Snowflakes fell from the sky as softly and gently as if they were petals lazily falling off their rose. They're one of those things that have always been a mystery to me. It's said that no two are ever the same, and I can't help but wonder, how can that be? Of the billions, perhaps trillions of snowflakes that fall in the world, each year, how is it that each is unique?
The night was so quiet, perfectly peaceful, and ideal for such ponderings. It wasn't until the temperature dropped that it occurred to me to take note of my surroundings.
The snowfall had picked up, and had already covered my tracks. Around me, the skeletal trees stood, stretching out their gnarled branches toward me, each one looking the same. The wind whistled and howled through the sieve created by those latticed arms, making horrific sounds reminiscent of great pain.
I knew that the only way for me to survive this night was to find shelter and wait. With each step, my body grew wearier, yet I kept plodding along, until finally, like the Eden in the middle of the world, the mouth of a cave stood before me. Grateful for the shelter from the ever-strengthening wind, I entered.
Within minutes, the snow had drifted over the trail I'd made in the snow. The wind continued to howl, creating a macabre symphony as it whistled past the cave opening. Darkness fell, bringing with it an even lower temperature, and while I tried to stay awake, I found myself drifting off to sleep before long.
It seemed like days before I reawakened, and I was starving. At the mouth of the cave, I saw that the raging wind had ceased, but the snow was so deep. I gingerly stepped out into the first drift, and while it was cold, and likely treacherous, I felt that I would do fine in finding my way back home. My family was quite likely terribly worried, and I needed for them to know that I was all right before they decided to go out into the weather to hunt for me.
The rest had done me some good, and while I felt rejuvenated, the deep snow took it's toll, and before long, I felt as though I needed a nap again. Behind me, my trail was visible, but I'd come too far to turn back now. I paused, knee-deep in the snow. I'd always thought of myself as strong-willed and defiant, and here I was, ready to give up. And that's when I heard it.
"Annabelle! Annnnnna-belle!" The girl's tiny voice echoed through the forest thicket, buoyed by the winter air, enough to keep me moving, and enough to point me in the right direction.
Soon, I heard her call again, this time closer. My name was followed by a new sound, something loud. A gunshot had crackled through the air, raising all of my senses to full alert. In the deep snow, I moved several feet ahead rather quickly, listening for the young girl's voice.
When she next spoke, it was much weaker. "Annabelle. There you are, girl."
In an instant, I'd assessed the situation and realized that something was terribly wrong. A hunter must have mistaken young Katie as an animal, though how it could have happened in her pink coat, I couldn't understand. The important thing was that she was awake and talking to me.
Bending down, I nuzzled her. Katie giggled and said, "I love you, too, Annabelle." I put my head underneath her arm and willed her to hang on to my mane. She was a small girl and didn't weigh very much, and I knew I couldn't lift her up onto my back, but I still wore my saddle, and if I could get her to stand, she might be able to pull herself up. From the looks of it, her right leg was the one that was injured.
She sensed what I wanted and allowed herself to be pulled up. Once on my back, she asked, "Where did you get off to?"
It was one of the things I liked about Katie. While many people treated their animals with disrespect, Katie still carried on conversations with me. I whinnied in answer to her question.
"Well, really? You were supposed to be in the barn, and when I came out last night to check on you, you were gone. I guess Kenny left the gate open again. I went out to look for you right away." Katie leaned forward and hugged my neck. "I can't live without you, Annabelle."
The feeling was mutual. Without Katie, I'd be lost forever. She loved me so much, she came out looking for me in all that snow and wind, and probably ended up lost herself. I whinnied again, this time in appreciation of her concern for my well being.
Before long, the farmhouse came into view, the rolling pastures that I so loved in the springtime, covered with a deep blanket of white snow. Nothing blemished the sculptured surface of the lazy drifts. There was less than two acres to cross from the edge of the trees, and I began the journey to cross the distance.
It was still early in the morning, and while the farmer and his wife were probably stirring, Katie needed help. I stood still while Katie slid off my saddle. Red dripped from her leg onto the clean snow, and she plopped down there into a sitting position. She was weakening, maybe too weak to call for help for herself. I neighed, making all the ruckus I could, and soon I could hear the farmer grumbling about all the noise through the thin clapboard walls.
I knew she'd be taken care of and sauntered off toward the barn. This was all my fault. It didn't matter that Kenny left the gate open. If I hadn't wandered out, curious about the scent of winter in the air, Katie wouldn't have been injured.
Behind me, I heard the door open, and the farmer saw Katie there, near the steps. All thoughts of the noise that awakened him were instantly gone. "Katherine? Good Lord, child!"
"I went out to find Annabelle."
"Gracious, girl," exclaimed the farmer's wife, behind him. "What are you doing out here in this cold?"
"Must be the fever," the farmer told his wife.
"But she's bleeding!"
"The fever's done made her delusional. She wandered out into this looking for Annabelle, and wound up shot by some fool hunter, from the looks of it."
"I'll call Doctor Lewis."
I watched as the farmer cradled young Katie, showering her forehead in tiny kisses. "Katie, darling, you've got to let go of Annabelle. She froze to death two winters ago, sweetheart."
Katie peered over his shoulder, a tear falling from her eye as she waved her final goodbye to me, and finally, after all this time, I was able to bid her farewell too.
