The Abaco Barb

• Annabelle Bate, Grade 4
• Short Story
• 2019

I love horses. When I used to live in Los Angeles me and my friends used to this paddock after school and feed the horses. But ever since my parents moved me to Fiji 2 years ago I have lived on a boat. I miss my friends. And the horses.
I was walking in the jungle one day when I heard a noise. Someone or something was coming. I did not dare move. I closed my eyes. When I opened them there before me was the most beautiful horse I had ever seen. It moved up to me. It looked like it wanted to be friends. Luckily I know how to ride a horse bare back so I could just climb up and sit on the horse. And when I tried to get on she didn’t move. She wanted me to ride her.
But when I got on I we both heard a noise.
People were coming. With me on her back she took off.
“Where’s the horse.” The echo boomed. I thought about what the people would do to my horse. She was mine. Would they try and sell her? I was so scared for her. I felt their close presents.
“There it is.”
We dogged their lassos’ like we never dogged before. But then then the funniest that ever happened to me happened.
When the people tried to catch my horse for the very last time their aim was so bad that they lassoed themselves. My horse was free and ever since I got to her every day.