The nightmare (part 3)

The mare watched as the two humans conversed and then they both left looking for humans called a grave digger and a priest. She moved in close to her human, Alger. She touched his face. He was dead, what did that mean exactly? She poked him again and he didn't move. This was death?

The mare waited around, the priest and grave digger entered Alger's home without the two previous humans. Several men at the request of the grave digger removed Alger from his bed. The mare watched and followed the group of people, he was placed into a wooden box. A coffin, she was informed by the other chattering humans. The mare watched as her human within the coffin was lowered into a hole in the ground. She could only watch as the hole and her human were buried. The mare stayed at the grave watching. This was death?

The wind began to blow and the trees swayed. It was in that moment as she stared at the hole that had been filled in and asked herself, was this her fault? Yes she answered herself. This was death.

She recalled the conversation that she overheard between the man and the doctor. It was her. She felt something in her chest, but she was too young to fully comprehend the feeling.

It was all her fault. Alger's death was the doing of a nightmare...she was a nightmare. The mare touched her face, she felt water coming from her eyes and her chest hurt.

The mare didn't go back to her home and she didn't head back to the village. She began to walk in the opposite direction. She had no idea where she would go, but she couldn't go back to the village knowing full well that her human would no longer be there. She was the reason he would no longer be there she thought as her chest continued to be in pain.

The mare walked down the path opposite of Alger's village and came across an inn. She was famished and she knew what would fill her. She stood outside the inn for a long while before finally making the decision to enter and thereby feed.

The mare stood in the main entrance for quite some time as she observed the humans around her. The humans were loud; drinking, eating, and singing going on all around her and some part of her wished to be included. The mare just wanted to watch and enjoy, it was after all too early to feed and she took her time moving through the tables and listening and watching the humans interact. If she couldn't be a part of the revelry, she would watch and learn.

Sometime during her observations she developed the rule, that she would only feed on a human for one night as any more could potentially kill them. She couldn't bare to be the cause of another human death.

As the candlelight dimmed, the inebriated humans made their way upstairs and the young mare followed the humans. She randomly picked a human room. When she entered the room, she was surprised to find two humans within. The female human was screaming while the male grunted.

The mare moved closer and watched the two humans and their wild interactions. This was a bed? Was this not where they slept? She sighed wishing she could ask them, wishing they could see her. But alas she could not and she simply observed.

After the human male fell asleep the woman left. The mare sat upon the male's chest. This time she took no pleasure in his odd twitchy movements, this time she just fed and when she was satisfied she left.

There were plenty of humans to feed from, there was no need to feed on a human more than once. The mare reaffirmed her vow to never kill another human.

For the next 150 years or so that is what she did. She watched desperately wanting to be a part of their world but that wasn't in her cards. When she went to a new town she made sure to learn about every human in the town. She would greet the humans and imitate their movements (waving). She knew the humans couldn't interact with her, but it brought her great pleasure to pretend that she was a part of their world.

Time eventually came and it was time to leave the town, the mare began walking down the path. She had been walking through the woods for some time and quite far from any humans. The mare felt the need to feed but, she would have to be patient until the next town.

The mare came to a field of flowers she stopped and watched. The flowers swayed back and forth as if they were dancing to their own private song. She didn't know how long she had stayed in the field of flowers, but again she felt the need to feed once again. She turned around to keep walking and let out a sigh.

"That was a very big sigh filled with meaning." A woman's voice spoke behind the mare.

The nightmare turned and looked at the woman, surely she couldn't be talking to her? The mare looked around her and noticed no other people. Humans couldn't see her no matter how much she wished for it. Right?

The nightmare used her voice, it was hoarse as it had been used very little in the last 150 years. "Were you talking to me?" The mare asked hopeful, but knew she couldn't put too much into it. Surely the elderly woman was speaking to another, right?

"Of course, who else is out in this field of heather? Save for you and I."

When the woman spoke to her, the mare's eyes grew large and she took a step forward. All she could mumble was "How?"

"I suppose it is because I am not human. What is your name?"

The mare glanced at the elderly woman and tilted her head, "Name?"

"Yes, what do you call yourself?"

The mare furrowed her brows, "I don't?"

The woman laughed from her stomach. A wonderful and sweet hearty laugh. "May I propose your name?"

The mare tilted her head and waited for the woman to continue to speak.

"Heather, for the field of flowers?" The woman smiled.

The mare imitated the smile, "Heather." She voiced and nodded.

"Heather, why don't you come to my hut? You look hungry."