Shining Legacy
Published by GHC • Sep 16th, 2009 • Category: Fiction, by mustang23by mustang23, age 13
The photo on the wall captivated my little cousin. “Is that really you?” she asked me, her eyes wide.
“Yep, that’s me on Shine,” I said, touching the picture. “I think I won the Junior Advanced that day.” Shine. I missed him with my whole heart. I couldn’t believe he was gone. So soon…
“Kelly, do you miss Shine?” Haley asked.
“With my whole heart,” I confessed.
“I think he was pretty,” Haley said.
“Thanks.” I smiled. She was so cute.
“Kelly, why don’t you have horses anymore?” Haley asked.
“I don’t know,” I sighed. “I really don’t know.”
“Haley!” her mom, my aunt, yelled up the hall. “Come on! We’re ready to go.”
“Go on, you better go,” I said.
“Okay, Kelly. Have fun,” Haley said.
I smiled. “I’ll try.”
When they left, I sat on the bed. Have fun? I wish I could. I was alone in a big house with nothing to do. All alone. The real reason I didn’t have horses was because it hurt too much. Sure, you loved them for a little while, then, poof, they died.
Shine had died. Before him, there was Porcelain. She had died, too. My grandmother had died. My parents had died, too, each within weeks of each other. Why didn’t people who died think of the people they left behind? They left without a thought to their family. Without a thought to their red-haired daughters.
I got up, and grabbed my coat. It was only February, and more than a little cool. I slammed out of the back door, heading for the barn. I was going to the barn, for the first time in two years. Two years. Shine had been dead for two years. I’d had him for ten.
I entered the barn, the memories nearly engulfing me. In this stall, there had been Porcelain’s mother. And this was Shine’s stall.
I entered the stall, fingers tracing Shine’s name carved into the wall. I sank onto the cold, hard floor. Tears began streaming down my face. So much had happened in this barn. Why had I ever left?
Suddenly, not having a horse seemed selfish. There were horses who needed help, needed a home, and here I was with a big barn that had stood empty for two years, all because I hurt too much to love again.
“I will have a horse,” I said. I started running for my house. There was an auction today. At 1:30. I would be there.
I sprinted to my truck, with the trailer still attached. I hadn’t left my house for two years. Aunt Lara had been providing for me for two years. No more. I was independent now.
I reached the auction yards at 1:20. Perfect timing. I could look around a little, before I found a seat in the stands.
After I registered, I started for the barns, where the horses were being held. I hadn’t gone very far, when a voice behind me caused me to drop my bidding number.
“Kelly!” It was Neil Harrington. He scooped up my number and handed it to me. “You’re back.”
“Yeah. And I’m looking to buy a horse, so stay out of my way!” I joked.
Neil’s tousled brown hair and gray eyes had melted many a girl’s heart, but Neil had confided in me that he was determined to stay single. Yeah, right. Sooner or later, some pretty little farm girl would capture his heart.
We’d gone out in our senior year of high school, and I was the only girl he’d ever gone steady with.
“Aw, you really are back!” he laughed.
“Whatever, Neil,” I smirked.
“May I walk with you?” he asked.
“Oh, wow, Neil finally got some manners,” I joked. “Sure.”
We set off down the main aisle, commenting on a few striking horses. There were two I had my eye on, a black mare with a sweet disposition, and a buckskin gelding with a fiery nature. I could get a security blanket, or I could take a risk.
Before I knew it, it was time to get in the stands.
“C’mon,” Neil said, offering me a hand, which I ignored, climbing to the middle section of the bleachers.
The bidding started as a young colt was led into the arena. The horse weren’t selling for very much.
Just then, a palomino colt, which looked about two years old, was led into the arena. The auctioneer started the bid off at $1,000. It quickly climbed to $2,000.
The palomino swiveled his head, and I saw his eyes. They were blue. Like Shine’s.
I thrust my card up. “$2,100!” I exclaimed. Neil looked at me.
“I have 2,100. Who’ll make it 2,200?” the auctioneer sing-songed.
“2,400!” yelled a portly man from the other side. I recognized him. It was Tom Mathewson, a breeder who had a bad reputation for mistreating his horses. This horse wasn’t going to him. Not if I could help it.
But I only had $3,500. “2,500!” I said.
“2,700!” said Tom. I gritted my teeth.
“3,000!” I yelled.
The auctioneer, looked at me, and he looked at Tom. Tom seemed to have exhausted his resources.
“I have 3,000. Who’ll make it 3,100? No one? Final bid. Going once. . .going twice. . . Sold! To the young woman in brown!”
I was so excited, I almost yelled, but I kept it contained. As soon as the horse was led out, I stood. “I’m gonna check out my new horse. You wanna come?” I asked Neil.
“Yeah, I’ll go.”
We clambered off the bleachers, and as we started to go to the backside of the barn, Neil’s hand found mine. I held it for a second, then dropped it. I didn’t have time for a boyfriend.
I found the horse, and approached his stall. He was a sweet horse, giving me nuzzles on my face.
“Aww,” I said. “He’s a sweetie.”
Neil had found the colt’s papers. “His previous owners didn’t name him,” Neil said. “He’s by Morning Shine out of Dreamy Sun.”
“Did you say Morning Shine?” I asked.
“Yeah. Why?”
My eyes were welling up with tears. “Morning Shine was Shine’s official name,” I whispered. “I found Shine’s baby!”
“Do you have any idea what you’re going to name him?” Neil asked, as he helped me load the colt.
“Yeah. What do you think of Shining Legacy? Legacy for short?”
“It’s great,” Neil said.
“So, d’you wanna come over, and, uh, help me with Legacy?” I asked, my cheeks heating up.
“Sure. I’d love to,” Neil said.
After I was on my way home, I smiled. Legacy. Shine lived on, in my heart and in his foal.
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that so touching! sad…but very nicly written!
That was really cute story. I was surprised out of my noodle to learn that Legacy was from shine.. champion outcome and relaion
~HF
Thanks, this was my competition story. I told y’all I would submit it after if I didn’t win, so…here it is!
maybe you could write another one about the same thing? Like a sequal? That story was TOO good and TOO touching to end with just that!
i agree with Vi!!!
one question
are you writing more?
very good, monsterously good blog! I love your work, mustang 23, and am always looking for more. I swear when I read every single one of your stories i’m on the edge of my seat or crying my eyes out. that story was touching. I lost my horse Halo seven years ago, and I only recovered and bought my stallion Titian two years ago. I love Titian but miss Halo. I feel the pain of everyone whose lost one of these magnificent creatures.
–Wild’n'Free
Wild’n'Free, I’m sory to hear about your horse that died, did you write a blog about one time? I think I heard those names before. Everything I write is completely made up. I don’t have a horse.*sob* I think I might write a sequel, since you guys liked this one so much.
Wonderful story! Very heartfelt! You should write more!!
no i didn’t write a blog or story about Titian and Halo ever. there might be another person that has a horse with the name Titian or Halo. I really hope that you write a sequel; it WILL BE SOOOOO GOOD!! lol sorry hyper moment. :-P
I love this story! Will you continue it?
I agree with everyone else, you’ve got to write some more! This has got to be one of the greatest stories I’ve read, and it’ll be a shame to let it end now. Your writing truly humbles me.
Hey did you guys check out the gallery? Fleet, Sunset, Astro, Duke, Simba, and Ruby are there!
Great story!
That was really good. It was sad but in a good way too. The part about everyone who Kelly loved leaving her was touching. My cat Simba had to be put to sleep yesterday because of feline leukemia. It was one of the most painful things I’ve ever experienced. It just broke my heart. I will never forget that crazy, spunky young cat.
I’m soo sorry about your cat, Nevada Sunshine. I know how it feels to loose an animal friend. I hope you find another critter to love and care for.
wow! it make me want my first horse now!
Nice Story, i Love your Wrighting! <3
it seems like you put heeps of effort into it!
awww, touching story! it reminds me of my dog Bandit–we lost him because he attacked a person. Although my heart was broken, my (now old and fat) dog Maisy helped me overcome the grief of losing Bandit.
Write more, it was awesome!
I really feel your pain, Navada Sunshine. I lost my cat, Spike, the same day I lost my horse Halo. I haven’t been near a cat since. It just broke my heart, and I think that deep down I might be scared to get close to another cat and love it for fear of losing it. I dont really know, but i think that’s it.
Aw, Nevada Sunshine, my dog had to be put down a few years ago. he had a hip problem and a tumor. I still miss him.
sorry about your dog, Mustang23. may he rest in peace.
Awww… so sorry about your dog!
mustang23, here’s what the judges said about your story…
“A very nice description of the emptiness we all feel when we lose a beloved pet or a dear person in our life. I also loved the sudden realization Kelly has that not sharing her love with a new horse would be selfish. I would have loved to see how her new horse helped her heal.”
My family had a Siberian husky until she ran away in January and never came back. :( Even though we have a new dog now, I still miss her a lot.