To Believe in Unicorns

By Raymond Markley

Teri lives on a small farm with her father. They live a happy life, but things change as their mare, Charly, gives birth to a foal that appears to be a unicorn. A veterinarian and family friend named Dr. Reilly helps Teri adjust and come to grips with how her life is changing as she grows up in her changed world. When personal tragedy strikes the family, Teri must face the fact that her world will never be the same and that sinister elements exist who will try to rob her of what happiness she finds. Her friends and family stand by her, but Teri finds that she must stand alone and face evil to survive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raymond Markley
• Release date: Jan 4, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301490172

Raymond Markley

High School, 1975 College, 1981 College, 2010 Work-Teaching and Army Playing doumbek and djembe with my friends. Our three, er make that four Boston Terriers Oh so happily married

Book preview

To Believe in Unicorns

by Raymond Markley

SMASHWORDS EDITION

Published by Raymond Markley on Smashwords

Copyright 1996 Raymond Markley

SMASHWORDS EDITION LICENSE NOTES

This story is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This story may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this story with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this story and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Cover photo: Ruth Walker and Snoopy Von Passenheim

Photography by Althena and Rev

* * * * *

Chapter One

No, Baby, they won't take her away, said Frank Hohman as he unlocked the barn door. They'll just be here to make sure everything is all right.

Okay, Dad, Teri said, pushing open the barn door and hooking its chain over a nail to keep it open. It's just I don't think Charly likes being around people now she's about to foal. And quit calling me Baby! she laughed. I’ll be seventeen in a couple of months. As she stepped into the dark of the barn her eyes struggled to see after being in the bright sunshine.

Oh, I thought it was seven months, Frank smiled, following her into the barn. He removed his battered straw cowboy hat and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. The September heat in the barn sure was oppressive. He returned the hat to his head. You'll still be my baby when you're fifty.

Yeah, and you'll be…seventy-eight!

They had reached the tall bay mare, Charly, and Teri immediately ducked low under the wooden rail of the stall and went to her side. Stroking the mare's neck, she said, It's amazing how still horses get when they're pregnant. She put her ear to the horse's side, feeling the warmth below its soft, short hair. Her heartbeat seems so slow. Is that how it should be?

That's why Doc Reilly is coming out. She can tell us that everything is just fine – as I'm sure it is.

Why is she coming then, if everything is all right? Teri said, leaving the horse's side and leaping easily up to the top rail of the stall to sit on it. At five feet eight inches tall, she could easily leap that high, though not long ago leaping up to the top rail would have been a frightening challenge. She rubbed her hands down her jeans and looked down at the mare. Charly seemed to be staring more blankly than horses usually stare. Blinking less, too, Teri thought. Was she really okay?

Frank Hohman put his hand onto the horse's side, feeling the shape of the foal inside. Baby, horses are different from just about any other animal. He gently slid his hand along the horse's underside. Do you know what happens when a woman has a Cesarean birth? He spoke without looking back at his daughter, his face reddening slightly.

Dad, I've read about it in my science book. Of course I know what it is. She looked intently at Frank. I'm not a kid any more.

Her father was still feeling the mare's side, never looking at Teri. Any time a horse is about to foal we have to be careful. With one hand still on the mare, he lifted his other hand to adjust his old cowboy hat. You never want to deliver a foal like that – Cesarean, I mean. His face was sweating more. Can't really X-ray a pregnant horse either.

Teri, leaning down from the rail of the stall, patted Charly's neck. I hope it will be tonight, she said. I mean, the vet said any time after the first of September and this is the third. She tapped her father's shoulder and as he turned to face her, she slid off the rail to the floor of the stall. Dad, is there something you're not telling me? I mean, is Charly really all right?

Frank took off his hat and retrieved a white handkerchief from his back pocket. Well, Baby, Doc Reilly has seen something that you don't usually see on horses when they are about to foal. We thought it best to call in another vet from the university office and that's who's coming out today.

Why? What can he do that Doc Reilly can't do? Teri said. She suddenly felt afraid. They won't do anything to hurt Charly, will they? Her stomach felt uneasy, like it had on the first day of school and plenty of other times that she'd rather not remember. It was not a good feeling.

Frank opened the gate of the stall and guided Teri through. This is a man, a vet, who specializes in the birthing of horses. He'll just feel Charly's sides and maybe check a few other things. He snapped the latch of the stall shut, making sure it would not come open later. He looked into his daughter's eyes and said, They are not going to take her away. I promise.

He put his arm around her and they left the shaded, stuffy air of the barn for the more breezy, sunny air outside. Baby, why don't you go on up to the house and get us some dinner ready. I'm gonna' go run the cows in.

The September heat was getting to her dad, thought Teri, as she watched him wipe his forehead again before fastening the hook to keep the barn door closed. She knew he'd be glad when autumn came around. Okay, Dad. Teri turned toward the house, feeling less uneasy.

She heard her father's voice behind her, calling out, She'll be all right, honey, as he walked to this old Dodge truck. His voice sounded strange to Teri, like he was acting. It didn't sound like him at all. Something weird was happening, but what?

Teri looked at her father as he walked away and considered following him to find out more about the new vet. But she knew he didn't want to talk about it anymore, so she shrugged, entered the house, and began preparing their dinner.

After washing up, she took out a macaroni and cheese mix and went through the routine of the instructions on the box. Absently, she wondered what her friends would think of such food. Most people would see macaroni and cheese as a side dish, but she took a pride in preparing what was her father's favorite food for their meal. Who cared what other people thought? Through the kitchen window, she could see her father struggling to start the old blue truck.

Teri turned to get some stewed tomatoes from the refrigerator to mix with the macaroni and cheese when she heard the old truck roar to life. Then, a sudden louder and sharper noise rang out right beside her, causing her to jump in fright, dropping the bowl of tomatoes. It was just the phone, which had been turned up loud enough to be heard outside, she reminded herself quickly.

The bowl had not broken, but some of the tomatoes had sloshed out of the bowl and fallen to the floor. She tried to scoop up most of the tomatoes and throw them in the sink, grabbing the phone on its fourth ring. Hello, she said, in her deepest voice, trying to sound like an adult.

Hi, this is George Mann, the voice on the phone replied. May I speak to Frank Hohman, please?

He's gone out to run the cows in, Teri said.

Can I speak to Mrs. Hohman?

No, she's not here. Teri cringed at the question she hated but knew was inevitable. She couldn't blame people for not knowing her parents were divorced, but the fact was she still felt really sensitive about people asking about her mom, and wished they would stop doing it.

Well, as I said, the voice in the phone continued, this is Dr. Mann, and I was hoping to stop by tonight for a look at your mare. Is this Teri?

Yes, this is Teri. Her palms were sweating. This was the vet her dad had spoken about. The expert. Why did they need an expert