Midnight Marauder

 by Marjory

After dinner, Andi slipped out to the stable to talk to Taffy, her beloved palomino mare. She talked to her heart’s content and decided to write in her journal, not noticing the winter darkness outside. 

 I was late to school today. Justin couldn’t drive me and I may have procrastinated and ate my breakfast slower than I should have. Mr. Foster marked me tardy, but something funny happened today.

 Andi pursed her lips and thought about how to write it when crunching footsteps came near the stable. Taffy pricked up her ears and looked intently at the door. 

Andi stared at Taffy’s paddock door, from whence the footsteps came. She had nowhere to hide. A bolt of panic shot through her. She got quietly to her feet and rested her hand on Taffy’s withers. The mare looked at her out of her sweet almond shaped eyes. Andi saw the fear mirrored in her eyes. 

Andi slowly backed to the stall door all the while looking frantically around her. Taffy’s stall was empty save for her, Taffy, the manger and the water bucket. There was nowhere to hide. 

Lord please help me. Andi prayed silently. 

Taffy stood stock still as the latch slowly began to lift. The metallic click was enough. Andi dove under the manger while Taffy sidled against that wall. Andi watched breathlessly as the door opened. What kind of night marauder could it be? 

Suddenly, the door shut. Footsteps retreated. 

Andi breathed a sigh of relief as Taffy sank down in front of her. She reached for her journal and began writing again. 

 Virginia was a goose again today. She stayed inside at recess while the rest of us trooped out into the snow to get a breath of fresh air. She spotted me playing Fox and Geese with the boys and Rosa. Sometimes I think she’s missing out on the fun things, but at other times I’m glad she doesn’t join in or we’d all be sitting primly with our hands folded and our feet crossed just so. 

Andi paused and started thinking. Mother says I should befriend Virginia, but I don’t think we’d be good friends. We are interested in completely opposite things. Oh yeah! The funny thing that happened today. Cory and Jack were whispering about something when Mr. Foster happened to look up. The boys could feel his eagle eyes boring into them so they slowly looked at him. He cleared his throat and they snapped back into focus. I was hard-pressed to keep my giggles inside. Again the footsteps, only this time they were walking with purpose. 

Thump went the journal, thud as it landed in the straw. Taffy lunged to her feet and virtually bored a hole in the door. This time the latch was a little faster. 

Andi panicked. She raced for the darkest corner of the stall and crouched there in a little ball. The door swung open. Andi’s heart raced and she sent up a prayer. Lord, please protect me and make this intruder go away. Amen. 

The door opened all the way and a man stepped in. Andi stared at his boots, then slowly her eyes traveled up his jeans to his shirt, then to his face. “Are you all right Andi? Mother’s been worried about you.” Mitch’s concerned voice asked as icy December wind blew into the warm stall. 

 “Mitch!” Andi sprang to her feet and embraced her brother in a hug, her fears washed away. It was no midnight marauder, just Mitch. “Thank you Lord.” She breathed before they walked back to the house. She stopped in the yard and gazed up at the sky. It was a clear night and the stars shone brightly in the velvety midnight blue sky. “God is so good, isn’t he Mitch?” Andi asked, her breath taken away by the majesty of the stars shining in the cold, crisp winter night. 

 “Indeed he is."