“Joe’s not here,” she said, her voice cracking.
“The lad’ll be upset, I know. But we can’t let this old boy suffer any more. It’s not fair. He won’t know a thing about it.” John walked past her and ruffled Merlin’s thick mane. “Come on, my beauty. Let’s see you off.”
Tears were running down Ellie’s cheeks now, falling on to her coat as she stared down at Merlin’s sweet face, his eyes so trusting as he looked up at her. He didn’t know what was about to happen.
John’s voice cut through the air. “You’d better move out of the way, Ellie. He’ll go down fast.”
She turned away with a sob as the vet moved to where she’d been standing and lifted the gun. Hugging her arms around herself, she tried to think of something to do or say to stop it…There was a muffled shot and then a thud. She swung around. The chestnut pony was lying on the ground on his side. His eyes were open but he was dead.
A half cry choked out of her as she flung herself down beside him.
“Come on now.” She felt John pat her shoulder.
Ellie shook her head. She couldn’t speak. If she opened her mouth she didn’t know what would come out. No, no, no…
To her relief, the vet seemed to understand. He left her with the pony and walked away. Ellie didn’t blame him for a second for what he’d done. She knew vets had to put animals to sleep. No vet ever liked doing it. It wasn’t his fault.
But it was her uncle’s.
Hot tears streamed down her face as she knelt beside Merlin, stroking his neck over and over again. He had been so brave, so willing. He had made so many children happy, given everything all his life and now, in a few seconds, he had gone.
It’s not fair!
She saw the photos of him in Joe’s room, remembered the smile on Joe’s face only the other day as he’d told her how Merlin used to look after him in shows, the trust in Merlin’s eyes as he gazed at Joe. His life shouldn’t have ended like this. Not after he had given so much, been loved so much …
Oh, Joe , she thought as she stroked the bay pony’s now lifeless body, feeling no connection, no energy, just a fading warmth. What are you going to say?
Ellie stayed with Merlin until the tractor arrived from the local kennels to take him away. She left then. She knew to the men involved that Merlin was just a piece of meat, and she didn’t want to see him being hauled on to the trailer, manhandled. It seemed utterly wrong for a pony who had given so much to people all his life. She walked slowly back to the gate, her face stiff with dried tears. Lucifer was grazing now with short unsettled bites. She had never hated an animal in her life, but for an instant she hated him for what he had done.
She breathed out. No. Even with the grief still throbbing through her she could sense the unhappiness and fear in him. There was something wrong with him, she was sure of it. She couldn’t hate him.
Climbing the gate, she felt numb. The thought of Joe still at the show, not knowing what had just happened, twisted her up inside. How would he feel when he found out? All thoughts of their argument had gone; it seemed so petty now. I’ve got to call him , she thought.
She went to Spirit’s stable. Luke had put him away and untacked him. The gray horse whinnied when he saw her. She leaned against him, drawing strength, and then, taking a deep breath, she reached for her phone. Her fingers trembled as she found Joe’s cell phone number and pressed the call button. The call went straight through to voicemail.
“ Hi, I can’t take your call right now. Leave me a message and I’ll call you back. ”
Ellie swallowed as she heard the beep. “Hi. It’s…um…it’s me. Ellie. Look, can you call me when you get this?” She hesitated, longing to say something more, longing to tell him how much she cared. But what could she say? She clicked the off button. Then she texted him: “Call me PLEASE. E x”
Slipping her phone back in her pocket, she
“The lad’ll be upset, I know. But we can’t let this old boy suffer any more. It’s not fair. He won’t know a thing about it.” John walked past her and ruffled Merlin’s thick mane. “Come on, my beauty. Let’s see you off.”
Tears were running down Ellie’s cheeks now, falling on to her coat as she stared down at Merlin’s sweet face, his eyes so trusting as he looked up at her. He didn’t know what was about to happen.
John’s voice cut through the air. “You’d better move out of the way, Ellie. He’ll go down fast.”
She turned away with a sob as the vet moved to where she’d been standing and lifted the gun. Hugging her arms around herself, she tried to think of something to do or say to stop it…There was a muffled shot and then a thud. She swung around. The chestnut pony was lying on the ground on his side. His eyes were open but he was dead.
A half cry choked out of her as she flung herself down beside him.
“Come on now.” She felt John pat her shoulder.
Ellie shook her head. She couldn’t speak. If she opened her mouth she didn’t know what would come out. No, no, no…
To her relief, the vet seemed to understand. He left her with the pony and walked away. Ellie didn’t blame him for a second for what he’d done. She knew vets had to put animals to sleep. No vet ever liked doing it. It wasn’t his fault.
But it was her uncle’s.
Hot tears streamed down her face as she knelt beside Merlin, stroking his neck over and over again. He had been so brave, so willing. He had made so many children happy, given everything all his life and now, in a few seconds, he had gone.
It’s not fair!
She saw the photos of him in Joe’s room, remembered the smile on Joe’s face only the other day as he’d told her how Merlin used to look after him in shows, the trust in Merlin’s eyes as he gazed at Joe. His life shouldn’t have ended like this. Not after he had given so much, been loved so much …
Oh, Joe , she thought as she stroked the bay pony’s now lifeless body, feeling no connection, no energy, just a fading warmth. What are you going to say?
Ellie stayed with Merlin until the tractor arrived from the local kennels to take him away. She left then. She knew to the men involved that Merlin was just a piece of meat, and she didn’t want to see him being hauled on to the trailer, manhandled. It seemed utterly wrong for a pony who had given so much to people all his life. She walked slowly back to the gate, her face stiff with dried tears. Lucifer was grazing now with short unsettled bites. She had never hated an animal in her life, but for an instant she hated him for what he had done.
She breathed out. No. Even with the grief still throbbing through her she could sense the unhappiness and fear in him. There was something wrong with him, she was sure of it. She couldn’t hate him.
Climbing the gate, she felt numb. The thought of Joe still at the show, not knowing what had just happened, twisted her up inside. How would he feel when he found out? All thoughts of their argument had gone; it seemed so petty now. I’ve got to call him , she thought.
She went to Spirit’s stable. Luke had put him away and untacked him. The gray horse whinnied when he saw her. She leaned against him, drawing strength, and then, taking a deep breath, she reached for her phone. Her fingers trembled as she found Joe’s cell phone number and pressed the call button. The call went straight through to voicemail.
“ Hi, I can’t take your call right now. Leave me a message and I’ll call you back. ”
Ellie swallowed as she heard the beep. “Hi. It’s…um…it’s me. Ellie. Look, can you call me when you get this?” She hesitated, longing to say something more, longing to tell him how much she cared. But what could she say? She clicked the off button. Then she texted him: “Call me PLEASE. E x”
Slipping her phone back in her pocket, she
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