Gigi spent the next seventy-six and a half hours wallowing in her utter despair. Kiara, Gigi’s oldest and best friend in the whole world, had baled on her and now she was halfway around the world (it was actually more like a quarter, but Gigi was not very good at geography). Gigi didn’t know how she was going to survive the summer.

A baleful expression on her face, Gigi wandered into the family room after having boarded herself up in her room for the past three days. Her little brother Brayden was sitting on the floor, watching cartoons that could give anyone over five years old epilepsy. Her parents were sitting in their matching armchairs discussing her Papa’s work. It was a terribly boring conversation. It seemed the secretary-at her Papa’s work had downloaded a trojan virus onto the company’s database computer and now he was going to have to spend all weekend trying to sort it out, or something like that. Gigi didn’t care enough to listen anymore. She flomped down on the couch with a dramatic groan.

“Oh, I see you’ve finally made it out of your room, Gigi,” her Mama said.

Gigi groaned again. “There’s nothing to do,” she said.

“Why don’t you go play outside?” Mama suggested.

“Mama,” Gigi sighed. “I’m not a little kid. I don’t want to ‘go play outside’. Besides, there’s nothing to do outside.”

“Well then, why don’t you go for a walk on our 136 ¼ acres,” Papa suggested.

This sounded only slightly better than laying on the couch, bemoaning her friendless summer, so Gigi decided to do as her Papa suggested and set out of the house for her walk.

It was a warm summer night. The sun was just starting to set, causing the sky to turn a lovely array of pinks and purples. This was the cue for the orchestra of crickets to start their nightly chorus. A delicate breeze rustled through the boughs of the woods beside Gigi’s house. It had an earthy smell of fresh lavender blossoms and something else. What was that?

Gigi inhaled deeply, just as the wind shifted and the scent grew stronger. She got a full whiff that she immediately gagged back out.

Horse manure. It was probably from the estate next door which had a stable on the property.

Desperate for fresh air, Gigi walked past her family’s gazebo and went around to the backside of the pond. She had hoped the air would smell better over there. It didn’t really, but the breeze would hopefully change directions soon.

Beside the pond, there was an old horseshoe pit that had sat unused for the past eighty-three months. Gigi had played it with her father a few times, but she had never been very good at the game. Feeling bored, Gigi picked up one of the slightly rusted shoes and gave it a toss. It skidded through the dirt before coming to a stop two feet past Gigi’s own feet. Frustrated at her pathetic throw, Gigi picked up the horseshoe and tossed it again. It went a good deal further this time, but nowhere near the forty feet required to reach the stake on the other side.

Fuming now, Gigi picked up a second horseshoe and discus-threw it as hard as she could. The horseshoe went spinning through the air like a deadly frisbee. It went flying off into the woods, far right of the stake.

“Whoops,” Gigi said. She cantered off into the woods after the shoe. She hadn’t thought the horseshoe would be that difficult to find. The woods were not overgrown, but the sun had set about five minutes ago and the moonlight was not being very helpful.

Unable to find the hurled horseshoe, Gigi continued to walk deeper and deeper into the dark woods. “I didn’t think I threw it this far,” Gigi said. When she glanced back the way she’d come, she saw something that made her halt-her searching.

There was something else wandering about in the woods.

Gigi watched breathlessly as the most beautiful creature she had ever seen paused in a silver beam of moonlight a little ways away. It was a horse of the most perfect grey, flecked with dark spots down its neck and flank. It was like a mythological beast straight out of a storybook. Gigi could have stared at it all night.

The moonlit stallion tossed its iridescent mane, then turned and looked in Gigi’s direction. Their eyes met for the briefest of moments. And then it bolted, galloping off into the woods with the slightest limp in its step.

“Wait!” Gigi said as the horse disappeared into the darkness, but the horse didn’t listen. Gigi stood staring at the beam of moonlight where the horse had stood a moment before. She feared she would never see anything as beautiful as that horse ever again.