My house is surrounded by woods,

except for the front,

it is fall,

leaves were rustling in the wind.

I buttoned up my sweater & sat at my desk to do homework,

when I heard a noise,

It sounded like a horse’s whinny.

I looked out my window,

all there was is the rustling of leaves,

but it seemed now that they were being kicked up.

I heard it whinny again,

still nothing to see,

but leaves being kicked up,

so I put my socks and shoes on,

then headed for the front yard.

I peaked around the corner to see it better,

I sat down on the leaves,

I watched as it pranced & serenaded,

flashes of blue, red, & yellow.

Each path it took never crossed the others.

At the end of what seemed his third path,

he halted in front of me,

the leaves at his hooves started to ignite,

his head bobbed,

his ear twitched,

one hoof stomped at me,

so I rose to see him,

as I got closer it seemed to get hotter,

I touched his muzzle,

but instantly yanked back,

my hand throbbed,

he had burnt me.

It started to prance again,

then it looked back at me,

so I followed,

but halfway he halted,

he kicked leaves at me,

then whinnied.

So, then I looked up at him,

his horn made of pure gold,

mane & tail an elegant blue flame,

his body brilliant yellow,

& his eyes were a throat grasping turquoise flame.

I looked at the path behind me,

only my foot prints,

not both sets.

I must have been out there for a long time,

because it was almost dark.

I ran past the unicorn to the border of the woods,

the unicorn had followed.

I looked at my fist & sighed,

the unicorn touch his horn to my fist,

to my surprise,

my fist opened,

he didn’t burn me.

He touched his horn to my palm,

he jabbed the tip into my palm,

& broke the tip off.

The piece was as big as a thorn,

it went into my palm,

the hole & the burn vanished.

The unicorn bowed,

his elegant yellow body,

then charged for the border of the woods,

the moment he penetrated the border,

he vanished,

he didn’t even look back.

2011 Unpublished work. © by Rebbecca Abernathy