The Black Mare Extract
Amelia McCarthy
(Birmingham)
As the sun sets behind the mountains a pure black mare weaves through the trees, searching for a place to stop and rest. There is no way to know how long she has been running but her sides are heaving. Her black coat is speckled with white froth. She snorts into the wind but will not stop running. Not yet. She needs to be sure that nothing is following her. Finally she slows, stops, and after checking nothing is around, she puts her head to the ground and begins to chew on the grass. When she is satisfied with her meal the mare lies down and allows a deep sleep to engulf her.
Creeping through the forest, where the sun is slowly filling the gaps between the trees, is a man whose face has been weathered by the many hours he has spent in the sun. His deep brown hair looks like it belongs to a man half his age and his green eyes shine with secretive glee. This man is Bradley Dartmoor, a horse trainer who is very competitive; he is forever closing in on the black mare. It is his lifelong ambition to catch one of the mysterious horses who roam the hills. In his hand is a head collar and lead rope. He has finally closed in on the mare, who, after exhausting herself the day before is still in the deepest of sleeps. Bradley creeps towards the horse and holds in his excitement at how close he is finally getting. Slowly but surely Bradley reaches out and slips the head collar on over the slumbering mare’s nose.
The mare suddenly jumps up. She starts to run but Bradley manages to hold her. For the first time in her life the mare is trapped. Someone can hold her. Someone has her trapped. The mare pulls back on the lead rope but Bradley holds on. He is not stupid, especially when it comes to horses. Bradley has been brought up on horseback. He knows how to deal with horses like this stroppy mare. After a while the already tired mare gives up the fight.