The swaying sail boat still rolled along the ocean waves. Splashing walls of water plowed past the hull underneath my hooves; vibrations of the waves could be felt by standing still. I have been stuck down here with the boxes and crates of different supplies for possibly what feels like a month; or maybe even longer. I have been hiding in this hold from the notorious humans that drive this odd smelling boat across the sea; as they have saw me before we left land.
They had eventually captured and took me away from my favorite open field I was playing in and was dragged towards shore. After tying my legs together and muzzled my mouth, I was thrown in with the stolen cargo. The restraints came loose as I wiggled myself out and hide amongst the cargo waiting for an opportunity of escape. Unfortunately, that opportunity didn’t last long when they came back down with more goods and noticed the ropes in the middle of the hull. The ship had been heavily guarded since then to ensure their thievery would still be kept a secret. A loss of hope flushed down inside my body once the call of leaving home had echoed through the bowels of the large ship. I could only watch through the porthole as the coastline of Equestria had slowly disappeared before my eyes. By then, I squeezed myself between a heavy crate and the hull and cried in my hooves; the thought of not seeing my mother or father again added to my collection of despair.
I am able to survive for as long as I could with small pieces of food and cups of water I stole and sniffing around for loose crumbs after they fell asleep with dinner filled in their stomachs. I haven’t been this hungry and thirsty ever in my life; it’s like a thrashing monster living inside me. How I will be able to survive any longer is beyond my train of thought. All I can do now is hope that maybe somepony will slay the lowly grunts above and rescue my wayward soul.
. . .
A yell from the surface of the ship wakened my nap inside an empty crate in the corner. “We have reached port, retract the sails, lower the anchor, and ready the platform!” a gravely voice commanded to his comrades. I lifted my lead-filled, exhausted body out and walked over to a porthole. A wide open grin popped up on my face, I could have never been happier to see a more glorious sight. The outside of the ship wasn’t just surrounding salt water, but also a shore of white sand in the form of sand dunes; tall, bushy, dark-green grass and seldom growing pine trees blanketed the gentle, lumpy beach. I have no idea if it is home or not, but that doesn’t matter to me; I knew that the punishment I had to endure for the last few months would finally come to its end. My body became as light as air as I raced back into the empty crate and carefully placed the wooden lid on top. I patiently waited for the crew to come down, every minute feeling like another cruel day at sea. Eventually, several muscular humans stomped down into the cargo hold, heaving out each crate one by one. Then when several more “days” at sea pasted by, my crate raised up. I kept my body as stiff as possible, by laying flat on my gut and tucking my legs underneath, so nobody would suspect a mysterious, live object lived amongst their supplies. Though I couldn’t see what was happening, I felt almost every step this human had take while exiting off the boat and onto the dock. I can hear voices of different “sea dogs” on the outside world, all overlapping one another in a way that I couldn’t decrypt who or what is saying what or who.
The crate lowered down with a thump onto the ground, hitting my flank against the stiff bottom boards. After silently listening for more bulky humans to come, I lifted the lid a little to peer at the outside world. I found myself alone in a small building with a low ceiling being lighted by the window in the wall, surrounding me were other boxes of the stolen goods. I slide the lid over and begun crawling out of my short-term, portable prison. I began lifting myself out on one side of the wooden box with my forelegs when I felt a falling sensation. The crate lilted and fell on its side as I flopped out next to another crate, hitting my back against it.
“Who’s there?!” called a manly voice from the doorway in front of me, hearing the thuds. I rolled over onto my hooves and zigzagged through the piled boxes into the back of the warehouse.
“Show yourself!” called the man, echoing inside the warehouse. I slowly paced in a stack of wooden and iron boxes waiting for him to enter the warehouse. An idea flared in my mind. “You’re only going to cause pain to yourself if you don’t say where you are!” he said in a low, deep voice while entering the room. I snuck over behind another pile of ironclad crates. He slowly approached the middle of the room. I reared my hind legs in and forcefully kicked the crates with a grunt. After the rumbling noise of each metal box collapsing on the muscular man to the ground, I made a gallop for the exit.
“HEEEEEY!!!” the angered human cried “HE’S MAKING AN ESCAPE!” By then I had turned a corner and now bolting in between the sand dunes of white sand, tall grass, and trees.
. . .
I continued running for quite some time; passing by the sand dunes, a small forest behind the coastline, and in the rolling hills of overgrown, branching trees separating the ocean and the mainland. I slowed into a trot in front of one of the trees to rest. I figured they have given up the chase since ponies are usually faster than humans, from what I have heard of back at home.
“Home...” muttered my mind and out of my mouth. I looked up towards the top of the hills and began galloping once more. As I reached over its peak, I saw what must have been the most beautiful sight in my entire life. In the distance, laid a range of mountains lying next to one another; but they weren’t very large mountains though, not even having snow peaks. But my main focus was on the plains that lay between me and those mountains. The plains were filled with golden and bright green field of grass. Right in the middle of my view was a calm, crystal clear lake with rivers coming to and fro, meandering across the miniature valley. I stared for several seconds as the setting sun lowered beyond the family of mountains; then I returned to my full gallop, desperate for food and water, my tongue hanging out and mouth salivating.
It took what would feel like forever until I got to the lake. I leaped into the water, entrenching myself in its cool liquid, washing the grime and dirt out of my light sky blue coat. I swallowed mouthfuls of water, hydrating and cooling my inner body parts. I rolled around awhile longer, when I locked eyes on the gold and green grass. I leaped back on land, clenching bundles of the plant matter, swallowing whole without chewing one bite. The taste wasn’t like back home, sweet and smooth compared to the bitter, rough textures growing in this land but I don’t have a care what its like. Shortly after having my fill, I lay down on my back with my fore and hind legs sprawled in the field, my wet coat still dripping on the ground.
As the presence of sleep started overwhelming me, I jolted back up on my hooves, knowing that I still had to figure out where I am. Turning my head one way to the other investigating my surroundings, I suddenly realized that I have a large exploration ahead of me. A feeling of misery engulfed my mind. The same feeling of being lost thrust against me, a realism I hope I never experience ever again. This realism had thrown my body back to the ground and formed another moment of sorrow. Warm tears poured down my cheeks with my face buried in my hooves. My eyes squeezed tightly to force myself out of this extremely ill-fated tragedy that has ruined my life.
I looked up at the upcoming dawn, my eyes halfway open and still drizzling in streams. All I could do now is mutter two simple words.
“Mama...Papa...”