Leaving the Horse

Chapter 3

I tried to throw my head up immediately, but the weight and strength of the man kept me from doing so. Before I understood what was going on, a new halter was shoved roughly on my face, making me wince as the fine hairs on my muzzle were pulled back. Once the rope halter was on, the man let me go, holding on from a distance with a long rope connected to my halter.

Oh good, I thought in relief, I am being paranoid. He was just putting me back in the halter. Stupid me!

"Where do you think your going, huh?" sneered the man in black.

I wanted for the billionth time to roll my eyes at him. Sneering at a horse? Really? I found that funny as a normal horse wouldn't completely understand exactly what he was saying.

"I oughta teach you a lesson you little-"

"What are you doing?!"

The man holding me jumped at the sound of yet another man dressed in black.

"This horse ruined one of our halters and thought she could just walk away from us!"

"Is that so?"

The man holding me nodded vigorously, once again looking foolish.

"Fine, teach her a lesson."

What?! Me?! I was nervous again. Maybe I did have a reason to be worried.

"With pleasure!" The sound of his sneer made my hair pickle with agitation. This wasn't good.

The man was handed a whip.

The nerves overwhelmed me. I had never been whipped before and I certainly didn't want to now. The man tied me to a tree. There was no use running, I had no where else I could go.

Snapping the whip teasingly, the man rounded on me from the side. I flared my nostrils, hoping that he would come to his senses. This was stupid and foolish!

Of course he won't. The whip was raised and suddenly I heard a loud crack, and moments later could feel the welt burning on my withers where he had struck me with all his might. It hurt worse then I could even imagine. Instinctively I leaped back to be pulled forward by the rope holding me firm at the tree.

Legs tense, all I could think about is how I didn't want to feel that again. That wasn't good enough. The whip cracked down another time, leaving a welt crossing the previous one and drawing blood.

I heard laughter and turned to see all the men in black now encircled around, watching. My previous overwhelming fear of these men returned. I was wrong to let my guard down before and return. What was I thinking?!

Another crack of the whip smacking my withers and part of my back brought me back into reality.

This went on for what felt like hours. My shoulders and back were bleeding badly, to the point where standing up was painful. I'd given up my fights to get away in hope that they would stop but they didn't. I winced away from the pain every time the whip cracked.

The moment before you lose consciousness, everything feels dizzy and the pain makes you want to die. I was feeling exausted and weak. On the brink of allowing the blackness take over, I cried out a whinny, as loud and desperately as I could, willing the whip to stop. I collapsed, wavering between the lines of blacking out, knowing I would be a goner in a few more painful cracks.

All at once a riot started. The horses reared, several breaking their lead ropes or even their halters right off of them. Animals burst through the forest with a look of determination in their eyes.

All at once I could hear the cries of the men in black and I looked up to be dumbfounded by the sight. It wasn't the rescue party I was hoping for. But nether the less it was a rescue party. Skunks, raccoons, squirrels, birds, coyotes rats, mice and even bears tumbled out of the woods, attacking the men mercilessly. The freed horses joined in.