Mystery of the Missing Horse

By Shuke Wang

“Come on lets go!” hustled Pondra impatiently. Tina looked up and gave Pondra the angry stare, unaware that Pondras’ mother was staring at her. Tina and her best friend Pondra were on their way to Stallion Stables for a week. Tina’s cousin Laurie and her parents lived there. Pondra gave a hard shove at Tina and she finally stood up and started making way out of the bus. She watched from a distance as Pondras’ mother scolded her. She talked back in a loud rude voice which made all the passengers stare. Her mother hushed her angrily and nearly ran out of the bus.

“And you said I was the slowpoke.” Tina teased as Pondra caught up with her.

“Can you please be quiet and mind your own business? Pondra cried unhappily. Tina shrugged and walked into the dessert-like valley with a pale face. She couldn’t blame Pondra for being such a sourpuss. Her parents just divorced, her favorite cousin accused her of being not traditional to Russia, and her sister Aley and her big brother Andrew teamed up and insisted that she should be cut out from the family. And to make it worse, Pondra was forced to come here by her mother and she even had to pay the cost of her four hundred dollars for this trip. Her dog was sold by her dad and her mother was living in a dull and old apartment while her dad was living a luxuries life in Mexico with a new wife. Her mother suggested that she would feel better when she came here, but Tina doubts that her friend would actually like her trip. Pondra used to have a good life in Florida and her dreams all included the cost. Out here, it would be nothing but country music and solar power. Tina liked it, but she knew that it would be a low percentage for Pondra. Suddenly, Pondra broke into her thoughts.

“Is that the ranch? It’s so cool and it’s like, big and I hope the horses are well trained!” Pondra gushed, running ahead of Tina. Tina ran to her puzzled. This was more than she had expected. She immediately ran into the stable where they kept the horses. Laurie wouldn’t mind. She tried to remember the names of the horses that Laurie had shown her in the photographs.

“Hmmmm. Lightning, EBay, Brownie, Clay, Chinook, Windy, Shelby, Abigail, Dandruff, Patchy, and -.” Two other horses were munching hay at the end of the stall. One had a brown blotch on its back and it had a golden mane and peach colored fur. The other one was pure brown and it tossed its dark mane into the air. It was so silky the way it moved gracefully. But it was so strong looking like it was about to race out of the stable yard at any second.

“The brown one is Tokyoadajk and the other one is Chiklimonm.”

“Huh?” Tina looked up and saw her Cousin Laurie standing at the door way with Pondra behind her. “Laurie!” Tina cried and immediately ran over to her and hugged her. Laurie smiled and and motioned for her to let go. “So where did you get them?” Tina asked happily.

“Oh we caught them in our last trip to Wyoming.” Laurie said. “Two Wyoming man named them.” She shrugged. “I caught the brown one but it was like he caught up with me.” She laughed. But then her face turned serious. “The people in Wyoming say that Tokyoadajk is worth fifty thousand dollars if we’re going to sell him. Someone would want to steal it if they found out so don’t tell anybody.” Tina nodded and looked at Pondra. She was pondering on the horses intensely. Tina nodded. She was glad that she was not still on the bus being treated like a pile of dirt by Pondra.

“Oh you have grown so tall Laurie low!” Pondra’s mother cooed. Pondras’ face turned bright red. She glared at her mother. Pondra hated when her mother babied people, especially sixteen year- olds.

“Oh stop that! Mother, you should greet her in a more mature way!” Pondra said coldly.

“Oh sorry my daughter is just so frustrate-

“Don’t worry Mrs. Wellston.” Laurie cut in. “I really don’t mind. Pondras’ mother smiled at Laurie warmly and sighed. Tina caught her sort of scolding Pondra. “So I’ll show you your rooms shouldn’t I? Why how rude I have been, that I even forgot about how tired you were after your long journey. Come inside and let me get you some food.” Laurie stated slyly in a polite parental voice.

“Well, you really have grown up!” Mrs. Wellington sighed. “Only if Pondra was like you. Pondra! You should learn to act like Ms. Gent here.”

“Maybe if I didn’t have such a ruined life, I would!” Pondra nearly shouted. Her face was suddenly very pale, and tears were on the tip of her eyes. She blinked them back and made a fake smile. She sucked her lips inside her mouth and turned with her back facing everyone. Tina knew that this was the sign of a huge fight with her mother. But instead, she started walking towards the house. “Well why is everybody still standing here?” She muttered, close to weeping a river. “Ms. Gent just said we could go in.” Pondras’ mother looked at Laurie sensitively.

“My daughter is just having a hard time getting along. And as long as I want to deny this, I can’t. Pondra does have a ruined life and it’s the pity for me. Every problem for her is supposed to be my problem. She thinks that I ruined her life because I divorced with her fraud and unfaithful father. I’m sorry to express myself with these unacceptable words!”

“I’m fine with it.” Laurie shrugged. She thinks that Mrs. Willington is too dramatic, Tina thought. When they got inside, Tina whispered to herself a camp song:

“This day starts off badly and then it gets worse. My mother loses her pure silver purse. My friends too upset to play hide and seek. My dad has a secret and he won’t let me peek.”

Where is Tokyoadajk? Chapter 2

“Tina! Come, I need your help!” Laurie cried in Tina’s ear at six in the morning. Tina opened her eyes’ and yawned cordially.

“What’s up Laurie?” Tina asked. She jumped out of bed and looked at herself in the mirror. Her brown fluffy hair faded in the dim light and her blue eyes had circles under them. “Why’d you have to wake me up?” Tina mumbled. Laurie stared at her miserably.

“I can’t find Tokyoadajk!” Laurie sobbed. “I went to feed him at three thirty and I locked the gates, I remember. I forgot that I hadn’t changed the water so at four, I went back with a bucket of water but he wasn’t there.”

“Why do horse people always have to wake up so early?” Tina asked lazily. “Let’s go downstairs to talk about it.”

“No!” Laurie shouted. Then she broke into sniffs. She straightened herself and stopped sobbing. “The gates were closed and the tray of food was knocked over when he disappeared.” Laurie said frowning. “I was wondering if he could actually jump that high.” Tina shook her head in huge disagreement.

“Wyoming horses don’t have the skills to jump right after they’re brought to human.” Tina muttered. “They can only run fast enough.” Laurie looked at her in a terrified expression.

“Was he stolen? Laurie asked solemnly. Tina paused for a second. She shrugged and flopped back onto her bed.

“Does anyone else know the cost of this horse?” Tina asked.

“Well, my parents do and some of my best friends know, but trust me. They don’t mean any harm.” Laurie cried. At the exact moment, Laurie’s parents came upstairs.

“We’re watching some early TV!” Laurie’s mother sighed. “Want to come?” Laurie and Tina both nodded and got dressed. Ten minutes later, they were all downstairs eating pancakes and watching channels.

“Hello this is Jessica Baker on news channel I am here to discuss the big prank pulled on many horse ranches this season.” The woman said smoothly. “A released criminal started releasing horses on many towns and may we warn you to lock your ranches responsibly until we recapture the criminal. I am reporting from California and tonight’s awarded singer is Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Miss independent’ so please enjoy your day!” The woman walked out of view and loud booming music started ringing out of the volume as the news center displayed the weather estimations.

“I know that song, I love it!” Pondra shouted. Tina nodded and began talking to Pondra about recommended singers. She saw a glimmer of excitement in Pondras’ eyes and she knew that Pondra finally liked the stay. “So when are we going horseback riding?” Pondra asked.

“When something happens,” Laurie answered silently “We’ll be able to go.” Tina knew that Laurie meant finding her favorite horse. She grabbed onto her sweater and rushed outside. She scanned every corner of the barn and found nothing. Suddenly, something caught her eye that was in the food bucket. Slanted over the edge of the bucket handles was a prune shaped metal seed that was the size of an eye. It had smoke rising from the end and it caused the foods to turn into a very pale rose color. She showed Laurie and she looked at it intensely. After a while, Laurie quivered.

“Stop helping me.” Laurie sighed. Tina looked at her, slightly puzzled. With her hands still on the object, Laurie stood up. “This, my friend,” Laurie explained “Is a grenade.

The Deadly Game chapter 3