The Missing

.~. Kenzi .~.

I suppose it’s just another day for me. I’m 13 as of today, and I get to spend my birthday on the track.

Not like- a running track- like a racehorse track. I am actually about medium height for my age, but I am really light, so my dad lets me ride his horses.

My dad, just happens to be the president, President Cath.

I’m mean, it’s nice and all, but I only like riding the horses. My dad had started a racehorse stable before he ran for president, and I fell in love with a certain large stallion.

This certain stallion is a 16hh palamino thoroughbred. His golden fur shone in the sunlight, and one of his legs had a high white sock, his mane, tail, and ears, glittered like white silk.

He is only 3 years old, believe it or not, plenty old for a racehorse. His name, is Bright Sun.

I snap back into focus as the groom helps me up onto the saddle.

“Thanks.” I say to him, he simply muttered something and led Bright Sun through the crowds, leaving us to the guiding riders on the track.

I didn’t have much trouble controlling Sun, honestly, I would, and usually ride him in a halter, completely bareback.

Now, some may think that as a death sentence, him being a high-strung thoroughbred and all, but, I have bonded with this horse deeply, and there was no horse I trusted more.

The crowd roared in the stands, which messes with a lot of horses’ concentration, including Bright Sun.

He stuttered around, his ears flicking in all different directions as we waited to load into the gate.

I leaned forward, whispering in his ear. “It’s alright, we got this, just focus on me.”

Bright Sun’s ears flicked back, and he calmed down, standing still while a black stallion reared just behind the #2 gate.

Once the coast was clear, Bright Sun entered the #7 gate calmly.

But, as the announcer talked, he stomped his hoof on the ground, nickering.

I settled in the saddle, already balancing in the stirrups. My jockeys uniform, blue and gold, was just the right size.

When I looked to the other sides of me, I saw a few jockeys looking at me like I was a prize, and the rest of them scowling at me.

I get this a lot, and it infuriates me every time.

I shot them a glare that could level mountains, pulling my goggles over my eyes as I looked to the track.

The seconds ticked off in my head as I counted down.

3.

2.

1.

The gates shot open, and I moved into my jocky stance, balancing on Sun’s back as he rocketed out of the gate.

Sun’s powerful legs churned the sand, and he kept a secure spot in second.

The black stallion was in first, leading through the turn.

Since we were directly behind the black stallion, dirt was flying into mine and Sun’s faces.

I leaned forward. “I’m so sick of this, come on Sun!”

We had reached the straightaway, Sun was neck-and-neck with the black stallion, both of them straining to go faster.

Sun pulled ahead, his legs pumping a steady rhythm.

I grinned, letting Sun run.

We rounded the last corner, the crowd was so loud, it was deafening.

I was so happy, the adrenaline I felt would probably have me dancing for days.

Then, a brilliant white light flashed, I gripped onto Sun’s mane for dear life, my eyes shut to try to not see the blinding light.

Sun reared, I could feel it, the sudden horizontal feeling.

The light went away, I took a deep shuddering breath. Looking behind me, I gasped. All of the horses where riderless, bolting about, scared out of their minds.

I rubbed Sun’s neck, looking around, I saw only a few teenagers in the stands.

Almost all of the crowd was gone.

I clicked at Sun, he cantered over to he edge of the track, I looked up at the teens in the stands.

“What just happened?!” I shouted up at them.

They all looked down at me, then hurried over.

“What was that light?” I asked them, wondering if they had seen the light too.

One boy, looking about 16, shrugged. “I saw it, and then,like, everybody disappeared.”

I nodded. “Same. All of the jockeys are gone.” I motioned to the racehorses, some had calmed down, but the black stallion was bucking and bolting around the track.

“I’m going to take care of that horse- anybody here good with horses?” I asked the group, and two of the kids raised their hands, probably twins, from the looks of it, both had brown hair and hazel eyes, one was a girl and the other was a boy.

“Follow me.” I tapped Sun softly with my crop, and we trotted over to where the other horses where.

The twins were standing on either side of me and Sun. “Alright, you guys, get the standing horses, just make sure they can see you and they shouldn’t run. I’ll get the black one.”

With that, Sun leaped into a gallop, matching strides with the black stallion.

I grabbed his reins, pulling Sun and the black horse to a walk. Sun trotted back to the twins, who now had the other horses by their leads.

“Next part, I want all of you to unsaddle these horses, and put them in the forest.”

I handed the black horse off to one of the older kids, turning Sun away.

With my que, he cantered out of the arena.

.~.~.~.~.

We stopped at the house where my family was spending our summer before the strange poof.

I tied Sun to a stall in the stable, then scrambled up the stairs into the house.

“Mom? Dad? Harvey?” I called into the house, hoping that they would answer back, because this whole disappearing thing wasn’t funny.

Maybe mom and dad could be gone, but Harvey couldn’t- he was my older brother, he had turned 21 last week.

I sighed after a long time of calling. They were gone, when, why, how I have no idea.

All I knew is that I had to find someplace to go, and probably that I should lock down this summer home. People might rob it.

So, I barricaded the windows, and set the locks on everything.

Then, I went upstairs, my dad has always liked hunting, and he did mounted shooting, but with large guns, not like pistols.

I opened the gun safe that he had in his room, looking over the weapons.

The first pick, was the shotgun, you can never go wrong with a shotgun.

I slung it over my shoulder, grabbing a large bag and packing it with ammo.

My next picks, where the Ak-47, and the High-Caliber rifle.

Then, I grabbed my bag of ammo, going back down to the stable.

Sun was surprised to see me with gus on my back, but I guess he trusted me enough, because he didn’t bolt.

Dropping the guns and the ammo by Sun’s hooves, I turned, running to the tack room. I found my dad’s hunting saddle. It was a western saddle, with multiple places for me to store ammunition and guns.

I picked the heavy saddle up, taking with me a black saddle blanket with golden stitching.

Of course, I had ridden Sun in a western saddle before, but because he was a racehorse, it has never been his favorite.

I undid the racing saddle, putting the black-and-gold saddle blanket over his back, then the western saddle.

After tacking him up, I switched bridles to a more comfortable english bridle.

Next, it was my turn to change. I changed clothes into a golden t-shirt and black jeans, and tennis shoes.

I loaded my guns and ammo on the saddle, then swing up into the saddle.

A radio buzzed to life on the table beside the wall of the stable.

"Kids. I am Issiac Fate. It seems that many people have dissapeared. Come to the central square of Gregory Heights, I will try to help all of us! Be there this afternoon if possible.”

I looked to Sun, who was listening to me. “Well, looks like we are going to Gregory Heights.”

With that, we galloped off towards the town.