How to find barn D.
DJ threaded her way through the vehicles, using light from the moon and the tall posts that held yellow-toned lights. She felt like a burglar must, trying to be quiet, trying to find the valuables in a dark house or building.
A giggle almost grabbed her. What would her mother say if she knew her daughter was running around the showgrounds in the middle of the night, checking on her horse?
“She’d probably have a whole lot to say,” DJ spoke aloud, albeit in a whisper. Hearing a voice, even if it was her own, was strangely comforting. Why did she have this need to see Herndon? It wasn’t as if he was Major, after all. She wished she’d been paying more attention when they arrived yesterday, but the pain in her ear had made that impossible.
She crossed the graveled area to the barn set back from the others. Sniffing, she wondered again who could be burning something in the middle of the night like this. “Maybe someone who doesn’t want the pollution control people down on them.” Again, talking aloud made her feel not quite so alone. One year when Gran had started to burn some wood trimmings in their yard, some official had come to the house and told her to put it out.
DJ pushed back the door, and a cloud of smoke rolled over her. Fire!
Where was the light switch? The fire alarm? “Herndon!” She screamed his name and ducked back outside to breathe.
A whinny came from the far right of the barn. She called his name again, and the same whinny responded. Get him out of there! Taking a deep breath, DJ stepped back inside the barn, feeling along the wall for the light switch. Where was it? She ducked back outside, coughed on the smoke, took in a deep breath, and screamed, “Fire!”
Was there anyone to hear her? Where was the night watchman?
Other horses were whinnying and nickering in fear. How would she find Herndon’s stall?
When DJ stepped back inside the barn, she fumbled on the wall again and found the fire alarm. She jerked the handle down and saw a bright light down at the right end of the barn. Flames! Fire!
“Oh, God, help me.” She could hear someone screaming like she always did when she saw fire. It sounded like a child. “God, please!” I can’t freeze now. The horses, what about the horses?
Her eyes refused to leave the flickering lights that seemed to be growing with each breath she took.
Herndon whinnied again, the fear in his call shattering the glass bell that seemed to hold her in one place.
DJ dove into the interior of the barn, using the light from the fire to guide her. She ran down the aisle, coughing, her eyes burning. Herndon whinnied again and banged against the wall.
By the firelight DJ found his door latch and threw it open. Her eyes streamed so bad from the smoke, she felt like she was trying to see underwater. “Come on, fella, we gotta get out of here.”
Herndon pressed against the back of the stall, snorting and wild-eyed. He reared, striking out with one front foot.
“Easy, boy, it’s just me. Come on, you gotta behave.” DJ kept her eyes from the flames she could now hear roaring. Her eyes burned, her throat burned. She coughed and felt for the lead shank that always hung beside the door. With it in her hand, she kept up a gentle murmur between choking coughs. Herndon stopped shifting around and reached out with his nose, a nicker coming through the smoke. DJ grasped his halter and, snapping the lead shank in place, backed toward the door.
Herndon planted his feet and shrieked in fear.
DJ remembered learning that horses are so afraid of fire they will die in their stalls rather than leave what they thought was a safe place.
Without another thought, DJ dropped the lead shank and whipped off her jacket. She folded it and tied it around Herndon’s eyes. Then jerking again on the lead shank, she led him out of the barn, even managing to pull him into a trot.
She could hear fire sirens in the distance. A man ran up shouting. DJ handed him Herndon’s lead rope, whipped the jacket from his eyes, and before the man could grab her, darted back inside the barn. This time she ran down the aisle, flinging open the stall doors as she went. As she neared the fire, the horse in the last stall was screaming in terror.
Please, God, please, God. While she couldn’t say the words around the coughing and her burning throat, DJ’s mind screamed for her. She grabbed the lead shank and entered the stall, talking gently with what air she had. When she could grab the horse’s halter, she snapped on the lead shank, tied the jacket over its eyes, and led the animal out of the barn.
“Here.” She shoved the lead shank at a person standing there and repeated her actions, again dodging the hands that reached out to stop her. She brought out another horse. By this time the fire crew was driving in. Horses screamed their fear and agony. People were shouting.
DJ headed back for the barn.
Somehow she managed to twist away when someone tried to stop her. All she could think was to get the horses out.
She could hear others doing the same as she was. Turning to the right again, DJ paused long enough to listen for a screaming horse. Another down this way. She fumbled for the lead shank and darted into a stall.
Get the horse out. Don’t think about the heat. DJ doubled over coughing but managed to get the lead on the horse anyway. Jacket on its eyes, it followed DJ to the barn door. The horse reared, and DJ felt herself going up in the air with it. When her feet touched ground again, she jerked on the lead shank and started forward again.
This time the horse bolted. Its shoulder caught DJ in the back and slammed her against the doorway. Stars... you really do see stars. Blackness engulfed her.