Dagger's Point

Chapter Two

After the sun has set behind the towering trees and Dad has shut his bedroom door, I slip outside. A cold breeze curves around my cheeks, pulling the warmth from my skin and spinning it away. I am not sure where I am going, but my feet follow the dirt road that tracks from the barn up and around a bend to where the cottage sits. It is well taken care of, with perfect white paint, and dark brown trim around the windows, though no matter how homely it seems, it is not home. Home is Idaho, where Mom lies underground, too far away to visit anymore. Not that it matters to her, the dead don't care if you visit them. I wish that it were different, that I would be sneaking out to visit Award in his stall, not curiousity forcing me to visit some type of devil horse.

I am armed with a flashlight and an apple, though I had contemplated bringing some salt, just in case the devil was in him. Gram would have loved to sit me down and talk about the possibilities and how I should throw salt at him, or invest in some holy water. Then she would launch into a tale of her own, speaking of a devil horse she cured using salt and herbs; her own secret. I wish that I hadn't been so young and careless when she was alive. I long to speak with her again, to listen to her crackly voice, and how she worked with her horses, even at eighty years old. Though the youth always seem to take that for granted until it is gone.

I slow, squinting my eyes to help me see in the dark, though it does no good. I can see how to road curves towards the main stable, with the lights shining and the security guard that prowls there. I don't want to get caught and have to explain myself. I choose a new path, hugging the empty paddocks, my hand trailing along the top rail to guide myself. I try to stay quiet, my shoes squelching on the wet grass. I wince at the sound expecting the guards to come sprinting out at me, but there is nothing, not even the shift of a form in the light. I wonder then if they are asleep or maybe not even real, a way to settle anxious borders. Though the darkness conceals me, I feel open as I move away from the paddocks and to the tree lined lane.

In the barn I catch the faint sound of classical music, the notes floating out an open stall window and into the night. This surprises me, as it does not seem like something a guard should be listening to when they are trying to stay awake. I quicken my pace on the cobblestone walk way, the small trees seeming to leer at me, hiding shadows and other monsters in their branches. My heart beats faster as well, and for a childish second I contemplate running, like a child would do, scared by the immense darkness.

The small barn comes into view, an outside light casting a long shadow that seems to move, even though I know it doesn't. I shiver the feeling racing down my spine, setting my hair on end. I don't know what I am doing down here, or why I am even bothering, this horse is none of my business nor my responsibility. Yet I can't stop thinking about him, the way he moved, the fierce look of his teeth against the bars, an old creature ready to tear this world apart. If the horse world has taught me anything it is not to meddle in other's business, but I slip through the cracked door anyway, fleetingly wondering who takes care of him, though the ripe smell of old manure suggests that they may not be taking excellent care of him, just enough to keep it from being complete neglect.

I don't look into the other empty stalls, the barn dark is full of shadows, ones that make it feel even darker. I shiver again, humming under my breath as a way to fill the silence and calm my heart. I know better than to turn on the lights, as if someone were to look out they would most likely be able to see it. I click my tongue twice to let him know that I am there, stopping at his middle stall. There is no movement, and for a moment I wonder if I have the wrong stall or if he has magically disappeared since the last time I saw him. Then I hear the breathing and the slow shift of hooves in the stall. I fight with the flashlight, trying to find the on button, my finger sliding over it, suddenly illuminating Dagger and his stall.