Ghost Horse

Hi, I am Kyra Yome. I am 15 years old. I was born in Alberta in 1991 on January 9. I have two beloved pets. A Serval kitten named Narra and an African Barb stallion named Stormy. I am in grade 9, first year of high school. I have long dark brown hair and green eyes. I am about 5.2 feet tall. I thought I had it great, my mom and dad were veterinaries. I helped my parents out all the time. It is a great feeling you get when a pet finally gets returned to his owner, and he/she is all cured. That was how I got Narra, some lady brought her in and she was badly scared mentally and physically. Her old owner had beaten her constantly and she now didn’t trust anyone. Though I worked with her everyday and eventually her wounds healed after about two weeks period.

That’s when my birthday came around. I was so excited, thinking of all the possibilities of what I could get. That night I went to sleep thinking about all about animals and the possibilities. I woke up the next morning early; I got dressed and was sneaking down the hall when I heard my dad call my name.

“Kyra… Wait until 8 o’clock, ok.” her father, said in a half asleep, voice, “it is only 6:30.”

Sighing, I replied, “Yes dad, but can I go check on Narra?” I walked back down that hall and was learning on the wall, right outside of my parent’s bedroom.

“Narra? Who… Oh, the serval that was brought in two weeks ago? The killer kitten?” he said in a joking/half asleep, voice. “Yes, you can got see killer.”

“Her name is Narra and she is just scared.” I replied in an irritated voice. My dad loved teasing me about that kitten, witch I had gotten so attached to. He called her killer because she had shredded his arm, when he tried to examine her, after she had been brought in all skinny, bleeding and badly beaten up. I stood up and continued down that hall. I walked quietly down the spiraling staircase and into the next hall. I stepped into the kitchen only for a minute to grape some cat treats for Narra, which I had bought with my own money for her and an apple for myself, out of the fruit bowl.

I then turned and headed for the closet in the front hall. I opened the closet and grabbed my horse jacket that read ‘Palomino Princess’ and my black hiking boots. I slipped my boots on, not bothering to tie them up and put on my coat. I then unlocked the front door and stepped out into the early January morning. It was a bit chilly, that I had to admit.

I walked across the yard over to my parents vet office. I pulled out the key which I always left in my jacket pocket and unlocked the door. I then replaced the key back into the pocket and opened the door. I quietly slipped inside, hoping not to wake the animals that had to stay over night for operations, or recovery. I walked quietly down the hall, to the back room. I turned to the left; these cages were full of only cats. Most were still asleep, or just watched me with their big round eyes.

I knelt down in front of cage number 77 and beside the cage number, read the name ‘Narra’. I quietly opened the cage door and put my hand in. Narra flipped on her belly and began to purr. “Your not a killer kitten are you?” I said in a sweet voice to Narra. The kitten then flipped back onto her feet and walked to the edge of her cage and started to meow. “Shhh. Narra.” I said at a whisper, “we don’t want to wake up the others.”

I picked her up and closed the cage door. I then walked back down the hall and turned to the right entering the playroom. I set Narra down in the cat playpen, and watched her zip around and over the cat toys and stands.

My parents and grandmother came in later… This was what I could remember from my 15^th birthday, which was last year. I could also remember my parents then telling me that Narra was mine and then I can remember opening the other presents. Then going out to the barn with all of my family and seeing the three-year-old chestnut colt, with a perfect white raindrop in the middle of his forehead. Then my grandmother telling me that he is mine.

The last thing I could remember was saddling stormy up and riding around our property. That was now all in the past; my grandmother and parents had got cancer and couldn’t be saved. Stormy then had been stolen and I was placed in a foster home. The only things I had to remember me of my real home and family were some pictures, all of Stormy’s tack and Narra. I also had all my things for my house, but it wasn’t the same. I worried about Stormy all day long, and Narra never left my side, she followed me everywhere. She walked beside me or sat on my shoulder.

I didn’t like the family that I had been placed with. The Newwells had a daughter, the same age as me, but couldn’t be more different. She had long straight dark brown hair and hazel eyes, while I had bright green eyes and a natural way in my own dark brown hair. Their daughter was named Karen; she was daddy’s perfect angel. Always got what she wanted, and was a total snob. She hated me with a passion; she hated my looks and also wanted Narra or a serval kitten, either or. Though serval kittens were hard to come by. Karen’s dad would have given Karen Narra, if it weren’t for his wife, she would not allow that to happen. She said, “Narra is Kyra’s cat and that is fact. She does not have to give the kitten to Karen, unless she wants to.” That is why Karen hated her mother, because her mother was always nice to me. Treating me as if I was her actual daughter. I also did well in school, where Karen just got by. I was very nice to everyone, while Karen acted so superior and bratty. So Karen’s mom always praised me about my schoolwork and scolded her daughter about hers. Always telling Karen that she could do better.

It had been two weeks since I had come to the Newwells, I was sitting on the porch of my home, well home for now. I wasn’t planning on staying here forever, I could only put up with Karen for so long. I was playing with Narra, I had a long stick and was dragging in across the ground and Narra went pouncing and chasing after it.

“You know I will have a serval kitten or Narra, either or. I always get what I want. You now your such a teachers pet, I can’t understand why your kitten even likes you. You are worthless and might as well be a wallflower. All you do is cramp my style, I bet your parents didn’t even die, you’re just a runaway, or they left you because their daughter was a disgrace to them.” With that, Karen turned on her heal and walked up the stairs and into the house.

I let out a sigh once she had left, I loved the fact that I could tune people out if I wanted to. “Narra lets go ask foster mom if I am aloud to put up my posters, so we can find Stormy?” I put the stick make in the garden, behind the small purple Lilly, where I always put it. I then picked Narra up and let her crawl onto my shoulder. I then stood up and walked into the house.

I walked down that hall and went into the kitchen, only to find Karen showing her father the missing Stormy posters I has made. He took them and put them threw the paper shredder. Then walked briskly by me and out the front door.

Karen walked over and stopped beside me. “Oh, look at the poor little girl now. How will she ever find her imaginary horse?” she said in a mocking voice. She then gave me her mockery smile and walked down the hall and into the living room.

I bit my lip, so I would not call her every name in the book. I took a deep breath in and then let it out. Narra nudged my cheek, to give me reassurance. “I’m ok Narra.” I whispered to her.

Later that night I laid on her back, trying to fall asleep, Narra was curled up beside me sound asleep. Finally my eyelids shut and I didn’t open them again. I dreamt that I was riding Stormy through a mountain valley with Narra in her little backpack that I wore when I went bike riding or went riding with Stormy, so that she could come along with me. My hair and Stormy’s mane and tail flowing out behind us as the wind swept though it, from the speed we were going at, a full out gallop. Then I would dismount and we would play our hide and seek came in the valley, like we always had. He would give me soft nickers, to give me clues to where he was.

I woke up and opened my eyes; Narra was sound asleep beside me. I had had this dream every night since stormy had went missing. I took in a deep breath; I missed my stallion so much. I was about to close my eyes and go back to sleep, when I heard the sound. I sat up fast, could I be hearing things? I listened for the sound again. Sure enough it came again, a soft friendly nicker. I pulled back the blanket and swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up. I walked over to the window, which over looked the backyard.

There in the middle of the yard was a pure white stallion, it wasn’t Stormy, that was for sure, but it was a magnificent stallion nonetheless. I quickly got dressed and snuck out into the hall, past Karen’s room and my foster parents room. Down the stairs to the front closet and grabbled my boots. I then walked back down the hall to the back door, and slipped on my boots and quietly unlocked the door.

Once outside I walked ever so slowly towards the white stallion. I then stopped when I was a few feet away, I would let him come to me, if he wanted to. He nickered and walked towards me. Stopping only when he was in reach of my hand, so he could nudge it. “Hey boy. Where did you come from?” I said as I reached out my hand to stroke his face. He was soft, but he was cold as ice, no warmth came off his body. This couldn’t be right unless… No… Yes… That had to be it; he was dead and was now a ghost horse?

He then backed up and did a bow towards me and nickered to me. I knew what this meant; he wanted for me to get on him. I walked over to his side and grabbed a big chunk of his silvery mane and did a little jump, swinging my right leg over his back. He then stood up, turned his necks to face me and then moved into a slow canter, heading straight for the fence. We cleared it with room to spare. They rode for what seemed forever and the next thing I knew I was waking up in my bed. It was morning.

I stretched and once again pulled back my blanket and swung my feet over the side of the bed. I stood up and walked over to my dresser with the mirror above it and realized that I was already dressed. I knew then that I couldn’t have dreamt about the horse and getting dressed, if I hadn’t been dressed. That horse was for real.

I brushed my hair and put it up in a ponytail, picked up Narra and headed down stairs. Once in the kitchen I filled Narra’s cat dish with her food and refilled her water and set it down, Narra dung right into her food, purring as she ate it. I grabbed an apple and headed for the living room, being only 9 am on Saturday, I was the only one up.

I turned on the TV and was flipping through the channels when I heard a man on the TV say, “Lucky Star’s Moon Shadow died in a fire yesterday afternoon. The barn was set a fire; Darrow Raines has been arrested for the death of the horse. Moon Shadow’s stall was at the back of the barn and couldn’t be saved. 18-year-old Caroline is distraught, her beloved racehorse and companion is dead. He is dead all because Darrow didn’t want to loose to Moon Shadow and Caroline again.

Then they showed a picture of the magnificent white stallion. My mouth dropped open not only had my favorite racehorse just been killed, but the ghost horse had to be Lucky Star’s Moon Shadow. I turned off the TV, in total shock. The rest of the day I spent drawing the white stallion I had seen yesterday night.

Then once it got dark I headed up to my room to wait for the stallion to come again. After what seemed like forever, I spotted him at the end of the back yard. I cracked opened the window a little bit and whispered, “Wait there and be quiet, I will be right down.”

I picked up my small backpack which Narra would sit in, when she went bike riding or went riding with Stormy. I slipped it on and Narra jumped onto my shoulder and then slid down my back and into the backpack. Then once again I snuck down the hall, down the stairs, grabbed my boots, unlocked the door and walked over to the stallion. He nickered, showing he was happy to see me.

“Hey boy, is your name Lucky Star’s Moon Shadow?” I asked him as I stroked his neck. He shook his head up and down, as if saying yes. Once again he knelt down and I mounted.

We galloped for a while until I realized where we were. He was taking me to Sunny Hills Downs Racetrack. He took me right to the spot of his death, I dismounted and looked at the burnt down barn. “You poor boy.” I said in a quiet and sad voice. He then walked over to the end of the barn where his stall was and pulled out a halter. He then turned and jogged back holding it in his mouth. I took it from him; it read ‘Moon Shadow’. “This is your halter boy, isn’t,” I said almost crying.

He nudged me and I braised him in a big hug. Then Moon Shadow, Narra and I both turned to see a figure standing a few feet away. “Who are you and what are you doing with that horse?” The figure asked in a loud voice.

Moon Shadow nickered and jogged towards the figure. The figure walked towards him, and they braised in a big hug in the light of the moon. It was his jockey and owner, Caroline. “Moon Shadow.” She said in a crying voice, tears falling down the older girls cheeks.

I then walked over and introduced Narra and myself. Then told her of all the events since Moon Shadow had appeared. The white stallion nudged both of us and we hugged him for the last time. He then turned and walked out into the middle of the racetrack. A light beam from the moon came down ending right in front of Moon Shadow. He nickered a good bye, reared and then shot up the moon path towards the moon.  Once at the top he turned and looked at us and gave one finally rear and vanished into the moon.

Caroline then turned to me, “Thank you so much.” Then she hugged me. “I also have something you should come see.” Caroline led the way to one on the barns and then opened the door. She led me down the isle to a stall at the very end. There, with his head over the door was Stormy. I ran over to him and in braised him in a big huge.

“Stormy! I have missed you so much, I though I would never see you again!” I kissed him on the noise. Then turned to Caroline, “Where did you find him?”

“I found him wandering around here two weeks ago and tried to find his owner. I caught him and have kept him here ever since. I knew he was yours when you told me what he looked like, the time he went missing and the time he showed up here all fitted together. The perfect white raindrop on his forehead gave it away.” Caroline said leaning against an empty stall door that was right beside the stall Stormy was occupying.

Caroline then led the way back to her trailer where she was staying for this week. I fell fast asleep as soon as I lay down on the couch. I woke up the next morning to hear voices talking. I stood up and opened the door of the trailer to go out side and saw Caroline, Mrs. Newwell and who I guessed was Caroline’s mother talking with the foster lady.

“What’s going on?” I asked having no clue what so ever.

“Well Kyra, I have always wanted a little sister and you don’t really like the foster home your at. So well my mom would like to adopt you, meaning Narra, Stormy and you could live with us, at Lucky Star Ranch. So what do you say?” Caroline said in a very happy and teasing voice.

“I would love to.” I then ran over gave my new mother and then new big sister a big huge. I looked up form my diary and stared out at Stormy and his girl friend Bell, and Moon Beam and his girlfriend Midnight Lady. I closed my diary and stood up and stretched. I looked up into the cherry tree; I was sitting under and spotted Narra, now one year old and a little bigger, climbing about the tree.

I started walking away from the tree and then pounce; Narra jumped out of the tree and onto my shoulder. “Narra, give me warning next time ok.” I said as I laughed and walked over to the paddock. “Stormy! Belle!”

The two horses head shot up like rockets at the sound of my voice. The looked around and then spotted me. They took off at a gallop towards Narra and I, only stopping a few inches short of the fence. I rubbed their faces and thought about my new life. A lot had happened in the last year. I was now 16, Stormy four years old, and Narra, now one. I had a new family, a bigger sister, lived on a ranch. I had a new companion Bell a three year old paint mare. My favorite racehorse was dead, her grandma and parents were too.

It was hard, but I knew my parents would want me to move on and enjoy life to it’s fullest. That is exactly what I was doing, I would never forget my family, but I would not dwell on the past. I now lived for tomorrow, one day at a time. Always thinking of what adventures tomorrow will bring.