# Like an equine version of "Old Yeller"



## GlassPlatypus (May 25, 2012)

This is a story I wrote a few years ago (although I've changed it somewhat to fit this forum.) I like to think of it as sort of like "Old Yeller", but with an equine twist. 

I can't promise that I'll finish it here. I guess it depends on if anyone is reading it and likes it enough for me to continue. Please let me know what you think. My chapters are not long, but they are packed with action.

WARNING: While this story is clean (no sex, drug use, or bad language), there is some violence later in the story. It has a lot of suspense and drama as well. I'd give it a 'T' rating. 

LIKE SILK

Chapter One

Jessie was trying very hard to be quiet as she sneaked into the barn where her Uncle George attempted to calm Dove, his Quarter Horse mare, as she struggled to give birth. This was her first pregnancy, and it was hard to tell who was more distressed- Dove or Uncle George. He’d set several wet rags on Dove’s face, hoping that they would help to cool and settle her down as her body involuntarily convulsed in trying to expel the foal. Dove’s head rose several times and she glanced nervously at her heaving side, perplexed and frightened by the mysterious sweat, exhaustion and pain. Especially the pain! Never had she experienced the kind of pain that now wracked her body. Dove’s head went limp again, and she whickered weakly, closing her eyes tight.

Eventually, after what had seemed like forever- but really had been several tense hours- the little one’s nose came into view. Uncle George reached in and found a foreleg, and then the other. He took a firm hold on them and pulled with all of his might. He managed to get the baby’s head and front legs out, but that was all. The foal seemed to be stuck in that position. Then suddenly, Dove panicked and tried to stand up, but because she was still so weak she fell back down in her stall, snorting. The abundant straw on the floor cushioned her as she went down, but did little to make her comfortable. At first she lay motionless, her sides still heaving with labored breath and her eyes half white with fear. Then, with no warning, Dove’s hind legs thrashed as she kicked at the air.

“Jessica!” Uncle George shouted. “Get back, now! Didn’t I tell you not to come in here until I said it was alright?”

“But Uncle, I just wanted to look at the baby.”

Uncle George’s voice took on a new urgency. “Keep back! I mean it, Jessie. You could get kicked so easy!”

“Dove wouldn’t think of hurting me, Uncle. You know that. Please, can’t I stay? I’ve never seen a foal being born before, not in real life.”

He sighed. “If you must watch, then at least stay over there in the corner, away from flying hooves. I know Dove wouldn’t hurt you deliberately, but when an animal is scared or in pain, you just don’t know what they might do. Don’t come any closer until I say it’s alright. Got that?” 

Jessie nodded and turned silently, walking to the designated corner of the barn where she could watch the drama unfold in relative safety. But before she got even halfway there, Dove gave a final big push, and the foal was out. Wet and shivering, it lay in a heap on the straw. Right away, Uncle George began to rub the tiny frail body with towels, to both dry it and to stimulate it to start moving on its own.

“It’s a girl, Jessie!” Uncle George cried, unmistakable excitement in his voice.
“Oh, Uncle, isn’t she beautiful!” There was no question in Jessie’s outburst, this was a statement.

“Well, I don’t know about beautiful. She kinda looks like a drowned rat to me right now,” Uncle George said, trying to sound gruff but not really succeeding. Jessie wasn’t fooled at all. She knew that he had a soft heart, especially for animals and little girls.

“What would be a good name for her?” Jessie asked, hopeful.
“Now you just hold on there, young lady. The little mite is barely even been born an’ already yer talkin’ about namin’ it?”

“Not an ‘it’, Uncle- a ‘she’. And she needs a name sometime!”

“Well o’ course she does, Jessie. But let’s not go and get too hasty. Why not wait a while and get to know her a little first. Then we can pick just the perfect name. Something that would suit her perfect-like, rather than just any old common horse name like Beauty or Flicka. No, she needs a special name, something meant just for her.”

Reluctantly, Jessie agreed. “I guess we can wait a while.”

Of course, Uncle George knew that plenty of folks named their animals right away after they’re born, and that didn’t bother him. But years of experience also taught him that baby animals don’t always survive for long, and he just wanted to prevent Jessie unneeded heartache if she bonded with this baby right away and then something happened to it.

By this time Dove had made it back onto her feet and intently sniffed the filly, nickering softly through dilated nostrils as she did so. The trauma and pain of birth had vanished and in its place flooded instinct geared toward her new role as mother, and she followed that instinct with every fiber of her being.

Several times the filly tried to stand, and each time she toppled back down to the hay-covered ground. But persistence paid off, and twenty minutes later she stood squarely on four spindly, wobbly legs.

And then she discovered something amazing: that wonderful thing that we humans call milk.

“Well, I still think you are beautiful,” Jessie whispered to the foal. “I don’t think you look at all like a drowned rat!”

Dove and her baby paid no attention to the girl. The filly just continued to nurse until her belly was full with its very first meal.


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## GlassPlatypus (May 25, 2012)

LIKE SILK

Chapter Two

Jessie stood by the corral fence, with one foot resting on the wooden cross beam, watching. Her horse. Mourning Glory was going to be hers, Uncle George had said so! Jessie had dreamed of someday owning her very own horse for as long as she could remember, but her uncle always said that he had no time for “pets”, or any animal that didn’t pull its own weight. He was a no-nonsense rancher who was all business. Yes, he had a big heart, but he simply didn’t have the time for the whims and wishes of little girls with big dreams.

This situation, however, was different. Mourning Glory had been an unplanned surprise. Uncle George had never intended to breed Dove, or any of his mares for that matter. He always acquired his animals from auctions, because breeding was too risky, and selling horses these days too difficult. 

At first, he hadn’t even known what had happened with Dove. He’d discovered the broken fence, with his best mare injured, with gashes and cuts on her flank, withers, and neck. He had thought that someone had broken in and attacked Dove, until he noticed the hoofprints in the dirt. He then came to realize that someone’s stud had broken loose and mated with Dove.

Uncle George never did find out whose stallion it was, but when Mourning Glory was born, it was quickly obvious that her father was no Quarter Horse. She was big boned and had abundant hair, even as a newborn. Long, silky hair covered her fetlocks, and once the baby fuzz was replaced with an adult coat, her mane and tail grew long and very thick, completely unlike Dove's smooth legs and short hair.

Most striking was the filly's color. Uncle George had never seen any horse with a color like that. There simply was no one word to describe it- for she seemed to be several different colors blended together. Her coat carried shades of gray, black, and brown mingled with an almost reddish tinge that reminded him of dried blood. And yet, overall she had an almost greenish-gray look to her coat. It was very strange, and Uncle George didn't care much for her looks. At least Mourning Glory, as Uncle George had finally named the filly after two months, had inherited Dove's white blaze and one white sock, which gave her some contrast to her unattractive Oscar-the-Grouch-like coat.

But looks weren’t what was really that important to Uncle George. What was important was what sort of uses he could find for this animal. He’d wanted to train her to be a cutting horse. Soon, however, he saw signs in the filly's behavior that told him that she just wasn't going to be suited for ranch work. So he finally swallowed his pride and gave in to Jessie's nearly constant begging for a horse of her own. What else could he do with Mourning Glory? He had no apparent use for her, he doubted that anybody would be interested in buying her, and he couldn't stomach the idea of sending her to slaughter when she was young, strong, and perfectly healthy.

"You're gonna hafta be patient and wait a couple o' years before you’ll be able to ride her, you do know that, right Jessie?" Uncle George asked.

Jessie hadn't heard him approach the fence, and she jumped at his sudden words. "Oh, that's alright, Uncle. I'm just so happy that Mourning Glory is mine! I'll train her, and take really good care of her, you'll see! You'll be real proud of me, I promise."

"No need for promises, Jessie. I already am proud of you just the way you are," Uncle George winked and smiled.

He had adopted Jessica five and a half years ago, after she lost both of her parents in a car accident. She was now thirteen, and her uncle was like a father to her, even though no one of course could replace her real parents. But living on a working ranch was a dream come true for her, and she wouldn’t have traded it for the world.

"There's just one thing I'd like to ask you about Mourning Glory," mused Jessie, deep in thought.

"What's that?"

"Well, please don't be mad, but I really don't like her name."

Uncle George looked shocked. “You don’t? Why not? She takes after her dam’s name, Mourning Dove. It’s a play on the words ‘morning glory’.

"I know, but I just don’t like it all that much. Could I maybe give her another name?" Jessie asked, giving him her best puppy eyes.

"Well, she's your horse. Go right ahead if that’s what ya want. Got anything in mind?" Uncle George asked, knowing the answer already.

"Um, yeah. I was just thinking about how soft and silky her fur is. So that’s what I’d like to call her, Like Silk. Silk for short."

"Silk, 'eh?" Uncle George muttered. "Yeah, that'll be fine. Still can't say I think she's pretty, but I'm glad at least you do. But I can't argue that she's silky-soft. That she is."

Jessie grinned and held out her arm over the corral fence. "Come on, Silk. That's a good girl!"

The filly walked over to Jessie's hand and gingerly took the offering of grass from her fingers. As she chewed the succulent treat, Jessie patted the filly's smooth muscular neck and said, "You and me are going to be best friends!"

The young horse snorted in appreciation as she rubbed her itchy head against a fence post as Jessie laughed.


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## Roadyy (Feb 9, 2013)

This is a great read so far. I like the story line very much. I hope you do finish it for at least my reading pleasure.


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## GlassPlatypus (May 25, 2012)

Roadyy said:


> This is a great read so far. I like the story line very much. I hope you do finish it for at least my reading pleasure.


Thanks. Just a heads up though, things get intense later on. It's really a good story if I do say so myself, but it's definitely not bunnies and butterflies. (But that's what makes it interesting, no?) 

I'll try to get the next chapter up soon.


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## GlassPlatypus (May 25, 2012)

LIKE SILK

Chapter 3

As the months slowly turned into years, Jessie finally was able to earn Silk's trust. The oddly-colored, gangly filly had come out of her ugly duckling stage and had blossomed into a young, pretty little mare. The strange color of her coat remained however, and, at least in Uncle George's mind, too much hair. But at least now she was much more attractive than as a foal. Additionally, Jessie had even begun to ride Silk, albeit with a good deal of caution. When she had casually mentioned to her uncle about wanting to try Silk out on the trails in the woods behind the ranch, he had stated his disapproval strongly.

"That critter ain't ready for that kind o' ridin' yet, Jessie. 'Specially alone. She needs to be conditioned to the trails, otherwise you have any little thing, say a squirrel or a pheasant crosses your path. Next thing you know, yer face down in the mud lookin' up at yer horse's heels as she high-tails it home without you."

"But Uncle, Silk would never...."

"Horses spook easy, Jessie. It's just in their nature. As a prey animal, flight is their best defense. You might think that Silk would never throw you, but you can't expect an animal to go against its nature. You've been raised in the city, so you're still learnin' about horses, but they need to be trained to be safe on the trail, and that will still be a few years down the road. Horses mature slowly. She's still a young 'un. Not just that, but I never, and I do mean NEVER, want you to take ANY horse on those trails alone! Ridin' alone is never a good idea, not for anyone. You hear me, girl?"

"Yes, Uncle," Jessie muttered in a voice that was barely audible as she looked down at her shoes. What her uncle was unaware of was that Jessie had, many times, taken the various ranch horses on the nearest trails by herself. She hadn't thought anything about it and never dreamed that he would mind. After all, he let her ride them all over the ranch property.

Well, just because her uncle thought it was a bad idea didn't make it so. In fact, Jessie was pretty sure that it was important to do so, to help get Silk used to the idea. She was by now actually hatching a plan to sneak Silk onto the trails. Oh, she wouldn't ride her, not yet, but just to get her out there and let her see what it was all about. 

Jessie normally would not disobey her uncle, but she knew that if she didn't take Silk to the trails, then nobody would. Uncle George was always so busy with the ranch chores, he didn't have time to bother. Besides that though, she was afraid that he really didn't like Silk all that much because she wasn't a working horse. She believed that he saw no value in her mare and regarded her as just a "useless" pet. And since Silk was costing Uncle George money for her upkeep, Jessie sure didn't want to rock the boat since she had no way yet to pay for her horse's care.

But of course Uncle George realized that Silk had value, even if just to Jessie. The critter had finally filled that horse-shaped void in the girl's life. She finally had her deepest wish.

"Easy, girl. There you are. Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Jessie whispered to Silk as she fumbled with the buckle on the halter she'd just slipped over Silk's tossing, protesting head.

Stroking the mare's face, she softly spoke again. "I'm taking you for a little walk. Just you and me. I need to show you some things. it's important, so I can take you out riding some day. Uncle George won't ever get around to it, so I'll have to."

Silk shifted in her stall and whinnied loudly. Jessie jumped, startled. "Shh! Silk, you need to be quiet, or Uncle George'll hear you! And we'd both be in big trouble if he found out what we're up to!" Jessie hurriedly clipped the lead rope onto the halter and tied it around one of the bars on the stall door, just enough to secure Silk, yet allowing enough slack so that the mare could get free if she spooked.

Next she saddled Bob: an elderly, chunky, non-descript gelding who was well-seasoned and nearing retirement. Then, checking carefully to be certain that the coast was clear, Jessie quickly and quietly led both horses out of the stables and into the sun. She knew that this would be the best time to pull this off, while her uncle was busy with the ranch work. He had a couple of sick cows to tend, he had calves ready for branding, and he would be leaving soon for another livestock auction. She was glad now that she had declined going to the auction with him- something that she normally loved to do- but this was her time with her mare.

Jessie lifted her left foot into the stirrup, hoisted herself up and swung her leg over Bob's wide, ample back, and clucked at him to move. She grasped Silk's lead rope and as they rode slowly away, Silk skittered along behind nervously but obediently. The well-worn trails were just a short distance through the dense woods that bordered the ranch. At least the trees would provide cover to help hide them from view, just in case Uncle George happened to look in their direction. Even if he did, he was used to seeing horseback riders out here. He would never be able to tell that it was Jessie and Silk. If he could even make out the two horses, he would naturally assume there were two riders and never suspect a thing.

As the three of them made their way through the brambles and the brush, she heard the occasional thump of one of Bob's hooves on the tree roots that criss-crossed their paths. She also heard twigs snapping and small rocks being accidentally kicked. And the squeak, squeak, squeak of saddle leather with every lazy stride that Bob took. 

She noticed something else, too. Silk seemed alarmed at nervous at all the strange sounds, smells, and sights. The young horse was not accustomed to anything beyond the ranch and stables where she had been born. She had scarcely been off the property, and all of this was completely new to her. It was a world beyond her comprehension. 

After riding the trail for a little while, Jessie dismounted and allowed Silk to investigate her surroundings. As the young mare lowered her head to sniff at the dirt trail, it disturbed a small, harmless but fast snake that darted across the trail directly in front of her. Silk exploded in terror at the sight of the reptile. Her head shot up and she reared, and it was all Jessie could do to keep her horse under control and stop her from bolting. Jessie knew it was extremely dangerous, but she held tightly to the rope and spoke soothingly to Silk while patting her sweat-glistened neck. Silk's eyes were wide with fear, the whites showing at the edges, and her breaths were coming in loud huffs blowing through widened nostrils.

Between Jessie's gentle persuasion and Bob's calm demeanor, the frightened horse eventually began to settle down. But just at the moment that all seemed well again, Silk did something totally baffling. Jessie stood next to her, combing her fingers through the mare's thick, tangled mane, when for no apparent reason Silk became enraged. She pinned her ears, squealed loudly, and whipped her head around, clamping her powerful jaws hard on Jessie's shoulder. 

Jessie screamed with pain, but Silk held fast, her teeth sinking deeper into Jessie's shoulder the more the girl struggled. In desperation, Jessie slapped and punched at Silk's face to get her to release the arm. Only then did the mare let go of the girl. Then she just stood there, trembling and snorting, looking completely bewildered.

Jessie looked through tear-blurred eyes at the damage. Her blouse sleeve was torn, and a steady stream of blood was oozing down her injured arm. She knew that this little outing had just been cancelled at once. She'd have to hurry home and put the horses away, clean herself up and change clothes before Uncle George found out about it!

Jessie's shoulder hurt too much for her to ride Bob, so instead she walked, leading the two horses back home. Through the years she'd lived with her uncle, Jessie had been bucked off, knocked over, and stepped on by horses on the ranch. None of these experiences had fazed her, nor diminished her love for these animals. But now, for the first time, Jessie was afraid of a horse. And that horse was her own.


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## Roadyy (Feb 9, 2013)

Getting interesting..


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## OutOfTheLoop (Apr 1, 2012)

More please..... 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## dlpark2 (Mar 6, 2013)

what happens next? what happens next! More please!!!


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## GlassPlatypus (May 25, 2012)

LIKE SILK

Chapter 4

The next day at school, Jessie sat at her desk in fourth period history, unable to concentrate on the teacher's droning. Instead, she kept rubbing her arm and shoulder subconsciously while brooding over yesterday's events. Her teacher noticed that Jessie wasn't herself, and she also noticed that something seemed to be wrong with her arm. When class was dismissed for lunch, she caught Jessie's attention just as the girl was about to go through the door. "Jessica, could I see you a moment?"

Jessie was genuinely shocked and a little scared. She wasn't one to ever get into trouble, so why did the teacher want to talk with her? As she made her way over to Ms. Childers' desk, Jessie was relieved to see no hint of disapproval on her face. "Sit down for just a minute, I don't want to make you late for lunch," Ms. Childers said softly.

Jessie pulled up a chair next to the desk and sat in it. "Is everything all right?" Ms. Childers asked.

Jessie stared at her, confused. "Sure. What do you mean?"

"I couldn't help but notice that you keep rubbing your arm. Did you hurt it?"

Even as her teacher said these words, Jessie became aware of her hand gently massaging her very sore shoulder. She looked down and said, "Yes, ma'am."

"Can I see it? I won't touch it if it hurts. I just want to see what the problem is."

Reluctantly, Jessie pulled her sleeve up and exposed her injured shoulder. Ms. Andrews gasped at the sight. The shoulder and top of the girl's arm was a dark purple bruise, and there were oozing wounds within it that were in danger of becoming infected.

"How did this happen?"

Jessie didn't answer. Instead, she looked down again and shook her head- an indication that she didn't want to tell.

"Jessie, listen to me. I'm going to write you a note, and as soon as you get done eating lunch, I want you to go straight to the nurse's office, OK?"

Jessie nodded, knowing she had little choice, and took the note and went on to lunch.

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"I'm sorry, I know this stings," the school nurse said as she applied an antiseptic medication to the wound, noticing Jessie's wincing.

"Jessica, I want you to know that you can confide in me. I promise not to betray your trust. But I really must know, did your uncle do this to you?"

"Uncle George? No! He would never hurt me!" Jessie replied with fire in her eyes.

"OK, then who did do it? Somebody did this to you. Are you being picked on by other students? Is someone bullying you?"

"No- it wasn't a kid. I-I mean, it wasn't a person."

"It wasn't a person? Was it a dog? Did you get bitten by a dog?"

At first Jessie was tempted to lie and say, yes, it was a dog. A neighbor's dog. Or a strange dog that she never saw before. But as she thought about it, she had enough insight to realize that a lie like that could get somebody's innocent pet destroyed. So against every fiber of her being, she decided to tell the truth- on one condition.

"If I tell you what it was, do you promise not to tell my uncle?"

"Well, Jessie, I'll try my best to honor your wishes. But it really depends. Please, do tell me."

"It was...one of the horses." Jessie cleverly left out- at the last second- exactly which horse it was.

The nurse's eyebrows arched in surprise. "You mean one of your uncle's ranch horses bit you?"

Not one of his horses. My own horse! She thought to herself, as she nodded.

"Why do you not want me to tell?"

"Because if you do, and Uncle George finds out, he might get rid of the horse or even have it put down."

The nurse tried to be gentle, but there was no skirting around the issue. "That might actually be for the best, Jessica. I'm sorry to say that, but it looks like a very dangerous animal."

Jessie's eyes widened. "Please don't say anything! Please? It's not what you think it is. The horse isn't really mean. It just got scared by a snake and bit me for some reason. It's really not a bad horse!"

"Well, I won't tell, but I still think your uncle should know that he has a potentially dangerous horse on his ranch. I guess you know which horse it is?"

Jessie nodded again.

"Promise me you'll stay away from him, alright?" The nurse pressured.

Her, not him! Jessie thought again as she falsely agreed to have nothing more to do with the horse that caused this.

I'm afraid of Silk, she thought, but I can't just ignore her. I still have to take care of her. And I'm going to do it. She's my horse!

A new courage and determination welled up in Jessie's heart.


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## emilyr4664 (Jan 30, 2013)

Wow very good! Only read the 1st chapter so far looking forward to reading more!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## OutOfTheLoop (Apr 1, 2012)

Chapter 5 please! Lol
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## dlpark2 (Mar 6, 2013)

getting interesting....can't wait for chapter 5


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## GlassPlatypus (May 25, 2012)

(Prologue to Chapter 5: 

The night that the big stud horse had gotten to Dove, he was found wandering by the side of a road. Nobody knew where he came from, and nobody had reported him missing. A magnificent animal, a Friesian cross: glossy black with heavy muscles, arched neck, proud gait, and lots of mane, tail and "feather" hair, he looked to be a prize. Instead, he was almost a demon. A rogue. Vicious.

Something was clearly haywire in his brain, and whatever that something was it had put him on his final journey- in the back of a slaughterhouse-bound truck. That is, until he broke out of it and regained his freedom. Again. 

And also, whatever that something was that made him that way, it had been passed down through his bloodlines to his daughter. An oddly-colored young mare called Like Silk.)



LIKE SILK

Chapter 5

Jessie had overcome her fear and had come home to groom Silk as she had done so many times before, and then let her into the corral to socialize with the other horses. Silk was perfectly docile again, and Jessie was already planning her next attempt at riding her. Only this time, she would be a good girl and stay on the ranch property, just as Uncle George had insisted. She hated to admit it, but he had been so right. It was going to take time for Silk to be safe enough to take on the trails, especially after getting spooked so badly by that snake. At least Silk was already used to limited riding around the ranch.

Of course, it would also take time for Jessie's arm to heal enough to where she could use it in riding again, too. Right now it was still too sore to be any good, so she'd have to be creative when her uncle was around. He would no doubt wonder why she wasn't riding her beloved horse, the one she had longed and pined for for so many years.

He simply could not find out about what had happened. He must not! He would blame poor Silk, and Jessie had to protect her horse at all costs. Uncle George wouldn't have any reason to find out as long as Jessie wore only long sleeved tops and never acted like her arm hurt, even though at times it was killing her. No, she would fake it. She had to. For Silk's sake.

The night was cold, but not too cold. Hints of the earlier rain still hung in the air- that crisp, fresh smell and the occasional dripping off the branches of the trees that surrounded the corral where Silk was penned with a few of the other mares. Steam rose from their hides as they mingled around, noses to the ground, searching for errant wisps of hay blown in by the wind. It mattered not that there were piles of fresh alfalfa around the perimeter; it was so much more fun to hunt for food. It was a game.

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On the edge of the property, two silent figures stole across the grass, hiding behind trees and heavy machinery. Darkness enveloped them, so their features could not be determined. Regardless, no one was around to have seen them anyway. Uncle George and Jessie were asleep. Even the dogs were asleep, betraying their duty to stand guard for intruders. Usually that meant the occasional coyote or possum that would barely escape with their mangy lives after encountering angry snarls and barks and bared teeth. But dogs must sleep too, and there had been no intruders of any kind in a long time.

These trespassers were human, however. Two teenage boys with nothing better to do had sneaked out of their houses in the middle of the night to look for trouble. They really hadn't had a plan, they just wanted to do something. Anything. It was so boring around here, with watching paint dry about the most exciting thing going. When they heard the whinny of a horse, and saw their dark shapes moving about in the corral, an idea hit them.

"Hey, let's have a rodeo!" The oldest boy whispered. "Yeah! Stupid horses. Let's have some fun!" The younger one grabbed a rake that was leaning up against a tree trunk, and the two of them crept closer to the corral.

The mares could sense that something wasn't right. They snorted nervously and paced, eye whites showing and ears pricked. Suddenly, the two boys yelled and waved their arms and the rake, and jumped over the corral fence and into the midst of the panicked horses. The mares were in a frenzy trying to escape this terrifying thing that was happening to them, and not understanding any of it. All except one. Silk alone faced the adolescent hoodlums and sized them up. Suddenly she charged, teeth bared and ears pinned. The boys were caught completely off guard. Horses don't attack! What was this crazy animal doing?

The boy who held the rake instinctively raised it above his head and brought it down hard on Silk's skull. He had intended to terrorize the horses with it anyway, but now he was simply trying to defend himself against this unexpected onslaught. But Silk was unfazed and now enraged. She crashed her 900 pound body hard into the boy's much weaker frame, sending him sprawling into the dirt. She then slammed her sharp hooves into the boy's side.

The other boy turned and leaped to safety out of the corral. He looked back toward his friend, but couldn't see anything in the darkness except the furious horse's unrelenting attack. He did, however, hear his friend's brief shriek of fear, the last sound the teenager would ever make. Then, all was still and quiet once again.

The other horses were still nervously milling about, but Silk stood over the boy's limp body, nudging it curiously. The boy's wide open, lifeless eyes stared back at her, seeming to ask, "Why?"

But no one answered, except the cold night wind and a horse's snort.


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## Roadyy (Feb 9, 2013)

...Wow!!..


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## dlpark2 (Mar 6, 2013)

Getting very interesting....wondering if Silk can be saved.....


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## GlassPlatypus (May 25, 2012)

I'm glad that people are reading and enjoying this story. I do want to apologize for the violence, but when I write a story I want it to be a gripper (or a page-turner if it were a book). I want to get you hooked!

Again, not wanting to offend anyone, just wanting to write good fiction.


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## dlpark2 (Mar 6, 2013)

I have no problem with the violence...just can't wait for you to post more!


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## GlassPlatypus (May 25, 2012)

LIKE SILK

Chapter 6

"JESSIE!"

The girl reluctantly turned over in her bed, trying not to wake up. She was having a dream. In her dream, someone was calling her name. She heard it again, only this time with more urgency.

"JESSIE!"

She woke up with a start. That sounded like Uncle George's voice. Why would she dream that he was calling her like that?

"JESSIE! GET UP AND CALL 911! HURRY!"

It wasn't a dream! He really was calling her!

She flew out of bed and ran to the phone, her hands shaking as she dialed the numbers. What in the world was going on? It was perfectly normal for her uncle to be up early, doing ranch chores. He rarely disturbed her at this time of the morning, knowing that girls need their sleep if they are to do well in school. But something was wrong. Very wrong.

A woman's voice on the other end of the line asked what type of emergency it was. "I- I don't know," Jessie stammered, "Uncle George- um, my uncle- is hurt, I think. I don't know what's wrong, I only heard him yelling for me to call. Please hurry! Please..."

The phone operator did her best to calm Jessie down. She verified the address and reassured her that help would soon arrive. After the call was ended, Jessie made her way outside, toward the sound of her uncle's voice when she last heard it. With a sick feeling in her stomach, she cried, "I called them. Are you OK?"

Much to her relief, he answered, "I'm fine, Jessie. Stay back! Don't come over here. You don't need to see this."

"See what?"

"There's been an accident in the horse corral. Somebody was inside there and got trampled to death by the horses. We'll let the police sort out what happened."

"What about Silk? Is she OK?

"She's fine, Jessie. All of them are fine." Just as he finished saying this, a fire truck, ambulance, and three police cars roared into the dusty drive and over to the man and girl.

-----------------

"You haven't been seeing any of the boys from school, have you?" It really wasn't a question, it was an accusation. Uncle George's look was stern, and Jessie was shocked. She wasn't seeing any boys. The ones she would have liked to, and there were a few of them, didn't even know she existed.

"No, Uncle George- I don't even really know any of them unless I share a class with them. Why?"

"Because that unfortunate kid was a student from your school. They just identified him. I just wonder what he was doing here if it wasn't because of you."

"Are we going to be in trouble, Uncle?"

"No, I don't think so. They said it looked like a tragic accident. Boy jumped into the pen with the horses, spooked them, and got trampled. We're not at fault. That boy was trespassin' and asked for it. Not sayin' I'm glad he died of course, but you mess with trouble, you get trouble."

Jessie noticed as she looked toward the corral, now cleaned up and no longer off-limits to her, that Silk was hanging her graceful head over the fence, watching her. She clucked to her mare, and the animal's ears rotated forward, taking in the sound. Jessie walked over to her horse and stroked the velvet nose, which twitched curiously. As she brushed the tangled, thick forelock with her fingers, Jessie noticed something on Silk's head, between her ears: a gash, and dried blood.

She visually investigated every inch of Silk's body, looking for any other signs of injury. She saw none, but soon discovered more dried blood around the bottom of Silk's two front hooves. And this wasn't the horse's blood. Jessie knew, she just knew somehow, that this was the boy's blood. A cold chill went down her spine.

"Silk, what happened? What have you done?" She whispered, as the horse stared back at her innocently through liquid brown eyes.


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## GlassPlatypus (May 25, 2012)

As Jessie pondered the events that had just happened, and Silk's apparent role in all of it, she carefully unlatched the corral gate and led Silk out. She investigated the mare again, looking for any clues or other outward signs of injury she might have overlooked. Satisfied when she found none, she then walked the horse, keeping an eye on her legs to see if she was lame or favoring any feet.

Silk looked perfectly normal other than the head injury, which didn't seem to be serious. Calmer now, Jessie held tight to the lead rope and jogged, which sent Silk into a slow trot next to her. She laughed when the young horse tossed her head and gave a half-buck, frisky and obviously in high spirits.

But just that quickly, and with absolutely no warning nor provocation, Silk's mood turned dark. She pulled her head back, forcing the rope out of Jessie's hand and causing a painful friction burn in the process. When Jessie turned to see what happened, she was face to face with a very angry horse.

The mare abruptly stopped and pinned her ears, blowing hard through flaring nostrils. Then she squealed and charged, baring her teeth and heading straight toward Jessie, who crumpled to the ground with a cry stuck in her throat. The girl covered her head with her arms in a futile effort to protect herself from what she knew was coming.

But just as Silk reached her, the animal stopped and sniffed the girl's huddled form, confused. There was clearly a war going on in the mare's brain, one that nobody, not even Silk herself, could possibly grasp nor understand. While Silk did not think with words like people do, the easiest way to describe what conflicting thoughts she was having would be somewhat like, "I'm going to pound you into the dust! I'll show you who is boss around here! I don't like you or any of your kind. In fact, I'm mad at the world and everything in it, and you're the one who's going to pay!" And then, "No, wait. I know this human. It's the girl. She's nice to me, I don't want to hurt her! She's OK...but I still want to attack something!"

Silk wheeled and galloped away, leaving Jessie alone to slowly rise up and wonder what that episode was all about. Something was clearly very wrong with her horse. But what? Could it be that head injury? Could that have caused Silk's mind to go berserk?

No, she realized almost as soon as these thoughts came to her. Of course that wasn't it. Silk had acted like that before. How could she forget the time on the trail? Or the boy's blood on her hooves? A cold chill went down Jessie's spine again. There was definitely a serious problem with her horse.

Silk was turning into a killer.

Having turned away from the attack on Jessie, Silk galloped wildly around loose on the ranch. She was on the warpath, and desperately seeking a victim. She effortlessly soared over the wire fence, and turned her rage on the other livestock peacefully grazing in the pasture. Teeth sank into cow and horse hide alike, causing painful bellows and flying hooves. Frightened cattle fled in herds as Silk savagely bit at their hindquarters. When a calf stumbled in the confusion and was knocked down again and again in the stampede, Sleek trampled the poor little thing to death, driving her rock-hard hooves into the small brown body with a sickening equine glee.

The horses fared no better. She hurled herself into the midst of a small herd of baffled geldings; the cow ponies that were off duty and trying to relax until the next round-up or branding. Silk tried to fight them as a stallion would, rearing up and slashing with her front feet. When they didn't fight back, she tore into their dusty hides with her teeth, leaving them torn and bleeding. The confused ponies huddled together, rumps inward, facing Silk and trembling. They were not fighters, and had no comprehension of why any mare would be acting this way.

Silk then latched onto the muzzle of a little bay like a bull-baiting dog. The gelding screamed in pain and jerked his entire body back, but Silk held firm. When he finally managed to pull free, half of his face was ripped off. Blood poured from his nose and from the open wounds onto the gently swaying grass at his feet. With nobody nearby to witness the attack and treat the injured animal, the bay eventually sank to his knees, weakened and choking, and slowly bled to death.

Meanwhile, Silk had stopped the attack for the moment and was taking a grazing break. She completely ignored the lifeless body of the bay that lay nearby, simply browsing around it. But then, she heard something off in the distance, and all the pent-up rage inside her boiled to the surface once again.

Jessie's uncle, unaware that anything had happened, had come out to water the stock. And now he was the crazed mare's next target.


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## Roadyy (Feb 9, 2013)

Wow, this one is definitely full of violence. Is this meant to be a horror story or will it turn around....edge of the seat to see if it gets better.


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## xJumperx (Feb 19, 2012)

WOW! What a story! Definitely violence, but you're right, it's gripping! Definitely leaving me wanting more.


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## LouieThePalomino (Dec 15, 2012)

Post more!! Omg this story is so good.


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## GlassPlatypus (May 25, 2012)

No time tonight, but soon. Stay tuned.


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## GlassPlatypus (May 25, 2012)

(This is the final chapter)

LIKE SILK

Chapter 8

Jessie heard a sound that chilled her to her very core. Similar to when Uncle George had recently woken her up calling her name, and she thought he was in some kind of trouble. Only this time, he wasn't calling her and she could tell from the fear in his cries that he really was in trouble now. Something was happening with him in the pasture. And she knew Silk had something to do with it.

She took off running as fast as she could, knowing instinctively that her uncle's very life was in danger. But instead of heading into the pasture where he was, she raced into the house. Jessie knew what she was looking for, and where Uncle George kept it. She also knew deep within herself that it would one day come down to this. Oh, she'd hoped it wouldn't, but it was inevitable.

She frantically hurried with her task at hand as she unintentionally listened to Uncle George's sickening screams. When she also heard a horse's angry squeal, she knew then she'd been right, of course. It was Silk. That good-for-nothing...!

She cursed under her breath, which is something she'd never done before. She'd been raised not to use bad language, and honestly had no desire to. Even when she was at school and the other kids were using those words, she wasn't even tempted to repeat them, even though she knew she wouldn't get in trouble. They were just distasteful to her. But somehow, this situation was different, and it just came out of her.

Jessie didn't like it, but she would be forced to do a lot of growing up this day.

Uncle George was in the field, doing his best to fight off the crazy mare. He'd already been knocked down several times by Silk, who had tried again and again to stomp him with her front hooves. Each time, however, he'd managed to roll away just shy of where they landed and get back to his feet. Another tactic she tried was to cut him off from escape. Uncle George had headed for the gate to get out of the pasture, but Silk anticipated his move and ran around him to the gate, blocking it with her body. Even if he had managed to get out of the pasture, Silk would just have jumped the fence and went after him, just as she'd jumped it to get in there in the first place.

When Uncle George saw that he couldn't get out, he stopped. Just stopped cold, not knowing what else to do. Silk pinned her ears and charged him, with teeth bared. He tried to duck out of the way in time, but again the powerful animal plowed into him with enough force that the breath was knocked out of him. His body slammed into the ground with a sickening thud, and he lay sprawled in the grass. Silk whirled around and caught him by a leg in her teeth. She placed a vice-grip on it and began dragging him through the field. Uncle George was completely helpless; all he could do was yell and hope someone, anyone would hear him and help!

On this unplanned tour of the pasture, he saw with horror the mutilated body of the little calf that had been trampled earlier. A few seconds later they came upon the carcass of the bay gelding, and Uncle George got a glimpse of its ripped-up muzzle. Sticky, half dry blood was still soaking the ground around it, and still oozing from the terrible, fatal wound. He realized that this horse that was dragging him around by his leg was responsible for destroying these two animals. Was this going to be his own fate too?

Just when he thought that this was it, and he was surely a goner, he heard a loud crash, and the crazed horse uttered a cry and stumbled. She didn't let go of his leg, however, but continued to drag him mercilessly over the bumpy ground. Then he heard the crash a second time. Silk screamed and collapsed to the ground, releasing Uncle George's leg in the process.

When he looked up, he was shocked to see Jessie standing over him, holding his shotgun in her arms. Normally he would have gone ballistic seeing her with any weapon, but right now he was just very, very thankful. He said not a word to her, for none would come. Likewise, she said nothing to him. Instead, she looked at him, then walked over to Silk.

The mare was struggling to get up. She bled heavily from several places where the buckshot had struck her, but apparently it'd missed any vital areas. Silk scrambled to her feet and stood facing Jessie, who no longer recognized the horse she'd raised and loved. It seemed the feeling was mutual, for Silk no more seemed to recognize the girl either.

They stared at each other for several seconds, eye to eye. Then, Silk took a step toward Jessie. The mare's intentions were unclear, for there was neither friendliness nor fight showing on in the horse's expression or body language. Either way, it didn't matter. Jessie had to finish the job, that much was clear. Silk was dangerous.

As the mare took another step toward her, Jessie yelled, "No!", which startled Silk into a stop. Jessie then raised the shotgun and aimed it square at Silk's pretty little proud head, and fired.

-----------------

When it was all over, Jessie ran back to a very stunned Uncle George, and collapsed into his arms in tears.

Stammering, she said, "A-are you hurt bad, Uncle?"

"No, Jessie, I'm fine. Just several cuts and scrapes and a nasty bite on my leg. I'll be just fine. But what...how did you...?"

Jessie spent the next several minutes explaining to him, through sobs, all about Silk's unprovoked attacks. She even told him about the time on the trail when she'd turned on Jessie, and that she realized that it was Sleek who'd killed the boy in the corral.

"I didn't want anyone to know, because I knew if they did, they'd have her destroyed!" Jessie cried. "She was my horse. Mine! And I loved her. But in the end, I no longer knew her. I was always afraid of her, even when I tried to protect her. But lately I no longer loved her because she was so different..."

"Not true, Jessie. You still love that mare, even if you think you don't. That's why it was so difficult for you to do what you did."

"But Uncle, I had to do it, because she'd just keep on hurting or killing more people if she didn't! There was something really wrong with her. She was too far gone."

"I know that, girl. You did the right thing, and I'm very proud of you. But I know how hard it was. I could see it etched in your face when you pulled the trigger. It was an incredibly brave thing you did."

Jessica said nothing, but walked over to where Silk had fallen. She stared down at the body of the strangely-colored mare, as if pondering the direction her life would take now. She then felt a hand on her shoulder and looked into the sympathetic face of her Uncle George.

"I think we'd better get to burying that horse, before the coyotes and vultures start coming 'round here," he said.

Jessie was surprised. "Bury? But we never bury horses or cows here! You always call that dead livestock removal place to come pick them up..."

"Yes, I know. But even though Silk turned nasty, she was still special. She was your horse, Jessie. You're hurting over all this, and no wonder! You need closure, and I think the best way to get it is to have her buried here on the ranch. That way, you can still visit her and tell her all your secrets. She will still be there to listen to them. Unless, of course, you'd rather that she wasn't here?"

"No, I don't mind," Jessie said barely above a whisper.

The next few hours were spent mostly in silence as the girl and her uncle laid the once-beloved horse to eternal rest.


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## Icrazyaboutu (Jul 17, 2009)

Soooo good! But I noticed you changed the teacher's name and maybe even the horse's? Most of the time you said silk but there were a few sleeks mixed in. Not sure whether or not that was intentional. Either way, the story was a great read!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Roadyy (Feb 9, 2013)

I agree!! This is a very emotion demanding story that you can't put down til the end. 

I also noticed the changes and had to reread those parts over to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me.

You and Jumper are very skilled writers and hope to read hard copies of your work someday!


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## xJumperx (Feb 19, 2012)

You are amazing!! Loved this whole piece! Wished it was a little longer, even, so that I could continue reading. You have massive skills. I did notice a few slips, but it's no big deal. As many say, the book that is published is never the first, second, or even the third copy.



> You and Jumper are very skilled writers and hope to read hard copies of your work someday!


Roadyy, thank you very much for your wonderful compliment


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## GlassPlatypus (May 25, 2012)

Thank you for the compliments. The different names were accidents. I proof-read all my material before submitting, but sometimes miss things. The original story had different names and I thought I caught all of them and fixed it before I submitted, but unfortunately I can't edit it once it's here. The story here was written about four years ago and I changed a few things before submitting here (name changes, re-written parts better, etc.) Anyway, glad people enjoyed it.


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## OutOfTheLoop (Apr 1, 2012)

I enjoyed that! Thanks for taking the time to post it all.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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