Tag: cave horses

Besides being hungry and thirsty, and barefoot in her nightgown, Meagan was growing rather frightened. There was nothing to be seen of civilization—no buildings or roads, no power lines or airplanes. In all directions were endless grassland and ridges of rocky hills, all under a brilliant clear sky. A low breeze floated over her, heavy with the sweet scent of vegetation.

At least it smells nice, Meagan thought, breathing deeply. Maybe I could live off the land. Of course, she had not the slightest idea of how such a thing was done: she was the primitive here. Uneasiness hummed beneath her consciousness like a low bass note.

Meagan passed a mammoth stack of manure, a pyramid where generations of stallions had dropped to mark their presence. To her, horses had always been some kind of domesticated, almost manmade beings—beautiful, disciplined and familiar. But this pile was a clear warning, made by and for other wild animals.

At dusk, Meagan saw movement in the haze ahead. At first she stopped in fear—she did not want to meet any more horse-killers. But as she studied the haze, the patches resolved into silhouettes of grazing horses. A herd stood against the fading sunlight. She hurried after them…

Meagan climbed to her feet and looked around in astonishment. She stood on a ledge overlooking wide, empty fields. A canyon corridor opened here, onto the ledge.

Where am I?

She started to call again to the children above, but the vibration suddenly broke free into rushing sound. Rounding the angle of the canyon wall, a galloping herd of horses swept towards her in panicked fright, thundering echoes off the canyon walls.

Meagan darted to the cracked rock wall and clawed up the side as the sound of horses exploded behind her. Whinnies echoed through the corridor. The first horses to see the cliff’s edge skidded before being pushed into the abyss by the horses behind.

In seconds, the train of sliding horses passed, leaving the last animals milling in confusion. Hanging against the canyon wall, Meagan stared disbelieving into the empty dust.