Cinderella: An Excerpt from Escape from St. David’s

Wylder and Nala didn’t speak until the next full moon. Without a good way to measure the passage of time, the full moon was like a clock they could both see. They met at the stone benches and without a word, made their way through The Silence toward the soft blue light.

Month after month, Wylder grew closer to the horse and to Nala. Each time Nala would get on the horse and pet her mane, asking her if Wylder could ride too. One day, Nala mounted the horse, and without being asked, the horse went to Wylder and put her muzzle on her forehead.

Wylder watched the horse’s eyes, and seeing that she was calm, she jumped on her back with Nala. The transition was so familiar. It was as if she was mounting her own horse back home, a movement that takes years of practice with the same horse to master.

The three of them took off and explored the lush field. They could smell the trees and feel the breeze. As they trotted along, Wylder was as happy as she could remember being since she had arrived at St. David’s.

“Have you ever tried to see how far you can go?” Wylder asked.

“No. I don’t want to go far,” Nala said.

“But why?” Wylder asked, “You might be able to see the world. I know it’s not the same as being with your mom but think of all the adventures you could have.”

“I am happy here. I have Mama, and now I have you. I have a friend,” Nala said with a smile that showed her age of only twelve.

“What’s the horse’s name?” Wylder asked Nala.

“She doesn’t have a name,” Nala replied.

“Every horse has a name, which makes them part of the family,” insisted Wylder.

Wylder thought about a good name. This beautiful horse was all alone out here. She was kind and friendly, but she had no family except maybe Nala. She remembered a fairy tale from her childhood that brought a similar feeling of being alone in a world not your own.

Though not a perfect name, Wylder said, “Let’s call her Cinderella.” She didn’t really look like a Cinderella, so Wylder added, “Cinder, for short.”

Escape from St. David’s can be read for free on Amazon with Kindle Unlimited or purchased as a paperback for $6.99

A portion of the proceeds go towards a scholarship in Falynne’s honor at School of Applied Integrative Therapy