Arrows wrote:Owner: Arrows
Show name: A Shattered World
Barn Name: Joey
Gender: Stallion
Height: 16.2hh
Breed: Thoroughbred x Irish Draught
Age: 6
Color: Bay
Story: Joey was four when the gunshot sliced through the air, disturbing all peace. All sense of security.
For a long while, the small town had been on edge. They had been preparing for the inevitable battle to come. Men had been building barricades, training daily. A great force had grown up in the town. Joey didn't understand, not truly - the nerves and tightness that filled the community gave him knowledge of impending danger, but he could not know what was to come. In a quaint little red barn he lived, with many other horses, living his life in his typically-quiet little home.
Things had started changing a long while ago. Everyone had heard the constant gunfire in the distance - Joey had been frightened at first, but settled now. Then came more men, and lots of noises and the sounds of building filled the area. His owners, a kind couple with a large home, had been forced to house some of the men. Sometimes one would stroll through the barn, grungy and smelling of smoke, inspecting the horses. Often one would pause at Joey's stall, eyeing him particularly. It made him uncomfortable and uncertain. At one point, Joey's owners and a man had a large argument, which clearly involved Joey. He could pick out words, like 'sell,' 'take,' and other things. He balked at the thought of leaving home.
Late one evening, the gentle woman of the couple that owned Joey came to the barn in tears. He whinnied to her, as though questioning what was wrong. She walked to him and stroked gently at his face. "Oh, Joey, you won't understand," she said. "We must go. It is too dangerous to stay now. We must leave you behind, my darling. All of you." At this point she outright sobbed. Joey did understand, at least somewhat. He nuzzled her comfortingly, all he could do. He was helpless.
After his owners packed their bags and drove off, he remained in the barn with his companions. A young woman stopped by to feed and water them and fend off the soldier men from stealing one. The gunfire grew louder, more pressing. All became anxious. It felt as though something was ready to snap, and all it would take was one...
BANG! The sound shot through the night and aroused Joey and the other horses immediately. Chaos was upon them. Birds made a ruckus and all flew away. Outside, Joey could not see as the barn doors were closed, yet he could hear. Over all, there was the discord of deafening gunshots. Below, if Joey listened, was a different, even worse song. The cries of men, screams of war horses, the sobbing of women and children. He did not want to listen. Joey wanted to crouch down and shut it all it. Yet the danger could not even leave him untouched - it would grow much worse.
Listening to that noise, interminable and terrible, it took Joey a while to notice. It was the sharp crackle that finally jarred him to attentiveness. It wasn't long before he saw the source - brilliant red and orange flames danced up the corner of the barn, intruding upon the interior. In the old barn with brittle wood, the fire spread quicker than expected. His companions began to screech and kick madly, the flames throwing light across the barn so that you could see the fear reflecting in their eyes.
Joey felt dazed. Everything was a blur yet moved so slowly. He reared back, coming down hard on the door to his stall. He repeated the movement over and over, until a satisfying crack filled the air and the door splintered, allowing Joey to place his weight against it and shove it open. His stall one of the closest to the fire, the heat had grown intense and he could feel sweat dripping down his neck. Joey could not flee immediately, not without saving those he shared his barn with. He was able to yank on their latched until they loosened, throwing open doors. Horses streamed to the doors, crazy with terror.
The main doors had huge latches on them. Joey stared, and knew they could not open such doors. He looked back at the raging flames, noticing how the main support beams had caught fire. He would die here. Unable to sit and allow the blaze to simply take him, he slammed against the door and forced all his weight against it. Joey let out a loud, strained neigh. It didn't take long for some horses to regain their wits and manage to do the same. The doors would not budge. The fire licked at their heels and charred their tails.
As the flames beared down on them without mercy, a sudden miracle, an angel sent to them. The latch was undone and the doors thrown open, a man standing before them and jumping out of the way as they all ran. Joey was the last to leave, ensuring all were out. He wished to gallop far far away, yet could not make it very far - he had used much of his strength. Joey collapsed alone in a field, the sounds of gunfire still raging and the flames from the barn reaching towards empty night sky. He allowed himself sleep, if only for a little while...
Joey awoke in the same place where he had fallen, yet he was no longer alone. People fussed around him, cold clothes gently pressed on his neck and wounds being dressed. He had no recollection of time. Though now he could feel pain he hadn't felt in the moment - his front legs were sore and he could feel the pain of cuts all over them from the wood when he had slammed down on his stall door. There were burns on his back legs. Everything ached. "Poor beast has been through a lot." Some man said, looking down on him. Joey was already drifting away again.
- - -
Some months had passed, and the civil war was at an end. Joey's wounds and burns had healed, and even his charred tail had mostly grown back. The aftermath of the battle in his town had been devastating. Over half the buildings had been burned. Yet they had rebuilt. The sky, once dark with the ash from many fires, was clear blue. The rain had washed away the signs of death that seemed to be all around. Even shattered peace could be put back together, with time.
note; I greatly based my description on the BOOK (I'm always one to say the book is better than the movie. I will say the movie adaptation (& the play) still remained close to the storyline and were excellently done!)
I HAVE READ THE BOOK, SEEN THE MOVIE, AND THE PLAY ADAPTATION
ONE OF MY FAVORITES!
Also, this is really random, but just a suggestion: perhaps there could be an RU made of the horse Topthorn? Or a different adopt?
Congrats
. And don't worry, I have two more adopts like these ready right now :3.
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