors. The weird thing was that these doors were not horse doors, but human doors. I trotted down the hall till i heard a scream. I rushed to the source of the noise and found a door. This door however this was a dog door which i could fit through. I peeked inside and saw a woman sitting strapped to a chair, staring madly at a man cutting open a furry, rat-like dog. I pulled my head back afraid to see what would happen next.I heard my mother she was neighing in pain!I rushed to her calls for help and found yet another door! Unlike the rest, which were painted a terrible blue, this one was glass with curtains drawn on one side. I pulled back a piece of cloth with my newly grown teeth and to my horror saw that my mother was lying unconcious on an operating table with doctors all around her! I neighed as one of the doctors took a scalpel and started cutting her forehead open. I pulled back totally frightend. I galloped till i found an exit. I pushed on the strange door with red xs on it. Opened it came but closed i wanted it for what i saw was not for me to see. Rows and rows of dead cows with their heads cut off hung from the ceiling. All of them had the same strange marks as the door. Bewilderd i drew back and just sat there untill i felt hungry again so i searched for a door that did not look so threatening. My life had bearly lasted a couple of hours and i was not suppose to see what i had seen. What fate did i they kill me too? Will i ever be free to roam with other horses? That's what i thought through that tough nightmare but to my surprise that was all forgotten for what my destiny was, was to be a poor horse that would always stay at the adoption center and never be adopted. Yip! that's me! old, excuse me not old, but odd fury morning blackness. Yeah that's what they called me Fury Morning Blackness. Well i guess that's why no one wanted me. My name, looks, and attitude.

Huh!! that's what i thought too!!!! untill Elizabeth Waver came and took me home. Yeah that day was one of the worst days of my life!!!!! I remember every minute of it! Just thinking of it makes me sick! Elizabeth Waver was the worst horse owner ever, excuse me not ever, but in the whole world!!!!!!! Not one of those days did she think of riding me or even brushing my mane! My hooves were in need of a desperate cleaning and clipping and my stall stank like sulphur!!!!One of these days i know she will get rid of me but when someone tells her that horses don’t take care of themselves i’ll laugh in her face like a donkey! But untill then i’ve got to wait and suffer this neglect. My story is tough and sad and pretty much like any other word like those two. But through all that has happened to me i know one thing and that thing was hope and hope never did leave my side until that one day that my owner ,Elizabeth, came up to me and said “Why you dead horse why don’t you stay clean? oh well i guess the Rosemary family will watch after ya. Now what to do, what to do about this mess!!” She scuffled around the stable and unlocked another stall that happened to be clean. Then she lead me to it and just stuffed me in there. After that she contacted her new stable boy and ordered him to clean me up by 5 in the afternoon. “So’s the Rosemary family don’t get disapointed with their new horse” She said in her ragged voice of hers.

Jeffery he was called, the stable boy. He was as gentle with me as a wisp of air. I liked him unlike all the rest of the poor stable boys Elizabeth had hired. Unlike the rest he took care of me and unlike the rest he whistled! I loved hearing him whistle out the horse race song. It was a whisper in my ear.He stroked me afterwards and spoke to me “ You don’ like tha’ lady righ’ boy? Ha! I don’ either!! Yu know i gotta farm out there in England. Would ya like to come with me boy? I can make room for ya in my trailer! I could use a strong work horse like yourself for my farm!” He asked me in the softest tone i’d ever heard in my life and the offer was so undeniyable that i swung my head up and down and looked him in the eye and agreed. “Yeeha!!!! i gotta me a horse!!!! I’ll name ya Craneberry for ya red-black coat!! Yeeha! i can’ wait tu tell the boss that i’ll buy you for twice as much as those Rosemarys!!!! Yeeha!” And with that he jumped up and raced towards the main house to tell Elizabeth. As 5 came the Rosemarys didn’t come for me and as the week past i never saw Jeffery again. Was i really that dumb to belive that a poor stable boy was ever going to buy me for twice as much as the Rosemarys’ offer? I guess i was dumber than i thought!! Unless he was out getting two jobs so he could buy me and we can move to England! Ah who am i kidding! I get my hopes too high just to have them crushed and destroyed again! But like the first time that’s what i thought and like the first time i was wrong. 24 days past and 25 nights came and by the time i was all hopeless and dobtfull that Jeffery’ll come. He came up to my stall one morning and looked me right in the face and said “Boy...... We’re moving to England!!!!!! Yeeha! i can’ wai’ to show ya my ranch!!!! You’ll love it! Bu’ before we move on i gots ta tell ya i’m sorry tha’ i left ya alone all these days. You see i was working triple time to pay for your fee! If that witch woulda given me just one more week working here i coulda bought ya sooner, but when i told tha’ witch she fired me righ’ on the spot! But i said no siree no one is gonna keep me from tha’ horse! No sireee!!” He shuffled around the tack room looking for all my gear and brushes and when he got them he unlocked the stable door and led me out to the paster where a bright blue trailer was open and ready to have me in.

I stared at my old stable home and looked at the trailer. Again it was not my choice who i went with, I thought. I looked at Jeffery settling all the tack and gear in the front seat of his truck and then i looked at my old home again. Well ,I thought, at least this time i’ll get a good home out there in England!Jeffrey came back and untied me from the trailer where he had tied me when he lead me outside. Then he loaded me on the trailer and filled my water bucket and hay basket up to the top. He then closed the trailer door and locked it and went to the driver’s seat and started the truck. We were on our way!

The night came and then passed to welcome the night again. Our trip lasted 10 days and 9 nights. By the time we arrived at Jeffrey’s ranch out in the state of England the night had arrived and we couldn’t see a thing.

I woke up in the morning to find myself rapped in warm wool blankets from head to knees. I had lost my memory of the nights actions. All i could remember was being led to a nice warm and dry stable then falling asleep. Now i was in the same stall but i was covered in blankets!

I looked around and noticed other horses in stalls. I counted from the door to the wall and saw that there was 15 horses in the barn! Although one stall was empty so there was suppose to be 16! I thought Jeffrey was poor! I never imagined him having more horses than Elizabeth who was head over heals wealthy! I looked at all the horses and noticed that they were mostly all the same color except for me and two others. I, of course, am a beautiful shiny black color for it runs in my Friesien blood to be all black, but, of course, i am different so i have white stockings. The other two were quite like me in fact they kindof looked like me except they had white manes and stars on their foreheads. Just then it occured to me that they were twins!!!

I neighed hello to all the horses but i only got one response which came from one of the twins. “Hi ,i’m Spirit! who are you and who do you belong to? Certainly Jeffrey couldn’t have own you all!” I asked in my most polite neigh.“Of course Jeffrey owns us! He’s the richest man on the block! And as for me i’m Nightingale and this is my brother Stormbrow. We’re pleased to meet you! It’s not everyday you see a horse other than the color brown over here! you know before you came they called me and Strom over here rare! But since you came along their getting off our nerves! Nice to meet you Spirit!” She said. It was a girl and the other a boy! I could finally tell them apart! One had more sharper features than the other so i can say that the boy looks more like a boy and the girl more like a girl!“Oh? Well nice to meet you too, Nightingale! Hello there Stormbrow! How come there are only brown horses?” I asked. “It’s because these dungballs of a family are too idiotic to realize that brown is a dull color! They practically worship the color! That’s why me and my sister hardly ever get ridden! Instead we are used to work in their farm like pigs used to do tricks! It’s unnessesary!” Stormbrow huffed.

“But i can’t work!! I’m not a work horse! Me and my race are only used for riding! He can’t do this!”

“Think again! He can do anything he wants with us! We belong to him!” said Nightingale.

“Well i don’t! i don’t belong to anyone!” “He’s a tough one ain’t he Nightingale? Hopefully with an attitude like that he’ll get broke!” smirked Stormbrow.

I snorted with displeasure and turned to my hay basket. It was full and my water basket was stagnent from being left alone for too long. I closed my eyes not believing this was real. Again i was not at the right place or at the right time. I was an idiot! Believing that Jeffery was nice and he liked me! What an idiot!!!!

The night came and Jeffery had not come to see me. Instead a farm boy came and gave all the horses water and fresh hay and feed. When he had reached me he said under his breath “Filthy black horse! Don’t know why Jeff bothered buying you! Just filthy you are!!!!!”

That comment stung me. I got frustrated with him and when he came to refill my water bucket i took a deep drink (but held it in my mouth) and splashed it in his dirty iron looking face. He looked astonished that a horse like me would‘ve understood his words.

But then again that’s what all humans think. They think we’re stupid animals who need special commands in order to obey. But i got news for them! We are intelligent animals that in our lifetime we can learn up to 3 languages! Huff! But do they look negotiable? No! They only think what suites them! I only wish they were like us!I looked to see his expression and was appalled by his calm temper. It seemed like he was used to horses snorting in his face! Well i was a little surprised! Hey! Don’t judge me ok?!

He shuffled back to his work and when he was done he went to the tack room and pulled out a saddle and blanket, a bridle, and a whip. He walked in my direction but put the tack on the floor next to one of the horses. Then, he unhitched the stall door and pulled out a creamy brown horse who appeared to be (and was) female. He saddled her up and then tyied her by her stall. He moved back to the tack room and brought out the same type of tack. This time he headed straight for me! He pulled me out of my stall and saddled me up. And he did the same as the other one ,but unlike her he led me out to the paster where a tall skinny boy waited by the paddock.

He seemed nice, but like my senses tell me everything wrong, i couldn’t trust him. He walked up to me and stroked my mane. Then he walked around me in a circle inspecting me all around. Finally he called the stable boy (whose name appeared to be Joseph) and ordered him to fetch the other horse (who was called Sophie) and his dad. When Joseph left he patted my forehead and said “Your a good boy aren’t you? My dad chose a good horse this time. I suppose he gave you a wierd name right? Well, then i’ll name you myself too. I’ll call you........ Obsidian like the rock. I bet that name is better than the one dad gave you. Isn’t that right boy?”

I threw my mane back and forth mocking the way the humans nod their head. He laughed and stompped his feet to help stop his joyus laughter. I watched in wonder as i began liking the boy. He was not like all the other foolish humans i knew.When he finally did stop laughing he had a tear in his eye. But the strangest thing of all was that he was smiling. I tried mocking his smile but only succeeded in making him laugh like a hieena.

“Sir Nicholas, Sophie as you requested.” Joseph came mocking the voice of a servant. He led Sophie toward the boy (whose name appeared to be Nicholas) and gave him her reins. Nicholas looked at him with disgust for mocking him like that, then ordered him to go fetch his brother, Edmund, who was to race him to the pond where they would have a nice chat.Joseph went and did as he was told to (like a nice good puppy) and disapeared behind the barn. A few minutes later he came back trailing after a tall handsome wiry boy. He had blond hair, tight features, and high cheekbones which captured his eyes (they appeared a blue hazel color). Unlike his brother Nicholas had jet black hair, smooth features, and his eyes were green as bright as green could be.

“Well? why won’t you hurry up Edmund?! I can’t wait all day!” Nicholas said. He appeared to be desperatly impatient. As he waited for his brother to catch up he strocked my forehead as if lost in thoughts.“I’m here Nick! You don’t need to be so impatient! Besides Joseph told me you wanted to go to the pond! What for? I haven’t got time for this sillyness you know?!” Edmund said. He appeared to be older since his voice was much deeper and rougher than Nicholas’.

Edmund aproached and stroked Sophie’s neck then he swung himself on her back and begun to ride her forward. He eventually stopped and looked back to check if Nicholas was coming and when he saw he was still standing there he shouted “Hurry up Nick! I’m not going to wait here all day!” Then he began forward again at a nice walk.

Nicholas smiled and swung himself onto my saddle. He seemed nervous being on me for the first time. I tried to show him that i was a good horse by trying to catch up to Edmund,but Nicholas ended up butt first in the dirt when he didn’t hold on tightly enough. When he got up he seemed an embarrassed reck. He stared at me angryly until he looked himself up and down and started laughing.He seemed to be a good kid. I finally found out that he was 12 ,and Edmund was 14. Nicholas also seemed more stress-free than Edmund and he laughed more. That was one thing i liked about him: he laughed alot. Because his laugh was like music to my ears.

When he had finally gotten all the dirt off his shirt and pants he hopped back on me and this time held tightly to the reins than like before. He also soothed me into obeying his commands with his calm soft voice.

We eventually ended up at a little pond that had water lilies all around it’s border. It was like a unreal fairytale come true. When the boys had reached their destined spot they let me and Sophie roam free among the field. I enjoyed being free and able to run around the place, just one thing bothered me, and that was Nick.

He looked worried as he talked to his older brother. I had finally begun to like Nicholas and his mood was upsetting me dearly! As i snooped when they talked i begun understanding what they were talking about and that was : their horses!! Nick was telling Edmund about their father selling all the brown horses to get nice black ones like me!

The information startled me but i felt happier as i thought of my own kind among me! I wondered if Jeffery had changed his mind about brown horses and had taken a liking with black horses! It could be true! What do you think? When the boys had finished their small court on the subject they saddled us up once more and took us for a ride in the woods on the side of their house. There they discussed how well their father had chosen me and that i was well unfed. So to their dismay they agreed to feed me themselves.

And as they talked i begun to understand more about their family and culture. I had found out that they had two older sisters who were to be married to some snotty-nosed men who didn’t like them but only the wealth they possesed. And that they had a younger brother who was being potty trained and learning how to talk properly. I also had the opportunity to know that Edmund was to start courting (dating) next year!The two brothers had so many secrets between them that , that sad ,lonely feeling inside of me started to burn. The thought of never having any siblings stung me and clenched my heart as hard as a squid never letting go of it’s prey. Just hearing them talk to each other so confidently made me sad and very lonely.

My step faltered as they shared about 30 more secrets between themselves and i clumsily tripped over a rock as Edmund gave Nick some tips. I think i messed up bad because when i tripped over a stick one more time Nick got off and made sure i was ok and didn’t go back on me after that.I think he must have seen the sadness and lonelyness in my eyes because after that he didn’t talk to Edmund brotherly or nicely at all, as if to show me i was the only thing important. And the strangest thing was that Edmund played along and didn’t mind the rude coments made by his younger brother! He just kept on riding sometimes glancing my direction with a face of pityness.

After that day Nick stayed by my side as long as he could. He soothed me to sleep at night and in the mornings assured me that he would always be there for me and that he would never let anything happen to me. He assured me that he would love me untill the end and that he would never leave my side. Those words i did believe because they were said with all the truthfullness in all the world.

Nick never did leave my side untill that day that he got phneumonia. He stayed in bed for 3 weeks and didn’t come to see me. I was afraid he never would come see me untill that day that he got all better and came walking into the barn to see me. He explained what it was after he said sorry for not being there. He said “Sorry i wasn’t here Obsidian it’s just i got really sick with phnuemonia. It’s like an infection in your lungs” He pointed where mine were and then where his were, “it’s hard to breathe and you get this horrible cough and fever when you have it. But don’t worry it clears up in a couple of weeks like mine cleared up in 3 weeks! Well that’s all i have to say Obsidian! Do you forgive me?” He looked at me longingly and sad kindof as if he knew what i felt. I licked his ear and swished my head mocking the human nod. He smiled ,but it was a sad smile that haunted me after that visit.The next day Nick took me to the ring and started training me in jumping. While he was training me he shared all the secrets that he had told Edmund and he made me feel this tingly feel of love and brotherhood that i had never felt before. I had begun to trust, love, and absuloutly obey my owner, Nick. He was the closest person i had that felt like family. All the other horses felt either jelous or mad toward me so that made me even more unconfortable than before.

The next day a huge trailer came and all the stable boys evacuated all the horses ,including me. I didn’t know why untill it hit me: they were going to sell us! This had to be a mistake! My owner never left my side! Where was he! I panickly looked at the house and saw his round featureless face poking out of a window. He looked sad yet afraid as if he had made a grave mistake.I neighed for him to come but as i did i saw a tear roll down his cheek and he disapeared. I couldn’t believe this! I was fooled yet again! Abandoned! Forgotten! Left behind! I felt like such a fool! I wanted to kick myself and yet die at the same time! Why hadn’t i been smarter! I should’ve known better than to trust a 12 year old boy as foolish as Nick!

I calmed down and alowed myself to be led into the trailer. Again, i thought, it was not my choice who i went with and who hurt me! I looked at all the other horses and looked apologeticly at them but all of them just snorted and truned away. I felt totaly lonely and lost. How could they do this to me? I was totaly confused. Now i had to learn my lesson: never,never, ever trust a human especially if it’s a boy!

The journy to our new homes took almost 3 weeks! Almost all the horses had a home with other horses but occasionaly some would be alone to be a family horse or a one man horse. By the time all the horses were at their own new homes, i was the last one left in the trailer, by nightfall. The truck man didn’t stop at another house after that. He, apparently, had forgotten that i was here so i neighed as loud as i could and stepped as loud as i could on the trailer holding me. He must have heard me and remembered he had one more horse to go because he eventually turned the curb and stopped in front of a giant house with acres and acres all around it. The house was a blackish-greenish color and behind it (i bearly noticed) was a medium sized barn which looked well tended and polished a redish color. The trailer driver got out of the truck pulling the trailer and went to nock on the door. As he waited i saw a light come on in one of the upper rooms. At the window peeked a little girl around the age of 11 ,and next to her was a boy about the age of 15, and next to him was a woman around in her early thirties. When they saw the trailer and the man at the door their faces brightened and the woman disapeared behind the curtain and (to my guess) climbed down the stairs and opened the door. The driver told her something that i couldn’t hear and then he led her toward the trailer. As she got closer i noticed that she had regular flare jeans on with a plain white T and some comfortable looking tennis shoes. She had golden brown hair with a complex set of face features that could not all be named out. Her eyes were also a bright greenish color, just like Nick’s. The man opened the trailer and issued me out and when the woman saw me she burst out in tears as she hugged my neck. “Spirit!” She called as she hugged my neck tighter and began giving me a moist neck because of her tears. She said that name as if it belonged to me and to my dismay it seemed familiar.It was like an empty part of me that was closed opened and i finally remember where i had heard that name! My mother! She gave me that name when i was born! But wait how does this woman know my name? Was she my mom’s owner? Did i suddenly belong to her? These questions haunted me as she thanked the man and led me to the barn, still clutching on to my black neck and mane. I was dearly confused with this lady for i did not want to be with her for she knew too much of me and i knew too little of her so i was very lost.I had gone through too much to be forgotten again but like the last time i could not refuse this home because like all the times in the world the idiotic humans were in charge and us horses were nothing but animals! I seriously wanted to die this time! How could the life of a horse be so dramatic? We horses were not meant to be over ruled, less likely owned, but to all our disapointment we are but animals which humans do not undersatnd or appreciate!

The woman seemed nice but out of all the those times i’ve been hurt i can’t trust her so i must be high on my senses or else i’ll fall again in that dark hole i fell into with all the rest of my owners. She gave me fresh water and hay and pulled a horse blanket around my shoulders. And let me sleep through the night.

Later that night i thought of my life and how it would end. I did not chose this and i will never get to chose for i am but a horse and horses never get to chose. Through all the neglect and confusion we have to go through no one cares! Humans are arrogant and blind to the hurt that they cause. I have only few words to describe the ones who try to help but do not succeed because they try but in the end evil and hurt triumphes them and they fall and crash down. People don’t try their hardest for fear of losing or crashing into a hole like i did, but one thing’s for sure i’ll show them how to try, yes, i’ll show them! If they’re too lazy to try then i’ll show them! The next morning the little girl came to my stall and tried to give me an apple ,but although she didn’t want it to show she was afraid of me. She held her hand out in an awkward position and tried to give me the apple but to her dismay i did not take it for fear of nipping her skin for her hand was in the wrong position. I nuzzled her hand and tried to make it into the right position and to my surprise she under stood what i was trying to do and she took the apple off and alowed me to try and fix her hand. As i fixed it she tried to copy the formation from before and as she got it right she placed the apple on her hand and showed to me again. I took it this time and nodded my head with acceptance.The little girl stayed by my side like Nick would do every morning and afternoon. She didn’t promise me anything but said she would try. Try what a nice word that is because if you try you won’t get in debt because if you try then you have two choices : you do, do it or you can’t do it. The little girl who i soon became to know as Mary loved horses beyond imagination! She had wanted a horse eversince she was little, she told me one day, and know her dream came true because i was here. I taught Mary to try and to try to go up and never down. She always understood what i was trying to do and she always obeyed MY commands. When her mother would ride me she would tell her to not give me any commands but to just tell me where she wanted to go and so Mary gave me that chance. That chance to be the boss and to not be owned by anyone or anything ,and she gave me love and confidence ,and anyhting else a horse like me would want.

I stayed with Mary’s family for almost three decades before i had passed away in my dreams one night. I was dreaming of all the good things in the world and of all the bad things lingering around the good. So i thought to myself and i kept thinking and thinking and thinking untill i couldn’t do anything else but think. That was when i knew i was done with my duty and my life.

I loved the last home i had before my death. I guess this is how my mother must have felt before she died. Although i think dieing is kindof nice you know? It’s like floating on a fluffy pillow of clouds that never end and having all the free thoughts in the world! This is My story and shall forevermore be My story. My life was hard ,yes, but at the same time i was learning something. If you have read my story then learn this : Horses are no animals we are the spirits of pain that never leave but shall forevermore vanish if we are not treated with love. Spirits like myself are no animals we are horses but not pets, living but not alive,we are the race that shall forevermore be forgiven by God. The neglect and pain you humans have given us shall never be forgiven unless you all do something. We are not things we are horses and horses belong to no one so don’t think highly of yourself if you own a horse, be proud but don’t boast for if you do not take good care of the horse that sleeps in your barn or eats your food then you have nothing to be proud of but only shame. My story ends here but my spirit lingers on for all the horses in the world being neglected or killed ,being starved or mistreated ,they must know that i am here and that i shall forever be there to hold the door open into the gracen land of our heaven to let them in because they are the burden you must take care of and if they are not then they shall go somewhere else and shall be given love there.I end my story here.......... But remember what i said.



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