Practice Writing A-4: The Lost Unicorn

Writing Practice(s): File A-4 Date Published: 11:59 12 February 2013 (Minnesota Time) Category: Fantasy/Mystery/Horror Title: The Last Unicorn

Writing Practice(s): File A-4

Category: Fantasy/Mystery/Horror

Title: The Last Unicorn

 

      He tossed the smooth stone into the water. It fell into the still waters, creating a tiny splash and leaving a large ripple effect in its wake.

      He tossed his head back and stared up at the stars. They glittered like broken shards of crystals that had been woven into an elaborate dark blue fabric and then splattered with dashes of shining, vibrant paint.

      He sighed and laid his head into the green whiskers growing out of the ground and just stared up at the pricks of light.

      Take a good long look Harry, if you aren’t careful you may never see them again...

      His brown Clydesdale Prance snorted to his left. Harry swiveled his head and smiled at the powerful and majestic creature, gazing at her and smiled, lifting his hand to pet her nose. She snorted again and nudged her companion. He chuckled slightly and ran his finger over the white star on her forehead. She was getting older, he could see the tips of her ears and snout turning grey and her gait was slower and her bad leg, the rear right leg, seemed to have an even greater limp than usual. But her spirit was stronger than that of a young wild stallion. It was one of the few things that kept him going from day in and day out.

      He patted her nose and stood up, grabbing his satchel from off the moist ground and slinging it over his head.

      “I’ll be right back Prance, just gonna go find us some food,” he reassured and patted her nose once again.

      She neighed and nudged her friend. He laughed and gently pushed her back.

      “I know, I know, I’ll find you an apple if I can, be back soon,” he grabbed his knife from a pocket in Prance’s saddle and shoving it in the small sheath hanging off his belt.

      “I shan’t be long, my fair maiden,” he joked. The dark chocolate horse neighed with laughter and nudged him affectionately. He laughed again, patting her on the nose one more time before running off down the field and through the thin patches of trees on the edge of an immense forest.

*****

      Harry placed a third apple in his satchel and smiled.

      Prance will love these.

      So far he had collected several apples, a few peaches, some wild berries, some roots, and even a few mints leaves. He had some beef jerky and walnuts back with Prance, along with a few crackers and chucks of partially moldy bread, but if the snares worked they would have a fine feast that night.

      An owl hooted and soared high above Harry’s head. He gazed upwards and watched the enormous bird fly overhead and disappear from sight.

      I should probably get back to Prance, can’t leave her alone for too long.

      He adjusted the strap to his satchel and began to climb back through the trees and over fallen trees and crumbling boulders when a sound stopped him in his tracks.

      “NEIIIIHH!!”

      He turned his head around, afraid it was a hunting party of the king’s knights come to take him to the chopping block. But it wasn’t. It was something else entirely. A soft, cool breeze ruffled his torn clothes and stirred his dirty brown hair. He inhaled a deep breath, inhaling the sweet aroma that traveled with the gentle air current. It smelled of wild flowers and oak leaves.

      There standing before him, was what appeared to be an aging brown horse. Ivy and wild flowers and a small collection of multiple types of bird feathers were tangled and woven into its long grey mane and tail. Mud and muck were speared all over its legs and belly and spiders crawled contently over her grey speckled back. Strange designs and odd looking scars dotted all over its body, from the tip of its nose to the edge of its rear and even down to its powerful legs.

      A horse? A wild horse? I suppose that’s not very uncommon, but then where is its herd? Where are the other wild horses it runs with?

      For several moments they just stared at each other, watching one another and reading their eyes. The strange horse was the first to break the silence. It reared up on its hind legs, kicking at the air and neighing loudly. Shocked, Harry fell backwards on his bottom and stared at this strange horse.

      Definitely wild.

      The peculiar horse trotted around in a short circle from its place by the weeping willow across the small clearing, neighing and throwing its head back. It almost seemed to be...laughing at him.

      He squinted and cautiously stood up, staring suspiciously at this bizarre creature.

      It neighed as soon as it noticed him getting up, rearing up on its hind legs and kicking at the air in front of it (which happened to be pointing in Harry’s direction). Harry’s eyes widened and dropped down on the ground in panic, frightened that the beast was going to charge him.

      But it didn’t it just dropped back down on all fours and began trotting merrily in circles again, throwing its head back triumphantly and neighing with glee.

      It’s...really laughing at me...

      He shook his head in disbelief and picked up his satchel from off the ground and slung it over his shoulder and turned to leave.

      “NEEIIIHHH!!!” Harry jumped and whipped around to face the outlandish mare. He jumped back when he realized how close she was. Stumbling backwards in shock he stared at the horse with wide eyes. She was now but a mere five feet away from him and she stared at him with sparking, animated and lively clear blue eyes that seemed to be smiling back at him. Harry regulated his breathing and stared back at her with curious eyes. As filthy and messy as she was, she was a beautiful horse. Her clear blues eyes reminded him of what an angel’s might look like.

      Something produced out of the horse’s forehead; he wasn’t sure why he hadn’t noticed it before, but it appeared to be some twisted branch of some sort. Harry reached out his hand to try and pull it out. She didn’t move and let him touch her. He grabbed onto the twisted black branch and pulled. The mare neighed in alarm and stumbled backwards. Harry screamed and fell on his bottom once again. He shook his head and stared up at the mysterious horse, his eyes and mouth gaping in shock and slight fear.

      A...a...unicorn...?

      “You’re, you’re a unicorn?”

      She neighed in response.

      Harry rubbed his forehead in wonder. A unicorn! They were supposed to be extinct, ever since the time of the Great Hunts unicorns had been hunted down and killed for their supposed magical horns.

      They were legendary.

      And there was one �"perhaps the very last unicorn, standing right in front of him.

      He could use this creature to get him out of his predicament, or sell her become rich, or use her horn to perform great magical arts and spectacles! The possibilities are endless!!

      He looked up at the old unicorn once more before adjusting the strap of his satchel and turning to leave.

      “I have to go,” and with that last curt goodbye and turned and left.

*****

      It has been nearly an hour since he last saw the unicorn, which was fine by him. He was uprooting a few herbs to cook for tonight’s dinner and for dinners yet to come.

      I don’t need that unicorn, right? Nah, I’ll be fine on my own. I don’t need her. It’s just a unicorn.

      “NEIIIGGHH!!”

      Harry jumped and pulled out his knife, startled and expecting to see the unicorn. But instead of the filthy brown and grey mare, he saw a pure white horse, the kind that you’d see a king ride.

      He gaped in awe when he saw it and dropped his knife as it stepped towards him, but mere inches from his face.

      It snorted and nudged him gently. Harry blinked and rubbed the creature’s nose and breathed out a short laugh, hardly able to believe that such a beautiful, magnificent horse just came up to him!

      I wonder if it can be ridden...?

      Harry slowly made his way to the horse’s back, careful not to startle it. It flinched once but otherwise didn’t move. Harry jumped onto the creature’s back with ease and made himself comfortable on its back. It didn’t try to kick him off or dash off suddenly. It just sat there patiently, looking back at him, waiting for him to give the command.

      Harry laid himself down on the stallion’s neck with his face forward and looking into the horse’s pitch black eyes.

      “Let’s run,”

      The horse reared up in the air with power and purpose and fell back to the ground with a thud and bolted off into the forest.

      Harry squeezed his eyes shut at first and after a few moments reopened them, realizing that he was alright and hadn’t been thrown off by the horse’s power. He laughed with sheer joy as he raced through the forest on the white horse, over rolling hills and through shadowed forests and across moonlit fields.

      It was beautiful. Absolutely magical. Like nothing could end it.

      It was nearly midnight, and hour of running later that the magnificent creature altered its course in the direction of a lake.

      Probably thirsty.

      The horse raced towards the large pool of water. It wasn’t until they were on the dock running at full speed that Harry realized something was wrong. The horse didn’t seem to be slowing down, but rather gaining speed.

      It leapt into the air over the edge of the dock. Harry screamed as they plunged into the swirling black waters.

      For a moment time seemed to stand still or skip a few moments altogether before Harry opened his eyes and realized he was at least eight feet underwater. Shards of broken moonlight broke through the surface of the water and tried to shine the cold and dark domain. Over him was the white horse, floating motionless in the water.

      It suddenly twitched. Then twitched again. And again, and again until it was twitching uncontrollably. Its body convulsed as its hooves became clawed lion paws and twisted and crocked horns produced from the sides of it s head. Large fins emerged from its back and under its front legs. Sharp teeth shot out from its once pink gums and was still for a moment, as if dead, but twitched and seemed to come back to life. It lifted its head and stared down at Harry with cruel and deceiving glowing red eyes.

      Harry seized up for a moment before regaining his senses and tried to swim to the surface.

      But the white stallion was much faster. It attacked Harry with lightning fast speed and darted through the water like a fish, clawing and snapping at Harry with jagged and uneven teeth. Harry began to panic and desperately tried to reach the surface, but each time was knocked down by the angry beast.

      Just when he thought his lungs would explode another beast like the first dart out of the darkness and attacked the first with staggering force. They fought viciously, dark blue blood filtering out through their wounds.

      Harry saw that as his chance and swam to the surface, gasping for breath. He crawled on shore, exhausted but alive.

      “NEEIIHHH!!”

      He looked up and saw the unicorn, with her muddy body and plant ridden mane. He stared up at her with pleading eyes, begging her to help him. She turned away and disappeared into the forest.

      It was the instant the unicorn disappeared into the forest that Harry was once again pulled into the water.

Author's Note

I post these practice writings every two weeks. Let me know if you have any requests.