A Casual Sighting
It had been an eight months numb since the horse had disappeared. The farmer, making it a routine, went out walking that day. It was such a silent morning, the sort that was only to be found in the countryside. Walking along the far edge of his property, he glanced left and right, his eyes roaming the familiar ground. And then he saw it—a dark moving figure in the distance.
He didn’t know what it was at first, his thoughts racing with the outline he squinted for. The figure shifts hesitantly, holding its ground with cautious steps, as if it is aware of being watched. The farmer’s heart began pounding at recognition: it was his horse. He called its name even as his voice trembled with hope and disbelief.
The horse froze for a moment before turning its head in his direction. A moment of recognition shot emotion through the farmer, who saw that his companion was alive. But when he drew closer and as the hope of reunion cooled in its wake, he realized what the horse had gone through.
