She saw it zipping overhead, beautifully illuminated by the moon. It’s wings were fully stretched, shimmering white, at least ten feet each. The mare was going pretty fast; it glided around the mountain again and again, making its way back to Molly within minutes before vanishing.
That was why Molly did not realize her rising feeling of unease. The forest had gone eerily quiet. The usual croaking and chirping and buzzing in the trees and greenery were replaced by silence. Molly wiped away some precipitation that had gathered on her forehead. She had stood in the same spot for a long time. She should’ve left when she had the chance instead of gaping at a flying horse. The moon was still up but day would come soon. No, it was too late. Predators would be on her by dawn. Molly wiped her forehead again.
Why was it so hot? She rocked from foot to foot, unsure what to do, with a growing sense of dread. There was something wrong. Something was very wrong. She had to go now. Why wasn’t she leaving? She looked down in dismay to see mud surrounding her knee-high, slick with moisture. So that’s why the animals were silent. They were watching her sink into quick-sand (or quick-mud) with amusement as she stood there like an idiot.
The earth made gleeful slurping sounds as it pulled her down. Molly tried to bring her left foot out of the muck, but it felt like stone. But why was she sinking? Why was the dirt so hot it was churning like quicksand? Only moments ago, she had been sitting down. Of course, time had passed, but not a lot.
She had been a little tired and decided to sit down. The relief from her aching legs had only lasted a moment . She couldn’t possibly get a good view from the ground! Besides, if some kind of poison-fanged, fire-spitting, cross-between-a-dog-and-a-cat came, she wouldn’t stand a chance. Not that she wanted to leave the flying horse…
The horse.
Molly looked back at the mountain, expecting the creature to be gliding around it, relaxing because it was safe in its domain. Instead she saw a bright light around the mountain, like a giant ring. Whatever feeling of awe she’d had before, it was nothing to the amazement she was feeling now. Indeed, it was radiating heat like fire would. In fact, Molly wouldn’t be surprised if a bright stream of white flame was trailing behind it.
Just looking at the beauty put Molly at a sense of tranquility. Even though her brain was screaming to GET OUT NOW, she found she couldn’t move. Why would she? The cool, soothing mud felt good against her cracked, dry skin. She hadn’t slept at all and the mare was so beautiful, arching across the mountain, splashing vivid colors across the stars. She could just sink into the earth and no one would know. Sleep for a couple of hours. Indeed her eyelids were growing heavy, urging her to rest. And what was that purring sound, like the slumber of a cat? Like the rumble of her messages at home? Like the slow, wry draw of dreams? Like a plane smoothly gliding among the birds? No, not a plane. A helicopter. And it was coming now!