Canterwood Crest Book 4.5
Red Ribbon
Original Manuscript by Jessica Burkhart
My purple radio clock woke me up, blasting my fave Selena song. I turned it off quickly, hoping my awesome roommate Paige didn't wake up. The sun was so bright and pretty through my pink polka-dot PB teen curtains. I sighed, a smile on my face. It was such a beautiful morning in December and by BFFL Callie's birthday! It was only seven (on a Saturday) but I decided to go down to the stable to perfect my card for her. I showered quickly and dried my hair. I swept it into a casual-cute side-pony and swept on a bit of cover-up to match my olive-colored skin, some silver eye shadow, brown mascara, blush and my new seasonal obsession—candy cane lipgloss from Lipsmackers! It makes my lips bright pink and it tastes delish. I pulled on a pair of dark wash skinny jeans, a white T-shirt with a reindeer on it—perfect for two weeks before Christmas break—black ankle boots and a suede coat with fake white fur on the inside. I grabbed the card from inside my desk with my small green plastic box of art supplies and left my dorm. I breathe in a breath of cold winter air as I head over to the stable. The snow had completely melted from last week and I could feel Christmas coming near! I could even smell the gingerbread cookies from the Sweet Shop.
The stable was empty because it was so early in the morning. It had that perfect, just-cleaned look to it. The floor was free of hay, and the fencing was bright white, without one piece of dust on it. I walked over to my most favorite person in the whole world (okay, well, maybe not really person), my horse Charm!"
"Hey, boy!" I said to him. "I know it's early, but you're gonna help me write a card for Callie." He nodded sleepily and nuzzled me.
I opened the door to his stable and tied him into the hall. "No, Charm, you're not getting groomed," I said. I opened my art box and took out the purple ink for stamps. "Give me your hoof, boy!" I tapped his right foot and he lifted it. I stuck it in the ink and pressed it into Callie's card.
Dear Callie, I wrote. 'Thanks for being such an awesome friend! Love SS and Charm! The birthday card looked so good with my neon markers and Charm's hoof print. "She's gonna love it!" I told Charm.
Wait. Oh my gosh. Where had I put her present? I had got her a collection of lipgloss from Sephora over Thanksgiving break, come back to Canterwood Crest, and immediately gone to the stables to visit all my friends and Charm. So…her present was here, sitting in Charm's stable for over a week! I laughed to myself and got it from his tack box. But I still didn't have any wrapping paper. The only place was in Mr. Conner's office.
"He wouldn't mind if I borrowed a little, right?" I asked Charm. I crept into his office and cut off a small amount of blue horse wrapping paper, and couldn't resist taking a bit of the curly ribbon next to it. It would look perfect. I also needed scissors and tape. Sitting on the floor of the stable, I wrapped the small present. Then using tape, I began to curl the ribbon so it looked awesome. I split the scissor blades in two, and pressed the string against the top blade as I brought the blade up. I was so happy this morning. It was my best friends birthday, it was a beautiful day, I was with my fave horse (who was breathing down my neck cutely) and Christmas was soon. After a few minutes, the string looked so cute, but I wanted to make sure it was really curly. I brought the string up faster and harder this time.
The motion was stunted with a sickening jolt in the blade. Hot liquid dripped onto my hand holding the scissors and then began to rush quickly down my arm. I turned around to see Charm with the scissors lodged into his neck. I screamed and attempted to pull the scissors from his throat, but the knife was deep inside the beast and the tugging only widened the wound, as the movement caused the other blade to cut his chest.
I grabbed a handful of hay and began shoving them against his massive cut to stop the blood, although the scissors were still inside him. It was no use. The hay immediately turned a deep red and became soppy and limp. I dropped it and shoved a new handful against the horse.
"Charm? Charm!" The horse's eyes rolled back into his head and I anticipated his collapse, but didn't have enough time before he fell onto me, crushing my leg. The blood had completely painted me crimson and was still growing in a huge pool on the floor. I pulled as hard as I could and repeatedly kick the body with my capable foot to free my right leg. After several minutes, I squeezed my leg out from under the horse. My leg was shattered. My horse was dead.
I was sticky and wet in tears, sweat and blood. I had just murdered my horse, and riders were going to come into the stable soon. I only had one thought—to wash away this tragedy. I took a broom from the gate closest to me and began sweeping frantically as I limped. Alas, this only pushed the blood around on the floor and stained the broom. I vomited. But I didn't give up. Though the pain in my leg was making me lightheaded, I tried pushed the immense corpse back into the stable, using my hands, feet, back, and the broom. Each inch required an enormous amount of effort. I rolled and shoved, grunting and yelling to somehow generate strength within I didn't possess, but half his body was hardly in the gate when I heard a voice.
"Hello? Who's there?" It was Mr. Conner, coming in from the South side of the stable. Everything around me seemed blurred and shaky as I panicked. The head of my horse was exposed to the entire stable, along with the disgusting wound still sprouting the bloodied blade. Scarlet hay, a scarlet broom and a scarlet pool of the juice of my beloved defiled the once "perfect" stable. But I had no other choice than what I did. I ran, taking one last look at the monstrous calamity. I limped as quickly as I could away from the campus until I reached the highway, bloody and disgusted.