Little Inklings 2024

Aislin Moul ’29 Maybe it was the breeze, maybe it was the sweet flowery smell, or maybe something in Lo had changed. As the two wandered the jungle of a place, they became more and more intrigued. The forest was like nothing she had ever seen before, laden with daffodils and hyacinths, sprinkled with elegant elms, and with a permanent euphoric haze. And almost like a magnetic force, she felt an urge to travel deeper. Even Richard seemed enlightened, his joints loosened, free to gallop through the beds of flowers. Lo rolled down green hills, frolicked in crystal clear ponds, and collected dainty flowers, desperate to make this moment eternal. “Grrrrruf, ruf.” Richard stuck his nose up into the air, sniffing. He looked puzzled. “Richard, I’m trying to sleep,” Lo said. “Ruff,” he scoffed and proceeded to run up the hill behind the tree. “Stop it! ” she reprimanded desperately. “Uggghhh,” she sighed. Then ran ahead, short of breath from all of the sprinting up the enormous hill. She reached the abrupt peak which was seemingly out of nowhere. Standing on the hill she laid her eyes on a scene so horrific, it provoked her to utter a blood-curdling scream. Huffing, and puffing, Lo ran. Past the green, sludgy lake, caked with moss, and the wilting gray things that used to be beautiful elms. She watched a crocodile, scaled head to tail in slimy green bumps, packed with dense muscle, devour his prey, lunging at each victimwith ease, his smug, sinister expression unwavering. Immediately it hit her, where was Richard? Before Lo could faint from shock, she heard a familiar whine. Richard! There he was at the edge of the lake, once he saw he had her attention, he pointed to the right of him with his nose. Beside Richard, clumped in the middle of the small lake, lay a cave-like mossy stone structure. In the cave was a majestic white mare, neighing and kicking the stone with her immensely powerful hind legs. She wanted to run but she couldn’t leave Richard behind, so into the den of the beast she swam, careful to avoid the crocodile’s gaze. Through the varmint-infested waters and towards the island, she waded into the cave. She had reached them! The rest was a blur. With no time to celebrate, the three of them silently waded through the water and reached the shore. But they were not safe yet. The scathing reptile was on their tails. Lo stopped to think. The hill was right ahead of them and its cliff was just as abrupt as its peak. She knew they had to act, so she led her companions in a leap of faith. They plummeted down the hill. Above them, the monstrous crocodile had halted. After a long scornful gaze at his defeaters, he returned to his swamp. They rejoiced in celebration. “We did it!” She hugged Richard and stroked the horse. “We’re safe.” A few days later, she took Richard and Lucy, her new horse, to school. Chin up, Lo dismounted Lucy and stood in front of the gawking class. “This is my horse, Lucy.” All of a sudden she was surrounded by 14 six-year-olds, all in awe of her. “Wow!” “This is so cool!” another said. “Can we pet her?” they pleaded. “Where did you get her?” Then, Ms. Higgins arrived,“Alright Lo, I guess you can have a little show and tell.” She recounted the tale of her mission, happy to add to her fearsome repertoire. Frances stood off to the side, looking particularly pathetic. She timidly approached “Can I have a ride too Lo?” She thought about it, “Alright,” she said. For once she thought; maybe her mother was right. She always said that turning the other cheek felt better than vengeance, and now that she had a taste of maturity, she didn’t plan on turning back. As her adoring classmates fussed over her beautiful white mane; braiding her tail, they would always remember the gift that Lo had given them. This day would go down in infamy and not just because of her beautiful stallion. That day she learned how to read. The next day, Lo woke up early as her mother dragged her out of bed; stumbled to her dresser; and put on her clothes for school. Once she descended the stairs, Richard knew the drill and waited at the door for her, ready for their commute to school. Again Lo trudged down the scorching path to school. The day surged with the same unwavering beams of sun. The same dense, still, air, and the same incessant bug. But this time, she did not drag her feet. 19