I was sitting in a
tree, drawing, that evening. The poor young branch just 

barely held my weight, but it was strong, and
I trusted it to hold me. There 

was an entire grocery bag of crumpled up paper
under my arm, screaming to me 

that I should just give up drawing for today.
But I'm stubborn- there was no 

way that I was going to listen. I threw away
another failed sketch and stared 

at the sunset. The colors had changed since I
had last looked up, as the sun 

was setting even more, and now the sky was a
lovely pink and purple. I smiled 

and grabbed my colored pencils, trying to
capture the beauty of it on my paper. 

Another failure. 

I sighed in frustration and defeat. Climbing
out of the tree, I gathered my art 

supplies and walked further down the hill
towards the horizon, staring at the 

sunset. 

"Such a pretty thing to see," I
whispered, as I often do during my lonely 

moments, when no one can here, and no one can
think that I'm crazy for talking 

to non-living things, "Why can't I manage
to re-create you on my paper? Why 

can't I have a piece of this beautiful
thing?" 

I stared longingly at the sunset, then at my
paper. A dull roar in the sky made 

me look straight above me. I looked around for
the flashing lights of an 

airplane, but saw none. The roar was getting
louder. I suddenly, without 

meaning to, stared at the sunset. There was a
black line across the pink and 

purple sky. 

"What the-" I stepped closer, not
that it mattered, seeing as the horizon goes 

on forever. Suddenly, I fell on my back, as
the black line became a hole, and 

there was a sound like an earthquake in the
sky, and the hole suddenly sealed 

shut. 



"Ow," I groaned, sitting up and
holding my head, which I had hit on the ground 

just hard enough to make me a little dizzy. I closed
my eyes and rubbed my 

sinuses. But then I froze. There was something
cool and wet just above my 

head. Of course, my imagination went wild, as
thoughts ran through my brain, 

"Oh my gosh, I'm going to move, and then
I'm going to get bit by some horrible 

insect on my head, or a spider is up there, or
my head landed in an ant pile, 

or-" 

"Are you okay?" I heard a voice ask. 

"Yea, yea, fine," I replied
casually, thankful that there was someone around to 

make sure that I wasn't being eaten alive by bugs,
"Just hit my head, but it'll 

be fine." 

There was another gust of coolness on my
forehead. A little suprised, I opened 

my eyes. I scrambled backwards. 

"Whoa, what're you doing here?!" I
asked, even though I was pretty freaking sure 

that the white horse in front if me wouldn't
respond. 

I was wrong. 

"Oh, I just landed here," she said,
speaking without moving her mouth. I still 

didn't believe it. I looked around me, trying
to see where there might be 

someone else talking. I stood up and turned around,
glancing back at the horse. 

"H-hey, girl," I stuttered, nervous
not because of her, but mostly because I 

thought someone was watching me, "aren't
you a pretty one..." I reached my hand 

out just above her nostrils so that she could
smell it. 

"Oh," she giggled, playfully
pressing her nose against my hand, "Why, thank 

you!" I just stared at her, as she looked
back at me, her eyes smiling in the 

way animals' eyes do. I started to panic. 

"I must be crazy," I wimpered,
running my hand down her forehead. She nickered 

happily, "oh, please, isn't everyone a
little crazy?" I smiled. 

"I do always say that," I
chuckled," But I never meant it literally." She 

lifted her head and I walked towards the left
side of her body. 

"Ohhh, wow," I gasped, "I don't
think that shows up in the registration books. 

Her coat was still the purest white based, but
I hadn't noticed the unreal 

colors that complemented it! A wave pattern
went across her side, starting from 

her baby pink, pupilless eye (why hadn't I notice
her eyes right away?), and 

ending in a dashed line towards her tail end.
Her front and back legs were 

striped and patterned, and there were a few Xs
here and there on her coat and 

front legs. On her rear thighs were perfectly
shaped hearts, big and bold. But 

what amazing me most was her colors. Her
patterns and stripes were pink and 

purple, just the same colors as the sunset. I
reached out slowly and laid a 

hand on her soft pelt. 

"Are........ are you... real?" I
asked, assuming she would either say "no", or 

disappear altogether and I would wake up. 

"Of course, silly!" She whinnied
softly, "Just as real as you, as of a few 

minutes ago!" I looked at the sunset. The
colors, the black line, the loud 

roar- This made so little sense...... 

I closed my eyes. What could this possibly
mean? Am I dreaming? Or is it 

true, is this really happening, is my life
becoming something like a fairy tale? 

"I don't care," I laughed. 

"Hm?" The horse pressed her head
against my chest and, as I became less afraid, 

and more understanding that this was reality,
I began to run my fingers through 

her silky, black mane. 

"I don't care if accepting you means up
is down," (I believe the horse softly 

giggled, "which, it doesn't"),
"I believe it." 

The horse lifted her head and breathed softly
on my forehead. 

"Good," she whispered, "Now,
gather your things and show me where you are 

staying." 

"O-okay," I nodded, collecting my
art supplies and nervously walking home, 

getting to the sidewalk and hearing the
"clop, clop" of the horse's hooves 

behind me. I was only a few yards away from
the house when I turned around 

suddenly, stopping so quickly that she almost
ran into me. 

"What is your name?" I asked. The
horse merely laughed and shrugged, and... I 

think she even winked. I turned back around
and walked up to my door, the horse 

behind me the whole time. 

"Uh... I don't think you can go inside,
um," I stuttered. 

"Why not?" She laughed, and as I
opened the door, she stepped right in behind 

me. 

"M-mom? Dad?" I called, "anyone
home?" 

"I dunno!!!" My sister's voice rang
from the computer room, where she stared at 

the screen, drawing digital wolves, as always,
not even noticing the large, 

white animal beside me. I shut the door. 

"They're still on their way home," I
said, more to myself than to anyone else. 

I quickly walked past the glass office doors,
the white horse following me. 

"Can you get up the stairs?" I asked
the white horse. She nodded, "Yes," and 

bounded up the stairs clamorously, and I
covered my ears. 

"Augh, that was loud!" I heard the
office door open and looked to my right, 

laying down on my chest before my sister could
notice that I hadn't already been 

laying there. 

"What was that?" She asked, in her
accusing way. 

"I fell," I laughed hysterically, as
I do when I have an "epic fail" moment. 

"Tch, you're so weird." 

"Be quiet and go draw!" I laughed,
throwing a piece of fuzz at her before she 

disappeared into the office again. 

"Sorry!" I heard the horse say. I
heard the garage door open. 

"It's find, just get to my room, with all
the horses on the door- quietly!" I 

ran into the kitchen and casually drank a
glass of water. My mom, dad, brother, 

and youngest sister walked in, sweaty and
tired from playing. Mom was giving my 

siblings "bedtime instructions" as
usual. 

"- so just get to bed and you guys can
shower first thing tomorow morning, 

alright?" she was saying, "Hey,
Ash," she gave me a hug. 

"Hey!" I returned, hugging her
back," so I guess it's time for bed?" I kissed 

her on the cheek, "I've been so tired; I
dubno why I'm not already asleep..." 

"Well," my dad said, "If you
need to sleep, then go to bed." I nodded sleepily 

to be more convincing, and sipped my glass of
water before running halfway 

upstairs. 

"Oh, and guys?" I looked at my
parents, "Can I have a horse?" Mom acted as if 

I'd asked if I could sleep with an extra
pillow or something, taking my question 

as a joke, which, in a way, it was. 

"Sure, why not," she said, not
really paying attention to me, turning on the 

television. I didn't say anything else- it was
good enough for me. I ran 

upstairs, hugged my sister and my brother
goodnight, and stayed in my room, 

closing the door and shutting the windows.
Then, I looked at the horse. 

She was laying down peacefully next to my bed. 

"Hey," I said. 

"Hello!" She replied. She laid her
head down, "I suppose that you're going to 

sleep now?" 

"Yea...... " I said, climbing into
bed before sliding out of my t-shirt and 

jeans and into pajamas, "uh...
goodnight?" 

"Goodnight," the horse replied, and
I turned of the light. I layed there awhile 

and nearly drifted off to sleep. Then I sat
up. 



"Oh, and Sunset Eclipse?" 

"Yes?" I could practically hear the
smile in her voice, at hearing a name of her 

own. She lifted her head. 

"Thank you for coming for me," I
whispered, kissing her on the nose. And we 

both fell asleep with a magical joy in our
hearts. 



Story (c) White--Swallow 

Horse design by FillyFalls