College kids on spring break stumbled back late from the local bar laughing or cursing. Fishermen slammed doors rushing to reach their boats before the sun caught them up in its light. All the noisy comings and goings kept me awake. It didn't help that I was sharing a room at the makeshift motel with my mother and brother and he talked in his sleep. We had to get up so early, I'd be surprised if I slept at all.
The boat for Assateague Island sailed at 6 a.m. At sea there was only cold and unsteadiness until, all blurry with mist, the rocky heap of the island showed in the distance.
We were close enough to see strands of beach grass when the boat dropped anchor. I don't remember anyone telling my brother and me and the other kids on board to keep quiet but we all did, even the littlest ones, while we waited.
Without warning, the horses burst through the mist. Hooves tumbling, manes streaming, they poured down the slopes of the island's hills. Seeing those wild horses storm the beach, finally I was dreaming.
I'm not sure I ever woke from that dream. Hoof beats still echo in my heart.
Amy Allison's has appeared in Cricket and Jack and Jill magazines and her book Gargoyles on Guard was published by Richard C. Owen.
