Post by SigOUrNeY on Sept 27, 2007 20:13:12 GMT -5
War Flag paced his pasture fence, twitching his thick tail and shaking loose shavings from his stall that clung to his mane. He'd been turned out only a few minutes ago, but something didn't seem right. Jag's muscles were tense, as though waiting for something to explode. Something was coming. Jag snorted nervously when he heard the plane approaching from far away, and the noise grew louder as the monster came closer. Dark orbs ringed with white followed it, and Jag reared up when the plane was overhead. Without warning, the small passenger plane sputtered and banged, and began to descend sharply. Jag squealed and exploded into a gallop, bucking wildly as though he coudl get rid of it. The pasture fence was in the way of his mad rampage, but no way was he going to stop for it. He had to get away from the plane.
Mike Duce was trotting towards the main barn to feed his haflinger gelding, Tiger, a carrot and take him out for a ride. The young seven year old stopped short when he saw the plane malfunction, and his attention was drawn away when he saw Jag make a blind dash for the fence. For a second, Mike was scared that Jag would crash right through it, but instead the thoroughbred gathered his haunches and propelled over the barrier that stood nearly five feet high.
"Whoa!" Mike cried, his blue eyes bulging. He watched as the large stallion landed with a thud, and then continued to gallop away from the pasture and Justice Acres. The airplane overhead had regained control, and was slowly climbing back up into the sky. But the horse it had frightened was still way out of control. Mike turned on a dime and sprinted full speed towards the house to tell his dad. War Flag was loose.
Jag's breathing came quickly, and crimson legs carried him quickly. The chestnut disappeared into the foliage, and didn't stop even when the plane faded out. Jag galloped through the forest of trees, forging his own path, when he suddenly burst into the light. The trees suddenly ceased, and the ground under his hooves turned stone hard. Jag snorted in discomfort, but was shocked when a large car honked for him to move out of the way. Jag shied off the road in surprise, and released a buck that left a dent in the Jeep's fender. Jag shook his head wildly, confused and bewildered. He had no idea where in the world he was. Jag slowed down to a canter, and then a trot. But when another car came rushing at him, Jag decided not to stay around much longer. The powerful stallion burst into a sizzling gallop, and turned away from the road, and into a group of large brick buildings. There were a lot more cars here, and a heap of more people. Most were strolling down sidewalks carrying their shopping bags and minding their own business when out of the blue came a flaming red stallion. Jag shied away from yet another car, and the loud horn nearly burst his ear drums. He squealed when he came perpendicular with a Mercedes. With a heavy snort, Jag popped over its hood to keep from crashing straight into it.
Jag trotted along the sidewalk, finally understanding that the road wasn't the place for him. Crowds of people screamed in surprise and yelled at him to shoo him away. Jag bared his teeth and snapped at a man who waved his arms, and the man reeled backwards, landing into another woman and knocking the both of them down. Jag pinned his ears back, and rolled his eyes until the whites showed. His chestnut coat was drenched in sweat, and he had no idea where to escape to.
A set of doors slid opened to his left, and a rush of cool air hit him. In an attempt to escape the riot on the streets, Jag made a sliding turn and trotted straight into the building. More screams awaited him, and a large metal bin came rolling towards him. Jag squealed and reared up as it came at him, and tried to look for another way out. There were long lines of people waiting behind beeping machines, and smells of different foods overwhelmed him. The tile underneath his hooves was slippery, and metal carts were everywhere. The place was packed with people; all eyes were on Jag. The stallion landed on the unsteady tile, and jumped out of the way of the cart. Slipping, Jag’s legs flew around under him to regain his balance. Squealing in frustration, Jag managed to stay upright and canter through the grocery store, bucking at anybody who came too close. Chestnut pelt gleamed with stressful sweat, and Jag’s eyes burned with bewilderment. But wait a second…ahh. Here was something familiar. Jag slid and skidded to a stop, fumbling around slightly before managing to stand upright. Velveteen muzzle ventured into the fruit section and nosed at the tempting looking apples. The first bite was juicy, and the second came as sweet. Jag began to feast on the fruits when the store manager ran up to him, attempting to shoo the stallion away from the merchandise that provided his paycheck. Jag gave the large round man his evil eye, letting the juice from the apples dribble down his chin. The chestnut plastered back his ears and teeth bared in warning. But the robust man stood his ground. Taking it as a challenge, Jag bugled and spun around, facing the manager head on. The thoroughbred paraded on the spot, attempting to scare the man away with a warning. But the manager stood his ground.
With an angry squeal, Jag burst forward, shoving past the man with so much force that it sent him sliding across the tiled floor. Jag knew that the man wasn’t worth his time, and so continued to rampage through the store, finding delight in how the shoppers scattered when he approached.
The sliding doors appeared in front of Jag again, and he bounded through them, delighted to be in the fresh air again. But his joy was brought up short when he saw a barricade of police cars blocking his escape. Jag tried to wheel around and go back inside the store, but the doors wouldn’t open, and the giant horse bashed his nose against the glass. The doors rattled and Jag snorted in surprise. Fluted ears rotated in circles, trying to evaluate the situation. His decision became clear when a uniformed human cautiously approached him with a stick that had a circle of rope at the end. Jag backed up as the human approached him, pressing his large rump against the glass door when he couldn’t go back any farther. Another policeman crouched down beside his car with a tranquilizer gun pointed at the thoroughbred, ready to pull the trigger if the loose horse didn’t cooperate.
So many people. Most of them in the navy blue uniforms. But they weren’t like the regular crowd who cheered when he thundered down the homestretch; these people were out to get him. Jag pinned his ears back to his skull and showed the humans his vicious teeth. No way was he going to let them catch him.
As the human with the stick came one step closer, Jag plunged forward, blowing past the crowd of policemen and leaping onto the hood of the car. The tranquilizer gun popped as Jag leapt across the roof. The horse was stuck in the shoulder, although he didn’t feel it. Jag hopped down onto the road, and galloped away from the group, leaving the police with their destroyed car. The roof had collapsed from the weight of the half ton stallion. Jag’s hoof marks were indented permanently.
The stallion sped away, and he was followed by the sound of screeching tires from drivers who slammed on their breaks. Jag kept his eye on the road that led away from this havoc, his inner compass telling him that this was home.
Nobody followed him. Once Jag was out of their parking lot, he wasn’t their problem anymore. Let him wreak havoc somewhere else. Jag seemed perfectly happy to leave them like that, because the crimson horse continued to gallop farther away, and closer towards Justice Acres. It wasn’t long before his steps became weary, and his ears began to droop. Jag’s flaming red tail that had been held so high in spirit, suddenly began to wilt, and Jag himself slowed to a trot. Eyelids flickered as he fought to stay awake…he had to make it home.
Jag’s vision was blurry, but he managed to make out a navy truck and trailer that came down the road. It smelled familiar, but he was too drowsy to make any guesses. Jag was only half conscious when the truck pulled up to a stop twenty yards from him and two people hopped out. They were Mr. Duce and Simon Phillips. Jag didn’t show any recognition, but he knew it was them. The stallion had come to a halt as Simon approached him with a halter.
”Hey Jag. What have you gotten yourself into this time? The jockey asked, stroking Jag’s sweat soaked neck.
”Well, it looks like he sure got into some trouble. Look, he was darted,” Mr. Duce pointed out, fingering the tranquilizer dart before twitching it out of Jag’s shoulder. ”It won’t be long before they figure out who’s horse it was. I’m sure I’ll have the privilege of receiving the bill,” The old trainer said sarcastically. ”Well, shall we get this damn horse into the trailer before he collapses on us? He’s had his excitement for today.”
”Yes sir,” Simon answered, tugging on Jag’s lead rope. The chestnut groaned as he took a few sleepy steps forward, fighting to stay awake. His movements were almost robotic, moving without even knowing it. Mr. Duce chuckled.
”He would have forgotten all about this tomorrow. I’m sure he’ll be at it again soon enough,” Mr. Duce said, a hint of teasing in his voice. The owner and trainer patted Jag’s sweaty neck as they approached the ramp. With a loud slap on the rump, Mr. Duce was able to get his horse up into the trailer before the stallion was out cold.
Mike Duce was trotting towards the main barn to feed his haflinger gelding, Tiger, a carrot and take him out for a ride. The young seven year old stopped short when he saw the plane malfunction, and his attention was drawn away when he saw Jag make a blind dash for the fence. For a second, Mike was scared that Jag would crash right through it, but instead the thoroughbred gathered his haunches and propelled over the barrier that stood nearly five feet high.
"Whoa!" Mike cried, his blue eyes bulging. He watched as the large stallion landed with a thud, and then continued to gallop away from the pasture and Justice Acres. The airplane overhead had regained control, and was slowly climbing back up into the sky. But the horse it had frightened was still way out of control. Mike turned on a dime and sprinted full speed towards the house to tell his dad. War Flag was loose.
Jag's breathing came quickly, and crimson legs carried him quickly. The chestnut disappeared into the foliage, and didn't stop even when the plane faded out. Jag galloped through the forest of trees, forging his own path, when he suddenly burst into the light. The trees suddenly ceased, and the ground under his hooves turned stone hard. Jag snorted in discomfort, but was shocked when a large car honked for him to move out of the way. Jag shied off the road in surprise, and released a buck that left a dent in the Jeep's fender. Jag shook his head wildly, confused and bewildered. He had no idea where in the world he was. Jag slowed down to a canter, and then a trot. But when another car came rushing at him, Jag decided not to stay around much longer. The powerful stallion burst into a sizzling gallop, and turned away from the road, and into a group of large brick buildings. There were a lot more cars here, and a heap of more people. Most were strolling down sidewalks carrying their shopping bags and minding their own business when out of the blue came a flaming red stallion. Jag shied away from yet another car, and the loud horn nearly burst his ear drums. He squealed when he came perpendicular with a Mercedes. With a heavy snort, Jag popped over its hood to keep from crashing straight into it.
Jag trotted along the sidewalk, finally understanding that the road wasn't the place for him. Crowds of people screamed in surprise and yelled at him to shoo him away. Jag bared his teeth and snapped at a man who waved his arms, and the man reeled backwards, landing into another woman and knocking the both of them down. Jag pinned his ears back, and rolled his eyes until the whites showed. His chestnut coat was drenched in sweat, and he had no idea where to escape to.
A set of doors slid opened to his left, and a rush of cool air hit him. In an attempt to escape the riot on the streets, Jag made a sliding turn and trotted straight into the building. More screams awaited him, and a large metal bin came rolling towards him. Jag squealed and reared up as it came at him, and tried to look for another way out. There were long lines of people waiting behind beeping machines, and smells of different foods overwhelmed him. The tile underneath his hooves was slippery, and metal carts were everywhere. The place was packed with people; all eyes were on Jag. The stallion landed on the unsteady tile, and jumped out of the way of the cart. Slipping, Jag’s legs flew around under him to regain his balance. Squealing in frustration, Jag managed to stay upright and canter through the grocery store, bucking at anybody who came too close. Chestnut pelt gleamed with stressful sweat, and Jag’s eyes burned with bewilderment. But wait a second…ahh. Here was something familiar. Jag slid and skidded to a stop, fumbling around slightly before managing to stand upright. Velveteen muzzle ventured into the fruit section and nosed at the tempting looking apples. The first bite was juicy, and the second came as sweet. Jag began to feast on the fruits when the store manager ran up to him, attempting to shoo the stallion away from the merchandise that provided his paycheck. Jag gave the large round man his evil eye, letting the juice from the apples dribble down his chin. The chestnut plastered back his ears and teeth bared in warning. But the robust man stood his ground. Taking it as a challenge, Jag bugled and spun around, facing the manager head on. The thoroughbred paraded on the spot, attempting to scare the man away with a warning. But the manager stood his ground.
With an angry squeal, Jag burst forward, shoving past the man with so much force that it sent him sliding across the tiled floor. Jag knew that the man wasn’t worth his time, and so continued to rampage through the store, finding delight in how the shoppers scattered when he approached.
The sliding doors appeared in front of Jag again, and he bounded through them, delighted to be in the fresh air again. But his joy was brought up short when he saw a barricade of police cars blocking his escape. Jag tried to wheel around and go back inside the store, but the doors wouldn’t open, and the giant horse bashed his nose against the glass. The doors rattled and Jag snorted in surprise. Fluted ears rotated in circles, trying to evaluate the situation. His decision became clear when a uniformed human cautiously approached him with a stick that had a circle of rope at the end. Jag backed up as the human approached him, pressing his large rump against the glass door when he couldn’t go back any farther. Another policeman crouched down beside his car with a tranquilizer gun pointed at the thoroughbred, ready to pull the trigger if the loose horse didn’t cooperate.
So many people. Most of them in the navy blue uniforms. But they weren’t like the regular crowd who cheered when he thundered down the homestretch; these people were out to get him. Jag pinned his ears back to his skull and showed the humans his vicious teeth. No way was he going to let them catch him.
As the human with the stick came one step closer, Jag plunged forward, blowing past the crowd of policemen and leaping onto the hood of the car. The tranquilizer gun popped as Jag leapt across the roof. The horse was stuck in the shoulder, although he didn’t feel it. Jag hopped down onto the road, and galloped away from the group, leaving the police with their destroyed car. The roof had collapsed from the weight of the half ton stallion. Jag’s hoof marks were indented permanently.
The stallion sped away, and he was followed by the sound of screeching tires from drivers who slammed on their breaks. Jag kept his eye on the road that led away from this havoc, his inner compass telling him that this was home.
Nobody followed him. Once Jag was out of their parking lot, he wasn’t their problem anymore. Let him wreak havoc somewhere else. Jag seemed perfectly happy to leave them like that, because the crimson horse continued to gallop farther away, and closer towards Justice Acres. It wasn’t long before his steps became weary, and his ears began to droop. Jag’s flaming red tail that had been held so high in spirit, suddenly began to wilt, and Jag himself slowed to a trot. Eyelids flickered as he fought to stay awake…he had to make it home.
Jag’s vision was blurry, but he managed to make out a navy truck and trailer that came down the road. It smelled familiar, but he was too drowsy to make any guesses. Jag was only half conscious when the truck pulled up to a stop twenty yards from him and two people hopped out. They were Mr. Duce and Simon Phillips. Jag didn’t show any recognition, but he knew it was them. The stallion had come to a halt as Simon approached him with a halter.
”Hey Jag. What have you gotten yourself into this time? The jockey asked, stroking Jag’s sweat soaked neck.
”Well, it looks like he sure got into some trouble. Look, he was darted,” Mr. Duce pointed out, fingering the tranquilizer dart before twitching it out of Jag’s shoulder. ”It won’t be long before they figure out who’s horse it was. I’m sure I’ll have the privilege of receiving the bill,” The old trainer said sarcastically. ”Well, shall we get this damn horse into the trailer before he collapses on us? He’s had his excitement for today.”
”Yes sir,” Simon answered, tugging on Jag’s lead rope. The chestnut groaned as he took a few sleepy steps forward, fighting to stay awake. His movements were almost robotic, moving without even knowing it. Mr. Duce chuckled.
”He would have forgotten all about this tomorrow. I’m sure he’ll be at it again soon enough,” Mr. Duce said, a hint of teasing in his voice. The owner and trainer patted Jag’s sweaty neck as they approached the ramp. With a loud slap on the rump, Mr. Duce was able to get his horse up into the trailer before the stallion was out cold.