Links from the Show at a Glance:
Artist: Ania Archer
Ania’s Instagram: @ania_archer
The children’s book Ania illustrated: Calvin the Claustrophobic Caterpillar
Sunshine Inspired Fauna on Instagram: @sunshine_inspired_fauna
Art Ink Submission Guidelines: rebekahnemethy.com/artinksubs
Art Ink Podcast Transcript:
[Intro:]/[Art Description:]
The way today’s cover art found it’s way to me is similar to how its artist found me. Ania Archer is without a doubt my soul sister, we have so much in common it’s kinda scary. She’s an adventurous, animal-loving creative who’s always amazing me with the talent that shines through in whatever project she puts her heart into. But if I hadn’t stepped out of my comfort zone a few years ago, I never would have met Ania. And I might be wrong, but I’d venture to guess she had to step out of her own comfort zone back then too.
I was creating a podcast about animal rescue at that time and one of my guests offered to reciprocate the interview and put me on her show too. At first I was like, uhhh, no… that sounds way too scary. The host of the show was such a well-spoken, intelligent vegan activist, and I was like groupie watching from afar.
Needless to say I didn’t feel I was in her league, and I was sure she was just being kind. And honestly, even though I ended up taking advantage of that kindness and going on her show, I’m sure my insecurities are all very clear in that episode.
But guess what?
Ania ended up hearing that podcast! And she really connected with my story about wanting to escape the work force and pursue a life of passion. She started listening to my podcast and eventually she reached out to me to let me know all about it.
We connected on Instagram and before I even read her message her name so looked familiar to me. I soon discovered that not only did we both subscribe to the same podcast she found me on, but we also followed one of my other superheroes at the time, maybe even liking and commenting on the same posts. And these two women are completely unrelated. One is not even on social media at all.
This synchronicity clearly told me Ania was a person I could relate to, and so I was able to trust that meeting her in person was a step outside my comfort zone that might be worth taking.
And I was so right.
Fast forward a few years later and I’m trying very hard to make an effort to keep this podcast going. So I decide to dig into my old short story archive to give me some breathing room.
The first short story I ever wrote would be perfect for Halloween, but what art could I use?
Ania is an awe-inspiring designer whose Instagram feed is filled with drawings and photographs of gorgeous flowers and animals. She’s the illustrator of the children’s book Calvin the Claustrophobic Caterpillar and she’s also the creator of @sunshine_inspired_fauna, which brings awareness to endangered animals and the non-profits that help them with beautiful works of art by a variety of uber talented artists. So naturally she’s the first person I think of that might already have horse art in her archive. But I’d already scrolled through her feed and didn’t see anything.
I ask on Instagram if any artists have horse art they want to share. I get crickets. So I decide maybe it’s just not meant to be right now.
It later comes up in conversation, however, and she tells me she might have some horse photos I could use.
I feel resistant asking, because I know how I feel when I sign up for extra projects that I didn’t plan for, but she insists that she could use the motivation.
Ok, here’s where the magick bit lies. I’ve been having a lot of resistance to changing my art-inspired episodes to an art-pairing model. I’ve told myself that I created this to empower artists and I should be putting them first. So that I was asking for art for my pre-existing story felt wrong with this narrative running through my head.
So I decide, in order to make myself feel better, that I will see what photos Ania pulls up and I will adapt the story by making the horse look like the photo. Why not, right?
I feel much better after that decision and I go on with my life for a few days.
Later on, Ania gets in touch with me to give me a teaser and she sends a screenshot of all these beautiful horses she’s photographed. And right smack in the middle is the gray dappled horse I’d written about when I was 14 years old.
All this time, I had this idea in my head that the perfectly paired art can only be perfect if the story was written with its influence in mind first and foremost. But really that was just a huge block in my trusting the universe in its ability to give me exactly what I need when I let go of how it’s supposed to happen.
Not to take away credit from you Ania! Because I know that you’re the one who did all the physical 3D work for me on the universe’s behalf! And I sincerely thank you for that!
Friends, please be sure to check out the cover art when you can, to see the handsome horse who stars in today’s story, and take a look at what Ania’s working on right now @ania_archer on Instagram. Link in the shownotes.
And now, I want to share with you the first short story I ever wrote.
[Story:]
The Midnight Rider
“Hello?” Joshua Milton left a trail of puddles as he ran to the phone with only a towel wrapped around his waist.
“I have great news!” Jack Milton said.
“What’s that?” Josh asked without interest. He had rushed to the phone expecting to hear a female voice. Lisa was supposed to call him today.
“I bought a house!” Jack said, “we can move in next week!”
“Whoa, Dad, slow down,” His father had spent the weekend in the country to take a look at some property, but Josh assumed he was only looking. “You bought a house?”
“Yup,” Jack said, “it has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and it’s sitting on twenty-five acres of property. Everything’s in fine condition, and it’s only about two hours from the city.”
“But how are we going to afford a place like that?” asked Josh, still a bit stunned. They were moving into an actual house? Quite a change from the usual cramped apartments he and his father had been used to.
“Oh, don’t you worry about it,” Jack said, “I got a great deal on the place and the taxes out here are nothing compared to the city’s.”
“Well that’s great dad,” urban life was tiring, “when are we leaving?”
“Wait a minute,” Josh heard his father laugh, “you haven’t even heard the best part yet; Mr. Turner, the original owner of the house, gave us his horse.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Oh, I dunno, I guess he’s just too old to take care of it, but I thought you might like him.” Josh’s father replied, “you loved working at the stables when you lived with your mother!”
“Yeah, I had a great time,” Josh said, he remembered all the dirty work he did in exchange for riding lessons, “but you don’t know anything about this horse. Are you sure he’s sound?”
“Oh, I’m sure he’ll be just fine, and he sure is a beauty. He’s a dapple-gray thoroughbred. I bet you can’t wait to see him, huh?”
“Yeah, dad, it all seems great,” Josh lied. Even though he was becoming increasingly excited about moving, something seemed too good to be true about this horse.
“Well, I’ll be home in a few hours and we can start packing first thing in the morning.”
“Okay, see ya later dad.”
“Bye.”
A week later, after the endless packing, planning, and the heartbreaking ‘goodbye’s’ and ‘I’ll write you’s,’ Josh and his father were finally on their way to their new home. As they were nearing their destination the surroundings began to change from rows of buildings, stores, and bumper to bumper traffic to trees, fields, and long, straight roads stretching on forever without a car in sight. The sun was just beginning to set and the orangey-pink clouds seemed to stretch on forever in all directions of the vast sky.
“Here we are,” Jack said as he turned the moving truck into the long, unpaved driveway. The house was big; probably too big for just two people. It was a slightly off-white color with charcoal gray shutters. Behind the house was a small white barn adjacent to a rectangular riding ring. Most of the property’s twenty-five acres were fenced in, green pastures with hardly any trees aside from the few that surrounded the house.
“So where’s this horse?” Josh asked, as he spun around, glancing at each pasture.
“He’s in his stall over there,” Jack pointed to the barn, “you wanna see him?”
“Sure,” Josh was already walking toward the barn. Jack followed his son and looked on as Josh slid the door open. There were six stalls, three on each side and a tack room at the far end of the building.
As soon as the horse heard the door open he threw his head up, startled, with his blue eyes wide open. As the boy approached the horse, he stuck his nose between the bars of the stall, sniffing Josh’s hand. “Wow dad, you were right,” Josh said, “he is beautiful.”
“You like him?” Jack sounded pleased.
“He’s great dad, thanks! I think I’ll name him Smoke.”
“Sounds good to me, now I’m going to get started unpacking. Why don’t you put Smoke out for the night and then come help me?”
“Okay,” Josh said. He spotted a halter hanging on a hook beneath a brass plate with the name “Mystic” engraved into it. Josh grabbed the halter and cautiously opened the stall door, not knowing exactly what to expect.
“Easy boy,” Josh whispered. To his surprise, he had no reason to be nervous. Smoke walked up to Josh, smelt the halter, and placed his nose right into it himself. All Josh had to do was buckle it in place and lead the horse to the pasture.
“It’s too late now Smoke,” Josh said as he opened the metal gate, “but maybe tomorrow we could go for a ride, huh boy?” Josh took off his halter and watched as the horse put his head down to graze.
“See ya tomorrow, Smoke.”
Later that night Josh awoke to a horse’s whinny. At first the sound had made its way into Josh’s dreams: he saw images of horses, an entire herd of them, galloping across a stream. He opened his eyes with a start, realizing the crying horse was real.
Josh tripped over empty boxes on his way to the open window. Peeking outside, squinting, he tried to distinguish one shadow from another while his eyes were adjusting to the bright moonlight. Another whinny sounded and Josh caught sight of Smoke pacing in front of the gate, haphazardly snorting and rearing like he was trying to run up an invisible wall to the sky.
Josh was contemplating whether or not he should go take a closer look, when a cold breeze swept through the window and he took cover against the wall. When he looked outside once more the horse was calm again. If Josh hadn’t seen him prancing around only moments before he wouldn’t have suspected a bit of excitement.
Smoke stood with his head over the fence and his ears directed forward. He seemed to be focusing on something in front of him, but what? There was nothing but an empty field ahead. Deciding to investigate, he grabbed a pair of jeans from the floor and pulled them over his boxers. He slipped on a pair of sneakers and hurried outside.
A thick fog had formed during Josh’s short trip from the window to the front door. When he got to the fence, Josh could just barely make out Smoke’s vague outline through the mist. That was when he noticed that he was not alone. On the other side of the fence, petting Smoke along his snout was a pretty, smiling, young girl. She had long, wavy, blonde hair that sparkled in the silver light. The girl wore tan riding pants, with black boots that rose to her knees and her untucked, white blouse billowed in the breeze.
Josh approached her, in a daze, while she still seemed unaware of his presence. When he was halfway to her he tried to speak, but a stuttering “h-hey,” was all that he could get out.
The girl gasped at seeing him, spun around, and sprinted toward the woods. “Wait!” Josh called, “it’s okay, come back!” He started to chase after her, but she had already disappeared between the tree trunks by the time he made it halfway across the field.
Wow, Josh thought, she’s fast! He bent down for a moment, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. “Oh well,” he muttered and, as he began to walk back to the house, he noticed the fog had lifted and the breeze had vanished.
“Come on kiddo,” Josh’s dad yelled with only his head poking in the bedroom doorway, “it’s after eight. Get up!”
“Too early,” Josh said, pulling the covers over his head.
“Oh no you don’t,” Jack said, as he entered Josh’s room. He grabbed the comforter and pulled it off of Josh completely. “Breakfast’s on the table. I wanna celebrate the first day in our new home together before I start working.”
“Alright, alright,” Josh said, but the only movement he made was to shield his eyes from the bright rays of sunshine that were pouring through the window. After a while he rose from his bed.
A few minutes later, Josh was downstairs sitting down to a tofu scramble breakfast wrap with his father. “So, how’s the book going?”
“Oh, just a few more revisions and I can send it out,” Jack said. “It should be done in a week or so.”
“Great,” Josh said through a mouthful of tofu. He never understood what his father found so wonderful about writing, but it always made him happy to talk about it.
“So, you gonna ride Smoke today?”
“Yup,” Josh said, remembering the previous night’s experience. He decided against informing his father about the strange girl he had seen, although he couldn’t help wondering if he’d ever see her again. “I wonder if she lives around here,” Josh said aloud.
“Huh?”
“Um, nothing,” Josh said, “I was just talking to myself.”
“Oh,” Jack said, “well I’m going to get to work, see ya later.” He rose from his seat, bringing his plate to the sink and leaving the room.
“I didn’t even get her name,” now that Josh’s father had gone he could continue speaking his thoughts aloud. “Oh well,” he sighed, “let’s see how Smoke’s doing.”
“What’s the matter boy?” he asked. Smoke had become calm since last night. “You miss her too, huh?” Josh patted down his long, muscular neck.
He found Smoke’s halter and brought the horse back to the barn. “I’m just gonna clean you up a little,” he said as he secured Smoke to the crossties, “and then we’re gonna get you tacked up so we can go for a ride.” Josh grabbed a few brushes and a hoof pick. “Now how does that sound?”
Smoke replied only by looking intently at Josh with his ears forward, listening to his young new companion. “Sounds good to me too,” Josh said as if he’d gotten an answer from the horse.
He brushed the majestic creature thoroughly, covering every part of his body in order to examine him. When he finished, Smoke’s coat shone like a show horse’s. His thick tail almost reached the floor and was trimmed evenly as was his mane. It was obvious that Smoke’s previous owners had taken care of him. And not for the first time, Josh wondered why they’d abandon him.
Smoke stood still as Josh went to the tack room to find a saddle. When Josh returned with it he could have sworn he saw the horse widen his eyes, but he didn’t move. After saddling him, Josh retrieved the horse’s bridle and was surprised when Smoke opened his mouth for the bit without command.
“So far, so good,” Josh said as he walked the horse out to the ring. After adjusting his stirrups, he stepped up onto the side of a nearby fence and climbed onto the tall horse. In one rough motion Smoke reared up and then bucked his rider high into the air. Josh went flying over the horse’s head and landed on his back.
***
Josh rolled his eyes and pounded the ground. “I spoke too soon.”
At dinner that night Josh let his father in on how he felt about Smoke, “What a great horse you picked!”
“Yeah?” Jack asked, “you really like him?”
“I was being sarcastic.”
“Oh?” Jack looked up from his plate, “what’s wrong with him?”
“I dunno, he was fine in the beginning, but as soon as I got on him I was thrown off,” Josh said, “I knew this was a bad idea.”
“Well did you try to get back on him? Maybe he just got spooked, or maybe his saddle was bothering him.”
“Yeah, he just threw me off again,” Josh lied. “There was nothing there to scare him, and I checked his saddle. He’s just not a good horse!”
“Well I’m going to call Mr. Turner in the morning,” Jack said, “I’ll find out if Smoke has ever behaved this way before.”
“Whatever you want,” Josh said, and headed to his bedroom. He left an empty plate on the table for his father to clean up. Smoke seemed so great at first. Josh had had his doubts, of course, but after he’d met him Josh had let a sense of hope infiltrate his fears.
Josh sat in his room, flipping through channels for hours while his mind remained on Smoke and the strange girl he’d probably never see again. It was past twelve when he decided to go to bed.
Josh closed his eyes knowing he would never fall asleep. There was a nice breeze coming in from the window, sending the white curtains flying inwards as if they were ghosts reaching out for him. Josh just watched as they flew, longing to get up and peer past them and wishing that, when he did, he would see the nameless girl he had seen the night before. Just then Josh heard a soft, rhythmic pounding coming from outside. Hoof beats? Still wide awake, he jumped from his bed and ran to the window and, as if it were a dream, there she was. This time, though, the girl was atop the gray creature and, together, they sped through the ring.
Josh didn’t even have time to think before he was on his way to the girl on his horse. He didn’t want to miss his chance this time. He made his way outside and watched her from afar, not wanting to scare her away again. She rode with the horse’s every stride as if she’d been born on his back. The young girl was so involved in her riding that Josh figured even if he did walk right up to the ring she wouldn’t have noticed anyways. Still, Josh waited until after Smoke and his gorgeous rider had slowed from a canter to a walk. The girl’s hair, which was once flowing far behind her head, now rested on her shoulders as she gave him a pleased pat on the neck. Only then did Josh venture to approach her. “He must really like you,” Josh said.
At once the girl turned Smoke around, preparing to run away again. “Please don’t leave,” Josh said, not worried this time because he knew she couldn’t get very far in the enclosed ring.
She seemed to notice this herself and turned Smoke back to face Josh. “Why do you keep running away from me?” Josh asked as he began to walk toward the two of them. The girl just stared at him with her green eyes. “Well you got a name?”
“Elizabeth,” she said, looking down at the nearing boy.
Josh smiled, he was thinking of what a perfect voice Elizabeth had to complement her other perfect features. “I’m Josh,” he said extending his hand. She took his hand as she swung one leg over the horse and jumped down. Still clutching her hand, Josh moved behind her, caught her with his free arm and lowered her to the ground.
“You’re great with him,” Josh said as she spun around in his embrace and then broke free from it. She grabbed Smoke’s reins and brought them over his head. “Would you like to help me with him tomorrow?” he asked, “I don’t think he likes me very much.”
Elizabeth started to lead Smoke out of the ring with Josh close behind them, “you mean you’re not mad at me?” she asked.
“Why would I be mad?”
“I don’t know,” Elizabeth said, “I don’t think I can help you, sorry.”
“Oh,” Josh hoped he hid his disappointment, “it’s ok.” They were outside the ring and heading toward the barn. “Have you ridden Smoke before? You’re just so good with him.”
“You could say that,” Elizabeth said as she unbridled and untacked the horse, “and his name is Mystic,” she added.
“Have you been coming here every night?”
“Some nights.”
“Oh,” Josh watched in silence as Elizabeth finished with the horse and led him to his stall. He couldn’t help thinking about how much he wanted to touch her again, to wrap his arms around her tiny waist and pull her close to him. He had never seen a girl so beautiful before. Her skin was flawless, it even seemed to glow a little, and her emerald eyes struck him like lightning when they met his own.
“Well, it’s getting late,” Elizabeth said, “I’m going to get out of here.”
“Where do you live? Do you need a ride?”
“No,” she said. She was already exiting the barn into the darkness, “I live just up the road. I can walk.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” she walked past Josh through the pasture where she had run away from him the first time they met.
“Okay,” Josh said, “will I see you again?”
Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders and continued walking. Josh watched her as she disappeared into the night, noticing that she didn’t go anywhere near the road. Instead, she was lost in the darkness of the woods ahead. Maybe it’s a shortcut Josh thought and returned to the barn to shut off all the lights and close up.
When he finally returned to bed he saw that it was about one-thirty and, this time, he had no trouble falling asleep.
Josh woke up early the next morning. On his way down to breakfast he heard someone speaking and wondered if his father had company. As he reached the bottom of the stairs he saw him replacing the phone on its receiver. “Who was that?”
“Mr. Turner,” Jack said, “I was calling to ask about Smoke.”
“And?”
“And he said that ‘Mystic,’” he drew the quotation marks in the air, “hasn’t been the same since his last owner…” Jack hesitated, “Mr. Turner’s daughter just recently died. Smoke was her horse and, apparently, she was the only one who could ride him. Mr. Turner said he was sorry for giving him to us when he knew all along he would behave that way, but he also told me it was his only choice. No one would take the horse and it was too heartbreaking to keep him around.”
“Oh.” Josh was, once again, tempted to tell his father about Elizabeth. Elizabeth could ride Smoke, I saw her, he wanted to say, she could help us with him, but no such words came out. Josh’s father would ask too many questions, questions Josh didn’t have any answers to. Even he didn’t know much of the girl who could save this horse.
“I guess we’ll have to get rid of him,” Jack said the words Josh was expecting, but didn’t want to hear.
“No, just give me a little more time,” Josh said, knowing that he could convince Elizabeth to help once he told her what would happen to Smoke if she didn’t. “I’m sure I can work with him.”
“Whatever you want,” his father said, turning to retreat to his office. He began to walk away but then he spun around. “Josh, could you go pick some things up for me at the store?” He tossed his keys to his son assuming he would agree. “Get some computer paper, and whatever else we need around here,” he said, handing Josh two twenties. Then he resumed his trail to the office.
“No prob,” Josh said, gladly taking the money and the keys to his father’s ’89 Mustang. It was old, but the car had muscle and Josh took every opportunity he was given to drive it.
Soon, Josh was speeding down the straight, country road. Being used to driving in the city, he rarely had the chance to reach speeds over thirty but here he was going eighty without another car in sight. The wind whipped at his overgrown hair through both open windows. He neared town and his racecar fantasy diminished as he turned into a small plaza.
After Josh finished gathering up his father’s paper in the general store, he grabbed a few bags of chips and some salsa. There was only one checkout counter and behind the register stood a boy around Josh’s age, maybe sixteen or seventeen. He had short, black hair and dark, blue eyes.
“Haven’t seen you around here before,” the cashier said as he rang up the few items Josh had presented to him, “just passing through?”
“No, actually, I just moved here.”
“Ok, Ok. So you’re the one who moved into the old Turner house, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s a small town,” he said, seeing Josh’s surprise, “I’m Chad.” He placed the bagged purchases on the counter and then offered Josh his hand.
“Josh.”
“Hey, I’m not doing anything tomorrow, you need someone to show you around?” Chad asked.
Josh felt relieved, “sure, I’m not busy.” It would be a good idea, he thought, to get to know whoever he could before school started.
Chad handed Josh his bag, “How about twelve? I’ll meet you at your house?”
“Sounds good,” Josh said.
At a little past eleven-thirty that night, Josh crept around the barn and scanned the surrounding fields, looking especially close in the direction Elizabeth was heading last night. Finding no trace of her, he sat down with his back against the side of the barn facing where Elizabeth would be coming from.
The nighttime sounds of the country relaxed Josh, and after a few minutes he was allowing the crickets’ songs to rock him to sleep with their rhythm. Hearing a familiar whinny, he awoke with a start. He stood up and peered in the direction in which his horse was looking. At the edge of the woods Elizabeth was departing from a settling layer of fog. Josh began to walk toward her and they met in the middle where Smoke stood. Together, the two reached out to stroke the side of his long gray neck. Elizabeth grasped the horse’s head with her free hand and pulled his face to hers, gently kissing him on the nose.
“I need your help Elizabeth.” He stared at her, searching for an expression that would reveal her answer before her words did. He found nothing, “My dad’s going to get rid of him if you don’t help me.”
“Okay,” she said, “but I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for him.” She still hadn’t taken her glowing, green eyes away from the horse.
“So when do we start?” Josh was glad she had agreed. Not only would he get to keep Smoke, but he would also be able to spend more time with Elizabeth.
“Tomorrow at midnight.”
“Okay,” perfect, Josh thought. He didn’t want his father to find out about Elizabeth just yet, and he wanted to be alone with her. “I’m glad I met you.”
Elizabeth smiled as she looked up at him and, for an instant, Josh saw the same sparkling emeralds he saw when she was adoring the horse. For what seemed like a lifetime, a moment frozen, they just stood there, searching each other’s eyes until, as if a jealous gesture, Smoke suddenly snorted loudly and threw his head between them.
The two of them laughed at the horse and Josh grabbed Elizabeth’s hand and pulled her toward him. Only after he was sure she wouldn’t try to escape his embrace did he let go of her hand and reach out to caress her pale cheek. “You’re so cold,” Josh remarked as he leaned down to kiss her, “lemme warm you up,” he whispered.
“Josh!” A far away voice interrupted him. “Josh are you out here?”
“I think I should go,” Elizabeth pulled away from him and started for the woods.
Great timing dad, he thought. “Yeah, I’m right here,” he called, rolling his eyes.
As the sun crawled across Josh’s bed and began to shine into his eyes he rolled over, glancing at his clock. Twelve o’clock! Josh realized that Chad was going to show up any minute. He was ready to go in under five and flew downstairs only to find that Chad still hadn’t arrived. Josh wandered into the kitchen and fixed a bowl of cereal. By the time he was done eating there was a knock at the door.
Chad spent nearly all day giving Josh the grand tour. It was a small town, yes, but a small town with a long history and Chad seemed to know it all. Josh saw where’d he’d be going to school, a tiny school with only about eighty students. He was introduced to the town hall, where almost all activities took place; dances were held there, as well as bingo tournaments for the older citizens, and occasionally parties were held for the entire town, though not many people attended them. To Josh, this place seemed more and more like a really big family than it was a town.
As the sun was beginning to go down the boys were cruising up and down the streets while Chad pointed out houses. He knew every family in every home and was able to include an amusing anecdote in each introduction. Chad continued on and Josh’s mind began to wander to Elizabeth.
“And that’s old man Grady’s house, don’t even think about setting foot on his property. Last time someone ‘trespassed,’ as he would call it—”
“Where does Elizabeth live?”
“Elizabeth?” Chad said, “Elizabeth who?”
“I didn’t catch her last name.”
“Well there are no Elizabeths around here that I know of,” he paused, “not anymore anyway.”
“What do you mean ‘not anymore?’”
“There used to be an Elizabeth in your house, Elizabeth Turner,” said Chad.
“But she died,” Josh pronounced each word slowly, coming to an outrageous conclusion. Elizabeth was… dead? Simultaneously everything and nothing made sense. It all seemed to fit together now, puzzle pieces now clasped in a bear hug with Elizabeth’s death as the glue. But it was all so real though, Josh thought. He’d touched her. She had to be real, real and alive.
“Yeah,” Chad said sighing, oblivious to Josh’s shock, “and she was cute too, a little weird, but cute.” He paused only for a second, “anyways, there’s a dance tonight at the hall. It’s the last dance of the summer and you could meet some people. You wanna go?” But Josh wasn’t listening. “Josh?… Josh?”
“Huh?”
“You wanna go?” Chad repeated.
“Go?” Josh asked, “Where?”
“The dance.”
“No thanks, I have to meet someone tonight.”
Josh waited up for Elizabeth all night. He didn’t know what to think. They’d planned to meet at twelve, and here it was, three in the morning and no sign of her. Josh knew she’d be there soon and she’d laugh at him and assure him that she was one hundred percent alive. He would touch her and she’d be warm… unlike the night before.
By four Josh had lost all hope. He couldn’t keep reassuring himself, Elizabeth was gone and he was going crazy; seeing ghosts. Josh had just decided to go to bed when a familiar breeze stopped him in his tracks. He didn’t turn around, “Elizabeth?” He stood stiff, suddenly afraid of what he might see. He’d never even considered the thought that she might be dead any other time he’d seen her, but now every shadow that loomed ahead of him in the moonlight made him shudder.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered back, “I should have let him go, but I didn’t.”
Josh spun around, searching for the girl with the emerald eyes he longed to see. All he could find, though, was the familiar mist that had formed while he was turned away.
“He’s yours now,” her voice faded and the fog seemed to be sucked back into the woods until it completely disappeared. The wind blew and Smoke snorted as he reared up, hooves thrashing through the air.
***
“Get back on him Josh, c’mon get up!”
Josh opened his eyes and it was day again. Josh lay on the ground with a close-up of Smoke’s nose.
“Wow, he really threw you, Josh,” Jack was cracking up, “I saw him buck you from the office window. I figured I was missing the rodeo.”
Josh rose from his former position on his back on the hard ground.
“Now you get back on him, you know the saying,” Jack continued to laugh at himself, “when you fall off a horse you gotta get back on again.”
What just happened? Where was Elizabeth and what about Chad? Were they real, were they alive? Josh remembered now, he had just fallen off Smoke. Everything was going fine until he got on him. Was I knocked out? Josh wondered.
“So are you gonna try again?” Jack asked.
“Yeah,” Josh finally understood. He walked over to Smoke, stood on the adjacent fence and hopped on once again. This time, though, Smoke didn’t budge. A light tap of Josh’s heels and the horse was off. He cantered once around the ring and came to a stop as Josh slowed him down. Josh threw himself forward and gave Smoke’s neck a hug. “She was right,” he whispered to the horse, “she just had to let you go.
“How do you like the sound of Mystic Smoke?”
[Conclusion:]
This story is close to my heart. Not just because it’s the first story I ever finished, but also because of the vivid memory I have of writing it all in one sitting in this zone of focus I’ve rarely been able to replicate since.
It’s been edited a few times over the past 20 years, and to be honest there are some things in here as a more aware animal activist that I’m a bit conflicted about.
But this was what the teenager version of me knew as normal, the girl who had a horse named Baby Starbuck and was thrown from him while riding bareback in the snow one day in much the same manner as Josh was thrown from Smoke, and so I’ve left these things in as a memory of who I used to be. And to help me gauge how far I’ve come in my relationship to animals; trying to be more of a companion to them than their keeper.
With that said, I’m still in awe of how perfect Ania’s photograph is for this story. There was no way for me to explain this little bit of magic before you heard it, but the horse in today’s cover art has his ears facing in completely opposite directions, which to anyone who knows horses means his attention is divided. To me it’s as if there’s an invisible person in the background whispering in his ear. Almost as if… well maybe he’s still deciding between Elizabeth and Josh.
A huge and heart felt thank you, to Ania for sharing your art with us today. Please go and check out Ania’s latest photography, color palettes, illustrations, and designs over @ania_archer on Instagram.
And you know what, I think art-pairings are going to be a thing now, so stay tuned. I’ll be talking more about how you can submit your art for consideration on Art Ink without having to write a thing.
Thank you all so much for listening, I hope you all have a magickally spooky Halloween!
