I Wish I Could Forget

• Caitlyn Cox, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2013

I couldn’t sleep on that one night, I couldn’t explain it. I walked to kitchen and got a glass of milk. I could smell smoke. I looked out the kitchen window and let out a scream of alarm and pain, the stables were burning. My father, older brother Ben, some of the neighbours and stable hands were getting the horses and trying to put out the fire, while my mother and I were watching from a distance.
The fire burst bigger, sending the workers back. I could hear the desperate pleas and cries from the trapped horses still inside the burning stable. I couldn’t stand it any longer; I started to run towards the stable, but my father grabbed me.

“You can’t go in there!” he sternly said to me and gave me to Ben.

I kicked and squirmed out of Ben’s grip and ran to the stable.
My father called my name but I ignored him, the only thing on my mind was the horses. I covered my face and leapt through the unforgiving flames. Bits of wood fell as I twisted and leapt through the stable aisle. I quickly unlatched each stable door and let the horses run to safety. I turned as I heard my most beloved stallion, Theo, rear and snort as the flames started to come down the walls of his stable. The fire had gotten hotter; the latch on his stall was melted and unable to be opened. I kicked as hard as I could against the door; the smoke was building up around us. I started to cough and wheeze as the smoke filled my lungs, with one last kick the door swung open.

"Go Theo, get out of here!" I shouted.

Theo neighed once more as he ran out of the stall; I coughed even harder as I watched Theo run to the open space of the stable yard. I stumbled a few times as I ran after him, but the smoke was too much and I fell.
Theo looked at me and trotted to my side and pawed at ground for me to get up. I got back up and used all of my strength to vault onto his back. He galloped around the burnt wood and managed to leap out of the stable as it collapsed. Everyone gathered around us. I slide off Theo’s back and fell into my father’s arms. The ambulance drove into the stable yard followed by our vet. The ambulance checked me over, all I could think about was if Theo was ok. I was given the all clear and watched as the vet checked Theo. Theo had big, severe burn marks on his body, when the vet touched around the sores he winced and shied away. The vet shook his head and said a few words to my father, I feared the worst.

My father took me a few feet away from Theo and said to me, “Sweetie, I’m afraid that Theo has to be put down.”

I burst into tears and ran to Theo’s side, somehow Theo knew what was going to happen and put his head into my arms to try and make me stop crying. That night the vet euthanized Theo. I couldn’t stop sobbing as I sat by his side the whole time. My best friend had saved my life and unfortunately died. I visit his grave every day to say thank you for what he had done that night and my whole life, but I always wish I could forget that day.