Author's Note: Here you go. After a few months of waiting, here is Chapter 10. I know, it's been forever, and I'm really, really sorry. I have been away from the computer for many prolonged lengths of time. So I made this chapter extra-long for you guys, because you are the best readers and reviewers in the world. Whew, this chapter was hell to write, though. (Pardon my language.) It'll probably be even worse to type. I had to do this beta-less because, I'm pretty sure my beta (*clears throat loudly* Sara *cough* McGregor) has gone on vacation, and as I'm going to be doing so myself in a day or so, I really needed to get this out for you all. Anyway, on with it. As always, if you liked it or hated it, please tell me!! My e-mail is serena264@msn.com, or just leave a review. You will make my day, I promise you.

Age: 4 (6)

10-Stones in Water

Mirian ran

out into the fields

where the ground seemed

to be dissolving in the downpour

it ran in little rivulets at first

but then the flow grew to be like a

vast ocean of rain water

running over the hills

that was almost a foot deep

small animals began taking

to high ground

for fear of being

swallowed in the sodden grass

Mirian took notice of these changes

her hearts pounding harder

with each step she took

she was careful

to keep her hooves closed

lest she choke on the water

dangerous as the conditions were

she couldn't help thinking of Koari

and wonder, anxiously,

about what could be

going on in his home

at that very instant

Mirian had been so stupid

she could see it now

talking to his mother like that

with all due respect

I think Koari

is happier playing with me

at the time it had seemed so

right to stand up for him

but now she cringed

at her own rash defiance

it was her fault

if she hadn't said that

then Koari and his mother might not

have started arguing

Mirian couldn't stop the image of

him getting hit with his mother's tail blade

from playing over and over

in her mind

with each time she thought of it

a little piece of her hearts seemed

to crumble and die away

and a knot in her stomach would tighten

Koari had never been allowed

to play with her in the first place

but now his mother probably

wouldn't even let him go outside anymore

was it her fault?

Mirian went numb at the idea

how could they ever be friends now?

would he be mad at her for ruining everything?

she could convince him to forgive her

even if he was angry with her

she envisioned herself

bursting into their scoop

and pulling Koari

out of that wretched place

Take my hand,

she would say, and he would

then they'd run away

to live at her house

and they would play

in her stream every single day

but only if Mirian could get home first

the onslaught of rain

fogged up her vision

and the terrain under her hooves

had turned even more slippery

like the grass had been ripped up

to be replaced by hard stone

Mirian slowly looked

at the ground below her

there really was rock

underneath her hooves

she was at the Gerant copies!

Mirian shivered

at least now she knew where she was

but, at the same time,

she could just summon

up an image of herself

several years back

I twisted my ankle.....

and her mother's upset voice

Were you at the Gerant copies?

then, Mother had warned her

about the consequences

if she was ever caught there again

well, Mirian reasoned,

it wasn't her fault this time

so Mother should let her off

on getting in trouble

then Mirian saw it

the river!

it was winding itself between

the boulder cliffs

of the Gerant

swollen with the rain

its waters spilling out

onto the bank

like blood from an open wound

she had never seen

the bank before

as the cliff had always hidden it

from her view

then Mirian realized why

she was always on

the other side of the river

because that was the side her home,

her beloved scoop,

was on

the bridge Mirian and Koari

had used earlier to get to his home

was many miles away

and she would never be able

to find it in the rain

to get home

and the end of the river was

many hundreds of miles away

Mirian faced the river

as the realization dawned on her

she would have to cross it....

she stared at the chasm between

the two closest boulders

it was a long way

how many feet would she have to jump?

the wind and rain roared in her ears

making her head feel

like one of the boulders

she was gazing upon

she would have to

take a running start

you'll get yourself killed!

the rational part of her mind argued

the driving need to be home

was beyond anything she'd ever felt before

Mirian walked to the

edge of the cliff

and looked down

terror

coursed through her veins

as she studied

the drop she could look

forward to if she missed

her mark, the other boulder

she was dizzy with fear

the river raged on

about fifty feet below her

against all rationality she knew

Mirian backed up

and started sprinting

towards the edge

NO!

something in her cried out

one last time

turn back!

but she was already there

and she leaped off the cliff

and soared

Mirian's breath caught in her throat

she gasped for air

she couldn't breathe!

HELP!

she screamed

but no one was there

to help her

even then, in the air

she knew

she'd missed

Mirian fell

her small body

slammed

into the boulder of the other cliff

she was stunned

her left foreleg hit the stone

with a crack

she grabbed onto

the jagged edges

of the boulder,

cutting her hands

she could feel the sting

of the rain on them

then

she was slipping

trying desperately to hold on

but her weak hands gave way,

sliding from the rocks like butter

Mirian gasped,

wordless

not even managing to scream

she plunged

into the icy depths of the river below

everything went black

Author's Note: Quite literally, a cliff-hanger. Don't you think?

HYE, HYR

(Hope you enjoyed, hope you review)