Black Beauty

Jer

Days went by and alex was really worried about Black. She hasn't even stood up yet. It made my job earlier but it made Alex all the more worried. This night in particular Black wasn't doing to good. Her eyes were rarely open and her breathing was shallow. Alex had already gone to bed and I didn't want to worry her so I just dicided to stay with Black Beauty. This time I was right in the round pen with her, lieing next to her, stroking her neck. I stayed awake all night but fell asleep right before the sun started to come up. I remember my head resting on Blacks neck then falling asleep.

Alex

I woke up and ran downstairs and out the door and around the barn to see how Black was doing. I looked in the pen and all i saw was Jer laying in the middle where Black Beauty was yesterday. I went through the now smashed gate and went over to Jer. He looked dead from far away but now that I got up close he was fast asleep.

"Jer" I shook him a bit, "Jeremie, wake up."

"Huh, what?" his eyes opened but were still sleepy.

"Jer, she's gone."

He sat up right away and looked around while rubbing his eyes to get the sleepiness to go away. I helped him to his feet and we set off right away to look for her. We looked all around the farm and down the paths through the forest and we also went to the field where first saw her but she wasn't anywhere.

"Here, I'll go back to the house and get White and Chestnut so we can go farther."

I nodded and he ran back. I went to our spot in the hay that was less flat today because we hadn't been there in almost a week. I sat down and pulled my knees to my chest and put my chin on my knee. I felt a tear slide down my cheek as I thought about Black. Then I heard a noise of something or someone running through the field. i thought it was Jer but it was to fast for him to have arrived that fast. I looked up from a piece of hay I had been playing with and saw her. Running around like nothing had happened. her coat was shining in the sun light and her leg seamed to be fine. It was Black Beauty. She was so beatiful when she ran. She spotted me and ran closer and slowed to a stop a yard away. She slowly advanced, very cautious, keeping her ears up to listen. She stopped a few feet away and I knew it was my turn. I reached my arm out and took a step forward. I touched her nose and remember the softness from the first and last time. I came to her side and gave her neck a hug. I felt her nose for what I knew would be the last time. I took a step back and looked into her eyes then stepped to the side.

"Be free, Black Beauty" is whispered.

She took off and jumped the far fence toward the dead forest. When she was out of sight Jer came up behind me.

"Come on, let's go find her." he said offering me a leg up onto Chestnut.

"I already found her,"

"Where is she" he asked.

"Gone," I replied.

"Well, let's go after her and bring her home."

"No," I said, "The worl is her home, not our farm."

I climbed up onto Chestnuts back, "Race ya," I said and gave the chestnut a good kick.

Jer jumped on White and we took off through the field and I felt just as free at Black Beauty.

The End