A SPECIAL GUEST
HIDING IN THE BARN
-Let the party begin! – Otis shouted as the disco ball descended and lit the barn with blue, green and red colors; the band started to play the music as Otis pulled Abby's hoof and danced. Pip wanted to dance with Bessie (as usual) – Hey Bessie, do you want to dance? – She smiled – if that means crushing you – Pip walked backwards – Oh, ok, I'll be hiding in a hole if you change of mind –
The Barn's Night continued for several hours, the high music barely allowed Duke hearing the dogs barking near the barnyard, he looked out slowly and saw humans coming straight to the Barnyard with some dogs used for hunting – HUMANS! – He shouted and the lights went off, everything inside the barn were quiet
The hunting dogs entered inside the Barn with those humans behind them – Smell it boy, is it here? – a human shouted as other human stopped in the middle of the Barn, his dog growled to Otis's stall; he opened the stall's door and saw a White – Black spotted cow mooing – Stupid dog, that's a cow, that isn't what we're looking for – he pulled the chain and the two humans got out of the Barn
They ran when the dogs barked and tried to run outside the Barnyard, after a few minutes they didn't heard the dogs and the humans – What the cud is happening here? – Otis asked as everybody came out of their hideouts – We should end this Barn's Night right now – Duke said as he passed next to Otis
-You're right, Ok everyone, the Barn's Night is officially finished for tonight – everybody went to their respective stalls
It was near morning and Abby woke Otis, she was scared – Otis? – He yawned – Abby? What's wrong? – In that instant they heard a metallic sound above them, and footsteps, Otis took the wooden ladder and climbs it with a shovel on his right hoof; when Otis was on the second floor he saw something hiding behind a haystack, something big and white and on its feet had a chain or something like that. Otis looked at Abby and wiped the sweat
When Otis were close enough that white figure gave a big jump, passing next to Otis. He saw something unusual on it, something shining on its head, that white figure passed running next to Abby and disappeared behind the fence – Otis, what was that? – He stood at her side – I don't know, but I can assure that thing was fast – In silence they heard something else, it sounds like drops; Otis and Abby went to the source of that sound and find it: some red liquid were falling from the boards above them, to be more specific from the place where it had been hiding that thing
It was blood, that thing was bleeding – Otis, that thing can't run around being wounded – Otis frowned – Are you crazy? What if that thing is a monster or something worse? – Abby pushed him outside the Barn – Come on, we can leave that creature alone and wounded –
-Ok, ok, stop pushing me – they hadn't to go far, they found that creature in the pond, it was drinking water; they just follow the traces, Otis and Abby hid behind a tree and saw the creature: it was bigger than them, it had white fur, silver hair, and the thing on its head was shining like crystal. When the creature turned around they had a better look about its head: it was a horn!
-Otis! Is that thing a… - Abby's mouth was wide open – a Unicorn! – The Unicorn saw them and walked backwards "Please, don't hurt me" she said without moving her lips – Did you heard that? – Abby asked to Otis – Yes, but How's that possible? – The Unicorn was scared to death and walked backwards again falling into the water, Abby ran to help her but Otis stopped her holding her by her hoof – Wait! How we know that it will not harm us? -
She turned to him – It's hurt Otis, she wouldn't hurt us, it needs help – He sighed and ran with Abby to help her to get her out of the water.
They finally took her out of the water, the Unicorn turned to them "you, saved me?" she said – Did you said that? – Otis asked her, she nodded – How can you do that? – The Unicorn turned to Abby "I'm talking directly to your mind" Otis looked to her foot and saw a bear trap crushing her ankle – Let me help you – when Otis remove the trap the Unicorn screamed of pain – My god! That's a deep wound – the Unicorn took a deep breath and thank Otis for the help, she smiled and her stomach made a noise, Otis and Abby giggled "Sorry, I'm very hungry" – Come with us, we'll give you something to eat –
Otis helped her to walk back at the barnyard, once inside the barn Otis put her in the hay "Thanks" she said – You're welcome, and do you have a name? – She smiled "My name, my name is Idrial" - Idrial? Strange name for a Unicorn - She giggled "What kind of name is Otis?" Both laughed for a moment and Otis asked her – So, how did you get here? – Idrial sighed
"Did you saw that humans last night?" Otis nodded – Yes, they were looking for you? – Idrial nodded "Yes, they want to hunt me" – what? Why? – She looked down "They want my horn" Otis came a little closer to her and saw the horn, it seemed special "I know what are you thinking, I'm not only can talk to you in your mind, I also can read thoughts"
"I hate humans" she said as Otis rose and took some bandages – Humans can be cruel, but not all are equal – he sat again next to her and cover her wound with the bandages "No, all are cruel; I have lived for more than one hundred of years and I hadn't knew any human who cared about us, all they want is our horns" Otis had his eyes wide open – One hundred years? – "Our horn allows us to have a long youth" one second later Abby entered into the stall with some berries
When Otis and Idrial turned to Abby, every member of the barnyard were around the stall, looking at Idrial; not every day you can see unicorns in the Barnyard
Pig entered the stall to say hello to Idrial – Hi there, my name in Pig – "Hello Pig, I'm Idrial, and yes, you can touch my horn" Pig was surprised – How… - Otis explained – Oh, yes, she can read minds – all of them where fascinated with Idrial, not only for her beauty but also by her kindness, they made her feel welcome in the barnyard
-You can live with us, if you want to – Otis said and Idrial smiled "Thanks" all the day everybody stayed with her, joking and having fun; when the night came Idrial cleared her throat "You had been so nice with me, and I think I know how to say thanks for everything" she went outside the barn with everybody behind her
When she stopped in the middle of the barnyard her horn started to shine and looked at the sky, Abby was really surprised when she looked at the sky too; there was a beautiful light show in the sky, Peck saw it too – Oh my, that's an aurora borealis! Something that can be seen only in certain parts of the world! – All of them looked that beautiful event
(A song started in the middle of nowhere)
Just like the wind, I've always been
Drifting high up in the sky that never ends
Through thick and thin,
As Peck were looking the aurora someone took his arm, it was Hanna who was leaning her head against his shoulder
I always win 'Cause I would fight both life and death to save a friend
Abby took Otis's hoof as she was looking at the sky too
I face my destiny every day I live
And the best in me is all I have to give
Idrial saw them, having a romantic moment with the people (or animals) they loved and she couldn't avoid drop a tear; then a small animal climbs by her back and stood on her shoulder
Just like the sun, when my day's done
Sometimes I don't like the person I've become
It was Pip, he sat on her shoulder and an image came to her mind: her friend Inphyy, a white owl who always was near her when she was sad, she died when humans destroyed her home and killed all the unicorns
Is the enemy within a thousand men?
Should I walk the path if my world's so dead ahead?
It seemed that Pip fell in love with her, because when Pip saw Idrial's tear he kissed her cheek
Is someone testing me every day I live?
Well, the best in me is all I have to give
She smiled as Pip cleaned her tear, when she turned back, Hanna was kissing Peck and Abby was kissing Otis
I can pretend I am the wind and I don't know if I will pass this way again
She took Pip in her hooves and hugged him against her cheek, he said something at her hear and she looked at him with a kind look; another tear fell from her eye
All things must end, Goodbye, my friend
Think of me when you see the sun or feel the wind
I am the wind,
I am the sun
One day we'll all be one...
She kissed Pip's head and giggled, the lights show continued for several minutes; when it ended everybody went to sleep, except Pip and Idrial. They stayed outside for long time until Pip yawned "It's time to sleep" Idrial said and Pip looked at her – aren't you coming? – she looked at him "Sure, let's go to sleep" they went inside the barn, Idrial leaned back in the hay and sighed, and, believe it or not, Pip leaned back at her side
Before she fell asleep, she smiled when she saw pip at her side; she closed her eyes as she took Pip and put him on near to her chest, few seconds later Idrial fell asleep too with the words that pip told him moments ago
-You'll be safe with us, with me –
After a few hours Idrial woke up and saw something shining outside the barn, she rose and stayed outside when she saw shining butterflies with a blue color, they were flying around her – Hey, that's incredible – Pip said
"My mother used to tell me that when a Unicorn die, it become a shining butterfly"
When she looked to where some butterflies where flying she follow them outside the Barnyard – Idrial, wait! – He ran behind her – Wait for me! – Pip heard Idrial shouting when she walked behind the brushes, so he ran as fast as he could and saw a horrible scene: the same humans from the last night caught her with ropes and made her fell in the ground as they were laughing and shouting – We got her! –
They were hurting her legs to prevent a possible escape, Pip felt unable to help her, the only thing he could do in that moment was to find help in the Barnyard, he was running back at the barnyard and when he turned back again, those humans were putting her a thick chain around her neck and hurting her even more – Now try to escape – one human shouted her as he dragged Idrial across the floor
With no time to lose, Pip ran back at the barnyard and woke everyone – OTIS! OTIS! – Otis yawned as he rose – What's wrong Pip, I Want to sleep – Pip shouted again – Idrial is in trouble, she has been captured by humans – Otis was scared – What? When?
-a few moments ago, Otis, What are we going to do? – Otis gave a step forward – First, lead me where she was captured – they ran to where the humans caught her; it was late, they wasn't there anymore. The only trail she left behind was blood drops, with that only clue; Otis and Pip follow them by several minutes; they finally found the place where the humans were camping –My god, Otis, she's there –
Idrial was on a huge cage, with her body covered with injuries and bleeding, then Otis saw a human with a huge hunting knife on his hand and walking straight to Idrial – We must save her! – Pip said and began to ran, to try to save her friend – Pip! Wait! – Otis stopped him – We need a plan –
Without being noticed, a human hit Otis's head from behind, made him fell unconscious, he woke up in a cage next to Idrial's – Idrial, are you okay – he muttered as Idrial barely can move "Otis, what are you doing here?" he didn't answer when he saw a human walking straight to Idrial's cage – It is time – he said as other human was pulling the chain, taking her out of the cage, dragging her so hard and hurting her more and more, Otis hit the cage with all of his strength and opened it
When the human saw him, Idrial took the chance and hurt that human with her horn, with that chance Otis took Idrial and ran to the Beady's farm, the nearest place where they can hid, as they were running Idrial fell unconscious – Hang on, we're almost there –
The next morning Idrial woke up and saw Otis and Pip at her side "where are we?" Otis wiped a bit of dry blood she had on her face – Don't move, you lost some blood and now you're weak –
Then, suddenly; the Beady's barn door opened and they froze when Ms. Beady saw them talking, they couldn't escape; the only entrance was where she stood……